Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Sunday said the Department of Health (DOH) was already investigating anomalies surrounding 400 ‘idle’ health centers under the agency even ‘before the media picked it up.’

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Herbosa responded to an online interview of Health Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Dr. Albert Domingo.

‘Actually the DOH has been investigating these anomalies way before media picked it up,’ Herbosa said.

‘Several actions have been taken already and we continue to do case buildup,’ Herbosa added.

During the committee-level hearing for the DOH’s proposed budget for 2026, Herbosa tagged the agency’s health facilities enhancement program (HFEP) as the ‘flood control version’ of the agency.

The HFEP, launched in 2008, is DOH’s banner program that aims to ensure that poor and marginalized communities have access to healthcare services. With this revelation, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno, during the House plenary debates of the agency’s proposed budget, questioned why only 200 out of 600 health centers under the HFEP are functional despite being allocated over P170 billion in the past decade.

However, budget sponsor and Bataan 2nd District Rep. Albert Garcia clarified that while the HFEP has no ‘ghost hospitals,’ the lack of personnel and healthcare professionals to run the facilities made them non-functioning.

Garcia also said that the DOH entered into a memorandum of agreement with local governments in ‘good faith,’ as it expected them to provide personnel.

Herbosa also shared that the agency is ‘looking for options to operationalize non-functioning completed health facilities.’ Meanwhile, when asked what kind of actions the agency had already taken in relation to the investigation, Domingo said ‘they are actions meant for mandated investigative bodies and the formal Courts of law.’

Despite the region’s rugged mountain terrain and limited signal coverage, most Cordillera residents now own smartphones, which they use not only for communication and entertainment but increasingly for education and livelihood, according to the latest National ICT Household Survey.

In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, 61.9 percent of Cordillera households used smartphones. That figure rose sharply to 89.1 percent in 2024, said Aldrin Federico Bahit Jr., Cordillera chief statistician at the Philippine Statistics Authority.

‘Smartphones have become part of a household’s livelihood in the highlands, not just another device for watching Netflix or uploading videos to Instagram or TikTok,’ Bahit said during the Sept. 25 presentation of the survey. While 98.7 percent of Cordillera internet users in 2024 accessed social media-up from 94.6 percent in 2019-and 90.1 percent used the internet to download entertainment (up from 33.8 percent), the survey also noted that more residents were using the internet for productive purposes. The percentage of users relying on the internet for school-related research grew from 46.3 percent in 2019 to 57.7 percent in 2024. Use of the internet for work increased slightly from 29.5 to 30.5 percent, and usage for business or trade also grew from 29.5 percent to 30.5 percent over the same period.

The 2020 national census recorded Cordillera household internet access at 62.8 percent, largely due to inconsistent telecommunications signals in remote areas of Ifugao, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Benguet and Mountain Province.

Budget reallocation

However, improvements under the National Broadband Plan have helped increase coverage. Fiber-optic cables have now reached urban centers like Baguio City, where residents have reliable Wi-Fi access.

The rest of the region may soon benefit from broadband redistributed via wireless signals to meet the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT)five-year goal of region-wide coverage.

DICT Cordillera Director Jimmicio Daoaten said the agency may benefit from over P200 billion reallocated from flood control projects removed from the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act, which could support continued expansion of free Wi-Fi sites across the region.

‘Our five-year target is to expand Cordillera internet access to all provinces,’ Daoaten said. One of the most notable findings of the 2024 survey was that 24.6 percent of internet users in Cordillera now sell goods online to earn a living.

According to Adamae Joy Simeon-Estong, senior trade development specialist of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Cordillera, ‘clothing, footwear, sporting goods and accessories’ were the most frequently bought and sold items online, followed by cosmetics and consumer electronics.

Simeon-Estong noted that e-commerce is growing rapidly and is expected to reach a gross merchandise value of $150 billion by 2030. She said the DTI may step in to help increase the online visibility of entrepreneurs in the upland provinces.

Although this was not part of the 2024 ICT survey, Bahit had earlier cited in a different forum a 2022 report from the 49th Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry that found home-based businesses and small enterprises earned P355 million after reopening online during the pandemic in 2020.

This trend may help explain the widespread adoption of smartphones and other internet-capable devices in the region.

In-person shopping

However, the survey also revealed continued reluctance to adopt electronic payment methods. Most respondents still preferred cash-on-delivery for online transactions, citing security concerns. In fact, 59.1 percent said they avoided e-payments due to fear of fraud or data breaches.

Interestingly, the number of Cordillerans who preferred to shop in-person rather than online rose sharply, from 38.9 percent in 2019 to 80 percent in 2024.

