Category: Philippine Star

Movie actor Niño Muhlach is not allowed to drive a motor vehicle for two years after the Land Transportation Office (LTO) suspended his license in connection with a road accident in Antipolo, Rizal.

Investigation conducted by the LTO showed that Muhlach suffered from extreme fatigue, causing him to lose control of the wheel along Marcos Highway on Aug. 23.

The vehicle crashed into a row of commercial establishments and a motorcycle parked along the road before hitting a pedestrian.

The LTO found Muhlach liable for reckless driving and declared him an ‘improper person to operate a motor vehicle.’

Earlier, Muhlach admitted that he was the one driving the vehicle and acknowledged liability for the incident.

He said he had dozed off while driving.

The LTO said Muhlach’s vehicle would remain under ‘alarm status to ensure enforcement of penalty and to prevent any transactions involving it while the resolution is in effect.’

‘The LTO is serious about enforcing traffic laws, especially regarding violations that could endanger other road users,’ LTO chief Markus Lacalinao said.

‘We will impose appropriate penalties based on the results of the investigation and hearing, regardless of a person’s status,’ Lacanilao added.

The agency said it strictly enforces road laws and regulations to safeguard the safety of all motorists and road users.

Motorists have been urged to practice responsible driving and follow rules to prevent accidents that could result in loss of life or damage to property.

Fifty-one families comprising 167 people in La Castellana, Negros Occidental and Canlaon City, Negros Oriental fled to safety on Tuesday due to a muddy stream flow coming from the upper slopes of Kanlaon Volcano.

La Castellana Mayor Anejo Nicor said 27 families from Barangay Biak-na-Bato were brought to the village hall, where they were provided with food and other assistance.

Nicor said residents were advised not to return home until the situation returns to normal.

Authorities said heavy rainfall pushed mud deposits down the slope of the volcano, creating a muddy stream.

Although there was no rain in Biak-na-Bato at the time and the weather condition was only cloudy, rainfall at higher elevations caused the muddy stream to swell and move toward lower-lying areas, Nicor said.

A similar occurrence was reported at the Calapnagan Bridge in Biak-na-Bato.

Meanwhile, Donato Sermeno III, chief of the Office of Civil Defense-Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR), said 24 families were preemptively evacuated in the villages of Panubigan and Masulog in Canlaon City.

The evacuations followed heavy rainfall brought by an intertropical convergence zone, which affected parts of Negros Island on Tuesday.

The Canlaon local disaster risk reduction and management office reported moderate to heavy and at times intense rainshowers accompanied by lightning and strong winds in Vallehermoso, Canlaon City as well as in Guihulngan.

Sermeno urged residents in areas vulnerable to flooding and mudflows to follow advisories of local government units and evacuate preemptively when warnings are issued.

The OCD-NIR is considering deploying drones to monitor the upper portion of Kanlaon, and determine whether debris or other obstructions may have restricted the flow of water and caused the muddy stream.

Sorry. There is no English word that captures the import of impoliteness, condescending attitude, insolence, contemptuousness and outright disrespect conveyed by bastos.

That’s how I describe defense counsel Mark Vinluan in treating expert witness, retired Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, when she was presented by the prosecution on Sept. 14, Day 24 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Vinluan first failed to stop Justice Cabotaje-Tang, 70, from being presented as an expert witness by the prosecution. Prosecution lawyer Chel Diokno explained that her testimony would provide the impeachment court with a framework for understanding and evaluating the financial and documentary evidence.

She was to address six issues on accountability: 1) when the wealth of a public official becomes questionable; 2) the treatment of money or property not registered in the official’s name; 3) the applicable standard of public accountability for the president and vice president; 4) whether the president or vice president may engage in business while in office; 5) government transactions involving businesses owned by the president or vice president and 6) whether a public official’s assets, liabilities, financial status and net worth should be reflected in the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Justice Cabotaje-Tang’s testimony ‘would serve the public’s right to understand the laws governing unexplained or illegally acquired wealth, SALNs, beneficial ownership and financial interests, particularly because public funds and accountability are involved,’ Diokno stressed. In 42 years, as a jurist and graft fighter, she handled 700 anti-graft cases and spent 5,000 hours studying graft cases. So she is an expert on the theft by public officials, especially unexplained wealth.

