Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Elena Rybakina said it was so far, so good with her left heel injury after she eased into the second round of the US Open with a straight-sets victory over US teen Thea Frodin.

The second-ranked Kazakh has her sights not only on a third Grand Slam but also the world number one ranking – which she could claim just by reaching the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows.

Her 6-3, 6-2 victory over the powerful but erratic Frodin was a polished performance, and an encouraging one after the injury that flared up to force her out of her Cincinnati Open quarterfinal.

Make that 8 straight Grand Slam hardcourt wins for Elena Rybakina! pic.twitter.com/uYxLeyDk7S

‘I’m happy with the match. Especially when you don’t know your opponent, it always can be dangerous, but overall I’m happy with the first match and how it went,’ she said.

‘It’s a great result after 10 days from that kind of injury.’

Rybakina had been reassured in Cincinnati when the physio told her she hadn’t torn her Achilles tendon.

But she was unable to walk without pain for several days and is still cautiously managing her training, rest and treatment.

‘When I went to serve, I realized I cannot push from the leg. So it was impossible to continue,’ she said.

‘From that, we started my recovery. We didn’t know if I’m going to be able to play here or not.

‘We were taking day by day. I was not playing for the full week, so seven days no tennis and basically not too much gym I could do movement-wise.

‘Right now, I feel Ok,’ she said after the match. ‘Of course we’ll see again day by day how I wake up tomorrow since it’s the first match and kind of a lot of movement.’

Lawyer Benjamin ‘Jay’ Tolosa Jr. is among private lawyers assisting the House prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Tolosa, who also serves as prosecution team’s legal spokesperson, will be leading the direct examination of lawyer Michael Poa, who is Duterte’s defense counsel and former Department of Education (DepEd) chief of staff.

Tolosa was introduced as part of the legal team of the prosecutors before the trial began in July.

He is the founding and managing partner of the Tolosa Lim and Chua Law Firm, where he heads the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice and leads a team of more than 25 lawyers handling complex and high-stakes disputes.

Graduating from the University of Santo Tomas College of Law, Tolosa ranked among the Top 10 of his class of 145 students in 2008.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in Legal Management from the same university in 2003 and received the Outstanding Thomasian Award from the University of Santo Tomas Law Alumni Foundation, Inc.

Earlier in his career, Tolosa also previously served as legal counsel of the Philippine affiliate of a Fortune Global 500 multinational corporation and as general counsel of a regional conglomerate engaged in the retail and distribution of premium global brands.

He also served as a senior associate at ACCRALAW (Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices), where he represented major corporations, senior executives and public officials in complex and high-value disputes

Air quality in parts of Iloilo City has deteriorated as transboundary haze from forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, spreads across portions of the Philippines, prompting local authorities to advise vulnerable residents to avoid outdoor physical activities.

The Iloilo City Operations Center (OpCen), in an advisory issued at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, said the haze was affecting portions of Luzon and the Visayas, with the prevailing southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ carrying particulate matter northward from Indonesia.

The advisory preceded a separate health warning released at 9 p.m. saying the haze had reached Western Visayas and could cause coughing, throat irritation, chest discomfort, and watery eyes, with people suffering from asthma and cardiovascular disease facing greater risks.

In Iloilo City, monitoring showed a marked increase in fine particulate pollution.

At the Environmental Management Bureau Region VI’s Garden of Love monitoring station, the PM2.5 Air Quality Index rose from readings classified as ‘Good’ late last week to ‘Fair’ on Aug. 31.

The station recorded AQI readings of 19 on Aug. 28, 34 on Aug. 29 and 41 on Aug. 30 before climbing to 70 on Aug. 31.

More concerning conditions were detected at the Central Philippine University/Ungka monitoring station, where real-time measurements cited by OpCen showed a US AQI of 116, classified as ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,’ with a PM2.5 concentration of 41.4 micrograms per cubic meter.

Regional satellite and PurpleAir monitoring also indicated elevated particulate levels over parts of Indonesia and scattered elevated concentrations along western and central Philippine corridors, according to the advisory.

OpCen said atmospheric analysis at an altitude of about three kilometers showed sustained southwesterly airflow transporting particulate matter from Indonesia across Philippine airspace.

An observable haze layer was documented Tuesday morning at moderate levels along affected corridors. Authorities warned that lighter surface and low-level winds in the afternoon could reduce the dispersal of pollutants, allowing fine particles to remain closer to the ground.

