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Biliran, Romblon and Oriental Mindoro were placed under a state of calamity on Monday amid widespread destruction in the three provinces caused by Severe Tropical Storm Opong.

The declaration by the these provinces brought to five the total number of local governments in a state of calamity in the aftermath of Opong, which lashed through parts of Luzon and the Visayas between Sept. 25 and Sept. 26.

On Saturday, the province of Masbate and Calbayog City in Samar also approved similar declarations to speed up release of local quick response funds needed for their recovery from the storm that had displaced thousands, destroyed infrastructure, farms, homes and schools, and left at least 14 people dead.

Biliran registered the highest number of fatalities at 10, on top of widespread damage to crops and vital facilities.

In total, Eastern Visayas recorded 12 deaths attributed to the typhoon, including two fatalities from Tagapul-an and Calbayog City, both in Samar.

The worst

Biliran Gov. Rogelio Espina described as ‘massive’ the destruction in the province caused by Opong.

‘This is the worst typhoon in years to hit Biliran, leaving massive destruction to both property and lives,’ Espina said in an interview with local reporters on Monday.

The governor appealed for national assistance, saying, ‘We hope President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other government agencies will notice our province and extend the necessary aid.’

The declaration of a state of calamity was approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) in a special session on Monday afternoon upon the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), which Espina chairs.

With the declaration, the provincial government down to the barangay (village) level can now access their calamity funds to support rehabilitation efforts.

Based on Espina’s report, the typhoon killed 10 people-four each from the towns of Maripipi and Kawayan and one each from Caibiran and Culaba.

Damage to crops, mostly rice, was estimated at over ?140 million, while damage to various infrastructures reached over ?1.26 billion.

About 62 classrooms were also damaged, while power and water supply have yet to be restored in several barangays.

‘Out of our 132 barangays, 43 currently have no water supply, and many remain without electricity,’ Espina said.

He urged residents to remain resilient.

‘Let us not lose heart. We will rise again,’ Espina said.

Romblon, Oriental Mindoro

In Romblon, the provincial board placed the entire province under a state of calamity on the recommendation of its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) based on the extent of the damage it suffered, including the destruction of homes, infrastructure, livelihoods, and the loss of power and communications, the Romblon Provincial Information Office (PIO) said in a statement.

The Romblon PIO said more than 9,800 homes and other infrastructure were damaged or destroyed by the typhoon in the province.

In Oriental Mindoro, the declaration was made during the 13th regular session of the Provincial Board (PB, as announced by Vice Gov. Antonio ‘Jojo’ Perez Jr. in a Facebook post on Monday. Perez, the PB’s presiding officer, led the approval of the resolution, which aims to fast-track rehabilitation efforts, implement necessary emergency measures, and ensure the immediate distribution of aid to all affected families across the province.

Masbate rehab starts

Masbate province, meanwhile, has started the slow process of rehabilitation, with aid coming from its neighbors in the Bicol region – the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon and Catanduanes – that have sent manpower, equipment and relief goods – to help in the cleanup and restoration of basic services on the island-province.

A team of linemen from the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative also arrived in the province on Monday, ‘rolling up their sleeves and helping us fix and restore our power lines,’ according to a Facebook post of the Masbate Electric Coop, Inc. Opong destroyed over 600 classrooms and affected some 30,000 students in Masbate, according to a report from Department of Education (DepEd) Bicol.

Classes in the province would be suspended for a week starting Monday, said a memorandum issued by Nelson Morales Jr., superintendent of the Masbate Schools Division. DepEd Bicol Director Gilbert Sadsad, in a private message on Sunday, said classes in Masbate would resume through asynchronous learning, adding the agency has yet to finalize the cost of the damage, as reports were still being validated.

In a separate message, DepEd Bicol information officer Mayflor Marie Jumamil said that based on initial rapid damage assessments, 43 schools were flooded and 11 others were hit by landslides.

At least 138 classrooms were rendered unusable, while 303 sustained major damage. Another 250 classrooms suffered minor damage.

Given the extent of the destruction, DepEd estimated it will need 564 temporary learning spaces to allow classes to resume.

‘If in-person classes resume, they may be held in makeshift classrooms. If there are still available and usable classrooms, a shifting schedule may be adopted,’ Jumamil said.

Across Bicol, over 200,000 learners were affected by storm-related class suspensions, Sadsad said. INQ

A truck driver’s license was revoked on September 23, after an individual atop the cargo of his vehicle fell and died on July 23 in San Miguel, Iloilo, the Land Transportation (LTO) Office.

