Nation
Politics, governance and communities across the Philippines.
Nation Page 2 of 60
PCSO now pays doctor’s fees through its Guarantee Letter, a first under the Marcos administration, but some private doctors are not cooperating
For the first time, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) Guarantee Letter can now be used to cover a patient’s doctor’s professional fee, the one item that previously remained unpaid even after PhilHealth, the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients program, senior citizen…
Physical sweepstakes tickets disappeared with the digital age, but PCSO says there is a good reason to revive them
The traditional physical sweepstakes ticket, the kind Filipinos once purchased from vendors outside churches, in markets, and along city sidewalks, no longer exists at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). But PCSO General Manager Melquiades “Mel” Robles said Saturday that plans to…
A teacher won the lotto jackpot. Her first plan was to redeem her ATM card from a loan shark.
A public school teacher who won a Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) lotto jackpot said the first thing she would do with her winnings was redeem her ATM card from a loan shark. This moment moved PCSO Assistant General Manager Atty. Lyssa Grace Pagano to tears and put a human face on the…
‘Hindi umuurong sa pagtulong’: Why PCSO still provides medical assistance even after funding Universal Healthcare services
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) technically sends nearly half of its entire charity fund to PhilHealth for Universal Health Care, which means that when a patient receives help from PhilHealth, part of that money came from PCSO. And yet, when that same patient walks into a PCSO…
‘Pag tumutulong ka na, wala nang boundaries’: PCSO brings medical equipment to hospitals across the Philippines
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) sent medical equipment to Naga City—including X-ray machines, a 2D Echo unit, and an ultrasound machine—after learning that the city’s general hospital had no ICU section and had lost eight dengue patients as a result. PCSO General Manager…
A mayor refused PCSO’s ambulance over political differences. PCSO gave it to a barangay captain instead.
A mayor in the Philippines refused to accept a patient transport vehicle from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) because of political differences with the administration. The PCSO responded by finding a willing barangay captain in the same area who accepted the unit on behalf of the…
PCSO distributed 1,800 patient transport vehicles in three years, triple what previous administrations gave in six
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has distributed approximately 1,800 patient transport vehicles in the first three years of the Marcos administration, more than triple the roughly 600 units that previous administrations gave over an entire six-year presidential term. PCSO General…
‘Even in war, kailangang gamutin ang kalaban’: PCSO chief says agency ready to assist any Filipino, regardless of political color
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) issues Guarantee Letters to everyone who needs medical assistance, regardless of whether they are supporters or critics of the government, regardless of political color, and regardless of regional origin. PCSO General Manager Melquiades “Mel” Robles…
Two UP graduates win PH James Dyson Award for developing a low-cost dialysis machine
Two graduates from the University of the Philippines have won a national title in the James Dyson Award in the United Kingdom for developing a low-cost dialysis machine aimed at helping patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Andrew Jacob Buensalido and Allyson Cabrestante created…
Public health expert urges DOH chief to fix agency’s broken drug procurement system before more medicines go to waste
Public health expert Dr. Tony Leachon is urging Health Secretary Edwin Mercado to implement a real-time medicine tracking and deployment system, coordinate with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to audit the quality of procured drugs, and publicly demand accountability from officials…
The government wants higher sugar drink taxes and food reformulation, says Filipino food can still taste good with less sugar
The Department of Health (DOH) and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) are pushing for higher excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and for food manufacturers to reformulate their products to reduce sugar content, while making clear they are not targeting sugar farmers or seeking to eliminate…
Parents who give kids sugary food early are training their brains to crave it: DOH
Sweet tooth is not something a child is born with. It is trained by the food habits of the family they grow up in, and parents who give young children sugary food repeatedly are programming their children’s brains to crave sweetness, Health Undersecretary Dr. Albert Domingo said Wednesday. Domingo…
South Korean drug lord detained in PH tried to escape using heavy-duty drone
A South Korean man convicted of killing three Koreans in the Philippines and accused of running a major drug distribution network while behind bars had plotted to escape prison by flying over its walls while suspended from a heavy-duty drone, according to a report aired Monday. Park Wang-yeol, 47…
The rise in overweight and obesity among Filipino children is outpacing adults, DOH data shows
The rise in overweight and obesity among Filipino children aged 5 to 10 is more worrying than the adult figures, with the rate tripling from around 5% in 2003 to 16% in 2025, Health Undersecretary Dr. Albert Domingo said Wednesday. Domingo made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program…
More Filipinos are getting fatter since 1993, with 25 million now overweight or obese
The Philippines has been getting heavier every year since 1993, with 43.1% of Filipino adults now classified as overweight or obese, approximately 25 million people out of an estimated 60 million adults, in a trend that Health Undersecretary Dr. Albert Domingo said Wednesday has shown no sign of…