Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and northeast monsoon or amihan are expected to bring cloudy skies and rains across the country on Saturday, according to the state weather bureau.

In its 5 a.m. weather forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration, the ITCZ or the convergence of winds coming from the northern and southern hemispheres will prevail in the southern section of Luzon while the amihan will be felt in parts of Northern and Central Luzon.

‘Expect chances of cloudy skies and rains due to amihan over the eastern section of Northern and Central Luzon, in Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Aurora,’ weather specialist Daniel Villamil said.

Villamil noted that ITCZ will bring scattered rainshowers, thunderstorms, and cloudy skies throughout the day over Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) and Bicol Region.

He also said that Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will experience generally fair weather with partly cloudy to cloudy skies. He added that chances of rainshowers and thunderstorms are possible over Metro Manila and in most parts of Central Luzon and the rest of Southern Luzon.

Meanwhile, Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao will see high chances of cloudy skies and scattered rains due to the ITCZ.

‘Cloudy skies and rains are possibly sustained. That’s why continue being alert over flooding and landslides, especially if the rains persist,’ Villamil said.

Villamil also shared that while no gale warning is raised in any seaboards of the country, moderate to rough sea conditions are forecast over the seaboards of Northern Luzon.

Temperature forecast in the following areas:

Laoag: 22°C to 31°C

Baguio: 17°C to 23°C

Metro Manila: 24°C to 31°C

Tagaytay: 22°C to 30°C

Tuguegarao: 24°C to 30°C

Legazpi: 25°C to 31°C

Kalayaan Islands: 25°C to 31°C

Puerto Princesa: 25°C to 30°C

Iloilo: 25°C to 30°C

Cebu: 24°C to 29°C

Tacloban: 24°C to 29°C

Zamboanga: 24°C to 31°C

Cagayan de Oro: 24°C to 29°C

Davao: 24°C to 31°C

Four-day weather outlook

Villamil said that there is a low chance of tropical cyclone formation within the next three to five days. He added that no tropical cyclone is currently being monitored inside and outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

Villamil also said that the following weather conditions may be seen for the following days:

Sunday to Monday: Scattered rains and thunderstorms to continue over Visayas, Mindanao, and Palawan due to the ITCZ.

Tuesday to Wednesday: Northeast monsoon surge expected. Shear line will affect the eastern section of Luzon, scattered rains and isolated thunderstorms over Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Quezon, and Bicol Region.

Generally fair weather over the rest of the country apart from isolated thunderstorms throughout the forecast period.

Enrique Gil’s manager and business partner Ranvel Rufino said the viral Juan Ponce Enrile post attributed to the actor is fake, urging the public to stop creating and spreading such on social media.

Several Facebook pages earlier shared a supposed screenshot of Gil honoring the late controversial political figure through an Instagram Story. Included in the photo is the caption, ‘Rest in peace, sen. Let’s not stress ourselves. Mananagot din ang mga taong nagdiriwang sa pagkawala mo.’ (Retribution will come to those who celebrate your death.)

The fake photo went viral on the platform, garnering thousands of reactions from netizens.

While Gil has yet to comment on the matter, Rufino took to his Instagram Stories to dismiss the edited photo.

‘Quen (Enrique) didn’t post this. Guys, please stop creating and posting fake posts,’ he said. It can be recalled that Gil played the character of Enrile in an episode of the drama anthology ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya’ featuring the latter’s life.

Enrile, who was reportedly hospitalized due to pneumonia, died on Nov. 13 at the age of 101.

Police authorities in the Bangsamoro Region have confiscated about P1.9 million worth of smuggled cigarettes and arrested three men in separate law enforcement operations in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte in the past two days.

Brig. Gen. Jaysen de Guzman, regional director of the Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), said operatives of the municipal police station in Marantao, Lanao del Sur arrested two men during a law enforcement operation along the Narciso Ramos Highway in Barangay Daana-ingud at about 2 p.m. on Friday.

