Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday urged the vice governors in the country to unite and help in his campaign against corruption in government.

‘The unscrupulous abuse of power and greed must come to an end,’ the President told the newly elected and appointed officials of the League of Vice Governors of the Philippines (LVGP) during their oath-taking ceremony at Malacañang.

‘Many Filipinos are dismayed because of the piling issues that overwhelm them every day,’ the President said in Filipino.

‘Our people are exhausted, they are disappointed, they are angry. And as I have said before, their rage is valid. It is born from years of frustration at a government characterized by systemic dysfunction and unfulfilled promises,’ he added.

Acknowledging the deep frustrations of ordinary Filipinos, Marcos stated that the people’s dissatisfaction stemmed from years of institutional neglect and the government’s repeated failures to deliver on its promises of reform.

The President urged the local executives not to ignore the public clamor that is growing louder.

‘Let us not dismiss that anger. Let us confront it. Let us be humble and provide concrete solutions,’ he said.

‘We already know what is wrong so we must make it right,’ Marcos added. ‘Reforming our government is the only way we have to win back the trust of our people.’

Congressional inquiries have found that trillions of pesos were embezzled by different government officials and contractors from the thousands of government flood control projects funded by taxpayers’ money.

This resulted in either substandard, or ‘ghost’ (nonexistent) public works projects that have failed in protecting the lives of Filipinos from flooding brought by stronger and greater numbers of successive typhoons and disasters.

Marcos ordered the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate all the anomalous government infrastructure projects in the past 10 years, and recommend the filing of charges to all those involved.

In the past weeks, Filipinos from different walks of life and political affiliations staged demonstrations across the country to condemn what the President himself called to be deeply entrenched and systemic corruption in the government.

As vice governors, they shall be the presiding officers of their respective provincial councils that pass ordinances and resolutions to create programs and policies that will help their constituents.

According to Marcos, although the vice governors come from different provinces and political parties, they should all be united in their commitment to serve the Filipino people.

‘Let us prove that true public service is not about political colors. It is found in the heart, in the conscience, and, most importantly, in action, the President said in Filipino.

‘I know we have it in us to provide our people with the service they rightfully deserve,’ he added.

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake jolted Cebu Tuesday evening, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

In its latest update, Phivolcs said the tectonic earthquake occurred at 9:59 p.m.

Its epicenter was located 17 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu, at a depth of 10 kilometers. Phivolcs reported the following intensities in affected areas:

Intensity III- San Fernando, CEBU

Intensity II- Laoang, NORTHERN SAMAR

Instrumental intensity IV was also recorded in Cebu City, Cebu, and Villaba, Leyte.

Phivolcs said aftershocks and damage to properties are expected./mcm

Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Rep. Leila M. de Lima on Tuesday called on the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and President Marcos Jr. to expedite the selection of the next Ombudsman in light of the ongoing investigations into anomalous government projects.

In a statement, De Lima said the state watchdog post must not be left vacant for too long ‘so that cases can continue to progress, those who should be held accountable can be held accountable, and the people can achieve justice.’

Her statement comes after the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)’s recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman to file criminal and administrative charges against former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co and 17 others over an anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

The project was implemented by Sunwest Inc., a company Co founded.

The Ombudsman is also expected to play a greater role in the broader anti-corruption crackdown ordered by President Marcos Jr.

However, as of Sept. 30, Mr. Marcos has yet to appoint an Ombudsman, which has remained pending since former Ombudsman Samuel Martires retired on July 27, 2025.

As of last week, the JBC said it would hold its deliberations on the vacancy ‘in the coming weeks’ instead of last Sept. 19 to give Sen. Francis Pangilinan, the new chair of the Senate committee on justice, time to review the applications.

The current acting ombudsman is Dante Vargas, who so far has ordered the suspension of 16 Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials over their alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects.

Still, ‘given the extent of the collusion and the number of legislators and government officials involved in the anomalous flood control projects, there is a need for a regular Ombudsman who can truly focus on and respond to the complaints that land in their office,’ De Lima said.

The former justice secretary added that it was all the more imperative for an Ombudsman to oversee the proceedings as the office was expected to receive additional complaints as the ICI investigation progressed.

She expressed hopes that the future Ombudsman appointee would also address the unnecessary and unfortunate dismissal of cases due to inordinate delays in fulfilling its mandate under the Constitution. ‘As the country’s Tanodbayan, the Ombudsman should champion the government’s anti-corruption efforts. It must be swift, serious, and fair in filing solid cases against erring public officials who plunder the nation’s wealth,’ she said.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Office in the Bicol region have imposed a price freeze on all basic agricultural commodities across Masbate province after extensive damage caused by Typhoon Opong (international name: Bualoi ).

In a phone interview on Tuesday, DA Bicol information officer Lovella Guarin said the price freeze aims to ease the burden on affected communities after the storm ravaged major agricultural areas in the island province last Friday.

