The United States has imposed new tariffs of 12.5% on Philippine exports, citing the country’s alleged failure to adopt sufficient safeguards against goods produced using forced labor. The decision, announced Friday (Manila time) by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, followed an investigation into 60 economies to determine whether they prohibit or effectively enforce bans on imports linked to forced…
Vehicle sales in the Philippines declined by 11.4% year-on-year to 204,557 units, weighed down by high fuel costs linked to the Middle East crisis. Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association showed that sales in June alone fell by 8% to 37,231 units, down from 40,483 units sold in the same month in…
NEW YORK, July 23 (Reuters) – Oil prices settled above $100 on Thursday for the first time since May after Yemen’s Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, causing further global supply disruptions following a near-halt in trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent futures finished up $6.62, or 7%, at $100.69 a barrel, marking their highest…
Thirty-six years ago today, the ground beneath northern and central Luzon shook with a violence Filipinos of that generation have never forgotten. At exactly 4:26 in the afternoon of July 16, 1990, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck—the strongest and most destructive to hit the Philippines in two decades, according to PHIVOLCS. The epicenter was near the town of Rizal in Nueva Ecija,…
With the perceived ouster of career health officials, Malacañang now stands accused of putting institutional stability and expert leadership at risk for political convenience. The uproar follows the exit of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire and other veteran DOH officials in what appears to be a politically motivated shake-up. About 55 professional medical groups signed a joint statement expressing concerns of what…
The Laguna Lake is fast deteriorating into the country’s “biggest septic tank,” Biñan City Rep. Walfredo “Arman” Dimaguila Jr. warned on Saturday, August 2. In an interview on DZRH News’ Special on Saturday, Rep. Dimaguila urged the Marcos Jr. administration to take urgent and science-based action to rehabilitate the vital water body affecting millions across Southern Luzon and Metro Manila. “Magkakaroon na…
The Iran war is showing why the Philippines can’t afford to neglect its farmers
A war thousands of kilometers away is beginning to ripple through something as basic as the Filipino dining table. The conflict involving Iran has pushed oil prices higher, disrupted key shipping routes, and strained global supply chains—especially for fertilizer, a critical input for food production. Farmers are already feeling the pressure. Fertilizer prices have surged by as much as 30% to 40%,…