Forthwith, presiding officer Chiz Escudero ruled that since the good justice’s testimony would not be binding or conclusive upon the court, she could testify.

Vinluan is a 2014 Ateneo Law Bar passer, with barely 12 years of practice. Compare that with Cabotaje-Tang’s 44 years in the Office of the Solicitor General and at the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court. She was a Top Ten student in her San Beda College class of 1979.

Defense counsel Vinluan then proceeded with his Plan B: insult the witness. He tried to imply Cabotaje-Tang is biased. She was appointed by then president Benigno S. Aquino III as a justice of the Sandiganbayan in 2012 and made its presiding justice in 2013, staying there for 12 years until she retired in 2024.

Vinluan also implied that since Cabotaje-Tang was rejected four times to become a justice of the Supreme Court during the Duterte presidency, she is biased against Duterte. He also asked her point-blank whether she had been accused of favoritism or whether she knew what favoritism means.

‘Are you anti-Duterte in any way?’ asked Vinluan. ‘No, I’m not,’ Cabotage-Tang replied. ‘Kakampi po kayo?’ Vinluan asked. ‘Ano ba ibig sabihin noon?’ replied the gentle justice, stressing, ‘I have never been political in my life.’

‘Are you friends with Representative Diokno?’ Vinluan asked. ‘No, we were adversaries, actually,’ replied Cabotaje-Tang.

‘Are you qualified to give a legal opinion here today?’ Vinluan asked, visible in his contempt. ‘I will not pass judgment on my expertise or absence of it,’ replied the good justice.

Vinluan questioned point blank who asked Cabotaje-Tang to come to the Senate court. ‘I was subpoenaed by the impeachment court and, if my testimony could be of value or aid in the just resolution of this case, I would be happy with that,’ replied the retired jurist.

Vinluan to Cabotaje-Tang: ‘Are you connected with the Akbayan party-list?’

Her reply: ‘No, sir.’

Vinluan: ‘Were you promised anything in exchange for your testimony today? Her retort: ‘No, sir. I will never testify if ever I was offered anything material or otherwise. My testimony is not for sale, sir.’

Vinluan: ‘Are you vying for an ambassadorial position at the moment?’ Cabotage-Tang: ‘No, sir. I am retired, and I want to enjoy my retirement.’

Vinluan: ‘In your 40 years in government service, have you encountered offers of bribery?’

Cabotage-Tang: ‘Yes, sir. One, in the office of the Solicitor General. But I directed that person to leave my office, and I banged the door.’ At the Sandigan, ‘I never allowed anyone to visit me, even my relatives.’

It is not 16 to convict

Three retired chief justices and a retired Supreme Court justice were heard yesterday by the Senate impeachment court on the issue of what constitutes two-thirds of senators in declaring VP Duterte guilty of one or all four charges leveled against her by the House of Representatives. Usually, two-thirds of 24 is 16.

The prevailing view, it seems, is that two-thirds does not mean a denominator of 24 senators. It could be a dynamic number – 13 if there are only 20 qualified senators, 14 if there are 21 or 15 if there are 22 qualified senators. Because of a number of reasons, like death, resignation to take up another job, incarceration and thereby outside the coercive power of the Senate to compel attendance, in hiding or simply gallivanting abroad while the Senate tries the impeached official.

There are effectively only 20 senators. Two are in jail for plunder – Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta. One is a fugitive from justice, wanted for mass murder (Bato dela Rosa). One is on an extended medical leave (Loren Legarda). At least three to four other senators are suspects for various offenses – plunder, obstruction of justice, stock market manipulation. Arrogance and stupidity, however, are not grounds for absenteeism.

The implication is that it is now much easier to convict Sara Duterte, remove her as vice president and ban her forever from holding any public office.

