Thursday, June 25, 2026
Home Blog Page 6

PNP Asked to Seize Bato’s Arms Cache

LOUIE LEGARDA
-
0
PNP Asked to Seize Bato’s Arms Cache

FOR AS LONG as the Philippine National Police (PNP) has yet to confiscate 118 firearms supposedly owned by Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) hinted at “taking extreme caution” in dealing with the arrest of the fugitive lawmaker.

This comes as the NBI urged the PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez to immediately revoke licenses covering all 118 firearms allegedly owned by Dela Rosa.

The bureau also asked Nartatez to issue an order for the immediate surrender of the firearms within 48 hours. Beyond the two-day deadline, the NBI urged the PNP to — at the very least – seize them.

NBI director Melvin Matibag said Dela Rosa has been disqualified from possessing guns under Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, following the issuance of his warrant of arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Matibag earlier described Dela Rosa as “armed and dangerous,” citing possession of high-powered firearms including semi-automatic and select fire rifles, UZI submachine gun variants, .338 caliber rifles, battlefield-grade shotguns, and a broad array of handguns.

The firearms, Matibad further claimed, are mostly kept at Dela Rosa’s registered address in Davao City, Davao del Sur.

Citing Section 4(g) of RA 10501, Matibag said individuals absolutely prohibited from owning, possessing, or carrying firearms include “any person who is accused in a pending criminal case before any court of law for a crime that is punishable with a penalty of imprisonment of more than two years.”

Criminal cases filed against Dela Rosa are punishable by imprisonment of up to 30 years or, in cases of extreme gravity, life imprisonment.

“His license is therefore void as a matter of law, and its cancellation is not a matter of administrative discretion but a legal obligation of the FEO (Firearms and Explosives Office),” he quipped.

More Senate Drama: Minority Walks Out

Ernesto Reyes
-
0
More Senate Drama: Minority Walks Out

FOR THE last several weeks, the Senate has become more like a blockbuster as saga unfolds one after another — the latest of which saw minority senators leave the plenary in disgust for flexing muscles.

The walk out was triggered following the senate majority’s refusal to refer Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s motion seeking to allow senators to participate in plenary sessions online.

Marcoleta particularly hinted at the need to allow senators to join sessions remotely under “justifiable” circumstances.

The proposal came over two weeks after Alan Peter Cayetano assumed senate presidency, and the reappearance of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa who has since been hiding to evade an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

A few days ago, no less than Ombudsman Crispin Remulla revealed that formal plunder charges would soon be filed before the Sandiganbayan against two other majority members — Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva.

FLEXING ITS MUSCLE

Members of the senate minority bloc questioned the “rushed” process to amend the Senate rules.

“We strongly condemn what appears to be an attempt to rush a major change in the Senate rules, especially when several members of the minority still wanted to speak and raise serious questions on the floor,” reads part of the Senate minority statement.

“We walked out because what happened on the floor looked less like orderly deliberation. The proposed rule change affects how senators may attend sessions, participate in proceedings, and exercise their mandate through remote means, and such a measure should be opened to healthy public debate instead of being rushed by the tyranny of the majority,” the group which calls itself SB-11 added.

“Minamadali ba ang rule change na ito dahil gusto nilang makaboto si Senator Bato? At ngayong may mga ulat na may mga majority senators na maaaring arestuhin?” they asked

Senator Kiko Pangilinan accused the majority bloc of “railroading” the amendments to the Senate rules.

REASONS FOR LEAVING

A visibly pissed off Senator Panfilo Lacson took the first step in leaving the Senate plenary, followed by Senator Migz Zubiri who called on peers to  walk out in protest of what he aptly described as “travesty of our (Senate) rules.”

Interesting, Senators Risa Hontiveros and Kiko Pangilinan claimed that  they left to attend to prior commitments.

Senator Erwin Tulfo for his part said minority senators went home after Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano transformed an all-senator caucus to a majority-only meeting

While exiting the plenary, Hontiveros told reporters that the process by which the motion was being tackled was wrong, for which Cayetano moved to put the issue to a vote. 

At this point, the minority members began walking out.

Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto, who stayed behind, said, “I move to adjourn or a quorum call. That is a higher precedence, Madam President.” 

Under the Senate rules, no motion could possibly be resolved through voting unless there’s a quorum.

Korean Film Exec on AI: Imagination Beyond Budget Limits

Boy Villasanta
-
0
Korean Film Exec on AI: Imagination Beyond Budget Limits

SOUTH KOREAN film industry professionals have scored a new and once more created a headway in the international film stage.

This time, one of the indefatigable Korean film honchos, Shin Chul, Festival Director of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan), Asia’s biggest fantastic film fest, represented not only his country but the continent as well when he recently talked in the panel discussion about the prospects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the progress of modern filmmaking at Cannes Next, a program of the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival Film Market in Cannes, France.

The dialogue was part of the “AI in Asia” program at Village Innovation, the technology and innovation hub of Cannes Film Market.

Aside from being a BiFan rep, Shin was at the Croisette as partner of Marché du Film’s Fantastic 7 where he, as a filmmaker, has been helping shape a pivotal turning point in the Korean film industry.

During the “Ai-Native Storytelling” session co-hosted by Cannes Next and Eros Innovation, he shared BiFan’s AI-forward strategy and offered a roadmap for the future of the movie industry to filmmakers all over the world.

Shin reflected on his experience at the French Riviera four years ago where he proposed a redefinition of cinema. At the time, the possibility of filmmaking with AI was controversial but these days, the employment of digital enhancement is apparently the more acceptable thing to mix art with business.

“How do we turn AI into art and business using the rapidly advancing power of AI?” Chul posed to the audience and to his fellow panelists that included Christina Caspers-Röhmer, Managing Director of Trixter, one of Europe’s major VFX studios, Ridhima Lulla, Co-Founder and Co-President of Eros Innovation and Martin Madsen, VFX Supervisor.

“AI is the answer to expanding imagination beyond budget limits,” said Shin without batting an eyelash in a special coverage by BiFan at the 79th Cannes.

The BiFan leadership has indicated a proud introduction to an AI category for the first established fantastic film festival in the world and succeeded in the implementation of AI Film Education Center Bucheon in the past years.

This writer was witness to the enthusiasm and cooperation of multiracial filmmakers who were enrolled in the discipline and hooked to the application of AI in their film projects two years ago.

Over the course of 2025, the Center has produced 2,901 graduates and created 485 short films.

Through the years, BiFan has consistently valued AI by, according to BiFan press briefs, “establishing systems for talent discovery and education, support AT filmmakers, distribution frameworks, and copyright acquisition and protection for AL creators.”

Shin has a suggestion and vision for the burgeoning effects of digital technology. “AI must be used for peace, not for war,” he emphasized.

“Together with BIFAN, which is building the world’s fairest and most dynamic film ecosystem, let us complete the AI film value chain,” he encouraged the attendees.

After a successful participation in an intensive global schedule at Cannes, Shin is eyeing another grand opening this year of BiFan.

According to the festival committee, the global competitiveness of K-genre cinema and the future-oriented vision confirmed at Cannes are set to come alive in Bucheon this summer.

The 30th BIFAN will take place across Bucheon City for 11 days from July 2 to July 12, 2026.

Catriona Gray Leads Preem Night of Docu on Zambales Fisherfolk

Boy Villasanta
-
0
Catriona Gray Leads Preem Night of Docu on Zambales Fisherfolk

BEAUTY QUEEN and actress Catriona Gray is always in the forefront of socio-civic activities not only in the Philippines but throughout the world.

On Thursday, May 28, 2026, the 2018 Miss Universe will host the premiere night of one of the most awaited documentary films about marginalized Filipinos surviving the daily challenges of the seas in Zambales Province.

Catriona is inspired in making the film “Forged by Fire” which she collaborated with Operation Blessing Philippines and CBN Asia to capture “real lives shaped by loss, but not defined by it.

Gray filmed and did on cam sequences to promote, according to the social media posts of Operation Blessing Philippines the “stories of hope, faith, and survival in communities facing disasters. She supports their disaster relief, social responsibility, and long-term community empowerment initiatives, including aid for marginalized sectors like fishermen in Zambales.”

Cat is inspired and motivated to contribute her mass media mileage and celebrity influence to the awareness, development and call to action of people in combating natural and man-made catastrophes. “These are the moments you don’t usually see. Between takes, quiet pauses, and real encounters with stories that stay long after the cameras stop rolling,” she noted in her socmed spaces.

