Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

House lawmakers on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision declaring the P60 billion transfer of funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the National Treasury in 2024 unconstitutional, calling for its immediate return to the state insurer.

In separate statements, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendana said the SC ruling only underscored the need to protect funds intended for public health.

‘As the SC ordered the return of the P60 billion through the 2026 National Budget, PhilHealth should waste no time in using the amount to improve the health benefits for our countrymen,’ De Lima said. ‘We will keep an eye on this. Every cent of the health fund should be used for health services, not for imaginary infrastructure, not for anomalies, not for useless programs.’

Cendana also welcomed the decision, calling it ‘good news for our countrymen who lack access to adequate health services.’

He stressed that Congress must comply with the ruling and ensure the P60 billion is included in the 2026 General Appropriations Act.

‘The government should have never taken away funds meant for PhilHealth to pay for infrastructure and flood control projects,’ Cendaña said.

Currently, Congress has allocated P60 billion – sourced from cuts from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget – for the 2026 national budget representing the amount diverted away from the state insurer in 2024.

In total, Philhealth is set to receive P113 billion if the current version of the House and Senate budget bills pass as is.

It may be recalled that PhilHealth was ordered to return P89.9 billion excess funds to the national treasury through Special Provision 1(d), Chapter XLIII of the 2024 General Appropriations Act as well as Finance Circular No. 003-2024. Both were declared unconstitutional for grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.

Last year, it already remitted P60 billion before the SC issued a temporary restraining order to halt the transfer of the remaining P29.9 billion.

Despite the substantial amount Philhealth will get in the 2026 budget, former Budget Secretary Florencio ‘Butch’ Abad and Sofia Rodrigo of the Action for Economic Reforms (AER) told the Inquirer earlier this week that the P113 billion currently allocated for PhilHealth for 2026 was still far below this deficit even though multiple laws require funds to go to the state insurer.

Subsidize premiums

Currently, at least five laws – the sin tax reform act, universal health care act, tobacco excise tax law, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office law and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. law – mandate that a portion of their proceeds go to Philhealth’s National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) to help subsidize premiums for indirect members.

In reality, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has not actually allocated 100 percent of PhilHealth’s approved appropriations from 2023-2025 to be able to cover its yearly funding requirements to cover indigent premiums, leading to a total deficit of P356.6 billion in the past three years alone.

In 2023, for example, the DBM’s actual cash allocated (ACA) for PhilHealth was only P50.7 billion even though the required premium for indirect members by law was at P136.6 billion. In 2024, the DBM’s ACA dropped to P9.5 billion despite the requirement of P129 billion.

Abad noted that this deficit exacerbated the effects of last year’s zero government subsidy for the National Health Insurance Program, which affected indigent premiums and slated improvements to Philhealth’s case rates

As cities in Asia continue to progress, incomes in Manila are projected to be ‘comparable’ to those of an average European citizen.

The catch is that it won’t be happening anytime soon.

England-based research and advisory company Oxford Economics said in a report released on Wednesday night that it expects Manila residents’ incomes to approach the European level by 2050, as it highlighted the rapid ascent of Asian cities within global value chains and the ‘closing’ gaps in living standards between emerging and developed economies.

Oxford Economics associate director Liam Sides and senior economist Christopher Reynolds said Manila is projected to add more than a million jobs in business services from 2025 to 2050.

In cities like the Philippine capital, they said such roles have expanded far beyond call-center work to include higher-skilled positions in IT, software development, data analytics, and other technical fields, offering both better pay and career growth.

High-value services

Sides and Reynolds said three other Asian cities – Delhi and Mumbai in India and Shenzhen, China – are expected to see similar gains, reflecting a broader shift in the region toward high-value service employment.

While job growth in business services has also been strong across the Middle East, the two analysts said it was Asian markets ‘that have dominated growth in business services since 2010 – and they will continue to do so.’

‘Indeed, cities across Asia are becoming both significantly more populous and wealthier. In terms of the overall increase in high-income households between 2025 and 2050, Asian cities take eight of the top 10 spots globally,’ they added.

Wide gap

Latest figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that the average annual income of families in Manila reached P482,490 in 2023, well above the national average of P353,230.

The income increase in Manila marked a 16.7-percent rise from 2021, the last year the triennial household survey was conducted. That slightly outpaced the 15-percent growth recorded nationwide.

Meanwhile, families in the wider National Capital Region earned an average of P513,520 in 2023, nearly 23-percent higher than in 2021.

The European Commission’s Eurostat policy department puts the average income of its residents at pound 37,860 a year (equivalent to P2.6 million at the current exchange rate).

