Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has stepped up relief efforts to assist victims of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu and nearby provinces Tuesday night.

Acting on the orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., PCSO General Manager Mel Robles directed branch offices and authorized agent corporations to deliver aid to affected communities.

Piona Trading and Supply Corp. and King Dragon Gaming and Amusement Corp. were among the first to respond, donating food and other essentials to the Cebu provincial government on Wednesday. Additional donations from other authorized agents were en route, PCSO said.

Charitimba food packs were included in the initial relief efforts. Evacuation supply kits – including mosquito nets, plastic mats, blankets, slippers, flashlights, pillows, towels and other necessities – were airlifted via a C-130 aircraft Wednesday afternoon to support survivors.

‘Our thoughts are with our kababayans in Cebu and the surrounding areas,’ Robles said. ‘PCSO is closely monitoring the situation and will extend further assistance to ensure the safety and well-being of those affected. We are working tirelessly to bring comfort during these challenging times.’

Robles added that the spirit of bayanihan was alive in their efforts and encouraged residents to remain resilient and united, ‘knowing that help is on the way.’

PCSO said it remains committed to a holistic response that goes beyond medical assistance, with comprehensive relief efforts for disaster-stricken communities.

According to the Office of Civil Defense, the earthquake resulted in more than 70 deaths and over 150 injuries.

Robles vowed the PCSO will continue to coordinate with authorities to support relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Brooke Van Sickle welcomes the rare chance to be coached by her parents as Petro Gazz gears up for redemption in the upcoming PVL Reinforced Conference.

Gary Van Sickle has been appointed as head coach, replacing interim mentor Brian Esquibel, while Brooke’s mother Lisa will serve as assistant coach. ‘It’s amazing to have them here, to be close to family. It’s really hard being overseas, making sacrifices and being away from them. I’m just grateful they’re able to be here to watch me grow as a player and as a person,’ said the PVL season MVP.

The former Oregon player is thrilled to share with her teammates all the things she learned from Gary and Lisa, who have been her coaches for her entire life. But she vows to act as their player, not daughter, inside the court.

‘We already have an understanding where once we step into the gym, they’re not my parents. They’re very educated with volleyball. Their IQ is really great,’ said Van Sickle. ‘They can make that adjustment, that separation. Outside of volleyball, we’re a loving family but when we step on the court, it’s all business and we want to win it’s all professional, all business.’

Gary, who played for the University of Hawai’i from 1988 to 1990, said Petro Gazz valued their volleyball credentials and sought their services weeks ago.

‘They kind of mentioned to us the last time we kind of talked a little bit about volleyball and they kind of wanted our background in it. And I guess about three or four weeks ago, they started reaching out to more and we started talking and seeing if we were interested,’ said the new Petro Gazz head coach.

‘We’ve seen them last year when we were watching and I think we’ll settle in because we kind of know the girls. We’re looking forward to it and excited.’

Lisa, who suited up for Hawaii Pacific University, is happy to join their daughter on the same team, but stressed their focus is helping the Angels reclaim the Reinforced crown after last year’s quarterfinal exit. ‘It was an easy decision to be with Brooke, to be able to coach her again. We’ve been watching the team ever since she’s been here. So we’re very familiar with the style of play that all the girls, other teammates have and all that,’ she said.

Much has been said about women’s strength and resilience in the face of adversity, but women are also more prone to certain types of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and perinatal and post-partum depression.

The causes are varied, ranging from physiological to psychosocial and societal. Factors include poverty, abuse, trauma, and even the isolation that comes with caregiving responsibilities.

Social media plays a role, too, with unrealistic beauty standards and curated content that affect women and girls’ body image and personal satisfaction. Olivia Rodrigo’s song ‘Pretty Isn’t Pretty’ mirrors what it’s like for young women trying to conform to societal expectations pushed by the internet.

A 2025 study released in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology titled, ‘A Meta-analysis on Gender Differences in Prevalence Estimates of Mental Disorders following Exposure to Natural Hazards’ found that women were over 80 percent more likely to report post-traumatic stress, while over 50 percent were more likely to report major depression than men. As we live in a country reeling from a succession of tropical storms and floods, keeping women’s mental health in focus is vital in how households and communities recover and rebuild from natural disasters.

It is alarming to note that in September 2025 alone, there were two reports of women who attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge onto a busy highway. One incident was on an overpass along Edsa; the woman was saved just in time by an alert bystander. The second was on a bridge over the South Luzon Expressway. Motorists below held their breath as first responders swung into action, literally, on ropes to rescue her. I pray that they are getting the support they need.

