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 …
Read More »LOVE FOR ALLBy: 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 …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »
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, …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »
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 …
Read More »
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday filed criminal complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against 18 former Marines, lawyer Levi Baligod, former lawmaker Mike Defensor, broadcaster Jay Sonza and other personalities over allegations that he bribed officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The complaints stem from claims by the respondents that Trillanes received USD2 million from former …
Read More »
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the El Niño phenomenon may begin developing around July this year and could persist through the August to October period as warmer ocean temperatures emerge. In an announcement, Ana Liza Solis, chief of PAGASA’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section, said the weather bureau has been monitoring the possible formation of …
Read More »
Malacañang on Thursday called for heightened vigilance across government offices following the discovery of espionage operations in the country allegedly linked to Chinese intelligence. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said security agencies have already taken action against individuals identified under the government’s Insider Threat Program. She urged government offices to strengthen safeguards for sensitive information and remain alert against possible …
Read More »
The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business