Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Senator Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday accused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of favoring and accepting bribes from multinational pharmaceutical companies, resulting in the continued sale of unregistered products and shutdown of smaller pharmaceutical firms. Tulfo made the pronouncement during a Senate panel hearing on the proposed budget of the Department of Health for 2026.

During the hearing, Tulfo questioned why despite continuously releasing advisories and warnings on harmful medical products, the FDA does not seem to actually enforce it.

FDA Director General Paolo Teston, for his part, said that the advisories already include an order for law enforcement agencies to prevent such products’ sale, adding that the FDA does not have enough capacity to do it by itself as it only has 890 plantilla and 300 contract of service personnel.

But Tulfo pointed out that even just one or two researchers can check if their advisories are being enforced.

‘I only have four plantilla researchers, and yet we were able to investigate this,’ said Tulfo speaking in Filipino, adding that they found one of the banned products in online shopping apps and even mainstream pharmacies.

‘Don’t use that excuse on me about having 800 personnel . that’s already more than enough. If there’s a will, there’s a way; if there’s none, there will always be excuses,’ he added in a mix of Filipino and English.

Teston then responded that the agency is already coordinating with pharmacies and online shopping platforms to curb the illicit sale, but Tulfo interjected, insisting that the real reason it persists is due to the bribes the FDA allegedly receives from manufacturers and suppliers.

‘One of the most corrupt agencies in the Philippines is the FDA, and many pharmaceutical companies can attest to that,’ said Tulfo in Filipino.

‘So many small pharmaceutical companies are being forced to close because you favor these multinational firms,’ he added.

Tulfo then went on to cite a case he previously encountered where a smaller pharmaceutical firm introduced a mosquito spray that rivaled a popular brand.

The senator alleged that the FDA deliberately withheld the smaller firm’s license renewal over the flimsiest grounds-such as a typographical error in the address-to protect the larger competitor.

‘You withheld the license, you withheld the renewal because you were bribed,’ said Tulfo.

Tulfo then pressed the FDA chief on what concrete actions he will take to stop the continued online sale of banned products, warning that if the FDA continues to be ineffective, he would challenge Teston to step down.

At least 69 individuals reportedly died following a strong earthquake that jolted Cebu Tuesday evening, as authorities intensified its search and rescue efforts in the crucial first 24 hours when survivors trapped in the rubble could still be saved.

The quake damaged several heritage churches, residential houses and schools, while causing widespread power outages in the region.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Assistant Secretary Rafael Alejandro IV said most of the fatalities were in Bogo City-the epicenter of the quake-at 30, followed by 22 in San Remigio town; 10 in Medellin town; five in Tabogon town; and one each in municipalities of Sogod and Tabuelan.

‘That’s the number that we have as reported to us as of noon time (which is again for validation and verification),’ Alejandro said of the 69 death toll in a message to Inquirer.

At least 147 individuals were injured after the earthquake, Alejandro said, most of whom are in Bogo City at 119, followed by San Francisco town with 14, Tabuelan and Catmon with five each; and four in Daanbantayan.

The high number of casualties is due to the fact that the earthquake happened at night, according to the official.

‘In the morning, we are all alert, but at night when everyone is asleep. It takes time for us to react,’ he earlier said in a press conference in Quezon City.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred at 9:59 p.m., with the epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City with a shallow depth of five kilometers, according to Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

‘Golden hour’

With the earthquake occurring less than a day ago as of posting time, Alejandro said the rescuers are scrambling during this ‘golden hour,’ referring to the first 24 hours when likelihood of survivors remains high.

‘We’re still in the golden hour when we can still save more lives,’ he said, noting that many residents are still reportedly trapped by fallen debris.

The OCD has yet to release the data on missing individuals, and Alejandro said the total number of rescued individuals will be released ‘within the day.’

Military personnel on board two transport aircraft C-130 and coast guard personnel aboard two of its ships are now on their way to ground zero to augment the search and rescue efforts.

Alejandro also said the OCD alerted neighboring Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia in case the country needs assistance.

But so far, he said local authorities can still manage the rescue operations.

Meanwhile, the entire province of Cebu has been placed under a state of calamity, allowing the provincial government to use quick response funds and also to conduct a 60-day price freeze of basic goods.

