Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Several local government units (LGUs) across the country suspended classes on Monday, Nov. 3, in preparation for the effects of Tropical Storm Tino (international name: Kalmaegi).

Tino was last spotted 955 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, moving westward at 30 kilometers per hour (kph) at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Currently, Mindanao, Dinagat Islands, and Siargao-Bucas Grande Islands are already at Signal No. 1Below is the list of areas that have declared suspension of classes on Sunday, Nov. 2.

Eastern Visayas

Samar – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Southern Leyte

Silago – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Leyte

Carigara – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Northern Samar

San Isidro – all levels (public and private)

Central Visayas

Cebu province

Alcantara – all levels (public and private)

Alegria – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

Aloguinsan – all levels (public and private)

Argao – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

Asturias – all levels (public and private)

Carcar City – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 5

Bohol – all levels (public and private)

Lapu-Lapu City – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private) until Nov. 5

Western Visayas

Aklan

Balete – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Ibajay – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Kalibo – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Malay – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 5

New Washington – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Antique

Caluya – face-to-face classes only, preschool to senior high school (public and private) until Nov. 4

Libertad – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private) until Nov. 5

Pandan – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Patnongon – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

San Jose de Buenavista – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

Sibalom – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

Capiz

Maayon – preschool to senior high school (public and private) until Nov. 4

Panitan – all levels (public and private)

Pontevedra – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

Roxas City – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Iloilo province

Batad – all levels (public and private)

Carles – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

Estancia – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

Oton – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

Pavia – all levels (public and private)

Sara – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Iloilo City – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private)

Negros Island Region

Negros Occidental

Bago City – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Don Salvador Benedicto – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

La Carlota City – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Manapla – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Moises Padilla – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Pulupandan – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Sagay City – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Toboso – all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

Bacolod City – face-to-face classes only, all levels (public and private) until Nov. 4

The provincial governments of Samar and Eastern Samar have suspended classes at all levels and work in all government offices from November 3 to 4, as Tropical Storm Tino threatens to bring heavy rains and strong winds over Eastern Visayas.

In Executive Order No. 21-2025 issued on Sunday, November 2, Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan ordered the suspension of classes in both public and private schools, as well as work in all government offices, except for personnel involved in peacekeeping, disaster response, health, sanitation, and traffic operations.

Also on Sunday, Eastern Samar Governor Ralph Vincent Evardone issued an executive order suspending classes and government work on the same dates to ensure public safety amid possible flooding, landslides, and other weather-related hazards.

Both governors released their directives following advisories from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), which placed parts of Eastern Visayas under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 on November 2. As of 10 a.m. Sunday, Pagasa said Tino was located 955 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, with maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 105 kph.

The storm is moving westward and may make landfall over Eastern Samar or the Dinagat Islands late Monday or early Tuesday (November 3-4). Pagasa also warned that Tino could intensify into a typhoon within 24 hours.

Earlier, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Eastern Visayas strongly advised the deferment of all non-essential travel to and from the region starting November 2 until weather conditions improve.

The advisory was issued to prevent disruptions in transport, sea travel, and logistics due to expected strong winds, rough seas, and heavy rainfall.

Several local government units and state universities across Eastern Visayas have likewise announced the suspension of classes and work due to Tino. /mcm

Alas Pilipinas under-16 girls team pushed defending champion Japan to its limits before absorbing a 17-25, 25-21, 16-25, 20-25 loss in the 2nd AVC Asian Women’s U16 Volleyball Championship on Saturday at Princess Sumaya Hall here.

After getting dominated by Japan in the first set, Alas girls, composed of high school players from different provinces, never wavered and bounced back in the second frame, powered by Xyz Rayco and Nadeth Herbon. Merish Beltran also had her moment, helping Alas mount a 19-14 lead in the second set before Rayco and Jhenica Sadia put on the finishing touches to equalize the match. Japan caught fire in the third and dominated Alas to regain the lead, but the national youth team, inspired by the OFWs in Jordan watching and cheering for them, never gave up and even held a 12-9 advantage in the fourth off Madele Gale’s ace.

However, the trio of Ren Sugimoto, Miko Takahashi, and Rina Hayasaka restored the order for Japan.

