Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Residents across Bukidnon are enjoying a rare four-day long weekend that bridges the usual Saturday-Sunday-Monday rest period straight into Tuesday, diverting from the standard resumption of work and classes.

With Aug. 31 observed as a regular holiday in the Philippines for National Heroes Day, and the province observing a special non-working holiday known as ‘Araw ng Bukidnon’ on Sept. 1 in commemoration of its foundation anniversary, locals have taken full advantage of the extended pause to unwind.

Common activities filling the long weekend include sleeping in late, spending quality time with family, and diving into personal hobbies and recreational interests.

Republic Act No. 12039 permanently establishes Sept. 1 as a special non-working holiday across the province, celebrating the 112th founding anniversary of ‘Araw ng Bukidnon.’

The key activities for the anniversary celebrations include a night market open daily from 5 p.m. onwards, featuring local food trucks, street food, seafood stalls, and various other merchants.

There will be a live concert featuring a popular Manila artist on Sept. 1, starting at 6 p.m. at the capitol grounds.

There are also sports events, including the Bukidnon Softball Baseball Confederation games, Bukidnon Moto Festival, and the Panagtigi Pickleball Tournament.

A socio-civic parade along the national highway in Malaybalay City and a flag-raising ceremony will be held on Sept. 1 at the capitol grounds to commemorate the milestone history of the province while showcasing and honoring its rich cultural heritage.

Bukidnon has a rich history rooted in its indigenous mountain tribes and the Spanish and American colonial eras.

The name ‘Bukidnon’ comes from ‘bukid,’ the Tagalog and Visayan word for mountain, meaning ‘mountain people’ or ‘highlanders.’

Its history showed that on Aug. 20, 1907, the Philippine Commission enacted Act No. 1693, organizing Bukidnon as a sub-province of Agusan, with Malaybalay designated as the capital

An international environmental group has stepped up calls for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to suspend its guidelines on the earth-balling or relocation of mangroves, given that their protection is mandated by law.

Amid questions on the legal basis of that activity, the agency is conducting a review, which it said it would complete by early next year.

Oceana Philippines criticized the continued implementation of ‘Interim Operational Guidelines and Conditions on the Earth-balling and Relocation of Mangroves in Exceptional Circumstances’-a DENR memorandum issued in October last year, which the group said allowed the earth-balling or relocation of mature trees to give way to infrastructure projects.

The group warned further that this activity stripped coastal communities of their first line of defense against the catastrophic impact of flooding and typhoons.

‘By allowing earth-balling, the DENR is sacrificing proven nature-based solutions for short-term economic gain,’ Oceana vice president Von Hernandez said in a statement on Aug. 28, after Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna appeared at a hearing by the House appropriations committee on Aug. 26.

Cuna explained at the hearing that the DENR, through its research arm Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB), has undertaken a review of the earth-balling of mangroves.

He said the study-which is now on its second phase as of August-focuses on the survival rate of mangroves after that procedure.

The DENR will issue a policy report based on the ERDB study by early 2027, he said.

Last month, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into how the DENR’s interim guidelines would affect the country’s mangroves.

‘Legal validity’

De Lima also sought to establish the ‘legal validity’ of the guidelines, since there are laws mandating the protection of mangroves, as she pointed out-Republic Act No. 8550 (the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998) as amended by RA 10654 and RA 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act.

Hernandez, in his group’s statement, had asked: ‘Shouldn’t the DENR be held accountable for reneging on its mandate to protect mangroves and uphold nature-based safeguards, especially at a time when every coastal community in the country is under siege from flooding and storm surges?’

Kevin Quiambao found himself on familiar ground Friday night and delivered when Gilas Pilipinas needed him most.

The former La Salle standout hit a crucial 3-pointer with 11.7 seconds left in overtime as the Philippines escaped Jordan, 82-81, in the second round of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

With Gilas holding a slim lead late in overtime, CJ Perez drove into the lane and found an open Quiambao, who knocked down the triple for an 82-79 advantage.

