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A fire has engulfed a residential area in Malabon City, reaching Task Force Alpha late Wednesday afternoon, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

The blaze broke out at around 4:48 p.m. around Banal na Kruz, Sitio 6, Barangay Catmon, the BFP report said.

The fire reached the first alarm at 4:49 p.m., the second alarm at 4:57 p.m., the third alarm at 5:10 p.m., the fourth alarm at 5:12 p.m., the fifth alarm at 5:24 p.m., and Task Force Alpha at 5:41 p.m.

Task Force Alpha is a BFP alarm level in which the fire is estimated to have damaged infrastructure equivalent to 144 houses; at least 24 fire trucks will be deployed; and the district fire marshal shall be in charge of response.

In a statement, the Malabon City government advised affected residents to proceed to the Catmon Evacuation Center for immediate assistance.

‘Our logistics team is standing by to distribute tents, hot meals, food packs, shelter repair kits and other assistance required,’ it added.

Kevin Alas scored 26 points while Robert Bolick made his return as NLEX downed Phoenix, 87-81, to join three others atop the standings in the PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Alas waxed hot in the first half before sinking crucial shots down the stretch that sealed the Road Warriors’ second victory in three starts to tie the Converge FiberXers, TNT Tropang 5G and Magnolia Hotshots.

It was a sterling performance for Alas, who last season had gone through an adjustment period coming off a third ACL injury. He also had five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

NLEX won in the season debut of Robert Bolick, who had nine points, seven rebounds, nine assists and two steals in 36 minutes.

Bolick missed the Road Warriors’ first two games after traveling to the United States to mourn the passing of his father, Robert Sr.

Anthony Semerad added 11 points and 10 rebounds for NLEX, which redeemed itself after losing to Terrafirma last Oct. 12.

Ricci Rivero scored 22 points but the Fuel Masters fell to a 1-2 record.

Phoenix was able to trim the gap to two, 76-74, on Rivero’s triple, but Alas knocked down a four-pointer to restore order in NLEX’s favor.

Alas wasn’t done as he came through with a jumper to make it 85-81 for NLEX with 39.1 seconds to go.

A sharp dip in mining stocks left the local bourse bleeding heavily on Wednesday as investors took cover as spot gold prices suffered the steepest drop in five years.

By the closing bell, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) lost 1.03 percent, or 62.66 points, to end at 6,030.87.

The broader All Shares Index also shed 0.83 percent, or 30.47 points, to close at 3,627.38.

A total of 12.06 billion shares worth P10.81 billion changed hands, stock exchange data showed.

The PSEi’s slip came as investors reacted to spot gold prices posting a steep 5-percent plunge on Wednesday, the highest single-day drop since 2020.

Battered counter

Mining companies took a heavy beating, falling by 5.91 percent.

Enrique Razon Jr.-led Apex Mining Co. Inc. plunged by 11.06 percent to P9.25 each, while Manuel Pangilinan-led Philex Mining Corp. tumbled by 7.95 percent to P8.45.

OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc., which made its stock market debut last year, also fell by 7.93 percent to P26.70.

Luis Limlingan, head of sales at stock brokerage house Regina Capital Development Corp., said investors struggled to find new catalysts, thus adding to the bleeding.

This was even as Wall Street trading led to new highs on Tuesday.

Active stocks

Losers overpowered gainers, 150 to 57, while 48 companies closed flat, stock exchange data also showed.

Universal Robina Corp. was the most actively traded stock as it shed 1.27 percent to P74 each.

Aside from the mining stocks, other key movers were:

Ayala Land Inc., down 1.59 percent to P21.65;

International Container Terminal Services Inc., down 1.82 percent to P540;

BDO Unibank Inc., down 1.45 percent to P136;

Puregold Price Club Inc., down 0.55 percent to P36;

Manila Electric Co., down 1.03 percent to P575; and

Bank of the Philippine Islands, down 2.55 percent to P106.90 each. /dda

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has said that no documents related to the investigation of flood control anomalies were in the building of its office that was hit by fire on Wednesday afternoon.

