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Alas Pilipinas has a big chance at SEAG in Thailand

ALAS PILIPINAS — VOLLEYBALL WORLD

Games on Monday
(MOA Arena)
3:30 p.m. – Bulgaria vs Portugal
8 p.m. – USA vs Slovenia

ALAS Pilipinas’ odds-defying performance in the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championships did not only show everyone that it could compete against the best on the planet if given a chance.

It also served as a warning signal to the Filipinos’ Southeast Asian Games rival that they’re coming.

“If we play like we did here (FIVB Worlds), I think we have a big chance in the SEA Games in Thailand. The team played at a high level and focused,” said Philippine National Volleyball Federation President Tats Suzara.

The Filipinos literally shocked the world as they finished 19th overall out of 32 participants despite being the lowest ranked among the entrants at 81st in the FIVB pecking order.

If not for a painful net touch late in an epic five-set defeat to Iran, Alas could have even made the round-of-16 instead.

In the end, the host nation still wound up far beyond expectations with a 1-2 record in Pool A with the win coming at the expense of many-time African champion Egypt and having the distinction of ending up as the second-best finisher from Asia.

And there’s a certainty that the country’s Southeast Asian neighbors learned the news and starting to tremble in fear as Alas shoots for a historic gold in the biennial meet this December.

“I hope we realize that we have the potential in men’s volleyball,” said Mr. Suzara.

Both Alas aces Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo, with continuous hard work, have high hopes they could excel in the SEA Games.

“We were told by our coaches to keep working hard and improving. We have to stay humble and consistent,” said Mr. Bagunas.

“You can see it in the result of our game that men’s volleyball has improved by leaps and bounds. Our hard work in the past year has been paying off,” said Mr. Espejo. — Joey Villar

Yankees back Carlos Rodon’s strong outing in redemption win over O’s

GIANCARLO STANTON and Aaron Judge homered, and Carlos Rodon set a career-high mark with a sterling outing on the mound as the New York Yankees defeated the host Baltimore Orioles 6-1 on Saturday night.

The Yankees (87-68) won for the seventh time in their last 10 games, keeping hopes alive in the American League East race.

Rodon (17-9) surpassed his previous top mark for victories with one more than last season. He worked seven innings, allowing one run on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.

The Orioles (73-82) didn’t score until Coby Mayo’s two-out double in the seventh inning. He had two of the team’s four hits.

Luke Weaver and David Bednar each pitched a shutout inning of relief without allowing a hit for New York.

Baltimore starter Tomoyuki Sugano (10-9), who hasn’t won in more than a month, took the loss. He lasted three innings, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk.

Judge, Anthony Volpe and Trent Grisham all had two hits for the Yankees, who’ve scored six or more runs in four of their last five games.

Stanton’s three-run shot with two outs in the first inning gave the Yankees an early boost a night after a frustrating game for the team in Friday night’s 4-2 loss. It marked his 21st homer of the season and the 450th of his career.

Judge smacked his 49th homer in the third inning. The lead grew with runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. ‘s single in the fifth drove in a run and Grisham knocked in a sixth-inning run with a single.

Jose Espada, the third reliever used by the Orioles, threw three scoreless innings in his first big-league action since 2023 when he made his debut and threw in one game for the San Diego Padres. He was called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Friday. — Reuters

Chiefs, defiant amid 0-2 start, aim to bounce back vs Giants

PATRICK MAHOMES is part of a 0-2 team for the first time in eight seasons as an NFL starting quarterback.

The three-time Super Bowl winner isn’t overly concerned about the slow start as he leads the Kansas City Chiefs to face the also-winless New York Giants on Sunday night at East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Kansas City has started a season with consecutive losses for the first time since 2014, when Mahomes was a freshman quarterback at Texas Tech.

“Definitely new territory as far as being 0-2, but knowing that we got the guys for it,” Mahomes said Wednesday on his 30th birthday. “We have the mindset of going out there and being even better.

“In my eyes, it’s… an opportunity to prove who we are as the Kansas City Chiefs. Coming back from 0-2 and trying to build up to win a big football game on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ and try to get our season going in the right direction from there.”

