Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has partnered with private health insurers (PHIs) and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to coordinate their benefits under the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (Yakap) HMO/PHI Benefit Complementation.

The partnership aims to align coverage between PhilHealth and private health plans, with the state insurer serving as the primary provider while HMOs and PHIs provide secondary coverage.

PhilHealth was joined by 13 existing private health plans in signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU), marking the start of the partnership for the initiative.

PhilHealth acting president and CEO Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho said the agreement seeks to ensure that members get the full value of the premiums they pay to both PhilHealth and private health plans.

Under the arrangement, PhilHealth and private health plans would work together instead of providing overlapping coverage, she said.

‘A growing number of Filipinos, especially in the employed sector, are covered twice,’ Ho said. ‘They pay for PhilHealth and private health insurance plans and members pay for both, but they still don’t get probably twice the value.’

The agreement also seeks to simplify the process for members by allowing them to access PhilHealth and HMO benefits through the same health care provider, with the two payers coordinating the charges.

One of the long-term goals of the partnership is to reduce duplication in health care coverage by identifying which services will be covered by PhilHealth and which will be shouldered by private health plans.

‘Because if we complement, then we pay for certain set of things and our private insurers or HMOs pay for another set of things. And in the end, the patient or members wins,’ Ho said.

Ho added that complaints from employees prompted the initiative, noting that many workers contribute to PhilHealth while also receiving HMO coverage from their employers.

‘They contribute to PhilHealth every month and they have an HMO card from their employer. But when they get sick, they only use their HMO or health insurance for most of their healthcare needs,’ she said.

Through YAKAP, PhilHealth will cover consultations, 13 laboratory tests, selected outpatient medicines under the GAMOT package, and outpatient services for six cancer screening tests.

The primary care program will also cover specialized outpatient benefits, including animal bite treatment, maternal care, tuberculosis directly observed treatment, Tuberculosis DOTS, HIV/AIDS management, and mental health services.

HMOs and PHIs, meanwhile, will cover costs that exceed PhilHealth’s benefits or fall outside its primary care coverage. These include specialized procedures, branded medications and hospital room upgrades.

PhilHealth said it plans to map and align its systems and processes with participating HMOs and PHIs over the next three months before conducting a pilot program and eventually scaling it up.

The state insurer said the pilot program will be implemented by 2027 as part of efforts to coordinate public and private health coverage under the Universal Health Care Act.

The trough of the tropical storm outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) will affect parts of Visayas and Mindanao while Luzon will experience hot and humid weather on Thursday, according to the state weather bureau.

In the 5 a.m. weather forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration, weather specialist Leanne Loreto said that tropical storm Choi-Wan is not expected to enter the PAR. She added that it will not directly affect the country in the next two to three days.

‘Itong trough ng tropical storm ang magdadala ng pagbabago sa ating panahon. Posibleng makaranas ng makulimlim na panahon na may kasamang pag-ulan pagkulog at pagkidlat para sa Eastern Visayas, Caraga, at Davao Oriental dulot ng trough,’ Loreto said.

(The tropical storm’s trough will bring changes to our weather. Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Davao Oriental may experience overcast skies with rainshowers and thunderstorms due to the trough.)

‘In the next two to three days, yung trough pa rin ang magdadala ng pag-ulan sa eastern sections ng Visayas at Mindanao,’ she added.

(The trough will continue to bring rains over the eastern sections of Visayas and Mindanao in the next two to three days.)

Loreto also noted that the tropical storm was far from the Philippine landmass as it was last estimated 2,945 kilometers east of Central Luzon.

Meanwhile, she said that Luzon will experience hot and humid weather with chances of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. She added that the same weather conditions will prevail over other parts of Visayas and Mindanao.

No gale warning was raised in any of the country.

Temperature forecast in the following areas:

Metro Manila: 24°C to 32°C

Laoag: 25°C to 33°C

Baguio: 18°C to 23°C

Tagaytay: 22°C to 30°C

Tuguegarao: 26°C to 35°C

Legazpi: 24°C to 34°C

Kalayaan Islands: 25°C to 32°C

Puerto Princesa: 24°C to 32°C

Iloilo: 24°C to 32°C

Cebu: 24°C to 32°C

Tacloban: 24°C to 32°C

Cagayan de Oro: 24°C to 32°C

Davao: 23°C to 33°C

Zamboanga: 25°C to 34°C

Juliana Candelaria scored a silver medal for the Philippines on the opening day of the taekwondo competitions in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on Thursday.

The 18-year-old Candelaria placed second in the women’s individual poomsae final with a score of 9.1300, behind South Korea’s Jung Haeun, who won gold with 9.3100.

Thailand’s Thitaree Kaewolanwasu and Japan’s Yuiko Niwa got the bronze medal.

Poomsae is the non-combat discipline of taekwondo.

Candelaria was the first to see action for the Philippine taekwondo team, which also has athletes competing in the kyorugi events.

