Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) has once more highlighted the failure of billions of pesos worth of flood control projects as it left hundreds of people dead, many from widespread flooding that trapped people on their roofs and swept away scores of vehicles.

Consolidated reports from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and local governments indicated that the number of confirmed deaths across the Visayas region has climbed to at least 130 as more bodies were recovered in flood- and landslide-affected areas.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Office of Civil Defense deputy spokesperson Diego Mariano, however, reported only 114 deaths as of Thursday morning.

A total of 127 others remain missing, and 82 others are injured, the OCD added.

LIVE UPDATES: Typhoon Tino

Cebu, a province still recovering from a deadly earthquake last September, accounted for the highest number of fatalities at 93, after Liloan town alone logged 35 deaths, followed by Compostela with 16 deaths.

Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Danao City reported nine deaths each, Talisay City had seven, Balamban had six, and Consolacion had one.

President Marcos was set to visit Cebu to personally oversee the government’s response and has called for a review of the more than 500 flood control projects there.

Palace press officer Claire Castro said the president shared the frustration and anger of Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro over the seeming uselessness of billions worth of flood control projects.

‘That’s also the reason why President Marcos ordered an investigation [over flood control projects]. Budgets have been allocated for these, yet they seem [not to be] functioning at all,’ Castro told reporters on Wednesday. ‘So it’s understandable that if she’s angry, President Marcos feels the same way.’

Terminated, still ongoing

Castro, citing data from the Department of Public Works and Highways, said there were 511 flood control projects in Cebu. Of these, 343 were done during the Duterte administration, with two of the projects terminated, while 168 were under the current administration, with 55 still ongoing.

Castro said all flood control projects, including those initiated under Marcos, should be examined, but more so those completed under the Duterte administration, ‘since they should have been functioning by now.’

As of Wednesday noon, Tino has affected 1,107,819 individuals, or 318,020 families, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported.

It said that of this number, 489,109 were from Western Visayas, 340,573 from Caraga, 171,420 from Eastern Visayas, and 104,619 from Central Visayas. The rest were from Bicol, Mimaropa, and Negros.

It added that 428,127 displaced individuals were taking shelter in 4,805 evacuation centers across seven regions, while 149,801 were outside evacuation centers.

Power interruptions

Around 1.4 million households, mostly residing in the Visayas, have experienced power interruptions, Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said in a virtual briefing on Wednesday.

The Department of Energy could not determine, as of this writing, when electricity will be restored in the affected areas.

‘We’re asking the public, especially those who were badly affected, to please wait until the roads are cleared for our personnel or linemen to restore the power lines,’ Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.

‘But we are assuring you that we are working hard. So we can restore within a few hours,’ she added.

Damage assessment

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, meanwhile, ordered all its regional offices and attached agencies to complete its damage assessment of transportation facilities within 48 hours.

In a statement, Lopez said transportation facilities, such as airports, seaports, and ferry terminals, must be ready within two days ‘so that restoration work can begin immediately.’

‘We must ensure that our ports and airports are safe, functional, and ready to support ongoing relief operations,’ Lopez said.

The Department of Health (DOH), meanwhile, has raised a ‘code white’ alert to ensure that all assigned medical personnel, medical equipment, and facilities will be ready to respond to emergencies and incidents.

‘The DOH Operations Center is ready to provide medicines, medical equipment, and health emergency response teams for regions affected by the typhoon,’ the agency said in a Facebook post.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has activated its cybersecurity response protocols since Wednesday to monitor a possible distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyberattack that could slow down or disrupt government and financial websites.

DICT Secretary Henry Aguda urged the public to remain vigilant, use official applications or status pages for updates, and avoid engaging in illegal online activities.

‘It is better to be safe than sorry,’ Aguda said in an emailed statement, citing the importance of precautionary measures.

This type of cyberattack utilizes numerous compromised devices to swamp a server or network with traffic, causing service delays or outages.

Aguda explained that the threat appears ‘global’ in scale and noted that DICT personnel were coordinating with partner agencies to mitigate potential impacts.

The DICT emphasized, however, that DDoS attacks do not result in data breaches and that no personal information, accounts, or money are at risk.

