Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

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

The number of Filipinos who experienced involuntary hunger over the past three months has dropped, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from June 20 to June 29.

The survey found that 20.3 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger-or being hungry and having nothing to eat-at least once between April and June.

The figure was the sum of 15.8 percent who experienced moderate hunger and 4.5 percent who experienced severe hunger.

The 20.3 percent was 2.9 percentage points down from the 23.2 percent recorded in the previous March survey, and 0.1 percentage points above the 20.2-percent average of 2025.

It was also 0.8 percentage points below the record-high 21.1-percent average at the height of the pandemic in 2020.

Highest in Mindanao

Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger only once or a few times in the last three months, while severe hunger refers to those who experienced it often or always during the same period.

Compared to March, moderate hunger fell by 1.9 percentage points from 17.7 percent, while severe hunger fell one percentage point from 5.5 percent.

The survey found that hunger was highest in Mindanao at 24 percent, up 2.3 percentage points from 21.7 percent in March. It was followed by the Visayas at 22.3 percent (down 5.7 percentage points from 28 percent), Metro Manila at 21 percent (down one percentage point from 22 percent in Metro Manila) and Luzon outside Metro Manila at 17.3 percent (down 5.1 percentage points from 22.4 percent).

Moderate hunger was highest in Mindanao at 20.7 percent, up from 18 percent in March. It was followed by the Visayas at 18.7 percent (down from 21.7 percent), Luzon outside Metro Manila at 13 percent (down from 16.6 percent) and Metro Manila at 12.7 percent (down from 15.3 percent).

On the other hand, severe hunger was highest in Metro Manila at 8.3 percent (up from 6.7 percent), followed by Luzon outside Metro Manila at 4.3 percent (down from 5.8 percent), the Visayas at 3.7 percent (down from 6.3 percent), and Mindanao at 3.3 percent (down from 3.7 percent).

Self-rating

The June survey also found that 49 percent of Filipino families rated themselves as ‘mahirap’ (poor) while 14 percent rated themselves as borderline (on a line dividing poor and not poor), and 37 percent rated themselves as ‘hindi mahirap’ (not poor).

Regarding self-rated food poverty, which is based on the type of food eaten by their families, the June survey found that 36 percent of families rated themselves as food poor, 15 percent rated themselves as food borderline (on the line between food poor and not food poor), and 49 percent rated themselves as not food poor.

Classes in all levels in public and private schools in Masinloc town and nearby Olongapo City remained suspended on Wednesday (Aug. 26), as the southwest monsoon continued to bring rains over the area.

Masinloc Mayor Hazel Lim suspended all classes in public and private schools, including work for teaching and non-teaching personnel, for the safety of students and school personnel.

The municipal government cited the heavy rainfall outlook issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) due to the intensified southwest monsoon, which could cause flooding and landslides.

Residents were advised to avoid unnecessary travel and monitor official announcements from local authorities.

In Olongapo City, Mayor Rolen Paulino Jr. also cancelled all classes in both public and private schools saying that weather conditions were expected to be similar to or worse than those experienced on Tuesday.

The city government encouraged schools to shift to alternative learning mechanisms to minimize disruption to students’ education.

In its latest advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the southwest monsoon will still affect the province which was expected to receive 50 to 100 millimeters of rain until Friday noon

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is keeping the door open to testing Binance-linked services in the Philippines, but stressed that participation in its regulatory sandbox does not guarantee eventual approval.

SEC Chair Francis Lim said the regulator was willing to test emerging technologies rather than reject them simply because they were new or unfamiliar.

‘We should not close our minds to innovation,’ Lim said. ‘We do not approve innovation only because it is new; neither do we reject it because it is unfamiliar.’

His comments came after Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) president Ramon Monzon had questioned the SEC’s decision to admit Blockshoals Technologies Inc., a local partner of global cryptocurrency exchange Binance, into its regulatory sandbox.

Lim stressed admission into the sandbox was only part of an evaluation process and that the initiative ‘may or may not happen.’

‘But we have to test,’ he said. ‘We look at the data. We look at the appropriate regulation. In fact, it is a complete set of due diligence.’

SEC Commissioner Rogelio Quevedo likewise clarified that sandbox participation neither clears a company of previous violations nor puts it on a fast track toward securing regulatory approval.

