The median age of Filipinos continues to rise, indicating that the country’s population is gradually aging. Based on the 2024 Census of Population released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the median age increased from 24.3 years in 2015 to 25.3 years in 2020, and further to 27.7 years in 2024. The PSA explained that the median age represents the midpoint of the…
The cost of a healthy diet has increased 25 percent in the past five years, putting it out of reach for one-third of the global population, according to figures released Wednesday by the United Nations. The increased cost of food makes a healthy diet require an average of $4.28 purchase power parity dollars per person per day, per the UN Food and…
From land to sea and back to the dining table, plastic pollution has made its way into the Filipino kitchen. A study by researchers from Ateneo de Manila University, published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology, found that microplastics—tiny plastic fragments measuring between 1 micrometer and 5 millimeters—are present in some of the country’s most common staple food products. The…
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%,…