“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.”
—Henry Ford
By Alex P. Vidal
MANY Filipinos think the biggest economic shocker when we entered the year 2026 was not the reported “slightly higher-than-expected” December 2025 inflation (1.8 percent).
It’s neither the central bank (BSP) “signaling the easing of interest rates, and ongoing discussions about fiscal reforms (like VAT) amidst slower growth and a recent corruption scandal” reportedly with hopes for an economic recovery in the second half of 2026 driven by stronger investor confidence.
It’s the ongoing nightmare of Philippine peso against the US dollar.
Before noontime January 6 in New York, I checked the exchange rate in a Filipino remittance center on Queens Boulevard and here’s what I learned: Viamericas (1 dollar-P59.21); Ria (1 dollar-P59.22); Logo (1 dollar-P59.26); Dolex (1 dollar-P59.26).
As of this writing, the US Dollar (USD) was hovering around under P60 in exchange rate at Philippine Peso (PHP) 59.33.
The dollar to peso exchange rate has generally been going up (strengthening the dollar/weakening the peso), with the PHP hitting record lows recently reportedly due to prospects of Philippine interest rate cuts and investor concerns, though it's fluctuating with slight daily movements around the 59 PHP per USD mark.
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Economists projected the trend indicates continued pressure on the peso as the Philippine central bank considers easing policy, while global economic factors also play a role.
For someone in the Philippines, it costs more pesos to buy dollars.
For someone holding dollars and converting to pesos, their money goes further.
Here’s the scarier part. The Philippine Peso's future is reportedly mixed: some analysts predict a rebound due to central bank support and remittances, potentially strengthening it in early 2026, while others foresee continued weakness towards or past the 60 PHP/USD mark.
It is reportedly influenced by global trade, US policy, and domestic spending, with some expecting a weaker peso to help certain sectors like tourism and remittances.
Recent activity indicated it hovering around the 59 PHP/USD level, with central bank easing and government spending impacting its direction.
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Even if they won’t admit it, the Marcos Jr. administration has actually “lost” its battle to bring back fugitive former presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
He would have been taken back to the Philippines to face the human trafficking among his other criminal cases in December 2025 if the Philippine government succeeded in blocking all the remedies Roque had earlier dug up in his arsenal of tricks.
In fact, we don’t see it in our radar for Roque to be flown out of The Netherlands sooner or later. We theorize the Dutch authorities have granted his request for political asylum.
Roque wouldn’t be louder and braver now in the social media if his chances of being kicked out of The Hague were possible and crystal clear.
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DON'T PUT ICE ON A BURN. Several published studies have shown that putting ice on a burn can damage the skin further, even causing frostbite. It is much better to run the burn under cold water, take a pain reliever and cover the burn with gauze.
DOODLING IMPROVES MEMORY. People who doodled while listening to a boring phone message remembered 29% more about the message than those who didn't doodle.
INJURIES FROM FALLING TVs are on the rise among children age nine and under--sometimes because TVs are pulled or pushed by children or tipped over when a child is climbing. THEORY: In recent years, heavier and larger, tip-prone TVs have increased in popularity. SELF DEFENSE: Strap a TV to a table stand or mount it to a wall.
GARDENERS ARE AT RISK FOR TETANUS. The bacteria that causes tetanus, also caled lockjaw, is commonly found in dirt and on tools. Gardeners account for more than 1/3 of the tetanus cases reported in the U.S. each year. SELF-DEFENSE: Get a booster shot every 10 years. Tetanus is rare, but it can be fatal.
THE FRESH SMELL OF RAIN COMES FROM PLANTS. When the weather is dry, certain plants secrete an oil that is absorbed by rocks and soil. When it rains, the oil is released into the air as a gas, creating an aroma called petrichor. KnowledgeNews.Net
Some of the largest breasts ever recorded figure in the book "Human Oddities" by Martin Monestier. The weight of each breast of the woman he mentions in the book is 44 pounds (19.8 kg) while their circumference is 33" (83.82 cm).
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)
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