The exclusive showing of the doc film is a rare chance for the kindred souls to help victims of disasters all over the Philippines and beyond.

At the Robinsons Galleria Movieworld in Ortigas, a moviegoer just has to shell out a minimum donation of Php500.00 to watch Catriona and the documentary film project and support our needy fellow Filipinos.

“Forged by Fire” is a movie focusing on real-life stories of Filipino resilience, faith and recovery following devastating disasters.

Smoking Prevalent Among The Poor

Rose de la Cruz
-
0
Smoking Prevalent Among The Poor

THE GROWING awareness of middle income and rich families on the illnesses caused by cigarette smoking and the increasing availability of multiple alternatives to cigarettes have caused declines in cigarette usage among these classes but became more pervasive among the poorer households.

With the barrage of negative propaganda against cigarette smoking– which once used to be tied to social status or those with power, style and urban glamor– more and more of those that can readily afford them kicked the habit.

But for the poor, cigarette smoking was one palliative to a hungry stomach, which could not be quelled by high-cost of food for their families. The exposure to cigarette smoking has even attracted younger members of the poor household that now, instead of buying food for their stomachs they buy cigarettes (which has become even costlier with all the taxes slapped on them) ultimately leading to higher public health expenditure.

An analysis of World Health Organization data done by UP Professor Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao, also Inquirer data scientist, said daily exposure to smoking at home remains significantly higher among poorer households than wealthier families.   

Panao said 39 percent of the poorest households reported daily exposure to smoking at home in both 2017 and 2022. By contrast, among the richest households, the figure ranges from about 22 percent in 2017 to 19 percent in 2022.

The gap suggests that poorer Filipino families are roughly twice as likely as richer households to live with daily smoking exposure, which reflects earlier findings linking tobacco use to poverty and inequality in developing countries, the Philippines included.

A 2008 WHO report titled “Tobacco and Poverty in the Philippines” said tobacco consumption is higher among the poorest households and that tobacco spending diverts resources that could otherwise go to food, education, shelter and health care.

Tobacco is inextricably linked with poverty.  “For the poor, money spent on tobacco is money that could be spent on basic necessities such as food, shelter, education and health care,” the WHO reported.

Burden For The Poor

Panao said smoking exposure cannot be treated as “a neutral habit” because it is closely tied to long-term health risks such as heart disease, stroke and respiratory illnesses.

When smoking is concentrated among poorer households, the burden of these diseases also becomes concentrated among those who are already more vulnerable in terms of income, access to care, and overall health,” Panao reported to Inquirer.

The WHO report documented the scale of that burden in the Philippines, estimating that smoking-related diseases accounted for thousands of deaths and billions of pesos in economic losses.

Smoking-attributable deaths from four major diseases, including cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, comprised “a little over 8 percent of mortality from all causes,” the WHO noted.

The report estimated total costs of illness from smoking-related diseases at as much as $6.05 billion in 2003 using one methodology and the more conservative estimate is at $2.86 billion.

For poorer households, the impact extends beyond medical costs.

Panao said tobacco spending takes up a meaningful share of limited household budgets in poorer families, reducing resources available for food, education and other essential needs.

“At the same time, smoking-related illness increases medical expenses and can reduce a household’s ability to earn income, deepening financial strain over time,” he added.

The WHO study found that poor and poorest households in the Philippines spent more on tobacco than on clothing, education or health care. It also noted that reallocating tobacco expenses to food could significantly improve nutrition among poor families.

“Should 61.1 percent (percentage of expenses on food) of tobacco expenditure be reallocated to rice, a person from a poor household would, on the average, have an additional 466 calories daily from rice alone,” the WHO report stated.

“The average monthly tobacco expenditure of the poor, when reallocated to food, can add around 750 calories daily from different kinds of food items,” it added.

Smoking Still Prevalent

The latest Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Department of Health showed tobacco use remains widespread in the country, the Inquirer noted.

In 2021, 19.5 percent of Filipino adults, equivalent to around 15.1 million people, were current tobacco users. Among men, the smoking rate reached 34.7 percent, compared with 4.2 percent among women.

The survey also found that 21.8 percent of adults were exposed to tobacco smoke inside their homes. Filipino smokers spent an average of P1,273.90 a month on manufactured cigarettes in 2021.

The survey showed that cigarette prices influence smoking behavior. About 68 percent of current smokers who tried to quit in the previous 12 months said high cigarette prices pushed them to attempt quitting.

WHO researchers have noted that raising tobacco taxes could reduce cigarette consumption while increasing government revenues, which did not stop tobacco use but only made consumers divert to cheaper available cigarettes.

The WHO report said simulations showed tax increases could yield revenue gains of 17 percent to 85 percent while lowering cigarette consumption.

Panao said the persistence of smoking among poorer households is tied to broader social and economic conditions.

Smoking Is Quick Relief

“Smoking is more common in poorer communities where stress levels are higher, daily life is more insecure, and cigarettes are often used as a form of quick relief,” he said.

“It is also easier to maintain the habit where smoking is common in homes and neighborhoods and where access to sustained quitting support is limited.”

The WHO report described tobacco and poverty as a “vicious cycle” in which tobacco use both contributes to and deepens economic hardship.

“As the data suggest, smoking is not merely a matter of personal choice or cultural habit,” Panao said. “It both follows and deepens inequality over time.”

Theater As Showbiz

Boy Villasanta
-
0
Theater As Showbiz

IT HAS BEEN happening a long time ago, Goddamnit.

This casting of popular stars from the movies and television in stage plays, what else?

Let’s bring back the hands of time.

Popular silent movie star Honorata de la Rama, also known as Atang de la Rama, now National Artist for Theater, blazed the trail of transitioning to film then back to theater, shuttling again to the movies from her royal theater beginnings as Queen of the Zarzuela in the American period.

Filmmaker and now National Artist for Film Lamberto Avellana after directing films in the 50s and 60s went back to theater and brought his wife film actress Daisy Avellana to his Barangay Theater Guild.

Famous screen actresses Lolita Rodriguez, Charito Solis and Rita Gomez appeared onstage in the vernacular version of “Portrait of the Artist as Filipino,” “Larawan.”

Known for the moniker The Great Profile, cinema icon Leopoldo Salcedo had performed onstage with the same play by Nick Joaquin in Filipino.

If vaudeville or “bodabil” was considered legitimate theater especially during the Japanese occupation, then Rogelio de la Rosa, Anita Linda, among others were pop screen idols, who had to perform in live entertainment during WWII.

Hilda Koronel and Phillip Salvador

The sixties, seventies, eighties also gave rise to film stars starring in theater mounted particularly by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), some of them, Bembol Roco (“Hanggang Dito na Lamang at Maraming Salamat”), Robert Arevalo (“Bayaning Huwad”), Laurice Guillen and Phillip Salvador (“Flores Para Los Muertos”), Lirio Vital (“Pilipinas Circa 1907”), Hilda Koronel and Phillip Salvador (“Pusa sa Yerong Bubong”) etc.

At the Repertory Philippines, movie and television stars were tapped to perform in the early years of the company like Vic Silayan, Johnny Wilson, Tita Munoz etc. Later, Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Jamie Wilson etc. transitioned from stage to TV to movies and back.

In the days of student theaters, screen idols Nino Muhlach, Ernie Garcia, Alan Paule, Anne Villegas, Toby Alejar, among others, were active touring around the country in stage performances.

It is commendable that Virgin Labfest, through a partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), has continued the tradition of employing film, TV and other multimedia stars to star in their one-act plays.

Jackie Lou Blanco and Angel Aquino

In this year’s edition of the festival, among the popular names from television and movies in the roster are Bong Cabrera (“Balos”), Noel Rayos (“Tengang Kawali”), Phil Noble (“Haram”), Angel Aquino, Jackie Lou Blanco and Iana Bernardez (“Lualhati”), Dennis Marasigan, Rafa Siguion-Reyna and Carlos Siguion-Reyna (“Elehiya”), Glaiza de Castro (“She’s Electric”), Elijah Canlas and Meryll Soriano (“Footprint”), Mosang and Christian Bables (“Taksyapo”), Soliman Cruz (“Mga Tatsulok”), Peewee O’Hara and Jamie Wilson (“Manang”) and Paul Jake Paule (“Ang Huli”).

In the Fact Sheet provided by CCP to the press, there are a lot of names on the creative side. I might underestimate them for they might be popular to some which I don’t keep track of.

