Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Tropical Depression Pilandok has maintained its strength while moving almost stationary over the Philippine Sea east of Extreme Northern Luzon, the state weather bureau reported on Monday.

Based on the 11 a.m. weather bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Pilandok-which was located 1,160 kilometers east of Extreme Northern Luzon-still carries a maximum sustained wind speed of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 70 kph.

No tropical cyclone wind signal is currently hoisted in any part of the country.

According to Pagasa, Pilandok is forecast to move slowly northwestward or remain almost stationary for the next 36 hours before moving generally north-northwestward for the remaining forecast period.

The tropical depression is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility by Wednesday afternoon or evening.

‘This tropical cyclone is less likely to make landfall over the country and will remain far from the Philippine landmass,’ Pagasa said, but noted the forecast track may still be subject to change in the succeeding bulletins.

As for its strength, Pilandok is expected to intensify into a tropical storm by Tuesday. It would then weaken into a tropical depression by Wednesday and ‘maintain its strength throughout the remainder of the forecast period.’

The national government sharply ramped up its borrowing in July, raising nearly P300 billion as it turned to the domestic market for the bulk of its financing needs.

Latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) showed that gross borrowings surged by 75 percent to P291.38 billion in July from P166.12 billion in the same month last year.

This was driven mainly by domestic borrowings, which jumped by nearly 78 percent to P271.32 billion from P152.54 billion a year earlier.

Treasury bill issuances led the increase, soaring by nearly fourfold, or 383.7 percent, to P133.2 billion from P27.54 billion in July last year.

As it is, yields on short-dated government securities mostly declined during the month, allowing the Treasury to fully award its borrowing program. The government also issued cash management bills, or shorter-term securities, in mid-July.

Meanwhile, Treasury bonds, which are longer-dated securities, rose by 10.5 percent to P138.12 billion from P125 billion a year earlier.

The government likewise increased its borrowings from foreign sources, which climbed by 47.8 percent to P20.05 billion from P13.57 billion in July 2025.

Broken down, project loans accounted for P18.64 billion of the external borrowings, while program loans amounted to P1.41 billion.

From January to July, the national government’s gross borrowings reached P2.11 trillion, up by 20.2 percent from P1.76 trillion in the same period last year.

This amount already accounts for about 77 percent of the government’s gross borrowing program for 2026. Of the January-to-July total, P1.55 trillion was sourced from domestic lenders, up by 15.4 percent from a year earlier. Meanwhile, external borrowings climbed by 35.8 percent to P564.86 billion.

Few words were spoken when wreaths were offered at the shrine of Gat. Marcelo H. Del Pilar here on Sunday, Aug. 30, to mark the hero’s 176th birth anniversary amid stormy weather.

The annual commemorative program was cancelled because of the strong monsoon rains on Saturday (August 29) that flooded many streets in this town and other partst of Bulacan province.

Flowers were laid down at the shrine at Sitio Cupang in barangay San Nicolas on behalf of the intended guest of honor Commission on Elections chairman George Erwin Garcia, Bulakan Mayor Vergel Meneses, the National Press Club of the Philippines, the Central Luzon Media Association (CLMA) and the Philippine Masonry.

Marcelo Day is an annual non-working holiday in Bulacan. In 2023, Marcelo Day was also declared as National Press Freedom Day.

Del Pilar, who is historically known for his numerous pseudonyms like the textbook familiar Plaridel. But to Bulacan he is simply remembered as ‘Tata Celo, ‘ the Father of Philippine Journalism.

He was born in San Nicolas on Aug. 30, 1850. He died on July 4, 1896 in Barcelona, Spain while pursuing Filipino enlightenment through the publication of La Solidaridad.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is making it easier for companies to tap the capital market, hoping that simpler and faster registration processes will encourage more businesses to raise funds from the investing public.

The corporate regulator has moved applications for public offerings fully online through the mandatory use of the Online Application for Registration Statements (OARS), while cutting processing timelines.

SEC Chair Francis Lim said the initiative was part of the Commission’s broader push to deepen the domestic capital market by lowering procedural hurdles for companies seeking funds for expansion.

‘By modernizing and simplifying our processes, we hope to encourage more businesses to view and enter the capital market as a viable option for their growth, in line with our agenda to further deepen and stimulate market activity in the country,’ Lim said.

The SEC on Aug. 24 issued Memorandum Circular No. 24, Series of 2026, mandating the use of OARS.

The web-based platform allows companies to electronically submit registration statements and other required filings containing information on their operations and securities being offered.