Mental health is embedded in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3: good health and well-being. However, there are still gaps that need to be addressed, such as the lack of access to support and the stigma that is a barrier to treatment.

Spark! Philippines recognizes the need to address these gaps, along with the unique challenges faced by women. There is a need to create gender-specific policies that consider women’s needs, including access to specialized care and support networks through workplace and community support.

It starts with awareness and education. This will ease the stigma that prevents people from accessing help. It will dispel misconceptions, such that a depressed person is just ‘sad,’ or that someone with anxiety is just ‘overreacting,’ and they are told to ‘get over it,’ and other well-meaning but misguided advice.

We cannot afford to lose more lives to the stigma that persists in our society about mental health issues. We have to start putting more interventions in place to reach those who are experiencing mental health challenges at different stages of their lives.

We held a three-part series of ‘Spark! Conversations Mental Health Talk Series,’ focusing on the topics of single working mothers and the structural disadvantages they tend to experience. These include financial insecurity and lack of social support, and the struggles of balancing what they can offer to others while also looking after their own needs.

Spark! Philippines takes the conversation online, using its platforms, like Facebook, to remind the public of the importance of mental health, promote breaking stigma, and encourage listening and compassion as acts of hope.

To ensure that even the most marginalized sectors in our society have awareness and access to mental health education, we conducted outreach activities at the Quezon City Female Jail and the Correctional Institution for Women that included motivational talks to persons deprived of liberty, aside from the distribution of food packs and hygiene kits.

Then, of course, we continue to build on our women’s empowerment initiatives. Spark! Philippines supports women’s empowerment as a cross-cutting concern that impacts equity, economic progress, and health, and works to create opportunities for women’s financial independence.

Roy Dahildahil from #MentalHealthPH emphasizes that societal support and government policies are vital for mental health advocacy. ‘Awareness is the first crucial step toward mental well-being,’ he states. It serves as a lifeline for those who feel alone, creating spaces for healing and recovery.

Let’s advocate for compassion and understanding regarding mental health. Together, we can foster an environment free from stigma and encourage help-seeking behavior.

Start today by checking in with a woman in your life. A simple, sincere ‘Kumusta ka?’ could make all the difference.

Right before I discuss everything I know about ‘The Guyver: Bio-Boosted Armor’, I want to give a brief background on how I first got to watch this Japanese manga series. It was in the mid-90s when my cousin from the States visited us, and he brought over various anime VHS tapes, and some of them were of this classic anime series. And from that moment on, when I put in that first tape in the VHS player, my young mind was blown away with what I was seeing.

Why is that?

Simply put, because it was like nothing I have ever seen before, and as a fan of anime like Dragon Ball Z, Ranma 1/2, Yu Yu Hakusho, Samurai X, Slam Dunk, and many others. ‘The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor’ was in an entirely different classification of its own because it was insanely violent, hard-hitting, and almost alien-horror-like in nature, which, with those three characteristics alone, did set it apart from every other anime series I have mentioned. For me, ‘The Guyver: Bio-Boosted Armor’ was a revelation of its time for everyone into anime, no doubt. That is why I still hold this classic anime series in high regard, because despite watching a lot of modern anime, this one still left a mark in my mind for everything it is all about.

I will discuss them below for all of you.

In an era dominated by slick, overly polished, high-budget superhero franchises and endless reboots, there is a certain undeniable raw, visceral, and chaotic energy found only in the cult classics of yesteryear, and certain anime are included in my favorites list. Enter ‘The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor.’ To be clear, I am referring to the 1989 Original Video Animation (OVA) and not previous or later adaptations. It became a favorite of hardcore anime fans, anime VHS tape traders, and late-night cable viewers. Now, in 2025, this treasured classic anime series, I believe, is primed for a resurgence, offering everyone an antidote to the glossy, predictable anime content cycle. This one will break you out of that. All you have to do is watch it.

Why so? ‘The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor’ will make you forget what you know about sanitized superhero origin stories. The Guyver is brutally honest, unpolished, and intensely uncompromising in its storytelling. This isn’t your average anime program, or what’s more, a kid’s Saturday morning cartoon. Haha.. This is an in-your-face body horror adventure that grapples with themes of power, greed, and merciless corruption-(almost like what is still happening in our side of the world) all told with a level of gruesome, ultra-violent, and monster-filled action that makes it feel uniquely fresh even decades later and not dated at all in some respects.