An 0-3 start hasn’t proven to be a good path to the postseason.

The 2018 Houston Texans are the lone team this century to lose their first three games and rebound to make the playoffs.

Giants coach Brian Daboll doesn’t feel as if the Chiefs look like a winless squad.

The Chiefs’ two losses have come against two unbeaten teams. Kansas City lost 27-21 to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil on Sept. 5, then fell 20-17 to visiting Philadelphia last Sunday in a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl, also won by the Eagles.

New York dropped to 0-2 despite an entertaining effort as it fell 40-37 in overtime to the Dallas Cowboys last week.

Russell Wilson passed for 450 yards, three touchdowns and one interception one week after being criticized for a poor debut with the club in a 21-6 loss to the Washington Commanders. The Giants were on the road in both contests.

“I’m excited about our football tThe Giants are tied for 27th in scoring defense (30.5 points per game) and are dead last in total defense (455.0 yards per game).

New York standout left tackle Andrew Thomas could make his season debut after being listed as questionable. Thomas underwent foot surgery 11 months ago. He was a limited practice performer all three days this week and says he will be a game-time decision on Sunday.

Giants linebacker Darius Muasau (concussion, eye) did not practice this week and has been ruled out for Sunday. Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf) and defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (foot) are listed as doubtful, while linebacker Chauncey Golston (ankle) and receiver Gunner Olszewski (back) are listed as questionable. — Reuters

Mercury oust Liberty

The Liberty entered the 2025 WNBA playoffs carrying the weight of champions. Last season’s run raised expectations of both contention and continuity; they were bent on showing all and sundry that they possessed the resiliency to retain the crown. Yesterday, however, the dream was damned for good, with the final score of 79-73 in favor of the Mercury telling only part of the story. The loss in the rubber match of the first round was not borne of a collapse; neither was it a shock in and of itself. Rather, it resulted from the inevitable convergence of all the factors that had slowly undermined their season. And, in the process, the belief that grit and talent could overcome circumstance was exposed as an illusion.

Not surprisingly, Most Valuable Player candidate Alyssa Thomas set the tone for the Mercury; the first-of-its-kind 20-point triple-double underscored a trademark capacity to bend the game as required. Meanwhile, the Liberty leaned heavily on Breanna Stewart, who played through a sprained knee to put up 30, nine, three, two, and two. That she scored all 14 of their points in the fourth quarter was as much a reflection of her will as proof of their deficiencies. Not only were they atrocious from deep; more critically, they could not overcome a significant rebounding deficit that had them giving up too many second, and third, chances.

The larger truth was that the Liberty had been skating on thin margins all season. Injuries disrupted any chance of rhythm, limiting the time their Big Three of Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones could share the floor. Chemistry failed to take root, leading to myriad empty possessions and inconsistent coverage. By the time the playoffs arrived, the seafoam were compelled to once more lean on individual brilliance rather than the collective confidence required by a title defense. Depth became an iffy proposition, and role players—including prized midseason acquisition Emma Meesseman—struggled to provide relief when the starters were stretched.

Interestingly, a pointed query about whether Sandy Brondello should remain at the helm came the end of a sobering post-mortem. Stewart’s response—an emphatic defense of her coach’s leadership—was immediate and unwavering, and insofar as silver linings go, few are better than the instinctive riposte. It also says as much about the Liberty as the loss itself. And in the harsh light of defeat, the show of solidarity may yet provide value. If nothing else, it is a stark reminder that culture sustains a team through difficult stretches.

Still, other hard questions will not wait for the Liberty. Every player on the roster is a free agent this offseason, a quirk of timing that makes the future murkier. Continuity, already elusive, is no longer guaranteed. And in the face of disappointment, the front office must weigh whether to keep the core intact or retool around it. General Manager Jonathan Kolb and Brondello know that health, depth, and balance cannot be left to chance once more. At the same time, decisions about loyalty and legacy now intersect with the blunt realities of contract and cap. The standard they once reached remains within sight, but the path back to the top is steeper, and the names that take it may not be the same. The 2025 campaign thus ends with irony. The standards are still high, but who will aim to meet them outside of franchise cornerstone Stewart is anybody’s guess.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Public indignation against corruption sparks biggest Manila protest in years

GROUPS gathered at the People Power Monument in Quezon City for the Trillion Peso March on Sunday, amid calls for accountability and action against widespread corruption in the government. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter and Erika Mae P. Sinaking

THOUSANDS of Filipinos marched in the capital on Sunday in the biggest protest so far against the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, turning weeks of online outrage over corruption into mass street demonstrations that rattled the political establishment.

