Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Philippine peso opened the shortened trading week at a new record low as broad strength in the US dollar pressured the currency.

On Tuesday, the peso opened at 62.25 per dollar, dropping to a low of 62.35, exceeding the previous record of 62.27 from Aug. 28.

Local markets were closed on Monday due to a public holiday.

On Friday, the Philippine peso fell to a record low, dropping below 62 per dollar for the first time, as rising oil prices and a stronger US dollar outweighed the effects of the central bank’s recent interest-rate hike

No bettor won the jackpots in the Ultra Lotto 6/58, Super Lotto 6/49 and Lotto 6/42 draws on Tuesday, Sept. 1, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The Ultra Lotto 6/58 winning combination was 32-25-23-22-01-41 for a jackpot of ?258.47 million. No ticket matched all six numbers.

The Super Lotto 6/49 combination was 45-22-41-08-36-02, with the jackpot at ?25.18 million. There was no jackpot winner.

For Lotto 6/42, the winning numbers were 17-24-08-33-37-01 for a jackpot of ?21.86 million. No bettor won the top prize.

Minor games

PCSO also released the results of the day’s minor lotto games:

6D Lotto: 3-6-7-7-9-6 – ?1.14 million; no winner

3D Lotto 2 p.m.: 3-1-3 – ?4,500; 202 winners

3D Lotto 5 p.m.: 9-2-7 – ?4,500; 232 winners

3D Lotto 9 p.m.: 3-3-2 – ?4,500; 232 winners

2D Lotto 2 p.m.: 11-04 – ?4,000; 190 winners

2D Lotto 5 p.m.: 05-07 – ?4,000; 473 winners

2D Lotto 9 p.m.: 16-23 – ?4,000; 823 winners

Draw schedule

Ultra Lotto 6/58 draws are held every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Super Lotto 6/49 draws take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, while Lotto 6/42 draws are held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Presiding Officer Francis Escudero clarifies during Day 20 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial that a viral image showing Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio allegedly wearing an earpiece during the trial was fake.

Escudero says verification showed that the image was AI-generated and ‘simply false.’

He also reminds witnesses that they must testify based solely on their own knowledge and without coaching or influence from their lawyers or any other person

The government’s target of having a centralized coal blending facility may see another early taker, this time with Aboitiz Power Corp. expressing openness to joining potential tie-ups with other market giants.

‘We remain open to strategic partnerships that can contribute to our growth and diversify our portfolio,’ Aboitiz Power told Inquirer in a message.

The company-with investments in thermal power facilities, including major coal plants, and renewable energy assets-said it was open to exploring opportunities in the sector meant to cut power costs and ensure reliable supply, particularly with Filipinos’ increasing demand.

As of July 9, the attributable net sellable capacity of Aboitiz Power stood at 6,182 megawatts (MW), with its thermal operations still providing the largest chunk.

The Aboitiz Group kept its status as the country’s top power generator, accounting for 24.30 percent of the national grid’s installed generating capacity as of June, data from the Energy Regulatory Commission showed.

Billionaire Manuel V. Pangilinan’s power generation arm, Meralco PowerGen Corp., was the first to show an appetite for the planned coal blending facility floated by Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin.

‘We would be interested in learning more about the DOE’s proposed framework, including the commercial structure and how the private sector consortium would participate,’ MGEN president and CEO Emmanuel Rubio said over the weekend.

Garin wants the private sector, particularly a consortium, to take the lead in the development and management of the coal blending terminal, with the government’s role limited to ‘a certain overview or supervision.’

The concept is that the blending terminal’s operator will source the supply from domestic and foreign markets. The facility will then mix high-grade coals and cheaper low-grade coals and adjust the content to produce coal blends suited for different industrial requirements.

The DOE is eyeing a potential location in Mindanao since it has small coal sites and ports in the region for easy access to buyers.

The proposal came as the DOE admits possible impacts on the Philippines due to Indonesia’s new import rules. About 95 percent of the country’s coal supply is from Indonesia.

A man attempting to cross the Tarlac River despite the poor weather was almost swept away but was rescued. His companion remains missing, Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap told the Inquirer on Tuesday.

Roy Mallari, who survived the rampaging river, was brought to the Tarlac Provincial Hospital for examination and treatment, while authorities search for Raymond Montenegro. Yap said they may have been intoxicated, citing a police investigation

No further details were made available at presstime.

But the city government posted a strong reminder that residents are prohibited from swimming, crossing. or even staying near the Tarlac River.

‘Pakiusap, huwag nang maging matigas ang ulo. Unahin ang kaligtasan. Huwag na nating ilagay sa panganib ang ating sarili at huwag nang dagdagan ang panganib at trabaho ng ating Rescue Team, lalo na’t nagpapatuloy pa ang search and rescue operations,’ the post stated.

(Our appeal is that people need not be bullheaded. Prioritize your safety. Do not put yourselves in harm’s way, as this affects the safety of our rescue team who must go out there and seek you out

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Tuesday asked lawmakers from the House of Representatives to increase the agency’s funding for next year, noting that budget cuts under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) may hinder the implementation of proposed irrigation projects.

During the House committee on appropriations’ briefing on the budget proposal of NIA, NIA Administrator Engr. Eduardo Guillen said the agency proposed funding by program expenditure classification worth P232,778,193,000, which is significantly less than the P46,355,900,000 allocated for the agency under the NEP.

Guillen noted that his agency’s proposal for next year is a 268-percent increase from its 2026 budget of P63,246,735,000.

‘The reduction is mainly attributed to the significantly lower allocation for capital outlay, which comprises the bulk of NIA’s irrigation investment requirements,’ Guillen said.

