Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

A barangay captain in Maguindanao del Sur was arrested for his alleged involvement in the 2023 killing of another barangay’s captain and councilor in the same province, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the CIDG only identified the arrested suspect as the current captain of Barangay Datu Salibo named ‘Nasser.’

The police said the arrest stemmed from a warrant for two counts of murder issued by a Shariff Aguak court on Oct. 11, 2023 with no bail recommended.

The CIDG did not specify the court that issued the warrant. ‘On Aug. 16, 2023, the arrested accused and 21 other co-accused allegedly perpetrated an explosion targeting a group of barangay officials led by Jun ‘Datumanot’ Silongan, incumbent captain of Barangay Pendeten, Datu Salibo, Maguindanao Del Sur,’ the CIDG said.

‘The barangay officials were traversing on foot a trail in an uninhabited farmland in Sitio Patawali, Barangay Ganta, Sharif Saydona when an explosion occurred that caused the instantaneous death of [Silongan] and seriously wounding barangay kagawad Salik Katua and 8 others. Unfortunately, Kagawad Katua succumbed to the injury,’ it added.

The CIDG also noted that it already arrested a municipal councilor named ‘Allan’ last Oct. 11 in connection with the case.

Thousands of residents in Baras town in the island province of Catanduanes were left homeless after Super Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-Wong) tore through the coastal area, destroying homes and livelihoods.

According to the Baras Information and Public Affairs Unit, 150 houses were destroyed, while 1,244 were partially damaged.

‘All 29 barangays are affected, affecting some 13,000 individuals. We urgently need food packs, shelter kits, clean drinking water, and hygiene kits,’ Mayor Paulo Teves told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Tuesday.

He said a total of 2,433 families or 7,569 individuals were evacuated but have since returned to their damaged homes, building temporary shelters as they try to recover from the storm’s destruction.

Aside from damaged houses, crops, particularly abaca plantations, were also battered and were not spared from Uwan’s wrath.’We cannot yet estimate the cost of the damage as some areas are still impassable due to landslides,’ Teves said.

Mary Anne Molina, director of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority in the region, said in a separate message on Tuesday that reporting from the field remains challenging due to impassable roads and power outages that have disrupted connectivity.

‘There is heavy damage to abaca in the northern towns of Caramoran, Pandan, Bagamanoc, Panganiban, and Viga, while moderate to heavy damage was reported in Baras, Gigmoto, and Bato,’ Molina said.

She added that abaca plantations in Iriga City and Buhi town also bore the brunt of Uwan’s wrath

The provincial government of Bohol has launched a special Christmas initiative, One SugBohol: ‘TINO-od nga Pasko, UWAN sa Gugma (A True Christmas, a Shower of Love),’ to extend love and assistance to families in Cebu who were severely affected by Typhoon Tino.

The program was officially unveiled during the Monday flag-raising ceremony at the Capitol grounds. This was followed by a Holy Mass presided over by Diocesan Administrator Rev. Fr. Gerardo Saco Jr.

The Eucharistic celebration was offered for the recovery and resilience of those affected by recent calamities.

Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado led the ceremony, joined by department heads and Capitol employees. He said the Christmas drive is Bohol’s way of showing solidarity and compassion beyond provincial borders.

‘I call on everyone to join our initiative, ‘A true Christmas, a shower of love,’ as our gift to those affected by the recent calamities such as Typhoon Tino and the earthquake in northern Cebu,’ Aumentado said.

‘This is our chance to show that Boholanos care-not only for our own but for others in need,’ he added.

The governor noted that thousands of families in Cebu are still in dire need of essentials such as food, water, medicine, clothing, and shelter.

As part of the initiative, the Provincial Health Office’s (PHO) Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) team will be deployed to Danao City, Cebu, from Nov. 14 to 17.

The 11-member team will provide psychological first aid and mental health support to survivors of Typhoon Tino.

Boholanos wishing to contribute to the relief efforts may bring monetary or in-kind donations to the Public Assistance and Complaint Desk (PACD) at the Ground Floor Lobby of the New Provincial Capitol Building. The Provincial Human Resource and Management Development Office (PHRMDO) is spearheading a collection drive, which will run until Thursday, Nov. 13. Donations will be sent to Cebu the following day.

PHRMDO head Anne Mariquit Oppus said the initiative is not just a relief effort but a call for solidarity and compassion this Christmas season.

