Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The first printed views of the Philippines and its inhabitants date back to 1602, appearing in a published account of Olivier van Noort’s three-year circumnavigation of the globe. Araling Panlipunan classes taught us about Ferdinand Magellan’s tragic expedition in 1521, but completely skipped over later circumnavigators.

Surely Van Noort’s 1598-1601 voyage deserves a place in our history textbooks. He was, after all, the first Dutchman to circumnavigate the globe, and he spent two full months in the Philippines, from Oct. 14 to Dec. 14, 1600. Had Van Noort or later Dutch incursions into the Philippines succeeded, we would have ended up as part of the Dutch East Indies-modern-day Indonesia-and developed under a vastly different cultural trajectory than Spanish colonization.

Van Noort dropped anchor in Albay, off what is modern-day Legazpi on Oct. 14, 1600. I initially mistook ‘La Baye la baye’ for Laguna de Bay; it actually depicts Albay Gulf. On the left side of the print, a series of hills and mountains trail northward toward Mount Mayon, which served as a landmark for later sea captains.

In Spanish colonial records, the Dutch and English were routinely vilified as ‘pirates,’ who hijacked Spanish galleons plying the Manila-Acapulco route to plunder their rich cargoes of American silver and Asian luxuries. To conceal their Dutch nationality, Van Noort flew a Spanish flag and, speaking in French to Spanish officials in Albay who boarded his ship, claimed to possess a license from the King of Spain.

The Dutch print even depicts a Spaniard aboard Van Noort’s flagship, the Mauritius, kissing the hand of a sailor disguised as a friar! Following this, Van Noort was allowed to purchase provisions for his onward voyage. Van Noort’s ruse was so convincing that the unsuspecting Spaniards even gave him directions on the best route to Manila!

For me, the most fascinating detail in the engravings is the depiction of an inhabitant of Capul Island, shown bearing a bow and arrow and covered in full-body tattoos. Unable to read old Dutch, I rely on early English translations for this image. The first reads: ‘The Indians go most naked, their skiinnes drawne out with indelible lines and figures.’

The second states: ‘The natives of these islands are mostly naked, having their skins marked with figures so deeply impressed [tattooed] that they never wear out.’

The third translation provides even richer detail: ‘The Indians are mostly naked, though some wear a linen cloth. There were also quite a number that were Spanialised [Hispanicized], wearing trousers and shirts. And then there are the foremost Indians that descend from nobility, that have very nice and beautifully cut engravings on their skin, and because it has been engraved with iron and ink it can never be erased.’

Sources offer different explanations for how the Dutch ruse was ultimately exposed. One account claims a sharp-eyed Spaniard examined van Noort’s commission documents and noticed they were issued not by Philip III of Spain, but by William, Prince of Orange. Another version blames an escaped Spanish-American prisoner, while yet another points to enslaved Black men who jumped ship and ratted out the Dutch.

To cut a long story short, a hastily assembled Spanish fleet under Dr. Antonio de Morga-comprising the flagship San Diego, the San Bartolomé, and a handful of requisitioned local and Chinese vessels-intercepted Van Noort’s Mauritius and Eendracht near Fortune Island on Dec. 14, 1600.

The Spanish battle plan called for both the San Diego and San Bartolomé to ram the Mauritius, lock the ships together to allow Spanish troops to board, and seize the Dutch vessel from both sides. However, San Bartolomé disobeyed orders and pursued the smaller Eendracht, leaving the San Diego to fight the Mauritius alone.

When Dutch crewmen retreated into the hold, Van Noort set a fire inside the ship to force his men back out on deck to fight. Meanwhile, the overloaded San Diego, heavily burdened with extra cargo, with gun ports underwater, began taking on water from collision and cannon damage. Panicked Spaniards cut the lines tethering them to the Mauritius, and San Diego ‘sank like a stone.’

In his ‘Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas’ (1609)-that José Rizal annotated and republished in Paris in 1890-Morga claimed a victory. He swam four hours to Fortune Island, proudly clutching the captured Dutch flags in his hands.

Because Rizal had placed Morga on a pedestal as a most reliable historian, generations of Filipinos fell for Morga. That changed in 1991, when the wreck of the San Diego was excavated from the sea, yielding more than 35,000 intact artifacts now preserved at the National Museum of the Philippines.

