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The Senate is reshaping the proposed 2027 national budget to strengthen preparations for El Niño while trimming nonessential spending and reviewing funding for foreign-assisted projects, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said.

Births fill classrooms, marriages build households, and deaths expose the cost of keeping a population healthy. Behind these milestones lies a bigger economic story, one that government planners cannot afford to ignore.

Manila Water Philippine Ventures (MWPV), the non‑east zone arm of Manila Water, is stepping up preparations across Pangasinan and Isabela — areas flagged by state weather bureau PAGASA as prone to dry spells through late 2026, with drought risks extending into early 2027 — to keep water supplies steady amid the El Niño weather pattern.

Hard Discount Philippines Inc., the firm behind discount retail chain DALI, recorded an accumulated shortfall of P1.03 billion as of the close of 2025, marking five straight years of operating losses for the local hard‑discount player. In its audit report for the year, Sycip Gorres Velayo and Co. (SGV) flagged significant uncertainty over the company’s ability to keep running as a going concern, citing deepening financial gaps even as top‑line sales expanded rapidly.