Through this campaign, the Capitol reinforces its commitment to malasakit and responsive governance-proving that the true spirit of Christmas shines brightest in times of adversity

Angeline Quinto is celebrating her 15th year in show business with a comeback lead role and her first venture as a producer in the upcoming drama-thriller ‘Ang Happy Homes ni Diane Hilario.’

In the recent special advance screening and press conference of the film, Quinto admitted that while she started out as a singer and enjoyed being one, she has also learned to love acting.

‘Magfi-fifteen years na ako as a singer, wala naman sigurong masama na subukan ko ulit na umarte. Bukod sa pagkanta, minahal ko talaga ang acting, and ayaw ko sayangin po ang tiwala na binibigay sa akin kasi kung kaya ko naman, kailan ko gagawin ‘di ba?’ she said.

(I’m about to turn fifteen as a singer, so there’s nothing wrong with me trying acting again. Aside from singing, I really loved acting, and I don’t want to waste the trust that’s been given to me because if I can do it, when will I do it?)

Directed by Marlon M. Rivera, known for ‘Ang Babae sa Septic Tank,’ the film centers on a close-knit community living in a tenement building called ‘Happy Homes.’

Beneath the characters’ seemingly cheerful lives, each resident hides personal struggles – until a string of mysterious deaths unravels in the four corners of their home.

Quinto shared that she can relate to her character, Diane, given that she is also the kind of person who would take someone under her wing, as she shared that she is still looking after her brother, who’s currently at the rehabilitation center.

‘Talagang sinasabi ko sa sarili ko, wala din namang ibang magmamahal sa kapatid ko na katulad ng ginawa ko. Kasi, wala na po kaming magulang. So, ako na lang po ang talagang mag-intindi sa kanya, and awa ng Diyos, unti-unti na pong naging maayos ngayon,’ she said.

(I really tell myself, no one else will love my brother the way I did. Because, we don’t have any parents anymore. So, I’m the only one who really understands him, and by God’s grace, he’s gradually getting better now.)

Aside from Quinto, ‘Ang Happy Homes ni Diane Hilario’ also stars Eugene Domingo, Luis Alandy, Paolo Contis, and Richard Yap, among others.

The film is set to open in nationwide cinemas on December 3.

Alarmed by exorbitant interest rates and other fees imposed by lending platforms, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto had ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission to adopt stricter measures on abusive and exploitative lending practices.

He wants to put a cap on interest rates and other lending costs on unsecured loans, depending on their amount, which does not exceed P20,000, and are payable within six months or less.

Online lending has boomed because it provides a fast and easy means for financially challenged Filipinos to have access to funds to pay for unexpected or emergency obligations for, say, hospital bills, enrolment fees and home and car repairs.

This lending process fills a need that traditional lending or financial institutions are unable to meet due to requirements on, among others, full disclosure of the identity of the borrower and his or her capacity to pay, and compliance with antimoney laundering rules that can be a pain in the neck.

Credit arrangement

Except for being technology-driven, online lending is akin to the ‘5-6’ credit arrangement that Indian nationals in the country are known to offer to Filipinos in economically depressed areas to meet the latter’s financial requirements.

No credit background check is needed for this purpose. The signature of the borrower across the item in the lender’s notebook, showing the amount lent or the home appliance paid for by the loan, is sufficient.

Repayment of the debt would be done through personal collection on the agreed dates.

By and large, online lending is similar. The posting of government-issued identification cards, Meralco or PLDT statement of account to confirm the borrower’s address and proof of employment is sufficient to secure immediate loan approval and the deposit of its amount to the borrower’s e-wallet or other digital bank account.

Collection

For monitoring and collection purposes, the borrower is required to disclose his or her cell phone number, email address or social media account and sometimes give information about the person who can act as his or her ‘guarantor.’

Note that the online lender has only the documents earlier mentioned as its basis to decide on whether or not to extend the loan. No collateral is required to secure it.

To compensate for the risk of the borrower reneging on the loan, the lender imposes interest rates and other fees that would make Shylock cringe with shame.

As a marketing technique, those items are couched in words that give the impression that they are affordable on, say, a weekly basis, but when computed in their totality would be exorbitant or usurious.

But because the need for the money is urgent or the borrower is ‘kapit sa patalim’ (or in desperate need), the charges are often hardly studied and come to mind only when demands for repayment are made through his or her cellphone or social media accounts.

That some online lenders impose usurious rates and fees is not in question. They prey on the urgency of their borrowers’ need for money and their inability to tap other sources for that purpose.

Heavy penalties

The imposition of heavy penalties on predatory lenders may deter some of them from continuing with that practice, but that is no assurance that they would not engage in it clandestinely as long as access to other sources of emergency funds is restrictive or burdened with time-consuming requirements.

