Philippine News

October 27 ------ Private hospitals have reported an increase in cases of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) nationwide, although it has since begun plateauing. Dr. Jose Rene de Grano, the head of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PHAPI), said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview that they have seen a roughly 10 percent rise in ILI cases since three to four weeks ago, with the majority of these cases being pediatric, geriatric, or with comorbidities. However,

MANILA, Philippines, October 27 ------ CAVITEX announced that the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has approved toll rate adjustments for the Manila-Cavite Expressway, following petitions filed by joint venture partners CAVITEX Infrastructure Corp. (CIC) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) in 2020 and 2023. In a statement posted on Facebook, CAVITEX said that the new toll rates will take effect on October 28 after the TRB granted provisionally approved rates to support

MANILA, Philippines, October 26 ------ The Philippines and Japan have committed to enhancing cooperation in agricultural trade and technology, with Manila pressing Tokyo to remove tariffs on Philippine bananas and improve market access for pomelo, and Japan seeking to export fresh grapes to the Philippine market. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Japanese Agriculture Minister Koizumi Shinjiro met on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Agriculture and Forestry Min

MANILA, October 26 ------ Minimum wage earners in the SOCCSKSARGEN region will get an increase in November, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced. The minimum hourly rate for non-agriculture and retail, and service sectors in Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and General Santos City will increase by P30, bringing the minimum wage to P460 a day or P11,998 per month upon full implementation of all tranches. The minimum rate for the agricultu

MANILA, Philippines, October 25 ------ The Energy Regulatory Commission has approved another hike in the feed-in tariff allowance (FIT-All), this time a steep 74.3 percent increase set to hit consumers starting next month. ERC chairman and CEO Francis Saturnino Juan announced a new rate of P0.2073 per kilowatt-hour for November power bills, up from the current P0.1189 per kWh FIT-All collection. The latest adjustment pushes this year’s total rate hike to P0.1235 following the

MANILA, Philippines, October 25 ------ The Department of Health (DOH) does not see the need for now to make the usage of face masks mandatory amid a rise in cases of influenza-like illnesses (ILI), with the country in the middle of the flu season. “Not yet. Among the things we look at when we’re considering a new mandate is the rise in hospital admissions involving severe cases. We look at whether intensive care units are getting full, and so far, we have yet to see that,” He

MANILA, Philippines, October 24 ------ Private hospitals are seeing more patients with influenza-like illnesses this flu season. “There has been an increase of around 10 to 15 percent (of flu cases) from last month,” Dr. Jose Rene de Grano, president of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc., said. Most of the patients are children and seniors, he noted. The Department of Health earlier said there is no flu outbreak in the country. From Sept. 28 to Oct. 11,

October 24 ------ The Swedish government’s grant of $1.3 million for the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) railway project under the Luzon Economic Corridor underscores the strengthened cooperation between Sweden and the Philippines, its ambassador said. The Swedish Embassy in Manila, in a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 22, cited Swedish Ambassador to the Philippines Anna Ferry’s remarks during the official presentation of the signed agreement at the Malacañan Palace. “This ad

October 24 ------ The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) warned the public of debris from China’s launch of its Long March 5 rocket that may have fallen in waters off Cagayan and Ilocos Norte. In an advisory, the PhilSA confirmed that the People’s Republic of China launched its Long March 5 rocket at 10:31 p.m. Thursday from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Wenchang, Hainan. “Expected debris from the rocket launch was projected to have fallen within the identified drop zones a

MANILA, October 24 ------ Around 1.35 million passengers are expected to travel via the country's main gateway NAIA this Undas season, the airport operators said. The Department of Transportation and the New NAIA Infra Corp (NNIC) led a joint inspection of NAIA Terminal 3, showcasing new developments that will "improve customer experience." There are new check-in kiosks, innovative self bag-drop counters, and a new food hub that officials likened to airports of other countrie

October 23 ------ Tropical Storm Salome has maintained its strength while traversing the waters of Sabtang, Batanes, according to the state weather bureau PAGASA's 5 a.m. Thursday bulletin. Salome was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 90 km/h as of 4 a.m. It was traveling south southwestward at 20 km/h. Batanes is still under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2. The western portion of the Babuyan Islands (Calayan Is., Dalupiri Is

MANILA, October 23 ------ Remnants of structures found at Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, are part of the Philippines' past attempts to build there, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said. Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the structures were part of earlier Philippine efforts in the area in the 1980s and 1990s. “This was not established or built by any foreign power on Scarborough Shoal,” Trinidad said

MANILA, October 23 ------ President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr congratulated Sanae Takaichi for being named Japan's first woman prime minister, saying he looks forward to working with her and boosting Manila and Tokyo’s ties. In a post on social media, the President said he is anticipating working with her in commemorating the two countries’ 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year. He is also looking forward to cooperating with the Japanese prime minister for the Strengthened

MANILA, October 23 ------ The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday announced the implementation of a wellness break for teachers and learners from October 27 to 30, where schools are encouraged to give teachers recovery time during this period. Schools are likewise encouraged to adjust the conduct of the midyear In-Service Training (INSET) after the break.Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the decision aims to give teachers and learners "a much-needed pause to reco

MANILA, Philippines, October 22 ------ The BRP Lolinato To-Ong’s mission to the West Philippine Sea, primarily to recover a floating black bag near Sabina Shoal, resulted in a double haul — of suspected high-grade marijuana and of what is believed to be Chinese rocket debris off the coast of Palawan. In separate press releases, the Western Naval Command (WesNavComm), which oversees the operations of the Navy’s fleet patrolling most of the West Philippine Sea, said that the Lo

MANILA, Philippines, October 22 ------ Only one RFID sticker is now required for vehicles passing through all Luzon tollways. The government, through the Department of Transportation, began implementing yesterday its “One RFID, All Tollways” project that allows motorists to choose between Autosweep or EasyTrip as provider of radio frequency identification or RFID stickers for their vehicles. “Sometimes, you loaded the one for NLEX, but forgot the one for TPLEX. As a result, y

October 22 ------ As the flu season continues in the country, an infectious disease expert has warned the public to stay vigilant against Influenza A, the strain most likely to cause severe pneumonia and hospitalization, particularly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. Dr. Rontgene Solante, a leading infectious disease expert in the country, said several factors are driving the spread of influenza in the country, including population

MANILA, Philippines, October 22 ------ The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has updated its regulations to allow more overseas Filipinos to invest in central bank securities through retirement funds, expanding their access to diversified and secure investment options. In a recent issuance, the BSP exempted Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) unit investment trust funds (UITFs) from the 10-percent non-resident ownership limit that previously restricted their ability

MANILA, Philippines, October 21 ------ Diesel and kerosene prices are set to decline today, bringing much-needed relief to motorists. In separate advisories, Seaoil, Petron and PTT Philippines announced a rollback of P0.70 and P0.60 per liter for diesel and kerosene prices, respectively. Gasoline prices, meanwhile, are poised to increase by P0.10 per liter. The rollback was due to worries over a market surplus amid global oversupply and a weaker oil demand forecast, according

October 21 ------ The Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) reported that the positivity rate for influenza, or flu, in Metro Manila has increased to 42 percent in October, indicating ongoing community transmission in the region. In its Flu Task Force Report released, PSMID said it collated surveillance data from the Infection Control Committees of tertiary hospitals across Metro Manila. “Flu cases began to rise in August 2025 and have continued