Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Several areas in Ilocos Norte will experience a power interruption on Thursday, Aug. 27, to make way for equipment installation and construction work on the province’s power facilities.

The scheduled interruption will run from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to an advisory from the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

From 5 a.m. to noon, the outage will allow the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to install equipment at the Currimao Substation.

The interruption will continue from noon to 4 p.m. for the construction of a 69-kilovolt sub-transmission tie line by INEC and Astra Solar Energy Corp.

In Laoag City, the affected area is Barangay Balacad, Sitio 4. In Batac City, the whole area will be affected except Barangay Bininggan.

The interruption will cover the whole town of Paoay, except Sitio Surngot and Sitio Tacnir in Barangay Suba. The whole of Currimao will also be affected.

In Badoc, the whole town will experience the outage except Barangay Camanga and Sitio Lasien in Barangay Nagrebcan.

In Pinili, the interruption will cover the whole town except Barangays Liliputen, Lumbaan-Bicbica and Sacritan.

INEC advised affected consumers to make the necessary preparations for the scheduled power interruption.

The impeachment court on Day 16 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial declared Office of the Vice President (OVP) assistant chief-of-staff Lemuel Ortonio as a hostile witness, allowing the House prosecution to ask him leading questions during direct examination./

A 34-year-old construction worker died after his motorcycle collided with a passenger bus along the Maharlika Highway in Pagbilao town in Quezon province on Monday night, Aug. 24.

The Quezon police on Tuesday said the victim, a resident of Lucena City, was riding along Barangay Silangang Malicboy when he was struck by a DLTB bus at 10:50 p.m.

The impact instantly killed the motorcycle rider. Police said parts of his dismembered remains were scattered on the road when first responders arrived.

Initial investigations revealed that the bus had overtaken another vehicle and had entered the opposite lane, which may have led to the crash.

The motorcycle rider was only carrying a student driver’s permit at the time of the incident, police also discovered.

Under Land Transportation Office regulations, a student permit holder is allowed to operate a motor vehicle only when accompanied by a duly licensed driver.

The bus driver was taken into police custody and is facing appropriate criminal charges in connection with the incident

Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas has filed a bill seeking to address concerns over rising campus violence and youth safety through the establishment of a parent association.

Under House Bill No. 5682, also known as the National Parent Council Act, an official parent-teacher advisory body called the National Parent Council will be established to strengthen oversight in schools, Vargas said.

‘Education is a shared responsibility. Habang nagbibigay ng academic learning ang ating mga paaralan, sa tahanan naman natututunan ang tamang asal at pag-uugali ng ating kabataan,’ Vargas said on Tuesday, Aug. 24.

(Education is a shared responsibility. While our schools provide academic learning, it is at home where our youth learn proper conduct and behavior.)

The move follows the recent school shooting at a private school in Zamboanga, involving a junior high school, that left two students killed.

Vargas said the council is directly attached to the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), guaranteeing ‘seats for parent representatives in local government education committees as well as individual school advisory boards nationwide’

The initiative seeks to enable concerned parents to have a direct involvement in school policies and administration, as well as participate in DepEd’s policy formation, he added.

Vargas said parent representation in schools would allow them to monitor the youth’s behavioral state and intervene on potential signs that may lead to campus violence.

The National Parent Council Act also aimed to provide tax exemptions on all parent association members’ donations and contributions in approved school projects.

Meanwhile, parent participation will also have a mandatory evaluative criterion in the schools’ accreditation process.

‘Ang pagpapatibay ng pag-uugnayan sa pagitan ng mga magulang at paaralan ang pinaka-epektibong paraan para protektahan ang ating mga anak at gabayan sila para maging responsableng mamamayan,’ he said.

(Strengthening the partnership between parents and schools is the most effective way to protect our children and guide them to become responsible citizens.)

More unusual names on the acknowledgment receipts documenting the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) surfaced during the impeachment trial on Monday.

During direct examination, private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan grilled Gina Acosta, a staff member at the OVP who had served as the office’s special disbursing officer (SDO) for confidential funds, whether she could personally verify that the supposed recipients actually received the money.

Among the names who allegedly received payments from the OVP’s confidential funds, based on acknowledgment receipts presented by Ligutan were: Antonio Pagong, P100,000, purchase of information; Timon Andrew Pusa, P100,000, payment of rental transport vehicle related to confidential activities; Don Piang, P250,000, payment of rental transport vehicle related to confidential activities; Shane Ngitngit, P150,000, purchase of rental of supplies, materials and equipment for confidential operations; Xuniso P. Belat, P100,000, purchase of information; and May Pamana, P150,000, purchase of information

Ligutan questioned Acosta about the documentation and verification of confidential fund disbursements implemented by former OVP security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica.

