Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday announced the signing of a memorandum of agreement among various government agencies and the local government units in Pampanga in a bid to fight illegal recruitment and human trafficking.

He said this in his speech during the distribution of Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo sa mga OFWs na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) fund assistance in San Fernando, Pampanga.

‘A Memorandum of Agreement was recently signed between the Department of Migrant Workers, the Department of Labor and Employment, TESDA [Technical Education and Skills Development Authority], and OWWA [Overseas Workers Welfare Administration], along with local government units and the Provincial Government of Pampanga,’ Marcos said.

‘And under this agreement, the member agencies, in partnership with the local government of Pampanga, will implement programs against illegal recruitment and human trafficking,’ he continued.

The President also commended the OFWs for their sacrifices as well as for representing the Philippines globally.

‘No words can express our gratitude for your sacrifice, for your love for your families, for your countrymen, and for your beloved Republic of the Philippines,’ he said.

During the event. 3,000 OFWs and individuals who have OFW relatives from 22 calamity-stricken towns in the province received P5,000 through the DMW’s AKSYON Fund Assistance.

They will also receive an additional P5,000 from the Office of the President. These will aid them get back on their feet after the recent typhoons that struck the province.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said on Friday that it will be implementing a ‘major reshuffle’ of chiefs of district offices across the country, citing that their data revealed ‘underperformance.’

LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II said in a statement that the ‘underperformance’ aspect among district officers is specifically for plate distribution and apprehension of motor vehicles with expired registration.

Mendoza noted that he had already issued a memorandum to inform all regional directors of the need to conduct reorganization at the district office level.

The regional directors were given until 5 p.m. this Friday to submit their proposed reassignments of district officers.

‘Complacent district officers’

According to Mendoza, the reshuffling aims ‘to ensure efficient and effective government services to the Filipino people.’

He said the impending reorganization came after they reviewed the monthly accomplishment reports, which showed that the plate distribution of license plates had slowed down, the apprehensions of unregistered vehicles and other violations had significantly dropped, and that outreach licensing and registration activities had almost stopped.

Aside from this, the rollout of the LTO’s key programs, such as the fast distribution of license plates and the release of official receipts/certificates of registration within three days after newly purchased motor vehicles are released, was not conducted well.

‘While most of the district offices are doing well, a number of district officers are becoming complacent in their positions, especially those who have been holding the same office since the beginning of this administration,’ the LTO chief pointed out.

‘There is a pressing need to wake up our frontline offices,’ he said.

Alex Eala bowed out of the Suzhou Open WTA 125 after losing to Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (0), in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Eala, seeded fourth in the tournament, blew match point in the third set before being blanked 7-0 in the tiebreak for another early exit in her Asian swing. The Filipino tennis ace, ranked No. 58 in the WTA, was coming off a semifinal finish in the Jingshan Tennis Open last weekend.

It was a frustrating loss for Eala, who won three straight games for a 6-5 edge in the decider and even reached match point at 40-15 before Golubic rallied to force the breaker.

Alex Eala exits in the quarterfinals of the Suzhou Open WTA 125 as Viktorija Golubic rallies for the 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (0) victory. Eala played all her matches in Suzhou in three sets. She beat Katarzyna Kawa in the round of 32, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, then survived a marathon three-hour battle against Belgium’s Greet Minnen, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 7-5, on Wednesday.

Eala has now reached the quarterfinals in all her campaigns since her Guadalajara Open 125 title last month, but has not advanced further.

Golubic, ranked No. 70 and seeded sixth in Suzhou, advances to the semifinals against No. 2 seed Tatjana Maria of Germany.

She tied the match against Eala with a strong second set, racing to a 4-0 lead before closing it out 6-2.

Allein Maliksi is determined to stay healthy and remain a key piece for Meralco after injuries sidelined him for all but two games last season.

Maliksi had more time playing the role of cheerleader than being on the hardcourt after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs in his knee before being bothered by a back injury.

But Maliksi has shown signs of being a key contributor for the Bolts going into the 50th season with his performances in tune-up games, particularly against Converge and Rain or Shine.

‘I’m just trying to be efficient in terms of my movement while keeping myself fresh during the games, especially with my age,’ said Maliksi, who recently turned 38.

His absence was a big setback for Maliksi after a season in which he played an important role in Meralco’s breakthrough championship in the 2024 Philippine Cup.

