Category: Philippine Star

The La Mesa Dam in Quezon City is nearing its spilling level amid rains brought by the Southwest Monsoon, or “habagat.”

In an advisory on Sunday, August 9, state weather bureau PAGASA said the dam’s water level was at 79.75 meters as of 11 a.m.

This leaves the reservoir just 0.40 meters below its spilling level of 80.15 meters.

According to PAGASA, the Tullahan River, which flows through Quezon City, the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela, may be affected if the reservoir reaches its spilling level.

The state weather bureau advised residents living along mountain slopes and in low-lying areas of the mentioned cities to remain alert for possible flash floods.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and other areas may experience occasional rains due to habagat, according to PAGASA’s weather forecast.

As of 11 a.m., Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon were under a red rainfall warning, which means serious flooding is possible in flood-prone areas.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has suspended the Career Service Examination-Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) scheduled for Sunday, August 9, due to inclement weather.

The emergency suspension affects examinations for both the professional and subprofessional levels at testing centers in the National Capital Region (NCR), select provinces in Region IV-A, and parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The suspension was prompted by inclement weather brought by monsoon rains affecting parts of Luzon.

The following areas are affected:

NCR: All testing centers

Region IV-A: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal

CAR: Baguio, La Trinidad, and Abra

‘Affected examinees are advised to monitor the official Facebook page of the concerned CSC Regional Office and the CSC’s official communication channels for updates on the rescheduled examination and other related announcements,’ the CSC’s statement read.

Substance, Boyet Fajardo’s pioneering label for plus-size women, continues to fascinate the portly fashion forward set with his periodic palette. This holiday season, supermodel Melanie Marquez headlines Fajardo’s new Asian-inspired collection.

Two years shy of his golden anniversary in the garments and apparel industry, the pret-a-porter impresario is still forging ahead in full steam.

The impressive collection, mostly in black and white, with a few splashes of vibrant color, has captured the interest of the ready-to-wear (RTW) market.

‘Japanese designs have always been part of my collections. They are timeless, geometric, linear, and dramatic!’ said the designer of his Asian-inspired creations but with a distinctly Pinoy look.

‘I feel excited about this collection. I was never excited about my photoshoots before, but now I am! This collection highlights my 48 years in the fashion industry – through all the struggles – as my journey speaks volumes of my acumen throughout all the generations I’ve served; from the baby boomers to the millennials, and now the younger crowd.

‘I always want movement – constant movement – and never remain at a standstill, even during the global pandemic. I’ll do the things I’ve been dreaming to do all my life,’ he added.

Fajardo’s limited-edition pieces are locally made. He toiled over his holiday collection despite eyesight and physical infirmities.

Muse eternal

Leading the campaign Fajardo’s holiday campaign is beauty queen-supermodel Melanie Marquez, who flew in last month for a photoshoot. Marquez has been living in the United States in the past years.

‘My life is an open book, but one that is full of challenges. It may seem that I lead a glamorous life but, honestly, I hate dressing up and wearing makeup. Gusto ko, simple lang!’ shared the supermodel mom.

Fajardo’s holiday collection will be available soon at Robinsons, SM, Landmark, Sta. Lucia malls, KCC mall in Mindanao, G Malls in the Visayas, and in other select department stores all over the Philippines.

‘Compete only with yourself, than with others, to bring out the optimum in you! Fashion is my passion, so the best is yet to come!’ the designer said.

Heavy rains and severe flooding brought by the Southwest Monsoon, locally known as ‘habagat,’ have disrupted electricity service for approximately 98,000 customers across Luzon, power distributor Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said on Sunday, August 9.

In a statement, the utility firm said the figure represents roughly 1% of Meralco’s total customer base.

The utility firm noted that the power interruptions were primarily caused by rising floodwaters and damage to electrical infrastructure.

The majority of affected households and businesses are located in parts of Cavite, alongside affected areas in Bulacan, Metro Manila, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal and Batangas.

