Explainers
The context behind the headlines, explained.
Explainers Page 3 of 5
‘Fever na ito’: Filipino climate scientist uses body temperature to explain the urgency of global warming
Manila Observatory Executive Director Fr. Jose Ramon “Jett” Villarin used a body-temperature analogy to explain the urgency of global warming, comparing the Earth’s current 1.1 to 1.2 degree Celsius temperature rise to a person running a low-grade fever—one that could escalate to…
Can’t get enough of instant noodles? Global demand rises despite health risks
Frequent consumption of instant noodles has long carried negative health perceptions, yet global demand for the convenience food continues to surge. Originating in Japan in the 1950s as a post-war staple, instant noodles have evolved into a multi-billion-dollar global industry, widely consumed in…
PHIVOLCS explains what caused the June 8 Mindanao quake
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Southern and Central Mindanao on June 8 originated from the Cotabato Trench, one of six active underwater trenches surrounding the Philippines, all of which are capable of generating earthquakes of magnitude 8 and above, the director of the Philippine…
LIST: DTI releases a price guide for school supplies for SY 2026-2027
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has released a suggested price guide for school supplies for the upcoming academic year 2026–2027. DTI said the guide aims to provide consumers with options as students prepare for the new school year. The list includes suggested prices for notebooks…
How Ariel Nepomuceno is taking on corruption, patronage, and resistance at the Customs bureau
When Ariel Nepomuceno took over the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in July last year, he knew what he was walking into. The bureau had long carried a reputation for corruption so entrenched that even the mention of reform invited skepticism. His response was immediate—and deliberate. “‘Yung mga ayaw…
Who is Francis Tolentino, President Marcos’ new Labor Secretary?
Incoming Labor Secretary Francis “Tol” Tolentino brings to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) a career spanning four decades of public service—from the mayoralty of Tagaytay City to the halls of the Philippine Senate. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Tolentino to the post, according…
What you need to know about HIV: transmission, prevention, and where to get tested
The Philippine National AIDS Council is urging every Filipino to arm themselves with accurate information about HIV, as new data shows the country’s epidemic is accelerating at an alarming pace. HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, was first discovered in 1981 and the Philippines recorded its…
WHO on hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks: A sign of ‘dangerous and divisive times’
GENEVA — The deadly hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks are only the latest crises in “dangerous and divisive” times, the World Health Organization chief said this week. Opening the body’s annual decision-making assembly in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke of the new Ebola outbreak in the…
WHO concerned at ‘scale and speed’ of Ebola outbreak
The head of the World Health Organization expressed deep concern on Tuesday at the speed and scale of the Ebola outbreak, as the number of cases rises. There have been at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths from Ebola since the new outbreak began, WHO Director-General Tedros…
Gringo Honasan explains why the Philippines keeps reliving the same political crises
Forty years after EDSA, the Philippines finds itself in the middle of another political crisis—a Senate shooting, an ICC arrest warrant, a leadership shakeup, and an impeachment trial all converging in a single week—and former Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, who has lived through more of these…
What every barangay needs to know about President Marcos’ ‘Bawat Barangay, Makikinabang’ program, according to Malacañang
The Marcos administration is rolling out ₱200,000 in financial assistance to each of the country’s 42,000 barangays under the “Bawat Barangay, Makikinabang” program, funded through the Social Civic Projects Fund of the Office of the President. Undersecretary Georgina Hernandez Yang of the Office…
WHO on the hantavirus outbreak: ‘This is not another pandemic’
The World Health Organization said the hantavirus outbreak is not the start of another pandemic. During a news briefing, Maria Van Kerkhove said the situation is different from COVID-19. Van Kerkhove said hantavirus spreads through “close, intimate contact.” Authorities are currently tracing…
Vietnam is on a $1.5 trillion infrastructure spending spree amid a global oil crisis. Can the Philippines keep up?
Vietnam is in the grip of a construction frenzy unlike anything Southeast Asia has seen in a generation—and while Hanoi breaks ground on bullet trains, nuclear plants, and the world’s largest stadium, the Philippines is fighting a different kind of battle: keeping fuel affordable for ordinary…
Your Meralco bill is dropping in May 2026 — but by how much, exactly? Meralco spox explains
Following the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) order to accelerate Meralco’s release of a ₱14-billion refund, many customers have been asking the same question: how much will they actually save? Meralco Vice President and Spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga, interviewed on DZRH News program Special…
Why the Philippines keeps delaying its barangay elections
Since 2022, the barangay elections have been postponed twice. Filipinos voted in 2023, a year behind schedule. The next cycle was pushed from December 2025 to November 2026. Now a third delay is on the table—and critics say the justification being offered is the same one the Supreme Court already…