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Survivors of the Oct. 2 fire in Barangay 17 here prepare meals and sort through donated clothes under the Maharlika Bridge on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

The families, displaced after a fire gutted dozens of houses last week, have found temporary refuge beneath the bridge as they await relocation assistance from the city government.

The City Mayor’s Office on Monday, October 6, distributed the first batch of donations collected under the ‘Tabang Kauban’ drive to fire victims in Barangay 17. Chief of Staff Sheila Lumbatan and Secretary to the Mayor Xysclyn Faith Lumbatan led the distribution, assisted by acting City Information Officer Jade Adeser and other City Hall personnel.

The team handed the donations to Barangay 17 chairperson Anthony Atterviry at the evacuation site.

The donation drive gathered rice, pre-loved clothes, blankets, hygiene kits, canned goods, noodles, biscuits, ready-to-eat meals, flashlights, first-aid kits, and pillows for affected residents. ‘We’re deeply thankful to everyone who has extended help,’ Sheila Lumbatan said. She added: ‘This first wave of donations shows the strong spirit of community and solidarity among Kagay-anons.’

The City Mayor’s Office continues to collect donations at the City Hall mini-park from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Donors are encouraged to give school supplies, handheld fans, brand-new underwear, slippers, diapers, and children’s food, which officials said are still lacking at the evacuation site.

According to the City Social Welfare and Development Department (CSWD), at least 279 residents were affected by the fire. Mayor Rolando Uy assured that the city government, through CSWD, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department, and the City Mayor’s Office, is doing everything to provide continued assistance.

‘Our priority is to help the families get back on their feet as soon as possible. We will not stop until every affected household receives the support they need,’ Uy said.

NLEX bucked the absence of Robert Bolick to pull off a come-from-behind 85-84 victory over defending champion San Miguel Beer on Wednesday at Ynares Center here.

Jonnel Policarpio, JB Bahio, Brandon Ramirez and Kevin Alas were among those instrumental in the Road Warriors’ fightback from a double-digit deficit that spoiled the start of the Beermen’s quest to repeat in the league’s centerpiece conference. The Road Warriors won as a fitting tribute to Bolick, who flew to the United States to mourn the loss of his father.

Policarpio and Ramirez scored 16 points apiece, Alas put up 13 points, five rebounds and two assists while Bahio added 12 points and 12 rebounds.

NLEX withstood the last-ditch attempts by San Miguel to avoid defeat, led by Don Trollano, who scored 17 in 24 minutes. Trollano’s four-pointer trimmed the gap to a point. He had a chance to win it for San Miguel after Bahio missed both free throws.

However, Trollano made an ill-advised pass instead of a potential game-winner as time expired.

June Mar Fajardo, fresh off getting his ninth Most Valuable Player, put up 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Beermen.

The 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International coronation night kicked off on Wednesday night, Oct. 8 with the parade of 43 delegates in unique ensembles in shades of red and yellow.

The candidates turned up the heat at the Cebu Coliseum, earning cheers from the audience at the venue. They were accompanied on stage by Miss Asia Pacific International 2024 second runner-up Selena Ali.

Prior to the candidates’ introduction and stage performance, a safety announcement that included reminders of what to do in case of emergencies including earthquake and fire was made. This was following the 6.9-magnitude quake that affected the pageant’s Benefit Gala Night last Sept. 30.

The Philippines is being represented by Anita Rose Gomez of Zambales.

Meanwhile, reigning queen Janelis Leyba from the United States opted to return home to her home country after experiencing trauma following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu last Sept. 30, which took the life of over 70 persons and left a trail of destruction all over the province.

After the opening number, and prior to the announcement of special awards, a moment of silence was offered for victims of the earthquake. A video was then shown where the candidates could be seen helping out packing relief goods and giving them to displaced families.

Pageant organizers gave roses to each of the delegates as a token of appreciation, bringing India and Indonesia bets to tears. According to host Marc Nelson, the roses symbolize love, resilience and rebirth.

