The God Culture: What is Wisdom?

Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture has a new Foundations lesson. This time he is asking "What is Wisdom." Every Christian knows that Christ is the Wisdom of God. But does Tim know that? Let's take a look.

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FOUNDATIONS – Week 36

What Is Wisdom?

Key Texts: Proverbs 1; Proverbs 8; James 3

Our world prizes intelligence.

Education.

Knowledge.

Expertise.

The ability to argue well.

But are any of these necessarily wisdom?

Scripture begins somewhere else:

> “The fear of Yahuah is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

> (Proverbs 1:7)

Biblical wisdom begins with our relationship to Yahuah.

Before Scripture asks how much we know, it asks whether we recognize who He is.

And wisdom requires something else increasingly unpopular:

instruction.

The wise can be taught.

The fool rejects correction.

Proverbs 8 takes us even deeper.

Wisdom declares:

> “Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.”

> (Proverbs 8:14)

Then wisdom describes Yahuah's ordering of creation:

> “When He prepared the heavens, I was there...”

> (Proverbs 8:27)

Wisdom is therefore not merely knowing facts.

It recognizes the order Yahuah established and teaches us how to live within it.

But how can we recognize wisdom in someone?

James gives us a test:

> “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”

> (James 3:13)

Notice what James does not say.

“Let him show how intelligent he is.”

“Let him win an argument.”

“Let him display his credentials.”

Instead:

Show us your life.

James then warns that jealousy, selfish ambition, and strife can masquerade as wisdom:

> “This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”

> (James 3:15)

Not everything called wisdom comes from Yahuah.

So James gives us the identifying marks of the real thing:

> “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

> (James 3:17)

There is the biblical test.

Wisdom has fruit.

Pure.

Peaceable.

Gentle.

Teachable.

Merciful.

Impartial.

Without hypocrisy.

Biblical wisdom is therefore more than knowing what is true.

It is learning from Yahuah how to live what is true.

Knowledge may tell us what Scripture says.

Wisdom teaches us how to walk in it.

Question for Discussion

If Scripture measures wisdom by its fruit rather than intelligence, education, or the ability to win an argument...

What evidence of wisdom does our life actually produce?

Look at that! Tim completely side steps Christ and ties Wisdom to our works, i.e. keeping the law. Christ is the Wisdom of God. In him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom. 

1 Corinthians 1:30 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Colossians 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Wisdom is not bearing fruit by keeping the law. It is salvation in Christ. Read more about Christ being the Wisdom of God here.

Amazing! But, given Tim's track record it's par for the course that he would neglect Jesus Christ. 

Let's hear what noted theologian Father Ted Crilly has to say about the matter. 

Ah, right… sits up, adjusts the collar, and peers at the page with the weary look of a man who’s just been handed another parish newsletter full of half-truths

Week 36. “What Is Wisdom?”

Well now. Let’s have a look at Tim’s latest attempt to redefine the dictionary.

He starts in the right neighbourhood, I’ll give him that. Proverbs 1:7 — “The fear of Yahuah is the beginning of knowledge.” Solid. The wise can be taught; the fool despises correction. Still grand. Proverbs 8 with wisdom present at the ordering of creation — fair enough, that’s in the text. And then James 3, which is actually one of the sharper tests in the whole New Testament: wisdom shows itself in meekness, purity, peaceableness, gentleness, mercy, without partiality or hypocrisy. Not in how clever you sound or how many arguments you win. Credit where it’s due — James is doing real work there.

But — and you knew this was coming — watch what he does with it.

The whole lesson never once mentions the One whom Paul calls “the wisdom of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:24 — Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:30 — Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

Tim can quote Proverbs 8 about wisdom being there when the heavens were prepared, but he never takes the step the apostles took: that the same wisdom who ordered creation is the One who hung on the cross. The cross is the supreme display of God’s wisdom — the thing that confounds the wise of this world and saves those who believe. Tim’s definition stops at “learning from Yahuah how to live what is true” and “walking in it.”

In the Foundations series, “walking in it” is never neutral language. It almost always means: keep the commandments, observe the Torah, live inside the order as Tim understands it. So once again the gravitational pull is toward our performance, our fruit, our meek conversation, our teachability.

James is right — wisdom has fruit. But the New Testament never treats that fruit as the source of wisdom. The source is Christ Himself. We are made wise by being united to the One who is Wisdom. Tim never says that. He leaves the Man outside the door again while he polishes up another definition that ends with us examining our own lives for evidence.

And the discussion question?

“If Scripture measures wisdom by its fruit… what evidence of wisdom does our life actually produce?”

Ah, there it is. Back to us. Back to the mirror. Not “Have we been brought to the One who is the wisdom of God?” but “How’s our fruit looking?”

sighs, reaches for the teapot

So there you are, lad. Another week, another carefully constructed definition that quotes good verses, sounds pious, and quietly sidesteps the crucified and risen Christ as the very centre of the thing it’s defining.

Go on. Pour us a strong one.

I’ve a feeling Week 37 will be along any minute, and God alone knows what he’ll do to “What Is Faith” or “What Is Love” when he finally gets there.

Careful now.

Down with this sort of thing… still watching closely.

Retards in the Government 487

It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.

 

https://mb.com.ph/2026/09/10/ex-traffic-enforcer-held-for-extortion-in-paranaque

A former traffic enforcer was arrested after allegedly posing as an active traffic officer and demanding money from a company in exchange for preventing the apprehension of its trucks in Parañaque City.

