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The Office of the City Building Officials (OCBO) here has tagged the Vivaldi Residences, touted as Mindanao’s tallest building, among structures that sustained damage from the doublet quake that struck Davao Oriental and most of Visayas and Mindanao regions on Friday.

The 36-story building, however, only received a yellow tag by OCBO, which means that its use would be restricted until the moderate structural or non-structural damage discovered during inspection underwent repairs, and the building would be declared fit for full re-occupancy.

OCBO also defined a yellow tag to mean that certain areas may remain accessible under controlled conditions, subject to its approval.

Given that similar yellow tags were on Buildings A, B, and C of Felcris Centrale, the parking building of the Gaisano Mall of Davao along Bajada, and the Mesatierra Garden Residences.

The OCBO also red-tagged four other buildings here, following the rapid visual inspection it conducted with the Philippines Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Davao City chapter.

Unlike the yellow tag, the red tag of the OCBO meant the occupancy of the building would be strictly prohibited. The inspection results of the tagged building indicated that the structure had sustained severe damage and was considered dangerous for occupancy.

According to the public notice, the red tag also indicated that it would require a comprehensive structural assessment, during which the entry or use of the premises would be prohibited until all necessary repairs have been completed and cleared by the OCBO.

Buildings that were red-tagged here included the administrative building and school building of Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao in Matina; the Velvet Suites and Hotel in Oroderm City along C.M. Recto St.; the Toledo Building 3 of Magallanes Residences along Magallanes St., and the Teleperformance Davao, or part of the SM Annex Building in Ecoland.

OCBO directed all concerned establishments to strictly comply with the conditions and safety requirements before it could allow re-occupancy of the buildings.

‘These measures are implemented to ensure the safety and protection of residents, tenants, and the general public,’ OCBO said in the advisory.

OCBO and the PICE are continuing their inspections of other establishments with reported cracks.

The 7.4 magnitude offshore quake that jolted Manay, Davao Oriental, at 9:45 a.m. and its 6.9 magnitude doublet that followed at 7:12 p.m. both on October 10 have displaced more than 2,000 people from their homes in Davao Oriental. It also damaged infrastructures and buildings in the surrounding provinces of Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte

Relatively cheap food, including rice and utility costs, kept inflation steady for two consecutive months in the vegetable-growing highlands of the Cordillera, which posted a 2.2-percent inflation rate in both August and September, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Monday.

Aldrin Federico Bahit Jr., PSA chief statistician for the Cordillera, said the most notable trend was the continued deflation – or negative inflation rate – in the interior provinces of Abra and Kalinga, which are among the region’s main rice producers.

Abra recorded a -0.4 percent inflation in September from -0.1 percent in August, while Kalinga’s rate dropped further to -0.5 percent in September from -0.4 percent in the previous month.

Baguio City, the region’s highly urbanized hub, saw its inflation ease to 3.5 percent in September from 4.6 percent in August, said Imelda Buyuccan, PSA Benguet chief statistical specialist.

Despite the decline, the city continued to post the highest inflation rate in the Cordillera, also composed of six provinces and the component city of Tabuk in Kalinga.

Bahit said overall inflation in the region was sustained partly by the rising prices of vegetables and pork, even as many commodities showed slower inflationary movements.

Rental costs across the region registered a 5.7-percent inflation rate in September, lower than 6.4 percent in August. Pork inflation declined slightly to 11.9 percent from 12.1 percent, while poultry meat prices rose marginally to 8.8 percent from 8.5 percent.

Cabbage prices, however, surged sharply, posting an 89.4-percent inflation rate in September, up from 73.7 percent in August.

Benefits for households

The inflation trend benefited upland households in the bottom 30 percent income bracket of the Cordillera’s 1.79 million population (as of the 2020 census), which experienced deflation of -1.6 percent in September, improving from -0.5 percent in August.

In Abra, the lower inflation was attributed to the continued decline in rice prices, which dropped to -13.1 percent in September from -7.9 percent in August, said Felixberto Perdido, the province’s chief statistical specialist. Prices of cocoa and soft drinks also fell, from 3.3 percent in August to -0.1 percent in September. Information and communication services, including mobile communications, likewise saw inflation slow to 0 percent from 2.1 percent.

