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A substantial amount of additional funding will be needed to complete the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), not only to finish the ongoing construction but also to correct serious deficiencies left by previous contractors, said Engineer Pericles Dakay of Dakay Construction and Development Corporation.

Dakay, the current contractor for Phase V of the CCMC project, explained during the City Council’s executive session that the hospital cannot be fully delivered unless substandard mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems are rectified.

‘The whole building is a system… if the sum of the other parts are lacking, then you’ll never have a whole…The whole is always equal to the sum of the parts,’ Dakay told councilors.

The evaluation revealed several defective installations left by previous contractors.

Ceiling-mounted air-conditioning units installed during Phase IV are obsolete, with no warranty or available spare parts. Refrigerant piping was bent and installed without proper copper tubing.

Sanitary pipes were laid without leak tests, while their slopes were below the required two percent standard, raising the risk of backflow. Required clean-outs were also missing at prescribed intervals.

The fire protection system showed corrosion, incomplete valve assemblies and a pump that was not UL-listed.

Electrical works were likewise found to be substandard. Bus ducts were installed too close to refrigerant piping, while PVC conduits were used in sensitive areas such as intensive care units and operating rooms, potentially causing interference with medical equipment.

Dakay said these deficiencies are interconnected with the Phase V works, making their rectification unavoidable if the hospital is to operate safely and efficiently.

Councilors recalled that of the P900 million originally contracted to M.E. Sicat Construction Inc. and AVECD Corp, only 4.1 percent of the project was completed before the contract was terminated. A new procurement was subsequently awarded to Dakay Construction for nearly P700 million.

In total, the city has already spent around P2 billion over 11 years on CCMC, yet the hospital remains incomplete.

Dakay emphasized that the additional costs would not be for Phase V alone but would also cover the correction of defects left by previous contractors.

‘I am sure that there will be additional cost that will be incurred to actually rectify all the defects and standard works, and maybe some omissions that were done in the previous phases,’ he said, declining to estimate the amount because his contract is strictly limited to Phase V deliverables.

Despite the deficiencies, Dakay assured the council that CCMC is structurally safe for occupancy.

He said the building withstood the magnitude 6.9 earthquake and Typhoon Odette without global structural distress.

Reinforcements, including I-beams at the vehicle ramp, have also been added to strengthen localized weak points.

‘There is an imputed factor of safety because the building was designed for 10 floors… structurally, capability is not an issue,’ Dakay said, adding that the decision to proceed with the full expansion rests with the executive branch, although costs would be far higher than originally estimated.

Earlier, professional electrical engineer Brian Pasilan, who led a volunteer audit in 2025, warned that CCMC was ‘very unsafe’ because of incomplete bus ducts, uncommissioned generator panels, missing grounding systems and exposed wiring.

‘If I may say honestly, it’s very unsafe as of now,’ Pasilan said, stressing the urgency of rectifying the deficiencies before further construction.

His findings were also echoed by Dakay, who stressed that correcting deficiencies from previous phases is necessary before the hospital can be fully completed and operated.

With billions already spent and additional funding needed not only for Phase V but also to correct defects from earlier phases, the City Council now faces the challenge of determining how much more public funding will be required to finally deliver the 10-floor hospital envisioned for Cebu City.

As Dakay concluded, ‘The only way to open and move forward is closure of the previous business.’

More than 650,000 Filipino workers have tapped government-backed microloan programs in less than two years, underscoring strong demand for fast, relatively low-cost credit for everything from medical bills and tuition to household emergencies and small-business needs.

The Social Security System (SSS) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) have together disbursed more than P31.7 billion through their digital microloan programmes, as policymakers seek to channel workers away from informal lenders that can charge substantially higher rates.

The figures highlight a persistent gap in the Philippines’ credit market: workers may need only a few thousand pesos to bridge a short-term cash crunch, but traditional lending can be poorly suited to such small and urgent borrowing needs.

The government is seeking to fill that gap with SSS LoanLite for private-sector workers and GSIS Ginhawa Go for government employees. Both programs offer relatively small loans through digital channels, with repayment structured around the borrower’s employment or social insurance relationship.

