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The opening week of NCAA Season 101 brought with it the usual mix of jitters, breakthroughs and early reality checks.

For Jose Rizal University’s Nani Epondulan, his coaching debut ended with a smile. The new tactician steered the Heavy Bombers past perennial contender Letran, 73-69, at San Juan Arena on Friday, a much-needed confidence boost for a squad that languished at the cellar last year.

He may be a rookie coach, but he’s been around the league enough to know an opening win isn’t something to get excited about.

‘This is just our first game so there are barely any scouting reports [about us],’ Epondulan said after the victory, which came after a strong performance by Justin Lozano.

‘I knew [Lozano’s] capabilities from day one,’ the former JRU star said. ‘I saw that he’ll click in my system. The good thing with him is he can shoot the long bombs, which worked to our advantage.’

Lozano backed his coach’s faith with 17 points, including three triples, while Sean Salvador added 10 to give JRU a promising start under its new leader.

Perpetual Help, meanwhile, rode the energy of a fresh face. Forward Patrick Sleat announced his arrival with a well-rounded 10-point, five-assist, four-rebound performance in the Altas’ 67-54 victory over San Sebastian.

‘I was so excited I even slept early last night because I couldn’t wait,’ Sleat admitted with a laugh. ‘Maybe in the next game, though, I’ll try to control my emotions so I can be more composed inside the court.’

Sleat, who previously played under Perpetual coach Olsen Racela at Far Eastern University, admitted the atmosphere of his NCAA debut rattled him at first.

‘The atmosphere earlier shocked me because it didn’t sink in for me that I’m already playing in the NCAA now,’ he said. Still, he steadied himself and helped Perps join Mapua atop Group A.

College of St. Benilde, meanwhile, is hoping to bounce back after a frustrating start to its season last Wednesday. Coming off a Finals appearance last season, the Blazers fell to defending champion San Beda, 96-85, at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Coach Charles Tiu didn’t hold back after the loss, calling out two of his prized recruits. ‘I think Shawn (Umali) played very bad. Four fouls in six minutes. I told him I can’t use you if you keep fouling like that,’ Tiu said. ‘SJ’s (Moore) been a work in progress. I like what he brings to the table. I just didn’t think this was a good game for him but he’ll be ready next game.’

As June Mar Fajardo is set to claim a record-extending ninth PBA Most Valuable Player award, he was once again counting his blessings.

‘Who would have thought?’ Fajardo said in Filipino. ‘I was never a huge basketball fan at the beginning, but here I am possibly winning another MVP.’

Barring the unexpected, Fajardo will be named as the best of Season 49 on Sunday afternoon when the league holds its Leo Awards at Novotel Manila in Cubao, Quezon City.

The awarding will serve as a kickoff to a busy day for the league, with the 50th season opening ceremonies to follow and the Barangay Ginebra-Magnolia faceoff at nearby Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Fajardo topped the statistical points category with 42.1 followed by NLEX’s Robert Bolick with 36.7 and Arvin Tolentino, who had 35.3 during his time with NorthPort before jumping ship to the Korean Basketball League for the Seoul SK Knights.

The stats are also backed by his two Best Player of the Conference awards in the Governors’ Cup and Philippine Cup, which saw San Miguel win the crown after denying TNT’s Grand Slam bid.

Fajardo has won the last two MVPs, almost all in convincing manner, and it seems that voters will likely give their nod to him once more.

Members of the media have 30 percent of the criteria while players have 25 percent. The remaining 45 percent are from the statistics.

Fajardo played 58 games and produced 19.2 points, 15.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 blocks during a season of ups and downs for San Miguel. Before defeating TNT, San Miguel was eliminated in the semifinals of the Governors’ Cup by Barangay Ginebra before missing the quarterfinals of the Commissioner’s Cup which was marred by multiple import changes and the transition from Jorge Gallent back to Leo Austria as coach.

Almost 6,000 people across four regions have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Paolo, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In its situational report issued Saturday, Oct. 4, NDRRMC said 5,979 individuals or 1,833 families were affected across 10 provinces.

A total of 3,368 residents from Regions 1 and 3 were preemptively evacuated before the typhoon intensified, while 4,4317 people remain displaced. Of this number, many are staying in 74 evacuation centers, while others are sheltering outside designated facilities.

As of this writing, there are no records of dead, injured, or missing.

Paolo, which developed into a typhoon earlier this week, brought rains and strong winds over parts of Northern and Central Luzon. The cyclone has since exited the Philippine landmass after crossing the country’s northern areas.

The NDRRMC continues to monitor affected communities for damage assessment and assistance to displaced families. /das

Through her outreach initiative Aiahdvocacy, Aiah Arceta of P-pop girl group BINI started a donation drive and has already raised more than P440,000 for her fellow Cebuanos who were affected by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake.

