Day: September 10, 2025

Manila: The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding health benefits through evidence-based policies and actuarial projections. In a statement on Wednesday, PhilHealth Acting President and Chief Executive Officer Edwin Mercado assured Filipinos that their contributions are being maximized to deliver wider coverage and improved health services. According to Philippines News Agency, Mercado emphasized the importance of sufficient funding from Congress and citizen contributions over the past years to achieve these goals. He highlighted the necessity for both public and private sectors to provide services in the expanded packages, which can be achieved through proper fund

Quezon city: The Quezon City government has intensified its dengue response as cases climbed to 7,686 from Jan. 1 to Sept. 9, recording a 126.53-percent increase from 3,045 from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, 2024. According to Philippines News Agency, the QC Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (QCESD) reported in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the disease is most commonly affecting children under the age of 10, with 3,783 cases recorded. Additionally, 23 deaths have been reported in connection with the disease. To combat the spread of this mosquito-borne disease, the city government has expanded its information campaign to the

Manila: The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed local government units (LGUs) to speed up the processing of permits and clearances for telecommunications and internet infrastructure to support the country’s digital transformation. According to Philippines News Agency, the directive supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push for stronger digital connectivity, especially in underserved and remote areas, as part of the country’s economic recovery and digital transformation under the Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) vision. In Memorandum Circular 2025-090 issued on Monday, the DILG reminded provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, and punong barangays to fully implement the

Manila: The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has announced a reduction in power rates for September, attributed to a decrease in generation charges. Customers will see a reduction of PHP0.1852 per kilowatt hour (kWh), bringing the rate down to PHP13.0851/kWh. According to Philippines News Agency, Meralco’s vice president and head of corporate communications, Joe Zaldarriaga, revealed that the generation charge fell by PHP0.2603/kWh. This decrease was due to lower costs from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Power Supply Agreements (PSAs). However, these reductions were somewhat offset by higher prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market and increased contract prices from producers

Iloilo city: Local paddlers from this city have shown that they can compete with 18 other elite teams from across the country during the 2025 Iloilo River Dragon Boat Festival. In an interview on Wednesday, Raphael Dorilag, president of the Iloilo Paddlers Club (IPAD), said they began preparations three months before the Sept. 5-7 competition. They integrated into their team those who joined the ‘Bugsay Ta! A Free Dragon Boat Clinic’ in May. According to Philippines News Agency, “We had rigorous training. Our advantage is that we trained at the Iloilo River, so we are used to the current of