Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Two groups advancing the welfare of public school teachers said the law should extend more protection to educators who face ‘unjustified complaints’ for just performing their duty to impose discipline on students.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines and the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) called on Congress to act on a bill providing for legal assistance and other forms of support for teachers in such a predicament.

‘At a time where there are increasing cases of children involved in violence, we are prepared to be of assistance to parents, communities, and the government in guiding the youth, but we also need sufficient and concrete support and protection,’ ACT chair Ruby Bernardo said.

In a statement on Tuesday, Bernardo said teachers nowadays are increasingly facing complaints from students or their families for instilling classroom discipline.

‘It is our responsibility and duty as teachers to shape our youth into humane and patriotic beings, but we are limited by the burden that our way of imparting discipline and guidance to students will be put in a precarious situation,’ Bernardo said.

‘Set up to fail’

With ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio as principal author, House Bill No. 56, or the draft Teacher’s Protection Act, also calls for the formulation of a student manual per school defining the appropriate student behavior toward other students, teachers, and school staff.

‘When a teacher is placed in an environment where discipline is necessary, but the means of enforcing it are unclear, the system is effectively setting the teacher up to fail,’ TDC said in a statement issued on Monday.

‘We want to make it clear that any form of abuse or misconduct by a teacher must never be tolerated. At the same time, teachers must also be protected as they carry out their duties,’ it added.

The bill should not be limited to protecting teachers from baseless complaints but also set clear procedures for addressing allegations, ensure due process, and provide them with legal and psychosocial support, TDC said.

The collaboration brings the Philippines’ National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS-PH) closer to regional implementation by combining DOST-III’s public-sector mandate with WPH Digital’s expertise in AI, digital transformation, and practical technology implementation.

The agreement was formally signed by Dr. Julius Ceasar V. Sicat, Regional Director of DOST Central Luzon, and Mr. Vincent Leoh, Managing Director of WPH Digital, on 19 August 2026. Held at the opening of the joint program, the ceremony was witnessed by over 50 key delegates and industry leaders representing diverse business, technology, and public sectors from across Central Luzon.

‘We believe AI adoption is not a technology challenge – it is a capability challenge,’ said Mr. Vincent Leoh, Managing Director of WPH Digital. ‘Through WPH Academy, we help people build AI capabilities, and through WPH Digital, we help organisations apply those capabilities using practical AI solutions. When capability building and practical implementation come together, organisations start seeing real value from AI.’

Democratizing Generative AI Across Central Luzon

By bringing enterprise-grade digital expertise directly to Region III, the collaboration demonstrates how government and private-sector organisations can work together to democratize access to advanced Generative AI and cloud computing technologies beyond Metro Manila. The initiative positions Central Luzon as a key regional innovation hub, driving competitiveness across local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), industries, and public sector operations.

Human Capital and Workforce Readiness First

At the heart of the partnership is a strong emphasis on talent reskilling, practical capability-building, and workforce development. Rather than viewing technology solely as a displacement risk, the collaboration equips local professionals and civil servants to use Generative AI as a productivity multiplier-fostering a resilient, highly competitive regional talent pool equipped for modern, future-ready workflows.

As an immediate step toward putting the partnership into action, DOST-III and WPH Digital conducted the Generative AI for Modern Business Operations workshop. The practical capacity-building session provided business leaders, IT professionals, and regional stakeholders with hands-on exposure to practical AI solutions, cloud-native platforms, and execution strategies designed to deliver practical business value.

Beyond training and capability-building, the collaboration is intended to help organisations translate these capabilities into actual implementation, enabling them to identify practical AI opportunities and develop solutions that can be applied within their operating environments.

International Cross-Border Tech Collaboration

The MOU highlights cross-border technology transfer between Singapore’s private sector and the Philippine government. By bringing Singaporean tech consulting expertise to Central Luzon, WPH Digital showcases how international private-sector solutions can actively contribute to regional development goals in organisations and communities across Southeast Asia.

‘AI is already here, and it is becoming part of how businesses plan, create, communicate, and improve their operations,’ said Dr. Julius Caesar V. Sicat, Regional Director of DOST Central Luzon. ‘This training is not just about learning AI – it is about empowering our MSMEs to confidently embrace change and turn technology into opportunities.’

Trusted AI with Certified Governance

The partnership also underscores the importance of responsible and governed AI adoption as organisations move from experimentation to implementation. WPH Digital brings AI governance expertise backed by the internationally recognised ISO/IEC 42001 standard, which provides a structured framework for responsible, secure, ethical, and governed AI adoption.

