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SISI RONDINA and Bernadeth Pons and three other Alas Pilipinas pairs fell to stronger opponents at the start of the main draw action to drop to must-win situations in the Volleyball World 2025 Beach Pro Tour Challenge on Thursday at the Nuvali Sands Court by Ayala Land in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

First to fall when the sun shone brightly the whole day were James Buytrago and Ran Abdilla to a taller Australian duo of D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse, 21-14, 21-18, in a Pool H morning session.

In the afternoon, Kly Orillaneda and Gen Eslapor lost to Finland’s Anniina Parkkinin and Vilhelmiina Prihti, 11-21, 15-21, in Pool H and Sonny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez bowed to New Zealand’s Shaunna Polley and Olivia MacDonald, 19-21, 14-21, in Pool D.

Then the celebrated pair of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons yielded to world-ranked Thainara Mylena Feitosa de Oliveira and Talita Simonetti of Brazil, 17-21, 16-21, in Pool G play.

All’s not lost for Alas Pilipinas though, but they need to win the second of their main draw matches-and get the better end of possible tiebreaks-to advance further in the tournament hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation headed by Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara.

‘This is a first time for us in the Challenge, and we learned a lot of new things, but we’re not out yet,’ Rondina said. ‘We’re just grateful that we played them-they’ve been playing the sport for the longest time.’

Rondina and Pons are ranked No. 137 in the world while Oliveira and Simonetti are one of seven world-ranked Brazilan pairs at No. 72.

‘We played against a great Brazilian team that can adjust in any situation and they changed the complex ionof the game and we couldn’t,’ Brazilian coach Joao ‘Kioday’ Luciano Simao Barbosa said. ‘We must learn from this.’

Up next for Rondina and Pons on Friday are Slovenia’s Ziva Javornik and Tajda Lovsin, who are No. 78 in the world but fell victims to the Alas aces in the Futures tournament in Budapest only last month, 16-21, 21-15, 15-9.

‘We’re hoping we them again,’ Kioday said.

Villapando and Rodriguez take on Japan’s Sakura Ito and Mayu Sawame and Eslapor and Orillaneda battle the US’s Teegan Van Gunst and Piper Ferch on Friday.

Buytrago and Abdilla fought for survival against Americans Tim Brewster and Ryan Lerna on Thursday evening.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon has committed to investigate allegations that members of his leadership team may have connections with contractors, following concerns raised by a House appropriations official.

The issue surfaced during a Thursday press conference when Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, called on Dizon and his team to disclose any ties with contractors in the interest of transparency and public trust.

Responding to the concerns during a separate briefing, Dizon expressed ‘openness to investigating’ the matter while maintaining that he is unaware of any such connections among his undersecretaries.

‘I am open to any information you can provide me,’ Dizon said. ‘If Congressman Leviste can point out who and what the details are. my commitment is to fire that person immediately and if needed, file cases.’

He also categorically denied being approached by contractors seeking favors since assuming office in early September.

‘The only contractors I’ve spoken to are those I’ve reprimanded,’ he said.

When Dizon assumed his post as public works chief on September 2, he brought in a ‘handpicked’ team of undersecretaries drawn from various government agencies and the private sector as part of his reform agenda.

These appointments are now at the center of Leviste’s transparency call, though Dizon has defended their backgrounds and ‘vouched’ for their ‘integrity.’

Rico Bernabe came from the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and has no known contractor connections. General Ato Bisnar, from the Office of Transportation Security, was cited by Dizon for his integrity. General Charles Kalima came from San Miguel Corp. Nick Conti previously headed the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) during the Aquino administration. Raffy Turgano is a lawyer from private practice, while Arrey Perez previously worked with Dizon at the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) before moving to Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC).

‘Their background is out in the open and I handpicked them. When I brought them here, I vouched for them because I know them personally and they came from known companies and government agencies,’ he said.

Nevertheless, he vowed to conduct an investigation into his own team.

‘I will investigate them on my own,’ he said.

Dizon also pointed out that Leviste’s remarks were based off of a ‘rumor’ since Leviste only ‘heard’ of the information from another party. However, he said it ‘is important’ that he ‘gets to the bottom of this.’

‘I will never tolerate it and they will be immediately removed from the post,’ Dizon said.

Leviste acknowledged that his concerns were based on information from multiple unnamed sources, including at least one person ‘among those accused’ in the ongoing flood control project scandal that has gripped the department.

While praising Dizon as a ‘reformer’ who has ‘done a much better job than his predecessor,’ Leviste insisted that ‘because of the public sentiment right now, no one should be beyond scrutiny.’