According to the LTO, the 22-year-old victim was the helper of the truck driver who was ‘seated on bamboo poles loaded onto a truck when he slipped on the rain-soaked cargo, fell, and sustained fatal head injuries.’

Though taken to a hospital, the helper was declared dead on arrival, the LTO reported.

‘The presence of a passenger atop unsecured cargo constitutes a clear breach of safety protocols and reflects a failure to exercise control and diligence,’ LTO-6 Regional Director, lawyer Gaudioso P. Geduspan II said in the resolution.

In response to the show-cause order issued to the truck driver on July 28, he claimed that the cargo was secured and he advised the victim to ride on the passenger seat, but the victim ‘insisted on staying atop the load while allegedly recording a video.’

Still, the LTO held the driver liable for the helper’s safety, citing that drivers must ‘exercise reasonable caution,’ thus ruling the truck driver an improper person to operate a motor vehicle ‘at this time.’

Upon recommendation of the LTO’s Intelligence and Investigation Unit, the license revocation will last four years.

Furthermore, the driver’s license was placed on alarm and the driver was fined for reckless driving. /cb

The Anti-Money Laundering Council secured a third freeze order against individuals tied to flood control controversy, building on two earlier directives and collectively paralyzing 1,563 bank accounts, 54 insurance policies, 154 vehicles, 30 properties and 12 e-wallets.

The third order, granted by the Court of Appeals on Sept. 30, covered 836 bank accounts, 12 e-wallets, 24 insurance policies, 81 motor vehicles and 12 real estate properties, marking the most extensive asset freeze since the probe began.

‘By freezing a wide range of assets-such as bank accounts, e-wallets, vehicles, and properties-the AMLC is disrupting the financial channels used in corrupt activities,’ said AMLC Executive Director Matthew M. David.

‘Our goal is straightforward: prevent stolen public funds from being dissipated and misused, recover them for the National Government, and ensure that those involved in money laundering are held accountable,’ David added.

The contractor couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cazarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya are now ‘financially constrained,’ as all of their bank accounts have been frozen, their lawyer, Atty. Cornelio Samaniego III, said on Tuesday.

Samaniego bared this in an ambush interview at the office of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) when asked if the Discayas will also surrender luxury cars to the commission, just like what former Department of Public Works and Highways-Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez did when he previously attended a hearing.

‘We won’t be returning anything because the account has already been frozen,’ Samaniego said. ‘So we haven’t discussed that yet.’

‘They are financially constrained now. Their bank accounts have been frozen. All their bank accounts have been frozen,’ he emphasized.

The contractor couple attended the hearing of the ICI on the flood control anomalies for the first time on Tuesday.

Samaniego said the Discayas gave ‘tell-all’ testimonies during the proceeding, adding that they will return at the ICI next week to also serve as resource persons.

When asked if the real properties of the Discayas were also frozen, the lawyer said they have no idea about these movements yet.

Earlier, the Anti-Money Laundering Council said it has already frozen the bank accounts of individuals linked to corruption complaints in connection with the questionable flood control projects.

Curlee also mentioned the status of their bank accounts at a recent Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing. /apl

Oxford-Everything, everywhere, all at once. That’s how I felt shortly before heading out of the country again for yet another academic engagement. Barely a week after returning to the country following my visiting scholar stint in Canada, where I met senior policymakers, academics, and community members from across the country, I headed out to the United Kingdom to further hone my public policy analysis under a Jardine scholarship at the University of Oxford. Thanks to the generous (and highly competitive) scholarship and the impeccable academic environment at Oxford, I looked forward to finally carving out some time to fully focus on research, deep writing, and, overall, to embracing a measure of scholarly solitude.

Truth be told, my mind was tethered to developments back home, especially after an intense week that started with covering the historic ‘Trillion Peso March’ and, over the following days, holding long conversations with leading experts and citizens of the country. In fact, just before I flew out of the country, I hosted a quadrilateral episode for my ‘Deep Dive’ podcast with former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, a titan of our West Philippine Sea struggle; former Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna, a leading jurist who helped frame both the 1973 and 1987 Constitutions; and former Political Affairs Secretary Ronald Llamas, a rockstar pundit and a beating heart of social democracy in the Philippines. At the core of our discussions was a singular question: Are we peering into the abyss?

