Cheap ₱50 fuel could return, but will take 6 to 12 months — DOE

A motorcycle rider refuels at a station in Quezon City. (Photo by Santi San Juan/MB photo file)

Petroleum prices may return to normal within six months to one year as the United States (US) and Iran move closer to a deal that could end the war in the Middle East, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). Price adjustments on fuel will also take effect this week: a maximum price rollback of ₱5.71 per liter for diesel and ₱2.50 per liter for kerosene this week. Gasoline prices, meanwhile, may either see a rollback of ₱0.32 per liter or increase by up to ₱1.68 per liter. Read more

Those were the days…

 

 

During my time as a radio host at different radio stations in the Philippines, this song was requested innumerable times. “Those Were the Days” is a song credited to Gene Raskin, who put new English lyrics to the Russian romance song “Дорогой длинною” — literally, “By the Long Road” — composed by Boris Fomin (1900–1948), with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevsky. It deals with reminiscence about youth and romantic idealism. It also deals with tavern activities, which include drinking, singing, and dancing.

Mary Hopkin’s 1968 debut single, “Those Were the Days,” which was produced by Paul McCartney of the Beatles and arranged by Richard Hewson, became a No. 1 hit on the UK Singles Chart and the Canadian RPM Magazine charts. The song also reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind “Hey Jude” by the Beatles.

McCartney also recorded Hopkin singing “Those Were the Days” in other languages for release in their respective countries: In Spain, “Qué tiempo tan feliz”; in West Germany, “An jenem Tag”; in Italy, “Quelli erano giorni”; and in France, “Le temps des fleurs.”

Yes, time flies by. I think about sitting in a jet plane. Almost November 2024 again. Wow!

Do you always count the days until the next legal holiday when you are not on duty? Or do you start longing for Christmas as early as September? And do you hope the weeks or months pass quickly until the next possible salary increase?

Many times, we are really in too much of a hurry and feel uncomfortable when we notice how time flies. We have no time for someone or something, or even for ourselves.

When I was still a teenager, I longed to be an adult already. Later, I enjoyed listening to my grandmother’s stories, such as “Once upon a time” or “When I was young,” from her “yesterday’s life.”

After a couple of years, especially while observing that time really flies like a rocket to the moon, I also have the same question in mind: Are the present hours and days less valuable?

Of course, each day has its own set of happiness and trials. But it also holds great possibilities for us to take the initiative to do or to move something, if … !

Many of us retreat into the past and forget their present existence. A possible topsy-turvy world of golden youth makes us forget that the past also had its share of disappointments, pains, tears, darkness, tricky and desperate days — yes, lost days and irretrievable time.

Without having achieved anything, we dream our impossible dreams from past to future and vice versa. We forget that between yesterday and tomorrow is our valuable present. Well, now, well then — if we know just how to fulfill this period.

“Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
Think of all the great things we would do?
Those were the days, my friend
We thought they’d never end
We’d sing and dance forever and a day
We’d live the life we choose
We’d fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way…”

+++

Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn or X – Twitter or visit my www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com .

Why Gratitude Matters?

 

Gratitude is deeply connected to emotional well‑being. Research shows that people who practice thankfulness regularly experience lower stress, stronger immune systems, and deeper relationships. It shifts our focus from what is missing to what is present, reminding us that even small blessings carry weight.

It’s not reserved for grand achievements. Sometimes, gratitude is found in the aroma of morning coffee, the laughter of family at dinner, or the comfort of a friend’s message. These seemingly ordinary moments become extraordinary when we choose to notice them.

The person in the post

 Jan Lloyd Castro

I posted a few selfies on TikTok and then, somehow, the internet looked back.

At first it felt small: a few notifications, a few strangers leaving heart-eyed comments as if beauty were something simple enough to name and hand over. Then the numbers kept rising. Ten thousand views. Fifty. A hundred. By the time I stopped pretending not to care, the post had reached more people than I could imagine. Now it sits there with 102,300 likes and 790,000 views, as if that version of me—the one arranged inside a few photos, caught in good lighting, held still long enough to be admired—belongs a little more to the public now than to me.

