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Free tuition can make college possible for a family that could never afford the fees. Keeping a child in school still means finding money for transport, meals, supplies and other requirements.
Read the latest explainer →If you use Coins.ph to receive money or pay bills, a failed cash-in can disrupt plans for the day. Coins.ph has announced that some incoming peso services are temporarily unavailable following a BSP directive to improve its internal controls. Its advisory also identifies services that existing customers can still use.
No Contact Apprehension Policy enforcement is returning to six Metro Manila cities on Monday, October 5. A camera can record a possible violation even when no enforcer stops the vehicle, so drivers and registered owners need to know where notices come from, how to check the evidence, and how to question a mistake.
A secondhand phone can put a useful device within reach of someone who cannot afford a new one. The problem comes when the buyer has no clear information about where it came from, what condition it is in, or who will fix it if it fails.
The Supreme Court dismissed three petitions on September 30 challenging how the Senate impeachment court would count the votes needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte. The dismissal leaves the Senate’s September 23 ruling in place, but it needs to be read carefully. A case can be dismissed because it does not meet the requirements for the Court to hear it, without settling whether the challenged action is constitutional.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte told the Senate impeachment court on September 29 that he had been unfamiliar with GenCorp Industries Inc. before it came up in the proceedings. He also said he did not know about Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared business interest in the company.
If you are planning a flight home or a family trip, check the full ticket price before paying. The Civil Aeronautics Board has approved a higher fuel-surcharge ceiling for October 1 to 15. The increase can add to your travel costs even when the advertised base fare looks affordable.
Who is covered, the two daily rates, and what to check in your next payslip.
What the DA proposes, why hog raisers want help, and why the effect on household food costs is not yet settled.
What COA found, what the OVP must explain, and what accountability should look like next.
What the ratified voucher bill would change, who may qualify, and what families still need to know.
What has been agreed, what is not yet final, and what Filipino consumers, workers, farmers, and businesses should watch.
Who voted, who did not, and how the Senate’s 13–1 ruling changes the calculation for conviction.
Warning signs, conversations, and practical steps for parents whose children play online games.
What a witness can refuse to answer, and why invoking the right is not a confession.
A Philippine fisheries vessel was damaged in a collision off Palawan. Manila and Beijing disagree about how it happened, while fishermen still need fuel.
Remulla announced a denial, then said he was still confirming it. Without an official Austrian decision, Roque’s asylum status remains disputed.
A DOJ subpoena requires the senator to answer an obstruction complaint. It is not an arrest warrant, a criminal charge in court or a conviction.
Both chambers have backed longer terms, but the November 2026 election remains the law until Congress completes one final bill and the President acts on it.
Metro Manila households served by Maynilad and Manila Water will see slightly higher water charges beginning October 1. The announced increases are small for many residential customers, but the figures vary by concessionaire and consumption level. That makes it easy to misunderstand a notice expressed only in centavos per cubic meter.
Retired Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang explained the legal framework for Article II. Her testimony laid out the test; it did not prove the allegations against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Authorities say they know where he is. An arrest has yet to be confirmed.
Why holding a Senate seat does not cancel court custody, preventive suspension, or the need for judicial permission to join an impeachment vote.
Why the Constitution points to 16 votes, why the current absences created a real dispute, and why the Senate must settle the counting rule before judgment.
The reported 400 personnel, her complaints about safety, and what the military has actually said.
Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. was answering questions at the Seoul Defense Dialogue on September 8 when a man handed him a note. He read it aloud, challenged its rejection of the 2016 South China Sea ruling and objected to being interrupted that way.
An amicus curiae is someone who helps a court understand a legal question. The phrase means “friend of the court.” When more than one person takes that role, they are called amici curiae. They give advice. The court still makes the decision.
It can be raining outside while PAGASA warns about El Niño. That can sound confusing when the immediate problem is a wet road or a flooded field. The two warnings describe different periods: the weather happening now and the rainfall conditions that may develop over the coming months.
The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of Zaldy Co, Martin Romualdez and two other accused in the plunder case filed on September 7. By Monday evening, authorities had served Romualdez's warrant and carried out booking procedures at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan. His arrest is a confirmed development; it does not establish that his three co-accused are also in custody.
The Office of the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez at the Sandiganbayan on September 7 over his alleged involvement in flood-control kickbacks. The accusations have now reached the court that will handle the criminal case. Romualdez denies wrongdoing and remains presumed innocent.
The alleged threats appear in both her impeachment case and a criminal case. Does that mean she is being tried twice for the same offense?
The authority, records and questions to check under the consolidated audit rules.
What the charges require prosecutors to prove, how bail works, and why impeachment is a separate proceeding.