Asked whether she personally saw Lachica give the money to the supposed recipients, Acosta repeatedly said she did not witness the security officer make the payments.

‘I did not see him, Your Honor, because I was not on the ground. He was the one who implemented it,’ she said.

‘You have no personal knowledge that the money was actually given to the people or truly spent for supplies?’ impeachment court presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero asked Acosta, who answered in the negative.

Acosta repeatedly insisted that she relied on Lachica, whom Duterte had designated to implement the OVP’s confidential activities, and on the documents he provided to account for the expenditures.

She added that Lachica was authorized to carry out the operations and had the training and expertise for the work.

Senator-judge Bam Aquino asked Acosta regarding the lack of internal investigation into the suspicious recipient names.

‘These names have been talked about for more than a year. The OVP has also been scrutinized for more than a year… from that time until now, did you not conduct an internal investigation to check if those names were real, where the true list is, and the real names behind the aliases?’ Aquino asked.

Acosta said that no internal investigation or verification was conducted to uncover the real identities behind the aliases. She said she relied entirely on Lachica’s assurance that the details were confidential.

Aquino said the Senate would ask Lachica for the master list of the true names behind the receipts once he appears before the impeachment court.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is now coordinating with schools to make adjustments to the upcoming nationwide Department of Education’s (DepEd) active shooter drill.

‘We understand the sentiments of some advocacy and medical groups that drills must not cause unnecessary fear or distress among learners and teachers,’ PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday.

‘Local police offices are coordinating with school division heads and regional directors to determine the adjustments needed for the drills to ensure that these exercises strengthen preparedness while protecting the welfare of learners and teachers,’ he noted.

Various DepEd divisions launched the drills following the June 22 shooting incident at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where two students allegedly killed three schoolmates.

The department was set to mount a nationwide drill after the August 18 shooting incident at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City, where both a teenage gunman and his schoolmate died.

However, DepEd postponed the drill from August 25 to the first week of September, citing both concerns raised by psychologist groups and that face-to-face classes in several areas had been suspended due to inclement weather.

For their part, Nartatez said the PNP will continue to provide assistance and technical support to the DepEd, including the conduct of ‘non-traumatic approaches,’ once the nationwide drill proceeds.

‘The postponement would allow time to align the exercises with expert recommendations,’ the national police chief said.

‘All the safety measures that the PNP discussed and recommended to the DepEd are anchored on the welfare and interest of the learners. And this will be a continuing and an evolving process with the end goal of making all schools safe and conducive to learning,’ he added. /

Water levels beneath three bridges in Olongapo City rose again on Tuesday morning after dropping from critical and evacuation levels recorded on Monday afternoon.

As of 8:47 a.m., the water level at Sta. Rita Bridge stood at 2.5 meters, which is classified as its critical level, according to the city’s monitoring data.

Del Rosario Bridge recorded 2.3 meters, while Kalaklan Bridge reached 2.2 meters, both classified as their warning level.

The latest readings were lower than those recorded at 4:50 p.m. Monday, when Sta. Rita Bridge reached the evacuation level at 3 meters, while Del Rosario and Kalaklan bridges were at the critical level.

Water levels subsequently dropped but were elevated again Tuesday morning amid continuing rains and changing tide conditions.

Authorities continued to monitor the bridges and other flood-prone areas as part of the city’s flood preparedness measures./

Asia Rose Simpson, the Philippines’ delegate to the 2026 Miss World pageant, has officially entered the contest’s Top 40 more than a week ahead of the final competition.

The 18-year-old contestant topped the ‘Head-to-Head’ challenge for the Asia and Oceania group at the preliminary event held in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on Monday, Aug. 24.

Three other delegates also earned guaranteed slots in the Top 40 for dominating their respective groups-South Africa’s Romanda Hombir for Africa, Georgia-Lee Gill from Trinidad and Tobago for the Americas and Caribbean, and Germany’s Julia Kuhnle for Europe.

During the first round of the competition, Simpson discussed her SED (Sports and Dance) Initiatives, a program that promotes physical, mental, and emotional health among the youth through sports and dance.

Her initial performance merited her entry into the Top 5 of the Asia and Oceania group, together with host delegate B?o Ng?c Lê Nguy?n from Vietnam, Tiare Henry-Anguna from the Cook Islands, Min-seo Cha from South Korea, and Mariyam Eema Mohamed, Maldives’ first-ever Miss World participant.

For the second round with the continental Top 5, the finalists were asked to speak as though they were tourism ambassadors of Vietnam using their experience in the pageant.

