Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Thursday, April 9, 2026.
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READ: Rising fertilizer costs threaten rice output
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has raised concerns over a potential sharp decline in the country’s rice production, warning that output could drop by 20 to 50 percent if urgent government intervention is not implemented. The anticipated reduction is mainly due to the rising cost of fertilizer, which has been driven up by the war in the Middle East. These price hikes have significantly increased production costs for Filipino farmers, threatening planting activities in the coming months. During a hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform on Wednesday, Agriculture Undersecretary Asis Perez raised concern over the vulnerability of crops scheduled for planting in May and June. He highlighted the critical issue of insufficient access to affordable agricultural inputs and emphasized the urgent need for support to ensure that farmers are equipped with the necessary resources during this essential planting period.
READ: Fuel stocks sufficient, Palace tells businesses
MALACAÑANG on Wednesday assured the business sector that the country maintained sufficient fuel supply amid the global oil supply disruption caused by the war in the Middle East. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto convened the country’s key business groups on Monday to work closely together in swiftly mitigating the impact of global oil price volatility. Recto and other Palace officials later met with 25 executives from 14 petroleum companies for a “wide-ranging dialogue on supply, inventory and cost issues.” In a statement, Recto said the meeting was held in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to immediately cushion the effects of rising fuel costs on businesses and consumers while safeguarding price stability.
READ: Police seek mastermind behind illegal diesel operation
AUTHORITIES are pursuing the mastermind behind a large-scale illegal diesel operation uncovered in Navotas City, as the Philippine National Police (PNP) intensified a nationwide campaign against fuel pilferage and unauthorized petroleum trading. The operation, carried out on April 7 at the Navotas Fish Port Complex, led to the seizure of about 65,000 liters of diesel valued at about P9.75 million. Police said the raid dealt a significant setback to organized fuel smuggling networks operating in coastal and port areas. The joint operation involved the Philippine Coast Guard, the PNP Highway Patrol Group-Regional Highway Patrol Unit-National Capital Region and the PNP Maritime Group, in coordination with the Department of Energy. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators are now working to identify the individual orchestrating the operation, with a parallel financial probe under way to trace the flow of funds and profits linked to the illegal fuel trade.
BUSINESS: Unemployment eases
FEWER Filipinos were jobless in February as labor market conditions improved, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Wednesday. Unemployment eased to 5.1 percent from January’s 5.8 percent. It was, however, higher than the 3.8 percent recorded a year earlier. This translated to 2.66 million unemployed Filipinos, lower than the 2.96 million recorded in January 2026 but up from February 2025’s 1.94 million.
SPORTS: Eala gets Stuttgart Open main draw spot
INSTEAD of earning her spot through the qualifiers, Filipino tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala seized a direct main draw entry at the WTA 500 Stuttgart Open slated from April 13 to 19. World No. 46 Eala gained main draw promotion after No. 37 Zheng Qinwen withdrew due to an injury as announced by the tournament on Wednesday. As the top-ranked player on the main draw alternate list, Eala replaced Zheng and thus avoided having to compete in the qualifiers.
Opinion and editorial
Antonio Contreras and Danton Remoto are today’s front page columnists. Contreras talks about a “fishing expedition” while Remoto recalls Images of America.
Today’s editorial calls on Filipinos to be safe, amid rising temperatures. Read the full version in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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