What Republic Act No. 12325 changes for subsidies, costly training, and qualified disadvantaged students.
What the record figure includes, why the peso matters, and how debt service affects future public spending.
What the new ₱10.377-billion funding covers, where the program applies, and why patients should still confirm the rules before admission.
What the proposed service would cover, who could qualify, which costs may be waived, and why the program is not available yet.
What unhealthy air readings mean, who faces greater risk, and how to reduce exposure while authorities verify the haze’s source.
The 68-56 win revived the Philippines’ campaign, but Gilas remains fifth in Group E and still has work to do.
The increase was divided between March and September, so workers and payroll staff who remember only the first adjustment may apply the wrong rate after September 1.
Five checks graduating students and their families should make before the September 17 application deadline.
Five checks government workers and pensioners should make before applying, from covered areas and deadlines to net proceeds and repayment.
Five checks Filipino applicants can use to verify a recruiter, employer, fees, visa route, and written job offer before paying or travelling.
Cases rose after weeks of flooding. Here is how exposure happens, which symptoms to watch, and when to seek care.
More than two million BARMM voters are scheduled to choose the first regular 80-seat Bangsamoro Parliament on September 14.
DepEd cancelled the nationwide active-attack drill after mental-health specialists raised concerns. The need for safer school planning remains.
The five-percent EV parking rule is already law. The detailed charging rules for older and new properties are still being finalized.
Flood control is not only about pumps, canals and drainage. It also depends on where communities build, which lands remain open, and whether development decisions follow the same hazard information.
Orly Guteza has withdrawn his earlier accusation. Here is what a recantation changes, what it does not prove, and what the Ombudsman still needs to examine.
What private workers need to know about attendance, discipline and pay when severe weather makes travel unsafe.
The program has trained senior officers since 2016. It is a disaster-planning course, not a newly announced ten-year military pact.
The Senate has approved stronger protections for patients who cannot immediately pay, but hospital debt does not disappear and the proposal is not yet law.
The fund can pay for useful local projects, but it is separate from the automatic tax share of local governments and still depends on national budget decisions.
Self-rated poverty and food poverty declined in June, but the figures also show how many Filipino families remain under pressure and why lower household budgets do not necessarily mean life became cheaper.
The Philippines has joined a technology partnership, but the proposed New Clark City hub still needs detailed agreements, investors, utilities, and safeguards.
The proposal promises faster help when fuel and energy costs rise, but it would also give the President temporary additional powers.
Two Senate proposals would make lessons about the West Philippine Sea a permanent part of school education.
CADENA could connect budgets, contracts, payments, and reported results in one public trail. The technology still cannot determine whether the information entered is true.
The French financing belongs to a nearly US$970-million package and supports the national budget after policy reforms, rather than a list of local marine projects.
What prosecutors filed, what they must prove, how Duterte’s conditional wording may affect the charge, and the unresolved question of whether the case can proceed while she remains vice president.
The election is still scheduled for November 2, 2026. A newly filed Senate bill would move it by two years, keep current officials in office longer, and change who can run for the Sangguniang Kabataan.
House Bill No. 9965 would bar children below 13 from having social media accounts, require parental consent for users aged 13 to 17, regulate platform algorithms, and impose fines reaching P50 million. It is still being deliberated in the House.
The proposal would add rights over automated decisions, six months’ notice for major workplace AI changes, deepfake rules, and environmental disclosure for AI infrastructure. It is not law yet.
The proposed benefit is not available yet. Congress still has to settle who qualifies, how claims will be verified, and how the program will be funded.
The record nominal spending plan is not yet law, will require deficit financing, and could change substantially in Congress.
Why the financing is tied to health-system reforms, what it is meant to improve, and why the loan alone cannot guarantee better care.
What the visiting-forces agreements regulate, why the Senate must concur, and what they do not require the three countries to do.
What the 6.2 percent national rate measures, why lower-income households recorded 8.2 percent inflation, and what the figures mean for an ordinary family budget.
What the auditor found in the OVP’s confidential-fund submissions, what those findings mean, and what prosecutors still have to connect to Sara Duterte personally.
A 2027 sounding-rocket test could build skills and research capacity, but it is still far from placing satellites into orbit.
Lithuania is offering technology, training, and experience in tracking organized propaganda campaigns, but no detailed Philippine program has been announced.
The House and Senate approved different proposals for opening bank records, and the final safeguards have not yet been settled.
Tulfo says the minority is blocking the probe, but the documented delay was the committee’s unfinished formal organization.
The impeachment court kept the prosecution-first format after Duterte’s defense rejected an article-by-article presentation.
