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The Department of Health (DOH) reminded the public Filipinos to watch out for dengue-causing mosquitoes while also avoiding fires due to unextinguished candles during All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day or ‘Undas.’

DOH released several videos on its social media pages, like one urging the public to wear more protective clothing, avoiding dark colors, and being aware of the time that mosquitoes are more active so that they can avoid mosquito bites.

According to the explainer, it might be better to visit cemeteries at daytime as dengue-carrying mosquitoes are more active two hours after sunrise or 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and two hours before sunset or 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

‘Protektahan ang sarili sa lamok dengue kung magtatagal sa sementeryo. Maraming pugad ng lamok sa mga masukal o mga napabayaang bahagi ng sementeryo,’ the DOH said.

(Protect yourself from dengue-carrying mosquitoes if you would stay for a long time inside cemeteries. There are many areas frequented by mosquitoes in cemeteries like wild grasslands or abandoned areas.)

The DOH likewise stressed that candles should not be left unattended to avoid fire.

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”Wag iwang naka-sindi ang kandila para makaiwas sa sunog. Hindi ligtas ang mga naiwang kandila. Delikado ito dahil: Madali itong matumba at makasiklab ng tuyong dahon at papel; Mas madaling kumalat ang apoy sa open spaces tulad ng sementeryo,’ DOH said.

(Do not leave your candles unattended to avoid fire. Candles that are not extinguished are dangerous. It is dangerous because it can be toppled and ignite dried leaves and paper, and it is easier for fire to spread over open spaces like cemeteries.)

‘Patayin ang apoy ng kandila pagkatapos ito gamitin. Kapag kailangan ng tulong, tumawag sa National Emergency Hotline 911,’ it added.

(Extinguish your candles after using it. If you need help, call the National Emergency Hotline 911.)

Earlier, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said DOH is on a Code White alert status to prepare for possible health-related incidents amid the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

The DOH chief reminded the public, especially those with maintenance medicines, to always bring their pills with them.

Herbosa also called on motorists to be more patient on the road as heavy traffic flow is almost certain along the country’s major roads.

‘It’s very important that you bring your medicines but leave your worries at home,’ he said.

‘If you will drive at this time it is almost sure that there is heavy traffic flow because everyone wants to go home, we would all reach our relatives. Do not rush, give way to others, and practice road courtesy,’ he added. According to Herbosa, they also advise people with influenza-like symptoms to stay at home, and those who cannot really stay indoors to practice proper cough etiquette and frequent hand-washing.

Most areas in the country would have fair weather for the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day even if different weather systems prevail, the country’s weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) Friday afternoon weather update showed that the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) still affects southern provinces, while the northeast monsoon or amihan, along with the shear line, brings cloudy weather to the northern provinces.

However, rain would only be isolated and may happen only in the afternoon or at night.

‘As of now, even if we have several weather systems affecting the country, we can expect that we will have generally fair weather conditions for this All Souls’ Day weekend, which means there may be partly cloudy skies over many areas and the sun will shine from time to time,’ Pagasa weather specialist Benison Estareja said in Filipino.

‘But by afternoon and night, there is still a chance for isolated rain showers, thunderstorms, and lightning strikes,’ he added.

Pagasa is still monitoring the ITCZ, but no heavy rain showers are expected on the areas affected by the convergence of winds from the northern and southern hemispheres.

‘As of now, for Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the intertropical convergence zone or the meeting point of winds from the northern and southern hemispheres is still there, but from today and up to the next days, rains due to the ITCZ will not be intense,’ Estareja said.

‘The northeast monsoon or amihan meanwhile, only affects the extreme northern Luzon area; it does not affect other areas south, and it will only bring rains over Batanes. The shear line is also not that active, only bringing scattered rain showers and thunderstorms somewhere in Cagayan, Isabela, and Aurora,’ he added.

Two low-pressure areas (LPA) were monitored along the ITCZ – one located 1,595 kilometers east of Northeastern Mindanao, and the second at 160 kilometers west-southwest of Coron, Palawan. The LPA west of Palawan is not expected to develop into a tropical cyclone, but the other LPA east of Mindanao has a medium chance of progressing as a tropical depression.