With Maliksi out, the Bolts couldn’t get past the quarterfinals in all three conferences of Season 49.

‘I thought the momentum we had from that run would put us in a position to have another shot at the championship,’ Maliksi said. ‘But then I had surgery, and then during rehab I got another injury that prevented me from making a full recovery.

‘But I’m happy to be back to help the team. Like I said, I hope I can be efficient so that I can contribute this conference.’

The Bolts are not only focused on the Philippine Cup but are also set to compete in the East Asia Super League, reinforced by PBA Best Imports Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, third import Israel Romero, and naturalized big man Ange Kouame.

Typhoon Paolo (international name: Matmo) slightly weakened as it crossed Northern Luzon on Thursday, Oct. 3.

‘Paolo slightly weakens while traversing the mountainous region of Northern Luzon,’ said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in its latest advisory.

While Paolo may continue on this course, the possibility of it maintaining its typhoon category cannot be ruled out.

The typhoon’s center was last located in the vicinity of Mayoyao, Ifugao at 1 p.m.

It was carrying maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center, lower than the 130 kph earlier, and gustiness of up to 200 kph from 215 kph while moving west-northwest at 30 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals are still hoisted in the following areas:

Signal No. 4

The southwestern portion of Isabela (Dinapigue, San Mariano, Palanan, Roxas, Burgos, Gamu, Naguilian, Benito Soliven, San Manuel, Cabatuan, Aurora, Luna, Reina Mercedes, City of Cauayan, San Mateo, Alicia, Ramon, City of Santiago, Cordon, San Isidro, Echague, Angadanan, San Guillermo, Jones, San Agustin)

The northwestern portion of Quirino (Diffun, Aglipay, Saguday, Cabarroguis),

The northern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Solano, Villaverde, Bagabag, Diadi, Quezon, Ambaguio, Bayombong)

Mountain Province

Ifugao

The southern portion of Abra (Tubo)

The northern portion of Benguet (Bakun, Mankayan, Buguias, Kibungan, Kapangan, Atok, Kabayan)

The southern portion of Ilocos Sur (Cervantes, Quirino, Gregorio del Pilar, Sigay, San Emilio, Salcedo, Burgos, Lidlidda, Banayoyo, San Esteban, Santiago, Galimuyod, City of Candon, Santa Lucia, Santa Cruz, Suyo, Alilem, Tagudin, Sugpon)

The northern portion of La Union (Luna, Bangar, Balaoan, Sudipen, Santol, San Gabriel, Bacnotan, San Juan)

Signal No. 3

The northern and central portions of Aurora (Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Casiguran, Dilasag)

The rest of Isabela

The rest of Quirino

The central portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Kasibu, Bambang, Kayapa, Aritao, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Santa Fe)

Kalinga

The central portion of Abra (Boliney, Daguioman, Sallapadan, Bucloc, Licuan-Baay, Malibcong, Lacub, La Paz, San Juan, Lagangilang, Danglas, Lagayan, Tayum, Bangued, Langiden, Pidigan, San Quintin, Pilar, Luba, Manabo, Villaviciosa, San Isidro, Peñarrubia, Bucay, Dolores)

The rest of Benguet, the rest of Ilocos Sur, and the rest of La Union

Signal No. 2

The central and southern portions of Cagayan (Peñablanca, Tuguegarao City, Solana, Iguig, Tuao, Piat, Rizal, Santo Niño, Alcala, Amulung, Enrile, Baggao, Lasam, Gattaran, Lal-Lo, Allacapan)

The rest of Nueva Vizcaya

Apayao

The rest of Abra

The central and southern portions of Ilocos Norte (Nueva Era, Badoc, Pinili, City of Batac, Paoay, Currimao, Banna, Laoag City, San Nicolas, Sarrat, Dingras, Solsona, Marcos, Bacarra, Piddig, Pasuquin, Vintar, Carasi)

Pangasinan

The central portion of Aurora (Baler, Maria Aurora, San Luis)

The northern portion of Nueva Ecija (Carranglan, Bongabon, San Jose City, Pantabangan, Rizal, Lupao, Science City of Muñoz, Llanera, Nampicuan, Cuyapo, Guimba, Talugtug, Quezon, Santo Domingo, Talavera, General Mamerto Natividad)

