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Eli Rousseaux erupted for 36 points to keep Farm Fresh unbeaten in three games with a 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22 win over Capital1 in the PVL Reinforced Conference on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Belgian import continued to shine in the PVL, dropping 33 kills, two aces, and a block. Rousseaux sent the Foxies to match point with an ace, 24-20, before Ces Molina scored through the block to end the game in two hours and 18 minutes.

Farm Fresh coach Alessandro Lodi, Eli Rousseaux, and Alohi-Robins Hardy on a 3-0 start. #PVL2025 #PVLReinforced @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/xVBnsLFxZ5

– Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) October 21, 2025

‘I’m super happy because I didn’t know that this was like history for Farm Fresh to win 3-0, so I’m very grateful to be part of it and that I could help them with this because obviously I’m here just for a short time,’ said Rousseaux.

‘I get like really good connection with these girls and, you know, if you go to the court and you make 36 points, you do this also for your team, nobody makes that amount of points just for herself.’

Alohi Robins-Hardy also shone in front of her cousin and PBA star Gabe Norwood, earning the Player of the Game nod with 21 excellent sets on top of nine points and five digs.

Molina had 13 points and 15 excellent receptions. Trisha Tubu also scored 13 in her first PVL game against former college rival Bella Belen, who had 20 points and 19 digs.

Libero Alyssa Bertolano continued to provide a steady floor defense for Farm Fresh with 20 digs and 13 receptions to keep the Pool A lead with a 3-0 card.

‘We are a team that fights. We’re a team that never gives up. We knew that it would be a tough game, absolutely. We were prepared for it. I mean, Belen and Bytsenko are two hell of scorers, you know, and we knew that. So we knew it would be hard,’ said Farm Fresh coach Alessandro Lodi.

‘Sometimes we kind of like it to make it a little harder for ourselves with some stupid decisions, and we will need to grow if we want to be contenders at the high level. But I guess with grit, with determination, with clarity of systems and decisions in the most important parts, we managed to rally back.’

Farm Fresh faces an acid test against PVL on Tour and Invitational champion PLDT on Saturday at Ynares Center Montalban.

The Solar Spikers dropped to a 1-2 record, with Sasha Bytsenko leading the way with 26 points, but she and Belen couldn’t give the team its first winning streak of the tournament.

Capital1 has 10 days before its next game on October 31 against Cignal at FilOil EcoOil Centre.

As aftershocks of Davao Oriental’s 7.4 magnitude quake and its 6.8 magnitude doublet continue to keep fisherfolk from going back to sea, fishing communities in Baganga town are facing hunger if relief goods stop coming, a humanitarian group warned.

Reiza S. Dejito, country director of the humanitarian group CARE Philippines, sounded the alarm following CARE’s visit to the quake-affected communities in Baganga, where they distributed relief and conducted psycho-social briefing to those affected.

Barangay chair Perle Ibanez of Kinablangan village also confirmed Dejito’s warning on Sunday.

Although a total of 2,038 families were already given food assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Ibanez’s village, fishing communities would still be in dire need of food as their heads of families could not yet go back to the sea, where they get their main source of income, he said.

Of the 200 houses totally damaged by quakes in the town of Baganga, 24 of the houses were in Kinablangan. A total of 500 families or three puroks living on a sandbar across the village have been evacuated to higher grounds and would still need assistance, Ibanez said in a phone interview.

‘We hope that condition will improve so that our fisherfolk can finally go back to sea and live normal lives again, but even last night, strong aftershocks from another quake in Surigao del Sur still kept people awake,’ Ibanez said in a phone interview with Inquirer. ‘People still fear going back to sea and are even staying out of their houses at night to sleep in the open,’ he added.

Although all families in the 20 puroks that make up his barangay already received food packs from the DSWD and the local government units, it was not certain yet how long those food packs would last, and there was no assurance yet that another aid would be coming, he said.

Among the humanitarian groups who arrived in Kinablangan village on Tuesday, CARE Philippines narrated the story of Jovelyn, 39, who was at home with her one-year-old daughter when the ground began to shake violently on Friday, October 10, and her house started to fall apart.

Her husband, Pastor Richard Macanas, 48, rushed to save them just moments before their ceiling and roof collapsed. ‘We could have died,’ Jovelyn said. Their relief was cut short when they remembered that their eight-year-old son, Lynnch, was still at school. Luckily, the boy was brought safely home by a neighbor.

Upon seeing his parents, the boy wailed and hugged them.

I was so scared,’ he said. ‘I thought I would never see them again.’ The boy’s family is now sheltering in a church garage, sleeping under tables as aftershocks continue to shake the area.

