Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Fair weather is forecast over the majority of the country on Tuesday, while rain may prevail in extreme Northern Luzon, said the state weather bureau.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the easterlies will continue to bring rain and cloudy skies over extreme Northern Luzon.

‘Here in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, partly cloudy to cloudy skies will remain, meaning there is a low chance of rain,’ Pagasa weather specialist John Manalo said.

Fairer weather is also forecast over the Visayas and Mindanao, but rain showers may still be possible due to isolated thunderstorms.

Temperature range in key cities/areas on Tuesday

Metro Manila: 25 to 31 degrees Celsius

Baguio City: 18 to 23 degrees Celsius

Laoag City: 25 to 30 degrees Celsius

Tuguegarao: 25 to 31 degrees Celsius

Legazpi City: 24 to 31 degrees Celsius

Puerto Princesa City: 24 to 31 degrees Celsius

Tagaytay: 22 to 28 degrees Celsius

Kalayaan Islands: 24 to 31 degrees Celsius

Iloilo City: 25 to 31 degrees Celsius

Cebu: 26 to 32 degrees Celsius

Tacloban City: 25 to 31 degrees Celsius

Cagayan De Oro City: 24 to 31 degrees Celsius

Zamboanga City: 24 to 34 degrees Celsius

Davao City: 26 to 34 degrees Celsius

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday appointed Engr. Lara Marisse Esquibil as officer-in-charge for operations, overseeing Convergence Projects and Technical Services.

Before her appointment, the 36-year-old Esquibil served as officer-in-charge of the DPWH Bureau of Design starting July 2025.

Esquibil joined the DPWH in 2013 as part of the first batch of the Cadet Engineering Program.

Dizon said Esquibil has earned ‘a lot of great words’ from people in the agency, including former DPWH Secretary Rogelio ‘Babes’ Singson.

‘She has my full trust and confidence,’ Dizon said when he presented Esquibil during the agency’s flag-raising ceremony.

Dizon told reporters that Esquibil was initially hesitant to accept the post due to the controversy surrounding the agency. However, he described her as someone who ‘loves the country very deeply.’

‘I had a very long conversation with Director Lara. She was afraid not only because of the responsibilities of the job but also because of the intrigue,’ Dizon said. ‘I told her, ‘As long as you do what is right, do what is proper, keep your integrity, you will be okay. We will always be behind you.”

The public works secretary is also confident that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will sign off on Esquibil’s appointment, saying the president ‘wants good people.’

The appointment came after DPWH undersecretary Arrey Perez resigned from his post on October 17, one month after he was given the job.

Perez stepped down after he was linked to contractors involved in the alleged flood control project anomalies. /mcm

‘Dreamboi,’ an entry to the CineSilip Film Festival, is in danger of not being shown to the public after receiving an X rating from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

The film’s rating was revealed by its writer-director Rodina Singh, who goes by the pronouns she/her, on X on Thursday, Oct. 16.

‘X-RATED SI DREAMBOI NEXT WEEK NA PREMIERE NAMIN PAANO YUN? Ang sakit (‘Dreamboi’ received the X rating. Its premiere will happen next week. How can we get through this? It hurts),’ she wrote. In a lengthy post on Friday, Oct. 17, the filmmaker appealed to the MTRCB to allow ‘Dreamboi’ to live ‘inside the cinema,’ adding that she’s grateful to the government agency for seeing it as a ‘mature [and] artistically driven’ film.

‘I only hope and pray that the MTRCB allows us to live, too, inside the cinema. I truly appreciate their kind words describing Dreamboi as a ‘mature, artistically driven exploration of sexuality, identity, and desire.’ It means a lot to be seen that way. I only ask that they reconsider their decision and allow us to share this story with an audience, even in a limited screening,’ she said.

Singh reiterated that the film ‘is not pornography,’ and instead talks about the ‘pain and beauty of longing.’ She also stressed that it’s meant to show the realities of trans desire, and how ‘longing shapes the lives of trans women.

”Dreamboi’ is not pornography; it is a story about being seen, about the pain and beauty of longing when the world tells you you’re not allowed to want. Because every time a story like this is silenced, another trans woman disappears,’ she said.

”Dreamboi’ is a film about trans desire-about how fantasy, shame, and longing shape the lives of trans women. It follows Diwa, who turns to audio porn to feel something again, until a secret habit of eavesdropping on a stranger having sex in a basement toilet spirals into obsession. When she discovers the man is also her favorite anonymous audio porn actor, fantasy collides with reality,’ she continued.

Singh said the CineSilip entry was made with a ‘?2 million [budget], a dream, and a community of friends and colleagues who gave their time’ to bring it to life, in hopes of allowing the trans community to ‘live with pleasure.’