Moderate to heavy rain showers with lightning and strong winds are expected over Metro Manila and three other areas in Luzon on Sunday afternoon, the state weather bureau said. In a thunderstorm advisory issued at 1:30 p.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that aside from Metro Manila, the following areas will experience the same weather conditions within the next two to three hours:

Laguna

Cavite

Bulacan

Meycauayan

Obando

Marilao

Santa Maria

Norzagaray

San Jose del Monte

Doña Remedios Trinidad

San Rafael

San Miguel

San Ildefonso

Pandi

Angat

Bocaue

Bustos

Pagasa also said that the same weather conditions are being experienced by the following areas and may continue within two hours and affect nearby areas: Batangas

Mataas na Kahoy

Balete

Lipa

Quezon

Polillo

Burdeos

Macalelon

General Luna

Catanauan

Lopez

Buenavista

San Narciso

Mulanay

Guinayangan

Calauag

Rizal

Morong

Cardona

Baras

Tanay

October is Museum and Galleries Month as commemorated by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in line with Presidential Proclamation 798, which was issued in 1991.

‘The annual celebration underscores the importance of fostering national awareness, pride in Filipino culture and hope for the nation’s future,’ said NCCA Chair Victorino Mapa Manalo in a press conference on Sept. 23.

The theme this year is ‘Resilient Museums and Galleries: Educating for Preparedness and Recovery.’

The program was held at the Museo ng Muntinlupa, with Mayor Ruffy Biazon and NCCA officials in attendance, and Miss Philippines Earth 2025 Joy Barcoma as program host. Muntinlupa Yaman ng Kalikasan dancers provided cultural entertainment.

‘Culture and the arts will always survive,’ Biazon said. ‘More importantly, culture is our investment, our investment for our children.’

Challenges

Bernan Joseph Corpuz, NCCA deputy executive director for operations, said ‘more than being house [to] objects, museums tell a story, evoke our history, our art, our pride in our cultural heritage and empower our people.’

During the discussions, Corpuz said ‘museums are not just keepers of artifacts, but tools to understand resilience . Through exhibits, workshops and cultural activities, museums show how lives and communities have been shaped by crises, and how culture continues to adapt and endure. These experiences help people see resilience not as an abstract idea but as something lived and learned.’

‘By sharing examples through exhibitions and activities nationwide, we hope to inspire Filipinos and raise awareness of the vital contributions of museums and galleries to education, preparedness and cultural continuity.’

Capping the press conference was a tour of the Museo ng Muntinlupa, with its captioned histories of the Philippines and the city, historical photos, artifacts, documents, jars, maps, a theater and a section featuring the works of painter-printmaker Fil Delacruz.

Baguio kick-off

The official kick-off ceremony will be held on Oct. 7 at Museo Kordilyera of the University of the Philippines Baguio. Activities include an art fair, workshops and a recognition ceremony.

Both public and private museums nationwide will participate in the monthlong celebration. Activities include lectures on museum ethics and museum interpretation, exhibits, workshops on interpretive critique, mini-storytelling workshops, demos on object handling, and documentation seminars.

Volleyball player Risa Sato is expecting her first child.

The Chery Tiggo middle blocker made the announcement on her 31st birthday on Friday, sharing the news through an Instagram post.

‘Best birthday yet! Grateful for the tiny miracle that makes my heart so full,’ Sato said. Sato posted photos of herself showing a baby bump along with an ultrasound and baby clothes. She also included a picture with her partner, basketball player Enzo Joson-also a former National University standout who now plays in the MPBL.

She received congratulatory messages from fellow PVL players as well as her former and current teammates. Sato has been on an extended absence for a few months after joining the Crossovers in January. She did not suit up in the Invitational and On Tour tournaments.

The Filipino-Japanese middle blocker is expected to miss more months as she awaits the arrival of her baby.

Before switching teams, Sato won 10 titles with the Creamline Cool Smashers.

Venezuelan beauty Andrea Rubio is making history for the Miss International pageant two years after she won her country’s ninth title in the competition.

The 2023 winner will return to the pageant stage, this time as a host, marking three straight years of appearing in the global tilt – first as a winning delegate, second as a reigning queen, and this time as a presenter.

She also becomes the first non-Japanese host for the international pageant in a long time. She will be joined by a yet-to-be-named former Miss International Japan onstage, the organizers said.

The Miss International pageant had earlier teased the return of a former titleholder to the pageant, and later revealed that it was Rubio, but did not yet mention that she was to host the finale show.

‘Miss International 2023 Andrea Rubio will be hosting the 63rd Miss International Beauty Pageant to be held on November 27th, 2025, with a live telecast starting at 6:00 PM Tokyo time,’ the pageant said on social media.

