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The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will be releasing a total of P425 million in financial assistance to the hard-hit local government units (LGUs) in northern Cebu by the Sept. 30 magnitude 6.9 earthquake. It will be released through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).

The release of funds is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to provide immediate assistance to communities hit by the recent earthquake.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, in a statement, said the allocation included P150 million for the entire Province of Cebu and P75 million each for San Remigio, Bogo City, and Medellin-three of the hardest-hit localities.

Also, an additional P50 million will also be released to the Municipality of Borbon.

The Province of Cebu was placed under a state of calamity after Governor Pamela Baricuatro signed Executive Order No. 57, allowing faster access to emergency funds and the immediate implementation of rescue, relief, and rehabilitation measures.

Pangandaman assured the public that the national government has standby funds ready to support recovery and rehabilitation initiatives.

‘Our government is prepared. We have standby funds that can be tapped immediately to deliver assistance to those affected. In moments like this, government aid must never be delayed,’ she said.

In addition to the LGSF allocation, the DBM will also release P1.625 billion to replenish the Quick Response Funds (QRF) of key government agencies, with an aim to speed up aid and recovery efforts for the victims of recent calamities that hit the country.

These are the P625 million to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to support the prepositioning of relief goods and cash transfers for families in calamity-hit areas and P1 billion to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for infrastructure repair and rehabilitation.

The QRF is a standby fund that ensures immediate government response during disasters and emergencies.

The budget department said that as of October 2, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) still has P5.3 billion available to support broader rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts.

On the other hand, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) has also launched the ‘Dungan sa Pagbangon’ donation campaign to support the affected communities.

Funds raised will be used to provide shelter kits, hygiene kits, sleeping kits, toddler kits, and newborn kits during the relief phase, followed by recovery and rehabilitation efforts.

Meanwhile, the Cebu’s emergency response capacity received a boost with the turnover of 11 new ambulances from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) through the efforts of GM Mel Roble.

The ambulances were distributed to Mandaue City, Naga City, Lapu-Lapu City, Asturias, Alegria, Consolacion, and the Camotes Island municipalities of Poro and San Francisco as well as the municipalities of the island town of Madridejos, Tabogon and Tuburan.

‘This is another big step in strengthening our emergency response system, so we can reach more patients faster and save more lives when every second counts,’ said Cebu Provincial Health Consultant Elisse Nicole Catalan

The family of illustrator Kevin Eric Raymundo, popularly known online as Tarantadong Kalbo, are seeking donations after the artist was rushed to the hospital.

Kevin’s family gave an update on social media that the artist was urgently admitted last October 5 and was diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack.

The family informed that Kevin is receiving critical medical care however the medical bills are beginning to pile up.

“We’re calling for donations to ask for your support in helping cover the costs of medical treatment, lab tests and medicine, etc.,” Kevin’s family said.

“Your generosity and prayers are deeply appreciated. Maraming salamat!” the family ended.

According to Mayo Clinic, a transient ischemic attack is a short period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke.

It is caused by a brief blockage of blood flow to the brain, usually lasting only a few minutes without any long-term damage.

There are still precautions though as 1 in 3 people who suffer a transient ischemic attack eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the former.

Thus transient ischemic attacks are often called ministrokes, serving as warning of a future stroke and a chance to prevent it.

‘Often called a ministroke, a TIA can serve as both a warning of a future stroke and a chance to prevent it.’

Tarantadong Kalbo rose to fame for his satirical art on social media. Among his most popular creations is the “Tumindig” illustration drawn during the previous administration.

The Dasmariñas City Monarchs made short work of the Negros ICC Blue Hawks, 25-16, 25-11, 25-18, to stay unblemished in Week 3 of the 2025 Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) at the Alonte Gym in Biñan, Laguna.

Celine Marsh rifled in 12 points to lead the way as the NU-backed Monarchs solidified hold of pole position at 3-0 nearing the halfway mark of the first round.

Dasma also drew firepower from Joseline Salazar and Vange Alinsug with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Monarchs previously drubbed titlist Quezon Tangerines, 25-22, 25-23, 25-23, and Pasay Lady Voyagers, 25-13, 26-24, 25-20.

Owners of electric and hybrid vehicles with fake green plates will be apprehended, the police Highway Patrol Group clarified yesterday.

HPG director Col. Hansel Marantan has apologized after saying on Monday that energy-efficient vehicles plying major thoroughfares in Metro Manila would be inspected.

The number of motorists using counterfeit green plates to be exempt from the number coding scheme could become alarming if authorities do not intervene, Marantan said.

Under Republic Act 11697, the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, electric and hybrid cars are exempted from number coding for eight years, or until April 2030.