The northern portion of Tarlac ( Moncada, San Clemente, Camiling, Paniqui, Ramos, Anao, San Manuel, Gerona, Victoria, Pura)

The northern portion of Zambales (Santa Cruz, Candelaria)

Signal No. 1

Batanes

The rest of mainland Cagayan, including Babuyan Islands

The rest of Ilocos Norte

The rest of Aurora

The rest of Nueva Ecija

The rest of Tarlac

Bulacan

Pampanga

The rest of Zambales

The northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta) including Polillo Islands

Camarines Norte

Pagasa also warned of storm surge of up to 3 meters in low-lying areas of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Cagayan, Isabela and Aurora.

Rough and high seas are expected over the seaboards of Northern and Central Luzon, making sea travel risky.

Heavy rainfall

Pagasa also warned of torrential rains in several provinces due to Paolo.

Rainfall exceeding 200 millimeters (mm) is expected in Isabela, Quirino, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet until Saturday noon, Oct. 4.

Rainfall between 100-200 mm is likely over Cagayan, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan while 50-100 mm may be experienced in Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite and Batangas.

Paolo is forecast to cross the landmass of Northern Luzon this Friday and emerge over the West Philippine Sea this afternoon or evening.

It is predicted to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday morning. /apl

There is no party like a San Miguel Oktoberfest party. The most-anticipated beer festival kicked off at Okada Manila last September 20 to 21, 2025. As San Miguel Beer celebrates its 135th year of serving great beers around the world, San Miguel Brewery Inc. (SMB) brings back the fiesta vibe that made the event an iconic spectacle.

Over 8,000 revelers flocked Okada Manila’s Crystal Pavilion during the two-day event filled with an array of specially crafted beers paired with top-notch food offerings over pulse-pounding music from a powerhouse lineup of top local acts.

The festivities were opened with a toast led by SMB President Carlos M. Berba, San Miguel Pale Pilsen Brand Ambassador Coco Martin, and Okada Manila Vice Chairperson Takako Okada. The event kicked off a series of San Miguel Oktoberfest Events which will happen at the Paseo de Santa Rosa in Santa Rosa, Laguna on October 18, 2025 and at the Queensland Manor in Cebu City on October 31.

SMB lit up the famed integrated resort as guests were treated to complimentary beer samplers curated from San Miguel Beer’s global portfolio of brews as well as exciting new brews including India Pale Ale, Fruity Wheat Ale, Summer Ale and Specialty Lager.

Pop-ups lined the Crystal Pavilion’s signature winding walkway with gourmet restaurants Las Flores, Café Fleur by Chef Sau, Flipside Burgers, and Purefoods Deli setting up shop while SMB’s new Draft Beer Mobile Bar Truck added more to the overflowing beer at the venue. Party-goers also took home plenty of limited-edition San Miguel Beer merchandise to remember the epic event.

The San Miguel Oktoberfest party rocked to some of the country’s top acts including Rico Blanco, Lola Amour, December Avenue, Maki, Arthur Nery, Brownman Revival, The Dawn, Autotelic, The Juans, Over October, The Cohens, Paprika, DWATA, Carousel Casualties, It All Started in May, Magiliw Street, Sean Archer, Acapellago, DJ Chelsea, and DJ Rammy.

More good vibes went around when recently crowned PBA All-Filipino Cup Champions, the San Miguel Beermen, shot hoops with Oktoberfest party goers. Billiards legends Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes and Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante also played an exhibition match and challenged revelers who dare to showcase their pool table skills.

The night wasn’t just a celebration, it was a memory-making spree where every sip and souvenir captured the spirit of San Miguel Beer.

San Miguel Oktoberfest remains to be the largest fiesta in the country recognized by the Department of Tourism since 2005. Get your tickets now at Ticket2Me.net for the San Miguel Oktoberfest at Paseo de Santa Rosa in Santa Rosa, Laguna on October 18, 2025 featuring Rocksteddy, Sunkissed Lola, Progeny, The Collars, and Parisukat and the San Miguel Oktoberfest at the Queensland Manor in Cebu City on October 31 with Urbandub, December Avenue, Missing Filemon, Nikolay, and Kuwako as featured acts.

At least 500 families here and in Cagayan de Oro City lost their homes on Thursday due to massive fires that swept through their communities.