‘The Big One’

Alejandro said lessons in this earthquake should be applied when ‘The Big One’ hits the capital region.

‘We can never be 100 percent prepared . just really anticipate,’ Alejandro said, saying continuous public awareness and preparation are in place for The Big One.

‘Events like this [earthquake], for us also, is one way of practice. Can you imagine if it happens in Metro Manila at night?’ the official said.

In preparation of this grim event, government schools and offices have been participating in OCD-led earthquake drills in the capital region once every quarter of a year.

The Big One – or a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hitting Metro Manila – would lead to at least 52,000 deaths, and 500,000 injuries, according to the study of risk assessment and consultancy firm PSA Philippines Consultancy Inc. published in 2019.

Sitting on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ where tectonic plates often collide, the Philippines experiences frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

The aftershocks from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that jolted Cebu province could persist for days and weeks as authorities urged the affected residents to exercise caution when returning to visibly-damaged buildings.

At least 69 fatalities have so far been reported, while 147 others were injured due to the temblor, which caused massive damage to infrastructure and widespread power outages in the province.

The earthquake struck off Cebu province at 9:59 p.m. Tuesday, with the epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Since then, at least 990 aftershocks have been detected, the Phivolcs said in its 7:30 p.m. report on Wednesday.

However, only seven of these aftershocks were felt, the strongest of which was measured at magnitude 4.8.

‘These aftershocks could persist for several days to weeks, and some may be felt in nearby provinces,’ the Phivolcs said on Wednesday.

Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said it may not be safe for some affected residents to return home.

‘Aftershocks could still occur so if it is still not safe to return to your dwellings, offices, then let’s not do that until it’s declared to be safe,’ Alejandro said in a PTV-4 interview.

Some residents of Bogo City-the hardest-hit area where almost half of reported fatalities were recorded at 30-take this warning to heart.

Joan Ylanan, resident of Polambato village, said her family would be spending another night on a field even if their residence did not sustain any damage.

‘We’re still afraid because of the many aftershocks,’ Ylanan, 25, said in Cebuano in a Cebu Daily Inquirer interview.

Ylanan, who said her family has not had a wink of sleep since the earthquake, has only one wish: ‘I hope it does not rain.’

Cebu and neighboring provinces are situated in one of the seismically active regions in the country.

Among the earthquake sources there are the Bogo Fault, Daanbantayan Lineament, and the Cebu Fault System, as well as local inland and offshore faults.

Tuesday’s earthquake was traced to an ‘offshore active fault NE (northeast) of Cebu Island,’ according to Phivolcs.

The government has deployed the ‘full force’ of its resources to northern Cebu following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck on Tuesday night.

Assistant Secretary Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said national agencies have been directed to support local governments in Bogo City and nearby towns, which bore the brunt of the quake.

‘The full force of the national government has been mobilized to assist the affected communities,’ Alejandro said in a press briefing in Quezon City.

He added that this includes deployment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Health and other agencies for search, rescue, relief and clearing operations.

Nat’l deployments and relief operations

The Philippine Coast Guard deployed BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701), one of its largest patrol vessels, to Cebu with 36 doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel carrying emergency equipment from Manila. The ship is expected to dock in Bogo City to support hospitals and evacuation centers.

‘The Coast Guard will continue to assist in recovery efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of affected families,’ Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, PCG commandant, said. The service also dispatched additional vessels, K9 units, and portable desalination systems to supply water in areas where systems were damaged.

The Philippine Air Force likewise mobilized assets, sending a C-130 cargo plane with rescuers from the 505th Search and Rescue Group and deploying Black Hawk helicopters for rapid assessments and relief delivery. On the ground, the 560th Air Base Group joined Army responders in conducting search, rescue, and retrieval operations.

The Philippine Army said it deployed 158 troops from the 53rd Engineer Brigade for search and rescue missions in northern Cebu and nearby provinces. Army engineers brought an ambulance and mission-essential equipment, reporting that they had rescued five people, treated five injured, and retrieved four bodies in affected areas as of Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office 7 said it had mobilized 1,356 personnel across Cebu province for rescue, security, and relief missions, including units from the Cebu City Police Office, Cebu Provincial Police Office, and regional mobile forces. Police also reported 27 damaged buildings and three police stations affected as of Wednesday morning.