Pagasa said that the LPA east of Mindanao may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Sunday night or Monday morning, and may be the 20th tropical cyclone inside the PAR for the calendar year. It is forecast to cross the Visayas and Southern Luzon area, but Pagasa clarified that it may still deviate from the current predicted track.

Another LPA is expected to form between November 6 and November 12, also originating from the Pacific Ocean.

Due to the cloudy weather, temperatures over Luzon are expected to be at a normal level, ranging from 25 to 29 degrees Celsius in Tuguegarao; 25 to 34 degrees in Laoag; 17 to 25 degrees in Baguio City; 25 to 32 degrees in Metro Manila; 23 to 29 degrees over Tagaytay; 25 to 31 degrees in Legazpi, and 25 to 30 degrees in Puerto Princesa.

Cloudy weather is also seen to persist over Visayas and Mindanao, leading to temperatures of 25 to 31 degrees Celsius in Iloilo and Tacloban; 24 to 32 degrees in Zamboanga and Cebu; and 24 to 31 degrees in Cagayan de Oro and Davao.

No gale warning has been raised, but Pagasa said that sea conditions over the extreme northern Luzon seaboard will be moderate to rough, with possible wave height of 1.5 meters to 2.8 meters

Farm Fresh continued to lean on the trio of Eli Rousseaux, Trisha Tubu, and Ces Molina in taking down Choco Mucho, 25-18, 25-13, 18-25, 26-24, to secure a top-three finish in Pool A of the PVL Reinforced Conference on Friday at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

After dominating the first two sets, the Foxies were tested by a resurgent Flying Titans squad that took the third set and grabbed a 23-21 lead in the fourth.

Rousseaux’s scoring tear remained as the Foxies’ biggest edge as the Belgian spiker drilled two consecutive kills for the equalizer before Rizza Cruz’s ace to reach match point, 24-23.

Cruz missed her next serve, but Kat Tolentino also committed a costly error of her own from the service line. Rousseaux sealed the win with a massive cross-court hit to finish the game with 27 points.

Tubu delivered 17 points, while Molina had 11 points, 12 excellent receptions, and eight digs as the Foxies finished 4-1 in Pool A.

‘I think it’s very important to have different abilities as a team to be able to win consistently,’ said Farm Fresh head coach Alessandro Lodi. ‘And to try to be at the top of the league and of the conference,’ said Farm Fresh coach Alessandro Lodi.

‘I’m sure you have to play with quality and at times be able to dominate the games like we did in the first two sets but that is not normal. The opponents have the ability to play better and you cannot play the perfect game all the time. So you have to add the second ability which is to play gritty.’ Farm Fresh heads to the second round with Galeries Tower, Chery Tiggo, and either Petro Gazz or Akari.

Choco Mucho, which dropped to 2-2, disputes the last top-three spot in Pool A against Capital1 on November 4 at Mall of Asia Arena.

Tolentino led the charge for the Flying Titans with 12 points. Royse Tubino and Maddie Madayag had 11 and 10 points, respectively.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered all concerned government agencies to prepare for the observance of Undas, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Friday.

At a briefing in Gyeongju, South Korea, Castro said the government’s readiness for the event is ‘very high,’ particularly since the country observes the holiday every year.

‘He has already ordered concerned government agencies to prepare for the upcoming Undas,’ Castro said, speaking in Filipino.

‘We have also seen that the prices of goods are being monitored so that our consumers have a better experience during the upcoming Undas and there are no price increases,’ the Palace official added.

According to Castro, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has issued a directive to ensure that all its field offices are ready to assist passengers traveling to their provinces.

‘Health Secretary Ted Herbosa toured the DOH emergency tents along SLEX due to the expected increase in the volume of passengers returning to the provinces this Undas,’ she also said.

‘Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque also earlier made rounds on Wednesday at a market in Guadalupe to ensure there are no price increases for Undas goods,’ Castro said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police Acting Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered patrols in various locations, including residential areas and business establishments

For three decades, Security Bank has empowered businesses and driven inclusive growth through strategic investment solutions. As it marks this milestone, the bank reaffirms its commitment to financing progress and continues to help build a more resilient and sustainable Philippine economy.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the local government of Manila sent flowers to the graves of former Philippine presidents Manuel Roxas and Sergio Osmeña at the Manila North Cemetery. The Manila LGU also offered flowers to the graves of veteran artist couple Susan Roces and Fernando Poe Jr., former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, former Senator Claro M. Recto, and the Boy Scouts who perished in a plane crash, among others.

