Oil prices fell around 4% on Wednesday on the prospect of a possible ceasefire easing supply disruptions from the key Middle East producing region after reports the U.S. sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war between them. Brent crude futures fell $4.89, or 4.7%, to $99.60 a barrel by 0335 GMT, after declining to as low as $97.57. U.S. West…
Former National Youth Commission (NYC) chairman Cesar Chavez is proposing a sweeping institutional reform that would transform the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) into a nationwide Youth Environmental Corps (YEC), offering it as an alternative to calls to abolish the youth body. Chavez said that “ecological security is the highest form of security,” arguing that converting the SK would shift youth governance toward protecting…
Paris – Attacks on water systems are uncommon in wartime, but Iran has threatened to target desalination plants after it said its own water and energy infrastructure had sustained damage in the ongoing war with Israel and the U.S. What has Iran said? Iran’s military renewed its threats on Sunday against the region’s infrastructure after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to “obliterate”…
As oil prices rise and the peso weakens, the Philippine government is being urged to reassess its spending priorities, with the ₱17.6-billion ASEAN Summit emerging as one option for review. Former Finance Secretary Gary Teves says the question is not about diplomacy, but priorities. In times of crisis, he argues, governments—like households—must decide what to delay and where to redirect limited resources.…
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%,…