Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Smilegate announced on Wednesday the 26th that it will carry out the first world merge for its MMORPG ?LORDNINE? (developed by NX3GAMES) and hold Gear Restoration and Trading Post fee reduction events to commemorate the occasion.

Smilegate will merge the four servers Horatio, Yvonne, Douglas, and Santiago into the Musha server, while the two servers Medea and Ricardo will be merged into the Remus server. Players can now encounter more users on a single server, creating a more competitive environment and offering a wider variety of cooperative content. The new Sven and Helena servers are excluded from this world merge.

Smilegate is holding various events to commemorate the world merge. First, through August 31, a commemorative coupon for the limited-edition Homun Rider mount will be distributed via the official social media channels and the official YouTube update preview video. Following the world merge, a series of in-game events will be held, offering various rewards including an ‘Epic Avatar Guaranteed Summon Ticket.’

The first-ever Gear Restoration Event will also run through September 9. During the event period, players can restore gear that was destroyed while attempting to enhance it. Players can request restoration for Epic and Legendary weapons destroyed at +7 enhancement or higher and armor destroyed at +5 enhancement or higher. Restored gear can be claimed from September 9 until maintenance on September 30.

The Trading Fee Reduction Event will also run through September 9. Accordingly, World Trade fees will be reduced from 13% to 10%, while Personal Trade fees will be reduced from 15% to 10%.

Counsel for the prosecution team Atty. Mae Divinagracia on Tuesday was seen holding a wooden cross as she did her direct examination of the witness during the 18th day of the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.

But what is it for?

‘For Comfort. It gives me confidence, clarity of mind, that’s how I feel when I’m holding it,’ Divinagracia said in an ambush interview when asked the question.

Several netizens were posting about the said cross online, curious about what the lawyer was holding.

The wooden cross is often called a ‘comfort cross,’ an asymmetrical cross ergonomically designed to be grasped in one’s clenched hand during prayer or difficult times.

The litigation lawyer said that the cross is something she always carries with her whenever she is at hearings and trials

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified a group of ‘groomers’ who allegedly recruit minors to carry out acts of violence, Director Melvin Matibag said Tuesday.

The development comes as the NBI investigates the recent school shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) Junior High School, where the shooter-a 14-year-old Grade 8 male student-also documented the incident through Facebook Live.

In a press conference, Matibag said that based on their initial investigation, the supposed groomers, who he said have a group chat, target minors aged 12 to 19.

‘There is a group, the groomers, who were friends with – they will profile you. Initially, they’ll be very friendly, look at your profile, your family, your capability. Then there it is, they teach you [to commit violence],’ Matibag said.

‘We entered this group chat. But that group collapsed for some reason,’ he said.

Matibag also mentioned that he – along with officials from the Office of the President, Office of the Speaker, Department of Information and Communications Technology and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center – will meet with Meta in Singapore on Thursday to seek help in probing the incident.

In an ambush interview, Matibag said the ‘groomers’ in the group chat number approximately 1,000 individuals.

‘There are members from other countries but mostly Filipinos,’ he added.

‘Initiation’

According to Matibag, the group allegedly has what he described as an ‘initiation’ that directs members to carry out violent acts, such as bomb-making, and engage in other illegal activities.

‘It’s like initiation. You will be promoted. You’re taught – there’s this like Bible that if you do it, you’ll be promoted,’ he said.

‘You have a group that you’re taking care of. The thinking is … after you do that task and then kill yourself, you’ll be elevated to sainthood. Something like that,’ he added.

Matibag said the NBI is verifying whether the supposed group of groomers is connected to the AdZU school shooting and other school-related incidents in the country.

He also said the NBI will profile the individuals who shared the AdZU student’s video of the incident.

‘That’s why it was broadcast live; people were watching. He wanted an audience. Who was there? It could be the groomer or the head…That’s why we will profile everyone,’ he explained.

Based on the authorities’ initial investigation, the AdZU student entered the school on Aug. 18 armed with a 9mm Glock pistol.

He shot a 15-year-old Grade 10 male student inside Room 404 of the university’s high school building, killing him instantly.

Afterward, the shooter ran to another floor while yelling and then turned the gun on himself.

Before the incident, several cases of school-related violence – such as stabbing and shooting – had been reported in the country over the past three months, starting June 16. /mcm

Ten municipalities in vegetable-growing Benguet province suspended face-to-face classes on Tuesday as persistent monsoon rains that have battered the province through most of August continued to raise concerns over flooding, landslides and unsafe roads.

The farming town of Atok suspended classes from preschool to senior high school in both public and private schools. At the same time, Kibungan town extended its suspension from daycare to senior high school until Aug. 28.

