Category: Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Southeast Asia Braces for a ‘Super El Niño’ as Heat, Drought and Food Risks Intensify

SOUTHEAST ASIA — A powerful El Niño is strengthening across the Pacific, raising concerns over extreme heat, prolonged dry spells, water shortages, agricultural losses and wildfire risks across Southeast Asia as governments prepare for potentially difficult conditions extending into 2027. The warning comes as climate agencies increasingly point to an unusually strong El Niño developing in the second half of 2026. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Aug. 13 tha

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

Lamut’s Roads Just Got a Major Upgrade—But the Real Impact Could Be Bigger Than the Concrete

LAMUT, IFUGAO — A long-running push to improve road access in Lamut is gaining fresh momentum as Local Government Support Fund (LGSF)-backed road projects are completed and turned over to communities, strengthening connectivity in one of Ifugao’s key agricultural municipalities. The road upgrades are more than infrastructure milestones. For residents in remote communities, better roads can mean easier access to markets, schools, health services and government facilities—while giving farmers a m

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

300 TONS OF GARBAGE HAULED FROM BACLARAN ESTERO — PERO ITO ANG MAS NAKAKABAHALANG TANONG

PARAÑAQUE CITY — What started as a massive buildup of garbage in the Baclaran waterway has turned into a stark reminder of Metro Manila's long-running waste-management problem. Authorities have hauled an estimated 300 tons of garbage from the Baclaran estero in Parañaque City, filling more than 50 truckloads after days of heavy rain caused enormous amounts of waste to accumulate in the waterway. The clearing operation began after the waterway became overwhelmed with debris during the period of

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

₱1.12 Bilyon Nang Pinsala sa Agrikultura Dahil sa Bagyo at Habagat—Pero May Mas Malaking Problema Pang Kinakaharap ang mga Magsasaka

MANILA, Philippines — Umabot sa ₱1.12 bilyon ang tinatayang pinsala at production losses sa sektor ng agrikultura at pangisdaan matapos ang magkakasunod na epekto ng Tropical Cyclones Crising, Dante at Emong, kasama ang Southwest Monsoon o Habagat, ayon sa Department of Agriculture (DA). Batay sa preliminary assessment ng DA na iniulat noong Hulyo 25, 2025, aabot sa 45,408 magsasaka at fisherfolk ang naapektuhan, habang nasa 43,741 ektarya ng agricultural areas ang napinsala sa 12 rehiyon. Patu

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

Eastern Visayas Inflation Surges to 8.3% as Electricity Bills and Rice Prices Hit Households

TACLOBAN CITY — The cost-of-living squeeze in Eastern Visayas is intensifying after regional inflation jumped to 8.3% in July 2026, sharply reversing the slowdown recorded in June and leaving the region with one of the highest inflation rates in the country. The latest Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data show that Eastern Visayas' inflation accelerated from 7.0% in June to 8.3% in July, a 1.3-percentage-point increase in just one month. The regional rate was also significantly higher tha

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

“‘Ondoy-Like’ Rains Swamp Metro Manila: 201.7mm Fell in Hours—What Happens If More Rain Comes?

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila was battered by intense southwest monsoon rains that rapidly flooded roads, neighborhoods and major thoroughfares, disrupting traffic, displacing residents and forcing authorities to suspend classes and adjust government work as the weather threat continued into Tuesday. The flooding followed an extraordinary burst of rainfall on Monday, August 17, when 201.7 millimeters of rain was recorded in Metro Manila in roughly five to six hours amid the prevailing Sout

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

₱20,000 Could Change Everything: How a PBBM Scholarship Is Helping This Nueva Ecija Student Reach Graduation

For many college students, the final year is supposed to be the last stretch before earning a diploma. But for financially struggling families, even reaching graduation can come down to one question: How will the next school expense be paid? In Nueva Ecija, a government scholarship initiative is giving students facing that reality a much-needed chance to finish. One of them is Nierheyza Andasan, 22, a fourth-year Bachelor of Secondary Education student at Eduardo L. Joson Memorial College in P

August 18, 2026

Business

DOLE Issues August Holiday Pay Reminder: Workers May Get Up to 260% Pay—Here’s Who Qualifies

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino workers and private-sector employers are being reminded to get their payroll calculations right as two nationwide holidays arrive this August, with different pay rules applying to August 21 and August 31. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said employers must observe the proper wage rules for Ninoy Aquino Day on Friday, August 21, 2026, and National Heroes Day on Monday, August 31, 2026. The reminder is particularly important for employees who are sche

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

Habagat Floods Metro Manila, Gov’t Rolls Out Free Rides—Here Are the 14 Routes Commuters Need to Know

MANILA, Philippines — Commuters facing flooded roads and difficult travel conditions across Metro Manila can turn to government-provided “Libreng Sakay” services on Tuesday, August 18, as the southwest monsoon or Habagat continues to bring heavy rains over the capital. The Department of Transportation (DOTr), together with several government agencies, has deployed government vehicles to help stranded passengers get to their destinations safely amid flooding and disrupted public transportation.

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

1,651 Sabangan Residents Get Free Rice—But Thousands More Are Still Waiting for Their Share

SABANGAN, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE — Relief reached thousands of families in Sabangan as 1,651 residents from nine barangays received 25 kilograms of rice each through the national government’s Local Government Support Fund-Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGSF-FALGU) on August 14. The first batch of the rice assistance was distributed simultaneously in Lagan, Tambingan, Supang, Data, Poblacion, Losad, Bao-angan, Bun-ayan, and Pingad, giving vulnerable households additional food supplie

August 18, 2026