Philippines News

CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia is asking the candidates for Pasigarbo sa Sugbo’s festival queen competition to limit their outfit to not more than five kilograms.

This came about as a result of observations that costume bearers found it difficult to dance and move around due to the weight of their costumes.

During a meeting with the mayors, choreographers and provincial tourism officers at the Capitol on Thursday, July 13, 2023, Fifth District Board Member Andrei “Red” Duterte, chairman of the committee on tourism, said festival queen candidates often get weak easily and may even collapse because of their heavy attire.

Weigh candidates

Because of this, Garcia mandated that contestants for the festival queen competition and their costumes be weighed at the opening of One Cebu Expo.

“During the opening, we will weigh the candidates so we will already know what’s their normal weight... You cannot add more than five kilos or 10 pounds,” Garcia said on Thursday.

The candidates’ frequently worn outfits are positioned with a steel rod so that the decorations are sturdy and not easily damaged.

Garcia advised the designers to use bamboo instead of a steel rod to make it lighter.

“Kana man gud uban ninyong design, kabilya man gud inyong ibutang. Karon mangita na mo sa mga lightweight materials. Mag design man gud mo wala mo naghuna-huna sa nagdala. Naghuna-huna mo sa pinakabongga. That affects your festival queen. So kung ato ning ma limit, and sigurado nga i-limit. This is a challenge for you to look for more lightweight materials... kawayan ibutang,” the governor said.

(Some of you used steel bars in your designs; now you should look for lighter materials. When making a design, you don’t think of the wearer, but only its awesomeness. That affects your festival queen. So if we can limit, then we will definitely limit it. This is a challenge for you to look for more lightweight materials. Use bamboo.)

P2 million subsidy

In line with its desire to level up this year’s presentation, the Capitol will give a P2 million in subsidy to every participating contingent from mainland Cebu and P2.5 million to those from surrounding islands.

The Pasigarbo Street Dancing and Grand Showdown Competition will showcase the different delicacies and tourist sites of the province.

Around 50 contingents coming from the different local government units in Cebu will join the event, which will be held on Aug. 27 in Carcar City, southern Cebu. (ANV / TPT)

Eight years ago this month, on July 7, 2015, the great Philippine diplomat, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario addressed a distinguished panel of jurists in the Philippines-China Law of the Sea Convention arbitration, where he cited “the equalizing power of international law.” International law, he said, “allows the weak to challenge the powerful on an equal footing, confident in the conviction that principles trump power; that law triumphs over force; and that right prevails over might.” Like the Philippines, the United States believes that all countries, large and small, should play by the same rules, and that large countries should not be allowed to bully smaller ones.

The 2016 arbitral ruling which Secretary Del Rosario championed emanates from the rules-based international order that has provided peace, stability and prosperity for our nations for decades. The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, whose provisions the arbitral tribunal applied and vindicated, is fundamental to the peaceful and predictable use of the world’s oceans.

Peace and stability in the South China Sea are vital to the entire world, including to the global economy. We have a strategic interest in upholding the rights of all countries in the maritime domain, including the rights of South China Sea claimants to exercise their sovereign rights and jurisdiction in their exclusive economic zones and continental shelves, and of all users of the sea to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the seas.

The South China Sea has become one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with total annual trade flowing through the South China Sea estimated to be more than three trillion U.S. dollars. The South China Sea basin is estimated to hold 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, at least some of which is near Palawan.

More than half of the globe’s oil tankers and other raw materials pass through the South China Sea. The South China Sea also accounts for 12 percent of the global fish catch, which is estimated to generate $100 billion annually or P5.5 trillion, and which supports the livelihoods of 3.7 million people and the dietary requirements of millions more. The South China Sea is a key thoroughfare for undersea cables and is therefore pivotal for the continued secure flow of data. Clearly, the South China Sea matters to all of us.

With the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, the Philippines secured a final and legally binding decision that validates the country’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf, in a ruling that found the PRC’s maritime claims and actions to enforce those claims in the South China Sea were inconsistent with international law.

In support of the Tribunal’s 2016 decision, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said, “The United States and our Indo-Pacific allies and partners are committed to preserving a system where goods, ideas and people flow freely across land, sky, cyberspace and the open seas.” We applaud the tribunal’s decision that the PRC’s “nine dash line” maritime claims are unlawful, rejecting the PRC’s putative claim to so-called historic rights in the South China Sea as well as its claims to maritime entitlements based on PRC-designated island groups. With the arbitral ruling, international law won out, protecting a nation’s sovereign and economic rights, just as Senator J. William Fulbright said.