Romualdez has been ordered to answer serious flood-control allegations under oath, but no court has ruled on the accusations.
Marcos authorized the BIR to comply with the Senate subpoena. That did not open the records to the public or prove the unexplained-wealth allegation.
If consumers stop paying for system loss, who will shoulder the cost instead?
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View previous survey results →Free tuition can make college possible for a family that could never afford the fees. Keeping a child in school still means finding money for transport, meals, supplies and other requirements.
Free tuition can make college possible for a family that could never afford the fees. Keeping a child in school still means finding money for transport, meals, supplies and other requirements.
Republic Act No. 12325, approved September 4, expands the law governing free tertiary education and student assistance. At the same time, Senator Joel Villanueva has raised concern about a proposed reduction in a major education funding allocation for 2027.
Parents need to understand which benefits the law provides, which fund is being questioned and how the final budget could affect delivery. A proposed cut does not mean free college has been abolished, and the funding figures need to be read program by program.
The free higher education law exempts qualified Filipino students in state universities and colleges and covered local universities and colleges from tuition and other school fees. Admission, retention and other eligibility requirements still apply.
That does not automatically pay for everything a student needs to finish a degree. A student may still need transport money each day, a place to stay near campus or supplies for the course.
The Tertiary Education Subsidy, or TES, is a separate form of assistance for qualified poor students. It can help with living and study costs, and eligible students in recognized private institutions may also receive support under its rules.
A family should therefore ask two questions: whether the student qualifies for free tuition, and whether the student qualifies for additional assistance. Being admitted to a public college does not by itself establish entitlement to every allowance.
Watch your school’s official notices on tuition coverage, subsidy applications and release schedules. Ask which program covers each expense so the family can budget for costs that remain.
Under the amended law, TES prioritizes enrolled students from households on the updated Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, list, ranked by household income per person. Remaining slots go to other poor students using the prescribed income assessment.
The law also allows support for required internships and related learning experience. These include course activities in which students learn through supervised practical work, with assistance subject to the program’s guidelines.
For a family, the usefulness of that support depends on whether it arrives when the expense is due. A student facing a required training fee needs clear information on qualification, coverage and payment dates.
Watch the implementing guidelines and the school’s instructions for students seeking assistance. They should explain the documents needed, the expenses covered and how beneficiaries will receive their grants.
During the education budget briefing, Villanueva said the proposed allocation for Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education would fall from ₱37.547 billion in 2026 to ₱27.790 billion in 2027. The difference is ₱9.757 billion, commonly rounded to ₱9.8 billion.
He also said CHED’s proposed overall budget would fall from ₱48.369 billion to ₱35.453 billion. Those are separate comparisons: one concerns the identified program allocation, while the other concerns the commission’s overall budget.
The reported program figure should not be treated as the entire national budget for every public college and education benefit. Public colleges and student assistance receive funding through different allocations.
Congress can still change the proposed budget before it becomes law. These figures do not mean a student’s current grant has already been reduced by that amount or that tuition charges have returned.
Watch the amounts retained in the final budget and CHED’s explanation of the students and expenses they will cover. The final allocation will show whether lawmakers restored, retained or changed the proposed funding.
Villanueva also pointed to proposed increases in CHED’s separate Student Financial Assistance Programs. The reported allocation would rise from ₱2.154 billion to ₱3.185 billion.
That means the funding picture varies by program. An increase in a particular scholarship does not establish that every student affected by a reduction elsewhere can transfer to it.
Each program has its own qualifications and purpose. A family relying on a subsidy needs to know whether that specific assistance remains funded, how many students it can support and when payments will be released.
Watch the final allocations alongside beneficiary targets and eligibility rules for each program. Those details will show who gains access to support and where a funding gap may remain.
The amended law requires the necessary funding to be included in the annual national budget. It also requires mechanisms to monitor whether grants reach qualified students and to address complaints about implementation.
The concern about a smaller allocation is that there may be less money available to deliver the required support. Its actual effect depends on the final budget, expected enrollment, program costs and how the funds are distributed.
It would be misleading to claim from the headline alone that every public college student will lose free tuition. Families need a clear account of which beneficiaries could be affected and what the government will do to meet its obligations.
Watch CHED’s funded beneficiary targets, grant release schedules and published application instructions. For a student, the clearest evidence of delivery is receiving the promised assistance in time to keep studying.
Free tuition remains in the law, and the reported 2027 reduction is still a proposal. The dispute concerns whether the final funding will be enough to deliver the education support the government has promised.
Families should check the program their child relies on, the qualification rules and the payment schedule. Congress and CHED need to show how the final budget will keep eligible students in school and bring assistance to those who need it.
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