According to CARE, the disaster not only shattered houses but also decimated livelihoods, leaving families struggling to find their next meal. Also among those affected was Emma, 32, and her husband, Romie, 42, who saw the walls of their home collapse during the quake. Romie, a fisherman, has been unable to go to sea because of strong currents and big waves, cutting off their only source of daily income.

With meager food on the table, the young couple is forced to prioritise their two children before they eat.

‘(We subsist on) just water for now. We let our children eat first. If there’s anything left, that’s what we’ll have,’ Emma said.

As a pastor, Macanas is worried about his church members affected by the quake. He said he had seen families struggle for food, others risking their lives by taking shelter in their damaged homes during the day before sleeping in open spaces at night.

The pastor has been calling for help, asking for food packs and basic household items like sleeping materials, as many were not able to recover anything from the rubble of their homes. With families sleeping outside, he says mosquito nets are also urgently needed. Beyond the physical needs, Richard also calls for mental health sessions to help his community process their trauma and voice their worries. CARE and its partners in the Humanitarian Partnership Platform (HPP) and the EU-funded ACCESS consortium were in the area to deliver immediate support that included food packs, water kits, tarpaulin sheets for temporary shelter, and psychosocial first aid to help families cope, heal, and rebuild from the devastation./coa

The city council here is considering a proposal to waive the fees collected from residents and businesses in 14 barangays located within the Camp John Hay reservation to prevent double taxation, according to a draft ordinance pending before the legislative body.

Double taxation has arisen due to similar fees being collected by the John Hay Management Corp., a subsidiary of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) that manages the 625-hectare reservation.

The council has yet to determine the amount of revenue the city government will forgo if it implements the temporary fee waiver.

The proposed measure covers building permits, occupancy permits, electrical permits, mechanical permits, plumbing permits, business permits and other regulatory clearances required for construction, development or business operations within the affected barangays.

‘Nonetheless, residents are still required to secure the necessary permits to ensure public safety and effective monitoring of these structures,’ the draft ordinance clarified.

The fee waiver, it added, would remain in effect until the 14 villages are officially segregated from the Camp John Hay reservation or until the overlapping collection of fees is resolved.

Complete control

Camp John Hay, like all former American military bases, is under the custody of the BCDA, which, last January, has also taken over its privately developed commercial areas previously controlled by developer Camp John Hay Development Corp.

In 2023, the Supreme Court affirmed the city government’s regulatory authority over businesses operating in John Hay’s commercial areas, provided these are not registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

The business district falls under a special economic zone administered by the BCDA. But many businesses operating in the 14 barangays – including the Baguio Country Club village and the Ibaloy ancestral settlement in Barangay Loakan – are technically beyond the city’s regulatory scope until these communities are formally excluded from the BCDA’s control.

Conditions

The city’s jurisdiction over John Hay enterprises is among the 19 conditions outlined in City Resolution No. 362, which the city council passed in 1994 when it endorsed the conversion of the military base into a commercial area in the same year.

Condition No. 14 of Resolution No. 362 specifically requires the exclusion of the following John Hay barangays: Camp 7 (13,875 residents as of the 2020 census), Loakan-Apugan (2,906), Country Club Village (1,762), Lower Dagsian (1,521), Upper Dagsian (643), Greenwater (1,571), Hillside (1,549), Loakan-Liwanag (4,841), Loakan-Proper (12,006), Outlook Drive (2,237), Santa Escolastica (1,794) and Lucnab (2,206); Happy Hallow (2,674), which is also Baguio’s only Ibaloy ancestral domain; and Scout Barrio (1,329), which hosts families of former John Hay employees during the American occupation.

However, only Scout Barrio has been officially segregated through an executive order issued in 2001. The city council and its residents also asserted the process remained incomplete, as the BCDA retained control over Scout Barrio’s public spaces, including roads and a school.

Incomplete process

According to the draft ordinance authored by Councilor Paolo Salvosa, compliance with the conditions set by the city government remained incomplete due to ongoing negotiations between the city government and the BCDA over who should have jurisdiction over the 14 villages.

‘To alleviate the burden of double payment and ensure equitable treatment of residents pending the resolution of the segregation issue and full compliance with the 19 conditionalities, it is necessary to temporarily waive the collection of fees for specified permits by the Baguio City Government for properties and residents in the affected barangays,’ the draft ordinance said.

The city council has invited BCDA representatives to its Nov. 3 session to discuss the draft measure. But back channel negotiations between the city and the BCDA have been ongoing since June, after Mayor Benjamin Magalong requested the BCDA leadership to provide a categorical position on Resolution No. 362.