In terms of U.S. policy regarding this vitally important region, I want to reiterate that the United States calls for claimants to resolve territorial and maritime claims peacefully and in accordance with international law. With respect to maritime claims, we have consistently maintained that all South China Sea claimants should comport claims with international law as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention.

I would like to highlight three key lines of effort that describe well U.S. policy in the South China Sea. First, our diplomacy. Together with likeminded partners like the Philippines, we are promoting respect for international law and the rules-based order, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded commerce, and the need for peaceful settlement of disputes.

Second, our maritime capacity-building programs. We support maritime capacity-building programs for the region’s militaries and maritime law enforcement agencies, including a robust array of activities with the Philippines. These programs enhance countries’ maritime domain awareness and improve their ability to patrol their claims—actions which we believe further promote peace and stability.

And, third and finally, I want to highlight our own operations conducted by the U.S. military, including freedom of navigation operations and routine presence operations, which demonstrate that all countries have the right to fly, sail and operate anywhere that international law allows. And we’ve been doing just that in the South China Sea and around the world on a daily basis for many years.

One of the ways the United States and the Philippines strengthen our alliance is by placing a premium on sustaining an international system based on international law. Our focus on international law is reflected in our foreign policies and can be seen in our enduring commitment to the U.S.-Philippine Alliance, based on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

We share a common vision for a region governed by the rule of law, freedom of navigation, and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all nations. These shared values, with their echoes in the United Nations Charter, keep our alliance vibrant and meaningful even after seven decades.

The Philippines is our oldest treaty ally in East Asia. But age has not dimmed the vitality of our relationship. To this day, the ironclad U.S.-Philippine alliance provides a strong framework for how we work together to address common threats. It remains a bulwark in our regional security network—in a world beset by many uncertainties, our commitment to the U.S.-Philippine alliance is not one of them.

A lot of people I know want to lose weight. Well, while the number on the scale matters, it’s not the only thing that matters. Some other numbers matter. And it’s good to know how to interpret these numbers.

Body mass index (BMI) is a popular health metric that classifies weight into different categories like underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity.

The formula for BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. If this formula engulfs your brain in a fog, worry not. There are BMI calculators online. You only need to put in your height and weight and your BMI will appear before you.

A BMI of less than 18.5 is considered underweight. The healthy weight range is from 18.5 to 24.9, the overweight range, from 25.0 to 29.9. A BMI of 30.0 or higher indicates obesity.

But because BMI utilizes height and weight to estimate body fat percentage and cannot, in fact, tell the difference between body fat and muscle mass, a person with a lot of body fat can have a high BMI but so can a person who is muscular and well-built but with little body fat.

And while BMI approximates the amount of fat in our bodies, it cannot tell us the distribution, location or composition of our body fat. So, while BMI can be a good gauge for health risks associated with high body fat like heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes, among others, it has its limitations.

Many health practitioners contend that the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a better barometer of one’s overall health as fat around the abdomen has been linked to many metabolic disturbances.

Take the measurement of the circumference of your waist (above the belly button and where the waist is smallest) and divide that by the measurement of the circumference of your hip (where the hip is widest). A healthy WHR ratio for women is .85 or less, for men, it’s .90 or less.

Most body fat known as subcutaneous fat is stored underneath the skin. This is the fat we can feel and the one that is visible. One-tenth of our body fat is hidden and stored deep inside the belly. It wraps around our organs and can produce toxic substances. This dangerous fat is called visceral fat.

It’s not just how much fat we have in our bodies that matters, it’s also where it’s located or how it’s distributed.

To more accurately assess our overall health risks, other numbers should be considered like age as well as blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

You can have a healthy BMI and still be at risk. Slim people can still have a lot of dangerous visceral fat hidden inside of them.

And then there is ethnicity. Asians have been given a lower healthy BMI cut-off (up to 22.9 only instead of 24.9) because studies have shown that we have more visceral fat and lower muscle mass than other racial groups so the numbers that show on our health metrics can belie the true state of our health.

It’s a strange time for boxing fans. There’s the huge mega-fight happening on July 29, 2023 between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence. This could be a legacy fight for either fighter and we seldom get to see two pound-for-pound elites facing off in the prime of their careers. It’s a fight fan’s dream matchup.

