More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
Economy, Planning and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan says "the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the country’s long-term development goals" and that the vision for 2040 is no longer feasible.
The country may no longer be on track to achieve high-income country status by 2040 as it needs to sustain growth of over 6 percent yearly to reach that milestone by then, according to Economy, Planning and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
Speaking to reporters, Balisacan said the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the country’s long-term development goals. The pandemic derailed the government’s AmBisyon Natin 2040 plan, which envisions a high-income Philippine economy by 2040.
While the country has expanded by nearly 6 percent on average over the past 15 years, Balisacan said this pace may not be sufficient to significantly improve the spending power of Filipinos. He also acknowledged the ongoing challenge of making economic growth more inclusive.
Balisacan said the Philippines should aim for an annual growth rate of 8 percent if it hopes to attain high-income country status as quickly as possible.
“I am not, you know, happy with 6 percent,” he said.
“The COVID years set us back significantly… That’s quite a big deal, a lot of contraction. And what that meant is we lost three years of growth momentum. So that 2040, at the current growth rate, is not likely going to be feasible anymore,” he added.
In its latest assessment, the World Bank (WB) grouped the Philippines with other lower-middle-income economies. This group is characterized by a gross national income (GNI) per capita of between $1,136 and $4,495.WB calculations showed the Philippines had a GNI per capita of $4,470 in 2024. That is $26 short of the benchmark for upper middle-income countries, which have a GNI per capita of between $4,496 and $13,935.
The income status affects eligibility for official development assistance (ODA) and concessional financing –– which low-income nations receive from multilateral lenders like WB to speed up their development. Government data showed total ODA commitments amounted to $39.61 billion in 2024.
In its “Philippines Country Growth and Jobs Report” released last month, WB urged the government to pursue a set of bold reforms that could boost the local labor market and put the country on the cusp of high-income status by 2050.
At present, the multilateral lender defines high-income economies as those with GNI per capita of more than $13,935.
“We can still be within that [high income group] around 2050. But if we can grow faster, while making it more inclusive, we can still meet the 2040 [goal], perhaps. But we need to grow faster,” Balisacan said.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/07/31/davao-city-photo-studio-ceases-making-memories-after-44-years |
A mixed mood of smiles and sadness can be seen among employees of a pioneer photo studio in this city as they entertain a handful of customers.
Some of their colleagues are clearing the cabinets and putting most of the unsold photography supplies, picture frames, and instamatic cameras into boxes.
While some of them are still cheerfully chatting each other, they are obviously hiding their sadness as some of them would wake up jobless the next morning.
Today, July 31, marks the last day of operation of Photohouse Laboratory Inc. as it will finally cease printing memories after 44 years.
Photohouse Laboratory Inc. has been the most popular photo printer of not just the ordinary residents of this city but as well as some of the most prominent families in the city.
Located just a stone’s throw away from the city hall, the photo studio was established in 1981 and offered various photography services.
Loreto Lim, one of the owners, admitted their sales have declined since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
“Besides, many of the photographers now, especially who are known as speculators, have their own printers. Some have mobile setup that they can bring along wherever they are shooting,” Lim told Manila Bulletin.
But he pointed out that their clients may have not realized that the quality of their pictures are not at par with the ones printed in photo laboratories.
Since the proliferation of smartphones, an employee said that people have also stopped printing their pictures.
Instead, they prefer to upload them in their social media accounts or just store them inside their smartphones.
His sister and co-owner, Luisa, told Manila Bulletin that it is also difficult to find parts for their aging printing machines.
“The pandemic really hit us hard,” said Luisa while overseeing one of their long-time staff print several copies of pictures inside the studio.
Rosalinda Claros, who has been working as the lab’s technician since 1981, said that she’s quite sad to see her working area shut down.
“I’m feeling sad, I will surely miss my workplace,” Claros said.
“The photo printing business has really declined. In the past months and years since the pandemic, we were mostly printing identification photos. We rarely print pictures on special occasions like birthdays or weddings.”
Claros recounted that Photohouse Laboratories Inc. was just among the few known photo studios back then that carried major photographic companies.
The studio carried European photographic brand Agfa Photo since it moved to its current location.
Photohouse offered various services such as processing films, including black and white, rush ID, picture framing, and photography equipment sales.
The studio was also equipped to process black and white films.
They say the pandemic hit them hard but it can't be denied that technology has made them obsolete.
The number of Filipinos experiencing food insecurity continues to recede post-pandemic.
