Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) hoisted the red heavy rainfall warning over parts of Zambales and Bataan on Friday morning, Aug. 28.

The red heavy rainfall warning means at least 30 millimeters (mm) of rain is expected in the affected areas within an hour and it will continue in the next two hours, which may bring severe flooding in low-lying areas.

In an advisory at 8 a.m. on Friday, Pagasa said the following areas were covered by the red heavy rainfall warning:

Zambales (Cabangan, Botolan, Subic, San Antonio, San Marcelino, Castillejos, San Narciso, San Felipe, and Olongapo); and

Bataan (Morong, Dinalupihan, and Hermosa)

The state weather bureau also raised the orange heavy rainfall warning over the following:

Tarlac

Pampanga

Bulacan

The rest of Zambales (Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, Santa Cruz, Iba), Bataan(Abucay, Bagac, Balanga, Limay, Mariveles, Orani, Orion, Pilar, Samal); and

Nueva Ecija (San Antonio, Cabiao, San Isidro, Gapan, General Tinio, Penaranda, Jaen, San Leonardo, Guimba, Santo Domingo, Quezon, Licab, Zaragoza, Aliaga, Santa Rosa, Cabanatuan, Gabaldon, Laur, Palayan, Bongabon, Rizal, General Mamerto Natividad, Llanera, and Talavera)

The orange heavy rainfall warning means between 15 to 30 mm of rain is expected in the affected areas within an hour and it will continue in the next two hours.

Further, Pagasa raised the yellow heavy rainfall warning over the following areas:

Metro Manila

Rizal; and

The rest of Nueva Ecija (Carranglan, Cuyapo, Lupao, Nampicuan, Pantabangan, San Jose, Munoz, and Talugtug)

The yellow heavy rainfall warning means between 7.5 to 15 mm of rain is expected in the affected areas within an hour and it will continue in the next two hours.

Meanwhile, according to Pagasa, light to moderate rains were expected over the following areas in the next three hours:

Cavite

Batangas (Balayan, Calatagan, Laurel, Lian, Nasugbu, Talisay, Tuy, Tanauan, Calaca, San Nicolas, Agoncillo, Lemery, Taal, Batangas City, Santo Tomas, Malvar, Balete, Lipa, Mataasnakahoy, Ibaan, San Jose, Cuenca, San Pascual, Alitagtag, Bauan, Santa Teresita, San Luis, and Mabini)

Quezon (General Nakar and Infanta); and

Laguna (Santa Maria)

In the agency’s forecast on Friday morning, Pagasa weather specialist Obet Badrina said the southwest monsoon, locally known as the habagat, continued to affect parts of Luzon

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Subic on Thursday continued condemning and disposing of 10 containers of abandoned cigarettes valued at about P413 million, following the destruction of the first three containers worth P129.065 million at the end of July.

The first batch, consisting of three 40-foot containers containing about 3,000 cases of assorted-brand cigarettes, was destroyed from July 28 to Aug. 3 at the Legaxy 88 Recyclable Materials Collection Services in Santa Maria, Bulacan, an accredited disposal facility of the Port of Subic.

The cigarettes underwent shredding and pyrolysis, or the use of intense heat to break down molecules in accordance with established customs disposal procedures, the BOC said in an August 25 statement.

The agency then disposed of the remaining seven containers.

The agency said it coordinated with the appropriate committees and accredited disposal facilities to ensure the abandoned goods are properly accounted for, rendered unusable, and disposed of in accordance with the law.

About 3,000 cases of assorted-brand cigarettes from three 40-foot containers are destroyed through shredding and pyrolysis as part of the BOC Port of Subic’s continuing disposal of abandoned goods (Photos courtesy of BOC Port of Subic)

The latest operation came weeks after the BOC Port of Subic oversaw the destruction of about P430 million worth of cigarettes in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Police seized the shipment in separate operations and later declared the items abandoned before destroying them.

The Port of Subic said the continuing disposal is part of its ‘efforts to safeguard government revenue, secure the country’s borders and promote transparency and accountability in customs operations

Justin de Dios of SB19 recalled being treated disrespectfully by a Filipino airport employee in Los Angeles while the group was traveling to the US for their historic Lollapalooza performance.

De Dios shared the encounter in SB19’s latest YouTube vlog, recalling how the incident happened after the group arrived in Los Angeles and was waiting for their luggage.

According to de Dios, an elderly Filipino woman approached the group’s manager, Leah, to ask for a photo. Leah politely asked if they could take the picture later, once the members had collected their luggage and were ready to leave the airport.