The suspect, alias Alex, 42, unemployed and a resident of Taguig City, was arrested on Sept. 9 at Pacific Concrete Products Inc. along East Service Road in Barangay San Martin de Porres.

Police said the suspect first went to the company on Sept. 1 and introduced himself as a traffic enforcer from Taguig City.

He allegedly demanded money from a transport supervisor, claiming that the payment would spare the company’s trucks from being apprehended for traffic violations.

The suspect reportedly returned to the company a few days later and again demanded money, prompting the complainant to seek police assistance.

Personnel of the Parañaque City Police Station responded and confronted the suspect regarding the complaint.

Police said the suspect resisted arrest and attempted to flee toward his motorcycle despite repeated orders from the responding officers.

A brief struggle ensued, during which the suspect and the officers fell into a muddy area. The police eventually subdued and arrested him.

Authorities later verified that the suspect had previously been employed as a traffic enforcer but had already been separated from the office and was no longer affiliated with it.

The suspect was brought to the police custodial facility for detention and was charged with violations for attempted robbery-extortion, usurpation of authority, and resistance and disobedience to a person in authority under Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code.

A former traffic enforcer was arrested after allegedly posing as an active traffic officer and demanding money from a company in exchange for preventing the apprehension of its trucks in Parañaque City.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2302788/3-ex-soldiers-in-degamo-slay-case-convicted-for-gun-bomb-possession

Three former Army soldiers have been found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of illegal possession of firearms and explosives in connection with the assassination of former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo in March 2023.

In a decision handed down on Aug. 18 and made public only recently, the Manila Regional Trial Court’s Branch 40 convicted Joric Labrador for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and coaccused Joven Javier and Benjie Rodriguez for one count each of unlawful possession of explosives.

Labrador was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, while Javier and Rodriguez were handed down a prison term of reclusion perpetua, or up to 40 years.

The three convicts, along with expelled Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., are facing separate charges for multiple murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder charges before the Manila court for the killing of Degamo.

The court, meanwhile, ordered the custodians of the .45 cal. pistol, two magazines, 14 rounds of live ammunition and two hand grenades seized from the three men to turn these over to the Philippine National Police.

Labrador, Javier and Rodriguez were already discharged from the Army for going on unauthorized leave before they were charged in court three years ago over the killing of Degamo.

Labrador was a member of the Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division while Javier was with the Light Reaction Battalion. Rodriguez, on the other hand, was assigned to the 35th Infantry Battalion of the 11th Infantry Division.

According to the Department of Justice, which transferred the case to the City of Manila, the court also upheld the validity of the accused’s warrantless arrests, noting that the seized pieces of evidence were properly identified and handled, as testified to by the police and other witnesses.

“Impunity should never triumph over justice. We shall hold accountable anyone who transgresses the rule of law,” Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said in a statement announcing the Manila court’s ruling.

Degamo and nine others, including his driver and bodyguard, were killed by armed men on March 4, 2023, during the distribution of aid at his house in Pamplona, Negros Oriental.

Three former Army soldiers have been found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of illegal possession of firearms and explosives in connection with the assassination of former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo in March 2023.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2306156/bucor-orders-charges-vs-ciw-officials-over-trust-fund-irregularities

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) ordered the filing of charges against two officials and five other personnel at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) over more than P6 million in missing funds and administrative irregularities.

In a statement on Wednesday, BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. approved the recommendation to initiate administrative proceedings against former superintendents Daisy Sevilla-Castillote and Marjorie Ann Sanidad.

The former superintendents were allegedly involved in handling funds entrusted to them by persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

Castillote will face administrative proceedings for gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct for her tenure as CIW superintendent, according to a Directorate for Intelligence and Investigation (DII) report dated Aug. 30.

“According to the investigation, she failed to exercise the required diligence in supervising, monitoring, reconciling, and maintaining institutional control over the PDL Trust Fund,” the BuCor said.

Sanidad, who served as acting CIW superintendent before Castillote’s appointment, was also cited for authorizing a P300,000 fund advance to cover a reported remittance intended for PDLs that had not been properly transmitted.

“The transaction was likewise deemed inconsistent with existing policies governing the use and disposition of PDL Trust Fund resources,” the BuCor said.

Catapang also filed charges against correction officer Bianca Flor Ramos after the DII found discrepancies of over P5 million during her term as the CIW trust fund officer.

Meanwhile, the final audit report of BuCor’s parallel investigation conducted on Aug. 25 reflected an unaccounted amount of P6.4 million.

This figure does not include the more than P1.2 million accounted amount yet to be collected or listed as receivables.

Last month, Ramos promised to cooperate with the bureau’s investigation into the missing funds after suddenly reappearing following her absence without official leave on July 29.

CIW’s incoming trust fund officer Maryrose Abucay was also cited for deficiencies in the turnover of duties.

These included the lack of formal turnover documents and independent witnesses during the turnover of cash and other accountabilities, as well as inadequate documentation and verification of funds.

Catapang also ordered charges against three other trust fund personnel—Madel Figuerres, Gloria Lakisa, and Charlot Jennifer Carreon—over discrepancies found in their performance.

Their lapses included the recording, documentation, monitoring, reconciliation, maintenance, and verification of trust fund transactions and related records.

BuCor said the “personnel’s collective shortcomings contributed to weaknesses in the accuracy, reliability, and accountability of PDL Trust Fund documentation.”

