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Former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairperson Philip ‘Popoy’ Juico passed away on Saturday, October 31. He was 78.

Juico’s son, Vincent, confirmed this in a Facebook post on Sunday.

‘It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of my father, Philip ‘Popoy’ Juico, who passed away yesterday evening at 8:18 p.m. at the Makati Medical Center,’ Vincent wrote in the post.

He did not detail the cause of his father’s death.

‘We kindly ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he rests in peace,’ he said.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to ensure that its protocols for the looming super El Niño protect students without worsening learning loss, stressing the need for localized rather than blanket class suspensions.

‘El Niño not only threatens the safety of students, but also their ability to learn. We must ensure that our students’ knowledge does not decline because this will worsen our education crisis,’ Gatchalian said in a statement on Sunday.

He cited a policy note by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), which found that a typical public elementary school lost 20 teaching days during School Year 2025-2026 because of hazard-related class suspensions.

The policy note also found that for every suspended school day, around 1.4 days of reading progress were lost.

The DepEd recently announced its 4H Framework-Hayo (go ahead), Hinay (be careful), Hinga (rest) and Hinto (stop)-to guide the suspension of learning activities amid the threat of El Niño.

Under Hayo, which represents manageable conditions, face-to-face classes continue on campus with thermal adaptations such as scheduled water breaks, shifting outdoor activities to early morning or shaded areas, and allowing flexible or PE attire.

When conditions escalate to Hinay, indicating heat stress, schools may adopt modified class days paired with structured home-based or hybrid learning.

At the Hinga level, which signifies extreme heat caution or a loss of water supply, academic demands are substantially reduced to prioritize well-being. Schools rely on supplementary learning packets, short literacy and numeracy activities, and broadcast resources via DepEd TV and radio.

Under Hinto, which denotes unsafe heat index conditions, or when the heat index reaches the danger level of 42°C and above, academic activities are suspended while schools maintain essential communication, safety checks, and psychosocial support referrals.

Motorists can already access the Pasig Boulevard-C5 Flyover and C5 Boni Serrano Flyover earlier than their originally scheduled completion, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced on Sunday.

In a statement, the DPWH said the northbound lane of the Pasig Blvd-C5 Flyover will be passable early on Monday evening, November 2, while its southbound lane will stick to its reopening schedule on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The DPWH also noted that the C5 Boni Serrano Flyover will reopen by Monday evening.

Repair work on the two flyovers was originally scheduled for completion on Tuesday morning.

The agency said Public Works Secretary Giovanni Lopez and Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon ordered the earlier reopening schedule to ‘lessen public inconvenience.’

‘We apologize to all motorists and commuters for the traffic inconvenience caused by the ongoing repair works,’ said the DPWH

For only the second time in eight decades, Adelaida Samonte, 90, traveled from Batangas to Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on Saturday, to visit the grave of her older brother, a World War II soldier.

It was only last year when her family discovered where Victor Samonte, who died of an illness in 1945, had been buried.

Samonte’s granddaughter, Jessa Laig, finally located his grave at the military cemetery last year as a gift for her grandmother’s 90th birthday.

On Saturday, Samonte returned to her brother’s grave for the second consecutive year, accompanied by relatives and fellow senior citizens who traveled from Lipa City, Batangas.

The group left Lipa around 5 a.m. and reached the cemetery after a journey of about an hour and a half, ahead of the expected ‘Undas’ crowds.

‘I was still very young when he left. I was only 6 years old,’ Samonte told the Inquirer in Filipino, recalling the last time she saw her brother before he left to serve in the military.

Victor was the second eldest of six siblings, while Adelaida was the youngest.

According to Samonte, Victor was around 25 when he went to war. He died of an illness in 1945, rather than in combat, and never married or had children.

Samonte, who is turning 91 this year, is the only surviving sibling in the family.

‘I’m his younger sister. I’m the only one left among us siblings, so my granddaughter searched for him,’ she said.

Birthday giftLaig said the family had long believed Victor was buried in Capas, Tarlac.

Last year, she traveled to Tarlac to search for his grave but learned that his remains had been transferred to Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Laig went to the Taguig cemetery that same day, where soldiers helped her locate his burial site.

‘We asked the soldiers, and they found out that he was indeed buried here,’ she said.

Laig said she decided to look for Victor’s grave because her grandmother was approaching her 90th birthday.

‘She was about to turn 90, so I thought that would be my birthday gift to her. I had to find him,’ she said.

Laig never met Victor and knew him only through photographs and stories shared by her family.

‘I only saw his picture at home. They would always mention him because they had not been able to visit his grave,’ she said.

Return visit

Adelaida was accompanied on Saturday by Belen Laig, 69; Rosie Medrano, 77; Lorna Medrano, 69; and Delia Mercado, 70.

‘We also came here last year,’ she said.