‘Siyempre, as manager, lumapit siya. Parang sabi ni Ate Leah, ‘Ay, okay lang po ba mamaya na lang po pagka-settle?’ So, meaning pag pagka-settle, pag nakuha na lahat ng luggage before we go, pa-picture kami with Nanay,’ he recalled.

De Dios said the elderly woman understood Leah’s request and eventually took photos with the other SB19 members, including him, when they were available.

However, a Filipino airport employee allegedly overheard Leah’s earlier conversation and approached the manager after the elderly woman had left.

‘Tapos nung umalis na si Nanay, may lumapit na nagta-trabaho sa airport. Parang narinig niya ata na sabi ni Ate Leah na mamaya na, later na lang po magpa-picture. Kasi nakapagpa-picture naman na si Nanay,’ he recalled.

De Dios said the employee asked Leah for her name before telling her, ‘Suplada ka, ah.’ The remark upset the singer, who said Leah had spoken politely and was not even directly addressing the employee.

‘Maayos naman ‘yung pagkakasabi nung manager namin, tapos hindi naman siya ‘yung kausap. Na-overheard lang… hindi naman technically pinipigilan, nakapagpa-picture na nga eh,’ he said.

De Dios said the employee continued making negative remarks about Leah and SB19, while also talking about his previous encounters with celebrities and showing photos of himself with famous personalities.

‘Ang dami niya nang sinabi bigla. Like sabi niya, ‘Di pa nga sikat, ‘di na nagpapa-picture. ‘Pag nasa harap na ng camera, doon kakaway-kaway. Pero mga suplado naman,” he recalled.

‘Tapos parang sinabi niya pa na Filipino mentality daw. Basta ang dami niyang sinabing mga offensive… disrespectful na bagay, [kahit na] nagta-trabaho ka doon. And wala namang ginawang mali or masama ‘yung tao,’ he added.

De Dios said he chose to listen to the rude remarks so he would know what to say if ever he decided to confront the employee.

‘But the thing is… parang ang hirap lang gumalaw kasi parang siyempre delikado and all, pero talagang as in super disrespectful,’ he continued.

While he, the other SB19 members and Leah decided not to engage further with the employee, de Dios remarked that the incident was particularly disappointing because it involved a fellow Filipino.

‘Sa mga past tours naman namin, hindi naman ganon ‘yung na-experience namin. Pero like sa Filipino pa namin mae-experience ‘yung ganon. Tapos parang, it’s very normal sa kanila. Tapos parang kami pa ‘yung mali,’ he said.

‘Grabe, wow, the welcome committee sa pag-land ng LA… Shoutout to you, kuya!’ he concluded the video.

SB19 recently made history as the first Filipino act to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago. They also recently performed at Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival alongside fellow P-pop act BINI.

The cost of producing and moving rice rose much faster than the price of the staple in June, creating a widening gap that could put pressure on farmers and other players in the rice supply chain even as retail prices remained relatively stable.

University of the Philippines Diliman associate professor and Inquirer data scientist Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao based his finding on data from the International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) June 2026 Global Rice Market Brief, which showed the rice input-cost index at 143, compared with a rice-price index of 102.

‘In other words, the cost of producing and moving rice rose far faster than the price of rice itself,’ Panao said.

The resulting 41-point gap was the third-largest among the eight markets covered by the IRRI data, behind Indonesia at 46 points and Myanmar at 45.

The figures suggest that the price consumers see in the market does not necessarily reflect the costs incurred throughout the rice supply chain, Panao said.

Input costs rise faster

Panao said the gap was not driven by a shortage of rice but by higher costs of inputs and activities involved in producing and moving the staple.

‘Fuel prices remained elevated after the March-to-May shock linked to the Middle East conflict, while fertilizer (urea) prices also stayed high,’ he said.

At the same time, rice prices softened in May and June, which Panao said was presumably linked to the government’s P50-per-kilogram ceiling on imported rice under Executive Order No. 118.

The disparity between input costs and rice prices raises the question of where the cost is being absorbed along the supply chain, Panao said.

‘The cost-price gap implies that the real cost of rice is being absorbed somewhere along the supply chain, likely by farmers through lower returns, as well as by millers, traders and transporters through thinner margins, and even by government through subsidies,’ he said.

A wider gap

Panao said the increase in costs associated with producing and moving rice has outpaced the movement in rice prices, putting pressure on farmers, millers, traders and transporters, as well as the government.

He said the situation is significant because the price of rice at the consumer level does not necessarily capture the costs incurred throughout the supply chain.