Van Noort limped back to Holland, but left a different account: Morga lay paralyzed on a mattress inside the San Diego, rendered speechless by sheer terror. Marine archaeology and Dutch logbooks frame Morga’s fictions as face-saving. Now, it is our turn to rewrite the history books.

The Philippine government is eyeing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to expand the overseas presence of locally produced coconuts, according to the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF).

In a statement, PCAF said its National Sectoral Committee on Coconut recently convened concerned government officials and private sector-partners to explore Middle East market opportunities for local coconut products through Project Coco Bridge.

‘Its goal is to move Philippine coconut products from export potential to actual commercial and retail presence in the UAE,’ said Michael Sollera, Philippine Agriculture Attaché for the Middle East, Africa and India.

During the meeting, a proposal was raised to utilize the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), an industry blueprint funded by the coco levy fund to revitalize the country’s coconut industry.

However, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) said government accounting regulations and fund limitations should be reviewed before allocating funds for this project.

Project Coco Bridge is an initiative of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Dubai, in partnership with The Hub Trading and Logistic Services and the Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Agricultural Attaché for the Middle East, Africa and India.

It aims to assess the export readiness of coconut products across the Gulf Cooperation Council region while addressing various trade barriers.

These include buyer access, production capacity, packaging, labeling and regulatory compliance.

The project adopts a three-phase structure: market readiness diagnostic, business matching, and retail activation and consumer engagement.

The first stage of the project evaluated 24 of the 37 Philippine coconut manufacturers contacted by the government. Of those evaluated, nine were export-ready while five exhibited strong potential pending further technical support.

PCAF said several participating enterprises already received assistance through the CFIDP. However, the assessment revealed that the PCA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) should align and clarify the specific support they can extend to the project.

For its part, The Hub Managing Director Lito German said the company is responsible for assessing distribution channels across UAE modern trade, traditional retail outlets, food service, and e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.

German said the project prioritizes small and medium enterprises to help assess and build their capacity to meet global standards.

Products under consideration include coconut sugar, jam, oil, milk, cream, juices, snacks, nata de coco, desiccated coconut, vinegar and protein bars.

‘The project’s succeeding phase will explore additional products based on UAE market demand and assess whether our Filipino producers can supply them,’ German said.

During the meeting, Kilusan para sa Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan’s Danny Carranza said that many smallholder farmers have encountered limited to low-value copra production due to technical and regulatory hurdles.

Carranza said accessing capital through financial institutions such as Land Bank of the Philippines remains extremely difficult for farmers, describing the process as even harder than passing ‘through the eye of a needle.’

He also urged the government to scale up extension services to align with potential market opportunities.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla congratulated Isabela Vice Mayor Jeryll Harold Respicio after the official tested negative for illegal drugs, but maintained that his behavior was still concerning.

‘Congratulations. Now that it’s confirmed he’s not on shabu, it’s really confirmed that his craziness is natural,’ Remulla told the Inquirer in a Viber message on Wednesday.

Earlier, Respicio asked Remulla to shoulder the cost of the drug test, saying it was ‘expensive.’

‘Please ask him for his GCash number. I will remit it ASAP,’ said Remulla, when asked if he will refund.

Respicio went to the St. Luke’s Medical Center-Quezon City after Remulla’s call for him to undergo testing after his outburst during a council session.

House Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ G. Dy III welcomed the ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the bill proposing the creation of the Presidential Merit College Scholarship Programs (PMSPs), which seeks to give deserving students sustained educational support for college and technical education, including expenses beyond tuition.

‘Many youth have intelligence, industriousness, and a clear vision, but their families are short of money to spend on education. They should be given the opportunity to finish and use their abilities for their own families and for the country,’ Dy said in Filipino in a statement.

The reconciled measure, a priority of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), establishes two specific programs under the PMSPs:

the Presidential Merit College Scholarship Program under the Commission on Higher Education

the Presidential Merit Technical Scholarship Program under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority

The measure, which reconciled House Bill No. 8477 and Senate Bill No. 2410, addresses both the financial difficulties faced by outstanding students and the shortage of workers in critical fields.

It includes a provision to support exceptional senior high school graduates from low- to middle-income households and to develop skills for hard-to-fill occupations.

To qualify for the scholarships, the bill generally sets an annual family income ceiling of P2 million, based on the combined annual gross income of the applicant’s parents or legal guardians, subject to periodic review and adjustments, considering education costs, inflation, and the number of household dependents.

