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Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez ordered on Monday the revocation of protocol license plates issued to officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies.

In a memorandum order, Lopez said that while the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is reviewing Joint Administrative Order No. 2024-001, ‘all previously-issued authorization to use protocol license plates given to officials of the DOTr central office, including its sectoral and attached agencies and corporations’ are revoked.

‘Thus, all concerned officials shall surrender the protocol license plates issued to them, and the LTO shall undertake the necessary coordination and measures to implement the directive,’ the acting DOTr chief added.

Lopez further said that the concerned officials are prohibited from using sirens, blinkers, and similar devices in their motor vehicles in compliance with Administrative Order No. 18 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In hot water

He issued the memorandum after he ordered Transportation Undersecretary for Special Concerns Ricky Alfonso to explain his use of a vehicle with unauthorized blinkers and a number ’10’ protocol plate. The plate is issued to high-ranking members of the judiciary branch.

Based on a check, the LTO found out that the license plate was not registered to the vehicle used by Alfonso, a gray Lexus. Alfonso later said he had relieved his driver, who was caught in a viral video punching another driver on the head, for getting in the way of the DOTr official’s vehicle on Katipunan Avenue last week.

Under Executive Order No. 56 order issued by Marcos, only the following government officials are authorized to use protocol license plates with the corresponding numbers: President (protocol plate no. 1); Vice President (2), Senate President (3), House of Representatives Speaker (4), Supreme Court Chief Justice (5), Cabinet secretaries (6), Senators (7), House members (8), Associate Justices of the Supreme Court (9), presiding Justices of the Court of Appeals (10), presiding Justices of the Court of Tax Appeals (10), presiding Justices of the Sandiganbayan (10), Solicitor General (10), Chairs of Constitutional Commissions (11), Ombudsman (11), Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (14) and Chief of the Philippine National Police (14).

The executive order also said that ‘all other officials with equivalent rank as the above-authorized officials’ may be allowed to use protocol license plates based upon the recommendation of the LTO and the approval of the transportation secretary. INQ

Every year, the world’s top central bankers, policymakers, academics and market movers descend on Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s high-profile symposium-a must-watch event where one stray comment can jolt global markets.

Now, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) wants its own version of that.

Next month, Panglao, Bohol, will play host to the BSP’s own version of the famed Jackson Hole gathering.

The lineup won’t disappoint. Among the guests is former Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, alongside other heavyweights expected to unpack this year’s twin themes: the importance of inflation expectations and banking supervision.

Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said the event was part of the BSP’s broader push to beef up its research muscle. And it’s showing results.

The BSP Research Academy (BRAc), led by Assistant Governor Maria Margarita Debuque-Gonzales, has had a banner year: five papers published in peer-reviewed journals and a total of 6,700 citations, up by 168 from last year.

Still, the big question for market watchers: will Panglao deliver the same market-moving punch as Jackson Hole, or will it stay as a big research affair? Stay tuned. -Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral

No IPO yet for Bounty Fresh

Going public is still not an option for Bounty Fresh Group Holdings Inc., but the company is not entirely ruling out this possibility.

When asked whether an initial public offering (IPO) is in the pipeline, Bounty Fresh president and CEO Kenneth Cheng only said, ‘No. Similar to last year, hindi totoo ang tsismis (the rumors are not true).’

‘Again, there are no plans. But then I cannot say no because I don’t know what will happen in the future,’ Cheng told reporters in a media meetup on Monday.

This isn’t the first time that the media has posed the IPO question to Bounty Fresh. Still, for now, it will focus on opening new stores and improving the existing ones.

In particular, the company will invest in its people, implement good governance within the company and establish effective systems to boost its operations. -Jordeene B. Lagare

SEC’s big win

We’re all aware that employee well-being and diversity are no longer mere buzzwords in the corporate world.

This is probably why the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been serious in implementing these-so much so that the corporate watchdog took home an award.

Last month, Investors in People (IiP) Philippines conferred an award to the SEC for well-being and diversity, recognizing the commission for its commitment to ‘investing in its workforce to achieve excellence in public service.’

‘At the SEC, we’ve always believed that our greatest strength lies in our people,’ SEC Commissioner Javey Paul Francisco said in a statement. ‘They are at the heart of our progress, the trust we’ve earned and the reforms we’ve led.’