Except for issuances of debt securities, OARS accepts applications for direct public offerings, follow-on offerings, initial public offerings and first-tranche shelf registrations.

The platform also covers applications under specialized registration programs such as ‘Securing and Expanding Capital for Real Estate Non-Traditional Securities’ and ‘Securing and Expanding Capital for PowerGen Operators and Wholesale of Electricity and Retail Services.’

Applications filed through OARS will be processed within 40 days upon payment of the initial assessment fee.

The SEC may eventually expand the system.

A lawmaker warned on Sunday that ‘increasingly sophisticated’ social media algorithms are deliberately hooking users and exposing minors to age-inappropriate content amid growing concern about online child safety following rising cases of school violence.

‘The evolution of social media platforms’ powerful algorithms makes it more and more difficult for adolescents to avoid illicit content-even if that’s not what they were originally searching for,’ Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos said in a statement.

Social media platforms have been facing mounting global backlash over harmful content and the lack of safety features for users, particularly children.

Lawsuit vs Meta

In the United States, Facebook’s parent company Meta has agreed to pay around $17 billion to over a dozen states to settle a suit accusing it of creating addictive products that harmed young users.

In the Philippines, a series of violent incidents in schools, most recently two shootings separately carried out by students that left five other students dead and scores more wounded, has prompted authorities to look into the possible influence of violent online games and ‘groomers’ on the perpetrators.

‘If we know that these platforms can influence what our children see, think and eventually do, then government has a responsibility to make sure that influence does not become a gateway to exploitation, addiction or illegal drugs,’ Santos said.

He added that drug syndicates are also exploiting online platforms to reach potential victims.

‘They can exploit digital platforms, fake identities, private messaging and algorithm-driven content to reach potential victims, including young people,’ Santos said.

Last week, a Philippine delegation met in Singapore with Meta officials who pledged to work with the government to improve coordination and act on harmful content.

South Korean actor Lee Yong-joo, known for his roles in the hit drama ‘Princess Hours’ and tvN sitcom ‘Blue Tower,’ has died at 44.

According to South Korean media, Lee died on Saturday, Aug. 29 from a cardiac arrest. A close friend announced his death on social media.

‘My friend Lee Yong-joo passed away suddenly. The sudden news is still hard to believe,’ the friend wrote, asking fans and colleagues to remember Lee on his final journey.

Lee’s death has brought renewed attention to his previously disclosed heart condition. In 2013, while promoting ‘Blue Tower,’ the actor revealed that he had been exempted from mandatory military service after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick.

Lee said at the time that his mother had been hospitalized with the same condition. The actor was diagnosed with the disease after doctors advised members of his family to undergo medical examinations because of its potential hereditary nature.

Lee began his entertainment career as a model before making his acting debut with a minor role in the 2004 film ‘Doma Ahn Jung-geun.’ He later appeared in MBC’s ‘Hello, Francesca’ and ‘Princess Hours.’

In ‘Princess Hours’ (2006), Lee played Jang Kyung, a high school friend of Crown Prince Lee Shin, portrayed by Ju Ji-hoon.

He went on to appear in the comedy series ‘Unstoppable Marriage,’ the long-running ‘Rude Miss Young-ae’ franchise, ‘The Women’s Room,’ ‘Let’s Eat,’ ‘My Unfortunate Boyfriend,’ ‘Bad Detective’ and the military comedy series ‘New Recruit.’

Lee gained popularity through ‘Blue Tower,’ where he portrayed a new recruit despite having never served in the military. His lack of military experience became part of the story surrounding his casting.

Lee’s wake has been set up at Room 5 of the Bundang Jesaeng Hospital Funeral Hall in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

His funeral procession is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 31, with the burial to take place at the Seongnam City Funeral Culture Complex.

World number three Jessica Pegula conquered US Open first-round nerves to dispatch Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Sunday, kicking off the action on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Pegula broke Romania’s Ruse twice in each set on the way to a 6-3, 6-2 triumph, but it was less straightforward than the score indicated as the 32-year-old veteran felt the weight of playing first on the cavernous show court.

‘Oh yeah, I was so nervous today, always the first round of a slam,’ said Pegula, the 32-year-old who is the highest-ranked American in either the men’s or women’s draw in the final Grand Slam of the year.

‘It’s an amazing honor,’ she said of being given the first match on Ashe. ‘It’s an honor to hold that title, walking out onto Ashe opening day, first match, it’s amazing.’