‘The price of rice, a daily staple for millions of Filipinos, may have stabilized. But a stable retail price does not necessarily mean a healthy market,’ he said.

Beyond cheaper rice

Panao said the current system may be working for now, but a longer-term approach should look beyond bringing down the price paid by consumers.

‘While the current system may be working for now, a forward-looking government should look beyond bringing cheaper rice to consumers and build a rice system strong and sustainable enough to feed Filipino families tomorrow,’ he said.

Panao said the IRRI recommendations include stronger competition and closer monitoring of margins across the supply chain, along with targeted support when rising costs threaten production.

‘This includes helping farmers adopt higher-yielding and climate-resilient varieties, improving access to credit and inputs, and using NFA procurement more strategically.

The Commission on Audit (COA) has a shortage of field auditors, and this could be a ’cause for concern,’ its assistant commissioner Lorna Cabochan told lawmakers on Tuesday.

Cabochan, during a hearing of the House committee on appropriations on the COA’s 2027 budget, said the commission still needs ‘almost 400′ auditors.

She provided the figure in reply to Akbayan Rep. Percival Cendaña’s question on whether the COA’s manpower gap had already been addressed.

Cendaña cited the agency’s report last year that it had only two auditors assigned to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s First District Engineering Office of Bulacan, which has been at the center of the flood control corruption scandal.

According to Cabochan, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has restored 332 plantilla positions in July out of the 716 that were previously reduced. But this still means a shortage of 384 auditors.

When Cendaña asked whether this was a ’cause for concern,’ the COA official answered in the affirmative.

‘Because the agencies are adding and, as of now, we are also somewhat lacking in auditors in the field,’ Cabochan explained.

She also disclosed that some auditors have left the COA for higher-paying jobs or flexible working positions.

Other auditors, she added, were even considering retiring ‘as soon as they reach 60.’

‘Although we are continuously recruiting, there is also separation through transfer to other government agencies and resignation,’ Cabochan said.

Hearing this, Cendaña emphasized that the current state of manpower in the COA is ‘alarming,’ pointing out that ‘it’s still lacking to this day.’

‘This 2027, there is a proposed P107 billion for flood control under DPWH. If the audit is sloppy again or if the audit is insufficient or slow, we will repeat the performance in 2025,’ he said. ‘And we already know the reason. This is the deficiency we mentioned.’

The lawmaker said the government must allot additional resources to the COA, noting that the commission is the ‘first line of defense’ against corruption.

Zero capital outlay

Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, committee chair, meanwhile said it was ‘interesting’ that none of the proposed projects under the COA’s capital outlay request for next year were granted by the DBM.’

The COA initially proposed a P1.18 billion budget to cover its Information Systems Strategic Plan for 2027-2029, the construction or modernization of some of its buildings, and the purchase of three vehicles, among others.

But the DBM did not approve the COA’s proposal, recommending a ‘zero capital outlay’ for the commission through the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

In the same budget hearing on Tuesday, Suansing said the zero capital outlay ‘really stood out.’

When asked by Suansing whether the DBM gave an explanation, COA Assistant Commissioner Nilda Plaras answered, ‘There was none, your honor.’

Wish list

The Inquirer has reached out to the DBM about the matter, but it has yet to respond as of publication.

The House committee also found that the DBM did not approve even the COA’s request for a budget to purchase a vehicle for its office in the Negros Island Region.

Suansing then asked the COA to provide a ‘wish list’ of items that were left out in the NEP that it wanted to advocate for so that Congress could consider them during deliberations on institutional amendment requests.

‘Given the limited fiscal space, realistically, we would not be able to fund all. So for us to get a better sense, we request a more detailed list of all of the items under the capital outlay request with the corresponding details,’ said Suansing.

The COA is seeking a P17.3 billion budget for 2027, but the DBM has recommended lowering the amount to P16.05 billion.

Low-cost carrier Vietjet is launching direct flights between Clark and Ho Chi Minh City in November, opening a new gateway to Vietnam for travelers from central and northern Luzon.

The operator of Clark International Airport announced on Wednesday that the new Vietjet service will operate three times weekly every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This will provide travelers with another direct connection to the booming Southeast Asian tourism destination.

Vote of confidence

‘Vietjet’s decision to launch its first Clark service is a strong vote of confidence in the market we serve,’ said Noel Manankil, president and CEO of Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (Lipad). The company manages the Pampanga gateway.

‘Clark gives airlines access to a large catchment area beyond Metro Manila, and this direct connection to Ho Chi Minh City creates a more efficient travel option for passengers across Central and Northern Luzon,’ Manankil added.