He named the suspects as ‘Alias Mangorsi,’ 26, and ‘Alias Bonsalagan,’ 20, a helper, both of Pualas town in Lanao del Sur.

They were on board a Toyota Revo car (Plate No. XCU-205) when flagged at a checkpoint. Police found and seized from the suspects 42 cases of imported cigarettes worth P1,648,500.

Earlier, policemen in South Upi, Maguindanao del Norte flagged down a Toyota Innova (KDB 552) at a police outpost in Barangay Romongaob at about 3 p.m. on Thursday.

De Guzman said police arrested its driver, Keneth Fruta Mayao, 30, a resident of Davao City.

Seized from him were 375 reams of smuggled cigarettes and the vehicle.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Friday estimated the losses to the sugar industry in the Visayas at more than P1.2 billion, based on a partial assessment of the devastating damage caused by Typhoon ‘Tino’ (international name: Kalmaegi) that swept through its provinces on Nov. 4.

Tino wreaked havoc in over 53,000 hectares of sugar fields covering the mill districts on Negros Island and the provinces of Capiz, Iloilo, Leyte and Cebu, affecting more than 16,000 sugar farmers, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said.

Azcona said the SRA mobilized field personnel to conduct a full assessment of all areas including farmlands that were also in the path of Typhoon ‘Uwan’ (Fung-wong), which came after Tino, ‘so we can have a full picture of the damage these two major disasters caused in sugarland areas.’

Mills’ forced shutdown

‘We have seen entire fields decimated by Tino especially in the fourth and fifth districts of Negros Occidental where harvestable canes were flattened and flooded and we can only hope that these fields will be able to recover,’ Azcona said.

Azcona said they expected delays in milling, with four mills forced to stop operations for almost a week as they too have been damaged, citing the mills in La Carlota City and Binalbagan that had to shut down for a week before they were able to refire their mills.

‘Typhoon Tino was among the strongest storms and the heaviest flooding we experienced in the past two decades and a major challenge to our industry that is already facing problems with the RSSI (red-striped soft-scale insect) infestation,’ Azcona said.

‘Tino also flooded areas which have never been flooded in history, and our understanding is that the flooding was also brought about by Mt. Kanlaon’s continuous ashfalls, clogging rivers and vital drainage with ash and lahar,’ he added.

Azcona said the SRA has started procuring fertilizers to aid farmers who were badly affected and these will soon be distributed to mill districts and sugar associations.

Hardest hit were sugar lands in Biscom mill district covering Himamaylan City and the towns of Isabela, Binalbagan, Hinigaran and Moises Padilla where over 20,000 ha of sugarlands were severely damaged, he said.

These were followed by the La Carlota mill district with over 10,000 ha, and the San Carlos district which includes Canlaon, Sagay-Danao district, and Ma-ao district, Azcona added.

‘These are partial reports from the field and we expect the numbers to grow after we have the full assessment from the field, with initial conservative drop of 500,000 bags or more or raw sugar, not counting the molasses drop,’ Azcona said.

Azcona remained hopeful the industry would recover and ‘there is no better time than now for all stakeholders to come together and help each other to ensure that no one is left behind and we remain steadfast as a united sugar industry.’

The Department of Health (DOH) is seeking P4.2 billion for its antituberculosis (TB) program next year, amid a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) showing the Philippines ranks third among countries with the highest TB rates.

According to the WHO Global Tuberculosis report 2025 released on Wednesday, the country accounted for 6.8 percent of TB cases worldwide, after 25 percent in India and 10 percent in Indonesia.

The Philippines was followed by China (6.5 percent), Pakistan (6.3 percent), Nigeria (4.8 percent), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (3.9 percent) and Bangladesh (3.6 percent).

TB incidence

There were 10.7 million people worldwide who developed TB last year, of which the fatalities reached 1.23 million, according to the report.