Fellow Filipino Jeus Yape, meanwhile, also qualified for the gold medal round of the men’s individual poomsae.

Candelaria’s silver is the second for Team Philippines on Thursday after Amaya Cojuangco in the women’s compound archery.

The Senate impeachment court granted on Thursday the House prosecution panel’s request to subpoena several representatives of banks and insurance companies, as well as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Presiding Senator-Judge Francis Escudero made the ruling after the lead prosecutor, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, announced that the panel would no longer present former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV as a witness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

It was also announced that only Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura would be presented on Friday.

‘To continue, for Monday, Oct. 5, we will be presenting the BIR, and for Tuesday, Oct. 6, we will be presenting the representatives of banks and insurance companies,’ Luistro said.

‘And it is in this light, Your Honor, that we respectfully reiterate our request for a subpoena to the BIR, as well as representatives of banks and insurance companies,’ she added.

Based on the prosecution’s request, the order of the bank and insurance company representatives to be presented are as follows:

Banks

Land Bank

Asia United Bank (AUB)

Philippine Savings Bank

Metrobank

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)

Philippine National Bank (PNB)

Banco de Oro (BDO)

Insurance companies

Prudential Life

Allianz

Manufacturer’s Life

FWD Life Insurance

BPI AIA Life

BDO Securities

BDO Life

Escudero later granted the prosecution’s request, covering both Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 5 and 6

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will become a whole day event starting Thursday as the Senate impeachment court expedites the proceedings and gives itself time to for legislative functions.

The schedule adjustment comes as the trial of the vice president coincides with the Congress’ deliberations and debates for the 2027 national budget, typically spanning from October to November.

Starting Thursday, the impeachment trial will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday to Friday until Oct. 15 – after which the court will temporarily suspend the proceedings in lieu of budget talks.

As the court continues to tackle Duterte’s alleged hidden wealth, the House prosecution is anticipated to present their seventh, eight and ninth witnesses: former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Atty. Ronel Buenaventura, and Davao Register of Deeds Atty. Kathy Florence Baldonado or her deputy counterpart Atty. Marco Pineda.

Trillanes previously presented alleged bank records of Duterte and members of her family that do not appear in her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth during the House justice committee’s hearings on Duterte’s impeachment complaints.

He alleged that the vice president received P22.3 million in checks supposedly tied from alleged drug lord Samuel Uy.

Notably, Trillanes is a staunch critic of the former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, father of the vice president.

He was among the parties that filed complaints of supposed crimes against humanity against Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, the Netherlands where the latter is now detained.

Meanwhile, Buenaventura is anticipated to testify on the AMLC records of the vice president.

He also previously appeared before the House justice panel where he submitted documents in relation to Duterte’s transactions worth P6.7 billion, of which P4.4 billion are supposedly inflows.

The property registrars, Baldonado and Pineda, are expected to verify the deeds and properties of Duterte’s husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, in Matina and Samal

Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna said Thursday evening, Oct. 1, that it would increase campus security measures following a reported concern earlier that prompted the suspension of in-person classes.

In a statement, Mapua said the Philippine National Police and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had cleared the premises of any immediate threat related to the reported concern.

It did not, however, provide details about the security issue.

‘To ensure campus safety, we have increased security measures across all locations and entrances and are actively tracking developments,’ it said.

It also urged students, faculty, and staff to follow the institution’s official guidance and refrain from spreading unverified accounts of the situation.

The educational institution earlier suspended in-person classes and shifted to synchronous online classes as a precaution.

Arike Ogunbowale was standing near Paige Bueckers waiting for the star guard to make a move on her dribble with the Dallas Wings trailing by three as the final seconds of regulation – and their season – ticked away.

Bueckers waved toward her backcourt mate, but she wasn’t telling Ogunbowale to get out of the way. She was telling her to get open.

After all, Bueckers knew who the hot hand was – and it wasn’t the 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year who is in her first playoff series.

Ogunbowale took a pass from Bueckers on the left baseline, dribbled toward the corner and hit an off-balance corner 3-pointer, sending the game to overtime and her on the way to a WNBA playoff-record 45 points as the Wings won a thriller 108-100 on Wednesday night, forcing a Game 3 in their first-round series.

The deciding game will be Friday night in San Francisco, where the Valkyries won the series opener by 24 points.

Golden State is trying to advance in the playoffs for the first time in the franchise’s second season. The Wings are trying to reach the semifinals for the second time in six postseason appearances since moving to the Dallas area in 2016.

Ogunbowale opened the extra period of Game 2 by banking in a 3, then hit another one to put Dallas ahead for good at 103-100 with 1:46 remaining. The four-time All-Star easily topped her previous playoff best of 24 points after scoring 10 points on just seven shots in the series opener.

‘We felt like we got pushed around out there when we played in San Francisco and especially me personally I don’t feel like I was aggressive,’ said Ogunbowale, who was 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, 12 of 23 overall and 16 of 18 on free throws. ‘I didn’t know what I would score. I was going to shoot regardless because I just feel like seven shots isn’t enough to win playoffs and I have to be aggressive whether it’s going in or not.’