Dizon has been leading a sweeping investigation into alleged ghost projects and corruption in the DPWH since taking office, following a presidential directive to clean the agency ‘from top to bottom.’

‘Even if the DPWH runs out of people-district engineers, regional directors, undersecretaries-we will remove and file cases against them. We want to have a truly clean agency,’ he said.

He also emphasized the importance of accountability creating deterrence, citing the numerous cases filed against former public works officials and employees as well as contractors.

‘What’s important is that people should be afraid now that there will be consequences for stealing,’ he said. ‘If there are any who slipped through before I came in, we will catch you.’

So far, the agency has uncovered 421 ghost projects out of the 8,000 initially validated.

To recall, the government started the crackdown on alleged ghost projects after President Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address in July.

Since then, investigations into the flood control corruption scandal have implicated numerous lawmakers, contractors, public works officials, and auditors.

Some have been charged with graft and malversation cases.

The Parents Against Vape (PAV) and the Child Rights Network (CRN), have expressed grave concern over the alarming rise in e-cigarette use among children worldwide as highlighted by the recent World Health Organization (WHO) report.

‘This growing epidemic is not accidental-it is the direct result of the tobacco industry’s aggressive targeting of children and young people to be their replacement smokers and efforts to weaken regulation to make their products more accessible to the general public,’ PAV and CRN stated in a joint statement.

The WHO recently warned the public that out of the 100 million people vaping, at least 15 million are children aged 13 to 15.

It added that in countries that have data, children are 9 times more likely to vape than adults.

The health advocacy groups stressed that tobacco industry distorts the meaning of ‘harm reduction’ to justify selling these products, branding them as ‘less harmful’ or ‘alternatives.’

‘What the industry is doing is not harm reduction but harm promotion.Real harm reduction is not profit-driven. It does not involve flooding the market with new addictive products for both smokers and non-smokers alike. If the industry really promotes harm reduction, it wouldn’t make their products flavored, flashy, and packaged to appeal to the youth,’ they said.

‘Addiction from nicotine and e-cigarette products threatens children’s brain development, mental health, and overall well-being,’ they stressed.

‘Sacrificing their health for corporate profit violates the Philippine government’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) to safeguard every child’s right to health, truthful information, and protection from harmful products,’ they said as they urge policymakers, health authorities, schools, and communities to act decisively.

The joint call to action of PAV and CRN include:

Return regulatory oversight of e-cigarettes from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to the Department of Health – Food and Drug Administration (FDA), prioritizing public health over profit.

Restore the minimum age of restriction to 21 years, recognizing the heightened vulnerability of adolescent brains to nicotine addiction.

Ban all flavored vapes and all online promotions and sale, including aggressive influencer and celebrity marketing that highly appeal to children and young people.

Strongly enforce anti-vaping laws and ordinances that prohibit sale, marketing, and use of e-cigarettes by minors.

Implement public education campaigns exposing the misleading narrative of ‘harm reduction’ and the true harms of vaping.

Hold policymakers and industry actors accountable for continuing to place profit above public health.

‘E-cigarettes are just as harmful, if not more harmful, than traditional combustible cigarettes and children should never be consumers of these deadly products. When children vape, the tobacco industry is primarily responsible for it,’ they said urging the public to act now before another generation’s health and dreams become casualties of corporate greed and gaps in policy and implementation.

THE Supreme Court (SC) has ordered President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., the Senate, the House of Representatives and other government agencies, local government units and private contractors to answer a taxpayers’ petition for the issuance of a writ of kalikasan seeking to address the country’s perennial flood problems.

The order was issued by the Court en banc in a resolution dated September 30, 2025 but was made available to the public Thursday.

‘Acting on the petition for the issuance of a writ of kalikasan, the Court resolved, without giving due course to the petition, to require the respondents to comment thereon within 10 days from notice of this resolution,’ the Court said.

The SC also required the petitioners to comply, within five days from notice of the resolution, with the requirement to submit proper verification pursuant to the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure, noting that the attentations in the petition are incomplete.

The Court’s order stemmed from the petition filed by lawyer Edna Selloriquez et al seeking to compel Marcos to exercise his control over various government agencies for the conduct of a massive clean-up of the environment.

They also asked the Court to direct the President to disclose or design the master plan for flood control in the country.

Likewise, the petitioners asked the SC to direct the Department of Interior and Local Government and local government units (LGUs) to conduct a comprehensive clean-up, clearing and de-clogging of silted rivers and streams, canals and embankments, drainage systems and other ways that contribute to the flooding problem.

The petitioners also said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should be compelled to complete the rehabilitation of these waterways.