The group also visited the grave of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., to whom Samonte said they pay their respects whenever they visit the cemetery.

‘Out of respect for a president. Out of love,’ she said.

Their visit came as thousands of families were expected to flock to Libingan ng mga Bayani for the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

Cemetery management said it expected more than 99,000 visitors during the Undas period.

Lt. Col. Joanne Paule Villareiz, commanding officer of the Grave Services Unit under the Philippine Army’s Support Command, meanwhile, told the Inquirer that around 20,000 visitors were expected on Saturday and another 30,000 on Sunday.

More than 3,300 people and 1,123 vehicles entered the cemetery on Friday, according to Villareiz.

The 103-hectare Libingan ng mga Bayani was established in May 1947 as the Republic Memorial Cemetery before being renamed in 1954, according to an Inquirer Research report published in 2016.

The cemetery is the final resting place of more than 30,000 World War II veterans, along with former presidents, military personnel and other prominent Filipinos, the report said.

Among those buried there is Victor, whose youngest sister now has a grave to return to after decades of not knowing where he had been laid to rest.

Over one million passengers flocked to different ports across the country amid the Undas exodus this year, according to the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) on Sunday.

In its latest passenger traffic update, the PPA said that 36,753 passengers were monitored as of 8 a.m. on Sunday, which also falls on All Saints’ Day. This brings the total passenger count from October 27 to November 1 at 1,026,049 travelers.

Of this figure, the PPA logged the highest number of passengers on Saturday with 245,718, followed by 222,874 on Friday.

The PPA earlier said that it expects a total of 1,934,604 passengers from October 27 to November 5. This estimate is higher than last year’s forecast of 1,905,063 passengers across all ports in the country.

PPA’s projected top five ports are Iloilo River Wharf, Babak Port in Davao del Norte, Batangas Port, Jordan Port in Guimaras, and Sasa Port in Davao.

Last Thursday, new Department of Transportation (DOTr) chief Vince Dizon inspected the Manila North Port in Tondo and instructed PPA official Jay Santiago, the port’s operations manager, and travel provider 2Go to implement a 24/7 ticketing system for the said port.

In response, Santiago said that the proposed ticketing system is feasible where he ordered the 2Go to deploy at least one personnel with a working computer to assist passengers who arrive in the port even late at night to secure their tickets.

This came after Dizon met a 54-year-passenger inside the port and found out that the latter had to stay outside the port for a night as she could not immediately secure the earliest trip to Bacolod.

Congress should tighten national animal welfare laws following the illegal dumping of 25 dead pets in Bulacan, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima said on Sunday.

On Friday, animal welfare group Luna and Furry Siblings sparked widespread outrage after it exposed on social media how the remains of several dogs and cats were ‘thrown away like trash’ in San Jose Del Monte city.

Reports subsequently revealed that the pets were discarded rather than cremated as intended by their owners.

‘This kind of violence should never be tolerated,’ de Lima, the second-ranking minority lawmaker in the House of Representatives, said in a statement. ‘It will not be the last unless we implement comprehensive and stricter laws to promote and protect animal rights and welfare.’

‘We call on our fellow lawmakers: Let us also prioritize the passage of our proposed Animal Welfare Enforcement Act and the Revised Animal Welfare Act to stop animal cruelty and foster an understanding of proper and humane treatment for animals,’ she added.

De Lima last year introduced House Bill No. 7238, a 24-page measure defining core animal rights – including freedom from hunger, distress, and injury – and establishing an enforcement body under the Department of Agriculture.

‘Despite the continued existence of the Animal Welfare Act, incidents of animal cruelty persist with alarming regularity, underscoring serious gaps in enforcement and local implementation,’ the bill’s explanatory note read.

Her bill seeks to set ‘clear minimum standards’ for the proper treatment of all animals, including adequate food and water, proper shelter, veterinary care, humane transport and opportunities for animals to express natural tendencies, the note added.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has urged owners of 29 pets dumped in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, to pursue legal action against the pet crematorium, saying the incident may constitute estafa by means of deceit.

In a statement on Saturday, PAWS said affected pet parents were led to believe that Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium, based in Bacoor City, Cavite, had cremated the departed pets entrusted to its care.

However, ‘this was false and induced pet parents to pay for the service.’

According to PAWS, although the incident did not directly violate the Animal Welfare Act because the animals were already deceased when turned over to the crematorium, Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium could still be held liable under Article 315(2)(a) of the Revised Penal Code.

‘Pet parents paid for a service that was supposed to provide their beloved companions with a dignified farewell. Instead, their remains were reportedly dumped like garbage in a vacant lot,’ the animal welfare group said.

‘This is not merely a failure to deliver a service but constitutes Estafa by means of deceit,’ it added.

PAWS urged affected pet parents to preserve evidence, such as receipts, cremation certificates, communications, and photos, which are necessary for filing the appropriate complaint.

