Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Sen. Risa Hontiveros has flagged two water laboratory firms for allegedly passing the water samples from a water concessionaire despite failing at least one safety parameter.

Hontiveros, during Monday’s Senate Committee on Public Services hearing on disadvantageous joint venture agreements between water districts and private concessionaires, said that the Department of Health (DOH) should investigate, and if necessary, penalize two laboratories, Cosmolab and Scientia Tech.

The two laboratories allegedly cleared water samples from a water concessionaire in Laguna, which were later discovered to have failed in at least one safety parameter, according to local water district officials.

‘We will send you (DOH) the addresses of Cosmolab and Scientia Tech for double checking . and revoke accreditation if you so warrant,’ Hontiveros told DOH officials.

Inquirer reached out to Cosmolab and Scientia Tech for comment, but they have yet to respond as of posting time.

Hontiveros then quizzed DOH officials as to their oversight of accredited laboratories conducting water safety tests.

‘How could this water testing facility in Santa Cruz, which tested the water, and said it was only a typographical error that said the result was [marked as] failed. But the overall assessment came out as ‘passed’? Don’t you oversee such facilities so that they don’t falsify the results and put people’s health at risk?’ Hontiveros asked in Filipino.

In response, DOH Engineer Luis Cruz said the agency’s Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau oversees accreditation for water safety tests, and that all complaints involving erring laboratories will be then referred to the bureau.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has directed its field office in Central Visayas to increase its coordination with local government units (LGUs) following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of Cebu on Tuesday night, resulting in at least 26 deaths.

‘Our disaster quick response teams (QRTs) at the Central and Field Offices are on alert and have already reached out to the LGUs to assist the affected families,’ DSWD chief Rex Gatchalian said in a statement on Wednesday morning.

‘We know that our fellow Filipinos who had been affected are in need of urgent assistance,’ the secretary added.

He likewise said that food and non-food relief supplies are already on standby for distribution to the affected LGUs.

To date, Gatchalian disclosed that the agency maintains P379 million in standby funds and has 2.4 million boxes of family food packs (FFPs) for affected communities.

‘Yesterday, we were already on alert as we are preparing for an approaching low-pressure area that may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility. And disaster operations for ‘Opong’ are still ongoing, so our DSWD QRTs have already been on high alert,’ he noted.

‘We will ensure that all hands are on deck to help with the victims of the earthquake,’ he added.

DSWD Field Offices are also monitoring areas affected by the earthquake with the coordination of their LGUs for possible assistance.

Based on reports, the quake had damaged heritage churches and other structures and knocked out power in parts of the central Philippines.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially measured the quake at magnitude 6.7 before upgrading it to 6.9.

It occurred at 9:59 p.m., with the epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu, at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers. The U.S. Geological Survey initially recorded a magnitude 7.0 before revising it downward.

Authorities on Wednesday said the death toll has risen to at least 26, with more fatalities feared as rescue operations continue.

Manny Pacquiao will lead the 50th anniversary celebration of the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ as a promoter, headlining a blockbuster boxing card on October 29 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The event, co-presented by Pacquiao and the International Boxing Association (IBA), will be anchored by a WBC strawweight world title bout between Filipino champion Melvin Jerusalem and South Africa’s Ayanda Kuse. ‘I wasn’t born when the original fight happened and I’m leading the promotion now,’ Pacquiao said during the official launch. ‘I feel blessed at to bring to life 50th celebration of ‘Thrilla in Manila.”

The original ‘Thrilla in Manila’ between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier was held on October 1, 1975, at the same venue.

The undercard features Olympic silver medalist Eumir Marcial against undefeated American Eddy Colmenares, along with appearances by Filipino standouts Marlon Tapales, Carl Jammes Martin, and Arvin Magramo.

‘This is a world championship and a celebration of the ‘Thrilla in Manila,” Pacquiao added. ‘It’s a big help for our boxers that they get to fight in international promotions like this.’

Pacquiao also revealed that VIP guests are expected, including relatives of Ali and Frazier and former world champions.

‘We will invite a lot of personalities. We will have a lot of surprises,’ he said.

The provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Southern Leyte remained without power on Wednesday morning, while internet services were reported to have slowed down after transmission facilities were damaged by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Bogo City in Cebu on Tuesday night and reverberated across many areas in the Visayas and was felt as far as the Bicol Region.