The initiative earlier shared a call for donations through its Instagram page on Thursday, Oct. 2

‘In light of the recent earthquake in Cebu, we are opening our donation channels to provide direct assistance to the victims,’ it said. ‘Together, let us extend help and compassion in these trying times.’

It noted that monetary donations will be accepted until Sunday, Oct. 5.

Arceta, through her Instagram Stories on Friday, Oct. 3, gave an update on the fundraising by sharing the art card from the outreach initiative. She also expressed her gratitude to those who extended help.

‘Funds raised as of Oct. 3, 2025, 3:45 p.m.: P444,232.87,’ it said. ‘Proceeds will go directly to initiatives supporting our countrymen affected by the earthquake in Cebu. A transparency report will be published on our social media accounts after our relief operations.’

Arceta captioned the post, ‘Thank you to everyone who sent their donations!’ In a separate post, she gave an update on the goods that they will be giving out.

‘We now have four different groups of volunteers working simultaneously to gather all the needed supplies for repacking. Working together as one!’ she said, adding blue heart emoji.

Arceta also reportedly pledged a part of the sales of her cap brand to help Cebuanos in need. Aside from Arceta, several other celebrities including Kim Chiu and Zsa Zsa Padilla have also extended help to earthquake victims through donations. /ra

The Filipino musical film ‘Song of the Fireflies’ will have separate screenings at the Soho International Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival in the United States.

The movie is competing under the World Feature Film category at the Soho Film Fest in New York. It is set to be screened on Oct. 11.

‘We’re very excited and thankful to be part of this year’s Soho International Film Festival,’ said film director King Palisoc. ‘We hope the audience gets to experience the magic in the film the same way we did while making it.’

The ‘Song of the Fireflies’ will also be showcased at the Newport Beach Film Festival in Orange County, California, on Oct. 22, as part of the International Spotlight official selection.

Among those who will be attending the screenings is cast member and producer Rachel Alejandro.

‘We invite the Filipino community in New York, New Jersey and Southern California to come out and support ‘Song of the Fireflies’ which celebrates Filipino excellence in singing and music,’ she said.

‘Truly, music and singing are our ‘Pinoy Superpowers’ as proven by the back-to-back wins of Sofronio Vasquez III in ‘The Voice’ and Jessica Sanchez in ‘America’s Got Talent,’ she added.

Just last May, the film was recognized at the 58th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival where it was given the Platinum Remi Award. It won big as well at the 2025 Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) in March, clinching five accolades.

The movie is also one of the seven Filipino films that vied to represent the country in the Oscars.

Aside from Alejandro, other cast members include Morrisette Amon, Noel Comia Jr. and Krystal Brimner. The ‘Song of the Fireflies’ also has scheduled local screenings on Oct. 11, 12, 17 and 18 at the Ayala Museum. /ra

The Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on alleged flood control anomalies set for next week has been cancelled, the committee’s chair and Sen. Ping Lacson confirmed Saturday.

In a Viber message, Lacson said he already informed Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III of the cancellation ‘until further notice.’

According to Lacson, he initially scheduled a hearing on Wednesday, October 8, upon the request of Sen. JV Ejercito to summon former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Mimaropa regional director Gerald Pacanan.

Pacanan was included in 10 DPWH officials who received a show-cause order from Secretary Vince Dizon to explain their reported lavish lifestyle and involvement in substandard projects.

‘To maximize the discussions, I checked with the DOJ if the supposed ‘tell-all’ affidavit/s of the Discayas were already available. Corollary to that, I also checked with the office of the executive judge of Manila RTC if they have concluded the investigation on the possible violations of the notarized document involving TSgt Guteza and Atty Espera,’ Lacson likewise said in the message.

The senator said both of the affidavits and the notarized document would not be ready within a week.

‘Having been informed that both would not be ready within one week, not to mention that the BRC hearing will conflict with the budget and CA hearings, I informed SP Sotto of the cancellation until further notice,’ said Lacson. /mr

The construction firm cofounded by resigned Ako Bicol party list Rep. Elizaldy Co and another owned by the Discaya couple are among the companies included in complaints related to bid rigging and manipulation that were referred by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the government’s antitrust body for the possible filing of cases.

In its referral to the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), the DPWH claimed that St. Timothy Construction Corp., Wawao Builders, IM Construction Corp., SYMS Construction Trading, and officials and employees of the DPWH in Bulacan, as well as Sunwest Inc. and officials and employees of the DPWH regional office in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) may have violated the Philippine Competition Act (Republic Act No. 10667), which was signed into law in 2015.

The PCC was created in January 2016 to implement the national policy of prohibiting anticompetitive agreements, abuse of dominant position and anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions.

As the antitrust authority of the country, the PCC is mandated to conduct inquiry, investigate, and hear and decide on cases involving violations of the PCA, its implementing rules, and other competition laws.

