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A tropical cyclone has been spotted outside the Philippine area of responsibility, according to state meteorologists.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that as of 4 p.m. yesterday, the weather disturbance was located 3,185 kilometers east of Central Luzon, packing winds of 45 km per hour and gusts of 55 kph.

The cyclone may not enter PAR as it was moving northwestward at 15 kph, PAGASA said.

Meanwhile, the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga as well as Davao Oriental.

The rest of Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to the ITCZ.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to localized thunderstorms.

More than 1,800 participants competed in the PalawanPay Trilogy Marathon Cebu Leg in Mandaue City last weekend.

More than for fitness, the running series that started in Mandaue will raise funds to help purchase fully equipped emergency ambulances for underserved communities in Aklan and South Cotabato.

The first leg brought runners together in Cebu on September 27 for more than a morning of running.

The Cebu leg featured 5K, 10K, 16K and 21K categories, giving runners different ways to take on the challenge.

Daniel Boiwo topped the half-marathon run for the men’s division, while Arvengie Encinada finished second. Glady Kipto came in third.

For the women’s side, Teresiah Kabui topped the distance. Michelle Raniola and Cristine Ann Sardoncillo finished second and third.

Mark Mahinay, Nickson Kosgei and Jerome Casinillo finished one-two-three in the 16 kilometer men’s division, while Michelle Zamora, Lyn-nel Martus and Abigael Jerop reigned in the same distance for the women.

‘Cebu has been an important part of Palawan’s growth, and we’re grateful to have built strong relationships with communities here over the years,’ said Lisa Castro-Sabado, chief business development officer of Palawan Group of Companies.

‘Bringing the Trilogy to Cebu is another way for us to be part of the community, not just in the services we provide every day, but also in activities that promote health, wellness, and time together. We’re happy to see Cebuanos joining us for a run that brings people together while supporting a meaningful cause.’

The next leg of the marathon will be in Palawan on October 18, before concluding in Manila on November 28.

‘Sports has always given us a meaningful way to connect with communities, especially at the grassroots level. From tennis and basketball to running, we’ve supported activities that encourage people to stay active and come together,’ said Bernard Kaibigan, chief marketing officer of Palawan Group of Companies.

‘With the Trilogy, we’re taking that commitment to three different communities-Cebu, Palawan, and Manila-while giving runners an opportunity to be part of something bigger than the race itself,’ he added.

The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the Office of the President, the Commission on Elections and both chambers of Congress to comment within five days on the petition against the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) to November 2028.

The SC’s order stemmed from a petition for certiorari and prohibition filed by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal contesting the implementation of Republic Act 12326 postponing the elections. RA 12326 was signed by President Marcos on Sept. 24 and became immediately executory.

The SC gave the respondents ‘a non-extendible period of five calendar days from notice’ to submit their comments.

Macalintal said he was ‘deeply glad and thankful that the SC immediately acted on our petition.’

The development, he added, was ‘a clear indication that the High Court sees substantial merits in our petition.’

In his petition, Macalintal wants the SC to issue a temporary restraining order or status quo ante order on RA 12326.

The law signed by Marcos also fixed the term of BSK officials to five years from the current four, with two terms for barangay officials and one term for SK officials.

Macalintal earlier said RA 12326 ‘violates the electorate’s right to vote by postponing the 2026 BSKE under the guise of fixing the officials’ term of office.’

He said the postponement was ‘unduly long’ starting with the rescheduling of the December 2025 BSKE to November this year, and another postponement to November 2028, or a total of three years of extension.

He said the Comelec should continue with its preparations for BSKE, originally scheduled in November, as the high court might rule in his favor.

He also cited a favorable SC ruling on his petition questioning the postponement of the BSKE in December 2022 through RA 11935.

Macalintal said the SC’s decision then to declare RA 11935 unconstitutional was a ‘very clear precedent.’

Malacañang has advised former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco to come forward and shed light on the allegations against him after the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed that he left the country on Aug. 30 and did not come home on his expected date of return.?

Velasco may clear the air after dismissed policeman Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., the lawmaker’s former security officer, claimed in an affidavit that he delivered more than P2 billion in cash to Vice President Sara Duterte and members of her family, including her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is now probing the claims of Gracioso, who alleged that the cash deliveries, in suitcases, were made upon Velasco’s orders.