It is still strange to write that. Nearly 800,000 people saw my selfies. I say the number to myself and it still sounds fake, like someone accidentally added an extra zero, then another, until my face became an event.

What does it mean to be looked at by that many people?

I ask because I have never really known what to do with attention once it arrives. Before this, attention was something I could control by keeping quiet whenever I wanted to, by moving through the world without insisting on being seen. But the internet has a way of making even a small gesture feel theatrical. You post a face, and suddenly it is no longer just your face. It becomes content, something others can admire, desire, judge, save, scroll past, or forget. For a moment, you become not just a person but also an appearance.

Maybe that is what unsettles me most, not that people liked the post, but that they liked a version of me so flattened and clean.

A selfie is never really just a selfie. It is a decision. An angle. A draft. It is me, yes, but only in the way a reflection in a window is me: recognizable, but thin. Curated. Lit just enough. Cropped before the clutter begins. What people saw was a face arranged into legibility. What they did not see was the room outside the frame, the mess on the table, the fatigue, the overthinking, the moments before posting when I wondered if I should delete the whole thing and disappear for a while.

This is the strange part of being appreciated online: the appreciation is real, and yet it lands on something partial.

The internet looked at my selfies and decided things about me. Maybe they thought I was confident. Maybe they thought I was comfortable being seen. Maybe they thought the version I posted was the whole truth. And who can blame them? The post does not show hesitation. It does not show insecurity, boredom, hunger, unpaid bills, or the absurdity of checking a post’s performance while also worrying about money.

Because 102,300 likes is a lot. It is ridiculous, honestly—enough to make me stare at my phone and laugh. Enough to make other people think something substantial has happened to me. But likes are such flimsy currency. I cannot pay for law school with them, for the future I keep trying to picture for myself. I cannot buy groceries with them. I cannot turn digital admiration into rent money just because the comments were kind. Sometimes I look at that number and think, sana pera na lang.

That thought makes me laugh, but it also reveals something sad about online attention: how quickly it teaches you the difference between visibility and value.

What is clout, really, if it vanishes into the same feed that made it? TikTok is a place where attention arrives with astonishing speed and leaves just as quickly. One day your face is everywhere; the next day the algorithm has already moved on.

I know this. I know how temporary it is. And yet I am still astonished by it.

Maybe that is what this small burst of TikTok clout has made me confront: how easy it is for an image to travel farther than the self that made it. The post is me, but it is not all of me. It cannot hold the disorder, the off-screen life, the contradictions that make a person human.

So yes, I am grateful. I am amused. I am still laughing at the sheer absurdity and scale of it. But I am also left with this uneasy wonder: how strange it is to be seen by so many people and still feel, underneath all that visibility, partly hidden. Partly misread. Partly alone.

Maybe that is the real lesson of momentary clout—that attention is not intimacy, that visibility is not wholeness, that a curated image can travel farther than the messiest and truest parts of a life ever will.

And still, somewhere inside me, a more practical voice keeps saying the same thing: 102,300 likes.

Sana pera na lang.

Rethinking pass-through charges in power bills

 By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Jun 15, 2026 12:05 am  

The recent public outcry over rising electricity bills has once again drawn attention to a long-standing issue in the Philippine power sector: the growing burden of pass-through charges embedded in consumers’ monthly bills.

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has clarified that only about 12 percent of the average electricity bill represents its distribution charge, while roughly 88 percent consists of pass-through costs that are remitted to power generators, the transmission operator, government agencies, and various subsidy mechanisms. These include generation charges, transmission charges, system loss charges, universal charges, feed-in tariff allowances, renewable energy levies, taxes, and cross-subsidies mandated by law.

Legally, these charges are authorized under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) and related regulations. Yet legality does not automatically equate to fairness. The growing public dissatisfaction reflects a deeper concern: consumers increasingly feel that they are being asked to shoulder costs over which they have little control and from which they derive uncertain benefits.

