Raffy Tulfo asks Japan to open more jobs for Filipino nurses

SEN. Raffy Tulfo asked the Japanese government to open more employment opportunities to Filipino nurses and transport workers after learning of Japan’s concerns about its “aging population” and the manpower shortage in the public transport system.

 Healthcare workers shortage: 56% of students don't make it to the workforce

The shortage of healthcare workers in the Philippines is no longer an abstract policy debate. It is visible in overcrowded emergency rooms, months-long wait for specialist appointments, and rural communities without a resident doctor. Behind these realities is a stark statistic: the country needs an additional 290,000 healthcare professionals to adequately serve its population.

Related:

• Only 8 doctors for every 10,000: Ateneo flags health workforce crisis amid 127,000 vacancies
• Lack of healthcare workers among 'major roadblocks' -DOH official
• OB-GYN shortage blamed in mom, baby death after Carcar hospital referral
• PNA hits ‘band-aid’ solution (hiring board flunkers) to nursing shortage problem
• Only 59.7% of Philippines’ doctors practicing; nurses, only 53.55% -PRC
• It will take 12 years for PH to solve shortage of nurses, 23 years for doctors
• DOH chief says PH lacks dentists

 (1,000% garbage fee shock) Manila questions Isko’s ties to contractor and travel buddy Leonel

Mayor Isko Moreno recently approved an ordinance jacking up garbage collection fees for the first time in more than a decade, leaving business owners staring at bills that have ballooned by as much as 1,000%.

Related:

• Manila to declare state of health emergency due to garbage problem
• Isko: Manila has P10 billion debt to service contractors
• Philippines’ zero-waste bid relies on informal workers. The task of managing local waste is often delegated to more than 100,000 informal waste workers in the country. Some of them earn less than a dollar a day.
• We didn’t abandon duty, we weren’t paid -Manila’s ex-trash collector

 400 of 600 special health centers of DOH unused

It seems even the Department of Health (DOH) has its own “flood control version” after the agency revealed that most of the health centers built under its health facilities enhancement program (HFEP) remained idle due to a lack of personnel.

Related:

• While bicam boosts MAIFIP funding, COA flags P3 billion left unspent

 7-year-old boy among 142 new HIV cases in South Cotabato

A seven-year-old boy has been recorded as the youngest among at least 142 new cases found positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in South Cotabato this year.John Arlo Codilla, head of the Disease Prevention and Control Unit of the South Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), said they were looking at the possibility that the child could have contracted the virus through sexual abuse or exploitation since he could not have acquired it from his mother.

Related:

• HIV cases among PH youth up 500% —DOH
• 13-year-old becomes youngest HIV case in Palawan
• Low funds, Filipinos’ sexual behavior get in way of HIV cure strides

 Mon Tulfo sticks to surgeon fee claims as medical groups cry foul

Health advocates and medical associations condemned a viral post for publicly shaming a surgeon and accusing him of charging exorbitant fees to a poor patient, which they said were inaccurate.

 Air quality in metropolis 'not good' due to continuous smoke from Navotas landfill—DENR

The current air quality in Metro Manila is “not good” due to the continuous smoke coming from the Navotas Sanitary Landfill, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said on Monday, April 27.

 Alan Cayetano calls out DOH for 'false advertising' on PhilHealth's No Balance Billing policy

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has called out the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for misleading the public on the true scope of the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy.

 64% of Filipino families cannot pay P10,000 hospital bill without borrowing — study

A majority of Filipino families cannot afford even modest medical expenses without going into debt, a new study released by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) showed.

 Price of health: Filipinos pay up to 30x more for medicines than neighbors

Medicines in the Philippines remain significantly more expensive than in neighboring countries, driven largely by multiple layers of markups across the supply chain.

 Access to health care relying on political favors, warns cardinal

Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David warned that the growing reliance on politicians’ guarantee letters to access medical assistance undermines human dignity and raises constitutional concerns, as lawmakers debate funding for a controversial health aid program.

 Senators, health experts alarmed over sharp rise in number of e-cigs, vape users among Filipino youth

Teenagers as young as 13 to 15 years old have already tried vape products in different flavors such as cookies and cream, and even pistachio. Health experts disclosed this during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography on the various pending measures that sought to either ban or strictly regulate the use of electronic cigarettes, including vapes and heated tobacco products in the Philippines, which stakeholders in the health industry said is getting alarming.

 PH has third highest burden of TB worldwide

The Philippines ranked third globally among countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB), with an incidence rate of 500 new cases per 100,000 population in 2024, based on a new global report by the World Health Organization (WHO) released on Wednesday.

 Garin hits DOH, demands sanctions and refunds from Swiss giant as questionable infant milk batches reportedly still in Visayas and Mindanao

House Deputy Speaker and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said Nestlé Philippines should face sanctions if investigators find lapses in how it handled a precautionary recall of infant formula that could have been contaminated with a toxin that may cause vomiting in babies.

 PhilHealth now covers 75 types of meds; yearly limit at P20,000

Members will soon have access to 75 types of medicines for free at select clinics and pharmacies, with a limit of P20,000 per year, under the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s (PhilHealth) new Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (Gamot) package.

Related:

• PhilHealth expands maternity benefit
• More medicines, cancer screenings available under PhilHealth’s ‘revitalized’ primary care benefit

 Japan donates ambulance to Sipocot: Ambassador Endo Kazuya leads turnover

On Feb. 24, 2026, Ambassador Endo Kazuya attended the turnover ceremony for “The Project for Procurement of an Ambulance for the Municipality of Sipocot, Camarines Sur.” Municipal Mayor Tomas Bocago and other local government officials joined the event.

Related:

• US backs HIV prevention drug program despite aid cuts
• World Bank-backed digital health system upgrade in Philippines to boost care nationwide
• Japan to grant P139 million for PH’s fight vs tuberculosis
• US to give Philippines P13.8-billion aid for 'public health challenges'
• Okada Foundation Inc. donates state-of-the-art medical machinery to Philippine Orthopedic Center
• Philippines secures ₱65-billion Japanese loans for infrastructure, health projects
• Philippines, Denmark boost education for Pinoy nurses, healthcare professionals

 Unilab Foundation, ULAP join forces to accelerate local implementation of universal healthcare

The Unilab Foundation, through its research and policy arm Unilab Center for Health Policy (UCHP), has partnered with the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) to jointly identify and address barriers to the effective and accelerated implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act at the local level.

 UP-PGH performs first successful pediatric liver transplant in government hospital

The UP-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) has successfully performed its first pediatric liver transplant in a government hospital, according to UP-PGH.

 First modern, largest hospital in BARMM opens

Officials launched on Wednesday, October 8, the Bangsamoro Regional Hospital and Medical Center in Datu Hoffer town in Maguindanao del Sur, the first-ever largest and well-equipped hospital in the autonomous region.

 Marcos signs Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines Act

President Marcos has signed into law a measure that seeks to establish a Virology and Vaccine Institute that will focus on research and development to address disease-causing agents affecting plants, animals, and humans.

 PCSO strengthens healthcare support with ₱7.97B in assistance

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Friday hosted the 2025 Charity Summit, underscoring the agency’s strong performance in delivering healthcare and charity services nationwide while reinforcing partnerships to expand its reach.

 More medicines exempted from VAT

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued an updated list of medicines that are exempt from the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT).