Incoming Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay has been handed a clear mandate: make tourism work not just for popular destinations, but for local economies across the country. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. appointed the veteran trade diplomat to lead the Department of Tourism (DOT) with an explicit push to align travel with job creation, business growth, and regional development. “Her appointment reflects the…
Grab Philippines has apologized to actress Xyriel Manabat after one of its drivers made inappropriate remarks about her. The transport network vehicle service (TNVS) said the driver has been placed under preventive suspension and that it is willing to cooperate with government agencies. This came after the actress said she would take action against the driver. “We are already in direct contact…
Skyrocketing raw material costs in China caused shuttlecock prices to more than double last year, with the Badminton World Federation (BWF) saying previously it was an issue but the shortage was not “at a crisis level yet”. In a report by the Agence France Presse, the BWF said it would use synthetic shuttlecocks at selected events including junior international tournaments. “This initiative…
She drives tanks. She fires pistols. She shows up to military parades in a nation that has never once been led by a woman. And according to South Korea’s top spy chief, she may be next in line to run all of it. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service director Lee Jong-seok told lawmakers in a closed-door National Assembly briefing Monday that it…
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%,…