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The Archdiocese of Cebu will witness a historic and grace-filled moment on Tuesday, Sept. 30, as Most Rev. Alberto ‘Abet’ Uy is formally installed as the fifth metropolitan archbishop of Cebu.

The solemn canonical possession and installation rites will take place at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 9 a.m. It is expected to draw together an extraordinary gathering of prelates from across the Philippines and beyond.

According to the Archdiocese of Cebu, among those attending are high-ranking leaders of the Catholic Church: Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Most Rev. Charles John Brown; Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization; Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and Bishop of Kalookan; and Jose Cardinal Advincula, Archbishop of Manila.

Also joining are several archbishops from key ecclesiastical territories, including Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of Caceres, Archbishop John Du of Palo, and Archbishop Victor Bendico of Capiz, among others. Retired archbishops, such as Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, SJ, and Archbishop Leonardo Medroso, will also grace the celebration.

Dozens of bishops from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will be present, including Bishop Precioso Cantillas, Bishop Julito Cortes of Dumaguete, Bishop Crispin Varquez of Borongan, Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig, Bishop Dennis Villarojo of Malolos, and many more. Apostolic vicars and bishops emeriti are also expected to participate.

The installation of Uy marks a new chapter for the Archdiocese of Cebu, recognized as the cradle of Christianity in the Philippines. Cebu’s faithful, together with visiting prelates, are set to witness a moment of deep ecclesial unity as they celebrate the continuity of faith and mission in one of the country’s most historic archdioceses.

Uy was born and raised in Ubay town, Bohol. Pope Francis appointed Uy as the 7th bishop of Tagbilaran on October 13, 2016. He was consecrated on Jan. 5, 2017. /das

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved 3,770 public works projects worth P214.4 billion from unprogrammed funds in 2023 and 2024, with majority going to ‘favored regions’ now being flagged for anomalous and ghost flood control projects.

This according to ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio, who said these findings directly contradicted Malacañang’s claims that the President had no role in infrastructure corruption issues.

‘To be able to fund nearly 4,000 projects from unprogrammed appropriations, the president would have had to approve them,’ he said during the plenary deliberations for the Department of Public Works and Highways’ proposed P881.3-billion budget for 2026.

He challenged Malacañang to explain the basis for the releases and to ‘stop washing its hands off the corruption allegations.’

Citing official data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) during the plenary deliberations for the Department of Public Highways’ (DPWH) 2026 budget, Tinio disclosed that the DPWH received P61.4 billion in unprogrammed funds in 2023 for 1,889 projects, and P153 billion in 2024 for 1,811 projects.

In 2023, the top regions that got the largest share in unprogrammed funds were: Central Luzon, with 283 projects worth P11.7 billion in total; Bicol with 138 projects worth P7.6 billion, and Central Visayas with 170 projects worth P7.2 billion. In 2024, Mimaropa got the lion’s share of unprogrammed funds with P29.4 billion for 201 projects, followed by Central Luzon again with P25 billion for 285 projects. Majority of the projects approved for these regions, Tinio added, were flood control projects.

‘These are interesting top three regions, as these are the ‘usual suspect’ regions now being mentioned in the flood control scandal now,’ Tinio noted, alluding to Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro provinces, which are now under scrutiny after officials discovered numerous ghost flood control projects there.

Several past and current lawmakers, particularly Senators Francis Escudero, Joel Villanueva, Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, and Nancy Binay; and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, are accused of receiving billions in kickbacks from projects in Bulacan.

Co, meanwhile, was founder of Sunwest Inc., the firm that implemented an anomalous P289.5 million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro. He is now facing graft, malversation and falsification charges over the project.

Tinio, however, emphasized that the President could not separate himself from the issue as unprogrammed funds-or standby authorizations that can only be tapped when new revenue or loans materialize-were within the discretion of the executive.

He cited Section 35, Chapter 5, Book 6 of Executive Order No. 292, which states that expenditures from lump sum appropriations ‘shall be made in accordance with a special budget to be approved by the President.’

