Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

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.

Sept. 3, 2006

The National Historical Institute installed a national historical landmark in the Cuartel of Imus in Cavite to commemorate the ‘Labanan sa Imus.’ On Sept. 1, 1896, the forces of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and Col. Jose Tagle attacked the friars and guardia civils who had taken refuge in the Casa Hacienda. The following day, revolutionaries led by Tagle launched another attack while Aguinaldo and his men were fighting in Bacoor. Finally, on Sept. 3, 1896, additional Spanish forces under Gen. Ernesto de Aguirre were defeated. Aguirre’s sable de mando fell during this battle and was captured by the revolutionaries. This victory served as an inspiration to the revolutionaries as they fought for independence.

Sept. 3, 2022

Calaca was converted from a municipality into a component city of Batangas through a plebiscite, which ratified Republic Act No. 11544, signed by then President Rodrigo Duterte on May 26, 2021. Once a barrio of Balayan situated on the left bank of the Bolbok River, Calaca was established as a town on May 10, 1835. Prior to its conversion to a city, it was already emerging as one of the fastest-growing local economies in Calabarzon and was known as the ‘Power Town in South Luzon.’ Today, Calaca is a third-class city with a population of 92,281, as of the 2024 Census.

Sept. 4, 2025

The provincial government of La Union and the Baguionas Farmers and Coffee Growers Association (BFCGA) signed a deed of donation for La Union’s first coffee processing facility located in Barangay Libbo, Bagulin. The 78-square-meter facility was funded P2.9 million under Republic Act No. 7171, or the Support for Virginia Tobacco Farmers Act. Construction began on November 18, 2024, and was completed on May 29, 2025. The facility is now operated by BFCGA, whose members are mostly robusta coffee farmers from the indigenous peoples community. Its 33 farmer-members collectively cultivate 30.55 hectares and yield about 400 kilograms of green coffee cherries annually. They supply coffee beans to popular establishments in the surfing town of San Juan.

This week’s festival

Siargao Food and Wine Festival (Aug. 26 to Aug. 31)

The Siargao Food and Wine Festival is the country’s first community-led, island-wide culinary festival that’s taking place in Siargao, Surigao del Norte. In partnership with the Department of Tourism, the festival carries the theme, ‘Building a Better Island, One Bite at a Time.’ It celebrates the people, produce and traditions that shape the island’s food culture through collaborative dining experiences, workshops, markets and community gatherings. The six-day festival offers a series of immersive experiences, including a gala opening on Aug. 26, Ocean Day on Aug. 27, Coconut Day on Aug. 28, Producer Day on Aug. 29 and Community Day on Aug. 30. It will culminate on Aug. 31 with a closing celebration and recognition.

Hadang Festival (Sept. 1 to Sept. 8)

The Hadang Festival is celebrated in Calbayog City, Samar. The festival is named after ‘Hadang,’ which is an ancient ritual dance offering to spirits for blessings such as a good harvest, healing or protection from violence. In 2025, it was declared as the city’s official festival through Ordinance No. 2025-27-658. The ordinance also formally ended the use of the Sarakiki Festival, which had previously been hyphenated with Hadang. This year’s celebration includes a beauty pageant, ‘Hinadang nga Bulawan, ‘Uyag Kinahimat-an,’ Hadang ritual street dancing competition and grand showdown, concert, fiesta carnival and culminates with the town fiesta on Sept. 8.

Incumbent Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer ‘Jenny’ Barzaga has been proclaimed as the new congressional representative of Cavite’s fourth district, replacing her son, who was expelled for his unruly behavior by the House of Representatives on June 2, 2026.

Barzaga won by a landslide, garnering 201,893 votes out of the 258,371 ballots cast during Saturday’s special elections.

At second was former vice mayor Raul Rex Rosario Mangubat, who received only 30,373 votes; followed by former councilor Jacinto Frani Jr. with 24,350; Marvin Dupal-ag with 1,184; and Leysander Ordenes with 561.

