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For millions of Filipinos, installment plans have become the go-to solution for buying big-ticket items—phones, appliances, even hospital bills. The pitch is always the same: “Low monthly payments. Zero stress.”But what’s often missing from the billboard is the fine print. And when you add up all the numbers, those “₱1,499/month” deals often come with more financial weight than we expect.

Installments feel doable because they break a big cost into “bite-sized” pieces. That’s the trick. Example: A gadget worth ₱18,000 might look like a smart deal at ₱1,499/month for 12 months. But you may end up paying ₱25,000+ once interest, fees, and penalties kick in.

What happens if you fall behind:
Legal protections exist, but non-payment comes with serious consequences.

The big picture: it eats into your budget
BSP data shows the average Filipino household spends more than it earns monthly.
Add 2–3 installment plans, and it’s a recipe for:

Laboring under the illusion of “kaya pa”
Installments aren’t evil—but they’re rarely the bargain they claim to be. Without full transparency, they prey on urgent needs and limited cash flow.

Translation: If you don’t ask for the total cost, you’re not buying a gadget. You’re buying future stress—₱1,499 at a time.

PSEi: 6,419.05
BSP Rates: 5.25% (borrowing) | 4.75% (deposit) | 5.75% (lending)
🌐 Global Markets
Bitcoin: $107,888
Gold: $3,333.45 - $3,348.50

💱 Exchange Rates (PHP per 1 unit)

🇺🇸 USD: ₱56.21 - ₱56.50 (around these values, with slight variations)
🇬🇧 GBP: ₱73.04 (buying) - ₱78.30 (selling) (based on available bank rates)
🇸🇦 SAR: ₱12.06 (buying) - ₱15.16 (selling) (based on available bank rates)
🇯🇵 JPY: ₱0.3704 (buying) - ₱0.4020 (selling) (based on available bank rates)
🇪🇺 EUR: ₱62.69 (buying) - ₱68.13 (selling) (based on available bank rates)
Note: Exchange rates may vary slightly depending on provider.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is preparing to crack down on the growing dangers of online gambling. As digital wallets like GCash and Maya make it easier than ever to place a bet, regulators are stepping in to prevent financial ruin—especially among young and vulnerable Filipinos.

Online gambling has exploded in the country. In Q1 2025, electronic gaming platforms actually out-earned physical casinos, according to PAGCOR. It's a perfect storm: high internet use, easy e-wallet access, and the lure of quick money.

But with growth comes consequences. Lawmakers are raising alarms about addiction, shady foreign platforms, and mounting personal debt. The BSP is now responding with a draft circular that could change how Filipinos gamble—digitally, at least.

The goal? Prevent small, frequent bets from silently draining wallets—and lives.

Not just a moral issue, but a financial one
Digital wallets made gambling frictionless. That means easier access, faster losses, and higher risks of addiction. The BSP also worries that unregulated platforms could undermine trust in the entire digital finance ecosystem, which it's worked years to build.

Legislators are backing the move:
Senator Gatchalian wants the legal gambling age raised to 21 and tighter wallet restrictions. Senators Villanueva and Cayetano are pushing for a total online gambling ban. Even Finance Secretary Ralph Recto proposed banning gov’t employees from gambling at all.

Why It Matters:
Online gambling isn’t just a vice—it’s a fast-growing risk to public finance, mental health, and digital trust. The BSP’s move may slow the bleeding before it becomes a full-blown crisis.

PesoWeekly’s Take:
Gambling platforms made it seamless. Regulators are trying to make it harder—but the question is: are they already too late?

Something they get away with: Making addiction look like entertainment—while the house always wins.

Malacañang assured rice farmers that contingency funds are ready to protect them from income loss as the P20-per-kilo rice program expands nationwide. Amid falling palay prices—down to P8/kg in some areas—the government pledged to cut out middlemen and increase direct market access for farmers. The program has already helped over 105,000 families, with President Marcos Jr. leading a recent rollout in Cavite under the “Benteng Bigas, Meron (BBM) Na!” initiative.

Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has warned of a health emergency after two waste contractors quit over ₱400 million in unpaid fees, halting garbage collection in the capital. With nearly 2 million residents affected, Domagoso urged households to keep trash indoors temporarily. Former contractor Leonel agreed to resume collection “for free” after Domagoso pleaded. The mayor, known for past clean-up drives, led city crews in washing down streets as piles of trash raised health concerns.

MANILA — More global airlines are landing in NAIA as tourism and trade rebound, according to San Miguel-led New Naia Infra Corp. (NNIC). Philippine Airlines just launched direct flights to Da Nang, Vietnam, while Air France, Air Canada, and Vietjet added routes to the US, Australia, France, Japan, and Canada. NNIC is upgrading terminals, baggage systems, and expanding capacity to 62 million passengers annually as part of a ₱170B rehab plan.

