With electricity bills rising, DOE signals support for VAT relief

 

Philstar.com

May 7, 2026 | 8:10am

Electricity bills are surging for Filipino households as global energy prices climb, even as dozens of countries cut energy taxes amid uncertainties around the Middle East conflict.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy backed proposals to suspend, reduce or remove value-added tax on electricity, as rising power bills and a fresh inflation spike intensify calls for consumer relief.

In a statement on Tuesday, May 5, the DOE said it is ready to provide technical input on the energy-sector impact of any tax measure.

"Consistent with its mandate to ensure secure, reliable, and affordable electricity, the DOE supports measures that can ease the burden on Filipino households and businesses," the agency said.

While it respects that tax policy falls under the Department of Finance and Congress, the department said it is ready to provide technical input on the energy-sector impact of any proposed measure.

“At the same time, any tax measure must be carefully evaluated by the country’s economic managers, particularly the Department of Finance, and Congress,” the agency said.

The statement came as inflation surged to 7.2% in April, the fastest pace since March 2023, from 4.1% in March and 1.4% in April 2025.

The government's data agency attributed the spike to higher food, transport and household costs, with core inflation rising to 3.9%.

The pressure was worse for the poorest Filipino households. Inflation for the bottom 30% income group climbed to 8.5% in April from 4.2% in March, driven by food, transport and utility costs.

Power bills under scrutiny

Electricity bills have also become a focus of consumer frustration. Households and consumers had reported higher and even doubled power bills from March to April, with monthly charges reflecting generation and transmission costs, taxes and policy charges.

The rise in power costs for families and businesses stood in contrast to newly subsidized, reduced or suspended levies globally as supply is disrupted by the conflict between Iran and the United States.

The DOE said electricity affordability should also be pursued through longer-term energy-sector reforms. This would include "efficient generation, improved grid reliability, stronger competition and responsible energy use."

“Proposals must be weighed alongside long-term measures that ensure stable, sustainable, and affordable power for consumers,” the agency said in the same statement.

Lopez feud deepens over ‘third poison pill’; First Gen profit slides

 

BY EMMANUEL JOHN ABRIS

MAY 7, 2026

LOPEZ VS LOPEZ Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III and Federico “Piki” Lopez —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

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The Lopez family majority has flagged another alleged “poison pill” tied to Federico “Piki” Lopez, warning that several key subsidiaries could fall into default if he is removed from First Gen Corp.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Lopez majority said Energy Development Corp. (EDC), First Balfour and First Gen itself could face defaults tied to provisions linked to a P25-billion standby letter of credit obtained by parent firm First Philippine Holdings Corp. (FPH).

The facility, secured from BDO Unibank, was meant to help fund First Gen’s P62-billion investment in Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc.’s hydropower business.

Why is corned beef such a big deal in the Philippines?

 

Ghemma Marie

 ·

SouthEast Asian

Very affordable, a Filipino kitchen staple, a tasty sandwich filling, ready-to-eat food (next to sardines) as favourite of most madlang Pinoy.

A 150 g of canned corned beef cost only less than US$1 while a kilogram of beef cost approx. US$10. A cheap alternative for fresh beef as it is a good source of protein. Plus, available almost everywhere, nationwide, in the very remote sari-sari stores.

The brand shown below is one of the most common local brand sold at many groceries and sari-sari stores nationwide.

Cornsilog, a traditional dish originating from the Philippines, consisting of garlic fried rice, fried eggs, and corned beef arrange in one plate ala value meal.

Philippines heavily imports beef to meet local demand, although in all honesty, imported beef and premium cut meat, which are priced high, is not affordable to many due to income disparity. There are wet market where they buy fresh meat and the price is lower compare to meat sold at meat shops.

The high cost of beef is also due to limited pasture land resulting to low livestock production, and middle men add inconsistent cost leading to retailer mark ups. And so many households prioritize lower-cost meats such as pork and chicken, after all, they’re all meat.

 

WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT?!

