General

Manila: The Department of Health (DOH) announced a significant increase in dengue cases, with a total of 62,313 cases recorded from January 1 to March 1, marking a 73 percent rise compared to the same period in 2024. According to Philippines News Agency, the regions with the highest number of cases are Calabarzon, which reported 12,735 cases; the National Capital Region with 11,291 cases; and Central Luzon, which logged 10,185 cases. Despite the rise in cases, the case fatality rate has decreased to 0.35 percent, down from 0.42 percent in 2024. The Department of Health has urged the public and

Manila: Philippine shares continued to recover boosted by the better-than-expected inflation data, while the peso closed weaker than the dollar on Monday. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 0.99 percent to close at 6,360.77, while All Shares also went up by 0.66 percent to 3,748.92. According to Philippines News Agency, Philippine shares continued the recovery, getting a boost from the better than expected CPI (consumer price index) reading and strengthening peso,” said Regina Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan. Inflation settled at 2.1 percent in February, near the lower end of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ 2

Manila: Gender-based violence in Central Visayas declined by 3.25 percent in January and February. According to Philippines News Agency, the report from Police Regional Office-7 (PRO-7) Women and Children Protection Desk of the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division highlighted that the Crime Incident Reporting and Analysis System recorded 447 cases, which is lower by 15 than the 462 cases reported during the same period last year. The PNP noted that the most frequently reported offenses are related to Republic Act 9262, known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act. The decrease in reported cases has been credited

Manila: Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday hailed the appointment of Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof Macacua as the new interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. According to Philippines News Agency, Galvez emphasized the significance of this transition, highlighting that it comes at a pivotal time as the Bangsamoro region gears up for its first parliamentary elections scheduled for October this year. He expressed confidence in Macacua’s leadership abilities, citing his “action-oriented” approach demonstrated in previous roles. Galvez noted that Macacua’s appointment is expected to

Manila: Women in the Philippines made significant strides towards financial empowerment last year, research released by Sun Life Asia showed. According to Philippines News Agency, Sun Life stated that the Women’s Wealth in Focus: Building Confidence and Security research indicated that 60 percent of Filipinas feel their financial security has improved compared to their mothers’ generation. Over 3,000 female respondents were interviewed online in December 2024 to understand the financial attitudes, behaviors, and challenges of women across several regions including the Philippines, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. The research highlighted that despite generational progress, traditional family dynamics