Author: gqSbgCfmna

November 12, 2025 | 7:42pm

MANILA, Philippines — At the start of November, the Philippines was battered by two consecutive typhoons, striking just days apart and leaving a trail of devastation. Typhoon Tino (Kalmegi) brought landslides and floods across the Visayas, claiming more than 200 lives. Before the country could recover, Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung Wong) followed – a storm so massive it captured global headlines and drew renowned storm chasers to document its impact.

Typhoon Uwan ripped through Luzon with relentless force. Torrential rains sent walls of mud cascading down hillsides into residential areas. In other neighborhoods, fast-moving flash floods destroyed homes in minutes.

As of this writing, families are struggling to piece their lives back together, and the full extent of the damage remains unclear. But the images we see on news reports and social media tell an all too familiar, heartbreaking story: dozens dead including helpless children, homes flattened, farmlands submerged, roads washed out, and livelihoods swept away by floods and landslides.

One thought that comes to mind upon seeing the magnitude of the damage left by typhoons Uwan and Tino is this: Why is it that year after year, despite decades of experience with monster typhoons, our country remains pitifully unprepared?

This is not just about climate change, it is also a matter of governance and foresight. The failure to plan and invest in resilience is costing us more than property, it’s costing us futures. The storms will keep coming, given the location where the Philippines is in.  But for me, the real disaster lies in our failure to demand accountability and our inability to learn and act.

For over two decades, the Philippines has remained as one the world’s most disaster-prone nation, topping the 2025 World Risk Index again, which measures disaster risks for 193 countries based on exposure to climate-related hazards; susceptibility of the population; and coping and adaptive capacities of communities.

The impact of natural disasters, whether typhoons or earthquakes, is not just disruption but has long-lasting consequences to our nation’s economy and development.

Behind the numbers on economic losses are human stories – Filipinos who lost their loved ones and homes to floods and landslides, families forced to flee every time there is a storm, farmers watching entire harvests get washed away by floodwaters, and small businesses closing indefinitely.

While resilience and solidarity during crises are admirable, these should not be normalized as solutions. Recovery must go beyond rebuilding what was lost. Structural and systemic solutions must be put in place to ensure that public funds are used properly to help our communities withstand severe weather events – not drown them in corruption.

In the coming years, the storms entering Philippines will probably be more frequent and stronger. The question is, how do we adapt to finally put an end to what seems to be an unending cycle of recovery and rebuilding?

Readiness must be a mindset that is reflected in our education system, public infrastructure, policies and government spending.

Disaster literacy should be taught to children in schools as early as kindergarten and in communities by local government units. Urban planning should reflect climate readiness with infrastructure designed to withstand severe weather events. Government spending should be scrutinized and watched like a hawk to ensure that the budget for flood control projects and disaster readiness is spent properly. We must demand accountability from national agencies down to local officials. Disaster funds must be transparent, and infrastructure projects must meet climate-resilient standards.

The Philippines must prioritize resilience by investing heavily in advanced weather monitoring systems and impact-based forecasting. Accurate, real-time data can save lives by helping communities anticipate risks, prepare effectively, and reduce losses before disaster strikes.  Readiness is not just about responding faster; it’s about preventing devastation.

We don’t have to look far for inspiration. Japan, one of the most seismically active nations on Earth, faces earthquakes and tsunamis regularly, yet it has transformed vulnerability into strength. Through rigorous building codes, cutting-edge early warning systems, and a culture of preparedness ingrained in every citizen, Japan has proven that disasters can be managed, and their impact minimized.

If Japan can do this, so can we. Filipinos have the knowledge, technology and experience. What we need now is the political will and unified action to make disaster preparedness a critical element of national development.

It is time to shift our mindset as a nation and start viewing storms not as seasonal disruptions but as a constant part of life in the Philippines. This way, we can embrace disaster readiness, rebuild smarter communities, and protect what we have built as a nation.

Readiness is not a luxury; it is a necessity. We owe it to ourselves and to the future generation of Filipinos to build a future where a typhoon is no longer synonymous with devastation.

November 12, 2025 | 7:42pm

MANILA, Philippines — At the start of November, the Philippines was battered by two consecutive typhoons, striking just days apart and leaving a trail of devastation. Typhoon Tino (Kalmegi) brought landslides and floods across the Visayas, claiming more than 200 lives. Before the country could recover, Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung Wong) followed – a storm so massive it captured global headlines and drew renowned storm chasers to document its impact.

