OpinYon

05/06/2026

Inflation Slows, But Prices Still High

The country's inflation rate eased to 6.8% in May, down from 7.2% in April, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The slowdown was mainly driven by slower price increases in transportation, food, and household utilities such as electricity, water, and fuel.

PSA officials pointed out that diesel prices played a major role in the easing trend.

The latest inflation figure also came in lower than the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' forecast of 7.1% to 7.9% for May.

05/06/2026

Another Diesel Spike?

Motorists may need to brace for another increase at the pumps next week, with diesel prices expected to rise by as much as P4.50 per liter.

Based on the latest international fuel trading data from June 2 to June 4, industry estimates show that:
🔺 Diesel could increase by P4.00 to P4.50 per liter
🔻 Gasoline could get a rollback of P1.00 to P1.50 per liter

The projected adjustments are due to renewed tensions in the Middle East and concerns over fuel supply worldwide.

05/06/2026

Ester Strengthens Habagat, More Rains

Tropical Depression Ester has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility, becoming the country's first named storm for June and the fifth tropical cyclone of 2026.

As of early Friday, Ester was spotted northwest of Batanes, carrying maximum winds of 45 kph and gusts reaching 55 kph. Signal No. 1 has been raised over Batanes.

While Ester is not expected to directly hit most parts of the Philippines, it is strengthening the southwest monsoon or Habagat, bringing widespread rains across Northern Luzon and the western parts of Central and Southern Luzon.

Weather officials warned that areas in Ilocos Region, Zambales, Abra, Benguet, and nearby provinces could experience heavy to intense rainfall in the coming days.

Ester is expected to move toward southern Taiwan before exiting the country's monitoring area tomorrow.

05/06/2026

Rollerskates: New Meta ng Kabataan?

Mas pinaupgrade na walktrip, o “rolltrip” ang uso sa mga kabataan ngayon.

Viral ngayon ang mga kabataan sa Kawit, Cavite na “gliding with style” ang atake habang suot ang kanilang rollerskates sa paglalaro.

Kuha ito ni Kendra Nuñez habang nagrorollerskates ang kanilang mga pinsan noong May 21.

Tuwang-tuwa ang mga Tiktokers sa viral reel na ito na umabot na ng 385.9K reactions at 3.1 millions views.

Ayon sa mga netizen, mas mabuti na raw ito na nagkakaroon ng physical activity ang kabataan kaysa nakakulong lamang sila sa bahay at naggagadgets.

“I actually love it when I see them doing that instead of using gadgets, naalala ko lang yung mga time na kapag may sikat na laruan halos lahat meron kahit wala namang social media,” komento ni V sa video.

Matatandaang nauso na ang ganitong gimik ng kabataan noong early 2000s, ayon sa komento ni X sa video, “ang trend talaga ay balik balik lang.”

Pahayag ni Kendra: “Magandang libangan outdoor activity sya kasi nale-lessen nya yung screentime ng mga kabataan.”

Dagdag pa niya, “Enjoyable sya gawin pero kailangan parin po ng dobleng pag iingat lalo na pag ginagawa sya sa mga open places gaya ng kalsada.”

Loopers, ngayong nauuso na naman ang rollerskates, wastong paggamit at pagiingat ang abiso ng OpinYon para sainyo!

(Jeremy Rago/Video mula kay )

04/06/2026

Good news for Filipino households! LPG prices are going down this month.

Petron announced a P5.00 per kilo rollback on all Gasul and Fiesta Gas household LPG cylinders effective June 2, 2026. Solane also followed with the same P5.00 per kilo price cut for its 11-kilo LPG tanks, starting 6 AM today, June 4, 2026.

For consumers, this means an estimated P55 reduction on the cost of a standard 11-kilogram LPG tank.

Based on the latest Department of Energy data, prices of 11-kilo LPG tanks were estimated to range between P1,070.42 and P1,701.77 as of May.

OpinYonistas, how much does your household spend on LPG every month?

04/06/2026

The House of Representatives has approved the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act on third and final reading.

The bill, known as House Bill 8389, seeks to prevent relatives within the second degree of relationship from holding elective positions at the same time. It was approved with 260 votes in favor, 16 against, and 7 abstentions.

Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, who chairs the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, described the measure as a major step toward addressing political dynasties in the country.

But not everyone is convinced.

Gabriela Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago criticized the proposal, calling it a "watered-down" version of an anti-dynasty law. According to her, the bill may still allow families to maintain political influence by holding different positions across various levels of government.

Adiong, however, defended the measure, saying lawmakers had to find a balance between limiting political dynasties and protecting the people's right to choose their leaders.
Adiong is now urging the Senate to act on the proposal and pass its own version.

04/06/2026

In a livestream, Cayetano questioned the legality of the Senate session where several leadership positions were declared vacant and Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian was elected Senate President Pro Tempore.

According to Cayetano, the move violated both the Constitution and Senate rules because the group pushing for the leadership change allegedly lacked the required 13 votes needed to form a majority in the 24-member chamber.

"The Constitution is clear. A majority of all members is 13," Cayetano stressed. He added that if his colleagues can gather 13 senators to elect a new Senate President, he would personally administer the oath of office.

Cayetano also argued that the Senate had already adjourned and was scheduled to resume on Monday, making yesterday's session invalid.

He also raised concerns that the Constitution itself was being disregarded, and questioned whether democratic institutions were being weakened for political convenience.

But the newly-formed majority bloc disagrees.

The group maintained that their actions were legal and argued that 12 senators were enough
to establish a quorum under a previous Supreme Court ruling.

OpinYonistas, one side says the Constitution was ignored. The other says Senate rules and legal precedent were followed. Whose argument makes more sense to you?

03/06/2026

Shameless

Read more
https://opinyon.net/national/shameless3

They smile.

03/06/2026

An athlete from Eastern Visayas has captured the first gold medal of the 2026 Palarong Pambansa in the athletics 3,000-meter track event for secondary girls.

Read more
https://opinyon.net/national/waraynon-athlete-bags-gold-at-palarong-pambansa

03/06/2026

A first-term congressman known for his outspoken social media posts and unusual online persona has officially been kicked out of the House of Representatives.

Yesterday, lawmakers voted to expel Cavite 4th District Rep. Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga after finding him guilty of conduct that House leaders described as disruptive and damaging to the institution.

The House approved the recommendation with an overwhelming vote of 265 lawmakers in favor, while only 14 opposed and eight abstained.

According to the House Committee on Ethics, Barzaga repeatedly violated parliamentary rules through actions that disrupted proceedings and challenged the chamber's standards of decorum.

In a farewell message to fellow lawmakers, Barzaga said: "Since it's my last day in Congress, I'm saying goodbye to my colleagues. And I'm telling them not to steal so much."