PhilHealth seeks to address double coverage of workers with HMOs, PHIs

Inquirer.net - Oct 2, 2026

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is seeking to address what it describes as “double coverage” among workers who contribute to the state health insurer while also receiving health maintenance organization (HMO) or private health insurance (PHI) coverage from their employers. PhilHealth said some members rely mainly on their private health plans for medical care

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Step inside this healing spot inside Civilian Control Line in Paju

Oct 3, 2026

Step inside this healing spot inside Civilian Control Line in Paju

“Please prepare for a brief security check.” As the bus doors open, a soldier in combat gear boards and collects the identification cards of each passenger. The soldier looks to be in his early 20s, but the scene, reminiscent of something from a movie, is enough to make passengers slightly tense. After collecting all the IDs from the roughly 10 passengers, the soldier gets off the bus. “The IDs will be returned when we come back,” the guide explains, putting everyone at ease again. This is a checkpoint on the Civilian Control Line, the northernmost point that civilians can freely travel to. If you see a chartered bus crossing the line into the Civilian Control Zone and assume that the passengers are taking part in a security tour or academic research, you would be wrong. They are vacationers. They are heading into the forest beyond the Civilian Control Line to relax and recharge — walking on moss, picking up fresh chestnuts and meditating to the sounds of insects and birds. A new opportunity is opening for individuals to visit the Civilian Control Zone for leisure, a place that h

North Korea's border fortification raises questions over DMZ buffer role

Oct 3, 2026

North Korea's border fortification raises questions over DMZ buffer role

North Korea’s continued construction of minefields, fences and barriers along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) is raising questions over whether its border fortification campaign is changing the role of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which has served as a military buffer between the two Koreas since the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement. The risks are becoming more apparent as North Korea builds fortifications close to the MDL in areas where Seoul, Pyongyang and the United Nations Command (UNC) do not always agree on the exact location of the line. North Korean troops have repeatedly crossed the MDL during construction work, prompting warning broadcasts and warning shots from the South Korean military. North Korea began clearing land, laying mines and building fences, barriers and tactical roads along the MDL in 2024, after leader Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean relations as those between “two hostile states.” The South Korean military expects the project to be completed around 2028. As of August, land-clearing work was about 90 percent complete, while construction of fences and m

Filipinos turn Hongdae venue into home away from home

Oct 3, 2026

Filipinos turn Hongdae venue into home away from home

In western Seoul’s vibrant Hongdae neighborhood, a celebration of Filipino music and culture transformed a live music venue into a space where the community felt closer to home. Filipinos across Seoul gathered at Rabbit Hall, the basement live music venue at White Rabbit bistro and wine bar in Mapo District on Sept. 26 for its first Filipino Night. Home to frequent open mics, the stage was set for something a bit different. The show opened with a traditional Mindanaoan dance called “Pangalay,” performed by Filipino artist Nicky Juanite, the brains behind the event, accompanied by Kyle Abraham, a Filipino American dancer and choreographer. “We wanted to bless this space before we start the show,” Juanite said after the opening performance that set the tone for the evening. What followed was a quintessentially Filipino sight — and sound. Performers treated the audience to English and Tagalog karaoke favorites, as well as Korean ballad songs. The audience, as one may expect from a typical karaoke session in the Philippines, sang the lyrics right back with as much volume and soul

[MORNING CALM TALES] The irresistible appeal of Korea's 'pojangmacha' food tents

Oct 3, 2026

[MORNING CALM TALES] The irresistible appeal of Korea's 'pojangmacha' food tents

Had I not gotten lost in Jamsil one cold December night, I might never have discovered the soul of Seoul. It was the early 1990s, and I decided to be adventurous and find a different way back to my apartment. Somewhere in the maze of Jamsil 2-danji, I got twisted around and ended up on a street I had never taken before. Getting lost there was surprisingly easy. At night, the apartment buildings all looked alike, row after row of concrete towers rising into the darkness. I knew the subway station was somewhere behind me and my apartment somewhere ahead. Beyond that, I was guessing. The December air had a bite to it. I shoved my hands deeper into my coat pockets and kept walking. Then I saw the orange glow. On the side of the street stood a rectangular tent, glowing in the darkness. Light filtered through thick orange plastic, turning it into a giant lantern. Shadows moved behind the vinyl. Every so often, someone lifted a flap, releasing a burst of steam and noise into the cold before ducking inside. I stopped. What was this place? There was no sign or name that I could see, yet people kep