The DPWH identified the building as the Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) in Quezon City.

Reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection – National Capital Region said that the fire reached third alarm before it was extinguished at 1:49 p.m.

‘The DPWH confirms that no documents related to the ongoing investigation into the flood control anomalies were in the Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) building that caught fire in Quezon City today,’ the DPWH said in a statement.

The department noted that the DPWH BRS ‘is responsible for the conduct of research, studies, pilot testing and formulation of policies for government infrastructure projects.’

The DPWH also said that no personnel were harmed in the incident.

It then reported that initial findings revealed that the blaze originated from a computer unit inside the Materials Testing Division, and the device reportedly exploded.

It added that an investigation is launched to determine the damage and prevent similar incidents in the future. /apl

Davey Langit, a singer-songwriter best known for the track ‘Selfie Song,’ has died, his wife Therese confirmed. He was 38 years old.

Therese announced that Davey died on Tuesday, Oct. 21, on the singer-songwriter’s Facebook page. While the cause of his death was not disclosed, he revealed back in August that he had been diagnosed with spondylodiscitis, a form of spinal infection.

‘Yesterday, my husband, our best friend, brother, son, bandmate, collaborator, favorite guitar player, master storyteller, and the kindest, brightest, most beautiful person – fought fiercely ’til the very end. He felt so loved by you all these past few days. Thank you for filling his heart with so much gratitude, community, and hope,’ she said.

Therese described Davey as someone who ‘loved life more than anyone,’ especially music and songwriting, for which he was noted to have a fiery kind of passion.

‘Davey loved life more than anyone I’ve ever met. He jumped off 75-meter free falls, rode the most frightening roller coasters, savored food, danced goofy, lit up every room with his warmth, his jokes, and loud laughter, and he loved LOVED music and songwriting with such fire,’ she said.

He started his entertainment career as a contestant on the singing contest ‘Pinoy Dream Academy’ in 2006. He went on to write songs such as ‘Selfie Song,’ ‘Wedding Song’ and ‘Dalawang Letra,’ the latter of which went on to win at the Himig Handog P-Pop Love Songs competition in 2016.

In 2016, Davey also showcased his songwriting prowess in the jingle of the #MyInquirer campaign. /ra

The Philippine economy likely expanded at a ‘tepid’ pace in the third quarter as a string of storms disrupted business activity and an ongoing corruption investigation weighed on confidence, according to economists at the University of Asia and the Pacific.

In their latest Market Call report, the researchers estimated growth at 5.3 percent for the quarter, citing ‘a spate of typhoons and negative sentiments due to the flood control corruption issue.’

They expect momentum to pick up slightly to 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter as economic conditions stabilize.

Dovish BSP

Earlier this month, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas trimmed its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point to 4.75 percent in a move aimed at bolstering sentiment dampened by the graft probe.

With inflation remaining subdued, the economists said the central bank may cut rates by another 25 basis points before the end of 2025, bringing the policy rate to 4.5 percent. Further easing in 2026 could lower it to 4 percent ‘or below,’ they said.

Looking ahead, they said elevated real yields and volatility in US markets could lift demand for Philippine bonds through 2026.

Equities

The stock market, however, is expected to ‘remain subdued’ amid negative headlines, even as underlying fundamentals ‘remain sound.’

‘Potential BSP rate cuts, favorable inflation, and clear legal action on the scandal could boost investor confidence and push the PSE index into the 6,200 to 6,500 range,’ the report said. /dda

Members of the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) can no longer own a construction company, Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Aldeguer-Roque said on Wednesday.

Roque said this in a press briefing after attending the hearing of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) amid its investigation on infrastructure anomalies.

‘This is a conflict of interest,’ Roque emphasized.

According to the DTI chief, all PCAB board members, who earlier resigned amid the flood control projects scandal, will soon be replaced.

‘We are just waiting for the appointment of the PCAB board members,’ she said.

