Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The European Union (EU) has released pound 800,000 or an estimated P54,380,800 in humanitarian aid to support relief operations for communities struck by recent cyclones and floods in the Philippines.

In their official statement released on Friday, October 3, the EU announced that the funds will be directed toward emergency assistance.

‘The funding will help address the most urgent needs of people in the hardest hit areas, including communities that are also affected by conflict,’ the EU said.

‘This allocation will be used to provide emergency relief in areas such as shelter, health, and water and sanitation,’ they added.

This latest contribution builds on the pound 6.5 million (an estimated P441,800,000) in humanitarian aid and disaster preparedness funding the EU has already provided to the Philippines this year.

That amount includes pound 500,000 (or almost P34,000,000) earmarked in July following an earlier string of tropical cyclones.

The EU delegation to the Philippines said it is also monitoring the aftermath of the Sept. 30 earthquake in Cebu.

‘The EU expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and stands ready to provide additional support pending on-going needs assessment,’ they said.

On Friday, October 3, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported that 457,554 individuals or 128,294 families were affected by the earthquake. /das

Severe Tropical Storm Paolo (international name: Matmo) has exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the state weather bureau reported on Saturday, October 4.

At 2 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued an erratum on their Facebook page, clarifying that Paolo was still inside PAR at that time. The storm officially exited based on the 5 a.m. bulletin.

According to Pagasa, Paolo’s location was estimated at 295 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur. It packed maximum sustained winds of 110 km per hour near the center and gusts of up to 135 kph. Its present movement was west-northwest at 20 kph.

Despite Paolo’s exit, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over the following areas:

The western portion of Abra (Danglas, Bangued, Langiden, San Quintin, Pidigan, San Isidro, Pilar, Villaviciosa, Peñarrubia, Manabo, Luba, Tayum, La Paz, Lagayan, Tubo, Bucay, Dolores, San Juan, Lagangilang)

The western portion of Benguet (Bakun, Kibungan, Kapangan, Sablan, Tuba, Mankayan, Tublay, La Trinidad, Baguio City)

The southern portion of Ilocos Norte (Nueva Era, Banna, Badoc, Pinili, City of Batac, Paoay, Marcos, Currimao)

Ilocos Sur

La Union

The western and central portions of Pangasinan (Bolinao, Bani, Agno, Burgos, Dasol, Mabini, Infanta, Bugallon, Labrador, Sual, City of Alaminos, Lingayen, Aguilar, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, San Carlos City, Binmaley, Dagupan City, Calasiao, Basista, Bayambang, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Mangaldan, Mapandan, Santa Barbara, Malasiqui, Alcala, Bautista, Santo Tomas, Villasis, City of Urdaneta, Manaoag, Laoac, Pozorrubio, Sison)

The northern portion of Zambales (Iba, Candelaria, Palauig, Santa Cruz, Masinloc)

Pagasa said the signal is expected to be lowered once the strong winds subside and the storm’s outer rainbands move away from the area.

‘Most likely this afternoon, the effects of severe tropical storm Paolo will no longer be felt in any part of the country,’ explained Pagasa weather specialist Grace Castañeda during the press briefing.

She added that wind signals will probably be lifted in the early noon or before midday.

Storm surges reaching 1 to 2 meters are possible in low-lying or exposed coastal areas of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan and Zambales.

Sea conditions remain moderate to rough, with waves reaching up to 4 meters along the seaboards of Cagayan, the Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union.

New LPA

Meanwhile, a low-pressure area (LPA) outside PAR has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression, according to Pagasa. At 3 a.m., it was spotted at 2,320 km east of extreme Northern Luzon.

Castañeda said that the LPA could develop into a tropical depression on Sunday, October 5. But there is also a possibility that it will develop within the next 24 hours.

