Girls worst hit by climate shocks on schools — Unicef

Girls are at greater risk of dropping out of education when their schools are hit by heatwaves, storms or wildfires linked to climate change, the UN children’s agency said on Thursday. Unicef analysis suggested that one in 10 or more than 171 million students in 106 countries or territories had their education disrupted by extreme weather last year. But the agency said…

Mindanao is years ahead of Luzon in agriculture, says Manny Piñol

Mindanao’s agriculture is more modern and more productive than Luzon’s, and life on the island is more peaceful, more affordable, and full of more opportunity than Metro Manila, making it the better place to live and work for any Filipino willing to go back, former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol said Wednesday. Piñol made the statement in an interview on DZRH News…

It is cheaper for Mindanao to ship bananas to Japan than to Manila, says ex-DA chief

The Philippines’ chronic failure to solve its geographic fragmentation has produced one of the most absurd realities in Philippine agriculture: it costs more to ship bananas from Mindanao to Metro Manila than to export them to Japan and China, former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol said Wednesday. Piñol made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program The Situation Report on…

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…

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