After Sadia’s quick attack pulled the Philippines within one, 21-20, Japan responded with four consecutive points, capped by back-to-back kills from Hayasaka to seal their first Pool B win.

‘I’m really happy with the kids’ performance. Considering we only had two weeks to prepare, they still did well. Unfortunately, some of them started to feel the effects of overtraining, so a few were hurting and a bit worn out,’ said Alas coach Edwin Leyva. ‘But overall, the team’s performance was impressive, and it turned out even better than we expected.’

‘The team jelled quickly. It wasn’t like what we feared at first, that they might struggle to connect since they came from different places. Our main issue before was communication because of the different dialects, but they managed it well. They played great, and I’m very happy with how they performed,’ he added. Rayco and Herbon led Alas with nine points each. Gale and Beltran had six points apiece, while Sadia had three.

Alas seeks to bounce back in a must-win game against Iran on Sunday, 11 p.m. (Manila time) to make it to the quarterfinal. ‘We’ll apply everything we learned in Japan in our next game because we know it’s still going to be a tough fight. We’ll keep giving our all and keep fighting until the end,’ Rayco said.

Sugimoto and Takahashi powered Japan with 16 points each. Hayasaka had 13 points. Kana Mizuno and Nozaki also stepped up with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Japan goes for a group sweep against Iran on Monday.

Memphis has suspended two-time All-Star guard Ja Morant for its game Sunday at the Toronto Raptors, with the Grizzlies citing what they described as conduct detrimental to the team.

Morant scored only eight points in Memphis’ 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. He had a brief postgame interview session, with most of his answers some form of ‘Go ask the coaching staff.’ Morant also seemed disengaged at times in that game, even walking a few steps away from the bench area during a time-out in the second half.

Asked about what happened in the game, Morant said, ‘Go ask them,’ referring to the coaching staff. He did not score in the second half.

He did give a different answer when asked if he felt like he should have played more or what could have gone differently.

‘According to them, probably don’t play me, honestly,’ Morant said. ‘That’s what basically the message was, after. It’s cool.’ Morant played 8 minutes, 25 seconds in the fourth quarter on Friday, more than any other Memphis player. He logged 16:11 of on-court time in the second half, second-most on the team; Jaren Jackson Jr. played 16:20 after halftime. Morant missed all seven of his shots in the second half.

This suspension is the latest in a long series of disciplinary actions with Morant in recent years.

He was suspended twice in 2023 for incidents with guns, those two events costing him 33 games and about $8.3 million in salary.

The first was an eight-game ban for the live streaming of a video in which he displayed a firearm while in an intoxicated state at a Denver-area nightclub. The other was a 25-game ban after posing with a firearm in a car during another live-streamed video, when the league said Morant ‘wielded the firearm while knowing that he was being recorded and that the recording was being live streamed on Instagram Live, despite having made commitments to the NBA and public statements that he would not repeat the conduct for which he was previously disciplined.’

He was fined $75,000 last season for an aiming-a-gun gesture to celebrate making 3-pointers. The league called the gesture ‘inappropriate,’ adding that ‘Morant was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light.’

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) no. 1 was hoisted in Eastern Samar and parts of Mindanao due to Tropical Storm Tino (international name ‘Kalmaegi’), the state weather bureau reported.

In Mindanao, Dinagat Islands, and Siargao-Bucas Grande Islands were placed under Signal no. 1, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Tino was observed 955 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, moving westward at 30 kilometers per hour (kph) at 10 a.m., Pagasa recorded.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 kph, and gusts of up to 105 kph, the state weather bureau added.

Tino is anticipated to intensify into a severe tropical storm on Sunday evening, and may reach typhoon category within the next 24 hours, Pagasa said. Pagasa also reported that Tino will make its initial landfall over Eastern Samar or Dinagat Islands on late Monday evening or early Tuesday morning.

It will then emerge over the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday, remaining as a typhoon, Pagasa added.

