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President Marcos extended his condolences yesterday to the families of those who died in the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City, Cebu on Tuesday night.

‘My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones, and my prayers go out to those who were injured and all those affected by the earthquake,’ the President said.

The earthquake, which hit the city at 9:59 p.m., left more than 60 people dead and caused widespread damage across the province.

While visiting typhoon-hit Masbate, Marcos said Cabinet members had already been deployed to Cebu to fast-track relief and restore essential services.

The Department of Public Works and Highways is inspecting roads and bridges for structural damage, while the Department of Energy is working to restore electricity in affected areas.

The Department of Health has dispatched additional medical personnel to assist hospitals, while the Bureau of Fire Protection is participating in search and rescue operations. Philippine National Police personnel are also on the ground to maintain order.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council joined forces to ensure the quick distribution of food and relief items.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, the DSWD has P379 million in standby funds and over 2.4 million family food packs prepositioned nationwide.

The DBM, for its part, has instructed agencies to activate their quick response funds, which serve as emergency resources to finance immediate disaster relief and recovery.

Vice President Sara Duterte offered prayers for those affected.

House Speaker Faustino Dy III expressed his sympathies.

Some senators who expressed solidarity and urged immediate aid deployment were Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senators Francis Escudero, Risa Hontiveros and Joel Villanueva.

Foreign ambassadors in the country also offered aid.

‘The US embassy community offers our deepest condolences to those affected by the earthquake in Cebu. Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected. We stand ready to support the government’s response as #FriendsPartnersAllies,’ US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said.

‘We mourn the loss of lives and we stand with those who are grieving, injured or displaced. Canada stands ready to coordinate closely with Philippine government agencies, humanitarian partners and the international community to help meet urgent needs,’ the Canadian embassy posted on X.

Aside from Carlson and the Canadian embassy, European Union Ambassador Massimo Santoro, Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya, Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown and the Embassy of India also extended their sympathies to the victims and their families.

After plunging to its lowest since he assumed office earlier this year, public satisfaction with President Marcos rebounded in the second quarter of 2025, according to a survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Results of the June 25 to 29 survey released on Tuesday showed that 46 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with the performance of Marcos, up from 38 percent obtained in a similar survey in April.

Some 36 percent said they were dissatisfied, down from 48 percent, while those who were undecided increased from 14 percent to 19 percent.

SWS said the survey results resulted in a net satisfaction rating of ‘moderate’ +10, a 20-point rise from the ‘poor’ -10 he obtained in April.

The net satisfaction rating is the percentage differential between those who said they were satisfied and those who were dissatisfied with the performance of the government official.

SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings of at least +70 as ‘excellent;’ +50 to +69 as ‘very ‘good;’ +30 to +49 as ‘good;’ +10 to +29 as ‘moderate;’ +9 to -9 as ‘neutral;’ -10 to -29 as ‘poor;’ -30 to -49 as ‘bad;’ -50 to -69 as ‘very bad’ and -70 and below as ‘execrable.’

Based on SWS survey results, Marcos’ satisfaction rating had been in a steady decline since September 2024, when it was at ‘good’ +32.

It went down to +19 in December 2024, +9 in January 2025 and +1 in February 2025.

Marcos had a ‘very good’ +63 satisfaction rating in October 2022, the first quarterly survey conducted by SWS during his administration. It went up to as high as +68 in December that year.

According to SWS, the latest net satisfaction rating of the President rose across all areas in the June 2025 survey.

It was highest among those in balance Luzon at +28 (from +7), followed by those in Metro Manila at +1 (from -6), the Visayas at -2 (from -11) and Mindanao at -9 (from -44).

It rose among men and women respondents, among all educational groups and across age groups, except among 18 to 24-year-olds, SWS said.

The survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus three percent.

Marcos Jr.: Keep working

President Marcos said yesterday the significant improvement in his performance rating in the latest SWS survey was ‘nice’ but stressed the government must continue working to serve the people.

‘It’s, of course, nice to note. I didn’t know about that. But now that you tell me, of course I’m glad that it’s that way,’ Marcos told reporters after visiting typhoon victims in Masbate.

‘I guess we just have to keep working. Whatever happens, whether there is a storm, there is a scandal, there is chaos, the people expect the government to continue providing services, to continue the work of the government at every level,’ he said.