They also criticized the corruption and negligence on the part of government officials who are supposed to enforce and implement flood control projects.

‘The havoc or mayhem created by either malfeasance, mis-feasance and non-feasance, as well as the absolute negligence and deliberate corruption of those who are supposed to dispense, enforce and implement projects and programs funded by taxpayers money are unconscionable and shocking to the senses of the global humanity,’ the petitioners said.

The petitioners also asked the Court to order the prosecution of those who took advantage of the country’s flawed flood control systems to accumulate ill-gotten wealth.

Aside from Marcos, named as respondents were the leaders of the House and the Senate, DPWH, DILG, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), River Basin Control Office (RCBO), all LGUs and all flood control project contractors.

A writ of kalikasan is a legal remedy available to a natural or juridical person, entity authorized by law, people’s organization, non-governmental organization (NGO), or any public interest group, on behalf of persons whose constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology is violated or threatened.

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has deployed more scholars through its Filipino Scholars and Interns on Nuclear Engineering (FISSION) program.

FISSION is an initiative aimed at cultivating Filipino expertise in the specialized field of nuclear engineering. There are seven engineers currently employed by Meralco and its power generation arm, Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) that are participating in the program-Rachelle Gesmundo-Varias, Regino Hibaler, Eljhon Capili, Keith Danae Suquib, Dennmarc Marcaida, Eljan Javellana and Raymund Grant Pagulong.

Capili and Suquib recently departed to study Master in Nuclear Engineering at Université Paris-Saclay in France, while Gesmundo-Varias and Hibaler already started Master of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering in Ontario Tech University in Canada. The remaining three scholars, Marcaida, Javellana and Pagulong, are heading to KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School in South Korea in the first quarter of 2026.

Similar to the pilot batch which involves five scholars who started their degrees in 2024 in University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the United States and Harbin Engineering University in China, the engineers will be sent to nuclear technology firms for their internship before returning to the Philippines to practice their degrees.

Through the FISSION program, Meralco Power Academy (MPA) intends to build a pool of highly skilled Filipino professionals who will play a key role in the country’s future nuclear energy development.

MPA has partnered with globally recognized academic institutions to allow scholars to gain access to cutting-edge nuclear laboratories, participate in research on small and micro modular reactors, and undergo internships with leading nuclear technology companies.

This aligns with Meralco’s broader Nuclear Energy Strategic Transition (NEST) program, the company’s flagship initiative to incorporate nuclear power into the Philippine energy mix as a long-term, low-carbon energy solution.

‘Through the FISSION program, we are investing in the future of energy by equipping Filipino engineers with the specialized knowledge and global experience needed in the country’s adoption of nuclear power.

This initiative reflects Meralco’s commitment to building a future-ready energy workforce and supporting the development of safe, secure, and sustainable nuclear energy for the Philippines,’ Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho said.

Construction firm EEI Corp. on Thursday said it is buying First Orient International Ventures Corp. (FOIVC) from KC Land Oriental Pacific Inc. (KLOPI) for P2.8 billion.

‘The acquisition of FOIVC is part of the company’s long-term growth strategy to evolve from a pure-play construction company into a fully integrated property and infrastructure developer,’ the company said.

‘The parties reached an agreement on the amount of the consideration by imputing a reasonable return on the acquisition by KLOPI of the shares from the previous shareholder.’

First Orient, whose current president is Kevin Kristopher K. Wong and chairman Caesar D. Wongchuking, is a domestic corporation currently engaged in the business of acquiring, using, improving, developing, selling, leasing and holding real estate property for investment and other purposes.

The company currently owns or has rights to 49 hectares of real estate property in Cavite.

Last year, the company recorded a net loss of P472.15 million a reversal of the previous year’s income of P541.29 million.

EEI said its diversification is designed to ‘leverage the company’s extensive construction expertise, robust project management capabilities, and established industry relationships.’

First Orient, whose current president is Kevin Kristopher K. Wong and chairman Caesar D. Wongchuking, is a domestic corporation currently engaged in the business of acquiring, using, improving, developing, selling, leasing and holding real estate property for investment and other purposes.

The company currently owns or has rights to 49 hectares of real estate property in Cavite.

Last year, the company recorded a net loss of P472.15 million a reversal of the previous year’s income of P541.29 million.

EEI said its diversification is designed to ‘leverage the company’s extensive construction expertise, robust project management capabilities, and established industry relationships.’

THE death toll in the magnitude 6.9 Offshore Northern Cebu Earthquake on September 30 has climbed to 76 while the number of affected population because of the 7.4 and 6.8 twin earthquakes near Manay, Davao Oriental, continues to increase as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology (Phivolcs) said more aftershocks of the doublet earthquake still rock the coastal town.