Vietjet’s new service will begin on Nov. 10, Lipad said.

Vietjet flight VJ1871 will depart Clark at 5:05 p.m. and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at 6:35 p.m. local time. The return flight, VJ1870, will leave Ho Chi Minh City at 12:30 p.m. and arrive at Clark at 4:05 p.m.

Ahead of the launch, Vietjet will offer a special promotional one-way fare of $75, inclusive of taxes and other fees. The promotional fare will cover travel periods through March 31, 2027, Lipad said.

Tourism cooperation

This new service comes just months after the Philippines and Vietnam launched a tourism cooperation program during Vietnamese President To Lam’s meeting with President Marcos in Manila last June.

Under the agreement, which runs until 2029, Manila and Hanoi agreed to increase commercial flight frequencies and strengthen air connectivity between the two countries.

As of June, the Philippines was Vietnam’s largest source of foreign tourists, with Filipino arrivals reaching 364,721 in the first half of 2026.

In 2025, the number of Filipino tourists that visited Vietnam surged 81.3 percent to 482,173.

Travel in the opposite direction remains considerably smaller. Vietnam was the Philippines’ 23rd-largest source of foreign tourists in 2025, with 33,599 arrivals.

For Manankil, Vietjet’s expansion into Clark International Airport fits into the two countries’ broader push to strengthen bilateral ties.

‘We see considerable potential for this route to support both tourism and business links between the two markets,’ he said.

Ivana Alawi extended help to those affected by the recent severe flooding, while urging the public to demand accountability over the alleged corruption in flood control projects.

The actress said this through her social media pages on Tuesday, Aug. 25, while showing a clip of herself packing relief goods which she gave out to flood-affected communities.

‘Busy lang po mag repack ng relief goods. Kayo po, kamusta na kaya ang flood control? Ang bilyon bilyong pondo?’ she said in the caption. ‘Habang may Pilipinong lumulubog sa baha…. Sorry, hindi kami makakalimot.’

‘Wag tayo maghanap ng ibang issue para matakpan ang mga pinaka importanteng issue,’ she stressed. ‘Dapat may mangyari. Dapat may solusyon.’

While Alawi has yet to share a documentation of her relief initiative, several videos already circulated on social media showing her personally handing out relief packs and cash assistance to flood victims in Pampanga.

Meanwhile, amid the praise for the actress-vlogger, some netizens brought up Alawi’s previously criticized phone giveaway tied to an online gambling advertisement. The issue also recently resurfaced after the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) ordered to stop the promotion, and fined the online gambling company behind the giveaway.

Pagcor Alejandro Tengco said this during the House of Representatives committee on appropriations’ hearing on Pagcor’s budget for 2027, after Kamanggagawa party-list Rep. Elijah Fernando pointed out the surge in content creators and influencers promoting online gambling. Fernando made a mention of Alawi’s giveaway during the hearing.

Alawi has yet to comment on the matter as of this writing.

Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) recorded a 22.84-percent drop in eight crimes across Western Visayas from May 22 to Aug. 22, compared with the same period last year, police officials reported on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

According to comparative crime data released by PRO6, total incidents among the eight focus crimes fell to 385 this year, down by 114 from the 499 incidents recorded during the same three-month period in 2025.

PRO6 reported declines across nearly all focus crime categories, except motor vehicle theft, which logged a single incident during the period.

The largest decrease was recorded in motorcycle theft, which dropped by 65%, from 20 cases in 2025 to seven in 2026.

Rape cases recorded a notable 55.56% reduction, declining from 126 cases to 56. Murder incidents dropped by 21.21%, from 33 to 26, while robbery cases fell by 18%, from 50 to 41 incidents.

Provinces throughout the region similarly registered reductions in focus crimes, pointing to a sustained impact of ongoing law enforcement strategies across Western Visayas.

Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño, PRO6 director, attributed the positive development to intensified police presence, intelligence-led operations, rapid incident response times, and strengthened community partnerships.

‘The decrease in crime is not merely numbers on our records. It is a concrete result of the collective effort of our police officers and the active cooperation of our communities,’ Tuaño said in a statement.

‘However, we must not become complacent. We will continue to focus on crimes that remain a challenge and intensify our measures to keep our citizens safe,’ he added.

Tuaño emphasized that sustaining low crime figures requires continuous police presence, proactive crime prevention, strategic intelligence gathering, and robust public cooperation.

‘The true measure of a safe community is not just the drop in crime figures, but the public’s confidence that police officers are ready to respond, listen, and act,’ Tuaño noted.