The Bureau of Corrections ordered the filing of charges against two officials and five other personnel at the Correctional Institution for Women over more than P6 million in missing funds and administrative irregularities.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1283876

Eight individuals including Bayan Muna chairperson Teddy Casiño will face raps in connection with a lightning rally that happened in a premier hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City on Thursday, the Southern Police District (SPD) said Friday.

In a press briefing held at SPD headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, SPD chief Brig. Gen. Rodel Pastor said: "Cases shall be filed against Teddy Casiño, the rally organizers and the ones arrested who were part of the demonstrations. Yung mga naaresto, undergoing sila ng (Those arrested are now undergoing) inquest proceedings sa Taguig."

"Direct Assault, physical Injuries, Batas Pambansa 880 under illegal assembly and other possible cases shall be filed against Casiño and others," he added.

Pastor also said they coordinated with the hotel management for security and safety deployment of police personnel as well as civil-disturbance management teams.

Based on the SPD report, the demonstration began at around 9:09 a.m. Thursday involving members of various sectoral groups.

Some protesters entered the hotel premises by allegedly presenting themselves as customers and initially appeared orderly, with no placards or immediate indication of disruptive conduct.

Police personnel were already deployed in the vicinity as part of the security coverage for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)-Luzon Economic Corridor Investment Forum being held in the hotel.

When a commotion developed and the activity began affecting traffic and normal operations in the area, responding officers immediately intervened to prevent further escalation and repeatedly directed the protesters to maintain order and peacefully disperse.

Despite repeated police instructions, some protesters allegedly resisted and physically assaulted responding personnel. Several police officers sustained bruises, scratches and other injuries, with some left bloodied during the confrontation.

Despite being subjected to physical resistance, police personnel continued to exercise restraint in managing the situation.

The SPD emphasizes that police intervention was necessary to restore order, protect the public and prevent further escalation. 

The SPD, which has territorial jurisdiction over the area, said 16 police officers and five activists were injured as lawmen and hotel security personnel moved to pacify the protesters, who at one point managed to briefly enter the hotel where the forum was being held.

In a separate press briefing held in Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co said based on the report of the National Capital Region Police Office, their injuries included bruises, blunt wounds and lacerations.

"All affected personnel are currently receiving medical attention and treatment from the District Medical and Dental Unit (DMDU), NCRPO," he added.

The PNP spokesperson also said that it's up to the hotel management to file charges against the individuals or groups involved in the said demonstration which caused alarm and scandal.

For his part, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. said the police response was focused on keeping the situation under control and protecting the safety of everyone at the event.

“The PNP exercised maximum tolerance during the incident. Our officers acted to maintain order and protect the safety of all participants at the forum,” he said in a statement.

Eight individuals including Bayan Muna chairperson Teddy Casiño will face raps in connection with a lightning rally that happened in a premier hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

Coronavirus Lockdown: Unemployment, Flag Football, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government. 

The July 2026 unemployment rate of 6 percent marks the highest level recorded in the Philippines since the immediate post-pandemic period, matching the rate last seen in June 2022. This rebound underscores that the labor market recovery from COVID-19’s massive job losses remains incomplete and vulnerable to new pressures.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2301816/july-unemployment-leaps-to-6-percent-highest-in-postpandemic-era/amp

The country’s labor market showed fresh signs of strain in July as more fresh graduates struggled to find jobs, pushing unemployment to its highest level since the pandemic era.

According to data by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released on Tuesday, the unemployment rate surged to 6 percent in July from 4.9 percent in June. This was equivalent to 3.14 million jobless Filipinos, up from 2.59 million in June.

The latest figure marked the third straight month of increase and was the highest in four years, or since June 2022, when unemployment also stood at 6 percent.

This was also the first time unemployment reached the 6-percent level after staying between 4.7 percent and 5.8 percent since the start of the year.

Month-on-month, the labor force participation rate declined to 63.6 percent from 65.1 percent, translating to a labor force of 52.36 million from 53.25 million. But quarter-on-quarter, it increased from 62.7 percent, or 51.3 million.

Metro Manila had the highest unemployment rate at 8.2 percent.

National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the sudden rise in unemployment was due to new participants estimated at 1.33 million who have joined the labor market but are not yet absorbed into the workforce.

The age group of these entrants was pegged at 15 to 24 years old.

The employment rate declined one percentage point in July from 95 percent in June, with the number of employed Filipinos falling to 49.21 million from 50.55 million.

The number of underemployed Filipinos, meanwhile, rose to 12.9 percent from 12.1 percent. This represented 6.33 million underemployed Filipinos, up from 6.11 million in June.

The Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev) said the spike in unemployment is a challenge.

“More Filipinos are participating in the labor market, which means that we need to intensify efforts to attract investments, especially those that create quality jobs,” DepDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

“The key is to continuously improve the ease of doing business in the country,” he said.

Economist Leonardo Lanzona of the Ateneo de Manila University said the increase in unemployment is no longer a short-term absorption lag, especially since it had been climbing steadily as the share of degree holders among the jobless rose from 26.9 percent in 2020 to the latest figure of 35.6 percent.

“If this were a short-run absorption lag, it would have been corrected already. We have a structural demographic mismanagement problem which means investment incentives are designed to reward capital size rather than job creation,” Lanzona said.

“The economy keeps attracting capital-intensive investment that can’t absorb a growing young workforce—a design flaw no amount of job-matching or reskilling programs can fix without reforming the incentive criteria themselves,” he added.