College applicants must, among other requirements, comply with the following:

completed senior high school

ranked within the top 1 percent of their school’s grade 11 students

have a Grade 11 general weighted average of at least 95 percent or its equivalent

have no failing grade in the first two terms of grade 12

For the technical scholarship, applicants must comply with the following requirements:

complete senior high school with a general weighted average of at least 90 percent or its equivalent

secure admission or enrollment in a TESDA-recognized diploma program in a priority sector, subject to other qualifications

College scholarship slots would be equitably distributed among regions, while equally qualified applicants from underrepresented areas and socioeconomically disadvantaged households would receive preference in selection.

Under the bill, the financial assistance would cover tuition subsidies and other school fees, living expenses, relocation, room and board, transportation, books, connectivity, and laboratory costs. It may also cover internships, licensure or board examinations, thesis preparation and research assistance, where applicable, subject to available funds and implementing guidelines.

‘We know that, even if the tuition is free, fare, food, lodging, and other materials need to be paid for. So the assistance must address the students’ actual expenses so that they can continue until they finish,’ Dy said.

The bill identifies priority fields, including science, engineering, information technology, artificial intelligence, agriculture, fisheries, health, and specialized teacher education.

CHEd and TESDA will coordinate with relevant agencies and update the list at least once every three years to reflect national and regional needs.

The measure requires a timetable for processing and releasing scholarship benefits. Benefits already granted could not be reduced while a scholar remains qualified, and existing Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program beneficiaries would retain their previously granted benefits during the transition.

The ‘Galing Para Sa Bayan’ component of the bill requires scholars to render service in the Philippines equivalent to the years of scholarship assistance received, generally beginning within one year after graduation. They may fulfill this through gainful employment, professional practice, research, teaching, community engagement, or public service in sectors aligned with their studies and contributing to national development.

Actress-turned-politician Niña Jose addressed comments about her drastic weight loss, assuring netizens that she is healthy and that her current physique was her goal.

Jose said this through a statement released on her Facebook page on Tuesday, Oct. 6, which features a black-and-white photo of her laughing.

‘Thank you for the engagement guys-kahit nega ‘yung iba, nagulat ako dahil lang sa picture ko pa talaga. Thank you,’ she wrote, apparently referring to the reactions and comments about her appearance on her social media posts.

She assured, ‘By the way, wala akong sakit. Sadyang gusto ko lang maging skinny.’

The Bayambang, Pangasinan mayor even joked that she aspires to look like the animated character Corpse Bride.

‘But thank you for the concern ah. Kahit may ibang pressing matters, ‘yung itsura ko pa talaga ang pinag-uusapan,’ she further quipped.

‘Nakakatawa lang kasi when I was bigger tawag sa akin aparador; nung puti face ko chimchamchu; ‘yung payat naman ngayon kalansay or tarsier. But in all that, I can say madami affected sa akin,’ she said.

Concluding her post, Jose shrugged off the comments, joking that the netizens must ‘love’ her to be so concerned about her.

‘Anyway, sa dami ng gulo sa mundo. Let us remember to live, laugh and love,’ she added.

Jose’s weight loss came after she gave birth to her second child with her husband, former Bayambang, Pangasinan Mayor Cesar Quiambao, in 2025.

Jose Rizal University watched Lawrence Mangubat struggle against Arellano all game long in their NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament showdown.

That, however, didn’t stop coach Nani Epondulan from putting the ball in his hands when the team needed something to happen.

Despite a cold shooting afternoon, Mangubat was entrusted by the Heavy Bombers to take the lead in the clutch for a 64-62 squeaker over the Chiefs at San Juan Arena on Tuesday.

‘I challenged Mangubat. I told him, no matter how good their defense is, you’re [better],’ said Epondulan of Mangubat, who finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two assists.

‘That’s why he’s here [in the NCAA]. This is where the saying ‘good defense, better offense’ comes in.’

Mangubat went just 5-for-23 from the field but buried arguably JRU’s biggest shot of the game as the Heavy Bombers improved to 4-1.

After trailing by as many as 14, JRU pulled within four, 62-58, before Mangubat drilled a 3-pointer from the right corner to cut the deficit to 62-61 with 19 seconds remaining.

Sean Salvador then calmly sank a pair of go-ahead free throws in the closing seconds to complete JRU’s comeback and send the Chiefs to 3-2.

Chris Hubilla also had 14 points, five rebounds, a steal and a block for the Heavy Bombers.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will begin on Oct. 8 the regularization of Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) units in Metro Manila that were onboarded by transport network companies (TNCs) before securing the required authority from the agency, a practice known as ‘tempo.’