It is also shortsightedness on the part of the press that lesser-known stage actors and actresses are not given enough publicity.

It is the responsibility of the media to popularize them especially if they are newsworthy.

12 “virgin” plays

Anyway, twelve (12) “virgin” plays highlighted by their playwrights will be presented from June 3 to 28, 2026 at 2 p.m. matinee and 8 p.m. gala, while its educational components are slated at 5 p.m. at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, namely Anthony Kim Vergara’s “Password123, Pilipinas” directed by Director Norbs Portales; “Human Rights Story of the Year” directed by Nelsito Gomez; Floyd Scott Tiogangco’s “Patayin ang mga Surot” directed by Lhorvie Nuevo-Tadioan; Neil Arkhe Azcuna’s “Balos” directed by Cholo Ledesma; Alab Usman’s “Haram” directed by Mark Daniel Dalacat; Gab Mactal’s “Lualhati” directed by Mara Paulina Marasigan; Dustin Celestino’s “Elehiya” directed by Ron Capinding; Ron Evangelista’s “She’s Electric” directed by JP Habac; Faith Ferrer Lacanlale’s “Betamax” directed by Sheenly Gener; Jerom Canlas’ “Footprint” directed by Mikko Angeles; John Lapus’ “Taksyapo” directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio and Gerald Manuel’s “Buhaghag” directed by Tess Jamias.

In addition to the new plays, “VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad” revisits three stories from last year’s edition: Ade Valenzona’s “Polar Coordinates,” Rolin Cadallo Obina’s “The Late Mr. Real” and Siege Malvar’s “Presidential Suite #2.”

According to the Cultural Center of the Philippines Corporate Communications, true to its core of celebrating both budding and veteran playwrights, “VLFXXI: Hubo’t Hubad” continues to nourish its garden of talent through its educational components: Staged Readings, Writing Fellowship Program and Showcase, Theater Talks and Playwrights’ Fair.

CCP-CC said that script submissions from VLFXXI come to life through stripped-down reading performances in Staged Readings. Jose Victor Torres’ “Mga Tatsulok,” M. Manalastas’ “The Devoured,” Dingdong Novenario’s “Manang,” Rafael Jimenez’s “Suor,” Juan Ekis’ “Kasal(anan)” and Jay Fernandez’s “Ang Huli” take the stage.

Glen Sevilla Mas and Rody Vera

It also informed that the VLF Writing Fellowship Program, a two-week mentorship on dramatic writing for the stage headed by award-winning playwright Glenn Sevilla Mas, culminates in a thrilling showcase. The Taiwan International Play Reading Festival (TIPR) will also hold a special staged reading of Ihot Sinlay Cihek’s “How Romantic: A Guide to Modern Pangcah Life, alongside the National Art Centre’s “Prison Dancer.”

Likewise, a forum series on the creative processes behind theater, Theater Talkswill feature TIPR with speaker Cheng-Han Wu. Jin Yim and Cui Yin Mok of the Asian Producers’ Platform share their insights, together with Shizuoka Performing Arts Center’s Takuya Maehara.

Meanwhile, VLF founder and Palanca-awardee Rody Vera, Liza Magtoto, and Glenn Sevilla Mas host Playwrights’ Fair, peeking into the minds of veteran playwrights. Guest speakers Tanya Lopez, Dessa Quesada-Palm, and Sari Saysay explore the essence of Visayan theater, herstories, and settings in the nation’s current artistic landscape.

With all these names and showcases associated with literature and the performance arts, what’s wrong with labeling theater as showbiz?

Anyway, they’re not complaining but for those who would question why theater is equated or stands side-by-side with showbiz, maybe we can take a look at the etymology of the word and its context.

Simply show business

It simply means show business.

Showbiz as a term and as a social field is an endeavor for art and business to thrive as television, film, live performances like stage plays, concerts, fellowships etc. with corresponding capitals—human, financial, environment etc. and profits or end-results.

 Sadly, showbiz has gained notoriety or condescension from critics and cynics as they associate it with cheap thrills, being kitschy, sensationalized, hollow, overboard, gossipy etc. which isn’t at all true.

Let’s all be happy that theater, after all these years, has been good to movies, television and other multimedia platforms to cast pop stars.

They say that TV and film have no discipline compared to theater.I disagree because pop culture has also its regulatory measures to erring members.   

Herbosa Flagged Anew Over A 10-Day Swiss Junket

Rose de la Cruz
-
0
Herbosa Flagged Anew Over A 10-Day Swiss Junket

NOT even an economic slump seemed enough to stop Department of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa from satisfying what looks more like a crave for junkets in the guise of an assembly.

In a newscast aired over the Bilyonaryo News Channel, employees of the agency headed by Herbosa called on the Senate to consider launching a “congressional investigation in aid of legislation” against Herbosa whom they accused of grave abuse of authority and graft. 

The unnamed employees said the DOH chief tagged along 14 other DOH officials to Switzerland for a 10-day World Health Assembly, headed by Herbosa himself.

As to the relevance and specific roles of the delegation to the World Health Organization’s decision making body, no one at DOH could clearly say.

Worse, the DOH employees claimed that Herbosa included Assistant Secretary Mylene Beltran in the delegation “as a birthday gift.”

A special personnel department order signed by Health Undersecretary Albert Domingo stated that all expenses – round trip ticket, hotel billeting, local travel taxes for all 14 plus Herbosa and allowances amounting to at least P5.26 million – will be charged to the DOH budget. 

Domingo forms part of Herbosa’s delegation.

Senator Joel Villanueva previously flagged Herbosa for 19 foreign travels from the time he was appointed as Health Secretary in 2023..

“If we are talking about statistics just like in basketball, that’s one travel every two months. The numbers speak for themselves,” Villanueva said.

In recent months, corruption allegations have piled up against Herbosa. Some DOH employees have accused him of a conflict of interest, claiming he crossed the line by keeping cozy social ties with Zuellig Pharma even as the company was allegedly an active bidder for DOH projects.

Then there is the P1.29 billion money trail, for which DOH employees asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate, with the cash transfer to UNICEF for vaccines and essential medicines that they alleged remained unliquidated from February 2024 to July 30, 2024.

The employees also claimed that while that amount was still unaccounted for, Herbosa approved another UNICEF vaccine purchase worth P524.9 million, a move they say violated Commission on Audit rules and a DOH memorandum barring new fund transfers until earlier ones are liquidated.

Herbosa is taking heat over claims that P98 million in public funds went to a DZMM program produced by Media Serbisyo Production Corporation, owned by Franco Reyes, the husband of DOH Health Promotion Bureau Director Tina Marasigan.

Herbosa, Marasigan, and Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo are listed as anchors of the show on the radio station owned by Martin.

2 Dead, 23 Missing As Building Collapse

Edwin Moreno
-
0
2 Dead, 23 Missing As Building Collapse

A NINE-STOREY building being constructed in Angeles City collapsed Sunday afternoon resulting in the death of two persons — including a foreign national, with 23 people still missing, the local government unit confirmed.

According to an update provided by Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, 24 individuals have been rescued with validation and coordination ongoing for a full accounting of all those affected.

Search and rescue teams under the unified command system are still looking for 23 people believed to be under the rubble. 

Under the unified system, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will serve as the lead agency to ensure coordination as national and neighboring local agencies rush to the site to help in the rescue and clearing efforts.

According to the BFP, the Malaysian national, who was just visiting the country as a tourist, was trapped inside the apartelle next to the collapsed building.

The cause of the collapse has remained under investigation, but Angeles City Mayor Jon Lazatin vowed to look into the possibility that substandard materials were used in the construction of the building. He also hinted at probing construction procedures, including soil testing.

The Department of Public Works and Highways deployed two dump trucks, a backhoe, a boom truck and a crane. Government engineers were also sent to assist in the search and clearing works — in coordination with the BFP.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority likewise dispatched its search and rescue team.

The neighboring Bulacan provincial government also sent a team with thermal drones to assist rescuers in locating survivors beneath the rubble.

The Senate On Trial

Boni Macaranas
-
1
The Senate On Trial

FROM JULY 2026 onwards, the Filipino people will be watching with eagle and microscopic eyes how the Senate will be performing its mandate under the Constitution – to be impartial, objective, transparent and fair as an Impeachment Court, in the trial of VP Sara Z. Duterte, charged essentially for betrayal of public trust, violation of the Constitution, the Rule of Law, and various crimes against the Filipino people. 

