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The low-pressure area (LPA) being monitored outside the Philippine area of responsibility has intensified into a tropical depression, the state weather bureau said on Saturday.

In its latest update released around 4 p.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the weather system was observed gaining strength at 2 p.m.

It was last located 2,285 kilometers east-northeast of extreme Northern Luzon.

The newly formed tropical depression was packing a maximum sustained wind speed of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of 70 kph, moving north-northwestward at 10 kph.

Meanwhile, Pagasa is still monitoring Severe Tropical Storm Paolo (international name: Matmo), which was last spotted about 550 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, outside the PAR.

It was packing a maximum sustained wind speed of 110 kph near the center and gusts of up to 130 kph.

The severe tropical storm is moving west-northwestward at 25 kph, leading farther to the Philippine landmass. /mr

As the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) enters its second season with a four-point line, commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed the arc is here to stay-at least for the foreseeable future.

‘I think it will stay forever,’ Marcial said, before backtracking: ‘As long as I’m commissioner, the four-point line will be used.’

The 2024-25 season served as a trial run for the innovation and the results are in: PBA teams attempted 2,298 shots from the four-point area, converting 554 for a 24.1 percent success rate across three conferences. TNT won both import-laden titles while San Miguel Beer clinched the Philippine Cup.

TNT ranked last in four-point shooting (17.9 percent, 32-of-179), while San Miguel shot above the league average by hitting 65-of-258 (25.2 percent).

Magnolia made the most of the rule tweak, hitting a league-best 32.4 percent (83-of-256), thanks largely to snipers Paul Lee, Peter Alfaro, and Jerrick Ahanmisi. Lee led all locals with 31 makes, while Ahanmisi-who recently signed a one-year deal with Terrafirma-followed with 28. Alfaro, meanwhile, led the league in efficiency at 57.1 percent (8-of-14).

Blackwater was second overall in percentage, making 67-of-233 (28.8 percent), driven by import George King’s 42 makes on 123 attempts. Phoenix (28.3 percent), Meralco (26.6), and Terrafirma (25.5) rounded out the top five.

Below San Miguel in efficiency were NLEX (23.3 percent), NorthPort (19.3), Converge (19.1), Rain or Shine (18.3) and Barangay Ginebra (18.2).

Marcial noted that Fiba had requested data on the four-point line’s use, though it’s unclear whether basketball’s global body was satisfied or if other leagues are seriously considering the idea.

While the rule has produced dramatic moments-most notably a pair of four-point game-winners by import Scotty Hopson in the Governors’ Cup-it still divides opinion. Some teams use it opportunistically or out of desperation.

But when the 2025-26 season opens on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum with a clash between rivals Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia, the arc will be there.

Marcial often compares the four-point argument to the debate on who was the best actor to portray James Bond on the silver screen. ‘There are people who like it, there are people who don’t,’ Marcial said.

Stephen Holt’s chase for a PBA championship continues in his third year in the league and second with Barangay Ginebra, which starts its life minus Jamie Malonzo.

Holt is expected to pick up some of the slack left by Malonzo, who moved to Japan to play for B.League club Kyoto Hannaryz, as the Gin Kings aim to be on the winning side this time after falling short twice in the Finals last season.

‘Jamie’s been a great player for us and we’re gonna miss him,’ Holt said ahead of Ginebra’s season-opening clash with sibling rival Magnolia on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. ‘But at the end of the day, our culture at Ginebra is ‘Next Man Up.’

‘Other guys will have the opportunity to step up and I’m excited with the group that we have. We’ve been working so hard in preseason and we wanted to build upon last season and hopefully win a championship.’

The arrival of rookie Sonny Estil and veteran Norbert Torres could also help alleviate Malonzo’s departure, while RJ Abarrientos, Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson are also expected to lead the charge once more for coach Tim Cone.

Also expected to do more is Holt, who posted 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 70 games for the Gin Kings. It was his first season with the title favorites following his Rookie of the Year campaign with the Terrafirma Dyip.

With Holt, Ginebra made it to the Finals of the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup, only to fall short on both occasions to TNT. The Gin Kings were later sent off by the eventual champion San Miguel Beermen in the Philippine Cup semifinals.