Quiambao finished with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists despite shooting 5 of 12 from the field.

The big shot came at a venue where Quiambao has spent much of his basketball career.

‘Since high school, I’ve been here,’ Quiambao said. ‘When I was in NU, I got to play here in MOA. Since then, I just give my best here every single day, practice and game here in MOA.’

‘I can’t say much about the familiarity, but when I’m here, I just let it fly.’

Quiambao later starred for La Salle in the UAAP before moving to the Korean Basketball League, where he plays for the Goyang Sono Skygunners.

The victory was also significant for a Gilas squad playing without naturalized forward Justin Brownlee, who missed the qualifiers’ second window while recovering from nagging lower-body injuries.

‘Of course, it would’ve been better if JB were here, right?’ Quiambao said.

‘Still, we were all-Filipino. We wanted to prove that we can win with this team.’

Gilas faced another setback when Carl Tamayo suffered a high ankle sprain in the third quarter against Jordan.

With Brownlee unavailable and Tamayo sidelined, Quiambao helped fill the void.

And when Gilas needed a basket late, the former Green Archer delivered on a court he knows well.

As countries ‘expand’ their claims because of their declining resources, there is a need for the country’s stakeholders, particularly the youth, to protect their resources in all the country’s waters, not just the West Philippine Sea, the defense chief said in a forum on Saturday.

‘As populations expand in the world, as resources grow more scarce, as needs grow more scarce, there is a temptation to expand,’ Defense Secretary Gilberto ‘Gibo’ Teodoro Jr. said at the launching of the Bantay Dagat Youth Ambassadors-West Philippine Sea Edition Caravan held in San Juan City.

‘And that we cannot allow for your sake in the future,’ Teodoro said.

The forum billed ‘Safeguarding Our Seas: National Duty and Community Leadership in the West Philippine Sea’ was organized by the Rotary Club of Chinatown Circle in partnership with the Philippine Navy.

PH waters in Pacific

The Philippines has about 2.4 million square kilometers of maritime domain, Teodoro said, adding that the country’s geography makes the protection of its waters particularly important.

‘You cannot stop the growth of human beings, the growth of society,’ Teodoro said. ‘But what you can stop is somebody else taking what should be yours to support yourself and giving it to somebody else.’

He said the Philippines should look beyond the West Philippine Sea when considering its maritime interests, as he cited the Philippine Rise and waters on the country’s Pacific side as potential sources of food and energy for future generations.

‘Because all the resources, whether in the West Philippine Sea, in the internal waters, in the Pacific Ocean side of the Philippines, are sources of potential sustenance, energy for future generations,’ he said.

Unclos, Hague ruling

Teodoro urged the youth ambassadors to treat maritime awareness as part of a broader effort to strengthen national resilience, including in schools and communities.

‘The dimension of how you approach the problem and how you engage the younger generation is multidimensional, because you need to be resilient on land as you do on sea,’ Teodoro said.

Teodoro also reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and to the 2016 ruling by the Hague arbitral court in asserting its maritime rights.

China rejects the 2016 ruling on the Philippines’ 2013 arbitral case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, The Netherlands. The ruling found no legal basis for Beijing’s sweeping claims over much of the South China Sea.

Teodoro said the country is also working to strengthen its ability to defend its maritime domain through military modernization, infrastructure development and security partnerships.

He cited the Philippines’ status of visiting forces agreements with Canada and New Zealand, which he said had entered into force. Another agreement, this time with France, awaits the Senate’s approval, while formal negotiations for a proposed agreement with the United Kingdom have begun, he said.

Four parcels of alleged illegally reclaimed land in Taguig City are covered by ‘fraudulently’ issued titles that will be turned over to the Office of the Ombudsman for investigation, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Saturday.

In a statement, the senator said he shared the initial findings ‘to dispel insinuations’ that his disclosures regarding the alleged anomalies were ‘fake news.’