There’s also Naoya Inoue facing off against Stephen Fulton on July 25. Another pair of two undefeated champions in an exciting clash for the WBC and WBO super-bantamweight diadems.

These are all excellent match-ups between evenly matched and talented champions at the apogee of the sport where you could truly say the outcomes will be in doubt.

But then again—because it’s a strange time for boxing fans—you also have heavyweight champion Tyson Fury deciding to face off against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in another shameless farce of a match to be held in Saudi Arabia.

LETDOWN. This is not an overreaction, my fellow Last Rounders. This is coming from an old-school, hardcore boxing fan who holds the sport’s traditions in high esteem.

There was a time when the heavyweight champion was recognized as the best fighter in the world and ergo the most revered and feared. Yes, we had great champions in the middleweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions.

But the heavyweight champion was sui generis.

I blame it all on Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor. That circus of a boxing fight opened up the doors to all these crossover matchups that are nothing more than purely money-making events created for the spectacle of it.

Yes, these are events, and not anymore actual fight contests.

Just the other day, Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin proudly trumpeted that Ngannou will make more in this fight than all his 14 UFC fights combined. How’s that for motivation?

Just a few months ago, it had been announced that Fury had come to terms to a much-awaited fight against Oleksandr Usyk. Unfortunately, that fell through as Fury reportedly made several unacceptable demands despite getting a 70-30 purse split in his favor.

Instead, he will now be facing an opponent who has never boxed professionally—and bellow boisterously on his way to the bank.

VERBATIM. “Let’s just say this: The bag is so big, he may actually just drop it on the way to the bank.” - Marquel Martin via MMAFighting.com.

LAST ROUND. It’s on a dear friend, lawyer Kenneth Yap, who recently celebrated his birthday and on my Rodan Benjamin Jericho who turns 13 this week. Time flies, my unico hijo. Cheers!

THE PICE Family Run, taking place on Aug. 12, 2023, at Pescadores Road, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City, is a special event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) Cebu Chapter.

The PICE Family Run offers three categories (10, 5 and 3 kilometer runs) catering to participants of all fitness levels.

Designed as a family-friendly event, the PICE Family Run encourages the participation of people of all ages, making it an ideal opportunity for families to come together and celebrate the achievements of the PICE Cebu Chapter.

The 10 km run, starting at 5 a.m., welcomes participants of varying experience levels. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in the Men’s and Women’s divisions, with P3,000 for the first prize, P2,500 for the second prize and P2,000 for the third prize.

For families seeking a shorter distance, the 5 km run will begin at 5:15 a.m. Prizes will also be given to the top finishers in the Men’s and Women’s divisions, with P1,500 for the first prize, P1,000 for the second prize and P800 for the third prize.

The 3 km run, starting at 5:30 a.m., is perfect for participants of all ages, especially families with young children. The top three finishers in each division will be awarded P500 each.

Registration is now open, with the following registration fees:

10 km run: P700

5 km run: P600

3 km run: P500

The PICE Family Run aims to promote a sense of community and a healthy lifestyle, while supporting the initiatives of the PICE Cebu Chapter. To register, please contact May Servano, PICE secretariat, at 09176207850. (PR)

MAKATI FC dominated Cup No. 1 in Frederikshavn, Denmark after all of its four teams won the championship at the end of the four-day tournament on Friday, July 14, 2023.

It is the first time ever in the 39-year-old history of the Cup No. 1 that a youth club has swept the competition.

Makati FC ruled the Boys 11 division after overpowering Denmark’s Hobro IK, 3-0, in the Final, avenging its 1-2 defeat in the group stage.

The Boys 13 squad, meanwhile, also became champions after nipping Guatemala’s Escuela La Academia FC in a thriller, 6-5.

Not to be outdone were Makati FC’s Girls 12/13 and Girls 14 squads.

The Girls 12/13 team completed a six-match sweep of its division with a 5-1 romp of Norway’s Nord SK, while the Girls 14 squad went undefeated in six matches capped by a 3-0 conquest of the United States’ San Francisco Seals.

The Boys 11 championship was Makati FC’s first since 2015, while the Boys 13 ended a five-year title wait.

“A true testament to all the hard work and perseverance of the players, coaches and the ever supportive parents and extended Makati FC family,” said the club’s chief executive officer SeLu Lozano.