The number of affected families, damaged infrastructure, and houses continues to climb in both the Bogo City, Cebu, and Manay, Davao Oriental earthquakes, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported.

In its situation report released at 6:00 a.m. on October 16, the NDRRMC said the affected population continues to increase at 216,962 families or 748,025 persons.

The earthquake that also injured 559 others has affected a total of 260 barangays in 18 cities and municipalities in Cebu Province, the NDRRMC said.

So far, 11,874 aftershocks have been recorded by Phivolcs since the earthquake near Bogo, Cebu as of October 13.

Of these, 2,076 were plotted and 46 were actually felt. The magnitudes of these aftershocks range from 1 to 5.8.

The number of displaced persons also climbed to 21,616, and are sheltered in 17 evacuation centers.

The NDRRMC reported that 134,227 houses were damaged, of which 7,295 were totally destroyed, while 126,932 were partially damaged.

The number of damaged infrastructure as of the latest NDRRMC report has also climbed to 959.

So far, the estimated cost of assistance provided to affected communities has reached P401 million because of the Bogo, Cebu earthquake.

In the double earthquake near Manay, Davao Oriental, the NDRRMC said the number of affected families has now climbed to 272,701 or 1,188,366 persons in 600 barangays spread across 56 cities and towns in seven provinces.

Since the earthquake, aftershocks continue to rock Manay town. Phivolcs said it has recorded a total of 1,464 aftershocks, of which 706 were plotted and 19 were felt. The magnitudes of these aftershocks range from 1.2 to 5.8.

The NDRRMC said a total of 13,813 houses were damaged, of which 784 were destroyed, while 13,029 houses were partially damaged.

A total of 2,227 persons are currently sheltered in 11 evacuation centers.

The double earthquake has claimed the lives of eight people and injured 176 others.

NDRRMC said a total of 577 infrastructure were damaged, costing around P143 million.

The estimated cost of assistance provided to affected families is P 71,692,104, while the estimated cost of assistance provided to LGUs and Regional Agencies is P1,183,743.

Early recovery stage

CEBU province is now on the early recovery stage more than two weeks since a magnitude 6.9 earthquake jolted.

In a news conference, Regional Director Joel Erestain of the Office of Civil Defense Central Visayas (OCD-7), said that temporary shelters are being pepared for those who had lost their homes during the earthquake.

Erestain said the national government through the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the National Housing Authority together with the local governments and the private sector has established two ‘Bayanihan’ villages in San Remigio and Daanbantayan towns to serve as temporary homes.

A total of 64 modular smart homes were initially built in barangay Poblacion in San Remigio DHSUD Assistant Secretary Johnson Domingo said.

These temporary shelters measuring 18 square meters, are equipped with basic utilities such as water and power supplies.

Eva Maria Marfil, DHSUD Regional Director, said it will be the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that will serve as the camp manager.

Two other tent cities were established by the Philippine Red Cross in Bogo City and Medellin town.

DHSUD targets to also construct a similar Bayanihan village in other areas badly hit by the earthquake.

Initial assessment on damage to infrastructure has reached P6 billion but the OCD-7 regional director said this could still increase as they await the final report.

Rehabilitation phase will only begin once they received advise from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology that it is safe to do so.

‘Hindi pa recommended to start repairs since aftershocks are still being felt.if one to two weeks na walang mararamdaman then they recommend that we can start reconstructing,’ Erestain added.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has earmarked P3.3 billion to build an additional 300 drying systems nationwide by 2028 to reduce postharvest losses.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the rice processing systems (RPS) would address the country’s chronic lack of drying and milling facilities that continue to plague farmers.

The DA said the additional drying systems could raise rice drying capacity to as much as 40 percent during the wet season.

Such an increase could be ‘game-changing’ for a sector that loses up to 16 percent of potential yield due to postharvest inefficiencies, citing industry estimates.

‘This aggressive infrastructure build-out could mark a turning point for the country’s beleaguered rice industry,’ the DA said.

‘Postharvest losses, inefficiencies in the supply chain, and poor access to processing facilities have long eroded farmer income and inflated consumer prices.’

The RPS is implemented by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) mechanization program.

Under the first phase of RCEF, the government has established 151 RPS nationwide, 145 of which were completed under the current administration.

Currently, 118 RPS have been inaugurated, with the delivery, installation, and commissioning of the remaining 27 expected to be completed by yearend.

Under the amended Rice Tariffication Law, the amount earmarked for RCEF tripled to P30 billion from P10 billion until 2031 to fund the rice industry’s programs, such as farm mechanization.