According to Lacson, the parcels covered areas ranging from 5,000 to 193,027 square meters and were processed through various patent and land registration procedures.

He also said there are four other parcels that had no documentation in the Land Registration Authority’s (LRA) digital records.

Lacson said earlier the LRA is examining several titles covering some 38.83 hectares of ‘illegally’ reclaimed areas on the Taguig City side of Laguna Lake.

‘I requested the LRA to backtrack the history of the issued OCTs (original certificates of title) and other modes of titling, so we will find out how they were manipulated with the end in view of filing criminal charges against those responsible,’ he said in a statement.

He said these titles may be declared ‘void ab initio’ or void from the start, once the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) initiates forfeiture proceedings.

Lacson said the Ombudsman has issued subpoenas to the LRA, PRA, Taguig Registry of Deeds and Department of Public Works and Highways.

‘Since [Senator] Cayetano keeps publicly asking for evidence, I’ll give it to him, in the spirit of public interest,’ he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Sy family-led SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) has partnered with the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to incorporate hazard and risk data into its operations and investment planning, the company said Friday.

On Friday, SMIC Consultant and Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability Timothy Daniels and Phivolcs Director Teresito C. Bacolcol signed an agreement, which formalized SM’s access to GeoRiskPH, the government’s platform for hazard and risk information.

As part of the agreement, SM will get access to GeoRiskPH tools, including HazardHunterPH Pro, GeoMapper PH, PlanSmart, and GeoAnalyticsPH, to assess its facilities, assets, and operational sites for exposure to weather-related and geological hazards.

In addition, the company said it will use the data to guide property development, business continuity, asset management, and long-term investment decisions.

‘Partnerships like this with the private sector contribute significantly in helping us better understand the country’s multi-faceted needs regarding resilience,’ Bacolcol said.

Likewise, he added that integrating data-driven hazard assessments into business planning can help reduce disaster risks and support sustainable development.

For SM, the partnership will provide access to scientific expertise and hazard information to strengthen its businesses and the communities it serves, Daniels said.

‘Working with Phivolcs gives us access to the country’s scientific expertise and better information to strengthen our businesses and the communities we serve,’ he said.

The agreement forms part of Phivolc’s efforts to involve more private companies in the country’s disaster resilience efforts.

More than 14,000 residents in this province have fled their homes due to widespread flooding brought by persistent heavy rains, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) on Sunday, Aug. 30.

A total of 710 families or 14,052 individuals have been evacuated, with 552 families or 10,242 individuals staying in various evacuation centers across the province. The rest have sought shelter elsewhere.

Out of 13 towns in the municipality, Botolan had the highest number of evacuees staying in evacuation centers, with 1,310 families or 3,491 individuals, followed by neighboring Cabangan with 695 families or 1,938 individuals.

Some residents were preemptively advised to move to evacuation centers as the province experienced non-stop heavy rains, while others were forced to leave their homes as floodwaters rose in their communities.

In its 5 a.m. advisory on Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) maintained its heavy rainfall outlook for Zambales, with 100 to 200 millimeters of rain expected through Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Pagasa was also monitoring a low-pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), which had a ‘high’ chance of developing into a tropical depression on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Tropical Depression ‘Saudel’ (formerly ‘Obet’) was being monitored outside the PAR.

A dramatic Friday night win over Jordan did nothing to widen the margin of error for Gilas Pilipinas in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

The Filipinos know they need to set aside an 82-81 victory and go for another favorable result when they host Iran on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

‘From our calculations, we got to win five or six in this round,’ coach Tim Cone said ahead of the 8 p.m. matchup, which the Philippines must win in hopes of closing in on the standings in Group E.

For Cone, defeating Jordan was just half the job, and beating Iran would check a major task box.

