Sunday, May 3, 2026


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Inilabas na ang warrant of arrest laban kay Sarah Discaya at iba pa sa P96.5M ghost flood control project

Venus L Peñaflor
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Inilabas na ang warrant of arrest laban kay Sarah Discaya at iba pa sa P96.5M ghost flood control project

MAYNILA – Inanunsyo ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. noong Huwebes ng gabi na naglabas na ang korte ng warrant of arrest laban sa 10 pangunahing akusado sa P96.5 milyon na ghost flood control project sa Davao Occidental, kabilang ang contractor na si Sarah Discaya.

Ayon sa Pangulo, nahaharap ang mga akusado sa kasong graft at malversation of public funds, na mga non-bailable offense. Ibig sabihin, hindi sila maaaring magpiyansa habang dinidinig ang kaso sa korte.

Sinabi ni Marcos na kabilang sa mga pinangalanan si Discaya, na kasalukuyang nasa kustodiya ng National Bureau of Investigation. Dagdag pa niya, may walong opisyal ng Department of Public Works and Highways Davao Occidental na nagpahayag ng kanilang kahandaang sumuko.

Noong unang bahagi ng Disyembre, nagsampa ang Office of the Ombudsman ng mga kaso laban kay Discaya at iba pa kaugnay ng umano’y ghost flood control project na nagkakahalaga ng P96.5 milyon sa Davao Occidental.

Inihain ng Ombudsman ang mga kasong malversation at corruption sa Digos Regional Trial Court laban kina Discaya at Maria Roma Angeline Rimando ng St. Timothy Construction, gayundin sa walong opisyal ng DPWH Davao Occidental na sina Rodrigo Larete, Michael Awa, Joel Lumogdang, Harold John Villaver, Jafael Faunillian, Josephine Valdez, Ranulfo Flores, at Czar Ryan Ubungen.

Si Discaya ay kasalukuyang nasa kustodiya ng NBI matapos siyang sumuko noong nakaraang linggo, kasunod ng pahayag ng Pangulo na inaasahang maglalabas ng warrant of arrest laban sa kanya kaugnay ng mga anomalya sa flood control projects.

Nauna nang sinabi ni Acting NBI Director Angelito “Lito” Magno na maaari pang makalabas si Discaya sa pasilidad ng NBI noon dahil wala pang inilalabas na warrant of arrest ang korte sa panahong iyon.

Para naman sa kampo ni Discaya, inilarawan nila ang pagsuko bilang isang “strategic legal move” at hindi umano pag-amin sa anumang maling gawain.

Samantala, sinabi ng Supreme Court noong Miyerkules na inilipat sa Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court ang dalawang kasong isinampa laban kay Discaya at sa mga DPWH Davao Occidental engineers.

Ayon kay SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting, alinsunod ito sa mga patakaran na nagtatakda na ang mga kasong may kinalaman sa corruption sa infrastructure projects ay dapat ilipat sa pinakamalapit na itinalagang anti-graft court sa pinakamalapit na judicial region.

Dagdag ni Ting, ang pagtukoy sa pinakamalapit na judicial region ay ginagawa ng presiding o executive judge na may jurisdiction sa kaso.

Israel steps up airstrikes in Lebanon ahead of deadline to disarm Hezbollah

EDGARDO HERNAL
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Israel steps up airstrikes in Lebanon ahead of deadline to disarm Hezbollah

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Israel launched a wave of intense airstrikes across southern and northeastern Lebanon on Thursday as pressure mounts on Beirut to disarm the militant Hezbollah group along the volatile border.

The attacks came a day before a scheduled meeting of an international committee monitoring the enforcement of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war a year ago. The meeting on Friday marks the second gathering of the mechanism since Israel and Lebanon appointed civilian representatives to a committee previously composed only of military officials. The panel also includes representatives from the United States, France, and the United Nations peacekeeping force deployed along the frontier.

Lebanon’s army commander, Gen. Rodolph Haikal, was in Paris for talks with American, French and Saudi officials on strengthening support for the Lebanese army and expanding its deployment in the border area. Haikal began his visit with meetings with French military officials.

