Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Aiah Arceta of P-pop girl group BINI visited the Philippine Red Cross-Cebu Chapter’s emergency operations center to show support for the families affected by the recent earthquake in the province.

The Philippine Red Cross gave a glimpse of Arceta’s visit through a post on Facebook on Thursday, Oct. 16, describing the gesture as a ‘true bayanihan spirit.’

‘Aiah of the P-pop girl group BINI showed a true bayanihan spirit as she visited the Philippine Red Cross Cebu Chapter’s Emergency Operations Center, meeting and encouraging Red Cross Youth volunteers who have been tirelessly repacking and distributing relief goods for quake-affected families,’ read the post.

Along with her visit, Arceta donated 783 pieces of 2-meter sakoline, durable waterproof sheets used as temporary roofing and ground cover for families who lost their homes in the earthquake.

The P-pop idol previously organized a donation drive under her initiative Aiahdvocacy and was able to raise over ?440,000 in funds for earthquake victims in Cebu.

Arceta had already been engaged in charitable work even before the earthquake. Through her Aiahdvocacy project, she had conducted outreach initiatives in various communities.

On Sept. 30, a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Cebu, with its epicenter near Bogo City. At least 76 people were killed, and more than 1,271 were injured. The quake damaged nearly 112,900 homes.

Following the calamity in Cebu, a magnitude-7.4 earthquake also struck off the Mindanao region on Oct. 10, which triggered tsunami warnings. Aftershocks are still being observed as of this writing.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Thursday clapped back at Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent tirades against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stressing that the latter is not afraid of investigations-unlike the previous administration.

Her remarks came in response to Duterte’s statement questioning Marcos’ confidence that the ongoing probe into anomalous flood-control projects would not lead to his doorstep. ‘A person becomes confident when they know that what they’re doing is for the nation and not just for personal gain like some others out there. Let’s not forget that the President has been the key to stopping and preventing corruption,’ said Castro in a Viber message to reporters.

‘That’s our President-brave and confident in his words. He wasn’t afraid to undergo an investigation, something the previous administration never did,’ she continued.

The Palace official also said that those who have wronged the nation are often afraid to answer questions and, worse, are the same ones most vocal in attacking the government despite having no accomplishments of their own.

At a forum held on the same day, Duterte said Marcos should not be too sure that the flood-control probes would not eventually point to him, saying the investigations-which she also questioned-were still ongoing. ‘You will wonder why the President is confident that the scandal and the corruption would not lead to the Office of the President,’ Duterte said at the Pandesal forum at the Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City.

This was her reaction to Marcos’ statement in a media interview on Wednesday, saying he was confident in the investigation because he knows ‘what we did or did not do.’ ‘We’ll follow the evidence. And wherever that leads is not something that we try to direct or influence,’ he also said.

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 Social Security System (SSS) on Thursday said a Calamity Loan Program (CLP) is now available to members in Davao Oriental who were affected by the two powerful earthquakes that struck the province last week.

Robert Joseph de Claro, president and CEO of SSS, said in a statement on Thursday the CLP is intended to give timely financial support to SSS members living or working in the earthquake-affected areas. This followed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) declaring all 11 cities and towns in Davao Oriental to be under a state of calamity.

Qualified SSS members can avail of calamity loans of up to P20,000 at a lowered interest rate of 7 percent per year.

Qualifications

To qualify for the calamity loan, members must:

Reside or work in an area declared under State of Calamity;

Have at least 36 monthly contributions, with at least six posted within the last 12 months before filing. Individually paying members must have paid six contributions under their current membership type;

Have an active My.SSS account;

Have no past due loans or outstanding restructured loans;

Have not been granted any final benefit;

Be of legal age and under 65 at the time of application; and

Have not been disqualified due to fraud against the SSS.

‘We further remind our members about SSS’ benefit and loan programs that may be relevant to them during these difficult times,’ de Claro said.

He was referring to the Pension Loan Program (PLP), through which retirement pensioners may borrow up to P300,000 and survivor pensioners can borrow up to P150,000. ‘Thus, there is a loan facility for actively contributing members and for retirement or survivor pensioners,’ de Claro added.

He said the revised Calamity Loan Program guidelines, issued earlier this year, enable faster activation within seven working days. The updated rules lowered the interest rate to 7 percent per year from 10 percent. This applies to members with a good credit record.

A man was killed in a crocodile attack in a mangrove area along the Marabajay River in Barangay Rio Tuba, Bataraza town, Palawan, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

According to the Coast Guard Station Southern Palawan, the body of the victim, identified as Leonard Casio, was recovered after an extensive search operation led by personnel from the Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Rio Tuba.

At around 2:49 a.m. on Wednesday, Joebel Fuentes, a resident of Barangay Calauag, Taytay, reported to authorities that Casio-his companion-had been dragged by a crocodile while they were in the mangrove area.

A search and rescue team was immediately dispatched, but the high tide, poor visibility, and warnings from residents about the dangerous presence of crocodiles in the area hindered their efforts.

The team temporarily suspended the search for safety reasons.

