Latest in Local Government UnitsLocal government units can now use the Special Health Fund—the pool of PhilHealth payments they receive for health services—to hire doctors, nurses, and other medical workers, a critical new provision that Health Secretary Edwin Mercado said Saturday will help address the country’s chronic…
About 89% of local government units across the Philippines now have Solid Waste Management Plans approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), a significant increase from previous years, but Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Director Michael Drake Matias said they are…
With an intensifying El Niño forecast to grip most of the Philippines by the last quarter of 2026, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is urging communities not to wait—laying out a practical set of low-cost interventions that households, farmers, and local governments can begin acting…
As many as 49 provinces across the Philippines are expected to record below-normal rainfall by October as an intensifying El Niño episode takes hold—and the dry spell may persist well into early 2027, the country’s top science official warned Saturday. Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said…
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is ensuring Filipino rice farmers have a steady and guaranteed market by requiring local government units to source the supply of his administration’s free rice program directly from local producers, bypassing traders and middlemen under the government’s Sagip…
The Marcos administration’s Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program will distribute 10 kilos of free rice per tranche to low-income families across all provinces, cities, and municipalities starting this May, with the supply sourced directly from Filipino farmers under the government’s Sagip Saka…
Solar rooftop installation has never been more affordable—but for many Filipino households, navigating government permits remains the single biggest obstacle to going solar. Tetchi Capellan, chairperson of the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance, raised the concern in an interview on DZRH…
The Department of Education (DepEd) will roll out a significantly expanded School-Based Feeding Program in 2026, backed by a ₱25.7-billion allocation aimed at tackling malnutrition, improving attendance, and supporting vulnerable learners nationwide. In an interview on DZRH News program Special on…
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso expressed optimism for a more prosperous 2026 as he delivered his New Year message during the city’s first flag-raising ceremony at Manila City Hall on Monday, January 5. Domagoso said the city government is entering the new year with renewed hope…
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved a one-time Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) of up to ₱20,000 for government employees in 2025 to recognize their contributions to national development goals and the administration’s socioeconomic agenda. Under Administrative Order No. 40 dated…
When did we become a country so quick to suspend classes at the faintest hint of inconvenience? Local officials today seem to wield the power to cancel school like a social media stunt, a button pressed for applause, hearts, and fleeting praise from students who will forget about it by the next…
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday, September 15, ordered all government agencies to restore the rule requiring local government units (LGUs) to formally accept national projects before these can be considered complete. Marcos said the acceptance process, which was removed under…
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla has banned online gambling among all government officials and personnel. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued Memorandum Circular 2025-082, “prohibiting all DILG personnel, employees of its attached agencies, and…
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso has called for the transfer of operations and maintenance of flood control infrastructure to local government units (LGUs), citing the failure of national agencies and political interference in projects meant to mitigate flooding in the capital.…
The day’s most important stories in the Philippines and the world, in one five-minute read. Delivered at 6 AM, Monday to Saturday.