‘As public servants, who are elected by the people, we should not be seen playing around, doing whatever, politicking,’ Marcos said.

Alex Eala shoots for her second straight semifinal appearance against Swtizerland’s Viktorija Golubic in the battle between top-10 seeds in the WTA125 Suzhou Open Friday at Sungent International Tennis Center in China.

Eala, the No. 4 seed, and No. 6 Golubic came off contrasting paths from the Round of 16 heading into their gigantic duel for a shot at No. 2 seed Tatjana Maria of Germany in the Final Four. WTA No. 44 Maria, the No. 2 seed, had a walkover over WTA No. 63 and No. 5 seed Yulia Putintseva due to still undisclosed reasons.

But first things first for the WTA No. 58 Eala, who has to recover quickly from a gruelling duel against WTA No. 106 Greet Minnen in three hours and 18 minutes as one of the longest battles in her skyrocketing career.

The 20-year-old Filipina pride hacked out a 7-6(5), (3)6-7, 7-5 win over Minnen to notch her fourth straight quarterfinal stint in the WTA Tour and bagged a guaranteeed $3,450 (over P200,000) purse.

She now has a chance to jack it up to $5,300 or approximately P308,000 with a win against the 32-year-old Golubic in a still-to-be determined game time Friday, pending the completion of other Round-of-16 duels. Her match against Golubic is scheduled third in four quarterfinal pairing at centercourt.

More than that, Eala could move two steps away from capturing her second WTA title in a month after a breakthrough crown in the WTA125 Guadalajara Open in Mexico.

She also made the quarterfinals of the WTA250 Sao Paulo Open in Brazil and the the semifinals of the WTA125 Jingshan nearby, shoring up her stature as one of the most consistent players in the WTA Tour that will also include stops in the Wuhan Open from October 6-12 and the Hong Kong Open from October 27 to November 2.

That bid, however, will be a tough one against the Golubic, who hardly broke a sweat against WTA No. 140 Linda Fruhvirtova with a 6-2, 6-0 win in 61 minutes in their own Round-of-16 duel.

The first-ever parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will not push through as scheduled on Oct. 13 after the Supreme Court (SC) declared as unconstitutional laws redistricting the BARMM.

The SC said the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) 77 and other pertinent laws concerning the redistricting of the BARMM are unconstitutional.

‘There can be no BARMM elections on Oct. 13 because of the lack of a valid district law,’ the SC said.

The BAA 77 or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act mandates the redistribution of seven parliamentary seats originally allocated to Sulu, while its predecessor law, the BAA 58, created parliamentary districts in the BARMM.

The high court granted a consolidated petition filed by Lanang Ali Jr. and Abdullah Macapaar against BARMM Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The SC said the BAA 77 is unconstitutional as it violated Section 5 of the Voter Registration Act, which prohibits any alteration of poll precincts once the election period has started.

The law was enacted by the BTA on Aug. 28. The election period started on Aug. 14.

The high tribunal said the BAA 77 also violated the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which mandates that each district should comprise adjacent and adjoining areas as far as practicable.

The SC said some local government units in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Cotabato City were assigned to districts that were not contiguous or adjacent to LGUs.

The voiding of the BAA 77 did not revive the BAA 58 or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act as it was based on an outdated framework after Sulu was removed from the Bangsamoro region, the SC said.

‘A new valid districting law must be passed consistent with the Bangsamoro Organic Law, national laws and the Constitution,’ the SC said.

The high tribunal directed the BTA to distribute the parliamentary seats by Oct. 30. It said the parliamentary election must be conducted not later than March next year.

The SC said the decision as immediately executory and deemed served upon posting and receipt through electronic means.

P1 billion needed for deferred BARMM elections

Meanwhile, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body would need another P1 billion for the rescheduled BARMM elections.

In an interview with ‘Storycon’ on One News yesterday, Garcia said the Comelec has yet to receive a copy of the SC ruling declaring BAAs 77 and 58 as unconstitutional.

He said the Comelec would not appeal the decision and would comply with the ruling.

Like in any other postponement, Garcia said rescheduling the BARMM elections would require an additional budget.