The total number of votes cast, meanwhile, reflected a voter turnout of 57.75 percent.

With Barzaga’s victory effectively keeping the congressional seat within the family, the Barzagas’ political dominance in Dasmariñas will also continue, extending the dynasty’s hold over the city to nearly three decades since Elpidio ‘Pidi’ Barzaga Jr. first became mayor in 1998.

Based on partial and unofficial votes as early as 8:30 p.m., Barzaga already led the special congressional race by a significant margin, placing first at 185,668 votes. The nearest rival was former vice mayor Raul Rex Rosario Mangubat, who, at this point, only garnered 23,208 votes.

Mangubat also eventually conceded based on the partial results alone, congratulating Barzaga on her win and expressing thanks to his supporters.

Andy Roddick was playing fellow legend Roger Federer in a special fan event as a drum-up to the US Open when he looked at the stands and saw Alex Eala sitting there.

‘I saw [you] and I said [to myself], ‘If I had her groundstrokes, I would win this set,” Roddick told Eala during a live recording of his popular podcast, ‘Served.’

Eala, laughing, shot back: ‘If I had your serve, I would win [a lot].’

The exchange between the rising star from the Philippines and the well-loved American legend was a snapshot of how comfortable Eala has grown with her skyrocketing fame-and how expertly she’s been navigating through it despite her relative youth.

‘[E]verything that has been coming my way is continuously uncharted territory for me. So, I’m experiencing a lot of things for the first time,’ Eala told Roddick during the show. ‘And … it’s been a journey to learn my relationship with the fame, … the exposure. I understand the importance of what I represent, who I represent, what values I carry on court [and] the culture I carry on court. But at the same time, it was important for me to understand that it’s the culture that’s important, and it’s what I represent that’s important, and it’s not so much just me as an individual.’

‘I think a reason also why I have such a big following is because people see themselves in me. So, I’m representing those people, and it’s not really just me on the stage.’

Her comfort level and her maturity when it comes to handling that fame will be important as she kicks off her US Open bid on Monday, when she battles Mary Stoiana (11 p.m., Manila time).

Eala has kept herself busy in the days leading to that matchup, playing mixed doubles with Felix Auger-Aliassime and then headlining another US Open fan-favorite event, the Stars of the Open exhibition. All her appearances, even during the Roddick podcast, proved the strength of her drawing power.

And in New York, that power will get amplified. The US Open site in the Flushing Meadows is about a 15- to 20-minute train ride from Woodside, which has a strong Filipino presence. Queens itself is home to a huge number of immigrants from the Philippines, guaranteeing jam-packed arenas for Eala’s matches.

That kind of spotlight heat could make a normal 21-year-old wilt.

But time and again, Eala has proven she is no ordinary 21-year-old.

‘I think I’ve experienced so much growth in the past year and so many milestones in my career,’ the world No. 18 said during the pretournament press conference. ‘I think there are so many lessons in particular in terms of … work ethic, obviously being in this environment a lot more.’

And while people have recognized the things she has done for tennis, not just for the Philippines but for the sport in general with the new audiences she has been drawing in, Eala brushed off the suggestion.

‘[E]very single WTA player and every single ATP player has contributed to the world of tennis and its history just by being here and by putting in the work every single day,’ Eala said. ‘So although there are certain things like the media and the things that you mentioned that make me stand out, I think that I’m a drop in the ocean when it comes to these things. And the more I’m on tour, the more I learn about the history. Of course, this year, having had the pleasure to play doubles twice with Venus, I’ve learned a lot about her mentality on court, but also things about how she championed equal prize money with her sister and things like that.’

‘And maybe the regular player on tour who’s not so exposed [in] the media, what they’ve had to work towards and what they’ve had to work through to get to where they are now is so inspiring in itself. So there are so many stories behind the scenes that you might not even realize. So that really keeps me humble.’

‘It keeps me motivated to work harder and … stay among these incredible people.’