‘However, if the conditions or environment for the LPA become more favorable, we do not rule out the possibility that it could develop into a tropical depression within the day,’ reported Castañeda. /das

University of the Philippines stifled National University for a 66-59 win on Saturday in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament at UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The Fighting Maroons improved to 2-2 and handed the Bulldogs their first loss of the young season after a 3-0 start. UP clamped down defensively when it mattered most, holding the Bulldogs to just 10 points in the fourth quarter after trailing by one entering the period, 49-48.

Fighting Maroons’ assistant coach Christian Luanzon credited the squad’s defensive showcase to their stellar communication inside the court.

‘What’s important was, everyone was involved in communication, everybody was on the same page with our coverages,’ Luanzon said. ‘I thought we did a better job in the second half for being on the same page.’

At one point in the final frame, the Fighting Maroons built a 13-point cushion, 65-53, off a Reyland Torres mid-range jumper with 34 seconds remaining.

NU tried to rally late but never got close enough to threaten a deadlock before the final buzzer.

The Fighing Maroons’ twin towers of Francis Nnoruka and Gani Stevens finished with 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Steve Nash Enriquez paced NU with 16 points, while Gelo Santiago added 10 in the losing effort.

Since our rice industry is in a crisis, with our farmers losing their incomes as never before, the Department of Agriculture (DA) must now totally support the possibility of safeguards for our rice farmers’ survival. This will enable our farmers to once again earn an income as well as produce the rice we need for our own food security.

Last Sept. 2, the International Trade Committee of the public-private Philippine Council of Agriculture and Food (PCAF) unanimously approved the following resolution: to restore immediately the current 15 percent tariff on imported rice to 35 percent, and explore a higher tariff rate to adequately protect our rice farmers.

The request for a Tariff Commission hearing on an increased rice tariff was likewise approved. However, Raul Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) stated that this would take time. He suggested that other methods be used because our farmers were suffering too much.

Alyansa Agrikultura had previously written to the Tariff Commission for a hearing on raising the rice tariff. To date, there has been no positive response.

Last Sept. 29, Montemayor, acting as the FFF national manager, filed a petition for safeguard measures. He was joined by Argel Joseph Cabatbat, acting as the chair of the Magsasaka Partylist.

Safeguard measures

I first learned about safeguard measures when I was chair of the Technical Working Group of the Cabinet-level Committee on Tariffs and Safeguard Measures. When I became president of the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines and the Asean Federation of Cement Manufacturers, we requested safeguard measures to protect the cement industry for its survival.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) further helped us by filing the safeguard measure ‘motu proprio.’ This means that ‘the action is initiated voluntarily by the authority itself.’ Therefore, the cement manufacturers would be significantly helped by the DTI.

What resulted was more complete data, much faster action and increased credibility. When the petition was submitted to the Tariff Commission, the safeguard was granted.

What is a safeguard in international trade terms? It is a temporary restriction that a country applies on imports of a certain product to protect an industry from serious injury (or such a threat) because of an import surge. This can take the form of an additional tariff. This is exactly what our rice farmers need now.

History

In 2019, the Philippines had to comply with its Worlf Trade Organization commitment to stop the quantitative restriction of rice imports. Instead, a 35-percent tariff was imposed.

At that time, both the Alyansa Agrikultura and the FFF filed separate petitions to the DA for a safeguard measure which would increase the rice tariff. This was because 35 percent was too low and would significantly harm our rice farmers.

Both petitions did not get even a response from the DA. As a result, though rice retail prices decreased by only 2 percent from its normal level, our rice farmers lost 23 percent of their income.

To make matters worse, when the government further brought this rate down to 15 percent in July 2024, the rice farmers suffered even more. Asking for the rice safeguard now is imperative. It meets the three conditions for a safeguard to be valid.

Three conditions

First, for evidence of an import surge, we used to import approximately one million tons a year. In 2025. We imported three million tons. In fact, the import volume we have this year is 5.4 million tons. This is double the 2.65 million rice supply gap stated by the Department of Economy, Planning and Development.

