Category: Lifestyle

Lifestyle

CMU Gets Free-Tuition Lifeline Back: What Malabon Students Can Now Expect After UniFAST Approval

MALABON CITY, Philippines — Thousands of students and families in Malabon have gained renewed access to the country’s free higher-education system after the City of Malabon University (CMU) was approved for inclusion under the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST). The UniFAST Board approved CMU’s inclusion during its 54th Regular Meeting on August 13, 2026, placing the local university back among institutions eligible to participate in programs establishe

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

PhilHealth Makes a Push in Basilan—But the Real YAKAP Challenge May Be What Happens Next

ISABELA CITY, Basilan — PhilHealth is turning to an unlikely but powerful partner in its effort to bring its Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) closer to more Basilanos: the media. During a Media Partners and Information Officers Forum on YAKAP held in Isabela City, PhilHealth Basilan called on journalists, government information officers and communicators to do more than simply report government activities. The agency wants them to help communities understand how YAKAP can affect their everyda

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

Ilocos Norte Overhauls Healthcare System—And the Biggest Changes Are Happening Closer to Home

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Ilocos Norte is taking a broader approach to healthcare, shifting from simply building and upgrading hospitals to developing a more connected province-wide health system designed to bring essential services closer to patients. The strategy, highlighted during Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos' recent State of the Province Address, combines healthcare policies, hospital modernization, patient transportation assistance, stronger accountability measures, and potential publ

August 18, 2026

Business

DOLE Internship Opens Government Career Door for Surigaonon Jobseeker—But Her Story Reveals What Experience Can Really Do

MADRID, Surigao del Sur — For Hilyn A. Estrada, landing a permanent government position did not happen overnight. It began with a temporary opportunity that gave her something many jobseekers struggle to obtain: actual experience inside government service. Estrada, a resident of Barangay Linibonan in Madrid, Surigao del Sur, joined the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Government Internship Program (GIP) in June 2024. Her assignment brought her to the Barangay Local Government Unit o

August 18, 2026

Business

DOLE’s ₱3.37-M Livelihood Push Gives 114 Surigao Norte Families a Way Out of Child Labor

SURIGAO DEL NORTE — A government livelihood program is taking aim at one of the hardest realities facing vulnerable Filipino families: children being pushed into work because their households cannot make ends meet. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has provided a combined ₱3,375,180 in livelihood assistance to 114 parents and guardians of profiled child laborers in Surigao del Norte, giving families access to income-generating resources intended to keep children in school rather tha

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

PDEA Taps Quezon Fisherfolk as Coastal Watchdogs as Floating Drug Hauls Raise Alarm

LUCENA CITY, Quezon — Fisherfolk in Quezon are being urged to become an extra set of eyes at sea as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) intensifies efforts to stop illegal drugs from being smuggled through the province’s coastal waters. PDEA Director General Isagani R. Nerez delivered the warning during an Empathy Dialogue with Fisherfolk of Lucena City on August 11 at the Lucena Convention Center. The activity, led by PDEA Region IV-A, focused on helping fishermen recognize possible

August 18, 2026

Lifestyle

Ilocos Norte Rebuilds Its Healthcare System From the Ground Up—And Patients Could Feel the Difference

ILOCOS NORTE — Healthcare access is no longer being measured simply by how many hospitals a province has. For patients undergoing cancer treatment or regular dialysis, the real challenge can begin long before they reach a hospital: repeated transportation costs, referrals between facilities, limited specialized services and the difficulty of traveling long distances for care. That is the problem Ilocos Norte is trying to tackle as it strengthens its province-wide health system, combining polic

August 17, 2026

Lifestyle

TB Warning in the Cordillera: The Symptoms Filipinos Keep Ignoring Could Be More Serious Than They Think

BAGUIO CITY — A persistent cough may look like an ordinary health problem, but the Department of Health-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CAR) is reminding Filipinos that it can also be an early warning sign of tuberculosis (TB), a preventable and curable disease that continues to pose a major public-health threat. The warning came as the country observes National Lung Month this August, with health authorities urging residents to protect their lungs, recognize TB symptoms early and seek me

August 17, 2026

Lifestyle

La Union’s Vaccine Push Sends a Warning: Thousands of Children Could Still Be at Risk

SAN FERNANDO CITY, LA UNION — A renewed vaccination drive is underway in La Union as health authorities race to close childhood immunization gaps that could leave communities vulnerable to measles, rubella and other vaccine-preventable diseases. The provincial government of La Union and the Department of Health (DOH) launched the 2026 Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MRSIA) and Vitamin A supplementation program in Bacnotan on August 12, bringing vaccination services directly

August 17, 2026

Business

Hired Today, Helped Tomorrow: Why Thousands of Vulnerable Ilocanos Are Racing to Qualify for DSWD’s ₱7,000 Work Grant

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Landing a job is often celebrated as the finish line, but for many low-income Filipinos, it's only the beginning of another financial struggle. From medical examinations and government clearances to uniforms, transportation, and temporary lodging, the cost of reporting for work can easily reach thousands of pesos—forcing some newly hired workers to delay or even lose employment opportunities. To bridge that gap, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

August 17, 2026