The senator-judges are expected, with all honesty and integrity, to convict or acquit her, based on the evidences to be presented and explained by the congressmen-prosecutors. The Filipino people will be expecting the congressmen-prosecutors to present the various crimes committed by VP Sara Duterte while heading the Office of the Vice President and serving concurrently as Secretary/Head of the Office of the Department of Education (DepED).

VP Sara Duterte’s crimes against the Filipino people were revealed, explained and thoroughly clarified by the many resource persons and Congressmen-members of the Committee on Justice and Good Governance on TV-live-streamed for weeks and viewed by countless Filipinos. Such crimes would be articulated by the congressmen-prosecutors before the senator-judges in the Impeachment Court, and the Filipino people will expect, as a matter of course, for the senator-judges to appreciate the evidences presented with the objectivity required of honest judges, while shedding off their loyalty to their respective political affiliations. 

DYED-IN-THE-WOOL 

Still and admittedly, the Filipino people may have certain concerns about how honestly the senators will perform their duty and carry out their responsibility as senator-judges. Especially with the drama that engulfed them a week back, where an AWOL since November 2025, Sen. Bato dela Rosa, suddenly appeared to add his vote for a new Senate President (SP) in a coup for a dyed-in-the-wool Duterte loyalist, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. 

Until more than a week after the incident, serious questions have been disturbing many Filipinos of goodwill – Senators Joel Villanueva, Jinggoy Estrada, Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, Imee Marcos, Mark Villar, Camille Villar, Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Rodante Marcoleta, Robin Padilla – known as Duterte fanatics, or have been tagged by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla as tainted with possible violations of their oath as public officials, or known publicly to have records of malfeasance. 

Also,  PCIJ reports “that 11 of the 13 DuDirty Senators have pending criminal or other cases….” – will they be guided by their conscience, or their belief in the Lord of Truth and Justice, or simply their Christian upbringing, if at all, or for once in their life, they will faithfully serve the Filipino people, shed off any personal self-interest, and fully implement their mandate “to give justice to everyone”? 

MORAL AND SACRED DUTY

Thus, on trial is the present Senate’s performance as supposedly a model government institution with integrity – in contrast with the true-blue legislative giants of the past Senates, namely, Jovito Salonga, Lorenzo Tanada, Jose W. Diokno, Benigno Aquino, Raul Manglapus, Juan Sumulong, Miriam Defensor, Ambrosio Padilla, Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo, et al. 

The Filipino people are seriously hoping and praying for the Senate as an Impeachment Court to do its moral and sacred duty to give justice to the Filipino people. It was the Filipino people’s hard-earned money in millions, or billions, that was stolen for personal use, and could have been spent to improve the country’s educational system, to uplift the learning capabilities especially of Filipino children and youth, and to improve the healthcare system for the people. 

Indeed, the Filipino people cannot tolerate any form of injustice that may be committed by a government institution, particularly when the adverse impact on society is so widespread, resulting in nationwide demoralization. And so, what?! 

35 Years After: In Memory of Lino Brocka

Boy Villasanta
-
0
35 Years After: In Memory of Lino Brocka

THE NATION observed the 35th death year of National Artist for Film Lino Brocka two days ago.

This isn’t a belated piece for this commemorates the relevance of the man not only in arts and culture but in everyday life of the Filipinos.

I was lucky enough I had the chance to navigate around him not necessarily as a friend but as a colleague in the entertainment industry.

It was because his former publicist and business manager, the still missing TV host, star maker, entertainment writer and talent manager Boy de Guia was my mentor.

It was Kuya (a term of endearment to an older man or brother by blood or affinity) Boy who brought us to Lino and from there on, we had our regular meetings and exchanges of notes, no matter how flippant or gossipy, and ideas, mundane or socially engaging.

I learned a lot from Lino, especially, professionally.

I might not be a fulltime director yet but it was from Brocka, a very fast worker, that I should emulate the attitude of “loving the craft and enjoying it at the same time.”

He took his heavy job lightly.

I remember when we were shooting “Akin ang Iyong Katawan” in Baguio City for PLG Films.

The movie starred Christopher de Leon, Carmi Martin, Dennis Roldan and Maria Isabel Lopez.

The scene was shot in a hospital room.

Lino would just instruct his assistant director Jon Arino, production designer Joey Luna, production manager George Santos, among other staff to prepare the set for the next scene or sequence.

He would just go to a corner and take a nap.

When the mise-en-scene was already prepared, Jon would call Lino who rose up quickly.

On the set, Brocka would just shout “Okay, motor, roll!” and the actors would play their parts.

That’s how cool Brocka was.

No tantrums, no yells.

Yes, he would sit his actors down on separate occasions, on any subject that he felt his stars, whom he considered family, misbehaved or confused over a lot of things from professionalism to personal attitudes to political views.

At the set of “Hot Property” which starred Carmi who at the time was hesitant to do the “bathing scene” in a girlie bar where she would play a model wearing a see-through nightie and sitting alluringly on a giant basin to be poured in water with a tabo (dipper) by male customers to wet her body.      

He didn’t waste time and talked intently with Martin who finally understood what her director wanted her to do without pressure and negative repercussions. It was all for the beauty of the film.

Even in his political films like “Bayan Ko Kapit sa Patalim” or “Orapronobis,” Lino was bubbly on the set in an atmosphere mimicking a tension-filled opposition between labor strikers against a petty bourgeois business operator or rallyists versus the military or police.

Before embarking on a film or TV project, Lino would sit down with the producers with Kuya Boy in tow. and discuss thoroughly the whole production.

Lino was straightforward in his dealings with creative capitalists.

He would speak up, without hesitation, his points and called spade a spade.

In one of his business meetings with Lily Monteverde, also known as Mother Lily, the late matriarch of Regal Entertainment, he would say, as witnessed by Kuya Boy, “bobo ka, Lily” right to her face.

He had the temerity to beg off directing Kris Aquino and Sharon Cuneta at the prime of their career.

It was only when Vic del Rosario, Viva Entertainment honcho, gave in by producing “Macho Dancer” that Lino touched Sharon.

It was a “compromised deal.”

Look! “Macho Dancer,” a trailblazing project made well at the box-office which is considered the longest running film internationally.  

The day In-ya (a term of endearment, a jumbled word for Inay as in Mother many of his colleagues addressed him) met his fatal car accident on May 22, 1991 as we still commemorate him, memories rush in.

Torre To Bato: Not In My Turf

Rose de la Cruz
-
0
Torre To Bato: Not In My Turf

AMID public clamor to tap the person behind the arrest of high-profile fugitives, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre hinted at accepting the call to arrest the elusive Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa — but with a twist.

According to Torre, who now serves as general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), he just might be able to help arrest Dela Rosa, should the latter be spotted in his turf.

In a media forum, Torre in a tongue-in-cheek answer told journalists — “As long as there is information that the senator is in a landfill, in waterways, or rivers, we can [help],” a response that elicited boisterous laughter among the people in attendance.

Pressed further, Torre replied — “If he’s in the MMDA area, in the streets, under a canal, in the sewers, yes, we can.” 

During his stint as PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director, Torre arrested the likes of former presidential spiritual adviser Apollo Quiboloy. 

In March last year, Torre accepted a challenge that other senior police officers declined to execute — to clamp down former President Rodrigo Duterte in view of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

As the laughter simmered down, Torre explained that the MMDA could only assist in areas under its jurisdiction, noting that other agencies also have their own designated responsibilities.

“In other areas that fall under the responsibility of other offices, then they should be the ones to do the job,” explained Torre, adding that arresting Dela Rosa requires a “whole of government approach.”

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has already ordered Dela Rosa’s arrest on the basis of an ICC warrant after the Supreme Court rejected the senator’s plea for a temporary restraining order. The DOJ order covers the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

On a more serious note, Torre reminded men in uniform and other law enforcement agencies that they are duty-bound to implement legal processes and warrants regardless of personalities involved.

“In my view, this is institutional. It’s not about a person. It’s not about me. It’s not about Senator Bato. It is about a process. It is about a system. It is about a law. And it is about a job,” he said.

“The authorities themselves are saying the warrant is legal and can be implemented, and for me, we have to respect the process. Let the system work,” Torre added.

Police officers, he added, cannot choose which legal orders to implement.

“The job of the police is not to judge the case, but to implement the processes, and in this case, the warrant… So they have to do it, protect the process, let it roll in its natural course.” 