Gilas’ win over Jordan and Iran’s loss to New Zealand, also in overtime, made the standings interesting for the Philippines. While Australia is running away from the pack with a 7-0 (win-loss) record, Jordan and Iran fell into a tie with New Zealand at 5-2.

The Philippines, meanwhile, has three wins in seven matches.

Sunday will also see New Zealand playing Syria at 2 p.m., and Jordan taking on Australia at 5 p.m. at the same venue. The Jordan-Australia game could also have some implications in Gilas’ World Cup bid.

But Cone said they won’t rely on other results.

‘We got to take care of our own business,’ he said. ‘This (Jordan win) is like halftime for us, but we haven’t won anything. We have to win the whole thing. Right now, it’s just halftime and we got another [half] to play.’

Momentum is something Gilas hopes to maximize, not only because of the way it won, but also because it is playing at home once more.

The win was cemented by Kai Sotto’s game-saving block in the end, Kevin Quiambao’s go-ahead three, CJ Perez’s clutch buckets and Scottie Thompson’s defense and hustle.

Sotto’s presence justified what many believe-that he’s the missing piece to the Gilas puzzle since he last played for the national team in 2024. Perez, on the other hand, put up what is arguably his best performance on the international level.

Perez also set up the pass for Quiambao, whose three gave Gilas the lead for good. Thompson, however, remained a polarizing figure, with fans either praising the intangibles he provided or ruing his five-second inbound violation that almost cost the game.

One concern being determined at press time is the status of Carl Tamayo, who scored eight points, for Sunday. The former University of the Philippines standout rolled his left ankle during the third quarter. Cone hinted that he may tweak his roster by replacing him with either Justin Arana or RJ Abarrientos if he can’t go.

The low-pressure area inside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) developed into Tropical Depression Pilandok on Sunday morning, state meteorologists said.

As of 10 a.m., Pilandok was last spotted 1,225 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon, moving west northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Pilandok has maximum sustained winds of 45 kph, and gusts of up to 55 kph, Pagasa added.

But the state weather bureau noted that the cyclone is ‘less likely to make landfall over the country and will remain far from the Philippine landmass.’

It also noted that Pilandok is expected to be a ‘short-lived’ tropical cyclone and is likely to weaken over the Philippine Sea by Tuesday, Sept. 1.

From today, Pilandok is forecast to move west-northwestward until Monday, Aug. 31.

Then its movement will shift northwestward to north northwestward until it dissipates, Pagasa said.

Actress Gee Canlas accused her estranged husband, actor Archie Alemania, of physically assaulting her during their marriage, including allegedly breaking two of her ribs and strangling her twice.

Canlas made the allegations in an interview with Ogie Diaz uploaded on YouTube on Saturday, Aug. 29, where she responded to Alemania’s recent interview about their separation.

Canlas said she watched Alemania’s interview and wanted to correct some of his statements and provide context about their relationship.

Addressing Alemania’s claim that he felt he was being provoked during their arguments even as he tried to remain quiet, Canlas recalled an incident where she said the actor became violent toward her.

‘Everything I say in this interview is backed with evidence […] He wanted me to talk. He was forcing me to agree with him about something […] He got a tumbler and he went to hit me on the side of my head behind the ear. Tumunog ‘yung skull ko,’ she recalled.

Canlas also recalled another fight that she said resulted in her sustaining two fractured ribs and eventually prompted them to stay at her parents’ house.

‘The reason we ended up staying at my parents house is because he broke my ribs. Two fractured ribs. I wrapped my whole body around him to stop him from leaving. He pushed me then pinuruhan niya ako, punch na parang boxing. Nawala ‘yung hininga ko. The next thing I know nagising ako sa kama na naka curl up, parang hipon,’ she said.

According to Canlas, the incident happened at their old house. She said her therapist advised her to leave the environment because of the trauma, which led to them staying at her parents’ home.

Canlas also disputed Alemania’s characterization of her as someone who was constantly nagging, saying their arguments stemmed from a lack of communication because he would allegedly walk away instead of discussing and resolving their problems.