For me, this would be an ideal kind of anime for the current young generation, who have grown up watching the superhero boom, so it would not be a surprise if they get drawn to complex, morally ambiguous anti-heroes that blur the line between superhero and supervillain, because that is the ‘in’ thing now for them. The Guyver’s protagonist, Sho Fukamachi, is a reluctant hero at first. A regular high school kid who accidentally stumbles upon one of the missing ‘alien Guyver Units,’ he is forcefully and painfully merged with a powerful biomechanical armor that has its own built-in defense and offense systems, making him a living weapon of alien origin.

But Sho’s transformation is not a triumphant moment nor a sight to behold, but a hideously grotesque one. The ‘alien Guyver Unit’ latches onto him like an anaconda, and its immense power is as much a curse as it is a gift, constantly threatening to consume him if he loses control of it. Doesn’t this concept tap into the modern anxieties of losing oneself to an external force, making Sho’s accidental anti-hero journey relatable to the current young generation now, despite its monstrous exterior? Long before the internet, social media, news programs, documentaries, whistle blowers, mutants with telepathic abilities, and snail mail, of course, I am kidding about the last two, which all fully exposed corporate and governmental wrongdoings, there was The Guyver’s villainous Chronos Corporation. This mega-company hides its true nature as a global conspiracy of genetically engineered human-monster hybrids, known as ‘Zoanoids.’ Their global quest to retrieve the missing ‘alien Guyver units’ is not just a standard villain plot, but a clandestine, high-stakes hunt and race against time that pre-dates the paranoia of futuristic, apocalyptic, and wasteland movies like ‘The Matrix’, ‘Dark City’, ‘Riddick’, and even the complexities of modern whistleblower stories that can be drama-based, action-oriented, or a mix of both in some cases.

The point is, The Guyver had traits, characteristics, and qualities of everything, and for an anime series from the late 80s, that found its modern audience back in the ’90s, that is not bad at all. It is true that sometimes, it takes time to be appreciated and valued, as The Guyver has begun to re-experience in popular culture.

There is another point that I want to mention, that you will discover an unexpected, deep resonating philosophical quality about this classic anime series that also taps into humanity’s (us) oldest fears about our origins. As the story unfolds, the ‘alien Guyver units’ and ‘Zoanoids’ are revealed to be part of an ancient alien experiment that seeded life on Earth. That right there is a cosmic horror element-the idea that our existence is merely a science project gone wrong by aliens-is a theme for the all too familiar term ‘Gen Z’ or I would prefer to call them the young ones now, they will find this captivating, particularly in a cultural moment in time that is fascinated with ancient mysteries, religious themes, and alien theories. Seriously, they love this sort of stuff. Haha..

However, the only downside is that there are not a lot of episodes; with only 12 episodes in the original OVA series, ‘The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor’ may not be enough episodes for most, but on the upside, you would be able to watch all of them over the coming weekend. At least the number of episodes created based on the manga is not like 100 episodes or something that insane. Haha..Trust me when I say, these episodes are worth it. It is contained, it does not go off the rails, and it does not become overly complicated at all. It is a streamlined, focused story that delves into high-octane action without the different fillers common in a much longer series, and that is why I ended up believing that a dozen episodes are enough. Hey, it has always been about the quality and not the quantity, I believe.

Although I have to say, and this is not a major spoiler, the ending is notoriously abrupt-it is because the manga it’s based on remains unfinished to this day-the journey is well worth the ride, leaving a lasting impression with its originality, visceral nature, intensity, unforgettable action sequences, and violent imagery done with a purpose in mind. And it’s not done for no reason, which has been a far too common situation with many modern anime series that use blood, violence, sex, and other excesses that border on being ridiculous. You guys know what I mean by that statement. Simply put, there are modern anime that are worth all the praise, and some are all mere hype, which constitutes a nothing-burger. Haha..

All in all, for anyone who has grown tired of cinematic universes (the MCU and DCEU), long-drawn programs, and predictable character arcs from stale onscreen characters that resemble something that came out of a cookie factory, making them as generic as they appear, then The Guyver is your break from that, a reprieve, and a must-watch. It may be a relic of a bygone era, particularly my time, when anime began to push boundaries, reveled in its alien-monster-filled madness, and left a lasting, indelible mark on its specific anime genre that, in return, would become hallmarks for future anime series to get inspiration from.

But, in the end, The Guyver from ‘The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor’ became their blueprint. It was that influential to everyone who watched it for the first time during that era, and that is exactly why I am talking about it now to all of you.