PM2.5 refers to microscopic airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller. Because of their size, the particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and may enter the bloodstream.

Exposure may trigger coughing, difficulty breathing, throat irritation, chest discomfort and watery eyes and can aggravate asthma, chronic bronchitis, heart disease and other existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, OpCen said.

Children, senior citizens, pregnant women and people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular illnesses were advised to avoid outdoor physical activities and, as much as possible, remain indoors in areas with filtered air.

If going outdoors cannot be avoided, authorities strongly urged residents, particularly vulnerable individuals, to use properly fitted N95 masks or appropriate masks capable of filtering fine particulate matter.

Residents were also advised to keep doors and windows closed during periods when haze is at its worst, avoid low-lying areas where smoke and suspended particles may accumulate, and use air purifiers equipped with HEPA filters when available.

Motorists were told to exercise additional caution because haze may reduce visibility and to ensure that vehicle headlights or fog lights are working properly.

Those who experience difficulty breathing, persistent coughing, or chest pain were advised to seek medical attention immediately.

The Iloilo City Operations Center said it was continuing to monitor the haze and the southwest monsoon, together with information from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, its Visayas regional weather office, and other air-quality monitoring sources.

Authorities said further advisories could be issued depending on changes in atmospheric and air-quality conditions.

Amid the devastating floods that have hit various parts of the country in recent days, Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos of the Diocese of Antipolo called on government officials to account for their actions and responsibilities.

‘As your shepherd, I call upon those in positions of authority: Ask yourselves. Are you truly serving the people? Are you honest? Do you truly care about our nation?’ Santos said in a scathing message written in Filipino titled ‘Hanggang Kailan’ (Until When?) and posted on the diocese’s official Facebook page on Tuesday.

‘You are there to protect, serve, and safeguard us. You have the power, time, and ability to address the problems of this country. But why do these recurring tragedies remain unresolved?’

‘Why did funds intended for the welfare of the people fail to reach where they were supposed to go? Why have so many enriched themselves while the nation is sinking?’ he asked.

Santos said the country has once again been plunged into deep suffering by seemingly endless flooding caused by the southwest monsoon, or ‘habagat.’

The weather disturbances have triggered widespread flooding, destroyed livelihoods and crops, and damaged infrastructure that should have helped protect communities from disasters.

‘Many families have been forced to evacuate, many areas have become impassable, and once again, many Filipinos are asking: How long?’ Santos said.

The bishop acknowledged that the rains have been heavy and that a lack of discipline, including improper waste disposal, has contributed to flooding.

‘But these are not the only reasons. There is a deeper wound that we must acknowledge: projects that were supposed to prevent flooding, but were never started, never built, or never fulfilled their intended purpose,’ he said.

‘Funds intended to protect our communities were not properly used. What should have been our defense against disasters became ghosts – ghost projects that were never seen, never felt, and never helped the people,’ he lamented.

Santos stressed, however, that corruption and ghost projects are not the fault of ordinary Filipinos.

‘All these are the result of the evil, greed, and negligence of those in power,’ he said.

The bishop said Filipinos also have a responsibility to help rid the government of corrupt officials through their choices at the ballot box.

‘In the coming elections, be discerning. Do not be swayed by temporary favors or handouts. The price of accepting a few thousand pesos in exchange for your vote is years of suffering, destroyed livelihoods, and lost hope. Have compassion for our country. Have compassion for ourselves. Have compassion for the generations to come,’ Santos said.

Despite the situation, Santos appealed to Filipinos not to lose hope and to continue putting their faith in God.

‘In the midst of the storm, let us hold hands. In the midst of the floods, let us help one another. In the midst of corruption, let us stand firm. In the midst of darkness, let us be the light,’ the bishop said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Vicente Sotto III has filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 631 seeking a Senate investigation into the root causes and devastating effects of typhoons and monsoon rains, with the aim of strengthening disaster mitigation efforts.

Sotto said the probe should assess the country’s disaster mitigation measures and the resilience of public infrastructure, particularly flood-control projects intended to protect communities from flooding.

Environmental advocates, coastal communities, and fisherfolk will come together from Sept. 21 to 25 for the Verde Island Passage (VIP) Week 2026, with organizers renewing calls for stronger protection of one of the country’s richest marine biodiversity areas.

The Protect Verde Island Passage (VIP) Network announced that this year’s celebration will carry the theme ‘Tayo ang Alon: Sama-samang Pagkilos Para sa Karagatan, Kabuhayan, at Kinabukasan.’

