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The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has warned that five to eight more tropical cyclones are expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) before the end of the year.

PAGASA-Visayas Chief, Engr. Al Quiblat, said during the Openline Forum yesterday that the projection is based on the long-range forecast presented in the September 24 Climate Forum.

‘For the month of October, we are expecting two to four tropical cyclones. Tropical Storm Paolo, the 16th tropical cyclone of the year and the first for October, has already passed. This means there may still be up to three more this month,’ Quiblat said.

He added that based on tropical cyclone threat potential, weather models show a possibility of two low-pressure areas (LPAs) entering the PAR between week 1 and week 2 of October.

Although the likelihood of these systems intensifying into tropical cyclones remains low at the moment, PAGASA is closely monitoring their development.

Quiblat explained that ocean conditions near the Philippines, particularly in the western Pacific, remain active and dynamic due to a 71 percent chance of a looming La Niña.

‘This could change the development of weather disturbances,’ he said as he urged the public to stay updated on the intensity and movement of any potential cyclone.

For November, PAGASA has forecasted two to three tropical cyclones, and for December, one to two. Historical data also showed that from November to December, there is a 60 to 70 percent chance that tropical cyclones may track toward the Visayas region.

‘These cyclones that develop toward the end of the year tend to be landfalling systems,’ Quiblat noted, citing PAGASA’s climatological records.

PAGASA continued to remind the public to monitor weather updates, especially as the country enters the peak of the typhoon season.

PAGASA tropical cyclone names for 2025 are Auring, Bising, Crising, Dante, Emong, Fabian, Gorio, Huaning, Isang, Jacinto, Kiko, Lannie, Mirasol, Nando, Opong, Paolo, Quedan, Ramil, Salome, Tino, Uwan, Verbena, Wilma, Yasmin, Zoraida.

While the auxiliary names used if cyclones exceed 25 in a season will be Alamid, Bruno, Conching, Dolor, Ernie, Florante, Gerardo, Hernan, Isko, and Jerome.

Newly-appointed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said he will review the Pharmally scandal case, which involves graft over overpriced COVID-19 supplies, acknowledging it seemed to have been “forgotten.”

“Sisilipin natin ‘yan, kasi nga parang nalimutan na eh, naibaon sa limot, pero hindi dapat makalimutan talaga itong mga ganitong kaso,” Remulla said.

(We will look into that, because it seems it has been forgotten, buried in oblivion, but cases like this should truly not be forgotten.)

“Kasi alam natin mabigat ang alingaw-ngaw at maraming nagsasabi na may nangyari ngang masama doon. May naging pagdinig sa Senado ngunit hindi na umandar,” he added.

(Because we know the buzz is heavy, and many are saying that something truly bad happened there. There was a Senate hearing, but it didn’t move forward.)

In an interview with OneNews, former Blue Ribbon Committee Chairperson Richard Gordon said that the new Ombudsman will look into the Pharmally scandal.

Gordon, in the same interview, also said that detained former president Rodrigo Duterte was “part and parcel” of the conspiracy to “fleece the country” of at least “P11 billion to P47 billion” in the Pharmally fiasco.

“Very-very clear ang kasalanan ng presidente, inamin pa niya mismo,” Gordon said in an interview with OneNews’ “Storycon” on October 8.

(The fault of the president is very clear; he admitted it himself.)

As the Ombudsman, Remulla will now be in charge of the investigation and prosecution of government officials in their cases, which include cases of graft and corruption.

During the height of the scandal, the Office of the Ombudsman, which was then under the leadership of former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, filed graft cases against several individuals involved in the scandal last year.

Officials slapped with complaints include former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and former Undersecretary Christopher Lao. They are accused of illegally transferring over P41 billion from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) in 2020, during the height of the pandemic.

Latest developments on the case. On October 2, three former DBM officials involved in the case pleaded not guilty before the Sandiganbayan.

The officials are:

Allan Raul Catalan

Dickson Panti

Gerelyn Francisco Vergara

The other co-accused in the case, namely Warren Liong from PS-DBM and Pharmally officials Mohit Dargani and Linconn Ong, did not enter a plea because the anti-graft court has yet to rule on their appeal to quash the graft charge against them.

AJ Lim showed his readiness to shoot for a medal in the Southeast Asian Games in December in topping the men’s singles of the PCA Open in Paco, Manila over the weekend.

Lim’s 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Jed Olivarez not only secured his fourth crown in the annual meet but also reaffirmed his status as the country’s top male netter.