Legitimate green plate holders must secure a certification from the Department of Energy (DOE) for their vehicles, Marantan said.

Marantan has spoken with DOE spokesman Felix Wiliam Fuentebella and Land Transportation Office executive director Greg Pua Jr. about his earlier pronouncement.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is seeking additional funds for the holding of the first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in March next year.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia yesterday said the poll body has used up most of the P1.2 billion previously allotted for the BARMM election, which was recently postponed and moved from Oct. 13 to March.

He said P500 million ‘has been spent for the printing of official ballots that have gone to waste.’

‘We need additional budget equivalent to or higher than what has been spent to meet all expenses needed,’ Garcia said.

He said the Comelec also spent a part of the budget for the deployment and recall of all election paraphernalia.

The Comelec has yet to set the date of the BARMM election after the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional laws redistricting the autonomous region, effectively postponing the electoral exercises.

The high tribunal gave the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) until Oct. 30 to craft a new districting law.

Garcia said the Comelec would wait for the BTA to finish crafting the new districting law before setting the date of the election, which must be held not later than March.

He said the Comelec is closely coordinating with the BTA concerning updates on the crafting of the new Bangsamoro districting law.

President Marcos has awarded eight new petroleum service contracts (PSCs) worth around $207 million in a bid to ramp up local energy production and reduce the country’s oil import dependence.

The contracts cover exploration areas across Cagayan, Cebu, northwest Palawan, east Palawan, Central Luzon and the Sulu Sea, according to the Department of Energy.

The DOE said the new PSCs include the world’s first competitive bid round for native hydrogen alongside co-managed projects with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

‘These service contracts signify not only our determination to secure new energy sources but also our readiness to embrace innovation and sustainability while reducing import dependence,’ Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.

Among the successful bidders were the consortia led by tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan’s PXP Energy Corp.

PXP, along with The Philodrill Corp., Australia’s Triangle Energy (Global) Ltd. and United Kingdom’s Sunda Energy Plc, bagged PSCs 80 and 81 spanning 780,000 hectares and 532,000 hectares in BARMM, respectively.

These contracts are aimed at revitalizing petroleum exploration in the southern Sulu Sea to boost the local economy across BARMM and Mindanao.

Similarly, PXP and its partners Philodrill, Anglo Philippine Holdings Corp. and Forum Energy Philippines Corp. secured PSC 86 to explore 132,000 hectares in the northwest Palawan basin.

Furthermore, the government awarded PSC 82 – covering 480,000 hectares in Cagayan basin – to Triangle Energy and PSC 85 – spanning 127,475 hectares in onshore Cebu – to Gas 2 Grid Pte. Ltd.

In the east Palawan basin, Israel’s Ratio Petroleum Ltd. won PSC 87. This marks the company’s second contract in the Philippines following PSC 78, also in the same location.

For native hydrogen exploration in Central Luzon, the Marcos administration awarded PSC 83 and 84 totaling 211,727 hectares to Koloma Inc., a company based in the United States.

Following the landmark unveiling of these PSCs, the DOE said contractors may now start their respective work programs over a seven-year exploration period. These include geological and geophysical studies, seismic surveys and drilling activities.

‘From conventional petroleum to native hydrogen, we are expanding the frontiers of Philippine energy exploration,’ Garin added.

‘As we work with our partners in both the private sector and the BARMM, we move closer to our vision of a truly energy-secure and inclusive Philippines,’ she said.

Soldiers seized four B40 anti-tank rockets and two grenade projectiles that villagers found in an abandoned residential yard in Barangay Lagandang, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, on Wednesday, October 8.

Ordnance disposal experts from the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion, under Lt. Col. Tristan Vallescas, immediately brought the rockets and rifle-propelled grenades to a safe area for proper disposal.

Brig. Gen. Michael Santos, commander of the Army’s 603rd Infantry Brigade, told reporters on Thursday, October 9, that the operation that resulted in the confiscation of the explosives was assisted by members of the Joint Peace and Security Team.

The JPST is composed of soldiers, policemen, and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, together maintaining law and order in areas where there are MILF bastions.

Residents of Isulan, among them traditional Moro leaders actively supporting the anti-terror campaign of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, had told reporters that the anti-tank rockets and rifle grenades were left in Sitio Kimondo in Barangay Lagandang by members of the now-weakened Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

More than 300 members of the allied BIFF and Dawlah Islamiya, both fomenting hatred for non-Muslims and tagged in all deadly bombings in Central Mindanao since 2014, had surrendered in batches in the past three years to different units of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, which has jurisdiction over hinterland and seafront towns in Sultan Kudarat.

Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of the 6th ID, said on Thursday that they are thankful to the residents of Lagandang for reporting promptly to the 7th IB their discovery of the rockets and grenades in wooden boxes piled in a yard owned by a certain Mutin Ali, who reportedly relocated elsewhere earlier.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is planning to hand over nine airports in two separate packages to the private sector to complement its own efforts to improve regional gateways.

At the 2025 Philippine Aviation Summit, Transportation Undersecretary Jim Sydiongco said the DOTr is currently reviewing the bundled airport projects prepared by multilateral agencies.

The DOTr tapped the World Bank’s International Finance Corp. (IFC) to firm up a public-private partnership (PPP) framework for the Davao, Dumaguete and Siargao airports.

The DOTr also hired the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to work on a similar PPP project for the Laoag, Bicol, Busuanga, Bacolod, Tacloban and General Santos airports. Both IFC and ADB are signed as transaction advisers by the DOTr for the bundling of airport PPPs.

Once the projects are approved, they will be offered to the private sector via solicited bidding. In this process, the DOTr will set the bid parameters that parties have to consider when submitting their offers.

Under former transport chief Vince Dizon, the DOTr has employed a new approach when turning over airports to the private sector by packaging them into groups to raise their value.

Although the DOTr is eyeing to solicit offers for its airport bundles, this has failed to discourage private firms from coming up with their own proposals to take over gateways.

The Philippine Regional Airports Consortium, led by the Gokongwei and Gotianun clans, submitted a P16-billion offer to operate and maintain the Davao, Bicol and Siargao airports.

The DOTr is also evaluating unsolicited proposals for airport development. The Villars, for one, want to take over the operations and maintenance of the Iloilo and Puerto Princesa airports.

Right now, the DOTr is negotiating the terms of the P21.27-billion proposal of Villar-led Prime Asset Ventures Inc. (PAVI) to rehabilitate and expand the Iloilo International Airport. The DOTr is also waiting for PAVI to reconcile its paperworks for the P11.63-billion upgrade of the Puerto Princesa International Airport.

Sydiongco also confirmed that the DOTr has revoked the earlier proposal of Mega7 Construction Corp. to operate and maintain the Kalibo International Airport.

Sydiongco said there is a need for the DOTr to review the position of the airport in Kalibo given that air traffic in Aklan is concentrated in Caticlan, which leads to tourist haven Boracay.

From one Muhlach to another.

Young actor Andres Muhlach is joining the cast of upcoming production “Bagets the Musical” based on the popular 1984 film following five young boys as they navigate the trials and triumphs of adolescence.

He will take on the role of the “boy next door” character Adie as originated by his father, Aga Muhlach, alternating with fellow VIVA artist Mico Hendrix Chua.

Andres and Mico’s additions wrap up the previously announced cast members:

Noel Comia Jr. and Tomas Rodriguez as Gilbert (originated by Herbert Bautista)

Milo Cruz and Migo Valid as Tonton (originated by William Martinez)

Ethan David and KD Estrada as Arnel (originated by Raymond Lauchengco)

Jeff Moses and Sam Shoaf as Topee (originated by J.C. Bonnin)

Andres acknowledged in a statement how big “Bagets” remains to be, and being a part of it on top assuming Aga’s original is surreal.

The young actor even said that Aga was “super happy” for him gettinghis first major theater project, “He was also excited to see how I’m going to approach the character.”

Having just appeared in his film debut “Minamahal: 100 Bulaklak Para Kay Luna” opposite Ashtine Olviga, Andres feels more ready now than nervous after some thorough practice and workshops.

“It’s really about honing your talents,” Andres continued. “Once you start learning more about yourself and your abilities, it just makes you more motivated – to perform, improve, and keep getting better.”

Despite taking up his father’s famous role, Andres still wants to carve a path for himself, something the whole “Bagets” cast will be doing for themselves.

“What we put out isn’t because of what the original actors did, but because we want to create something worthy for today’s fans,” Andres added.

“Bagets the Musical,” a joint production of Viva Entertainment, The Philippine STAR and Newport World Resorts, will run at the Newport Performing Arts Theater from January to March 2026.

A groundbreaking P2 million purse – the richest in Philippine tennis history – will be up for grabs when the Gentry National Tennis Championships fires off tomorrow at the Colegio San Agustin in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

This landmark tournament not only raises the bar in terms of prize money and prestige, but also signals a major leap in support for Philippine tennis, drawing a full 64-player draw in the men’s Open singles division alone.

Headlining the star-studded field are the country’s top two players – AJ Lim and Eric Jed Olivarez – battling for supremacy and the whopping P300,000 champion’s prize. The runner-up receives P150,000.

The women’s singles draw is equally competitive.