She said that a total of 1,394 farmers and fisherfolk were affected, with over 1,000 hectares of farmland devastated.

According to the initial assessment, 781 hectares were damaged, while 219 hectares were destroyed. The combined production loss amounted to 1,236 metric tons.

Guarin noted that the rice sector was heavily impacted, with 637 farmers affected and losses totaling nearly 394 metric tons, valued at P5.64 million. The hardest-hit area for rice was Masbate, where 487 farmers reported losses of 256 metric tons, valued at P3.84 million. Other affected provinces include Albay, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte.

‘Based on initial reports collected from the ground, about P42.85 million worth of agricultural crops have been lost across the Bicol region so far due to Opong,’ Guarin said

A good night’s sleep just got better. Global sleep solutions brand Serta, in partnership with OUR HOME, unveiled the new Perfect Spine Collection at SM Megamall, treating guests and shoppers to a day dedicated to comfort, wellness, and the science of better sleep.

The launch was more than a product showcase-it was an experience. Attendees explored the collection through hands-on demonstrations and sleep consultations, with many taking advantage of the exclusive one-day promo of 50% OFF.

Perfect Balance for Restorative Sleep

What makes this collection stand out is its unique balance of firm support and plush comfort, designed to cradle the body while keeping the spine properly aligned. Unlike ordinary mattresses, the Perfect Spine Collection was developed with restorative sleep in mind-helping people wake up feeling recharged and ready for the day.

To highlight just how important sleep is to everyday life, Dr. John Andrew M. Yam, MD joined the celebration and shared:’Sleep is essential to our overall well-being. The right mattress can transform the way we rest, directly influencing our health, focus, and even our mood.’

Partnership for Better Living

Known worldwide as

‘The World’s Best Mattress,’

Serta continues to set the standard for premium sleep. With decades of innovation and trust behind it, the brand has become synonymous with comfort, durability, and thoughtful design-making it the top choice for millions of sleepers around the globe.

Now, through its partnership with OUR HOME, Serta is bringing world-class comfort-and its promise of better sleep-closer to Filipino homes.

With 33 stores nationwide, OUR HOME continues to bring global style into Filipino homes with great design and great prices.

Visit OUR HOME at Building A, Lower Ground Level of SM Megamall or the store nearest you to experience the new Serta Perfect Spine Collection. You may also contact a Personal Shopper at 0917-831-5260 or shop online at www.ourhome.ph.

Former BigBang member T.O.P is set to return as a solo artist in the fourth quarter with a full-length album, industry sources said Tuesday.

It will be his first solo music release since his digital single ‘Doom Dada’ 12 years ago.

The star will be bringing in help for the video with a creative virtuoso he worked with while acting in Netflix series ‘Squid Game 2.’

‘T.O.P’s studio album is scheduled for release sometime in or after October. He has completed recording and plans to shoot several music videos. An art director of ‘Squid Game’ will oversee the production,’ an industry source told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity.

The art director and production designer for Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ is Chae Kyoung-sun, who won Art Directors Guild Awards in 2022 and 2025 for her work on the series, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award in 2022 for outstanding production design.

Hints of a T.O.P solo comeback surfaced before. Last November, he replied ‘2025’ to a fan asking about his solo activity on his Instagram account. In June, he revealed plans to return as a solo artist this year during an international interview promoting ‘Squid Game 2.’

After parting ways with YG Entertainment and leaving Big Bang in 2021, T.O.P has remained without an agency. Another industry insider said he is in talks to sign with Kakao Entertainment, a local entertainment giant, but the company has denied the claim.

T.O.P faced controversy in 2016 when he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, for using marijuana while serving as a conscripted police officer.

His mandatory military duty was later converted to an alternative social service. Following the incident, he announced his retirement from the entertainment industry but reversed course by appearing in ‘Squid Game 2.’

In an interview with local media in January, the rapper reflected on his past.

‘In my 20s, I was fortunate to receive so much love, but I made huge mistakes and collapsed mentally. I still feel ashamed and believe I must always reflect on those mistakes,’ T.O.P said.

‘Whenever I’m in the studio, I feel alive. I’ve been working constantly and created a lot of music, and I believe the time has come to share it with the world,’ he added.

Anxiety lingered in Barangay Nahapay of Guimbal town in Iloilo, even after Severe Tropical Storm ‘Opong’ had left the country, as residents fear that a P18.5-million slope protection project along their riverbank may collapse.

Villagers first alerted the municipal government on Sept. 12, when some 30 meters of the structure started eroding. Days later, rains from the southwest monsoon, intensified by Opong, deepened the damage.

‘The cracks keep spreading, and we feel unsafe because the concrete continues to give way even without rain,’ a resident told reporters.

The 43-meter-long structure, completed in May 2016 and turned over to the local government the following year, has shown cracks since 2024, according to residents.

Residents, who requested not to be named, said the municipal engineer’s office has patched the dike at least three times using local funds, fueling doubts about the project’s quality.

