Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Prosecution lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr. asks the impeachment court to declare lawyer Michael Poa a hostile witness as he begins his testimony in the impeachment trialof Vice President Sara Duterte on Sept. 2, 2026.

Tolosa also presents a 13-point offer of testimony covering Poa’s role as Department of Education chief of staff from 2022 to 2024

The Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Oriental Mindoro urged residents to take precautionary measures against the possible health effects of haze and air pollution, with Provincial Health Officer Dr. Cielo Ante leading the call for vigilance.

‘Our health and safety are our topmost priority. By taking preventive steps together, we can protect ourselves, our families, and our entire community,’ Dr. Ante said in a public health advisory released on Tuesday (September 1).

The health warning comes amid concerns over haze – a mixture of fine particulate matter that can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs – and its potential health impacts.

According to the PHO, extended exposure to haze may lead to ‘itching, redness, or watering of the eyes, irritation or pain in the nose and throat, coughing and hoarseness, headaches and dizziness, a difficulty of breathing or shortness of breath, the worsening of asthma and other respiratory and heart conditions.’

Dr. Ante urged all residents to follow these guidelines by reducing outdoor activities and to avoid strenuous physical exertion outdoors, stay indoors with windows and doors closed whenever air quality is poor, consume plenty of water, and to wear protective N95 masks or use the equivalent respirator when going outside becomes necessary.

Acting Health Secretary Edwin Mercado said on Wednesday that the agency has sufficient stocks of leptospirosis medicine to meet demand, if needed, to address the flood-borne illness.

At a congressional budget hearing, Mercado said the Department of Health (DOH) has around 3.1 million pills stored at its main warehouse that could be distributed to flooded communities.

‘We have at least 3.1 million capsules still in the central warehouse, which is enough buffer for the rest of the year,’ he told lawmakers.

He did not specify the medicine he was referring to, although he responded to a question asked by 4K Partylist Rep. Iris Montes, who asked if the DOH had procured ‘prophylaxis’ treatment for leptospirosis.

Post-exposure treatment for those who wade through floodwaters involves doxycycline, a pill now under scrutiny amid supply concerns after torrential rains brought by monsoon rains left several areas flooded.

In mid-August, the University of Santo Tomas Hospital disputed reports that its doxycycline supply was depleted. Last week, Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko’ Moreno Domagoso said the capital still has sufficient stocks of the pill despite heavy rains that inundated the flood-prone city.

The DOH plans to procure 4.88 million doxycycline pills for next year, which will be distributed to health centers nationwide, Mercado said

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are seeking cheaper feedstocks as the government moves to increase the bioethanol blend to lower pump prices.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Energy Secretary Sharon Garin recently met to find ways to lower feedstock costs, maximize idle distillery capacity, and expand local ethanol production to reduce import dependence.

Discussions focused on exploring different feedstock options to boost local ethanol production, such as molasses and sugarcane juice from the sugar industry and locally produced corn.

‘We are studying these options carefully, and there is potential for them to help bring down gasoline prices,’ Tiu Laurel said in a statement on Tuesday.

The recent meeting aimed to raise the bioethanol blend from 10 percent to 15 percent.

Government officials said locally sourced feedstocks cost more than imported supplies, while locally produced bioethanol prices are double those of imported bioethanol.

They also said every increase in feedstock costs can lead to a P1 increase in ethanol prices.

Tiu Laurel said the problem hinges not on corn availability, but on securing it at a price that makes ethanol commercially viable.

The DA noted that locally produced corn has become the primary alternative feedstock to molasses and sugarcane juice, which currently supply most of the country’s ethanol production.

Domestic ethanol producers estimate that they will produce between 325 and 385 million liters per year from sugarcane-derived feedstock. Meanwhile, existing plants have a capacity of more than 500 million liters.

‘Officials said that to protect the sugarcane industry, only the unused capacity could be sourced from corn, which would accommodate additional production without displacing existing agricultural output,’ it said.

The agency also said it is looking at bolstering corn output through better seeds, mechanization, and contract farming between producers and ethanol plants.

However, the DA warned that higher demand from ethanol producers could raise corn prices for livestock raisers.’Diversifying feedstock could also reduce pressure on any single agricultural commodity, and possibly lower local bioethanol prices,’ it added.

The mandatory 10 percent blend has been in effect since 2011, while the 20-percent bioethanol blend is voluntary.