Laggard

Among the nine major Asian cities analyzed in the report, Manila will be the slowest to catch up.

Estimates from Oxford Economics showed that Manila’s projected income growth would make it ‘increasingly comparable,’ but not fully on par with European averages, over the next 25 years.

On the other hand, Shanghai, Beijing, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Shenzhen, Jakarta and Mumbai are all expected to surpass average European city living standards, while Ho Chi Minh City could reach parity.

In India, Hyderabad and Bengaluru are expected to surpass the European average for personal incomes before the end of the next decade, with Mumbai following before the end of 2050.

Jakarta is projected to follow a similar trajectory, supported by Indonesia’s abundant natural resources and its relatively young, highly skilled workforce.

‘Overall, these shifts represent a dramatic reversal, with people in China, India, and Indonesia returning to more similar levels of income relative to Europe, as they had before the Industrial Revolution,’ Sides and Reynolds said.

‘Convergence in global living standards is not inevitable,’ they added.

Twenty-one areas across the country are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 as Tropical Depression Wilma continues to move closer to the country’s landmass, the state weather bureau said late Friday afternoon.

In its 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Atmospheric Services Administration (Pagasa) said the following areas were under TCWS No. 1:

The southern portion of Sorsogon (Matnog, Bulan, Irosin, Santa Magdalena, Bulusan, Barcelona, Magallanes, Juban, Casiguran, Gubat)

mainland Masbate including Ticao Island

Northern Samar

Eastern Samar

Samar

Biliran

Leyte

Southern Leyte

Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands

Bohol

the northern and central portions of Negros Occidental (Sagay City, City of Escalante, Toboso, Calatrava, Enrique B. Magalona, City of Victorias, Manapla, Cadiz City, Bacolod City, City of Talisay, Silay City, Salvador Benedicto, San Carlos City, Murcia, Bago City, La Carlota City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Valladolid, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Pontevedra, Hinigaran, Isabela, Binalbagan, City of Himamaylan, City of Kabankalan)

Siquijor

the northern and central portions of Negros Oriental (City of Guihulngan, Canlaon City, Vallehermoso, La Libertad, Jimalalud, Tayasan, Ayungon, Bindoy, Manjuyod, Bais City, Pamplona, City of Tanjay, Amlan, San Jose, Dumaguete City, Valencia, Sibulan, Bacong, Mabinay)

the northern and central portions of Iloilo (San Dionisio, Estancia, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Ajuy, Sara, Balasan, Lemery, Barotac Viejo, San Rafael, City of Passi, San Enrique, Anilao, Banate, Dingle, Barotac Nuevo, Mina, Pototan, New Lucena, Santa Barbara, Pavia, Iloilo City, Leganes, Zarraga, Dumangas, Dueñas, Bingawan)

the eastern and central portions of Capiz (Pilar, President Roxas, Panay, Pontevedra, Ma-Ayon, Cuartero, Dumarao, Dao, Panitan, Roxas City, Ivisan, Sigma, Sapi-An, Mambusao, Dumalag)

Guimaras

Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands

Dinagat Islands

the northern portion of Surigao del Sur (Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, Lanuza)

the northern portion of Agusan del Norte (Kitcharao, Jabonga, Santiago, Tubay, City of Cabadbaran, Remedios T. Romualdez, Magallanes)

Camiguin

TCWS No. 1 warns of strong winds between 39 and 61 kilometers per hour (kph) in the next 36 hours, posing minimal to minor threat to life and property.

In the 5 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, Pagasa said Wilma was last seen 180 kilometers (km) east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

The tropical depression was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 45 kph and gusts of up to 55 kph while moving westward slowly.

‘Wilma is forecast to move west southwestward until [Saturday] before turning generally westward for the remaining forecast period,’ Pagasa explained.

‘On the forecast track, the center of Wilma may make its initial landfall over Eastern Visayas between [Friday] late evening and [Saturday] morning,’ it added

Tropical depression Wilma battered Eastern Visayas with continuous rains and strong winds on Friday, December 5, triggering flooding, landslides, widespread class and work suspensions, and the halting of sea travel across the region.

Floodwaters submerged several areas in Catarman, Northern Samar, and Quinapondan, Eastern Samar as the weather system continued to dump heavy rains.

In Borongan City, at least 364 families from Barangay Siha were affected by flooding, according to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Other barangays-Cagbonga, Cabong, San Pablo, and Suribao-also reported inundation.

In Sogod, Southern Leyte, a rockslide struck a portion of the major road in Barangay Kahupian, prompting authorities to warn motorists of possible further slope failures as the rains persist.

