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World Trade Organization seen as no longer effective—PBBM ASIA-PACIFIC leaders “fear” that the World Trade Organization (WTO) is “no longer effective,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday. The President had earlier urged the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) member to revive the WTO’s trade dispute mechanism. But his move to reconvene the WTO’s Appellate Court — which last held sessions in 2019 due to a lack of quorum — Next page
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 261 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2025
Gov’t orders fishing ban in Bais amid URC spill State of calamity declared in 13 coastal brgys By Rio N. Araja and Rex Espiritu
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ISHING has been banned in 13 coastal barangays in Bais City, Negros Oriental after a containment dike of a distillery of the Universal Robina Corporation (URC) collapsed and spilled molasses wastewater into the bay, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). An estimated 255,000 cubic meters of molasses wastewater have been released into Bais Bay, potentially affecting 382.29 hectares of marine areas across 13 barangays within the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, according to the DENR. Bais has declared a state of calamity. In a statement sent to the Manila Standard on Sunday, the URC said that “at present, 127 personnel supported by 20 Coast Guard members, are engaged in the repair of the collapsed section of Bais distillery.”
Marcos urges Nov. 30 rallyists to be peaceful By Katrina Manubay and Vince Lopez PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday called on demonstrators planning protest actions on November 30, Bonifacio Day, to remain peaceful, urging demonstrators to avoid provocative actions that could lead to violence or disrupt public safety. Meanwhile, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Sunday said that they are still preparing and monitoring groups and areas for the Nov.30 protests to avoid facing the same riot that erupted during the Sept. 21 rally in Manila. In an interview in Busan, South Korea, the President said the projected rallies on Nov. 30 are not a cause for concern, but cautioned against agitators who might attempt to stir trouble during the demonstrations. “What demonstrator goes to a demonstration with Molotov cocktails that are not intending to cause trouble or to hurt people? Those are the people that we are worried about. And those are the people that we are watching out for,” Marcos said. He also urged agitators to refrain from resorting to violence during Next page
CONTAINMENT. Coast Guard personnel and staff of the Bais distillery of Universal Robina Corporation (URC) conduct repairs on the breach of the containment dike which collapsed and released molasses wastewater into Bais Bay. Inset shows the extent of the spill. Erwin Macias FB page, DENR.
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AUS think tank warns of Chinese expansionism By Katrina Manubay and Rex Espiritu THE Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), backed by two Australian government officials, warned that China’s aggressive posturing in the SCS,
East China Sea, and South Pacific indicates that it is likely to pursue further land reclamation in disputed areas. Speaking to journalists from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, ASPI Senior Analyst Dr. Fitriani (Fitri Bintang Timur) said their call
comes amid China’s accelerating military buildup and growing naval fleet. “They can just keep doing the things they want, which is certifying their control over increasingly excessive territorial claims,” the official said. Next page
Crack down on diploma mills, Gatchalian urges CHED By Ram Superable SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to crack down on diploma mills and substandard graduate programs that exploit educators seeking to improve their qualifications. “It is our learners who ultimately suffer from this cycle of mediocrity,” he said in a social media post.
Gatchalian said such institutions undermine the quality of education by offering programs that fail to enhance teaching competence. According to the senator, schools must uphold high academic standards to ensure that graduate programs genuinely support professional development among educators. “Teachers play the most important role in the education of our youth. We Next page
HONOR THY FATHER. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, visits the grave of his late father, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., at the Heroes’ Cemetery yesterday, in commemoration of All Souls’ Day. PCO
Storm Tino gathers strength as it nears PH TROPICAL Cyclone Tino (international name Kalmaegi) has intensified into a severe tropical storm while over the Philippine Sea, the weather bureau said Sunday. In its 5 p.m. bulletin, the Philippine At-
mospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the center of Tino was located 805 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas. It is moving westward at 30 kilometers per hour (kph) with maximum sus-
tained winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph. PAGASA said Tino is forecast to continue intensifying and may reach typhoon category within the next 24 Next page
SOVFA WITH CANADA. Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro waits for his turn as Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty signs the Philippines–Canada Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) in Manila. The pact makes Canada the fifth country to have signed a troop agreement with the Philippines, after the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. DND