This is not the first time that Tinio or other lawmakers have criticized the ballooning amount of unprogrammed appropriations under the Marcos administration, especially since these are lump-sum allocations that have no line items in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

This, Tinio stressed, has made them essentially invisible to public scrutiny-as demonstrated by the fact that no flood control project funded by unprogrammed funds were included in Malacañang’s Sumbong sa Pangulo transparency website for flood control projects.

To be able to fund infrastructure projects in this budget line, the DPWH regional and district engineering offices would have to submit requests for funding, which would be vetted by the agency’s planning services office.

The DPWH then submits a special budget request for release of funds to the DBM, which is the delegated authority by the Office of the President.

The DPWH’s sponsoring lawmaker and Surigao del Sur Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. said that the DPWH would soon release its own transparency server that would include these projects and possibly include the proponents of the project. /cb

Maynard Ngu, the billionaire behind Cherry Mobile now linked to the anomalous flood control projects, has resigned from his post as independent director at Altus Property Ventures Inc.

In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, Altus said its board of directors had accepted Ngu’s resignation effective Monday, Sept. 29.

The company noted Ngu had resigned ‘due to personal reasons.’

His departure comes just days after former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo linked Ngu to the billion-peso flood control scandal.

According to Bernardo, he had allegedly funneled through Ngu P160 million of kickbacks supposedly meant for Sen. Francis Escudero.

Ngu, who is currently Malacañang’s special envoy to China for trade and investment, served as Altus’ independent director since 2019.

The local stock barometer broke the 6,000 barrier on Monday while the peso slipped further into the 58 level against the US dollar as alleged corruption in government flood control projects unsettled investors.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) slipped to a six-month low of 5,997.60, down by 0.49 percent, extending its losing streak to the sixth consecutive session.

This is its lowest closing value since April 7, when global markets were reacting to US President Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs.

Likewise, the broader All Shares Index lost 0.23 percent, or 8.46 points, to close at 3,636.34. A total of 1.37 billion shares worth P4.72 billion changed hands, stock exchange data showed.

Investor confidence further dampened as they priced in the impact of corruption in anomalous flood control projects, said Japhet Tantiangco, research head at Philstocks Financial Inc.

Tantiangco pointed out that traders were considering the country’s economic growth prospects, ‘including inefficient public spending.’

‘Clouding the outlook’

Jonathan Ravelas, senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong and Co., said growth was ‘slowing, confidence is shaky, and corruption is clouding the outlook’ for the PSEi.

‘The fundamentals are there, but we’re not firing on all cylinders,’ Ravelas said.

Foreigners were net sellers, with outflows totaling P405.93 million. ­

‘The steep discount to our peers reflects doubt. If growth downgrades continue, the index could deteriorate further towards the 5,500 levels. The 5,800 support might not hold,’ Ravelas said.

Minutes after the market had closed, Sec. Francis Escudero delivered a privilege speech, during which he accused Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez of orchestrating a ‘zarzuela’ to redirect attention from Congressmen supposedly behind the anomalous flood control projects.

He likewise accused the former House Speaker of pushing for the ‘unconstitutional’ impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The services subsector saw the steepest loss as index heavyweight International Container Terminal Services Inc. lost 2.63 percent to close at P481 each.

BDO Unibank Inc. was the most actively traded stock as it shed 2.6 percent to P135 each. Others were RL Commercial REIT Inc., down 0.13 percent to P7.55; Bloomberry Resorts Corp., up 2.93 percent to P4.22; Philex Mining Corp., up 5.64 percent to P8.24; and Apex Mining Co. Inc., up 9.7 percent to P10.52 each.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 106 to 100, while 58 companies closed unchanged.

Bearish peso

The weakening peso added to the negative sentiment, said Luis Limlingan, head of sales at stock brokerage house Regina Capital Development Corp.

The peso closed at 58.145 against the dollar, down by half a centavo from Friday’s 58.10 finish, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

The local currency briefly strengthened to 57.945 before paring gains. The dollar itself eased on worries about a potential government shutdown in the United States.