For the BARMM elections, about P1 billion of the P2.7 billion allocated to the Comelec had already been spent.

‘We will have to reprint all the ballots. We will have to conduct again a voter education campaign,’ Garcia said, adding it is now up to the BTA to come up with an issuance on the distribution of district parliamentary seats.

‘If the parliament is not able to come up with a law as prescribed in the decision, then all preparations will have to be moved again,’ Garcia said. ‘Our compliance will be dependent on the compliance of other agencies or instrumentalities of the government.’

Civil Defense Deputy Administrator for Administration Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV confirmed in a press briefing yesterday that no formal evacuation camps have been activated in Bogo City following the powerful earthquake that struck northern Cebu late Tuesday night.

As of press time, more than 1,000 evacuees were sheltering in open spaces in Bogo City, though tents are being mobilized to provide temporary relief.

‘We technically don’t have evacuation camps right now. Our kababayans are just in open spaces. We’re assessing how many cannot return to their homes, and that will dictate how many camps we’ll need to manage in the next 24 hours,’ Alejandro said.

The official emphasized that the immediate priority remains search and rescue operations, especially in the mountainous areas of Bogo and neighboring San Remigio, where residents were reportedly trapped under debris.

‘We are still within the golden hour. Trained personnel are working tirelessly to retrieve survivors,’ he added.

Among the hardest-hit facilities was the San Remigio Sports Complex, which had been designated as an evacuation center. The structure sustained significant damage during the quake, and initial reports confirmed that some lives were lost in the collapse. Alejandro declined to comment on concerns about possible substandard infrastructure contributing to the casualties, deferring the matter to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

‘Next question. We’ll leave it to DPWH. They will assess,’ he said when pressed.

The DPWH has since issued multiple advisories and deployed augmentation teams to inspect the structural integrity of school buildings, hospitals, roads, and bridges in affected areas. Initial reports indicated partial collapses and single-lane passable roads, while air assets have also been deployed for aerial assessments and rescue operations in highland communities.

Defense Secretary Gilbert ‘Gibo’ Teodoro is also in Cebu to personally oversee the situation.

The Department of Health (DOH) reported that Bogo City District Hospital has been overwhelmed, prompting the deployment of additional medical personnel and transport teams for patient transfers. Power restoration efforts are underway, with generators temporarily supplying electricity, while the Department of Energy works to stabilize the grid.

Alejandro acknowledged the challenges posed by unstable communications and transport delays, noting that the city is around three hours away from Cebu City. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has been tasked to establish emergency communication systems to provide a clearer operational picture.

Casualties, mostly due to falling debris, have been brought to hospitals. Close to 60 deaths were reported to the Office of Civil Defense earlier in the day, though figures remain fluid amid ongoing rescue efforts. The DOH and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are managing the retrieval and identification of the deceased, as well as concerns about the proximity of bodies to the district hospital.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) continues to monitor aftershocks, some reaching magnitude 5. Residents remain hesitant to return to their homes, prompting further assessments of residential safety and the deployment of water filtration teams and food packs.

In anticipation of panic buying and hoarding, DILG Undersecretary Jovic Remulla placed the Philippine National Police (PNP) on red alert to maintain order and prevent looting.

Alejandro stressed that the full force of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has been deployed under the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

‘All hands are on deck. Cabinet members are coordinating to ensure resources reach those who need them,’ he said.

He also underscored the importance of public education and preparedness, especially in Metro Manila, where ‘the Big One’ is expected within the next 50 years.

‘We can never be 100 percent prepared, but we continue to practice and improve the plan. This event is one way to test our systems,’ Alejandro said.

International support from neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia is being considered, though assessments are still ongoing.

As the situation unfolds, authorities urge the public to remain vigilant, follow official advisories, and prioritize safety amid continuing aftershocks and rescue operations.

The University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons barged into the win column with a 73-69 upset of the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 25 basketball tournament on Tuesday, September 30, at the Cebu Coliseum.

Andrew Padilla shined the brightest with 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists while Brandon Sainz and Wenraye Sarol combined for 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists to help the Fighting Maroons of coach Rommel Rasmo snap a three-game jinx.