‘Being in the sandbox does not cure the penalties that will be imposed on a company that has committed violations against the Securities Regulation Code,’ Quevedo said.

He also said the SEC would ensure that testing would not expose the investing public to potential abuses.

‘The sandbox is not an excuse to get on the road to approval by the SEC,’ Quevedo said, noting that applicants would still have to undergo several processes before securing the regulator’s green light.

Lim said sandbox testing could also take time. Citing the SEC’s survey of other markets, he noted that even in Singapore, it could take about two years before a participant ‘graduates’ from a regulatory sandbox.

Beyond cryptocurrency, Lim said the SEC was studying other innovations that could widen participation in the Philippine capital market.

Among these is the potential tokenization or unitization of shares, which could make high-priced stocks more accessible to a broader pool of investors.

‘That can generate more market participants,’ Lim said.

The SEC chief maintained that regulators should remain receptive to emerging technologies as financial markets evolve globally, while subjecting new products to appropriate scrutiny

The Department of Energy (DOE) is looking to sell remaining government-procured liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stocks to local retailers, with no plans yet to order additional supply despite renewed attacks in the Middle East.

DOE Secretary Sharon Garin said the agency would unload the remaining LPG supply acquired by the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC).

LPG is the region’s top clean cooking fuel. In the Philippines, about 80 percent of the consumption is attributed to households.

To recall, the state-run group received about 21,000 metric tons of LPG from the United States in May after placing the order in April, about a month after the bombing attacks in the oil-producing region had begun, affecting energy trade.

‘Because while we have it, we have to pay for storage. I mean, the rent of the space to store it. So, the longer we keep it, the more expensive the storage,’ Garin told reporters last week.

Garin said the government may sell them for P60 per kilogram. In July, PNOC began releasing LPG inventory priced at P68.72 per kilogram.

Garin said there’s no need to place a fresh order. ‘We have really enough,’ she said.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday said various master plans for flood mitigation structures across the country are not yet complete, citing climate change concerns and a lack of plans in some areas.

Dizon shared this update during the House Committee on Appropriations’ briefing on his agency’s proposed 2027 budget.

‘Hindi pa po kompleto ang ating master plans nationwide,’ Dizon said, noting that many river basin master plans across the country are either outdated already or not yet finished.

(Our master plans nationwide are not yet complete.)

He said that the agency can’t just utilize old master plans or studies from several years ago, as he pointed out the effects of climate change.

‘Alam naman po natin given what we have seen with climate change, the updating of master plan is critical because they have a direct impact on the engineering design of the infrastructures that need to be built,’ Dizon added.

(We know that given what we have seen with climate change, the updating of the master plan is critical because they have a direct impact on the engineering design of the infrastructures that need to be built.)

He also shared that there is no master plan for the National Capital Region yet, except in some areas such as Quezon City, Pasig City, Marikina City, and Manila City. He noted that many master plans being formed are being patterned with Quezon City’s drainage master plan.

He then emphasized the importance of coordination among the agencies and regional, provincial, and local authorities to ensure that projects worth millions or billions of pesos are properly accounted for.

‘Kaya pumapasok yung requirement yung regional development councils, provincial development council, local development council or at the very least, certificate of no objection from the LGUs [local government units] para coordinate ang mga proyekto ng DPWH sa ating regional, provincial, local authorities,’ he said.

(This is why the requirement of regional development councils, provincial development council, local development council, or at the very least, a certificate of no objection from the LGUs [local government units] comes into the picture to coordinate the projects of DPWH with our regional, provincial, local authorities.)

No national plan for flood mitigation

In the same hearing, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno asked Dizon if the agency still has no national master plan for flood mitigation. Dizon answered in the affirmative, citing the agency’s strategy.

Dizon noted that while it has no national flood control master plan, it has master plans per river basin and urban center.

‘Apparently when I asked the same question, ito raw yung recommendation ng ating foreign partners to do it per major river basin and also on per urban center basis especially for drainage master plan,’ Dizon answered.

(Apparently, when I asked the same question, this was the recommendation of our foreign partners to do it per major river basin and also on a per urban center basis, especially for a drainage master plan.)