Last month, the DOE said it is working on the necessary policy and technical preparations, including developing the Philippine National Standards, to introduce a 15 percent ethanol blend in gasoline safely and effectively.

It also said the DA has an ongoing proposal to amend Joint Administrative Order No. 2008-1, Series of 2008, which prohibits using corn as a feedstock for bioethanol production.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) must remain dedicated to controlling inflation and avoid ending its rate-hiking cycle too early, according to GlobalSource Partners.

GlobalSource Partners analyst Diwa Guinigundo noted that the peso’s decline to the 62-per-dollar level suggests the market doubts the BSP’s commitment to tackling inflation.

Guinigundo pointed out that real interest rates are still negative despite the BSP raising its key rate to 5 percent while inflation remains above 6 percent.

‘The issue is not simply whether the BSP should raise, hold or eventually cut its policy rate,’ Guinigundo said. ‘The more fundamental question is whether monetary policy is sufficiently restrictive in real terms to bring inflation back to target and keep expectations firmly anchored.’

Since April, the BSP has raised its policy rate by a total of 75 basis points. Gov. Eli Remolona Jr. called the recent hike a ‘preemptive’ measure against risks from El Niño and potential wage increases. Policymakers now project inflation will average 6.1 percent this year, still above the BSP’s 3-percent target.

Guinigundo emphasized that the upcoming October policy meeting will be crucial for the BSP and warned against prematurely declaring the tightening cycle over due to weak growth.

‘This is not an argument for indiscriminate tightening or for ignoring growth. It is an argument for recognizing the hierarchy of responsibilities,’ he said. ‘Asking monetary policy to compensate for weaknesses elsewhere risks creating the worst of both worlds: weak growth and persistent inflation

Lindon Bacquel is among the defense lawyers representing Vice President Sara Duterte before the Senate impeachment court.

Bacquel is a senior associate at the Fortun, Narvasa and Salazar (FNS) Law Firm, like many of his peers on the defense team.

He is one of the youngest members of the defense panel, having been admitted to the Philippine Bar only in 2022.

Bacquel has so far led the defense’s cross-examination of two prosecution witnesses: Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) former special disbursing officer, Gina Acosta, and Col. Manaros Boransing II, who began his testimony on Tuesday, Sept. 1

According to the FNS website, Bacquel earned his bachelor’s degree in Management, Major in Legal Management and Minor in English Literature, as well as his juris doctor at Ateneo de Manila University.

His law firm also states that he interned at the Public Attorney’s Office – Quezon City and the Ateneo Legal Services Center.

At present, Bacquel’s practice areas revolve around arbitration, immigration, litigation and dispute resolution.

Duterte is facing the impeachment trial amid allegations of misusing confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery and grave threats

One of the four missing passengers of the vehicle that fell in the Aug.29 Agana bridge collapse was found dead in Barangay Carael at Dagupan City in Pangasinan on Monday.

Fishermen helped retrieve the body of James Patrick Taborlupa, 30, who was a former staff nurse at the Jecsons Medical Center in Tarlac City.

Still missing are Paul Harvey Collado, nurse supervisor at the Jecsons Medical Center, Shanen Tuhao, and Shiela Mae Taborlupa, who were occupants of the SUV that plunged into the raging Tarlac River when the bridge was torn apart during very heavy rains.

The SUV’s lone survivor was Nataniel Dizon, 20, who shared a post about his uncle Taborlupa’s last advice: ‘Pagraduate ka na pala Not, papayamanin mo na si Ate Bel (Mama mo) nyan ha, kasi deserve nya, ka swerte nyo ni NatNat sa Mama nyo, sobrang bait, sya lang yung palaging naaasahan, at pinaka napalapit na pinsan namin na palaging nandyan.’

(You are about to graduate, Not, [Dizon’s nickname]. Make your mother rich. You are lucky to have her as your dependable mother and a cousin with whom we have grown close)

Agana Bridge, which was constructed in the 1980s, links Tarlac City to the towns of Sta. Ignacia, Mayantoc, Camiling and San Clemente, and is often used to reach the Pangasinan town of Mangatarem.

Dizon complained that the rescue efforts took a long time and he was not immediately brought to the hospital. Instead, bystanders kept taking videos and uploaded them as social media content.