In a coastal strip of Barangay 21-C here, a huge blaze that raged around 5 p.m. cut through five sub-villages until it was put out at past 7 p.m.

Village chief Joenard Gabrillo said the fire gutted at least 400 housesAs of Friday morning, personnel of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) were still accounting for the total number of affected families who are temporarily sheltered in the gymnasiums of Barangay 21-C and Barangay 22-C.

Each family is allocated a modular tent. CSWDO also operates a mobile kitchen that provides meals for the families.

Acting Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte II visited the displaced families in the evacuation centers on Thursday night, leading the distribution of relief supplies and vowing financial assistance.

On Friday morning, some of the affected residents returned to their houses to scavenge for whatever valuables remained, such as roofing sheets that could be sold as scraps. In Cagayan de Oro City, 89 families of Barangay 17 were left homeless in a fire that broke out around 12:30 p.m.

The displaced families are currently setting up makeshift shelters under the Marcos Bridge, not far from their old community.

Village chief Anthony Atterviry said the gutted houses also hosted students and workers as boarders./coa

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) is being asked to investigate alleged safety violations by business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu after workers reported being forced back to their offices right after the Sept. 30 earthquake.

The call was made by a lawmaker on Thursday as an organization of BPO workers filed a formal complaint at a regional Dole office over the matter.

In a statement, Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña urged Dole to look into possible violations of the Labor Code and the occupational safety and health law and to impose sanctions on erring companies, which he did not name.

‘Gross insensitivity’

‘By law, workers have the right not to return to work when there is a fear for their safety and life,’ Cendaña said. ‘Dole should investigate this incident and, if possible, see if this is an isolated case or [if] it’s also being experienced by employees in other BPO companies.’

Cebu province was rocked by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Tuesday, leaving at least 72 dead and hundreds injured.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the quake has affected 170,959 people, or 47,221 families, while 53 cities and municipalities have been placed under a state of calamity.

Cendaña cited social media reports that some BPO employees were ordered to return to work minutes after evacuating, with threats of being marked absent without official leave if they refused.

Others, meanwhile, claimed that the emergency exits of their offices were blocked.

The Akbayan lawmaker denounced it as ‘gross insensitivity . to force your employees to return to work just a few minutes after a massive earthquake.’

‘In such situations, they should have prioritized the lives of their employees and not what their companies would earn that day,’ he added.

Cendaña’s contention is bolstered by the announcement of a network of BPO employees that they were pressing charges against 30 call center firms based in Cebu province for labor and occupational safety violations.

BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu filed the complaint with the Dole-RO7 on Thursday.

‘Blatant disregard’

‘BIEN-Cebu rejects this ‘business-as-usual’ approach of BPO companies and government neglect during this time of crisis. We call on all BPO workers to unite and fight back against this blatant disregard of workers’ rights,’ the group’s spokesperson, John Kyle Enero, said in a statement.

According to the group, they have received more than a hundred reports of agents being forced to report to work, despite their pleas to be allowed to ensure their safety and that of their families for just two days.

Among these were agents who were allegedly forced back onto the production floor or, as in one company, faced blocked emergency exits.

Others reported that they were offered double pay to continue working after the earthquake, disregarding safety concerns.

Retaliatory actions

In another company, employees were ordered to resume work immediately after the quake, with some returning as early as 30 minutes post-event, without any safety memorandum or clearance.

BIEN-Cebu said it has received multiple reports of employees who decided not to report for work being met with notices to explain, administrative sanctions, and loss of attendance incentives and benefits, among many retaliatory actions.

There were also reports of verbal threats and companies downplaying the workers’ concerns.

Safety report

Employees who went home after the Sept. 30 earthquake were marked as unpaid, lost attendance bonuses, and were suspended from work. Workers who did not return the following day were marked as unauthorized absences.

Some employees were also forced to sign memos prohibiting them from speaking about the situation on social media.

The group urged Dole to investigate the allegations and hold negligent employers accountable under Republic Act No. 11058, or the Occupational Safety and Health Standards law, and related labor issuances.

BIEN-Cebu also criticized the government for not declaring imminent danger in workplaces in the province, instead passing the decision on how to handle the emergency to private companies.

‘This decision not only affects BPO workers at large but also thousands of families and loved ones,’ Enero said.

