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PhilHealth to transition from case rate to DRG payment model in ’27
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HE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will be transitioning to a diagnosisrelated grouping (DRG) payment model from the current all case rate (ACR) system to improve quality of care, enhance efficiency and ensure more equitable access to health services. “2027 would be the soonest foreseeable year that the shift could be implemented
fully,” PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Edwin M. Mercado told BusinessMirror on Friday. A Philippine DRG grouper is being developed by PhilHealth based on Thailand’s DRG grouper software, documentation, libraries and technical support from the Thai CaseMix Centre (TCMC). The Philippine DRG system is a patient classification See “PhilHealth,” A2
No price hikes in basic goods till yearend–meat processors A TOWN is surrounded by floodwaters after the onslaught of Typhoon Uwan (Fung-wong) in Cagayan province, northern Philippines on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. CAGAYAN POLICE PROVINCIAL OFFICE VIA AP
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By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
In response, foreign governments, Unicef, and UN agencies have pledged P447.5 million ($4.6 million) in aid. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has also launched a P1.34-billion global appeal to intensify assistance.
IFRC global appeal
The IFRC’s revised emergency appeal supports the Philippine Red Cross, targeting 284,904 people across several provinces. The appeal seeks 18 million Swiss francs (P1.34 billion) to pro-
vide emergency shelter, health services, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and livelihood support. Funding, however, remains inadequate, jeopardizing the ability to deliver vital aid as communities struggle to recover. “The Philippines is no stranger to natural disasters, but this series of events is anything but ordinary. Urgent support is needed to scale up relief efforts, prevent further loss of life, and help the country recover from this latest catastrophe,” the IFRC said.
UN OCHA: Evacuations saved lives
ACCORDING to the National Disas-
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HE Philippines is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis after a series of disasters — a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu, Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi), and Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung-Wong). By Ada Pelonia
THE PRC Water Search and Rescue Team assists individuals trapped on a roof in the Talamban barangay of Cebu, Philippines, Tuesday, November 4, 2025. PHILIPPINE RED CROSS VIA AP
ter Coordinating Council, Typhoon Tino left 214 dead, 502 injured, and 125 missing, affecting 4.3 million people across 33 provinces. A week later, Super Typhoon Uwan battered 71 of the country’s 84 provinces. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) reported that 1.5 million people were evacuated ahead of Uwan—one of the largest coastal evacuations in Philippine history. UN Resident Coordinator Arnaud Peral praised the government’s preparedness: “Efficient preemptive evacuations and timely responses
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HE Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) has assured consumers that there will be no price increases in basic necessities until yearend. In a letter to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque, PAMPI said this is in support of the government’s call
to maintain the prices of basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs) this year. “We are pleased to share that PAMPI and its member-companies will heed this call by maintaining current prices of BNPCs throughout 2025. Other members have expressed that even for products that are not considered See “Price Hikes,” A2
See “Extraordinary,” A2
BSP says financial system’s total resources up 6.54% to ₧35.581T By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
MICHAEL EDWARDS | DREAMSTIME.COM
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OTAL resources held by the Philippine financial system increased 6.54 percent in September 2025, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). BSP data showed that total resources of the financial system, excluding the Central Bank, reached P35.581 trillion in September 2025, or P2.185 trillion more than the P33.396 trillion posted during the same month last year. About 83.16 percent of the total resources are in Philippine banks, worth P29.591 trillion. This grew by 7.34 percent year-on-year from P27.567 trillion. Among banks, universal and commercial banks (UKBs) held the high-
est share of the resources, amounting to P27.612 trillion, and accounted for 93.31 percent of the total resources of all Philippine banks. UKBs’ total resources went up by 6.95 percent from P25.816 trillion a year earlier. Meanwhile, thrift banks accounted for 4.74 percent of all resources in
Philippine banks, at P1.404 trillion. This jumped by 23.05 percent from the P1.141 trillion recorded in the same period last year. This was followed by rural and cooperative banks (RCBs), which accounted for 1.43 percent of the total resources of Philippine banks. The resources of RCBs, however,
declined by 14.73 percent from the P498.3-billion level of resources these banks had in September 2024. Meanwhile, digital banks (DGBs) also contributed to the total financial resources of Philippine banks, amounting to P149.7 billion or 0.50 percent of total resources. The total resources of DGBs were the fastest growing among banks and non-banks that are part of the Philippine financial system. The total resources of DGBs increased by 33.89 percent from the P111.8 billion it posted a year ago. Meanwhile, resources lodged in non-banks amounted to P5.990 trillion in September 2025. This was a 2.77-percent year-on-year increase from P5.828 trillion. See “BSP,” A2
CLOONEYS IN TOWN International human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and her husband,
actor, director and activist George Clooney, attended a courtesy call in Malacañang on Friday (November 14, 2025) where they were received by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos. The couple, co-founders of the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ), will take the stage to headline the Social Good Summit 2025 this weekend where they will pitch, among others, their advocacies for free expression and human rights. PPA POOL PHOTO
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 59.1140 n JAPAN 0.3825 n UK 77.9950 n HK 7.6070 n CHINA 8.3300 n SINGAPORE 45.4618 n AUSTRALIA 38.5837 n EU 68.7791 n KOREA 0.0402 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.7642 Source: BSP (November 14, 2025)