The surge was driven largely by 1.33 million new entrants—mostly young graduates aged 15–24—who joined the workforce but could not find employment, highlighting ongoing difficulties in absorbing post-pandemic cohorts into the formal economy. Economists and officials noted that the rise signals deeper structural problems rather than a temporary lag, as capital-intensive growth continues to fall short of generating enough quality jobs for a labor force still feeling the long-term effects of the pandemic disruption.

After the pandemic caused a noticeable decline in active flag football players in Cebu, organizers moved to revive the sport. CIFFA Chairman Siegfred Agraviador, drawing on his collegiate playing and tournament experience, helped restart local activity once restrictions eased

https://all-starmagazine.com/featured-stories/ciffa-flag-football-philippines/

Ever heard of flag football?

While it may still be unfamiliar to many Filipinos, the sport has quietly built a passionate and growing community across the country, attracting students, working professionals, and first-time athletes to a game built on speed, strategy, and teamwork.

In Cebu, the Cebu Integrated Flag Football Association (CIFFA) is helping push that movement forward.

For CIFFA Chairman Siegfred Agraviador, the journey began after the pandemic, when he and others in the community noticed a decline in active players. With experience playing collegiate flag football and organizing university tournaments, Agraviador was invited by his friend Miguel Callorina to help revive the sport in Cebu.

What began as an effort to bring players back to the field has since developed into a bigger mission.

“From day one, our main focus at CIFFA has been growing the sport at the rookie level,” Agraviador told ALL-STAR.

Through rookie cups, camps, and support for university teams, CIFFA has created more opportunities for newcomers to discover the sport. Agraviador has since seen flag football expand beyond Cebu City into different towns and provinces, with younger players—including athletes in the 17-and-under age group—starting to join the community.

“We still have plenty of work to do to build up that youth division, but the momentum is definitely there,” he said.

Agraviador is also quick to emphasize that CIFFA isn’t doing it alone. He credits organizations such as the Cebu Flag Football League (CFFL), Ultimate Blitz League (UBL), Punk Panda League, and Sugbo Flag Football Club (Sugbo FFC), alongside local coaches and players, for helping the sport grow.

“We’re super lucky to have an amazing community around us,” he said. “Everyone plays a huge part in keeping Cebu flag football alive and growing.”

That growing community will come together for the Cebu Festival Cup 2026, happening on September 12–13 at the Dynamic Herb Borromeo Sports Complex in Talisay, Cebu.

What began as a post-pandemic recovery has since grown into a wider community movement across Cebu and nearby areas.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted professional basketball in the Philippines and left Davon Potts’ contracts in limbo. Facing financial uncertainty despite owning property, he described himself as asset-rich but cash-poor during that period. 

https://fastbreak.com.ph/former-pba-player-davon-potts-reveals-reason-on-walking-away-from-basketball/sports-galore/

FORMER San Beda star Davon Potts has opened up on his decision to leave professional basketball while he was still in his prime, saying he chose to pursue entrepreneurship rather than spend the rest of his playing career without a clear path for life after basketball.

Potts, a Filipino-American from Los Angeles, arrived in the Philippines after earning his basketball opportunity through San Beda. He made an immediate impact with the Red Lions in the NCAA, becoming one of their key scorers and helping the school capture the NCAA Season 93 championship in 2017. He scored 15 points in his final collegiate game as San Beda swept Lyceum in the finals.

His time with San Beda also included a championship in the PBA D-League with Cignal, before he entered the PBA Rookie Draft. Alaska selected Potts with the 18th overall pick in 2017, giving him opportunity to play professionally.

Potts spent his first PBA season with the Alaska Aces before later moving to the Phoenix Fuel Masters. He played alongside established names including Calvin Abueva, Vic Manuel, Chris Banchero, Sonny Thoss and JVee Casio during his Alaska stint.

But despite reaching professional basketball, Potts eventually decided that remaining in the sport was not the future he wanted.

In a vlog, he explained that he believed he still had potentially a decade left to play, but staying in the Philippine basketball industry would have prevented him from chasing his bigger ambition.

“I still had at least 10 years left to play if I was still healthy. So why? The real answer: if I stayed longer playing professional basketball in the Philippines, I wouldn’t have been able to chase my ultimate dream. That’s being an entrepreneur,” Potts said.

He also described frustrations with the basketball environment, saying he wanted organizations to prioritize winning rather than relationships and popularity.

“I play to win. And if your organization is in the business of selling what’s cute to fans instead of what wins basketball games, I’m not with that,” he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic eventually became another turning point. With professional basketball disrupted and contracts placed in limbo, Potts said he was forced to reassess his finances and his long-term plans.

“I was asset-rich and cash-poor,” he said.

Potts said he had already invested in property in the Philippines, including condominiums and land, but the pandemic pushed him to seek greater financial independence.

“I went all in,” he said.

He moved deeper into business and finance, taking on a variety of jobs while learning different industries, including work at a sandwich shop, commission sales, management of adults with special needs and security at a major casino in the United States.

“I went from playing professional basketball to making sandwiches at a sandwich shop. Embarrassing, right? I didn’t think so,” Potts said.

Those experiences eventually led to the creation of his own financial education platform, The Wealth Curriculum.

Potts said his decision to leave basketball was misunderstood by people who saw it as a failure. For him, however, walking away was a calculated risk designed to give him control over his future.

“If you’d rather struggle for five years and be free for the next 30 or 40, that’s the life I chose,” he said.