Second, for damage to industry, this is abundantly clear. For the first time, the average production cost per kilo is less than the farm-gate price. That means loss rather than profit. The cost is P14.28 a kilo, while the selling price is P11 a kilo. The damage has been disastrous.

Third, regarding the import surge being the cause for the damage to the rice industry, the landed import price forced the farmers to sell their palay at a much lower price. That is, to be able to compete with the cheap imported rice, as a result of the very low 15 percent tariff.

DA should not only review carefully the safeguard petition filed by Montemayor and Cabatbat. In addition, the DTI must consider using the more effective and much faster motu proprio mode. If the DTI used motu proprio to help the cement industry survive, the DA must do its own investigation, speed up the process and file a motu propio petition if the information they speedily collect warrants it. INQ

The Philippine National Police in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region arrested a total of 46 suspected drug traffickers between Friday to Saturday, or from October 3 to 4, seizing more than P4.4 million worth of shabu (crystal meth) and marijuana.

Police Brigadier General Paul Kenneth Lucas, Region 4A police chief, in a report issued on October 4, said anti-illegal drug operatives across the region conducted 33 operations from 6 a.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, and confiscated a total of 648.73 grams of shabu and 21.04 grams of dried marijuana leaves.

The confiscated illegal drugs were worth about P4,414,228, the report said.

On top of the operations was the successful arrest of two alleged big-time traffickers identified as ‘Mart’ and ‘Fighter’ after selling P500 worth of shabu to an undercover cop in Barangay (village) Sampaloc 4 in Dasmariñas City, Cavite at around 6 p.m. on Friday.

The operatives recovered four heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu weighing 250 grams worth P1.7 million based on the Dangerous Drugs Board valuation at P6,800 per gram.

The suspects are classified as high-value individuals (HVI) in the illegal drug trade. HVI is a designation given to financiers, traffickers, manufacturers, importers, or members and leaders of drug syndicates.

Last month, the Calabarzon police nabbed 892 suspected drug traffickers and seized P9,991,819 worth of shabu and marijuana.

All arrested suspects are now under police custody and will face charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002

University of the Santo Tomas made sure to bounce back in its own backyard on Saturday in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.

Following a close loss to National U, the Growling Tigers gave the Thomasians at Quadricentennial Pavilion a treat with a dominant 111-99 victory over the hapless University of the East.

‘We have so much confidence from coach Pido. He gave it to our vets like Nic (Cabanero) and Forthsky (Padrigao) and even to Collins (Akowe), who’s been playing under the weather for almost two weeks now,’ assistant coach Juben Ledesma said. ‘Of course, we also saw the support of the whole community. We thank them because we really feel it playing in our home court.’

The home bets barely led the Red Warriors at the intermission, 59-55, setting up what could’ve been a classic barn burner.

But UST found its stride in the penultimate frame with 24 quarter points, all while limiting the opposition to 12 points, en route to 3-1 card.

Cabañero headlined the UST victory with 22 points, eight assists, three rebounds and two steals. Padrigao finished with 18 points, like Akowe did in his double-double along with 17 rebounds.

John Abate scored a game-high 27 points for UE, which dropped to 0-4. Dray Caoile scored 23 while Precious Momowei notched a double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds in a losing effort.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has secured its fourth freeze order in a widening probe into substandard and anomalous flood control projects, immobilizing over P4 billion worth of assets, including a ‘luxury compound in an upscale district’ and a fleet of high-end cars.

The Court of Appeals (CA) on Friday granted the AMLC’s request to freeze 57 bank accounts, 10 real properties and nine vehicles of individuals linked to corruption in government-funded flood protection projects.

The move brought the total assets frozen in the investigation to 1,889-covering 1,620 bank accounts, 54 insurance policies, 163 vehicles, 40 properties and 12 e-wallets. The AMLC said the crackdown also netted virtual currencies and unit investment trust funds, underscoring the breadth of financial holdings tied to the alleged scheme.

