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Following a missile attack by Houthi rebels on the Netherlands-registered marine vessel in the Gulf of Aden, ten Filipino crew members were successfully repatriated on Saturday, October 4, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

In an update on Sunday, October 5, the DMW said the ten Filipino crew members of MV Minervagracht arrived on October 4 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac personally met the repatriated seafarers, who arrived aboard Air France Flight No. 224, ensuring they immediately received government support.

‘Sisiguruhin namin ang maayos na delivery ng inyong mga benepisyo at karapatan. Bukod dito, nag-aalok din ang pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng DMW ng mga serbisyong pangkalusugan, kabilang ang physical at mental health support at psychosocial counseling, upang madagdagan ang tulong na ibinibigay ng inyong licensed manning agency,’ Cacdac said.

(We will ensure the proper delivery of your benefits and entitlements. Furthermore, the government, through the DMW, also offers health services, including physical and mental health support and psychosocial counseling, to supplement the aid provided by your licensed manning agency.)

In addition to health and mental wellness support, the seafarers received financial aid collaboratively provided by the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, as well as training vouchers from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The repatriation was facilitated through the collaborative work of the Philippine Embassy in Ankara, the Philippine Consulate General in Istanbul, Migrant Workers Offices, and the licensed manning agency and its local agent in Istanbul.

MV Minervagracht was at sea when it came under attack 120 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s port city of Aden on September 29.

According to reports, the vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile and subsequently caught fire.

Reports also said rescuers successfully saved the ship’s 19 crew members, who included Russian, Ukrainian, Filipino and Sri Lankan nationals.

In the systematic theft of public funds, practically all government services suffer.

Those trillions in tax money estimated to have gone down the corruption drain could have expanded public health coverage. Health professionals could have been provided higher pay, preventing them from seeking greener pastures overseas. There could be fewer children growing up physically and mentally stunted due to lack of food and proper nutrients.

Several billions could have built roads maintained by the government and needing no payment of stiff tolls, particularly within traffic-choked Mega Manila. Farm support services including post-harvest and cold chain facilities as well as farm-to-market roads could have been implemented.

Public safety could have been boosted and minimum credible defense capability achieved.

And yes, greater investment in education and innovation could have been made. There would be no backlog of 165,000 classrooms, a teacher shortage of at least 30,000, and a continuing inadequacy of practically all supplies and facilities including clean water in the public school system.

Last Friday, teachers across the country walked out of their classes to protest against the corruption on a grand scale that is now being laid bare. The walkout was staged ahead of World Teachers’ Day today.

The global theme of this special day, co-convened by UNESCO, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Labor Organization and Education International, is ‘recasting teaching as a collaborative profession.’

In the Philippines, however, because of recent developments, the focus of the special day inevitably is on corruption and its pernicious impact on education.

Seeing those massive piles of cash stolen from the people, which supposedly went to the kickbacks of crooked public officials, hearing public works engineers blowing millions in casinos, and watching contractors flaunting ill-gotten wealth have triggered widespread public outrage.

The still unfolding scandal over corruption in the budget process and flood control is giving the nation a clearer picture of the quality of political representation in this country.

Making informed choices in elections is critical in good governance and strong democratic institutions. For the younger generations, making informed choices will depend a great deal on the quality of education, in which teachers obviously play a critical role. Greater investment in education, including teachers’ welfare, is one of the best foils against corruption.

The government has waived the auction requirement for the Philippines’ first commercially developed nuclear power plant (NPP), allowing it to directly forge supply deals with distribution utilities (DUs).

In a landmark move, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin signed a department circular establishing a comprehensive framework for the integration of nuclear energy into the country’s power generation mix.

Under the circular, DUs are required to ensure a ready market for the available capacity of the pioneer nuclear power plant (NPP), which will be exempt from the conduct of a competitive selection process (CSP).

The CSP is a government-mandated bidding mechanism that requires DUs and electric cooperatives (ECs) to procure their power supply from generation companies offering the most cost-effective rates.

Consumer group National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms Inc. (Nasecore), however, expressed ‘grave concern’ on the CSP exemption of the pioneer NPP.

‘This provision is blatantly contrary to law and jurisprudence,’ Nasecore president Pete Ilagan said in a statement sent to The STAR, saying the move violates the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) and the Supreme Court rulings on CSP.

By allowing the power supply procurement without a CSP, Ilagan said the Department of Energy would ‘effectively (deny) consumers their legal right to least-cost power and undermine the regulatory safeguards that EPIRA established.’

Nasecore also warned that implementing the provision could lock consumers into costly long-term contracts and weaken transparency and public trust in the energy sector.

For the power supply contracts, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is mandated to establish a minimum 25-year term starting from the pioneer NPP’s commercial operation, with an option to extend for another 25 years.