Traders said the flood control scandal continued to weigh heavily on sentiment.

‘A further deterioration of the currency above the 58.50 levels will accelerate the market’s fall. The close above the 58 levels marks [that] the market is already pricing the political noise,’ Ravelas said.

The peso ‘opened lower because of fewer dovish Fed expectations after US PCE (personal consumption expenditure) data came in as expected, but downside was still limited due to [local] corruption issues,’ one trader said. INQ

Celebrity couple Rocco Nacino and Melissa Gohing are set to become a family of four as they announced the latter’s pregnancy with their second child.

Nacino and Gohing revealed they are expecting through a video shared on their Instagram pages on Monday, Sept. 29.

In the clip, the couple, donning denim ensembles, are lip-synching to Britney Spears’ ‘.Baby One More Time’ while in a video shoot with their firstborn Ezren. Toward the end of the video, Nacino and Gohing exclaim ‘hit me baby one more time,’ and then the athlete opens her jacket to show her growing baby bump.

‘Hit me baby one more time. Coming soon this 2026!’ the caption read.

They also added in the video a Bible verse and wrote, ‘We prayed. He answered.’

Fellow celebrities including Carla Abellana, Valeen Montenegro, Ara Mina and Diana Zubiri celebrated the announcement as they sent congratulatory greetings to the couple via the comments section.

Nacino and Gohing had been in a relationship for three years before they got married in January 2021. The couple, who initially struggled getting pregnant due to Gohing’s polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis, welcomed Ezren Raffaello in October 2022

On September 5, the 2025 Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA 2025) kicked off grandly in Berlin, Germany, where TCL Air Conditioner appeared with a series of core products such as the TCL FreshIN C7 and FreshIN 3.0 fresh air conditioners, TCL VoxIN voice controlled air conditioner, TCL SaveIN AI energy-saving air conditioner, Free Match multi-split systems, and Unitary air conditioners, drawing the attention of worldwide consumers for frontier technologies and leading product experiences.

TCL is committed to meeting users’ demand for ‘healthy air’ by focusing on the fresh air segment

TCL Air Conditioner has always been focusing on the fresh air segment, defining new-generation air conditioners, and leading their development through three major product lines – AI health, AI voice control and AI energy-saving – based on the ‘FreshIN smart health technology engine’.

At IFA 2025, TCL Air Conditioner exhibited its leading technologies in this segment to worldwide visitors. Of particular note is that the TCL FreshIN 3.0 fresh air conditioner drew extensive attention as a typical product. TCL FreshIN 3.0 bagged the ‘AI Energy-saving Technology Gold Award’ in the IFA Global Product Technology Innovation Awards for its outstanding innovations in AI energy-saving technology.

As people increasingly pursue a healthy lifestyle, conventional air conditioners that focus on air conditioning only while neglecting air quality can no longer meet all consumer needs.

The TCL FreshIN 3.0 fresh air conditioner responds precisely to this trend by meeting users’ demand for comfortable and healthy indoor air by eliminating odor, mouth dryness and dizziness when one wakes up with the aid of the quadruple purification filter system and TVOC gas sensors. It also achieves 16 dB(A) quiet fresh air by applying the quadruple noise reduction technology, so that consumers can enjoy a quiet, comfortable experience while enjoying healthy fresh air.

In addition, the offline voice control function enables free conversation, the continuous recognition of user commands, and instant response to all needs, and creates the convenient experience of supplying air to the sound source and freeing up both hands.

In terms of AI voice control, the TCL VoxIN air conditioner enables fast, accurate, and hands-free offline voice control, without relying on an internet connection. It can continuously recognize commands and even locate the sound source to direct airflow toward or away from the user.

Add to that, VoxIN introduces another breakthrough designed to elevate everyday living. Equipped with advanced T-AI smart energy-saving technology, it goes beyond basic cooling by adapting to real-life needs, ensuring homes stay comfortable, fresh, and efficient throughout the year. Sleek, powerful, and practical, the VoxIN positions itself as a premium alternative that delivers high-level performance without the expensive markup.

