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Amid continuing aftershocks from two powerful earthquakes that struck several areas in Cebu and Davao Oriental recently, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday ordered local chief executives to strictly enforce critical earthquake and tsunami preparedness measures.

The DILG said local government units (LGUs) must act urgently and consistently to protect lives and infrastructure.

Local officials must regularly update emergency protocols, evacuation plans and response systems and disseminate these to the public, the DILG said.

Residents in coastal areas have been advised to observe tsunami warning signs such as strong ground shaking, sudden change in the level of seawater and unusual sound coming from the ocean.

Preemptive evacuation of residents from coastal and low-lying areas must be carried out when a distant tsunami warning is hoisted, and forced evacuation when sea waves become unusually high.

The DILG said local engineering teams must inspect critical infrastructure and prevent people from reoccupying damaged structures after a quake.

‘The public must refrain from spreading unverified information and must rely solely on official updates,’ it said.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government is providing P26.9 million in humanitarian assistance for victims of calamities in the Philippines including the recent earthquakes and typhoons.

Aside from financial assistance, Canada also offered to send relief supplies to quake victims in Cebu and Davao.

The Canadian government will allocate $250,000 for the Philippine Red Cross’ relief operations in Cebu, and $350,000 to World Vision Canada, a member of a humanitarian coalition that provides emergency shelter and other services.

Rising local hip-hop artist Costa Cashman is back with a new single that speaks the narrative of “what it truly means to be a gangsta.”

His new track, aptly named “Gangsta,” featuring Fern and produced by dot.jaime celebrates transformation, discipline, and success earned through grind and growth.

On “Gangsta,” Costa Cashman continues to expand his distinct Cheke sound, a sonic signature that fuses grit with cinematic ambition.

The track builds on the success of his previous hit “HUSS,” marking a refreshing pivot in Cashman’s storytelling: one that reflects his past struggles while embracing the victories of his present.

“Para sakin kasi, hindi na ‘gangsta’ yung pagiging agresibo o pagiging mapusok,” Cashman said in a statement. “Para sa akin, ang ‘gangsta’ na is yung nakakapag-provide ka, nagagawa mo yung gusto mo, nag-eenjoy ka at nagagawa mo yun ng sarili mo lang. Nagawa mo siya ng pinaghirapan mo.”

“Gangsta” delivers a hard-hitting yet expansive soundscape, anchored by a bass-heavy beat that mirrors Cashman’s confidence and creative clarity.

Recording during a writing session in Bali with Fern, the track came together organically, combining effortless lyricism with raw, tender honesty.

“Natural lang siyang lumabas sa akin,” Cashman continued. “Lumabas siya sa utak ko, tapos sinulat ko na siya. Sobrang saya ko kasi parang yun yung pinaka-legit na nasulat ko. I mean, legit naman lahat ng sinusulat ko, pero ayun ung mas dama ko at mas personal siya.”

Lyrically, “Gangsta” serves as both reflection and declaration. Cashman contrasts the grind of his early days, recording music in cramped spaces and dodging daily hardships. Thinking about it, the relative newcomer takes pride in the fulfillment of having built something real and meaningful from nothing.

In tandem with the single release, Cashman will debut a limited-edition capsule collection in collaboration with UNDRAFTED (UND) – a partnership aligning with the UND Anniversary celebration.

“This collaboration represents not just a fashion statement but a manifestation of Cashman’s evolution, from the streets of Malate to the forefront of Philippine hip-hop culture,” Justin Wieneke, CEO of Cheke, said.

Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons repeated over Slovenia’s Ziva Javornik and Tajda Lovsin, 21-19, 21-9, in their Round-of-32 match on Friday morning to notch the Philippines’ first-ever Challenge victory in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour series at the Nuvali Sands Court by Ayala Land in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

‘We’re very grateful to win our first match in the Challenge level and we hope to sustain our run to advance further in the tournament,’ said Rondina, who – with then partner Jovelyn Gonzaga – beat compatriots Genesa Jane ‘Jen’ Eslapor and Floremel Rodriguez, 22-24, 21-12, 15-12, in the final of the 2022 Beach Pro Tour Futures in Subic for a 1-2 Philippine finish.

The FIVB’s Beach Pro Tour has five levels – Futures, Challenge, Elite 16, Finals and finally the World Championships.

