With global economic uncertainty rising from the US-Iran conflict, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is accelerating infrastructure spending, with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) releasing P46.22 billion to fund 1,743 infrastructure projects nationwide. Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo approved the issuance of 158 Special Allotment Release Orders on April 15, 2026, coursing the funds through the Department of Public Works and Highways…
The world has lost over $50 billion worth of crude oil that has not been produced since the Iran war began nearly 50 days ago and the aftershock of the crisis will be felt for months and even years to come, according to analysts and Reuters calculations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday the Strait of Hormuz was open following…
BANGKOK – Thailand could face extreme heat conditions comparable to those seen today in the Sahara by 2070, according to a growing body of climate research that suggests global warming is steadily pushing parts of the world beyond the temperature range in which human societies have historically flourished. The warning was highlighted by director of the Climate Connectors programme Tara Buakamsri in discussing Mr…
The Philippines could dramatically reduce its electricity costs by shifting to nuclear power, with fuel imports for a 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant costing only $20 million a year compared to $400 million for an equivalent coal or gas facility, Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco said Saturday. “Twenty times cheaper,” Cojuangco, chairman of the House Special Committee on Nuclear Energy, said in an interview on…
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%,…