Meanwhile, the upcoming new TCL SaveIN air conditioner feature advanced AI energy-saving functions. Powered by an upgraded chip and advanced big data algorithms, TCL air conditioners deliver up to 35% additional energy savings compared with non-T-AI inverter models-providing smarter, greener comfort.

Together, these innovations create a true ‘comfort zone’ for match watching and gatherings, and present global consumers with a smarter and healthier way of living.

TCL Air Conditioner defines new-generation air conditioners with AI health technology, and creates a smart health breathing experience

TCL Air Conditioner has always been committed to technological innovation and product RandD, and defining new-generation air conditioners with AI health technology. It has created three major product lines – AI health, AI voice control and AI energy-saving, and launched innovative products in the FreshIN series constantly, providing users with an ultimate smart health breathing experience.

In terms of production capacity and global layout, TCL Air Conditioner has established 11 production bases in Zhongshan in Guangdong, Wuhan in Hubei, Jiujiang in Jiangxi, Nansha in Guangzhou, Indonesia, and Brazil, with an annual production capacity of over 38 million air conditioners. It ranks among the top two in the industry in terms of export volume, with its products selling to over 160 countries and regions.

In 2024, TCL Air Conditioner’s production and sales volume exceeded 20 million air conditioners, and its fresh air conditioners ranked first in terms of global sales volume, showing strong market competitiveness.

This February, TCL formally became an Olympic global partner. In August, TCL announced that freestyle skier Eileen Gu was appointed as TCL’s global brand endorser, who would also serve as an ‘Inspire Greatness’ athlete of Team TCL, opening up a new chapter of ‘Inspire Greatness’ together with TCL in preparation for upcoming Olympic events including the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

As an important business unit of TCL, TCL Air Conditioner will further strengthen its emotional connections with consumers and enhance the brand’s influence among worldwide consumers through this partnership.

In the future, TCL Air Conditioner will adhere to the value proposition of ‘smart health’, drive product and technology upgrading constantly closely around user needs, and make the healthy green lifestyle brought by air easily available to more people.

Alleged sex offender Apollo Quiboloy has been in the hospital since Sept. 11 after being diagnosed with pneumonia, said the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Tuesday.

According to the BJMP in a message to Inquirer, Quiboloy-who was detained at the Pasig City jail-was rushed to a public hospital on Sept. 11 after experiencing difficulty in breathing.

‘He was later diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (moderate risk),’ BJMP spokesperson Jail Supt. Jayrex Bustinera said.

Bustinera then said that the court handling his case has already issued an order authorizing his hospitalization after being informed of Quiboloy’s situation.

‘As of 30 September 2025, he is stable and recovering in a public hospital, in line with BJMP policies on medical care for PDL (persons deprived of liberty),’ the spokesperson said.

The televangelist leader and founder of the KJC is currently facing child abuse and human trafficking cases before the Quezon City and Pasig City courts, respectively.

Apart from his cases within the country, Quiboloy is also facing several criminal charges in the United States, including conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling. /das

Gani Stevens and Rey Remogat couldn’t have exploded at a better time for the University of the Philippines in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.

The Fighting Maroons finally got over the hump after a 0-2 start after trouncing University of the East, 92-75, at Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

Interestingly, Stevens and Remogat throttled to a different gear against their former team.

The two said they didn’t have an ax to grind against UE.

‘He (Remogat) talked to me before the game but nothing like, ‘let’s go out there and show UE what we got.’ It was more of him telling us to play our game and execute. We know about the chemistry we have,’ Stevens told the Inquirer.

‘I have a lot of love for that school and community. They treated me so well in my first season with the UAAP. Moving on, it was a great team win and we knew we had to get a win today.’

Stevens, after struggling in the first two games, gave the defending champions a shot in the arm with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Remogat also regained his shooting touch, finishing with 21 points on top of seven rebounds and 11 assists after averaging just 2.5 points per game in the team’s first two outings.