In a statement also on Wednesday, the DOH said it has allocated P4.2 billion for its TB program in the agency’s proposed 2026 budget.

The department said it plans to screen 12 million Filipinos nationwide by next year in its efforts to reduce TB in the country.

Apart from its proposed allocation, the DOH said it has rolled out a faster regimen called Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment, which has also been expanded to cover drug-resistant TB cases.

‘We are already using an innovative treatment for drug-resistant TB that cuts the treatment from two years to only six months with a higher treatment success rate,’ Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in the statement.

In terms of TB incidence, the Philippines has 500 new cases per 100,000 population, higher than the 131 new cases worldwide, according to the WHO.

The report also found that the Philippines was among 30 countries with a high burden of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)-associated TB.

WHO noted that ‘of the total number of people who develop TB disease each year, about 90 percent are adults, with more cases among men than women.’

The stories choose you,’ said Carlo Obispo as a way of explaining why his films focus on Filipino children, often the most vulnerable in the country.

‘There’s a crucial reconciliation between who you think you are and how these stories speak to you,’ Obispo told an audience at the Borneo Cultures Museum here on Friday, Nov. 14, during his talk, ‘From Local Roots to Global Screens: Crafting Stories Beyond Borders.’

Obispo was named Best Director at the 2023 ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA) for ‘The Baseball Player.’ The 2025 edition, which started on Nov. 12, ends today, Nov. 15.

Filmmaking is just for the rich

Obispo’s journey began in Purok Siete, a rural village in Tarlac, Philippines. ‘Not every home had a TV, not everybody even had electricity. We were content with playing on the streets, in the river, and catching fish. Filmmaking felt impossible. It was just for the rich.’

Even in high school, his closest dream was to be a writer. ‘Art was not really a priority in my school,’ he said. College theater sparked a passion for directing, but filmmaking remained out of reach, until digital technology opened the door.

Moving to Manila, he sought guidance from screenwriter Ricky Lee, now a National Artist for Film and Broadcast. ‘He opened the doors for not only me but for many other filmmakers,’ Obispo said. ‘It was there I realized my storytelling would start from observing life in the countryside.’

Confronting harsh realities

His films’ focus on children came after confronting harsh realities. ‘When I worked in Malate, some guys would offer kids to go out with you, for a price. At first, I shrugged it off. But seeing anti-child trafficking posters in Cebu made me realize how serious it was. That’s why my films explore Filipino children.’

‘Purok 7,’ his debut feature, looked at the lives of children whose parents work abroad. Subsequent works, including ‘1,2,3’ and ‘Gasping for Air,’ tackled trafficking and other social issues. ‘The Baseball Player’ continues this focus, highlighting child soldiers.

‘For me, filmmaking is a process of self-knowing,’ he said. ‘Children are always vulnerable. As a storyteller, you see the problems and feel obliged to do something about them. You can’t sleep. You can’t be at ease until you act. It haunts you until you do something.’

Despite financial struggles, Obispo pressed on. ”Purok 7′ was semi-autobiographical. Producing, writing, directing all at once was really hard. But if you really want something badly, you will get it.’

He sees filmmaking as service. ‘We serve the story, the people it represents, and the audience. It’s not just about yourself. These stories chose me, and I am here to serve them.’

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson spoiled Macau’s debut in the 2025-26 season of the East Asia Super League (EASL) after pushing the Bolts past the Black Bears, 92-74, at Cebu Coliseum here on Saturday night.

Hollis-Jefferson was everywhere on the court, finishing with a monster double-double to the tune of 34 points and 11 rebounds with five assists and two blocks to match.

In usual RHJ fashion, he never sat once in the entire 40 minutes of action in the Bolts’ second straight win.

‘Rondae is one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever played against. He’s the same every time. He approaches the game in the same way,’ Chris Newsome said.

‘He motivates the guys around him, he makes his teammates go harder. Whenever you feel like you can’t anymore, RHJ is someone who will motivate you.’

