Author: user user

A 70-year-old widower had one true love – fishing. One calm, sunny morning, as his boat floated on the lake, he heard a creaky voice say, ‘Pick me up.’ He looked around. No one. Then the voice repeated, ‘Pick me up!’ Looking down, he saw a frog.

The frog said, ‘Kiss me and I’ll turn into the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen. I’ll be your wife and make your friends jealous.’ The man picked up the frog, slipped it into his shirt pocket, and continued fishing. The puzzled frog blurted: ‘Didn’t you hear me? Kiss me!’

The old man laughed and said, ‘At my age, I’d rather have a talking frog.’

Moral of the story? Age comes with wisdom. And you can see the big difference between practical improvement and flashy transformation.

Most organizations love the idea of transformation – the equivalent of kissing the frog and expecting a magical princess of profit, efficiency and innovation. But Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement, teaches us something subtler: you don’t need to kiss a frog.

The real gain lies in keeping the talking one – the small, working solution that gets you going. In essence, the talking frog represents an army of workers giving you one percent improvement ideas every day.

The fisherman was prudent. With decades of experience, he knew that chasing miracles often leads to headaches. In business, he understood opportunity cost – that the glittering promise of big change can blind leaders to the quiet power of steady, daily improvement.

In Kaizen, wisdom means asking, ‘What can I improve today, even by one percent?’ rather than ‘What can I completely reinvent overnight?’

Digital transformation

Many CEOs can’t resist the urge to kiss a frog – in the form of new software, hardware, or a sweeping reorganization buoyed by digital transformation. There’s nothing wrong with that ambition. If they don’t mind the frog’s lipstick marks, fine. But for many, the frog ends up croaking louder than the returns.

Big-bang projects tend to deliver one big bang to the budget. In fairy tales, kissing a frog gives you a young, beautiful bride. In real life, it gives you salmonella, a dented wallet for medical care, and a deep respect for mouthwash.

Kaizen thinking offers a more hygienic alternative. It’s not about kissing frogs; it’s about teaching them to sing better – one croak at a time. It values patience over glamour, consistency over heroics, and learning over luck.

The old fisherman’s quip – ‘I’d rather have a talking frog’ – sums up the essence of continuous improvement through ordinary people sharing extraordinary ideas, one percent at a time.

After all, a talking frog that helps you improve your business is far better than a princess draining your treasury and still expecting applause.

Marginal gains

Last Friday, I had the joy of hitting two birds with one stone – figuratively, of course. I organized a benchmarking meeting between two clients, United Laboratories and Swedish Match Philippines, both doing remarkably well in their operational excellence programs.

Their secret? They let their employees talk – not just about problems, but about possible solutions. Their people are the talking frogs, and they’re singing in harmony.

At Toyota, where Kaizen became world-famous, factory workers routinely stop the assembly line to flag quality issues. They don’t wait for management to ‘kiss’ the process with a grand redesign. They make tiny, daily adjustments that, over time, save millions.

But enough of Toyota and its famed Toyota Production System (TPS). Instead, let me share its Western equivalent called the Theory of Marginal Gains. Popularized by Sir Dave Brailsford, who applied it to transform British cycling, the approach was simple yet revolutionary.

Instead of searching for one massive breakthrough, he looked for one percent improvements everywhere – from better bike tires and nutrition to optimized sleep using the best type of pillow, and even to the choice of handwashing liquid for cyclists.

Looking back at the work of Toyota icon Taiichi Ohno (1912-1990), when asked what his secret was, Ohno reportedly said, ‘We don’t build cars. We build people, and people build cars.’ That’s the Kaizen philosophy in action: cultivate minds that talk, not short-lived miracles.

In today’s hypercompetitive world, many organizations feel pressured to act fast – to ‘kiss the frog’ of digital transformation, automation, or AI before their rivals do. But speed without direction is noise. Kaizen teaches that slow is smooth, and being consistently smooth becomes fast over time.