Pegula is chasing her first Grand Slam title. She came closest with a runner-up finish to Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 US Open, and she fell to the Belarusian in the semifinals last year.

Pegula saved the only break point she faced, but her nerves showed as she converted just two of her 14 break point chances in the opening set.

That was enough, and she was an efficient two-for-four on break opportunities in the second. She gave herself triple match point with a crisp forehand winner to the corner and after Ruse saved two with booming serves, she secured the win when the Romanian put a forehand into the net.

With the first round now spread over three days, Pegula was looking forward to a couple of days off with a confidence-boosting win under her belt.

‘I get to sit around the site and watch everybody else freak out for the next two days,’ she said.

A dramatic Friday night win over Jordan did nothing to widen the margin of error for Gilas Pilipinas in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

The Filipinos know they need to set aside an 82-81 victory and go for another favorable result when they host Iran on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

‘From our calculations, we got to win five or six in this round,’ coach Tim Cone said ahead of the 8 p.m. matchup, which the Philippines must win in hopes of closing in on the standings in Group E.

For Cone, defeating Jordan was just half the job, and beating Iran would check a major task box.

Gilas’ win over Jordan and Iran’s loss to New Zealand, also in overtime, made the standings interesting for the Philippines. While Australia is running away from the pack with a 7-0 (win-loss) record, Jordan and Iran fell into a tie with New Zealand at 5-2.

The Philippines, meanwhile, has three wins in seven matches.

Sunday will also see New Zealand playing Syria at 2 p.m., and Jordan taking on Australia at 5 p.m. at the same venue. The Jordan-Australia game could also have some implications in Gilas’ World Cup bid.

But Cone said they won’t rely on other results.

‘We got to take care of our own business,’ he said. ‘This (Jordan win) is like halftime for us, but we haven’t won anything. We have to win the whole thing. Right now, it’s just halftime and we got another [half] to play.’

Momentum is something Gilas hopes to maximize, not only because of the way it won, but also because it is playing at home once more.

The win was cemented by Kai Sotto’s game-saving block in the end, Kevin Quiambao’s go-ahead three, CJ Perez’s clutch buckets and Scottie Thompson’s defense and hustle.

Sotto’s presence justified what many believe-that he’s the missing piece to the Gilas puzzle since he last played for the national team in 2024. Perez, on the other hand, put up what is arguably his best performance on the international level.

Perez also set up the pass for Quiambao, whose three gave Gilas the lead for good. Thompson, however, remained a polarizing figure, with fans either praising the intangibles he provided or ruing his five-second inbound violation that almost cost the game.

One concern being determined at press time is the status of Carl Tamayo, who scored eight points, for Sunday. The former University of the Philippines standout rolled his left ankle during the third quarter. Cone hinted that he may tweak his roster by replacing him with either Justin Arana or RJ Abarrientos if he can’t go.

The low-pressure area inside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) developed into Tropical Depression Pilandok on Sunday morning, state meteorologists said.

As of 10 a.m., Pilandok was last spotted 1,225 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, moving west northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Pilandok has maximum sustained winds of 45 kph, and gusts of up to 55 kph, Pagasa added.

But the state weather bureau noted that the cyclone is ‘less likely to make landfall over the country and will remain far from the Philippine landmass.’

It also noted that Pilandok is expected to be a ‘short-lived’ tropical cyclone and is likely to weaken over the Philippine Sea by Tuesday, Sept. 1.

From today, Pilandok is forecast to move west-northwestward until Monday, Aug. 31.

Then its movement will shift northwestward to north northwestward until it dissipates, Pagasa said.

Actress Gee Canlas accused her estranged husband, actor Archie Alemania, of physically assaulting her during their marriage, including allegedly breaking two of her ribs and strangling her twice.

Canlas made the allegations in an interview with Ogie Diaz uploaded on YouTube on Saturday, Aug. 29, where she responded to Alemania’s recent interview about their separation.

Canlas said she watched Alemania’s interview and wanted to correct some of his statements and provide context about their relationship.

Addressing Alemania’s claim that he felt he was being provoked during their arguments even as he tried to remain quiet, Canlas recalled an incident where she said the actor became violent toward her.

‘Everything I say in this interview is backed with evidence […] He wanted me to talk. He was forcing me to agree with him about something […] He got a tumbler and he went to hit me on the side of my head behind the ear. Tumunog ‘yung skull ko,’ she recalled.

Canlas also recalled another fight that she said resulted in her sustaining two fractured ribs and eventually prompted them to stay at her parents’ house.

