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The number of individuals who died from the major earthquake in Cebu has reached 70, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Saturday.

In its latest update, NDRRMC said almost half, or 32, of the fatalities were from Bogo City, Cebu, the epicenter of the magnitude 6.9 quake that struck on the night of September 30.

Meanwhile, 15 deaths were recorded in San Remegio, 14 in Medellin, six in Tabogon, and one each in Sogod, Tabuelan, and Borbon, Cebu.

NDRRMC likewise said 559 individuals in the province sustained injuries due to the tremor.

It was around 10 p.m. on September 30 when the quake struck in Cebu, one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit the province in recent history.

Following the quake, more than 5,000 aftershocks-ranging in magnitude from 1 to 5.1-have been recorded as of Saturday. /mr

Metro Manila and some nearby provinces are expected to experience cloudy skies with rain showers and thunderstorms, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on Saturday morning, October 4.

In its latest 24-hour weather forecast, Pagasa reported that Metro Manila will also experience moderate winds blowing from the south to southeast, with Manila Bay waters expected to be moderate.

Similarly, Laoag City, Baguio City, Clark Zone, Olongapo, Tagaytay City, and Lipa can expect the same weather conditions. Subic Bay’s coastal waters will also be moderate.

In other parts of the country, partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with rain showers and thunderstorms might be experienced in Legazpi City, Puerto Princesa City, Kalayaan Group of Islands, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Metro Cebu, Tacloban City, Cagayan de Oro City, Valencia City, Metro Davao, Zamboanga City, and Tuguegarao City.

Meanwhile, the rainfall warning over Bataan and Zambales due to severe tropical storm Paolo is now terminated.

In a separate advisory, Pagasa said that threats of storm surge over the Philippine coastal areas have ceased as Paolo’s maximum winds moved farther offshore. However, wind-driven waves may still affect low-lying coastal communities.

Paolo has exited the Philippine area of responsibility as of Saturday morning, but Pagasa reported that they are monitoring a new low-pressure area that has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression outside of PAR within the next 24 hours. /das

Leaders of Agusan del Sur province hailed a local athlete for a recent triumph in the international arena, providing inspiration for aspiring ones to emulate.

In separate statements, House Representatives Adolph Edward Plaza and Alfel Bascug, and Governor Santiago Cane hoped that Elias Tabac’s glory at the 2025 Spartan Thailand Trifecta Series in Chiang Mai last Sept. 28 would attract more young people to embrace athletics.

Tabac, the pride of Barangay Calaitan in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur, clinched a historic silver medal in Chiang Mai. Tabac, who represented the Philippines, placed second in the grueling Super 10K race, finishing behind the Italian champion. The Spartan series is regarded worldwide as one of the toughest endurance competitions, combining long-distance running with obstacle challenges.

He was earlier regarded as ‘Spartan King’ after conquering Leg 3 of the 2025 Spartan Philippines National Series on August 2 at The Trails, Nuvali in Laguna. The Agusan del Sur native is no stranger to international triumphs. In 2021, he conquered the World’s Highest Obstacle Course Race at the crater of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania-a feat verified by Guinness World Records. He completed the high-altitude event in one hour and 15 minutes.

At home, Tabac serves as athletics coach for Agusan del Sur, whose athletes dominated the 2025 Caraga Regional Athletic Games. They are now preparing for the 2026 Palarong Pambansa, set to be hosted at the newly built Datu Lipus Makapandong Sports Complex in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur. Tabac dedicated his silver finish to his athletes and their families, while expressing gratitude for the support of Cane, Plaza, and Bascug.

Since our rice industry is in a crisis, with our farmers losing their incomes as never before, the Department of Agriculture (DA) must now totally support the possibility of safeguards for our rice farmers’ survival. This will enable our farmers to once again earn an income as well as produce the rice we need for our own food security.

Last Sept. 2, the International Trade Committee of the public-private Philippine Council of Agriculture and Food (PCAF) unanimously approved the following resolution: to restore immediately the current 15 percent tariff on imported rice to 35 percent, and explore a higher tariff rate to adequately protect our rice farmers.

The request for a Tariff Commission hearing on an increased rice tariff was likewise approved. However, Raul Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) stated that this would take time. He suggested that other methods be used because our farmers were suffering too much.

Alyansa Agrikultura had previously written to the Tariff Commission for a hearing on raising the rice tariff. To date, there has been no positive response.

Last Sept. 29, Montemayor, acting as the FFF national manager, filed a petition for safeguard measures. He was joined by Argel Joseph Cabatbat, acting as the chair of the Magsasaka Partylist.

Safeguard measures

I first learned about safeguard measures when I was chair of the Technical Working Group of the Cabinet-level Committee on Tariffs and Safeguard Measures. When I became president of the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines and the Asean Federation of Cement Manufacturers, we requested safeguard measures to protect the cement industry for its survival.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) further helped us by filing the safeguard measure ‘motu proprio.’ This means that ‘the action is initiated voluntarily by the authority itself.’ Therefore, the cement manufacturers would be significantly helped by the DTI.

What resulted was more complete data, much faster action and increased credibility. When the petition was submitted to the Tariff Commission, the safeguard was granted.

What is a safeguard in international trade terms? It is a temporary restriction that a country applies on imports of a certain product to protect an industry from serious injury (or such a threat) because of an import surge. This can take the form of an additional tariff. This is exactly what our rice farmers need now.