‘Andrea will be reporting the daily activities live from Japan through her channel, and will also help in sharing the inside information and tidbits leading to the final night!’ the Miss International pageant added.

Around 80 delegates are expected to compete this year, which also marks the Miss International pageant’s 65th anniversary.

Changes will also be made to how the winner will be chosen this year, something the Miss International pageant has repeatedly shared with the public. A Miss International theme song will also be introduced this year.

‘More details about this year’s pageant will be revealed in our social media accounts, so stay tuned for more updates!’ the organizers said.

The delegates are expected to arrive on Nov. 12, with the national costume competition scheduled on Nov. 16. The Miss International pageant will also ‘reformat’ its preliminary judging on Nov. 24.

The 2025 Miss International final ceremonies will be held at the Yoyogi National Stadium’s 2nd Gymnasium in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward on Nov. 27.

Manila-based Aika Events and Productions will mount the final competition show, the same team responsible for staging the three recent grand coronation ceremonies of the Binibining Pilipinas pageant.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Sunday said he is considering stepping down from his post as chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee (BRC).

‘If my colleagues are no longer trusting me enough and they are not happy anymore with my handling of the blue ribbon committee, I’ve already thought of stepping down as an option,’ Lacson said in an interview with radio dzBB.

He noted the sentiments expressed by some of his colleagues in the upper chamber as the main reason.

‘All chairpersons of the committee in the Senate or in the House, we serve at the pleasure of our peers, because we were elected by our peers, particular members of the majority bloc. There were disappointments expressed by my colleagues in the Senate. We heard Sen. JV (Ejercito), also Sen. Sherwin (Gatchalian) has also expressed his sentiments,’ he said.

‘I’m not serving as chair of the blue ribbon committee at the pleasure of the president of the Philippines, at the pleasure of netizens, at the pleasure of bashers, not even at the pleasure of the public. I serve at the pleasure of my peers,’ he added.

‘One of the considerations is to move on or submit a resignation as chair of the blue ribbon committee and they just look for whoever can take over my place,’ said Lacson.

According to him, he is now crafting a letter for Senate President Vicente Sotto III regarding his intention. The Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on alleged flood control anomalies set for next week has been cancelled ‘until further notice.’ According to Lacson, he initially scheduled a hearing on Wednesday, October 8, upon the request of Sen. JV Ejercito to summon former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Mimaropa regional director Gerald Pacanan.

Pacanan was included among 10 DPWH officials who received a show-cause order from Secretary Vince Dizon to explain their reported lavish lifestyle and involvement in substandard projects.

‘To maximize the discussions, I checked with the DOJ if the supposed ‘tell-all’ affidavit/s of the Discayas were already available. Corollary to that, I also checked with the office of the executive judge of Manila [Regional Trial Court] if they have concluded the investigation on the possible violations of the notarized document involving TSgt Guteza and Atty Espera,’ Lacson likewise said in the message om Saturday.

Lawyer Petchie Espera denied notarizing an affidavit submitted by Orly Guteza, a former aide of Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co. Guteza, presented as a surprise witness in the Senate blue ribbon panel hearings, alleged that he delivered cash to the homes of certain lawmakers.

The senator said both of the affidavits and the notarized document would not be ready within a week. ‘Having been informed that both would not be ready within one week, not to mention that the BRC hearing will conflict with the budget and [Commission on Appointment] hearings, I informed SP Sotto of the cancellation until further notice,’ said Lacson. /

Kanlaon Volcano logged an increase in seismic activity on Saturday, based on the 24-hour monitoring of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs’ Sunday bulletin said that Kanlaon Volcano recorded 65 volcanic earthquakes, a sharp increase from Saturday’s 11. The volcano also emitted 1,805 tons of sulfur dioxide, which is a slight increase from Saturday’s 1,531 tons. Aside from this, Phivolcs said that the volcano generated a plume that rose 650 meters tall that drifted west-northwestward and northwestward.

The state seismologist also observed that the volcano’s edifice is still inflated.

The volcano, which sits between Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, remains under Alert Level 2 or increased unrest. The agency still prohibits entry into the four-kilometer radius, or the permanent danger zone. Flying any aircraft close to the volcano is also not allowed.

It also reminded nearby communities that possible hazards such as sudden steam-driven or phreatic eruptions and precursor magmatic activity might occur.

Tropical Storm Halong, spotted far from the country, may soon enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), according to the state weather bureau.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Halong’s last location was recorded around 2,150 kilometers east-northeast of extreme northern Luzon, slowly moving northwestward.