Local governments across Eastern Visayas have activated emergency response teams and monitoring units as more rains are expected in the coming days. The Office of Civil Defense urged communities to remain vigilant for potential flash floods and landslides.

Amid worsening weather conditions, the governors of Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte, and Biliran ordered province-wide suspension of classes and work. Several municipalities in Leyte and Samar also declared class suspensions.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended sea travel in Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, western Leyte, and Biliran, directing all vessels to seek immediate shelter and reminding fisherfolk to follow safety measures amid rough sea conditions.

The PCG also issued a maritime advisory after a non-propelled barge, Green Dragon, went missing near Homonhon Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. Its anchor reportedly broke, causing the unmanned vessel to drift from its mooring area. Mariners navigating the area were advised to stay alert and report any sighting of the barge to the nearest Coast Guard station.

The Coast Guard said monitoring is ongoing to prevent any navigational hazard the drifting barge may pose.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has placed its regional operations on high alert.

The agency has prepositioned 77,866 family food boxes, 12,716 ready-to-eat food packs, and 18,574 non-food items in strategic locations. An additional P2.59 million has been allocated for emergency response

Ian Torres hit a wild shot at the buzzer as College of St. Benilde lived to fight another day after a 77-75 win over San Beda in Game 2 of their NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball semifinals series on Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.

With steely nerves, Torres buried a contested floater from the free throw line as time ran out.

‘I was exhausted but I told my coaches, ‘I got this,” said a confident Torres.

‘I looked at the clock and saw there was only a second left so I just went for it.’

Before Torres’ heroics, the Red Lions missed a couple of close cracks to take the lead with Nygel Gonzales failing to convert on a drive and Jomel Puno botching a putback attempt that left the door open for the Blazers to win it.

Benilde big man Allen Liwag secured the defensive rebound and passed it to Torres, who went the length of the court for the winner.

Torres finished with 17 points as the Blazers forced a do-or-die Game 3 on Sunday.

Tony Ynot led CSB with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals while Justine Sanchez added a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Liwag, the reigning MVP, chipped in nine points and 15 rebounds.

San Beda nearly pulled the plug on Benilde’s title bid despite playing without its star swingman Agjanti Miller due to a knee contusion.

Gonzales and Bryan Sajonia carried the offensive load for the Lions in the loss with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

The scores:

ST. BENILDE 77 – Ynot 19, Torres 17, Sanchez 14, Liwag 9, Umali 7, Ancheta 6, Celis 5, Gaspay 0, Cajucom 0, Morales 0, Cometa 0, Oli 0, Galas 0

SAN BEDA 75 – Gonzales 17, Sajonia 16, Puno 14, Estacio 7, Celzo 6, Lina 4, Reyes 4, Andrada 3, Calimag 2, Etulle 2, Bonzalida 0

Quarter scores: 23-24, 36-42, 60-58, 77-75

Beijing-As the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) convened in Belém, in the heart of the Amazon, the world’s focus is narrowly set on carbon emissions and net zero pledges. Yet, this tunnel vision blinds us to the elephant in the room: Ecosystem destruction is not a carbon problem alone-it is the systemic sabotage of the planet’s most powerful climate control mechanism.

Since 2023, extreme weather events have shattered most model projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Meteorologists are grappling with this new reality. Standard climate models were designed for a stable world that we have irrevocably left behind. But wait, there was a crucial omission. The dynamic land-atmosphere water cycle-powerfully mediated by living forests-has inexplicably been relegated to a mere footnote in the carbon story.

Indigenous wisdom has long understood what science is only now proving. Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, who wrote ‘The Falling Sky,’ told me: ‘Don’t white people see that if they cut down the forest, the rain will dry up?’

This isn’t metaphor-it’s the physics of the biotic pump. Forests function as the beating heart of the hydrological cycle. Trees transpire vast volumes of water vapor, which rises and rapidly condenses into clouds, aided by hygroscopic cloud seeds also emitted by the plants. This intense condensation causes an abrupt drop in atmospheric pressure, which creates a powerful, natural suction force that pulls humid air from the oceans deep into continental interiors.

The biotic pump theory was pioneered by Russian scientists Anastassia Makarieva and Victor Gorshkov, in close cooperation with Brazilian researchers, including myself. Our studies have revealed this mechanism operates globally. In the Amazon, the pump pulls trade winds from the North Atlantic across the equator, penetrating deep into South America. In Siberia, boreal forests maintain the ‘Eurasian flying rivers’-crucial atmospheric moisture sources for vast portions of China and Central Asia.

