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The government is reviewing the conditions for a possible reduction or suspension of excise taxes on fuel, Malacañang said, as global oil prices remain volatile. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier stressed that the proposal involves a “very complicated calculation,” requiring a careful assessment of multiple factors before any decision is made. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro explained that the President …

The Bureau of Customs will hold another public auction of high-end vehicles worth over ₱265 million, offering bidders a chance to acquire 11 luxury units through sealed bidding. The auction is set at 10 a.m. on March 27 at the POM Conference Room in Port Area, Manila, with a total floor price of ₱265,996,987.32. Prospective buyers may inspect the vehicles …

A key House panel has approved a substitute measure aimed at modernizing the country’s civil registry system, addressing gaps in birth and death records that continue to affect millions of Filipinos. The House Committee on Population and Family Relations consolidated over 29 proposals into a single bill, including House Bill No. 5213 authored by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, along …

Commuters riding Light Rail Transit Line 2 and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 will enjoy a 50-percent fare discount starting today, as the government rolls out relief measures amid rising fuel costs. The Department of Transportation said the reduced fares will remain in effect until further notice. Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the move is aimed at easing commuters’ …

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has urged clergy nationwide to offer special prayers for peace in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions in the region. In a statement, Socrates Mesiona, chair of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, called on diocesan migrant offices and parishes to include prayers for peace in Sunday …

Senator Francis Pangilinan on Thursday urged fellow lawmakers to pass his twin agricultural reform bills to strengthen food security as disruptions in the Middle East continue to threaten global supply chains. The proposed Agricultural and Fisheries Cooperatives Act and Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act build on Pangilinan’s 2019 Sagip Saka Act, which enables government agencies and local units to buy …

The latest swirl of controversy in the Senate exposes a familiar Philippine problem: too many leaders are insulated from the daily hardships of ordinary people, and too few are willing to confront the structural causes of poverty, inflation and transport chaos. When public debate is reduced to personalities and procedural loopholes, the public loses twice. First, it loses trust in institutions …

Once upon a time, couple of decades ago, with me and politicians  in a merienda setting with a prominent political family, the conversation drifted to the question — when is the best time to start campaigning for the next elections?  To put matters in context, it was just the first few days since one of them won the governorship in a …

The President’s surprise suspension of fare hikes—earlier approved by transport regulators—initially gave commuters a sense of relief. But this relief is largely illusory. For transport operators and drivers, the move came as a shock, particularly as they were allowed only a one-peso increase despite local fuel prices having surged by more than 100 percent.  The gap between the cost of operating …

REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro In my radio program WALANG ATRASAN at DWAR Abante Radyo, 1494 Khz, I spoke with Prof. Clarita Carlos, former National Security Adviser and one of the country’s most incisive political thinkers. Our discussion centered on a provocative question: should the Philippines explore closer ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)? Prof. Carlos has long advanced the principle of multi-alignment and strategic autonomy. For her, …