In Kalinga, the deeper deflation was mainly driven by a reduction in rice prices, from -16.4 percent in August to -21.8 percent in September, said Maribel Dalayday, the province’s chief statistical specialist.

Bahit said Apayao’s inflation rose slightly from -1.3 percent in August to 0.1 percent in September, while Benguet’s rate inched up from 2.4 percent to 2.5 percent.

Ifugao, home to the world-famous rice terraces, recorded an inflation increase from 1.9 percent in August to 2.7 percent in September, while Mountain Province also posted a higher rate of 2.6 percent, up from 1.7 percent in the previous month.

Broadcasting Congress’ budget deliberations live is an effective way to prevent lawmakers from meddling with the national budget, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said on Tuesday.

‘It’s good that their budget deliberations are now being aired live.’ said Pangandaman in a chance interview before the start of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) hearing, when asked what could be done to prevent lawmakers from dipping their fingers in the national budget.

‘And then there are civil society organizations attending, not just as observers., think they also get the chance to ask questions,’ she added.

She expressed hope that the Congress’ bicameral budget hearings will also be broadcast to the public.

‘It would be good to broadcast all budget deliberations live on the floor, in the committee and hopefully even the bicam sessions as well.’

ICI hearing

Pangandaman went to the ICI after she was invited to provide the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) authoritative input on the National Expenditure Program and the General Appropriations Act.

After the hearing, ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said the ICI commissioners also gave the DBM suggestions on how the budget process could be improved.

‘There was an exchange between the ICI and DBM on certain improvements that could be undertaken by the DBM,’ said Hosaka.

He, however, did not specify what these suggestions for improvements were. /gsg

Customers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will see higher electricity bills this month after the power distributor announced on Monday a rate increase of 23 centavos per kilowatt hour (kWh).

This will bring the overall rate for a typical household to P13.3182 per kWh, up from P13.0851 per kWh in September.

According to Meralco, households consuming an average of 200 kWh will see an increase of P47 in their October billing.

The power distributor said the upward adjustment was due to a higher generation charge, which went up by P0.1903 per kWh.

Contributing factor

This was an offshoot of the Philippine peso further weakening against the US dollar, affecting the expenses of independent power producers (IPPs) and power supply agreements (PSAs) that are dollar-denominated.

With the greenback gaining more ground against the local currency, this means that the costs of power producers and supply deals that are dollar-denominated will become more expensive.

But lower charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), which fell by P2.0688 per kWh, helped soften the increase, Meralco said.

IPPs, PSAs and WESM accounted for 21 percent, 74 percent and 5 percent, respectively, of the power distributor’s total energy requirements for the period.

The generation charge accounts for more than half of the monthly electricity bill.

Transmission, taxes and other charges likewise logged a slight price jump of P0.0428 per kWh.

The distribution charge, on the other hand, has remained unchanged since August 2022.

Meralco is the country’s biggest power distributor, servicing Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and selected areas in Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon.

Following the series of earthquakes over the past few weeks, Meralco assured consumers that ‘it continuously safeguards its distribution facilities from potential hazards.’ INQ

Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday that she does not support calls for the resignation of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. amidst the ongoing corruption scandal.

‘Never ask him to resign. That is a pointless call. He will not resign. Did you see the father? How long did that [presidency] last? That was 20 years. Look at the DNA. He doesn’t want to leave the position,’ Duterte said partly in Filipino at a press briefing in Zamboanga City.

‘I never said ‘Marcos resign.’ What I said was, first of all, he should take a drug test. He has a challenge from Atty. Vic Rodriguez. That is a hanging open challenge that he still refuses to do. I say that is a betrayal of public trust,’ Duterte said.

‘Second, his signing of the questionable budget. That is a culpable violation of the Constitution. That is what I am saying he should answer, which he is not answering,’ she added.

Duterte reiterated that Marcos should not be asked to resign, and instead asked him to do his job.

‘Marcos resign’ is a pointless call. That is why, I’m asking him to do his job, of which, we all know that he is not doing.’

Duterte also accused the administration of diverting the people’s attention to someone else instead of answering the questions on leadership.

