Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) signed an agreement with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) that will push for the advancement of the air transport and logistics services industry at the Clark International Airport (CRK)

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agreement is crucial to ‘promote the country’s aviation and aerospace sectors, benefitting passengers and the economy.’

Under the agreement, the DOTr and BCDA, along with the CRK’s private operator, Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (LIPAD) Corp., will establish a location for the industrial, manufacturing, transport (IMT) business and related services at the airport.

The deal will likewise study and explore the feasibility of implementing incentive programs to attract and establish IMT businesses and related services, which, according to Lopez, will drive and attract tourism and spur economic activity in the region.

‘This will foster market access and opportunities in Central Luzon. But more than anything, there will be new economic activities because of the IMT,’ Lopez said in a statement.

BCDA president Joshua Bingcang echoed Lopez’s sentiment, stating that the agreement will ‘bring in more manufacturing activity and more transport enterprises linked to Clark International Airport. It also means a bigger economic contribution from Clark.’

Tropical Depression Wilma slightly decelerated as it continued to approach the country’s landmass on Friday afternoon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

In its 2 p.m. tropical cyclone bulletin, Pagasa said Wilma was moving west-southwest at 10 kilometers per hour (kph).

The state weather bureau earlier said the tropical depression had been moving west-southwest at 15 kph on Friday morning.

As of 1 p.m., Wilma was last spotted 225 km east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 45 kph and gusts of up to 55 kph, according to Pagasa’s latest bulletin.

Given this development, Pagasa hoisted Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 over the following areas:

The southern portion of Sorsogon (Matnog, Bulan, Irosin, Santa Magdalena, Bulusan, Barcelona, Magallanes, Juban, Casiguran and Gubat)

Mainland Masbate including Ticao Island

Northern Samar

Eastern Samar

Samar

Biliran

Leyte

Southern Leyte

Cebu including Bantayan and Camotes Islands

Bohol

The northern and central portions of Negros Occidental (Sagay City, City of Escalante, Toboso, Calatrava, Enrique B. Magalona, City of Victorias, Manapla, Cadiz City, Bacolod City, City of Talisay, Silay City, Salvador Benedicto, San Carlos City, Murcia, Bago City, La Carlota City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Valladolid, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Pontevedra, Hinigaran, Isabela, Binalbagan, City of Himamaylan and City of Kabankalan)

Siquijor

The northern and central portions of Negros Oriental (City of Guihulngan, Canlaon City, Vallehermoso, La Libertad, Jimalalud, Tayasan, Ayungon, Bindoy, Manjuyod, Bais City, Pamplona, City of Tanjay, Amlan, San Jose, Dumaguete City, Valencia, Sibulan, Bacong, Mabinay)

The eastern portion of Iloilo (San Dionisio, Estancia, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Ajuy, Sara, Balasan, Lemery, Barotac Viejo, San Rafael, City of Passi, San Enrique, Anilao, Banate, Dingle, Barotac Nuevo, Mina, Pototan, New Lucena, Santa Barbara, Pavia, Iloilo City, Leganes, Zarraga, Dumangas, Dueñas)

The eastern portion of Capiz (Pilar, President Roxas, Panay, Pontevedra, Ma-Ayon, Cuartero, Dumarao, Dao, Panitan, Roxas City)

Guimaras

Surigao del Norte including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands

Dinagat Islands

The northern portion of Surigao del Sur (Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, Lanuza)

The northern portion of Agusan del Norte (Kitcharao, Jabonga, Santiago, Tubay, City of Cabadbaran, Remedios T. Romualdez and Magallanes)

Camiguin

TCWS No. 1 warns of strong winds between 39 and 61 kph in the next 36 hours, posing minimal to minor threat to life and property.

‘Wilma is forecast to move west southwestward until [Saturday] before turning generally westward for the remaining forecast period,’ Pagasa explained.

‘On the forecast track, the center of Wilma may make its initial landfall over Eastern Visayas between [Friday] evening and [Saturday] morning,’ it added

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the recently approved increase in base pay for military and uniformed personnel (MUP).

Marcos announced the pay hike last Wednesday, raising MUPs’ base pay by a total of 15 percent across three tranches on Jan. 1, 2026; Jan. 1, 2027; and Jan. 1, 2028.

‘We thank the President for recognizing the work and sacrifice of the men and women who protect our communities and uphold peace and order,’ the DILG said in a statement.

