Liam Demafelix
Reporting from the TSR newsroom.
1987 Constitution’s multi-party presidential system is the root of PH’s governance dysfunction, says Erice
The fundamental source of the Philippines’ governance failures, from Metro Manila’s flooding crisis to the national budget’s political distortions, is the 1987 Constitution’s multi-party presidential system, a combination that Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar “Egay” Erice said…
Believing in beavers: A natural way of reducing flood risk
In England, researchers have turned to a natural solution to manage flood risk — and it has proven effective: beavers. A landmark five-year study led by the University of Leeds and Forestry England found that a pair of Eurasian beavers released in Cropton Forest, within North York Moors National…
2.7 billion people exposed to secondhand smoke globally, kills 1.6 million a year
Despite decades of declining smoking rates worldwide, more than 2.7 billion people remain exposed to second-hand smoke, contributing to a public health burden that claims 1.66 million lives each year. A new study published in The Lancet as part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 found that…
Wildfires, heatwaves threaten global air quality and health, UN warns
Wildfires and heatwaves, which generate microscopic airborne pollutants, risk undermining international efforts to improve air quality, protect human health and safeguard nature, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said on Monday. The United Nations’ weather and climate agency underlined…
Education, health take major hits in 2027 budget in favor of ‘presidential pork barrel’: Erice
The proposed 2027 national budget cuts funding for school buildings by 64%, slashes the school-based feeding program by 55%, reduces textbooks and instructional materials by 66%, and completely zeroes out the human resources for health program—all while allocating ₱58 billion in discretionary…
‘Presidential pork barrel’: Erice slams ₱58B local government support fund as discretionary spending with no plan
Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar “Egay” Erice is calling the ₱58 billion Presidential Assistance to Local Government Units fund in the 2027 national budget a form of “presidential pork barrel,” or discretionary spending with no development plan behind it that he says is designed to…
Marcos-Duterte conflict is costing the Philippines its economic future: Erice
The ongoing political war between the Marcos and Duterte camps has consumed all governance energy that should have gone to economic reform, policy-making, and investment promotion—and the economy is now paying the price, Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar “Egay” Erice warned Tuesday. Erice made…
Metro Manila has been growing without a plan for 50 years, and still has none: lawmaker
Metro Manila has never had a master plan—not 30 years ago, not 50 years ago, and not today—and that absence of vision is at the root of every crisis the capital region now faces, from chronic flooding to gridlock to a garbage problem with no solution in sight, Caloocan City 2nd District…
Why the MMDA’s lack of authority is at the root of Metro Manila’s crisis: Erice
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has no real power: it can coordinate but not compel, suggest but not enforce, and plan but not fund, and that fundamental weakness is why Metro Manila’s most basic problems remain unsolved after decades, Caloocan City 2nd District Representative…
Once Asia’s most modern region, Metro Manila now ranks 103rd in global livability
Metro Manila ranks 103rd in global livability, far behind Bangkok at 93rd and Tokyo at 3rd. Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar “Egay” Erice describred this as a humbling fall for a capital region that in the 1960s was considered one of Asia’s most modern cities and whose country had…
Does Metro Manila need a Governor?
Flood, garbage, and fragmented power have pushed the capital region to the breaking point, says lawmaker Metro Manila is a megacity of 13 million people at night and 15 to 16 million during the day, and for decades, not one person has been fully in charge of it. That is the central argument…
Bangladesh dengue outbreak accelerates as hospitals come under strain
Bangladesh’s dengue outbreak is accelerating, with 42,590 people hospitalised and 117 deaths recorded this year, as a sharp September surge strains hospitals and raises fears the mosquito-borne disease could intensify further in the coming weeks. At least four dengue patients died and 1,558…
Drinking five cups of coffee per day may weaken bone health, study says
A decade-long study has found that drinking more than five cups of coffee a day may have negative effects on bone health. Research conducted by Flinders University in Australia and published in the journal Nutrients tracked nearly 10,000 older women over a 10-year period to examine how regular…
OFW remittances hit near-$40 billion record in 2025, still growing despite Middle East crisis
Overseas Filipino Workers’ (OFW) remittances reached nearly $40 billion in 2025, the highest level ever recorded, and continue to post positive growth of 2.4 to 2.5% in the first six to seven months of 2026 despite the ongoing Middle East crisis. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac explained…
For the first time, OFWs now have legal protection fund: ₱6 billion disbursed, 130,000 workers helped, says DMW chief
The Aksyon Fund—a dedicated legal, medical, and financial assistance fund for overseas Filipino workers—was launched for the first time in 2023 under the Marcos administration, with no equivalent program ever existing under the defunct Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) or any…