A total of P21.6 million has been turned over by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to 37 associations covered under its Sustainable Livelihood Program in the Caraga region, and another P8 million cash assistance for 554 individual beneficiaries.

The financial assistance, along with 18 three-wheeled vehicles locally known as ‘bao-bao’, were turned over at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Cultural Center in Patin-ay, Prosperidad town, last Oct. 16.

DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) is the department’s capacity-building initiative that aims to enhance the socioeconomic well-being of poor and marginalized families through skills training, enterprise development, and resource support.

Jean Paul Parajes, DSWD assistant regional director for operations, said the livelihood assistance served as an investment in the beneficiaries’ capacity to achieve long-term economic stability.

‘This DSWD-SLP livelihood assistance is more than just a grant-it is a solid step toward building your economic resilience and unlocking new growth opportunities,’ Parajes said during a ceremony attended by DSWD Caraga, local government officials, and leaders of livelihood associations.

He reminded recipients to ensure the sustainability of their projects as he thanked local government units and partner agencies for their support in implementing the program.

DSWD Caraga did not specify the different livelihood activities the beneficiaries were engaged in, but Agusan del Sur Governor Santiago Cane, Jr., suggested several income-generating activities, including egg and vegetable production.

Rep. Adolph Edward G. Plaza of Agusan del Sur’s 2nd District encouraged beneficiaries to manage their businesses responsibly and highlighted the importance of monitoring to sustain operations.

‘Agriculture-related livelihoods are vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards. Sustaining and growing a business requires study, research, and discipline,’ Plaza said.

He said he would reward outstanding livelihood associations after one year with P150,000 for the top-performing group, P100,000 for the second, and P75,000 for the third.

The three-wheeled vehicles distributed to some SPLAs also hoped to expand their business operations and reduce their transportation costs.

Among the beneficiaries, Angelito Apolo, president of the Asenso Poblacion SLPA in Bayugan City, thanked the government for the assistance.

‘Before, I earned little because I had to pay rent for my tricycle. Now, that rental cost that I would no longer be paying becomes additional income for my family,’ Apolo said. DSWD officials said they would continue monitoring and mentoring SLPAs to help them sustain their enterprises and contribute to the local economy./coa

The controversial fencing project in Camalig town has no Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA) has no record of ownership of the lot involved, which is inside the permanent danger zone (PDZ) of Mayon Volcano in Albay.

Governor Noel Rosal revealed these on Facebook last week as he shared the response of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of Bicol Region and the Registry of Deeds in Albay to his letters seeking clarification over Sunwest Inc.’s almost two-kilometer fencing project in Barangay Tumpa.

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Geri Geronimo Sañez, officer-in-charge of the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said in a letter dated Oct. 16 that based on its online verification system and official records, ‘no ECC has been issued [.] to the said fence construction project’ on Lot No. 7745.

The lot, which is located within the volcano’s PDZ, is not registered with the LRA, as well, with the Registry of Deeds pointing out in a letter dated Oct. 16 that it does not have available records of the lot number based on the Certified True Copy of the Index Book for the Municipality of Camalig.

As Rosal said, ‘we will now call an investigation on what to do with the existing fence,’ although construction work by Sunwest Inc., which was co-founded by resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, has already ceased ‘after the discovery’ by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office.

The local government of Camalig, in a letter dated Oct. 14, had told Rosal that its Municipal Engineering Office that no permit application was filed for the fencing project and that no such permit was issued by the office to the construction company, which was on the list of top 15 contractors that secured most flood control projects all over the country since 2022.

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The area 6 kilometers from the volcano is closed to all activities, with very limited regulated tourism activities allowed with strict regulation and is managed by the Mount Mayon Natural Park protected area management board, while the core zones of the cultural properties are managed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Legazpi through their respective parishes.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business organization, is pressing the Marcos administration for more ‘decisive actions and decisions’ to address the massive corruption hounding flood control and other key infrastructure projects.

‘We feel that we need more,’ said PCCI president Enunina Mangio, ‘We don’t want cover-ups. We don’t want railroading. We want really those responsible to be punished and to be identified.’

Mangio said on Monday on the sidelines of the 51st Philippine Business Conference and Expo in Pasay City that with the delivery of probe results that Filipinos are entitled to, there should be no need for more ‘drastic’ measures such as the resignation of President Marcos.

‘That’s why we are calling for his attention . We released that statement para hindi na tayo umabot doon (so that we don’t reach that point),’ said Mangio.

Mangio was referring to a joint resolution issued by 34 business groups and associations over the weekend, urging the Marcos administration to immediately address the ‘historic, massive and unprecedented corruption scandal’ affecting flood control and other infrastructure projects.

