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As Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro marked her first 100 days in office last October 8, there was also the issuance of Executive Order (EO) No. 59, creating the Provincial Animal Welfare Council (PAWC) to institutionalize programs on animal welfare, rabies control, and marine life conservation in Cebu Province.

The order establishes the PAWC as the primary policy-making, coordinating, and monitoring body for all animal welfare and marine conservation initiatives across the province.

It aims to promote sustainable governance that benefits both humans and animals.

Baricuatro said the creation of the council reflects her administration s long-term commitment to environmental protection and humane animal treatment.

Under EO No. 59, the PAWC will be chaired by the governor and vice-chaired by the provincial veterinarian, Dr. Mary Rose Vincoy.

Members include the chairman of the Provincial Board s Committee on Agriculture, currently Board Member Cesar Baricuatro, representatives from city and municipal Agriculture and Veterinary Offices, accredited animal welfare organizations, and a representative from a veterinary college.

The council is mandated to formulate and update policies and programs on animal welfare, rabies prevention, and marine life protection consistent with national and local standards.

It will also monitor the compliance of local government units with animal welfare laws, pound management, and vaccination programs.

A major component of the order is the conduct of sustained information and education campaigns on responsible pet ownership, rabies control, and marine conservation. These will be implemented through seminars, community outreach, and media campaigns led by the PAWC in coordination with animal welfare groups.

EO No. 59 also mandates the establishment of provincial animal and dog sanctuaries that will serve as shelters for rescued, impounded, or abandoned animals. The sanctuaries will be jointly managed by the provincial government and accredited organizations under the technical supervision of PAWC.

All LGUs are directed to maintain humane and properly managed dog pounds. The Provincial Veterinary Office, together with the PAWC, will conduct regular inspections and require quarterly compliance reports from local governments to ensure humane standards are met.

The executive order further strengthens rabies control measures through annual mass vaccination drives and a continuous spay-and-neuter program as part of humane population management. Funds will be allocated for vaccines, feeds, medicines, and other logistical needs to sustain these initiatives.

Beyond terrestrial animal welfare, the PAWC will also focus on marine conservation.

In partnership with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, DENR-BMB, DA-BFAR, and the Philippine Coast Guard, the council will enhance protection for marine species such as thresher sharks, marine mammals, and other threatened aquatic wildlife.

State seismologists said there is a significant increase in seismic activity at Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon.

According to the state seismology agency Phivolcs, the Bulusan Volcano Network recorded a total of 72 volcano-tectonic earthquakes since 12:00 a.m. on Oct. 11, 2025.

These quakes are indicative of rock fracturing and are occurring at shallow depths, specifically less than 10 kilometers beneath the volcano’s northern sector.

While Alert Level 1, or low-level unrest, is being maintained over Bulusan Volcano, the agency warned that there are now increased chances of steam-driven or phreatic eruptions occurring suddenly and without warning from the crater and/or its active vents on the summit.

Degassing activity from the active vents has been observed as ranging from very weak to weak.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission was recorded at an average of 31 tonnes per day on October 9, a figure that remains below the baseline of 200 tonnes per day, according to Phivolcs.

State seismologists reminded the local government and the public that entry into the four-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) must be strictly prohibited.

The agency also advised residents to exercise vigilance within the two-kilometer extended danger zone (EDZ) on the southeast sector due to hazards such as pyroclastic density currents, ballistic projectiles and ashfall.

Phivolcs further recommended that communities experiencing ashfall use protective gear, such as masks or wet cloths and pay special attention to vulnerable populations.

It also directed civil aviation authorities to instruct pilots to avoid flying near the volcano’s summit and urged residents along valleys and stream channels on the western sectors to remain vigilant against lahars and sediment-laden stream flows during heavy rainfall following an eruption.

Referee Tom Taylor has become the latest toast of the boxing world with big-ticket assignments in the recent Manny Pacquiao-Mario Barrios and Terence Crawford-Canelo Alvarez fights. He worked WBO/WBA minimumweight champion Oscar Collazo’s seventh round stoppage of Filipino challenger Jayson Vayson in Indio, California, a few weeks back.

Taylor said believe it or not, the Pacquiao-Barrios and Crawford-Alvarez bouts were two of the easiest contests he’s ever worked. ‘They’re four excellent fighters, clean, don’t do anything illegal, don’t hold,’ he said. ‘I’ve been blessed and honored to work those fights.»

