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DOH cites the lack of dentists, calls for bigger oral health care budget
The Department of Health (DOH) is urging the government to invest more in oral health care as the country grapples with a shortage of dentists and a rising number of Filipinos suffering from oral health problems. In a recent interview on PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, Health Undersecretary Emmie…
New businesses in Manila surge 106% as renewals post steady annual growth
New business registrations in Manila surged by 106.48 percent year-on-year as of February 15, 2026, more than doubling last year’s figure, according to a report presented by Bureau of Permits Director Levi Facundo to Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso during the city government’s directional…
Social media poll shows overwhelming support for Sandro Marcos’ bill to abolish travel tax
An overwhelming majority of netizens who joined The Situation Report’s social media poll are in favor of House Majority Leader Rep. Sandro Marcos’ bill to abolish the Philippine travel tax, based on results tallied as of Monday, February 9. The poll shows that 99.13% of respondents support the…
Sandro Marcos files bill abolishing travel tax
House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos filed House Bill No. 7443 that seeks to abolish the travel tax, citing its negative impact on economic recovery, mobility, and regional competitiveness. The said House Bill proposes the repeal of the travel tax imposed under the Presidential Decree No. 1183 and…
PSEi hits six-month high, erases post-SONA losses as investor confidence rebounds
The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) surged to one of its strongest levels in six months on Tuesday, February 3, fully wiping out losses triggered by corruption concerns involving billions worth of flood control projects aired during last year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), according…
‘Definitely, panalo ang ating mga kababayan’: says DBM chief Toledo on 2026 budget
“Definitely panalo ang ating mga kababayan.” This was an unequivocal assurance given by Acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo in an interview on DZRH News’ Special on Saturday on January 10. Toledo said the proposed 2026 national budget is intended to ensure that government spending directly…
Marcos admin to address ‘minimum basic needs’ in 2026 budget — DBM
The 2026 national budget is structured to address the country’s “minimum basic needs,” with priority spending focused on education, health, agriculture, social services, and job creation, Acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo said on Saturday, January 10. In an interview on DZRH News program…
School-based feeding program budget surges from ₱11.7 billion in 2025 to over ₱25 billion in 2026 under Marcos admin
The budget for the School-Based Feeding Program will increase from ₱11.7 billion in 2025 to over ₱25 billion in 2026 under the Marcos administration. During a press briefing in Malacañang, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the increase is part of what he described as a historic allocation for…
Lacson lauds Marcos veto vs non-essential budget items, ban on politicized aid
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Monday, January 5, welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s veto of non-essential items under the unprogrammed appropriations and the prohibition on political involvement in the distribution of cash aid in the newly signed Republic Act 12314…
Capitalists, Leftists agree: PH economy disappointing, weak
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and left-leaning think tank IBON Foundation—often at opposite ends of the policy debate—arrived at the same conclusion that the Philippine economy underperformed in 2025 and faces serious structural weaknesses heading into 2026, based on…
Lacson warns vs Palace ‘cover-up’ over DPWH budget insertions: ‘Nakakasira ng Pasko’
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Thursday, December 25, warned that Malacañang’s dismissal of allegations on multibillion-peso Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget insertions as “hearsay” could be construed as a possible “cover-up,” saying the controversy has…
PESO chief files plunder, graft raps vs ex-Manila officials over ₱319.3M KASAMA funds
Public Employment Service Office (PESO) acting manager John Hiroshi Umeda Jr. on Tuesday, December 23, filed criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman accusing several former Manila city officials of plunder, malversation, graft, falsification, and other offenses…
Ping Lacson refuses to sign 2026 budget bicam report over ‘medical aid,’ farm-to-market roads
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he will refuse to sign the bicameral conference committee report on the 2026 national budget unless provisions granting a massive increase for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) and billions for…
‘Climate of fear?’ Aquino says businesses stay silent on BIR corruption amid fears of retaliation
Senator Bam Aquino on Thursday, December 11, warned that many businesses are staying silent about alleged corruption in the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s Letter of Authority (LOA) system due to fears of retaliation. During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the BIR’s LOA, Aquino said he…
‘Kulang sa budget, kulang sa powers’: Singson pleads with Congress to grant ICI funding and authority even as it investigates lawmakers
It was a moment thick with irony: even as the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) digs into irregularities that involve members of Congress, resigned commissioner Rogelio “Babes” Singson said the commission must now rely on the same institution for the budget and powers it never fully…