Tropical Storm Fung-Wong (which will be given the local name Uwan once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility or PAR) slightly strengthened on Thursday as it neared the country.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) typhoon bulletin as of 11 a.m., the tropical storm was last spotted 1,690 kilometers (km) east of Northeastern Mindanao.

It currently carries maximum sustained winds of 75 km per hour (km/h) near the center and gustiness of up to 90 km/h, while moving northwestward at 10 km/h.

‘On the track forecast, this tropical cyclone is forecast to enter the PAR Friday late evening or Saturday early morning,’ Pagasa said.

Pagasa then warned that while there is still uncertainty about its track, ‘there is an increasing chance of landfall on Monday over Northern or Central Luzon.’

The state weather bureau also maintained that it may reach the super typhoon category by Saturday.

Due to this, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals may be hoisted over the eastern portion of Luzon and parts of Samar provinces as early as Friday evening to Saturday morning in anticipation of the Uwan.

Signal No. 5 is the highest forecast scenario as the typhoon starts closing in on the country, with bad weather expected to fully begin by Sunday, Nov. 9.

Cignal regained its footing in the PVL Reinforced Conference, dispatching Akari, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20, Thursday night at FilOil EcoOil Centre.

Shaking off a straight-sets loss to Capital1 that cost it a Top 3 finish in the first round, the Super Spikers came out sharper and steadier, with locals stepping up to back import Katrin Trebichavska.

The victory evened Cignal’s carry-over record to 3-3, tying Akari at seventh as both teams fight to stay alive in the race for quarterfinal spots.

Erika Santos led the locals’ resurgence with 19 points, while Ishie Lalongisip rebounded from a quiet outing with 11. Trebichavska once again anchored Cignal’s attack with 25 points, nine digs and seven receptions.

Cignal broke away midway through the fourth set, turning a 10-all tie into a 15-11 lead. Akari trimmed the gap to 19-21 off Camille Victoria’s back-to-back aces, but Trebichavska answered with two clutch points before Lalongisip and Jackie Acuña sealed the win with key hits.

Roselyn Aquino chipped in 12 points, while Acuña and Gel Cayuna added seven and four, respectively.

Akari drew 22 points from Annie Mitchem and 13 from Fifi Sharma, while Grethcel Soltones and Eli Soyud combined for only 15 after solid showings in their previous match.

Dusit Thani Manila’s Benjarong proudly launches the 5th Edition of its Experience Menu, the restaurant’s year-round signature tasting journey that captures the essence of Benjarong’s culinary identity-distinctive, evolving, and unmistakably refined. Each year, the menu is meticulously refreshed, offering guests a curated exploration of flavours that define the restaurant’s signature approach to Thai cuisine. Crafted by Chef de Cuisine Watcharaphon ‘Ja’ Yongbanthom, this latest edition is inspired by Benjarong’s recent collaboration with Chef Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij of POTONG, Bangkok’s one-Michelin-starred gem, during the acclaimed two-night event Manila Calls, Bangkok Answers last September 2025. ‘This year’s Experience Menu is our way of pushing the boundaries of Thai gastronomy while honouring its rich heritage,’ said Chef Ja. ‘Working alongside Chef Pam sparked fresh ideas, inspiring us to combine textures and flavours in unexpected ways that engage and delight the senses.’ The Experience Menu is available for lunch or dinner, designed for guests to enjoy solo or with company. Patrons may choose between a 5-course menu at Php 3,500++ per person or an 8-course menu at Php 5,500++ per person. Optional wine pairings can be curated according to personal preference or thoughtfully recommended by the team, ensuring each course is complemented harmoniously. Benjarong’s inclusion in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Philippines 2026 reaffirms its position among the country’s premier dining destinations, with the 5th Edition of the Experience Menu further showcasing its commitment to world-class Thai cuisine.

Reservations are required at least one day in advance and can be made by calling +63 (2) 7238 8888, emailing [email protected], or booking online at www.dusit.com/dusitthani-manila/.