WPH Digital is one of the first AI and Digital Service Providers in Singapore to achieve ISO/IEC 42001 certification for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems, and is the first in the world

to achieve ISO/IEC 42001 certification for AI systems in the oil and gas industry. This experience supports the company’s approach to helping organisations move beyond AI concepts and strategy toward practical, production-ready solutions.

By combining AI expertise, enterprise technology experience, cloud capabilities, and ISO/IEC 42001-based AI governance, WPH Digital brings an implementation-focused approach to AI adoption. Under the DOST-III partnership, this approach complements workforce training and technical capability-building, helping organisations explore how AI can be applied responsibly and effectively within their operating environments.

A Replicable Blueprint for Regional Action

The alliance establishes a repeatable model for regional government-industry partnerships throughout the Philippines. Moving beyond high-level strategy, DOST-III and WPH Digital provide a structured model for continuous technical implementation, capacity building, and enterprise enablement across provincial economies.

The longer-term ambition is for this model to extend from national government agencies to provincial and local government units (LGUs), and eventually across other regions of the Philippines. By connecting national AI priorities with regional capability-building and practical implementation, the collaboration has the potential to provide a scalable model for AI capabilities.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday that the government would support efforts to develop fully Filipino-made electric vehicles (EVs), including electric tricycles and jeepneys, as part of a push to reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.

Marcos made the commitment during his visit to MD Juan Enterprises Inc. in Caloocan City, a 60-year-old Filipino company that is considered a pioneer in machine-pressed metal parts for both military and civilian jeeps.

According to the president, the government is assessing what equipment and technology the company still needs to produce EVs.

‘We already know what needs to be done,’ Marcos said. ‘Together with our technical consultants, I believe that we will soon see a Filipino-made electric vehicle, an electric tricycle, and perhaps down the road, we will also be making our own electric jeepneys.’

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and other government agencies would help provide the technology and other support needed by the company.

According to Marcos, the shift to locally manufactured electric vehicles may help reduce the country’s reliance on imported petroleum products.

‘In that way, we can help make the economy more stable and protect the livelihoods of public transport drivers,’ he said.

According to DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., MD Juan manufactured e-tricycles in 2013 and 2014 but stopped due to lack of demand.

‘At that time, there was not much appetite among Filipinos to transition or convert from fossil fuel or gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles,’ he said.

‘But energy prices have risen so more people are now interested. There is a lot of demand, but the supply for locally produced, Filipino-made EVs is lacking,’ Solidum added.

Charging infrastructure

The DOST wants MD Juan to partner with state universities that are developing different EV technologies to help the company increase and speed up production of e-tricycles to help local governments and Filipinos.

‘They already have production capabilities. What DOST is doing is helping them increase their production efficiency and expand their output,’ Solidum said.

The DOST is also working on a national charging infrastructure for EVs, including conventional electric chargers, solar-powered chargers, and battery-swapping systems.

But Solidum said the country needs more industry partners to bring these technologies to mass production.

What we really lack is an industry partner that can help accelerate production so that prices can come down and these vehicles can become more affordable for our fellow Filipinos,’ he added

If you had told suit-and-tie record executives in early 1991 that a messy, loud three-piece garage band hailing from the rainy, isolated Pacific Northwest would eventually dethrone the undisputed King of Pop, Michael Jackson, from the summit of the Billboard charts, they would have literally laughed you out of the boardroom. It sounded like an absolute impossibility back then. Yet, less than a month away from celebrating the monumental 35th anniversary of Nirvana’s seminal masterpiece, ‘Nevermind,’ that exact impossibility remains etched in rock history. This album did not merely alter the trajectory of rock music; it completely rewrote the rules of global pop culture and redefined what a major-label record could achieve.

When the late Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and a newly recruited powerhouse drummer named Dave Grohl first walked into Sound City Studios alongside producer Butch Vig, starting a global cultural revolution was the furthest thing from their minds. They were simply a hungry, ultra-talented band trying to make a record that sounded absolutely massive. What they ultimately captured was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment-a massive, permanent zeitgeist shift that still reverberates today. Reflecting on that historic studio magic, producer Butch Vig recently noted, ‘It changed my life… ‘Nevermind’ changed their life, and I’m very thankful for that.’ Thirty-five years later, that gratitude is shared by music fans worldwide who are still moved by its raw, unvarnished power.

The sonic paradigm shift

Prior to September 24, 1991, the mainstream musical landscape was suffocating under the weight of its own commercial excess. The radio airwaves and MTV rotation were thoroughly dominated by the ultra-polished, hyper-produced sheen of hair metal and cookie-cutter pop. It was an era of style over substance, where technical wizardry and theatrical preening had largely replaced genuine artistic passion.