‘Our crews are working to restore power service to affected areas as soon as possible and once it is safe to do so. We continue to closely monitor the situation and urge our customers to practice electrical safety,’ Meralco Vice President Joe Zaldarriaga said.

‘We are reminding everyone to stay away from downed power lines, damaged electrical facilities, and electrical equipment that may have been submerged in floodwaters. Kindly report any hazardous electrical situation to Meralco,’ he added.

According to state weather bureau PAGASA, the habagat may bring occasional rains to Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.

Metro Manila was placed under a red rainfall warning at 11 a.m., before the alert level was downgraded to orange as of 2 p.m.

A 25-year-old man has been identified as the person allegedly responsible for spray-painting the word ‘SEEK’ on walls and other structures in several parts of Mandaue City.

The man, identified only as ‘Roger,’ not his real name, is a resident of Purok Ampalaya in Barangay Cambaro.

According to the Mandaue City government, an informant helped authorities identify Roger as the person behind the vandalism.

Roger later voluntarily went to the office of Mandaue Mayor Thadeo ‘Jonkie’ Ouano, where he apologized for his actions and promised to clean the areas he allegedly vandalized.

Mayor Ouano gave him three days to remove the graffiti from the affected areas.

Failure to comply could lead to the filing of a malicious mischief complaint against him, according to the city government.

The mayor also acknowledged the Allied Responders and Communicators of Cebu Inc. (ARCC) for assisting in identifying the alleged vandalism suspect.

Mayor Ouano also followed through on his earlier promise to give a P5,000 reward from his personal funds to anyone who could provide information leading to the identification of those responsible for vandalism in the city.

The city government has been pursuing those responsible for vandalism, saying the graffiti affects its efforts to improve the appearance of public spaces in Mandaue.

Roger is the second person identified in connection with vandalism cases under Ouano’s administration.

In June, another man from Barangay Guizo surrendered and admitted to spray-painting an area near the Cebu International Convention Center.

Two motorcycle riders were killed while two others were injured in separate road accidents in southern Cebu on Friday, August 7.

In Naga City, a 65-year-old rider died after his motorcycle was struck by a cargo truck along the National Highway in Barangay South Poblacion past noon.

Police identified the victim as Daniel Segura Robiato, a resident of Barangay Inoburan. Investigators said Robiato was traveling southbound on a red Honda Click when he shifted to the inner lane to avoid a stalled vehicle.

A white SINO Truck HOWO, driven by Pablo Caayo Catipat, hit the motorcycle, dragging Robiato underneath. He was rushed to Vicente Mendiola Center for Health Infirmary but was declared dead on arrival.

Catipat was taken to the City of Naga Police Station for mandatory alcohol and drug testing under Republic Act 10586, the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013.

Sibonga accident

Earlier that morning in Sibonga, a 38-year-old rider was killed while two others were injured in a collision along Vegetable Highway in Barangay Kaulusan.

Police identified the fatality only as alias Rolando, a resident of Barangay Sayao, who was driving a red RUSI 125. The other motorcycle, a RUSI Bolt 125, was operated by alias Rene with a male minor as back rider.

Investigators said Rolando allegedly turned right into the opposite lane, colliding with Rene’s motorcycle.

All three were rushed to Carcar City District Hospital, but Rolando was declared dead on arrival. Rene and the minor sustained injuries. Police continue to probe the circumstances of the crash.

Authorities in both Naga and Sibonga are conducting follow-up investigations into the two fatal accidents

Motorists can now check the availability and location of their motor vehicle and motorcycle license plates before physically going to any Land Transportation Office (LTO)-7 office, as the agency recently launched its online platform.

Led by Regional Director Atty. Wendel C. Dinglasan, LTO-7 officially launched the LTO-7 Plate Spotter Website, which aims to make license plate claiming faster, easier, and more convenient for motorists in Central Visayas.