N. Korea fires ballistic missile toward East Sea amid tensions over DMZ blast

Oct 3, 2026

N. Korea fires ballistic missile toward East Sea amid tensions over DMZ blast

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea's military said, after Pyongyang has denied responsibility for last week's mine blast along the inter-Korean border. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch at about 6:30 a.m. from the Wonsan area, without elaborating. "The South Korean military has stepped up surveillance for potential additional launches and is maintaining an all-out readiness posture while sharing relevant information with the United States and Japan," the JCS said in a notice. The latest launch came amid heightened inter-Korean tensions following the Sept. 21 blast of North Korean land mines inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. The incident left three South Korean soldiers injured, two of them seriously. The South Korean military has blamed North Korea for the mine blast, calling it a "blatant violation" of the armistice agreement. Seoul has also demanded apology from Pyongyang and urged it to halt border fortification work. North Korea denied its involvement in a statement issued

[Vantage Point] GCash at P6.60: Did investors finally get their price?

Oct 3, 2026

[Vantage Point] GCash at P6.60: Did investors finally get their price?

Millions of Filipinos already trust GCash to move their money. The IPO asks whether they should trust it with their investment capital.

US blast simulation targets China’s alleged secret nuclear testing

Oct 2, 2026

US blast simulation targets China’s alleged secret nuclear testing

The US has conducted a non-nuclear underground experiment to enhance its ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions that it explicitly linked with a test that Washington suspects China carried out in 2020 – an accusation Beijing denies. The US Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) conducted a “subsurface, non-nuclear chemical high-explosive” experiment at the Nevada National Security Site, which it said aimed to “increase the...

Dumaguete drug bust yields P7.8M worth of ‘shabu’

Oct 2, 2026

Dumaguete drug bust yields P7.8M worth of ‘shabu’

DUMAGUETE CITY — Police seized an estimated P7.8 million worth of suspected shabu and arrested a high-value drug suspect in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Balugo here on Friday morning, Oct. 2. Personnel of the Dumaguete City Police Station’s City Drug Enforcement Unit conducted the operation at 11:19 a.m. in Purok Santol. This action resulted

P510K worth of suspected shabu seized in South Cotabato town

Oct 2, 2026

P510K worth of suspected shabu seized in South Cotabato town

KORONADAL CITY — Police arrested a 30-year-old man and seized about P510,000 worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Polomolok, South Cotabato on Friday, Oct. 2. The Police Regional Office 12 (PRO-12) said the operation was carried out at around 11:09 a.m. at a waiting shed along the national highway in Barangay Silway

Dinagyang main tribes competition returns to downtown Iloilo

Oct 2, 2026

Dinagyang main tribes competition returns to downtown Iloilo

ILOILO CITY — The Dinagyang Festival’s main tribes competition will return to Iloilo City’s historic downtown area in January 2027, with organizers proposing five judging areas and a redesigned lighted street parade. The Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) presented its initial plans during a consultative meeting with festival stakeholders on Friday, outlining proposed routes, schedules,

Ilocos Sur town adopts 4-day onsite workweek to save energy

Oct 2, 2026

Ilocos Sur town adopts 4-day onsite workweek to save energy

SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — The municipal government of Santo Domingo in this province will shift to a four-day onsite workweek starting Monday, Oct. 5. This is part of efforts to conserve energy, promote environmental sustainability, and improve administrative efficiency. Under the interim modified workweek, municipal offices will operate onsite from 8 a.m. to 5

Bojie Dy says education still House’s priority, affirms commitment

Oct 2, 2026

Bojie Dy says education still House’s priority, affirms commitment

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III has assured the public that the House of Representatives’s priority remains to be education, noting that one of the purposes of the chamber’s listening program is to check the needs of communities in terms of education. During the fifth leg of the LegisHear initiative, held on Friday in

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