She said Alemania told her mother about the incident involving her ribs, but instead of apologizing, he allegedly tried to justify his actions.

‘Blame the daughter for something that he did. And in spite of that, my mom mediated pa for us,’ Canlas said, adding that her father did not know about her fractured ribs because she was protecting Alemania.

Later in the interview, Canlas recalled another alleged incident of physical abuse, saying Alemania strangled her twice during their marriage.

‘He ended up strangling me. In the course of our marriage, he did that twice,’ she said. ‘When it was good, it was good. When it was bad, it was bad.’

Canlas also said Alemania would give her the silent treatment after their fights, with some instances allegedly lasting for months.

‘The whole time na di kami nag-uusap, dadaan-daanan ako niyan, lasing, uuwi 5 am, so ‘yung sinasabi niyang walking on eggshells saan,’ she said, adding that her parents did not intervene in their problems despite the couple living under the same roof.

Canlas also addressed Alemania’s earlier statement quoting the Bible: ‘Husbands love your wives. Wives submit to your husbands.’

She said marriage should be a ‘give and take’ process but cautioned against what she described as ‘blind submission.’

‘But there’s also such a thing as blind submission. Hindi ka pwede magsubmit kung feeling mo hindi best interest nung tao, ‘yung kapakanan ng pamilya mo […] There is no trust. There is no respect,’ she said.

The actress likewise disputed Alemania’s description of himself as a ‘dakila’ or devoted husband, bringing up an alleged instance of infidelity that she said she discovered after leaving him.

‘What if I tell you I have proof that you were sleeping with someone the time that we’re together,’ she said, adding that she did not want to disclose the nature of the alleged proof at the moment.

Canlas also said she chose to remain with Alemania amid his legal issues involving singer-actress Rita Daniela, who accused him of making unwanted sexual advances toward her.

‘I decided to stay with him, with the legal issues that he has, in hopes na makita niya ‘yung loyalty and devotion ko sa kaniya. Masalvage pa ‘yung marriage namin kahit papaano,’ she said.

Canlas said she eventually realized she needed to end the relationship after she surprised Alemania on his birthday, only for them to end up fighting again.

‘I remember in my head. So be it. I’m done. I felt like I could no longer do anything to make him happy,’ she said.

The actress also said she had to sell her wedding and engagement rings to help provide for her family while Alemania was struggling financially amid his legal case.

Canlas said she and Alemania were undergoing marriage counseling before she learned about Daniela’s complaint. She said she had also been waiting for Alemania to come clean about something after he was fired from the television series ‘Widows’ War.’

‘So when we were working on our marriage, he was trying to cover up a lie at the same time. Tapos nung nalaman ko na, he cups my face, and tells me, ‘I need you to be strong. I need you to be brave,’ Bakit hindi sorry? Instead of apologizing, inutusan pa ako maging strong,’ she recalled.

‘He never said sorry for what happened. He never said sorry to my parents. Both of my parents are pastors,’ she added.

Canlas said she confronted Alemania about what happened with Daniela, but he denied it. The actor continued to deny the allegations in his recent interview.

‘Doon sa interview niyo, important bang sabihin na naging babaero ka for people to believe na hindi ka nang mamanyak. I’ll never know what happened in that car, silang dalawa lang nakakaalam non,’ she said.

In October 2025, Alemania was found guilty of acts of lasciviousness under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code in connection with the complaint filed by Daniela.

Despite her experiences, Canlas said she remains hopeful about finding love again. Asked if she still loves Alemania, she replied, ‘No. I think I love myself now.’

‘Hindi ‘yung nangyari sakin ang magiging story ko. That’s just a chapter. There are better days ahead, including someone,’ she added.

Canlas also said she is not currently open to co-parenting with Alemania.

‘In what world would I want to co-parent with someone, who doesn’t respect me in the very least. How can I expect him to create a safe environment for our son,’ she said.