News & Stories

Already have Rappler+?

Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) unanimously ordered the return of P60 billion that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) remitted to the national treasury in 2024. By

a majority vote, the SC also voided the Department of Finance circular and the provision in the 2024 national budget that enabled the PhilHealth fund transfer. Ra

ppler multimedia reporter Jairo Bolledo explains the SC ruling in this recap. – Rappler.com Upgr

ade to Rappler+ for exclusive content and unlimited access.

MANILA, Philippines — Motorists can now view proof of their violations and contest their tickets online after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) updated its no-contact apprehension program (NCAP) portal. MM

DA Chairperson Don Artes introduced the upgrades to the “May Huli Ka” website at an event at their Pasig City office on Friday. In a

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Depression Wilma is now forecast to make landfall over Eastern Visayas on Saturday, Dec. 6, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) latest update. In i

ts 8 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, Pagasa said Wilma was last seen 170 kilometers (km) east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar. “On

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) thanked the Supreme Court (SC) for its “wisdom” in its order on Friday to return P60 billion in excess funds from the National Treasury to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). “The D

epartment of Health and its attached agencies, including PhilHealth, is focused on implementing the Universal

MANILA, Philippines — No fare increase will be implemented yet for traditional and modern jeepneys, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced, citing that the country has yet to recover from recent calamities. La

st week, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) submitted its recommendations to the DOTr regarding petitions from transport groups seeking to

MANILA, Philippines – Manila Water Infratech Solutions (MWIS), an operating unit of Manila Water formerly known as Manila Water Total Solutions, which provides products and services for water and wastewater projects, announced its successful qualification and acceptance as a member of the Philippine Constructors Association, Inc. (P

CA), the country’s premier organization representing the construction industry.

MANILA, Philippines—Health reform advocate Dr. To

ny Leachon on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling ordering the return of P60 billion in PhilHealth funds that were transferred to the National Treasury last year, calling the decision a “quiet victory” for millions of Filipinos relying on the Universal Health Care (UHC) program. In a sta

tement, Leachon

MANILA, Philippines—A 2023 House bill sponsored by then–House appropriations chair Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co is drawing fresh scrutiny after the Supreme Court (SC) struck down the budget provision and Department of Finance (DOF) circular used to justify the transfer of P89.9 billion in PhilHealth funds to the National Treasury. The bill,

House Bill No. 9513—filed in November

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Loren Legarda called on government agencies to fully enforce landmark health and welfare measures she authored, stressing their vital role in safeguarding the rights of Filipinos from birth to adulthood. Sp

eaking in plenary on December 3, Legarda responded to Senator Raffy Tulfo’s privilege speech on health programs and disability services, reinforcing

Already have Rappler+?

Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors.

For context, always refer to the full article.

WILMA.

Satellite image of Tropical Depression Wilma as of December 5, 2025, 4 pm.

MANILA, Philippines – A high pressure area over mainland Asia is influencing the movement of Tropical Depression Wilma, causing it to move slowly and to linger off the coast of Eastern Samar, the weather bureau explained on Friday afternoon, December 5. Wi

lma was located 180 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, as of 4 pm on Friday. Th

e tropical depression is slowly moving west toward the region of Eastern Visayas. It

still has maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 55 km/h, and is likely to stay within the tropical depression category. In

Already have Rappler+?

Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors.

For context, always refer to the full article.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure in Taguig City on October 21, 2025.

Is it the end for the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)?

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla hinted that the commission’s days are numbered, saying ICI may have only “a month or two” left before it wraps up its probe into anomalous flood control and public works projects and turns everything over to his office. “‘Yun

ang direksyon niyan, kasi hindi naman forever ang ICI at meron namang batas na nag-create ng Office of the Ombudsman na ngayon naman ay very active kami,” Remulla told GMA’s Unang Balita on Friday, December 5. Remulla was ap

pointed Ombudsman in October, almost a month after ICI was created. (That’s the di

rection where it’s headed, because the ICI isn’t meant to last forever, and there is a law that created the Office of the Ombudsman, which we are now very active in.) ICI, barely three mo

Already have Rappler+?

Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors.

For context, always refer to the full article.

It’s that time of the year again when we take stock of what happened to the Philippine economy. We

started 2025 quite weak, and sad to say, we’re ending it even weaker. I bl

ame the economic “malaise” that now grips the country. This ste

ms from the explosive scandal concerning corrupted public works that started in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). He started

an anti-corruption campaign that enjoyed no credibility at the outset. Now, his f

ailure to take quick and decisive action has shaken trust in his governance in particular, and our economy and institutions in general. Before we