French armed forces chief of staff Gen. Fabien Mandon said on X that discussions with Haikal focused on the strategic environment and security challenges facing Lebanon and the wider region. He said France’s assistance to the Lebanese army is aimed at maintaining stability and lasting peace while respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty.

The Lebanese government has said the army is expected to clear the entire area south of the Litani River of Hezbollah’s armed presence by the end of the year.

The Israeli military said Thursday’s strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and launching sites inside a military compound used for training fighters. It also said several military structures used to store weapons and support recent operations were hit.

According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, or NNA, the airstrikes stretched from Mount Rihan in the south to the northeastern Hermel region near the Syrian border. Shortly afterward, a drone strike on a car near the southern town of Taybeh wounded four people, NNA reported.

Lebanese parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri described the strikes as a political signal. He said the attacks were an Israeli message ahead of meetings in Paris aimed at supporting the Lebanese army and the monitoring mechanism.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war erupted on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel. Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas, prompting Israel to launch a large-scale air campaign in September 2024 that severely weakened the group, followed by a ground invasion.

Since then, Israel has carried out near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon, mainly targeting Hezbollah fighters. The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights says at least 127 civilians have been killed in the strikes.

In recent weeks, the United States has intensified pressure on Lebanon to accelerate efforts to disarm Hezbollah and reinforce state control along the border.

Ex DPWH Usec. Cabral natagpuang patay sa Benguet matapos umanong mahulog

Venus L Peñaflor
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Ex DPWH Usec. Cabral natagpuang patay sa Benguet matapos umanong mahulog

BENGUET — Kinumpirmang patay si dating Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral matapos umanong mahulog mula sa isang bangin sa Kennon Road sa Tuba, Benguet noong Huwebes ng hapon, ayon sa ulat ng pulisya.

Ang 63 anyos na si Cabral ay natagpuang walang malay at unresponsive bandang 8:00 p.m. malapit sa Bued River, 20 hanggang 30 metro ang lalim sa ibaba ng highway, makalipas ang ilang oras matapos niyang sabihin ng kanyang driver na iwan siya sa bahagi ng Kennon Road habang sila ay patungong La Union.

Ayon sa Benguet Provincial Police Office, sinabi ng driver na si Ricardo Munos Hernandez na huminto siya sa lugar dakong 3:00 p.m., pagkatapos iniwan si Cabral upang pumunta sa malapit na gasolinahan. Sa kanyang pagbalik mga 5:00 p.m., hindi na niya nakita si Cabral at hindi rin siya natagpuan sa Baguio, dahilan upang mag‐report siya sa pulisya mga 7:00 p.m.

Idineklarang patay si Cabral bandang 12:03 a.m. ngayong Biyernes, sinabi ng mga awtoridad. Agad na dinala ang kanyang mga labi sa isang funeral parlor habang nagpapatuloy ang imbestigasyon sa mga pangyayari na nauwi sa kanyng pagkamatay.

Sinabi rin ng Office of the Ombudsman na inutos nila sa mga awtoridad sa Benguet na i‐secure at pangalagaan ang cellphone at iba pang gadgets ni Cabral upang maging bahagi ng imbestigasyon, at ito ay ipapasa sa mga imbestigador sa mga susunod na araw.

Noong Setyembre, nagbitiw si Cabral sa kanyang posisyon sa DPWH. Kabilang siya sa mga opisyal na inirekomenda sa posibleng administrative charges kaugnay ng mga anomalya sa flood control projects, dahil sa mga alegasyon ng kickbacks at ghost o substandard projects, ayon sa mga naunang salaysay ng mga imbestigador at testimonya ni dating Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.

Ang Independent Commission for Infrastructure ay nag‐isyu ng subpoena para kay Cabral upang siya humarap bilang resource person sa kanilang pagdinig bago ang insidente, subalit hindi siya nakadalo sa naturang sesyon. Patuloy na iniimbestigahan ng mga awtoridad kung ang insidente ay isang aksidente, kaso ng suicide, o may iba pang sangkot, habang inaalam pa ng forensic at scene‐of‐the‐crime teams ay ang mga detalye para sa mas malalim na pagsusuri.