Typhoon Uwan ripped through Luzon with relentless force. Torrential rains sent walls of mud cascading down hillsides into residential areas. In other neighborhoods, fast-moving flash floods destroyed homes in minutes.

As of this writing, families are struggling to piece their lives back together, and the full extent of the damage remains unclear. But the images we see on news reports and social media tell an all too familiar, heartbreaking story: dozens dead including helpless children, homes flattened, farmlands submerged, roads washed out, and livelihoods swept away by floods and landslides.

One thought that comes to mind upon seeing the magnitude of the damage left by typhoons Uwan and Tino is this: Why is it that year after year, despite decades of experience with monster typhoons, our country remains pitifully unprepared?

This is not just about climate change, it is also a matter of governance and foresight. The failure to plan and invest in resilience is costing us more than property, it’s costing us futures. The storms will keep coming, given the location where the Philippines is in.  But for me, the real disaster lies in our failure to demand accountability and our inability to learn and act.

For over two decades, the Philippines has remained as one the world’s most disaster-prone nation, topping the 2025 World Risk Index again, which measures disaster risks for 193 countries based on exposure to climate-related hazards; susceptibility of the population; and coping and adaptive capacities of communities.

The impact of natural disasters, whether typhoons or earthquakes, is not just disruption but has long-lasting consequences to our nation’s economy and development.

Behind the numbers on economic losses are human stories – Filipinos who lost their loved ones and homes to floods and landslides, families forced to flee every time there is a storm, farmers watching entire harvests get washed away by floodwaters, and small businesses closing indefinitely.

While resilience and solidarity during crises are admirable, these should not be normalized as solutions. Recovery must go beyond rebuilding what was lost. Structural and systemic solutions must be put in place to ensure that public funds are used properly to help our communities withstand severe weather events – not drown them in corruption.

In the coming years, the storms entering Philippines will probably be more frequent and stronger. The question is, how do we adapt to finally put an end to what seems to be an unending cycle of recovery and rebuilding?

Readiness must be a mindset that is reflected in our education system, public infrastructure, policies and government spending.

Disaster literacy should be taught to children in schools as early as kindergarten and in communities by local government units. Urban planning should reflect climate readiness with infrastructure designed to withstand severe weather events. Government spending should be scrutinized and watched like a hawk to ensure that the budget for flood control projects and disaster readiness is spent properly. We must demand accountability from national agencies down to local officials. Disaster funds must be transparent, and infrastructure projects must meet climate-resilient standards.

The Philippines must prioritize resilience by investing heavily in advanced weather monitoring systems and impact-based forecasting. Accurate, real-time data can save lives by helping communities anticipate risks, prepare effectively, and reduce losses before disaster strikes.  Readiness is not just about responding faster; it’s about preventing devastation.

We don’t have to look far for inspiration. Japan, one of the most seismically active nations on Earth, faces earthquakes and tsunamis regularly, yet it has transformed vulnerability into strength. Through rigorous building codes, cutting-edge early warning systems, and a culture of preparedness ingrained in every citizen, Japan has proven that disasters can be managed, and their impact minimized.

If Japan can do this, so can we. Filipinos have the knowledge, technology and experience. What we need now is the political will and unified action to make disaster preparedness a critical element of national development.

It is time to shift our mindset as a nation and start viewing storms not as seasonal disruptions but as a constant part of life in the Philippines. This way, we can embrace disaster readiness, rebuild smarter communities, and protect what we have built as a nation.

Readiness is not a luxury; it is a necessity. We owe it to ourselves and to the future generation of Filipinos to build a future where a typhoon is no longer synonymous with devastation.

November 12, 2025 | 7:42pm

MANILA, Philippines — Earnings of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) fell by nearly 18 percent to P86.9 billion from January to August versus last year’s P105.6 billion amid lower revenues. 

Preliminary data showed the total revenue of the central bank, mostly comprised of interest income on foreign investments, government securities and treasury bonds, went down by 15.1 percent to P187 billion from P220.2 billion a year ago.

During the eight-month period, the BSP’s interest earnings increased by 2.4 percent to P163.1 billion from P159.3 billion.

On the other hand, income from miscellaneous activities such as trading gains or losses, fees, penalties and other operating income, among others dropped by 60.6 percent to P24 billion from last year’s P60.9 billion.