It also earned the 26-year-old Lim the top purse worth P200,000.

‘We are tremendously proud and filled with joy at AJ Lim’s performance,’ said Jean Henri Lhuillier, whose Cebuana Lhuillier has helped bankroll Lim’s SEA Games preparation.

‘His dedication, discipline, and heart truly reflect the spirit of Cebuana Lhuillier. To see him rise once more to claim the PCA Open title is a moment of great pride not only for us, but for Philippine tennis as a whole,’ he added.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo wants charges filed against 23 business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu that allegedly put the lives of their employees in danger when a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the province recently.

Tulfo, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, yesterday said that one BPO company blocked the emergency exit of the facility to prevent employees from getting out, while another forced workers to immediately return to work after the quake.

‘I went to Cebu last weekend to condole with and help victims of the earthquake. I witnessed the sufferings of our countrymen. Some lost their loved ones, others their homes and property,’ Tulfo said. ‘I was furious when I learned that a BPO company compelled its workers to return to work instead of allowing them to go home after the earthquake. Another firm prevented the workers from going out of the building.’

In pushing to hold these companies accountable, Tulfo cited Labor Advisory 17 issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in 2022, which states that during calamities such as earthquakes and typhoons, companies must prioritize the safety of their workers and cannot penalize those who are unable to report to work due to safety risks.

He also cited a DOLE order that recognizes the right of workers to refuse work without threat or reprisal from employers if an imminent danger exists in the workplace.

‘What’s the purpose of these orders if these are not implemented properly? There should be a corresponding penalty against companies that violate DOLE’s orders and advisories,’ Tulfo said.

John Kyle Enero, spokesman for the BPO Industry Employees’ Network-Cebu, lamented the ‘business-as-usual’ policy of some BPO companies during natural disasters.

DOLE-Central Visayas chief Roy Buenafe said they investigated and issued work stoppage orders against six local BPO companies that reportedly violated labor laws.

He is a graft-buster of the entire country and not just of certain groups, Malacañang said yesterday of former justice chief Jesus Crispin Remulla, whose appointment as ombudsman has drawn flak from critics doubting his impartiality.

‘The work of Ombudsman Remulla is for the entire country, not just for one sector or a group of Filipinos,’ Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said at a Palace briefing. Remulla is set to take his oath today as ombudsman.

Asked whether Remulla has direct orders from President Marcos to investigate the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) of former administration ally-turned-arch critic Vice President Sara Duterte, Castro replied: ‘The work of the ombudsman is for the whole country. Whatever needs to be investigated should be investigated. It should neither be ignored nor neglected,’ she said, adding, ‘What needs to be known by the public should be investigated by the ombudsman.’

Critics and political foes of the administration have assailed Remulla’s appointment, claiming it was meant to pin down the Vice President and her allies.

Malacañang has brushed aside the allegation and expressed optimism that Remulla would be impartial in his investigations.

Castro also denied reports she was being eyed as the next secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

‘First of all, we don’t know where that report started, so there’s no truth to that,’ Castro told a press briefing in Filipino.

Asked whether she would accept the post should President Marcos offer it to her, Castro answered, ‘Hypothetical question, I cannot answer.’

She said the President has no shortlist yet for the next DOJ chief. ‘As of the moment, we have no details regarding that,’ Castro said.

Malacañang earlier designated DOJ Undersecretary Fredderick Vida as officer-in-charge.

Remulla, who was appointed DOJ chief in June 2022, replaced Samuel Martires, who retired in July.

Sara’s case for review

After Malacañang’s announcement of his appointment late Tuesday, Remulla said his office is set to review the pending complaints against the Vice President regarding her alleged misuse of confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

‘Actually, the reports are already there at the ombudsman. We will review them, study them and we will confer with those who are currently handling the cases,’ Remulla said in English and Filipino at a press conference.

Duterte and nine other officials are accused of misuse of P500 million and P112.5 million in confidential funds of the OVP and DepEd, respectively, from 2022 to 2024.

Duterte concurrently served as secretary of DepEd in July 2022 until she resigned in July 2024.

It was revealed during House hearings that P125 million in confidential funds of the OVP in 2022 was spent in just 11 days.

In an interview yesterday, Remulla said he is also seeking a dialogue with the Sandiganbayan to coordinate swifter and ‘continuous’ trial of cases.

