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SSS, Manulife Expand Credit Life Insurance to 1.2M Surviving Spouse Pensioners

Photo Courtesy of Manulife Philippines | Manulife Philippines President and CEO Rahul Hora, Chief Corporate Solutions and Alternative Distribution Officer Erwin Go, and Vice President and Head of Corporate Solutions Cheryl Asinas formalize the partnership with Social Security System President and CEO Robert Joseph Montes De Carlo and Executive Vice President for Investments Sector Ernesto D. Francisco, Jr. A significant move to strengthen the financial resilience of Filipino families has been made with the extension of Group Credit Life Insurance coverage to surviving spouse pensioners of the Social Security System (SSS). This initiative was formally signed by Manulife Philippines and the SSS during a ceremonial contract signing held at the SSS head office in Diliman, Quezon City. In a press release issued by Manulife Philippines on November 20, 2025, the expanded coverage now includes approximately 1.2 million surviving spouse pensioners who will benefit from Group Credit Life...

GCash Launches Virtual US Account for Faster and Cheaper Dollar Transfers

GCash, the most successful fintech app in the Philippines, has launched a new feature that allows users to receive US dollars from anyone in the United States—companies, OFWs, clients, or donors. This new feature, called the Virtual US Account, is powered by Meridian Payments US, which issues and maintains the account under a “for benefit of” arrangement. To create a Virtual US Account, users must be fully verified, at least 18 years old, have at least one valid Philippine ID, and maintain good GCash account standing. When opening the US bank account through the GCash app, users will be required to submit a valid ID and take a selfie for verification. Since GCash does not have full control over this service, users are encouraged to carefully read the Terms of Service and User Agreement of Meridian Payments United States, Inc. and Meridian North America, Incorporated. How Does the Virtual US Account in GCash Work? Once you successfully open a Virtual US Account, you will be able to rece...

Cebu Luxury Project Probed: Investigation Finds 734 Trees Lost Before 'Unprecedented' Flooding

Cebu City authorities and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have launched a dual investigation into "The Rise at Monterrazas," a luxury residential complex, following unprecedented flooding in Barangay Guadalupe. AI generated image: New building constructed on the slope mountain and the flooded houses down the hill Local residents are linking the high-end project, which involves sculpting a hillside into a "rice terraces–like" design, to the severe flooding that occurred during Typhoon Tino. They report the floodwaters reached near-rooftop levels, a phenomenon locals say is new to the area. The official probes are focusing heavily on allegations of massive deforestation at the site. The DENR Region 7 revealed a dramatic loss of tree cover: an inventory in 2022 recorded 745 trees, but a follow-up last Friday found only 11 remain. While the project proponent reportedly holds a cutting permit, officials emphasized the significant forest cov...

Converting Spaylater to Cash through Maya Business is not working

Shopee's SPayLater is a "spend now, pay later" option available across Southeast Asia. It provides convenience and affordability for Shopee users, allowing them to buy things as easily as one click, even if they have limited cash. As users are keen to utilize this credit for various purposes, they are looking for ways to convert their SPayLater Credit into cash. Previously, we published an article about converting SPayLater to cash through Maya Business . However, as of the last quarter of 2025, this conversion method via QR Ph in Maya Business is no longer accepted. Some SPayLater users who attempted to convert credit to Maya Business have experienced this issue since early September. They reported that the conversion was functional in August via Maya Business. One Reddit user on a forum stated that the conversion to Maya Business was still working in October, but it is definitely not working this November, saying, "I was still able to use it last month, but it...