‘Consumers deserve a power supply that is safe, lawful, affordable and procured through open and transparent bidding – not imposed by executive fiat,’ Ilagan said, urging Congress and the Judiciary to strike down the provision.

Energy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan, meanwhile, told The STAR the least-cost principle for nuclear integration could still be maintained even in the absence of competitive bidding.

‘Our (circular) provides that the ERC has to determine and promulgate a rate determination mechanism that will ensure viability of nuclear power generation, especially the pioneer project that may be contracted by DUs/ECs,’ Marasigan said.

‘The price-setting rules and guidelines will also consider the consumers,’ he said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has received two air quality monitoring units from the Republic of Korea as part of the Clean Air for Sustainable ASEAN (CASA) Project.

The turnover coincided with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and Seoul National University (SNU), formalizing South Korea’s technical assistance to the country.

The ASEAN funds the CASA Project and will run from 2025 to 2026.

The two air quality monitoring units will be deployed in Pasay City and Quezon City to measure key pollutants such as PM2.5 and ozone.

These stations will expand the EMB’s air quality monitoring network and provide real-time data to support national and regional environmental programs.

According to the DENR, the upgraded monitoring capacity will help formulate targeted interventions to address air pollution sources, particularly in densely populated urban centers.

The agreement was signed by DENR Assistant Secretary Jacqueline Caancan and SNU Graduate School of Public Health Professor Kiyoung Lee.

‘By bringing together scientific research and international teamwork, the CASA Project will create better data and monitoring systems, laying the groundwork for smarter, evidence-based policies,’ Caancan said.

Longtime Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association (CEPCA) President Engr. Jerry B. Maratas and his colleagues from the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP)-Disaster Mitigation Preparedness and Response (DMPR) team extended assistance through their line of work to the earthquake-hit areas in northern Cebu.

Maratas, who heads the oldest existing chess organization outside of Manila for 12 years now, made up the first wave of volunteer civil and structural engineers who responded to the appeal of Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival for safety inspection and rapid assessments of buildings and public facilities across the City of Bogo and its neighboring towns that were rattled by the powerful tremor last September 30.

Maratas, a recognized specialist in structural engineering by the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) and a Life Member of ASEP, was joined by engineers Edzel Abastar, Joseph Abellar, Don Acaylar, John Agrabio, Rodolfo Chua, Pedro Adonis Compendio, Ariel de la Cruz, Ramon Gitamondoc, Randy Gopaoco, Wallace Lestano, Mike Manlangit, Joel Paragatos, James Quidilla, Godfrey Ruiz, Leonor Salazar, and Charlon Sollano in lending their expertise to the affected communities.

The founding CEO of Jemar Engineering Services and Celjem Construction and Development Corporation and his colleagues documented the damaged structures and conducted rapid visual screening, initial safety tagging, and referrals for detailed evaluation, prioritizing hospitals, schools, bridges, churches, government offices, and other high-occupancy sites in the service of those in need at this challenging time.-

Severe Tropical Storm Paolo has exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and is now moving west-northwestward across the South China Sea, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported yesterday.

As of 5 p.m. on Oct. 4, Paolo packed maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 135 kph while moving at 25 kph toward the west-northwest.

PAGASA said the storm may intensify into a typhoon before making landfall over southern China.

No tropical cyclone wind signal is in effect in any part of the country, as Paolo is already far from the Philippine landmass.

However, its circulation continues to enhance the southwest monsoon, bringing cloudy skies with scattered rains and possible localized flooding over Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Zambales and Bataan.

The rest of the country, including Metro Manila, is expected to experience generally fair weather with warm mornings and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening.

From today until midweek, most parts of Luzon are forecast to have fair weather with partly cloudy skies and isolated thunderstorms. No significant weather system is expected to bring heavy rains during this period.

In the Visayas and Mindanao, warm and humid mornings are expected from Monday to Wednesday, with chances of rainshowers or thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening.

By Tuesday, the southwest monsoon may bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Palawan, the Visayas and parts of Mindanao.

Another large stash of shabu with an estimated street value of P6.08 billion was seized in an anti-narcotics operation in this town on Friday night.

The raid on a property in Barangay Laois was a follow-up to a sting conducted on Thursday afternoon along Olongapo-Bugallon Road in the nearby town of Bugallon, where shabu with an estimated street value of P850 million was seized, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

PDEA chief Isagani Nerez said up to 895 kilos of shabu stashed in tea bags with Chinese markings and placed in 40 large sacks were found in a warehouse in Labrador.

Nerez said several sacks of shabu were also found in a Toyota Grandia van and Toyota Innova parked in the area, indicating the illegal substance was about to be transported to other areas when the raiding team arrived.

The anti-narcotics operation in Bugallon also resulted in the arrest of a Chinese national identified only as ‘Monkey,’ 40, and his Filipino accomplice.

Nerez said the suspects provided information that led PDEA agents to a property in Labrador where the sacks of shabu were found.