Just as I warned earlier this month (see ‘Fighting corruption: Brazil’s hard lessons,’ 9/16/25), comparative politics in developing democracies shows that anticorruption investigations tend to become polarizing, politicized, and ultimately destabilizing. This is especially the case if institutions are weak, clowns and crooks dominate elected offices, and the public is fed up with continuous cycles of corruption and misgovernance. As dramatic as it has been, the revamp in the government-starting from the change of leadership in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the comprehensive purge of top leaders in the Department of Public Works and Highways-is far from sufficient. People are asking for blood, and heads have to roll. To begin with, the people’s outrage is palpable. From journalist Kara David to celebrities, such as Vice Ganda, prominent personalities are openly calling for the literal demise of corrupt officials or the reinstatement of the death penalty: ‘Sana mamatay sila!’ ‘Bring back the death penalty for corrupt officials. Jail even their families.’

Moreover, there seems to be no center of gravity, nor a clear road map. It’s far from certain where and how far President Marcos is willing to take his newly found anticorruption crusade when corruption is so endemic and could reach the highest echelons of power.

To put things into perspective, Sen. Panfilo Lacson has claimed that almost all senators, with the notable exception of principled progressives such as Sen. Risa Hontiveros, made shady insertions in the previous fiscal year. ‘It was humongous . I have never seen such amounts,’ the current chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee claimed, referring to at least P100 billion in de facto pork barrel funds.

Just like Brazil in the mid-2010s amid the ‘Operation Carwash’ corruption scandal, we might end up with the collapse of the entire political center. And this brings us to the third factor, namely the vultures circling and ready to destabilize and dismantle our democracy altogether.

The riots in Mendiola by unidentified elements are just the tip of the iceberg. ‘If only Sara Duterte were not the Vice President, you guys would have taken over,’ an administration ally shared in a closed-door meeting. He was referring to rumors of a possible coup. No less than Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Manny Mogato referred to an ‘attempt to unseat’ the President, with ‘a large Christian-denomination sect [meeting] with a top Army commander days before the protest’ to trigger an en masse defection in the barracks on the back of the massive anticorruption protest on Sept. 21. In fairness, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has vehemently rejected the rumors, which are yet to be substantiated.

What is clear, however, is that the next ‘Trillion Peso March’ may turn less peaceful if the chief perpetrators continue to enjoy impunity and the notorious Discayas are given de facto immunity under a witness protection program. Criminal liability is what people are demanding beyond the seeming theatrics of hearings and investigations.

Anxiety lingered in Barangay Nahapay of Guimbal town in Iloilo, even after Severe Tropical Storm ‘Opong’ had left the country, as residents fear that a P18.5-million slope protection project along their riverbank may collapse.

Villagers first alerted the municipal government on Sept. 12, when some 30 meters of the structure started eroding. Days later, rains from the southwest monsoon, intensified by Opong, deepened the damage.

‘The cracks keep spreading, and we feel unsafe because the concrete continues to give way even without rain,’ a resident told reporters.

The 43-meter-long structure, completed in May 2016 and turned over to the local government the following year, has shown cracks since 2024, according to residents.

Residents, who requested not to be named, said the municipal engineer’s office has patched the dike at least three times using local funds, fueling doubts about the project’s quality.

To review

Rep. Janette Garin (Iloilo, 1st District) vowed to push for a review and determine if the project falls under Project NOAH, the science-based disaster risk reduction program set up during the administration of the late President Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III, unfunded by former President Rodrigo Duterte and is now managed by the University of the Philippines.

‘I will make representation so that funding for rehabilitation can be prioritized since budget deliberations are ongoing,’ Garin said over the weekend.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Iloilo First District Engineering Office estimated that P8 million to P10 million is needed for full rehabilitation, but promised preventive measures to avert further collapse.

Roprim Construction, which built the project, has distanced itself, citing the expiry of the government’s five-year warranty period.

‘We complied with DPWH standards, and the structure has stood for nearly 10 years, enduring multiple storms and floods,’ said company manager Ron Primaylon when sought for comment.

For now, both DPWH and the Guimbal Municipal Engineer’s Office said they are coordinating on stopgap measures while waiting for rehabilitation funds. INQ

After nearly two decades together, Hollywood couple Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have separated, despite the former’s effort to save their marriage, according to US media reports.

TMZ reported, citing close sources, that the pair had been living apart since early summer. Urban has spent much of the year on tour, while Kidman has been in London filming ‘Practical Magic 2.’

The outlet reported that Kidman has been taking care of their two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, stating, ‘Holding the family together through this difficult time since Keith has been gone.’

‘Keith has acquired his own residence in Nashville and has moved out of their family home,’ continued the outlet, with other reports stating that the actress has leaned heavily on her sister, Antonia, for support throughout the difficult months.

Multiple media outlets, including People magazine, also reported that the ‘Moulin Rouge!’ actress didn’t want the separation and had been fighting to save the marriage.