Other municipalities announced suspensions covering various grade levels, including Bakun, Bokod, Buguias, Kabayan, Kapangan, La Trinidad, Mankayan, Sablan and Tuba.

Local officials cited the continuing southwest monsoon and forecasts of heavy rain as reasons for the suspensions.

In La Trinidad, Mayor Roderick Awingan said face-to-face classes from preschool to elementary in both public and private schools were suspended based on the 5 a.m. weather forecast from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration and recommendations from the Department of Education and the municipal disaster risk reduction and management office.

Atok officials also cited the risk of heavy rainfall, strong winds, flooding, landslides, and unsafe road conditions in extending the suspension.

Schools were directed to continue using alternative learning protocol in line with Department of Education guidelines to ensure continuity of instruction.

As of 5:50 a.m. Tuesday, suspensions covered daycare to kindergarten in Bakun and Mankayan; preschool to elementary in Bokod, Buguias, Kapangan and Sablan; preschool to senior high school in Tuba; and preschool to elementary in Kabayan, in addition to the Adaoay National High School, Abucot Integrated School, Ballay Integrated School, Kabayan Central Integrated School and Kamora National High School

The Department of Health in Mimaropa has vaccinated 137,245 children against measles and rubella, representing 43.96 percent of the region’s target population as of 7 a.m. on Aug. 24.

The DOH Mimaropa tracker shows that 312,191 children have been targeted for the Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA), that is being conducted across Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan and Puerto Princesa City.

The latest figure marks an increase from the 109,371 children, or 35.03 percent coverage, reported as of Aug. 19.

Occidental Mindoro recorded the highest vaccination coverage among the provinces, with 29,158 of its 54,894 target children vaccinated, or 53.12 percent.

It was followed by Romblon, with 12,316 of 25,881 children vaccinated, or 47.59 percent; Palawan, 43,571 of 97,125, or 44.86 percent; Marinduque, 9,180 of 21,841, or 42.03 percent; and Oriental Mindoro, 34,289 of 86,196, or 39.78 percent.

Puerto Princesa City had the lowest coverage at 33.26 percent, with 8,731 of its 26,254 target children vaccinated.

The DOH also reported that 108,960 children had received Vitamin A supplementation, equivalent to 34.90 percent of the region’s target.

The ‘Ligtas Tigdas 2026’ campaign is being implemented from Aug. 10 to 28 and provides supplemental measles-rubella vaccination to eligible children aged 6 to 59 months, regardless of their previous vaccination status.

The campaign also includes Vitamin A supplementation.

The DOH has been urging parents and guardians to bring eligible children to vaccination sites to help close immunization gaps and strengthen community protection against measles and rubella.

The agency is targeting at least 95 percent vaccination coverage to help prevent outbreaks and protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases

The campaign set to end on Aug. 28.

Malacañang on Tuesday said the government has not yet discussed a fuel subsidy for private motorists amid another fuel price hike.

Local fuel retailers implemented increases of up to P2.31 per liter in petroleum products on August 25. Gasoline and kerosene prices also rose by up to P1.08 and 95 centavos per liter, respectively.

‘Sa ngayon po ay hindi pa napag-uusapan iyong sinasabi ninyong fuel subsidy para sa mga pribado na motorista. Hindi po pa siya napag-uusapan sa ngayon,’ said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro at a briefing when asked whether the government will consider fuel subsidy for private motorists.

(For now, the fuel subsidy you’re referring to for private motorists has not yet been discussed. It has not been discussed at this time.)

Passenger jeepney and UV Express drivers currently receive a P12-per-liter fuel subsidy, which began on August 15 and will continue indefinitely amid the impact of rising fuel costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

To ease burden of the middle class, Castro said studies are still ongoing on the proposed increase in the income tax exemption threshold to P350,000 annually from the current P250,000. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. floated the proposal during his fifth State of the Nation Address.

Marcos also proposed exempting micro and small enterprises from the minimum corporate income tax

Some lawmakers from the House of Representatives have sought to increase the budget of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) for next year amid significant cuts in the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

During the House committee on appropriations’ briefing for the proposed budget of the DHSUD, House Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling asked the lawmakers to grant the agency’s request to seek more funds for their programs.

Aliling shared that the DHSUD and its attached agencies were allotted P5.498 billion under the 2027 NEP, which fell short of P54.501 billion from what it proposed of P60 billion. The NEP allocated P2.49 billion for DHSUD; P2.274 billion for National Housing Authority (NHA); P166 million for Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC); P450,000 for National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC); and P566 million for Human Settlements Adjudication Committee (HSAC).

However, the agency proposed the following: P4.962 billion for DHSUD; P44.732 billion for NHA; P4.666 billion for SHFC; and P890 million for HSAC.

