President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed that every public school student must have their own personal textbook to write on and keep, just like in private schools—a policy that ends decades of shared, untouchable textbooks in Philippine public education, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Saturday. Angara made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 1,…
Some 2.2 million students are now benefiting from the Government Assistance and Subsidy for Private Education (GASTPE) program, which allows public school students to transfer to private schools with their tuition funded by the government, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Saturday. Angara made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 1, as part of the…
The Department of Education (DepEd) is giving classroom construction funds directly to local government units, civil society organizations, and the private sector to implement for the first time in its history, ending the longstanding practice of routing all construction through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DepEd) or DepEd’s central office, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Saturday. Angara made the statement…
For 27 years, Teacher Mariane Luchavez stayed at Teacher I—not because she lacked the talent or the will to advance, but because life demanded she choose between her own professional growth and the future of her three children. Luchavez, a public school teacher in Valenzuela City who has been teaching for 27 years in the public school system and five more in…
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%,…