The death of a participant during the 50-kilometer Mt. Magdiwata Ultra Trail Run 2025 last October 5 has drawn mixed reactions online, with friends and fellow runners raising questions over the event’s safety protocols even as the organizers maintained that it was carefully planned and properly coordinated.

In a statement posted on its official social media page, the San Francisco Water District (SFWD), the main host of the 2025 event, said the trail run had been ‘carefully planned and coordinated with the concerned local authorities, medical teams, and support personnel’ to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.

‘However, despite all safety measures in place, unforeseen circumstances occurred that were beyond anyone’s control,’ the organizers said. Friends of the fallen runner Jesse James Manatad, in their reaction to the organizer’s post, have called for transparency and a review of the safety measures at the Mt. Magdiwata Ultra Trail Run, clarifying that their questions were not meant to criticize but to help improve future events.

Already withdrew from race

They cited reports that the participant had already withdrawn from the race due to exhaustion, but was still made to walk several kilometers down the trail before collapsing. They also noted the absence of medics at one of the most difficult sections and the challenges rescuers faced navigating the terrain, which allegedly delayed response time.

The group also questioned the lack of qualification checks for first-time ultra runners and raised concerns over trail marking lapses. ‘With all these, can we still say the event was carefully planned?’ they asked, urging organizers to strengthen safety protocols and ensure faster emergency response in future trail runs. But Elmer Luzon, SFWD general manager, clarified that the incident was managed with urgency, cooperation, and adherence to the established safety protocols.

‘The rapid coordination between the race organizers, medical teams, the San Francisco Emergency Response (SAFER) team of the Municipal Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Red Cross ensured timely intervention and appropriate medical care for the affected runner,’ Luzon told local reporters in a press conference at their office on Wednesday.

Luzon refuted claims circulating online that the runner, Manatad, was forced to walk seven kilometers after collapsing from exhaustion. He clarified that Manatad was immediately fetched by a habal-habal motorcycle from the station where he was first seen struggling and having difficulty breathing, and was transported down to Sitio Sumugbong, where an ambulance was waiting to bring him to the D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital.

He also said that, contrary to social media reports, a Red Cross emergency responder promptly placed an oxygen mask on Manatad when he began showing signs of collapse. The runner passed away at the hospital a day after the incident.

Luzon added that six other runners between Kilometer 38 and Kilometer 40 were safely evacuated by vehicle after failing to meet the intermediate cut-off time. ‘As per race guidelines, they were assisted and transported to ensure their well-being and proper course management,’ he said in a written report.

Aside from the 50-kilometer ultra trail, the event also featured 12-kilometer and 25-kilometer categories. Organized for the first time by SFWD, the race aimed to raise awareness about the rich biodiversity of the 1,652-hectare Mt. Magdiwata Watershed and Forest Reserve, which has been successfully restored to 97 percent forest cover this year-up from just 54 percent in 1997.

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) on Wednesday called on the public to exercise ‘discernment’ when voting for the country’s leaders as it condemned the ‘unbridled corruption’ and ‘moral bankruptcy’ of government officials.

In a statement, the PPCRV said that recent revelations of ‘unbridled and unmitigated corruption, profligate consumption, insensate greed, and moral bankruptcy by the government officials’ cause the group ‘disbelief and deep outrage.’

‘We are outraged that the taxes which we paid for with our blood, sweat and tears. have instead been pocketed by politicians, government employees and contractors who condemn fellow Filipinos to suffering and even death when they built substandard and ghost flood control structures,’ the PPCRV said. The group also slammed the country’s justice system, which seems to be ‘blind to the culpability of others and incapable or unwilling to reach to the very highest echelons of our social and political hierarchies.’

The ‘innate patience,’ ‘ingrained amiability’ and ‘Christian forgiveness of the Filipino people,’ the PPCRV said, were ‘being depended upon to whitewash, forget and forgive yet again.’

‘But for how long can we accept? How much more can we forgive? How many more acts of dishonesty and cheating can we turn a blind eye to?’ said the group. ‘Our faith demands action.’