Asked to single out the best fighters he’s been in the ring with, Taylor declined to name names. ‘I could still do fights involving some of them so it’s best to withhold comment at this time,’ he said. But Taylor remarked he was amazed by Pacquiao who at 46, held Barrios, 16 years younger, to a draw. ‘I think Manny’s still better than 75 percent of the guys out there,’ he said.

Regarding the Collazo-Vayson fight, Taylor said he asked the Filipino’s corner about the challenger’s condition thrice. ‘His seconds know him more than anyone and before the sixth, I asked Vayson if he was OK and he said yes,’ related Taylor. ‘When Vayson’s corner signaled to stop it, I did. Then, I went to the corner to congratulate them for doing what they did. It’s not often you see a corner protect their fighter before he gets badly hurt.’

Carlos Costa, who was in Vayson’s corner with chief second Allan Alegria and manager Brico Santig, said the decision to stop the fight was difficult but prudent. ‘We understand that the outcome may not have been what we hoped for but we stand by our decision to prioritize Jayson’s well-being,’ wrote Costa in a report to GAB chairman Francisco Rivera. ‘It is our sacred duty to care for him at all times. After the fight, Mr. Taylor approached Allan, Jayson and Brico, congratulating them for the timely and wise stoppage. He remarked, ‘I hope all corners do as you guys did . very well done.”

Taylor, who once appeared as a boxing referee in an episode of TV’s ‘Quantum Leap’ series, has been assigned to work in different promotions, an indication of his worth. Golden Boy, Top Rank, Premier Boxing Champions and DAZN were among the outfits that have tapped his services. ‘For over 30 years, I’ve been doing the same training routine to stay in shape,’ he said. ‘The toughest challenge I’ve faced is to stop a fight. I know a fighter won’t give up, fighting’s his livelihood, it puts food on the table for his family.’

The Presidential Communications Office is finalizing the process of donation of its property to a state university in Bukidnon, according to PCO Secretary Dave Gomez.

The property was originally intended as a training center for government information officers.

The construction of the Government Strategic Communications Academy (GSCA) was initiated by the Presidential Communications Operations Office, which was renamed PCO, under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian earlier flagged the PCO for tapping the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the construction of the project, saying it falls outside the core function of the PCO.

Gomez said he agrees with Gatchalian’s opinion. He gave assurance that the project would benefit government scholars at Northern Bukidnon State College.

‘The previous administration should not have engaged in such a public works project that falls outside our core responsibility,’ Gomez said.

Citing a 2024 report of the Commission on Audit (COA), Gatchalian said the PCOO entered into a contract with the DPWH in 2019 for the implementation of the second phase of the GSCA project worth P45.7 million.

He said a 2020-2023 report of the COA listed a similar project with a different amount of P79 million.

The project has no budget allocation for 2026 as the funds have been allotted for the completion of the remaining 10 percent of the facility, Gatchalian said.

‘We’ve already spent P124 million and the project is 90 percent complete. If we don’t finish this, it will become a white elephant,’ Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on finance, said.

As expected, the defense team of detained former president Rodrigo Duterte has filed an appeal for interim release after the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber I rejected their earlier request.

Duterte’s lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman confirmed that an appeal was filed ‘a week ago.’

The ICC on Friday released the public redacted version of the Sept. 26 decision denying the interim release request.

A copy of the defense appeal has yet to be released, but Kaufman described the tribunal’s decision ‘to be erroneous.’

He noted that the ruling rejected ‘unprecedented State guarantees for a debilitated and cognitively-impaired 80-year-old, (who has been) kept from the public eye for more than six months.’

In its 23-page decision, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I said Duterte should remain in detention to ensure that he would not obstruct or endanger the investigation and the proceedings.

It outlined why Duterte remains a flight risk and how he could pose a threat to potential witnesses.

The decision, signed by Judges Iulia Antoanella Motoc, Reine Ade?lai?de Sophie Alapini-Gansou and Mari?a del Socorro Flores Liera, also rejected the defense’s arguments that Duterte should be released on the basis of humanitarian conditions.

‘The Chamber notes that the Defense limits itself to argue that ‘Mr. Duterte is 80 years old and medical reports’ . without substantiating how detention is so detrimental that it justifies his release,’ read the ruling.