The evolution of pass-through charges mirrors the transformation of the power industry since EPIRA’s enactment in 2001. The law sought to liberalize the sector, attract private investment, and improve efficiency. Over time, however, the list of recoverable costs expanded. Generation charges became vulnerable to fluctuations in global fuel prices and foreign exchange movements. Transmission charges increased as the grid operator recovered investments and under-recoveries. Renewable energy incentives such as the Feed-in Tariff Allowance and Green Energy Auction Allowance were added to support the country’s energy transition. Universal charges continued to fund missionary electrification and stranded debts from past power-sector obligations.

Among the most controversial components is the system loss charge, which allows utilities to recover the cost of electricity lost through technical inefficiencies and, to a limited extent, power pilferage. Although the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) imposes caps on recoverable losses, many consumers understandably question why they should pay for electricity they never consumed.

These concerns become more acute because Philippine electricity rates remain among the highest in Southeast Asia. High dependence on imported fuels, inadequate competition in generation, transmission bottlenecks, regulatory delays, and a complex layering of taxes and subsidies all contribute to elevated power costs. The result is reduced household purchasing power, diminished industrial competitiveness, and a heavier burden on small businesses.

The time has come for a comprehensive review of pass-through charges—not to undermine the financial viability of the power sector, but to restore public confidence and improve equity.

Several reforms deserve serious consideration.

First, Congress should revisit EPIRA and evaluate whether certain social policy costs, such as subsidies and missionary electrification, should be funded partly through the national budget rather than solely through electricity consumers.

Second, the ERC should strengthen transparency requirements by providing consumers with simpler and more accessible explanations of every charge appearing on monthly bills.

Third, the allowable system loss recovery mechanism should be reviewed and tightened, with stronger incentives for utilities to reduce technical losses and combat electricity theft.

Fourth, the government must accelerate investments in renewable energy, grid modernization, and energy storage technologies that can lower generation costs over the long term.

Finally, competition in the generation sector must be deepened to ensure that consumers benefit from genuinely competitive pricing rather than merely absorbing higher costs through automatic pass-through mechanisms.

Electricity is not a luxury; it is an essential public necessity. A power-pricing system that is transparent, efficient, and equitable is vital to national development. The current debate over pass-through charges presents an opportunity to pursue reforms that place consumers at the center of energy policy.

Philippines under monsoon break; afternoon, evening thunderstorms could still bring heavy rains — PAGASA

By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

Published Jun 15, 2026 09:42 am

The Philippines remains under a monsoon break, a period when the southwest monsoon or “habagat” has no direct effect on the country, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Monday, June 15.

But while generally fair weather conditions are expected to prevail, PAGASA weather specialist Chenel Dominguez warned that thunderstorms developing later in the day could still bring heavy rains and trigger flash floods or landslides in vulnerable areas.

“Nasa panahon pa rin tayo ng tag-ulan pero ‘yung nararanasan natin ngayon ay ‘yung tinatawag nating monsoon break kung saan walang direktang epekto ang southwest monsoon o habagat sa anumang parte ng ating bansa (We are still in the rainy season, but what we are experiencing now is what we call a monsoon break, wherein the southwest monsoon or habagat has no direct effect on any part of the country),” she said.

Dominguez noted that the easterlies remains the dominant weather system in the country.

“Patuloy pa rin ang pag-iral ng easterlies o ‘yung mainit at maalinsangan na hangin na nanggagaling sa dagat Pasipiko at nakakaapekto sa eastern sections ng Visayas at Mindanao (The easterlies, or warm and humid winds from the Pacific Ocean, continue to affect the eastern sections of Visayas and Mindanao),” she said.

She added that no low-pressure area or tropical cyclone has been monitored inside or outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility as of Monday morning.