The same competitive mentality that shaped his basketball career, he added, also shaped his approach to business. Potts said he was never afraid to challenge people in positions of authority when he believed there was room to improve.

“Most people with more authority than me saw me as a threat because they knew I challenged their expertise,” he said.

Potts ultimately chose to leave professional basketball because he did not want to reach retirement without a second career or financial foundation.

“So I quit playing professional basketball because I refused to retire later in life unprepared for what’s next,” he said.

“I left. I took the risk. I sat with the pain. And that pain became my greatest joy.”

From an NCAA champion and PBA rookie to an entrepreneur focused on financial education, Potts now considers basketball only one chapter of a much bigger journey.

“The ultimate dream I could have asked for: living on my own terms, answering only to myself, and teaching others how to do the same,” he said.

The disruption forced him to reassess his long-term plans and pushed him to pursue greater financial independence outside of basketball. This turning point led him to leave the sport and fully commit to entrepreneurship and financial education.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed major weaknesses in health systems worldwide, including the Philippines. Six years after the WHO lifted its global health warning, Philippine hospitals and clinics continue adapting lessons from the crisis by adopting digital systems, advanced diagnostics, AI, and robotic surgery. 

https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/09/11/supplements/hospitals-clinics-usher-in-technology-for-modern-health-care/2423134

THE Covid-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in health systems worldwide. Six years after the World Health Organization (WHO) took down the global health warning, the Philippine health care system still continues to evolve – from learnings after the pandemic, responding to the diversified needs of the public – as hospitals and clinics adopt digital systems, advanced diagnostic tools, artificial intelligence and robotic surgery.

So much around the world has changed that may affect a person’s health and well-being. For example, the onset of the stormy season and the rains brought by the southwest monsoon bring unpredictable weather conditions that may trigger seasonal illnesses. This weather has also caused massive floods, and some people are forced to cross these dirty waters and make them more susceptible to illness. This shows how as the world changes, the need to look after one’s health becomes even more critical and the need for health care to be modernized. 

Building the future of patient care

Local hospitals have stepped up to improve their services and bring health care better to the people. 

One of the hospitals at the forefront of this innovation is St. Lukes Medical Center, anchoring its culture of care with. St. Lukes has empowered nurses, doctors, and patients with its digital ecosystem such as the establishment of an Electronic Medical Records system and eHub. St. Lukes is also experimenting on piloting AI strategies.

For Centrale Medicale Internationale, patient care is at the forefront of its innovation. The hospital is redesigning its environments to make medical care more comfortable for patients. Patient care specialists are stationed in its outpatient centers to help coordinate consultations and diagnostics. 

The Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) is pioneering new services and technology to better address diagnosis.. On Feb. 19, 2025, MakatiMed’s Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Center performed its first Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD). ESD is a minimally invasive procedure that removes cancerous lesions in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. The procedure is specialized for patients with early-stage cancers, which can help prevent this deadly disease from getting worse. 

Digitalization is care

Digitalization is one way to ensure that patients remain connected and services become accessible. Fe Del Mundo Medical Center has implemented this step, with a soft launch of its Patient Portal on June 4. This allows patients to view their dashboards, and scan the portal registry for easy access of its services.

The same way, Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC) works to make medical technology and patient care harmonious for patients. Communication devices embedded in patient rooms enable efficient and speedy communication between patients and nurses or doctors, ensuring that emergencies are immediately addressed. AHMC also offers state-of-the-art technologies for radiotherapy such as the Saginova Brachytherapy – HDR and TomoTherapy HDA Series.

This year, AHMC won the Technology Innovation of the Year – Philippines at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2026 for its use of the Envision Radiology Information System. This system enables faster turnaround times in emergency cases and standardizing workflows among imaging systems, which enables timely decision-making and diagnoses. 

Some hospitals also devote technology and education to specialized patient health care. Fatima University Medical Center’s Eye Laser Center is not only home to some of the country’s expert Ophthalmologists, but it is also a recognized Carl Zeiss continuing medical education center for femtosecond laser refractive procedures — a blade-free laser vision correction procedure.

Inclusive technology

Regional hospitals are of utmost importance as well. At the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Cotabato Regional and Medical Center rolled-out its robotic surgery program; it is also the first public hospital to have this kind of program. The robot-assisted surgery platform is designed to help surgeons to conduct minimally invasive procedures with more control, precision, and flexibility.

Sparking international collaboration, Team Sweden and the Veterans Memorial Medical Center have launched a partnership aimed at advancing cancer care and supporting the digital transformation of healthcare delivery. 

The Swedish embassy says the partnership aims to foster innovation in the Philippine healthcare systems by adopting Swedish expertise and improving patient care for Filipinos.

Evolving health care access

The passage of the Universal Health Care (UHC) act of 2019 introduced a new era expanding healthcare access for all Filipinos. Under the new law, an opportunity for improved health system structures provided the Philippines shape accessible health services and improve healthcare efficiency. 

Among the most accessible options for Filipinos comes from health maintenance organizations (HMO). HMOs are prepaid and private health insurance provided by corporations to its employees. It offers individuals access to a network of accredited doctors, hospitals and medical services that can be availed in a specified period.

According to the Insurance Commission (IC), HMOs had a profit surge of 41 percent during the first quarter of this year. This reflects the support and reliance of many Filipinos towards strengthened healthcare services amid unstable economic situations and political climat .

Leading HMOs such as Maxicare, Intellicare, and MediCard provide healthcare coverage through extensive networks of medical providers and dedicated customer support. Their plans give members access to a range of inpatient and outpatient services, helping make essential medical care more accessible and convenient.

Public health

In the public healthcare sector, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) aims to expand access to primary care and strengthen financial protection through the nationwide implementation of its No Balance Billing (NBB) policy. NBB is a PhilHealth policy which entails qualified members to avail healthcare services in PhilHealth accredited hospitals and medical systems for free.  

The government has also strengthened its preventative care programs through the Yakap (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program), a primary preventative program helping Filipinos to disease free. The program seeks to encourage early diagnosis and treatment, helping prevent health conditions from worsening and reducing the need for hospitalization.

The program aims to make primary health care accessible to every Filipino through early diagnosis, medical consultations, laboratory and screening tests, and free medicines, helping prevent conditions from worsening and reducing the need for hospitalization.

These developments show that the modernization of Philippine health care is taking place on two fronts: improving the technology and services available inside hospitals while expanding access to basic and preventive care outside them.

For hospitals, modernization means faster diagnosis, more precise procedures and better coordination of patient care. For the broader health system, it means bringing primary care, preventive services and financial protection closer to more Filipinos.

The challenge is to ensure that advances in health care technology do not remain concentrated among those who can afford the most sophisticated facilities, but become part of a health system that delivers better care to Filipinos regardless of where they live or what they can afford.

The experience accelerated efforts to modernize patient care, improve coordination, and expand access through electronic records, patient portals, and better primary care programs. These changes reflect an ongoing push to build a more resilient health system that can better handle future public health threats.

The Philippines is Full Of Hazardous Waste

While it is well known the Philippines is a rather rotten place in just about every metric perhaps the depth of that rottenness is unfathomable. As Filipinos go about their day smiling and selling wares and tourists go swimming in the beaches, they are surrounded by hazardous waste and garbage the likes of which they have no idea. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1280492

Over PHP3 billion worth of radioactive-bearing industrial materials, contaminated production equipment and structurally substandard finished steel products were confiscated in a raid on July 18 at Chuangxing Steel Inc. in Magalang, Pampanga, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said on Tuesday.

The ad hoc body said the operation was jointly carried out with the National Bureau of Investigation, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Health and the municipalityof Magalang after months-long intelligence gathering, technical assessment and interagency coordination.

"The operation was conducted to address possible violations involving substandard steel products, radioactive-bearing industrial materials, worker safety, environmental protection, and Republic Act No. 12305, or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act," the PAOCC said in a statement.

The agency cited that in last Monday's State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., cited the need for safe and disaster-resilient infrastructure as well as the need to update the building code.

"The integrity of every structure begins with the integrity of the materials used to build it," the PAOCC said.

The PAOCC said independent laboratory examinations showed that reinforcing steel bars bearing “CX” marking did not pass mandatory structural quality requirements under the Philippine National Standards.

"The operation stopped the continued manufacture and nationwide distribution of construction materials that could pose a serious danger to public safety and national resilience," it said.

The PAOCC said every Filipino has the right to expect that the materials used “in our homes and public infrastructure are safe, strong and compliant with national standards.”

During the operation, 347 Filipino workers and 37 Chinese nationals were secured and removed from the hazardous industrial conditions inside the facility. Four company officers were also arrested along with the evidence obtained during the investigation.

Government inspections uncovered serious labor and workplace safety violations, including wage-related violations, unpaid mandatory employee benefits, lack of occupational safety and health programs, absence of personal protective equipment and use of unsafe machinery and industrial processes.

The PAOCC said the workers were exposed to chemical, radiological and industrial hazards present in raw materials, refractory components, production equipment, industrial dust, slag, wastewater, transport vehicles, environmental samples and finished steel products.

"Radioactive materials cannot be treated like ordinary waste,” PAOCC said.

The PAOCC said the Department of Health has identified 10 workers who “have suspected occupational radiological exposure.”

It said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has also ordered to immediately stop the operation of the company.

“Based on their assessment, conditions at the facility pose an imminent, grave and potentially irreversible threat to worker safety, public health, and environmental integrity,” it added.

The PAOCC said they also discovered that the Philippine peso coins are being melted down and processed as industrial feedstock.

It said filing of charges has been recommended for violation of Republic Act 12305 or Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act; RA 6969 or Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act; Presidential Decree No. 1586; RA 8749 or Philippine Clean Air Act; and RA 7394 or Consumer Act of the Philippines.

While this operation stopped the distribution of these radioactive materials, the broader question remains:  how much of those materials are now in fully constructed buildings?

More substandard and radioactive steel was found in Davao City. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/756893/authorities-seize-radioactive-substandard-steel-at-davao-city-plant

Law enforcement agencies in the Philippines seized suspected radioactive and substandard steel reinforcement bars during a raid on a manufacturing facility in Davao City, according to a Friday statement from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

The PAOCC stated that Thursday’s operation was carried out via a search warrant. This followed a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) inquiry into accusations that the facility located in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan, manufactured and distributed defective steel bars.

“Technical examinations confirmed the presence of radioactive isotopes, including Uranium-238, Thorium-228, Thorium-232, and Radium-226, across different stages and areas of the company’s operations,” the task force noted.

“These were documented in finished ‘DMS’ rebars, furnace-related materials, residual black sand, industrial powders, dust, wastes, wastewater, and other production and stored materials,” it further explained.