‘The DILG affirms that this move strengthens the capability and stability of the uniformed services, ensuring that those who safeguard our families can also support their own,’ it added.

Marcos said the pay hike recognizes MUPs’ efforts, particularly during the recent string of calamities across the country.

The increase also covers personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), all attached to the DILG.

The BFP also thanked Marcos in its own statement on Friday.

‘This directive, which increases the base pay and subsistence allowance of military and uniformed personnel, is wholeheartedly appreciated by the Fire Bureau,’ the BFP said.

‘This support is a meaningful recognition of our Filipino firefighters who risk their lives responding to fires and all kinds of disasters,’ it added.

The PNP welcomed the pay hike in a statement last Wednesday.

Former Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla and former Rep. Zaldy Co. have been included as respondents in the flood control-related cases in Bulacan before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

‘Sen. Bong Revilla and Zaldy Co were admitted as additional respondents in the cases involving SYMS Construction and Trading-these cases are currently pending preliminary investigation,’ DOJ Spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez said.

Fadullon is referring to the SYMS Construction Trading case. He said that, aside from Revilla, the respondents include the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers Bryce Hernandez, JP Mendoza, and Henry Alcantara.

Fadullon said Revilla was given a few days to submit his counter-affidavit.

‘We will grant one extension, that extension will be for a period of five days, and then thereafter, if there are no other cases that will be submitted, those cases will be submitted for resolution,’ Fadullon said.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed two additional complaints regarding the flood-control anomaly.

In this complaint, Fadullon said Revilla and Co are co-respondents.

He said that a subpoena is expected to be issued next week.

The NBI complaint against Wawao and Topnotch is still undergoing initial evaluation, which precedes the preliminary investigation.

However, Fadullon declined to give details about the additional complaint but said that the new cases are also about Bulacan flood-control projects

The driver’s license of a social media vlogger has been suspended for 90 days after a video showing him committing several violations went viral.

‘In the viral video, the vlogger is seen driving a vehicle with a fake license plate, not wearing a seat belt, and using a mobile phone while driving. These violations are considered distracted driving and endanger other motorists,’ a statement released by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said on Thursday.

It added that it issued a show-cause order to the vlogger, directing him to appear before its Intelligence and Investigation Division to explain why he should not be held liable for multiple violations.

These were failure to attach an authorized motor vehicle license plate, mandatory use of seat belts, distracted driving, reckless driving, and improper person to operate a motor vehicle.

The LTO has also placed his vehicle, a Ford Expedition, under alarm and issued an order for it to be brought to the LTO’s motor vehicle inspection facility for a complete roadworthiness check.

The LTO has yet to disclose the individual’s name and other details

College of St. Benilde may have forced a do-or-die game with San Beda in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball semifinals, but coach Charles Tiu didn’t seem too pleased.

The Blazers outlasted the Red Lions, 77-75, in Game 2 of their semis series at Mall of Asia Arena on Friday, but they barely pulled it off.

After all, the Red Lions played without star scorer Agjanti Miller, who sat out Friday’s game due to a knee contusion. He’s currently listed as day-to-day.

‘I’m not going to lie, I told them Miller’s not playing. If we waste this opportunity, it’s like wasting a gift,’ Tiu said.

‘We still, however, emphasized that even without Miller they can beat us with the way they and we are playing.’

Just because Miller stayed on the sidelines, though, didn’t mean the Blazers had an easy time forcing a rubber match.

In fact, Benilde wasn’t able to contain the guard tandem of Nygel Gonzales and Bryan Sajonia with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Ian Torres had to take matters into his own hands, sinking the buzzer-beating floater.

Still, Tiu was satisfied with how the Blazers responded from their Game 1 beating from the Red Lions, 91-72.

‘We asked them to fight and they did our jobs today. We weren’t the same Benilde team that we were in the first game.’

‘Today, we were able to execute things a bit better and we were able to go home with the win.’

Benilde and San Beda face off one last time for the final ticket to the NCAA championship round on Sunday at Araneta Coliseum.

There will be ‘higher chances’ of above-normal rainfall from December 2025 to February 2026 due to a weak La Niña, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in an advisory on Friday.

‘Recent oceanic and atmospheric conditions indicate that La Niña has developed in the tropical Pacific. Since September 2025, the sea surface temperatures in the central and equatorial Pacific started to decrease and further declined in November, reaching a weak La Niña threshold,’ Pagasa explained.