‘These freezes are real actions that stop corruption,’ said Matthew David, the AMLC executive director, in a statement. ‘Every peso frozen is a peso that cannot be used to sustain corruption.’

The AMLC statement did not provide information on the ownership, location and other details involving assets covered by the freeze orders.

But the value of frozen assets, according to the AMLC, is expected to rise as the inquiry deepens.

Review of transactions

When a bank account is frozen, all activity-transfers, deposits, withdrawals and even account closures-will be suspended. Banks are then required to comb through the accounts and review past transactions to determine whether they were used for illicit activity. Their findings are sent to the AMLC.

The freeze orders also covered insurance policies because these can serve as vehicles for concealing or moving illegal funds. For now, the AMLC is prioritizing such assets because these are easier to identify, locate and freeze.

David earlier said the council might also scrutinize banks after a congressional inquiry flagged large cash transactions linked to the flood control scandal.

On Sept. 30, the AMLC signed a memorandum of agreement with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, the body created by President Marcos to investigate corruption in flood control projects, for closer coordination, data sharing and joint efforts to trace, preserve and recover assets linked to illicit activity.

The agreement also reinforced the council’s authority to investigate money laundering offenses tied to corruption, malversation, plunder, bribery and related crimes.

Three days after a devastating magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Cebu, survivors in coastal and upland villages continued to appeal for food, water, and shelter as relief operations remained slow in reaching far-flung areas.

The provincial government acknowledged that many have indeed not received help but said it was setting up incident command centers (ICCs) in every barangay to fast-track the distribution of urgent necessities, such as water and food.

Authorities have also begun redirecting its operations from clearing and relief work to assisting in rebuilding efforts, including conducting assessments on buildings and other critical infrastructure damaged by the quake.

With help slow in trickling in, some residents in Barangay Tacup, San Remigio, one of the hardest-hit areas, have been forced to barter the little that they have, such as bananas and sweet potatoes, in exchange for clean water.

In a coastal village in Sitio Takdan 2, Barangay Polambato of Bogo City, some families whose homes have been damaged or deemed unsafe have resorted to building makeshift tents. ‘Any help will do, even just for the children. Many households are here, but we feel forgotten compared to those along the main roads,’ said resident Daniela Pepito, noting that relief goods have largely been distributed in more accessible areas.

In Tabogon town, several families in Barangay Ilihan, have turned a cemetery into a temporary shelter for fear of aftershocks.

In Barangay Gairan, survivors have temporarily evacuated upland for safety. But Melvi Maris Rosales, one of the residents, said the aid they have received remained insufficient to cover their daily needs for food and water.

Centralize donations

Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro noted that provincial operations only began on Thursday, Oct. 2, that’s why relief operations have yet to reach some of the victims.

‘We have to understand that our [local government units] are also affected, our mayors also have to deal with what happened to them, that’s why [the] Cebu [provincial government] has been there from Day One to help them out,’ Baricuatro said at a press briefing.

She assured that the provincial government has rushed the setting up of ICCs to coordinate the help pouring in.

Baricuatro also appealed to private donors to centralize their donations to prevent heavy traffic on northern roads and ensure safety amid continuing aftershocks. ‘We appreciate the overwhelming support, but we ask private individuals and organizations to centralize the donations. It is not advisable for everyone to go there and do their own distribution,’ she said.

Many survivors who have yet to receive any assistance expressed frustration over the distribution process.

‘It’s heartbreaking, it really crushes my heart. It’s so painful for people who haven’t eaten at this time,’ said one resident, who requested anonymity.

Along roads in Sogod, Borbon, Tabogon, Medellin, and Daanbantayan, survivors lined up holding cardboard signs begging for food and water, waving at passing cars in hopes of receiving aid.