The communication umbrella: On the days when the rain ends and steps begin

DC Alviar
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The communication umbrella: On the days when the rain ends and steps begin

No matter how the Philippines progresses, the fact remains that millions of Filipinos are still beyond the reach of development. This is evident in the simplest of problems: barangays still relying on the flow of water from old wells, youth paddling through mud to get to school, and rural communities experiencing traffic that was once a problem only in cities. Despite the proliferation of malls, roads, and high-rises, the average Filipino is increasingly mired in misery.

As an associate professor, DevCom practitioner, and communication scholar, I do not just claim the profession and stare; I feel the weight of the privilege that has brought me to a level that most Filipinos cannot reach. In Dr. Nora C. Quebral’s (1971) view, development communication is not just a field but a commitment to using it to free people from poverty. The academia’s role revolves around this stance.

Matagal nang nagsimula kung bakit hindi matapos-tapos ang panahong mapalaya sa kahirapan ang marami nating kababayan, at kung bakit nananatiling developed countries ang marami maliban sa atin na matagal nang “developing.” (Parating gamit ang katagang“free the people from poverty” sa mga pambansang layunin at napatingkad ng Konstitusyon ng Pilipinas, at naging pandaigdigang inisyatiba na merong mga solusyong “specific” at talagang magagawa o “actionable” gaya ng sa SDGs.)

Why Development Is Not Inclusive

The lack of water and heavy traffic in rural areas, especially in urban areas, are not simple inconveniences. They are symptoms of deep structural inequalities. Through the lens of DevCom, these problems are not just technical. They are communication problems: lack of participatory governance, transparency (including that of people’s debt but supposedly “confidential” funds for those who are not in positions of defense force leadership and security), and proper planning based on real needs (except the ones needed by politicians as they milk the public treasury with ghost flood control and other ghost projects).

Poverty communication is also at the center of academics like Dr. John Ponsaran, who argues that poverty should not be portrayed as an individual failure, but rather as a product of systems that create unequal opportunities such as the “equal access to opportunities for public service” provided for in the 1987 Constitution. Through poverty communication, we expose gaps in public services, the uneven distribution of resources, and policies that favor the rich over the poor.

This is also where governance communication comes in like that of Dr. Benjamina Paula Flor, who promotes communication as a tool for responsible governance. In governance comm, government programs are not only announced; it encourages citizens to participate, ask questions, observe, and stand up against corruption and neglect.

Without governance comm, people will remain asleep in the face of fund misuse. Without poverty comm, the voice of the oppressed will be kept silent. Without DevCom, true development will remain a dream.

Political Problems: Dynastic Clans, Nepo Babies, and Poor Governance

Why the people remain poor cannot be separated from politics. This is where the importance of political communication comes in. It’s not propaganda but a medium for raising awareness, explaining policies, and empowering the people to understand how power works. It’s borrowed or hiram na kapangyarihan on the part of government authorities.

Many decisions of a few families affect the fate of millions of Filipinos. Despite the clear prohibition of political dynasties in the Constitution, the dominance of a few clans continues. Behind the flashy campaigns, many of them are “nepo babies” of parents who abuse their position. If the people do not intervene and remain unaware of the use and abuse of power, the cycle of the poor suffering and the powerful ruling will continue. Maybe in 2028, we will still be chanting, “Ikulong na ‘yan, mga kurakot.”

Education’s Role and The Invisible Teacher

That is why political communication is so important as a subdiscipline. It serves as: a bridge to understand public policies; a light against disinformation; an instrument to open public discussion; and a weapon for the periodic needs of the masses for good governance.

Without an informed citizenry, there is no true democracy. Without democracy, there is no development, and without development, the poor will continue to bear the burden of a country that only favors the few.

In a situation where limitations are increasingly severe—traffic, distance, calamities, and plagues (who can say that these won’t happen again?)—the country needs more than interpersonal communication. It needs alternative methods of education that are more flexible and accessible. This is where Dr. Alexander G. Flor’s important concept in The Invisible Teacher (2017) comes in.

In distance education, the teacher may not be physically present, but his or her presence is felt in every material, module, video, and interaction. The teacher acts as an invisible facilitator, an invisible guide who facilitates learning even if the student is in a distant town, overseas, or has difficulty traveling due to traffic or lack of money.

It’s a timely assessment. If accessibility is a problem, the invisible teacher is the answer. If distance is a barrier, distance education is the bridge.

