The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has assured assistance for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are unable to return to their jobs in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions in the region.
However, according to Chino Gaston’s report on 24 Oras on Monday, the DMW has yet to determine the exact number of affected OFWs.
A civic group distributed free meals to jeepney drivers in Manila to help them cope with rising fuel prices triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
According to Sandra Aguinaldo’s report on "24 Oras" on Monday, the Para Commuters’ Network handed out chicken adobo rice meals to drivers, who expressed gratitude and hoped more people would extend assistance.
As Filipino teachers flee escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Department of Education (DepEd) is fast-tracking their reintegration into Philippine classrooms, offering employment opportunities, financial assistance, and education support for their families.
In a statement on Monday, DepEd said it is spearheading reintegration initiatives for overseas Filipino worker (OFW) teachers displaced by the ongoing regional crisis, in coordination with other government agencies.
Senator Loren Legarda on Monday filed a “Bayanihan 3” bill seeking to grant the President emergency powers to mitigate the socio-economic impact of rising fuel and energy prices amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Under Senate Bill No. 2020, Legarda said an initial P230 billion would be allocated to fund the proposed Bayanihan 3, sourced from continuing appropriations and unreleased allotments from 2025, appropriations under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, and the Malampaya Fund.
Republic Gas Corporation (REGASCO) on Monday rolled out the last installment of its upward adjustments for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for April, following the movement in international contract prices.
In an advisory, REGASCO said it will implement a staggered price adjustment for the month of April amounting to P16 per kilogram, with the final installment implemented on Monday, April 6, 2026.
This would translate to a P176 increase for 11-kilogram cylinders.
With the increase, the suggested retail price for the company’s 11-kilogram cylinders in Luzon has been hiked to P1,600.
Petron Corp. and Solane earlier announced double-digit price hikes for LPG.
This comes after the LPG Markets Association (LPGMA) earlier warned that prices could hit as high as P1,500 per 11-kg tank in April due to rising shipping costs as a result of limited access to the Strait of Hormuz.
Latest data available from the Department of Energy (DOE) show that the price of an 11-kilogram cylinder ranged between P818.62 and P1,128.62 as of March 2026. —Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/KG, GMA News
The P5,000 cash assistance for tricycle drivers outside of Metro Manila will be distributed beginning Wednesday, April 8, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.
The cash aid is funded through the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
A jeepney driver receives a free lunch of chicken adobo and rice from the PARA Commuters' Network at the corner of Pedro Gil and Agoncillo Streets in Ermita, Manila on Monday, April 6, 2026. The group launched Kusinang Bayan, a solidarity kitchen for transport workers, to help public utility vehicle drivers cope with the high cost of fuel. It urged the public to donate or start similar projects. SANDRA AGUINALDO/GMA News
Malacañang said Monday that Iran's decision to allow energy supplies headed for the Philippines to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz would not affect the country's relations with the United States, its long-time ally.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said she was able to talk to Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro regarding the matter, saying that the government has no issue with this.
''Wala po tayong nakikitang magiging isyu sa ating kaibigan na bansa na US dahil alam naman po nila ang sitwasyon ngayon at hinahalintulad po ito sa pag-angkat ng oil mula sa Russia,'' Castro said.
(We don't see any issue as regards our ties with the US because the latter knows the situation and this was all about our importation of oil from Russia.)
The Philippines-US formal diplomatic relations spans decades since its formal establishment on July 4, 1946.
Manila and Washington have an existing Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) signed in 1952. Under the agreement, each party "recognizes that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of the Parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional processes."
There's an ongoing conflict between the US and Iran after the latter was attacked on February 28. Those strikes triggered Iranian attacks on Israel, US bases and the Gulf states, while opening a new front in Lebanon.
To recall, the Philippines was granted safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz—through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flow—following a phone conversation between Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said this safe passage was part of the government's risk management initiatives. However, it would not immediately bring down domestic fuel prices
Based on Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) trading in the past four days (March 30 to April 2), an oil industry source said Friday that retail diesel prices could increase by P17 to P19 per liter next week.
These projections could push the price of regular diesel to as much as P165 and premium diesel past P170 a liter. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KG, GMA News
The US, Iran and a group of regional mediators are discussing the terms for a potential 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the war, Axios reported on Sunday, citing four US, Israeli and regional sources with knowledge of the talks.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
The mediators are discussing the terms of a two-phased deal, the report said, adding that the first phase would be a potential 45-day ceasefire during which a permanent end to the war would be negotiated.
The second phase would be an agreement on ending the war, the report said.
The ceasefire could be extended if additional time was required for talks, the report said.
US President Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday his deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on critical infrastructure is Tuesday evening. —Reuters
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has adopted flexible work arrangements in accordance with a directive from Malacañang for all government agencies to strictly adopt energy conservation measures amid the tensions in the Middle East.
In an advisory issued Monday, the OVP said that it would implement a four-day onsite work and one-day work-from-home (WFH) arrangement.
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