Fraud crackdown at Customs: ‘We’re going after smugglers, their financiers, and their government allies,’ says commissioner

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed 84 cases for customs fraud under a crackdown that targets high-value misdeclarations, including the infamous example of a Bugatti luxury vehicle declared as a pick-up truck to pay lower import duties, Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said Saturday. Nepomuceno made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 8, as part…

SSS, GSIS launch micro loan programs at 6% interest yearly, safer than loan sharks charging 10% monthly

The Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) have launched micro loan programs offering emergency loans at 6% annual interest, providing a government alternative to informal lenders that charge as much as 10% per month, Finance Secretary Frederick Go said Saturday. Go made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 8,…

BIR launches one-time tax abatement: micro businesses can clear ₱80,000 in liabilities for ₱5,000

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has launched a One-Time Tax Abatement Program that allows micro taxpayers with annual gross sales of up to ₱3 million to clear up to ₱80,000 in pending tax liabilities and penalties per taxable year for a flat payment of just ₱5,000, BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza said Saturday. Mendoza made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH…

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%,…

Malacañang under fire as fallout grows over removal of career DOH officials

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…

SPECIAL REPORT: Laguna Lake on the verge of becoming the Philippines’ largest septic tank

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 Situation Report © 2025. All rights reserved.