Finance Secretary Frederick Go has backed the initiatives as a way of meeting workers’ immediate financing needs without adding unnecessarily to their debt burden. The programmes are also intended to provide an alternative to informal ‘5-6’ lending, where borrowing costs can be significantly higher.

The response has been particularly rapid at SSS.

UnionDigital Bank, the first participating financial institution for SSS LoanLite, disbursed P2.08 billion to about 170,000 members in just 41 days between Aug. 10 and Sept. 28, 2026.

GSIS Ginhawa Go has operated on a much larger cumulative scale. From Oct. 24, 2024 to Sept. 28, 2026, the program, including its Lite offering, released P29.67 billion to more than 480,000 government employees.

Taken together, the figures point to a sizeable market for short-term borrowing that can be accessed quickly and repaid in manageable amounts.

SSS LoanLite

Qualified SSS members can borrow between P1,000 and P20,000, depending on their average Monthly Salary Credit. The interest rate is 8 percent a year, equivalent to about 0.67 percent a month, with repayment periods of 15, 30, 60 or 90 days.

A P10,000 loan would accrue about P67 in interest over one month at the stated annual rate, before any applicable fees and depending on the repayment terms.

LoanLite can be accessed without employer certification, reducing one administrative hurdle for qualified members.

UnionDigital Bank currently offers the product through its digital channels. RCBC has also joined the program and is expected to offer SSS LoanLite through its DiskarTech app by October.

GSIS Ginhawa Go

Ginhawa Go allows eligible government employees to borrow between P1,000 and P50,000.

Loans of up to P4,000 can be repaid over 30, 60 or 90 days. Borrowings from P5,000 to P50,000 can be repaid over three, six, 12, 18 or 24 months.

Interest rates range from 6 percent to 7 percent a year, calculated in advance. The applicable rate and loan amount depend on factors including the member’s category and length of paid premium contributions.

Members with at least three years of paid premiums qualify for the 6 percent annual rate. A P10,000 loan repaid over 24 months would carry P1,200 in total interest under the stated calculation.

Applications are made through the GSIS Touch mobile app, with requests subsequently routed to the authorized officer of the member’s government agency for approval.

Repayment is made through mandatory payroll deductions, while SSS LoanLite payments are collected through the participating financial institution’s payment channels.

Competing on convenience

The programs are effectively competing with informal lenders on one of their strongest selling points: speed.

For workers facing an unexpected expense, the ability to borrow a relatively small amount through a mobile phone can matter as much as the headline interest rate. The government-backed schemes are designed to combine that convenience with lower stated borrowing costs and repayment mechanisms tied to formal employment.

The rapid take-up of LoanLite suggests that demand for such products is not marginal. It also highlights the extent to which workers continue to need accessible credit for expenses that may be too small, too urgent or too short-term for conventional bank financing.

Members are advised to use only official application channels and to review the applicable interest rate, fees, repayment schedule and other terms before accepting a loan.

The country’s trade deficit in August narrowed to its lowest level in over a year as exports grew faster than imports, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Preliminary PSA data showed that the balance of trade in goods, or the difference between export and import values, amounted to a $3.85-billion deficit in August, down from $3.99 billion in the same month last year.

The PSA said the August trade deficit was the lowest recorded since May last year, when the shortfall was $3.64 billion.

Philippine export sales rose by 28 percent to $9.11 billion in August from $7.13 billion in the same month last year.

‘The export sales in August 2026 were the highest recorded since the series began in 1991,’ the PSA said.

Electronic products remained the country’s top exported commodity in August, accounting for $6.20 billion or 68 percent of total exports during that month.

In terms of export markets, the United States recorded the highest export value, amounting to $2.17 billion, or 24 percent of the total, in August.

Meanwhile, imports climbed by 17 percent to $12.96 billion in August from $11.12 billion a year ago.

The August import value was the lowest recorded since February, when it amounted to $11.40 billion.

By commodity group, electronic products had the highest import value, at $4.51 billion, or 35 percent of the total in August.

China remained the country’s largest source of imported goods valued at $2.94 billion or 23 percent of total imports in August.