Sara is accused of misusing or pocketing P612.5 million of people’s money, bribing her subordinates so she could dictate to them, unexplained wealth of P6.7 billion despite earning only P24 million as a public official and plotting to kill the President, the First Lady and the former speaker.

Rupert Zaragosa returns to Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club on Monday, September 21, with a chance to turn a remarkable run of success into Philippine Golf Tour history.

The diminutive but gifted shotmaker goes after a third straight ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic title at what is known as the Marapara layout, where he has developed what is beginning to look like a special romance with one of the Tour’s toughest layouts.

Zaragosa first cracked the code of the tight, demanding Marapara course in 2024, charging to the top early and eventually claiming an abbreviated 36-hole victory after bad weather forced the tournament to be reduced by half.

He proved that triumph was no one-off a year later.

Playing the full 72 holes, Zaragosa again emerged on top, holding off a formidable cast led by Clyde Mondilla, Keanu Jahns and young stalwart Aidric Chan to win by two strokes.

Now he returns seeking a third consecutive victory on the same course – a feat that would further cement his remarkable affinity with Marapara and put him in position to become the first player on the Tour to win the same event three straight times at the same venue.

Marapara has become something of a Zaragosa story, with the course seemingly bringing out the best in a player whose strengths – shotmaking, touch around the greens and an ability to plot his way around trouble – fit the demands of the layout.

But there is little room for complacency.

Zaragosa enters the P2.5-million championship with confidence, yet his results in the first five legs of the season have been uneven as he continues to search for consistency, particularly on more open layouts where length off the tee becomes a bigger factor.

He placed eighth at Lakewood, tied for 31st at Caliraya Springs, finished fourth at Pinewoods, tied for sixth at Pradera Verde and slipped to joint 29th at Summit Point last week.

Marapara, however, presents an entirely different challenge – and perhaps a setting where Zaragosa feels most at home.

The narrow and exacting layout puts a premium on course management, accuracy, the short game and sound decision-making rather than sheer power. Zaragosa and the rest of the field will get one final look at the course during Sunday’s traditional pro-am before the rare Monday start.

Still, standing between Zaragosa and a third straight crown is a deep field, led by a host of proven winners and determined contenders are likewise in the hunt, among them Tony Lascuña, Reymon Jaraula, Jhonnel Ababa, Fidel Concepcion, Enrico Gallardo, Jay Bayron, Mars Pucay and Dino Villanueva.

The younger generation will also look to make its mark, with Kristoffer Arevalo, Russell Bautista, Jeffren Lumbo and Gab Manotoc among those expected to challenge for the title.

Several leading players, however, will sit out the Negros stop as they compete on the regional circuit in Taiwan this week, including Justin Quiban, Carl Corpus and Chan.

Angelo Que, fresh from his victory at Summit Point, is also competing in Taiwan. But the reigning Order of Merit champion and three-time Asian Tour winner said he will still play in Negros, although he will skip Sunday’s pro-am.

He nevertheless offered a simple formula for success at Marapara.

‘For Marapara, one really needs to keep the ball in play off the tee,’ said Que, who is expected to return to Manila on Sunday night.

And that may be precisely where Zaragosa’s Marapara romance gives him an edge.

For two straight years, he has found the right answers on a course that demands patience and precision at every turn. On Monday, he gets another chance to show that what began as an unexpected triumph in 2024 has blossomed into a genuine Marapara mastery

The Department of Finance (DOF) held a ‘Stakeholder briefing on Promoting Growth, Revenue and Equity toward Socio-Economic Sustainability (ProGRESS) Bill’ on Sept. 2 at the Land Bank Plaza Hall in Manila. I was invited and attended it. Perhaps there were 400 people in the hall.

ProGRESS bill consists of three main issues: (1) Tax relief: rationalization of personal income tax (PIT) and minimum corporate income tax exemption for micro and small businesses; (2) New sin tax rates: alcohol, sugar, tobacco, plastic and (3) wealth tax: luxury vehicles (higher tier), tax on non-essential goods like private aircraft and global minimum tax.

