Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Consumers in the Visayas may face power interruptions on Wednesday as some large coal plants remain offline.

In an advisory, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said a red alert would be up over the Visayas from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The grid operator said the yellow alert will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., and from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Mindanao, with portions of Visayas’ power supply also comes from this region, is also seeing a thin supply. The grid will be under a yellow alert from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A yellow alert indicates that available power reserves are thinning, meaning any unexpected plant outage could trigger service interruptions. A red alert indicates that the supply cannot meet the demand, raising the risk of rotational brownouts unless we manage consumption effectively

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered increased police visibility in areas expected to draw larger crowds as the country enters the ‘ber’ months.

According to PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., regional and city police offices are directed to strengthen police visibility, patrols and monitoring in commercial establishments, transport terminals, markets and other public places where people are expected to converge.

He also ordered PNP personnel to strengthen presence in crime-prone areas across the country.

The PNP chief said police units would coordinate closely with local authorities and other stakeholders to address emerging security concerns.

‘Our priority is to prevent crimes before they happen and ensure a safe and peaceful holiday season,’ Nartatez said in a press release on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Nartatez urged the public to secure their belongings, avoid sharing real-time locations online and immediately report suspicious activities to authorities to prevent crimes, such as theft, robbery, and scams.

He pointed out that keeping communities safe during the holiday season would require cooperation between the police and the public. Rendell Ivan Manuel, INQUIRER.net trainee

There will always be a part of Alex Eala’s memory reserved for her US Open stint last year.

After all, she did win her first Grand Slam main draw match there.

‘I remember that I was down 5-1 in the third set and it was a very tough comeback for me,’ the 21-year-old tennis star said during a pre-tournament press conference for this year’s US Open, recalling her 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(11) victory over then world No. 14 Carla Tauson in the first round.

‘I know she was dominating me for a lot of the match. And yeah, it was, I think, definitely one of my most memorable matches of that year,’ added Eala.

This year, she is scheduled to open her US Open stint against American Mary Stoiana at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, one of the bigger arenas of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

Between her first win last year and this year’s stint, a lot has happened to Eala.

‘I’ve gotten to compete against the best of the best a lot more frequently,’ said the world No. 18. ‘I think that I’m lucky enough to have experienced so many matches such as that one [at the] US Open last year where the court was packed and the atmosphere was amazing against a formidable opponent.’

So much has also happened around her.

She has grown to be arguably the most popular star on the WTA Tour nowadays, and she has bumped higher seeds off bigger courts, just as she will on Wednesday morning (Manila time) against the qualifier Stoiana.

Eala’s rise to fame has outpaced expectations-and ticket sales. Every tournament she shows up in sells out, with organizers forced to make sure she doesn’t play on small courts.

But she has handled her popularity superbly, and there has been no sign that Eala’s game-which is anchored on diligent returns and wearing down powerful opponents-has suffered from the constant attention and spotlight.

‘[E]verything that has been coming my way is continuously uncharted territory for me. So, I’m experiencing a lot of things for the first time,’ Eala admitted on a podcast hosted by legend Andy Roddick. ‘[I]t’s been a journey to learn my relationship with the fame, especially in the exposure.’

‘I think one thing is that my commitment to tennis and the work ethic that I’ve been having since I was young, it just keeps my feet on the ground,’ Eala said. ‘I think that I have so much further to go in terms of how to improve technically, tactically, physically, so the ceiling’s very high, and I feel like, yeah, I feel very, very small.’

No matter how small she feels though, she props herself up with an insane amount of confidence.

‘I think I have a pretty strong baseline of belief in myself. And of course, it can all, it’s very normal that it fluctuates,’ Eala said. ‘There are moments where it’s more difficult to believe in yourself. And there are moments where it’s much easier.

‘But I think my baseline has remained quite steady, and maybe on an incline, but a very, very, very slow incline. I think that’s what’s important is to have that foundation of, I know what I can do, I’m strong, who I am as a person, what my character is.’

The US Open will be the final Grand Slam of the year, and the odds aren’t exactly piled in Eala’s favor.

