manilastandard.net
@ManilaStandardPH
@mnlstandardph
@manilastandard
@ManilaStandardYT
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net . For advertisement: email: advertise@manilastandard.net •09173382170 / 85646229
Quake severely disrupts Cebu province’s tourism industry THE magnitude 6.9 earthquake that shook Cebu province and nearby areas on Tuesday evening has affected 80 tourism establishments and disrupted the employment, income, and working conditions of more than 711 tourism workers in affected areas. In an advisory yesterday, the Depart-
ment of Tourism (DOT) stated the tremor also forced the evacuation of hundreds of tourists and led to the closure of several cultural and historical sites. “DOT regional offices are continuing to coordinate with local government units (LGUs), disaster response Next page
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 227 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2025 •
PBBM sets P375-m for quake-hit Cebu • Orders ‘tent city’ for victims • Toll rises to 72; no more missing By Charles Dantes, Minerva Newman, Darwin Amojelar, Rex Espiritu, Katrina Manubay and Vito Barcelo
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government will release at least P375 million to help jumpstart rehabilitation efforts in Cebu province following the devastation caused by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake. The death toll from the tremor rose to 72 on Thursday, officials said, as the search for the missing wound down and rescuers turned their focus to the hundreds injured and thousands left homeless. During his inspection in Bogo City yesterday, Mr. Marcos said the most significant damage was to public infrastructure, including buildings and hospitals, leaving hundreds of families without access to safe evacuation centers. The President also ordered the construction of a temporary “tent city” to house families who lost their homes or are afraid to return to damaged buildings. "We will ensure that there is a food supply, a water supply, electricity if a generator is needed. Whatever people need, we have it," the President said, adding that displaced families will receive P10,000 in initial cash assistance, with the possibility of additional support depending on recovery progress. The President also checked on the SM
THE QUICK AND THE DEAD. President
Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is briefed by a church official on the quake damage to the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Vincent Ferrer in Bogo City, Cebu. Inset shows the caskets of 15 people, many of them children from the same family, who were killed in a rockslide in Barangay Binabag, Cebu. PCO/ ABS-CBN grab
‘Paolo’ making landfall over S. Isabela or N. Aurora today By Rio N. Araja TROPICAL Storm "Paolo" slightly intensified while moving west-northwestward over the Philippine Sea, the state weather bureau reported yesterday. In its 5 p.m. weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the storm’s center was located around 480 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon, or 480 km east of Baler, Aurora. It was moving west-northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of up to
Next page
105 km/h. As of late yesterday afternoon, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 was raised in Isabela, the northern portion of Quirino (Maddela, Aglipay, Cabarroguis, Saguday, Diffun), the northern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Diadi, Bagabag, Quezon, Solano, Villaverde, Ambaguio, Bayombong, Kasibu), Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and the northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan). Meanwhile, Signal No. 1 was hoisted over Cagayan, the rest of Quirino, the rest of Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Abra, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Next page
COA flags Bulacan ghost projects in ICI report
SINING SA KONGRESO III. The 90-strong Association of Women Legislators Foundation, Inc. (AWLFI) of the 20th Congress headed by Founder and Co-President Rep. Gina de Venecia and co-President Rep. Linabelle Villarica formally launched a fundraising project dubbed “Sining sa Kongreso III”. The project is the third in a series of art exhibits featuring master and contemporary Filipino artists. The exhibit is displayed at the South Wing Lobby of the House of Representatives and will run until October 9, 2026. Mrs. Ann Dy, wife of Speaker Faustino Dy, III, was the guest of honor at the launch. In the 19th Congress, the AWLFI, under the chairmanship of Rep. Yedda Romualdez, constructed a women and children protection unit at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) in Mandaluyong City as its landmark project. The AWLFI launched the art exhibit in partnership with Mira Art Gallery.
Conti says Senate reso could backfire against Rody in ICC INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court Assistant to Counsel Atty. Kristina Conti yesterday called the Senate resolution urging house arrest for former President Rodrigo Duterte "pure
noise", saying it will not affect the ICC's jurisdiction on the case. Conti said the move may be used by the prosecution as proof that Duterte Next page
THE Commission on Audit (COA) has filed a new report with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), flagging ‘‘paid ghost projects’’ under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Bulacan. In its report, COA said several flood control projects under the DPWH First District Engineering Office (DEO) either do not exist, were transferred to another location, or failed to meet ap-
proved specifications. The commission warned that those involved may be held liable for graft and corruption under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, malversation and falsification of documents under the Revised Penal Code, as well as violations of COA Circular No. 2009-001 and the Government Procurement Reform Act. Among the flagged projects was
the P92.6-million flood control structure in Barangay San Roque, Baliuag, implemented by SYMS Construction Trading. ‘‘During COA’s inspection on September 24, 2025, no flood control structure existed at the approved location. DPWH-Bulacan 1st DEO instead pinpointed COA to a different location but offered no explanation for the change,’’ the report said. Next page
Jinggoy, Napoles Palace respects SC decision lose cases in on BARMM polls postponement Sandigan, RTC By Charles Dantes By Thony Rose Lesaca
and Nash Maulana
THE Sandiganbayan has upheld its earlier ruling junking Senator Jinggoy Estrada's demurrer to evidence and motion to dismiss the 11 counts of graft in connection with the allegedly unlawful disbursement of P183 million of Estrada’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to non-government entities of businesswoman Next page Janet Napoles.
MALACAÑANG said it respects the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision declaring unconstitutional the redistricting laws passed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which consequently postponed the first Bangsam-
oro Parliamentary Elections originally set for October 13. In a statement Wednesday evening, the Office of the President described the ruling as a “pivotal step” to ensure that the historic elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will be conducted on a solid constitutional foundation. Next page