Philippines

₱210 BILLION PAID OUT: One Medical Procedure Alone Took the Biggest Share of PhilHealth’s Claims

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) released a striking picture of the country’s healthcare needs in the first half of 2026: the state health insurer paid ₱210.09 billion in healthcare claims from January to June, with hemodialysis emerging as the single biggest medical procedure in terms of payments. PhilHealth paid approximately ₱48.76 billion for hemodialysis claims during the six-month period, substantially higher than the amounts recorded for the other

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Philippines

Police Swarm QC Court After Sara Duterte Arrest Warrant—But What Happens Next Could Be Even Bigger

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Police were deployed to the Quezon City Hall of Justice early Saturday following the issuance of an arrest warrant against Vice President Sara Duterte, adding another dramatic turn to the high-stakes legal and political battle surrounding the country's second-highest elected official. Members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrived at the courthouse after building security requested additional personnel, according to a GMA News report published Saturday mornin

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Business

ACEN Is Putting ₱9.24 Billion Behind Zambales Solar and Batteries — But the Bigger Bet Begins After Sunset

MANILA — ACEN Corp. is putting another ₱9.24 billion of financing behind two major renewable-energy projects in Zambales, accelerating an emerging solar-and-battery complex that could become one of the Philippines’ most important tests of whether massive amounts of daytime solar power can be made useful when the sun is no longer shining. The Ayala-led energy company has executed loan agreements with two wholly owned subsidiaries: up to ₱6 billion for SanMar Solar Inc. and up to ₱3.24 billion fo

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Philippines

CEBU MOURNS: National Artist Resil Mojares Dies at 83 — His Legacy Leaves an Enduring Mark on Philippine Literature

CEBU CITY — The Philippines has lost one of its most influential scholars, writers and cultural historians. National Artist for Literature Resil B. Mojares, a towering figure in Cebuano and Philippine literature, died in the early hours of Saturday, September 5, 2026, his family confirmed. He was 83. The news of Mojares’ death was first reported by Cebu Daily News, which said the National Artist died early Saturday. His passing marks the end of a remarkable intellectual career that helped pla

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Business

Ayala Land’s Mall Makeover Is Bringing Shoppers Back — But the Real Payoff May Only Be Starting

MANILA — Ayala Land spent billions of pesos betting that Filipinos would still go to malls if the malls themselves gave them a better reason to stay. Early numbers suggest that bet may be working. The property giant said visitor traffic across its shopping-center portfolio increased 5% in the first half of 2026, while same-mall revenues grew 7% and the lease-out rate reached 90%, up from 87% a year earlier. Mall EBITDA margin remained a robust 61%. Those numbers are beginning to provide evide

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Entertainment

Lea Salonga Makes Hollywood History as First Filipina to Get Walk of Fame Star — But Her Message Goes Beyond the Spotlight

The Tony Award-winning Filipina performer was honored with the 2,855th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 4, becoming the first Filipina to receive the prestigious Hollywood landmark recognition. The star was unveiled in the Live Performance category outside the historic Pantages Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, bringing a milestone decades in the making to one of the world's most famous entertainment streets. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce confirmed the honor and described Salon

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Business

Philippine Stocks Rise as Inflation Eases to 6.1% — But the Peso’s Record Fall Tells a Different Story

MANILA — Philippine stocks finally received a piece of economic news investors could cheer. But underneath Friday’s modest rally was a far more uncomfortable message. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 21.18 points, or 0.35%, to close at 6,090.60 on September 4, extending its advance for a second straight session after government data showed inflation easing for a fourth consecutive month. The broader All Shares index increased 0.23% to 3,377.44. Mining and oil led sectoral gai

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Business

Cebu Hog Farmers Get a Major Lifeline—But the Bigger Fight Is Just Beginning

CEBU — Cebu’s hog industry is getting another push toward recovery as the Central Visayas Pork Producers Cooperative (CeViPPco) and its industry partners step up efforts to help small-scale raisers rebuild their operations amid low hog prices, production challenges and continuing African Swine Fever (ASF) concerns. The latest intervention forms part of a broader effort to keep Cebu’s swine sector productive and protect the livelihood of backyard farmers who remain among the most vulnerable play

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Business

DMCI Is Racing to Restore Its Exhausted Palawan Nickel Mine — But What Happens After the Last Tree Is Planted May Matter More

QUEZON, PALAWAN — Mining normally makes headlines when companies discover ore, open new pits or announce record production. DMCI Mining Corp. is now trying to attract attention for the opposite reason: what happens after the ore is gone. The Consunji-led miner says rehabilitation of its depleted Berong nickel mine in Quezon, Palawan, is running ahead of schedule, raising the possibility that major restoration work could be completed earlier than originally planned. But DMCI Mining President a

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Business

Nearly 1,000 MW Vanished From the Visayas Grid and Brownouts Followed — But the Biggest Test Comes on September 11

MANILA — The Philippines’ power problem in the Visayas is no longer looking like a one-day shortage. A cascade of power-plant outages has repeatedly pushed the regional grid into red-alert territory, forced rotational brownouts and exposed just how little room the system has when major generating units suddenly fail. On Friday, September 4, both the Visayas and Mindanao grids were placed under red alert after multiple generating plants went offline or operated below normal capacity. The situat

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