The United States (US) government’s Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) has earmarked a $60-million grant for the Philippines focused on the energy sector. Documents discussed during the US aid agency’s economic advisory council meeting last month, which were made public last week, showed that the...
A predawn fire gutted several houses in a residential compound in Barangay 132, Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City on Monday, May 25, leaving 15 families homeless. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the blaze broke out at 2:51 a.m. along Mariano Ponce Street and rapidly spread through the densely...
Social Security System (SSS) is preparing to launch an energy sustainability loan program in September to help qualified members finance residential solar panel systems amid elevated electricity costs. In a statement on Friday, May 22, SSS President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Robert Joseph...
A blaze erupted along BMA Avenue in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City on Thursday afternoon, May 21, 2026. The fire initially reached a positive alarm status before being raised to first alarm at 5:09 p.m. Firefighters continued efforts to contain the blaze at the time of reporting. Authorities have...
Escalating tensions in the Middle East and the resulting spike in global oil prices could trigger broader economic disruptions in the Philippines, worsening inflation, weakening the peso, and raising costs across transportation, food, tourism, and other energy-intensive industries, according to...
The Department of Health (DOH) said on Sunday, May 17, that it is actively coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) following the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in parts of Africa. In a...
The Insurance Commission (IC) has ordered a set of relief measures for consumers, including a three-month grace period for premium payments and loan repayments, as the country grapples with an energy emergency triggered by geopolitical tensions. Under Circular Letter No. 2026-11, issued May 13,...
A 52-year-old man died from smoke inhalation while helping extinguish a fire that gutted his brother’s house in Barangay Pasong Putik, Quezon City, early Wednesday, May 13. He was rushed to a hospital by the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) but was declared dead on arrival due to...
Over 108,000 members and pensioners affected by recent calamities may avail themselves of ₱2.64 billion worth of emergency loans from state-run pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). In a statement on Friday night, May 8, GSIS said the emergency loan program aims to provide...
Senator Joel Villanueva has filed a bill seeking to guarantee financial relief for borrowers, depositors, and digital payment users during national emergencies by giving the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) authority to compel banks and other financial institutions to comply with emergency...
A pre-dawn fire swept through a row of commercial establishments along Holy Spirit Drive in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City on Thursday, May 7, rapidly escalating and reaching second alarm. Initial investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection–National Capital Region (BFP-NCR) showed the fire...
Philippine banks not enrolled in the Peso Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system have been allowed to directly withdraw high-value cash from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) during calamities and emergency situations. “Banks not registered in the Philippine Payment and Settlement System...