He said that, ultimately, authorities must prioritize protecting institutions and safeguarding the country’s interests above all else.

Torre likewise reaffirmed that the MMDA is prepared to cooperate should investigators request CCTV footage from areas surrounding the Senate complex.

“I think there was a letter circulating online that was supposedly going to be delivered to the MMDA today,” he said.

“Whatever the investigating authorities need, and whatever the other agencies of the government need, the MMDA is ready to cooperate, and we will give them all the information that is in our database,” he said.

Lifestyle Check Is On For 26 Cong-tractors

Rose de la Cruz
-
0
Lifestyle Check Is On For 26 Cong-tractors

APART FROM scrutinizing statements of assets, liabilities and networth(SALNs), the Office of the Ombudsman has commenced a lifestyle check on 26 House members linked to the so-called flood control scandal.

According to Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, conducting lifestyle checks would allow them to validate whether or not the acquired wealth would match what has been declared in their SALN.

Likewise under the Ombudsman’s radar are assets acquired through a scheme referred to as “kickbacks.”

Ombudsman Crispin Remulla previously bragged to have found irregularities in the declared wealth of 26 congressmen linked to the flood control mess.

Clavano echoed Remulla’s claim, adding that irregularities were found when investigators looked into the SALNs of the lawmakers.

“We found there are (irregularities)… we are strengthening our lifestyle checks,” Clavano was quoted in a radio interview. 

“The SALNs we received are compared to all the registries to see if what they declared matches those found listed on the registries,” he added.

When asked who among the House members are under the Ombudsman’s lifestyle check, Clavano replied: “It’s still an ongoing investigation and the anti-graft body has more to do.”

In April, the Ombudsman obtained copies of the SALNs of 26 House members who have been tagged in the flood control controversy. Clavano said copies of other congressmen’s SALN will also be subpoenaed as the anti-graft body digs deeper into the scandal.

He earlier clarified that the Ombudsman’s efforts to secure copies of SALNs of lawmakers is not limited to the flood control project scandal alone but also include other infrastructure-related anomalies.

The lifestyle checks that Remulla ordered involve the so-called ‘cong-tractors’ – government officials moonlighting as contractors.

Remulla mentioned in 2025 12 to 15 House members with undeniable links to construction firms that bagged millions in government public works contracts. He stated that over 10% of the 317-seat chamber may be involved in the multibillion-peso flood control project controversy.

Gatchalian Taking Over As Senate President?

Rose de la Cruz
-
0
Gatchalian Taking Over As Senate President?

IN A MATTER of days, a change in leadership in the Senate is bound to happen as the minority bloc of 11 openly prefers Senator Sherwin Gatchalian for the senate presidency

In an interview with reporters, Senator Francis Pangilinan made a categorical claim that members of the so-called SB-11 (Solid Bloc 11) are bent on pursuing another leadership change, over a week after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano replaced former Senate President Vicente Sotto via 13-11 vote.

Among those who voted for Cayetano is fugitive Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa who emerged from a six-month hibernation in view of reports that an arrest warrant has been released by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“We, of the SB-11 or Solid Bloc 11, all want Senator Sherwin Gatchalian to become Senate President,” Pangilinan said in a statement. 

With Sen. Ronald dela Rosa just a few steps from being arrested to face charges before the ICC, Cayetano’s bloc is down to 12.

Pangilinan told GMA News that Gatchalian “has proven himself, especially during the deliberations on the 2026 national budget, that he can protect the people’s money and ensure that public funds go where they are most needed.”

Gatchalian was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance. He has since been replaced by Senator Mark Villar this month – under Cayetano.

“Principle-wise, Sen. Win is competent, steady, and fair. In realpolitik, he can unite a broader, reform-oriented Senate that is more balanced, more accountable, and acceptable even to some members of the current majority,” Pangilinan averred.

“Even current Senate President Cayetano has said he might vote for Senator Win as Senate President,” he added.

Senator Erwin Tulfo on Thursday also admitted that talks of a leadership change at the Senate are still ongoing.

President Marcos Jr. on Monday said that he would “wait and see” developments regarding the Senate leadership as they unfold amid reports of another brewing change.

Rumors circulated that Cayetano will be ousted as Senate president this week, following the shooting incident at the Senate on Wednesday, May 13.

Tensions grew in the upper chamber last week following the release of an arrest warrant of the ICC for dela Rosa in his role during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

During the plenary session on Monday, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and JV Ejercito identified themselves as members of the Senate minority bloc.

Pangilinan said Gatchalian is “competent, steady, and fair,” and “can unite a broader, reform-oriented Senate that is more balanced, more accountable, and acceptable even to some members of the current majority.”

“Even current SP Cayetano was previously heard saying he might vote for Senator Win as Senate president,” Pangilinan noted.

Gatchalian is part of the new 11-member minority bloc that supported Senate President Vicente Sotto III in voting that led to Cayetano’s election.

Dela Rosa, a crucial vote in the Senate coup, left the Senate premises on May 14 and has since been in hiding, leaving the majority bloc thin with 12 members.

Aside from the finance committee, Gatchalian also headed the committees on ways and means, basic education, energy, and economic affairs over his 10 years in the Senate.

Gatchalian had said he is “ready” to be Senate President: “kung handa, handa talaga.”

Diosdado Banatao: Bill Gates of the Philippines

Domingo P. Herras
-
0
Diosdado Banatao: Bill Gates of the Philippines

TODAY’S column is dedicated to overseas Filipino workers with extraordinary and exemplary distinctions. We will journey beyond the standard headlines to uncover the profound, paradigm-shifting contributions of global Filipinos. 

From the microchips that power our digital world to the silent sacrifices that lift our nation’s economy, these are the narratives of triumph, genius, and global transformation. 

Welcome to the chronicle of the Filipino global footprint—where modern heroism meets timeless excellence.

Every single day, millions of OFWs leave the country, carrying nothing but a suitcase, an unbreakable spirit, and a reservoir of world-class talent. 

We often praise them as our modern-day heroes for the billions in remittances that keep the Philippine economy afloat. Yet, their truest value to the world cannot merely be measured in dollars and cents. It is measured in the revolutionary ideas, unmatched resilience, and extraordinary intelligence that have literally reshaped the global landscape.

Nowhere is this brilliant impact more evident than in the very heart of global technology: Silicon Valley. 

Long before the world became fully digitalized, a young Filipino visionary named Diosdado “Dado” Banatao stepped onto American soil. He did not just join the tech race; he revolutionized it. 

By inventing the first single-chip graphical user interface accelerator and the first system logic chip set, Banatao laid the foundational digital tracks upon which modern personal computers run today. 

ETERNAL LEGACY

Fittingly dubbed the “Bill Gates of the Philippines” and celebrated as a towering icon of innovation, his journey proves that the Filipino mind possesses a unique, world-class intelligence capable of fueling the economic and technological engines of both the United States and the Philippines.

Banatao — or Dado to his family, friends and peers in the field of information technology, quietly passed away on December 25, 2025, at the age of 79 in Stanford, California. 

His family confirmed that the legendary Silicon Valley innovator succumbed to complications from a neurological disorder. 

Up until his final days, Banatao remained the gold standard for global OFW Filipino success, leaving behind a multi-billion dollar tech legacy that fundamentally restructured modern computing.

PINOY BILL GATES 

He absolutely retained his famous moniker as the “Bill Gates of the Philippines” until his passing. If anything, the title grew more profound over time. 

While Bill Gates revolutionized software, Banatao revolutionized hardware. Tech historians and industry peers frequently noted that without Banatao’s inventions — including the first single-chip Ethernet controller and the first Windows graphics accelerator chip — the personal computers and digital devices used globally today would not function at their current high-speed capacity.

In his final active business chapters in North America, Banatao transitioned fully from an aggressive venture capitalist into a towering mentor and institutional builder. He continued managing Tallwood Venture Capital, utilizing his self-made fortune to fund hard-tech semiconductors, computing infrastructure, and early-stage artificial intelligence technologies. 

Instead of quietly enjoying a billionaire’s retirement in California, he dedicated his ultimate years to institutionalizing paths for the next generation of global builders.

PHILDEV SCHOLARSHIP

A massive part of his updated story centers on the Philippine Development (PhilDev) Foundation, the cross-border non-profit he and his wife, Maria, spearheaded. 

PhilDev successfully scaled up its cross-border initiatives, directly connecting the vast wealth and expertise of the Filipino diaspora in North America with young tech talent back home. 