‘Niligtas ko talaga ang sarili ko doon, ako lang, walang nag-rescue sa akin o sa amin. Mas inuna niyo pang mag-video,’ he posted on Facebook

Jaja Santiago-Minowa finished with 19 points in her debut with Creamline in the PVL Invitational Conference on Monday. She scored 17 from 30 attacks and also had a block and an ace.

A warning to the rest of the field: She’s still adjusting to her team’s system.

‘I’d say I’m around 70 percent. It’s really me who needs to adjust because this is their system and I’m the one who came into the team. I still need to learn more about our blocking system and defense,’ said Minowa in Filipino. ‘But I don’t think it’s that difficult because I’ve been training with them for about two months now. I think we’re getting there, and hopefully throughout this Invitational, everything will connect.’

When that everything connects, Santiago-Minowa expects the Cool Smashers to be better than they were when they fended off Nxled, 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

One of the things the 6-foot-5 ace hopes to improve is her connection with setter Kyle Negrito, who dished out 31 excellent sets on top of six points.

‘I think with Kyle, we’re getting there. We’re finding the connection that we’re looking for. In crucial moments, though, it’s not only her who needs to adjust. Sometimes her sets go lower, but sometimes I also get too close to the net. So both of us really need to work on that connection, especially in crucial moments,’ said the Filipino-born, Japanese citizen.

‘And it’s not just me and the setter. Everyone needs to adjust and connect with Coach Sherwin’s system. I think we just fell short in the crucial moments today, especially in stopping our errors.’

The 6-foot-5 middle blocker is just honored to be on the same team as her fellow PVL MVPs Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, Tots Carlos, and Michele Gumabao under eight-time champion coach Sherwin Meneses.

‘Joining Creamline wasn’t really difficult for me because, like Coach Sherwin said, we all practice and perform together. What’s good about this team is that no one is above anyone else. Everyone is equal on the court,’ said Minowa.

‘They’re also very good at handling new and old players. They adjust quickly, and no one gets left behind. When I joined Creamline, it wasn’t difficult for me to adjust. And as an experienced player, I would never look down on them because I’m still learning too. I always say I’m not a perfect middle, so whatever they can teach me and whatever I can share with them, it’s give and take.’

Galanza backstopped Minowa with 17 points, 14 digs, and 11 excellent receptions. Tots Carlos had 14 points, while Alyssa Valdez had 13 points and 12 receptions.

The Cool Smashers eye their second win against Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

Jonah Sabete-Escamillan and EJ Cariño led the Chameleons’ win in the third set, as they continued to miss Brooke Van Sickle due to a shoulder injury.

Escamillan had 20 points, 25 receptions, and 11 digs. Cariño had 18 points, while MJ Phillips added 11.

Nxled seeks a bounce-back against defending champion PLDT on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has refunded P19 billion in loan payments to more than 700,000 members as of end-August, putting it on track to breach the P20-billion mark ahead of the program’s deadline next month.

In a statement on Tuesday, GSIS said the refunds under the Balik Ginhawa programs covered nearly 1.3 million loan contracts.

The initiative released P19 billion in total, with P8.9 billion from Balik Ginhawa 1 and P10.1 billion from Balik Ginhawa 2.

The latest figure came nearly a month after GSIS said it had returned more than P18 billion in loan amortizations to qualified members and pensioners under the two programs.

GSIS first launched the program in April covering December 2025 to February 2026 payments, then expanded it in July to include March to May 2026. The program allows qualified members and pensioners to receive refunds for up to six months of eligible loan amortizations.

The enhanced program will remain open for applications until Oct. 31.

Unlike a traditional loan moratorium, regular loan deductions continued under the program, with qualified borrowers receiving refunds for eligible payments instead.

For instance, a government employee paying P20,000 a month in loan amortizations could receive the equivalent of up to P120,000 in refunds for six months of covered payments.

‘Balik Ginhawa is about putting money back into the hands of our members and letting them decide where their families need it most. That can make a real difference in a family’s life,’ GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso said.

‘We want every qualified member to benefit. There is still time to apply for Balik Ginhawa 2, and we encourage our members not to wait until the last minute,’ Veloso added

POCO, a leading technology brand among young tech enthusiasts, today unveiled POCO F9 Ultra and POCO F9 Pro, continuing the F Series’ legacy in the premium flagship market. Built for ultimate performance, POCO F9 Series delivers a major technological leap in gaming and brings all-round upgrades in display, imaging, and battery life, showcasing flagship excellence on every front. During the launch, POCO also announced the next chapter of its partnership with Bose, a global leader in audio, to deliver clear, immersive, and high-quality mobile audio experiences to users worldwide.