By

 Mindanao Daily News

 -

May 6, 2026

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“Would You Believe It!”  is a 1929 British silent comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Forde, Pauline Johnson and Arthur Stratton. It was made at the Nettlefold Studios in Walton-on-Thames and released as a supporting feature. It was later re-released with added sound effects and music. A British inventor develops a new high-tech tank and is pursued by foreign agents who wish to capture the design.

In a world as vast as ours, anything that can happen will likely happen. The only thing that can limit these possibilities is your own imagination. Experience the oddest, the fantastic, the downright impossible parts of history that the textbooks left out. Be prepared — it will expand the limits of your wildest imagination!

It is almost a ridiculous fact that man wants to know certain truths about mundane things. But really he seems least interested in even mundane truths as can be read many times in newspapers for example. There seem to be too many rash judgments, and the readers absorb these and make these their own. A fatal attraction!

This is sometimes referred to as journalistic mentality and social media comments wherein accusations are generously made without proof. Evolution started this trend, when scientists stated for example that man evolved from the apes, without proof. The only proof they had was the missing link, and if I am not mistaken, it’s still a missing proof until now.

To look for proofs is a mental activity, which is no longer a common thing nowadays, because it takes really time, effort and is too serious to think about. Yet, in Christian education, thinking right is very important.That’s why Philosophy is important in Christian life. To avoid error in thinking, the rules of right reasoning must be studied and mastered. Is it really totally neglected in today’s modern education?

Thinking is actually an enjoyable activity but when one is pressured to get a good job for one’s sustenance, then the other more mundane becomes attractive. After all, great thinkers often do not get (good?) jobs… .

Spiritual writers like the British Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) noticed that mankind had stopped thinking even two centuries ago. That was during his age. Man probably stopped thinking even earlier. He has ceased many times to search for the truth. It’s easier to listen to gossip and believe in it. What a sign of weak minds!

Too often are we blind to the truth and as a consequence we easily believe in lies we only have to like it. Too bad, if people always like to close their eyes and ears especially while experiencing the delusion of error.

Elisia Parmisano turns K-pop dream into reality with UNIS

By Carissa Alcantara

Published May 6, 2026 11:18 am

Elisia Parmisano of UNIS

It all started with a dream: making people happy.

Now, 17-year-old Filipina Elisia Parmisano is doing exactly that as part of a K-pop group representing Pinoy talent on the international stage.

During an intimate media gathering last May 2 in Quezon City, Elisia recalls the moment she decided to pursue her goal.

“I started in Philippine showbiz when I was 7 or 8 years old. Siguro around 11, I began getting interested in K-pop. That led me to train in Korea at 13—and now I’m here,” Elisia said, recalling her journey to becoming a member of UNIS.

Going into rigorous training, Elisia was able to adjust quickly thanks to the support of the other members of the group. “In Korea, the culture teaches us to focus purely on our craft," she noted.

Elisia feels no pressure carrying Filipino pride on stage as K-pop Idol.

"Instead of pressure, I feel pride as a Pinoy. I still carry that responsibility, na I have to do good in the name of my country. With all of my achievements, it comes with the Filipino name po talaga," she said.

Two years in with UNIS, Elisia said they are all happy with what they have achieved so far as a group.

"Being with UNIS for two years, super happy po kami po talaga kami as a group. Even though at first we had this different cultural stuff, we were able to adjust to that," she shared.    

Bridging the gap between two distinct entertainment worlds requires talent and a deep cultural understanding. Elisia’s ability to navigate her career in English, Filipino, and Korean allows her to connect authentically with a global audience. This trilingual fluency serves as her primary tool for storytelling, ensuring that the Filipino heart remains with her.

“There is a certain charming point po when it comes to our friendliness and our pakikisama po sa tao in general. We would never go unnoticed, I think, when it comes to being in the entertainment scene in another country. In a good way, we're a different breed; we're always so happy, we're always so bright. There's a certain charming point po talaga.” Elisia added.

She recalls practicing facial expressions in the mirror, inspired by the screen presence of Marian Rivera and the vocal prowess of Asia’s Songbird, Regine Velasquez. These influences, alongside the journey of her cousin, HORI7ON’s Marcus, have shaped her belief that performance is about soulful connection rather than just hitting the right notes.