‘To those who have been waiting, who believed in Dreamboi from the very start-thank you. We ask for your support now more than ever as we face this challenge. Tonight’s Dreamboi Live performance will serve as a fundraising event to help us pay our remaining post-production dues and to cover the costs of our re-appeal to the MTRCB,’ she said.

‘We will re-submit, re-appeal, and if necessary, create a new cut – because this film deserves to be seen. I only had ?2 million, a dream, and a community of friends and colleagues who gave their time, talent, and hearts to bring Dreamboi to life. We made this film with courage, not excess – with love, not luxury,’ she further explained.

Singh hoped that the public would stand with them in ensuring that the film would be shown to a wider audience.

‘We believe that visibility is not obscenity, that desire is not a sin, and that stories like ours belong in the cinema. We hope you stand with us, help us keep Dreamboi alive, and together, may we all see the light of day,’ she said.

According to the filmmaker, the MTRCB said the ‘prolonged sexually explicit’ scenes make ‘Dreamboi inappropriate’ for public viewing.

‘While it offers important representation and commentary, its prolonged sexually explicit scenes make it inappropriate for public viewing,’ the government agency said, per Singh.

Inquirer Entertainment has reached out to MTRCB for comment, but has yet to respond, as of this writing.

The Singh-helmed film stars Tony Labrusca and EJ Jallorina. It is part of the first-ever CineSilip Film Festival, which runs from Oct. 22 to 28.

Malacañang on Monday said that the abolition of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is not being considered at this time, noting that many officials in the department continue to perform their duties properly.

Palace press officer Claire Castro made the statement in response to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian’s suggestion to dissolve the agency and create a new one amid the serious corruption issues that have plagued the agency.

‘First of all, in the department, not all administrators or government employees in the DPWH can be said to have made mistakes. There are still public servants and public officials who fulfill their duties,’ Castro said in Filipino.

She also said, ‘At present, there are no plans to abolish it because what should be removed are those who are doing wrong. It’s easy to identify who they are, and with the help of Secretary Vince, those who need to be removed from the agency will be removed.’

Gatchalian floated the idea of abolishing the DPWH during a forum last Thursday, saying that if something can no longer be fixed, then it might be better to build a new one.

‘If you’re going to ask me. Because I think it will take years and years for Secretary Vince to clean up. We need to do many things-digitalization, of course, file cases to everyone involved, and we also need to check the others if they are doing what is right,’ he said during a Kapihan sa Senado forum.

On Sept. 21, tens of thousands of people staged protests in various parts of Metro Manila-coinciding with the anniversary of the declaration of martial law under then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in Sept. 1972.

The demonstrations focused on condemning the irregularities in flood-control projects and called for accountability for the personalities involved in the developing controversies.

Tropical Storm Ramil is set to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Monday morning, the weather bureau said.

As of 3 a.m., Ramil was moving northwest at 25 kilometers per hour (kph), about 350 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported.

The storm has maximum sustained winds of 65 kph, with gusts of up to 80 kph.

Even as it moves away from the country, the storm continues to pose wind threats in parts of Luzon.

Pagasa has issued Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 in the following areas:

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

La Union

northern and western portions of Pangasinan

Abra

western portion of Benguet

Pagasa said Ramil’s trough will also bring scattered rains to the following areas:

Metro Manila

Ilocos Region

Cordillera Administrative Region

Cagayan Valley

Central Luzon

Cavite

Laguna

Batangas

Rizal

Occidental Mindoro

Oriental Mindoro

Palawan

Meanwhile, the rest of Luzon is forecast to experience isolated rain showers or thunderstorms caused by easterlies, or winds from the Pacific Ocean, Pagasa added. /mcm

Tropical Storm Ramil (international name: Fengshen) left at least six people dead and a fisherman missing as it cut through parts of the Visayas and Luzon over the weekend.

The storm caused torrential rains in several parts of Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, central and southern Luzon, and Bicol, forcing more than 22,000 people to evacuate, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said on Sunday.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Ramil was last spotted 85 kilometers (km) west northwest of Iba, Zambales, carrying maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gustiness of up to 80 km/h.

‘On the forecast track, Ramil will continue moving west-northwestward or northwestward over the West Philippine Sea. It is forecast to exit the Philippine area of responsibility [on Monday] morning,’ Pagasa said in its typhoon bulletin issued at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 was raised over La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Bataan provinces; while TCWS No. 1 was hoisted in other areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila.