Casualties

At least 69 people were killed and 147 others injured after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Cebu and nearby areas late Tuesday, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Wednesday. Assistant Secretary Alejandro said most of the fatalities were recorded in Bogo City with 30 deaths, followed by San Remigio with 22, Medellin with 10, Tabogon with five, Sogod with one, and Tabuelan with one.

Of the injured, 119 were from Bogo, 14 from San Francisco, five each from Tabuelan and Catmon, and four from Daanbantayan. However, Alejandro said earlier that these numbers may still change as data from the ground is verified.

‘These numbers are still fluid,’ he said. ‘The figures may change as we continue to validate reports from the field.’

The ‘Big One’

Moreover, Alejandro said the destruction in Cebu underscored the country’s vulnerability to earthquakes and should serve as a wake-up call for other high-risk areas, particularly Metro Manila.

‘In preparing for the Big One, what I can say is we are trying our best to make the agencies concerned prepared in terms of manpower, resources, and equipment,’ Alejandro said. ‘We can never be 100 percent prepared. What we can do is practice our plan, improve it, and anticipate.’

He added that disasters like the Cebu quake also provide an opportunity to assess government readiness.

‘These events, for us, are one way of practice. Can you imagine if this happened in Metro Manila last night?’ he said. Seismologists have long cautioned that the capital region could face a catastrophic ‘Big One’ earthquake should the West Valley Fault move, potentially resulting in thousands of casualties and widespread destruction.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) on Wednesday maintained that the government’s Barangay Development Program (BDP), designed to eliminate communist influence at the community level, has no ‘ghost’ projects.

At a Palace briefing, NFT-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. explained the strict guidelines and monitoring taken by stakeholders to ensure that BDP projects are implemented properly ‘They have ownership in the implementation of the project. That’s why it’s really good. We really don’t have any ghost projects,’ Torres said.

‘Even though we are not engineers, we have an idea on what to inspect. So that is a very good system, that everybody is involved in seeing to it that these projects are implemented properly,’ he also said.

Meanwhile, Torres also expressed support for Senate Bill No. 1366, also known as the Terror Grooming and Radicalization Prevention Act, which seeks to stop radicalization and recruitment of vulnerable Filipinos to communist groups.

‘The Execom expressed support to the passage of the Terror-Grooming Prevention Act because this will strengthen our preventive mechanism against radicalization, recruitment, and indoctrination, especially among the youth and vulnerable sectors of our society,’ he said.

‘It is a critical shield to protect vulnerable Filipinos, youth, indigenous communities, and farmers from being exploited and radicalized by terrorists,’ he added.

Fight against communist insurgency

Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Jimmy Larida reported a decline in the number of communist guerrilla fronts in the country.

‘Based on the parameters on the clearing, we have seen a steady decline in all the insurgency parameters,’ he said.

In terms of manpower, Larida said that in 2022 there were 2,008 communist terrorist groups monitored. By the end of the first semester of 2025, the number of CTGs had gone down to 901.

At least 69 individuals are dead following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake off Bogo City, Cebu.

INQUIRER.net’s Neil Mercado gives updates on the situation in Cebu province on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Petro Gazz has appointed Gary and Lisa Van Sickle-parents of reigning All-Filipino MVP Brooke Van Sickle, to lead the team in the upcoming 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference.

Gary takes over as head coach, replacing interim mentor Brian Esquibel, while Lisa will serve as assistant coach. Esquibel had guided the Angels following the departure of Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara during the PVL On Tour. The club announced the news on Tuesday night, describing the appointment as the start of a ‘new era’ under the Van Sickles.

‘They nurtured greatness at home, now they bring that same passion to the sidelines to guide our team to greater heights,’ the team said in the announcement.

Gary previously played for the University of Hawai’i from 1988 to 1990, while Lisa suited up for Hawaii Pacific University.

What was supposed to be a night of glamor and charity had a frantic conclusion as the 6.9 magnitude earthquake halted the benefit gala night of the 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International pageant here.

The quake’s epicenter was traced to Bogo City some 95 kilometers – or close to 3 hours – away, from where the pageant event was being held in the capital city.

