ICRC President: At 77, the Geneva Conventions remain indispensable to humanity and global stability

 

Statement by Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the ICRC, to mark the 77th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 on August 12th.

On 12 August 1949, states came together in the wake of the unprecedented death and destruction of the Second World War to adopt the Geneva Conventions. In doing so, they committed to universal redlines for how wars can be fought.

 Seventy-seven years later, the promise made by states to preserve humanity in war is eroding at an alarming pace. The world is counting more conflicts each year. Technologies like drones and cyber capabilities are reshaping the battlefield and erasing the notion of a clearly defined frontline. Atrocities are becoming dangerously normalised and the victims of war dehumanized.

In today’s interconnected world, no one is immune to the effects of war. As parties to the Geneva Conventions, states bear a unique responsibility to uphold these lifesaving rules. Doing so is a moral and strategic imperative that protects people both near and far the frontlines. It is also foundational to global peace and prosperity.

Changing course is still possible, but only if exceptional efforts are made now to strengthen respect for and commitment to international humanitarian law. More than 115 states have officially joined a global initiative to renew political will for international humanitarian law. I call on all states who have not yet joined to do so. The world future generations will inherit depends on the decisions world leaders make today to commit to preserving these lifesaving rules. (ICRC Press Release; Edited by Jun Enriquez, Digital-Mobile Journalist)

PSA of Iligan City and Lanao del Norte reveals information on Inflation statistics

Ms. Brenda Lynn M. Castro, OIC, PSA Iligan City and Lanao del Norte

 By Jun Enriquez

ILIGAN CITY - The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) based in Iligan City conducted a press conference dated August 13, 2026, Thursday, headed by Brenda Lynn M. Castro, Officer-in-charge, PSA of Iligan City and Lanao del Norte area.

Ms. Castro said that the highest inflation in Region 10 is Lanao del Norte with 8.3 percentage rate. Second is Iligan City with 7.9 percent inflation rate. 

  

The Inflation rate in Lanao del Norte accelerated to 8.3 percent in July 2026, higher than the 7.9 percent recorded in June 2026. This also marked an increase from the -1.8 inflation rate recorded in July 2025, indicating that prices of goods and services in the province were higher compared with the same period last year.

The Purchasing Power of Peso (PPP) was recorded at 0.75. This means that a set of goods and services bought at P75.00 in July 2018 is worth P100.00 in July 2026.

The Consumer price index (CPI) is a measure of change in the average retail prices of a fixed basket of commodities or goods and services commonly purchased by the households relative to a based year or based period. The CPI in Lanao del Norte was recorded at 133.8 in July 2026, indicating that the average price level of a fixed basket of goods and services increased by 33.8 percent compared with the 2018 based year.

The Inflation rate in Iligan City slowed to 7.9 percent in July 2026 from 8.0 petcent in June 2026. However, this remained higher than the 0.1 percent inflation rate recorded in July 2025, indicating an acceleration in the pace of price increases compared with the same period of the previous year.

The PPP in Iligan City was recorded at 0.74. This means that a set of goods and services bought at P74.00 in July 2018 is worth P100.00 in July 2026.

The CPI in Iligan City was defined same as in Lanao del Norte. The CPI status in Iligan City for July 2026 was recorded at 134.6. This implies that, on average, the prices of goods and services commonly purchased by consumers were 34.6 percent higher compared with their price levels in the 2018 base year.

In general, the Inflation rate refers to the annual rate of change or the year-on-year change of the CPI expressed in percentage. The CPI is an indicator that measures changes over time in the average retail prices of a representative basket of goods and services commonly purchased by consumers. The presents of CPI in Iligan City and Lanao del Norte for July 2025 and July 2026, with 2018 will be as the base year.