‘With this development, higher chances of above-normal rainfall in the December 2025 to February 2026 season are expected. Furthermore, an increased chance of tropical cyclone activity within the Philippine area of responsibility during the period is likely,’ it noted.

Pagasa said ‘weak La Niña’ conditions exist if sea surface temperatures fall by 0.5 degrees Celsius or less below the average in a month, and if sea surface temperatures are expected to still fall by 0.5 degrees Celsius or less below the average in the next three months.

‘It is likely that this La Niña will continue at least until the December 2025 to February 2026 season as suggested by several climate models,’ the state weather bureau said.

‘La Niña is usually associated with above-normal rainfall conditions across most areas of the country during the last quarter of the year and the early months of the following year,’ it added

EEI Corp. plans to shoulder the P11.4-billion debt of its newly acquired property firm while merging two more units to strengthen its real estate push.

In a disclosure on Thursday, the construction giant backed by the Yuchengco family said its board of directors had authorized the acquisition of the liabilities of First Orient International Ventures Corp. (FOIVC) in exchange for unissued shares in the latter.

This plan, however, still needs to be cleared by creditors and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Last October, the listed firm took over the former Philippine offshore gaming operator hub at Island Cove in Cavite for P2.8 billion.

The acquisition of FOIVC marked the engineering firm’s efforts to cement its position in the real estate market.

Further, EEI said its board likewise greenlighted the consolidation of two wholly owned subsidiaries-EEI Ltd. and EEI Realty Corp.

This will be done through a share swap deal. EEI Ventures Inc. (EVI) will issue 300 million shares in exchange for full control of the two units.

EVI serves as the group’s investment and holding firm that is focused on real estate and emerging businesses.

‘Pure play’

‘The consolidation also supports more efficient capital raising, as investors are increasingly drawn to ‘pure-play’ business units,’ it said.

‘Housing nonconstruction assets under EEI Ventures makes it easier to attract strategic partners or explore future financing options without affecting the parent company’s balance sheet,’ the group added.

The move may also help pave the way for EEI to pursue an initial public offering.

‘The structure provides strategic flexibility for the future-whether through partnerships, joint ventures or an eventual listing-while keeping the group’s construction operations focused and protected,’ it said.

As of end-September, the group’s consolidated assets stood at P40.04 billion

I am momentarily turning my gaze from the exchanges among political know-it-alls to something so every day, so basic, we do not notice it is there to someday haunt us if we do not take a look and act now. I imagine a horrific scenario for a future dystopian sci-fi novel.

This is not new, but this deserves attention. In the world’s environmental rogue gallery, the Philippines is not far behind. Now topping the list in the ocean trash department, the Philippines, a clutch of islands that comprises a country in the Pacific Ocean, has earned the badge of shame for being the world’s biggest contributor of garbage to the world’s oceans, beating even its bigger, more affluent neighbors.

We all must take a long, deep breath and not only hang our heads in shame but also actively address the situation. But first, to see and realize that the Philippines is really on top of the list. And then what?

According to Sustainability Online, a business news platform ‘with a sustainable mindset,’ ‘the Philippines is responsible for some 356,371 metric tons of plastic waste in the planet’s oceans on an annual basis, well ahead of second-placed India, which accounts for 126,513 metric tons.’

It cites data from environmental group GreenMatch that said ‘nine of the world’s highest plastic polluting countries can currently be found in Asia, with the so-called ‘Pearl of the Orient’ the top culprit.’ Ouch! That ‘pearl’ is none other than the Philippines, Jose Rizal’s ‘region del sol querida, perla del mar de oriente, nuestro perdido eden.’

According to the news platform, other major contributors to the ocean plastic waste include Malaysia with 73,098 metric tons, China with 70,707, and Indonesia with 56,333. Here’s more in metric tons: Myanmar (40,000), Brazil (37,799), Vietnam (28,221), Bangladesh (24,640), and Thailand (22,806).

According to Original Travel, this huge plastic influx has contributed to an increase in the pH level of the world’s oceans over time, with the pH level currently at 8.1 or a 30-percent increase from the preindustrial age. Original Travel’s findings titled ’40 facts and statistics about tourism and ocean sustainability’ can be accessed online.