UP Cebu squandered a nine-point lead late in the third quarter as the Webmasters staged a spirited endgame fightback to seize a 65-60 edge at the last three-minute mark of the contest.

But the Fighting Maroons countered with a decisive 10-1 blitz to regain the upper hand, 70-66, in the final 64 seconds.

The Webmasters threatened one last time at 69-71 on a 3-pointer by Ricofer Sordilla as Sarol scored on a crucial layup with only five ticks left in the game clock to seal the deal for the Fighting Maroons.

Ray Charles Libatog bagged 20 points, six rebounds and one assist while Sordilla had 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal but their efforts went to waste as the Webmasters faltered for the first time after a rousing 2-0 start.

In high school division, Mart Justine Padilla fired 23 points with five rebounds, one assist and a spectacular six steals as the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Blue Dragons nailed their first victory with a 67-56 scorching of the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) Baby Webmasters.

Kenneth Robert Fuller delivered a double-double of 16 and 12 rebounds with four assists and three steals for the Dragons, who sprinted to a 14-point advantage, 35-21, midway in the second quarter.

UCLM pulled within just two points, 49-51, in the final five minutes but the Dragons closed the match with a searing 16-7 run to secure a double-digit triumph.

Dan Mitchell Ferraren scattered 22 points, seven rebounds and two assists but to no avail as UCLM tasted its first defeat.

Anti-narcotics agents have confiscated 1.56 kilos of shabu worth P10.64 million in three cities in Metro Manila.

In Quezon City, 500 grams of shabu valued at P3.4 million were seized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Barangay E. Rodriguez on Tuesday.

The contraband was recovered from a couple, the PDEA said.

Two more suspects were arrested by PDEA operatives in Sampaloc, Manila during a sting that yielded shabu with a street value of P3.4 million.

In Taguig, police seized P3.84 million worth of drugs from a 26-year-old construction worker in Barangay Pembo yesterday.

The Visayas grid was placed under yellow alert for eight hours yesterday after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Cebu and triggered an unplanned shutdown of several power plants.

The alert notice, which was issued when power reserves are low, was raised from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

The NGCP said that power grids in Luzon and Mindanao remained normal.

In the Visayas, the earthquake knocked down 11 plants, adding to the strain caused by 16 other power facilities that have been out of service long before the incident occurred, along with three others that are operating at a reduced capacity.

As a result, 640.6 megawatts of capacity were unavailable to the Visayas grid as of 3 p.m. yesterday, the NGCP said.

Over 800,000 consumer connections across the region experienced blackouts following the earthquake’s impact on 24 power cooperatives, the National Electrification Administration said.

The Department of Energy, meanwhile, has mobilized the entire sector to ensure the immediate restoration of power across affected areas, prioritizing hospitals, water stations and other lifeline facilities.

Two executives have left the boardroom of courier giant LBC Express Holdings Inc. in another leadership shakeup for the company that is trying to sustain its return to profit.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, LBC said directors Miguel Camahort and Jason Rosenblatt have resigned effective yesterday.

Camahort served as president and CEO of LBC, until the courier announced in August that it was promoting chief finance officer Enrique Rey Jr. as its new head.

LBC appointed a new president and CEO to make way for Camahort’s retirement. Camahort left LBC at a time when it was just returning to profit on the success of its cost-cutting interventions.

Meanwhile, Rosenblatt is leaving his directorship in LBC to focus on other assignments abroad. LBC said it may be difficult for Rosenblatt to balance responsibilities if he stays in the company.

Currently, Rosenblatt serves as a partner and head of Southeast Asia private equity head for Ares Private Equity Group, which he joined in 2023 and is based in Los Angeles, California.

LBC is facing renewed optimism that it can stay in profit, as it is now led by Rey who has taken care of its financials since 2015 prior to his promotion.

Rey has served the LBC Group for close to two decades now, having been appointed as director of LBC Mundial Inc. from 2005 to 2008 and of LBC Systems Inc. from 2008 to 2010.

LBC posted a profit of P194.79 million in the first half, reversing its net loss of P251.66 million a year ago. Although LBC sustained a five-percent revenue decline to P6.98 billion, it managed to mitigate impact by slashing costs by four percent to P5.34 billion.

The company is undertaking cost-cutting efforts to nurse its finances back to health. This led the courier to reduce branches and personnel across the Philippines.