If students are left behind, communication is the provider of opportunities.

My duty is not only to teach within the four corners of the classroom, but also to be a visible and invisible teacher, a promoter of dreams for young people who have talent but lack opportunities.

A Single Umbrella for Communication Branches

For Dr. Felix Librero (2018), regardless of the discipline—MassCom, Crisis Communication, Development Communication, or Strategic Communication—they must come together for a single goal: the goodness, progress, and power of the people.

The fields are not separate.

Not enemies.

Not competition.

My fellow communicators and professors and I serve as the connecting link between these arms. Through teaching, students are shown that communication is not just about speaking or creating media output.

Communication can also raise awareness, connect, mobilize, transform, and liberate.

Social Justice Goals

We believe in DevCom, poverty communication, political communication, governance communication, and distance education that the same principle applies: people are at the center of our efforts.

If communication does not serve the people, it is empty. If education does not empower the poor, it is deficient or even smacks of stupidity. If politics does not promote goodness, it is abuse. If progress is not felt, it is an illusion.

To the aging disciples of their respective professions in communication and journalism, answer the calls to awaken the youth, shape critical thinking, and show that under the great umbrella of communication, there is room for every Filipino to dream and rise.

With every lesson shared, there’s a Filipino who is gradually freed, there’s a student who doesn’t rely on artificial intelligence and instead gives the right space and time to human relationships, there’s a family hoping for a better future, and society gradually stepping towards justice and inclusive development.

What to know about Mindanao, with a militant history visited by Bondi Beach suspects

Venus L Peñaflor
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What to know about Mindanao, with a militant history visited by Bondi Beach suspects

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities in Australia and the Philippines are investigating a recent trip to Mindanao by a father and son accused of killing 15 people in a shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, amid questions about whether they had any links to militant groups in the southern Philippines.

The inquiry follows statements by Australian police that the attack was inspired by the Islamic State group. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the assessment was based on evidence, including “the presence of Islamic State flags in the vehicle that has been seized.”

Philippine immigration authorities said the suspects stayed in the Philippines from Nov. 1 to Nov. 28, with Davao City as their final destination before returning to Australia.

Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año told The Associated Press that an investigation is underway to determine whether the suspects had any contact or training with local militants. However, he said no evidence has emerged to support that possibility.

“There is no indicator or any information that they underwent training” in Mindanao, Año said.

Mindanao, the southern third of the Philippine archipelago, has long been the center of separatist conflicts involving minority Muslims in the predominantly Catholic country. Centuries of Spanish and American colonial rule, followed by large-scale Christian settlement, reduced Muslims to a minority in the resource-rich region, fueling disputes over land, political power and resources.

Since the 1970s, an estimated 150,000 combatants and civilians have been killed in intermittent fighting in the south, leaving Mindanao as the poorest region in the country. For years, Western and Asian governments feared the conflicts could provide fertile ground for Islamic extremism in Southeast Asia.

Among the foreign militants who once sought refuge in Mindanao was Umar Patek, an Indonesian member of Jemaah Islamiyah linked to al-Qaida. He was convicted of helping make the explosives used in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, and was arrested in Pakistan in 2011, Philippine security officials said.

Peace efforts significantly changed the security landscape. A 1996 agreement between the Philippine government and Muslim separatists allowed thousands of fighters to return to their communities while retaining their firearms. A broader 2014 peace pact later granted expanded Muslim autonomy in exchange for the gradual disarmament of rebel forces.

That agreement led to the creation of the Bangsamoro autonomous region and transformed former rebel leaders into regional administrators. It also positioned the former rebel fronts as key partners in countering the Islamic State group’s attempts to establish a foothold in Mindanao.

Several smaller factions, including the Abu Sayyaf group, rejected the peace deals. Abu Sayyaf gained notoriety for kidnappings, beheadings and bombings and was designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the Philippines. Most of its leaders, many of whom pledged allegiance to Islamic State, were later killed in military operations, including the 2017 siege of Marawi City by Philippine forces supported by U.S. and Australian surveillance aircraft.

According to senior Philippine security officials, years of military offensives have severely weakened Abu Sayyaf and other armed groups. A confidential joint military and police assessment seen by the AP found no indication of foreign militant presence in the southern Philippines after the last remaining groups were “neutralized” in 2023.