When we break the biotic pump, a menacing phenomenon emerges: massive, stagnant bubbles of hot, dry air settle over deforested regions, blocking humidity circulation and triggering desert-like conditions across vast continental areas. This mechanism explains seemingly disconnected catastrophic events: unprecedented heat waves, prolonged droughts, and apocalyptic flooding. The flying rivers of moisture that once circulated healthily over preserved areas are now violently colliding with these atmospheric barriers.

Here is the uncomfortable truth: Even if we zeroed out carbon emissions, the climate emergency would persist without massive ecological restoration. While carbon dioxide is key to long-term warming, ecosystem destruction introduces a dangerous short-term multiplier. By damaging the ocean-atmosphere-land water cycle-effectively the Earth’s air-conditioning system-we drastically amplify the climate’s sensitivity to carbon dioxide. For South-South cooperation and the vision of an ecological civilization to be more than just buzzwords, we must face this reality: Forests aren’t just carbon sinks. They are the planet’s primary climate regulators, its freshwater generators, and the very foundation of continental habitability.

The good news is that nature has the regenerative power to reclaim what was destroyed. Over 400 million years, the biosphere has conquered continents through unconceivably complex and incredibly sophisticated mechanisms. Recognizing this natural prowess must become the gauging sign of our own existential intelligence. Nature had eons to spare; we do not. Yet, we can still choose to learn and give back a helping hand to speed up this regreening.

The stakes are truly global. Just as Amazonian deforestation threatens South America’s water security, the exploitation of Siberian forests endangers the stability of the water cycle for large swaths of Europe and Asia.

Protecting and restoring ecosystems must therefore become an absolute priority alongside reduction in emissions. This mandate requires fundamentally reforming agriculture and cattle ranching, currently the main vectors of destruction. It means recognizing that supply chain restructuring isn’t simply about carbon accounting but about maintaining and restoring the living systems that regulate water, temperature, and climate stability.

Since 2023, the biosphere has shown worrying signs of multiple-organ collapse. But a cure exists. Give forests a chance, and they will heal the climate-and us. This conviction is not naive optimism. It is the practical application of physics, deep ecology, and 4 billion years of evolutionary genius.

The challenge for COP30 is clear, yet momentous: Will we finally acknowledge the elephant in the room? Will we commit-without compromise-to fully restoring our still marvelous green planet? China Daily/Asia News Network

Tropical Depression Wilma maintained its strength on Thursday evening as it continued to swirl towards the country, where Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 is in effect in 14 areas, according to the state weather bureau.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), in its 11 p.m. update, reported that Wilma was spotted some 480 kilometers (km) east of Catarman, Northern Samar.

It is currently moving west-southwest at only 15 km per hour (kph) while carrying maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 55 kph.

Meanwhile, 14 areas are currently under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1.

Pagasa said Wilma is forecast to make its initial landfall over Eastern Visayas or Dinagat Islands between Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Despite this, it is expected to remain as a tropical depression throughout the forecast period.

Areas under Signal No. 1 or where winds of 39 to 61 kph and intermittent rains may be expected in at least 36 hours are as follows:

Luzon

The southern portion of mainland Masbate (Cataingan, Pio V. Corpuz, Esperanza, Placer)

Visayas

Northern Samar

Eastern Samar

Samar

Biliran

Leyte

Southern Leyte

The northern and central portions of Cebu ( Daanbantayan, Medellin, City of Bogo, San Remigio, Tabogon, Borbon, Tabuelan, Tuburan, Sogod, Catmon, Asturias, Carmen, Danao City, Balamban, Compostela, Liloan, Consolacion, Cebu City, Mandaue City, Cordova, Lapu-Lapu City, Toledo City, Pinamungahan, San Fernando, City of Naga, Minglanilla, City of Talisay, Aloguinsan, City of Carcar, Sibonga, Barili) including Bantayan and Camotes Islands

Bohol

The eastern portion of Negros Occidental (Sagay City, City of Escalante, Toboso, Calatrava)

Mindanao

Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands

Dinagat Islands

The northern portion of Surigao del Sur (Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen),

The northern portion of Agusan del Norte (Kitcharao, Jabonga, Santiago, Tubay, City of Cabadbaran

Inflation in the Philippines eased to 1.5 percent in November on the back of a decline in food costs, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday.

The latest reading is slower than October’s 1.7 percent. It came in below the 1.6-percent median forecast of 10 economists that the Inquirer polled last week.

Also, the latest print landed within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) forecast range of 1.1 percent to 1.9 percent for November.

This brings the 11-month average to 1.6 percent, well below the BSP’s 2 percent to 4 percent target band for the full year.

