SEOUL, May 21 (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping may visit North Korea as early as next week and will try to act as a mediator between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, quoting a senior government official. Another government source was cited by Yonhap as saying a team of Chinese…
The artists and poets of Kislap Diwa—a cultural initiative envisioned by Senator Loren Legarda with National Artist Virgilio Almario to preserve and promote Filipino culture and heritage—formally severed ties with the senator on Wednesday, May 20, saying her recent political actions have put their belief in her as a defender of culture “in serious doubt.” “For years, the Senator has presented herself…
Prices of some basic commodities may increase due to rising costs linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said. “Actually, 68 percent of the products have no price increase. Others have price increases, but these are very minimal,” Trade Secretary Cristina Roque told reporters in an interview. This came as manufacturers sought government…
In the middle of one of the most turbulent weeks in recent Philippine political history, former Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan reached back four decades to find the model of leadership the country needs right now—and the name he came up was a former president who once spent two hours over dinner talking to his political enemies, one by one, and paid for…
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%,…