About 49,000 people joined the anti-corruption rally at Luneta Park in Manila, the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said in a Facebook post. Organizers of a separate rally at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City said they expected about 30,000 to attend.

“It is probably the biggest protest in the last three years since Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. became President, and this is just the start,” Renato M. Reyes, Jr., president of the group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the Manila protest. “Anger has been building up for quite some time, that’s why the wave of protests was unleashed.”

The rallies against massive corruption in flood control deals coincided with the 53rd commemoration of the Martial Law declaration by the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. in 1972 that plunged the Southeast Asian nation into political and economic disarray.

His son and namesake now faces mounting pressure as his administration is rocked by an unfolding flood control scandal involving substandard, incomplete or nonexistent infrastructure in a country regularly battered by flooding.

“I hope the irony is not lost on the President,” Mr. Reyes said. “Here we are, 53 years after the declaration of martial law, yet corruption remains a major issue confronting Filipinos.”

Street protests in the Philippines largely faded during the pandemic and has smothered the attendance of public demonstrations a few years after strict lockdowns.

But the demonstrations against anomalous flood control deals may mark a shift in public engagement with corruption and governance issues, Ederson DT. Tapia, a political science professor at the University of Makati, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“The protest drew such a large crowd because the flood control scandal strikes at something very basic, like public safety and dignity,” he added.

He added that Filipinos are deeply affected by massive corruption in flood control deals as they directly feel its effects, compelling them to participate in rallies. “They are living with waterlogged homes and disrupted livelihoods.”

After the Luneta program, some militant groups marched toward Mendiola, while others continued on to join the EDSA rally.

POCKETS OF UNREST
Tensions escalated as protesters clashed with police at Ayala Bridge near Quiapo, Manila. Protesters, mostly young people and waving Philippine flags and wearing balaclavas, broke through metal barriers, grabbed police shields and threw stones at law enforcers.

A trailer truck was also set on fire, the Philippine National Police said in a statement.

“Seventeen individuals believed to be responsible are now in the custody of the Manila Police District,” it said. “Firefighters and police personnel responded immediately, and the situation is now contained.”

Charges were being readied against those involved, it added.

Hours later, another pocket of unrest broke out in Mendiola near the presidential palace as masked men dressed in black hurled rocks and makeshift Molotov cocktails at police officers holding crowd control lines.

Protesters waved the Philippine flag alongside others bearing the Jolly Roger, a symbol associated with piracy, as some ignited makeshift flamethrowers using aerosol cans and lighters, according to footage from a YouTube livestream on OneNews.PH. Several demonstrators were seen being arrested after authorities moved to disperse the crowd.

“We have to start arresting people because it’ll be anarchy if we don’t respond accordingly,” Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla told reporters, based on the livestream.

President Marcos canceled a planned trip to the US to monitor the protests, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told GMA News.

She said the President respects dissent but urged demonstrators to act lawfully. She discouraged state workers from joining rallies to prevent heavier traffic but stressed their right to protest remained intact.

Reports of irregularities in infrastructure contracts have fueled public outrage after a series of typhoons and monsoon rains earlier this year left Metro Manila and nearby provinces flooded despite extensive flood control projects.

The controversy stems from Mr. Marcos’ revelation in August that more than 6,000 flood control projects launched since 2022 lacked key details. About P545 billion has been allocated for flood control since then, with P100 billion cornered by top contractors.

Mon A. Marquez, 29, said she joined the protest to demand accountability over fraudulent flood control deals. “I want to know where my tax money went.”

