Dagdag-presyo, araw-araw... P24 diesel, P13 gasoline, P38 kerosene

ni Mai Ancheta @Business News | March 10, 2026

Photo: File

Maaga ang penitensiya ng mga motorista matapos ianunsiyo ng Department of Energy ang inaasahang mataas na presyo ng produktong petrolyo dulot ng epekto ng kaguluhan sa Gitnang Silangan partikular sa Iran, Israel at Estados Unidos.

Batay sa inilabas na pagtaya ng DOE, aasahan ang pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina mula P7 hanggang P13 kada litro; P17.50 hanggang P24.25 kada litro sa diesel, at P32 hanggang P38.50 sa kerosene.

Dahil sa mataas na presyo, hiniling ng DOE sa mga kumpanya ng langis na huwag biglain ang implementasyon bagkus ay gawin itong unti-unti, bagama’t posibleng araw-araw.

Positibo naman ang pagtugon ng mga pangunahing kumpanya ng langis sa bansa upang hindi gaanong mahirapan ang publiko.

Hindi lamang ang mga motorista sa sektor ng transportasyon ang direktang maaapektuhan sa mataas na presyo ng langis kundi pati na rin ang mga magsasaka, mangingisda at ordinaryong consumer dahil sa magiging epekto nito sa presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin.

Dahil dito, inatasan na ng Philippine National Police (PNP) ang kanilang mga tauhan na bantayan ang mga gas station upang maiwasan ang pagsasamantala gaya ng hoarding at profiteering mula sa produktong petrolyo.

PCSO donates rescue equipment to Barangay in Caloocan

by Robin De Vega and Nomar Reyon @Info | March 9, 2026

Photo: Ericson Delos Reyes

MANDALUYONG CITY — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) reinforced its commitment to community safety by distributing various rescue devices to Barangay 15, Zone 2, District II in Caloocan City on March 5, 2026, in a bid to enhance the emergency response capabilities of local communities.

PCSO Executive Assistant Atty. Maria Katrina Nicole Contacto–Ventanilla led the formal turnover of the life-saving equipment at the PCSO Main Office. Punong Barangay Enrique Santos Jr., along with Barangay Kagawad officers Ramir Valbuena, Joey Yupangco, and Jerry Villaviza, received the set of equipment, particularly trauma bags, oxygen tanks, handheld radios, search lights, rescue helmets, rescue ropes, stretchers, and life jackets.

The distribution was carried out under the PCSO’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program that provides support to communities and local government units. 

By empowering local leaders with the necessary tools, the PCSO continues to fulfill its mission of promoting public welfare and ensuring that government assistance is directly accessible at the community level. 

“PCSO, Hindi Umuurong sa Pagtulong!”

Maynilad sustains NRW reduction drive through continued network upgrades

by Info @Brand Zone | March 4, 2026

File Photo: Maynilad contractors conduct pipe replacement works in Manila, one of the operational interventions under the company’s intensified non-revenue water (NRW) reduction program, which brought NRW down to 30.7% by end-2025 from 38.4% a year earlier.

West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) will continue strengthening its water loss reduction program through sustained investments in Non-Revenue Water (NRW) management initiatives, supporting efforts to improve network efficiency and maximize available water supply across its concession area.

These initiatives form part of Maynilad’s MWSS-approved Business Plan for 2023 to 2027, which provides for continued infrastructure rehabilitation, leak detection activities, and targeted system upgrades aimed at reducing water losses across its network serving densely populated urban communities in the West Zone.

Portions of Maynilad’s distribution network were inherited from earlier water systems developed over several decades, with some legacy pipelines in Metro Manila dating back to the early 20th century and requiring continuing rehabilitation.

Under Maynilad’s MWSS-approved Business Plan, approximately ₱7.7 billion has been allocated for Non-Revenue Water management initiatives programmed for 2026 implementation.

NRW management remains a central component of Maynilad’s operational strategy. In 2025 alone, the company recovered about 256 million liters per day (MLD) of water through intensified leak detection, pipe replacement, pressure management, and network monitoring interventions—an amount equivalent to the output of a major water treatment plant, or nearly the combined production of two of Maynilad’s southern water treatment facilities.

According to Maynilad Central NRW Head Engr. Ryan B. Jamora, reducing water losses enables utilities to make more treated water available to customers without immediately developing new water sources.

“Recovering water through NRW reduction helps us optimize existing infrastructure and improve overall system efficiency,” Jamora said. “Much of this work happens underground through continuous monitoring and early leak detection before problems become visible at the surface.”

For 2026, NRW initiatives will support selective pipe replacement in high-loss areas, expanded leakage control activities, network diagnostics, and the continued evaluation of emerging technologies designed to improve leak localization and field response efficiency.

Maynilad said its current approach prioritizes data-driven interventions, enabling engineering teams to focus resources on areas where interventions deliver the greatest operational benefit while minimizing disruption to communities.

Leak detection activities were demonstrated in Barangays Bungad and Paltok in Quezon City as part of Maynilad’s ongoing stakeholder engagement efforts to provide operational context on how underground leaks are identified and addressed within active urban environments.

Pipeline systems are subject to natural deterioration from operating conditions such as traffic loading, road works, and coastal exposure, making NRW management a continuing engineering requirement for large metropolitan utilities.

Under its approved Business Plan, Maynilad targets reducing NRW levels to 25% by 2027 and 20% by 2030, consistent with regulatory commitments and the company’s long-term service reliability and sustainability objectives.

The 20% NRW level is widely recognized in the water industry as an efficient benchmark for large urban utilities, where further reductions may require disproportionately higher investment relative to incremental water recovery. Maynilad said its NRW program therefore focuses on achieving sustainable and economically efficient loss reduction while maintaining service reliability across a complex metropolitan network.

Date of Release: March 3, 2026