Even after his death, PhilDev continues to actively run nationwide STEM scholarships, innovation labs, and technopreneurship programs, fulfilling Banatao’s core philosophy that talent is universal but opportunity is scarce.

PINOY NEWSMAKER 

The story of this iconic OFW from Cagayan—who famously walked barefoot to a rural elementary school before designing components for the Boeing 747 and conquering Silicon Valley—has officially transitioned from an active business journey into a permanent historical blueprint. 

Recognizing his immense global impact, major publications like the Manila Bulletin posthumously honored him as the 2026 Newsmaker of the Year. 

His life serves as the ultimate proof that an Overseas Filipino Worker can rise to build the very foundation of the global digital age.

Nowhere To Run: Manhunt For Bato Has Begun

LOUIE LEGARDA
-
0
Nowhere To Run: Manhunt For Bato Has Begun

DAYS AFTER THE Supreme Court junked a plea for temporary restraining order, the Philippine National Police (PNP) alerted regional, provincial city and municipal police stations to be on the lookout for Senator Ronal “Bato” Dela Rosa, who has a standing arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

Likewise joining the nationwide manhunt is the National Bureau of Investigation, according to Justice Secretary Frederick Vida.

In a press briefing, Sec. Vida said law enforcement agencies, including the NBI, may proceed with serving the ICC arrest warrant against Dela Rosa after a foiled attempt at the Senate on May 11.

“First, there’s a valid arrest warrant issued by the ICC. Second, he is not in the Senate premises. Third, there’s no TRO or any interim order from the Supreme Court. Fourth, the arrest warrant is now enforceable. So, it will be enforced, and it will be served,” Vida told reporters.

He also said no shortcuts will be taken in serving the warrant.

“There’s coordination among the various law enforcement agencies. There are existing guidelines and standard operating procedures to effect the arrest, and all of this will be followed,” he added.

STILL IN THE COUNTRY

Dela Rosa has yet to leave the country, according to PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II.

“Just like Atong Ang, Sen. Bato is still inside the country. We will be enforcing that warrant of arrest,” the CIDG chief said.

Dela Rosa has been in hiding since May 14, when he vanished from the Senate premises. A video footage also showed Sen. Robin Padilla accompanied the fugitive senator.

Morico said Dela Rosa will be brought to the DOJ “immediately after” arrest for booking. “We will be turning him over, after all the booking procedure, turning him over to the Department of Justice,” he assured.

SURRENDER OR ELSE

As this developed, PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., in a separate ambush interview, called on the senator to surrender amid the nationwide manhunt.

“Pwede naman, seeking protective custody. Meaning, that is surrender,” Nartatez said. 

“Kung by all peaceful means he will surrender, yield himself, eh di mas maganda, para mag-concentrate tayo sa ibang wanted person. We have Atong Ang, Zaldy Co, Bantag, and the rest of hundreds of thousands of wanted persons listed,” he added.

Dela Rosa is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity during the previous administration’s bloody war against drugs.

Magdalo Founding Members Ditch Trillanes

Edwin Moreno
-
0
Magdalo Founding Members Ditch Trillanes

TOO much drama for the sake of political grandstanding compelled retired military officers forming part of the so-called Magdalo group, to ditch the organization and join former Senator Gringo Honasan.

According to insiders, the breakaway group, mostly soldiers who took part in the Oakwood mutiny in 2003, disapprove the manner in which former Senator Antonio Trillanes has been “projecting the organization in preparation for another crack to run for public office in 2028.”

Trillanes has lost three elections in a row.

“Our Magdalo group is supposed to be an advocate for military reform, good governance and public service, not a political machinery,” the source told The PH Insider.

Originally a faction of dissident soldiers, Magdalo transitioned into a registered political organization.

Interestingly, the breakaway group hinted at pursuing change through parliamentary process. “Ito mas malinaw, boses namin ang maririnig, hindi lang boses ng nagmamagaling,” the source added.

In abandoning Trillanes, the dissenters hinted at joining Honasan’s Reform PH Party, alongside veterans of the EDSA People Revolution, former members of the disbanded Alex Boncayao Brigade, and Muslim commanders and fighters who chose to set aside destabilization at armed conflict.

Honasan previously said in an interview that the party’s goal is to engage in “a level playing field, the parliamentary struggle.”

The defection of Magdalo founding members came after Trillanes stormed the Senate to serve an arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on May 11.

“He (Trillanes) does not have the legal personality to serve the warrant. He’s just there for political grandstanding. That’s what he is good at,” an obviously pissed off source added.

“We would no longer allow anyone to be used for personal gains,” he quipped.

The Reality of Trash Slides in PH

Rose de la Cruz
-
0
The Reality of Trash Slides in PH

A THIRD TRASH SLIDE (or landfill collapse) occurred in Barangay Carmen, Davao City killing one person, injuring two others and leaving at least two missing persons on May 20.

This is the third in 2026 with the first on January 8 in Binaliw, Cebu leaving 36 people dead and 18 injuries and scores missing and the second one in February was in Rodriguez, Rizal (a provincial sanitary landfill) with multiple deaths and missing persons plus burying heavy equipment.

Then on May 20, the Davao City City Sanitary Landfill in Barangay New Carmen collapsed killing one person, injuring two others and at least two people were reported missing. Rescue teams were deployed but the unstable ground gave them limited access.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) highlighted the need for urgent corrective measures, citing earlier violations like lack of discharge permit, failed effluent standards, and inadequate leachate treatment. Inspections also flagged steep slopes, collapsed ponds, and informal dwellings within the buffer zone. This landfill was opened in 2000 by then Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

The DENR said these disasters are caused primarily by oversaturated, towering mounts of waste, especially during heavy rains.

The disaster at the 35-meter high mound of garbage in Binaliw was the at the Prime Waste Solutions landfill, burying the materials recovery facility (MRF) that buried 36 people, injured 18 others and many more still missing.

The trashslide in Rodriguez, Rizal last February had a portion of the landfill eroding just weeks after the Cebu trashslide burying heavy equipment and workers. Multiple deaths and missing individuals reported (early reports indicated at least one dead and several missing).

On July 10, 2000 the Payatas dumpsite in Quezon City collapsed after heavy rains from a typhoon burying hundreds of homes in a neighboring community. Over 200 people were killed and over 300 went missing (with some estimating the missing persons at close to 1,000). This was closed in 2000 after the disaster.

The common denominator among these trash slides were: overstocking (beyond the rated capacity), violations of environmental clearance certificate, lack of discharge permits, failing effluent standards, and maintaining an inadequate leachate treatment system.

These incidents led to urgent calls from environmental groups like Greenpeace Philippines to address the broken waste management system, citing over-reliance on plastic and poor maintenance of sanitary landfills.

The Davao sanitary landfill was the first to open in Mindanao with then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte leading local officials in formally opening it in 2009 in Barangay New Carmen, Tugbok.

Back then, the P268-million landfill was designed to address the volume of garbage churned out by the city’s 1.6 million residents that reached 272,916 cubic meters from January to August this year, which leapt to 358,572 cubic meters the following year.

“This is one project that I vowed the city would really have,” said Duterte, stressing that the city government gives priority to environmental concerns,” the Philippine Star reported then.

He said the city government continues to think of ways on how to effectively collect wastes, as he observed how scavengers mindlessly scatter garbage from trash bins.

The DENR said that multiple prior environmental and safety violations were flagged before Wednesday’s tragedy, said DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna, stressing that “every life lost is unacceptable.”

“The DENR and the LGU (local government unit) have been working together on the technical and regulatory requirements for months. This incident reinforces the need to accelerate slope stabilization and the safe closure plan.”

The DENR said the collapse happened at about 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, in the landfill’s active disposal area in Barangay New Carmen after days of heavy rain.

Search and rescue teams from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), 911 Urban Search and Rescue, the City Engineer’s Office, and barangay responders were immediately deployed to the area, but unstable ground conditions limited access to the site.

Right after the incident, the City Engineer’s Office declared the area unsafe for full entry, prompting a temporary halt to disposal operations and perimeter control, while technical teams evaluated the extent of the waste movement.

Initial investigation disclosed that the mass-wasting incident was allegedly caused by water buildup underneath the landfill following continuous heavy rains, resulting in the collapse of a portion of the garbage mound that buried nearby residential structures.

Search and retrieval operations for the reported missing persons.