Earlier this month, the Philippine army reported the killing of a suspected bomb maker and leader of Dawlah Islamiyah-Hassan, a group linked to Islamic State, in Maguindanao del Sur province.

Sidney Jones, a U.S.-based analyst specializing in militant movements in Southeast Asia, said the recent decline of extremist activity makes Mindanao an unlikely destination for foreign fighters.

“The level of violence in Mindanao is high, but for the last three years, it’s almost all been linked to elections, clan feuds, or other sources,” Jones said. “If I were a would-be ISIS fighter, the Philippines would not have been my top destination.”

Putin warns Russia will expand gains in Ukraine if peace talks collapse

EDGARDO HERNAL
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Putin warns Russia will expand gains in Ukraine if peace talks collapse

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Moscow will seek to extend its territorial gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands in ongoing peace talks.

The warning came as the United States intensifies diplomatic efforts to end nearly four years of fighting following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Those efforts have faced major obstacles due to sharply opposing positions from Moscow and Kyiv.

Speaking at an annual meeting with senior military officers, Putin said Russia prefers to achieve its objectives through diplomacy and to “eliminate the root causes of the conflict.” He added, however, that “if the opposing side and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive dialogue, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means.”

Putin was referring to Ukrainian territories seized by Russian forces, actions widely condemned by Western governments as violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and acts of unprovoked aggression.

He claimed that “the Russian army has seized and is firmly holding strategic initiative all along the front line,” and warned that Moscow would move to expand a “buffer security zone” along Russia’s border.

“Our troops are different now, they are battle-hardened and there is no other such army in the world now,” Putin said.

The Russian leader also highlighted what he described as Russia’s growing military strength, including the modernization of its nuclear arsenal. He pointed to the nuclear-capable intermediate-range Oreshnik ballistic missile, which he said would officially enter combat duty this month. Russia first tested a conventionally armed version of the missile in November 2024 in a strike on a Ukrainian factory, and Putin has claimed it is impossible to intercept.

At the same time, Putin dismissed claims by European officials that Moscow plans to attack European countries, calling them “lies and sheer nonsense … driven by short-sighted personal or group political interests, not by the interests of their people.”

Putin’s remarks followed several rounds of talks this week among Ukrainian, American and European officials on a U.S.-drafted peace plan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after meeting U.S. envoys in Berlin that the document could be finalized within days, after which it would be presented to the Kremlin.

Putin has demanded that all territories in four key regions captured by Russian forces, as well as Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014, be recognized as Russian territory. He has also called on Ukraine to withdraw from parts of eastern Ukraine that Russian forces have not fully captured.

The Kremlin has further insisted that Ukraine abandon its bid to join NATO and has warned it would view any deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine as a “legitimate target.”

Zelenskyy has said he is willing to drop Ukraine’s NATO aspirations if the United States and its allies provide security guarantees similar to those enjoyed by NATO members. However, he has stressed that NATO membership remains Ukraine’s preferred option to deter future Russian aggression. He has also rejected Moscow’s demand for Ukraine to withdraw from territories Russia has failed to seize by force.

Zelenskyy described the draft peace plan discussed in Berlin as “not perfect” but “very workable,” saying Kyiv and its allies were close to agreement on “strong security guarantees.” He emphasized, however, that control over territory remains unresolved and rejected U.S. pressure for Ukraine to cede the eastern Donetsk region.

Putin again praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a settlement and echoed Trump’s repeated claims that the war would not have erupted during his presidency. He accused the previous U.S. administration and some European allies, whom he derisively called “piglings,” of expecting Russia’s collapse.

Dialogue with Europe, Putin said, is “unlikely to become possible with the current political elites,” but he added that it would be inevitable in the future as Russia grows stronger.

At the same military meeting, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov outlined plans for further advances, saying recent gains in Donetsk had paved the way for a rapid push into Ukrainian-controlled parts of the region. He also said Russian forces were preparing to expel Ukrainian troops from parts of the Zaporizhzhia region and extend operations into neighboring Dnipropetrovsk.