The 30-day regularization program covers TNVS units operating under the Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study Update and Capacity Enhancement Program and included in the validated masterlist submitted by TNCs.

The program, issued under Memorandum Circular No. 2026-111 pursuant to the directive of Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, seeks to address ‘tempo,’ or the practice of TNCs onboarding TNVS units onto their digital platforms before the units obtain the required authority from the LTFRB.

The LTFRB said the practice violates its rules and regulations because it allows TNVS units to operate without valid authority.

Applications will be accepted for 30 days, and late submissions will not be accepted.

LTFRB Acting Chairman Greg Pua said the policy seeks to help thousands of TNVS drivers who relied in good faith on TNC onboarding and made substantial financial commitments as a result.

‘It is the policy of both the DOTr and the LTFRB that no driver or operator be left behind by a regulatory intervention occasioned by the fault of another,’ Pua said.

He said denying regularization to the affected units could disrupt transport services.

Pua, however, stressed that the policy applies only to unauthorized units included in the validated masterlist submitted by the TNCs.

‘The memorandum circular does not represent a general opening for new TNVS applications across the board, nor does it waive any administrative liabilities incurred by TNCs for onboarding unauthorized vehicles,’ he said.

Applications must be filed online through the LTFRB’s official platform or any digital portal designated by the agency.

Individual TNVS operators or accredited TNCs may file applications through their authorized representatives on behalf of drivers.

To qualify, vehicles must be included in the validated masterlist and pass a roadworthiness test at an LTFRB-recognized Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center.

The inspection results must be electronically transmitted to the LTFRB before it can issue a Provisional Authority.

Vehicles that exceed the standard seven-year age limit are ineligible, although overage units may be replaced with qualified vehicles under existing LTFRB rules.

Applicants will no longer need to manually upload Personal Passenger Accident Insurance policies. Instead, the insurance must be obtained from an accredited provider integrated into the LTFRB system, allowing policy details to automatically appear in the applicant’s online portal.

Labor group Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) called for decent jobs and higher wages amid improvements in the country’s labor market in August.

The August Labor Force Survey (LFS) showed the number of employed Filipinos rising from 49.21 million in July to 49.79 million in August, while unemployment declined from 6 percent to 5.3 percent and underemployment fell from 12.9 percent to 11.9 percent.

‘Far from healthy’

SENTRO welcomed the gains but said the country’s jobs situation remained ‘far from healthy,’ pointing to the composition of the employment increase and the decline in working hours.

The labor group said the largest increase in employment from July to August came from unpaid workers in their own family-operated farm or business, followed by self-employed workers and those working for private households.

SENTRO said the same pattern was seen in the year-on-year increase in employment from August 2025 to August 2026.

‘This tells us something important about the nature of the employment being generated,’ SENTRO said.

‘An increase in the number of employed Filipinos does not necessarily mean an increase in the number of Filipinos finding stable, adequately paid jobs,’ it added.

The group said the increase in unpaid family workers, self-employed workers without employees and household workers raised questions about whether the economy was creating decent work or absorbing workers into precarious and low-income livelihoods.

Enough work, income

SENTRO also pointed to the decline in average working hours, which fell to 39.2 hours a week in August from 40.6 hours in July and 41 hours in August 2025.

It said the focus should therefore not only be on whether Filipinos have jobs, but whether those jobs provide enough work and income to live decently.

‘Encouraging’

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), meanwhile, welcomed the improvement in the August labor market, describing the increase in employment and decline in unemployment as encouraging.

Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said the labor department would focus on ensuring that jobseekers are connected to opportunities, workers have relevant skills and employment assistance leads to more sustainable work.

‘Our task is to make sure that jobseekers are connected to opportunities, workers have relevant skills, and employment assistance leads to more sustainable work,’ Tolentino said.

Tolentino emphasized that DOLE’s efforts go beyond improving labor market indicators, highlighting the need to ensure that more Filipinos gain access to decent, productive and sustainable work.

‘Our success should be measured not only by how many workers we assist today, but by how many are able to move forward tomorrow through a job, new skills, an enterprise, or a better livelihood,’ Tolentino said.

Wage issue

SENTRO said the need for better-paying jobs was particularly urgent amid rising prices.

The group cited the Philippine Statistics Authority’s report showing that inflation accelerated to 7.2 percent in September, with food inflation at 6.7 percent and transport inflation at 14.6 percent.

