Category: Philippines

Business

A Mindoro MSME Went From 10 Keychains a Day to 100—But the ₱87,765 Behind the Leap Reveals a Bigger Story

OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, Philippines — A handicraft maker in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, once struggled to produce just 10 coconut-shell keychains in a day. After a relatively modest technology investment, that output reportedly jumped to around 100 pieces daily — a tenfold increase that shows how equipment and innovation can dramatically change the economics of a small Philippine business. The business belongs to Andrea B. Benoya, a local entrepreneur whose handmade products include bead necklace

August 21, 2026

Business

Marcos Gives PUV Drivers ₱12 Off Every Liter—But the Amount Government Rejected Could Change the Debate

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Public utility jeepney and UV Express drivers in Eastern Visayas are getting additional breathing room at the fuel pump after the Marcos administration increased the government’s fuel discount to ₱12 per liter, but the relief comes as transport workers continue to warn that high operating costs are eating deeply into their daily income. The expanded discount took effect on August 15, 2026, raising the previous government assistance of ₱10 per liter by another ₱2. U

August 21, 2026

Philippines

Antique Barangays Are Getting ₱200,000 Each From Marcos’ BBM Program—But Half the Money Comes With One Major Condition

ANTIQUE, Philippines — Barangay officials in Antique are welcoming the Marcos administration’s Bawat Barangay Makikinabang (BBM) Program, a nationwide initiative that puts ₱200,000 directly within reach of every barangay—but the bigger test will be whether that relatively modest amount can produce visible and lasting improvements in communities that need help the most. Punong barangays and provincial officials interviewed by the Philippine Information Agency said the program could help villages

August 21, 2026

Philippines

DICT Has Built 1,444 Free Wi-Fi Sites Across Cordillera—But One Number Shows How Far the Region Still Has to Go

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The government’s push to connect one of the Philippines’ most difficult regions has reached a major milestone: the Department of Information and Communications Technology-Cordillera Administrative Region (DICT-CAR) says its Free Wi-Fi for All network has expanded to 1,444 internet protocol sites across all 75 municipalities and two cities in the Cordillera. But behind that headline number is a bigger challenge. Despite the growing number of public internet sites, onl

August 21, 2026

Business

A Tiny Pest Has Hit 7,021 Hectares of Iloilo Sugarcane—But the Bigger Threat May Not Be the Damaged Crops

ILOILO CITY — A tiny insect is creating a potentially massive problem for Iloilo’s sugar industry. The provincial government is intensifying efforts to contain the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) after the pest spread across roughly 7,021 hectares of sugarcane farms, equivalent to about one-third of Iloilo’s 20,749.88 hectares planted to the crop. The infestation has become serious enough for Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. to describe the province as moving into “disaster mode,” as a

August 21, 2026

Business

DTI Says 25 Bulacan Businesses Are Now ‘ASEAN-Ready’—But Getting Certified May Be the Easy Part

MALOLOS, Bulacan — The Department of Trade and Industry is pushing more Bulacan-based micro, small and medium enterprises into Southeast Asia’s wider market after identifying the province’s first 25 “ASEAN-ready” MSMEs — businesses that have moved beyond local selling and started meeting the regulatory, certification and digital requirements needed to compete outside the Philippines. But becoming “ASEAN-ready” may be only the beginning. According to DTI Bulacan Provincial Director Atty. Coco C

August 21, 2026

Philippines

Perci Cendaña Threatens Legal Action Over Artwork Mocking His Disability — But the Law His Critics Could Face Changes the Story

MANILA, Philippines — Akbayan Party-list Rep. Percival “Perci” Cendaña is drawing a line between political satire and discrimination, warning that people behind online materials allegedly mocking his medical condition could face legal action. The dispute, reported by The Manila Times on August 21, centers on artwork and online content that Cendaña says have gone beyond criticism of his politics and instead targeted the physical effects of a medical condition. Cendaña, who has publicly identifi

August 21, 2026

Philippines

Prosecutors Want Their Own Cameras Inside Sara Duterte’s Impeachment Trial—But the Real Fight Is Over Who Controls What Filipinos See

MANILA, Philippines — The battle inside Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial is no longer just about witnesses, confidential funds and financial records. A new fight is emerging over who gets to control what the Filipino public actually sees. House prosecutors are pushing the Senate impeachment court to give accredited news organizations greater independent access to the proceedings, including permission to operate their own cameras inside the chamber instead of relying almost entire

August 21, 2026

Philippines

Teodoro Says Chinese Embassy Is Acting as Tony Yang’s ‘PR Firm’—But the Sanjia Raid May Be Only the Beginning

MANILA, Philippines — The increasingly bitter war of words between Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. and the Chinese Embassy has entered a new and potentially more explosive phase, with the defense chief accusing Beijing’s diplomatic mission of effectively acting as a “public relations firm” for businessman Tony Yang while refusing to confront allegations surrounding his business interests in the Philippines. The confrontation centers on Philippine Sanjia-Steel Corporation, a steel

August 21, 2026

Philippines

ICC Hands Duterte Defense 6,909 Evidence Items—But 57 of Them Could Matter in a Very Different Way

MANILA, Philippines — The criminal case against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is entering a more consequential stage, with International Criminal Court prosecutors disclosing 6,909 evidence items to his defense team in just the first seven months of 2026. But the headline number tells only part of the story. The materials do not consist solely of evidence prosecutors intend to use against Duterte. They include thousands of items available for defense inspection — and dozens class

August 21, 2026