Diokno also asked Dizon if the executive department is abandoning the idea of coming up with a national flood control master plan. While Dizon said that he thinks the plan is not being neglected, he noted that there are general principles applicable nationwide that are ‘standard to all the other river basin master plans.’

He said that such general principles include focusing on retarding basins rather than simply putting up dikes, focusing on needs-based approaches, and focusing on upstream intervention rather than downstream interventions.

The secretary also shared that of all the 18 major river basin master plans across the country, 14 are being updated. He said that the agency asked its consultants to complete the updates by the first half of 2027.

The agency noted that of the 18 master plans of major river basins, seven are located in Luzon, three in the Visayas, and eight in Mindanao. It underscored that the Japan International Cooperation Agency said master plans must be updated within five years, while the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development advised updating them within three years due to the effects of climate change.

Dizon then expressed support for the proposed Master Plan on Infrastructure and National Development Act.

When Japeth Aguilar officially retired from national duties in the first window of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers, June Mar Fajardo was the obvious next in line to assume the role of Gilas Pilipinas’ veteran voice.

Now that Fajardo has made it known that his stint with the national team is running on borrowed time, there is a need for a new leader to step up for the squad.

That’s where Chris Newsome comes in.

‘All I can do is really just share my leadership, the knowledge that I have and pass that down so that way, they can continue to carry the torch like the guys that came before us did for us,’ the Meralco star in the PBA said.

‘I think everybody on this team has their sacrifices and things that they have given up just so they can be in this position. Something that we always talk about is never taking this opportunity for granted.’

The 36-year-old Newsome isn’t the only veteran on the Gilas roster, nor is he the only longtime member of the national pool. PBA stars like Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez and Troy Rosario have received their share of callups and can definitely be the kind of locker room presence that glues a team together.

But Newsome has played the leader role the longest.

‘Me being one of the older guys here, I definitely don’t take this for granted,’ said Newsome, who is averaging just 2.7 points, 1.8 assists and 1.2 rebounds in six games in the qualifiers. But the more interesting stat is he hasn’t missed a single window yet.

And his presence allows young guards like RJ Abarrientos and Juan Gomez de Liaño to soak up some of the things he has learned as a National.

‘I try to pass down all that knowledge that I’ve had throughout my experiences here on Gilas to these younger guys that are coming up. They’re definitely receptive to it,’ Newsome said.

Grief continues to grip Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) a week after the Aug. 18 fatal shooting inside its Tumaga campus that claimed the lives of two high school students, including the shooter.

‘A week has passed, but grief does not follow a timetable. Some may be ready to return to familiar routines; others will need more time, more support. So let us continue to be patient with one another, especially gentle with those who are carrying the deepest grief,’ AdZU president Fr. Guillrey Anthony Andal said in a statement on Monday.

The university continued its ‘accompaniment activities’ following the deadly shooting, allowing junior high school students to retrieve their belongings from the Tumaga campus in Zamboanga City on Monday.

The AdZU community also gathered for a candle-lighting and prayer service at its Salvador campus, led by student leaders from El Consejo Atenista. Faculty and staff held a Kumustahan Session, with similar activities planned for college students in the coming days.

‘As we continue to understand what happened, we must also be clear: violence has no place in our society,’ Andal said, underscoring that preventing violence is a shared responsibility of families, schools, government, religious institutions, media and the wider community.

Appeal to public

The Jesuit-run university reiterated its appeal to the public and media organizations to exercise prudence in sharing images, recordings and information related to the incident.

‘Inaccurate information and unnecessary circulation of materials, including those AI (artificial intelligence)-generated involving minors, can cause further harm to families already carrying great pain,’ Andal warned.

Andal declined to comment on the shooting incident pending the final police investigation, which the university was awaiting on Monday.

On Aug. 20, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said after visiting the AdZU Tumaga campus that the final police report on the shooting was expected by Aug. 24.

‘We had hoped to receive it [on Monday], but until it is formally provided to us, we will refrain from commenting on findings that have not yet been officially communicated,’ Andal said.

He stressed that the university continues to fully cooperate with authorities and will share verified information once it becomes available.

Andal said the university had updated Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso on its cooperation with police and its ongoing efforts to strengthen campus security and provide psychological support to affected students and families.

The mayor expressed support for the initiatives.