Just as the 43 delegates were making their exit from the runway at the ballroom of Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City on Tuesday evening, Sept. 30, the hall shook and the ladies frantically ran to different directions as they sought cover.

The international pageant was holding the event to raise funds for Operation Smile through ticket sales for the fashion show of Philippine ternos designed by Cebuano designers, showcased by the delegates.

A silent auction of luxury bags and statement pieces was also conducted to help gather additional funds for the nonprofit organization, while a live bidding was held for items from Cebuano furniture designers Kenneth Cobonpue and Vito Selma, London-based fashion designer John Herrera, and jewelry maker Oro China.

After the successful bidders were announced, the ladies took the runway in their Filipiniana flair of different fabrics, silhouettes and styles. Reigning queen Janelis Leyba and second runner-up Selena Ali showcased the creations of renowned Cebuano fashion icon Cary Santiago.

Belgium’s Jana Janssens was chosen by Santiago as the Best in Philippine Terno, while Herrera picked Alejandro Godinez Jr. as the Best Philippine Terno Designer, his creation paraded by the Philippines’ Anita Rose Gomez.

Grace under pressure, chaos

After the awards were handed out and just as the program was about to close, the floor started shaking, and the crystal pieces from the chandeliers started swaying. The tremor was so strong that the wine glasses and water goblets on the tables tumbled. Some guests rushed outside the ballroom, while the others ducked and went under the tables, including some of the ladies. When the tremor stopped, hotel staff members guided the guests to safety, leading them out to the parking lot.

In her panic, reigning Miss Asia Pacific International queen Janelis Leyba from the United States could be seen in the video hurling off her crown as she tried to leave the stage.

Many of the ladies took off their high heels and rushed outside barefoot, some of them clutching their long skirts as Eva Patalinjug, the pageant’s president, instructed them to follow the ushers to safety while looking out for everyone’s welfare.

The police was deployed to the scene, followed by a rescue team. Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, who attended the gathering, was seen consulting her staff, asking about the province’s current situation and hurrying out of the vicinity.

Janssens had to get help from others to get to safety as she hurt her leg after jumping from the stage. She was later rushed to the hospital for tests and treatment. She had since been declared out of danger and has already joined her fellow delegates. As soon as the guests gathered at the designated evacuation area, the hotel setup a help desk at the parking lot. Staff members distributed towels for some of the guests who needed additional covering.

Slippers were handed out to those who had taken off their shoes, and for guests seeking relief from running in the high heels that they have been wearing all night.

Staff members also handed out bottled water as the hotel’s security team assessed the situation. And even if the ballroom was just located on the second floor, the ladies and the production team had to wait for hours before they were allowed backstage.

The ladies, still in their terno, sat on the chairs laid out by the staff members on the parking lot, as more seats were being setup in the evacuation area. But just as the hotel was winding down its sweep of the property, it started raining and the guests were ushered to shelter, with staff members hurriedly handing out umbrellas and helping guests seek cover.

The lobby on the ground floor was the first to be made available for the guests to settle in and collect themselves. The chairs set up in the parking lot were moved to the area for guests to use again.

And at the homestretch of the assessment for structural integrity, the hotel laid out a spread of warm dishes, breads, other food items and drinks for the guests who are awaiting further instructions.

The delegates and the production team were then allowed to return backstage, and the ladies were able to slip into more comfortable clothes. They then also got their meals from the spread.

A couple of hours after midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 1, the ladies were then guided to the buses that would take them to their hotel residence in Mandaue City that has also finished conducting an assessment for structural integrity.

Several other activities have been planned for the ladies in the province, under the Cebu local government’s partnership with the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant. But many of the items in their calendar have been put on hold as of this writing.

Two of the five accused of murder of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga voluntarily surrendered to authorities, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Wednesday.

According to the NBI, the two suspects, Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza and former police officer Nelson Mariano ‘expressed their intention to surrender to the NBI’ after they learned about the arrest warrant issued by a Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court.

Mariano voluntarily surrendered to the NBI’s Organized and Transnational Crime Division in Manila on September 29, while Mendoza did the same upon the implementation of his arrest warrant in Bacolod City on September 30.