‘If the government can suspend classes due to the need to inspect school buildings, they should also rightfully require BPO companies and their building administrators to provide a detailed inspection and safety report to ensure that resumption of work does not threaten worker safety,’ he added.

Mayor’s call

Meanwhile, Cebu City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña urged employees who experienced workplace abuse to submit a report to him by texting him at 0917-3299999 and providing all the details of the incident.

He assured complainants that they should not fear retribution from their employers, as he would be the only one reading their text messages.

‘I need to be sure that this is true, but if this is true, we will do more than just file a complaint at Dole,’ he said in his official Facebook account.

‘I will personally contact every known local and overseas client that company has to tell them what kind of company they hired. We will hit them where it hurts,’ Osmeña said.

A group of semiconductor and electronics companies is optimistic about delivering a ‘modest’ growth in earnings this year, banking on the strong momentum in recent months and the emergence of new technologies.

Danilo Lachica, president of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (Seipi), said the industry was seeing ‘some movements’ that could translate to ‘modest growth’ for 2025.

‘We’re optimistic that we would exceed the flat [output] . that [was] projected at the start of the year,’ Lachica said in a press briefing on Thursday.

Seipi was expecting semiconductor export receipts to reach $42.6 billion this year, flat from last year.

‘Hopefully, we’ve had enough momentum through August that we will sustain that modest growth for the year,’ Lachica said.

But the group expects the figure to reach $70 billion in five years.

Lachica explained that the $70-billion revenue projection for 2030 had taken into account the short-term impact of America’s sweeping tariffs.

President Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on semiconductor exports to the United States.

Driving optimism

The group’s optimism comes from the advent of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as smart manufacturing. These are seen to drive the demand for semiconductors.

Lachica also said various products, including cellphones and vehicles, would fuel demand for such products.

The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Advisory Council has unveiled a five-year action plan aimed at nurturing the skills of the Filipino workforce and boosting the country’s semiconductor and electronics sector.

The council tackled initiatives to enhance the country’s investment climate, such as developing Strategic Economic Zones, backed by an ongoing infrastructure audit to identify gaps in power, water and logistics.

‘The Council proposed flexible learning pathways-including ladderized programs and micro-credentials-aimed at equipping Filipinos with high-value technical skills that meet global industry standards,’ the Department of Trade and Industry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Electronic products accounted for $39.09 billion or 53.4 percent of the country’s total exports in 2024, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.

The United States was the top destination of Philippine exports last year, equivalent to 16.6 percent or $12.14 billion of the total.

The reported death toll from the Cebu earthquake has dropped to 68 from the initial tally of 72 due to ‘double entry’, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) reported Friday.

The Office of Civil Defense, the implementing arm of the NDRRMC, clarified that the earlier report came from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Cebu, while the latest figures are from the Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM) cluster.

‘It’s a matter of double entry,’ OCD-VII Regional Director Joel Erestain said in a statement sent to reporters.

Erestain said, ‘adjustment is being made once names and other documents are submitted to the activated MDM cluster.’

OCD deputy spokesperson Diego Mariano said the MDM, will now serve as the standard source for casualty figures.

‘The numbers may increase or decrease as validation by the MDM is ongoing,’ Mariano told reporters.

All 68 reported deaths have death certificates already, according to Mariano.

However, Erestain said official police spot reports and death certificates are not complete yet.

‘Hence this total number is still for verification and validation,’ Erestain said.

Meanwhile, the reported 599 injuries, are still subject to validation, while the agency has not reported any missing individuals as of Friday.

Thousands of houses, buildings damaged

Total infrastructure damage has yet to be fully documented, but thousands of homes and public buildings were destroyed by the earthquake.

So far, 5,013 houses were damaged, of which 4,355 were partially damaged and 658 were destroyed.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake affected 366,360 people in the region, with only 1,795 currently staying in evacuation centers.

The quake struck at 9:59 p.m. on Tuesday, with its epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

More aftershocks

Phivolcs has continued to record aftershocks, which it says may persist for weeks.

As of 8:00 a.m. on Friday, state seismologists reported 3,952 aftershocks, ranging from magnitude 1 to 5.1.

Located on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ where tectonic plates frequently collide, the Philippines experiences regular earthquakes and volcanic activity./mcm