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| https://www.bworldonline.com/economy/2025/07/28/688103/food-insecurity-recedes-in-phl-after-pandemic-fao/ |
THE NUMBER of Filipinos experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity declined after the pandemic to 37.8 million during the 2022 to 2024 period, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
This was equivalent to 32.9% of the population, the lowest share since the 44.7% during the pandemic years of 2020-2022, the FAO said in its State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report.
The Philippine hunger indicators were the third highest in Southeast Asia, where food insecurity averaged 14.4%.
The Philippine food insecurity rate was edged out by Cambodia with 40% and Laos with 35.6%. The equivalent numbers for the rest of the region were 32.7% for Myanmar, 16.7% for Malaysia, 10.7% for Vietnam, 9.5% for Singapore 5.4% for Thailand, and 4.5% for Indonesia.
The FAO said an estimated 8.2% or between 638 million and 720 million of the global population may have faced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5% in 2023 and 8.7% in 2022, amid “notable improvement” in Southeast Asia, Southern Asia and South America “in contrast to the continuing rise in hunger in most subregions of Africa and in Western Asia.”
The global number of undernourished is expected to decrease, but 512 million people are still projected to be facing hunger in 2030, of whom nearly 60% will be in Africa, it added.
Between 2022 and 2024, 3% or 3.4 million of the Philippine population was undernourished, the FAO said.
In Southeast Asia, the number of undernourished stood at 35.1 million during the 2022-2024 period.
The undernutrition rate in Southeast Asia averaged 5.1%.
Indonesia had the highest number of undernourished people with 17.7 million, or 6.3% of its population.
Leonardo A. Lanzona, who teaches economics at the Ateneo de Manila, said research indicates that many urban poor adolescents eat three times a day, with families from poor households often prioritizing the nutritional needs of their children, particularly those attending school.
“This is part of their coping mechanisms that resulted in greater food security but at the expense of education,” he said in an e-mail. “In other words, much of the achievements in food security is due to the effort of households, not the government, and is paid at a very high cost.”
“This trade-off between food security and education results in a heavy burden for our present workforce who can survive daily but lack the skills to secure gainful jobs,” he added.
The FAO said 44% or 51 million of the Philippine population could not afford to eat healthy in 2024, against 45.4% or 52.2 million a year earlier.
It said the average cost of a healthy diet was $4.39 per person per day on a purchasing-power parity (PPP) basis in 2024, against $4.21 in 2023 and $3.73 in 2021.
It said the Philippines, Chile, India, and Mexico introduced subsidies for agricultural inputs starting in 2022 in the face of persistent inflationary pressures after the pandemic.
Many countries cut down on expenditures after the pandemic “but inflationary pressures led to continued support for key sectors, including agriculture.”
“The inflationary period after the pandemic made it difficult for countries to remove some support measures, as livelihoods were at risk due to food price increases,” it said.
“A flexible use of fiscal policy, considering well-targeted support for some segments of the population combined with fiscal restraints for other sectors, could reduce inflation while maintaining adequate levels of protection for the most vulnerable,” it added.
The report found that within Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka notably focused on food price interventions such as price controls.
“Effectiveness of price policies remains limited in the long term and can lead to an inequitable distribution of costs and benefits. Price caps at the retail level for some products resulted in the expected short-term effect of reducing prices and protecting consumers,” the FAO said.
The FAO noted that when subsidies are used to reduce consumer prices while maintaining high producer prices, they require substantial government spending, can be regressive particularly for non-targeted programs, and may also fuel inflation.
“The effectiveness of these policies depends on the sensitivity of supply and demand behavior to prices — that is, their level of elasticity — and the nature of the initial shocks,” it said.
“Elastic systems characterized by strong market mechanisms benefit from allowing prices to adjust; meanwhile, it is important to prioritize other instruments such as social protection programs.”
The FAO called for targeted fiscal interventions, including robust social protection systems, coordinated macroeconomic policy, structural and trade-related reforms, and strategic investments in data, infrastructure and innovation.
It said fiscal responses to high food prices must be time-bound and include well-defined exit strategies to prevent “the risk of permanent budgetary commitments that could constrain future fiscal space or bring public debt to unsustainable levels.”
It said tax reductions on essential goods, including food, can provide immediate relief to households facing rising living costs but such measures “must be weighed against the need for sustainable public revenue, particularly in countries with limited fiscal capacity.”
The FAO also said social protection systems — through cash or in-kind transfers — are indispensable for cushioning the effects of food price crises on low-income households.