Start small. Observe. Reflect. Adjust. Repeat. One percent improvement every day by all workers may not sound sexy, but it compounds faster than any corporate fairy tale. Ironically, companies that practice Kaizen often move faster in the long run because their systems are stable, their people engaged, and their learning continuous.

The fisherman understood something most leaders forget: wisdom is knowing the difference between what’s magical and what’s meaningful. He valued dynamic conversation over fleeting beauty.

Kaizen isn’t romantic. It’s rational. It’s not about kissing frogs but listening to them – learning from employee insights and frontline feedback. When practiced daily, Kaizen becomes a way of life. Meetings get shorter, mistakes get fewer, and teams feel heard.

The Commission on Audit (COA) has rolled out internal reforms to prevent corruption and strengthen oversight of government infrastructure projects, following the exposure of irregularities in flood control programs in Bulacan and other provinces.

During the agency’s budget hearing before the Senate yesterday, COA Chairman Gamaliel Cordoba said the commission is addressing manpower shortages, tightening conflict-of-interest rules and institutionalizing geotagging to improve audit tracking.

He noted that the Bulacan district engineering office (DEO) had only two auditors handling 11 municipalities, three cities and eight Land Transportation Office branches after the Department of Budget and Management removed 963 audit positions nationwide.

According to Cordoba, 21 fraud audit reports were completed, eight of which were forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman, while the rest became the basis for the administrative suspension of several personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways Bulacan first DEO.

To prevent conflict of interest, Cordoba said COA will now require all employees to submit detailed declarations of economic interests beyond the usual statements of assets, liabilities and net worth.

‘One of the reforms we will implement is for all our employees to issue a declaration of conflict of interest – what their economic interests are and whether these conflict with their work as auditors,’ he said.

Memorandum circulars will likewise be issued requiring geotagging of infrastructure projects to ensure accurate documentation and prevent falsification of project locations.

‘Part of the fraud audit is to look at the negligence or complicity of our resident auditors on the ground,’ Cordoba said. ‘The results will be reviewed by our Internal Audit Office so that the proper penalties can be imposed. We can submit this to you, but we ask that it remain confidential while we are still issuing our decision.’

Sen. JV Ejercito welcomed the reforms, saying tighter safeguards could help prevent a repeat of the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.

License integrity

In a related move to curb corruption, Sen. Erwin Tulfo filed a measure seeking to criminalize the lending, borrowing or fraudulent use of government-issued licenses and permits – a practice uncovered during the Senate Blue Ribbon committee’s flood control corruption probe.

Tulfo, the committee’s acting chair, filed Senate Bill 1453 or the License Integrity Act, which declares all government-issued licenses, permits and concessions as personal and non-transferable.

The bill prohibits these from being lent, leased, sold or used by anyone other than the rightful holder.

Describing the ‘license for rent’ practice as a ‘breeding ground for corruption, smuggling and economic sabotage,’ Tulfo said the measure was prompted by recurring abuses across government-regulated sectors, including contractors leasing public works licenses, customs brokers renting out their accreditations to smugglers and environmental permit holders selling rights to illegal operators.

In adherence to Malacananang’s directive, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of an additional P5 billion to fund the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program, targeting to benefit another 411,188 needy Filipinos from October until this year ends.

DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the allocation aims to address the budget deficiency under the Protective Services for Individuals and Families in Difficult Circumstances component of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The approved allotment and corresponding Notice of Cash Allocation are chargeable against the Fiscal Year 2025 General Appropriations Act.

‘This latest fund release underscores the importance of unprogrammed appropriations as fiscal buffers that enable the government to respond swiftly to social and humanitarian emergencies,’ Pangandaman said.

She emphasized that unprogrammed funds matter most for rapid disaster response, serving as the government’s financial lifeline in times of devastating calamities.

‘Unprogrammed appropriations are not discretionary or secret funds, but standby allocations duly authorized and approved by Congress. These funds can only be accessed when there are excess or windfall revenues, new revenue measures, or valid loan agreements for foreign-assisted projects,’ the DBM chief explained.

Pangandaman is scheduled to appear before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Tuesday, October 14, to provide expert insights into the National Expenditure Program and General Appropriations Act processes.

The ICI invited her to elucidate on how unprogrammed funds are released, and to clarify the nature of requests and proposals submitted to the DBM by the Department of Public Works and Highways for inclusion in the NEP.

‘UAs usually serve as fiscal buffers, enabling the government to respond to unforeseen needs or urgent national priorities without breaching the fiscal program approved by Congress,’ Pangandaman reiterated.

She added that in normal circumstances, unprogrammed funds support key programs such as assistance to rice farmers, social protection initiatives like DSWD’s AICS and Food Stamp Program, higher education subsidies, health infrastructure, personnel benefits, renewable energy, and national defense modernization.

‘But unprogrammed funds matter most in times of catastrophes when tapping UAs become the gov’t financial lifeline for quick relief and recovery response,’ she said.

Pangandaman cited the government’s rapid mobilization of unprogrammed appropriations during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in 2024, when these funds supported crucial projects in agriculture, social protection, education, health, and infrastructure – all authorized under the GAA.

In today’s ICI session, the DBM chief is also expected to clarify the national budget processes – covering preparation, legislation, execution, and accountability – which, she noted, provide no room for DBM to participate in the so-called ‘budget insertion’.

‘The DBM does not have the authority to introduce insertions into the national budget. Referred to as Congress-Introduced Changes and Adjustments (CICAs), such insertions occur not during NEP preparation, but during the Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations between the two Houses of Congress,’ she explained.

She reiterated that under the Constitution, Congress retains the ‘power of the purse.’

‘Once the President submits the proposed NEP to Congress, the Executive’s role – through the DBM – is limited to explaining, clarifying, and defending the proposed allocations. The authority to introduce, realign, or amend items rests solely with the legislative branch,’ Pangandaman emphasized.

Cebuana Lhuillier, through its insurance arm Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Brokers Inc. (CLIB), is reinforcing its commitment to championing mental health and financial inclusion with the turnover of P10 million worth of insurance coverage under its MindCare initiative to the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH). The insurance coverage will be distributed nationwide, providing accessible protection to individuals and communities in need of mental health support.

The initiative aligns with the celebration of World Mental Health Day and reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to address the growing need for mental health awareness and accessible protection.

‘Through MindCare, we are extending our advocacy of financial inclusion to encompass mental health,’ said Jean Henri Lhuillier. ‘We believe that empowerment is achieved when Filipinos are both financially secure and emotionally resilient. By partnering with the NCMH, we aim to make mental health protection more accessible to all Filipinos, wherever they may be.’

Developed by CLIB, MindCare is an innovative insurance product designed to provide coverage for mental health consultations and treatments. It demonstrates Cebuana Lhuillier’s broader commitment to developing inclusive financial solutions that address relevant social concerns and promote the overall well-being of Filipinos.

According to Atty. Isagani Acosta, GM of CLIB, MindCare exemplifies the company’s dedication to making insurance more inclusive and responsive. ‘Our objective at CLIB is to offer innovative insurance products that meet the evolving needs of our clients. MindCare recognizes the importance of mental health as a key component of a person’s well-being and ensures that support is available to those who need it most,’ he said.

The P10-million coverage turnover to the NCMH highlights the value of collaboration between the public and private sectors in promoting mental health. As the country’s primary institution for mental health care, NCMH will oversee the nationwide distribution of the insurance coverage, allowing more individuals to benefit from essential mental health services.

Dr. Noel Reyes, medical chief of the NCMH, expressed appreciation for the partnership, stating, ‘We are grateful for Cebuana Lhuillier’s support and commitment to mental health. Partnerships like this help strengthen our capacity to reach more Filipinos and promote greater understanding and acceptance of mental health issues. This initiative is a meaningful step toward a more compassionate and supportive society.’

Through initiatives such as MindCare, Cebuana Lhuillier continues to lead in providing innovative and inclusive insurance solutions. The company remains steadfast in its mission to empower every Filipino with access to financial protection and mental wellness resources that contribute to a stronger, more resilient nation.

The government has lifted its ban on poultry imports from New Zealand, the latest in a series of trade restrictions rolled back recently as local authorities ease curbs tied to past animal disease outbreaks.

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Order 62 authorizing the resumption of shipments of domesticated and wild birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, table eggs and poultry semen used for artificial insemination.

‘Import transactions for the specified commodities, slaughtered or produced after the issuance of this order, may resume in accordance with existing DA rules and regulations,’ Tiu Laurel said in a statement.

The DA imposed the ban in January following reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in several parts of New Zealand, a country regarded as one of the Philippines’ smaller but reliable poultry suppliers.

The move to reopen trade came after the World Organization for Animal Health confirmed that the outbreak had been resolved.

The lifting of the restriction comes just days after the DA reopened the country’s borders to poultry imports from six other territories, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sweden and the Malaysian states of Kelantan and Sabah.

Those bans, initially imposed over avian influenza concerns, were lifted after veterinary authorities confirmed the absence of new outbreaks.

In late September, the DA similarly cleared imports from Israel and South Dakota in the United States, citing improved biosecurity conditions and evaluations by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showing minimal risk of infection.

The reopening of poultry trade also coincides with President Marcos’ signing early this month of a measure that seeks to strengthen the country’s livestock and poultry sectors through a P20-billion annual fund aimed at boosting competitiveness and disease resilience.

Under Republic Act 12308 or the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act, the government will allocate a competitiveness enhancement fund to modernize animal production systems, upgrade biosecurity standards and support farmers as they adjust to easing import restrictions.

Three Philippines women’s pairs – led by Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons – and two men’s tandems target spots in the main draw in the qualification matches for the Volleyball World 2025 Beach Pro Tour Challenge on Wednesday at the Nuvali Sands Court by the Ayala Land in the City of Santa Rosa in Laguna.

Ronniel Rosales and Rancel Varga and Edwin Tolentino and Larry John Francisco kick off Alas Pilipinas’s campaign against foreign opponents at 9 a.m. as seeded athletes James Buytrago and Ran Abdilla drew a bye in the qualification round.

‘It’s good that we are seeded in this event and we do not need to play in the qualification that will keep us fresh in the main draw,’ said Buytrago, who along with Abadilla clinched a bronze medal in the Cambodia 2023 Southeast Asian Games.

The specific pairings will be known only after the preliminary inquiry which was scheduled late afternoon Tuesday.

Buytrago and Abdilla are one of the 24 men’s teams seeded in the 32-pair main draw that starts Thursday.

‘We’re hoping to improve on our quarterfinal finish in last year’s BPT although it will not be easy,’ added Buytrago, as he acknowledged the rigid training they’ve been getting under Brazilian coach Joao Luciano Simao Barbosa.

‘I’ll be playing with an injured index finger so we’ll just give our best,’ he said.

Jenny Gaviola and Alexa Polidario, Sunny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez and Kly Orillaneda and Gen Eslapor will also plunge into action in the qualifiers of the FIVB Volleyball World tournament hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation headed by Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara.

The popular tandem of Rondina and Pons, ranked 137th in the world, will see action on Thursday in the main draw.

World’s No. 6 Jacob Holting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson of Sweden are the men’s defending their champions of the competition that drew 65 men’s pairs from 25 nations and 46 women’s duos from 15 countries.

The University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters rebounded in style, overhauling an 11-point deficit in the second half to hand the three-time defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers their first defeat, 70-64, in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 25 basketball tournament on Sunday, October 12, at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Webmasters were trailing 31-42 early in the third quarter but staged a daring fightback until they eventually seized a six-point edge, 68-62, on a 3-pointer by Neon Chavez with 2:50 left to play.

UV pulled within 64-68 but Chavez capped his endgame heroics with a pair of free throws in the last 98 seconds that turned out to be the final tally.

Chavez, who finished with seven points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals, was the man of the hour as the Webmasters atoned for their stinging setback at the hands of the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons two weeks ago.

Andre Cuizon cashed in 11 points while Danie Boy Lapiz nailed 10 markers for the Webmasters, who now hold a 3-1 win-loss record.

Kent Ivo Salarda and Ivan Clark Alsola both registered a double-double for the Lancers. Salarda unloaded 24 points and 13 rebounds with four assists while Alsola had 10 points and 10 rebounds but their efforts went to the dustbin as the Visayanians saw their five-game winning roll come to a sudden red stop.

In the other collegiate duel, Jhoernel Vince Tangkay and Kyle Maglinte bagged 13 points each while combining for 12 rebounds and four assists as the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors dominated the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats, 63-41, to jump at fourth place in the standings with a 3-2 slate.

In high school play, Kyle Nalisa delivered a dazzling show of 27 points, 13 rebounds, and three steals as the Benedicto College (BC) Baby Cheetahs escaped the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars, 46-43, for their third victory in four games.

In the other result, Kenneth Robert Fuller unloaded 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks while Mohammad Yusoph Dimaporo submitted a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds as the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons improved to 2-1 after taming the CIT-U Baby Wildcats, 58-52.

Anti-narcotics agents arrested six shabu peddlers and shut down two clandestine drug dens in separate operations in two Central Mindanao provinces over the past two days.

Three drug den operators were arrested by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) during an entrapment operation on Monday, October 13, in Barangay Salimbao, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.

Gil Cesario Castro, director of PDEA-BARMM, told reporters on Tuesday, October 14, that the three suspects were detained immediately after selling P34,000 worth of shabu to agents during the operation inside their drug den in Barangay Salimbao.

Castro said the operation was carried out with the help of Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Tucao Mastura and Vice Gov. Marshall Sinsuat, who had earlier vowed to use their influence to curb the trafficking of shabu and marijuana in the 12 towns under their jurisdiction.

He added that Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, also assisted in the entrapment operation that led to the arrest of the suspects and the closure of their drug den.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Recites III, director of PDEA-12, said their agents, along with operatives from the Police Regional Office-12, also arrested three den operators during an entrapment operation in Barangay Malandag, Malungon, Sarangani, last Saturday, October 11.

Recites said the suspects yielded peacefully after realizing they had sold P54,400 worth of shabu to undercover PDEA-12 agents and policemen under PRO-12 director Brig. Gen. Arnold Ardiente inside their drug den in Purok Adelfa, Barangay Malandag.

He said the site has since been secured by barangay officials and volunteer community watchmen.

New Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla is planning to revive the deployment of resident ombudsmen to serve as watchdogs in corruption-prone government agencies, a practice that has been stalled for years despite an existing agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commission on Audit (COA).

The revival of the resident ombudsmen deputization program is among key initiatives Remulla is planning to launch in the coming days as part of his aim to make the agency a ‘more proactive’ body.

‘I really believe that one overlooked aspect is the proactive aspect that the ombudsman should be playing in our society. Because the origin of the ombudsman is that it is the ‘protector of the people’ and we have to protect public interest all the time,’ Remulla said at a press briefing Friday.

‘I think the proactive role has not been used at all in the past. Its function is not only to put people in jail or dismiss officials from service, those are not the only roles of the ombudsman,’ he added.

Remulla pointed out that deputizing resident ombudsmen in select government agencies could be an effective proactive measure to safeguard public coffers from corruption.

‘(I want) the re-establishment of resident ombudsmen in various government agencies. I think a lot of agencies need to have it reinstated, because there’s no one reminding them anymore that they’re already violating the law,’ he said.

In 2021, the ombudsman signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the DOJ and COA for the designation of DOJ prosecutors and COA auditors as ‘resident ombudsmen’ in graft-prone government agencies.

Under the MOA, the state prosecutors and auditors, acting as resident ombudsmen, shall act on complaints and reports against officials and employees of the agencies where they were assigned; serve as watchdogs and implementers of corruption prevention programs and monitor compliance with existing anti-graft laws and regulations.

While the MOA remains effective, Remulla said it is no longer being implemented.

Additionally, the ombudsman will also soon establish a Public Interest Office which will receive complaints from the public against government agencies.

Marcos to release SALN

President Marcos and all officials under the executive branch are ready to make public their statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as part of the government’s efforts to combat corruption, Malacañang maintained yesterday.

Remulla, who was appointed by Marcos as ombudsman last week, earlier said he would issue a memorandum this week to reverse the access restriction on SALNs imposed during the Duterte administration.

‘Whatever is appropriate, whatever the law says and whatever is best to fight corruption, everyone in the executive department will follow,’ Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

When pressed whether the President is willing to release his own SALN if requested, Castro said: ‘Everyone in the executive department is ready.’

Castro also took a jab at Vice President Sara Duterte after the latter said she would not appoint Remulla, a former secretary of justice, as ombudsman if she were the president.

‘It just so happened that she’s not the president. So, it’s hard to respond to a dream that won’t happen today,’ Castro said.

‘But we know that the President thinks well, knows better,’ the Palace press officer said.

Castro also reminded Duterte that it was the President who revealed corruption in government projects and he would not tolerate or side with those who steal public funds.

Remulla’s predecessor, Samuel Martires, had imposed restrictions on public access to government officials’ SALN, including that of the President.

Amid public outrage over flood control corruption, a lawmaker revived calls to pass the Freedom of Information bill into law in order to promote transparency in government.

‘Transparency should not stop with the disclosure of SALNs. The people have the right to access information about how their government operates and how public funds are spent,’ Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos said.

‘Restoring public access to SALNs is a major victory for transparency, but it should only be the beginning,’ he noted. ‘We must go further by enacting the FOI law so that transparency becomes the rule, not the exception.’

A major movement of the West Valley Fault is inevitable either in the short or long term, but there is no reason for panic, only for preparedness and planning.

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said on Monday, October 13, that the so-called “Big One,” a projected magnitude 7.2 earthquake that could affect Metro Manila and nearby provinces, is part of the West Valley Fauly’s natural long-term cycle, not an imminent prediction.

Bacolcol said the Philippines is considered “ripe” for a major earthquake because the West Valley Fault is within its expected timeline for its next movement.

In an interview with ANC, he explained that the fault last moved in 1658 and typically generates large earthquakes every 400 to 600 years.

“If you consider the lower boundary, which is 400 years – so 1658 plus 400 years, that would be 2058,” Bacolcol said. “It means that as we get closer to 2058, the probability of this thing recurring is increasing.”

Bacolcol, however, stressed that 2058 is not a prediction but simply a reference point.

“Of course, it doesn’t mean that by 2058, it will happen. It could be earlier or it could be later, or it could even be on the upper boundary, which is 600 years,” he said.

He added that determining an exact date is impossible: the best that science can do is identify an interval during which another large movement becomes more likely.

Understanding recurrence, not prediction

Bacolcol said that the projection is not a forecast of a specific date, but an analysis based on the fault’s historical pattern.

“That’s the most that we can do for now – give an interval as to when there will be another big event,” he said. “That’s the reason why we’re saying that we’re ripe for the Big One.”

The West Valley Fault runs roughly 100 kilometers through Bulacan, Metro Manila and Calabarzon, forming one of the country’s most closely monitored fault systems.

Government agencies continue to urge households, schools, and offices to prepare emergency kits, identify safe evacuation routes, and reinforce structures as precautionary measures – actions that remain useful regardless of when a major quake occurs.

Recent quakes not connected to the West Valley Fault

Addressing those fearing that powerful earthquakes have become a pattern over the past weeks, Bacolcol said the recent earthquakes in La Union, Zambales, Cebu, Surigao and Davao are unrelated to the West Valley Fault.

“Those earthquakes came from different earthquake generators,” he said.

He explained that:

The La Union quake was generated by the Philippine Fault,

The Zambales event originated from the Manila Trench,

The Cebu quake was caused by the Bogo Bay Fault, and

The Davao and Surigao shaking came from the Philippine Trench.

The difference is with the attention people give to the occurrences. The Phivolcs chief explained the country experiences frequent and sometimes consecutive earthquakes because the Philippines has 180 active faults.

Bacolcol added that such activity is normal in a tectonically active region like the Philippines.