To review

Rep. Janette Garin (Iloilo, 1st District) vowed to push for a review and determine if the project falls under Project NOAH, the science-based disaster risk reduction program set up during the administration of the late President Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III, unfunded by former President Rodrigo Duterte and is now managed by the University of the Philippines.

‘I will make representation so that funding for rehabilitation can be prioritized since budget deliberations are ongoing,’ Garin said over the weekend.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Iloilo First District Engineering Office estimated that P8 million to P10 million is needed for full rehabilitation, but promised preventive measures to avert further collapse.

Roprim Construction, which built the project, has distanced itself, citing the expiry of the government’s five-year warranty period.

‘We complied with DPWH standards, and the structure has stood for nearly 10 years, enduring multiple storms and floods,’ said company manager Ron Primaylon when sought for comment.

For now, both DPWH and the Guimbal Municipal Engineer’s Office said they are coordinating on stopgap measures while waiting for rehabilitation funds. INQ

A new low-pressure area (LPA) has entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the state weather bureau said Tuesday night.

According to the 10 p.m. update from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the LPA entered the PAR around 8 p.m. Tuesday. It was last located 1,095 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon.

Pagasa said the LPA still has a ‘medium’ potential of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the weather bureau earlier reported that the easterlies-warm winds coming from the Pacific Ocean-are expected to continue bringing scattered rains to Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

An alleged member of the Islamist militant Dawlah Islamiya Group was killed during a drug buy-bust operation in Barangay Sapakan, Rajah Buayan town of Maguindanao del Sur, around 4 p.m. on Monday.

Captain Joel Lebrilla, chief of police for Rajah Buayan, said the suspect, Moner Usman, a resident of Darampua village in nearby Sultan Sa Barongis town, was a suspected member of the Daulah Islamiyah Hassan Group and had pending warrants of arrest.

According to Lebrilla, personnel from the Rajah Buayan police, the Special Action Force (SAF), and other units of the Provincial Police Office (PPO) of Maguindanao del Sur were about to conduct the operation when the suspect sensed he was transacting with police officers, prompting him to fight.

He was fatally shot during the exchange of gunfire, while one member of the SAF sustained injuries.

Authorities recovered a firearm, ammunition, and a sachet of illegal drugs.

Usman had six standing warrants of arrest-two counts of murder, one count of carnapping, and three counts of frustrated murder.

He was also tagged as the most wanted person by the Isulan municipal police station and one of the top three most wanted persons by the Sultan Kudarat provincial police office.

The wounded police officer is now recuperating in a hospital

It seems even the Department of Health (DOH) has its own ‘flood control version’ after the agency revealed that most of the health centers built under its health facilities enhancement program (HFEP) remained idle due to lack of personnel.

During the House plenary debates on the DOH’s proposed P253-billion budget for 2026, Akbayan Representative Chel Diokno questioned why only 200 out of the 600 health centers built under the HFEP were functional as of 2025 despite the allocation of over P170 billion for its infrastructure and equipment in the past decade.

‘Is the reason why the Secretary of Health described the HFEP as the flood control version of the DOH, was because only a few, according to him, of the health centers are actually functioning?’ he asked.

Diokno was referring to Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa’s comment at the committee-level briefings for the DOH budget where he called the HFEP-which aims to improve delivery of basic, essential and specialized health services-as the ‘flood control version’ of the DOH.

Budget sponsor and Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia clarified, however, that the HFEP had no ‘ghost health facilities’: ‘They exist, but because of the lack of personnel and health care professionals who could run them, they are not functioning.’

He also explained that the department had entered into memoranda of agreement with local governments ‘in good faith,’ expecting them to provide personnel for the facilities they requested.

‘Probably some of our LGUs lacked the funds to hire doctors and midwives, which is beyond the jurisdiction of the secretary,’ Garcia said, adding that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) may need to step in since it oversees LGUs.

‘But they are there waiting to be activated and hopefully we can assign personnel to them so they could provide services to our countrymen,’ Garcia added.

Launched in 2008, the HFEP is a banner program under the DOH that aims to ensure that the poor and marginalized sectors of society have access to appropriate health facilities.

Specifically, it provides funding assistance for infrastructure and equipment of government health facilities nationwide, including barangay health stations, rural health units, district and provincial hospitals, and specialty centers.

In a 2017 performance audit, the Commission on Audit (COA) had already flagged deficiencies in HFEP implementation, including problems with procurement of equipment not aligned with the actual needs; undistributed equipment at DOH regional offices, and the construction of health stations on ineligible and nonworkable project sites.

Diokno noted it had been seven years since the findings but only now was the DOH enforcing stricter controls.

The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), in a 2025 study, likewise found inequities in HFEP’s grant distribution, with some LGUs receiving funds despite not being among those most in need.

To address gaps, the DOH said it had launched a ‘catch-up plan’ in the second half of 2025 by revising HFEP guidelines to expand implementation modes, and opening 55 Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) centers nationwide to temporarily provide primary care while idle facilities await personnel. /cb