When asked about the time when the names of the new PCAB board members will be released, Roque said, ‘very soon.’

On September 3, lawyer Herbert Matienzo resigned as PCAB executive director for ‘personal reasons’ amid allegations that the board was involved in accrediting construction companies in exchange for money.

After this, PCAB board member Erni Baggao stepped down for ‘personal and health reasons,’ while the term of another board member, Arthur Escalante, lapsed in May. /jpv/abc

The night could not have come better for Kevin Alas after putting up a performance that may have signified his return to full form following a third ACL injury sustained almost two years ago.

Alas put up 26 points on top of five rebounds, three assists and two steals on Wednesday in NLEX’s 87-81 victory over Phoenix in the PBA Philippine Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. ‘Playing well is all God’s grace,’ Alas said after helping NLEX climb up to 2-1 to join three others atop the standings.

His fine play came on the same day Alas and wife Selina celebrated their wedding anniversary, making the occasion doubly special.

It was Alas’ highest scoring output since the 2022-23 season when he was in perhaps the best form of his PBA career.

But an ACL tear in his left knee in November 2023 sidelined him for a year, before spending last season undergoing an adjustment period. Prior to the Philippine Cup, Alas said there was no excuse for him not to play well this season. ‘The practices that Coach Jong [Uichico] held two months before the season helped a lot,’ said Alas, who is also setting goals other than for himself.

‘My personal goal for the team is to be a consistent playoff team and, of course, make the semifinals,’ he added. ‘We’re not as talented as the championship-contending teams, but our chance to compete with those teams is to be consistent with our system.’

Alas was a big reason why NLEX led by 15 at the half, before also knocking down crucial shots down the stretch that prevented Phoenix from completing its comeback in the fourth.

The Senate blue ribbon committee will continue its probe into other alleged anomalous transactions of the government.

Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday, said the blue ribbon committee will continue probing into other reported anomalies surrounding government transactions.

‘It will continue. The blue ribbon’s probe will continue into other anomalous transactions or accountability of any public officers. That is precisely the reason that the blue ribbon was created, to look at the accountability of public officials,’ Sotto said partly in Filipino.

Apart from flood control projects, farm to market road (FMR) projects surfaced during recent Senate hearings after Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian revealed that over P10 billion worth of FMRs programmed under the 2023 and 2024 national budgets have been ‘extremely overpriced.’

One project, for example, cost 23 times more than the standard price set by the DPWH while others saw markups of up to 70 percent, further bloating the project cost.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Laurel Jr., meanwhile, said the DPWH set a P15,000 per meter standard cost for FMRs, but this could go as low as P10,000 if the ’30 percent’ markup was trimmed.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) is set to serve Southern Luzon commuters via a new route covering the distance between Naga City and Lupi Viejo in Camarines Sur starting Nov. 5.

PNR General Manager Deovanni Miranda said PNR’s infrastructure would offer low-cost and safe public transportation to more commuters.

After stopping its operations in Metro Manila last year to give way to the construction of the North South Commuter Railway, the state-owned railway agency resumed its operations in Southern Luzon.

As of now, PNR’s current provincial round trips cover Naga – Legazpi, Naga – Sipocot and and Calamba – Lucena routes.

With new 16 flag stops in the Naga to Lupi Viejo route, the two-hour travel time will be shortened to an hour and 39 minutes. Stations

The stations are located in the following areas: Naga, Sampaloc, Borabod, Pamplona, Mambulo, Malansad, Rongos, Limbanan, Camambugan, Mantalisay, Awayan, Sipocot, Azucena, Malaguico, Lupi Nuevo/Tapi and Lupi Viejo. The additional route will run three trips per day with the following schedule:

Naga to Lupi Viejo: 4:29 a.m., 9:49 a.m. and 3:14 p.m.

Lupi Viejo to Naga: 6:23 a.m,, 11:43 a.m. and 5:08 p.m.

Regular commuter fare ranges from P15 to P75. Students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities are entitled to a discounted rate ranging from P12 to P60.