“However, in high-inflation contexts, the value of these transfers can erode. Programs must therefore be calibrated to respond to inflationary pressures, with flexible mechanisms to adjust transfer values and avoid price increases,” it added.
It said instead of resorting to short-term price interventions, such as price controls or subsidies, which may provide temporary relief but often distort markets and are inefficient over time, governments should adopt a stable, coordinated and transparent strategy to manage long-term food price trends including strengthening food reserves, improving market transparency, and investing in trade-related infrastructure.
It said maintaining strategic food reserves can help cushion supply shocks and stabilize prices.
“Policymakers should balance food security and nutrition objectives against potential fiscal and market risks,” it said.
“Embedding food reserves within a broader risk-management framework enhances their effectiveness and reduces unintended consequences,” it added.
The FAO also urged governments to boost investment in research and development, storage, and transport infrastructure that could address food loss, improve supply chain functioning, and mitigate future food price shocks.
There are a lot of factors to consider here. Inflation leading to higher prices is the biggest factor but some of the solutions like price freezing and selling rice at P20/k deprive farmers and producers of needed profits that keep them afloat allowing them to sell more rice and produce more food.
The Philippine Theater is experiencing a Renaissance. Apparently this has been going on since the pandemic.
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| https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/arts-and-entertainment/philippine-theater-renaissance-a3690-20250729-lfrm2 |
"Ang tanghalang ito'y atin ngayong gabi / Walang makapipigil, hindi tayo titigil, / Hanggang puno na ang gabi ng ating galak / Limutin ang problema, ang tanghala'y pag-asa," goes the opening track of Mula sa Buwan, an all-original Filipino musical by Pat Valera and William Elvin Manzano first staged in 2016 that retells the story of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. It was also the first live show that I watched in 2022, after the two-year COVID-induced theater hiatus. And so when the ghost light appeared front and center of the stage to celebrate the return of theater—both in the MSB narrative and in real life, it was a challenge to fight back the tears. It felt like an anthem for the moment, perfectly capturing the spirit of a vibrant rebirth. Today, that rebirth is undeniable.
"I do agree with you. I think they call it nga parang naging Golden Age ulit. Parang nagka-renaissance." This sentiment from Sab Jose, The Sandbox Collective’s Marketing and PR Director and incoming Artistic Director, perfectly encapsulates the palpable excitement surrounding Philippine theater today. After navigating the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic, the local stage has not only found its footing but has seemingly surged into an era of unprecedented vibrancy and growth. The 11-year-old The Sandbox Collective recently brought us Filipino productions of Side Show, Next to Normal, and Tiny Beautiful Things.
Sam Sewell, Executive Producer from GMG Productions, concurs, stating, "I think the whole theater economy is really growing. We saw that already pre-pandemic, in a way. We've been talking about this rebirth of theater-watching in the post-pandemic. It's really real. You can see it in the numbers." GMG Productions is behind the Manila leg of the international tours of Burn the Floor, Six, Miss Saigon, and Hamilton; Come From Awaywith a Filipino-led cast; and the upcoming Dear Evan Hansen in August 2025 and Les Misérables: World Tour Spectacular in January 2026.
Award-winning actor Gab Pangilinan, who’s also the co-Marketing Director and co-founder of Barefoot Theatre Collaborative, reflects this sentiment, adding, "Post-pandemic, all of a sudden, there have been independent groups that have emerged. Ang pangit ng term na ‘YOLO’ pero ganun ‘yung pakiramdam na all of a sudden it's like, ‘Oh, okay, we shouldn't stop creating." Barefoot Theatre Collaborative is most known for Filipino productions, like Mula sa Buwan and Bar Boys: A New Musical, but has recently introduced us to the song cycle We Aren't Kids Anymore—the cast of which is featured in this article's main image.
Philippine theater’s resurgence is not merely a rebound, but rather a transformation fueled by evolving audience demands and a deeper appreciation for live performance.
The most striking change in the Philippine theater landscape is the sheer volume and continuous flow of shows. The traditional concept of a rigid "theater season," once intrinsically linked to university semesters, has all but disappeared.
"Actually, ngayon nga, parang wala nang theater season, all year round may mga production na," observes Nico Quejano, frequent theatergoer and member of the Society of Filipino Film Reviewers, highlighting a fundamental shift in how theater is now staged and consumed. This means that audiences no longer have to wait for specific times of the year; opportunities to catch a show are now available throughout the calendar.
Beyond just frequency, the longevity of these productions has also seen a dramatic increase. "Ngayon, 'yung mga production tumatagal ng three months. Pre-pandemic, sobrang unheard of 'yun," shares Quejano. This extended run allows for greater accessibility for audiences and potentially longer employment for artists and crew, fostering a more sustainable ecosystem. Before, only a handful of blockbuster shows, like Rak of Aegisat PETA, could boast such prolonged engagements. This endurance speaks to a newfound confidence in market demand.
The variety of theatrical offerings has also broadened considerably. The scene is no longer dominated by just large-scale musicals. "Sobrang daming production, iba-iba siya. May reading, may stage reading, may musicals, student shows," notes Quejano, painting a picture of a diverse and dynamic creative environment. Several professional and independent shows are now vying for attention, altering viewing habits.
Sewell confirms this growth, noting, "new theater companies have been established. University-level productions are getting more and more attention, and are taking themselves more seriously as creators in this space." This observation points to a thriving ecosystem of existing and emerging theater companies, all contributing to the richness and diversity that defines this new era.
John Mark Yap, co-Marketing Director and co-founder of Barefoot, highlights a key catalyst: "We have to credit the [free streaming] of Ang Huling El Bimbo during the pandemic in 2020. It really created a lot of new audiences for theater, and we felt that in 2022 and all the way to last year."
This surge was particularly evident in mid-2024, when major productions were happening all at the same time. It was eventually called by many theatergoers and practitioners as the "2024 theater eleganza extravaganza" as PETA’s One More Chance, 9 Works Theatrical’s Rent, Dulaang UP’s Rosang Taba, Barefoot’s Bar Boys, and Newport’s Buruguduystunstugudunstuy opened only weeks apart and ran almost simultaneously. A one-night rerun of Tanghalang Pilipino’s Pingkian was even thrown in the mix. Pangilinan adds that this "hasn't happened a lot before the pandemic."
The post-pandemic landscape also saw a significant rise in artist-centric or artist-run companies, like Mad Child Productions (In the Eyes of the People, Nagkatuwaan sa Tahanang Ito) and Scene Change (Dagitab, 3 Upuan). Pangilinan says, "Na-encourage din ang artists na parang, 'Ah, posible pala siya.' We don't have to just wait for bigger companies. Na-encourage sila to create and, for me, it's such a good thing kasi nga it provides spaces for multiple kinds of artists and also multiple kinds of shows." This emergence empowers artists to take control of their creative output, fostering a more diverse and accessible theatrical scene, including offerings from "the more affordable tickets to the most expensive tickets," as Pangilinan points out.
The core of this renaissance lies in the audience itself, whose relationship with live theater has profoundly deepened, especially after the pandemic. The enforced isolation of lockdowns sparked a collective realization that there is really no substitute for live shows. This sentiment was powerfully reinforced when, ironically, professionally shot recordings of plays (pro-shots) were released online during the lockdown period, such as National Theatre Live performances and even local productions via Facebook. While providing a temporary solution, these digital alternatives only amplified the yearning for the genuine experience. "Kasi iba talaga 'yung live," Quejano stressed, articulating the undeniable difference of being alongside audience members and collectively witnessing talent unfold in real-time.
Yap is particularly looking forward to more theaters so that they can accommodate more people, while Pangilinan dreams of a future where theater companies can raise enough money to stage their productions outside Metro Manila, maybe in Cebu and Davao. The ultimate hope for Barefoot’s co-founders is for theater to become a "stable source of income" and a "sustainable form" of living for artists.
Five years after the pandemic, the renaissance of Philippine theater is a powerful testament to the enduring appeal of live storytelling, the irreplaceable space of the community, and a thriving cultural landscape. It is proof that the stage is ours, and not only for tonight.
Did audiences really learn the necessity of live shows after being locked down for months? I thought everybody learned entertainment can be streamed in the comfort of one's home.
The Sandiganbayan has asserted its jurisdiction over the graft cases filed over the anomalous purchase of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction kits for the Department of Health during the pandemic.
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| https://remate.ph/mga-kaso-ng-graft-sa-anomalous-na-pagbili-ng-p4-16-b-kits-para-sa-covid-19-pinagtibay-ng-sandiganbayan/ |
The Sandiganbayan has asserted its jurisdiction over graft cases filed over the alleged anomalous purchase of P4.16 billion worth of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kits for the Department of Health (DOH)’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Three violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, were filed against officials of the Procurement Service (PS)-Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and officials of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.
The three graft charges pertain to three transactions. The first is for the purchase of 41,400 units of BGI Real Time Fluorescent RT-PCR Kits worth P2,877,300,000 on June 8, 2020. The second is for 8,000 units of PCR Kit, BGI Real Time Fluorescent RT-PCR Kit worth P600,000,20, and the third is P600,000,20,020. 2,000 units of A*Star Foundation Kit 2.0 worth P688,000,000 on April 22, 2020.
The officials charged are former PS-DBM undersecretary Christopher Lloyd A. Lao, Overall Deputy Ombudsman Warren Rex H. Liong, Director IV Christine Maria Lecaros Suntay, Procurement Management Officer V Webster Marmol Laurenana, Procurement Management Officer Paul Jasper Villanueva De Guzman, Procurement Management Officer VI Augusto Menchavez Ylagan, and Division Chief of Procurement Division VI Jasonmer Lagarto Uayan.
Pharmally's President and Director Twinkle Dargani, Treasurer and Secretary Mohit Dargani, Director Linconn Uy Ong, Director Justine Garado, Board Member Huang Tzu Yen, employee Krizzle Grace Ukkong Mago, and Financial Manager Lin Weixiong are also among those charged.
The cases were dismissed twice by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) for lack of jurisdiction — first by the RTC-Manila and then by the RTC-Malolos.
The RTC-Malolos, for its part, maintained that the cases were not among the “minor” cases that should be tried by the regional trial courts, especially since the amount involved was P4,165,300,000. It issued two separate orders — the first dismissing the cases without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction and the second denying the motion for reconsideration of the prosecution.
The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), through the Office of the Special Prosecutor, criticized the dismissal and argued that the RTC-Malolos had shirk its duty to hear, try, and decide the cases.
The OMB filed a Petition for Certiorari with the Sandiganbayan and requested the anti-graft court to direct the RTC-Malolos to continue the trial of the three criminal cases.
The Sandiganbayan denied the OMB’s petition. It said that the RTC-Malolos did not violate the line of grave abuse of discretion.
It said: “Rather, it correctly held that Republic Act No. 10660 does not require that damage must be an element of the crime for the Sandiganbayan to take cognizance of the cases. It also correctly held that the amounts involved are not mere incidents of the recital of the material facts of the cases but are illustrative of the gravity of the offense charged against the accused-respondents and of the damage caused to the government”
Therefore, it ruled that “it is the Sandiganbayan which has jurisdiction over the crimes charged.”
The 43-page resolution was written by Chairperson Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta with the concurrence of Associate Justices Georgina D. Hidalgo and Zaldy V. Trespeses
Does this mean the cases will be reinstated and people will be brought to justice? Only time will tell.
In San Fransisco a Filipino cultural hub established during the pandemic is shutting its doors.
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| https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/kapwa-gardens-san-francisco-20775826.php |
A cherished cultural hub for San Francisco’s Filipino community is closing down after serving as an inclusive community space for five years.
Located in a transformed parking lot at 967 Mission St., in the heart of the city’s Filipino Cultural Heritage District, Kapwa Gardens opened during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 with the help of nonprofit economic development and arts organization Kultivate Labs and more than 300 volunteers.
The garden has since operated as a space for public gatherings and artistic expression, hosting an array of events including yoga, live performances and private gatherings. Now, the area is being vacated to make way for a senior housing development, a project that organizers had known about from the beginning.
“Kapwa Gardens revived the spirit of bayanihan — our tradition of collective care and barn-raising — at a time when everything felt fractured,” Desi Danganan, executive director of Kultivate Labs, told the Chronicle. “In the middle of a pandemic and a downtown in decline, it became a sanctuary.”
The SOMA space has hosted more than 200 public events and, in 2023 alone, generated more than $115,000 in vendor sales.
It plans to host a free farewell event on July 26 for its beloved Yum Yams gathering, which celebrates ube, a purple yam primarily grown in the Philippines. The event is expected to feature an array of ube snacks, DJ sets, local vendors and more and will be free to attend. Guests can RSVP online.
Meanwhile, plans for Kapwa Gardens 2.0 are already in the works.
The city of San Francisco has already awarded pre-development funding for the future site at 4th and Folsom Streets, according to a statement. Danganan added that the goal is to include power, running water and other facilities in the new space.
“This next version isn’t just a garden,” he said. “It’s a chance to build a cultural gateway for the Filipino Cultural District.”
However, it seems the next version of Kapwa Gardens will also cater to Filipinos and Philippine culture.
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