The campaign seeks to highlight the role of communities and ordinary citizens in protecting the Verde Island Passage, which has been described as the ‘Center of the Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiversity’ and the ‘Amazon of the Oceans’ because of its exceptional marine biodiversity.

The network said the term ‘VIP’ or ‘Very Important People’ should refer not only to government officials and other influential individuals but also to fishermen, coastal residents, young people and communities whose food, livelihoods and future depend on the sea.

‘VIP tayo,’ the network said, emphasizing that protecting the passage requires collective action from people who live along and depend on its waters.

Organizers said the ‘Tayo ang Alon’ theme recognizes that collective action can build a powerful force for the protection of the Verde Island Passage.

One of the major advocacy goals of the VIP Week is to push for the passage of the Verde Island Passage Protected Seascape (VIPPS) Bill in Congress and the Senate.

The network called on the public to support the proposed legislation and join efforts to strengthen protection for the passage.

‘Ang VIP ay para sa VIP. At tayo ang VIP,’ the group said.

The Verde Island Passage stretches between the provinces of Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon and is recognized as an area of exceptional marine biodiversity and importance to coastal communities

Performing the iconic songs of National Artist Ryan Cayabyab comes with pressure, but for the artists joining the ‘Unang Siklab LIYAB: Mga Himig ng Dakilang Pag-ibig’ concert, his music also gives them the freedom to put their own interpretation into the songs.

Martin Nievera admitted that he feels the fear of performing Cayabyab’s compositions, especially with a lineup that includes some of the country’s acclaimed singers.

‘It’s all fear. After hearing all of these hungry choirs, there’s Gigi, Jed and Bituin, the songs of Ryan Cayabyab, you really have to step up your game,’ Nievera said during the concert’s press conference in Manila on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Nievera said the challenge is not simply singing Cayabyab’s songs but telling stories while staying faithful to the composer’s arrangements.

‘The most important thing is the way we tell the story,’ Nievera said. ‘I think Mr. C. wrote it in a way, there’s a way of telling the story that won’t clash with the arrangement. They have to be one in the same. They have to somehow jive together.’

‘The nice thing about it is Mr. C. has a very polite way of saying, just do it your way. In other words, you’ll never compare. Just do it your way,’ he added.

Jed Madela shared a similar sentiment, acknowledging that being handed a Cayabyab composition can initially bring pressure.

‘But once you’ve worked with him many times, he puts you in a place na hindi ka mapepressure,’ he said.

‘I think that’s also the beauty of his songs, na anybody can sing the song with a different flavor. It depends on how it attaches to you. It depends on how you relate to the song,’ he added.

Bituin Escalante, meanwhile, said that the beauty of Cayabyab’s compositions is that they can be interpreted by different artists without the need to compete with previous versions.

‘The way Mr. C writes songs, it’s so easy to make them your own. So it’s never like, I wanna top this version, no. He’s written them in such a way that when you sing it, it’s yours,’ she said.

‘There is no fear in singing Ryan Cayabyab’s song because it’s just so beautifully written,’ Escalante added.

Gigi de Lana said she immediately accepted the invitation, partly because she wanted to work with Cayabyab again after their first collaboration eight years ago.

‘After eight years, I was very, very happy, excited, nervous, and yeah, I felt fear,’ she said. ‘Because Mr. C.’s song is not just music or music for my ears, it’s putting soul in it.’

‘Unang Siklab LIYAB: Mga Himig ng Dakilang Pag-ibig,’ which will be held on Sept. 20 at The Theatre at Solaire, will celebrate the timeless compositions of Cayabyab.

The concert will feature Cayabyab and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductors Jonathan Velasco and Toma Cayabyab. Aside from Nievera, Madela, Escalante and de Lana, Lea Salonga, Ogie Alcasid, Sofronio Vasquez and Arman Ferrer are also set to perform.

They will be joined by the 200-member LIYAB Grand Chorale, composed of the Ateneo Chamber Singers, Imuscapella, Konsertus, Mass Appeal, Novo Concertante, PCSO Chorale, UP Concert Chorus and UP Manila Chorale.

Portions of the concert proceeds will benefit the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Medical Foundation, the UP-PH Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines International Scholarship Fund.

A lawmaker has sounded the alarm about illegal drug dealers being able to reach young people through social media by using emojis as codes for the products being sold.

