Day: August 27, 2025

Manila: Total healthcare benefits and claims paid out by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) rose by 19 percent to PHP36.29 billion in the first half of the year, the Insurance Commission (IC) said. Data showed that healthcare benefits and claims paid in the same period last year reached PHP30.33 billion. According to Philippines News Agency, total expenses, including income tax, increased by 19.53 percent to PHP45.56 billion. Despite the increase in the payout of healthcare benefits, the IC reported that the HMO industry continued to record higher revenues during the period. During the first half, total revenues reached PHP47.03 billion, up

Manila: Personnel manning Philippine Navy (PN) ships are trained to repulse intruders attempting to board or take over their vessels, according to a ranking naval official. “All ships in the navies in the world operate with certain bills or scenarios, that includes a bill or a scenario on how to repel boarders. Our ships have that bill and we exercise that regularly,” PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in an interview late Tuesday. According to Philippines News Agency, Trinidad gave this assurance when asked if the PN is capable of defending BRP

Manila: Agusan del Norte Lone District Representative Dale Corvera has introduced House Bill No. 4018, aiming to mandate a more equitable regional share in national spending. This initiative comes as the House of Representatives deliberates on the proposed PHP6.793 trillion national budget for 2026. According to Philippines News Agency, the bill, titled ‘An Act Providing For The Equitable Regional Share From The National Budget To Ensure Its Responsiveness From Grassroots Realities To Accelerate Socio-Economic Development,’ seeks to ensure that at least 50 percent of the executive branch’s proposed budget includes programs and projects endorsed by Regional Development Councils (RDCs). These

Manila: The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) is proposing a PHP16 million allocation in its 2026 budget to fight “fake news.” ‘We do a significant amount of work in terms of combating fake news and misinformation, from the digital front to coordination with other government agencies for data on these fake news sites,’ PCO Acting Secretary Dave Gomez said during the budget briefing for PCO’s proposed 2026 budget on Tuesday. According to Philippines News Agency, Gomez emphasized the importance of educating the public against fake news, despite the limited allocation of PHP16 million. The PCO’s strategy involves countering fake information on

Quezon city: A low pressure area (LPA) in the vicinity of Patnanungan, Quezon will continue to bring ‘significant and widespread rains’ over large parts of Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Wednesday. The weather bureau indicated that while the LPA has a small chance of developing into a tropical cyclone, it is expected to dissipate within the day. According to Philippines News Agency, the LPA will still result in cloudy skies accompanied by scattered rains and thunderstorms over Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon. As of 3 a.m.,