Kidman and Urban first met in 2005 at the G’Day USA gala in Los Angeles. They tied the knot in June the following year in a church ceremony in Sydney, Australia.

Back in June, Kidman celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary with a black-and-white photograph of herself cuddling up to Urban, captioning the Instagram post, ‘Happy Anniversary Baby.’

Kidman was previously married to Tom Cruise from 1990 to 2001, during which time they adopted two children, Bella and Connor.

Kidman is known for her award-winning performances in ‘The Hours,’ ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ ‘The Others,’ ‘Practical Magic,’ and in television series such as ‘Big Little Lies.’

Urban, meanwhile, is recognized for his hits like ‘Somebody Like You’ and ‘Blue Ain’t Your Color.’ He is a multiple Grammy Award winner, a regular award recipient from the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music, and has served as a judge on ‘American Idol.’ /ra

For the longest time, Ogie Alcasid’s monthly listeners on Spotify never went beyond 500,000. And for the longest time, he wondered how he could grow that number, knowing that his core audience-the fans who grew up with him and are now in their middle age-aren’t typically active music streamers.

The answer was obvious: court a young crowd.

He wrote new songs with more contemporary production, like ‘IN LAB,’ an alternative-pop track stylized in casual, all-caps in its title to project a more hip aesthetic. He stayed active on social media, posting lighthearted clips and hopping on dance trends. He continued visiting schools to teach songwriting and reach out to the students. He put out ‘Ulit,’ an EP of reimagined old hits, which did well, but still appealed mostly to his market.

The answer was obvious: court a young crowd. He wrote new songs with more contemporary production. e continued visiting schools to teach songwriting and reach out to the students.

But in the end, the formula for virality has yet to be cracked, and an artist can only do so much with strategy. If there’s one thing we have seen time and time again in the streaming era, it’s that sometimes, a track will blow up when least expected, and for a confluence of reasons that are quite hard to pin down.

Such was the case with ‘Nandito Ako’-Alcasid’s first major hit written by Aaron Paul del Rosario and released in 1989-which recently saw a massive resurgence after a live cover by Rob Deniel went viral.

The viral trigger

Last January, at the 10th Wish Music Awards, Alcasid was honored as an Icon of Music Excellence. And as part of the tribute, Deniel-one of today’s Gen Z artists leading the OPM charge-took the stage and delivered an impassioned rendition of the Alcasid hits ‘Ikaw Sana’ and ‘Nandito Ako.’

Alcasid was impressed. He accepted the award, gave a speech, and went on his way, thinking not much of it afterward. The crowd, at the time, felt similarly. But roughly seven months later, the performance exploded online, catching Alcasid completely by surprise.

Reaction videos and covers by other singers further fueled the hype. Before long, his monthly listeners had swelled to well over three million. The official performance video has 40 million views on YouTube. And as of this writing, the song remains in the Top 50 of Spotify Philippines’ Daily Top Songs chart, where it peaked at number 23.

‘Rob’s fans liked the song, but since he doesn’t have a recording of that, they ended up on my Spotify page instead.They had no choice!’ Alcasid says in a recent group interview, including Lifestyle Inquirer. ‘Surprisingly, this came at a time when I was trying to grow my listenership.’

That the performance’s impact took more than half a year to be felt remains a mystery-perhaps the timing simply wasn’t right, the algorithm failed to pick it up, the public wasn’t in the mood for it, or it didn’t immediately reach the ears of a big name influencer.

But here’s something hard to argue with: quality transcends. ‘Nandito Ako’ is a beautiful ballad-and without that simple fact-no amount of luck or outside variables could have propelled it. And in the hands of a talented artist currently making waves like Deniel, a resurgence was always just a matter of time.

Learning from the young

This phenomenon also confirmed what Alcasid has believed all along: that even music icons like him have just as much to gain and learn from rising talents as the other way around. In fact, he shares, it was young stars Maki and Angela Ken who helped him make sense of why ‘Nandito Ako’ became a new old hit.

‘Maki told me that young people these days actually love emo songs,’ Alcasid shares. ‘And that they find our contrasting interpretations interesting: that when they listen to Rob’s take, they feel a sense of yearning, and when they listen to mine, they feel security and reassurance. It’s all very fascinating, and I love that I’m learning from them.’

As for himself, he has been having a kick at revisiting the original version. ‘My vibrato was faster and my singing was more carefree. Now it’s airier,’ says Alcasid, who has always held the song dear, has made it the final song in most of his shows.