PAOCC said operatives “rescued” 174 Filipinos working at the plant.

This “[removed] them from an industrial environment subsequently found to contain radioactive-bearing materials, dust, fumes, wastes, and production residues that posed risks of continued occupational exposure,” it maintained.

Further, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute certified that the company that owned the plant had no license to acquire, receive, possess, use, store, sell, transfer, import or export nuclear or radioactive materials, the PAOCC added.

Likewise, according to the commission, an inspection by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources found that the company’s environmental compliance certificate did not authorize them to handle, process, store or use radioactive materials in the plant.

PAOCC also noted that the recovered reinforcing steel bars underwent product-standard testing.

“Of eight samples purchased from commercial hardware establishments across Mindanao, four, or 50 percent, failed the mandatory mass-variation requirement under PNS (Philippine National Standard) 49:2020,” it detailed.

PNS 49:2020 is set by the Bureau of Philippine Standards for reinforcing steel bars.

The commission noted that the recovery of the allegedly radioactive and substandard reinforcing steel bars were in the public interest, citing that NBI investigators had found “DMS”-marked reinforcing steel bars supposedly in the rubble of structures that collapsed during the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that shook Mindanao last June 8.

“Authorities stressed, however, that the presence of DMS rebars in the collapsed structures does not by itself establish that the steel caused their collapse,” the commission noted.

“Determining the cause of the structural failures remains subject to appropriate engineering assessment,” it added.

According to the commission, the NBI has referred a case against the company that owned the plant for allegedly violating the following:

• Republic Act No. 12305 or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act
• RA No. 6969 or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act
• Presidential Decree No. 1586 or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System
• RA No. 7394 or the Consumer Act

The PAOCC did not immediately say whether any arrests were made as a result of the operation or how much the seized evidence was valued.

Likewise a raid in Misamis turned up radioactive steel. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2231394/radioactive-materials-found-in-raided-misamis-steel-plant

While waiting to be documented by authorities on Monday, “Al,” a man in his 30s, told the Inquirer that he and other workers have not felt anything wrong with their bodies so far, in the years working at the plant operated here by Philippine Sanjia-Steel Corp., where experts have found “radiologically contaminated steel” in the premises.

Al and his coworkers said they were not bothered about the alleged hazards detected at the plant, following last week’s raid that resulted in the arrest of least 69 Chinese nationals.

After all, Al said, “We are still here and very much alive.”

“Frankly, what we are worried about is losing our jobs and finding new ones; Sanjia pays well,” Al said in an interview. Three other workers nearby agreed.

In a briefing held in Metro Manila on Tuesday, Undersecretary Benjamin Acorda, executive director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), said experts from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) had found radioactive materials in different parts of the plant, indicating a serious hazard faced by its workers as well as environmental risks to the community.

Teresa Salabit, PNRI radiation safeguards and security specialist, said the plant’s raw materials “have matched the presence of naturally occurring radioactive thorium.”

“The radioactive materials that are present in the site have already been contained, have been marked, and will be turned over to the authorities as evidence,” Salabit told reporters at Camp Crame via teleconference.

Supported by Army, Coast Guard, and Air Force teams, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation joined the PAOCC officials on Friday last week in serving a search warrant issued by a Cagayan de Oro City court on Sanjia for alleged violations of immigration, labor, and nuclear safety regulations.

It's truly an epidemic posing a grave danger to the entire country. 

In Baguio businesses have been shut down due to being not only illegal but also unsanitary. 

https://mb.com.ph/2026/07/06/1080-unsanitary-illegal-businesses-in-baguio-face-closure

At least 1,080 business establishments in the city are facing closure for operating without permits or violating sanitation regulations, an official said.

Geraldine Angulo, acting head of the Permits and Licensing Division under the City Mayor's Office, said about 60 percent of the closure orders involve businesses operating without permits or are non-compliant with sanitation standards.

"Most of the affected establishments were tank fabrication shops, brick-making businesses, auto repair shops, eateries, sari-sari (retail) stores, and one junk shop," Angulo said.

The violations were uncovered during inspections in 50 barangays from Jan. 1 to July 3.

Among the violations cited were operating without a business permit, violating Tax Ordinance No. 2000-001 and Presidential Decree No. 856 or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines, through improper garbage disposal, poor housekeeping, clogged drainage canals, debris accumulation, encroachment on public roads, and construction materials obstructing streets.

Some establishments were also found selling products or offering services not covered by their business permits and were advised to apply for additional business lines to comply with regulations, Angulo said.

She said 27 establishments immediately corrected the violations after being notified, while 17 complied after closure orders were issued. Another 18 had already ceased operations before the closure orders could be served.

The city government intensified enforcement of business and sanitation regulations in the last quarter of 2025 to promote fair trade and protect public health and safety.

Inspection efforts were further expanded, particularly among food establishments, following a viral video showing a rodent in a pot of soup served in a buffet restaurant.

"We will continue to conduct inspection and closure operations in more barangays as part of the local government's intensified campaign to improve sanitation, ensure business compliance, and maintain public order throughout the city," Angulo said.

Earlier, the city's sanitation division of the Health Services Office conducted training and briefings for business owners on the sanitation code, emphasizing pest control as a requirement for the issuance of business permits.

While not hazardous in the same way that radioactive building materials are, "a rodent in a pot of soup" is quite hazardous to one's health. Likewise clogging drainage canals and obstructing streets with garbage is also hazardous to the safety of the community. 