The Akari Chargers, now under head coach Tina Salak, are eager to build on their breakthrough run last year-with Mars Alba taking over as the new setter to lead their offense.

Akari reached its first-ever PVL finals last season, stringing together 10 straight wins before falling to Creamline in the championship match. With Japanese coach Taka Minowa stepping down in the offseason, Salak steps in to guide a team hungry for more.

‘What motivates me is the fact that the team made it to the finals last year,’ Salak told reporters in Filipino. ‘That’s why we’re working really hard to get back to that stage. We’re also very excited to have Annie [Mitchem] on board. She’s a huge help to the team, and her maturity really stands out. It’s inspiring for the younger players.’ Mitchem, a 31-year-old American outside hitter, will lead the Chargers alongside Alas Pilipinas standouts Fifi Sharma and Justine Jazareno, and mainstays Grethcel Soltones, Ced Domingo, Ivy Lacsina, and Eli Soyud.

Salak also expressed excitement over Alba’s arrival.

‘Mars has made a big impact on the team-not just with her skills, but also by lightening the mood,’ said the former national team setter. ‘She’s a big plus. Her leadership stands out, and she’s been sharing a lot that we can learn from and possibly blend into our system.’

Alba’s role is even more crucial with Kamille Cal still injured and Bea Bonafe still adjusting.

While Salak admits her team is still getting used to her system, she’s optimistic about their progress.

‘There are still moments of confusion, which is expected since the players come from different systems. But it’s manageable because we all have the same goal: to win,’ Salak said. ‘We’re working together as a team, and management has been helping a lot in improving each player’s performance.’

Top officials of the Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT) vowed not to tolerate corruption as they made a surprise visit to the construction sites of the school’s two multi-million-peso projects in Bunawan town in Agusan del Sur.

Dr. Joy C. Capistrano, ASSCAT president; along with Vice Presidents Dr. Carmelo S. Llanto and Dr. Ferdinand A. Dumalagan, visited the site of the P37 million College of Teachers Education (CTE) Building, whose Phase I was still undergoing construction; and the P18.45 million Graduate Studies Building to send the message that they won’t tolerate ghost projects or substandard work at the expense of public funds.

Accompanied by in-house engineers from the project management unit of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the school officials scrutinized the quality of materials, construction pace, and the project’s compliance with the timeline.

They said their presence was more than ceremonial as it was an assertion that they would not allow shortcuts, delays, or cover-up under their watch.

The CTE Building is set for completion in May 2026 and is expected to house modern classrooms, faculty rooms, and offices. On the other hand, the Graduate Studies Building will house upgraded spaces for advanced academic work and research.

School officials said the structures would serve as test cases for the present administration’s drive to impose strict accountability in infrastructure spending.

‘Taxpayers deserve full value for every peso spent and ghost projects have no place in the campus or the community,’ said Capistrano amidst the mounting concern over government-funded projects nationwide, where billions of taxpayers’ money were lost to unfinished structures or poorly built ones.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has invited former Public Works and Highways secretary and now Senator Mark Villar to attend its hearing on the investigation into the flood control anomalies.

Based on the invitation issued on Thursday, ICI Chair Andres Reyes requested Villar to appear before the ICI hearing in Taguig City at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 7.

Reyes said Villar’s appearance is ‘to testify under oath to discuss and shed light relative to the planning, budgeting, execution, supervision, and monitoring of flood control and other infrastructure projects under your jurisdiction during your tenure as Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which is the subject matter under inquiry/ investigation by the Commission.’

Meanwhile, Villar broke his silence on Thursday, saying that he welcomes any investigations on his alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects, maintaining that he has ‘nothing to hide.’

In a statement, the former DPWH-chief-turned-senator categorically stated that he has neither direct nor indirect ownership nor controlling interest in any company participating in DPWH projects.

‘The official record will confirm that none of my relatives acquired any contracts from 2016 to 2021, during my tenure as Secretary,’ said Villar.

On Thursday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said that there are efforts from the camp of Villar to set up a meeting, but added that he has yet to respond to it.

Remulla said that his preference for all official communications and proceedings to be handled ‘transparently, officially, across the board.’

‘I still don’t have a response, as I’d rather everything be done through official channels. This ensures it’s handled transparently, officially, and consistently across the board, leaving no room for accusations,’ Remulla told reporters.

Remulla said there is a necessity to thoroughly review documents related to whatever issues the senator’s camp wants to discuss.