First casualty

In Capiz province, content creator Mae Urdelas, 23, drowned when she slipped and was carried away by a strong current while crossing the creek at Barangay Malocloc Sur in Ivisan town around 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Her body was recovered by rescuers some three hours later, about a kilometer from where she fell, according to Malocloc Sur village chief Allan delos Santos.

In her last post on Facebook hours before she died, Urdelas wrote, ‘Tama na nga ulan (enough of the rains).’

In Quezon province’s Pitogo town, five members of a family, including a 5-month-old boy, died when a palm, or ‘buri,’ tree fell on their hut at the height of the storm.

Police identified the victims only through their first names-Alberto, 66; his daughter Jean Andrea, 35; Jean’s husband, Alvin, 35; and the couple’s children, Nazareth, 11, and the infant Noeh. They were sleeping in their nipa hut in Barangay Cawayanin around 5:30 a.m. when the tree hit their house, pinning and crushing them. Pitogo was under TCWS No. 1 at the time of the incident.

In Eastern Samar province, a fisherman from Barangay Nena of San Julian town, identified as Venetio Pombo, 30, was reported missing when he failed to return home after he went fishing on Saturday, authorities reported.

On Sunday, two minors from Masbate province were rescued off Barangay Dalupinit in San Antonio, Northern Samar, after their fishing boat drifted due to rough seas and strong winds.

The rescued boys, aged 11 and 14, went fishing on Saturday as the storm raged.

No damage

Pagasa earlier reported that Ramil made landfall over Gubat, Sorsogon, at 4:10 p.m. on Saturday.

However, no major damage was reported in Gubat, according to Raden Dimaano, head of the disaster risk reduction and management office of Sorsogon.

He told the Inquirer that the storm brought only light to moderate rains and mild winds, which eased after about 30 minutes.

On the other hand, areas not directly in the storm’s path, like Capiz and Iloilo, reported more damage.

Some northern towns in Iloilo were flooded, while several roads in Capiz were rendered impassable, including a major highway connecting Roxas City and Panitan town. The storm also caused landslides in the Eastern Visayas region and flooded communities on Samar Island.

Almost 5,000 passengers and 1,516 rolling cargoes were stranded in different ports in Bicol, although sea travel had resumed in Matnog, Sorsogon, on Sunday, said the Office of Civil Defense.

Police in Luzon and parts of the Visayas have been placed on alert and ordered to assist in emergency response, said Philippine National Police acting chief Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. in a statement on Sunday.

Under driving rain and cloudy skies, the Philippines’ Artjoy Torregosa and Kenyan Kelvin Kiplagat dug deep to rule the men’s and women’s centerpiece 10-kilometer races of the inaugural Asics Meta: Time: Trials (MTT) Philippines, doing it in emotion-filled styles on Sunday.

Willing herself to prove a point, Torregosa, a native of Butuan, stormed past fancied contenders-including national team standout Joida Gagnao-to claim the women’s overall crown with a time of 36 minutes and 23 seconds before breaking down at the finish.

‘I really didn’t expect this,’ Torregosa said in Filipino, the tears streaming down her cheeks barely recognizable because of the continuous downpour. ‘There were members of the Philippine national team in the race, and I’m not part of that team.

‘My only strategy was to keep up with them,’ she added. ‘But in the last lap, when I asked myself if I still had something left, that’s when I gave it everything I had.’

Torregosa also offered her triumph to her recently departed grandfather, whose wake she missed as she was preparing for the race.

‘I really wanted to win this one for him.’

Kiplagat, a first-time PH competitor, defied both unfamiliarity and a crack field to clock 30:32, holding off local aces Richard Salaño (30:41) and Sonny Wagdos (31:22), who had recently won in Thailand.

‘It felt kind of funny and exciting at the same time,’ said Kiplagat, who hails from the high-altitude town of Eldama Ravine. ‘This is my first time racing in the Philippines, and the weather was challenging, my body was hurting. But I gave it everything.’

Both champions walked away with P100,000 each, and the reputation that they will never be unfancied in races to come. INQ

In April 2023, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) launched its Campaign Against Malnutrition and Child Stunting (Camacs) because we believe that our children today, especially those growing up in poverty, need investments in their nutrition, health, education and wellness so that they can reach their full potential as healthy, skilled adults who are able to improve their quality of life.

We are thankful that when MAP took on the role of convenor, more than 70 organizations responded, committing their resources and their willingness to help implement the programs that can help reduce and eventually eradicate malnutrition and child stunting.

But due to the magnitude of the undertaking and the fact that it is MAP’s first time to take on a social cause of that scale, we barely inched up, except on that aspect that we are good at-that is, creating national awareness of the existence of this problem.

But we have a vital and indispensable role in this fight-and staying committed is not just morally right, but also smart business.