Given the budget cuts under the NEP, Aliling then requested additional funding of P280,290,000 for DHSUD; P1.623 billion for NHA; P2 billion for SHFC; P8.08 billion for NHMFC; and P47,547,000 for HSAC.

House committee on housing and urban development chairperson Marivic Co-Pilar made the first motion to increase the funding for SHFC and other attached agencies of the DHSUD.

Co-Pilar’s motion was then supported by lawmakers present in the hearing such as Reps. Leila de Lima, Lani Mercado, Roman Romulo, Elmer Catulpos, Rufus Rodriguez, Miro Quimbo, among others.

At the end of the budget briefing, committee on appropriations chairperson Mikaela Suansing asked the agency to write a letter to the panel determining the top three projects needing additional funding. Suansing noted that this is done for the panel to properly assess what to be given a budget increase upon the availability of the fiscal space.

With this, Aliling said that the top three priorities are the planning to perform mandates for the DHSUD, contract of service hiring and procurement for the HSAC, and the community mortgage program.

Rain showers triggered by the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ will continue to hound parts Luzon on Wednesday, according to the state weather bureau.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather specialist Benison Estareja said during the 5 p.m weather advisory that the following areas may be affected by monsoon rains on Tuesday evening until Wednesday.

Ilocos Region

Cordillera Region

western portion of Central Luzon

Zambales

Bataan

Tarlac

Pampanga

Cavite

Batangas

Occidental Mindoro

Antique

Metro Manila

The rest of Luzon and Western Visayas may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies also due to the enhanced ‘habagat.’

Meanwhile, localized thunderstorms may prevail over the rest of the country, according to Pagasa.

2 LPAs looming

Pagasa also reported that a low-pressure area (LPA) is likely to form and enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), which may turn into a tropical depression between the end of August or early September.

It will be given a domestic name Pilandok once it enters PAR, Estareja said.

‘Pagsapit po ng huling araw po ng Agosto hanggang sa mga unang araw ng Setyembre, itong mino-monitor natin ang mabubuong sama ng panahon, low-pressure area or tropical depression, ay kikilos sa hilagang bahagi ng Philippine Sea, pa-hilagang kanluran at tumataas ang chance nga na maging isang ganap na bagyo,’ Estareja said.

(From the last day of August through the first few days of September, the weather disturbance we are monitoring-specifically a low-pressure area or tropical depression-will move across the northern part of the Philippine Sea in a northwest direction, with an increasing chance of developing into a tropical cyclone.)

Meanwhile, another potential LPA is also likely to develop and enter the PAR next week, although, it has a slim chance of intensifying into a tropical cyclone.

‘Posible pong mabago yung senaryo natin regarding these two weather disturbances kaya laging mag-antabay sa ating updates,’ he said.

(The scenario regarding these two weather disturbances could change, so please stay tuned for our updates.)

On Day 18 of the Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Office of the Vice President Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio takes the witness stand on Tuesday to testify on the alleged misuse of P500 million in confidential funds.

Ortonio allegedly accompanied former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, the previous witness presented to the court, when she encashed P500 million in confidential funds from LandBank Shaw Blvd., in increments of P125 million every quarter from the last quarter of 2022 until the third quarter of 2023

When Kevin Quiambao was tapped to be part of Gilas Pilipinas’ long-term program a few years ago, he made it a point to make the most of his minutes.

With the second round of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers coming up, the La Salle product’s mentality remains the same.

‘From the start, when Coach Tim (Cone) got me at the very first window, I told myself to stay ready every time, whenever the opportunity comes, to take every moment and make the most out of it,’ he said.

‘I’ll do whatever I can to contribute for the team and for the country. Same thing. I’ll do whatever I can to be effective for the team.’

Quiambao did just that when he showed his readiness for Gilas during the third window of the qualifiers.

After scoring 24 points across four games in the first two windows, the 25-year-old forward had his breakout performance for the Philippines.

Quiambao played his best game for Gilas against New Zealand, scoring 23 points on top of three rebounds, one steal and a block in a heartbreaking double-overtime loss last July in Auckland.

Quiambao picked up the slack with Justin Brownlee struggling and dealing with injuries.

He faces the same predicament in Gilas’ crucial homestand against Jordan and Iran with Brownlee out anew.

And just like his previous outing, Quiambao isn’t the type who backs down from a challenge, especially when he has the full support of his teammates.

‘I’m thankful and blessed that my teammates are giving me confidence every single game.’

Gilas Pilipinas’ second round campaign tips off Friday against Jordan before clashing with Iran on Sunday with both games taking place at Mall of Asia Arena.