Several local governments-including Paranas in Samar and the cities of Baybay and Tacloban in Leyte-opened charging stations for mobile phones to help residents cope with the power outages.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported that 27 of its power plants sustained damage, resulting in the loss of 1,444.1 megawatts (MW) from the Visayas grid. The NGCP identified the following transmission lines that remain out of service:

Daanbantayan (Cebu)-Tabango (Leyte) 230kV L1 and L2 (Lines 1 and 2)

Daanbantayan-Compostela (both in Cebu) 230kV L1 and L2

Tabango-Kananga (Leyte) 230kV L1 and L2

Kananga-Ormoc 230kV (Leyte) L1

Ormoc-Babatngon (Leyte) 138kV L1 and L2

Babatngon (Leyte)-Paranas (Samar) 138kV L1 and L2

Paranas-Calbayog (Samar) 138kV L1 and L2

Ormoc (Leyte)-Maasin (Southern Leyte) 138kV L2

Isabel-Tongonan (Leyte) 138kV Line

Isabel-Pasar (Leyte) 138kV Line

Pasar-IASCO (Leyte) 138kV Line

The NGCP said, however, that several transmission lines had already been restored, including the Ubay (Bohol)-Maasin (Southern Leyte) 138kV Line (energized at 4:01 a.m.); the Ormoc-Maasin 138 138kV L1 (energized at 4:18 a.m.) and the Ormoc-Isabel 138 kV Line (energized at 5:11 a.m.).

Power transmission services in the rest of the Visayas grid were reported to be under normal operations. The grid covers Panay, Negros, Cebu, and Bohol, using submarine cables and land transmission lines.

Meanwhile, classes were suspended in several parts of Eastern Visayas on Wednesday in the wake of the powerful earthquake.

Among the areas where classes were canceled due to safety concerns were Catbalogan City in Samar; Ormoc City and the Leyte towns of Isabel, Matag-ob, Palompon, Villaba, Leyte, and Tabango; Macrohon in Southern Leyte; and the entire province of Biliran, which is still reeling from the devastation of Typhoon ‘Opong’ that pummeled the province on September 26.

In Tacloban City, no official suspension was declared by the city government, but several schools opted to cancel classes, with parents choosing not to send their children amid fears of aftershocks.

Local government units immediately conducted rapid damage assessments.

In Ormoc City, engineers declared the city hall building safe after a post-quake inspection.

In Isabel town, the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corp. (Philphos), the country’s leading fertilizer producer, assured the public that its ammonia tanks and pipelines at the Leyte Industrial Development Estate were secure. Its management emphasized that safety valves are in place that automatically shut down operations during emergencies such as earthquakes.

The quake also triggered landslides in some areas of Leyte province, including Barangay Abijao in Villaba town, a vital access route to nearby Palompon, and in parts of Leyte, Leyte town.

As of 10:30 a.m., electricity had not been fully restored in Leyte, although supply returned to some areas in the province’s second district and in Tacloban City./coa

The plenary debates on the Office of the Vice President (OVP) proposed 2026 budget has been reset again as no undersecretary-level official showed up at the House of Representatives – with the chamber giving the office one last chance to appear on Thursday.

During the plenary session on Wednesday, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan asked whether Vice President Sara Duterte is present to defend the agency’s proposed allocation for 2026.

Deputy Speaker Yevgeny Emano asked Deputy Majority Leader and Mindoro 1st District Rep. Arnan Panaligan to respond to Libanan’s question.

‘Mr. Speaker, according to our agenda for today, the next agency in the agenda is the Office of the Vice President. May we know if the Vice President is present, Mr. Speaker?’ Libanan asked. ‘Mr. Speaker, we have been informed that the Vice President is not present, but sent the following officials of the Office of the Vice President, namely Assistant Secretary Lemuel, the OIC chief-of-staff; Atty. Rosalynne Sanchez, director for admin and financial services; and Mr. Norman Baloro, director for operations,’ Panaligan replied.

After this response from the Deputy Majority Leader, Libanan asked if the requirement of the House is to have either the head of agency or the second-in-command – an undersecretary-level official – assist the budget sponsor in defending the proposed budget.

In response, Panaligan said that plenary debates on the OVP budget was actually scheduled for Tuesday, but it was rescheduled to Wednesday because of the same issue.

Panaligan noted that OVP will have one final chance to appear on Thursday – the last day of debates before the House moves to make amendments on the floor.

‘Mr. Speaker, is it not the requirement of this House, is that for the heads of agencies (to) be personally present as what happened during our previous deliberations, and in this case, we need the presence of the Vice President?’ Libanan asked again.

