Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The effects of El Niño affected over 428,000 individuals across the country so far, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday.

In its latest report, the NDRRMC said that 428,687 individuals or 115,246 families have been affected by the phenomenon. The affected population came from Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), Bicol Region, and Caraga.

The phenomenon also placed 106 cities and municipalities under state of calamity. Of this figure, 66 came from Cagayan Valley, 23 from Caraga, 12 from Bicol Region, four from Calabarzon, and one from Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City).

The agency said that P45,493,054.06 worth of assistance was provided to 34,649 families, which is equivalent to 73.74 percent of families needing assistance.

Meanwhile, in its first bulletin issued last September 26, the Department of Agriculture said that El Niño has already affected 223,214 farmers in 14 regions in the country, with damage in the agriculture sector already reaching P6.87 billion.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that El Niño may reach a very strong state by the end of 2026 and will continue until the first half of 2027.

Pagasa on Wednesday also said that more areas are expected to experience drought conditions from October 2026 to March 2027.

Frankie Pangilinan has nothing but love and appreciation for her non-showbiz boyfriend, Daniel Laurel, as they celebrate their first anniversary as a couple.

The actress-singer marked the occasion by sharing memories of their time together on her Instagram page on Tuesday, Oct. 6. One of the photos shows Laurel spending time with her family including her father, Sen. Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan,

In the caption, she addressed Laurel, ‘Sweetheart, though I’m certain I’ve loved you a long long time, I like this particular atom-arrangement quite a bit.’

‘A very alleged anniversary to Mr. Precedent who accidentally told me he loved me and then un-accidentally drove me to the port of Batangas at the crack of dawn two days later and, as it happens, was always the only one for me,’ she recalled. ‘I don’t know what is wrong with you but I adore it nearly as much as I adore your sister. Thank you for peeling my shrimp.’

Among those who celebrated the couple was Frankie’s mom, Megastar Sharon Cuneta, who wrote in the comments section, ‘Happy Anniversary, my baby and my son-out-law! I love you together!’

Just a month earlier, Pangilinan opened up for the first time about Laurel, whom she described as a ‘wonderful’ person. She also revealed that Cuneta was the most ‘excited’ about the relationship.

‘I don’t think [my standard] was super high naman. Sa akin kasi character ‘yung pinakaimportante and I didn’t feel like anything was right or I didn’t want to compromise hanggang I found actually the right person for me,’ the younger actress said.

A 30-year-old drug suspect who skipped his court hearings is back behind bars after he was collared by a joint police operation in Valencia City, Bukidnon, on Tuesday morning.

Authorities arrested Junley Perez Aballe at 9:40 a.m. at his residence in Purok 10, Barangay Lurogan.

They arrested Perez on the strength of a warrant issued Friday last week for his failure to appear in court regarding two counts of alleged violation of Sections 5 and 11 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (RA 9165).

The court recommended no bail bond for his temporary liberty.

Col. Oliver Navales, Bukidnon police provincial director, reported the arrest to Brig. Gen. Nestor C. Babagay Jr., Police Regional Office-10 regional director, on Wednesday.

Babagay commended the joint operatives for a job well done.

Valencia City Police Station, alongside the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company and provincial and regional police intelligence units, carried out Aballe’s arrest.

Valencia City Police Station has taken custody of Aballe for documentation and proper disposition.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Soccsksargen region on Tuesday said that a Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) was found dead in Barangay Libertad of Arakan, Cotabato, on Sunday, October 4, three days after another died from electrocution in Salay, Misamis Oriental.

Philippine Eagle ‘Arakan’ was also reportedly electrocuted by a power line.

According to its social media post, the DENR-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Matalam said the eagle ‘had electrical burn marks on its left wing and on two digits of its right talon.’

The carcass was directly turned over to the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) for necropsy.

PEF, according to DENR-Soccsksargen, determined the cause of death was electrocution. The eagle was a sub-adult female and had burn lesions on the left wing and right foot.

The report also says that two air-gun pellets were recovered inside the body. Dr. Bayani Vandenbroeck, PEF’s veterinary consultant, conducted the necropsy.