SENTRO called for an immediate P200 across-the-board national wage increase to restore workers’ purchasing power and stimulate domestic consumption.

It also called for a genuine industrial policy backed by public investment, a public employment program that provides meaningful and productive work, stronger protection for workers in informal, precarious and platform-based employment, and a national dialogue on the cost-of-living crisis.

‘The August LFS tells us that Filipinos are willing to work. The challenge is whether the economy can provide them with enough work, decent wages and secure livelihoods,’ SENTRO said.

Digital rights group Digital Pinoys is urging transport network companies (TNCs) to implement the authorized pick-up fare scheme immediately, saying delays in updating their platforms could affect both drivers and commuters.

The group made the call after the inDrive country manager acknowledged in a recent radio interview that the platform’s system for implementing the pick-up fare is still being developed.

Digital Pinoys said technical adjustments may be necessary but should not unnecessarily delay the implementation of the approved fare.

‘Implementation should not be unnecessarily delayed,’ the group said, noting that ride-hailing drivers are already facing higher operating costs, including fuel prices.

It said fares that do not adequately cover the cost of providing a trip could make drivers less willing to accept certain bookings.

‘This can result in increased non-acceptance and cancellation of trips, ultimately affecting commuters who depend on motorcycle taxis for their daily transportation,’ the group added.

Digital Pinoys also said a fare adjustment should not be viewed solely as an added burden on passengers, noting that drivers also shoulder fuel, maintenance, and other operating expenses.

‘A fair fare structure will benefit consumers as well,’ it said, arguing that better earnings could encourage drivers to remain available on platforms and improve trip acceptance.

The group called on inDrive and other TNCs to fast-track the development and implementation of their pickup fare systems and ensure that the authorized fare structure is reflected on their platforms.

It also urged the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to ensure that approved fare adjustments are promptly implemented across covered platforms.

If Vice President Sara Duterte indeed had P96 million in joint time deposit accounts with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, the amount should have been reflected in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said.

Testifying before the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Central Metro Manila Branches Division Head Marwin Galvez confirmed that the father and daughter opened joint time deposit accounts worth P40 million and P55 million in 2010.

According to public prosecutor James Bryan Ibrahim Alih, the P40 million joint account had grown to P41.72 million when it matured in March 2011. This brought the total value of the two accounts to P96 million.

The P96 million fund was later used to purchase manager’s checks starting in 2011, according to the prosecutor.

Alih was responding to Gatchalian, who asked how the fund was transferred from the joint accounts to the bank as payment for the manager’s checks.

‘The reason why I am asking is because I’m comparing this with Vice President Sara’s Saln. If there was a P96 million joint time deposit account, that should have been reflected in her Saln because it was a joint account and she knew that such an account existed,’ the Senate chief said.

However, Gatchalian said he could not find a P96 million entry when he reviewed the vice president’s 2010 SALN.

‘I’m trying to link that to what you said earlier about purchasing a manager’s check, depositing the funds first into the bank account, and the manager’s check becoming unutilized. I’m trying to link that to the Saln to see if there is a pattern. That’s the point I’m trying to make,’ he explained.

While recognizing the questions raised by the Senate chief, defense lawyer Michael Poa insisted that the vice president had no knowledge of the transactions involving the joint accounts.

‘I think the good Senate president’s question is correct. The operative phrase is, ‘if she is aware.’ You were saying that these accounts, the time deposits, if she was aware of them, should have been reflected in the SALN. The operative phrase there is, ‘if she is aware,’ Poa said.

‘And secondly, as we demonstrated during cross-examination, none of these time deposits or transactions bore the signature of our Vice President. And all of them were done by the former President Rodrigo R. Duterte. We’ll leave it at that, Your Honor. We will not make conclusions of law or facts,’ he added.

Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros later pursued Gatchalian’s line of questioning and asked the defense lawyer whether the former president was the real owner of the accounts, and not the vice president.

Hontiveros also read Poa’s letter to BPI Legal, in which he said that the vice president had ‘no knowledge, participation, or recollection of maintaining or having any beneficial interest’ in the two accounts with the bank.

‘So my related question regarding this letter you sent to BPI Legal, Attorney Poa, is this: Based on what you have said so far, my understanding is that the actual owner of and the person who controlled the P41 million manager’s check was Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and not Sara Duterte. Is that correct?’ she asked.