‘We demand that the wheels of justice be quick, thorough, and blind to personalities and positions and power bases,’ the group said. ‘We demand accountability and the incarceration of those who are guilty, proving that no one is above the law.’ The PPCRV also demanded transparency from the government, saying that ‘shadow’ contracts and procedures must be stopped.

Instead, the group said government projects should be published publicly and monitored by citizens. Addressing the public, the PPCRV also called on fellow Filipinos to vote with discernment as it stressed how voting can allow unscrupulous individuals to be put in positions of power.

‘It is our all-important vote which places government leaders in the positions of power which they may wield correctly or as we have seen, powers which some have wielded for self-aggrandizement in lieu of service-orientation with predilection for the neediest in our society,’ the PPCRV said.

Far Eastern University kept its V-League Men’s Collegiate Challenge title defense alive after sweeping La Salle, 25-16, 25-17, 25-18, in Finals Game 2 on Wednesday at Dasmariñas Arena here.

After getting swept by La Salle in Game 1, 25-18, 25-22, 25-23, on Monday, the Tamaraws came out firing to equalize the series with Lirick Mendoza standing out in FEU’s balanced attack with seven kills and four blocks to finish with 11 points.

Dryx Saavedra delivered 10 points. Mikko Espartero and Doula Ndongala had nine each, while Charles Absin added eight.

‘I think what really worked is that we understood each other on what we wanted to happen with our game plan,’ said FEU coach Eddieson Orcullo in Filipino.

‘We just focused on one thing from Game 1: service and receive. Because if you look at it, in Game 1 we couldn’t receive properly; they could. In games like this, whoever can handle the first ball will have the upper hand. This time, we were the ones who got the passes in, and that’s why the outcome was different.’

FEU and La Salle clash in a decider on Friday at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. The Tamaraws dethroned the Green Spikers in last year’s final, and the latter eyeing redemption and their second crown since 2023. ‘Now that we’re already here, we’re not going to stop. Game 3 is anybody’s game. La Salle will definitely prepare and make their adjustments. For us, we’ll just keep going. Tomorrow’s another day, another chance,’ said Orcullo.

Issa Ousseini was the lone double-digit scorer for La Salle with 10 points, as MVP Chris Hernandez was limited to just seven points. Eugene Gloria also scored seven.

Authorities arrested two men and confiscated a pistol and parts of two rifles in Camarines Norte on Wednesday morning, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

Acting on intelligence reports, police flagged down the suspects aboard a white pick-up while in Santa Elena town, Camarines Norte province, the PNP said in a statement.

‘Upon inspection, authorities discovered a hidden compartment near the chassis area containing parts of an M16A1 rifle, including its upper receiver, lower receiver, and barrel; a caliber 9mm pistol without a serial number; a magazine for the same firearm; and several front sights believed to be for M16 rifles,’ the police explained. The PNP neither identified the arrested suspects nor explained what the firearm components were supposedly for.

However, it did detail that the arrested suspects were taken into the custody of the Camarines Norte Provincial Highway Patrol Team.

Both suspects will face charges for violating Republic Act No. 10591 or the Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Justice Sec. Jesus Crispin Remulla has signed the immigration lookout bulletin orders (Ilbo) requested by the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) against several lawmakers, contractors and officials linked to anomalous infrastructure projects.

Remulla signed the request on his last day as chief of the Department of Justice before taking his oath as the newest Ombudsman. ‘The Ilbo for all officials requested by the ICI has been signed by SOJ (Secretary of Justice),’ Department of Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano told reporters in a message on Wednesday.