Celebrity engineer Slater Young is once again facing public backlash over his hillside development, The Rise at Monterrazas, after the recent deadly flooding in Cebu caused by Typhoon Tino.

As of Thursday morning, Nov. 6, the reported death toll from Typhoon Tino rose to 114, and thousands of homes were displaced due to the flood, with Cebu province and nearby regions bearing the brunt of its aftermath.

The disaster reignited criticism of Young’s controversial real estate project, located on the slopes of Barangay Guadalupe and promoted as a ‘terraced, Banaue-inspired’ residential complex. The engineer revealed the project to the public in 2023.

Despite already drawing flak two years ago, netizens once again took to social media to question Young’s large-scale project that has possibly contributed to the recent massive flooding in the province.

‘It never floods in Guadalupe. But when Monterrazas started construction in 2007, it slowly started flooding already, and just this week, super lala ang baha (the flood got worse),’ wrote one netizen on X on Nov. 5.

It never floods in Guadalupe. But when Monterrazas started construction in 2007, it slowly started flooding already and just this week super lala ang baha 🙂 Young has defended the project in past interviews, saying it underwent more than 300 design revisions to ‘ensure environmental safety and structural stability.’

However, critics pointed out that any large-scale construction on Cebu’s mountain slopes could reduce the area’s ability to absorb rainfall and could trigger landslide and flooding.

Young, meanwhile, has not issued a public statement after the renewed criticism of his project following Typhoon Tino. He previously said that the development project was aboveboard and was approved by various government agencies.

Malacañang on Thursday urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to investigate whether the unprecedented flooding in various areas during the onslaught of Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) was caused by environmental degradation.

The statement followed reports that the submergence of several areas, particularly in Cebu, during the typhoon was attributed to alleged deforestation, quarrying, and unregulated development in the region. ‘With that kind of situation, the President doesn’t need to order this because they [DENR] know what the President wants and what the President’s directives are in these kinds of disasters,’ Casto said, noting that there had been no direct order yet from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the DENR to conduct a probe.

She also said, ‘If that is what is being observed-the alleged environmental degradation-then the DENR leadership should indeed look into what is happening and determine whether it is not merely due to natural calamities, not just an act of God, but also involves human negligence and abuse of our natural resources or environment. So, there really will be an investigation into this matter.’

Data from Global Forest Watch in 2024 revealed that Cebu province, including Cebu City, lost around 10,100 hectares of tree cover-equivalent to 100 square kilometers, roughly the total land area of Bantayan Island.

Meanwhile, just last month, Gov. Pamela Baricuatro directed the Cebu Provincial Government’s legal officers to look into reports of alleged environmental violations in the province, particularly related to quarrying.

The directive was prompted by a dialogue with a group of protesters who held a rally in front of the Capitol Building on Escario Street, urging the provincial government to address the region’s environmental issues. /mr

Workers’ unions of the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) have called on Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez to issue a public apology after he chided a station manager upon seeing the ‘dirty’ and ‘neglected’ facilities at the Baclaran station of the Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1).

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the National Federation of Labor Chapter 001-LRMC Supervisory Union and National Federation of Labor Chapter 003-Light Rail Manila Corporation Rank And File Union said that while they recognize and agree with Lopez’s concern for the welfare of LRT-1 passengers and the development of transportation facilities, they emphasized that ‘it is never fair for an ordinary employee to be blamed for problems that are clearly beyond her control.’

‘No government official has the right to publicly shame, insult, or yell at a worker. This type of public reprimand not only demoralizes workers but also shows haste and lack of due process,’ the unions said in Filipino.

‘To acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, issue a public apology to the affected workers and all railway employees, who were deeply hurt by your disrespectful and blameworthy statements.’

According to the unions, the deficiency in the facility is a systemic issue that should be addressed not by the employee but by the management and the government.

The groups likewise said that if the acting chief of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) truly wanted accountability, he should uphold it through investigation, coordination, and dialogue with the unions and the management, and ‘not through public shaming.’

‘This kind of behavior is unbecoming of a government official. Such ‘PR stunts’ that embarrass employees will never be a measure of concern or leadership,’ the unions stressed.

Lopez has yet to respond to the unions’ statement as of posting time.