“What a joy to see the man who started it all, my dad (Coach Tomas Lozano), traveling back in Europe again. Grateful to be part of his legacy creating the best program and giving the best football experience to our youth, Makati FC,” he added.

Next up for Makati FC is the Gothia World Youth Cup, where the 47th edition of the world’s largest and most international youth football tournament is set on July 17 to 22 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Coach Tomas Lozano will be there for the 38th time in the competition that has earned him Hall of Fame award from the Gothia World Youth Cup. (PR)

THE world championship fight between Filipino star Nonito Donaire Jr. and Alexandro Santiago has been pushed back to July 29, 2023 (US time) in the undercard of the world title unification bout between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Donaire Jr. and Santiago were supposed to fight today, July 16 (PH time), for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight title at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

Donaire Jr. wants a second reign as WBC bantamweight champion and break his own record as the oldest bantamweight champion at 40 years old.

Donaire Jr. won the WBC bantamweight strap after dethroning Nordine Oubaali by a fourth round knockout in 2021 in Carson, California, becoming the oldest bantamweight champion in boxing history at 38. He had a successful title defense against fellow Filipino Reymart Gaballo, who he knocked out in four rounds, later that year also in Carson.

Donaire Jr. then fought a world title unification against Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue and lost the fight by a second round stoppage last year in Japan.

The WBC bantamweight belt was up for grabs after Inoue decided to vacate all four belts to move up in weight.

Donaire Jr. earned an immediate shot at the belt because he’s the No. 1 ranked bantamweight by the WBC.

Donaire Jr. trained in Cebu for his upcoming fight, setting up camp at the Omega Boxing Gym.

The 27-year-old Santiago is rated No. 4 by the WBC. He’s on a three-bout winning streak, which includes wins over former world title challengers David Carmona and Antonio Nieves.

Santiago lost to the likes of Gary Antonio Russell, one-time world title challenger Hector Flores and unheralded Johnny Michel Garcia.

Donaire Jr., a four-division world champion, is 42-7 with 28 knockouts, while Santiago is 27-3-5 with 14 knockouts. (EKA)

In search of the country’s next sports star, the small southern Cebu town of Moalboal launched its first ever sports grassroots program, the 1st Mayor Inocentes Cabaron Academic and Sports Enhancement Program, on July 14, 2023.

Mayor Inocentes Cabaron initiated this grassroots program to fully develop the untapped talent of Moalboal’s young athletes from the town’s 15 barangays.

“We have seen that this will do good to the youth. Train them early so that we can see which ones have potential. So that we can support them to fully develop their potential. Aside from that, in the higher level, there has been a lot of competition between different towns. It’s to train them really early so they can give pride to our town,” said Cabaron.

Some of the sports that have been offered are basketball, volleyball, tennis, arnis, sepak takraw, badminton and table tennis.

Cabaron said this is the first time that Moalboal will have a grassroots program and that previously it only had sporting events.

“We didn’t have these previously, that kids are being trained through a sports program. Grassroots training is new here in Moalboal,” he said.

Just in basketball alone, around 450 players have already signed up for the grassroots program.

The basketball and volleyball sports will have a culminating activity near the end of the year with a Christmas Cup and an Inter-Barangay League. Moalboal will also host a duathlon event in December.

Moalboal has a solid volleyball team and is currently deep in preparation for the Governor’s Cup. It’s women’s volleyball won Cluster 3 in the Governor’s Cup in 2019, right before sports was held to a standstill because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the town known for its white sand beaches, Cabaron also plans to develop beach volleyball and hold a tournament soon.

“Moalboal is suited for beach volleyball because we have great beaches. It’s just the adjustment of the players from the hard court to the sand. I want to hold a tournament here just like the Nestea,” said Cabaron. (EKA)

(July 15, 2023) - Russia's lower house of parliament adopted a bill on July 14, 2023 that violates a wide range of rights of transgender people, Human Rights Watch said today.

Parliament's upper chamber and President Vladimir Putin are expected to approve the bill shortly. It outlaws trans healthcare, dissolves marriages of transgender people, places a ban on changing gender markers in official documents, and pre

WHAT JUST HAPPENED. In a decision promulgated June 30, 2023 and released Tuesday, July 11, Cebu Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Anacleto G. Debalucos dismissed a complaint of three former Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) directors against then mayor Edgardo Labella who removed them before the end of their fixed term.