‘The left-wing bullet associated with a recent wound estimated to be a few days old,’ the necropsy report said.

Her heart was enlarged with fluid surrounding it within the pericardial sac. The right atrium appeared ruptured and hemorrhagic.

The post-mortem result also revealed that the eagle had been shot or hunted shortly before it was electrocuted.

‘The department is saddened by the recent death of the Philippine Eagle following its passing. Our team through CENRO Matalam has already conducted an investigation in coordination with the Philippine Eagle Foundation for the proper proceedings of its death. And in light of this unfortunate event, we urge the public to assist us in protecting not only our beloved ‘Haring Ibon’ but also all wildlife species that are critically endangered in the country,’ Maria Elvira Lumayag, DENR-12 OIC regional director, said in a statement.

Lumayag called on the public to help the campaign to protect the majestic wildlife species.

mployed, unemployed, or underemployed?

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recently reported that the country’s unemployment rate fell to 5.3 percent in August from 6 percent in July. Around 2.77 million Filipinos were classified as unemployed, down from 3.14 million the previous month.

That’s an improvement, but understanding what the figures actually mean requires knowing how the PSA defines employed, unemployed, and underemployed.

Here are four common misconceptions.

Labor force, not population

The 5.3-percent unemployment rate does not mean 5.3 percent of all Filipinos aged 15 and older are unemployed.

The rate is based only on the labor force, which consisted of about 52.56 million people in August: 49.79 million employed and 2.77 million unemployed.

Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate stood at 64 percent, meaning a sizeable portion of Filipinos aged 15 and older was outside the labor force.

Using the PSA’s rounded figures, roughly 29.6 million people were outside the labor force. Combined with the officially unemployed, around 32.3 million people aged 15 and older were not employed.

But 32.3 million not employed does not mean 32.3 million unemployed. Many people outside the labor force are students, retirees, homemakers, or otherwise unavailable for work.

No job ? unemployed

Under PSA definitions, a person generally must be without work, available for work, and seeking employment to be considered unemployed.

There are exceptions. Someone waiting for an earlier job application, waiting to be rehired, or discouraged because they believe no jobs are available may still be classified as unemployed.

A discouraged worker can qualify if they remain available for work and search for a job sometime within the six months before the interview.

So someone can have no job without being officially unemployed-and someone who is not currently job-hunting can still be classified as unemployed.

Lower unemployment ? more jobs

Suppose 10 people are in the labor force: eight employed and two unemployed. Unemployment is 20 percent.

If one unemployed person leaves the labor force, only nine remain. Unemployment falls to 11.1 percent even though no one actually got a new job.

This has happened in the Philippines. In 2021, Inquirer reported that unemployment fell partly because fewer Filipinos were looking for work, shrinking the labor force itself.

That is why unemployment should be read alongside labor force participation and actual employment levels.

For August 2026, however, employment really did increase-from 49.21 million in July to 49.79 million.

Employed ? adequately paid

Someone can be employed and still feel underpaid or unhappy with their job.

PSA defines an underemployed person as someone who already works but wants additional hours, another job, or a new job with longer working hours. Pay satisfaction and job satisfaction are not part of that definition.

Those working fewer than 40 hours who want more work are visibly underemployed, while those working 40 hours or more who still want additional work are invisibly underemployed.

So someone working 40 hours a week who believes their salary is too low but does not want more work may still be classified as employed but not underemployed.

The takeaway is simple: employment, unemployment, and underemployment are useful statistics, but each measures something specific. None, by itself, tells us whether workers earn enough, have secure jobs, or are satisfied with the work they have.

The August numbers show a real improvement. Understanding what the categories actually mean simply gives us a clearer picture of what that improvement does-and does not-tell us.

Police arrested a man caught transferring 1,380 liters of diesel fuel worth P129,720 following a report from a concerned citizen at the town of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday (Oct. 6).

The man was reportedly seen loading diesel into several containers. Police said the individual claimed ownership of the fuel but failed to present documents authorizing its possession and sale or papers revealing its lawful source.