They hope to write a different story this season.

‘You want to put yourself in a position to win a championship, and we did that last season,’ Holt said. ‘For us, it’s all about fighting through adversity and continuing that resiliency and fight so there’s a lot of room for us to grow.’

Heavy traffic is expected around the Philippine Arena in Bulacan as K-pop group TWICE stages its ‘This Is For The World’ tour on Saturday, October 4.

According to the advisory released by the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), the event is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. They advised motorists to load their RFID accounts and plan trips ahead of time.

NLEX advised concert attendees to use Ciudad de Victoria exit while motorists bound for Bocaue or Santa Maria are urged to take alternate routes via Marilao, Bocaue, or Tambubong exits.

Traffic personnel will be deployed along NLEX to assist and manage vehicle flow.

TWICE, formed in 2015 by JYP Entertainment, is a nine-member South Korean girl group. They last performed in the Philippines on Sept. 23 at the same venue. /das

To ensure that the Aetas of Porac, Pampanga will no longer go to the cities to beg during the Christmas season, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian distributed 60 carabaos, 30 garetas (carabao-drawn carts), and other farm implements as part of the livelihood support for the indigenous people.

Marcos and Gatchalian visited the Aeta community in Katutubo Village, Barangay Planas in Porac town on Friday, where they also distributed a P10,000 cash assistance to augment their daily needs.

Through the Pag-abot Program, the Aetas were reached out from the streets of San Fernando City in Pampanga and were later reintegrated into their respective sitios in Porac.

Speaking before the 127 Aeta beneficiaries of the DSWD’s Pag-abot Program, Marcos stressed the importance of the Aeta community’s participation in the agricultural sector.

‘Your produce is part of the food for all Filipinos. The agriculture sector is very important, and because your community is quite new, we will provide you with all the support to have a simple livelihood for you to also contribute to the progress of our beloved Philippines,’ the President said in his message.

Rambo Mañalac Serrano, one of the Aeta beneficiaries, said he would use the DSWD assistance provided to his family to plant root crops.

‘The carabao to be given to us will be used for tilling for us to have a livelihood. If we already have a carabao, we can plant cassava and we don’t have to roam around,’ a smiling Rambo said.

The Aeta member also thanked the Marcos administration for the support given to their community members.

‘Maraming salamat po sa DSWD at kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos (Thank you very much to the DSWD and President Marcos),’ Rambo said.

The Pag-abot Program offers short-term and long-term interventions for families and individuals in street situations (FISS) to get them off the streets and help them lead sustained and dignified lives.

The Aetas are among the sectors that the Pag-abot Program endeavors to reach out.

They are known as one of the indigenous peoples groups who often go to urban centers, especially during the holiday season, to beg and solicit money.

Gatchalian explained that the department has been reaching out directly to communities that often travel to Metro Manila, especially during the holidays.

Through the Pag-abot Program, complemented by other programs of the DSWD, the agency has provided carabaos and farming tools to the Aeta communities.

‘That’s why we are bringing carabaos and other farming inputs to Aeta communities in Pampanga and Tarlac to make sure that it’s preemptive so they just work here and don’t go to the cities anymore during Christmas,’ Gatchalian said in an interview with reporters.

He said similar efforts are underway for the Badjao communities in Zamboanga, noting that the DSWD is intensifying interventions ahead of December, when syndicates typically operate.

‘That’s what we’re also planning to do – we’re doing it already in Zamboanga, and we’re intensifying it because there are really syndicated groups that operate during this season. But we’ll try to do the preventive and the proactive step before December strikes,’ Gatchalian said.

Over 5,000 aftershocks have occurred in the aftermath of the earthquake that jolted northern Cebu on Tuesday evening, September 30, and killed 70 individuals, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

In a Viber message to reporters, Phivolcs said that as of 2 p.m. on Saturday, the number of aftershocks from the magnitude 6.9 quake in Bogo City, Cebu, had reached 5,336.

Of these, 22 were felt, while 1,038 were plotted.

Their magnitude ranges from 1.0 to 5.1.

Phivolcs earlier said the aftershocks from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake could persist for weeks.