“Siyempre Filipino tayo, we're always singing. Whenever I sing in karaoke, my family would always say, " You sing with feelings, you sing with your heart, not just with your voice. You put yourself into the song, so when it comes to the recording of songs, or interpreting the meaning or the message of the songs, Tina-try ko po talaga to give my all."

UNIS is an eight-member girl group under F&F Entertainment. They were formed through the SBS show Universe Ticket and debuted in March 2024 with their mini album "We UNIS."

The K-pop group held its first fan meet in the Philippines last October 2024 at the New Frontier Theater.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

 

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The music guy

BY SANJ LICAROS

MAY 6, 2026

Toti Dalmacion | Photos by Mikey Yabut

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Music is one of the most underestimated layers of hospitality. It is the first thing a guest feels when they walk into a room and often the last thing they remember when they leave. It sets the mood before a word is spoken, fills the silences that conversation cannot, and tells people—without ever announcing itself—that someone thought about them before they arrived.

A well-chosen playlist is an act of care. When picked with intention, music becomes its own language of welcome—not decorative, not incidental, but deeply felt. In the hands of someone who truly understands it, it is one of the most elegant ways of drawing people together. That is hospitality in its most overlooked form.

This is where Toti Dalmacion lives. Record collector, label head, shop owner, promoter—each title describes a function, but not the essence. His collection is the truest portrait of him: built through decades of pure pursuit, each record a decision, a moment, a door that opened into another. All together, they point to the same thing: the music guy. The one who listens first, who gathers, who shares. The one who has always known that music is never just about sound.

PSEi falls below 5,900 on inflation shock

BY EMMANUEL JOHN ABRIS

MAY 6, 2026

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The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) retreated on Tuesday as investors digested a hotter-than-expected inflation print and rising geopolitical risks.

The benchmark PSEi fell by 0.74 percent or 44.08 points to close at 5,898.08.

Philstocks Financial research manager Japhet Tantiangco said sentiment weakened after inflation came in at 7.2 percent, exceeding market expectations.

What sets the best apart

 

Jea Perez

I’ve always wondered about the following: Mindset-wise, what sets me—an ordinary athlete—apart from an Olympic champion?

Or, if comparing myself to an Olympian is like comparing apples and oranges, then let’s ask a different question: What separates a 10th placer in the Olympics from the gold medalist?

At that level, the differences can’t simply be talent. Everyone competing at the Olympics is already among the best in the world. Yet there is room for only one gold medalist.

Two people can train the same number of hours, follow the same program, and eat the same food—yet their outcomes will still vary.

The same principle applies to elite athletes. Everyone trains hard physically. So what actually sets the very best apart?

I got a glimpse of the answer when a journalist asked freestyle skier Eileen Gu to “take us into her brain.” She mentioned that she journals a lot and emphasized something simple but powerful: we can control our thoughts and our emotions. Neuroplasticity, she said, is on our side.

The brain is trainable in the same way the body is. The narratives we rehearse internally—about who we are, what we’re capable of, and how we respond to setbacks—eventually become mental habits. And those habits shape how we perform when the pressure is at its highest.

Elite athletes don’t just train their bodies; they train their minds. They rehearse confidence, learn to regulate their emotions, and become comfortable performing under pressure. These patterns of thinking eventually become part of their identity, and identity has a powerful influence over performance.

Another athlete who made me reflect on this is figure skater Alysa Liu. What struck me most about her gold medal performance wasn’t just the technical excellence. It was the visible joy. You could see it in the way she glided across the ice. There was a lightness to her skating.

After years in the spotlight as a teenage prodigy, Alysa stepped away from competition to rediscover why she loved skating in the first place. When she eventually returned, she made sure she was skating on her own terms. She wasn’t chasing validation. She wasn’t trying to prove anything. It was as if she simply wanted to skate, and the gold medal was just a bonus. That detachment from the outcome seemed to unlock her best performance. The joy was palpable—not just to the judges, but to everyone watching.