For “lack of merit,” said the ruling on the civil case filed on November 11, 2019 by Augustus Pe Jr., Ralph Sevilla, and Cecilia Adlawan. The respondents were Labella and Jeci Lapus, acting administrator of Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), the then interim MCWD directors, and the water district. The complainants wanted to nullify their termination and the designation of their replacements.

The complaint had no merit, the RTC)ruled. Then mayor Labella had the power to dismiss the directors. The power to appoint “carries with it the power to remove or discipline," said Judge Debalucos, citing the Supreme Court case of Napay vs. Daraga, Albay vice mayor (2019) and Aguirre Jr. vs. de Castro (1999).

Will the complainants appeal the ruling? Jun Pe told me Saturday, July 15, that was “for the lawyers (Sevilla and Adlawan) to decide.”

BOOST TO RAMA CLAIM. The ruling matters. It has come, relevant and interesting, amid the controversy rocking MCWD, which was set off by Mayor Michael Rama’s initial order to evict current chairman, Jose Daluz III, and two other directors -- Jodelyn May Seno and Miguel Pato -- and their defiance of the mayor’s order.

If the RTC ruling against Jun Pe and company was used to guide Mayor Rama in his recent action -- which was to recommend their termination to the Ombudsman and LWUA -- Rama could’ve dismissed outright Daluz and company, without going through the “recommendation” route. As Labella did in the Jun Pe case, Rama could’ve just sent the dismissal to LWUA for review.

The Jun Pe et al case is also a boost, at least until struck down by a superior court, to Mayor Rama’s contention that he has the right not just to appoint MCWD directors but also to discipline them, along with the Ombudsman and the Civil Service.

PE ET AL DIDN’T GET THESE RIGHT. Complainants in RTC lawsuit got it wrong on these major legal points:

[1] POWER TO FIRE. Whether the city mayor has the right to dismiss Jun Pe and the two other directors:

No, Pe et al said, mayor Labella had only the power to appoint. Yes, the court said, the mayor has both the power to appoint and the power to dismiss. Not by express provision of law -- because the law “does not expressly provide as to who has the power or authority to remove or discipline them” -- but by the “doctrine of implication,” the RTC ruling said, “absent any contrary statutory provision, the power to appoint carries with it the power to remove or discipline.”

Does the power to remove or discipline a director belong to the MCWD board of directors (BOD)? Yes, said the complainants. No, said the RTC. No provision under Presidential Decree (PD) 198 or the Local Water Utilities Act gives that power. Besides, that power in the board’s hands “may dangerously result in mutual protection among the BOD members themselves.”

[2] MCWD’S AUTONOMY. Whether mayor Labella violated “independence and autonomy” of MCWD under a presidential decree (#198) and DILG’s memo-circular (#2019-03 of January 10, 2019). which in effect say that water districts, including MCWD, “are not under the jurisdiction or control of any political subdivision in order to maintain their autonomy”:

Labella violated it, said Pe et al. No, ruled the court, the mayor’s disciplining the directors doesn’t affect the intent of autonomy; the provision merely aims “to prevent the LGU from meddling in purely internal affairs, management or operation of the district.” Otherwise, the mayor wouldn’t have given the right to appoint directors, or the law would’ve “expressly provided that the power to discipline a BOD member is vested in a particular office or agency.”

Besides, the complainants mainly relied on this part of Section 1 of PD 198, namely: “once formed, a district is subject to the provisions of (PD 198) and not under the jurisdiction of any political subdivision.” That was already amended, the RTC said, by PD 1479 that deleted it.

[3] DUE PROCESS: LABELLA DIDN’T GIVE; LWUA DID. The RTC ruling said mayor Labella didn’t bother to give due process when he removed the three directors in his October 15, 2019 notice. They weren’t given the opportunity to present their side.

The court didn’t agree with Labella’s argument that they weren’t entitled to notice and hearing prior to removal because “they could seek reconsideration or appeal their removal to LWUA.” Labella was “mistaken,” said the court, and the termination was illegal because of lack of due process.

But the initially illegal removal by Labella was “legitimized” by LWUA, the court said, when LWUA gave the directors “opportunity to explain their side” and “refute the accusations against them.”

“No basis to award damages,” the court said.

The complainants were accurate in their claim of absence of due process but that ended up a dud, they were proven wrong. when the RTC considered the due process at the LWUA level as sufficient.