Then came Nirvana.

With the release of ‘Nevermind’, Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl did not just open the door for a new generation-they blew it entirely off its hinges. The album delivered a raw, visceral, and punk-fueled urgency that felt dangerously real, yet it was superiorly wrapped in undeniable, radio-friendly pop sensibilities. It was a masterfully executed sonic shift that altered the trajectory of popular culture forever.

Let us dissect the landmark tracks that defined this masterpiece:

‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’

This is the definitive generational anthem of the 1990s. It famously weaponized the ‘loud-quiet-loud’ dynamic structure-a formula Nirvana openly borrowed from alternative rock pioneers The Pixies. From its opening four-chord guitar riff to Cobain’s throat-shredding vocals, the track perfectly captured the disenfranchised angst of Generation X and launched alternative rock into the stratosphere.

‘Come As You Are

Driven by an iconic, watery chorus-effect pedal bassline, this track proved that musical simplicity could be deeply hypnotic. It is a brooding, mid-tempo masterpiece that showcases Cobain’s ability to craft an unforgettable melody out of a dark, repetitive groove. The song remains a masterclass in atmospheric rock.

‘Lithium’

A masterclass in manic-depressive musical arrangement. The song swings violently and beautifully between quiet vulnerability during the verses and explosive rage during the anthemic chorus. It serves as a perfect sonic representation of emotional instability, capturing the turbulent inner workings of its creator.

‘In Bloom’

Perhaps the ultimate display of Cobain’s sharp wit, this track stands as a clever, tongue-in-cheek critique of the very mainstream music fans who would soon go on to buy ‘Nevermind’ by the millions. Underneath its deceptively catchy rhythms and heavy hooks lies a biting piece of satire aimed squarely at listeners who sing along to the music without ever truly understanding its deeper meaning.

A legacy that refuses to age

Thirty-five years later, the RIAA Diamond-certified record remains omnipresent in the mainstream landscape. Walk into any local coffee shop or music venue today, and you will still see Gen Z kids proudly sporting the classic dead-eyed smiley face T-shirt. It proves a point I have always made: great music never disappears; it just waits for the next generation to claim it. The music hasn’t aged a day. In fact, its deep cuts are still finding new life in modern media-take the hauntingly solemn closer ‘Something in the Way,’ which experienced a massive global resurgence after serving as the atmospheric spine of the 2022 film The Batman.

Nirvana’s run was tragically cut short following Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994, but ‘Nevermind’ stands as an unshakeable monument to a time when alternative culture completely rewrote the rules to become the monoculture. It does not sound glossy, clean-cut, or overly polished-it is pure, unfiltered, primal raw emotion. This album is a permanent reminder that sometimes, all it takes to change the world is a garage band armed with three chords, a wall of feedback, and an absolute refusal to compromise. Needless to say, this remains a must-own masterpiece for any true fan of rock ‘n’ roll.

Police reported 43 gun-related incidents in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) since the implementation of the gun ban last July 16 for the historic parliamentary elections next month.

Capt. Steffi Salanguit, Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) spokesperson, said the figure covers incidents recorded as of Tuesday.

Maguindanao del Sur recorded the highest number of shooting incidents at 16, followed by Maguindanao del Norte with 14, seven in Lanao del Sur, four in Basilan and two in Cotabato City.

On Tuesday, a solar panel installer was shot dead in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, while a man was also shot dead in front of his horrified wife in Barangay Kalanganan 2 in Cotabato City hours earlier.

Also on Tuesday, a village watchman was injured after he was shot by his older brother following a heated argument in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao del Sur, according to Maj. Guissepe Tamayo, Maguindanao del Sur police spokesperson.

Salanguit said the shooting incidents were either due to personal grudge, ‘rido’ (family feud), revenge, or drug-related activities.

These gun related incidents left 14 people dead and eight wounded.

Lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan is one of the private lawyers assisting the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Since the impeachment trial started, Ligutan has done the prosecution’s direct examination of witness National Bureau of Investigation Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc and hostile witness Gina Acosta, former special disbursing officer of the Office of the Vice President.

The Cebuano lawyer is not afraid to use his native language during trial, even at times translating for Acosta when the latter said she found some Tagalog words quite deep.

Ligutan is the managing partner of SALiGAL Law (Sapayan Lim Alvarez and Ligutan Law Offices) in Cebu.

He is also actively teaching Labor Law, Remedial Law, and Public International Law as a lecturer and law instructor in University of the Philippines, University of San Jose-Recoletos School of Law, and University of Cebu School of Law.