Public trust

These groups – including PCCI, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc., Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Makati Business Club, and the Management Association of the Philippines – said that this crisis ‘has eroded public trust and now threatens national security.’

Among others, they urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to give full legal authority and independence to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) for conducting a swift and comprehensive investigation ‘free from political influence’ and provide regular updates on its progress.

‘We’re trying to prevent aggressive actions to take place,’ Mangio said.

Mangio acknowledged Marcos’ resolve in uncovering the extent of the anomalies in government-funded projects and to bring those responsible to justice, noting he was the one who brought the matter to light.

Prosecution

However, the PCCI said the government should become more decisive in getting to the bottom of the problem.

‘We in the business sector are looking forward to the day when our president will be able to really give us the results that we are expecting, prosecute those who are really involved in this corruption, whatever position they are holding in the country,’ Mangio stressed.

Mangio also pushed for transparency and honesty by establishing an organization or agency to monitor budget allocation and implementation.

Malacañang denied Tuesday rumors that Finance Secretary Ralph Recto had resigned.

In a Viber message, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro was asked to confirm reports that Recto had stepped down from the Department of Finance.

‘Not true,’ she told reporters.

Recto did not issue a statement regarding the matter. /mcm

Cignal has parted ways with Greek spiker Eva Chantava after a 0-2 start in the PVL Reinforced Conference.

Through the league’s broadcast, the team said it ‘parted ways with Chantava after the coaching staff’s deliberation’, as the Super Spikers will field an All-Filipino roster against the unbeaten PLDT on Tuesday evening at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Sources told the Inquirer that a new import in Slovakian hitter Katrin Trebichavska is set to join the team.

But Cignal will have to wait for Trebichavska’s clearance to play after just arriving in Manila.

Chantava only scored a total of 23 points in two games. She was limited to 10 points in her losing debut to Choco Mucho sans Marlee Smith and had 13 in a losing effort to Farm Fresh.

Trebichavska is a 25-year-old hitter who played for the State University of New York Buffalo Bulls in the US NCAA Division 1.

The Super Spikers hope to field their new import on Saturday against the Nxled Chameleons at Ynares Center Montalban.

Rain is expected in several parts of the country on Tuesday, Oct. 21, due to the easterlies, or warm winds from the Pacific Ocean, the state weather bureau said.

The easterlies are likely to bring rains to Batanes province as well as the regions of Eastern Visayas, Davao, and Caraga, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The rest of Luzon and Visayas are expected to have generally fair weather with isolated or localized thunderstorms, Pagasa weather specialist Obet Badrina said in the agency’s morning weather forecast.

‘The rest of Mindanao will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms,’ he added.

Cyclone outlook, sea conditions

Apart from Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen (locally named Ramil), Pagasa said it was not monitoring any new low-pressure areas in the country’s area of responsibility.

Ramil was last located 795 kilometers west of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, packing maximum sustained winds of up to 95 kph and gusts of up to 115 kph while moving westward at 25 kph, Pagasa said.

‘This will no longer affect the country, nor will its trough or associated clouds have any impact,’ Badrina said.

Pagasa added that waters off extreme northern Luzon will experience moderate to rough sea conditions, while the rest of the country’s seaboards will see moderate seas./mcm/abc

A Senate inquiry into the smuggling of agricultural products has exposed an alleged collusion among Chinese syndicates, local businessmen, and government officials, similar to the operations of the now-banned Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).

At the resumption on Monday of the investigation being conducted by the Senate committee on agriculture, food and agrarian reform, panel chair Sen. Francis Pangilinan noted the similarities between the smuggling of agricultural products and operations of Pogos, which were outlawed in the country in 2024.

‘The big picture is coming together. Just like in the Pogos, one of the key leaders of the powerful agricultural smuggling syndicate is from China,’ Pangilinan said.

‘And just like in the case of Pogos, there are Filipino accomplices. And most likely, the imported frozen fish was originally caught in our own waters-in the West Philippine Sea. Our fish are being stolen and sold back to us,’ he added.

Pangilinan cited the P68 million worth of smuggled frozen mackerel from China that was initially declared as P40 million worth of chicken poppers.

Government protection

Pangilinan lamented that, similar to Pogos, the bureaucracy is also being corrupted by exporters of agricultural products who all appeared to be from China.

‘Those who were caught and the companies whose goods were seized involved Chinese nationals,’ he pointed out.

Pangilinan said there is now ‘sufficient circumstantial evidence’ to believe that ‘Chinese smuggling syndicates’ have been conniving not only with local businessmen, but even with erring employees and officials in the Bureau of Customs, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, Department of Agriculture, including the Department of Justice and Bureau of Immigration.