LBC projects revenue to pick up in the second semester, particularly during the holiday season, when remittance and shipping activities traditionally reach their highest.

Recently, LBC has received a show cause letter from the Securities and Exchange Commission to explain the delay in its submission of its sustainability report for 2022, which the courier said it is now addressing.

Senate finance chair Sherwin Gatchalian flagged the involvement of flood control contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya in the anomalous construction of hospital facilities during the Department of Health (DOH)’s budget deliberation yesterday.

Gatchalian lamented the wasted public funds in uncompleted or idle hospital facilities, citing a 2024 Commission on Audit (COA) report about 123 DOH contracts worth P11.5 billion not completed on time due to poor coordination, approval delays and changes in site locations, among others.

He said the average P100-million budget for the graft-tainted flood control projects could have been used for the construction of a new building for the children’s hospital.

‘This is P11.5 billion that we cannot use and got stuck, because of poor planning, lack of coordination and poor execution. We really need to spend our budget wisely,’ Gatchalian said.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa mentioned the DOH’s ‘flood control version’ of the scandal, with 400 of their 600 health centers under its health facilities enhancement program left idle because of lack of health care personnel and delayed construction due to contractors’ lapses.

COA supervising auditor for DOH Ameer Gamama said Discaya’s firm St. Gerrard Construction was involved in a P133-million Zamboanga sanitarium project that was left idle despite being 98 percent complete and a P22.45-million DOH satellite project in Zamboanga del Norte that was completed but instead used as a classroom by the Mindanao State University.

Herbosa also lamented lawmakers’ practice of ‘budget insertions’ in the national outlay for DOH projects not part of its health facility development plan, resulting in poor planning and faulty or delayed construction.

Farm-to-market roads

The Department of Agriculture (DA) yesterday said its audit of farm-to-market roads has uncovered P115 million in ‘ghost’ projects from P75 million initially reported, adding to the roster of questionable government infrastructure flagged so far.

‘It’s not that big but it’s still alarming because why are there ghost projects,’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of the opening day of the 47th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City.

He said his agency is coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and that he plans to personally visit the sites.

The agriculture official said the previous day that the contractors behind the P115 million in ‘ghost’ projects were not among the 15 firms earlier identified by President Marcos.

The DA launched the audit earlier this year after the Senate began looking into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, prompting the agency to scrutinize its own road programs.

The country still lacks about 62,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads, according to the agriculture official, stressing the need to safeguard funds so these can be used for actual construction and improvements rather than lost to anomalies.

Investigate EDCA

Apart from anomalies in flood control projects, militant fishers’ group Pambansang Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the government should also investigate DPWH’s budget allocation for a military site covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Pamalakaya chairman Fernando Hicap said the DPWH’s Tatag ng Imprastraktura Para sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad appropriated P3 billion for various support of national security, including the expansion of an airstrip in the island town of Balabac in Palawan.

For Hicap, it is unacceptable that public funds are being used for an EDCA site that he said has no benefit for Filipinos and also puts the country’s security at risk.

Aside from the expansion of the Balabac airstrip, Hicap said the DPWH also provided funds to build a hangar at the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu and the construction of hangars and various military infrastructure at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

Instead of military bases, Hicap said government funds should be used to build infrastructure that will directly benefit people.

Removal of ethics

The Catholic Educators Association of the Philippines (CEAP) warned that corruption in the government would worsen amid the Department of Education (DepEd)’s proposal to remove the Ethics subject from the General Education (GE) curriculum of higher education institutions as the country is rocked by flood control scandal.

CEAP executive director Narcy Ador Dionisio said that ethics form the conscience of students.

‘Ethics is not optional. It is essential to look at what’s happening to our country today,’ Dionisio said.

‘Ethics forms the conscience of our students and without it, we risk producing graduates who may be competent but lack integrity. Academic knowledge without ethical grounding will never serve the common good,’ he added.

‘We’re talking about good people initially when they graduate from a Catholic school or other schools and eventually, they turn into thieves and this is the same reason why CEAP is firmly opposing the removal of Ethics in the general education curriculum,’ he noted. -Alden Monzon, Emmanuel Tupas, Bella Cariaso