“I walk these streets every day,” she said in an interview, while holding a placard calling for an end to corruption. “As a working commuter, I face this reality daily.”

Vannessa Jane Dabay, 26, from the United Methodist Church, said the rally is an outlet for members to show that the church “acts on behalf of society and the oppressed.”

She added that the movement does not end with Sunday’s march. “We must continue organizing, studying social issues and resisting systems that cause suffering. Awareness and sustained action are essential.”

Mr. Marcos last week created an independent body to probe irregularities involving thousands of flood control projects nationwide, vowing that he won’t interfere with its investigation.

The Philippine demonstrations come amid a wave of unrest across Asia. In Nepal, youth-led protests earlier this month prompted the resignation of the country’s top leadership after moves to restrict social media use.

In Indonesia, rallies over parliamentary housing perks escalated after a 21-year-old motorcycle taxi driver was fatally struck by a police vehicle in Jakarta.

Maria Rovia Bello, a 26-year-old worker from Taguig City who joined the protest on her day-off, said she was tired of seeing the public and the youth being deceived.

“It is deeply moving because the placards capture real issues, not just images,” she told BusinessWorld. “People are exhausted, even those who couldn’t attend because of work or business, yet they care deeply about what the government is doing. Seeing those in power who are indifferent while Filipinos suffer is painful.” — with Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Marcos may lose House clout as Romualdez exits

PRESIDENT FERDINAND “BONGBONG” R. MARCOS, JR. — PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s grip on the House of Representatives may have weakened after the resignation of his cousin as Speaker, a development analysts said could complicate his legislative agenda in the second half of his term and sharpen political infighting.

The exit of former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, long seen as the President’s chief political manager in the chamber, comes at a sensitive time. The administration is grappling with mounting public anger over alleged corruption in flood-control projects and the political fallout from a contractor’s Senate testimony linking Mr. Romualdez and other lawmakers to questionable infrastructure contracts. Mr. Romualdez has denied the accusations.

“This will further make Mr. Marcos more of a lame-duck President, having weaker influence in terms of pursuing his policy agenda in the next two to three years,” Arjan P. Aguirre, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat at the weekend.

The leadership shake-up in the House followed a broader realignment in Congress. Earlier this month, Senator Vicente “Tito” C. Sotto III replaced Francis G. Escudero as Senate president amid tensions tied to the same flood-control scandal.

Both chambers are under renewed scrutiny after a string of typhoons and monsoon rains this year exposed weaknesses in flood-prevention systems despite billions in government spending.

“Without Mr. Romualdez at the helm, the House may drift toward its own direction or amplify accountability pressures on the administration,” Ederson DT. Tapia, a political science professor at the University of Makati, said via Messenger chat. “He was more than a presiding officer. He was the President’s chief political manager in the House.”

The speakership has now passed to Faustino “Bojie” Dy II, a veteran politician from Isabela province and a member of Mr. Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. At 64, Mr. Dy faces the task of managing a 317-member chamber whose loyalties may fracture as lawmakers prepare for the 2028 presidential elections.

“How he navigates the aftermath will determine whether Mr. Marcos can still command unity or whether fractures will define his remaining years in office,” Mr. Tapia said.

Analysts said the change could spark more jockeying among political blocs. “With the midterms behind us, leaders are already realigning, and this could destabilize the chamber,” he added.

Mr. Aguirre said some factions might even tilt toward Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio, who has consistently polled as a frontrunner for 2028. A survey by WR Numero in August showed 31% of Filipinos would vote for her if elections were held today, putting her well ahead of other potential contenders.

“Some parties will definitely entertain the idea of even joining the Dutertes as they prepare for a possible presidential run in 2028,” Mr. Aguirre said.

The President still wields considerable influence, but analysts stressed his hold over Congress is now subject to negotiation and compromise. “This change reveals that his hold over the House is subject to negotiation, compromise and the emergence of new power centers that could redefine the balance of authority in Congress,” Mr. Tapia said.

Mr. Dy sought to project stability in a fiery acceptance speech last week, vowing sweeping reforms and pledging to confront corruption, echoing Mr. Marcos’ recent calls for an intensified anti-graft campaign.

