Vietnam is in the grip of a construction frenzy unlike anything Southeast Asia has seen in a generation—and while Hanoi breaks ground on bullet trains, nuclear plants, and the world’s largest stadium, the Philippines is fighting a different kind of battle: keeping fuel affordable for ordinary Filipinos while its own infrastructure ambitions inch forward under the long shadow of corruption. The groundbreaking…
More than 199,000 residents in Albay were affected after Mayon Volcano unleashed thick ashfall on Saturday, May 2, with farmers bearing the brunt of the disaster as crops were destroyed and livestock killed across the province. In Camalig, vegetables wilted under the weight of the ash while cattle died from prolonged exposure to the ashfall. Mayor Caloy Baldo said local authorities were…
The Philippines has implemented more policy measures to counter the global oil shock than any other economy in Southeast Asia, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Manila-based multilateral lender’s latest brief showed the Philippines adopted 7 of 8 major policy categories identified across Asia and the Pacific, the highest count among developing Southeast Asian economies, which also…
Vietnam is in the grip of a construction frenzy unlike anything Southeast Asia has seen in a generation—and while Hanoi breaks ground on bullet trains, nuclear plants, and the world’s largest stadium, the Philippines is fighting a different kind of battle: keeping fuel affordable for ordinary Filipinos while its own infrastructure ambitions inch forward under the long shadow of corruption. The groundbreaking…
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%,…