Velasco’s camp has denied the allegations, saying Gracioso’s ‘one-size-fits-all narration’ appears to be ‘designed and fabricated to attack as many targets as it can while being inconsistent with verifiable events.’?

The BI said Velasco flew to Japan on Aug. 30 and did not return to Manila on Sept. 14, his date of arrival.

‘Whether he is afraid or is just taking a vacation, we cannot tell. But if his name is mentioned in the millions contained in suitcases allegedly delivered to the Vice President, (former) president Duterte and Congressman Pulong Duterte, it would be better if he sheds light on it so he can clear his name and that of his wife,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro said at a media briefing yesterday.

The NBI intends to invite people named in Gracioso’s affidavit, including Velasco’s wife, Rowena, who reportedly left the country on Sept. 24.

Gracioso yesterday underwent a lie detector test at the NBI. Results have not been published yet.

In a 1978 decision, the Supreme Court said it ‘does not put much faith and credit on’ a lie detector test.

NBI raids houses

NBI agents with a search warrant raided houses allegedly owned by Velasco in Valle Verde, Pasig on Aug. 24, according to NBI Director Melvin Matibag.

Matibag told reporters on Tuesday that operatives initially didn’t know that the properties belonged to Velasco because they were registered under the names of his employees and a certain company.

Operatives seized firearms, bullets, magazines and IDs belonging to police and security personnel.

A certain vlogger named Mike Romero claimed in a Facebook post on Sept. 25 that Velasco’s home was being raided ‘now’ by the NBI.

However, it was unclear whether it was a separate raid that Romero referred to or the same one that Matibag had confirmed.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has formally registered and approved the first Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) between the Cebu City government and the Cebu City Government Employees Union (CCGEU), giving the historic accord full legal effect until 2030.

The certification, issued in late September, affirms that the CNA signed on September 7, 2026 will remain valid until September 2030, unless renegotiated or renewed.

The CNA itself was signed at City Hall early last month by Mayor Nestor Archival, representing the city government, and CCGEU President Vincent Mangle, representing the rank-and-file employees.

The Human Resource Development Office (HRDO), led by Henry Tomalabcad, facilitated the process, ensuring compliance with CSC requirements.

These included submission of four signed copies of the CNA, proof of ratification by a majority of employees, posting of the agreement in conspicuous places, certification of employee numbers, and payment of the registration fee.

During the signing, Archival stressed the significance of the milestone.

‘This is the first-ever union and CNA in the history of the Cebu City government, and for me, this is more than just the signing of an agreement. It is a commitment to listen, to recognize, and to protect the rights and welfare of our rank-and-file employees,’ Archival said.

He expressed gratitude to the CCGEU, HRDO, department heads, and the Cebu City Council for their cooperation in making the agreement possible.

For Mangle, the CNA represents a new chapter in employee-management relations.

CCGEU described the CSC certification as the ‘final seal of legitimacy’ for the employees’ efforts.

The CNA provides a structured mechanism for employees to raise concerns about welfare, benefits, and working conditions, while management gains a formal avenue to address these issues constructively.

The local stock market sank to a fresh 10-month low amid growing concerns over rising inflation.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell for a third straight session, losing 1.03 percent or 58.92 points to end at 5,679.48.

This was the worst finish for PSEi since closing at 5,584.35 on Nov. 14, 2025.

The broader All Shares index also weakened by 0.74 percent or 23.75 points, settling at 3,179.08.

Luis Limlingan said market sentiment remained cautious following the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ warning that inflation could accelerate to as high as 7.4 percent in September.

‘This further weighed on investor confidence amid concerns over the potential implications for monetary policy and economic growth,’ he said.

Philstocks Financial Inc. said negative cues from Wall Street amid the continuous rise in US long term treasury yields and the weak peso also weighed on the market.

‘The local market extended its losses as economic concerns continue to plague sentiment,’ it said.

All sectors were in the red, except for holding firms, which inched up by 0.21 percent.

Services registered the largest drop at 1.84 percent, followed by financials, which plunged by 1.29 percent.

Trading was strong as total value turnover expanded to P9.1 billion from the previous day’s P5.39 billion.

Decliners overpowered advancers, 106 to 74, while 71 issues did not change hands.

ICTSI was the session’s top traded stock, declining by 1.98 percent to P891 per share. It was followed by SM Investments, which improved by 0.04 percent to P499.80, and BDO Unibank, which slipped by 0.88 percent to P113.

