Day: October 1, 2025

South cotabato: South Cotabato is extending its hand of solidarity to Cebu province, devastated Tuesday night by a powerful magnitude 6.9 quake, a provincial disaster official said Wednesday. Rolly Doane C. Aquino, head of South Cotabato’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), told reporters that Governor Reynaldo Tamayo has ordered the relief agency to prepare food packs and non-food items to be sent soonest to Cebu quake victims. According to Philippines News Agency, Aquino announced that, in response to the disaster, South Cotabato will send thousands of relief packs on Wednesday, including food supplies, hygiene kits, and kitchen

Manila: The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects September inflation to settle within the range of 1.5 percent to 2.3 percent. “Upward price pressures for the month are likely to arise from higher prices of rice and fish,” the BSP said in a statement Wednesday. According to Philippines News Agency, elevated domestic fuel costs also contribute to upside price pressures for the month. The BSP noted that these pressures could be partially offset by the decline in vegetables and meat prices along with lower electricity rates. The BSP stated that it will continue to monitor evolving domestic and international developments

Manila: The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday pledged to expand the benefits provided by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to allocate an additional PHP60 billion to the agency under the proposed 2026 national budget. According to Philippines News Agency, during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Senator Pia Cayetano, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who also serves as chairman of the PhilHealth Board, presented the agency’s plans to strengthen healthcare coverage. Herbosa stated that benefits will be increased for illnesses that remain among the

Cebu: Three units of the thermal plants of Meralco PowerGen Corporation’s (MGEN) subsidiaries in the Visayas have been restored and synchronized to the grid after these tripped following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu Tuesday night. In a statement Wednesday, MGEN said ‘no significant damage has been found in either facility’, referring to the two units of the Cebu Energy Development Corporation (CEDC) and one unit of the Toledo Power Company (TPC). According to Philippines News Agency, the remaining unit is undergoing inspection and will be brought back online progressively. It said the 219.7MW CEDC and the 73MW TPC

Taguig city: Two high-value individuals (HVIs) have been arrested in separate anti-drug operations in Taguig City and Bataan province, with authorities confiscating PHP5.4 million worth of suspected shabu. According to Philippines News Agency, Col. Byron Allatog, the officer-in-charge of the Taguig City police, reported that a suspect known by the alias Rowel, aged 26, was apprehended during a drug buy-bust operation along Diamond Street in Barangay Pembo at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The operation resulted in the seizure of 565.6 grams of suspected shabu, valued at over PHP3.8 million. The confiscated drugs have been sent to the Southern Police