Villar was the DPWH chief from 2016 to 2021, during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

On Wednesday, ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said in an ambush interview that Villar, as well as former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, will be subpoenaed to attend its hearing on the investigation of the flood control anomalies.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) has extended its Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) covering flights near Taal Volcano in Batangas until Friday morning, October 3.

This came after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported on Thursday that two additional eruptions had been observed at the volcano.

In its latest advisory released on Thursday afternoon, Caap said the NOTAM, which covers flights near Taal with vertical limits from the surface up to 11,000 feet, will be in effect until 9 a.m. Friday.

‘Flight operators are strongly advised to avoid flying near the volcano,’ Caap advised airmen.

The aviation authority issued the NOTAM on Wednesday after a minor phreatomagmatic eruption from Taal’s main crater occurred from 2:02 a.m. to 2:15 a.m. that day.

Taal Volcano remains under Alert Level 1.

A network of business process outsourcing (BPO) employees has filed a formal complaint against 30 call center firms based in Cebu province for violating labor and occupational safety laws during the 6.9-magnitude earthquake on Sept. 30.

BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) – Cebu lodged the complaint with the Department of Labor and Employment – Region 7 (DOLE – RO7) on Thursday.

‘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 had received more than a hundred reports of agents being forced to report to work, despite their pleas to focus on their safety and their families in just two days.

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

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

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.

The group received multiple incidents of employees insisting on not reporting to work were met with notices to explain, administrative sanctions, loss of attendance incentives and benefits, among many retaliatory actions.

There were also reports of verbal threats, and concerns were downplayed, treating the crisis as ‘business as usual.’

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 even 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 (OSH) Standards law, and related labor issuances.

When sought for comment, Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma told the Inquirer that the agency is already investigating the case.

He said that the filing of complaint ‘is very welcome to enable the DOLE to establish the guilt and liability of employers being complained of.’

He added that, without preempting the outcome of the investigation, employers must not force their workers to report to work if the latter feel that their workplace is unsafe.

‘The company cannot just impose disciplinary action if the refusal or non- reporting is based on justifiable ground, i.e fear for their safety or health concerns,’ Laguesma said in a Viber message.

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

‘This decision not only affects BPO workers at large, but the 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.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña also urged employees who experienced the same workplace abuse to submit a report to him, by texting him at 09173299999 and providing all the details of the incident.

He assured complainants they should not fear retribution from their employers, as he would be the only one to read 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 the company has to tell them what kind of company they hired. We will hit them where it hurts,’ he added.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has reported to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that it flagged P125 million worth of suspected ‘ghost’ farm-to-market road (FMR) projects in Mindanao.

Although the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has marked the nine projects as completed, DA records showed that work on these has yet to begin, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said on Wednesday.

Citing the DA’s initial audit report submitted to the President, De Mesa said seven of the projects were in Davao Occidental, while the other two were in Lanao del Sur.

According to government records, three of the projects were completed in 2021 and two in 2022 during the Duterte administration, and four in 2023 under the term of Marcos.

The government has been wracked by allegations that senators, congressmen, and private contractors siphoned off funds for flood control projects in the past three years of the Marcos administration.

Relatively small

The allegations have led to the creation of an independent body to investigate the anomalies, triggered street protests, and prompted government scrutiny of infrastructure projects undertaken by the DPWH.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the flagged projects were relatively small and represented a mere 0.03 percent of the overall farm-to-market road projects.

Even so, Tiu Laurel said the DA would coordinate with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on the possible inspection of the suspected ghost projects.

‘So, in the whole scheme of things . It’s not that big. But it’s still alarming, right? Even if it’s small, why is there a ghost?’ Tiu Laurel told reporters.

‘Of course, I don’t want to step on the [toes] of Secretary Vince. But of course, they’re very busy. But if they ask us for assistance to look into it personally and visit those areas, although these are remote areas, we will do it,’ he added.

‘Small-time contractors’

Tiu Laurel earlier vowed to immediately suspend any personnel found guilty of engaging in ‘ghost’ FMR projects, although the DA’s initial findings showed that no official or employee was involved in any of these.

An audit conducted by the DA last month covered more than 4,700 FMR projects from 2020 to 2025 that De Mesa said were implemented by ‘very small’ local contractors.

The DA identifies and validates the FMRs, while the DPWH handles the commissioning, bidding, and construction of these projects.

This year, the government plans to build 131,000 kilometers of roads designed to link agricultural areas with markets. About 70,000 km of these projects were completed as of July, while 61,000 km have yet to be validated.