‘As POCO continues to strengthen its position in the premium flagship segment, we remain focused on challenging conventions through technologies and innovations,’ said Kang Lou, Senior Product Marketing Manager and Spokesperson at POCO Global. ‘With POCO F9 Ultra, we’re delivering ultimate performance through cutting-edge technologies and gaming innovations, while POCO F9 Pro brings together flagship gaming power and a well-balanced, versatile experience for more users. Together, POCO F9 Series is designed to meet the expectations of a more demanding and diverse audience, delivering peak performance and exceptional value.’

Ultra Performance Unleashes 185FPS Gaming Dominance

Performance stands at the core of POCO F9 Series, with its flagship dual-chip architecture raising the performance bar for all-round flagships. Both devices are built on Qualcomm’s latest flagship mobile platforms, delivering unmatched performance and speed across intensive multitasking, demanding workloads, and gaming. Leading the lineup, POCO F9 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform and delivers an impressive AnTuTu score of 4,165,108-the highest ever recorded on a POCO smartphone. Taking charge of visual processing, for the first time in F Series, both models pair their flagship processors with the dedicated VisionBoost D8 chipset, enabling Smart frame rate at up to an industry-leading 185FPS. Moreover, Smart frame rate and AI Super resolution can run simultaneously, delivering smoother motion and sharper detail for a more lifelike gaming experience. POCO F9 Ultra also features ultra storage up to 1TB, providing ample space for all the games, apps, and media content without compromise.

Beyond hardware, POCO F9 Series integrates WildBoost Engine to further elevate the gaming experience. A standout capability is support for gaming at an ultra-high 185FPS. Compared with 120FPS, it delivers 65 more frames per second, and a refresh interval shortened by 3ms, allowing users to spot enemies earlier and react faster. This extreme fluidity is available natively across over 20 titles, while 5 additional games can reach 185FPS³ through Smart frame rate. Complementing this, Game Color Enhancement further enables precise tuning of game visuals for vivid graphics and enhanced scene details. Matching these visuals, a 4,800Hz instant touch sampling rate, 480Hz 10-point touch sampling rate, and an ultra-high 200Hz gyro sampling rate translate every tap, swipe, and tilt into fast, precise control.

POCO 3D IceLoop cooling system rounds out the performance experience, helping the entire lineup remain smooth and stable for longer-even during demanding gaming sessions.

Immersive Visuals, Refined by Design

POCO F9 Series features ultra-high 185Hz POCO HyperRGB AMOLED displays, delivering exceptionally fluid visuals across various scenarios. POCO F9 Ultra opens up the experience on an expansive 6.9-inch screen, while POCO F9 Pro packs the same flagship display technology into a more compact 6.59-inch form factor for comfortable handling. At the heart of both displays is POCO HyperRGB technology. Its full RGB subpixel structure makes full use of every red, green, and blue subpixel to deliver crisp, vibrant visuals comparable to a 2K display, while consuming less power. The lineup also marks the global debut of the new M11 luminescent material, enabling up to 4,500 nits of peak brightness across multiple scenarios and 10,000 nits for HDR content, bringing dazzling highlights, deeper contrast, and finer detail to every scene.

Comfort matters as much as clarity. POCO F9 Series introduces Xiaomi Vision Care, POCO’s first comprehensive eye care solution, achieving TÜV Rheinland Quadruple Eye Care certification. Whether it’s a long reading session, back-to-back videos, or a late-night scroll, POCO F9 Series helps to ease eye fatigue.

Both models embrace a refined, premium design language with a sophisticated look and feel. POCO F9 Ultra introduces a dynamic light on the back, offering personalized effects for incoming calls, notifications, gaming, and music, while giving the device a distinctive visual signature. POCO F9 Pro brings POCO’s first full-panel luminous design to the Aurora Green variant, producing a soft, even glow in darkness after exposure to sunlight or indoor lighting, and allowing users to create their own luminous patterns with a blue-violet laser pointer.