Commenting on the data, Chinabank Research said the trade deficit narrowed in August for the first time since January, driven by strong demand for electronics and semiconductor products that boosted exports.

‘However, the improvement may prove difficult to sustain as electronics-related imports are also rising,’ Chinabank Research said.

It said that the country’s imports growth reflects higher commodity prices and the move to secure supply ahead of the El Niño phenomenon.

From January to August, the country’s trade deficit widened by 26 percent to $41.56 billion from $32.90 billion in the same period last year.

During the eight months, exports rose by 15 percent to $64.04 billion from $55.8 billion a year ago.

The export value during the eight-month period was the highest since the government began tracking performance in 1991.

Import value from January to August grew by 19 percent to $105.60 billion from $88.69 billion in the same period last year.

‘The total import value from January to August 2026 was the highest recorded since the series began in 1991,’ the PSA said.

The four-time defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers tamed the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers, 70-63, for their fifth consecutive win in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 26 basketball tournament Tuesday night, September 29, at the Cebu Coliseum.

All but one of the 15 players fielded by coach Gary Cortes scored in a balanced offensive performance by the Lancers, who joined their former tormentor University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors at the top of college division standings with identical 5-1 records.

Rovello Robles had 10 points, two rebounds and an assist in the wire-to-wire victory that saw the Visayanians leading by as much as 24 points sparked by an explosive 31-13 start.

Christian Helson Illut posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, with one assist and two steals, while Ashly Howard Dennison finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block for USPF. Both players, however, were left disappointed as the Panthers plummeted to 1-6.

In the juniors division, the San Roque College de Cebu (SRCDC) Greyhounds outfoxed the Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) Greywolves, 83-79, to snap their three-game losing skid.

Four SRCDC players cracked double figures, led by Vonn Peter Zamora with 15 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

John Raven Dumanhug added 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals while Jello Oñot and Bert Nathan Curimao both registered a double-double as the Greyhounds improved to 2-3.

Oñot filled the stat sheet with 12 points, 12 rebounds, one assist and one block, while Curimao also tallied 12 markers with 10 rebounds and an assist.

Zane Oddyssie Ondoy produced an impressive double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds for Don Bosco.

Antonio Joseph Issifu dished out 19 points, six rebounds, seven steals and an assist, while Mychael Bourge Suico came up with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double but their efforts went down the drain as the Greywolves remained winless in five games.

At least six Metro Manila local governments will resume the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) starting Monday, October 5, months after the Supreme Court lifted the remaining temporary restraining order against the traffic enforcement system.

The local governments that announced the resumption are Manila, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Parañaque, Muntinlupa and San Juan.

Under the renewed implementation, motorists will be able to check recorded violations through participating LGUs’ online portals and pay fines through available digital payment channels.

Motorists who believe they were wrongly apprehended may also contest violations online through the respective LGU portals.

The participating local governments said fines will be standardized under the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023, which provides a common framework for traffic rules, penalties and procedures across Metro Manila.

The NCAP uses closed-circuit television cameras, digital cameras and other technology to record vehicles allegedly violating traffic rules without requiring traffic enforcers to stop motorists on the road.

TRO lifted

The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the NCAP in August 2022 after transport groups challenged the constitutionality of ordinances implementing the policy.

In May 2025, the high court partially lifted the TRO, allowing the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to resume NCAP enforcement on major thoroughfares under its jurisdiction, including EDSA and C-5. The restraining order remained in effect against the ordinances of the local governments covered by the cases.

In a June 3, 2026 decision made public on July 9, the Supreme Court dismissed the consolidated petitions challenging NCAP ordinances in Manila, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Parañaque and Muntinlupa and lifted the remaining TRO.

The court ruled that the issues raised in the petitions had become moot following the adoption of the Metro Manila Traffic Code of 2023, which created a new and uniform traffic enforcement framework. It also cited procedural grounds, including lack of standing and failure to exhaust administrative remedies.

The Supreme Court, however, stressed that dismissing the petitions did not amount to a ruling that the NCAP issuances challenged in the cases were valid or constitutional.