National University faces De La Salle in a clash of surging squads with major postseason stakes, headlining a high-stakes Sunday playdate in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Bulldogs sit alone at the top with a 7-2 slate, a game ahead of the Green Archers and defending champion University of the Philippines, who share second place at 6-3. But La Salle is charging hard-winners of four straight and whose last defeat, coincidentally, was in the first round against NU, 82-78.

That game also saw the Archers lose forward Mason Amos to an MCL injury.

Coach Jeff Napa is urging his Bulldogs to come in sharp for the 2 p.m. rematch.

‘We really need to refresh our minds because we know La Salle’s on a winning streak,’ Napa said. ‘They’ve changed a lot from the first round. We have to be fully ready against them.’

NU last played a week ago, beating Ateneo, 66-50.

La Salle coach Topex Robinson, meanwhile, respects what he sees from NU-depth, discipline and a proven core.

‘They’re No. 1 for a reason. They have a good combination of veterans. Omar John is really playing well,’ said Robinson. ‘We just try to be the best version of ourselves. We try to get better each and every time.’

The Green Archers dismantled University of the East, 84-72, last Wednesday.

In the second game, Adamson looks to break a tie for fourth with University of Santo Tomas when it battles Far Eastern University. Both teams carry 5-4 records, but the Falcons gained momentum from a 97-96 overtime thriller against the Tigers, where Cedrick Manzano found ample scoring support from Monty Montebon and Matty Erolon.

Coach Nash Racela hopes that balance continues.

‘Usually it’s just one guy scoring for us,’ Racela said. ‘That’s why we struggle. But this time, I was surprised-we had four in double figures. Hopefully, that gives them confidence moving forward.’ FEU, sitting at 3-6, is running out of room for error. A loss here could all but end the Tamaraws’ Final Four bid after a lopsided 89-75 defeat to UP last week. -INQUIRER SPORTS DESK

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. landed back in Manila on Sunday afternoon following his ‘fruitful’ participation in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit in South Korea.

PR 001, or the aircraft carrying Marcos, landed at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at 2:22 p.m.

In his arrival statement, Marcos said he joined a series of ‘productive meetings’ tackling several topics, including supply chain disruptions, climate change, economic inequality, as well as technological transformation.

‘I’m pleased to report that our engagements were robust, our discussions fruitful, and our shared commitment to collective action reaffirmed,’ said Marcos in his speech.

Among the topics Marcos said he discussed is the Philippines’ vision for a future-ready economy, particularly, four national priorities: narrowing the digital divide for Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) through equitable access to digital services and financial inclusion; improving infrastructure to advance movements of goods and people; strengthening supply chain resiliency; and promoting digital literacy and upskilling for MSMEs, women, and other key sectors.

‘These priorities were well-received, and we worked with our partners to identify concrete ways forward, as reflected in the outcome documents adopted and concluded during the visit,’ said Marcos.

Meanwhile, Marcos said he also met with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Chilean President Gabriel Boric to reaffirm and deepen bilateral relations. Furthermore, Marcos said he also discussed potential investments, citing a P50 billion agreement between the Philippine Economic Zone Authority and Samsung Electromechanics was signed, which is expected to generate over 3,000 high-technology jobs.

‘This commitment is vital, as Korean FDI (foreign direct investment) inflows reached P55 million in the first half of 2025, reflecting strong investor confidence that this administration is seeking to translate into concrete long-term commitments,’ said Marcos.

Reigning NBA assist champion Trae Young will likely miss about a month with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, the Atlanta Hawks said on Saturday.

Young was hurt Wednesday in the Hawks’ game at Brooklyn, then had an MRI exam on Friday to determine the extent of the injury. The Hawks had already ruled out any potential issue with the anterior cruciate ligament, and the MRI showed no additional structural damage other than the MCL sprain. Young has already started rehab, the team said.

Young will be reevaluated in about four weeks, the Hawks said.

If that timetable holds, Young will likely miss at least 15 games because of the injury – and that would already have him in jeopardy of being ineligible for season-ending awards like All-NBA selection because of the league’s rule saying players need to appear in 65 games for consideration on those ballots. Young was averaging 20.8 points through four games, then had six points in the game against Brooklyn before he had to leave after seven minutes of action. That dropped his average for the season to 17.8 points per game.