It stressed that Duterte enjoys the right to medical treatment while in detention, including access to a qualified medical officer with experience in psychiatry and a nurse assigned at the ICC Detention Center.

‘Nothing in the request indicates that this would not be sufficient to ensure that Mr. Duterte receives the appropriate medical attention and care in detention,’ the judges ruled.

The defense is claiming that Duterte is not fit to stand trial supposedly due to cognitive decline.

An independent assessment has yet to be conducted, with the judges saying that the documents presented by the defense ‘do not indicate how Mr. Duterte’s alleged physical condition or cognitive impairment negate the risks’ that would warrant the approval of his interim release plea.

Ruling welcomed

Among those who welcomed the ICC’s rejection of Duterte’s interim release plea is ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, who was imprisoned for several years for being a vocal critic of the ex-president.

‘That was quick. We welcome the rejection of the International Criminal Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber of Rodrigo Duterte’s request for interim release,’ De Lima said in a statement.

De Lima said the swift denial of Duterte’s plea for interim release is not a surprise.

‘The plea lacks support both in fact and in the Rome Statute. The ICC does not easily issue warrants of arrest without any inkling of the weight of the evidence,’ De Lima said.

In the case of Duterte, De Lima said the evidence is strong enough for the ICC to require his detention during trial.

‘Expectedly, as a no-nonsense court, the ICC will spare no sacred cows. It will not show favor to anyone, and will only listen to reason and side with what is just and right,’ De Lima noted.

Meanwhile, human rights groups were also delighted with the denied interim release plea.

‘The ICC’s ruling affirms what victims, families and human rights advocates have long known: that Duterte continues to have the means, motive and network to evade justice and obstruct the judicial process,’ the Duterte Panagutin Network said.

‘Allowing him temporary freedom would not only embolden impunity but also place at risk families of victims of his drug war who courageously continue to speak out and testify,’ it added.

ICC Assistant to Counsel Kristina Conti, who represents some of the drug war victims, said the decision ‘shows a fair amount of trust and respect for victims, often overlooked in international law, and a balanced consideration of arguments of the suspect/accused.’

‘The decision on interim release is mollifying, but at the same time acutely reminds us of how influential the Dutertes still are,’ she noted.

‘But with the detention of Duterte the mastermind in the Netherlands, we expect victims and witnesses of the ‘war on drugs’ here in the Philippines to be more emboldened to participate. Perhaps, the victims of all his other crimes as well,’ Conti added.

Mum for now

In Davao Oriental, Vice President Sara Duterte refused to comment on the denial of his father’s interim release plea.

‘I will hold my comment in the ICC case as we need to empathize with the victims of the earthquake and sympathize with those who suffered deaths,’ she said in an ambush interview in Mati City.

The Vice President also refused to comment on the present condition of her father as well as the slashed budget for the Office of the Vice President for 2026.

‘Let us prioritize the victims of the calamities. I will give my comments in the next few days,’ she said.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned in Santa Ana, Manila has denied the claim of Mayor Isko Moreno that the city government funded the roofing and retrofitting of the church.

‘The current roofing retrofitting here in our church is funded by our generous benefactors and is not funded by the city government,’ the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned said on Facebook.

Moreno cited the retrofitting of the church as among his accomplishments in his first 100 days in office.

‘We are confused by an entry in the Mayor’s report for his first 100 days in office, specifically the accomplishment entitled, ‘Pagsasaayos ng Sta. Ana National Shrine.’ As far as the church administration knows, the local government of Manila currently has no projects or activities related to the (retrofitting),’ the church said.

The Sta. Ana National Shrine asked Moreno to clarify the issue.

‘The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned has been and will always be in alignment with the goals and aspirations of the city government when it comes to cultural endeavors and safeguarding the free exercise of religion in the city. We request that the city government clarify the statement in our good Mayor’s 100-day accomplishment report related to our church, as it has caused confusion among our parishioners and the Manila constituents as a whole,’ the church added.

Daniella Uy returns to familiar territory this week, hoping to rekindle the magic that brought her a memorable two-shot triumph at the ICTSI Del Monte Championship two years ago.

