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When confronted by a crisis, the Philippine government’s default response has become predictable: dole out cash. In the midst of a surge in fuel prices, it is called a fuel subsidy. When typhoons and floods strike, it becomes a cash grant. For poor households, there is the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Those facing emergencies can turn to Assistance to …

The Philippine Constitution of 1987 contains a provision the directs the Legislative Department to pass an anti-political  dynasty measure. Article !!, Section 26 provides: The State shall guarantee  equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be provided by law. After nearly four decades of existence, the Philippine Congress had not yet passed the measure mandated …

While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. travelled to New York to lobby the United Nations for a non-permanent seat at the powerful United Nations Security Council, events at home paint a troubling portrait of a nation slowly but clearly spiraling out of control. In the Philippine Senate, public attention is consumed by a political feud between Panfilo Lacson and Rodante Marcoleta, trading accusations about campaign donations and political ethics. Such spectacles …

REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro The Philippine Oil Deregulation Law, enacted in 1998, was supposed to usher in competition and efficiency. Instead, it has become a straitjacket for government response to fuel price spikes. Lawmakers themselves now admit that deregulation complicates intervention, yet they stop short of repealing it. This raises a fundamental question: if Congress cannot act to ease the burden …

LOVE FOR ALL​By: Virginia Rodriguez Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon made the assurance that legitimate infrastructure projects will be paid despite the ongoing flood-control controversy which is a welcome signal to the construction sector. The move was made following the directive of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the government wants to make it clear: while corruption will be hunted down, honest work …

By Tracy Cabrera Business leaders are raising alarms over the renewed conflict in the Middle East, warning that escalating tensions could ripple through the Philippine economy through higher fuel costs, supply disruptions, and risks to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Industry groups said the country’s heavy dependence on imported oil makes it particularly vulnerable if global crude prices continue to surge …

The government has ordered all state offices to reduce fuel consumption as tensions in the Middle East threaten to drive up global oil prices and disrupt supply. The directive came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. convened a special Cabinet meeting at Malacañang Palace last week to assess the escalating conflict and its possible effects on the Philippines. During the meeting, …

The Department of Energy (DOE) has launched an investigation into alleged hoarding of petroleum products amid rising supply concerns triggered by the conflict in the Middle East. In a statement Thursday, the agency said reports from its field offices in Luzon and Mindanao indicated irregularities in fuel supply and retail prices. The DOE warned that individuals found violating Republic Act …

The Philippine government is studying a Singaporean model that invests in women’s health even before they begin conceiving or starting families, an approach officials say could improve maternal and child outcomes while strengthening long-term economic productivity. The interest emerged after a bilateral meeting between Rex Gatchalian, secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Masagos Zulkifli, Singapore’s minister …

Telecommunications provider PLDT and its mobile arm Smart Communications blocked more than 83,000 attempts to access online child abuse materials in January as part of efforts to protect children in the digital space. In a statement Thursday, company first vice president Roby Alampay said the crackdown was made possible by the firm’s tools that detect and block Child Sexual Abuse …