On Sunday evening, a rally of around 100 individuals calling for the resignation of Marcos Jr. at Forbes Park was staged, led by Cavite 4th District Rep. Francisco Barzaga. /gsg

Kathryn Bernardo’s Most Influential Celebrity award drew criticism after netizens pointed out her lack of commentary on government corruption scandals despite her wide reach.

Bernardo, who received her Most Influential Celebrity trophy at the 11th EdukCircle awards, faced backlash on the internet as netizens claimed that the actress ‘didn’t use her platform’ to call out the ongoing corruption in the country amid many celebrities speaking up about it.

‘Been a fan of Kathryn for like a decade and this is the first time I will disagree with the award she received. Influential yet didn’t use her voice for what’s needed. You don’t deserve it, Kath,’ wrote one fan on X.

‘I’ll say it for the first time. She does not deserve any ounce of this award. I saw her acceptance speech on TikTok and she still hasn’t spoken about any issue this country faces right now. Nasa UPD ka pa man din, sis. Influence on things that really matter WHERE?!’ chimed in another netizen. In her acceptance speech, Bernardo highlighted the power of the youth in ‘fighting for what’s right.’

‘Salamat sa mga naniniwala and sana magtulungan tayong lahat, para maging maganda ang kinabukasan ng Pilipinas (Thank you to those who believed. I hope we will help each other for the future of the Philippines),’ she said in part.

Despite the actress’ absence and silence on the corruption anomalies, her family showed support to attendees of the nationwide protest against corruption on Sept. 21 by handing out food packs and bottled water to participants of the rally.

As of writing, Bernardo hasn’t addressed the backlash nor spoken up about the corruption issues in the Philippines. She is currently working on her first TV series with James Reid.

Meanwhile, Bernardo shares the Most Influential Celebrity award with Anne Curtis, Marian Rivera, and Dingdong Dantes.

Curtis was among the celebrities who joined the Sept. 21 protest against corruption among government officials and other personalities. She has consistently voiced her frustration on the alleged corruption.

Dantes, on the other hand, previously led a group of celebrities in a fun run in Makati as their way of protesting against the corruption in the country, which culminated in the Sept. 21 twin mass rallies.

At the time, Rivera reposted a post from the League of Filipino Actors (Aktor PH) on her Instagram story, a statement that shows support for the meaningful gathering of the people against corruption. /edv

Akari took an early 2-0 lead in Pool B after eking out a 25-11, 22-25, 29-27, 17-25, 15-7 win over Chery Tiggo EV in the PVL Reinforced Conference on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After failing to close out the game in the fourth set, Ced Domingo restored the order in the decider, scoring four of her 16 points for a commanding 11-5 lead. Fifi Sharma’s running attack and Annie Mitchem’s big block sent Akari to match point, 14-7, before Ren Peñafiel committed an attack error.

Domingo scattered seven kills, five blocks, and four aces. Mitchem and Eli Soyud had 17 points each, with the latter tallying five aces. Chenie Tagaod had 11 points, Sharma chipped in 10 points, while Grethcel Soltones added eight.

‘Of course, coming into this game, I really set a personal mindset and focused on my own goals. First was to contribute to blocking, since that’s the most important for me. And I think the rest of the skills just followed after that,’ said Domingo in Filipino.’

‘In the 5th set, we just needed that one spark to get everyone going. And I really want to commend Ate Grethc because she was that sparkplug for us. When she stepped up, everyone followed.’

Justine Jazareno had 27 digs, while new setter Mars Alba continued to spell the difference for the Chargers with 21 excellent sets and an attack kill to stay unbeaten in two games following a breakthrough win against Creamline on Saturday in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

‘Our matches against teams like Creamline and Chery Tiggo really showed us something,’ said Akari coach Tina Salak in Filipino.

‘In those five-set games, you could really see the team’s character and growth. We stayed composed. A lot of us are maturing and taking on bigger roles and responsibilities. So it’s a good thing that aside from winning those tough five-setters, each player is also growing individually.’

Akari has nine days to prepare for Petro Gazz on October 23 at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

Cess Robles carried the Crossovers with 20 points, while Yunieska Batista had 17 points, 14 digs, and nine receptions. Ara Galang and Mylene Paat delivered nine and eight points, respectively.