Operations resumed at 5:30 a.m., and after several hours of searching, Casio’s body was eventually found and retrieved later that day. The remains were brought to Barangay Rio Tuba, where family members positively identified the victim. His body was later transported to a funeral home in Brooke’s Point.

Days after her death, Diane Keaton’s family confirmed in a statement sent to US media that the actress died of pneumonia.

People magazine reported on Wednesday, Oct. 15, that Keaton’s family is grateful for the love sent their way on behalf of the late actress as they disclosed the cause of death.

‘The Keaton family is very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11,’ the statement read.

Keaton’s family encouraged fans to honor the Oscar-winning star’s memory through causes close to her heart.

‘She loved her animals and was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations to a local food bank or animal shelter would be a wonderful and much-appreciated tribute,’ the statement added.

The cause of death of the 79-year-old actress was not immediately disclosed when reports about her death broke on Oct. 11.

Keaton rose to fame in the 1970s with her role as Kay Adams in ‘The Godfather’ films and her collaborations with controversial actor-director Woody Allen.

Keaton earned an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in ‘Annie Hall’ (1977) and went on to star in other blockbusters including ‘The First Wives Club,’ ‘The Family Stone,’ ‘Because I Said So,’ ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ and the ‘Book Club’ film series. The late award-winning actress was also known for her unique fashion style. Her signature look incorporated menswear such as baggy trousers, big belts and bowler hats.

Keaton never married but adopted two children, daughter Dexter in 1996 and son Duke in 2001. ‘I’m really glad I didn’t get married,’ she said in 2019. ‘I don’t want to be a wife. No.’

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa inspected on Thursday a newly-opened super health center in Antipolo City, which was tagged as completed but non-functional by the Department of Health (DOH).

The DOH said that the super health center in Tanza, Antipolo only began operating on Thursday ahead of Herbosa’s visit.

It added that P11.4 million was allotted for the construction of the two-storey building and an additional P7 million for equipment, as per the request of the city government.

It also noted that the facility was constructed in 2023 and was completed in July 2024. ‘Based on a report to me, this is not functional and was padlocked. But you can see, this is being operational. I’m happy,’ Herbosa told reporters in an interview. Upon inspection, he said that the facility is ‘partially operational’ as the laboratory and x-ray room are not yet functional and would need licensing from the agency first.

But why did the super health center remain non-operational a year after its construction was completed? Dr. Concepcion Lat of the City Health Office explained that the delay was due to the arrival of equipment and lack of manpower.

‘The transfer was being planned for months. We were waiting for the materials we ordered, then the staff,’ Lat said.

Herbosa, who said that he is happy upon inspecting the super health center, said that he does not mind if it just became operational to the public on Thursday.

‘Whether they did it because I was coming to visit or not, it is okay to me, as long as it can be used by the people.’ he said.

Spotting the difference

Meanwhile, Herbosa could not help but to compare the super health center to the one the agency inspected in Marikina City on Wednesday.

When Herbosa visited Concepcion Dos Super Health Center in Marikina, he only saw the first phase of the project. Herbosa on Wednesday said that phase one was supposed to be funded with P11.5 million for a two-storey facility.

He, however, said that plans changed because the local government wanted a four-storey building with a rooftop so the funding for phase one increased to P21.5 million.

‘Ito ang what would give you if you spend P19-20 million as a super health center. Nakita nyo na yung comparison,’ he said, referring to the super health center in Antipolo.

Herbosa noted that a super health center can be completed for with P15 million for construction works, and additional P5 million for medical and other equipment.

Herbosa on Wednesday also revealed that the DOH found 297 ‘non-operational’ super health centers across the country.

In a move to transform the way Filipino students receive their daily meals, Rep. Brian Poe of the FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List has filed House Bill No. 2191, or the ‘National School Feeding Cloud Kitchens Act.’

The bill proposes a centralized, professionally managed system called the National School Feeding Cloud Kitchen System (NSFCKS)-to prepare and deliver safe, nutritious meals to schools nationwide, relieving teachers of non-teaching duties like cooking and procurement.

Currently, many public school teachers are burdened with food preparation, procurement, and even cooking for the School-Based Feeding Program, tasks that fall far outside their core responsibility of teaching. HB 2191 addresses this by establishing strategically located School Feeding Cloud Kitchens that will handle meal production at scale, ensuring consistent quality, food safety, and cost efficiency through economies of scale.

The bill also creates a National School Feeding Council, composed of key agencies-including the Department of Education (DepEd, Department of Health (DOH), DSWD, Department of Agriculture (DA), and DOST-FNRI, as well as local government units, parents, teachers, and private sector partners. This council will develop a national master plan, set nutrition and safety standards, and foster public-private partnerships to ensure long-term sustainability.

As Poe emphasized in his sponsorship speech: ‘Teachers will be fully relieved from food preparation and procurement. Their role will be to supervise meal distribution and integrate nutrition education into their teaching, allowing them to focus on what they do best: educating our children.’