After trailing by as much as 19 points, the Black Bears trimmed their deficit to six, 80-74, late in the fourth quarter. But in response, Hollis-Jefferson sank a heavily contested short stab and drew the foul to extend the lead to nine, 83-74, with 2:32 left in the game.

Fellow import Ismael Romero, who also had a double-double of his own, put the finishing touches after a bruising bucket in the paint to put Meralco up for good, 85-74, with 1:54 remaining in the game.

Romero powered his way to 25 points and 28 rebounds. Chris Banchero got his rhythm with 12 points while Sina Vahedi also helped the cause with 10 to his name to push the Bolts to a 2-2 record in Group B.

‘It was difficult for us because he didn’t know who we’d play so it’s nice to get this win,’ coach Nenad Vucinic said, reiterating they only found out the Black Bears’ lineup at 10:30 pm the night before.

Damian Chonqui topscored for Macau, finishing with 25 points and four assists in the season-opening loss. Omari Peek-Green and Jalon Miller also finished with 14 markers each.

Senator Mark Villar has denied allegations made by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo that he received kickbacks from government infrastructure projects.

During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the flood control mess on Friday, Bernardo implicated Villar, former Senator Grace Poe, and Education Secretary Sonny Angara in allegedly receiving commitments from DPWH projects.

Bernardo said that when he became an assistant secretary of the agency, former DPWH Undersecretary Cathy Cabral was already in service. He alleged that Villar supposedly received commitments from DPWH when he was still head of the agency.

‘The funding of all projects was cleared through Usec. Cabral for approval by Sec. Villar. From time to time, Usec. Cabral would ask me to submit a detailed list of projects regarding lump-sum fund allocations of DPWH, which she sometimes approves herself or forwards to Sec. Villar for approval,’ Bernardo said.

‘Among others, these include EDSA and other major road project applications, and maintenance of creeks and waterways. The commission from these approved projects was 10 percent and divided as follows: 50 percent to Carlo Aguilar, presumably for Sec. Mark Villar; 25 percent for Usec. Cabral; and 25 percent for myself,’ Bernardo added.

Villar said he stands by his ‘untarnished record’ as a former DPWH secretary, representative, and now a senator.

‘I vehemently and categorically deny the accusations made today in the Blue Ribbon Committee. Isa po itong malaking kasinungalingan (This is one big lie),’ Villar said in a statement on Friday.

Villar then asked the public ‘to be discerning and not to rush judgment based solely on a person’s affidavit, which may be manufactured or tailored to fit his or other people’s convenience.’

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is further strengthening its enforcement efforts against illegal acts. These include investment scams, predatory lending practices, money laundering, terrorist financing, market abuse, disclosure violations and others.

This is through a whistleblower protection program that safeguards individuals who report such anomalies.

The SEC last Nov. 12 issued for public comment the draft memorandum circular providing guidelines on whistleblower protection. This is as part of its contribution to corporate integrity and the country’s broader anti-corruption and transparency efforts under the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The move is also in coordination with initiatives of the Department of Finance.

‘Financial consumers, investors, and corporate insiders all play a vital role in safeguarding the integrity of our financial and corporate sectors. Their willingness to expose wrongdoings forms part of our defense against fraud, market abuse, failures in disclosure, and other illegal acts,’ SEC chair Francis Lim said in a statement.

‘Through the issuance of these whistleblower protection guidelines, we seek to empower victims, market participants, and concerned citizens to come forward without fear, report violations of corporate and securities laws, from scams to complex misconduct such as insider trading and failures to disclose beneficial ownership, and join us in our fight against illicit activities that harm financial consumers and erode confidence in our markets,’ Lim said.

The draft guidelines considers a whistleblower as any person who provides ‘truthful information’ relating to a reportable act or omission to the SEC.