When Farm Fresh coach Alessandro Lodi was looking for the best possible receiver on the team, stats from training, numerous six-on-six scrimmages-and even Alyssa Bertolano herself-pointed to her becoming the team’s newest libero in the PVL Reinforced Conference.

‘She told me herself, ‘Hey, I would be willing or available to play libero,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, you know what? That’s a good idea.’ I don’t really make those decisions, the decision is who is the best receiver? You’re the libero. Who are the best attackers? You play,’ said Lodi after Farm Fresh finished Pool A with a 25-18, 25-13, 18-25, 26-24 win over Choco Mucho on Friday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. ‘The best people in their position are founded on data, real information, not because I like her, or she’s nice to me, or she gave me money. It’s not that. Coaches sometimes, they are stupid. But sometimes, they kinda know and they collect data and information. So the chance of having her [as libero] was very easy, it’s not even a choice, the data told us. It was easy to do that.’

Bertolano had an efficient game with 10 excellent receptions out of 19 attempts to help the Foxies bounce back from their first loss to PLDT and finished the first round, winning four of their five games.

The former University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, who played as a spiker for most of her career, admitted it was a scary move at first.

‘It’s definitely nerve-wracking at first,’ Bertolano said. ‘But once you’re on the court, you don’t really think about the nerves anymore. You’re already there, and I just focus on performing well for myself and for the team.’ With Lodi’s trust and the mentorship of veteran Jheck Dionela, Bertolano quickly settled into her new role.

‘Becoming a libero has been such a big opportunity for me. I’m really thankful to coach for trusting me on the court, and also grateful to my teammates for being patient with me. Credit also to Ate Jheck for teaching me the basics of being a libero,’ she said.

After an impressive first round, Bertolano vows to keep on improving and staying consistent for the Foxies.

‘It all comes down to discipline and focus, both in training and during games,’ she said.

Indonesia’s Bronson Meydi and Australia’s Ziggy Aloha Mackenzie ruled the World Surf League (WSL) QS6000 in Siargao after eight days of competition off Cloud 9.

Meydi, 20, the reigning WSL world junior champion, scored 15.33 points in the men’s final to edge Australia’s Ben Loretson, who had 14.70.

‘I can’t believe it. That was a crazy final,’ said Meydi. ‘The waves went slow and just in my favor, so it was lucky. I’m stoked to get an 8.8 on that one.’

Mackenzie, 16, scored 12.73 points to defeat fellow Australian Isla Huppatz (11.60) in the women’s final. She averaged 11.09 in heat scores and 3.43 in wave scores throughout the tournament.

‘I just tried to enjoy surfing Cloud 9 with no one else out,’ Mackenzie said. ‘Isla is one of my best mates and she ripped, so I knew I had to bring my best surfing.’

Meydi outlasted a field of strong Australian contenders, beating Dane Henry in the quarterfinals, 16.17-15.03, and Harley Walters in the semifinals, 16.57-13.40, before clinching the title against Loretson. Loretson advanced by defeating Tom Whitpaine, 16.50-12.13.

The Sumbawa native averaged 14.16 in heat scores from the round of 64 and picked up 6,000 points for the win.

‘Every time I win, it’s in the Philippines. I love this place,’ Meydi said.

The WSL tour next heads to Baler from November 17 to 23, then to La Union from January 11 to 16 and 20 to 26.

Authorities caught an allegedly illegal cigarette factory in Cavite early Friday morning, arresting two individuals and ‘rescuing’ 11 workers, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

The bust came through a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Angelina A. Mailom-Orendain of Regional Trial Court Branch 92 in Calamba City, Laguna, targeting the alleged factory operating out of a supposed leisure park in Trece Martires City, according to the PNP in a statement on Friday.

The warrant was issued for violation of Republic Act No. 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act.

‘The operation resulted in the arrest of two people, one is a native of Masbate City, while the other is from Pasay City. The modus of the arrested. is to recruit workers from poor communities in the Visayas and Mindanao to work in a factory of counterfeit cigarettes,’ the PNP explained. ‘Meanwhile, rescued were 11 male workers, including a 17-year-old teenage boy, who were reportedly recruited from Masbate and nearby provinces to work under questionable labor conditions. Investigation is ongoing to determine if there were also labor laws violated,’ it added.