Guillen also cited significant budget cuts in improvement of service roads in national and communal irrigation systems. The NIA proposed P17,705,462,000 and P2,389,865,000 fundings for national and communal irrigation systems, respectively, but he said that only P250,000,000 were allotted for each project.

He added that the agency proposed the budgets for the repair of the following: national irrigation systems (P38,261,911,000); communal irrigation systems (P20,515,660,000); and pump irrigation systems (P10,415,188,000) while he said that these projects were allotted P2,021,555,000, P920,000,000, and P3,000,000,000 under the NEP, respectively.

Meanwhile, restoration of national and communal irrigation systems had a proposal of P7,260,567,000 and P13,245,386,000, respectively while they were allotted P1,000,000,000, and P250,000,000 under the NEP, respectively.

The administration also said that the new national irrigation and small reservoir irrigation projects were allotted by the agency of P34,939,697,000 and P11,083,425,000, respectively while they were allocated of P7,561,321,000 and P4,579,000,000, respectively under the NEP.

Guillen shared that as of December 31, 2025, only 2.20 million hectares have been developed out of the country’s total potential irrigable area of 3.13 million hectares.

Agricultural damage from the enhanced southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay and Neneng nears P3 billion

In its latest bulletin, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that the farm sector sustained P2.84 billion in losses as of Tuesday.

The figure is 22.4 percent higher than the P2.32 billion recorded by the agency on Aug. 27.

The weather disturbances affected 72,803 farmers and fishers in the regions of Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Western Visayas.

Typhoons damaged 63,921 metric tons (MT) of farm produce spanning 64,234 hectares of agricultural land.

Of the total, rice accounted for nearly 50 percent or P1.42 billion. High-value crops followed with 26.8 percent (P761.43 million) and fisheries with 14.53 percent (P412.84 million).

‘Further damage and losses are expected in affected regions as assessment and validation are ongoing,’ the DA said.

More than 20,000 kilograms of tilapia and bighead carp have died in another fish kill in Laguna de Bay, affecting more than 30 fish cages covering over 7 hectares in Jala-jala, Rizal.

Fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said Tuesday that initial losses were estimated at P700,000, while local fishers and fish cage operators suspected chemical waste may have contributed to the ‘sudden and massive’ fish kill.

Ronnel Arambulo, Pamalakaya vice chairperson, said operators and fishers noticed that the lake’s water had turned rusty in color before the fish began dying.

‘Operators and fishers themselves said that the fish kill was unusual. Similar incidents have occurred in previous years, but what happened recently was more rapid and widespread,’ Arambulo said.

‘The affected fishers could not point to any other possible cause except the change in the color of the lake’s water that they had observed,’ he added.

Pamalakaya described Tuesday’s incident as the second fish kill in Laguna de Bay, saying a similar incident occurred in Binangonan, Rizal, in July.

‘Last July, the same incident happened in Binangonan town following the release of wastewater by a water concessionaire,’ Pamalakaya said.

During its initial investigation in July, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) said it was still too early to determine the exact cause of the fish kill.

The agency noted that Laguna de Bay was experiencing a widespread algal bloom and that most of the affected fish came from commercial fish pens and cages.

The latest incident also came days after the LLDA warned of a continued risk of algal blooms and possible fish kills in the lake.

On Aug. 25, the agency said changes in weather and water conditions could trigger or intensify algal growth. It also explained that when algae die and decompose, they can reduce oxygen levels in the water, potentially stressing or killing fish.

The LLDA also urged residents and local officials to report unusual water discoloration, heavy bubbling or foaming, and foul odors that could indicate water contamination. The agency said such reports could help investigators trace pollutants to their source.

Pamalakaya called on the LLDA to investigate the latest incident, determine whether any companies discharged wastewater into the lake and hold those responsible accountable.

‘Some companies must have discharged wastewater into the lake that caused the fish kill,’ Arambulo said.

‘We call on the concerned government agencies, especially the Laguna Lake Development Authority, to look into this matter, hold accountable the companies responsible, and compensate the affected fisherfolk and fish cage operators,’ he added

Naomi Osaka channeled Allen Iverson as part of her US Open debut, and the former NBA superstar liked the look.

Osaka made her usual fashionable entrance for her match against Anastasia Zakharova on Monday night in the first round. The two-time US Open champion emerged from the tunnel onto the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a long, white skirt and a gray, hooded robe featuring newspaper clippings about her.

She had the hood on when she entered. When she removed it to reveal her black outfit, Osaka had her hair done in cornrows, just as Iverson did when he was the NBA MVP while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Osaka wore a shirt with Iverson’s picture when she met with the media on the eve of the tournament and called him a trailblazer.

‘I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s kind done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress,’ Osaka said Saturday. ‘I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.’

She added that they’d never communicated, but Iverson posted a message to Osaka on his Instagram page Monday, writing: ‘Wow, what a honor!! BIG FAN can’t wait to meet you.’

Residents in several parts of Occidental Mindoro were advised to limit outdoor activities after thick haze was observed in the province on Tuesday.

The Occidental Mindoro Provincial Information Office said the haze may be linked to widespread forest and land fires in Indonesia, particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan, which have generated smoke that winds could carry to other parts of Southeast Asia.

The public was urged to avoid prolonged outdoor exposure, particularly in areas where smoke or haze is noticeable.

Those who need to go outside were advised to wear face masks to help reduce the inhalation of smoke and fine particulate matter.

Children, older adults and people with sensitive respiratory systems were advised to take extra precautions and, if possible, remain indoors while the haze persists.

The advisory cited information from the Environmental Management Bureau central office.

Residents were also encouraged to monitor official advisories for further updates on air quality and health precautions