“Inspection records show the landfill had been under close monitoring since January. EMB (Environmental Management Bureau) 11 (Davao Region) held technical meetings with the city (government) on Jan. 20 and March 4, and issued a Notice of Violation on March 19 for operating without a discharge permit, failing effluent standards, and maintaining an inadequate leachate treatment system,” the DENR said.

The DENR also said that inspectors also documented steep slopes, a collapsed leachate pond, and the presence of informal waste pickers and makeshift dwellings near the landfill perimeter, which, the DENR said, were conditions that became the basis for recommendations to stabilize slopes, partially close sections of the facility, and relocate households within the 200-meter buffer zone.

A technical conference on April 29 resulted in the Davao city government committing to pay penalties and submit a pollution control program.

The DENR said the landfill currently receives an average of 786 tons of waste daily and is nearing full capacity.

A new sanitary landfill expansion located adjacent to the existing site is already 52 percent complete, while part of the city’s waste is being diverted through a co-processing agreement with Geocycle-Holcim.

Cuna warned that operations at the landfill could be suspended, to resume only once authorities declare the facility safe.

“We are committed to ensuring that Davao City’s waste facilities are safe, compliant, and resilient,” PNA quoted him.

The fatality in the Davao City landfill collapse was identified as Cristel, a scavenger and resident of Purok 8, Barangay New Carmen, said to be around 31 or 32. Two other individuals were injured in the incident, including a 16-year-old boy and an adult woman identified as Lilibeth. Both were rushed for medical treatment.

Police reported that initial findings showed that the collapse was allegedly caused by water buildup underneath the landfill after days of continuous heavy rainfall that hit Davao City beginning May 18.

Authorities described the incident as a “mass wasting” event, where accumulated rainwater weakened the stability of the garbage mound, causing a large section to cave in.

Following the tragedy, police immediately cordoned off the road leading to Purok 8 and prohibited residents from returning to their homes due to fears of another collapse.

Over 100 families living near the landfill site were evacuated and temporarily sheltered at the barangay gymnasium and covered court as a precautionary measure.

Residents said they remain anxious as the unstable garbage mountain continues to threaten nearby communities.

A statement released Thursday, by DCPO City Director P/Col Peter Madria extended sympathy to the victims’ families and assured the public that authorities are doing everything possible to ensure community safety.

“The Davao City Police Office extends its heartfelt sympathy to the families affected by this unfortunate incident. We assure the public that all responding units and partner agencies are continuously working together to conduct search and retrieval operations and to ensure the safety of the community,” Madria said.

He urged residents to remain calm, cooperate with authorities, and strictly observe safety measures, particularly in areas vulnerable to landslides and flooding during periods of heavy rainfall.

Environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) also expressed concern over the incident, saying the tragedy exposed deeper issues surrounding waste management and the plight of informal waste workers.

In a statement, IDIS Executive Director Atty. Mark Peñalver said the collapse reflected the growing challenges posed by the increasing volume of waste being disposed of daily in landfills.

The tragedy highlights the importance of a strong integrated waste management system that prioritizes waste reduction, segregation at source, recycling, composting, and responsible disposal to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” Peñalver said.

The group also emphasized the dangerous conditions faced by waste pickers working in the informal waste sector.

“Waste pickers and other informal workers play a significant role in waste recovery and recycling. However, many continue to work under unsafe and vulnerable conditions,” the group stated.

IDIS added that waste management should not only be treated as an environmental concern but also as an issue involving public safety, human dignity, and social justice.

In 2023, the City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), Lakandiwa Orcullo, head of the Waste Management Division, said the continued use of the landfill despite its overcapacity, was inevitable as there was yet no identified alternative landfill for the city’s waste of 700 to 800 tons a day. The volume of trash had since risen to 1,000 tons per day.

“We don’t have a choice right now. We have to maximize the existing landfill,” Orcullo told reporters back then.

The city government has set aside ₱340 million for the Phase 1 or the expansion of the landfill, which will be just beside the existing landfill, with an additional ₱219 million for the Phase 2 of the project, funded from 2023 city budget.

Orcullo said that a planned nine-hectare land which will house storage for hazardous and infectious wastes, among other ordinary wastes, was 55-percent complete to accommodate garbage.

Davao City enforces City Ordinance No. 0371-10, known as the Davao City Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance of 2009, which requires all waste generators, households and business establishments to segregate solid waste on their own.

A national law, Republic Act 9003 (“Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000), meanwhile, stipulates that each barangay or cluster of barangays will be required to establish a material recovery facility (MRF) to serve as a designated drop-off point for waste sorting, recycling, and composting at the household level.

Orcullo said only 53 out of 182 barangays have MRFs and that barangays are supposed to handle biodegradable and recyclable waste, leaving only residual and special waste for landfills.

However, most barangays lack composting facilities, making it difficult for residents to practice proper segregation. This would result in compostable food waste still ending up in landfills, which can worsen the city pollution.

The city landfill has also been flagged for violations like:

Operating without a valid wastewater discharge permit.

Failure to meet environmental effluent standards due to an inadequate leachate treatment system.

Structural hazards, including over-steepened waste slopes and collapsed retention ponds.

Safety buffer violations, specifically the presence of informal dwellings inside the mandatory 200-meter safety zone.

Remulla Quit Call Gaining Traction

Fernan Angeles
-
0
Remulla Quit Call Gaining Traction

THE CALL FOR the immediate resignation of Interior and local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla is gaining traction amid what has been categorically referred to as a dismal failure to arrest a long list of fugitives.

According to human rights lawyer Atty. Dino de Leon, Remulla Jr. should have some decency to step down from office following an eye-to-eye confrontation with fugitive Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa shortly after gunshots were fired inside the Senate premises.

Dela Rosa has a standing arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over crimes against humanity in relation to the previous administration’s war against drugs.

“Arrest Bato or resign,” de Leon said, saying the government cannot continue to project weakness in implementing warrants and enforcing accountability.

De Leon warned against adding Dela Rosa to what he described as a “growing list” of fugitives and wanted personalities whom the DILG has failed to arrest under Remulla’s leadership.

“Do not add Bato to the growing list of wanted personalities whom the DILG has failed to arrest,” he added.

TORRE’S ADVANTAGE

The lawyer said he could not help but compare Remulla’s stint as DILG secretary with the swift arrests against high-profile personalities by General Nicolas Torre III even before he rose to become the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

De Leon described Torre as result-oriented, noting that his previous operations were done in style — “swift and decisive.”

“I can’t help but compare him with General Torre, who moved swiftly and decisively. He is also wanting compared with his predecessor. Parang masyadong maraming press conferences at pa-pogi rather than delivering actual results,” de Leon averred.

It was Torre himself who arrested Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Founder Apollo Quiboloy in Davao City, and former President Rodrigo Duterte shortly after setting foot at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

READY TO RUMBLE

As this developed, Torre who has since been appointed general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), expressed willingness to join the search for Dela Rosa — if President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would ask him to.

Torre was the chief of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group when he arrested Quiboloy whose name appeared in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list.

It was also the former PNP chief who accepted the challenge of pinning down Duterte —a job that many other senior police officers declined for fear of reprisal.

Dela Rosa meanwhile is also wanted by the ICC over his role as former police chief and enforcer of Duterte’s drug war.

ROAMING FUGITIVES

Since Remulla was appointed Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), he has yet been able to arrest the most dangerous fugitives in the country.

Known for his penchant for press conferences, Remulla somehow made the headlines following the arrest of thousands of topless ‘bystanders,’  by virtue of a memorandum circular he himself issued.

Interestingly, former Bureau of Corrections chief General Gerald Bantag, gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang, former Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Zaldy Co, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, with Dela Rosa adding up to the so-called wanted list.

Bantag is wanted for the murder of hard-hitting broadcast journalist Percy Lapid; while Atong is believed to be the brain behind the disappearance of over 100 “missing sabungeros. Roque has remained abroad in view of human trafficking charges in relation to the illegal POGO operation.

DISMAL FAILURE

“What is the success rate of this DILG when it comes to arresting high-profile fugitives?” de Leon asked.

Amid what he described as dismal failure, the human rights lawyer urged Remulla to have some decency.

“Spare this administration from further national embarrassment. This administration is already being perceived as weak. If you cannot do your job and enforce the law, then resign,” de Leon stressed.

“Law enforcement officers serve warrants every day. That is their mandate. They should not be acting like they are confused about whose responsibility it is.”