The total expenses of the central bank also went down by four percent to P137.5 billion from P143.2 billion as interest expenses reached P92.6 billion, 17.4 percent lower than P112.1 billion a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the BSP reported a 31-percent rise in gains from foreign exchange fluctuations during the eight-month period to P37.4 billion versus a year-ago level of P28.6 billion.

The central bank recognizes gains or losses when foreign exchange assets and liabilities are matured, sold or settled. It participates in the foreign exchange market to smooth sharp peso-dollar swings.

Separate data also showed that the BSP’s total assets dipped by one percent to P7.69 trillion as of August from P7.77 trillion a year earlier. Liabilities also fell by 1.9 percent to P7.38 trillion from P7.52 trillion. 

The central bank’s net worth, however, rose by 26.4 percent to P311.3 billion from P246.2 billion previously.

Based on the BSP’s 2024 Annual Report, the central bank registered a net income of P117.6 billion last year, nearly five times higher than the P26.5 billion seen in 2023 due to increases in trading gains on price fluctuations and higher interest earnings from investments in forex securities.

November 12, 2025 | 6:01pm

MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-four local officials are being investigated for taking foreign trips during the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Uwan” (international name: Hung Fong).

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the officials, most of whom are mayors, will be investigated for leaving the country amid the super typhoon despite “clear-cut guidelines.”

“Under investigation ngayon ang 24 na umalis na local chief executives. Despite the directive, umalis sila November 9 to 15,” Remulla said in a DZBB interview.

(Twenty-four local chief executives are currently under investigation. They departed between November 9 and 15, despite the directive.)

“That’s what they need to explain. It’s clear-cut guidelines. If they asked the local DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government), they probably didn’t ask, they will tell them the requirements,” he added.

(That’s what they need to explain. The guidelines are clear-cut. If they had asked the local DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government] — which they probably didn’t — they would have been told the requirements.)

When asked about the local officials who had already traveled abroad before the DILG’s directive to cancel foreign trips, Remulla emphasized that there are clear guidelines governing such situations.

However, he emphasized that the officials’ “moral duty” was to be cognizant of the approaching cyclone.

“Lahat naman tayo nanonood ng balita, lahat tayo nagbabasa ng dyaryo, lahat tayo nakikita sa internet. Alam naman natin na may parating, ‘di ba?” Remulla said.

(We all watch the news, we all read the papers, and we all see what’s on the internet. We all know something’s coming, right?)

On November 8, the DILG announced that it had directed all elective and appointive local officials to cancel or postpone their foreign trips from November 9 to 15 as the country prepared for the effects of Uwan.

However, Remulla said that the trips of the two governors from the Cagayan Valley are not covered by the investigation, as they asked permission and left before the agency issued the directive.

November 12, 2025 | 5:43pm

MANILA, Philippines — Kapamilya actor Gerald Anderson will be up against immense physical odds when he faces mixed martial artist Mark “Mugen” Striegl and boxing champion Rodex “The Tank” Piala in the upcoming finale of his show “Sins of the Father.”

Series producer JRB Creative Production posted a reel on Instagram showing Gerald, Mugen, and Rodex practicing stuntwork.

“Dalawang mandirigmang haharapin ni Samuel sa isang matinding laban! Abangan!” the production company teased in its caption.

In the video, Gerald said he really admired Mugen and Rodex during the filming of their scene as it came off looking real.

“Real fighters, mas real ‘yung eksena,” Gerald said. “There’s one move na tinuhod ako na parang nandito na (sa noo), humalik lang sa akin ‘yung tuhod, ‘di ko alam kung paano ginawa ‘yon pero ang galing.”

The actor called making a fight scene with Rodex quite an experience after noticing how different his speed was.

“Kumpara doon sa naka-fight ko and obviously sa mga stunt doubles which is a different kind of technique. Ito talaga boksingero kasi and he’s a current champion,” Gerald praised the boxer, expressing hopes he’d work with both athletes again soon.

Mugen is also a sambo gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games and gained wider attention after representing the Philippines in Netflix’s “Physical: Asia” with Manny Pacquiao and four other Filipino athletes.

Rodex is the current World Boxing Organization Oriental Super Featherweight titleholder, a title he won after defeating Yeerjialahasi Laayibieke last February.

RELATED: Mark Striegl, Justin Coveney, Ray Querubin proud to represent Philippines in ‘Physical Asia’