Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Friday, April 11, 2026.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.
READ: Bigger price drop for diesel seen next week
THE price of diesel is expected to drop by P5.50 to P6.50 per liter, a bigger decrease than what had been earlier projected. Diesel was originally expected to go down by only P3.50 to P2.50 per liter. The new estimate was released Friday. Gasoline will have a smaller price rollback of P1 per liter. The estimates are based on the Mean of Platts, Singapore, the pricing basis of refined goods in Southeast Asia.
READ: Arroyo denies moves to oust Dy amid Sara impeachment
FORMER president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo denied planning to oust Speaker Faustino Dy III amid reports that she is gunning for the speakership to stop the impeachment trial of her ally, Vice President Sara Duterte. She reaffirmed her confidence in Dy’s leadership in the House of Representatives.
READ: Pessimism over Marcos govt on the rise — survey
PUBLIC sentiment about the Marcos administration has sharply deteriorated, with three in four voters expressing pessimism about the country’s condition, governance direction, and near-term economic prospects, according to the latest Pahayag survey. The study shows that 74 percent of respondents are pessimistic, a significant increase from 58 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. In contrast, optimism has dropped to 26 percent, down from 42 percent in the previous quarter. The worsening outlook is reflected in voters’ emotional state. Around 33 percent report feeling anxious, compared to 19 percent who say they feel optimistic.
READ: Veteran trade diplomat is new Tourism chief
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed veteran trade diplomat Dita Angara-Mathay as the new head of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Malacañang announced Friday. The Palace said Angara-Mathay was a “seasoned public servant” who would bring her “decades of experience in trade, investment, and international economic engagement” to the DOT.
BUSINESS: Net FDI plunges
NET foreign direct investments (FDIs) fell by nearly 40 percent in January 2026 as geopolitical concerns weighed on sentiment, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Friday. Net inflows for the month totaled $443 million, 39.2 percent lower than the $749 million seen a year earlier and also down from $560 million in December 2025. Economists warned that the FDI picture was unlikely to improve given heightened uncertainties arising from the US-Israel war on Iran. Nonresidents’ investments in equity capital (other than reinvestment of earnings) plunged by 19.9 percent to $70 million at the start of the year from $88 million in January 2025, BSP data showed.
SPORTS: Pacquiao takes over Mayweather’s old boxing gym
Manny Pacquiao let the setting speak before he said a word.
Inside a boxing gym once tied to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the heart of Hollywood, Pacquiao walked past a partially finished ring, pointing toward future placements for heavy bags and glancing at a larger-than-life image of his rival that will soon be taken down. The space, which is set to open this summer, already carries its new identity: Pacquiao Prime Boxing.
Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Danton Remoto are today’s front page columnists. Contreras asks if the country needs to “crawl into the gutter” to win in 2028, while Remoto quotes excerpts from a so-called nonfiction novel.
Today’s editorial talks about a recent program by the Department of Trade and Industry that was recently cancelled. Read the full version in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
For more news and information, read The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.