Starting August 7, 2026, motorists with vehicles registered under LTO Region 7 may access www.lto-r7-platespotter.ph and search for their license plates using either their plate number or MV File Number.

The online service specifically allows motorists whose MV File Numbers begin with 0701 or 0716 to check where their plates are available for claiming.

Through the website, motorists can determine whether their plates are already available and identify the LTO office where they can claim them, potentially preventing unnecessary trips to LTO offices.

‘Public service should be accessible, efficient, and convenient. Through the Plate Spotter Website, we are giving motorists an easier way to locate and claim their license plates while bringing government services closer to the people through digital innovation,’ Dinglasan said.

LTO-7 said the initiative is part of its efforts to use digital technology to improve public service delivery and reduce inconvenience for motorists.

Instead of personally visiting an LTO office to inquire about the status or location of their plates, motorists can now conduct a single online search before proceeding to the appropriate office.

The agency also encouraged motorists to use the Plate Spotter website to check their plate information and ensure that their plates are ready for claiming before making a trip to an LTO office.

LTO-7 has also released a step-by-step video guide to help motorists navigate the Plate Spotter website and determine where their license plates can be claimed.

The Presidential Photojournalists’ Association (PPA) will formally unveil ‘In Focus: Marcos Presidency,’ a photographic exhibit featuring significant moments and milestones of the President on Aug. 13 at Likhang Filipino in Pasay City.

The exhibit brings together photographs taken by PPA members throughout their continuing coverage of the President, presenting a visual chronicle of official engagements, state ceremonies, diplomatic meetings, visits to communities and other defining moments of the administration.

More than a collection of photographs, the exhibit highlights the vital role of photojournalism in documenting governance, preserving public memory and creating a lasting visual record of Philippine history through firsthand coverage of the nation’s highest office.

The exhibit’s public run coincides with the observance of World Photography Day on Aug. 19, celebrating photography not only as an art form but also as a powerful medium for documentation, storytelling and historical preservation.

Founded in 1986 by photojournalists assigned to cover Malacañang, the PPA has documented successive administrations while upholding the principles of professionalism, accuracy, ethics and integrity in visual journalism.

PPA president Noel Pabalate of The STAR said the exhibit recognizes the responsibility entrusted to presidential photojournalists, regardless of who occupies Malacañang.

‘For presidential photojournalists, every administration becomes part of the historical record we are entrusted to document. Our responsibility remains the same – to be present, to observe carefully and to produce photographs that truthfully preserve the events and moments that define a presidency,’ Pabalate said.

The exhibit also pays tribute to the photojournalists who work behind the camera, often traveling with the President across the country and abroad to document events on behalf of the Filipino public.

‘In Focus: Marcos Presidency’ will be open to the public from Aug. 14 to 30 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Mondays, at Likhang Filipino in Pasay City.

Supported by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and the Office of the President (OP), the two-week exhibit is made possible through the sponsorship of Pagcor, Metro Pacific Investment Corp., Island Photo and Golden Touch.

Digital banks and fintech companies are pushing back against calls for permanently free fund transfers, saying the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s new pricing framework allows financial institutions to charge fees based on the actual cost of providing digital payment services.

The Digital Bank Association of the Philippines (DiBA PH) said BSP Circular 1238 does not require zero fees, but instead adopts a cost-based pricing framework for electronic fund transfers.

‘This provides greater regulatory certainty for digital banks as they continue investing in secure payments, savings, responsible credit and other digital financial services that deepen financial inclusion,’ the group said.

‘DiBA supports the BSP’s balanced approach, recognizing that affordability, consumer protection, innovation and long-term sustainability go hand in hand in building a resilient and competitive digital banking ecosystem,’ it added.

The BSP earlier clarified that compliance with the circular does not automatically mean banks and electronic money issuers must remove transfer fees. Instead, institutions must justify the amount they charge based on the costs involved in processing transactions.