Chery Tiggo remained winless in two games, hoping to enter the win column in Ilagan City against Petro Gazz on Saturday.

Activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) denounced on Tuesday the newly appointed Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Special Adviser Rodolfo Azurin for ‘lecturing citizens’ protesting against corruption.

Bayan advised Azurin, who previously served as the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), to focus instead on ‘those who stole public funds.’

‘ICI new special adviser Rodolfo Azurin should focus on running after those who stole public funds instead of lecturing citizens and flood victims about how to express our outrage against large-scale corruption. Those who act against corruption are being criticized, not those who commit corruption,’ Bayan’s statement read in part.

During his inaugural speech on Monday, Azurin said ‘real change can’t be achieved through division, chaos, or violence,’ and that revolutions ‘do not always heal a nation, as seen in our history.’

Additionally, Azurin said in his speech that amid the alleged corruption in the country, citizens must ‘stand together not through protests or rallies, but through truth, unity and justice.’

With this, Bayan claimed that Azurin sees the outrage against abuse of power as a bigger problem than impunity in government.

‘He could only see ‘division, chaos or violence’ in protests but not the pursuit of accountability and justice. He belittled the value of protesting while harping on the idea of unity, the same meaningless slogan of the Marcos-Duterte tandem that rose to power in 2022,’ Bayan said.

The group also questioned the credibility of the ICI, noting that it has yet to declare a probe into Malacañang and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and open its investigation to the public.

‘It seems the real mission of the ICI is to douse cold water on the growing discontent against corruption and impunity, and prevent the people from demanding accountability against Marcos Jr, who bears principal responsibility for the flood control controversy and overall infrastructure corruption,’ Bayan added.

On September 29, Marcos named the former PNP chief as the new special adviser of the ICI following the resignation of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong from the post.

Azurin had insisted that he would ‘definitely not allow’ having ‘sacred areas’ that the ICI could not probe, stating that the ICI would ‘investigate everything.’ /jpv

Former Speaker Martin Romualdez vowed Tuesday to share all information he knows with the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) to help ‘speed up’ its investigation into the corruption in government infrastructure projects nationwide.

Romualdez made the statement on his arrival at the ICI headquarters in Taguig City.

‘I am ready to feed my personal knowledge on the budget process, and while not a member of the bicameral conference committee, I will share all information to help determine the truth and to give all the facts and information,’ he said in a chance interview.

‘I will be here to help in any way to speed up the resolution of the fact-finding investigation for ICI,’ he added.

In a separate statement, Romualdez also maintained that he is not hiding anything.

‘Wala akong itinatago at walang dapat itago (I am not hiding anything and I don’t have to hide anything),’ said Romualdez.

‘.My presence here reflects my commitment to state the truth and not allow politics to prevail,’ he added.

Romualdez attended the hearing after being subpoenaed by the ICI to ‘discuss his familiarity and personal knowledge as Speaker of the House relative to the National Budget insertions, as well as the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) flood control projects.’

His appearance before the ICI also marks his first participation in any of the government’s investigations into the alleged corruption in infrastructure programs.

At the conclusion of the hearing, ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said Romualdez is set to be invited back again after he voluntarily submitted an affidavit to the commission.

The former speaker is among the lawmakers implicated in the flood control corruption scandal, following claims by a former security consultant of former Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Zaldy Co that he received kickbacks from government projects-an allegation Romualdez has since denied. /apl/abc /gsg

The state weather bureau is monitoring two low-pressure areas (LPA), one of which is inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the LPA outside PAR, designated as 10e, has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression within 24 hours, although it may become one in the coming days.

LPA 10e was located 1,780 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao.

Another LPA, identified as 10f, is located inside PAR but is unlikely to develop into a tropical depression within 24 hours. It was located over the coastal waters of Vinzons, Camarines Norte.

Meanwhile, Pagasa’s prior forecast said that easterlies – the hot and humid wind coming from the Pacific Ocean – and localized thunderstorms might bring cloudy skies and scattered rains across the Philippines.

Pagasa encourages the public to continue monitoring updates for further developments. /apl/abc