Making movie magic: How 3D technology is reshaping entertainment

 

By Neil Ramos

Published Jun 15 2026 01:13 pm

At A Glance

• There is a growing shift in cosplay and performance culture, where digital design tools are increasingly replacing weeks of manual fabrication.   Hollywood has long been known for its ability to turn imagination into spectacle, but behind many of its most iconic visuals is a quiet technological revolution: 3D printing.

Once confined to industrial prototyping, the technology has become a creative backbone in film and television production, changing how props, costumes, and even entire characters are brought to life on screen quickly and cost-effectively. 

More, it shifts productions from lengthy manual sculpting to rapid computer-aided prototyping, ensuring seamless consistency across multiple takes.

In the “Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU),” property master Russell Bobbitt estimates that over 100 props per Marvel film involve 3D printing. One standout example is Thor’s hammer Stormbreaker, which, he said, was printed in 34 separate pieces and assembled into a weapon worthy of a god. The technology also contributed to the creation of Iron Man suits, helping refine body forms and production fittings for actor Robert Downey Jr., ensuring the armor looked seamless both in motion and close-up shots.

Now, this same wave of innovation is beginning to take center stage in Philippine entertainment.

From film and television productions to digital content creation and major industry events, 3D printing is fast becoming a valuable creative tool in Philippine entertainment.

Attesting to this is actress-cosplayer Myrtle Sarrosa.

She told us, “This is so exciting for me personally because I have experienced the ease and accessibility that 3D printing allows relating to the costumes I use for cosplay. It makes everything so easy unlike in the past where it’s quite time-consuming talaga.”

Asked to cite an example, she shared how she used 3D technology to recreate Okarun’s mask.

“It was for a show and time was of essence so, using the Creality K2 Plus and running it through a specific software, I was able to complete the project in just a few hours.”

She adds, “With 3D printing, I see tons of possibilities talaga for its use in the entertainment industry. It could help bring stories to life through realistic props, costumes, set pieces, and event materials for film, television, online content, and live productions.”

Her perspective reflects a growing shift in cosplay and performance culture, where digital design tools are increasingly replacing weeks of manual fabrication.

And it is now more accessible for every Juan and Maria through Makerlab’s 3D Printing Experience Hub at Ayala Malls Manila Bay, which allows people to simply walk in and exercise their own creativity using the magic of 3D printing.

Note that beyond individual creators, institutions are also embracing the technology.

Eve Ridley brings Filipino pride to DC Universe with 'Supergirl' breakthrough

By Neil Ramos

Published Jun 14, 2026 05:00 pm

At A Glance

• Filipina-British actress Eve Ridley makes her DC Universe debut in "Supergirl" as Ruthye Marye Knoll, marking a notable moment for Filipino representation in Hollywood.

Filipina-British actress Eve Ridley is set to make her mark in the DC Universe as part of the cast of “Supergirl,” one of the most anticipated films in DC Studios' new era.

The 14-year-old actress will portray Ruthye Marye Knoll, a young alien farmhand seeking justice after her father's murder at the hands of Krem of the Yellow Hills, played by Matthias Schoenaerts. The film stars Milly Alcock as Supergirl and Jason Momoa as the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo.

While Ridley may not be the first person of Filipino descent to be associated with DC, her casting represents a milestone for Filipino representation on the big screen as one of the few actresses with Filipino heritage to land a major role in a live-action DC feature film.   

Born in Tyneside, England, to British father Matthew Ridley and Filipino mother Monalisa Ridley, the young actress has openly embraced her Filipino roots and expressed a desire to visit the Philippines and learn the Filipino language.

“I really want to go to the Philippines someday,” Ridley said. “It looks like such a beautiful island country. I really want to go to one of the beaches there. They look so tropical and gorgeous. I really want to learn Tagalog as well because, you know, I get to communicate with family over there.”

Ridley's breakthrough adds another chapter to the long-standing connection between Filipinos and the DC Universe.

Filipino representation in DC extends beyond its films and television projects. In the comics, characters with Filipino heritage have appeared over the years, including Manuel Lago, one of the earliest recurring Filipino characters in DC Comics and a friend of Barry Allen, also known as The Flash. Another notable example is Captain Steel, whose Earth 2 incarnation was revealed to have Filipino roots.