The slowdown in inflation was largely driven by easing food prices, the PSA said. Inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by only 0.1 percent and accounted for 85.3 percent of the downtrend

The chase for quarterfinal berths and the twice-to-beat privileges in the PBA Philippine Cup resumes on Friday after a three-week break due to the Fiba window.

Brothers Juan and Javi Gomez de Liaño face off for the first time in the big league as Converge takes on Magnolia at 5:15 p.m. at Ynares Center in Antipolo City before San Miguel Beer and TNT square off at 7:30 p.m. in a rematch of last season’s title series.

More crucial games are on tap this weekend, especially for one team in the hunt set to lose its top player tasked with a higher calling.

All four teams seeing action hold identical 5-2 slates, with the winners to create a four-way tie for the lead with Rain or Shine and NLEx, which allowed Robert Bolick to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand.

Bolick and the Road Warriors play Magnolia on Sunday at Ynares Center, Montalban in Rodriguez, Rizal, before he skips the last two outings against TNT on Dec. 13 and Converge on Dec. 17 as he represents flag and country in the biennial meet.

‘It’s very crucial since the team standings are so close,’ NLEx team governor Ronald Dulatre said of Bolick’s situation. ‘But if it’s for the national team, for the country, we need to fully support and prioritize and Berto (Bolick) really wants to play also for the flag.

‘We just need to focus on our Sunday game with Magnolia so we can give Berto a good send-off before he flies to Thailand with Gilas,’ he added.

Three other PBA stars are also off to Thailand for the Games, even though their teams are desperate to catch up in the playoff race.

Blackwater, tied with Terrafirma at the bottom at 1-6, will miss rookie guard Dalph Panopio and veteran forward Abu Tratter, while Titan Ultra, holding a 2-6 card, allowed shooter Von Pessumal to take part as well.

They are joined by free agents Matthew Wright, Thirdy Ravena, Justin Chua and Jamie Malonzo in the roster, which the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) confirmed on Thursday after its fourth revision due to confusion over the eligibility ruling in the past few months.

Also in the squad are Ray Parks Jr., who was allowed to take a break from his stint with Japanese club Osaka Evessa of the B.League, University of the Philippines redshirt Veejay Pre, Adamson’s Cedrick Manzano and College of St. Benilde’s Allen Liwag.

‘After a tedious back and forth due to initially unclear and constantly changing rules in player eligibility, we at the SBP have submitted this list to the local organizing committee and it has been vetted and has undergone pre-approvals,’ the SBP said.

Powerhouse initial list

The SBP initially listed the likes of Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame to the standard 5-on-5 event that will be handled by coach Norman Black, but Thailand ruled with finality last week that naturalized players and those who failed to secure a passport after the age of 16 are deemed ineligible for the Games.

La Salle’s Mike Phillips, listed in one of the revised versions of the roster, is also out because of the eligibility ruling, while Geo Chiu was also scratched due to Abra’s entry in the National Finals of the MPBL.

Meanwhile, the Converge-Magnolia tussle will see the first PBA clash between brothers Juan and Javi Gomez de Liaño in an additional subplot to the contest even as San Miguel and TNT meet for the first time since last season’s Finals.

June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz resume club duties as teammates after Gilas Pilipinas and Guam met twice in the first window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Saturday’s matches, also in Antipolo, are Terrafirma-Titan and Blackwater-Phoenix, while Sunday’s nightcap in Rodriguez pits Converge and Rain or Shine.

No player hit the jackpot in either the Ultra Lotto 6/58 or the Mega Lotto 6/45 draw on Friday, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The Ultra Lotto 6/58 winning combination was 13-55-28-48-36-20, with a jackpot of ?49.5 million. PCSO said no ticket matched all six numbers.

In the Mega Lotto 6/45 draw, the winning numbers were 13-03-45-42-21-04. The ?10.29 million jackpot also went to no bettor.

Minor games

4D Lotto: 5-1-7-5; top prize ?23,441; 42 winners

3D Lotto 2 p.m.: 2-4-4; ?4,500 per winner; 174 winners

3D Lotto 5 p.m.: 5-0-0; ?4,500 per winner; 521 winners

3D Lotto 9 p.m.: 9-9-6; ?4,500 per winner; 257 winners

2D Lotto 2 p.m.: 17-16; ?4,000 per winner; 128 winners

2D Lotto 5 p.m.: 11-28; ?4,000 per winner; 545 winners

2D Lotto 9 p.m.: 19-10; ?4,000 per winner; 644 winners

Draw schedule

Ultra Lotto 6/58 draws take place every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. Mega Lotto 6/45 is held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday