Day: October 15, 2025

Pasig city: Insurance penetration in the Philippines remains below 2 percent, but an official of digital-only insurance firm Singlife Philippines is optimistic for an improvement given the affordability and digital-access options. In an interview on the sidelines of the launch of the Singlife Insurance Microsite, a partnership between Singlife Philippines and Asia United Bank (AUB), Singlife Philippines Chief Executive Officer Lester Cruz said stakeholders “have to do so much more” to increase the insurance penetration rate. According to Philippines News Agency, Cruz stated they do not have a specific target number of clients to onboard through AUB’s electronic wallets, HelloMoney

Manila: Defending champion National University drubbed University of Santo Tomas, 4-1, on Wednesday to secure its third straight win in the UAAP Season 88 men’s badminton tournament at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall in Malate, Manila. According to Philippines News Agency, reigning MVP Lanz Zafra downed JM Sison, 21-6, 21-8, to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead, but UST’s Lennox Cuilao tied the score after surviving MJ Perez, 23-21, 20-22, 23-21. James Villarante and John Benedict Gam triumphed over John Vincent Espinoza and Janzen Panisales, 21-15, 21-19; Perez and Zafra waylaid Ron Galve and Bien Miraflor, 21-13, 21-12; and Miko

Pangasinan: The inflation rate in Pangasinan experienced a slowdown, decreasing from 4.1 percent in August to 3.8 percent in September, while La Union’s inflation rate remained steady at 1.4 percent, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday. The deceleration in Pangasinan’s inflation was primarily attributed to a significant reduction in electricity costs. According to Philippines News Agency, Edgar Norberte, the PSA-Pangasinan chief statistical specialist, highlighted that electricity contributed a substantial 91.9 percent to the deceleration in inflation. In August, the electricity inflation rate stood at 6.5 percent, but it decreased to 3.7 percent in September. Jopet Oma±a,

Benguet: The provincial government of Benguet said local farmers’ shift to good agricultural practices has contributed to their sector’s good performance in 2024 that allowed the province to record a 5-percent growth rate. “Benguet’s economy has remained dependent on agriculture as its main economic driver,” Alberto Cuilan Jr., officer-in-charge of the provincial planning and development department, said in an interview on Wednesday. According to Philippines News Agency, agricultural production support expanded from demonstration farms and training facilities to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification of over 400 farms. The Department of Agriculture (DA) said that the shift to GAP has cut

Mandaluyong city: Advocates of tobacco harm reduction signed a manifesto on Wednesday calling for multi-sectoral measures aimed at achieving a smoke-free country through accessible, science-backed data and alternatives to tobacco products. The signing took place at a hotel in Mandaluyong City and included representatives from various organizations dedicated to this cause. According to Philippines News Agency, the manifesto was endorsed by the Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP), Smokefree Conversations PH, Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association (PECIA), Quit for Good, Consumer Choice Philippines, VaperAko, VapersPH, CAPS and Partners, and the Science and Innovation Nicotine Advocacy Group (SINAG). These groups emphasized