The mechanization program is expected to provide free agricultural machinery to all rice-producing provinces while aiming to cut postharvest losses to as much as 8 percent from the current 5 percent.

Economists, however, warned that while RPS investments are a crucial milestone, broader reforms must follow, such as in land consolidation, irrigation development, and market access.

‘The Philippines has underinvested in postharvest systems for decades,’ Agriculture economist Noel Provido said. ‘This is a strong step forward, but structural issues in rice production can’t be solved by drying facilities alone.’

‘There must be parallel moves to ensure access to inputs, mechanization, and fair pricing mechanisms,’ he added.

Despite this, the DA chief stressed that the government is keen on setting the groundwork to bolster the country’s rice sector.

‘This is a legacy investment. One that finally gives our farmers the tools to compete and thrive,’ Tiu Laurel said.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), the delisted conglomerate, said its double-digit income growth will continue in the third quarter.

June Cheryl Cabal-Revilla, the company’s CFO, also said the company is now on acquisition mode as its debt levels is at its lowest at P60 billion.

‘Our verticals (companies) are all doing good and its a plus point that Maynilad (Water Services Inc.) will have its IPO [initial public offering]. And then the power business is doing well,’ Revilla said.

‘And the smaller ones are also, you know, contributing in a way. When before, they were like negatives. Like Landco (Pacific Corp), is now contributing. M-Well, we didn’t have a platform before. Now, it’s really like booming.’

MWell has recorded positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), but Revilla said the company would have been earning if not for the acquisition of Konsulta MD.

The company, she said had been asked to take mWell, or Metro Pacific Health Tech Corp., overseas, but they declined.

‘We said we’ll focus on the Philippines first because it’s where the country needs us the most. But there’s no stopping us from white labeling and wealth to other countries because they’ve never seen a fully integrated ecosystem in terms of healthcare.’

MPIC reported a 20-percent increase in consolidated core net income to P15 billion, during the first half of the year, compared to P12.5 billion for the same period last year.

Improved financial and operational performance across MPIC’s portfolio drove an 18 percent increase in contribution from operations to P17.5 billion, fueled by robust growth in Meralco’s power generation business, the implementation of higher tariffs at Maynilad and rising patient volumes across the Metro Pacific Hospitals network.

Among the company’s core businesses, Power continued to contribute the largest share at P11.2 billion or 64 percent of net operating income.

In comparison, water and toll roads contributed P3.8 billion and P3.3 billion, respectively, or 41 percent of net operating income.

‘Beyond financial performance, we are sharpening our focus on long-term value creation by scaling investments in areas where we can make the greatest impact-energy, food security, and inclusive infrastructure. The momentum is encouraging, and we intend to continue building on it,’ MPIC chairman, president and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

COMMISSION on Elections investigation into a contractor’s P300-million donation to the campaign of Sen. Francis Escudero in the 2022 polls continues despite his claim that the money came from a private fund.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said on Thursday that Escudero’s affidavit explaining the donation is not enough, since the poll body still has to determine if it violates provisions of election law.

‘At this point, not yet. That’s the reason why we sought an explanation from them-not just him but also the contractor involved, and later from others once confirmed by the [Department of Public Works and Highways],’ Garcia said, mostly in Filipino.

Escudero earlier maintained that the P300 million came from the personal funds of Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc.

According to Garcia, Escudero also stated that he ‘did not know and did not care’ whether the donation originated from a corporation.

The Comelec chief clarified that the senator is not being singled out, saying his case simply moved ahead of others because both he and the contractor publicly admitted to the donation.

‘This is not singling out. His case came first only because the contractor admitted during a House hearing that he is a government contractor who donatedP300 million, and Senator Chiz himself said in a press conference that he received a donation from that person,’ Garcia said.

In September, the Comelec transmitted to the DPWH a list of 54 campaign donors who were also contractors, asking the agency to verify if they had ongoing government projects when they contributed to political candidates in 2022.

Garcia said the DPWH has yet to respond to the request.

He added that Comelec’s Political Finance and Affairs Department has initially found nine contractors who donated during the 2025 midterm elections.

Their names will likewise be sent to the DPWH for verification.

Under Section 95 of the Omnibus Election Code, contractors and suppliers of government projects are prohibited from contributing, directly or indirectly, to any partisan political activity.

The ban also covers financial institutions except for legitimate loans, utilities, companies with government franchises or contracts, natural resource extractors, recipients of large government loans, publicly funded schools, civil service officials, members of the armed forces, and all foreigners and foreign corporations.

Both donors and recipients who violate the provision may face imprisonment of one to six years.