The effort to curtail predatory lending should not end with the issuance of a memorandum circular raising the penalties for its commission. It behooves the government to find ways and means to provide prompt relief to Filipinos who, on account of their dire economic situation, have no choice but to accept onerous loan charges when their need for financial assistance is acute

Celebrity couples Anne Curtis and Erwan Heussaff, Solenn Heusaff and Nico Bolzico, Kim Molina and Jerald Napoles as well as Isabelle Daza and Adrien Semblat were among those who took on the challenge at the fitness competition Hyrox Seoul in South Korea.

The event, held last Nov. 8 and 9, is an indoor fitness racing in Seoul ‘where participants run 1 kilometer, followed by 1 functional workout station, repeated eight times,’ as per its website.

Each pair documented their performances at the fitness race, with clips of them shared via their respective Instagram pages.

Curtis and Erwan, and Molina and Napoles respectively paired up as team. Meanwhile, Solenn and Daza teamed up, while their husbands Bolzico and Semblat joined as a pair.

Also among the notable attendees of the fitness event were Korean celebrities Choi Seung-yon, Amotti and Beom-seuk Hong, among others.

Piolo Pascual and Eman Bacosa Pacquiao – who have been jokingly referred to as ‘twins’ by netizens – have finally met for the first time and even engaged in a friendly sparring session.

Aside from being the son of Manny Pacquiao with Joanna Bacosa, Eman has been making rounds on social media for his striking resemblance to Piolo, which led to some netizens addressing him as ‘Piolo Pacquiao.’

Eman was one of the standouts at the Thrilla in Manila 2 after maintaining his record: 7 wins, 0 loss, 1 draw, 4 knockouts, after competing in one of its matches. The event was organized to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier’s 1975 fight in the Philippines.

On the Instagram page of Piolo’s management, Cornerstone Entertainment, on Monday, Nov. 10, the actor and Eman were captured throwing in a few punches during a friendly sparring match to mark their meet-up.

‘Papa P meets Eman! Manny Pacquiao’s son, Eman Pacquiao, whose features are said to mirror those of Piolo Pascual’s, has finally met him!’ the post read.

The Facebook page of ‘Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho’ also shared photos of Piolo and Eman posing side by side in what seemed to be a glimpse of an upcoming interview.

‘PIOLO PASCUAL AT EMAN PACQUIAO, NAGKITA NA! Sa episode ng #KMJS nitong Linggo, nakita na nang personal ng boksingerong si Eman Bacosa Pacquiao ang aktor na si Piolo Pascual na sinasabing kahawig daw niya. Presenting. PIOLO PACQUIAO!’ the post read.

In a recent interview with Soho, Eman opened up about coming to terms with being the son of Manny, and how he planned to establish himself as a boxer who doesn’t rely on his father’s success.

Piolo is one of the lead stars of the family film ‘Meet, Greet and Bye,’ which also stars Maricel Soriano, Joshua Garcia, JK Labajo, and Belle Mariano.

A 50-year-old farmer from Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur, died on Sunday night after being struck by a fully grown mango tree at the height of Typhoon Uwan’s onslaught.

Police said the victim had been sitting outside his house despite strong winds when the tree was uprooted and fell on him.

Responding police officers and members of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) were able to remove the tree trunk, but the victim was already unconscious.

He was rushed to the Ilocos Sur District Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

In La Union, a 61-year-old man survived an electrocution incident after accidentally touching exposed electrical wires while fixing his family’s roof.

He was treated at a nearby hospital and has since been discharged, according to the La Union Provincial Information Office.

Meanwhile, in Pangasinan, a 15-year-old boy identified as Andre Buella Perez remains missing after he, his brother Aron, and their cousin Carl were swept away by rising water from a dam in Barangay Tagac, Mangatarem.

Police reports said the three were crossing the Lucero Dam when the water suddenly surged, dragging them downstream. Nearby residents were able to rescue Aron and Carl, who have since been reunited with their families

Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-Wong) has left 2,358,476 persons affected across 15 regions, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Tuesday morning.

As of 6 a.m., the highest number of affected persons is in the Bicol Region, with 1,163,473 persons or 329,029 families affected, followed by the Negros Island Region with 198,120 persons or 51,468 families affected, and Eastern Visayas with 186,532 persons or 53,053 families affected.