‘That is correct Mr. Speaker, the rules of the House requires the presence of heads of agencies in the consideration of their budget [.] Mr. Speaker for the record, today is the second time that the proposed budget of the OVP was put in our agenda. Yesterday, the proposed budget of the OVP was even number one in the agenda, but only the same officials mentioned earlier were present,’ Panaligan said.

This is not the first time that the OVP sent an official that is not of an undersecretary level. Last September 12, at the initial budget hearing before the House committee on appropriations, the panel was forced to reschedule the discussions as Ortonio was the highest-ranked official that Duterte sent.

Budget sponsor and Palawan 2nd District Rep. Jose Alvarez said that Vice President Duterte will eventually show up on September 16 – a promise that she fulfilled. During the committee hearing, both the Minority and the Majority accorded parliamentary courtesy to Duterte, sparing her from questions by the panel’s members.

Duterte however waived the parliamentary courtesy given, answering some questions from the Minority solons.

The confirmed death toll in Cebu has risen to 19 following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck late Tuesday night.

According to the Cebu Provincial Information Office, nine adults and four minors died in Bogo City. Based on an initial report from the Capitol, most of the victims were crushed when their homes collapsed. Bogo City was the epicenter of the quake.

In San Remigio, five deaths were confirmed, including a 10-year-old child.

Raymond Frasco of the San Remigio Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said three of the fatalities were personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard, while one was a member of the Bureau of Fire Protection.

They were reportedly trapped and crushed by concrete inside a gym where a basketball league between the two agencies was being held during the earthquake.

The local government has placed the entire San Remigio under a state of calamity due to damages caused by the quake.

Meanwhile, through his official Facebook account, Mayor Rex Gerona confirmed that a senior citizen in Tabuelan also died during the strong earthquake.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro said the Office of the President has reached out to ensure aid from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s office will be extended.

After an emergency meeting at the Capitol, the governor will proceed to Danao City, where an Emergency Operations Center will be established to respond to the quake’s impact in northern Cebu.

Dump trucks and boom trucks from her office will also be deployed to assist with clearing and rescue efforts./mcm

Alex Eala survived a grueling battle against Greet Minnen of Belgium, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 7-5, on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Suzhou Open WTA 125.

Eala, seeded fourth, closed out the marathon round-of-16 match in three hours and 18 minutes after breaking Minnen’s serve for the first time in the deciding set. The Filipino tennis ace struggled to shake off Minnen, who pulled even five times in the third set before Eala strung together back-to-back games to secure the win.

It marked Eala’s second straight long outing in Suzhou. She also needed three sets to beat Katarzyna Kawa of Poland in her opening-round match on Tuesday. Eala raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set, but that proved to be the largest gap for either side as the opening two sets went down to tiebreaks.

In the first-set tiebreak, Eala rallied from a 4-2 deficit, pulled even at 5-all, then won the next two points to take the set.

Eala is seeking a deeper run in Suzhou after her semifinal exit in last week’s Jingshan Tennis Open, where she lost to eventual champion Lulu Sun.

The current World No. 58 faces Viktorija Golubic in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Eala is eyeing a second WTA 125 crown after winning the Guadalajara Open 125 last month.

For the second year in a row, PJ Lhuillier Inc. (PJLI)’s First Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Emirosco Michael Sena, has been named Gold winnerfor Marketing Executive of the Yearat the prestigious Globee® Awards for Innovation. The back-to-back recognition celebrates his forward-thinking leadership and transformative contributions to Cebuana Lhuillier-redefining how the brand connects with millions of Filipinos and cementing its position as a champion of financial inclusion. TheGlobee® Awards, one of the world’s premier business honors, spotlight leaders, innovators, and organizations that set benchmarks of excellence across industries. By securing his second consecutive Gold, Sena now joins an elite roster of executives worldwide whose work has driven meaningful change, further establishing his role as a trailblazer in marketing and communications.

For Sena, the recognition is more than a professional milestone-it reflects a journey of reshaping perceptions, expanding reach, and creating programs that resonate with real people. Under his leadership, Cebuana Lhuillier has evolved from its traditional identity as a pawnshop into a trusted partner in building a holistic financial ecosystem-empowering communities and deepening connections across the Philippines.

Sena’s vision has consistently transformed bold ideas into groundbreaking campaigns:

Money Guro turned financial literacy into a digital-first movement, making money concepts simple and actionable.