Million-Year-Old 'Mother and Child' Fossil Snail Discovered in Northern Taiwan

A stunning paleontological discovery in northern Taiwan is providing an unprecedented glimpse into the reproductive lives of prehistoric freshwater snails, establishing deep biogeographical connections between Taiwan and East Asia. Researchers from Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University have documented the first discovery of five freshwater molluscs species in the Early Pleistocene Dananwan Formation, but one finding, in particular, has captivated the scientific community: a vanishingly rare fossil of a juvenile snail shell preserved perfectly within its mother's shell. Scientist discover a preserved mother-and-child pair belongs to the species Sinotaia quadrata. The pivotal finding, detailed in the forthcoming issue of the journal Geodiversitas , marks only the second known global fossil evidence of a juvenile shell within an adult, a phenomenon that reveals ancient viviparous (live birth) and nurturing behavior in these prehistoric snails. Dr. Chien-Hsiang L...

Vatican Closes Decades-Long Debate: Mary Is Not 'Co-Redeemer,' Jesus is Sole Savior

The doctrinal instruction from the Vatican, approved by Pope Leo , is a significant moment of theological clarification for the global Catholic Church . By officially ruling against the title " co-redeemer " for the Virgin Mary, the Church firmly reaffirms a central tenet of Christian faith : Jesus Christ is the sole Redeemer and Mediator between God and humanity. This commentary article explores the doctrinal necessity of this clarification, supported by foundational Scriptural verses that define the unique redemptive work of Jesus. Clarifying the Core of Christian Redemption The debate over the title " co-redemptrix " (co-redeemer) often stems from a profound and admirable desire to honor the Virgin Mary's unique role in salvation history . As the one whose "fiat" ("Let it be") brought the Savior into the world, her spiritual importance is undeniable and permanent. However, the title "co-redeemer" dangerously implies that Mary...

Opening a Can of Worms': Decades of Canned Salmon Reveal Dramatic Changes in Ocean Parasite Load

In an unprecedented use of historical data, scientists have discovered a significant, 40-year shift in the parasite burden of Alaskan salmon —not by studying live fish, but by literally "opening a can of worms" from archives. Worm found in the Canned Salmon stored for decades A new study published in Ecology and Evolution utilized canned salmon fillets spanning four decades to track the presence of common parasitic roundworms ( nematodes ) in four commercially critical species of Alaskan salmon. The surprising finding is that the long-term health of these fish, and by extension the North Pacific ecosystem , is undergoing major change. The Canned Time Capsule Traditional parasitology research often relies on sporadic, short-term surveys, making it nearly impossible to track consistent ecological trends over decades. Researchers from the University of Washington and collaborators solved this problem by turning to the commercial seafood industry. They analyzed archived, c...

Philippine Farmers Gain Two-Month Reprieve as President Extends Rice Import Freeze

The Philippine government is doubling down on its commitment to local agriculture, with an executive decision to extend the temporary ban on rice imports until the end of the year. The move, announced by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr., aims to solidify the recent, albeit fragile, gains in the farmgate price of palay (unmilled rice) for the nation's rice growers. A Policy Pivot to Protect Local Prices President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.'s approval on Sunday signals a clear priority: shielding domestic producers during the peak harvest season . While the initial import suspension, implemented in September, provided a brief uplift, prices of palay began to sag again as the original October 31st deadline approached. According to Secretary Laurel, the President recognized that the import suspension’s "significant effect on the farmgate price of palay" far outweighed its minimal impact on retail prices and the national rice supply. The impending Exe...

117 Donkeys will be Shots for Nothing: When Conservation Innovation Loses to Outdated Law

The recent Australian State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) ruling demanding the culling of 117 wild donkeys on Kachana Station is a stark reminder of a rigid, outdated approach to land management in Western Australia . It pits half a century of established " feral pest " dogma against two decades of on-the-ground ecological experimentation—and, depressingly, dogma won. The Flaw in the 'Cull Everything' Dogma For years, the story of non-native animals in Australia has been a simple one: pest equals problem; problem equals eradication. The figures are staggering: nearly 600,000 donkeys culled in the Kimberley since 1980 at a cost of over $8 million. Yet, despite this costly, decades-long campaign, the animals persist, and the underlying issues of land degradation and increasing bushfire risk remain. Enter the Henggeler family of Kachana Station. Their position, backed by 20 years of research, is a direct challenge to this simplistic view: what if the "pest...

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