Recovered during the operation were five blue drums containing about 200 liters each, nine black containers with 25 liters each, four green containers with 30 liters each, one white container with 20 liters and one yellow container with 15 liters of diesel.

The San Jose Municipal Police Station, in coordination with the Occidental Mindoro police, conducted the operation along the shoreline of Barangay Pag-asa at 2:15 p.m.

Police said they acted on information about the alleged possession and sale of a large volume of diesel fuel in the area.

The suspect was detained for allegedly violating Batas Pambansa Blg. 33, as amended by Presidential Decree No. 1865 which regulates petroleum distribution.

BPI witness Marvin Galvez presents to the Senate impeachment court the year-end balances of accounts associated with lawyer Manases Carpio, his wife Vice President Sara Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte.

During direct examination, Galvez provided the closing balances recorded in the specified BPI accounts at the end of 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Anne Curtis and John Arcilla are set to lead the cast of director Mikhail Red’s upcoming paranoia thriller film ‘Remote,’ which is scheduled to hit cinemas in 2027.

Viva Films unveiled the first look at the cast on Tuesday, Oct. 6, featuring Curtis, Arcilla, Sid Lucero, Ryza Cenon and Zeke Polina.

‘The cameras are rolling for REMOTE. Anne Curtis John Arcilla Sid Lucero Ryza Cenon Zeke Polina from the look test. A film by Mikhail Red. Coming to cinemas in 2027,’ the production company said in a social media post.

‘Remote’ is set in contemporary Manila and follows Violet Olvido, an investigative journalist played by Curtis, as she looks into a string of killings linked to an international outsourcing company that recruits remote workers across the Philippines.

Red said the story was inspired by the rise of remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly Filipino virtual assistants working graveyard shifts for Western companies. He said it is his closest attempt at making a serial killer film.

‘Remote’ is produced by Evolve Studios and Viva Films, the same companies behind Red’s 2022 techno-thriller ‘Deleter’ starring Nadine Lustre. The film marks Curtis’ first collaboration with Red.

Curtis is coming off a busy year in film. She recently starred in Irene Villamor’s ‘The Loved One’ opposite Jericho Rosales, her first headlining movie in six years. The film reportedly crossed the P300-million mark at the Philippine box office.

Arcilla recently starred alongside Elijah Canlas in the action-comedy ‘HB2Me,’ while Lucero recently appeared in TV5’s faith-based drama series ‘My Bespren Emman.’

Cenon, for her part, previously worked with Red in the 2025 horror film ‘Lilim,’ where she played one of the nuns at the secluded orphanage at the center of the story.

Meanwhile, Polina is among the younger members of the ‘Remote’ cast. The Viva artist gained attention through ‘Ang Mutya ng Section E’ before taking over the role of Tripp Palma in ‘Dating Alys Perez.’

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) flagship project, DENR Express: Permitting on Wheels, served more than 10,000 clients and issued thousands of permits nationwide in its first five months since implementation in April 2026.

According to a DENR statement on Wednesday, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel ‘Mitch’ Cuna said the project was established to bring environmental permitting, technical assistance, and compliance guidance closer to communities, as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and project proponents.

The project, with its mobile hubs offering face-to-face technical assistance, has eliminated common challenges faced by applicants for permits and clearances, particularly those living far from regional offices – costly travel, bureaucratic delays, and repeated trips to regional offices.

Cuna said the DENR Express directly responds to the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to make government services more accessible and responsive to the public.

The president’s directive is reflected in the program’s approach of bringing government personnel, technical assistance, and permitting services directly to cities and municipalities instead of requiring stakeholders to travel to government offices.

Besides offering face-to-face assistance, the DENR Express mobile service hubs provide real-time document validation, guidance in using online application systems, and, for eligible applications, accelerated processing of certain permits and clearances.

Thousands served

From April to August 2026, mobile service hubs assisted 10,776 clients nationwide and issued 2,852 environmental permits and clearances.