In a statement on Tuesday, Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos said that authorities have found evidence of drug-related activities online, particularly on messaging platforms, where buyers and sellers use certain emojis-particularly icons deemed by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency as signs for drugs like methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana.

A code cheat sheet sent by Santos’ office showed that some illegal drugs are represented by usual signs like mushrooms for mushrooms; trees, fire, clouds, and clover leaves for marijuana; cocaine with snow, diamonds, or a snowman; to the more uncommon ones, meth with a diamond emoji or a blue heart; and heroin with a brown heart.

‘Technically, all social media platforms prohibit the sale of drugs, but teens know how to find a drug dealer on social media. Drug enforcement units have found evidence that drug activity is rampant across major platforms, particularly Messenger and Viber in the Philippines,’ Santos said.

‘Social media has made it possible for drug dealers to operate in plain sight. They can use coded words, images, emojis, and seemingly harmless posts to advertise illegal drugs while trying to evade the platforms’ detection systems,’ he added.

According to the lawmaker, some social media sites have become a recruitment hub for online drug trafficking, as experienced users are supposedly able to locate dealers through seemingly ordinary posts and interactions.

Furthermore, Santos said that cybersecurity experts have also reported that popular online games and social media platforms are also being tapped as recruitment grounds for another purpose-to engage in nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) behavior or senseless violence.

NVE is being looked at as an angle in the recent shooting incidents in Tacloban City and Zamboanga.

Such activities, Santos said, only stress the need for social media restrictions.

‘Criminals are adapting faster than we are. They are learning how to use the same platforms where our young people spend much of their time,’ he noted.

Last August, Santos threw his support for proposals seeking to restrict social media use for children aged 14 and below, amid fears that the internet is being used by drug syndicates to recruit young people and even engage in drug trade.

Santos said he backs the proposal that would ban children from accessing social media-which was also supported by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

Remulla, during the hearing of the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations on the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), said that he agrees with the ban.

Just recently, the Senate committee on public information and mass media endorsed a bill seeking to set 16 years old as the minimum age for social media use.

Both moves came amid fears that unrestricted social media use may have led students behind the school shooting incidents at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City last June 22 and the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City last August 18 to do these actions.

Three students were killed during the Tacloban shooting, while two, including the gunman, were confirmed dead after the incident at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

There is a belief that the perpetrators in both incidents were supposedly exposed to violent content online.

But Santos said that aside from violent content, the Philippines and other countries have faced problems regarding young children being recruited toward scrupulous activities, including drug trade.

The North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) Corporation has been directed by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to explain the flooding that occurred at Tulaoc Bridge near San Simon town in Pampanga that caused heavy traffic in the past few days.

In a letter shared by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday, the TRB wrote to NLEx Corporation on August 31 directing the firm to submit within three days a detailed explanation for the flooding situation, as well as its proposed measures to mitigate the flooding in San Simon and Tulaoc, Pampanga ‘to further avoid its recurrence.’

Due to the heavy rainfall brought by the southwest monsoon last weekend, motorists were stuck along that portion of the expressway. Many of them spent longer hours on the road than their usual travel time.

In a separate letter, the TRB instructed NLEx Corporation to consider reimbursing the toll fees of Class 1 vehicles that were ‘compelled to make a U-turn due to the flooding incidents in the affected area.’

The TRB also said it expects the corporation to alert motorists three hours before the expected rainfall through Variable Message Signs (VMS), portable VMS, and other messaging platforms that the San Simon-Pulillan Segment of NLEx will be closed to traffic if the water level reaches critical level due to heavy rainfall.

‘During such circumstances, NLEX Corporation is likewise directed to closely coordinate with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and TRB, to jointly ensure the timely implementation of appropriate flood mitigation measures and other necessary interventions, with the primary objective of ensuring the safety of the motoring public and minimizing traffic disruption,’ the TRB wrote.

Last Monday, the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, the operator of NLEx, apologized to motorists for inconveniences due to flooding and vowed to install concrete barriers in affected areas along the expressway

The national government will allocate P300 million for the rehabilitation of two bridges that partially collapsed due to strong river currents and continuous heavy rains, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday.

Marcos made the announcement after inspecting the Agana and Aquino bridges in Tarlac City.

In a statement, Marcos said the Agana bridge could reopen to pedestrians within one week and to light vehicles weighing 10 tons or less within two weeks.