On Friday, the state seismology department reported that its quick response team found the fault that caused the strong quake, adding that it was located in Sitio Looc, Brgy. Nailon, Bogo City. /mr

It seems like only yesterday, Creamline was the toast of women’s volleyball, with every available title in the Premier Volleyball League in its possession.

Now, the Cool Smashers set off looking to defend the only crown in their heads.

‘There’s no pressure,’ coach Sherwin Meneses said, days before the PVL opens its Reinforced Conference, where Creamline will defend its title with help from American spiker Courtney Schwan.

‘Creamline is a team that always embraces any kind of pressure, game by game. We’re fully focused on this one,’ Meneses added.

The Cool Smashers lost their All-Filipino Conference title after their drive for five was shattered by Petro Gazz. The 10-time PVL champion wasn’t even within sniffing distance of the PVL on Tour and Invitational crowns-both claimed by PLDT in sweeping fashion-and finished with a pair of bronze medals.

That puts a sense of urgency in Creamline’s defense of the Reinforced title.

Creamline will continue to miss eight-time Best Setter Jia De Guzman and Reinforced MVP Bernadeth Pons, who are both committed to Alas Pilipinas indoor and beach volleyball, respectively.

But Meneses is confident that his holdovers will continue to step up in the import-laden tournament, with Tots Carlos and Bea De Leon returning to action to support Alyssa Valdez, Michele Gumabao, Jema Galanza, Kyle Negrito, Pangs Panaga and rookie Sheena Toring.

‘This conference, it’s really all about solid preparation,’ Meneses said. ‘Imports make up around 40 percent of a team’s success, it depends on how skilled and committed they are to helping the team. I think Creamline has an edge there because we’re used to playing in conferences with imports.’

‘But of course, like you said, other teams won’t go down without a fight. So we’re just staying ready for every game in this conference.’

Coming from a fruitful training camp in Thailand, Valdez and Gumabao are determined to reach the top anew.

‘We’ve been working hard preparing for this conference. . So, we’re really looking forward to having a better conference,’ said Valdez.

‘Every conference, Creamline is always super determined to become champions again. That’s always the goal,’ Gumabao said.

‘But the bigger goal for us is to stay safe and injury-free. Hopefully, all players stay healthy, and those who haven’t returned yet can come back soon. Of course, the championship is still the ultimate target. We’ll always fight until the very end.’

The Creamline veterans are also grateful to have Schwan, who has already brought a lot of ‘new things’ to the team even before the tournament starts on Tuesday next week at Ynares Center in Montalban. ‘Coco is such a good addition to our team. More than the experience she’s bringing to the team,’ said Valdez. ‘She’s very vocal, very straightforward. We’re able to actually adjust easier because of that personality of hers.’ INQ

Local responders rescued three men from a boat that capsized due to a strong river current that occurred after Magat Dam released water, sweeping them away while sailing near Palattao Bridge along Cagayan River in Enrile town of Cagayan province on Saturday, October 4.

Mayor Miguel Decena said the three men had loaded their boat with eight sacks of corn harvest when they were being swept by floods.

One of them was slightly injured and received treatment, Decena added.

In Tuguegarao City, Mayor Maila Ting-Que prodded villagers near low-lying areas to evacuate to higher grounds as floodwaters submerged Pinacanauan Bridge and nearby roads on Saturday afternoon.

At least 500 villagers have initially trooped to the evacuation centers in the city. The water level of the Cagayan River along Buntun Bridge was recorded on Saturday afternoon at nine meters high, a critical level.

In Isabela province, six overflow bridges were submerged in floodwaters on Saturday, as the Magat Dam continuously releases water from its reservoir with 2,258.83-cubic-meter-per-second from its six gates to prevent an overflow amid heavy rains.

The Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices in Isabela have issued advisories that the flooded overflow bridges closed to traffic were the Annafunan, Gucab, and Fugu in Echague town; Baculud and Cabiseria 8 in the City of Ilagan; and the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge.

The Alicaocao bridge in Tuguegarao City remained open to light cars while Turod-Banquero was closed due to repair. The Magat Dam has reached 184.99 meters high as of noon on Saturday, as its water level has been pegged with inflow at 1,573.85 cubic meters per second.