These awards add to the SEC’s list of other recognitions, including being the first agency in the government financial sector to receive the IiP Standard Accreditation, a recognition for people management.

Cheers! -Meg J. Adonis

Another round for PNP personnel

Uniformed personnel will get to enjoy perks from the Ayala Group a little longer.

On Monday, Ayala Corp. announced it had renewed its Saludo sa Serbisyo partnership with the Philippine National Police, thus extending the program that grants exclusive benefits for their officers.

Under the program, both active and retired PNP personnel have easier access to the products and services of Ayala.

This includes home and car ownership assistance, financial literacy training, livelihood support for unemployed spouses and retirees and exclusive discounts to health and wellness services, among others.

Since its launch in 2016, this program has already helped at least 16,000 PNP personnel and their dependents, according to Ayala.

More to come! -Meg J. Adonis INQ

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has pledged to provide P10,000 in cash assistance to farmers affected by the continued drop in palay (unhusked rice) farmgate prices.

During his visit to Cagayan on Tuesday, Marcos expressed the need for the government to assist farmers struggling with low prices for their harvests.

‘We have planned to give P10,000 each to those who suffered farmgate losses,’ President Marcos said in Filipino.

Marcos also directed the National Food Authority (NFA) to increase its palay procurement, setting buying prices at P18-P19 per kilo for wet palay and P21-P23 per kilo for dry palay to stabilize the market.

Traders have reportedly been purchasing palay at only P8 to P10 per kilo.

Marcos added that the government would expand its support through direct assistance programs, wider crop insurance coverage, and the provision of additional farm machinery for cooperatives

Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez attends the Independent Commission on Infrastructure’s probe on flood-control anomalies on Tuesday, October 14.

Romualdez says he is willing to share all the information he knows with the investigation body.

No less than Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and ‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu personally chose the three Filipino best friend duos who won the ‘Awiting Wicked: For Good’ competition.

The chosen duos, along with their TiktTok accounts, are: Fatima Soria (@only_ftma) and Pia Casing (@piazzicato); Jezza Quiogue (@jezzaquiogue_) and Nowi Alpuerto (@nowialps); and, Kyle Quinco (kwisssy6) and Tiffany Vistal (@tiffanyshanevistal).

Universal Pictures Philippines, which is the local distributor of the ‘Wicked’ movie, announced the winners on its TikTok page on Monday.

‘So many of you have shown your own special versions of ‘For Good’ with the world. We’re here to tell you that we heard them and we love you all even more,’ said Erivo. ‘Congratulations to the chosen best friend duos, and thank you to all the talented singers from across the Philippines who submitted.’

‘You have further proven that you are all so tremendously talented,’ Grande chimed in. ‘We’ve been so touched by your renditions and we can’t wait for you all to hear our version when the movie comes out.’

The six winners will get a chance to record their own rendition of the song ‘For Good,’ and star in a music video. They will also get to meet the Oscar-nominated Erivo, Grande and Chu in the Singapore premiere of ‘Wicked: For Good,’ the sequel to the Oscar-winning musical film.

‘Wicked: For Good’ will be screened in Philippine theaters on November 19 as last year’s global cinematic cultural sensation, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time, reaches its epic, electrifying, emotional conclusion.

Directed once again by Chu, and starring the spectacular returning cast, led by Erivo and Grande, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices.

The film is produced by returning Tony and Emmy winning powerhouse Marc Platt p.g.a. and by multiple Tony winner David Stone. The executive producers are Stephen Schwartz, David Nicksay, Jared LeBoff, Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox.

The first film, Wicked, released in November 2024, earned 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscars for Costume Design and Production Design. To date, the film has grossed $750 million worldwide.

‘Wicked: For Good’ is based on the generation-defining musical stage play with music and lyrics by legendary Grammy and Oscar winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire. The screenplay is by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The film score is by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. /edv

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake was felt in Nasugbu, Batangas, on Tuesday morning, Oct. 14, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

The tremor struck at 6:11 a.m., with its epicenter 24 kilometers southwest of the town. It was tectonic in origin, occurring at a depth of 130 km-caused by sudden movement along faults and plate boundaries.