The arrest warrants were issued after corroborating the details of a House quad committee hearing and the findings of the NBI and Philippine National Police joint (PNP) investigation.

In the quad committee hearing on September 27, Mariano and Mendoza confessed to their involvement in the murder of Barayuga in July 2020.

While on his way home from the PCSO headquarters, police reported that Barayuga was shot by gunmen on a motorcycle around 3:30 p.m. at the corner of Calbayog and Malinaw Streets in Brgy. Highway Hills.

In the hearing, Mendoza said that it was PCSO General Manager Royina Marzan Garma and National Police Commission (Napolcom) Chairman Edilberto dela Cruz Leonardo who ordered the assassination of Barayuga.

Shortly after, a recommendation to charge Garma, Leonardo, Mendoza, Mariano, and Jeremy Zapata Causapin, alias ‘Toks,’ of murder and frustrated murder were made. This is where the arrest warrants are based.

The PNP, on Tuesday, formed teams to track down the three remaining suspects

With the meticulously planned release of Taylor Swift’s 12th album this Friday, the country singer-turned-pop star demonstrates again that she is as business savvy as she is musically adept.

From hints dropped during her last tour in 2024 to movie screenings this coming weekend to accompany the new album’s release, ‘Taylor Swift has perfected marketing as narrative art,’ said Robin Landa, a professor who studies advertising and branding at Kean University.

‘She doesn’t simply release an album-she orchestrates a cultural phenomenon.’

The massively hyped ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ album was inspired by Swift’s experiences during her record-breaking ‘Eras’ concert tour, which coincided with the singer’s romance with her now-fiance Travis Kelce, a three-time Super Bowl champion football star.

The 12-track record ‘comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life-and so that effervescence has come through,’ Swift herself promises.

That appears to signal a return to pop after her darker 11th album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ last year.

To call ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ which features a duet with rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter, eagerly anticipated is an understatement

Swift, 35, has said to expect ‘bangers’-high-energy, dance-friendly songs-in the ilk of her fan favorite ’22’ and ‘Shake It Off,’ and created with the same Swedish production duo, Max Martin and Shellback.

To call ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ which features a duet with rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter, eagerly anticipated is an understatement.

The album is the most pre-saved album ever on the Spotify streaming platform, breaking the record set last year by Swift’s last album.

Ownership

Accompanying the album, movie theaters in dozens of countries will host special screenings from Friday through Sunday of a music video, a making-of featurette, personal commentary by Swift about her songs, and a karaoke-style singalong.

The one-off movie event is estimated to gross between $30 million and $50 million, according to film industry website Deadline. Swift, who first announced the album on Kelce’s popular podcast last month, is ‘really taking ownership of the whole process, in every aspect of her music and her presentation to the public,’ said Toby Koenigsberg, a music professor at the University of Oregon.

Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour also spawned its own movie theater event, and underlined ‘the importance of having fan communities that interact in real life, not just on social media,’ he added.

One element that has long connected ‘Swifties’-the nickname for her die-hard fans-online is the frantic search for ‘easter eggs,’ or clues about Swift’s upcoming projects scattered through her album booklets, music videos, concerts and social media posts.

Easter eggs

Swifties noticed that, in a letter to her fans in May, Swift spelled the words ‘thiiiiiiiiiiiis’ with 12 ‘i’s – taken by some to indicate her 12th album was imminent.

Once the first album images of ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ were released, featuring cabaret-inspired outfits in orange and green tones, thrilled devotees rushed to social media to point out clues supposedly buried in Swift’s 2022 music videos as well as certain costumes from her latest tour.

‘Taylor’s Easter eggs are one of the most brilliant fan engagement tools in modern music,’ said Landa.

‘This strategy creates free marketing through fan theories and social media speculation-essentially turning her audience into her promotional team.’

‘Sometimes people talk about her business acumen, which is really remarkable. but at the core of what she does is her songwriting’

So, is Swift a musician or a businesswoman?

‘Sometimes people talk about her business acumen, which is really remarkable. but at the core of what she does is her songwriting,’ said Koenigsberg.

Swift is ‘able to consistently write good songs, year after year, album after album, in a way that almost nobody else can.’