I discussed my position on PIT and luxury vehicle tax in my column, ‘Looking at LGUs’ budget surplus and the ProGRESS consultation’ (BusinessWorld, Sept. 3). I argued that the DOF proposed P350,000 per year income as tax-free from the current P250,000 per year should be made P500,000 per year and reduce the tax brackets from six to five.

On luxury vehicles tax, the DOF wants to add another bracket of 75 percent tax for gasoline vehicles worth over P8 million. I spoke during the open forum and argued that the DOF is wrong to grant zero tax for full EVs and a 50-percent discount on hybrid EVs. ProGRESS bill should remove such privilege but it does not. The rich’s EVs worth to P2 million-P6 million have zero tax while a small gasoline sedan worth P0.6 million is slapped 20 percent tax. This is wrong. All cars, gasoline, diesel or EVs should pay the same tax rate.

The new sin tax rates have gathered the longest discussion from stakeholders. On sugar tax, the DOF wants to raise it from P6 to P20 per liter of purely caloric or non-caloric; from P12 to P40 per liter of HFCS; remove the exemption for certain products like natural vegetable juices. People from the sugar industry in Negros, the organization of sari-sari store vendors, etc. spoke expressing disapproval or considerations.

On the vape tax, many have spoken from NGOs, academics like Joel Torres, former dean of the UP College of Business Administration and former BIR commissioner; Kim Henares, also former BIR commissioner; Joey Dulay, president of the Philippines E-Cigarette Industry Association and many more. I also raised my hand but was not called due to little time left.

I was invited and have spoken in several Senate and House committee on ways and means (CWM) public hearings this year on the e-cigarettes and vape tax. There are many doctors who spoke there and some argued for outright banning and prohibition of vapes and traditional cigarettes. Or tax these to the sky to discourage smoking and vaping. They refer to legal products only because illicit products simply fill in the gap, their prices are too low and demand simply shift there.

In the last two hearings at the House of Representatives in August, I argued that (a) it is a CWM hearing, not a committee on health hearing, so the goal is how to raise more billions for the government from vape products, not prohibitions and zero revenue for the government; and (b) the goal of the hearing is to find an optimum tax rate, not maximum tax rate, that will give more billions to the DOF, reduce illicit trade and smuggling, both outright and technical smuggling.

Currently there is dual taxation on vape products. In 2025, nicotine-salt (NS) was P57.33 per ml, Freebase was P66.15 per 10 ml or P6.62 per ml. This year, NS is P60.20 per ml and FB is P69.46 per 10 ml or P6.95/ml.

This huge gap in tax differentiation naturally leads to technical smuggling, NS products that are declared as FB so government revenue from vapes is naturally small, only P0.95 billion in 2024 and P2.54 billion in 2025.

I wanted to know the distribution of volume and revenues from NS vs FB because the DOF data did not show it, they only showed total volume removal of 265.7 million ml in 2025. So I showed some computations in my presentation at the House CWM like this formula – tax optimization and revenue maximization:

R = (t1 * v1) + (t2 * v2)

Where: R = Tax Revenue, t1 = tax rate of NS, v = volume of all vapes,

v1= (v * s1) = volume of NS, s1 = estimated share of NS;

t2 = tax rate of FB, v2 = (v * s2) = volume of FB, s2 = estimated share of FB; s2 is also an indicator of under- or mis-declaration of NS as FB, tax dodging and technical smuggling due to dual tax rate.

So, R = (P57.3 per ml x 265.7 M ml x .058 share) + (P6.6 per ml x 265.7 M ml x 0.942 share) = P2.54 billion in 2025.

The above numbers imply that at P57.3 per ml tax, only 5.8 percent of all vapes were declared as NS, and 94.2 percent of all vapes were declared as FB. Raising the tax to P70 per ml or higher as DOF and some NGOs want is courting an outright smuggling.