Iponventure reimagined the act of saving through gamification, transforming a financial habit into an engaging challenge.

Pasasalamat celebrated Cebuana Lhuillier’s loyal clients nationwide, strengthening bonds through gratitude.

KaNegosyo Center empowered thousands of MSMEs by equipping them with tools and mentorship to succeed.

Collectively, these initiatives-recognized both locally and globally-demonstrate how Sena has redefined Cebuana Lhuillier’s role as aninnovator and champion of financial inclusion.

‘This recognition stands as more than a milestone for the year-it represents the culmination of many years of hard work, collaboration, and commitment that our team has poured into creating meaningful campaigns and driving real impact. It is a true celebration of the entire IMCG and the Business Units whose dedication and collective effort made it possible,’ said Sena.

Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO of PJLI, echoed the pride in Sena’s achievement:’I’ve seen firsthand how Mike’s passion and creativity have elevated the way we tell our story at Cebuana Lhuillier. This recognition is not just about him, but about the years of dedication, innovation, and teamwork that have strengthened our mission of financial inclusion. I couldn’t be prouder to celebrate this milestone with him and with the entire PJLI family.’

With this second consecutive Gold Globee® win, Sena reaffirms its commitment to innovation and excellence in marketing and communications. As Cebuana Lhuillier continues to expand its services and strengthen its brand, the company remains focused on delivering impactful solutions that empower Filipinos and advance financial inclusion nationwide.

The state weather bureau on Wednesday issued a storm surge warning in parts of Aurora, Cagayan and Isabela as Tropical Cyclone Paolo approaches.

In its 2 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that a minimal to moderate risk of storm surge is expected in the next 48 hours in the following coastal areas:

Aurora

Baler

Casiguran

Dilasag

Dinalungan

Dipaculao

Isabela

Dinapigue

Divilacan

Maconacon

Palanan

Cagayan

Baggao

Gattaran

Gonzaga

Lal-lo

Peñablanca

Santa Ana

Surge heights may reach 1 to 2 meters, said Pagasa.

Residents in coastal municipalities were advised to stay away from the shore, cancel maritime activities, and remain alert to further bulletins.

For 65 years, RCBC has been a steadfast partner to progress. RCBC is and has always been a force for nation-building, financing infrastructures, renewable energy, and other transformative projects to empower industries and connect communities. Banking, when purposeful, can help build a stronger and more sustainable future. ‘Our most important asset will always be trust. It’s the foundational principle for all banks. For 65 years, RCBC has earned the confidence and trust of millions of Filipinos by standing with them through challenges and triumphs,’ President and CEO Reggie B. Cariaso said. ‘It is this trust that allows RCBC to turn bold ambitions into concrete progress,’ he added.

RCBC has financed multiple infrastructure projects throughout the years, financing more than 100 kilometers of toll roads and bridges that are vital for connecting communities. More recently, the bank broadened its focus to digital infrastructures which include data centers and telco towers to support the booming digital economy.

As the first local bank to publicly announce that it would stop funding coal power plants, RCBC has shifted its energy portfolio towards renewables which includes extensive solar power installations, large-scale wind farms, hydroelectric projects, and other clean energy alternatives. To date, RCBC has financed over 3 gigawatts (GW) of projects with another 3GW of renewable energy capacity in the pipeline, which it hopes to integrate into its portfolio within the next three years.

RCBC’s sustainability bonds have historically been met with strong support from the capital market. Earlier this year, the bank issued new bonds in both offshore and onshore markets, raising USD 350 million in January and PHP 12.2 billion in July. These latest issuances brought the total amount of sustainable financing instruments issued since 2019 to over USD 1B and over PhP 64B, deployed to over 19,000 sustainable projects nationwide.

Leveraging on the bank’s strong presence in the country’s economic zones, RCBC has partnered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to help promote the Philippines as an investment site for foreign companies which intend to expand and relocate operations in the country. It is to also enhance collaboration in investment facilitation, financial services, and strategic projects to strengthen the country’s position as a key player in the regional economy.

‘Our journey is far from over,’ said Cariaso. ‘RCBC remains committed to delivering value to our customers and our country through innovative financial products and solutions and channeling capital into sectors that support sustainable growth – renewable energy, resilient infrastructures, and industries with diverse enterprises that create lasting value for the communities they serve.’

‘By aligning our strategies with national priorities and global sustainability standards, we are committed to driving progress that is inclusive, responsible, and built for the long term,’ Cariaso added.