Green Match estimates that 75 to 199 million tons of plastic are currently present in the oceans, with 92 percent of microplastics present in 60 percent of the fish consumed by humans every year. How’s that for pescatarian gastronomes among us?

Green March further points to Asia as responsible for 81 percent of ocean plastic pollution. Blame this on poor waste management, single-use plastics, and limited recycling infrastructure. But I must say and note that here in the Philippines, banning the use of plastic grocery and shopping bags is enforced in many local governments. And shops and shoppers are complying.

The dire scenario: if things go the way they do, it is not far-fetched for plastics to crowd out the fish in the ocean by 2050. As I said earlier, a dystopian scenario for a sci-fi novel or movie.

Beachfront cleanup drives by young volunteers are commendable, but, sadly, there is more where the garbage comes from, much of it from upstream, and from rivers and creeks that serve as garbage receptacles in heavily populated urban areas. While we blame much of the unprecedented flooding on substandard and ghost flood control projects that channeled staggering billions to contractors and politicians with sticky fingers (after case buildup, no mercy for them), garbage also worsens the scenario.

One cannot say enough about the way everyday commodities-food, personal hygiene necessities, toys, gadgets, stuff ordered online, etc.-are packed. You order a small item sold online, a book, for example, and it comes heavily protected with bubble wrap, more voluminous than the item itself. Aren’t online sellers cautioned against this? Are there biodegradable bubble wraps?

While all eyes are on flood-prone areas made so by corruption and neglect, we must as well look into other factors that aggravate the life-threatening, man-made disasters-garbage, deforestation, quarrying, and mining among them. Plastic garbage is a continuing, everyday scourge that suffocates streams, rivers, and oceans. A scourge that kills the wonderful creatures of this blue planet, their home and ours.

Josh Ybañez vows to ‘die for the ball’ as he makes his Southeast Asian (SEA) Games debut with Alas Pilipinas in the 33rd edition in Thailand starting next week.

Alas, which seeks to translate a memorable FIVB World Championship into a podium finish in the biennial meet, will continue to rely on Ybañez as its main libero, along with veteran Vince Lorenzo, flag-bearer and captain Bryan Bagunas and 10-year veteran Marck Espejo.

Also part of the roster are 2019 SEA Games silver medalists Owa Retamar and Kim Malabunga, as well as World Championship campaigners Leo Ordiales, Buds Buddin, Louie Ramirez, Jade Disquitado, Eco Adajar, Peng Taguibolos, Lloyd Josafat and new addition Al-Bukharie Sali.

Ybañez, who has been thriving as Alas libero, will leave everything on the floor with his crucial role of keeping the ball alive and setting the pace to execute coach Angiolino Frigoni’s plays.

‘My mindset in games is simple, what coach Angiolino always says: ‘Die for the ball.’ That’s it,’ Ybañez told the Inquirer in Filipino.

Receiving and digging the ball sent by the top international teams isn’t new for Ybañez, as his teammates have brought the same power in training for the past two years.

‘Facing powerful hitters isn’t new to me, because even in training, my teammates are all strong. So they’re not much different from the opponents we’ll face. I think it’s really the system I need to adapt to and adjust to,’ he said.

Even though he’s a two-time UAAP MVP and the focal point of University of Santo Tomas’ offense for the past three seasons, returning to his original position libero wasn’t hard for the 22-year-old national team standout, either.

‘It’s a difficult role, but when you enjoy it, it doesn’t feel that hard. When you’re having fun, you don’t think about it as a burden. When you enjoy what you’re doing and you’re constantly learning, you actually crave more,’ Ybañez said. ‘Since I’m an outside spiker for UST, it’s not that far from my role in Alas. Outside hitters defend too; they’re actually the main passers.’

Alas’ inspiring run in the World Championship took the sport to a higher notch and also the expectations from the whole country.

Ybañez and his team chose to focus on their progress and their goal to bring the Philippines back to the podium after two consecutive fifth-place finishes in the past two SEA Games.

‘If we think too much . we’ll just feel more pressure. So we’d rather focus on what we have and show what our team can really do,’ he said.

‘I may be one of the youngest, but it doesn’t matter how old I am. I believe I have leadership inside the court. And people will see a more mature version of me-someone who can take on a leadership role during matches.’

Alas men’s team is in Pool B, battling Myanmar on Dec. 13 and Cambodia the next day. The Filipinos take on defending champion Indonesia on Dec. 16.