Magat Dam, a source of irrigation water and provider of hydroelectric power, is located on Magat River, a tributary of Cagayan River, at the boundary between the towns of Alfonso Lista in Ifugao and Ramon in Isabela.

In Tuguegarao City, about 500 villagers in low-lying areas along the flooded Pinacanauan overflow bridge and impassable roads along Bonifacio Street in Centro 1, Pinacanauan Avenue, Aguinaldo extension, and Macapagal crossing have evacuated to higher grounds

Storm damage and an import freeze on rice may have pushed up inflation to a seven-month high in September, though price growth likely stayed within the central bank’s target.

The consumer price index may have sped up to 2 percent based on the median estimate of 14 economists polled by the Inquirer this week. That would outpace August’s 1.5 percent increase and mark the fastest pace since February, when inflation hit 2.1 percent.

Even so, the estimate fell within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) forecast range of 1.5 to 2.3 percent for September. Both the consensus and the central bank’s projections suggested inflation would remain within the official 2 to 4 percent target band.

Nicholas Mapa, chief economist at Metrobank, said heavy rains and crop damage from recent storms appear to have nudged inflation to 2.5 percent last month, the highest estimate among the analysts in the survey.

‘We expect a pickup in inflation. Upside pressure: vegetables and fish post the spate of storms. Downside pressure: electricity prices,’ Mapa said.

‘Pump prices also could be a source of downside pressure but to a lesser extent as gasoline and diesel costs increased on a m-o-m (month-on-month) basis, tracking global markets,’ he added.

Jun Neri, lead economist at Bank of the Philippine Islands, estimated September inflation at 1.9 percent. He flagged ‘rising rice costs’ as a major driver, citing the government’s suspension of grain imports.

Still, he noted that ‘lower electricity rates, relatively cheaper vegetables and softer oil prices’ were helping offset pressures. He also pointed to an influx of inexpensive Chinese exports avoiding higher US tariffs, which may continue to temper prices in the months ahead.

May be higher than forecast

‘Looking ahead, inflation risks are skewed to the upside as favorable rice base effects fade, with the extension of the import suspension through year-end adding pressure,’ Neri said.

‘Nonetheless, we still project inflation to staying at 2 percent level through December, but could climb above 3 percent in the first half of next year due to base effects and potential supply shocks from possible supply-chain disruptions linked to Trump’s tariffs,’ he added.

The stretch of subdued price gains could influence the central bank’s next policy steps. Last August, the BSP trimmed its benchmark rate by a quarter point to 5 percent-a level Governor Eli Remolona Jr. described as ‘Goldilocks’, neither too low to fuel inflation nor too high to choke economic growth.

Market observers said the BSP’s easing cycle was close to running its course. But Remolona kept options open, signaling the Monetary Board could consider another reduction at its October or December meetings if demand shows signs of weakening.

Sarah Tan, economist at Moody’s, said the BSP may hit the pause button at its meeting on Oct. 9, citing the need to assess how the earlier rate cuts have flowed through the economy, particularly their impact on domestic demand and lending activity. INQ

The Department of Health (DOH) opened its two-day ‘PinaSigla: Isang Flex para sa Masiglang Pilipinas!’ health fair at Burnham Green in Luneta on Saturday, October 4.

The national event aims to bring healthcare and wellness closer to Filipinos by offering free health services, interactive learning, and disease prevention activities.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa led the launch, joined by Assistant Secretary Albert Francis Domingo and Health Promotion Bureau Director Maria Kristina Marasigan.

‘Today and tomorrow, we have booths here that you can visit,’ said Herbosa.

Among the highlights are free consultation services on-site, such as medical check-ups, vaccinations, lab screenings, and HIV testing. Nutrition and mental health counseling are also available.

Participants can also join interactive activities such as Zumba dances and Health Circ8 Challenge – a circuit of eight zones focusing on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, reproductive health, immunization, and more.

Practical demonstrations on road safety, handwashing, stress management, disaster preparedness and family planning are also being held on-site.

The fair runs until Sunday, Oct. 5, with programs starting at 8 a.m. /das