Bueckers, who scored 10 points, was mired in a 3-for-13 shooting night that included an air ball on a 3-pointer with the Wings trailing by three in the final two minutes of regulation. But she assisted on Ogunbowale’s tying 3, and again on a the banked 3 to start OT. Bueckers had four assists.

‘For us to do what we did today without Paige having the type of game that she always has offensively for us, to come out with a win is huge,’ Wings coach Jose Fernandez said. ‘We had other people step up.’

Ogunbowale’s shot for a 93-93 tie with 4.1 seconds left in regulation of Game 2 was followed by Gabby Williams getting called for an offensive foul on the inbound play after a Golden State timeout.

That call was reversed on replay, so instead of Aziaha James having a chance to give Dallas the lead at the free-throw line, there was a jump ball at center court with 3.0 seconds to go. After a scramble for the loose ball, Golden State’s desperation shot was way off target, and after the buzzer.

Williams scored a career-high 36 points, regular season or playoffs, but missed all six of her shots in the final 1:31 of overtime to finish 12 of 23 from the field.

‘We got one at home, and we got to bring our best,’ Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. ‘That was not our best. Tomorrow’s got to be clear minds, clear focus, clear game plan, and then be ready to go for the game at home.’

Ogunbowale scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime – 11 in each period. She passed her previous overall career high of 41 points with the 3 that put Dallas up for good.

Dallas’ Alysha Clark tied her playoff career high with 21 points, and Aziaha James added 13.

Kaila Charles scored 14 points for the Valkyries, and Kayla Thornton had 13.

With the scored tied at 98 in the extra period, Ogunbowale and Tiffany Hayes had to be separated after making contact. Both were called for flagrant fouls, and each made a pair of free throws with 2:26 remaining.

Alas Pilipinas’ Khy Progella and Sofiah Pagara saw their gold medal hopes end after a heartbreaking 21-23, 18-21 loss to Thailand in the Asian Games women’s beach volleyball semifinal on Thursday at Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court.

Progella and Pagara were two points away from taking the first set with a 19-15 lead, but Thailand’s Taravadee Naraphonapat and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee dug deep to take a 20-19 advantage.

The Filipinos saved two set points, but Naraphonapat struck to close out the set-the first one the young Alas duo had dropped in the tournament.

The pair from University of Santo Tomas took a 14-12 lead in the second, but Thailand scored six straight points to take an 18-14 advantage.

Alas Pilipinas’ Sofiah Pagara during a match vs Thailand in the Asian Games 2026 beach volleyball semifinals. -AVC PHOTO

Progella kept the Filipinos within striking distance, scoring points to cut the deficit to two, 19-17. Pagara then sent her serve into the net to put Thailand at match point before making up for the error by saving one.

But Naraphonapat used her height to score over the Filipino pair and send Thailand to the gold medal match.

Thailand, which lost in the semifinals of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, returned to the women’s beach volleyball final for the first time in 12 years.

Naraphonapat and Kongphopsarutawadee also eliminated Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons from contention in the quarterfinals, 17-21, 21-12, 13-15, on Wednesday.

The Philippines is already bound for its best finish in the Asian Games since beach volleyball was introduced in the 1994 Hiroshima edition.

No bettor won the jackpots in the Super Lotto 6/49 and Lotto 6/42 draws on Thursday, Oct. 1, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The Super Lotto 6/49 winning combination was 39-03-43-04-42-15 for a jackpot of ?30.9 million. No ticket matched all six numbers.

For Lotto 6/42, the winning numbers were 40-13-35-10-15-14, with a jackpot of ?71.4 million. PCSO said there was also no jackpot winner.

Minor games

6D Lotto: 0-5-9-3-4-8 – ?593,359.76; no winner

3D Lotto 2 p.m.: 7-4-6 – ?4,500; 132 winners

3D Lotto 5 p.m.: 0-3-2 – ?4,500; 73 winners

3D Lotto 9 p.m.: 4-2-9 – ?4,500; 612 winners

2D Lotto 2 p.m.: 14-09 – ?4,000; 139 winners

2D Lotto 5 p.m.: 24-15 – ?4,000; 65 winners

2D Lotto 9 p.m.: 23-21 – ?4,000; 93 winners

Draw schedule

Lotto 6/42 draws are held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while Super Lotto 6/49 draws take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday

Classes at all levels in public and private schools in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat, were suspended Thursday afternoon following a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the municipality.

Mayor Myrna Kapina ordered the suspension through Executive Order No. 040, citing possible structural damage, falling objects, aftershocks, and other earthquake-related hazards that could put students and school personnel at risk.

The suspension will remain in effect until revoked.

Under the executive order, school heads were directed to coordinate with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) and other concerned agencies in assessing the safety and structural condition of school buildings and facilities.Classes will resume once authorities determine that school premises are safe for occupancy