AdZU has begun implementing enhanced security protocols at the Tumaga campus, including the procurement of additional walk-through metal detectors and X-ray machines. Improvements to perimeter security, CCTV coverage and live monitoring are also being pursued.

A 31-year-old man tagged by authorities as a high-value individual (HVI) in the illegal drug trade was arrested in a joint buy-bust operation in Barangay Sto. Niño here on Monday (Aug. 24).

The suspect was arrested after an undercover policeman purchased a heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu (crystal meth) .

A subsequent search yielded three more sachets containing suspected shabu, bringing the total estimated weight of the seized substance to about 2 grams, with an estimated street value of P13,600.

Authorities also recovered the P1,000 buy-bust money used in the operation.

The drug evidence was turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Regional Office in MIMAROPA for laboratory examination.

The suspect remains in police custody and is expected to face charges for alleged violations of Sections 5 (sale of dangerous drugs) and 11 (possession of dangerous drugs), Article II of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The operation was conducted by personnel of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit-Drug Enforcement Group (RDEU-DEG), led by PLt. Col. Francis Aldrich D. Garcia, chief of the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit, in coordination with the Calapan City Police Station

Prosecutors have recommended the filing of criminal charges against a police officer in Tacloban City, the aunt of the 14-year-old boy who, along with another student, is accused of opening fire at a school in the city in June.

Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Polo Martinez on Tuesday confirmed that the Office of the City Prosecutor of Tacloban City is keen to pursue complaints for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and physical injuries against Police Staff Sergeant Arla Ray Paciencia in connection with the school shooting on June 22.

The recommendation for the charge, which is a bailable offense, was issued on Aug. 20. The complaint will be filed before the family court of the Tacloban City Regional Trial Court, said Martinez.

‘The recommendation follows the preliminary investigation conducted on the complaint filed by parents and students of San Jose National High School, in connection with the shooting incident involving a child in conflict with the law,’ Martinez said in a statement to reporters.

Paciencia, a native of Tacloban City, is identified as the aunt who owned the government-issued 9mm Glock 17 firearm that alias ‘Nash,’ a Grade 9 student, used in the shooting that left three people dead and at least 20 others injured.

The police officer, who has since been relieved from duty, said last month in a Senate inquiry into the incident that Nash broke into her home and stole her gun, which was supposedly stored in a ‘plastic locker.’

A Grade 10 student with the alias ‘Rod’ is accused of being the other shooter. Rod allegedly used a .38-caliber revolver registered to a Cebu-based security agency.

Not strong enough

Following another school shooting, this time in Zamboanga City, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla is pushing for tougher gun laws by making illegal possession of loose firearms a nonbailable offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

In a statement on Tuesday, Remulla said the current law is not a strong enough deterrent because suspects caught with loose firearms can still post bail while their cases are being heard.

Remulla last week urged Congress to ‘repeal [the law] and make [possession of] loose firearms a nonbailable charge again,’ stressing that tougher penalties could help address a wider range of crimes involving firearms.

At the same time, Remulla called on licensed gun owners to exercise greater responsibility in securing their weapons, noting that the firearm used by the Ateneo de Zamboanga shooter was government-issued and belonged to the suspect’s father, a Bureau of Customs employee.

Planted firearms

However, human rights group Karapatan criticized last week the DILG chief’s proposal to make illegal possession of firearms a nonbailable offense, warning that it could be used to prolong the detention of activists and other dissenters.

‘Many activists and other political opponents targeted for persecution have been slapped with trumped-up cases of illegal possession of firearms and explosives based on evidence planted by the arresting teams,’ said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.

Palabay said that as of February 2025, at least 228 of the 697 political prisoners at the time were facing allegedly fabricated charges involving illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

‘Why should the answer to failures of law enforcement be more power to detain? The DILG proposal is especially concerning given the routine planting of firearms and explosives to build cases to indefinitely jail activists,’ Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim told the Inquirer.

‘The DILG chief should be reminded that the Zamboanga shooting did not involve ‘loose firearms’ but were reportedly owned by the student’s father, a customs officer,’ she added.

According to Republic Act No. 10591, known as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, unlawfully possessing or acquiring one small arm is punishable by prision mayor.

Under the Philippines’ Revised Penal Code, prision mayor carries a prison sentence of 6 years and 1 day to 12 years for serious offenses.