ILOILO CITY—House Deputy Speaker and Iloilo first district Rep. Janette Loreto-Garin denied allegations that she is a “congtractor” – the portmanteau for a member of Congress and a contractor. “Pekeng balita ang ilinalabas…Huwag natin paniwalaan ang mga pekeng balita (What was released...
The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Wednesday, August 13, that it has expanded its leptospirosis fast lanes to 49 hospitals nationwide. The DOH said that the initiative aligns with President Marcos’ directive to enhance rapid and efficient medical responses to leptospirosis and other...
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday, Aug. 12, dismissed China’s claim that the Philippines was at fault for the recent collision between two Chinese vessels near Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), saying he would not dignify what he...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is expanding access to the government’s ₱20 per kilo rice program, now allowing rice farmers and farm workers who planted the staple to avail themselves of the cheap rice. In a statement, the DA announced that the rice program will now cover members of the...
Hitting a fresh high, the national government’s debt level is expected to exceed ₱19 trillion by the end of 2026, nearly 10-percent higher than the projected end-2025 level of ₱17.36 trillion. According to the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing (BESF) document for fiscal year...
Eight Chinese nationals, six men and two women, have been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) at an illegally operating Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Davao City. The NBI said they were arrested last August 12 by operatives of the Southeastern Mindanao Regional...
Contractors linked to politicians or their relatives may still secure flood-control projects if they meet all legal, technical, and financial requirements, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Wednesday, Aug. 13. DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan clarified that the law allows...
LAOAG CITY – Residents of Ilocos Sur province no longer need to travel far to seek medical treatment as the newly upgraded Ilocos Sur Medical Center (ISMC) in Candon City is ready to cater to more patients with new facilities inaugurated on Tuesday. First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos led the formal...
President Marcos has submitted to Congress a proposed ₱6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, saying it marks a deliberate shift from infrastructure-heavy investments to greater funding for the country’s human capital. In his budget message, the President said that while the administration...
The leadership of the House of Representatives has decided to begin its formal deliberations on the P6.793-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026 two weeks earlier than previously announced. This was bared by Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep. Mikaela Angela "Mika" Suansing during a press...
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has downgraded its projection of the Philippines’ rice imports this year by 500,000 metric tons (MT) due to the 60-day import ban that will come into effect beginning next month. In its report on the global grains trade, the USDA’s Foreign...
The Marcos Jr. administration will ramp up infrastructure spending in 2026, with a record ₱1.556 trillion set aside for its centerpiece “Build Better More” (BBM) program under the proposed ₱6.793-trillion 2026 national budget. Budget documents showed that the infrastructure disbursements...