‘This is big for us,’ added Rondina who, alongside Pons, defeated the No. 78 Slovenian pair, 16-21, 21-15, 15-9, in the Futures in Budapest only last month.

Standing in the way of Rondina and Pons is a round-of-24 match against Switzerland’s Annique Niederhauser and Bentele, who are coming off an 18-21, 21-14, 16-18 loss to Australia’s Taliqua Clancy and Jana Milutinovic also on Friday.

A victory by Rondina and Pons over the Swiss which was scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday would mean a breakthrough round-of-16 slot for Alas Pilipinas in the event hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation headed by Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara.

‘We just have to believe that we can compete and winning here for the first time in our career has boosted our confidence,’ Pons said.

‘It’s a great privilege that our athletes are able to play in this level of volleyball and win the match,’ Alas Pilipinas’s Brazilian coach Joao ‘Kioday’ Luciano Simao Barbosa said. ‘It proved that we’re in the right path and hope one day we will be exposed more to this kinds of events.’

Kly Orillaneda and Gen Eslapor, however, lost to USA’s Teegan Van Gunst and Piper Ferch, 19-21, 11-21, and Sonny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez squandered a 13-8 lead in the second set to yield to Japan’s Sakura Ito and Mayu Sawame, 18-21, 25-27, to exit the tournament that ends Sunday.

This case proves that a suspect in a crime can also be the very source of evidence to establish his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

One evening at around 9 p.m., on a lighted street in a suburban town, Ella, on her way home after buying medicine for her sick son, witnessed a horrifying scene. She saw Manny, Martin and two other unidentified men assaulting a man. She recognized Manny and Martin as her neighbors. Ella saw Martin stab the victim several times, then heard a gunshot and saw Manny holding a gun pointed at the fallen man. Terrified, she took another route home.

When she arrived home, she told her sister-in-law Marta about what she had seen. Later that night, her brother-in-law Fred informed them that her other brother-in-law, Lito, had been killed. It was only then that Ella realized the man she had witnessed being beaten and shot was Lito. The autopsy revealed that Lito suffered 29 stab wounds, an incised wound and two gunshot wounds that caused his death.

During the investigation, Ella’s family suffered further tragedy when two other brothers of Lito – including Ella’s husband – were killed, allegedly by the local police. Because of the slow and biased handling of the case, the family sought the help of the PC-CIS to investigate the three killings. The investigation into Lito’s death was delayed while Ella focused on seeking justice for her husband and brother-in-law.

When the case was finally reopened, investigators tried to locate Manny and Martin. Only Martin was initially captured; Manny went into hiding. Five years later – two years after Martin’s acquittal – Manny was finally arrested and brought to trial. At trial, Ella was the sole eyewitness. She confidently identified Manny in open court as the man pointing a gun at Lito while he lay on the ground. Her testimony was consistent, natural and sincere. She had no motive to falsely accuse Manny.

Instead of presenting his own defense, Manny filed a demurrer to evidence, arguing that he should also be acquitted like his co-accused Martin since both cases relied only on Ella’s testimony. The trial court rejected this argument. It held that the testimony of a single credible witness, if truthful and convincing, is enough to support a conviction. Ella’s straightforward account was more than sufficient to establish Manny’s guilt.

Moreover, Manny’s five-year flight from authorities strongly indicated guilt, as flight is considered evidence of a guilty conscience. As the saying goes, ‘the wicked fleeth even when no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.’ Thus, the lower court correctly convicted Manny of homicide and sentenced him to imprisonment of eight years and one day as minimum to 14 years, eight months and one day as maximum. (Sevalle vs. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 122858, Feb. 28, 2001)

Comedian Conan O’Brien must have really enjoyed his surprise visit to the Philippines, judging from the numerous photos he took during the trip.

Conan was in the country shooting segments of his travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go”, amazing Filipino fans after being spotted in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Earlier this week Conan shared pictures he took with fans around the township, even meeting one who had a childhood photo of him as the lockscreen of her phone.

“In the Philippines, it comes with your phone,” Conan quipped.

Other places he visited was a candy factory and Rizal Park, snapping a photo with a stray cat in the latter.

The comedian even shared a photo of him holding up a portrait a fan made of him wearing a barong – while he was actually wearing one – and jokingly called it “the new Philippines stamp”.