“If anti-corruption does become a central feature for the remaining years of his administration, then it would be him against those who are benefiting from the old system but are incapable or unwilling to follow his directives,” Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, a political science associate professor at De La Salle University, said in a Messenger chat.

He said the anti-graft drive could be weaponized against dissenters, warning that politicians who resist risk being labeled as “apologists for corruption,” a charge that could damage reputations and lead to political isolation.

“We must keep on asking whether he is sincere or not [in the anti-corruption drive],” Mr. Borja said. “If he is, then how far is he willing to go? If not, then how will he protect his allies from the campaign he started and keeps on adding fuel to?”

Nando becomes super typhoon

PAGASA.DOST.GOV.PH

By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter

TYPHOON RAGASA, locally named Nando, strengthened into a super typhoon on Sunday as it headed toward Northern Luzon, where tropical cyclone wind signals of up to Signal No. 5 could be raised, according to the state weather bureau.

“Nando is forecast to further intensify before it approaches Extreme Northern Luzon,” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 11 a.m. advisory.

The typhoon may pass close to or make landfall over Batanes or the Babuyan Islands in Cagayan on Monday.

As of Sunday morning, Nando was spotted 535 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, moving west at 15 kilometers per hour (kph). It packed maximum sustained winds of 185 kph and gusts of up to 230 kph.

Signal No. 2 was raised over Batanes, Cagayan including Babuyan Islands, the northern and eastern portions of Isabela, Apayao, eastern Kalinga and northern Ilocos Norte.

Signal No. 1 covered the rest of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, the remainder of Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, the rest of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, northern Zambales, as well as the northern and central portions of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Aurora.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) directed local governments to carry out preemptive evacuations in danger zones.

“Local government units were instructed to implement preemptive or mandatory evacuation in barangays highly susceptible to storm surges, flooding and landslides, strictly enforce the no-sail policy and ensure evacuation centers are powered, stocked and safe,” the agency said in a statement.

Authorities were also told to provide food and humanitarian aid, enforce liquor bans in high-risk areas, clear waterways, monitor dams and quarry sites and secure critical infrastructure.

PAGASA likewise issued a storm surge warning over Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

“There is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak heights exceeding three meters within the next 48 hours over low-lying or exposed coastal localities,” it said.

The bureau also warned small vessels and motorboats to take precautionary measures and avoid sailing under hazardous sea conditions.

DBM denies ‘magic fund’ allegations

PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD PHOTO

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has pushed back against allegations that unprogrammed appropriations (UA) serve as its “magic fund” or pork barrel, while assuring the releases is under strict process and has built-in safeguards.

In a statement issued on Sept. 20, Budget Undersecretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran dispelled claims that the DBM has free rein over the use of unprogrammed funds, while calling to stop making the agency a “scapegoat for political drama.”

“Some people call it pork barrel; others make it sound like DBM has a secret ‘magic fund’ it can use anytime. Both are completely wrong,” she said.

Unprogrammed appropriations, according to the DBM, are standby funds that can only be used for certain projects that may be charged against excess or windfall revenues to fund specific programs and projects.

The controversy surrounding unprogrammed funds revived again after Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson confirmed that P600 million worth of flood control insertion projects in Bulacan, allegedly linked to Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, were sourced from the UA in the 2023 General Appropriations Act.

Ms. Libiran said before any request for UA push through, but has to pass through the DBM’s thorough evaluation process.

“So I reiterate — Unprogrammed Appropriations are not discretionary funds. They are legal, congressionally approved standby appropriations, released only upon the request of implementing agencies, subject to strict evaluation, and consistent with the Constitution and Supreme Court jurisprudence,” she said.

Ms. Libiran also noted that the “ballooning” of UA in recent years was not in the decision of the DBM but the Congress during budget deliberation.

Under the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program, unprogrammed appropriations were allotted P249.9 billion, equivalent to 3.68%.

Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman earlier said she wanted to limit the UA to not more than 5% of the national budget, guided by international standards. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

DHSUD activates shelter clusters 

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) has activated government shelter clusters for families that might be affected by Super Typhoon Ragasa (local name: Nando).

