Month: November 2025
Are People Dying Younger? The Uneven Crisis Behind A Troubling Global Trend
Is the age of people dying getting younger? It’s a question that surfaces often — at funerals, in conversations, in quiet moments when the news feels heavier than usual. And while global statistics say humanity is living longer than ever, a different and more troubling story is unfolding beneath the averages. Across several regions and
Guarding The Shepherd’s Heart: Why Pastors Must Honor Boundaries For The Sake Of The Gospel
Ministry is holy work. Pastors step into spaces of grief, joy, vulnerability, and trust. In these moments, people open their hearts—not because of the pastor’s personality, but because of Christ’s presence in the pastor’s calling. This is why boundaries are not burdens—they are sacred fences that protect the integrity of the Gospel. The Church has
DTI Distributes Livelihood Kits To 161 Flood-Hit Microentrepreneurs In Siocon
ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE – A total of 161 flood victims in Siocon town received livelihood kits from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) under its Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PPG) Program, providing a much-needed boost for small entrepreneurs struggling to recover from recent flooding. DTI distributed the kits on November 21, each worth
EXPLAINER: What Is Non-Refoulement – And Why It Matters In Cases Like Atty. Harry Roque’s
MANILA, Philippines – As questions emerge over the situation of former presidential spokesman Atty. Harry Roque in the Netherlands after his asylum application was reportedly denied, one legal concept sits at the center of whether he can be deported back to the Philippines: non-refoulement. It’s a principle that sounds technical, but it is one of
Philippines Slips 12 Spots In Global Climate Index, Dragged Down By Weak Targets
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ climate performance plunged in the latest Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), falling 12 places to 19th as experts flagged the country’s lack of clear long-term climate targets and slow progress in transitioning away from fossil fuels. From a “high” rating last year, the Philippines is now classified as a “medium”
Zamboanga Sibugay Farmers Get P2.4M Carabao Multiplier Farm From DA
ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has turned over a P2.4-million carabao multiplier farm to farmers in Titay town, underscoring the continuing importance of carabao dispersal programs for rural livelihoods and food security. In a statement on Tuesday, November 25, the DA-Zamboanga Peninsula said the Titay East Corn Cluster Association received the livestock
COMMENTARY: A GATEKEEPER OF POWER, NOT PUBLIC TRUST
Lucas Bersamin’s ascent to the position of Executive Secretary in September 2022 was not greeted with applause but with suspicion—and rightly so. The so-called “Little President,” a post that demands unimpeachable integrity and absolute public confidence, was handed to a man whose judicial record has long been tainted by political undertones. Bersamin’s years in the
DOH pushes total vape ban amid rising youth use, misleading ads
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) is calling for a nationwide total ban on vape products, warning that the devices—often marketed as safer, trendier, and even “nicotine-free” alternatives to cigarettes—pose serious and long-term health risks. In a statement, the DOH slammed vape advertising campaigns that portray the products as harmless substitutes to smoking.
ANALYSIS: Food Security Time Bomb As Philippine Farmland Disappears
The Philippines is losing its farmland at a pace and scale that now threatens the country’s long-term food security. New figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show a steep decline in the land devoted to food production, underscoring a decades-old policy failure: the absence of a coherent national land use law that can protect
From Palace Power To Red Notice: The Legal Freefall Of Harry Roque
MANILA – Once a fixture behind the Malacañang podium, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque now in the Netherlands, fighting to stay in Europe as Philippine authorities push for his deportation. The man who once defended controversial policies under the Duterte administration is now the subject of an Interpol Red Notice – an international alert usually
Why Transparency Reforms In DPWH, DA Won’t Work Without Empowered Citizens
The Department of Agriculture’s plan to launch FMR Watch, an online platform for monitoring farm-to-market road (FMR) projects, signals a familiar move in the government’s attempt to clean up agencies long plagued by corruption. Like the transparency tools rolled out earlier by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the DA’s new system aims
PCEC Backs ‘Trillion Peso Assembly,’ Urges Marcos To Certify Anti-Corruption Bills
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC), the country’s largest network of evangelical denominations, publicly endorsed the “Trillion Peso Assembly Against Corruption” on November 30, calling for deeper investigations into alleged large-scale corruption and urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prioritize long-pending reforms. In a statement signed by National Director Bishop Noel