Conan also “channeled General Douglas MacArthur” during a stay in the Manila Hotel suite named after the military veteran, calling MacArthur his childhood Halloween costume for seven consecutive years.

The first two seasons of “Conan O’Brien Must Go” saw the comedian visiting Norway, Argentina, Thailand, Austria and Ireland, where he traced his family’s roots.

In visits to Spain and New Zealand, Conan even met with Oscar winners Javier Bardem and Taika Waititi.

Conan is best known for hosting the late night talk shows “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (the longest iteration of “Late Night” to date), “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien”, and “Conan” after writing stints on “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons”.

The Emmy winner will host the 2026 Academy Awards after a well-received stint during the most recent edition of the Oscars.

The award-winning meat of Ito Ranch Matsusaka Beef is now in the Philippines, giving Filipinos a chance to taste the rarely exported beef.

Matsusaka beef is dubbed the “Queen of Wagyu” as the ranch only makes use of female cows, has intricate marbling, and has a low melting point of 12° Celsius.

During the launch Matsusaka’s Philippine arrival last October 16 in a Mandaluyong mall, the brand’s overseas sales manager Kunio Kosaka boasted that its meat surpasses the rarity of the more popularly known Kobe beef.

While the meat is now available in the Philippines, Kosaka encouraged people to visit Japan and try Matsusaka beef there, calling it an “experience and story”.

Local company Prime Cuts by Doubleday will import the meat from Japan and distribute it to partner restaurants staring with Teppanya and Sicilian Roast, and soon more established in and outside Metro Manila.

According to Kosaka, Matsusaka only works with a single company in each individual market, and they believe Prime Cuts will handle their beef with the care it deserves.

A sister logistics company will handle the distribution to ensure the observation of the precise environment it takes to deliver the meat.

Prime Cuts chief executive officer Lorenzo Vega compared eating Matsusaka beef to touching leather, also sharing his preferred preparation is thinly-sliced teppanyaki style, dashed with salt and pepper.

Because of its fatness and high oleic acid count, Vega suggests the ideal doneness for Matsusaka steaks are medium or medium rare.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. revisited the victims of the deadly earthquake that struck Cebu on Friday, October 17, this time inspecting the ‘modular housing units’ that were set up for them.

Marcos initially ordered the creation of a ‘tent city’ for the victims of the quakes due to the instability of Cebu structures after the earthquake.

The tent city, now called the “Bayanihan Village,” is being managed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). A total of 250 families are currently residing in the village.

‘I’m happy to report na mayroon ng – talaga lahat, everybody, lahat ng nasiraan ng bahay ay mayroon ng tinitirahan kahit na tent lang muna,’ Marcos told reporters in Northern Cebu. (I’m happy to report that everyone, I mean all, everybody whose house was destroyed, they now have somewhere to live.)

Marcos said the tent city that was initially ordered has been replaced by better, more steady housing.

The housing in question are “modular,” meaning that they were built somewhere else and brought to the location.

Aside from the modular houses, a mobile bath station was also set up, as well as a drinking water station at the village.

Assisting with aid distribution was the Philippine Red Cross, with chair and former senator Dick Gordon joining Marcos for the inspection, as well as Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian.

Aid, psychosocial services

The DSWD said it has also been providing children with psychosocial services as well.

The president remarked that he was happy to see children regaining their energy.

‘Malaking bagay ‘yan para sa mental health ng ating mga kabataan,’ Marcos said. (It is a big thing for the mental health of the youth.)

Marcos said the the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development will also provide construction materials to the families so that they could rebuild their homes.

In terms of cash aid, the DSWD said that it gave 34 families with totally damaged houses an emergency cash transfer of P10,125, while 126 families with partially damaged houses will get P5,250 each.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu killed 79 people, injuring 559 people. Authorities estimated that a total of 747,979 people were affected by the earthquake.

The Meralco Bolts stormed from 16 points down to zap Barangay Ginebra, 89-75, in their PBA Philippine Cup matchup Friday evening at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City

Meralco broke the game wide open in the fourth, allowing Ginebra to score just 14 points in the final frame to grab their second win in a row after a 0-2 start to the conference.

Chris Newsome spearheaded the Bolts with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while CJ Cansino provided the spark with 18 markers.

The Gin Kings were in full control through the third quarter, taking a 16-point advantage, 54-38, after a triple by Norbert Torres.