Ligutan was valedictorian when he graduated High School from Sacred Heart Seminary in Palo Leyte in 1999.

Four years later, he completed his undergraduate degree in AB Philosophy from University of San Carlos in Cebu, and was awarded Summa Cum Laude.

He then pursued Law in University of the Philippines Diliman and graduated in 2009.

Among his expertise are civil and criminal litigation, political and administrative law, and public interest cases.

He also has expertise in labor relations law, risk and crisis management, and local government and election law.

This Wednesday, Aug. 26, Ligutan is set to explain his Facebook post, which read, ‘A principle all lawyers and law students know by heart: Misleading questions are not allowed even on cross-examination.’

The post became a point of concern when defense lead counsel Sheila Sison raised to the impeachment court that the post was seemingly referring to a statement made by defense counsel Kristine Ferrer during her cross-examination of state auditor Xylene del Campo.

After Ligutan’s oral statement, the presiding officer is expected to make a ruling on the matter

Counsel for the House prosecution Amando Ligutan is expected to explain his public statements reportedly related to Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Wednesday.

This follows defense lead counsel Sheila Sison’s manifestation on Aug. 12 calling out Ligutan’s social media post that seemingly referred to a statement made by defense counsel Kristine Ferrer during her cross-examination of state auditor Xylene del Campo that same day.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero previously admonished counsel for making public statements that tackle the merits of the trial, as doing so is prohibited under the impeachment rules.

After Ligutan’s oral statement, Escudero is expected to make a ruling on the matter.

Following this, the court will continue hearing the allegations against Duterte over the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

The House prosecution’s second hostile witness, Office of the Vice President assistant chief of staff Lemuel Ortonio, will undergo cross-examination by Ferrer.

Ortonio’s direct examination ended after only four hours, during which he testified about his role in processing the OVP’s confidential funds from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023.

According to Ortonio, Duterte ordered him to draft the OVP’s request for confidential funds (CFs) from the Department of Budget and Management, sign disbursement vouchers to access the CFs, encash the P125 million in funds per quarter and prepare a reply to the Commission on Audit’s audit observation memorandum.

Philippine car sales showed signs of recovery at the start of the third quarter, with July emerging as the industry’s strongest month of 2026 so far, but sales still ended 2.5 percent lower than a year earlier.

Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) and Truck Manufacturers Association Inc. (TMA) released on Tuesday showed member companies had sold 37,319 vehicles in July, down from 38,295 units in the same month last year.

Still, this marked a slight uptick from the 37,079 units sold in June 2026.

Including estimated sales from nonmember brands, the groups said total Philippine vehicle sales reached 42,880 units in July, the highest monthly tally so far in 2026 and the first time monthly industry sales posted annual growth this year.

‘With this continuous growth, the industry is riding on a good momentum,’ Campi president Jose Maria Atienza said in a statement.

That July performance brought overall sales for the first seven months of 2026 to 241,725 units, still 10.2 percent lower than the 269,207 units sold in the same period last year, as the Philippine automotive industry took a hit from soaring fuel prices stemming from the Middle East conflict that had begun in late February.

Bright spot

While the industry began the year with a 500,000-unit sales goal, Atienza conceded in May the target may already be out of reach due to tempered consumer demand, with the Middle East crisis emerging as the ‘biggest factor’ behind the industry’s sluggish performance.

Since the start of the crisis, the electric vehicle (EV) segment has been the lone bright spot for the Philippine automotive industry.

From January to July, electrified vehicle sales reached 38,286 units, more than double the 16,195 units sold in the same period last year.

In July alone, EV sales surged 161.8 percent to 7,086 units from 2,707 units in the same month in 2025.

Atienza said ‘the shift to electrification continues to accelerate,’ with EVs accounting for 29.5 percent of the overall automotive market in July.

Of all EV segments, battery electric vehicles saw the largest jump in July, with sales surging 1,315.7 percent to 2,520 units from just 178 a year earlier. Plug-in hybrid EV sales reached 1,602 units, up 1,151.6 percent, while hybrid EV sales climbed 23.4 percent to 2,964 units.

Overall, Toyota Motor Philippines remained the market leader with 17,797 units sold during the month, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines with 6,271 units and Suzuki Philippines with 1,689 units.

In the battery EV segment, VinFast led July sales with 813 units. Toyota, meanwhile, dominated hybrid EV sales, selling 1,709 units in July and accounting for 57.66 percent of the segment.

Jetour Auto Phil. Inc. led the plug-in hybrid EV segment with 491 units sold during the month.