Pagasa also recorded that Halong carries maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) with gusts of up to 90 kph. While there’s a chance that a high-pressure area may pull Halong to avoid entering the PAR, Pagasa reported that another high-pressure area near Mainland China may also cause Halong to move westward and into the periphery of the PAR.

According to the state weather bureau, should it enter the PAR, the cyclone will be named Quedan.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Matmo, formerly Paolo, was reported to be strengthening the southwest monsoon, or ‘habagat,’ that is causing rains in the western section of southern Luzon. Paolo was last seen approximately 1,190 kilometers west of extreme northern Luzon as it continues to move west-northwestward at 20 kph, Pagasa said.

It has maximum sustained winds of 150 kph, and gusts of up to 205 kph.

At 7:05 p.m., Pagasa warned of ‘moderate to heavy rain showers with lightning and strong winds’ in parts of Zambales and Bulacan.

The same weather conditions are already being experienced in Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija.

Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia trades his guitar for the big screen in ‘Padamlagan,’ a Cinemalaya period film rooted in his native Bicol – and told entirely in the Bicolano language.

For Buendia, the film isn’t just another creative challenge. It’s personal. ‘It’s going back to my roots,’ he told Inquirer Entertainment. ‘I was there when it happened. I was two years old when it happened. I knew all these people-they were my parents, uncles, aunties. I knew exactly the world in which they lived. It’s my offering to them, to relive their experiences through this movie.’

‘Padamlagan’ revisits the Colgante Bridge tragedy in 1972, when over a hundred lives were lost just days before Martial Law was declared. Buendia plays Doring, a father searching for his missing son (Esteban Mara) amid the chaos. It’s ‘a heavy role,’ he admitted, one with ‘hardly any ray of sunlight’ in the character’s journey.

The story feels uncomfortably resonant today. ‘It could just be a coincidence,’ Buendia said, ‘but then I don’t believe in coincidences. This problem has been deep-seated in our culture for decades. The fact that Jenn (Romano, director) was drawn to it means it really has to be told.’

As a father, he drew from his own relationship with his child. ‘It’s something I don’t want to happen in real life, of course. Being a father to a son – and the dynamics between the two characters – I definitely put some of those emotions into the scenes with Esteban.’ Asked whether he prefers acting or music, Buendia saw no rivalry. ‘It’s two different industries, but collaboration is at the heart of both. In a band, you compromise, you work with others. Filmmaking is the same. That’s what I love about it.’

Language itself became both a challenge and a triumph. Romano noted how contemporary Bicolano had to be adapted for authenticity. Buendia, despite speaking the language, struggled with archaic words. ‘Some didn’t register because they were so old. We had one scene that took a long time because I couldn’t memorize the lines. Even though I speak the language, the deep words were still hard. It was like ‘Shogun,’ even the Japanese actors had a hard time because the language was archaic.’

For co-star Sue Prado, the difficulty was worth it. ‘So many things happen in this country that are metro-centric. But Martial Law happened nationwide. Some important stories are left behind. To be part of those who tell the truth – that’s my goal. It’s my duty as a human being.’

Mara added that regional stories deserve more attention. ‘Since it’s a Bicol film, hopefully, when people from other places see it, they’ll be inspired to tell their own regional stories. That’s also part of the advocacy of our producer (Kristine de Leon) with her work with regional filmmakers.’

De Leon admitted how difficult it was to fund the project. ‘This is very hard to finance because it’s regional and uses regional language. Cinemalaya is shown at the center, but our film is really for the Bicolano audience. People generally don’t like reading subtitles. I believe there are so many beautiful stories from regional filmmakers. Also, Jenn is a female filmmaker. She has a different perspective of history. Usually men are the ones telling history. One of our goals is the elevation of regional cinema.’

Buendia said the project was an easy yes. ‘The story really got me. They gave me a pitch deck, and it was like a thesis. I got to know the director through her objectives and passions, and I shared them. Obviously, it’s a Bicolano project so I just had to do it.’

Romano traced her inspiration back to archival research at the University of the Philippines. ‘I encountered a 1972 report on the tragedy in Naga. The last headline in September 1972 was the Colgante Bridge tragedy and then the declaration of Martial Law. After that, there was a media blackout. For someone who did not experience that period, it sparked my curiosity.’ Casting leaned toward actors with Bicolano roots: Buendia from Naga, Prado from Libmanan, and Mara from Sorsogon. De Leon recalled pitching to Buendia: ‘We were so nervous. But if you watch him here, you won’t see the Ely Buendia you know. As an actor, his portrayal of Doring is heartbreaking.’

With its mix of historical tragedy, heavy emotions, and deep Bicolano roots, ‘Padamlagan’ feels both timely and timeless. For Buendia, transitioning from music to acting isn’t just a side project, but a homecoming.