The Ilbo requested by the ICI included former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Senators Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva, and former Senators Bong Revilla and Nancy Binay, as well as the following:

Commissioner Mario G. Lipana

Marilou Laurio-Lipana

Undersecretary Trygve L. Olaivar

Carlene Villa

Maynard Ngu

Rep. Roman Romulo

Rep. James ‘Jojo’ Ang

Rep. Patrick Michael ‘PM’ Vargas

Rep. Juan Carlos ‘Arjo’ Atayde

Rep. Nicanor ‘Nikki’ Briones

Rep. Marcelino ‘Marcy’ Teodoro

Rep. Florida ‘Rida’ Robes

Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona

Rep. Benjamin ‘Benjie’ Agarao

former Rep. Florencio Gabriel ‘Bem’ Noel

Rep. Leody ‘Ode’ Tarriela

Rep. Reynante ‘Reynan’ Arogancia

former Rep. Marvin Rillo

Rep. Teodorico ‘Teodoro’ Haresco, Jr.

Rep. Antonieta Eudela

Rep. Dean Assistio

Rep. Marivic Co-Pilar

District Engineer Loida Busa

Bogs Magalong

District Engineer. Ramon Devanadera

District Engineer Johnny Protesta, Jr.

District Engineer Arturo Gonzales Jr.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration in a separate message also confirmed receipt of the Ilbo issued by the DOJ.

‘Their names have been immediately included in our centralized database and their travels will be strictly monitored,’ said Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law a measure renewing the franchise of the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC 13) for another 25 years.

Republic Act No. 12311, signed on October 3, also states that the franchise shall be deemed ipso facto revoked in the event that the station fails to operate continuously for two years.

‘The Grantee shall not require any previous censorship of any speech, play, act, scene, or other matter to be broadcast from its stations,’ it read.

‘However, if any such speech, play, act, scene, or other matter should constitute a violation of the law or an infringement of a private right, the Grantee shall be free from any liability, civil or criminal, for such speech, play, act, scene, or other matter,’ it also read.

Moreover, it states that the IBC 13 shall create employment opportunities and accept on-the-job trainees in the franchise operations as long as the priority shall be accorded to residents of the place where its office is located and complies with labor standards and allowance entitlements under the law.

‘The Grantee shall not sell, lease, transfer, grant the usufruct of, or assign this franchise or the rights and privileges acquired thereunder to any person, firm, company, corporation, or other commercial or legal entity, or merge with any other corporation or entity, nor shall the controlling interest of the Grantee be transferred, simultaneously or contemporaneously, to any person, firm, company, corporation, or entity without the prior approval of Congress,’ it said.

The station was also required to submit an annual report on its compliance with the terms and conditions of the franchise and on its operations to Congress, which shall include an update on commencement activities, development, operation, and expansion of business, among others. /mr

The value of gold held by the central bank hit a record high in September, tracking a global rally in bullion and lifting the Philippines’ foreign reserves to their highest level in 11 months.

Latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed the country’s gross international reserves (GIR) rose by nearly 2 percent month-on-month to $108.8 billion. This was the highest level since October 2024, when the GIR reached $111 billion.

The GIR serves as the country’s buffer against external shocks. It also helps an economy finance its imports and foreign debt obligations in extreme conditions when there are no export earnings or foreign loans.

The BSP can likewise dip into the dollar buffer funds to stabilize the peso.

Topping forecast

The reserve assets consist of A-rated foreign investments of the central bank, gold and foreign exchange, as well as borrowing authority with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the country’s contributions to the same Washington-based institution.

At this point, the GIR is running above the BSP’s forecast of $105 billion level by year’s end.

The headline boost came from gold. The value of the central bank’s holdings surged nearly 13 percent to $16 billion-the highest on record since 1971-as global economic and geopolitical jitters drove bullion prices to unprecedented highs.

Adequate cover

Meanwhile, offshore investments of the BSP, which accounted for the bulk of the reserve assets, were nearly unchanged from the preceding month to $87.2 billion. Special drawing rights with the IMF and the country’s contribution to the Fund were also flattish at $3.93 billion and $737 million, respectively.

Foreign exchange holdings fell by 45 percent to $505.1 million.

Overall, the latest GIR level was equivalent to 7.3 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

By convention, GIR is viewed to be adequate if it can finance at least three months’ worth of the country’s imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. INQ