The Cloud Kitchen System is not just about food, it’s about building a modern, efficient, and accountable national feeding program that supports both student health and teacher effectiveness. HB 2191 complements House Bill No. 1193, which expands the National Feeding Program to include secondary school students. HB1193 amends the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa sa Batang Pilipino Act to ensure that undernourished learners from kindergarten through Grade 12 receive at least one fortified meal daily for 120 days each year.

As Rep. Poe notes in his speech, ‘According to the World Bank, childhood undernutrition cost the Philippine economy around USD 4.4 billion, equivalent to 1.5% of our GDP in 2015,’ and ‘the Expanded National Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute reveals that adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old, especially those in rural areas and poor households, show higher rates of stunting and malnutrition than their urabn counterparts.’

He added, ‘This period-adolescence-is a critical stage for growth, learning, and emotional development. Yet, many of our secondary students attend class hungry, struggling to focus, and unable to perform to their full potential.’

Together, these bills ensure that ‘every Filipino learner-from kindergarten to senior high school-has access to nutritious meals that support both body and mind.’

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck Santa Cruz town in Occidental Mindoro province on Thursday night, Oct. 16, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

According to Phivolcs, the epicenter of the tectonic earthquake that occurred at 7:02 p.m. was located three kilometers southwest of the coastal municipality. It had a depth of focus of 10 km.

A tectonic earthquake is produced by sudden movement along faults and plate boundaries.

Instrumental Intensity II was recorded in Mamburao town, also in Occidental Mindoro, and in the municipality of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro. Instrumental intensities are determined using an intensity scale. Phivolcs said it does not expect any damage or aftershocks from the quake.

The seismically active Lubang Fault is located between Mindoro Island and Batangas. /das

Two foreigners were arrested in Taguig City for allegedly carrying out medical procedures without a valid professional license, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Thursday.

The suspects, identified only as ‘Zhang’ (female) and ‘Cong’ (male), were arrested at a spa facility in a condominium complex along 1st Avenue last Saturday, according to the CIDG.

‘The arrested suspects were caught while allegedly performing medical treatment, particularly administering facial injection and related medical procedures to clients, without the necessary license, permits or registration from the proper Philippine authorities,’ the CIDG explained’Confiscated from the foreign suspects were assorted vials of injectable substance, cosmetic products, hair removal machine, magnetic therapy machine, and related equipment,’ the CIDG added.

The suspects were taken into the custody of the CIDG Anti-Organized Crime Unit and were charged before the National Prosecution Service for violation of Republic Act No. 2382 or the Medical Act.

Britney Spears’s former husband Kevin Federline made several claims against the pop singer through his memoir ‘You Thought You Knew,’ including allegations of her cheating on him with a woman as well as the apparent concerning behavior she has exhibited toward their sons.

In an excerpt from the book-set to launch on Oct. 21-released by foreign media outlets, Federline narrated how he allegedly caught Spears ‘making out’ with one of her female staffers during a concert tour in Europe.

Federline said he decided to leave and fly back to the United States because of what he witnessed, but that Spears begged him to stay. After the fight, he noted that their relationship changed as the singer became ‘more intentional, more thoughtful’ about them.

Federline also spoke about incidents which their sons Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19, supposedly experienced under the care of Spears.

‘They would awaken sometimes at night to find her standing silently in the doorway, watching them sleep – ‘Oh, you’re awake?’ – with a knife in her hand. Then she’d turn around and pad off without explanation,’ Federline reportedly said in the book.

Downward spiral for Spears

Speaking about why he made a tell-all, Federline said he has done so because the pop star’s ‘situation’ is ‘racing toward something irreversible.’

‘Something bad is going to happen if things don’t change, and my biggest fear is that our sons will be left holding the pieces,’ he stated, expressing concern for Spears.

‘Now, more than ever, [our children] need your support. I’ve been their buffer for years, but now it’s bigger than me. It’s time to sound the alarm,’ he said. In a separate interview, Federline further disclosed that the night prior to their wedding, Spears allegedly reached out to her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake and gave him a ring for closure.

‘Constant gaslighting’

Spears responded to Federline via a statement on her Instagram page on Thursday, Oct. 16, explaining her relationship with her sons.

‘The constant gaslighting from ex-husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting. I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys,’ she said.

‘Relationships with teenage boys is complex. I have felt demoralized by this situation and have always asked and almost begged for them to be a part of my life,’ she continued. ‘Sadly, they have always witnessed the lack of respect shown by own father for me. They need to take responsibility for themselves.’

Spears then slammed Federline’s memoir and the apparent ‘white lies’ in it.

‘Trust me, those white lies in that book, they are going straight to the bank and I am the only one who genuinely gets hurt here,’ she said.

‘I speak on this because I have had enough and any real woman would do the same,’ she added. A representative for Spears also earlier released a statement on the matter, accusing Federline of ‘profiting off her.’

‘With news from Kevin’s book breaking, once again he and others are profiting off her and sadly it comes after child support has ended with Kevin. All she cares about are her kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James and their well-being during this sensationalism. She detailed her journey in her memoir [The Woman in Me],’ it read.