Now at the House CWM bills, there is consensus that the dual rate should be made single or unitary, that is good news. The bad news is that the proposed single rate is similar to the current rate: P61.43 per ml by CWM chairman Miro Quimbo, P66.16 per ml by Cong. Gatchalian and DOF’s ProGRESS proposal is P72.90 per ml, then a five percent increase every year.

Cong. Meehan and many legislators propose a P10 per ml plus five percent increase yearly. I believe this is the most optimal rate. My own computation shows at P10 per ml initial single tax rate (from P6.95 per ml FB) would give the DOF P8.4 billion in 2027, P12.3 billion at P10.50 per ml in 2028, P16.8 billion at P11 per ml in 2029, P21.2 billion at P11.50 per ml in 2030.

The goal is to find an optimum tax rate, not the maximum tax rate. The aim is to generate more revenues, not encourage more smuggling and illicit trade. The DOF’s proposal is vape revenue regress, not progress.

The rains brought by the habagat toward the tail end of August triggered flooding that affected millions of Filipinos. Among those affected were motorists on the North Luzon Expressway, who found themselves stranded for hours after flooding in San Simon, Pampanga spilled over onto a portion of the highway near Tulaoc Bridge.

In light of the flooding along NLEX during the habagat, the road operator provided motorists toll-free passage for several days when traveling between Pulilan, Bulacan and San Fernando, Pampanga, in both directions- with no claim forms or queues required. This followed President Marcos’ directive to provide relief to motorists affected by flooding near Tulaoc Bridge.

I must admit, the flooding that stalled a portion of NLEX was an unusual sight- a first for me, after years of traveling to and from Pampanga. While I was not among those stranded that day, I understood the frustration of the motorists who were. Expressways are designed to be resilient, engineered to withstand the elements, and trusted to enable uninterrupted travel- so when something like this happens, it is tempting to point fingers at the toll road operator. But it is worth understanding what actually happened first.

First, the water did not originate from the expressway itself. Two river channels run through the area, and one gave way, feeding into the other. The result was a sudden concentration of water. The water did not travel a channel to reach the road- it came across overland.

The geography of the area also matters. San Simon sits inside the Candaba floodplain, where local rivers are unlined and are therefore vulnerable to siltation, vegetation and structural encroachments. When the rains came, the floodplain reminded us of its nature.

NLEX has not been idle in addressing this. The section of the Tulaoc River that runs alongside the expressway has been dredged. As of Sept. 8, there was no water even on the shoulder. Sheet piles have also been installed to keep water out of the system and dredging continues upstream from Manila Bay toward the expressway. Barges were contributed by San Miguel, though upstream deployment was impossible during the flood because truck access was blocked.

The real challenge lies downstream. NLEX said it sent a survey boat to check the river along its section, but the boat could not even get through – heavy silt, thick clusters of water lilies, structures built mid-channel and houses had all but choked the water’s path to Manila Bay. The way I see it, the durable fix is dredging, paired with restoring the river’s capacity to hold and carry water the way it used to. That work is not NLEX’s to do, but to its credit, it said it is willing to help see it through.

With the scenes of flooding on NLEX dominating headlines, some have suggested raising the expressway further, which might seem like the pragmatic fix. I asked NLEX about this, and the company explained that engineering wisdom cautions against it, since raising the road again would push deeper water into San Simon, relocating the problem onto the town rather than addressing it.

It would also start a cycle: every raise of the roadway would require a matching raise of the overpass above it, and so on, indefinitely. The more sustainable option is a viaduct extension across the floodplain- a national infrastructure decision, not one a toll operator can make alone.

Finally, perspective is needed. On a normal week, this network handles one incident that backs traffic up about five kilometers, typically a truck accident. Response arrives within 45 minutes, cleared in about three hours. This event was different since no Class 1 lanes were passable across a roughly 10-kilometer stretch of the road on a rainy, holiday weekend. NLEX has admitted that keeping the road partly open was the wrong judgment and that the response was not adequate to the event.