‘The reason we ended up staying at my parents house is because he broke my ribs. Two fractured ribs. I wrapped my whole body around him to stop him from leaving. He pushed me then pinuruhan niya ako, punch na parang boxing. Nawala ‘yung hininga ko. The next thing I know nagising ako sa kama na naka curl up, parang hipon,’ she said.

According to Canlas, the incident happened at their old house. She said her therapist advised her to leave the environment because of the trauma, which led to them staying at her parents’ home.

Canlas also disputed Alemania’s characterization of her as someone who was constantly nagging, saying their arguments stemmed from a lack of communication because he would allegedly walk away instead of discussing and resolving their problems.

She said Alemania told her mother about the incident involving her ribs, but instead of apologizing, he allegedly tried to justify his actions.

‘Blame the daughter for something that he did. And in spite of that, my mom mediated pa for us,’ Canlas said, adding that her father did not know about her fractured ribs because she was protecting Alemania.

Later in the interview, Canlas recalled another alleged incident of physical abuse, saying Alemania strangled her twice during their marriage.

‘He ended up strangling me. In the course of our marriage, he did that twice,’ she said. ‘When it was good, it was good. When it was bad, it was bad.’

Canlas also said Alemania would give her the silent treatment after their fights, with some instances allegedly lasting for months.

‘The whole time na di kami nag-uusap, dadaan-daanan ako niyan, lasing, uuwi 5 am, so ‘yung sinasabi niyang walking on eggshells saan,’ she said, adding that her parents did not intervene in their problems despite the couple living under the same roof.

Canlas also addressed Alemania’s earlier statement quoting the Bible: ‘Husbands love your wives. Wives submit to your husbands.’

She said marriage should be a ‘give and take’ process but cautioned against what she described as ‘blind submission.’

‘But there’s also such a thing as blind submission. Hindi ka pwede magsubmit kung feeling mo hindi best interest nung tao, ‘yung kapakanan ng pamilya mo […] There is no trust. There is no respect,’ she said.

The actress likewise disputed Alemania’s description of himself as a ‘dakila’ or devoted husband, bringing up an alleged instance of infidelity that she said she discovered after leaving him.

‘What if I tell you I have proof that you were sleeping with someone the time that we’re together,’ she said, adding that she did not want to disclose the nature of the alleged proof at the moment.

Canlas also said she chose to remain with Alemania amid his legal issues involving singer-actress Rita Daniela, who accused him of making unwanted sexual advances toward her.

‘I decided to stay with him, with the legal issues that he has, in hopes na makita niya ‘yung loyalty and devotion ko sa kaniya. Masalvage pa ‘yung marriage namin kahit papaano,’ she said.

Canlas said she eventually realized she needed to end the relationship after she surprised Alemania on his birthday, only for them to end up fighting again.

‘I remember in my head. So be it. I’m done. I felt like I could no longer do anything to make him happy,’ she said.

The actress also said she had to sell her wedding and engagement rings to help provide for her family while Alemania was struggling financially amid his legal case.

Canlas said she and Alemania were undergoing marriage counseling before she learned about Daniela’s complaint. She said she had also been waiting for Alemania to come clean about something after he was fired from the television series ‘Widows’ War.’

‘So when we were working on our marriage, he was trying to cover up a lie at the same time. Tapos nung nalaman ko na, he cups my face, and tells me, ‘I need you to be strong. I need you to be brave,’ Bakit hindi sorry? Instead of apologizing, inutusan pa ako maging strong,’ she recalled.

‘He never said sorry for what happened. He never said sorry to my parents. Both of my parents are pastors,’ she added.

Canlas said she confronted Alemania about what happened with Daniela, but he denied it. The actor continued to deny the allegations in his recent interview.

‘Doon sa interview niyo, important bang sabihin na naging babaero ka for people to believe na hindi ka nang mamanyak. I’ll never know what happened in that car, silang dalawa lang nakakaalam non,’ she said.

In October 2025, Alemania was found guilty of acts of lasciviousness under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code in connection with the complaint filed by Daniela.

Despite her experiences, Canlas said she remains hopeful about finding love again. Asked if she still loves Alemania, she replied, ‘No. I think I love myself now.’

‘Hindi ‘yung nangyari sakin ang magiging story ko. That’s just a chapter. There are better days ahead, including someone,’ she added.

Canlas also said she is not currently open to co-parenting with Alemania.

‘In what world would I want to co-parent with someone, who doesn’t respect me in the very least. How can I expect him to create a safe environment for our son,’ she said.