The earthquake, which struck Cebu on Tuesday, left 68 people dead and caused widespread destruction, damaging homes, schools, churches, and vital infrastructure. The tremor was also strongly felt in Negros Oriental, Bohol, Siquijor, and Leyte, forcing thousands to flee their homes.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Friday amended the number of fatalities from 72 following a validation process by the Management of the Dead and Missing cluster, a subgroup under the disaster response cluster led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

OCD VII regional director Joel Erestain also explained that the discrepancy was due to duplicate entries in initial reports.

‘It’s a matter of double entry,’ he said. He also cautioned that the tally could still change.

Mobile, foot patrols Philippine National Police acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said personnel have been instructed to mobilize resources for disaster response and rehabilitation.

‘We maintain full coordination with the local government units and other agencies involved in the rebuilding process. All our personnel on the ground are actively doing their share to achieve this goal,’ Nartatez said.

He added that police presence in affected areas had been increased, with ‘mobile and foot patrols intensified, checkpoints established in key routes, and close coordination with disaster management teams’ to safeguard residents and act swiftly against any attempt to exploit the situation.

On Friday, a magnitude 5.1 aftershock struck northern Cebu, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

In its Facebook update, Phivolcs said the tremor occurred at 5:39 a.m., with a magnitude of 5.1, located 18 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu, at a depth of 10 km.

Severe Tropical Storm Paolo (international name: Matmo) is moving west-northwest toward southern China after exiting the Philippine area of responsibility, the state weather bureau said on Saturday, Oct. 4.

In its 11 a.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) lifted all the tropical wind signals advisory.

However, they said Paolo’s outer rain bands may still bring storm to gale-force gusts over Batanes, northern Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Zambales, and Bataan.

Moderate to rough seas are expected over the seaboards of Ilocos Region, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Zambales, mainland Cagayan, Isabela and Bataan. The bureau warned that small vessels and motorbancas should avoid sailing in these conditions.

Pagasa located Paolo’s center at 440 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur. It retained its momentum, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center, gusts of up to 135 kph, and was moving west-northwest at 20 kph.

Paolo may re-intensify into a typhoon while moving over the West Philippine Sea.

Meanwhile, a low-pressure area being monitored outside the Philippine area of responsibility now has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours. /das

Victims of financial fraud will have to be extra careful when transacting with people or organizations claiming to offer help, as they can potentially be scammed the second time around, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned.

The corporate watchdog on Friday said these ‘recovery’ and ‘advance-fee recovery’ schemes had been proliferating on social media platforms.

These accounts are not authorized by the SEC to provide fund recovery services, the regulator clarified.

In an advisory, the SEC said perpetrators typically offered to retrieve funds previously lost to scams or other fraudulent schemes in exchange for advance fees or personal information.

Some will claim to be affiliated with government agencies or law enforcement authorities without any lawful basis. They will also likely fabricate testimonials, documents or credentials to appear credible and legitimate, the commission pointed out.

At the same time, these individuals or entities may employ ‘high-pressure tactics’ to force victims to make immediate payments or disclose sensitive personal or financial information.

‘The commission warns the public not to transact with, remit any sum to or disclose personal information to such individuals or groups,’ the SEC said in its advisory.

‘Victims of scams are strongly urged to lodge their complaints directly with the proper authorities for appropriate action,’ it added.

Intensified crackdown

This comes as the regulator intensifies its crackdown on individuals and entities potentially defrauding the public, including unauthorized online lending platforms (OLPs).

Separately, the SEC Financing and Lending Companies Department ordered Microdot Lending Corp. to stop its operations, saying that the company had supposedly been operating two undisclosed OLPs, Credit Peso and MF Cash.

Under SEC Memorandum Circular No. 19, Series of 2019, all financing and lending companies are required to disclose the OLPs they operate.

The SEC has also been receiving complaints about Microdot for alleged unfair debt collection practices, violating the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act of 2022. INQ