DHSUD Assistant Secretary for Disaster Hernando M. Caraig, Jr. on Saturday issued a memorandum urging several regional offices of the DHSUD to activate their respective shelter clusters, it said in a statement.

Housing agencies that were covered in the order include those in Ilocos Norte, Cagayan Valley, central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

The order is meant to ensure that DHSUD’s regional offices are ready to extend shelter assistance to affected families at the earliest possible time.

The directive was issued in line with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) Memorandum No. 247, series of 2025.

The DHSUD also heads the National Government’s Shelter Cluster under NDRRMC Memorandum 01-2022.

In 2023, the agency launched its Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program, which provides cash assistance to families whose houses were affected by natural or man-made calamities.

The state weather bureau said Nando has intensified into a super typhoon as of 8 a.m. on Sunday.

Nando is expected to intensify further as it reaches the northernmost part of the country. It is seen to landfall over or pass near the Babuyan Islands or Batanes late Monday. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

5,000 food packs sent to Cordillera as ‘Nando’ strengthens

BAGUIO CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) delivered an additional 5,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) to various warehouses in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) amid the growing threat of Super Typhoon Nando as it approaches Northern Luzon.

At least 4,000 food packs arrived at the Kalinga warehouse and 1,000 packs at the Benguet warehouse on Sunday, confirmed Assistant Secretary Irene B. Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group.

The offloading of these supplies is ongoing to ensure they are ready for distribution, she added.

“The additional FFPs are part of our ongoing effort to ensure that affected families in the region will have access to food supplies as the storm approaches,” Ms. Dumlao said.

CAR is one of the areas that will bear the brunt of the super typhoon which has been intensified to wind speeds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph), with gusts reaching up to 230 kph, according to the state weather bureau’s 11 a.m. bulletin.

The DSWD is also focusing relief efforts on Cagayan Valley, another area in the typhoon’s path.

At least 8,500 boxes of FFPs are currently en route to Cagayan and Isabela provinces, complementing the prepositioned stock of 133,533 food packs in the entire Cagayan Valley region, Ms. Dumlao added.

“Aside from the additional 8,500 packs, we have more than 20,000 pre-positioned in Batanes alone to ensure that affected communities in the northernmost provinces have adequate support,” the DSWD senior official said. These strategic placements aim to guarantee that no community is left without relief, even in remote areas, she stressed.

To bolster the disaster response, volunteers at the Luzon Disaster Resource Center in Pasay City are continuing to produce additional food packs, according to the DSWD.

The Social Welfare department said it has been on Red Alert since Friday, Sept. 19, to facilitate the timely deployment of relief supplies and ensure coordination across its various field offices.

With Nando’s intensifying strength, Ms. Dumlao urged the public to remain vigilant and follow the directives of local officials for their safety. “Please stay inside your homes and follow local government instructions. We are doing everything possible to ensure that no one goes hungry during the storm,” Ms. Dumlao assured. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Comelec: Gun ban in BARMM not lifted

@BANGSAMOROGOVT

THE ELECTION and campaign period as well as the gun ban in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will proceed despite the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) move to suspend its preparations, it said on Sunday.

In a Facebook post, the Commission said it promulgated Comelec Minute Resolution (MR) No. 25-1018 dated Sept. 19, to announce the continuation of the election period, gun ban and campaign period.

It also issued Comelec MR No. 25-1017, dated Sept. 19, which allowed for the continued implementation of security measures, in cooperation with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Comelec made the clarifications in response to fake news reports, claiming the gun ban has been lifted and that the BARMM elections will push through despite the Supreme Court (SC) order, in relation to the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 77.

Comelec last week suspended preparations for the Oct. 13 polls after the SC issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against BAA No. 77, which reapportions parliamentary districts in Sulu to BARMM.

The Commission currently has no legal authority to resume preparations until the TRO is lifted, or a final Supreme Court ruling is issued, it said in Filipino in a separate post. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

‘Fast and furious’: H-1B workers abroad race to US as Trump order sparks dismay, confusion

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Ally Thomas from Pixabay

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK — Panic, confusion, and anger reigned as workers on H-1B visas from India and China were forced to abandon travel plans and rush back to the US after President Donald J. Trump imposed new visa fees, in line with his wide-ranging immigration crackdown.