In celebration of National ICT Month, DICT Region XI hosted a job fair in Davao City with 16 employers offering 800 digital-related jobs. The agency also held cybersecurity seminars and digital literacy training for PWDs, seniors, LGBTQIA+, and health workers. Regional Director Evamay Dela Rosa emphasized the push toward an inclusive digital workforce aligned with President Marcos Jr.’s goal of creating 8 million digital jobs by 2028.

Authorities seized over P34 million worth of smuggled onions and frozen mackerel from China on Tuesday. Agriculture and Health Secretaries Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Teodoro Herbosa led the inspection of six container vans falsely declared as spring rolls and egg noodles. The DA vowed jail time for the smugglers, calling their brazenness “insulting” to Filipino farmers. The goods will be tested for safety and may be used for food security if cleared.

Six more lives were lost across Europe as temperatures soared past 40°C. In Spain, two farmers were trapped and killed by a wildfire in Catalonia. In Italy, beachgoers in Sardinia collapsed and died. A 10-year-old American girl died suddenly while visiting Versailles in France. Meanwhile, fires forced evacuations in Greece as heat records shattered across the continent. Experts warn: rising temperatures, especially in cities, are becoming deadlier—fueled by human-driven climate change.

U.S.-Japan Trade Talks Stall as Trump Threatens New Tariffs

Trade talks between the U.S. and Japan have hit a deadlock after weeks of negotiations failed to produce a deal. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned Tokyo that failure to agree could lead to harsher tariffs, including restrictions on Japanese auto exports. Japan refused to budge without relief from Trump’s 25% auto tariffs. President Trump has since lashed out, criticized Japan’s rice imports, and threatened punitive trade letters and fresh levies.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, only 25.6% of Filipino households had savings as of Q4 2024. This means that about 3 out of 4 households live paycheck to paycheck, with little or no financial cushion to survive a crisis 

👉 Source: BSP Consumer Expectations Survey, Q4 2024

The BSP also notes that most households who do save use their money for:

But with rising living costs and stagnant wages, saving is more of a luxury than a habit for most.

The proportion of households with savings has been declining:

No savings means one illness, one job loss, or one typhoon—and everything can fall apart. This also explains why loan apps, buy-now-pay-later schemes, and pawnshops thrive in the Philippines. It’s rarely about greed—it’s often about desperation.

This isn’t just a budgeting issue—it’s a structural failure. When full-time workers still can’t save, something’s wrong. And yet, government leaders talk about GDP growth without asking: “Can people actually afford to live?” Something they get away with: They tell you to save more—while the minimum wage remains very low.

Researchers at Mie University in Japan have achieved a scientific milestone by using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to remove the extra copy of chromosome 21—the cause of Down syndrome—in lab-grown human cells. The team reported removal rates of up to 37.5% in both stem cells and mature skin cells. Edited cells showed normalized gene expression, faster growth, and reduced oxidative stress. However, this breakthrough is still limited to laboratory experiments: it has not been tested in animals or humans, and safety concerns remain regarding possible unintended effects on other chromosomes. While not a treatment yet, this foundational work opens new possibilities for future therapies targeting the root cause of Down syndrome

Scorpions have existed for over 400 million years, as confirmed by fossil evidence, making them among the oldest terrestrial animals on Earth. All known scorpion species glow blue-green under ultraviolet (UV) light due to compounds in their exoskeleton, a trait widely used by researchers for identification. Scorpions are also highly resilient: they can survive for months, and in some cases up to a year, without food thanks to their extremely low metabolic rate. While some sources claim scorpions can hold their breath for several days, the exact maximum duration varies by species and is not universally documented in scientific literature. These adaptations have allowed scorpions to thrive in harsh environments across the globe.

Scientists at Duke, Harvard, and New Zealand’s University of Otago created a tool called DunedinPACNI that estimates how fast you're aging—using just one brain MRI. Based on decades of health data, it can predict midlife risk for dementia and chronic illness before symptoms show up. In tests, fast agers were 60% more likely to develop dementia and 40% more likely to die early. The hope? Spot problems early, intervene faster, and finally outsmart diseases like Alzheimer’s.

BPI AIA Free Courses – Simple video lessons on budgeting, saving, and financial planning. Click here

Moneymax.ph – Compare credit cards, loans, and insurance with practical money tips for Filipinos. Link of the site: Click here

Philippine Spirits by Jean Karl Gaverza – A digital archive of 2,000+ mythical creatures and deities from Filipino folklore. Find it on: Philippine Spirits

🎙️The Koolpals:  Pinoy comedians talk life and pop culture with jokes, banter, and big laughs. Click here

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Why how you think about money matters more than what you know. Available in all bookstores.

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