With both course familiarity and a championship pedigree on her side, the Taiwan tour campaigner is not just looking to score a repeat beginning Tuesday, October 14 – she’s also determined to redeem herself from a disappointing finish in the last leg of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

Coming off a strong third-place finish in Bacolod, Uy had entered the Negros Occidental stop with momentum and high expectations. But a jittery opening-round 74 stalled her title push early. Though she recovered with a solid 70 in the second round, another 74 in the final round saw her settle for sixth – a result that fell short of her own standards.

Now back at Del Monte Golf Club, where her precision and poise previously earned her the top prize in 2023, Uy is out to rediscover her best form. However, the road to another victory promises to be steep, as a formidable field packed with proven winners and in-form challengers stands in her way.

Leading that charge is Florence Bisera, who has emerged as one of the hottest players on tour. After a come-from-behind victory at Marapara, Bisera took her winning ways abroad, clinching a breakthrough win at the Thai LPGA Masters last month. With her confidence at an all-time high, the Davaoeña ace looms as the biggest threat to Uy’s repeat bid.

Adding to the intensity are Mafy Singson and Chanelle Avaricio – both former LPGT leg champions hungry to bounce back from sub-par showings in Negros. Their experience, firepower and hunger for redemption all but guarantee a tightly contested battle at the mountain-top layout.

The P1-million event, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., also sees a strong showing from Mindanao-based talents. Martina Miñoza, Velinda Castil, Pamela Mariano and amateur standout Zero Plete aim to cash in on their local knowledge in pursuit of a breakthrough performance. Their familiarity with the elevation changes and tight fairways of Del Monte could prove to be a key advantage.

The tournament, a 54-hole test of shot-making and mental resilience, also kicks off a three-tournament Mindanao swing. With Order of Merit points up for grabs, frontrunners are eager to strengthen their positions ahead of the season-ending Match Play Championship next month at The Country Club.

Following Del Monte, the tour heads to the Apo Golf Classic in Davao from October 21-24, then to South Pacific Golf and Residential Estates from October 28-31 for the final leg of the swing.

Also in the title hunt are former leg winners Sarah Ababa, Chihiro Ikeda and Harmie Constantino – all of whom are looking to rebound from recent lackluster performances.

Marvi Monsalve, on the other hand, returns to LPGT action and seeks to make her comeback count with a strong showing.

Tiffany Lee, still searching for the form she flashed during a promising pro debut at Splendido Taal last year, will look to end her run of inconsistent results with a breakthrough performance. Meanwhile, a determined group of dark horses, including Kayla Nocum, Angela Mangana, Leslie Icoy, Rev Alcantara, Gretchen Villacencio, Apple Fudolin, Kristine Fleetwood, Korean hopeful Eunhua Nam and veteran Eva Miñoza, round out a deep and competitive field, each seeking to make their mark over the three-day event.

For Uy, the mission is clear: tap into her winning formula at Del Monte, block out the distractions, and rise above one of the strongest fields of the season. With a point to prove and a title to defend, all eyes will be on whether she can summon the composure and consistency that once made her queen of this course.

Who’s afraid of ADHD?

Well, perhaps me, a little bit. This era of phones and screens and sound bites and instant gratification has made me one heck of an impatient customer. Trust me to imagine a dozen ways for service staff to serve faster. I simply cannot wait – and now I fear I’m being led down this irreversible course of irate customer-hood because of ADHD.

But wait, is that ADHD in truth?

Or perhaps, it’s the troubling incidents where I’m less likely to finish tasks. I open the phone, intending entirely to do something, and then I see a notification or an advert, and I chase the rabbit until I am irreversibly lost. As in, I forget why I even picked up my phone to begin with. Is that ADHD? Or simply aging?

Perhaps it’s time to call in the pros. An organization that tackles ADHD head on. One that has been doing precisely this for the past 25 years. And oh –this month is their month, with a national conference slated to be held in Pasig, and to be opened by no less than mayor extraordinaire Vico Sotto.

That’s the AD/HD Society in the Philippines, an all-volunteer non-profit NGO that has done many wonderful things (or so I am assured) for not just persons with ADHD, but also their families. And their professional teams. And other advocates. So much so that in 2015, former president Benigno S. Aquino (remember him? that fantastic leader who wasn’t corrupt?) conferred accolades on the group during the Apolinario Mabini Awards.