A plebiscite for the conversion of Naga into a highly urbanized city will be conducted on Nov. 21 despite disruptions caused by the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE), according to the Commission on Elections.

The Comelec said the Naga plebiscite was supposed to be conducted simultaneously with the BSKE on Nov. 2, but Malacañang postponed the twin elections to 2028.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo had requested the poll body to proceed with the plebiscite this year even as the BSKE was deferred.

He said Robredo told him that the city government is willing to provide the additional P30 million needed for the plebiscite to push through this year.

The Comelec had prepared only P20 million as the plebiscite was supposed to be conducted alongside the BSKE.

Garcia said that with the postponement of the BSKE, the Comelec will need P50 million or an additional P30 million for the ratification of Naga into a highly urbanized city.

‘The city government still prefers to hold the plebiscite this year as this can no longer be synchronized with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. At present, the Naga City plebiscite is scheduled on Nov. 21,’ Garcia said at a forum of the Kapihan sa Manila Bay yesterday.

The plebiscite will determine whether residents are in favor of converting Naga into a highly urbanized city following a declaration from Malacañang.

Garcia said that only registered voters of Naga could participate in the plebiscite. He said the city has nearly 160,000 registered voters.

The Comelec earlier approved Robredo’s request to synchronize the plebiscite with the BSKE to reduce costs, noting a standalone plebiscite will need about P50 million.

Aside from Naga, the Comelec had planned to conduct several other local plebiscites simultaneous with the BSKE including for proposed changes in the names of some areas in Ayala Alabang, Camarines Sur and Davao.

Garcia said these plebiscites may no longer push through this year because conducting them separately would be costly.

Telco giant PLDT Inc. is appealing to the government to grant providers the power to unilaterally block sites without regulatory approval, to improve online safety and prevent copycat effects.

On the sidelines of an online child safety forum, PLDT chief operating officer Menardo Jimenez Jr. backed legislation empowering telcos to block violent sites.

Jimenez cited Republic Act 11930, which requires internet service providers to detect and block sites promoting online sexual abuse and exploitation of children and to report such activity to the Philippine National Police within 24 hours.

He pointed out that PLDT has detected channels promoting violence or nihilistic violent extremism but has yet to secure regulatory approval to block them.

‘I think if we are given the right guidelines, either by the law or by the right government entity, I would prefer some level of empowerment. If we are able to see and confirm that there are certain sites that actually do violent acts, [I hope we are empowered] to shut them down,’ Jimenez said.

Such authority could also encourage telcos to compete to become the provider with the safest network for children, according to Jimenez.

Stricter child-safety policy

The issue of online safety also figured in the Senate as Akbayan Youth on Wednesday opposed a proposed outright ban on social media use by people below 18, urging lawmakers to consider stricter child-safety measures instead.

Akbayan Youth national chairperson Khylla Meneses argued that restricting access alone would not necessarily protect young people online.

‘We cannot protect young people simply by closing the door. We need to make the digital spaces they enter safer,’ Meneses said in Filipino.

The group cautioned that an outright ban could drive young users to less regulated online spaces, where parents and authorities may have fewer safeguards and oversight mechanisms.

Instead, Akbayan proposed prohibiting social media accounts for children aged 13 and below while strengthening privacy protections, age-assurance systems, parental controls and accountability measures for social media platforms.

‘Social media companies should be accountable for dangerous design, harmful content and inadequate safeguards,’ the group said.

The position came as the Senate considers Senate Bill 2066, which seeks to establish a minimum age for social media use, regulate children’s access to social media platforms and impose obligations on social media providers.

Introduced by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, the bill was referred to the Senate committees on public information and mass media, and science and technology.

The move is in line with President Marcos’ vow to carry out measures to ensure the safety of students in the face of growing concerns over three recent school shootings that have left a total of nine persons dead.

More work remains

In his remarks during the celebration of National Teachers’ Month in Manila, Marcos yesterday said the government has done much to change the course of Philippine education, but acknowledged that ‘much work still remains.’

He cited the need to remedy the gaps in how teachers are prepared and developed, including the assigning of educators to subjects outside their specialization and provide a safe environment for learners.

‘Teachers do more than just teach lessons. For many of our children, they become second parents in school, helping create environments where learners feel safe, supported and cared for,’ Marcos said. ‘This also means strengthening school safety and student support. Together with parents, communities and other partners, we will continue to work to make our schools more secure and more responsive to the needs of our learners.’