The PDEA expressed belief that an international drug syndicate was behind the entry of shabu in Bugallon and Labrador.

Nerez has formed a joint team composed of PDEA agents and police officers to trace the origin of the illegal substance and determine its potential link to international drug syndicates.

He said the registered owners of the vehicles and the property where the sacks of shabu were discovered would be investigated.

The P6.08-billion shabu was one of the largest illegal drug hauls by the PDEA in Northern Luzon in recent years, Nerez said.

He attributed the success of the operation to the close coordination among the PDEA, Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, National Bureau of Investigation and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars outsmarted the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats, 76-63, to barge into the win column of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 25 basketball tournament on Friday, October 3, at the Cebu Coliseum.

Fritz Gonzales posted 16 points and two rebounds while Christian Carl Sollano tossed in 14 points on a spectacular 7-of-8 shooting from the field with 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block to help the Jaguars recover from back-to-back defeats.

The Jaguars trailed by six, 24-30, late in the second period, but unleashed a fierce offensive in the second half to send the Wildcats reeling towards their third loss in four games.

Still down 30-32 at the break, the Jaguars suddenly waxed hot and pounded the unsuspecting Wildcats, 36-16, bridging the third and fourth quarters to surge ahead by as much as 18 points, 66-48, in the final five-minute mark.

Serafin Duarte was the lone double-digit scorer for the Wildcats with 12 points on top of five boards, four assists, two steals, and two blocks.

In the high school level, the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) Baby Webmasters used a sizzling 30-7 start to dominate the San Carlos School of Cebu (SCSC) Baby Warriors, 81-70.

Dan Mitchell Ferraren spearheaded UCLM’s balanced attack with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Noe Lingoste tallied 16 markers, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals, Rafael Calo added 15 points, six rebounds, one assist, and three steals while Wade Adam Luche contributed 13 points, six rebounds, one assist, and three steals as UCLM improved to 2-1.

Neil Ashley Ibarita paced the Baby Warriors with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists, and five steals. Joshua Pilapil registered a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds with two assists and three steals while Heath Lauren Macapil and John Khino Buslon combined for 25 points and 15 rebounds but their efforts proved futile as the young Carolinians remained winless in four st

At least 33 individuals were arrested and P1.83 million worth of suspected shabu was confiscated during a series of anti-illegal drug operations conducted across Central Visayas from October 3 to 4, according to the Police Regional Office-7.

In a 24-hour span, law enforcement operatives intercepted a total of 269.25 grams of suspected shabu.

The largest haul was recorded in Barangay Catarman, Liloan, Cebu, where authorities seized approximately 150 grams of shabu valued at P1.02 million.

The illegal drugs were recovered from a high-value target apprehended through a joint operation by the Liloan Municipal Police Station, the Provincial Intelligence Unit, and the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit.

PRO-7 reported that Cebu Province accounted for the bulk of the seizures, with P1,076,712 worth of narcotics. This was followed by Bohol Province with P376,040, Cebu City with P184,688, Mandaue City with P173,740, and Lapu-Lapu City with P19,720.

PRO-7 Regional Director Police Brigadier General RedricoMaranan commended the participating police units for their continued efforts in combating illegal drugs.

‘Every gram of shabu seized means a life rescued from the chains of addiction. Our men and women will not pause even in times of calamity because the people of Central Visayas deserve safe and drug-free communities,’ Maranan said.

Despite ongoing relief and clearing operations in areas affected by the recent 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Northern Cebu, PRO-7 assured the public that its anti-drug campaign remains active.

San Juan made history after emerging as grand winner in the highly urbanized city category for Best Tourism-Oriented local government unit (LGU) – the highest honor during the 26th Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines Pearl Awards on Oct. 2 here.

The annual ATOP Pearl Awards recognize outstanding practices, innovations and initiatives of local government units that significantly contribute to the promotion and development of Philippine tourism.

Mayor Francis Zamora, during his acceptance remarks, invited tourism officers to visit San Juan and experience its famed hospitality and historical trail as he congratulated all the winners.

‘I am proud to see our tourism officers working hand in hand to promote Philippine tourism and highlight the unique beauty and strength of each LGU,’ said Zamora who also serves as president of the Metro Manila Council.

Over a thousand tourism officers from towns and provinces as well as from component, independent and highly urbanized cities participated in the event that celebrates the best in Philippine tourism governance and innovation.

The Association of Tourism Officers-National Capital Region bagged the Best Tourism Organization (Regional Level), affirming the collective strength and leadership of Metro Manila’s tourism sector.

Also declared grand winners are Las Piñas for Best Tourism Promotion Video, Muntinlupa for Best Institutionalized Culture and Arts Program, and Pasig for Best Practices on Sustainable Tourism.

Quezon City bagged the Best Event Hosting: International Event and Best Tourism Event: Religious Festival awards.