And we are glad that MAP, through the MAP Research and Development Foundation, has committed to supporting this project.

Also, about a month ago, the same team was given the go signal to proceed with ‘Camacs Phase 2.’

Indeed, why should the business community take this on with dedication and full commitment? Because malnutrition is not just a health issue-it is an economic one.

It quietly erodes our workforce productivity, drags down our gross domestic product (GDP), and diminishes the potential of our next generation.

Addressing it is not charity; it is one of the highest-return investments we can make.

Globally, the numbers remain staggering.

Unicef reports that 148 million children under five are stunted, 45 million are wasted, and 37 million are overweight.

This so-called ‘triple burden’ of malnutrition costs the world trillions annually in lost productivity and health-care expenditures.

The Philippines reflects this challenge.

Stunting-a condition caused by chronic under-nutrition-affects 23.6 percent of our youngest citizens.

And once it sets in, it is largely irreversible. It impairs cognitive development, weakens immunity and limits educational attainment. It is not just a health statistic. It is a lifelong economic penalty.

We are falling behind our Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) neighbors. Thailand’s stunting prevalence is 11 percent, Vietnam’s is 19 percent, while ours remains stubbornly high at 26 percent.

What does this mean in economic terms?

According to the Cost of Inaction Tool by Nutrition International (2023), the Philippines may be losing about $8.5 billion annually (P496 billion)-roughly 2 to 3 percent of GDP-due to under-nutrition, including stunting, low birthweight and anemia. (BusinessWorld Online).

That is billions of pesos lost-through reduced productivity, higher health-care costs and lower educational outcomes. For stunted children, studies show lifetime earnings can be up to 22 percent lower.

That is human capital leakage we simply cannot afford.

The good news is that solutions are known, cost-effective and yield very high returns.

In the Philippines, there has been a significant improvement from 34 percent (one in every three children) in 2015 to 23 percent (one in every 4 children) in 2023.

And that is the reason why MAP remains steadfastly committed to Camacs with the hope that no child will be wasted.

The Copenhagen Consensus estimates that every dollar invested in nutrition can generate up to 16 dollars in economic benefits.

The business sector, especially with MAP’s demographics that count the top industry leaders as members, can do a lot more.

There are simple ways that could easily be adopted in our organizations. For instance, we can:

1. Include nutrition not just as a Corporate Social Responsibility project but in our supply chain, product designs and workforce policies.

2. Support breast-feeding and maternal health programs within our operations, inside our workplaces, in our communities.

3. Make our products into healthy diets that are more affordable.

4. Help shape policy reforms, such as tax incentives, food standards, subsidies, among others.

5. Be partners in public-private platforms, such as nongovernmental organizations, government, communities-and align programs with national plans, like Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition.

MAP is relentless in this advocacy, treating this as a continuing program, ensuring this by placing the Camacs as one of the important initiatives of the MAP Research and Development Foundation.

Using the same template we have designed in Phase 1 in 2023:

We can continue our role as a Convenor and be the clearing house of synergy and collaboration for the different players.

Keep the momentum of the conversation using MAP’s visibility as an advantage to generate awareness and continuing engagement through regular releases, forums, policy advocacies and persistently push for public reforms and actions.

For this reason, we will step up some more. For Phase 2, we will line up continuing efforts to push Camacs.

Beyond CSR, nutrition investments make strategic sense. A healthier workforce is more productive, innovative and competitive. Malnutrition is not only about hunger-it is about lost potential. INQ

University of Santo Tomas and National University delivered scintillating performances in the final round to clinch the collegiate men’s and women’s titles, respectively, in the UAAP Season 88 Chess Championships on Sunday at the Adamson University Gym.

Breaking the trend of early title clinches in previous seasons, this year’s collegiate chess action produced a thrilling finish, keeping players and coaches on edge until the very last round.

The Sampaloc-based NU squad, in particular, trailed for most of the season before pulling off a stunning victory in the penultimate round and sealing the championship with a clutch final-round win.

‘We played catch-up all season long. We had to go through the needle on our way to becoming champions this season. From Round 1 to Round 12, La Salle was leading. Then, luckily for us, we beat them in Round 13. Up to the last round, it was still everybody’s game,’ shared NU coach Jojo Aquino.

‘Yung pressure talaga di nawawala yung (kada championship run)There’s always pressure every time you contend for a championship. That’s why I told my players not to be complacent and they responded very well,’ he added.

The Lady Bulldogs claimed their third overall title and first since their back-to-back championship runs in Seasons 84 and 85. Woman FIDE Master Allaney Doroy led the charge with a gold-medal performance on the top board, earning her second MVP award in the women’s division.