But at the very least, expect Eala to fight with her trademark grit, if only to repay the faith of the strong Filipino community that rallies behind her every match she plays.

‘I think a reason also why I have such a big following is because people see themselves in me,’ she said. ‘So, I’m representing those people, and it’s not really just me on the stage, if you know what I mean. So, that’s kind of how I approach it.’

The ongoing discussion on the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has raised a fundamental constitutional question: What is the proper threshold for conviction, and who gets to decide it? This is not a partisan issue. It is about the rule of law.

Private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan correctly pointed out that the Constitution does not explicitly fix ’16 votes’ as the threshold, but Article XI, Section 3(6) states that conviction requires ‘the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.’ With 24 senators, that is 16 votes.

The prosecution panel’s proposal to lower the threshold due to absences and detentions is understandable in light of practical difficulties. However, changing a constitutional denominator because of circumstance sets a dangerous precedent. The law must not bend to convenience.

Ligutan also warned that bringing this dispute to the Supreme Court could create a constitutional dilemma. While the Constitution does not expressly bar judicial review of Senate impeachment decisions, the doctrine of separation of powers implies that the Senate’s power to ‘try and decide’ impeachment cases is exclusive.

Yet, he is also right that only the Supreme Court can ultimately determine whether the threshold issue is a political question or a justiciable matter. This tension is precisely why we must be careful. To invite the Court is to risk encroachment. To not invite it is to risk constitutional ambiguity.

This debate mirrors a basic principle I learned in local legislation: a body cannot act without a quorum. Under Article VI, Section 16(2) of the Constitution, ‘a majority of each House shall constitute a quorum to do business.’ Quorum is not a formality. It is a jurisdictional requirement.

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The key question is: who counts in that majority? In parliamentary practice, we distinguish between ‘elected and qualified’ members and those legally incapacitated. Those who have not taken the oath, have resigned, died, or been removed are excluded from the denominator.

A practical example from the Sanggunian: If a council has 11 members but six are preventively suspended by the Ombudsman, the denominator becomes five. The quorum then is three. If three are present and two vote yes, the action is valid. The law adjusts to the number of members actually qualified to act.

The same logic must apply with care to the Senate. If we start subtracting senator-judges due to absence or detention without a clear constitutional basis, we alter ‘all the Members of the Senate.’ The Constitution says ‘all,’ not ‘all those present.’ That word matters.

Philosophically, this touches on social contract theory. We, the people, delegated specific powers to specific institutions with specific rules. To change the rules mid-process because it is difficult is to break that contract. John Locke warned that when the government acts outside its delegated authority, it loses legitimacy.

The June 3 Senate session controversy was a reminder that procedure protects democracy. When we ignore quorum, or reinterpret ‘two-thirds’ to mean something other than what the text says, we weaken the very shield that guards us against arbitrary rule.

I join the many Filipinos here and abroad urging the Senate, the prosecution, and the defense to resolve this within constitutional bounds. If clarification is needed, let it come through a careful Supreme Court ruling, not through ad hoc adjustments. Our institutions must be bigger than any single trial. For when the quorum fails, or when we rewrite the threshold, the rule of law follows closely behind.

Let’s be honest: even the most die-hard gamers eventually hit that ‘What should we play next?’ moment.

You know the feeling. You’ve played your usual favorites, beaten the same levels, and settled the same friendly rivalries with your Katropa more times than you can count.

Sometimes, all you need is a fresh game to make gaming exciting again.

That’s where TNT and Blacknut come in.

The value mobile brand has teamed up with Blacknut to give TNT subscribers access to more than 1,000 premium video games streamed directly from the cloud without the hassle of downloading massive game files or investing in a gaming console.

And because the games are streamed from the cloud, all you need is a TNT-powered smartphone and a reliable connection to jump into a new gaming adventure.

The shift to console-like gaming on mobile

KaTropas nationwide can sign up for the Blacknut Cloud Gaming service at Blacknut Smart for as low as P145 per week, charged directly to their prepaid load.