On Tuesday, the DOTr released videos on its official Facebook page regarding the inspection of Lopez at the LRT-1 Baclaran station, where he questioned the station manager over the dirty facilities and lack of cleaning personnel.

Lopez likewise flagged the insufficient number of walkways for passengers, as most of them had been closed off, as well as the slow construction of a passageway going up and down the station.

Care, empathy, and respect are not soft skills or personality quirks. They are an operating system-and communication is how we build and run it.

Evident Integrated Marketing and PR is small by corporate standards: 47 people, 77 percent women. Our board is all women; seven of nine leaders are women. We work in social and behavior change, communication and public relations, focused on how behavior, technology, and story shape institutions and the public sector.

Across many workplaces beyond ours, emotional load-bearing work still falls on women because they are ‘good with people.’ They absorb client moods, smooth over disrespect, and rescue impossible timelines. Meanwhile, managers underperform on inclusion priorities: only 47 percent of employees say their managers consistently encourage respectful, inclusive behavior. Nearly 90 percent believe their manager would think poorly of them if they disclosed a mental health challenge. That system suppresses voice and punishes honesty. That is not care. That is unpaid risk management.

We do it differently. We call our approach communication as care. It isn’t about being nice; it’s about structures that keep people effective and brave in high-stakes work across gender, health, sustainability, and the public sector.

Supportive human resource policies. We design for inclusion at the system level: our HR processes now include voluntary disclosures (disability status, Sogiesc, and indigenous person identification) in onboarding forms, employee info sheets, and surveys where necessary, so support can be offered, not inferred. Our updated company handbook codifies anti-harassment and nondiscrimination, child protection (for work with partners that involve children) and diversity, equity, and inclusion guidelines across our work both internally and externally.

Clarity as care. Ambiguity is where exploitation hides; and clarity prevents scope creep. So, we ensure that every brief is stress-tested: the goal, the decider, the nonnegotiables, and the ethical guardrails. We also standardize inclusive communication guidelines in our products like strategic communication plans, playbooks, and press releases-so respectful language and representation aren’t left to chance.

Psychological safety as performance infrastructure. We build psychological safety deliberately: our president runs monthly peer learning and forum coaching sessions as our resident executive coach for the leadership team. The practice normalizes vulnerability, honesty, and radical candor at the top, and leaders are trained to cascade the same with their direct reports.

We do this by enforcing regular, structured 1:1s (employee-manager, manager-director, director-executive). We also promote anonymous feedback forms that go straight to HR-our whistleblowing and sensitive-topics channel-so issues surface without fear.

We normalize dissent upward. If a stakeholder disrespects staff or pushes harmful messaging, directors step in and own the conversation. When leaders absorb the heat, women see proof that they’re safe and they matter more than protecting a billable hour. At the same time, we empower our managers and employees to directly challenge and give feedback through this practice.

So, how does a care operating system change outcomes? By rewiring communication structures: the who, what, and feedback loops, so managers and employees enable equity together.

Do this and you unlock what already exists in the workforce: high ambition and commitment. Advancement should result from clear expectations, fair evaluation, and leaders who take responsibility for conditions, not just results.

Skeptics will say this is hand-holding. I disagree. Care done right is ruthless. It forces decisions. We will not glamorize burnout as heroism. We will not tolerate disrespect as the cost of doing business. Pretending everything is fine until women resign is an expensive strategy. Systematizing care is the cost-saving strategy because it protects talent, improves quality, and reduces reputational risk.

This is what women-led leadership looks like at its best. Representation is step one. Step two is changing how power behaves. When leaders align priorities and rewards so managers are evaluated not only on business outcomes but also on how they lead, live the values, and sustain team morale; and when managers are resourced with time, tools, and scripts-women don’t have to be heroic to be heard. They can be excellent. That is the point.

It’s not about making space for women to lead like men-it’s about redefining leadership itself. When systems evolve to value care, clarity, and collaboration, excellence becomes more inclusive and sustainable.

Dove Subingsubing is the managing partner of Evident Integrated Marketing and PR, an integrated communications firm that changes mindsets, influences behaviors, and creates positive social impact.