Talent agency Star Magic came to the defense of one of its young artists, Michelle Garcia, amid a revived controversy brought about by her father Patrick Garcia.

Patrick caused a stir in an interview with showbiz reporter and talent manager Ogie Diaz when he opened up about his past relationship with actress Jennylyn Mercado, almost two decades after their highly publicized breakup.

The interview marked Patrick’s most detailed public account of his breakup with Jennylyn since their relationship ended in 2008. Patrick said he decided to speak up after Michelle became the subject of online bashing.

Following the interview’s circulation, many Filipinos began to take sides on the issue. Some backed Patrick like his wife Nikka, while others defended Jennylyn, such as her husband Dennis Trillo and longtime manager Becky Aguila.

Amid the dispute, Star Magic released a brief statement addressing hurtful comments being directed at Michelle, noting that the 13-year-old is still a minor.

“We ask the public to refrain from involving Michelle in matters concerning adults, that happened before she was born,” said the label.

“We are prepared to take appropriate action against those who continue to harass Michelle, in accordance with laws protecting children from abuse and libel.”

The short statement ended with Star Magic vowing to continue supporting Michelle and looking after her well-being.

Filipino boxer Carlo Paalam kept his gold-medal hopes alive after eking out a 3-2 split decision victory over Kazakhstan’s Makhmud Sabyrkhan in their thrilling and bloody men’s 55kg semifinals clash in the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Wednesday, September 30, at the Nishio Gymnasium in Japan.

Paalam, the last man standing for the six-man Philippine men’s boxing team, started aggressively and finished off what he started in a physical third round where the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist had to overcome a point deduction from the referee before ousting the two-time world champion.

Paalam, who is now assured of at least a silver medal for the Philippines , proved that his previous win over Sabyrkhan was no fluke.

During their first meeting four years ago, Paalam defeated Sabyrkhan via a 4-1 split decision in the bantamweight final of the 2022 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan to claim the gold.

Now, the 28-year-old Paalam sets his sights on the country’s first Asiad boxing gold in 16 years. Rey Saludar is the last Pinoy boxer to mint an Asian Games gilt in Guangzhou 2010.

Standing in Paalam’s way is Japan’s hometown bet Rui Yamaguchi, who advanced to the final round after booting out Mongolia’s Bilguunsaikhan Kharkhuu via a 5-0 unanimous decision. They will duke it out for the coveted gold on Friday, October 2.

Meanwhile, tennis star Alex Eala outclassed Joanna Garland of Chinese Taipei in straight sets, 7-5, 6-0 to punch a ticket into the women’s singles semifinals at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.

The World No. 18 Eala ousted Garland to bolster her bid to end the Philippines’ 64-year gold-medal drought in the quadrennial Games. Phl last won a gold through Johnny Jose at the fourth edition of the continental multi-sport event in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1962.

In women’s beach volleyball at the Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court, the Filipino spikers posted contrasting results.

The tandem of Khylem Harl Progella and Sofiah Shanine Pagara marched into the semis after booting out Japan’s Non Matsumoto and Ran Matsumoto, 2-0 (24-20, 22-20).

In the other quarterfinal match, Cebuana Cherry Ann Rondina and Bernadeth Pons were not as fortunate, losing to Thailand’s Taravadee Naraphornrapat and Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee in a three-set thriller, 1-2 (17-21, 21-12,13-15).

Inflation may have accelerated to as high as 7.4 percent in September, potentially the fastest pace in three-and-a-half years, as bad weather lifted food prices while costlier fuel and a weaker peso added to price pressures.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said headline inflation, or the overall increase in prices of goods and services commonly purchased by households, likely settled between 6.4 and 7.4 percent in September. This would be faster than the 6.1-percent rate in August.

Should inflation reach the upper end of the BSP’s forecast range, it would be the highest since the 7.6 percent recorded in March 2023, central bank data showed.

Even the lower end of the range would mark an acceleration from August and bring inflation further above the BSP’s two to four percent target. It would mark the seventh consecutive month that inflation exceeded the target.

The Philippine Statistics Authority, which compiles the country’s official inflation data, will release the September figures on Oct. 6.