It’s one of those paradoxes we see not only in sports, but in life: when you stop gripping so tightly to the result, you finally perform freely enough to achieve it. When joy and presence replace pressure and fear, amazing results follow.

Even if you have no desire to become an Olympian, the mindset behind elite performance applies to almost every aspiration in life.

Most people assume success is primarily about external factors—talent, opportunity, circumstances. But we see that the internal landscape matters just as much: Your ability to regulate your thoughts, your ability to reframe setbacks, your ability to detach from outcomes while still giving your full effort. These are trainable skills.

Neuroplasticity means your brain is constantly rewiring itself based on what you practice. If you repeatedly practice doubt, comparison, and fear, those neural pathways grow stronger. But if you practice presence, confidence, and emotional regulation, those pathways strengthen instead. The brain adapts to the stories you rehearse. And maybe that’s the real difference between good and world-class.

Not just how hard someone trains physically—but how intentionally they train mentally. Because when the defining moment arrives—the Olympic final, the championship game, or the opportunity that could change your life—your body can only perform as well as the mind guiding it.

And the beautiful part is this: You don’t have to be an Olympian to apply that lesson.

The outcomes we want in life rarely come from focusing only on what we want to have. Instead, they begin with who we choose to be.

When someone becomes mentally resilient, disciplined, and grounded, their actions naturally follow from that identity. They show up consistently. They practice the habits that reinforce that identity. Over time, those actions accumulate into results.

Elite athletes understand this intuitively. They become the kind of person who can handle pressure, do the daily practices that reinforce that mindset—whether it’s journaling, visualizing, or training with focus—and eventually have the performances that the world celebrates.

But many people try to reverse the order. They believe that once they have success, they will finally be confident or disciplined. In reality, the process usually works the other way around. The work begins internally.

So maybe the real question isn’t what separates Olympians from the rest of us.

Maybe the more interesting question is this: Who are you becoming while you pursue what you want?

Philippine education crisis: A ticking time bomb?

 

BY RICHARD HEYDARIAN

MAY 5, 2026

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Healing the Republic from the regions

OXFORD—The highly-regarded Times Higher Education (THE) world university rankings annually surveys more than 2,000 leading universities across 115 countries. The University of Oxford topped the global ranking for the 10th consecutive year. This was an unprecedented achievement by any higher education institution in the THE’s decades-long history. The survey is based on 18 key metrics under five major categories: teaching quality, research environment, citation impact and strength, international outlook, and industry impact. This was a major deal for Oxford, especially given its relatively limited resources compared to far better-endowed rivals in the United States and Asia. “Aside from having world-beating professors, they’re good at squeezing the most out of their limited resources,” a graduate physics student told me. Even more impressive, according to the physics scholar, are universities in places such as Iran, which have produced world-class scientists and engineers despite confronting decades-old challenges.

Several Iranian institutions even improved their ranking among the top 500 universities in recent years, most notably the famed Sharif University of Technology (SUT), which was bombed during the recent Israel-US aerial strikes on Iran. The SUT (top 150 universities in engineering courses in the THE survey) is among the top three destinations in the world for Olympiads, behind only the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cambridge. In contrast to postindustrial Britain and postwar Iran, universities in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies have been moving in the opposite direction.

In the latest THE rankings, the Philippines’ best-performing university (Ateneo de Manila University) did not even rank among the top 500 universities in the region. I remember how just over a decade ago we used to complain about why the likes of the University of the Philippines (UP) are no longer among the top 100 universities on Earth! Throughout the first decade of the 21st century, the “quartet” of UP, Ateneo, De La Salle University, and University of Santo Tomas managed to be featured among the world’s top 500 rankings. In 2009, Ateneo ranked 234th in the world, followed by UP (262nd in the world) in the QS Survey, which has a broadly similar methodology to THE. Lest Filipino academics whine about global rankings, let me refer you to the most rigorous Academic Ranking of World Universities survey, which heavily prioritizes citation impact, research output, and even the number of Nobel Prize winners. Guess what? No Philippine university has ever cracked the top 1,000 rankings there.