CLEAR: LWUA REVIEWS, OK’S REMOVAL. What both sides of the controversy appear to get right is that the MCWD directors have fixed terms and “can be removed or disciplined only for cause and subject to review and approval of the LWUA.”

No shot fired at that claim. Both mayor Labella then and mayor Rama now would accept that law process. Except that Labella believed the mayor himself could remove the directors, subject only to review and approval by LWUA. While Rama merely recommended their dismissal to LWUA after his initial, “un-legalistic” attempt to evict was defied by Daluz.

HOW CONFUSION MAY END. The confusion is apparently caused by, as the court noted, the absence of a provision in the law that expressly designates the office or agency that is vested the power to remove or discipline directors of water districts. . The provision on who appoints is clear enough, particularly made so by the Supreme Court ruling that it’s the Cebu City mayor who does. The same law though is silent as to who can dismiss a BOD member.

The court in the June Pe case has embraced the rule that the appointing power is also the terminating power but that’s good only until (a) the SC will reject the ruling or (b) Congress -- seeing the mess the PDs, a martial law creation, has caused -- will make the law specific.

Israel saw a record-breaking number of Filipino tourists in June 2023, according to the report of the Israel Ministry of Tourism.

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security called on the Philippine National Police in Eastern Visayas to conduct an immediate investigation into an incident involving the harassment and threats against three local journalists in Leyte.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development is now ready to pilot the Walang Gutom 2023: Food Provision through Strategic Transfer and Alternative Measures Program (Food Stamp Program) starting Tuesday.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines has officially declared that churchgoers may choose their preferred gesture while reciting or singing the "Our Father" prayer during Mass. 

HUNDREDS of Oponganons received free services during the launching of the Bayan Babangon Muli (BBM) Caravan of Government Services at the Lapu-Lapu City Sports Complex on Saturday, July 15, 2023.

The activity was graced by Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) Secretary Terrence Calatrava and Assistant Secretary Antonio Veloso Jr.

Veloso said in a media interview that they are planning to bring the services to Bacolod City in Negros Occidental for the caravan's next stop.

Among the services offered were free haircut, dental services, medical check up, free legal advice, a feeding program for children, distribution of five kilograms of rice, and the distribution of bags to 200 grade school pupils.

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), the Philippine Army Task Group Cebu, Tingog Partylist, and other private businesses provided assistance for the activities. (HIC)

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Saturday issued a warning about the potential risks posed by heavy rainfall in the vicinity of Mayon Volcano.

MORE than three kilos of suspected shabu worth over P21 million were recovered by the police during a buy-bust operation in Dauis town, Bohol at 1:08 a.m. on Friday, July 14.

The suspect was identified as Sherwin Trabero Aranas alias Winwin, 33, a high-value individual from Purok 5, Barangay Mariveles of the said municipality.

Seized from him were three bundles of alleged shabu totaling 3.225 kilos and valued at P21,930,000.

The Dauis policemen monitored Aranas for two months prior to the raid after they received information about the suspect’s involvement in illegal drug activity.

Aranas will be facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (AYB, TPT)

ONE of the three teenagers perished while swimming in the seas off Barangay Inoburan, Naga City last Friday, July 14, 2023.

Police Lieutenant Colonel William Homoc, chief of the Naga City Police Station, identified the deceased as 16-year-old Ken Seguisabal Umbay, of Purok Santan, Barangay Lanas, Naga City.

His elder brother, Louie Seguisabal Umbay, and Leah Montevirgen, both 18 years old, were rescued.

The victims and their friends had gone swimming in the area to celebrate something, according to the police investigation.

However, a large wave struck them all of a sudden, dragging them into the deeper part of the sea.

Louie was the first to be saved by their swimming-savvy companions.

After gaining consciousness, Louie returned to the water to save his girlfriend, who survived.

But his younger brother was discovered already dead after a few hours.

Ken was taken to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

In an interview with SunStar Cebu, Annalyn Lapitan, a resident who witnessed the tragedy, claimed that one of the fishermen had warned the party not to bathe there because of a steep slope where the water abruptly goes shallow but they disregarded his advice. (BBT, TPT)

"Dodong" further intensifies into tropical storm while it strengthens the southwest moonsoon that will bring gusty conditons to many parts of Luzon and western Visayas, according to the state weather bureau.

The number of registered mobile phone subscriber identification modules in the Philippines has surpassed 100 million, the National Telecommunications Commission reported.