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Consumers to get P0.59/kWh bill refund this August, says Meralco By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) customers may see a reduction in their electricity bills this August with the start of the refund implementation recently approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said that for residential customers, the refund is equivalent to P0.59 per kWh, which will be added to the ongoing refund the company is already implementing. Next page
VOL. XL • NO. 177 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2026 •
‘Habagat’ kills 10, affects 380k 569 LGUs halt classes today; PBBM orders careful release of dam water
By Rio N. Araja, Rex Espiritu, and Vince Lopez
IRAN SETS NEW DEMANDS TO REOPEN STRAIT
A
T LEAST 10 people have died, and more than 382,000 people have been affected by days of heavy rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” and tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay, according to government agencies. Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said 569 local government units announced early onsite class suspensions for today (Monday, Aug. 10), as flooding continued in parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed concerned government agencies to remain on heightened alert and closely coordinate water releases to protect downstream communities, Malacañang said Sunday. “The President is closely monitoring the impact of the habagat, particularly the situation in flood-prone areas and the rising water levels in dams and reservoirs,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a statement. Mr. Marcos ordered agencies to take necessary preventive measures to protect communities and critical infrastructure and ensure coordinated management of water releases, Castro said. Several dams in Luzon have reached spilling
WORLD / A6
CALAX SUBSECTION 3 TO COLLECT TOLL BUSINESS / B1
Lawyer decries use of selective testimony vs. ex-Speaker
WATERWORLD. Daylong monsoon rains flooded communities in Metro Manila and eight other regions in Luzon
yesterday, affecting close to 400,000 people, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC). The top left photo shows Ambuklao Dam in Bokod, Benguet, releasing water after reaching its critical level. At center, a farmer guides his carabaos through floodwaters in Bagong Silangan, Quezon City, while at left, a barangay official measures how deep the waters are in Barangay Pamplona in Las Pinas. Despite the deluge, Guiguinto, Bulacan residents hear mass in a flooded San Ildefonso parish church. PIA Cordillera Administrative Region, Edd Castro, Norman Cruz, Parokya ni San Ildefonso de Guiguinto.
A LAWYER questioned the government’s selective use of testimony from witnesses whose credibility is being challenged in connection with the flood control investigation. He said evidence questioned as false cannot be used against specific individuals while others implicated by the same testimony are cleared. Speaking on radio DZRH, lawyer Judd Roy cited the Department of Justice’s plan to file perjury and cyber libel charges against the socalled “Maleta Boys” who signed a joint affidavit alleging that more than 20 people were involved Next page
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Biz groups urge swift action vs. anti-China propagandists By Othel V. Campos PHILIPPINE business groups warned that the use of caskets bearing anti-China messages as a form of intimidation could undermine investor confidence, tourism, and trade, as they called for swift action against those behind the incidents. The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII), Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT) Next page
UP Law bans use of AI, tools in 1st-year Juris Doctor courses By Gabriel Oliva
EALA BATTLES BENCIC TODAY IN TORONTO SPORTS / A8
THE University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law implemented a new policy on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in firstyear Juris Doctor courses, effective starting Academic Year 2026-2027.
In its revised policy, titled “Philippine Legal Education in the Time of Artificial Intelligence I: Recommitting to the Fundamentals of Legal Analysis,” the college stated that Philippine law schools face the challenge of preparing future lawyers for a legal profession increasingly shaped Next page by AI.
CEBU LECHONEROS AT MACTAN NEWTOWN. The Cebu Lechon Festival, which runs until the end of August, marks its 10th year at The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, bringing together lechoneros from across the island province in a grand celebration of one of Cebu’s culinary prides—Cebu lechon. Leading the festival’s official opening were Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cindi King-Chan (7th from left), along with Capt. Efren Aying of Barangay Mactan (5th from left), The Mactan Newtown General Manager Marilou Kiunisala, Basak Barangay Captain and ABC President Jasmine Chan, and Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Officer Garry Lao.
NGCP, PCG strengthen partnership THE privately owned National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding the country's critical infrastructure as NGCP president and chief
executive Anthony Almeda was formally inducted as commodore of the PCG Auxiliary on Wednesday, 29 July 2026. The donning and oath-taking ceremony, led by PCG Commandant Next page