These included the following:

194 Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs)

682 Certificates of Non-Coverage (CNCs) for Category D projects or those unlikely to cause significant adverse environmental impacts

595 Pollution Control Officer (PCO) accreditations

473 Wastewater Discharge Permits

423 Hazardous Waste Generator (HWG) ID registrations

379 Permits to Operate (PTOs)

85 Permits to Transport (PTTs)

21 Chemical Control Order (CCO) registrations

The DENR Express also provided 2,302 direct assistance transactions to help applicants navigate government systems and address technical, regulatory, and administrative concerns. These included assistance with the Self-Monitoring Report and Compliance Monitoring Report online systems, company registration, cashier payment services, legal inquiries, and records requests.

Shortened processing time

The program has also shortened the processing time for several environmental regulatory services. PCO accreditation, for instance, was reduced from an average of 14 days to two days, a 12-day reduction. This allows establishments to designate their environmental officers sooner and helps prevent delays in subsequent compliance monitoring and reporting.

Processing of Hazardous Waste Generator IDs was also reduced from seven to two days, while CNC processing was cut from six days to three days. ECC processing, meanwhile, was reduced from 13 days to 10 days.

These gains are made possible in part by the program’s face-to-face approach. Technical personnel can immediately identify incomplete requirements or other deficiencies and explain to applicants how these can be addressed, reducing the need for repeated trips to DENR or Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) offices.

Cuna earlier underscored how the DENR Express changes that approach by bringing permitting services directly to citizens regularly, saying, ‘Instead of stakeholders going to the government, the DENR is bringing its services closer to the citizens, across different LGUs.’

While the figures refer primarily to permits issued by the EMB, the Permitting on Wheels also brings together other DENR offices for other services such as tree-cutting permitting, land patent issuance, and addressing inquiry concerns on mining, wildlife, and the like.

The project has benefited homemakers, wildlife owners, and company pollution control or environmental officers, among others.

The DENR Express also serves as a feedback mechanism for the agency. Issues encountered by applicants during on-site activities can be documented and used to improve online systems, guidance materials, documentary requirements, and administrative workflows, where allowed under existing policies.

For online sellers, getting an order is only the beginning. From calculating LBC shipping fees to choosing the right box and preparing waybills, fulfillment can add several manual steps before a parcel is ready for delivery.

LBC Express is simplifying this process through its integration with Menue, an e-commerce platform for businesses in the Philippines. LBC shipping is now built into Menue online stores, allowing sellers to book shipments, choose the right box size, view shipping fees, and generate waybills as orders come in.

Through the integration, Menue automatically determines the appropriate LBC box size and displays the shipping fee at checkout based on LBC’s shipping rates in the Philippines. Once an order is placed, the integration creates the booking and generates the LBC waybill, ready to print, so sellers can manage fulfillment from a single order screen.

The integration brings LBC shipping closer to the point of sale, helping sellers move orders from checkout to delivery with fewer manual steps.

‘Online sellers ship with LBC every day, and we want to make that experience even easier. Working with Menue brings LBC online booking, shipping fees, and waybills into their own online stores, so orders can come to LBC already booked and ready to ship,’ said Jerome Santos, Executive Vice President – Corporate Sales of LBC Express.

For Menue, the integration addresses routine shipping tasks that can take time away from running an online business.

‘Sellers were preparing every LBC parcel themselves and working out the shipping fee for each customer with the LBC rates calculator. Now their own store handles the LBC booking, box, waybill, and fee the moment the customer checks out. That is what an e-commerce platform built for the Philippines should do,’ said Khaled Nakawa, Director, Menue.

Beyond LBC shipping, Menue gives businesses their own branded online store, with payment options including GCash, Maya, QR Ph, and cards, plus 0% commission on sales. Plans start at ?1,200 per month.

One business using the platform is Aldimashqi Grocery, a dry goods store that ships online orders outside Metro Manila through LBC. With the integration, the business can manage its online orders and LBC shipping through the same platform.

For online sellers looking to establish their own storefront, LBC shipping is integrated into an e-commerce platform built for businesses in the Philippines, bringing booking and fulfillment closer together in the online selling process.