Much like Stevens, though, Remogat also downplayed his duel with his former team.

‘There’s no added ‘gigil.’ We came from two straight losses. ‘Gigil,’ can bring good or bad things so I just focused on what I should do as a point guard,’ he said.

‘I didn’t use UE as a basis for me to play well because we believe that, as a champion team, everything starts in practice. We already have all the basis we need in practice.’ he added.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday led the reopening of the newly renovated Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

The reopening is also ahead of the PICC’s 50th anniversary and the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in 2026.

As we open the newly renovated Philippine International Convention Center, we are revisiting a chapter of our nation’s history. We are gathered in a place where history was written, lives were celebrated, and where the future will once again be shaped,’ Marcos said.

‘Every brick, every beam, every hall of this building carries with it nearly five decades of stories,’ he added.

The First Couple was guided on a tour of the repaired and refurbished facilities of the PICC.

Among its notable new works are the repair of marble tiles in the lobby, repainting of the ceiling, laser cleaning of concrete walls, and restoration of pieces of furniture that date back to 1976.

‘The damaged tiles were all replaced, then all the new marble slabs were restored,’ PICC General Manager Nicolette Ann P. Cruz told reporters in an interview. ‘And now, it is what you see ngayon; there is just the right amount of shine, polish, reflection, and grandeur. It’s not enough para maging hazard,’ she also said.

The lawn was also restored to its original 1976 design, with 3,068 restored shining droplights that will welcome visitors in the lobby.

One of the major changes in the PICC was the revival of the courtyard’s original pebble wash flooring, the restoration of ponds, and improved landscaping.

There are also new infinity waterfalls, modern lighting, and a 30-speaker audio system.

The PICC is owned by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Constructed in 1976, the PICC is Asia’s first international convention center, famous for showcasing Filipino culture and excellence in every event it brings to life. It was designed by renowned Filipino National Artist, Leandro V. Locsin and is home to works of Filipino painters and sculptors.

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has urged Congress to reallocate funds for the completion of the long-delayed Edsa busway system in the 2026 national budget.

‘The government’s commitment to ease the plight of bus commuters must be met,’ MAP president Alfredo Panlilio and MAP Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Eduardo Yap said in a letter dated Sept. 24.

In their letter addressed to acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Senate Committee on Public Affairs chair Raffy Tulfo and House committee on transportation Chair Franz Pumaren, MAP said Congress now had the opportunity to reallocate funds to complete this project within a year.

‘Since the government is not inclined to appropriate funds for flood control projects, funds there can be more ideally reallocated to the Busway System,’ Panlilio said.

Panlilio said ‘no meaningful budget allocation’ had been provided for this project, except for a few hundred million pesos.

Almost 100,000 bus commuters depend on the busway for their daily commute, causing severe congestion in Manila Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) used as makeshift points for five years now, the group said.

‘While this interim arrangement has been acceptable during the initial test period, severe congestion has been a daily grind for both MRT-3 and Busway commuters in the already over-crowded MRT-3 stations,’ the letter added.

Slow progress

MAP said only four out of more than 20 busway-dedicated stations have been completed: Guadalupe, Buendia, Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard stations. Two others, North Edsa and Ortigas stations, are being built through private sector donations.

It said the busway stations could be ‘easily completed’ next year if the projects would be auctioned off in batches to large and reputable contractors.

These are Kamuning, Cubao/Araneta, Santolan, Camp Aguinaldo, Corinthian Gardens, Highway Hills, Estrella St. (Rockwell), Ayala/Edsa, Magallanes, Malibay, F.B. Harrison, MOA/J. Diokno, Aseana/Macapagal and Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.

‘In addition to other ancillary facilities, this system must be equipped with overhead bridgeway to the station platforms along the road median beside the MRT3 trackway, and provided with convenient access for the physically-challenged commuters,’ the letter read.

The group proposed finalizing a schematic busway system plan to connect, at least, Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and other major routes.

It also recommended developing a comprehensive Metro Manila Busway System to complement rail systems that are existing or under construction.