The flooding on NLEX is a complex story that should not be viewed as the fault of one party alone. It is one that deals with the limits of infrastructure amid the worsening impact of climate change. Until we confront the uncomfortable reality that climate change is requiring all of us to adapt faster to its worsening impact, we will continue to see water where we least expect it.

At my age, I have watched this pattern repeat itself: a flood, then the blame game and finger-pointing, a few weeks of promises, then silence until the next rainy season. That cycle helps no one, and it will not keep the water out next time. What would help is treating the river system with the same urgency as the road – a serious commitment to a dredging schedule, a viaduct extension and a national government that sees it through.

I choose to believe we are capable of doing better and I look forward to the day when the rains come and go year in and year out – and all they leave behind is green fields and full rivers, nothing more.

In pursuit of becoming topnotchers, three graduates of the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) had to put leisure on hold, sacrifice gaming and outings, and push through personal challenges as they prepared for the September 2026 Registered Electrical Engineers Licensure Examination.

Their sacrifices paid off as CIT-U once again produced the national No. 1, marking the third consecutive electrical engineering licensure examination in which the university produced a first placer.

Charles Anthony S. Santillan tied for first place nationwide with Dan Joel Monte de Leon of Palompon Institute of Technology, both posting a rating of 94.25 percent.

Two other CIT-U graduates also made it to the national top 10. Kienth Vincent E. Oracion placed third with 93.55 percent and Niño Louie P. Verame ranked sixth with 93.05 percent.

The three shared their experiences during a press conference at the CIT-U Wall of Fame Library on Wednesday, September 16, where they talked about their preparation, sacrifices, motivations, and plans after obtaining their licenses.

For Santillan, the review period meant cutting back on gaming and turning down outings with family and friends to concentrate on his goal.

He said the pressure largely came from himself, particularly after being named CIT-U’s King of Engineers, but he used that pressure as motivation rather than allowing it to distract him.

Santillan, a summa cum laude graduate who studied at CIT-U from junior high school through senior high school, also developed an application to help with his studies. He had previously represented the school in regional and national quiz competitions.

He said aspiring examinees should establish a clear plan, set milestones, and list their goals. Among the goals he wrote on a whiteboard was becoming the country’s No. 1 electrical engineering examinee.

Oracion, who graduated magna cum laude and also completed his senior high school education at CIT-U, likewise sacrificed his gaming time during the review period. He also deactivated his social media accounts to maintain his focus.

He said becoming a topnotcher was something he had hoped for, although he still felt nervous while taking the examination. He advised future examinees to find people who can help them through the review process.

‘Pangita og group o circles nimo. Helpful kaayo na mag-share mo sa knowledge,’ Oracion said.

Verame’s path to the top 10 was marked by a different set of challenges. While preparing for the examination, he was working as a photographer at the Minglanilla Municipal Public Information Office, while also dealing with family concerns.

His mother was undergoing dialysis and his father had pneumonia. Because of the challenges he faced, Verame was unable to take the April 2026 licensure examination and had to stop his review before eventually returning to prepare for the September examination.

Verame said his family was among his strongest motivations to continue. He said he wanted to help provide them with a better future, particularly after seeing the sacrifices made by his parents.

He also plans to continue serving the public, with a possible return to the local government unit of Minglanilla, this time as a licensed electrical engineer.

CIT-U’s College of Engineering and Architecture Dean Dr. Evangeline C. Evangelista said the university’s performance was supported by a program that identifies and develops potential topnotchers early in their academic journey.

‘Sugod pa lang gi-enhance na sila, gipili na kung kinsa ang possible topnotchers. Most of them are topnotchers,’ Evangelista said, pointing to the combined support of the university administration, department, and faculty.

She said the college also conducts Saturday sessions and peer mentoring, while its Learning Enhancement Program brings in additional support during students’ vacant periods.

In the Electrical Engineering Department, the ‘Teenabangay’ initiative allows students to serve as peer mentors through a system where those needing assistance can seek help, reflecting the program’s ‘no classmate left behind’ approach.

CIT-U said it has produced 786 topnotchers across its various licensure examination programs, including 96 national first placers. In electrical engineering alone, the university has produced the national No. 1 for three consecutive examinations.