Tech companies and banks sent urgent memos to employees, advising them to return before a deadline of 12:01 a.m. US Eastern Time Sunday (4:01 am GMT), and telling them not to leave the country.

A White House official on Saturday clarified that the order applied only to new applicants and not holders of existing visas or those seeking renewals, addressing some of the confusion over who would be affected by the order.

But Mr. Trump’s proclamation a day before had already set off alarm bells in Silicon Valley.

RUSH BACK TO US
Fearing they would not be allowed back once the new rule took effect, several Indian nationals at San Francisco airport said they cut short vacations.

“It is a situation where we had to choose between family and staying here,” said an engineer at a large tech company whose wife had been on an Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai that was scheduled to depart at 5:05 p.m. local time (12:05 a.m. GMT) on Friday.

The flight was delayed by more than three hours after several Indian passengers who received news of the order or memos from their employers demanded to deplane, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity. At least five passengers were eventually allowed off, said the engineer.

A video of the incident was circulating on social media, showing a few people leaving the plane. Reuters could not independently verify the veracity of the video.

The engineer’s wife, also a H-1B visa holder, chose to head to India to care for her sick mother. “It’s quite tragic. We have built a life here,” he told Reuters.

On the popular Chinese social media app Rednote, people on H-1B visas shared their experiences of having to rush back to the US — in some cases just hours after landing in China or another country.

Some likened the panic they felt to their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they urgently flew back to the US before a travel ban took effect.

“My feelings are a mix of disappointment, sadness, and frustration,” said one woman in a post with a user handle “Emily’s Life in NY.”

The woman said she had boarded a United Airlines flight from New York to Paris, which started taxing, but after some back-and-forth with the airline the captain agreed to return to the gate to let her off the aircraft.

Feeling what she described to Reuters as “insignificant” and “shaken,” she canceled the planned trip to France, abandoning plans with friends, including some who were flying in from China, after she received a letter from her company’s lawyers asking employees abroad to return to the US.

Companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and Goldman Sachs were among those that sent urgent e-mails to their employees with travel advisories.

TRUMP’S U-TURN ON H-1B
Since taking office in January, Mr. Trump has kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown, including moves to limit some forms of legal immigration.

This step to reshape the H-1B visa program represents his administration’s most high-profile effort yet to rework temporary employment visas and underscores what critics have said is a protectionist agenda.

It is a U-turn from Mr. Trump’s earlier stance when he sided with one-time ally and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a public dispute over the use of the H-1B visa, saying he fully backed the program for foreign tech workers even though it was opposed by some of his supporters.

Trump administration officials say the visa allows companies to suppress wages and curbing it opens more jobs for American tech workers. Supporters of the program argue that it brings in highly skilled workers essential to filling talent gaps and keeping firms competitive.

In the hours following Mr. Trump’s proclamation, social media was flooded with debate on the scope of the order and dismay at what many saw as a move that dimmed America’s lure as an attractive destination to work in.

An anonymous user on Rednote said their life was like that of a “H-1B slave.” The person cut short a holiday in Tokyo to rush back to the United States, describing it as “a real-life Fast & Furious return to the US,” a reference to the hit Hollywood series about street racing.

Mr. Trump’s H-1B proclamation read: “Some employers, using practices now widely adopted by entire sectors, have abused the H-1B statute and its regulations to artificially suppress wages, resulting in a disadvantageous labor market for American citizens.”

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, could exempt petitioners from the fee at her discretion, the proclamation said.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday said companies would have to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B worker visas.

However, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X on Saturday that this was not an annual fee, only a one-time fee that applied to each petition.

A Nvidia engineer, who has lived in the US for 10 years, told Reuters at the San Francisco airport that he had been vacationing in Japan with his wife and infant when he rushed to reschedule his return flight after hearing the news.

“It feels surreal,” he said. “Everything is changing in an instant.” — Reuters

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