Conference chairman Jojo Villaereal-Nepomuceno proclaims ‘ADHD is commonly viewed as a challenge. This year, we want to spotlight the silver linings-the strengths, energy, and innovative spirit that individuals with ADHD bring to families, classrooms, and communities.’ And if I were naughty, I would hazard the guess that the ‘silver lining’ theme comes from the fact that this is their 25th year.

So perhaps, I need this group. According to my reliable research tool, a.k.a. Google, excessive screen time can exponentially increase the risk of developing symptoms of ADHD, or actually worsen the symptoms. Harvard says so, Oxford says so, and the American Medical Association says so, more or less.

The conference slated on the 18th (with Mayor Vico, don’t forget) will feature success stories (we love them) and expert panels, especially as it relates to education and mental health.

One area which they probably have been hammering home since the beginning: the myths. Those commonly-held misconceptions that we carry with us, branding kids who may have ADHD, and perhaps, harming them without us even realizing it.

Myths like, only boys get ADHD. Well, girls could be operating under that same disability. And since regular folks might think girls don’t carry this burden, they don’t get the proper diagnosis and treatment for it, since their symptoms are quieter. Girls daydream and are disorganized, while boys manifest by becoming disruptive.

Or a myth like, people with ADHD can’t focus. They can –they just like focusing on more exciting things than the everyday humdrum stuff. They hyperfocus –which is why the focus of their attention needs to be managed.

Or maybe even, the myth that we just need to encourage those with ADHD to try harder, and things will work out fine. It’s just willpower, after all. That myth might be more insidious, as ‘just trying harder’ might not be the solution, but expert care is.

All of these myths can be tackled in greater detail through the auspices of this fantastic society, and perhaps, during the national conference. As usual, private initiative has trumped government efforts, and we need to recognize the many individuals who have contributed in many different ways to the greater good. That’s the motivation behind the non-political column today, although the good mayor of Pasig still managed to sneak in.

One myth that’s disappointing –ADHD is just trendy.

It’s not? Maybe I don’t have ADHD after all.

Policemen seized P1.7 million worth of shabu from a peddler killed in a shootout during an entrapment operation in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, on Saturday, October 11.

Local executives and senior members of the multi-sector Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Peace and Order Council said on Sunday, October 12, that 25-year-old Saidamin Saban Esmail died immediately from bullet wounds sustained in the gunfight.

They told reporters that anti-narcotics operatives from the Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police Station, led by their chief, Lt. Col. Esmael Madin, were to frisk and detain Esmail and his two companions after selling to them 250 grams of shabu, costing P1.7 million, near the campus of a state university in the center of the municipality, but they pulled out pistols and opened fire, sparking an encounter.

More than 10 large-scale shabu dealers had been arrested in separate entrapment operations since June in different barangays in Datu Odin Sinsuat, which is close to Cotabato City, the seat of the regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Esmail’s companions, initially identified only as Mursid and Kadir, scampered away after policemen felled him with pistol shots in the clash that they provoked. They are now both the subject of an extensive manhunt by personnel of the municipal police and barangay officials.

Brig. Gen. Jayson De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters on Sunday that the entrapment operation laid by Madin and his subordinates, which resulted in the seizure of P1.7 million worth of shabu from Esmail, was supported by the mayor of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Abdulmain Abas, and Vice Mayor Bobsteel Sinsuat.

De Guzman said the 250 grams of shabu confiscated during the operation that went awry shall be subjected to procedural examination and documentation by experts in a police forensic unit in Cotabato City, less than 40 kilometers away from the town center of Datu Odin Sinsuat.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has released P139.4 million in quick response funds (QRF) to fast-track the repair and rehabilitation of schools in Masbate damaged by Severe Tropical Storm Opong last month.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday said that DepEd accelerated the release of the QRF to immediately deliver help where it is needed.

He said that previously, the process of releasing the QRF took two years to complete.

‘We cannot wait for two years for help to arrive. Once a school is damaged, the action should be fast to mitigate the effects of the calamity to students,’ Angara said.

He said that validation and damage assessments are also ongoing in schools in Cebu and Davao Oriental, which were recently struck by powerful earthquakes.

Angara was in Davao Oriental yesterday to assess the impact of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake and to oversee DepEd’s rapid response operations.

He committed to strengthen DepEd’s internal engineering capacity to support national and local efforts for the quick recovery of affected areas.