Simpson shared about and her first trip last year for her advocacy work, and her visit to different places in Vietnam as a candidate this year. ‘Miss World has shown me that I have barely scratched the diversity that this country holds. I never realized how big Vietnam was until me and my sister queens were traveling city to city to city,’ she said.

‘Whether you want to come to Vietnam to learn about its history, or to have a relaxing vacation, or to have a good adrenaline-inducing time, Vietnam has a timeless charm, and Vietnam is waiting for you, cam on (thank you),’ she continued.

She sealed her placement in the Top 40 with an impressive response to the final question: ‘Asia and Oceania includes some of the world’s oldest traditions and some of its fastest-changing societies. How can a new generation embrace progress without losing what makes its culture unique?’

Simpson opened her answer with the quotation, ‘A people who do not know their history, origin, or culture is like a tree without roots,’ and said the best way to preserve cultural heritage is by passing it down to the next generation.

She also delved into the Filipino concepts of ‘kapwa’ which she framed as interconnectedness, and the ‘bayanihan’ spirit, which she explained as neighbors helping one another.

‘In a fast-paced, modernized digital world, things like ‘kapwa’ or the ‘bayanihan’ spirit will not be lost. In fact, they will be the things that ground us fully, because that is what roots are for. And every generation learns from the last and the next,’ Simpson said.

She had earlier advanced to the Top 24 of the Sports Challenge. She had also moved on to the final round of both the Top Model and Talent Challenges.

The Philippines’ first, and so far only, Miss World victory was courtesy of Megan Young, who won the title at the pageant’s 63rd edition held in Indonesia in 2013.

Filipinos can still help Simpson get closer to the crown even after she has already earned a guaranteed entry into the Top 40. An automatic spot in the final round with the Top 6 is reserved for the delegate who will top the ‘People’s Choice’ poll. To vote for Simpson, visit the missworld.1voting.com site. Voting will close on Sept. 4 at 11 p.m.

The Miss World pageant is holding its 73rd edition this year, which marks its 75th anniversary. Reigning queen Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand will crown her successor on Sept. 5.

Soil erosion has affected portions of the grounds of Loacan National High School in Itogon, Benguet, weakening some riprap and other protective structures around the campus.

Loacan Barangay Captain Franklin Almoza ordered the suspension of in-person classes at the school on Tuesday, Aug. 25, after an inspection found portions of the school premises affected by erosion.

Almoza had earlier ordered classes suspended midday Monday, as a precaution to protect students and school personnel.

The suspension will remain in effect until hazardous conditions subside and authorities determine that the school grounds and access routes are safe for learners and personnel

Electricity consumers in Tacloban City and the towns of Palo and Babatngon in Leyte province were warned of possible temporary power interruptions on Tuesday as the Visayas power grid was placed under red and yellow alerts amid tight supply conditions.

The Leyte II Electric Cooperative (Leyeco II) said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the operator of the country’s transmission grid, informed the cooperative that the Visayas Grid would be 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 Aug. 25.

NGCP’s 8 a.m. update showed that the Visayas had 2,421 megawatts (MW) of available capacity against a projected peak demand of 2,570 MW, leaving a supply gap of about 149 MW during the peak period.

Leyeco II said forced outages of several power plants and the operation of other generating facilities at reduced capacities caused the tight supply.

NGCP reported that 10 power plants were on forced outage, while 13 others were operating at derated capacities, resulting in a combined 904.5 MW of unavailable capacity.

Among the factors that the NGCP cited were the unavailability of the Visayas’ large coal-fired power plants TVI 1, TVI 2, and KSPC 1, as well as limited power imports from Mindanao because of that region’s high demand forecast.

A red alert means available power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement. A yellow alert, meanwhile, means the operating margin is insufficient to meet the grid’s contingency requirement.

Leyeco II warned that if the tight supply condition persists and NGCP directs the cooperative to reduce its load, it may implement Manual Load Dropping (MLD), or the temporary disconnection of electricity supply in selected portions of its service area to reduce overall electricity consumption.

The cooperative said this measure would be implemented only if necessary and upon appropriate notice from NGCP.

Leyeco II serves more than 96,600 member-consumers in Tacloban City and the municipalities of Palo and Babatngon. Its franchise area is officially covered by Republic Act No. 12017, which authorizes the cooperative to operate and maintain the electricity distribution system serving the three areas.

The NGCP’s transmission facilities supplying the area include the Babatngon-Arado 69-kilovolt transmission line, which serves Tacloban and the neighboring towns.

Leyeco II urged its member-consumers to conserve electricity, particularly during peak-demand periods, and to monitor official announcements from the cooperative and NGCP for updates on the grid condition and any possible power interruptions.