It also stressed the importance of pet parents uniting to seek accountability for the incident.

‘Each complaint, supported by evidence, can help establish the extent of the alleged wrongdoing and prevent other grieving families from experiencing the same,’ the group said.

Aside from this, PAWS called on the local government of Bacoor City to conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether the crematorium was operating with the required permits and whether the disposal of the remains violated applicable sanitation, environmental, and local government regulations.

‘The emotional harm suffered by these pet parents must not be dismissed. They entrusted the remains of beloved family members for a dignified farewell, only to be deprived of that farewell at a particularly vulnerable moment of grief,’ PAWS said.

‘The trust of a grieving family is not something to be exploited,’ it added.

The Inquirer reached out to the pet crematorium but had yet to receive a response as of this writing.

Bacoor City Mayor Strike Revilla earlier ordered the closure of Ahjay Paws Aftercare Pet Crematorium amid complaints from pet owners following the incident.

According to the San Jose del Monte City Police Station, several residents saw a white van carrying unidentified individuals allegedly unloading seven large sacks containing deceased dogs and cats at a vacant lot in Barangay Minuyan Proper early Thursday morning, Oct. 29.

Thousands of Filipinos braved the sweltering heat to visit their departed loved ones at the Manila North and South Cemeteries on Sunday as crowds gathered for All Saints’ Day.

At the cemeteries, visitors sought relief from the heat by staying under trees, using umbrellas, fanning themselves or covering their heads with towels.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the heat index in Manila reached 36 to 38 degrees Celsius by noon.

The weather bureau urged the public to exercise ‘extreme caution,’ as such heat levels can lead to heat cramps and heat exhaustion, which are characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, headache, vomiting, and light-headedness.

Prolonged heat exposure may also lead to heat stroke, a serious condition characterized by loss of consciousness, confusion or seizures that can be deadly if left untreated.

At the Manila South Cemetery, the number of visitors had reached 52,350 as of 11 a.m. on Nov. 1, as families gathered to commemorate Undas. According to Manila City authorities, the number of visitors at the cemetery is expected to reach 100,000 for the day.

Meanwhile, the Manila North Cemetery had recorded approximately 124,800 visitors as of 9 a.m. on Sunday, based on the latest crowd estimate.

Among those who visited their departed loved ones were Zyrelle Tolentino and her family, who arrived early to pay their respects at the graves of her mother and sister.

‘Maaga po kami kasi ayaw po namin sumabay sa dagsa ng mga tao. So ngayon, dumiretso na kami nang mas maaga para mas matagal pa yung stay namin dito. Sakto kasi, mas malilim,’ Tolentino said.

(We came early because we wanted to avoid the crowds. We decided to arrive much earlier this time so we could spend more time here. It’s also shadier.)

Even on All Saints’ Day, several passengers flocked to a bus terminal in Quezon City to make the most of the holiday and spend time with their loved ones.

According to Victory Liner, approximately 1,500 passengers had arrived at the terminal as of 8 a.m. Terminal coordinator Arnel Macaspac said the figure was lower than Saturday’s passenger count during the same period.

One of the passengers was Eva Maistrili, who was headed to Olongapo to reunite with her husband. The 54-year-old said she had not seen him for a month.

‘I am only heading to Olongapo today because today is the only rest day for my husband. He does not work on Sundays,’ she told the INQUIRER in an interview.

Maistrili said she would also visit her siblings in Laguna on Monday after spending time with her husband. She added that he would not be able to accompany her because of his job.

She also said she resigned from her job at an apparel company on Saturday and would temporarily stay with her siblings in Laguna.

Meanwhile, Macaspac reminded passengers to bring their own water and food in preparation for their long trips.

He also urged them to arrive at the terminal before their scheduled departure.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his family avoided the usual Undas crowd when they visited the tomb of his father, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Sunday said Marcos made a private visit to his father’s gravesite on Oct. 30.

He was accompanied by his mother, former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, his sister Irene Marcos-Araneta, and close family members and friends.

All Saints’ Day is observed every Nov. 1, while All Souls’ Day falls on Nov. 2. The observance traditionally brings millions of Filipinos to cemeteries, columbaria, and memorial parks in different parts of the country to honor and pray for their departed loved ones.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Marcos called on Filipinos to remember their departed loved ones not only through prayers but also through acts of kindness and compassion toward the living.

‘As we observe All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, we remember our departed loved ones and the lives and legacies they have left behind,’ he said.

According to the president, the memories shared with departed family members and the values they imparted continue to bring families closer together.

Marcos also urged Filipinos to draw inspiration from the saints, whose lives of selfless service and devotion serve as reminders to show kindness and compassion toward others.

‘Let us honor those who have passed not only through our prayers, but also through the way we care for those who remain,’ he said.

He also wished that the solemn observance would bring peace to those mourning their loved ones and remind Filipinos to cherish the people close to them.