‘My vibrato was faster and my singing was more carefree. Now it’s airier,’ says Alcasid

Ogie Alcasid. Contributed photo

It’s worth noting, though, that the song’s enduring popularity is no accident. ‘Nandito Ako’ has had multiple, high-profile revivals over the decades, most notably by Lea Salonga in 1993, Thalia in 1997, and David Archuleta in 2012. But unlike sales, radio airplay, and media hype, today’s success metrics-by way of streaming-are more transparent and immediate, making it easier to gauge a song’s reach.

Alcasid and Deniel are wisely following this momentum. Deniel recently recorded ‘Ikaw Sana,’ while Alcasid himself plans to re-record ‘Nandito Ako,’ this time with string instrumentation. ‘Rob and I performed together in ‘It’s Showtime.’ He’s a better singer, I should say. But really, I’m just happy that someone so influential among young people appreciates the music we do,’ he says.

A catalog-wide effect

The ‘Nandito Ako’ hype inevitably rubbed off on the rest of Ogie Alcasid’s formidable discography, leading young fans to discover the classics he actually wrote, like ‘Sa Kanya,’ ‘Kung Mawawala Ka,’ and the duet ‘Hanggang Ngayon.’ Now, even his other hits are gaining steam across the board.

Last month, on the variety show ‘ASAP,’ Kai Montinola, another promising young talent, convinced Alcasid to sing a duet of ‘Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang.’ It became another viral moment-maybe not to the same magnitude as ‘Nandito Ako,’ but no less thrilling for Alcasid, who’s embracing his newfound visibility among Gen Z.

‘I’m thankful for all these young people starting to discover and recognize my music. I’m humbled and shocked,’ he says.

‘I’m thankful for all these young people starting to discover and recognize my music. I’m humbled and shocked

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Where this wave will lead him, Alcasid isn’t sure yet. But what’s certain, he says, is that what happened has only inspired him to keep writing new music, find new ways to reach listeners, and avoid relying on the legacy of his old hits. He wants to continue keeping his finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the industry, and on emerging artists moving the needle and keeping local music alive.

‘I want to do new projects using my classic hits. I’m more open than ever to collaborating with young artists,’ he says. ‘And I hope to see more of my old songs come to life again.’

The Court of Appeals (CA) has denied the motion for reconsideration filed by TAPE Inc. in the Eat Bulaga copyright infringement lawsuit filed by TV hosts Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon (TVJ) against the production company.

The CA affirmed that the trio owns the copyright of the audiovisual recordings and jingles of Eat Bulaga, which the company used without consent. The appeals court also ordered TAPE to pay damages and attorney’s fees totaling P3 million.

‘For having determined that TAPE committed unfair competition and copyright infringement, we sustain the RTC’s award in favor of TVJ, et al. the following amounts of PHP 2,000,000.00 as temperate damages, PHP 500,000.00 as exemplary damages, and PHP 500,000.00 as attorney’s fees pursuant to Sections 156.1 and 216.1 of the Intellectual Property Code as well as Article 2208(1)6 of the New Civil Code,’ a part of the decision read.

Senate President Tito also spoke about the ruling in a statement released by his office. ‘The decision upholds the earlier ruling recognizing TVJ as the copyright owners of the materials in question.’

The Intellectual Property Office (IPOPhl) favored TVJ in December 2023 and dismissed the trademark registration of TAPE for the names ‘Eat Bulaga’ and ‘EB.’

The following month, TVJ won their copyright infringement and unfair competition case against TAPE after the Marikina City Regional Trial Court ruled in favor of the trio

American actor Josh Hartnett was briefly hospitalized after he and his driver were involved in a two-vehicle collision in St. John’s in Canada.

According to multiple foreign outlets, Hartnett, who was in St. John’s for the filming of an untitled Netflix series, was on his way home from the set when the accident happened last Sept. 25. The sports utility vehicle Hartnett was in reportedly collided with a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) patrol car.

The actor and his driver, as well as the officer riding the patrol car, were then taken to the hospital after sustaining minor injuries.

‘RNC collision analysts are seeking any witnesses or video footage (CCTV, dash-camera, cell phone) from the area in the lead up to, or immediately following the collision,’ the RNC said.

Hartnett’s rep Susan Patricola told Deadline that the actor has been discharged and has already returned to work. She added that the incident did not affect the show production.

Hartnett is best known for starring in the films ‘The Virgin Suicides’ (1999), ‘Black Hawk Down’ (2001), ‘Sin City’ (2005) and ’30 Days of Night’ (2007). His recent movie stints include ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023), ‘Trap’ (2024) and ‘Fight or Flight.’ /ra