Looking ahead, Atienza said he was ‘hopeful that the positive trend will continue for the remainder of the year

Vice President Sara Duterte knew and had authorized all activities related to the use of confidential funds under her office’s disposal, a top official of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) testified during Duterte’s impeachment trial on Tuesday.

‘Based on my understanding, sir, and based on what I know, sir, yes, the vice president knows about the confidential activities and how it is being implemented,’ Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio, who is also the OVP assistant chief of staff, told the Senate impeachment court on the 18th day of the trial.

Declared by the court as the second hostile witness, Ortonio was responding to questions from Sen. Francis Escudero, the presiding officer.

Escudero particularly wanted to find out if Duterte knew, supervised, allowed, and authorized everything related to the funds-from requesting the money from the Department of Budget and Management, to how it was cashed, released, spent, liquidated, and how the OVP responded to the Commission on Audit issuances.

‘She knew and authorized everything?’ Escudero asked, to which Ortonio responded ‘Yes, Your Honor.’

Spent in 11 days

Ortonio also confirmed that in 2022, the OVP managed to disburse P125 million in confidential funds in just 11 days, from Dec. 21 to Dec. 31, 2022. He said the funds were requested and planned for the fourth quarter of that year or from October to December.

Escudero asked why the funds were spent immediately when the budget was good for two years. Ortonio said this was because the request was made for 2022, particularly in the last quarter.

During direct examination, prosecution counsel Mae Divinagracia asked Ortonio if there was any ‘threat of cataclysmic proportion’ against Duterte when the OVP requested confidential funds for that year.

But defense counsel Kristine Ferrer objected, calling Divinagracia’s phrasing vague and lacking basis.

The prosecution lawyer clarified that she was asking about any serious threat against Duterte during the period within which the confidential funds were requested.

At this point, Ortonio said he had no personal knowledge of any threats against the Vice President which may have justified the request for or use of money.

But he explained that such concerns were not part of his duties and that such information should come from the OVP’s security personnel.

Guarding VP

Divinagracia also noted that as much as P500 million was allocated for the security of the vice president, on top of the ‘473 soldiers and police officers guarding her, paid for by the Republic from other funds.’

‘No vice president in history has ever had this,’ she said.

The prosecution lawyer also described the explanations given for the OVP confidential funds as a ‘sham,’ and that the supposed failure to account for such ‘gives rise to the presumption of misappropriation.’

This drew another objection from Ferrer, noting that the statement was a ‘conclusion of fact and law,’ aside from being ‘mere speculations and conjectures … all theories.’

Also on Tuesday, Palace press officer Claire Castro said Malacañang believed that the prosecution had presented enough evidence to convict Duterte over her alleged misuse of confidential funds.

‘According to the Palace, in a way, yes,’ Castro said, noting that OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta established that Duterte ordered the release of confidential funds to retired Army Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, the former head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.

Castro said Acosta, in her testimony during the trial’s 17th day on Monday, pointed to the Vice President and Lachica as the ones who controlled the disbursement of the confidential funds of the OVP amounting to P500 million.

Acosta testified that she released confidential funds to Lachica, despite not being an OVP-bonded disbursing officer, on Duterte’s orders.

Tight power supply in the Visayas has placed Tacloban City and the Leyte towns of Palo and Babatngon on alert, with the local electric cooperative warning consumers of possible service disruptions on Tuesday.

The Leyte II Electric Cooperative (Leyeco II) said the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Visayas Grid under red alert from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and yellow alert from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

The NGCP’s 8 a.m. update on Tuesday showed that the Visayas had 2,421 megawatts of available capacity against a projected peak demand of 2,570 MW, leaving a supply shortfall of about 149 MW during the peak period.

Leyeco II attributed the tight supply situation to the forced outage of several power plants and the reduced operating capacities of other generating facilities.

Forced outage

The NGCP reported that 10 power plants were on forced outage while 13 others were operating at reduced capacities, resulting in a combined 904.5 MW of unavailable capacity.

Among the factors cited by the NGCP were the unavailability of major coal-fired power plants in the Visayas, including TVI 1, TVI 2 and KSPC 1, as well as limited power imports from Mindanao.

Leyeco II warned that if the tight supply condition persisted and the NGCP directed the cooperative to reduce its load, it could implement manual load dropping (MLD), or the temporary disconnection of electricity in selected areas to reduce overall consumption.

The cooperative said any MLD would be implemented only when necessary and upon appropriate notice from the NGCP.

A red alert means available power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand. A yellow alert means the operating margin is insufficient to meet the grid’s contingency requirement