‘We will be giving P300 million to the local government dahil ito ay local bridge. Kaya sila kailangan ng magkatrabaho dito. Siyempre tutulungan natin, tutulungan sa technical aspects that will help them in everything, every way that we can,’ Marcos said.

(We will be giving P300 million to the local government because this is a local bridge. They will be responsible for carrying out the necessary work here. Of course, we will assist them, particularly with the technical aspects, and help them in every way that we can.)

‘And of course, local government and national government magtutulungan para maging mas mabilis. Like I say, I hope in two weeks, they assure me that in two weeks there will already be light traffic allowed across Agana Bridge,’ he added.

(And of course, the local government and the national government will work together to expedite the repairs. As I said, I hope that within two weeks, they have assured me that light traffic will already be allowed to cross Agana Bridge.)

Marcos noted that the volume of water brought by the recent rains was unprecedented, contributing to the bridge’s collapse.

He said the government would continue to adjust to better protect infrastructure from the effects of climate change.

‘This bridge has been standing since just after the war. So 70 years old na ito. Sa buong karanasan ng Pilipinas ngayon lang tayo nakatikim ng ganitong klaseng ulan, ganitong klaseng pagbaha dahil nagbabago ang panahon dahil sa climate change,’ he said.

(This bridge has been standing since just after the war, so it is around 70 years old. In the entire experience of the Philippines, this is the first time we have experienced this kind of rainfall and flooding, as the climate continues to change due to climate change.)

The Agana Bridge partially collapsed at around 7:40 p.m. on August 29 due to strong and surging floodwaters from the Tarlac River.

It gave way just a day after the nearby Aquino Bridge also collapsed, forcing motorists to take the Agana Bridge as an alternative route.

The Department of Education (DepEd) will no longer be conducting ‘reenactments’ for the nationwide simultaneous school safety drill this Thursday.

At the Kapihan sa Manila Prince Hotel on Wednesday, DepEd governance and operations Undersecretary Malcolm Garma explained that the drill had been postponed on August 25, due to inclement weather and concerns from medical groups regarding children’s emotional safety.

‘Wala nang reenactment na mayroong active shooter or active attacker because, according to the experts, this might cause psychological trauma sa ating mga participant learners and including the teachers,’ Garma said in an interview after the forum.

(There will no longer be reenactments involving an active shooter or active attacker because, according to experts, these may cause psychological trauma to participating learners and teachers.)

‘What will trigger the drill are the alarms, yung distinct alarm na, once mag-sound yun, that will signal the commencement of the drills,’ he added.

(What will trigger the drill are the alarms, the distinct alarms that, once they sound, will signal the commencement of the drills.)

The DepEd undersecretary added that the postponement of the nationwide drill also allowed the agency to include measures to strengthen post-incident response efforts and to integrate the ‘run-hide-fight’ protocol.

The ‘run-hide-fight’ protocol is a procedure in which individuals in an active shooter situation should first evacuate if able as a first response; or hide silently as a secondary measure; or directly confront the perpetrator as a last resort.

‘There will be a reunification component,’ Garma added.

‘Nasa isang lugar lang isa at doon rerespondehan yung mga nasugatan at doon susunduin ng mga magulang yung kani-kanilang mga anak,’ he further explained.

(Responders will have one place where all the wounded will be tended to and where all the parents will fetch their children.)

He added that another new measure in the drill would be to seek the consent of parents to allow their children to participate, citing that schools were currently in the end-of-term block for the first trimester.

‘We will not be able to force them to make their children join,’ he said. ‘But, of course, we would like to encourage our parents to make their children join.’

The nationwide drill will be kicked off at a school in Bulacan province on Thursday morning, according to Garma, noting that other schools-particularly those affected by flooding amid inclement weather-may choose to hold the drills at another time.

The drill was instituted by the DepEd in coordination with the Philippine National Police, local government units and other partner agencies in the wake of the fatal school shootings in Tacloban City last June 22 and Zamboanga City last August 18.

‘This will not be the first and the last,’ Garma said. ‘We have to perfect that drill. It’s really for muscle memory.’

‘Nagpa-pay off na yung earthquake drills natin. Alam na ng mga bata yung gagawin. Duck, cover and hold. We hope that these drills to address human-induced incidents like this would also be part of the muscle memory of our learners,’ he added.

(Our earthquake drills are paying off. Our children already know what to do, the duck-cover-and-hold. We hope that these drills to address human-induced incidents like this would also be part of the muscle memory of our learners.)