There’s no credit card required. After a quick OTP verification, subscribers can start playing through their mobile browser.

No console. No high-end gaming rig. No waiting around for huge game downloads.

Just pick a game and play.

And with more than 1,000 titles in the library, finding something new to play with your Katropa suddenly becomes a lot easier.

Something for everyone

The best part? There’s something for practically every kind of gamer.

If your barkada thrives on chaos, Overcooked! and Overcooked! 2 is practically a recipe for disaster and in the best possible way. Players have to prepare, cook, and serve meals while racing against the clock. Between chopping ingredients, washing dishes, and trying not to burn everything, communication with your teammates is key. Expect plenty of laughter, shouting, and the occasional blame game.

Basketball fans can take the rivalry to the virtual court with NBA 2K23. Build your dream team, recreate iconic basketball moments, or challenge your tropa to a one-on-one showdown. With NBA stars and legends in the lineup, it’s an easy choice for settling those ‘Sino ang mas magaling?’ debates.

For a healthy dose of nostalgia, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl brings familiar cartoon favorites into one fast-paced fighting game. Whether it’s a free-for-all or a team battle, the game offers a fun way to revisit characters many grew up watching except this time, with everyone throwing punches.

Meanwhile, fans of old-school arcade action can revisit the legendary Double Dragon franchise with Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. The modern take combines classic beat-’em-up action with tag-team gameplay and roguelite mechanics, giving players plenty of enemies to take down and combos to master.

Solo play is highlighted

Not every gaming session has to be about beating the highest score.

For those who prefer getting lost in a good story, Assassin’s Creed Unity takes players to revolutionary Paris, where up to four players can team up for co-op missions and heists while exploring the city and uncovering its secrets.

And if post-apocalyptic survival is more your thing, Far Cry New Dawn puts players in a world trying to rebuild after a global catastrophe. Once co-op mode is unlocked, friends can join forces and take on the campaign together because surviving the end of the world is arguably more fun with the whole tropa.

Connected with cloud, great data packages

TNT is also giving subscribers more ways to stay connected while gaming with SAYA All 109, which comes with 7GB of open-access data plus 10GB of 5G data.

For gamers, a good connection can make all the difference. TNT subscribers can tap into Smart’s network, which has recently been recognized by Ookla® for Best Mobile Latency and Best Mobile Video Experience.

With cloud gaming eliminating the need for massive downloads and TNT making access to data and gaming more affordable, trying something new no longer has to mean spending big.

So the next time the tropa starts complaining that ‘wala nang bagong game,’ you already know what to do.

Grab your phone, pick a title, and let the gaming begin.

After a weak first half and a potentially sluggish third quarter, Philippine economic growth could recover to more than 4 percent in the last three months of the year amid a massive catch-up in infrastructure spending.

This is according to economists at the University of Asia and the Pacific (UAandP), who said they expect third-quarter growth to remain tepid at around 2.3 percent. Still, they said some ‘green shoots’ have begun to emerge.

‘Short-term pressures from oil volatility and trade deficits may push the peso toward P63/$1, yet a massive infrastructure surge and solid fundamentals will propel economic growth past 4 percent in the fourth quarter,’ UAandP said in its latest report.

‘Historic June milestones, including record employment of 50.7 million, an export surge to $8.8 billion, and peak OFW remittances of $3.4 billion, generate strong momentum,’ it added. ‘This solid baseline helps the economy absorb the temporary third-quarter slowdown that August floodings and spending delays created.’

If realized, the forecast would fall within the Marcos administration’s revised growth target of 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent for 2026.

Philippine economic growth averaged 2.6 percent in the first half of the year, mainly dragged by the peak fallout from the Middle East war and a slowdown in government spending.

The government is now banking on a catch-up in infrastructure spending in the second half to help revive the economy. It has slated P579.74 billion for disbursement on infrastructure and other capital outlays in the third and fourth quarters.

The Department of Budget and Management has said it had already released allotments to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to allow the agency to implement its projects in August and September.