The Philippines has also played a significant role behind the scenes in shaping DC Comics through generations of artists and writers.

Among the pioneers was Tony DeZuniga, the Filipino comic book artist who became one of DC's most influential contributors in the 1970s. He co-created the popular antihero Jonah Hex and the character Black Orchid, helping open doors for Filipino talent in the American comic book industry.

Following DeZuniga's success, acclaimed Filipino artists such as Alfredo Alcala, Nestor Redondo and Alex Niño became prominent contributors to DC Comics, bringing their distinctive artistic styles to titles that helped define the publisher's visual identity.

In more recent years, Filipino artists have continued to leave their mark on DC.

Carlo Pagulayan worked on major titles featuring characters such as Wonder Woman and Deathstroke, while the late Gerry Alanguilan contributed his celebrated inking work to projects including “Superman: Birthright.”

Against that backdrop, Ridley's arrival in the DC Universe reflects the continuing presence of Filipino talent within one of the world's biggest superhero franchises.

For “Supergirl,” the young actress underwent two months of intensive stunt training that included martial arts, boxing, sword fighting and wire work.

“It was the most fun,” she said.

Ridley also developed a close friendship with Alcock during filming.

“She is the best. She’s like a big sister to me,” she said.

PhilHealth receives ₱60 billion from treasury following SC ruling

By Derco Rosal

Published Jun 15, 2026 12:00 am | Updated Jun 13, 2026 04:05 pm

At A Glance

• Government subsidies to state-run firms surged by 150.8 percent to ₱93.1 billion as of end-April, driven by a massive one-time release of funds to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PHIC)

Government subsidies to state-run firms surged by 151 percent to ₱93.1 billion as of end-April, driven by the massive, one-time fund release to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

According to the latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), total subsidies to government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) jumped from ₱37.1 billion during the same period in 2025. This expansion was fueled by a record ₱66.3 billion in support in April alone, dwarfing the ₱14.5 billion released in the same month last year.

Notably, the massive April spike was driven by a ₱60 billion subsidy for PhilHealth. This represented the return of fund balances from unutilized subsidies following a Supreme Court ruling.

Treasury data showed that the National Electrification Administration (NEA) also boosted growth, receiving ₱3 billion as of April, compared to no subsidy in the first four months of the previous year.

Conversely, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) saw its allocation drop to ₱2.5 billion from ₱8 billion in 2025, even as it continued to receive funding under the Murang Kuryente Act.

In the agricultural sector, the government balanced food security needs with varying fiscal allocations. The National Food Authority (NFA) saw its four-month support more than double to ₱6.3 billion from ₱3 billion in 2025.

Meanwhile, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), typically the largest recipient of state support, recorded a one-third decline in its total, falling to ₱7.8 billion from ₱11.8 billion last year.

Other GOCCs logged notable changes in funding. The Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) received ₱1.8 billion, up by four-fifths from ₱975 million a year ago.

Additionally, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PRRI) saw its subsidy grow by 64 percent to ₱1.3 billion from ₱799 million. Among financial institutions, Small Business Corp. (SBC) saw its funding double to ₱1 billion from ₱502 million a year earlier.

Funding for specialized health centers remained a priority but showed mixed trends. The Philippine Heart Center (PHC) saw its support rise by nearly a tenth to ₱808 million.

Meanwhile, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) saw its four-month support drop by more than a quarter to ₱504 million from ₱688 million.

Infra damage at P1 billion

 

Infra damage at P1 billion, quake death toll climbs to 61 as gov't responders race to reach isolated communities in Mindanao

ROAD clearing operations in Glan, Sarangani following the earthquake. (Photo from OCD-12)

Rescue responders intensified efforts to reach isolated communities in Sarangani and Davao Occidental as the death toll from the earthquake reached 61 while damage to infrastructure amounted to P1 billion, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Sunday, June 14. Read more