For the September examination, 44 of CIT-U’s 84 electrical engineering examinees passed. Evangelista said 87 percent of the university’s first-time takers passed, with repeat examinees affecting the overall passing rate.

The university’s Electrical Engineering Department is headed by Engr. Lowell Ratilla, while Engr. Roberto P. Base Jr. serves as assistant dean of the College of Engineering and Architecture.

Engr. Genry Oñate, known as ‘Coach G’ to the three topnotchers, also joined the press conference. He is a CIT-U alumnus who placed among the topnotchers in the April 2011 Electrical Engineers Licensure Examination and is now a faculty member of the Electrical Engineering Department.

The Professional Regulation Commission reported that 1,676 of 3,399 examinees passed the Registered Electrical Engineers Licensure Examination administered by the Board of Electrical Engineering in 17 testing centers nationwide.

Cebu schools accounted for five of the national top 10. Aside from the three CIT-U graduates, Jeff Kepler Sombilon Teves of Cebu Technological University-Tuburan placed second with 94 percent, while Jeremiah Gecana Lausa of CTU-Main ranked ninth with 92.40 percent.

Santillan said he plans to join AboitizPower and render four years of service, while Oracion is considering either pursuing a career in the academe or working in a private company.

Verame said those preparing for the examination should find something that will keep them motivated, adding that his own motivation came from his desire to give his parents a better future.

He also vowed to continue doing what he loves as he moves forward as a licensed engineer

The Cebu City government is looking at putting wastewater from refilling stations and other suppliers to good use amid the intensifying El Niño.

In line with this, Mayor Nestor Archival is expected to issue an executive order this week creating a task force to oversee the initiative.

The plan was first raised during the El Niño Summit 2026, held on September 8 at Cebu Business Hotel, which gathered barangay captains, city departments, water agencies, and the academe to craft a unified response to the looming drought.

The summit itself was convened to strengthen preparedness and ensure that Cebu City has alternative water sources as the Metro Cebu Water District braces for a supply deficit. Among those invited were owners of refilling stations in the city.

During the summit, Kenneth Siasar, Chief of Staff of Archival, echoed that one refilling station disclosed that it produces hundreds of gallons of wastewater every day.

‘Atong sad gi-apil sa maong summit ang mga water suppliers, kani mga refilling station. Gani, usa ka refilling station meingon nga everyday mulabay sa 250 ka gallons of water. Although dili mainom, dili mabubo, pero magamit sa pagpanganaug [pagpanghugas],’ Siasar noted.

Siasar added that while this water cannot be consumed, it can still be repurposed for cleaning and sanitation.

He added that the mayor is expected to issue an executive order within the week to formalize the creation of a task force.

‘I think today or this week mupahanaug ang mayor ug kanang executive order. Nga duna tay task force nga pagkahimo-on… Aron nga mu-monitor ug ani,’ he explained.

The task force will be tasked with gathering and collecting wastewater from refilling stations and other suppliers and storing it in tanks for use during shortages and fire emergencies.

Siasar further clarified that guidelines will be issued once the executive order is released.

‘Once mugawas ang EO, among ipahibalo sa publiko unsay paggahimo-on, unsay guidelines. Kay ang ubang mga barangays na-a raman mga tankers,’ he said, pointing out that barangays with existing tankers could benefit from the alternative supply without drawing from MCWD’s limited reserves.

The summit also featured technical briefings from PAGASA and the University of San Carlos Water Resources Center, which warned that El Niño could persist into early 2027, bringing below-normal rainfall and hotter conditions. Past episodes, including those in 1997-1998 and 2015-2016, triggered severe droughts, crop losses, and water rationing, underscoring the urgency of Cebu’s preparations.

Water refilling stations have already become crucial in supplementing household and institutional needs in Cebu City.

Some suppliers report dispensing hundreds of gallons daily, with purified water delivered to hospitals, schools, and communities.