The discussions followed a series of school shooting scares, including an incident at Isulan National High School in Sultan Kudarat.

Yesterday, a loud sound initially perceived as gunfire caused panic among students and teachers, prompting an investigation and the suspension of face-to-face classes.

Sultan Kudarat Gov. Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu later revealed that there was no shooting and that the sound was likely caused by faulty electrical wiring.

No ammunition was found at the site, he said, while the Bureau of Fire Protection continued its investigation.

The DepEd Division Office of Sultan Kudarat assured the public that the situation was under control with no reported injuries or casualties.

The loud sound caused widespread panic on campus, with students seen in viral videos posted on Facebook securing themselves inside classrooms amid fears of an active shooter.

Police and military officials said the incident also caused alarm among parents after reports of a supposed shooting circulated on social media.

As a precautionary measure, the local government of Isulan suspended face-to-face classes Wednesday afternoon until further notice.

‘We urge everyone to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information,’ the DepEd division office said.

The incident came amid heightened concern over threats against schools in Region 12 following a deadly shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Sept. 18 that left three people dead and six others wounded.

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said Wednesday that psychologists and social welfare personnel are counseling 40 students who were apprehended for making online threats to attack schools in separate operations in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat over the past 10 days.

Twenty of the students are from different towns in South Cotabato while another 20 are from different towns in Sultan Kudarat.

Tamayo said the students, who include elementary and high school students, are being treated as children needing psychological interventions rather than law offenders.

Counselors from units of the Police Regional Office 12 are also helping rehabilitate the students.

Meanwhile, Baguio City police are investigating messages circulated among students of the Philippine Science High School-Cordillera Administrative Region Campus in Barangay Irisan that were perceived as threats.

Personnel of Baguio City Police Station 9 launched an inquiry on Sept. 29 following a Facebook post alleging threatening messages linked to the school.

According to a police report, school officials told investigators that the claims stemmed from an earlier incident and a reported group chat containing statements involving a firearm.

Authorities have yet to establish any confirmed threat or attack plan.

No firearm has also been reported recovered and police have made no criminal finding arising from the inquiry.

As the country celebrates National Teachers’ Month, China Bank Savings (CBS) continues to strengthen its support for Filipino educators through financial wellness initiatives nationwide.

‘Our teachers dedicate so much of themselves to preparing our children for a better future. In our own way, we want to help our teachers prepare for their future as well – and for the future of their families. This is why financial wellness and responsible access to financial services remain important parts of how we support the education sector,’ CBS president James Christian Dee said.

Last month, the thrift banking arm of China Banking Corp. conducted a series of Financial Wellness sessions, reaching approximately 1,200 teaching and non-teaching personnel from the Department of Education Central Office and DepEd offices, as well as schools in Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban and Leyte.

The sessions were designed to provide participants with practical financial knowledge and help them make informed and responsible financial decisions. Topics focused on understanding personal financial health, managing finances effectively and building greater financial security over time.

CBS is set to participate in the 2026 NationalTeachers’ Day Culminating Activity, themed ‘Teacher, Ikaw Naman,’ on Oct. 5.

The bank will provide raffle prizes for participating teachers, including 20 savings accounts with an initial deposit of P50,000 each, 10 Smart TVs, 14 laptops and 14 motorcycles. The major prizes will include two Mitsubishi Mirage vehicles and one Mitsubishi Destinator.

The prizes form part of CBS’s recognition of the dedication, service, and invaluable contribution of Filipino teachers to education and nation-building.

For CBS, supporting educators goes beyond providing access to financial services. It also means promoting financial literacy, responsible financial decision-making, and long-term financial well-being for teachers and their families.

Silver medal for the Philippines in archery.

Filipina archer Amaya Amparo Cojuangco brought home a silver medal in the Asian Games’ compound women’s archery after falling against Indonesia’s Nurisa Dian Ashrifah Thursday.

Ashrifah bagged the gold medal after edging Cojuangco, 139-137, in the final.

The two archers were kept in a deadlock after the fourth round.

But a 29-27 fifth round for the Indonesian handed Cojuangco the bridesmaid finish.

The Philippines now has three gold medals, four silvers and 12 bronzes for a total of 19 medals. It is currently 17th in the medal tally.