Fintech Alliance Philippines founding chairman Lito Villanueva said the industry supports efforts to make digital payments more affordable, but stressed that the circular was designed around a cost-based rather than a zero-fee framework.

‘Of course, this is a good initiative of the BSP in making digital payments affordable,’ Villanueva said. However, he said the BSP circular is ‘more focused on a cost-based over a zero-based framework.’

‘It’s more about having to ensure that affordability plus security are actually together,’ he told reporters.

Villanueva said low-cost digital payments should not come at the expense of consumer protection, cybersecurity and the operational reliability of payment platforms.

He also noted that while many banks have already waived fund transfer fees, free transactions do not mean that providers no longer incur costs.

He said financial institutions offering free transfers may instead seek other revenue sources by deepening customer engagement and cross-selling other financial products.

Under Circular 1238, banks and electronic money issuers must submit a breakdown of the costs used to determine their transfer fees.

‘They just need to provide the BSP the breakdown of the cost that will constitute the transfer fee,’ Villanueva said. ‘They need to justify that if it is P10 or P15 or whatever.’

Villanueva said transaction costs extend beyond the industry switch fee and may include settlement, clearing, customer service and dispute handling, particularly for off-us transactions or transfers involving different financial institutions.

The debate over digital payment fees has intensified as more banks and financial technology companies offer temporary or permanent fee waivers to attract customers and encourage greater use of online transactions.

Industry leaders have maintained that affordability should remain a central part of financial inclusion, but argued that regulation should also allow providers to sustain investments in cybersecurity, fraud prevention, customer support and operational resilience.

Barbie Dapul, chief operating officer of G-Xchange Inc., said trust is the foundation of digital finance.

‘Financial inclusion is meaningful only when people trust the system. Every secure transaction, every fraud prevented, every customer concern resolved and every innovation introduced reflects continuous investment in protecting consumers.’

She added that inclusion should be measured not only by the number of accounts opened but by the quality, safety and reliability of the services people use every day.

Angelo Madrid, president and CEO of Maya Bank, said sustainable competition depends on recognizing that banks, digital banks and electronic money issuers operate under different business models and regulatory obligations.

‘A progressive regulatory environment encourages innovation while recognizing that different institutions contribute to financial inclusion in different ways. The objective is a level playing field that benefits consumers and strengthens the financial system.’

An agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and an alleged shabu trafficker were killed, while three members of the Philippine Marines were wounded in a shootout with a group allegedly circulating narcotics in Barangay Paniongan in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi on Sunday morning, August 9.

Regional officials of the Bangsamoro police based at Camp SK Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, told reporters at noon Sunday that the incident left an agent of the PDEA-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Ernie Jim Dayag, deadl and three members of the Navy’s 4th Marine Battalion, including its commanding officer, Lt. Col. Richard Malabanan, wounded.

Local executives, including Manan Rasul, chairman of Barangay Paniongan, reported that agents of the PDEA-BARMM, Marine servicemen led by Malabanan and personnel from different units in Tawi-Tawi of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region were supposed to entrap a group of alleged drug dealers in Mapanbubu area in Paniongan, but the operation turned awry when the targets of the operation provoked a gunfight.

Gunmen from houses around the agreed trade-off spot came out when they learned that their companions had sold shabu to combined PDEA-BARMM agents and Marine and police personnel and opened fire, sparking an encounter.

One of the gunmen who attacked the joint PDEA-BARMM, police and Marine law enforcement team was killed in the ensuing exchange of gunfire, according to local executives in Bongao, capital town of Tawi-Tawi, one of the five provinces in BARMM.

Malabanan, who sustained a bullet wound to the head, was immediately airlifted by a Philippine Air Force team to a hospital in Zamboanga City for treatment.

Local executives and provincial police officials in Tawi-Tawi said the heavily armed drug dealers involved in the bloody clash who managed to escape are now the subject of a joint police-military manhunt.