Philstar.com / Contributed photo

MANILA, Philippines – The personal assistant of former House speaker Martin Romualdez, who is charged with him in a P7.44-billion plunder case, left the Philippines before the Sandiganbayan banned them from exiting the country, according to the Bureau of Immigration.

Joselyn Tragua Serenio left the country prior to the issuance of a hold departure order, the bureau said. However, another co-accused, Felicito Cristobal Guevarra, president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation, remains in the Philippines.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division issued the hold departure order on September 7.

The BI did not give details of Serenio’s travel or other personal information, citing the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

Romualdez, Serenio, Guevarra and former House appropriations chair Elizaldy Co are the persons accused in the P7.4 billion plunder case before the Sandiganbayan.

The former House speaker pleaded not guilty yesterday and his defense team plans to file a petition for bail.

The Ombudsman filed charges against Romualdez for allegedly benefiting from kickbacks of anomalous flood control works from 2022 to 2025.

The charge sheet says some of the money was delivered to properties owned, occupied or linked to Romualdez, where Serenio and others allegedly acting for him received it.

Guevarra, meanwhile, is accused of facilitating simulated dollar-to-peso transactions through Samchan.

Romualdez is the only one of the four in custody. Co is in Europe, and a request for an Interpol red notice against him is still pending.

Sandiganbayan found probable cause against all four accused and recommended no bail.

Romualdez’s arrest is the most high-profile yet in the flood control scandal, which drew massive public outrage last year and set off a series of protests.

rred an honorary degree of doctor in physical education and sports by the Philippine Normal University on Wednesday.

In a speech, Pacquiao said he accepts the honorary degree ‘not simply as a recognition of what I have accomplished in the past, but more importantly, as a responsibility to continue serving our people and inspiring the next generation.’

‘For me, this honorary doctorate is not simply a recognition of what I have achieved. It is a reminder that every blessing comes with a responsibility to give back, to serve, and to help others rise,’ he said.

‘This honor reminds me that whatever success we achieve in life should never be the end of our journey. It should become a platform from which we can lift others. Education develops the mind, sports strengthen the body and character, and service gives purpose to achievement,’ he added.

‘As we look toward the future, let us work together to build a Philippines where every young person has access to quality education, meaningful opportunities in sports and the arts, and the chance to dream without limits. Let us inspire our youth to become not only successful individuals, but compassionate, disciplined, resilient, and responsible Filipinos.’

He also emphasized the important lessons sports taught him – discipline, perseverance, courage, humility and resilience.

‘In boxing, you can be knocked down, but the important thing is that you learn how to stand up again and celebrate your vision. And I believe that is also one of the greatest lessons that education can teach us. Life will knock us down many times, but our character is revealed by how we rise,’ he added.

Pacquiao stressed that sports should be an important part of education and mission building.

‘Sports can help our young people develop discipline, teamwork, confidence, leadership, and resilience. It can also give young Filipinos an opportunity to discover their talents and believe in their own potential.’

Sports, according to Pacquiao, could also help address several challenges in society, such as health and wellness, mental health and inequality.

‘ I believe that every Filipino child deserves an opportunity to discover his or her talent. Talent should not be limited by poverty. Dreams should not be limited by one’s circumstances,’ he said.

‘Education and sports can become powerful instruments of social mobility. They can open doors for young people who may otherwise never have the opportunity to reach their full potential.”

PNU Vice President for Academics Dr. Marilyn Balagtas said that Pacquiao’s journey is an enduring testament to discipline, perseverance, courage and resilience — the” true power of a champion.”

‘The honoris causa celebrates his contribution to sports primarily in his continued commitment to public service. We are honored with his acceptance of this recognition,’ she said.

The 47-year-old boxer was given the honoris causa degree, as PNU said it ‘recognizes a life and career characterized by excellence in sports, perseverance, leadership, public service and significant contributions to Filipino society.’

‘It likewise reflects the University’s commitment to recognizing individuals whose accomplishments and contributions embody values that advance education, leadership, sports and nation-building,’ PNU posted on Facebook.