When the Senate and House of Representatives conclude hearings, the words of witnesses – especially their revelations – do not vanish. They live on in the official records of Congress – kept and preserved.

From the storm of corruption allegations in the government’s COVID-19 contracts to the swirling controversies over billions lost in corrupt flood control works, Filipinos have seen witnesses – public officials and private individuals-drop explosive revelations.

There was one witness who confessed to changing the expiration dates of ‘substandard’ face shields sold to the government, and one who spoke of ‘kickbacks’ drawn from projects that were either substandard or completely nonexistent.

However, statements made in legislative hearings do not automatically result in criminal or administrative charges, as congressional investigations are conducted in aid of legislation – not to determine guilt or innocence.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/INQUIRER.net

Based on Section 21, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, the Senate or the House of Representatives, or any of their respective committees, may conduct inquiries in aid of legislation.

These inquiries are governed by the Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation, which grant committees the ‘power’ to summon witnesses, take testimonies, and issue subpoenas.

Anyone with knowledge or expertise relevant to the topic being investigated may be invited to testify-government officials, private individuals, experts, academics, and representatives from business sectors, interest groups, or NGOs.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/INQUIRER.net

Even those allegedly involved in irregularities or misconduct, such as the misuse of government funds in flood control projects, may be called to appear before the committee to answer or make clarifications.

Witnesses’ words

As the rules provide, all witnesses, whether in public hearings or executive sessions, who make a statement as to matters of fact ‘shall give such testimony under oath or affirmation.’

These testimonies are ‘recorded verbatim.’

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/INQUIRER.net

They serve as basis for the committee report that lawmakers eventually prepare and submit to the plenary. This report includes findings, conclusions, and recommendations for possible legislation or administrative and/or criminal action.

Lawyer and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon explained to INQUIRER.net that congressional testimonies ‘can be used in other official proceedings, such as administrative and criminal proceedings involving the same personalities.’

For instance, the Senate recommended the filing of charges against individuals responsible for the controversial COVID-19 contracts with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., as well as the overpriced laptops of the Department of Education.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have conducted investigations on irregularities in government flood control projects that led to the loss of billions in public funds.

However, the congressional inquiries have since been suspended.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which was created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to investigate irregularities, already recommended the filing of charges against these individuals, among others:

Sen. Joel Villanueva

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada

Former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co

Former DPWH Usec. Roberto Bernardo

COA Commissioner Mario Lipana

Former Caloocan Rep. Mitch Cajayon-Uy

Former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan

Former Bulacan 1st District engineer Henry Alcantara

Former Bulacan 1st District engineer Brice Hernandez

Former Bulacan 1st District engineer Jaypee Mendoza

Alcantara’s chief of staff Carlo Rivera

Villanueva’s staffer identified as a certain Alias ‘Peng’

Co’s staffer identified as a certain Alias ‘Paul’

Co’s staffer identified as a certain Alias ‘Mark’

Mina Jose from WJ Construction

As pointed out by lawyer Jesus Falcis, testimonies given in congressional hearings are admissible in prosecutions, especially when the investigating committee itself wrote a report recommending the filing of charges before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Court’s work

Witnesses’ testimonies had been used in the proceedings of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan, ‘and it is now being used by the ICI in preparing more complaints in relation to the flood control irregularities, said Ridon.

But he explained that it will be the Rules on Evidence that will determine the ‘probative value’ of every testimony, such as whether it contained admissions, or whether the testimony was made by an expert, among others.

As stressed by lawyer Dino de Leon, witnesses’ testimonies can really be used as evidence in the proceedings that will follow, but the ones who gave the testimonies will have to be subpoenaed by the appropriate court.

This, ‘so that the accused will have the right to cross examine said witnesses as part of the accused’s right to due process and to confront their accusers,’ he told INQUIRER.net.

Based on the 1987 Constitution, inquiries conducted by the Senate or the House of Representatives allow lawmakers to gather facts and insights from sworn witnesses, which are later transcribed, archived, and used as the basis for committee reports that may shape future legislation or trigger referrals to investigative agencies.