Editorial

The proposal to enhance PhilHealth benefits for members who regularly pay premiums deserves serious scrutiny and deliberation. After all, workers, professionals, entrepreneurs, and other contributing members rightfully expect that the benefits they receive should reflect the sacrifices they make through years of contributions. Yet as this discussion unfolds, it is …

As police conducted a background check and interviewed the two teenage boys who went on a shooting rampage last Monday in their high school in Tacloban, the probers noted two things. One was the lack of remorse on the part of the two shooters. Another was the fondness of at …

The digital age has transformed the lives of young people in ways unimaginable just two decades ago. Social media platforms have become central to communication, education, entertainment, and self-expression. Yet alongside these benefits has emerged a growing body of evidence linking excessive and unregulated social media use to anxiety, depression, …

Three young lives are lost, five others are injured while hundreds of others are deeply traumatized after two teenage students went on a shooting rampage yesterday morning at the Tacloban National High School. The two shooters were quickly caught, and reportedly explained to police that they had been bullied in …

Facing a continuing lack of cold storage facilities, farmers in the country must also contend with competition from cheap imports. This is the complaint of vegetable farmers in the Cordilleras, who lament that imported carrots have pulled down the prices of the locally grown produce. It’s not the first time …

Two recent diplomatic developments—the state visit of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Manila and the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin—highlight the Philippines’ growing ability to engage major global players while advancing its own national interests. Far from being isolated events, both underscore the value …

The head of the House of Representatives committee on social services has denied that congressmen’s resistance to an anti-epal provision derailed the ratification of a bill institutionalizing the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations or AICS. Budget watchdogs had pushed for the abolition of AICS and other aid programs in …

Today, we honor fathers for their invaluable role as leaders of the home, guides of their children, and steadfast providers who often carry burdens quietly for the sake of those they love. More than a routine annual celebration, Father’s Day is a heartfelt tribute to the men whose strength, wisdom, …

The defense chief must continue to assert our legal rights. But public language should avoid gratuitous provocations. The National Maritime Council, created two years ago by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. amid the increasing Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, has reacted strongly to the sanctions imposed by Beijing on …

Fuel prices are finally plummeting after the United States and Iran formalized a deal this week ending the war that began on Feb. 28. As domestic pump prices reflect the fall in global crude oil prices, the government can pursue measures to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels. It …