‘Upward price pressures for the month are likely to be driven by weather-related increases in the prices of vegetables, fish, rice and fruits,’ the BSP said.

The central bank said higher domestic petroleum prices and the peso’s depreciation could also have contributed to faster inflation. A weaker peso raises the local cost of imported fuel, food and raw materials, which may eventually be passed on to consumers.

These pressures may have been partly offset by lower meat prices and electricity rates.

‘The BSP will remain vigilant and guided by incoming data, particularly on inflation and growth prospects. It will continue to assess the impact of latest developments in the Middle East and recent weather disturbances on the country’s inflation and economic outlook,’ it added.

RCBC chief economist Michael Ricafort expects inflation to settle at 6.7 percent in September, within the BSP’s forecast range.

Ricafort said the acceleration likely reflected weather-related food supply constraints, higher energy and fertilizer costs, the peso’s weakness and unfavorable base effects.

Inflation was only 1.7 percent in September last year, providing a low comparison base that could mechanically lift the annual rate this year.

Ricafort also warned that a strong El Niño dry spell could further reduce agricultural production in the Philippines and elsewhere in Asia, exerting additional pressure on rice and other food prices through early 2027.

‘There is a risk that inflation could pick up further in the coming months in view of second-round inflation effects,’ Ricafort said.

Second-round effects occur when an initial increase in food, fuel or other costs spreads to wages and the prices of a wider range of goods and services.

Ricafort said the P60 increase in Metro Manila’s daily minimum wage and the continued pass-through of higher energy and import costs could add to these pressures.

He said further interest rate increases remain possible if inflation stays well above target. The BSP has raised its benchmark policy rate by a total of 75 basis points to five percent since April.

The policy rate influences borrowing costs across the economy. Raising it can help prevent elevated inflation from becoming entrenched, manage inflation expectations and support the peso, although it cannot directly resolve supply disruptions caused by weather or geopolitical conflicts.

The Department of Justice is nearly ready to file the petition seeking the extradition of doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy to the United States.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said Thursday, October 1, that the department is in the final stages of vetting the petition and is conducting a final legal review.

“We’re in the final stages already of the vetting. Nagli-legal scrubbing na lang kami. We’re almost ready to file that petition,” Vida said.

(“We’re already in the final stages of the vetting process. We’re just conducting a legal review now. We’re almost ready to file that petition.”)

Vida said the Philippines would strictly comply with its obligations under its extradition treaty with the United States.

Asked when the petition would be filed before the extradition court, Vida declined to give a specific date.

Charges in the U.S.

The U.S. government has requested Quiboloy’s extradition to face charges in the United States.

Quiboloy, who is also facing qualified human trafficking, child abuse and sexual abuse charges in the Philippines, was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in 2021.

The U.S. charges include conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, and sex trafficking of children.

He also faces substantive sex trafficking, conspiracy and bulk cash smuggling charges, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

U.S. prosecutors have accused Quiboloy and other Kingdom of Jesus Christ officials of recruiting women and girls to serve as his personal assistants and coercing them into sex.

Quiboloy has denied the allegations.

Dasmariñas police denied social media reports of an alleged mass shooting at De La Salle University-Dasmariñas

In a statement October 1, Thursday, the Dasmariñas Component City Police Station said it found no evidence to support the claims.

“The public is therefore advised to refrain from sharing or reposting unverified information that may cause unnecessary alarm and confusion,” the police station said.

The statement came after claims circulated online and in group chats alleging that a mass shooting had taken place at the university, with some posts also claiming there were fatalities.

Police said the information was inaccurate.

Separate discovery. The police unit also addressed a separate incident involving the discovery of a body inside a vehicle on the evening of September 30 within the premises of the De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute in Barangay Burol Main.

Police stressed that the incident at the De La Salle University campus was unrelated to the alleged mass shooting at De La Salle University-Dasmariñas.

“Such information is inaccurate and misleading,” police said.

“The Dasmariñas CCS assures the public that appropriate police actions have been undertaken regarding the reported information. Official and verified information will be released through proper channels as necessary,” it added.