According to de Leon, the DILG cannot evade responsibility by passing the burden entirely to another agency, especially when the Philippine National Police falls under its supervision.

Gross, Crusty, and Ridiculously Contagious: Straightforward Guide to Impetigo

Gwenn Canlas
-
9
Gross, Crusty, and Ridiculously Contagious: Straightforward Guide to Impetigo

THERE ARE MANY things people can ignore politely in public. Impetigo is not one of them.

One minute, you have a tiny scratch near the nose. The next, it looks like someone glued cornflakes dipped in honey onto your face. Suddenly everybody in the household is disinfecting towels like they’re preparing for a medical quarantine.

Welcome to impetigo: the skin infection that spreads faster than gossip in a barangay group chat.

And before anyone blames constant weather changes, or mysterious toxins, let’s simplify this properly. Impetigo is a bacterial infection. Not a curse. Not bad luck. Just bacteria behaving exactly the way bacteria love to behave when given the opportunity.

So What Exactly Is Impetigo?

Impetigo is a superficial skin infection commonly caused by two bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.

It shows up most often in children because kids spend half their lives touching random surfaces, scratching mosquito bites, and exchanging germs like collectible stickers. But adults can absolutely get it too.

The classic version starts as small red sores, usually around the nose or mouth. The sores burst, leak fluid for a bit, then dry into that unmistakable yellowish, honey-colored crust doctors love describing in textbooks and parents hate seeing in real life.

There’s also a blister-type version called bullous impetigo. Instead of crusty sores, you get larger fluid-filled blisters, usually on the body or limbs, especially in infants. Slightly less crusty. Still unpleasant.

Either way, nobody’s having a good time.

The Sneaky Part Nobody Talks About

Here’s what makes impetigo annoying: the infection doesn’t always show up immediately after exposure.

You can come into contact with the bacteria today and still look perfectly fine for several days. Depending on which bacteria is involved, symptoms can appear anywhere from about one to ten days later.

That delay is why impetigo spreads so easily in households, schools, and daycares. By the time the crusty lesions appear, the bacteria may already have toured half the family like an uninvited houseguest.

People also assume they’ll instantly “feel infected.” Usually they don’t. It often starts subtly — a small itchy red patch, a blister that looks harmless, or what people mistake for a mosquito bite gone dramatic.

Then the crust arrives and ruins everyone’s week.

How People End Up With It

Impetigo spreads through direct contact. Skin-to-skin contact, shared towels, contaminated sheets, clothing, toys — the bacteria are not picky.

If someone has active sores and another person touches them, congratulations to the bacteria. They’ve found new real estate.

But here’s the important part: these bacteria usually need an opening. Healthy skin is actually pretty good at keeping germs out. The problem starts when there’s a cut, insect bite, scratch, eczema flare, or irritated skin from constant nose wiping during a cold.

That tiny break in the skin barrier is basically an open invitation.

The bacteria move in, multiply, and suddenly everyone is Googling “yellow crust around nose” at 2 AM.

Why It Spreads So Easily

Because people underestimate how contagious it is.

Children touch their faces constantly. Then they touch tables, toys, siblings, pets, walls, and somehow the TV remote. Adults aren’t much better. One contaminated towel can turn into a household-wide inconvenience surprisingly fast.

Warm weather, crowded environments, contact sports, poor hand hygiene, and existing skin conditions all make spreading easier.

Translation: schools, playgrounds, daycares, and wrestling mats are basically impetigo’s favorite vacation spots.

How To Avoid Becoming Patient Zero

Preventing impetigo is not complicated, but it does require consistency.

Wash hands properly. Not the ceremonial three-second rinse people do before leaving public restrooms. Actual soap. Actual friction. Actual effort.

Keep cuts and insect bites clean and covered.

Avoid sharing towels, pillowcases, face cloths, razors, or clothing with someone who has suspicious-looking sores.

Trim fingernails short, especially in kids who scratch everything like tiny caffeinated puspins. Scratching spreads bacteria and makes skin damage worse.

And if someone in the house already has impetigo, wash linens separately and disinfect commonly touched surfaces. The bacteria can linger longer than people think.

What To Do If You Already Have It

See a doctor.

Mild cases are often treated with prescription antibiotic ointments. More widespread infections may need oral antibiotics. The good news is that treatment usually works well when started early.

The less good news? You are contagious until treatment has been underway long enough or the sores have dried up properly. Most people become far less contagious about 24 to 48 hours after starting the correct antibiotics, which is why doctors usually recommend staying home from school or close-contact activities until then.

So maybe skip the close-contact activities for a bit. Cover the lesions, avoid touching them unnecessarily, and stop sharing towels like you’re starring in a detergent commercial.

Basic hygiene may not be glamorous, but it beats crusty facial sores every single time.

The Certified Prick – Explaining medicine without sounding like an insurance disclaimer.

The Realities Of Working-From-Home

Tracy Cabrera
-
0
The Realities Of Working-From-Home

The biggest challenge of working from home is staying out of the kitchen. — Anonymous 

WITH THE SHARP rise in global petroleum prices driven by tensions in the Middle East, governments and businesses have been prompted to rethink energy consumption while maintaining productivity and a sound economic atmosphere. 

Here in the Philippines, the public sector has responded to this in several ways, among them temporary four-day workweek arrangements designed to reduce commuting and energy use.

However, the main legal tool for achieving similar savings is the Telecommuting Act of 2018 (Republic Act 11165), which, while progressive when enacted, currently shows economic pressures weakening its design and implementation. 

So, with the weakening strategy obviously needing to be addressed, the law must then be strengthened in order for telecommuting to become meaningful, conserving energy and promoting productivity. 

One critical concern that needs to be looked into is the law’s voluntary nature. It allows employers to offer telecommuting or remote work programs on mutually agreed terms and yet its adoption is left to managerial discretion. 

In actual practice, many companies simply choose not to implement remote work even when technology makes it feasible and this results with the strategy being considered only as an option rather than a policy instrument that can drive systemic change.

And now that we are at a time that triggers uncertainty because of rising fuel prices and growing concern for energy conservation, the permissive framework of a work-from-work strategy has become inadequate. 

A stronger approach would establish a presumption in favor of telecommuting for jobs that can reasonably be performed remotely, requiring employers who decline to provide a reasonable justification.

Another weakness is the lack of clear and uniform eligibility standards. The law allows employers to determine eligibility through their own telecommuting programs but this leads to uneven implementation across industries. Some firms even limit telecommuting to managerial staff only while others exclude departments even when the work can be done remotely.

Under the 2022 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) examples of functions that are listed as suitable for telecommuting include research, marketing, finance, administrative work and information technology. However, these functions remain illustrative rather than mandatory and as a result, access often depends more on company policy than on the nature of the job.

Thus, in order to promote wider consistency, baseline eligibility standards have to be established even as the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has been authorized to issue sector-specific guidelines to ensure equity and reliability. 

A third concern has also been felt, involving the allocation of remote work costs, which, based on the Revised IRR clarifies that facilities, equipment and supplies necessary for telecommuting are ordinary business costs of the employer. Even then, it was added that the rules remain unclear on recurring expenses such as internet connectivity, electricity and workspace maintenance.

It was noted that these costs often fall on employees unless addressed in telecommuting agreements and without clearer cost-sharing mechanisms, telecommuting risks becoming a cost-transfer arrangement from employer to worker. Still, on the positive outlook, legislative reforms could require employers to provide a modest telecommuting allowance or equipment subsidy.

It was also cited that legal parameters do not fully address the growing problem of digital overwork. While the law recognizes compensable working hours, there are no provisions to safeguard constant connectivity expectations that often accompany remote work. In this case, telecommuting employees may end up responding to emails and messages beyond regular working hours.

In some countries, “right to disconnect” policies have already been adopted to address this issue. 

* * *

FOR your comments or suggestions, complaints or requests, just send a message through my email at cipcab2006@yahoo.com or text me at cellphone numbers 09171656792 or 09171592256 during office hours from Monday to Friday. Thank you and Mabuhay! 

1...567...81Page 6 of 81

ABOUT US

The Ph INSIDER is a bi-monthly newsmagazine by the Amihan Media Group. The Ph INSIDER is a newsmagazine that brings to readers well thought-out articles, opinion pieces, commentaries, profiles, informative news features, and more. All materials are copyrighted.

Contact us: talktous@thephinsider.net

FOLLOW US

© 2025 The PH Insider