Despite the downward trend in criminal activity, PRO6 affirmed that it will continue enhancing its crime prevention and control operations, public visibility, and community outreach efforts to deter potential offenses.

The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm) hopes to raise at least P11.09 billion from the sale of a portion of its property in Quezon City that house power agencies.

A Psalm document shows that the state-run firm is seeking proposals for its bidding covering 39,698 square meters of net salable area.

The prebid conference is set for Sept. 3 while the bid submission deadline was set for Sept. 24 this year.

The area is part of the 5.195-hectare Diliman property that hosts the offices of the National Power Corp. and National Transmission Corp.

‘They are temporarily relocated in the course of the sale and development of the asset,’ said Edward dela Serna, president and CEO of Psalm.

It is one of Psalm’s most valuable properties as it is located in Quezon City’s central business district. The Diliman property is likewise seen for its potential for residential, commercial and mixed-use development.

In 2019, Psalm selected the architectural conceptual design submitted by WTA Design Studio for the Diliman property. At that time, the company said the conceptual design would be its basis for the master planning and the privatization options for the property.

Psalm, which is tasked with privatizing some crucial power assets, has been scrambling to unload some properties to cut or totally scrap its financial obligations before its corporate life ends in 2036.

As of the end of 2025, Psalm was able to trim its debt by P13.4 billion to P260.6 billion.

In a previous statement, the company said that collections from fees on the concession of transmission assets, administration of independent power producer contracts and the privatization of select real estate assets had helped lower its obligations.

Aboitiz Power Corp. emerged as the winner last year after offering P36.27 billion for the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) hydroelectric power plants in Laguna.

The CBK power complex was one of the power assets sold by Psalm to settle all its liabilities and obligations.

Transforming from a previous offender into an active partner of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the local government of Ajuy has successfully converted 700 kilograms of recovered plastic waste into 35 durable classroom chairs for Ajuy National High School.

This initiative, made possible through a collaboration with DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region VI, Subay Marketing, and Angelina Bakeshop, marks a significant milestone in the municipality’s reinforced commitment to solid waste management.

DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said partnerships that recover and reuse waste can help make environmental protection more relevant to communities.

‘The challenge for us is not only how we can reduce waste, but also how we can reuse them in ways that better the lives of Filipinos,’ he said.

Cuna added that the initiative supports President Marcos’ call to build partnerships for environmental protection while improving the lives of the Filipino people, as it addresses both Ajuy’s continuing waste management efforts and the school’s need for additional classroom furniture.

Implemented under Subay Marketing’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Clean Environment Program, the DENR used about 20 kg of recovered plastic for every chair. The material was processed for reuse instead of being disposed of in landfills or waterways.

Turning point

The project builds on Ajuy’s efforts to improve its waste management system after the municipality was cited in 2016 for operating an open dumpsite, lacking a 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan, and failing to fully implement segregation at source.

‘Our turning point was when EMB filed a case against us in the Ombudsman because of our violations,’ recalled Ajuy Mayor Loida Espinosa. That became the reason for us to become more serious in implementing our solid waste management program.’

Since then, Ajuy has strengthened segregation at the household and school levels, invested in waste management equipment, reduced its dependence on single-use plastics, and developed partnerships that can provide recovered materials with other uses.

Three of the municipality’s island barangays now have segregation at source fully implemented down to the household level. The municipality continues to work with other communities to implement the same practice.

The improved waste management efforts have also supported the needs of Ajuy National High School, where students had been dealing with a shortage of classroom chairs.

Before the new chairs were provided, some students used old and dilapidated seats, while others shared chairs or stood at the back during lessons. The shortage was particularly felt in the Special Program in Journalism, where students needed proper seating for writing and other classroom activities.

Practical use

With limited funds and no immediate source of replacement furniture, the school bought monoblock chairs where possible and sought assistance from parents to build tables.

‘Before we received these chairs, our learners were sitting on the floor and some were using the old ones. It was already dilapidated. They could not focus on their lessons, and they were sitting uncomfortably,’ said Ajuy National High School principal Dr. Marilyn Dolendo.

The 35 chairs, which have armrests that provide students with a proper surface for writing, gave the school additional seating while demonstrating how recovered waste can be put to practical use.

Fourteen-year-old Jeff Renzo Diane, who had experienced using damaged, wobbly seats and seeing classmates stand at the back, said the chairs changed how he viewed plastic

‘I was also amazed that these recycled plastic chairs are made from plastic, which made me realize that plastic can turn into something else rather than more waste and pollution,’ he said.