But an 18-7 run to end the frame kept the game close, 56-61, heading into the fourth quarter.

While an and-one play by RJ Abarrientos at the start of the fourth kept Meralco at bay, 64-56, an 11-2 run by the Bolts following back-to-back 3-pointers by Aaron Black and Newsome pushed them ahead, 67-66.

This gave the Bolts the needed momentum boost, as they continued to pounce on their opponents with a backbreaking 16-3 blitz that gave the winning team the largest lead of the night at 14, 83-69.

Bong Quinto added 11 points, while Black and Cliff Hodge had eight apiece for Meralco.

RJ Abarrientos paced the Gin Kings with 14 points, while Japeth Aguilar and Stephen Holt had 13 and 12, respectively.

Meralco will return to action on Sunday as they face the Magnolia Hotshots at the Ynares Montalban, while Ginebra, who dropped to 1-2 in the conference, will face the San Miguel Beermen on October 26 in Dubai.

Kapamilya star Coco Martin revealed he was approached to do local adaptations of Korean dramas, but turned such opportunities down.

During the announcement of his recent partnership with filmmaker Erik Matti and film producer Dondon Monteverde, Coco shared he wasn’t a fan of K-dramas and rather take on projects with Filipino themes.

“Ang nasa isip namin ay buhayin ang pelikulang Pilipino. alam niyo po ba merong projects na ino-offer sa’kin na bakit hindi ka mag-remake ng Korean [drama], sabi ko, hindi ko sinasabi na [ayaw ko], hindi lang ako fan. Nanghihinayang kasi ako sa talento ng mga Pilipino,” Coco said.

The actor-director pointed out there were many Filipino stories to tell and share with the world.

“Kung gagawa akong proyekto, dapat gawang akin, ‘yung orihinal, ‘yung ipagmamalaki. Kasi kung sakaling sumikat ang teleserye, alam nating gawang atin ‘yun,” he added.

Several Philippine K-drama adaptations have found success like “Descendants of the Sun,” “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim,” and most recently “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.”

Coco, who will play Andres Bonifacio in an upcoming 2027 movie, shared his happiness for the success of “Quezon.”

“Dapat natin ginugunita ito. Dapat lahat ng mga bata, pinag-aaralan ang history at kultura natin. Minsan nakakaligtaan na ito, kung paano na tayo bilang Pilipino,” Coco said.

“Kailangan natin malaman ang ating history at kung paano tayo nagsimula, sino ang mga bayani natin, lalo na sa nangyayari ngayon, sa politics natin ngayon,” he ended.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) expects at least four groups to compete for the P229-billion concession to run the country’s largest railway, signaling that investor confidence is unwavering despite the corruption scandals.

The DOTr will issue the bidding documents for the public-private partnership (PPP) contract for the operation and maintenance of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) by the last week of October at the earliest.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said he has consulted with transaction adviser Asian Development Bank (ADB) in finalizing the schedule.

Lopez said the DOTr is expecting at least four consortiums to bid for the concession. He noted that these groups are mostly made up of Filipino and foreign investors, following the DOTr’s efforts to market the project in roadshows in Singapore, Paris, Manila and Tokyo.

However, he said the number can still change depending on investor appetite. Although the government is riddled with corruption issues, Lopez is optimistic that the DOTr can still secure enough offers to make the bidding competitive.

Moreover, Lopez said the DOTr is far from suffering the same fate as the Department of Public Works and Highways, which funds most of its projects locally from the national budget.

The DOTr undertakes big-ticket projects, such as the NSCR, through loans from partners like the ADB. Lenders observe procurement controls to protect projects from manipulative practices.

‘I always say that DOTr projects are quite unique and peculiar in itself because all the big-ticket projects are funded by ODA (official development assistance),’ Lopez said.

‘The internal controls are different, the process is different, the checks and balances are different. So I can say, it is 100 percent free of corruption,’ he added.

As such, Lopez believes the DOTr can keep its reputation free from funding anomalies and sees no reason for investor appetite to decline in its big-ticket and PPP projects.

The NSCR, costing P873.6 billion and co-financed by Japan, will span 147 kilometers across 35 stations between the Clark International Airport and Calamba, Laguna.

It is expected to ferry 800,000 passengers daily once finished.

The future operator of the NSCR will manage its trains, stations and depot, including its interline with the Metro Manila Subway Project.