‘Super proud and happy because I got the MVP award and the team was able to win the championship in my last playing year,’ said Doroy, who also won a pair of MVP honors while anchoring NU Nazareth School in the girls’ division during Seasons 81 and 82.

Fellow Lady Bulldog Jersey Marticio earned Rookie of the Year honors with a silver medal on Board 2, while Kyla Dalagan secured a silver on Board 4.

In the men’s division, UST dominated the University of the Philippines, 3.5-0.5, to capture a fifth consecutive title and 12th overall. Chester Reyes led the Male Woodpushers, going undefeated in the final three rounds to claim a gold medal on Board 2 and the MVP award.

‘Winning the championship and MVP is a big achievement. We were able to peform up to our standards even in the absence of our senior players. I hope we’re able to continue our winning ways,’ said Reyes.

UST’s Lee Roi Palma (Board 3), Mark Reyes (Board 5), and Allan Hilario (Board 6) each added a gold medal, while FIDE Master Christian Mark Daluz took silver on the top board.

Far Eastern University finished as runner-up behind UST, anchored by FIDE Master Marcojo’s gold medal on Board 1. Lemuel Adena (Board 5) earned silver, while Jerish John Velarde (Board 2) and National Master Franklin Andes (Board 6) each secured bronze.

Completing the men’s podium was De La Salle University, which rebounded from three opening losses to claim second runner-up honors. Rigil Pahamtang (Board 4), John Lance Valencia (Board 6), and Cyril Telesforo (Board 3) finished with gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively, with Pahamtang also earning Rookie of the Year.

In the women’s division, De La Salle also took runner-up honors after edging the dethroned back-to-back champions FEU in the final round. Woman National Master Rinoa Sadey (Board 3) and Checy Telesforo (Board 5) both won gold medals, while Lovely Geraldino (Board 6) and Woman National Master Francois Magpily (Board 1) took silver and bronze, respectively.

FEU placed third in the women’s division with gold medal performances from Samantha Umayan (Board 2), Franchesca Largo (Board 4), and Joyce Rueda (Board 6), and silver medals from Woman FIDE Master April Joy Claros (Board 3) and Woman National Master Vic Glysen Derotas (Board 5).

Despite finishing fourth overall in the women’s division, UST’s Jamaica Lagrio (Board 2), Rohanisah Buto (Board 4), Princes Oncita (Board 5), and Nathalie Liscano (Board 6) all secured bronze medals. Ateneo de Manila University’s Alphecca Gonzales claimed bronze on Board 3, while Adamson University’s Robelle de Jesus took silver on the top board.

UP, which ended the season fifth in the men’s division, earned two silver medals through Io Aristle Calica (Board 2) and Daniel Tagufa (Board 3), while Roderenz Adra added bronze on Board 4. Ateneo finished fourth in the men’s division, highlighted by Ritchie Abeleda’s silver (Board 4) and Christopher Kis-ing’s bronze (Board 5). Adamson’s John Rocel Simon rounded out the men’s medalists with a bronze on Board 1.

Citing a spike in influenza-like illnesses, Quezon Governor Angelina Tan has reinstated the mandatory wearing of face masks.

‘Due to the increasing number of cases of illnesses such as colds, coughs, influenza-like illness, and severe respiratory infections like community-acquired pneumonia-and in accordance with Executive Order No. DHT-60-the wearing of face masks is hereby strictly mandated in all indoor settings, as well as in outdoor areas where physical distancing cannot be observed,’ Tan, a medical doctor, said in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 19.

Tan did not specify how long the policy will remain in effect.

EO No. DHT-60, issued on Dec. 27, 2023, requires face masks in all government and private offices, public spaces, hospitals, clinics, indoor settings, and outdoor areas where physical distancing is not possible.

The governor did not provide current figures for influenza-like illness cases in the province.

When Tan suspended school classes from Oct. 16 to 17, she had already warned of rising respiratory illnesses at the government-run Quezon Medical Center (QMC) in this city.

Tan reported that QMC is operating at more than 200 percent of its authorized bed capacity.

‘In fact, there are no more available beds. Some beds are being occupied by two patients,’ she said, adding that QMC and 14 other government hospitals across the province are struggling with limited resources.

Lucena City, the provincial capital and a highly urbanized city, is not covered by Tan’s mask mandate. However, Mayor Mark Alcala has followed the governor’s order, requiring residents to wear face masks for protection.

Alcala also suspended in-person classes at all levels in public and private schools from Oct. 20 to 22 ‘due to the rising cases of influenza virus.’

‘Online classes will continue as scheduled,’ Alcala said in a Facebook post. /mcm