Young is a four-time All-Star and won the league’s assist title for the first time last season.

Criss Cross took down finals tormentor Cignal, 25-23, 24-26, 25-22, 25-18, to stay unbeaten with a 3-0 card in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference on Sunday night at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

Jude Garcia displayed his MVP form for the King Crunchers with 24 points off 20 kills, three blocks, and an ace to take down the Super Spikers, who beat them in the last three finals. Noel Kampton also rose to the occasion with 16 points and 11 excellent receptions, while Jaron Requinton added 14 points.

Adrian Villados continued to shine as Criss Cross main setter with 34 excellent sets.

‘I’m happy we got the win, but I know we still have a lot to work on. We’ll keep putting in the effort, especially since we made so many mistakes in the second set,’ said VIillados in Filipino.

‘It’s fun but also challenging because we were up against Cignal. It’s also nice having my older teammates there to guide me. It makes playing on the court feel lighter and easier.’

Cignal absorbed its first defeat despite Steven Rotter’s 22-point effort from 18 kills and four blocks. Louie Ramirez and Lloyd Josafat had 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas-Gameville and Alpha Insurance regained their winning ways for a four-way tie at 2-1, tied with Cignal and idle Savouge.

Josh Ybañez and JJ Macam formed a potent combo as UST trounced the winless VNS, 25-19, 25-19, 26-28, 25-22.

From being limited to eight points in their tough loss to Savouge, Ybañez caught fire with 27 points and had 12 digs.

Macam stepped up for GBoy De Vega, who missed the game to attend to personal matter, backstopped the Alas Pilipinas star with 20 points. ‘Maybe we got a bit too relaxed and didn’t expect the other team to really fight back. That’s why we weren’t able to finish it in straight sets,’ said Macam in Filipino after they survived 34 errors.

‘Our game relies a lot on strong serves, so we tend to commit more errors. That’s the challenge we need to overcome, to hit our targets on serve and handle the pressure better inside the court. Because once we start feeling the pressure, we can’t execute the way we should.’

Trevor Valera and Andrei Delicana had 10 points each. Setter Dux Yambao tossed 34 excellent sets, while Edriel Alabar tallied 24 excellent receptions and 18 digs.

Alpha Insurance, on the other hand, turned to Don Nadera, who dropped 23 points including the two game-winning kills off his blockers to eke out a come-from-behind 22-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-22, 18-16 win over Far Eastern University-DN Steel.

‘I’m so happy that we got the win. Thank God for giving it to us,’ said Nadera. ‘It was tough facing the Tamaraws. They’re a strong team, so we also had to play with all our heart.’ ‘Every game, we just do our job. We always go hard.’

Rocky Motol backstopped Nadera with 20 points and 9 excellent receptions, while Barbie San Andres also delivered an all-around game of 16 points and eight excellent digs.

FEU dropped to a 1-2 record despite Luis Miguel’s 17-point effort. Dryx Saavedra and Charles Absin had 13 points apiece, while Mikko Espartero and Lirick Mendoza added 10 each.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday reported the arrest of 1,163 individuals during the annual All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day observance, or Undas, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.

The total includes 517 wanted persons facing various criminal charges, the PNP said in a statement. The arrests came from 1,391 operations conducted nationwide during the period, including 307 anti-illegal drug operations, 223 anti-illegal gambling operations, and 199 campaigns against loose firearms.

A total of 151,066.11 grams of illegal drugs were confiscated, the PNP added.

Other items seized included 478 bladed weapons, 65 alcoholic drinks, 52 packs of playing cards, and various items totaling 11,653.

The PNP also responded to direct assaults, vehicular accidents, fire incidents, and cases of illegal firearm possession. ‘We remind the public that safety is a shared responsibility. The PNP continues to work with our partners and communities to prevent crime and ensure a peaceful Undas celebration for all,’ PNP spokesperson PBGen. Randul Tuaño said.

During the Undas period, a total of 92,894 personnel were deployed nationwide, including 32,317 PNP officers, 18,838 personnel from other agencies such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Philippine Coast Guard, and 41,739 force multipliers, including barangay watchmen, radio groups, and personnel from non-government organizations.