The affected persons for the remaining 12 regions are as follows:

Central Luzon: 158,697 persons / 44,998 families

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): 151,960 persons / 30,392 families

Western Visayas: 109,220 persons / 36,006 families

Caraga: 99,109 persons / 22,018 families

Cagayan Valley: 98,003 persons / 32,447 families

Metro Manila: 66,195 persons / 17,704 families

Ilocos Region: 59,614 persons / 59,614 families

Mimaropa: 33,075 persons / 8,499 families

Calabarzon: 14,703 persons / 4,685 families

Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): 10,875 persons / 3,493 families

Northern Mindanao: 4,882 persons / 1,112 families

Zamboanga Peninsula: 4,018 persons / 1,235 families

Among the 2.3 million people affected, 1,068,834 individuals remain displaced, the NDRRMC also reported.

According to the agency, 803,610 displaced persons or 231,215 families are spread across 10,818 evacuation centers, while 265,224 persons or 78,093 families are served outside of the evacuation centers.

The NDRRMC also reported six deaths-three of which are in Cagayan Valley and one each in the Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas-and 13 injuries in total.

As of writing, 267 areas in eight regions remain flooded, as per the NDRRMC.

Bicol has the highest number of flooded areas at 161, followed by Calabarzon at 39, and Central Luzon at 36.

Sixteen flooding incidents are also recorded in BARMM, while eight are in Cagayan Valley, three are in Western Visayas, and two each are in the Ilocos Region and Northern Mindanao.

Furthermore, 202 roads and 51 bridges remain impassable, with the Bicol Region having the highest number of impassable roads at 119 and Cagayan Valley having the highest number of impassable bridges at 34, the NDRRMC added.

Power and water supply interruptions also remain prevalent.

The NDRRMC reported 394 cities and municipalities with power interruptions, while 20 cities are experiencing water supply interruptions.

There are also 30 areas in total with non-operational communication lines; 22 of the areas are in the Bicol Region, five are in the Ilocos Region, and three are in Central Luzon.

Typhoon Uwan exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on early Tuesday morning, the state weather bureau said.

While it is forecast to re-enter the PAR, state meteorologists said it is unlikely to directly affect a large part of the country, adding that it may only bring winds in extreme northern Luzon.

With the story of his film ‘Meet, Greet and Bye’ in mind, Joshua Garcia said he has long accepted that there will come a time when he has to bid farewell to his loved ones.

In the film, Garcia stars as Tupe, second son of the Facundo family matriarch Baby (Maricel Soriano), struggling to cope with the looming death of his mother. He and his siblings Brad (Piolo Pascual), Leo (JK Labajo), and Geri (Belle Mariano) go on a desperate search to find a cure for Baby’s relapsed cancer diagnosis. However, the Facundo siblings’ search goes against Baby’s wishes.

‘It’s a bitter pill to swallow. Pero wala eh. Kailangan mong tanggapin. May nakita ako na isang [tanong] sa questionnaire kung tatanggapin mo ba kung anong mas okay sa’yo, mahirapan ang magulang mo or hayaan mo sila kaysa maghirap sila?’ he said when asked by Inquirer Entertainment how would he react if ever he went through the same thing.

(It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but we can’t do anything about it. You have to accept it. I saw something in the questionnaire if you’re willing to accept it. Are you willing to see your parents have a hard time or you’re going to let things be so you wouldn’t see them have a hard time?)

The actor said that while it’s hard, he accepted that he doesn’t want to see his loved ones suffer.

‘D’un pa rin ako sa tanggapin mo na lang kaysa naman mag-suffer pa sila. Lahat naman tayo papunta d’un. Mahirap pero kakayanin (I would rather accept it instead of seeing them suffer. We’ll all get to that stage. It’s hard but I have to deal with it),’ he said.

Garcia was also asked if ‘Meet, Greet and Bye’ can be enjoyed by those who don’t have good relationships with their families.

‘Masaya ‘to. Hindi ka lang iiyak. Bigyan mo ng chance ang pelikula namin kasi masaya siyang experience kasama ang pamilya mo. It’s a shared memory,’ he said. ‘Masaya rin siya kasama ang friends mo. Ang dami mong mare-realize and malay mo, kahit hindi ka malambing na tao, magiging malambing ka bigla sa magulang.’

(This film will make you happy. You’re not only going to cry while watching it. I hope you’ll give the film a chance because it is a beautiful experience with your family. It’s a shared memory. You will realize a lot of things and what if you’ll learn how to be affectionate with your parents?)

The family film, directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana, also stars Kaila Estrada, Kaori Oinuma, and Matet de Leon.