Negros  Occidental has a different hazardous waste problem. Hospitals are filled with tons of barrels of waste some of which are decades old and have been sitting in storage on hospital grounds. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2276750/decades-old-medical-waste-from-4-negros-occidental-hospitals-disposed

Over 111 metric tons of hazardous medical waste that had accumulated for over three decades in four government-run hospitals in Negros Occidental were removed and transported to a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-accredited treatment facility between June and August this year, provincial officials said.

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the move was part of the province’s continuing hospital cleanup program.

The operation was carried out by pollution control officers under the Provincial Administrator’s Office.

The hazardous materials, which had accumulated in septic vaults and storage areas for over three decades, were removed from Gov. Valeriano M. Gatuslao Memorial Hospital in Himamaylan City, Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City, Don Salvador Benedicto Memorial District Hospital in La Carlota City, and Ignacio L. Arroyo Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Isabela town.

The latest cleanup follows similar waste-clearing operations previously conducted at Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital, Cadiz District Hospital, and Valladolid District Hospital.

Diaz said the effort reflects the provincial government’s commitment to strengthening health and safety standards in public healthcare facilities and ensuring the proper management and disposal of medical waste.

“The hospital cleanup continues with Urban Hazmat Transport until we perfect the cycle of proper monitoring, packing, and responsible disposal of medical waste,” Diaz said.

Provincial officials said the ongoing initiative is aimed at preventing environmental and health risks associated with improperly stored healthcare waste while improving waste management practices across government hospitals in Negros Occidental.

That article is from 2026. But in 2025 Negros Occidental was employing the same program to help other hospitals which were also filled with barrels of waste.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2090640/negros-occidental-hires-firm-to-dispose-of-hazardous-hospital-waste

The Negros Occidental provincial government has hired a company to properly dispose of hazardous waste from two of its hospitals, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Friday, August 1.

The disposal was done to ensure the hospitals are compliant with the requirements of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of Health (DOH) for medical institutions to operate in a safe and healthy environment, he said.

The contractor, Urban Hazmat Transport, has already finished removing hazardous waste from the Cadiz District Hospital in Cadiz City and the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, he said.

The company hauled 111,111 kilograms of hospital waste from the two facilities to a treatment plant in Cavite province.

The waste had previously been buried and stored in septic vaults at the two hospitals.

Diaz said the two hospitals were prioritized because the Cadiz District Hospital served as a COVID-19 center during the pandemic, and the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital was home to a molecular laboratory, making its waste more hazardous than others.

The provincial government paid P10 million for the waste removal, he said.

Another purchase order will be signed for the disposal of hazardous waste from the province’s other hospitals.

While the Silay City hospital has an incinerator, it only has the capacity to handle current waste, not the backlog, Diaz said.

"Buried and stored in septic vaults!" That is a staggering institutional failure.  It would be so much easier and cheaper to have it hauled away by a proper disposal company. But as we have seen before some of these hospitals actually clandestinely dump their waste in rivers or other areas. 

The fact is the Philippines is producing a lot of waste, hazardous and otherwise every single day, and there are not enough disposal sites. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2082086/ph-making-more-hazardous-waste-govt-cant-build-enough-disposal-sites

Hazardous garbage produced in the Philippines in 2024 grew faster than the waste management system meant to handle it, making it more urgent for the government to invest more in necessary infrastructure.

Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed the country generated 269,552 tons of hazardous waste (garbage that is harmful to health or the environment), like oil and toxic chemicals, last year, up by 13 percent year-on-year.

Though one of the lowest volumes recorded based on data dating back to 2015, hazardous waste still piled up faster than the government could build disposal facilities. The number of material recovery facilities nationwide was at 12,855 in 2024, representing an 8.7-percent increase from the preceding year’s 11,823.

State statisticians reported that the number of sanitary landfills went up to 343, up by 14.7 percent year-on-year. But the number of reported illegal dumps also increased at a much faster rate of 84 percent, reaching 79 compared to 43 in 2023.

By region, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) generated 114,988 tons of hazardous waste in 2024, accounting for 43 percent of the total volume.

“The increasing volume of overall waste—whether hazardous or not—is the product of a linear take-make-waste system and businesses’ continued dependence on single-use products and use of hazardous chemicals in products and services,” said Marian Ledesma, Greenpeace Philippines campaigner. In a take-make-waste system, products are designed for disposal, not durability or reuse.

Among the types of hazardous waste, oil was the largest at 89,752 tons, or 33.3 percent of the total generated hazardous trash in the country.

Next was miscellaneous waste at 51,765 tons, or a 19.2 percent share. Waste with inorganic chemicals stood at 39,438 tons or 14.6 percent.

Ledesma said there were ways to reduce the volume of waste, such as phasing out single-use plastics and other common disposable products, banning commercial use of harmful chemical groups in products, regulating hazardous chemicals and strictly enforcing segregation at source.

“The latter is especially crucial to reduce organic waste from going to landfills and to avoid hazardous and organic waste from contaminating other types of waste. Phaseouts or bans of single-use products and packaging, on the other hand, can prevent waste generation altogether,” she added.

Managing the waste problem is a huge challenge for the Philippines. This year there have been three deadly landfill slides in Cebu, Rizal, and Davao. There is not enough space for all the waste which has prompted some officials to advocate for waste to energy plants which have their own problems namely air pollution. As it stands the average Philippine citizen and tourist is surrounded by hazardous waste.