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Iran activates air defenses as US Congress votes on Trump’s war powers
‘Inflation, higher wages top urgent concerns for Pinoys’ By Katrina Manubay CONTROLLING the rising cost of basic goods and services remained the top urgent concern for Filipino adults, a survey by the OCTA Research group showed. OCTA’a Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey results showed that nearly half (45 percent) of respondents’ main concern was to control inflation, followed by improving or increasing wages or salaries of workers (33 percent), fighting graft and corruption in government (26 percent), gaining access to affordable food such as rice, vegetables, and meat (24 percent) and reducing poverty (20 percent). “This suggests that cost-of-living pressures had already re-emerged as the most immediate public concern, placing renewed strain on household budgets and day-to-day spending even before the full inflationary effects of the oil price shock linked to the conflict in the Middle East were felt,” OCTA said. Next page
VOL. XL • NO. 77 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2026 •
PBBM: Pinoy workers country’s ‘backbone’
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2 regions get wage hikes, more scheduled thru wage boards MAY DAY SCUFFLE.
Police blast rallyists with water cannons to break up a scuffle during the Labor Day protest yesterday. Authorities said seven cops were injured in the encounter with the marchers. Inset shows thousands of workers marching along Espana boulevard towards Mendiola. AFP/ Edd Castro
Kishida confident PH will receive crisis energy funding from Japan By Alena Mae S. Flores JAPAN’S special envoy to the prime minister, Kishida Fumio, is optimistic that the Philippines—with its strong partnership with Japan— would be among the first states to get a share in Tokyo’s new $10 billion initiative to support Asian nations amid the oil crisis. Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin reaffirmed Manila’s full support for Asia Zero Emission Com-
TEHRAN'S air defenses were activated to counter small aircraft and drones late Thursday, as the White House signalled that it will not be reined in by a congressional deadline on the Iran war.
munity (AZEC) and Japan’s vision of advancing the platform as a tool to ensure energy resilience in Asia. This developed as consumers face higher pump prices of as much as P3 per liter next week, though liquefied petroleum gas prices are expected to hold steady. Kishida, who currently serves as supreme advisor to Japan’s Parliamentary Association of Asia Zero Next page
By Charles Dantes, Rolando Ng III, Ram Superable, Maricel Cruz and Vince Lopez
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recognized Filipino workers as the country’s “backbone” as he affirmed his administration’s push to create more and better jobs. “As we face changing economic pressures, rest assured that this administration stands firm in defending the dignity of every Filipino by creating more and better jobs, boosting worker protection, and broadening pathways for all to succeed,” Mr. Marcos said during Labor Day celebrations in General Santos City yesterday. “Even as technology advances and industries transform, one truth endures: it is the Filipino worker who drives the Philippines forward and keeps the world in motion. Through your grit and sacrifice, families find stability, and the country finds strength,” he added. Mr. Marcos also announced that minimum wage earners in Northern Mindanao and Caraga will receive higher pay starting yesterday at P500 and P475, respectively. Last month, the first tranche of a P45 wage hike in the Bicol region also took effect. Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards tailor wage adjustments to local economic conditions. The last legislated national wage increase was in 1989 before the creation of the Next page RTWPBs.
VP Sara’s defense team ready to face Senate trial By Katrina Manubay THE defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday said it is prepared for any scenario, including the Senate’s swift convening as an im-
peachment court, stressing that the timeline remains within the chamber’s discretion. In a radio interview with 105.9 True FM, Duterte’s defense spokesperson, Atty. Michael Poa,
expressed hope that lawmakers will consider their objections during the House Committee on Justice proceedings, while stressing readiness if the complaint is transmitted to the Senate. Next page
Atin Ito reports China harassment of WPS mission By Rex Espiritu
JOBSEEKER. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. greets an applicant helped along by a wooden crutch during a job fair organized by the Department of Labor and Employment to mark Labor Day which he attended in General Santos City, in South Cotabato province. PCO
THE advance party of the fourth Philippine civilian mission in the West Philippine Sea arrived on Pag-asa Island Friday afternoon even as organizers reported harassment by China, according to civil society coalition Atin Ito. The Atin Ito Coalition said the ship was being shadowed by a China Coast Guard vessel early Friday morning and interfering with drone operations used by media and volunteers. In a statement, the Chinese embassy in Manila said "ATIN ITO has repeatedly attempted to carry out provocative activities under the pretext Next page
INTO SEAGRASS BEDS. Officials of the
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) led by General Manager Mel Robles and the municipality of Puerto Galera release 94 hatchlings of Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), inset, a critically endangered marine species at the seagrass beds of Friday’s, Puerto Galera. PIO Puerto Galera