Remulla also made it clear he would not tolerate delaying tactics, particularly by those being accused of misdeeds.

He emphasized that the justice system is a dual responsibility, not just of the Office of the Ombudsman or the Department of Justice but also of courts.

Remulla also said he intends to adopt a policy on preliminary case evaluation being practiced in the DOJ to ‘weed out nuisance’ complaints. Such policy, he earlier told the Judicial and Bar Council, recognizes the preeminence of ‘reasonable certainty of conviction’ over prima facie evidence.

SALN access

The appointment of Remulla has been widely welcomed with retired Supreme Court (SC) senior associate justice Antonio Carpio urging him to take this as an opportunity to open the SALN of government officials to the public.

He, however, said private information that do not involve assets or liabilities – such as their residence, the names of their children – should be redacted.

‘The people have lost faith in all institutions of government. They have lost faith in the executive, legislative and even in the judiciary. The Office of the Ombudsman, I call it the second most powerful office of government, could turn the tide,’ Carpio said over radio dzBB.

When the Philippine Basketball League turned a quarter of a century at the turn of the century, it honored 25 greatest players in symbolic representation of the number of years it thrilled and entertained the basketball nation.

Listed were Johnny Abarrientos, the short point guard with the tallest chance at the world s premiere basketball league, Bogs Adornado, Ato Agustin, Francis Arnaiz, Ricardo Brown, Allan Caidic, Hector Calma, Philip Cezar, Atoy Co, Jerry Codi era, Kenneth Duremdes, Bernie Fabiosa, Ramon Fernandez, Danny Florencio, Abet Guidaben, Freddie Hubalde, Robert Jaworski Sr., Jojo Lastimosa, Lim Eng Beng, Samboy Lim, Ronnie Magsanoc, Vergel Meneses, Manny Paner, Alvin Patrimonio and Benjie Paras. Period.

In statutory construction, it is called expressio unius est exclusio alterius or those who are not included are excluded on purpose. The list is exclusive. But when the country s premiere basketball league turned middle-age in 2015, it added 15 more to make it 40. Danny Ildefonso, Willie Miller, James Yap, Asi Taulava, Eric Menk, Kelly Williams, Jayjay Helterbrand, Jimmy Alapag, Mark Caguioa, Arwind Santos, Jayson Castro, Marc Pingris, Kerby Raymundo, Chito Loyzaga, and Marlou Aquino.

As the league turns gold this year, it included 10 more to complete the symbolic 50. Nelson Asaytono, Jeffrey Cariaso, June Mar Fajardo, Bong Hawkins, Abe King, Danny Siegle, Scottie Thompson, Arnie Tuadles, Elpidio Villamin, and Manuel Victorino made the cut.

The list is not exclusive after all. It was just a matter of time before those who did not make the first or second cut could be finally recognized. But this is not ejusdem generis either, where the law enumerates specific persons followed by a general term to include those persons of the same class or category.

The elite list loses prestige had the first 25, 40 and 50 ended with a catch-all phrase to include all others. Exactly why it is exclusive. In this context, inclusivity is not welcome, greatness is a rarity. The tricky part however is it grows. Others may be omitted now and included later.

It must be beyond difficult to pick the 50 greatest, the wisdom of choice will always be scrutinized. Curiously though, what if another player did not make the first cut but finally made it to finest cut of a diamond celebration? It may be too late. In law, it is called amendment by addition, but definitely not budget insertion. The first is afterthought, the second evil thought.

Instead of delivering it on the dot, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival opted to make his first 100 days in office report on October 16, 2025, with only members of the media invited as guests at City Hall.

The Cebu City Information Office confirmed the schedule, noting that while other local chief executives traditionally deliver their 100-day accomplishment reports on time through a State of the City Address (SOCA), Archival saved it for a later date to provide a more comprehensive update on the city’s affairs since assuming office.

The report is expected to highlight Archival administration’s progress on his campaign promises and the programs he outlined when he took office as the city’s top official.

A look back at Archival’s campaign promises

Upon winning the mayoralty race during the May 2025 elections, Archival pledged to fulfill several campaign promises within his first 100 days in office.

Among his top priorities is finding ways to increase Cebu City’s revenue-not by raising taxes, but by improving collection efficiency, which he said is vital for sustaining City Hall’s operations.

He also vowed to streamline City Hall processes to shorten the turnaround time for frontline services, including the implementation of a system allowing business permits to be issued within the same day.