Phivolcs said no damage or aftershocks are expected.

On Sept. 18, Nasugbu experienced a magnitude 3.3 earthquake, located 65 km south of Manila.

On Monday, two minor quakes also hit Batangas: a magnitude 2.9 tremor in Tingloy town and a magnitude 2.4 quake in Calatagan municipality

At least 14 people were injured when another strong aftershock measuring magnitude 5.8 jolted northern Cebu at 1 a.m. on Monday while thousands of residents were still recovering from the devastation left by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the region on Sept. 30.

According to the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), the latest tremor, which state volcanologists have downgraded from the magnitude 6 they initially reported, was among the strongest of over 10,000 aftershocks recorded since the main quake two weeks ago.

As of noon Monday, the injured were eight in Bogo City, four in Daanbantayan, and two in San Remigio – the same northern areas hardest hit by the earlier disaster. All injured victims were promptly assisted by local disaster and health responders.

Cebu PDRRMO focal person Dennis Francis Pastor said all injuries were minor, including cases of chest pain, lacerations, and asthma attacks, all sustained during the chaos caused by the early-morning tremor.

In Bogo City, many residents said they struggled to go back to sleep after the tremor.

‘My muscles were shaking. We can’t sleep anymore after that,’ wrote Lynde Seno of Barangay Dakit in Cebuano in a Facebook post, saying his family continued to stay outside their damaged home for safety.

Bogo City Mayor Mayel Martinez said the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office responded to eight emergency incidents following the pre-dawn shaking that sent many residents rushing out of their homes in fear.

Infra damage

The aftershock also caused damage to infrastructure in one of the affected municipalities.

According to a report from the San Remigio municipal government, a major road near the Hagnaya Integrated School sustained large cracks after Monday’s strong aftershock, prompting local authorities to urge residents to refrain from passing through the area as the road might collapse.

Provincial assessments showed that roads between the cities of Cebu and Bogo, which are about 98 kilometers apart, remained passable, while power and telecommunications services have not been interruptedDue to the aftershock felt in the entire province, Gov. Pamela Baricuatro ordered the suspension of classes in the province to give way to structural inspections of buildings and facilities. Towns and cities in the province also issued separate class suspension orders on Monday, ranging from one to five days.

The Sept. 30 magnitude 6.9 earthquake off Bogo City remains the deadliest in the region in recent history, killing at least 75 people and injuring over 1,200 others, according to official reports. More than 23,000 houses were destroyed or damaged, and several heritage structures – including the Daanbantayan Church – were also badly damaged.

Calamity state

A state of calamity remained in effect in Bogo City and affected northern Cebu municipalities to speed up relief and rehabilitation efforts that continued across northern Cebu, as communities slowly rebuilt from the disasters.

Monday’s aftershock was also felt in Bohol, prompting several local governments, including Tagbilaran City and the towns of Inabanga, Pilar, Getafe and Talibon to suspended classes as a precaution. The Holy Name University in Tagbilaran postponed the opening of its intramural games from Monday to Tuesday.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially recorded Monday’s quake at magnitude 6.0 but later downgraded it to magnitude 5.8 in its 6 a.m. bulletin.

Phivolcs said the quake’s epicenter was 10 kilometers southwest of Bogo City, at a shallow depth. The tremor was recorded at Intensity 4 in Cebu City. It was also felt in Leyte, Iloilo City, Roxas City, Pontevedra (Capiz), Carlos P. Garcia and Dauis (Bohol), Canlaon City, Himamaylan City (Negros Occidental), and Legazpi City, Albay.

NUSTAR Resort Cebu successfully concluded its inaugural ‘Rhythms of Wellness’ event with the first-ever NUSTAR Dragon Boat Regatta 2025, held on September 20-21 at the NUSTAR Boardwalk. The two-day regatta marked the culmination of the month-long wellness celebration, bringing together athletes, communities, and wellness enthusiasts from across the Philippines and abroad.