Sound by Bose Technology: Deepening the Partnership for Premium Mobile Acoustics

POCO F9 Series takes the premium audio experience further through state-of-the-art hardware and software, as well as joint acoustic tuning powered by Sound by Bose technology. POCO F9 Ultra combines dual symmetrical 1115D master-grade stereo speakers with an ultra-large 1620 independent subwoofer to create a true 2.1-channel audio experience, delivering a more stable sound image, deeper bass, and a wider soundstage. Alternatively, POCO F9 Pro features dual symmetrical 1115F super-linear stereo speakers paired with a Sealed Cavity Design, producing rich midrange, crisp high frequencies, and finely rendered detail across the full frequency range.

Beyond hardware, two professionally tuned sound profiles are available across the lineup, offering distinct listening experiences: ‘Dynamic’ for authentic and full bass character, and ‘Balanced’ for overall balanced and pure vocals. Furthermore, Sound by Bose powered tuning delivers detailed sound at low volumes and distortion-free sound at high volumes, restoring an authentic listening experience at every volume level.

This collaboration also brings a new mobile gaming experience to both devices with the all-new Game audio mode. It increases footstep loudness for clearer directional awareness, while retaining the layered detail of gunfire, voices, and other in-game effects. As a result, players can identify critical audio cues more easily, pinpoint their direction more accurately, and stay fully immersed in the game.

Ultra Battery Capacity Meets Full-Speed HyperCharge

POCO F9 Series delivers exceptional real-world endurance engineered for power users. POCO F9 Ultra features the largest battery ever in the POCO F Series-a class-leading 8,050mAh (typ) battery with 16% silicon-carbon content that ensures high energy density in a streamlined form factor, providing reliable 2-day battery life. POCO F9 Pro houses a substantial 6,330mAh (typ) battery, ensuring all-day battery life while maintaining a compact profile.

The versatile HyperCharge system combines 100W wired and 50W wireless HyperCharge across the entire lineup, delivering rapid power recovery. Both models also support industry-leading 27W wired and 22.5W wireless reverse charging, turning the phone into a convenient power source for other devices.

POCO’s First 200MP Ultra-Clear Imaging with Flagship Versatility

Taking a major step forward in imaging, POCO F9 Series introduces POCO’s first-ever 200MP ultra-clear camera system, equipped with OIS across both models. A dedicated 200MP mode captures exceptional detail, unlocking greater creative freedom in cropping, reframing, and post-capture editing. Complementing the rear setup, a crisp 32MP front camera ensures every self-portrait remains sharp and refined.

For long-range shooting, POCO F9 Ultra features a flagship 5x periscope telephoto camera that brings distant subjects into sharp, effortless focus. Together with 10x lossless zoom and 20x AI Ultra Zoom, it captures sharp, jitter-free detail across every scenario. Alternatively, POCO F9 Pro features a 50MP 2.5x floating telephoto camera that focuses from as close as 10cm, moving effortlessly from super macro close-ups to faraway landscapes. Across the entire lineup, Live cinematography brings a cinematic touch to video with 4K ultra HD capture, automated focal transitions, and fluid lens shifts that turn everyday moments into compelling visual stories.

Product availability

The POCO F9 Series is available through Shopee, with the Early Bird promo running from September 1-16, 2026, which comes with a FREE REDMI Buds 8 Active, 1+1 Years Warranty and up to 6 months screen replacement when you go to any Xiaomi Service Center. On top of the Early Bird Promo, users may avail of the Shopee Rebate and get save even more.

POCO F9 Ultra is available in two colors: Dark Cherry and Black, and comes in three variants:

12GB+256GB: Php 55,999 SRP | Php 45,999 Early Bird Price | Php 41,920 with Shopee Rebate

16GB+512GB: Php 59,999 SRP | Php 48,999 Early Bird Price | Php 44,600 with Shopee Rebate

16GB+1024GB: Php 89,999 SRP | Php 79,999 Early Bird Price | Php 73,600 with Shopee Rebate

POCO F9 Pro is available in three colors: White, Aurora Green, and Black, and comes in two variants:

12GB+256GB: Php 49,999 SRP | Php 33,999 Early Bird Price | Php 30,600 with Shopee Rebate | Php 29,300 with Lazada Rebate

12GB+512GB: Php 54,999 SRP | Php 35,999 Early Bird Price | Php 32,400 with Shopee Rebate | Php 31,500 with Lazada Rebate

*Availability may vary by countries/regions, you may consult third-party shopping websites for more purchasing options.

*Available storage and RAM are less than the total memory due to storage of the operating system and software pre-installed on the device.

Price and availability vary between markets and sales channels. Please refer to mi.com for product availability and detailed regional sales information.