Data as of July showed that the DPWH had already received 99.5 percent of its P530.12-billion budget. This comes as infrastructure spending from January to June fell 40 percent to P367.4 billion.

On inflation, UAandP economists see one last quarter-point rate hike from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas this year amid cooling price pressures, which would bring the cumulative increase in policy rates to 100 basis points.

Still, they expect financial markets to remain volatile in the near term as elevated bond yields in advanced economies put pressure on local assets, although Philippine stocks remain attractive for long-term investors.

Bags woven from buri, a common palm, and other indigenous materials from Pangasinan have found their way to the international market and are set to take center stage in New York City during FashionPhilippines New York 2026 on September 16-18.

The Olly+Fely brand is owned and managed by Kawayan Nature EcoFriendly Product Trading, a Bolinao-based enterprise that produces fashionable yet sustainably made bags from buri, a material abundant on Santiago Island in Bolinao town and the nearby island town of Anda.

‘We are proud and honored to share that Olly+Fely officially joins the roster of emerging Filipino brands for FashionPhilippines New York 2026,’ said Precious Cayaon, who, together with her husband Jeff, owns and manages the community-based enterprise.

Their business works with local residents who weave indigenous materials into bags and other fashion pieces, turning a traditional craft into products that now reach markets beyond the Philippines.

‘For Olly+Fely, this marks another meaningful step in bringing proudly Filipino craftsmanship and woven artistry to the global fashion stage,’ Cayaon said.

When the couple entered the industry, many island weavers were on the verge of giving up their craft because traditional designs fetched low prices.

The couple started their business modestly, producing simple bags, purses and mats.

Over the years, however, the buri-weaving industry has experienced a revival. Islanders-mostly women-are now engaged in stripping, dyeing and weaving buri fibers into elegant and sustainable fashion pieces that appeal to environmentally conscious consumers around the world.

The bags, Cayaon said, have also ‘leveled up,’ now incorporating premium-grain leather, quality hardware and carefully selected accessories. Yet at the heart of every piece remain the skilled women of Bolinao, whose hands continue to transform raw fibers into works of fashion and craft.

Now, Olly+Fely is bringing these creations to New York, where the Accessories Council Trade Show describes the brand as embodying ‘whimsy and craftsmanship,’ creating character-driven accessories that celebrate individuality through playful designs and thoughtful handmade details.

From the quiet weaving communities of Pangasinan’s islands to one of the world’s fashion capitals, the journey of buri reflects not only the revival of a traditional craft but also the growing reach of Filipino artistry.

FashionPhilippines New York 2026 is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions in partnership with the Accessories Council.

The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to request additional funding to hire more school counselor associates to address learners’ mental well-being.

At the Kapihan sa Manila Prince Hotel forum on Wednesday, DepEd Governance and Operations Undersecretary Malcolm Garma noted that the agency had already begun the process of hiring nearly 10,000 school counselor associates.

‘Ipa-prioritize natin yung mga schools na, based on our mapping, yung hotspots where violence was recorded,’ Garma explained.

(We will be prioritizing schools that, based on our mapping, are hotspots where violence was recorded.)

‘[It’s] budget season, so we will be asking for more because that 10,000 [counselor associates] will not be enough for the more than 45,000 schools we have,’ he added.

DepEd is scheduled to face the House of Representatives appropriations committee this coming Monday, September 7.

Garma noted that the department faced a challenge in hiring licensed guidance counselors.

In response to this challenge, according to the undersecretary, the agency hoped to ‘downgrade’ some of the agency’s line items for registered guidance counselors to school counselor associates.

‘Hindi ibig sabihin wala nang kakayahan itong associates to do counseling because they should be graduates of psychology or training in terms of behavioral science,’ he explained.

(This does not mean, however, that associates have no capability to do counseling because they should be graduates of psychology or have training in terms of behavioral science.)

‘We are optimistic that the hiring of counselor associates would be a game-changer in many schools,’ he added.

There are only around 5,000 registered guidance counselors in the Philippines, with only 1,000 serving under DepEd, the agency’s human resource and organizational development Undersecretary Willie Cabral said in August.