Reportable acts or omissions cover any offense or violation under the Revised Corporation Code. These include the unauthorized use of corporate name; violation of the disqualification provision for directors; willful certification of incomplete, false, or misleading statements or reports; and fraudulent conduct of business, among others.

Whistleblower protection and filing of reports

Whistleblowers may also report on other laws and regulations implemented by the SEC. These include the Securities Regulation Code; Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act; and Lending Company Regulation Act of 2007, among others.

This means whistleblowers can report not only obvious scams, but also highly sophisticated violations. Examples are insider trading, market manipulation and failure to disclose accurate beneficial ownership information.

The draft guidelines primarily ensure that whistleblowers are protected from retaliation while providing clear and accessible ways to file reports with the SEC.

A whistleblower may lodge a report through designated channels. These include the Whistleblowing Portal that will be created on the SEC website.

The SEC will process anonymous reports or complaints only if the information provided pertains to verifiable leads through other means. For example, by checking corporate records. In such a case, the subject of such reports or complaints may be required to provide a comment.

Anonymous reports should clearly identify the respondents by disclosing the corporation’s corporate name and address. Further, the alleged violations, actions, and/or omissions must be clearly identified, together with the law, rule, and regulations allegedly violated.

A whistleblower who files a report anonymously may choose to provide a manner by which he or she can be contacted. The SEC shall keep this confidential in accordance with the law.

Whistleblowing office

The draft guidelines provide the designation of a Whistleblowing Office. It shall take charge of receiving and managing whistleblowing reports and overseeing the implementation of whistleblower protection measures.

The SEC will also implement measures to protect whistleblowers from retaliation or adverse actions. This includes ensuring job security and providing support mechanisms.

Anti-retaliation measures may also include prohibitions on dismissal or demotion. The Commission could also provide counseling or legal assistance. INQ

Resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co has dared Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to investigate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez over the former lawmaker’s allegations regarding the cousins’ involvement in the P100 billion insertions in the 2025 national budget.

Co issued the challenge in the second part of his video statement posted on Saturday.

The former lawmaker broke his months-long silence after being implicated in alleged corruption in flood control projects through a video statement initially posted on Friday.

In the first part of the video, Co alleged that Marcos and Romualdez were the alleged masterminds behind the P100 billion in the 2025 national budget. Co then published a list of proposed projects that Marcos, through Romualdez, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Adrian Bersamin, requested to be inserted into the bicameral conference committee level.

Co then claimed that after the approval of the budget, he asked the Department of Public Works and Highways how much of the P100 billion insertion should be given to the Office of the President.

‘What they told me is 25 percent. It means that 25 percent of the P100 billion is the SOP that should be given to BBM. In total, P25 billion went to President Bongbong Marcos,’ Co said in the second part of the video statement.

With this, Co said that Remulla must stick to his word that he would investigate Romualdez if the former provided evidence.

‘He should now prove his statement that he will investigate his fraternity brother and his friend, Speaker Martin Romualdez, if he truly intends to fulfill his duty,’ Co dared.

‘He must also investigate President Bongbong Marcos. Like what BBM said last Sona, ‘let’s do it right and have some shame,’ right?’ Co added.

Remulla recently said that among the high-ranking officials being subjected to ongoing investigations for directly facilitating or turning a blind eye to the corruption in government infrastructure works are Romualdez, Co, and former Senate President Francis Escudero.

Remulla noted that while examining cases involving Co, there was a pattern of the latter’s coordination with some senators in crafting the final version of the national budget. Meanwhile, Remulla said that Romualdez was ‘responsible’ for appointing Co as the chairperson of the House committee on appropriations in the 19th Congress from 2022 to 2025.

Co also called on the Senate to investigate the alleged P100-billion budget insertion directed by Marcos.

‘I know that Ombudsman Remulla will not heed my challenge, but the Senate is doing a great job in investigating, and I believe that because of them, the truth will come out,’ Co added.