This year’s highest-stakes divisions, the Premier Open Standard Boat and Premier Mixed Standard Boat races, saw fierce competition on the 200-metre course. Philippine Navy dominated the Premier Open Standard Boat category, taking the top prize ahead of Dumaguete Yellowfins, Siargao Dragons, and Bohol Paddlers. In the Premier Mixed Standard Boat division, Sugbu Mighty Dragons clinched first place followed by Bohol Paddlers, Black Manta Warriors, and Siargao Dragons. Champions in these categories, along with winners across the other divisions, received trophies, medals, and cash prizes of up to Php50,000 during the awarding and fellowship night held on September 21 at the NUSTAR Convention Center. Beyond the headline divisions, the regatta showcased excellence across all six categories. In the Senior Open Small Boat race, DPC x UMAPADS came out on top ahead of Sugbu Mighty Dragons, Dumaguete Yellowfins and Mandaue DBT (PADS). Mandaue Paradragons led the PD1 Open Small Boat category with Cebu Paradragons, Mactan DB Squad, and Dawata rounding out the top four. The 24U Open Small Boat race saw Mandaue DBT (PADS) finish first ahead of Siargao Dragons, Bohol Paddlers, and Ark Dragon. Philippine Navy also prevailed in the Premier Women Small Boat division, with BFP St. Florian DBT, Siargao Dragons, and Cebu Poseidon completing the field.

‘The energy here is electric, and for good reason,’ said Sean Knights, Chief Operating Officer of NUSTAR Resort Cebu. ‘This regatta is not just a race; it’s the start of something meaningful. With the strong support of the Cebu City Government, we see this growing into an annual celebration of strength, teamwork, and sportsmanship – placing Cebu on the global dragon boat map.’

This inaugural event proudly included cancer survivors, para-athletes, and teams championing meaningful causes as part of NUSTAR’s month-long wellness campaign. It was made possible in collaboration with the Cebu City Government, the Department of Tourism, Philippines Accessible Disability Services (PADS) and the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, underscoring NUSTAR’s commitment to inclusivity and partnership.

The regatta capped off a series of wellness activities launched earlier in September. The month began with the NUSTAR Run Club, a series of guided runs open to all fitness levels designed to encourage regular exercise and camaraderie. This was followed by NUSTAR Serenity in Motion, a weekend program of yoga, stretching, meditation sessions, and more, promoting mindfulness and mental wellness. Both events created momentum and community engagement, paving the way for the marquee waterfront competition.

NUSTAR plans to make ‘Rhythms of Wellness’ an annual highlight, expanding activities and partnerships to reach even more Cebuanos and visitors in the coming years.

Two aftershocks with magnitudes 3.9 and 4 struck off Bogo City and Manay, respectively, on Tuesday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

The magnitude 3.9 aftershock occurred 21 kilometers southwest of Bogo City at 8:44 a.m. with a depth of focus of one kilometer, according to Phivolcs.

Bogo City reported Intensity IV (moderately strong), while Tabuelan town reported Intensity III (weak), the state seismologist added.

‘This is an aftershock of the 2025 September 30 [magnitude] 6.9 Offshore Northern Cebu earthquake,’ Phivolcs explained.

The Cebu earthquake struck 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City at 9:59 p.m. on Sept. 30.

Meanwhile, the magnitude 4 aftershock occurred 66 kilometers southeast of Manay, Davao Oriental, at 8:30 a.m. with a depth of focus of 10 kilometers, according to another set of data from Phivolcs.

‘This is an aftershock of the October 2025 Offshore Davao Oriental Earthquake,’ it said.

Phivolcs has yet to show what intensities were reported as a result of the aftershock.

The Davao Oriental quake had a magnitude of 7.4 and struck 48 kilometers northeast of Manay at 9:43 a.m. on Oct. 10./mcm

There were no ‘untoward incidents or disruptions’ reported during the three-day transport strike staged by the group Manibela, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Manibela launched its strike on Tuesday to protest the apprehension of jeepney drivers by the Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation.

‘We did not monitor any untoward incident amid the transport strike. It also did not cause major disruption among our commuters,’ Acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday.

‘In any case, we are always ready to assist our kababayans who could be affected by this transport strike,’ he added.

Nartatez also reminded drivers and operators joining the strike to keep their activities ‘peaceful and orderly,’ adding that the police will maintain its heightened presence amid the protest. Jossa Rafoncel Par, INQUIRER.net intern /jpv