The PNP did not provide further details about the arrested suspects and ‘rescued’ workers, only noting that they will be brought to the Trece Martires City Police Station for documentation.

‘The PNP will continue to work closely with government agencies and local authorities to dismantle trafficking networks and hold perpetrators accountable, in support of the government’s broader campaign for safe and dignified employment for all Filipinos,’ the agency stressed.

Just when you think that last year’s ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) would keep us safe from this scourge comes the news report that more than 200 Filipinos were rescued Monday from illegal scam hubs in Myanmar, and are now awaiting repatriation.

The rescued workers are victims of human trafficking schemes, with most of them enticed by lucrative online job offers purportedly as customer service representatives in Thailand. According to the Department of Migrant Workers, more than 1,454 Filipinos have been rescued from Pogo-like scam hubs in Southeast Asia over the past two years,

Their plight parallels that of workers in Pogo hubs raided last year: kept in prison-like facilities, forced to operate online scams, and tortured if unable to meet a steep quota in fraudulent crypto currency investments.

With a Pogo ban in place, these criminal enterprises seem to have moved operations to less restrictive countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar that in recent years have become a haven for transnational crimes. Many of the Filipino victims are professionals with backgrounds in information technology and had previously worked in Pogo hubs. Others had entered Myanmar using student or business visas, while some had taken the ‘backdoor routes’ such as Palawan and Tawi-Tawi.

The latest rescue has prompted the Philippine National Police to tap its counterparts in neighboring countries to track down recruiters and financiers involved in the job scams and human trafficking schemes. Indeed, bolstering law enforcement and justice systems in the region can encourage victims to report and pursue cases against their traffickers.

Dubious jobs

Police departments, border security, and specialized task forces can meanwhile leverage technology to track traffickers and zero in on their financial assets with help from antimoney laundering agencies.

More than just repeated reminders for jobseekers to verify overseas job offers online, the government must intensify its information campaign to increase public awareness and people’s skills in recognizing red flags in suspicious hiring activities. Internet safety education should be a priority for the Department of Information and Communications Technology, as eager fresh graduates may be susceptible to aggressive recruitment tactics for jobs too good to be true.

And who can blame them, given that as of August 2025, the country’s unemployment rate stands at 3.9 percent which translates to about 2.03 million jobless individuals.

Similarly, the Bureau of Immigration should be more discerning in screening outgoing Filipinos on student or tourist visas who may be en route to dubious jobs in neighboring countries.

Emergency response

Just as crucial is the establishment of a clear and accessible line of coordination between migrant groups, civil society, and Philippine authorities to ensure swift and effective emergency response for trafficked Filipino workers. Survivors must have access to justice, protection, and repatriation, and provided assistance for reintegration and legitimate employment as well as counseling services.

Tech companies and social media platforms must be pressured as well to intervene and prevent traffickers from abusing the internet by flagging and removing fake job postings, improving internal reporting mechanisms, and enhancing data protection.

For its part, the Department of Justice must vigorously push for the investigation and prosecution of the recruiters and sponsors behind the trafficking of Filipino workers. A closer coordination with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking wouldn’t hurt either, as both public and private agencies must work together to safeguard our workers abroad.

Effective deterrent

As incoming chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ meetings next year, the Philippines can initiate a stronger partnership among law enforcement agencies within the region. Enhancing international cooperation is critical to dismantling transnational crimes and strengthening antitrafficking efforts.

The most difficult but also most effective deterrent is of course to address the root cause behind the vulnerabilities of would-be victims. Countering the perennial rise in unemployment and underemployment with more economic activities, tax breaks, and incentives for small and medium enterprises to encourage job creation, and establishing social safety nets are a good start.

The rescue of victims of transnational crimes must be part of a more serious crackdown on syndicates trading on the desperation of the unemployed. The real impact would come with the arrest and prosecution of syndicate heads and big players, especially now that there are signs of similar schemes in other countries like Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

It would be willful ignorance and self-destructive folly to underestimate the scale of such scam operations, and how attractive gilded job offers can be to hungry citizens of unstable economies.