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Metro Manila, Philippines – A commissioned survey showed Vice President Sara Duterte is tied with Sen. Raffy Tulfo and only holds an eight-point lead over Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo in one-on-one matchup scenarios for the 2028 presidential race. The poll, conducted by Pulse Asia Research Inc. from Feb. 27 to Mar. 2, found that voter preferences are split in half if the presidential face-off was only between Duterte and Tulfo. The survey showed both securing 46 percent of support each among respondents. In a separate survey that set up the same head-to-head comparison, Duterte was only eight points ahead of Robredo who had a 43 percent preference. In a scenario with all three running for presidency, Duterte still tops the votes at 43 percent while Robredo and Tulfo were at 27 percent and 19 percent, respectively. With still more than two years to go before the national elections, figures…

Metro Manila, Philippines – A new junior division world record has been set by three-time world champion Filipino weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos. The 19-year-old athlete lifted 187 kg in the clean and jerk event in the 71kg category at the 2026 IWF World Junior Championships in Ismailia, Egypt, on Monday, May 4. He also recorded a snatch of 139 kg, bringing his total to 326 kg and securing the gold medal in the category. In an interview with the IWF, Delos Santos said he dedicated his win to his late father, who died of liver cancer two months ago. “I did it for him! I did it for him!” he said. He also shared that he had been suffering from a back injury two weeks prior to the competition. “I deviated from my coach’s percentages in training and wanted to do every lift for my dad. It was my…

Metro Manila, Philippines — Rising electricity and water costs during the dry season could further drive inflation upward, as both utilities carry significant weight in the consumer price index, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) warned. In a briefing on Tuesday, May 5, Undersecretary and National Statistician Dennis Mapa said electricity and water make up a chunk in the inflation basket and rising costs could substantially lift the overall inflation rate. “‘Yung paggalaw sa presyo ng kuryente at pag galaw sa presyo ng supply ng tubig, ito ay mga close sa 6 percent” Mapa said. [Translation: The movement of rates in electricity and water supply is close to 6 percent.] “If there are any increases there it would definitely impact the overall inflation rate,” he added. Mapa said electricity accounts for 4.55 percent of the inflation basket, while water is 1.16 percent. He noted that these commodities weigh heavier in the…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Paraguay President Santiago Peña is set for an official visit to the Philippines on May 11. A bilateral meeting with President Bongbong Marcos will take place at Malacañang as the leaders discuss enhanced cooperation and mutual development between the two countries, particularly in trade, investment, and agriculture. The visit marks the first presidential-level visit between the Philippines and Paraguay, which have maintained a history of “constructive engagement” and high-level exchanges over the past six decades of diplomatic relations. Paraguay is an emerging partner of the Philippines in Latin America, and both countries share common values rooted in democracy, the rule of law, and a commitment to international cooperation. Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on December 12, 1962.

Metro Manila, Philippines – Inflation, or the pace by which the cost of goods and services rise, accelerated to 7.2% in April, marking a 3.1-percentage-point jump from March driven by record-high food and fuel prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday, May 5. The government forecast range is 5.6 percent to 6.4 percent, with the latest imprint as its fastest pace in more than three years since the 7.6 percent in March 2023. The PSA said inflation drivers are food and non-alcoholic beverages, transport, fuel, and household utilities such as electricity and water. The inflation for diesel and gasoline spiked by 124 percent and 60.5 percent, respectively, hitting record-highs since 2018. The year-to-date inflation average is 3.9%, near to breaching the 4 percent upper limit of the government target range. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items, also increased to 3.9% in April from 3.2% in…