Regarding the highly disputed Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), Archival promised to complete the facility within one year to expand its services and coverage. He emphasized the need for coordination among contractors and consultants and underscored the importance of a construction audit.

Another initiative included in his first 100 days is the installation of public drinking water fountains across the city, part of his campaign to promote the use of refillable tumblers over bottled water. The measure aligns with his environmental advocacy to reduce plastic waste and curb the rising costs associated with disposable bottles.

When he took his oath of office, Archival vowed to make Cebu City ‘number one again.’ In line with this goal, he outlined several priority programs to realize that vision.

Among them is the reopening of the Cebu City Library for 24/7 operations, a project initiated by then-Mayor, now Vice Mayor, Tomas Osmeña during his previous term.

Archival’s administration also plans to open the road network from IT Park to Banilad, in coordination with Cebu Provincial Governor Pamela Baricuatro. With the onset of heavy rains, Archival has directed the Department of Public Services (DPS) to desilt the city’s rivers.

He also aims to address the city’s long-standing garbage collection woes, noting that Cebu City spends around P600 million annually on garbage collection while earning only P100 million in revenue-resulting in a major budget deficit.

To curb this, Archival intends to reduce landfill waste by converting garbage into fertilizer and promoting recycling to lower costs. He said City Hall will serve as the benchmark for segregation and that a cement company has expressed interest in purchasing the city’s recyclable waste. Barangay officials will also be mobilized to enforce segregation policies at the community level.

Archival further plans to promote local food production, pointing out that 60 percent of Cebu City’s food supply comes from outside the city and is mostly imported. He vowed to promote sustainable farming to boost self-sufficiency.

Additionally, Archival wants to expand the city’s scholarship system, shifting from exam-based selection to automatic scholarship grants for all high school graduates.

On October 16, Archival is expected to present updates on these initiatives-highlighting both accomplishments and challenges encountered in the first 100 days of his term.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the release of P716.15 million to help replenish the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) disaster response funds.

The funds will replenish the DSWD’s Quick Response Fund (QRF) specifically, which is meant to be used for emergency situations such as the recent earthquake in Cebu.

Once an agency’s QRF falls below a 50% threshold, it can be replenished.

‘This replenishment helps guarantee the DSWD can continue to provide food, shelter, and cash aid to families when they need it most,’ said DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman in a statement.

The DBM said the additional QRFs will fund the DSWD’s procurement of food packs and non-food items, which can support up to 424,681 families.

The replenishment will also help fund emergency cash transfers to 41,502 families affected by the recent cyclones that hit the country.

The additional funds will also help cover logistical costs, the DBM added.

The amount will be charged against the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund for 2025.

When the magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Cebu in September, the DBM said that there was still around P8 billion in the NDRRM fund that agencies could replenish their QRFs from.

The San Beda Lions program has tirelessly searched abroad for one talent they hope would end up as the key to unlocking their NCAA championship aspirations.

They found one in the Bay Area, California in athletic wing Janti Miller.

Miller has been carrying most of the load for San Beda in its first two wins, and he is expected to do more when they battle an unpredictable Jose Rizal University in NCAA Season 101 at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday.

With the 21-year-old, 6-foot-4 Miller doing most of the damage, the Lions have bested a pair of contenders in the College of St. Benilde Blazers and the Letran Knights and should remain unbeaten and atop Group B with another win over the Bombers (1-1) in their 2:30 p.m. duel.

Miller was nothing less than spellbinding in his first two outings, where he averaged a team-high 19 points.

And what’s more impressive was he had done all that off the bench.

‘I’m very impressed that despite his talent and caliber, he has accepted the role,’ said San Beda coach Yuri Escueta of Miller.

The Bombers aren’t one to just back away that easily as they’ve shown ability to pull the rug from fancied teams as evidenced by their shock triumph over the Letran Knights.

Also seeing action at 12 p.m. are Lyceum of the Philippines University (0-2) and San Sebastian (0-2).

Host Centro Escolar U hopes to make the opening of the PG Flex-Universities and Colleges Athletic League Season 8 memorable as it defends its street dance title today at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

After the short opening ceremony starting at 11 a.m., all nine member schools are to showcase their dazzling footwork, creativity and style in the street dance competition serving as the highlight of the traditional opening-day show.

But all eyes will be on the Scorpions who have prepared long and hard for a chance to win a second straight title and set in motion their campaign in other events including the centerpiece basketball competition after a failed three-peat bid last season.