Investigations on possible violations of the PCA can be triggered by a verified complaint, motu proprio or PCC’s own initiative to look into a case, or a referral by a concerned regulatory agency.

Top contractors

Co is a cofounder of Sunwest while St. Timothy is owned by the family of contractors Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya. These companies were among the top 15 construction firms that bagged the most number of flood control projects from the government from 2022 to 2025.

‘The referrals include inspection reports, bid documents, and other relevant documents that may support the PCC Competition Enforcement Office’s (CEO) ongoing preliminary inquiry into possible bid-rigging and collusion among contractors,’ the PCC said in a statement on Friday.

The DPWH said officials and employees of the agency’s Mimaropa office were also allegedly involved in the case since ‘despite irregularities surrounding flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro, regional officials failed to act and, instead, continued the projects awarded to Sunwest, Inc.’

This was on top of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (IFI) move, asking the Office of the Ombudsman to study the filing of graft complaints against Co and 17 others, including DPWH officials and Sunwest, over an allegedly substandard flood control project in Oriental Mindoro worth P289.5 million.

Co, the former chair of the House appropriations committee in the 19th Congress from 2022 to 2025, was accused of getting billions of pesos in kickbacks by contractors and DPWH officials who testified in congressional inquiries into flood control projects. Co had repeatedly denied these allegations.

In a separate complaint, the DPWH cited Wawao, IM Construction, SYMS, St. Timothy and officials and employees of the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office over alleged irregularities in the procurement of several flood control projects in the province unearthed during congressional hearings.

According to the agency, preliminary evidence, including the admissions of Curlee Discaya and former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo before the Senate blue ribbon committee, ‘also suggests collusion among the involved contractors and officials’ which violates the Section 14, Chapter III of the PCA which prohibits certain anticompetitive agreements between competitors.

Fines

Christian Loren de los Santos, director of the PCC CEO, said they were gathering evidence, such as bid submissions and possible communication exchanges, to determine whether government officials and employees and the contractors violated the law.

‘The referrals follow testimonies presented during recent congressional hearings on the flood control controversies, which may likewise be used as evidence in the PCC’s investigation,’ the commission said.

Under RA 10667, entities that are found guilty of engaging in anticompetitive agreements such as bid-rigging may face administrative fines that vary based on the number of offenses committed.

A fine of up to P100 million may be imposed on the first offense. For the second offense, the fine ranges from P110 million to P275 million.

For the third and subsequent offenses, the fine increases to a range of P165 million to P275 million.

Entities that enter into any anticompetitive agreement may face imprisonment of two to seven years and pay a fine of not less than P50 million but not more than P250 million.

‘When the entities involved are juridical persons, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on its officers, directors, or employees holding managerial positions, who are knowingly and willfully responsible for such violation,’ the law states.

According to the PCC, individuals or entities involved in cartel conduct, including bid-rigging, price fixing, market allocation or output restriction, may apply for its leniency program.

Through this initiative, the antitrust body offers immunity from suit or a reduction of administrative fines for voluntarily disclosing their participation in anticompetitive agreements and cooperate fully with its investigation. Full immunity, however, is granted to only one applicant per violation.

Prominent cases

PCC has handled some prominent cases in the past.

It was involved in the review of PLDT and Globe Telecom’s joint acquisition of San Miguel Corp.’s telco unit in 2016 for almost P70 billion.

However in July 2016, PLDT and Globe sued the antitrust body for launching a review and sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) or writ of preliminary injunction to stop the PCC’s investigation. The TRO was issued on Aug. 26, 2016. In February 2017, the Court of Appeals issued a rare gag order against PCC at the request of PLDT.

In May 2017, PLDT and Globe Telecom completed their acquisition of SMC’s telco assets, making their final joint payment to SMC while defying the competition watchdog’s request to hold off until the courts make a final ruling.

In August 2019, the PCC signed a memorandum of agreement with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to collaborate on investigations that involve power sector players.

The PCC was reportedly assessing whether power plant outages were valid ‘unplanned breakdowns’ that inevitably affected supply conditions or were actually ‘manipulated’ in order to raise electricity prices.

It earlier said it would look into allegations of possible collusion or abuse of dominance of certain power generators following ‘simultaneous shutdowns that may have caused an artificial supply shortage and consequently a hike in electricity prices.’

In September 2024, the PCC CEO charged a group of vegetable traders for entering into anticompetitive agreements for the supply of imported onions in the Philippines.

As the PCC’s investigative and prosecutorial arm, the CEO claimed that these vegetable traders, despite being competitors, conspired to manipulate the onion market in the Philippines from 2019 to 2023. The traders, who imported onions from China, the Netherlands, and India, allegedly worked together to control prices and limit competition. -WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH