Delivery and platform riders working for companies including Foodpanda, Ninja Van, Flash, and Lalamove are closer to getting formal labor protections after Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said Thursday he has begun individual negotiations with each company toward a labor advisory that will define the rights, benefits, and grievance mechanisms available to gig workers in the Philippines. Tolentino made the disclosure in an…
The Philippines will preside over the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva beginning April or May 2027, a significant multilateral responsibility that Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said Thursday makes it urgent to resolve longstanding complaints filed with the International Labor Organization (ILO) about suppression of labor rights, some of which date back to the 1980s. Tolentino explained the details in an interview…
Criminology and Nursing consistently rank among the highest enrollment courses in Philippine schools despite not reflecting actual labor market demand, and the jobs mismatch problem has persisted for decades without a durable solution, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said Thursday. Tolentino made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program The Situation Report on September 10, discussing TESDA’s role in bridging the…
Flood, garbage, and fragmented power have pushed the capital region to the breaking point, says lawmaker Metro Manila is a megacity of 13 million people at night and 15 to 16 million during the day, and for decades, not one person has been fully in charge of it. That is the central argument Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar “Egay” Erice made…
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%,…