History

In 2019, the Philippines had to comply with its Worlf Trade Organization commitment to stop the quantitative restriction of rice imports. Instead, a 35-percent tariff was imposed.

At that time, both the Alyansa Agrikultura and the FFF filed separate petitions to the DA for a safeguard measure which would increase the rice tariff. This was because 35 percent was too low and would significantly harm our rice farmers.

Both petitions did not get even a response from the DA. As a result, though rice retail prices decreased by only 2 percent from its normal level, our rice farmers lost 23 percent of their income.

To make matters worse, when the government further brought this rate down to 15 percent in July 2024, the rice farmers suffered even more. Asking for the rice safeguard now is imperative. It meets the three conditions for a safeguard to be valid.

Three conditions

First, for evidence of an import surge, we used to import approximately one million tons a year. In 2025. We imported three million tons. In fact, the import volume we have this year is 5.4 million tons. This is double the 2.65 million rice supply gap stated by the Department of Economy, Planning and Development.

Second, for damage to industry, this is abundantly clear. For the first time, the average production cost per kilo is less than the farm-gate price. That means loss rather than profit. The cost is P14.28 a kilo, while the selling price is P11 a kilo. The damage has been disastrous.

Third, regarding the import surge being the cause for the damage to the rice industry, the landed import price forced the farmers to sell their palay at a much lower price. That is, to be able to compete with the cheap imported rice, as a result of the very low 15 percent tariff.

DA should not only review carefully the safeguard petition filed by Montemayor and Cabatbat. In addition, the DTI must consider using the more effective and much faster motu proprio mode. If the DTI used motu proprio to help the cement industry survive, the DA must do its own investigation, speed up the process and file a motu propio petition if the information they speedily collect warrants it. INQ

Lihangin Wind Energy Corp. (LWEC) will build point-to-point transmission facilities to directly connect its wind park in Northern Samar to the power grid.

LWEC secured on Thursday the Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of its proposed project. That is, to develop its own point-to-point transmission facilities for its 206.25-megawatt San Isidro Wind Power Project in Northern Samar.

LWEC is a joint venture of Aboitiz Renewables Inc., Vivant Energy Corp. and Singapore-based Vena Energy.

The facilities would be linked to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines’ (NGCP) Calbayog substation. However, NGCP will operate and maintain these facilities.

LWEC said building the transmission assets was necessary to supply the grid system with added power.

Online by February 2026

The firm tapped Powerchina Philippines Corp. as its engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the said planned transmission facilities.

The wind park is designed to have 33 wind turbine generators, with commercial operation expected by February 2026.

‘LWEC is one with Department of Energy’s vision of boosting the generation of electricity from renewable sources and reducing the environmental impact brought by the use of traditional fossil fuels,’ it said in a separate document.

The group also said that the timely completion and operation of the wind project could jack up the Visayas’ electricity needs. The grid was placed under ‘yellow’ and ‘red’ alert ‘several times’ last year due to thin reserve margins.

In a yellow alert, the power supply can still meet demand, but it will serve as a warning that when a plant breaks down one way or another, it will result in brownouts.

A red alert, meanwhile, means that supply is no longer sufficient to meet demand. Brownouts could happen if demand is not managed. INQ

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon continued to expose the wealth amassed by Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya, the contractor couple who have drawn much flak in the ongoing investigation into graft-tainted infrastructure projects.

Sarcastically describing them as ‘champions’ in securing government contracts, Dizon on Friday noted that companies owned by the Discayas had managed to secure projects worth almost P78 billion since 2016, or the start of the Duterte administration.

The couple were in the first group of contractors and public works officials sued last month by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at the Office of the Ombudsman for graft and malversation of public funds.

The Department of Justice, however, later admitted the Discayas to the Witness Protection Program, citing the need for their cooperation in building up more cases.

Referred to PCC

Dizon drew attention to the couple on Friday as the DPWH formally asked another agency-the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC)-to have the Discayas and other contractors investigated further, this time for allegedly rigging public biddings.

According to Dizon, DPWH records showed that the Discaya-owned companies got a total of 1,214 flood control projects from 2016 to this year, all worth P77.934 billion.

‘The Discayas are the champions here,’ Dizon said at a press conference. ‘We are prioritizing the contractors that we slapped with criminal charges. I don’t want to discuss anything about the other contractors since their cases are yet to be filed, but definitely the Discayas are the champions here.’

From 2023 to 2025, he said, their companies were in the ‘Top 2 or 3’ in terms of contracts won.

Citing records from the Land Registration Authority, Dizon said the Discayas also accumulated 18 properties with an estimated market value of P1 billion.

Penalties

He said the couple had actually admitted engaging in rigged biddings in their testimonies before the Senate blue ribbon committee.

Dizon said they could face penalties of up to ‘P300 billion’ from the PCC.

Aside from the Discayas, the DPWH chief referred to the commission several other cases of alleged bidding manipulation.

Recovering people’s money

‘Unlike the previous cases wherein the PCC would do a case buildup and gather evidence by themselves, we believe this would make it easier for them [to act on the case],’ Dizon said. ‘It is important for us to hold (the contractors) accountable and for them to return the money of our taxpayers.’

Dizon said the DPWH had also written to different surety and insurance companies to recover surety bonds amounting to P89 million for flood control projects in Bulacan province that were found to be substandard.