Guidance counseling in schools regained public attention following the fatal school shootings in Tacloban City last June 22 and Zamboanga City last August 18.

Although psychologists have reportedly also attributed the perpetrators’ actions to other factors apart from their state of mind, the incidents renewed interest in child and adolescent mental health.

The 11 residents of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, who were arrested by police on Aug. 28 on charges of grave coercion and resistance and disobedience, have been released after posting bail on Tuesday.

The 11 were among residents who had barricaded an area in Barangay Paquet to oppose the mining exploration activities of North Luzon Mineral Resources Corp. (NLMRC).

They were arrested when police moved to clear a blockade that allegedly sought to prevent the entry of fuel intended for the company’s exploration activities.

The protesters were ordered to post a total of P401,610 in bail, or P36,510 each.

Their release came as Bishop Jose Elmer Mangalinao of Bayombong called for a ‘fair’ and ‘lawful’ dialogue between the mining company and villagers opposing its exploration activities.

In a pastoral statement on Sunday, Mangalinao urged authorities to resolve the dispute through ‘due process’ and asked police and the courts to ‘look beyond the charges’ filed against the protesters.

‘Let us not look only at the charges written on paper. Let us also see the people behind those charges,’ Mangalinao said.

The bishop said the protesters’ poverty should not diminish their rights and questioned what he described as the ‘haphazard’ arrests and mining activities conducted without adequate hearing or consultation.

‘It does not mean that if they are poor, they have fewer rights,’ Mangalinao said.

Permit

He also said villagers had the ‘right’ to oppose the exploration because their health, safety and the environment-including their farms, water sources and forests-as well as their children’s future were at stake.

NLMRC obtained a permit in May 2025 for gold and copper exploration covering 4,456 hectares in Barangay Paquet.

The area is claimed by villagers to form part of the ancestral domain of Bugkalot and Ilongot indigenous communities.

Mangalinao, Fr. Christian Dumangeng, an antimining advocate, and other community members have also faced charges over their opposition to the exploration activities.

Their lawyer has raised the possibility that the cases could constitute a strategic lawsuit against public participation, or SLAPP, which he described as an effort to discourage villagers and advocacy groups from advocating environmental protection and community rights.

Tensions escalated on Aug. 28 when police moved to clear the blockade against fuel trucks, resulting in the arrest of the 11 protesters. Two other villagers were hospitalized during the incident.

Provincial and municipal officials, including Gov. Jose Gambito and Kasibu Vice Mayor Alberto Bumolo Jr., have since negotiated with the protesters for a temporary agreement to keep NLMRC personnel and equipment out of the site while talks continue.

Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense counsel and former Department of Education (DepEd) chief of staff Michael Poa is scheduled to testify on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

He will be called on by the prosecution panel to take the witness stand.

The counsel cannot yet be called a hostile witness at this time, since this description comes after he has been formally presented by the prosecution to the impeachment court.

Poa is expected to testify about the DepEd’s use of confidential funds (CFs) when Duterte was its secretary from 2022 to 2024.During that period, while Poa was the secretary’s chief of staff, the department disbursed P112.5 million in CFs.

Among these disbursements are P15 million supposedly used to help fund the Armed Forces of the Philippines Youth Leadership Summits.

Poa had supposedly requested military certification after the Commission on Audit required supporting documents to explain how DepEd used its CFs.

Over the weekend, House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V called Poa a ‘central figure’ in Duterte’s impeachment, especially as he served as both Duterte’s chief of staff and spokesperson at DepEd.

The lawmaker noted that Poa likely knew how the confidential funds were processed within the agency at the time, as part of his job.

After his role at DepEd, Poa continued to represent Duterte as counsel as early as the first impeachment complaints were filed against the vice president in 2025.

Poa’s testimony will then be followed by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande.

Grande is set to testify on PSA’s findings on the identities of the curious names that appear in the acknowledgment receipts filed by the Office of the Vice President and DepEd as proof of payment for confidential activities.