“The key task for the next year is to preserve and accelerate the tempo of the offensive,” Belousov said, adding that Russia would expand military capabilities, particularly in drones, electronic jamming and air defense systems.

As fighting continues along much of the front line, Russia also launched daily missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. At least 26 people were injured by Russian glide bombs in Zaporizhzhia and nearby areas, according to regional officials, with several residential buildings, infrastructure and an educational facility damaged.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched at least 69 long-range drones overnight, with 29 intercepted or jammed as the assault continued during the day. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed 94 Ukrainian drones overnight.

In Russia’s Krasnodar region, drones injured two people and damaged several homes, while in the Voronezh region, drone debris damaged a power line serving an infrastructure facility, sparking a fire that was quickly extinguished, regional officials said.

Binigyan ng P529.6B budget ang DPWH para sa 2026, matapos tanggalin ang over pricing

Venus L Peñaflor
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Binigyan ng P529.6B budget ang DPWH para sa 2026, matapos tanggalin ang over pricing

MAYNILA — Inaprubahan ng bicameral conference committee o bicam madaling-araw ng Huwebes ang P529.6 billion budget para sa Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) para sa fiscal year 2026, matapos makamit ang P20.7 billion na savings mula sa pagbabawas ng overpriced construction materials sa mga government infrastructure projects.

Natapos ang pag-apruba matapos ang apat na araw na masinsinang deliberasyon ng bicam sa panukalang P6.793-trillion national budget para sa 2026.

Ayon kay Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman ng Senate committee on finance, nagmula ang savings sa paggamit ng Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD) na isinumite ni DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon at ipinatupad sa humigit-kumulang 10,000 proyekto.

“Base doon sa submission ng DPWH, sa bagong submission nila, na dito sa bagong adjustment factor, pinasok na nila ang logistics, pinasok na nila ang hauling cost at iba pang maging cost, so naging mas near actual, hindi pa actual, but near actual na ang cost nila,” pahayag ni Gatchalian.

“Ang resulta ng savings na nakuha natin ay P20.7 billion. So confident akong sabihin na wala nang overpriced na materyales sa loob nitong budget na ito,” dagdag pa niya.

Sa kabuuang P20.7 billion savings, inirealign ng bicam ang P16.52 billion para sa Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), habang P4.25 billion ang inilipat sa National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.

Nauna nang umapela ang DPWH sa Senado na ibalik ang mga pondong ibinawas sa panukalang 2026 budget ng ahensiya matapos ang reductions batay sa CMPD.

Sinabi naman ni House Committee on Appropriations chairperson at Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing na nagawa ng bicam na malaki ang ibawas sa DPWH budget, mahigit P300 billion mula sa 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), o P94 billion mula sa House-approved General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

“Wala po kaming kina-cut na hindi namin pinapaalam sa mga ahensya. I think that’s usually the main point of contention. We also don’t put in items in the budget of the respective agencies without the approval of the head of agency,” ayon kay Suansing sa isang ambush interview.

Sa final reading ng Senado, ibinaba ang panukalang 2026 budget ng DPWH sa P570.48 billion mula sa P624.48 billion sa ilalim ng GAB.

Una nang humiling ang DPWH ng P881.31 billion budget sa ilalim ng NEP, ngunit ito ay nabawasan matapos alisin ang locally funded flood control projects kasunod ng mga rebelasyon tungkol sa substandard o ghost projects.

Tiniyak naman ni Gatchalian na “acceptable” ang mga budget cut para kay DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon dahil nanatiling bukas ang komunikasyon ng bicam sa Executive.

“In fact, may mga letters sila. Nagpapadala rin sila ng mga data para mapagaralan namin,” ayon sa senador.

Cash assistance para sa octogenarians, nonagenarians ipinamahagi sa SPC

Venus L Peñaflor
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Cash assistance para sa octogenarians, nonagenarians ipinamahagi sa SPC

SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna – Ipinamahagi ang cash assistance sa mga kwalipikadong senior citizen sa lungosd na ito bilang pagpapatupad ng Expanded Centenarians Act, isang batas na inakda at itinulak ni Laguna 3rd District Representative Loreto S. Amante upang palawakin ang pagkilala at tulong ng pamahalaan sa mga nakatatandang Pilipino.

Sa pangunguna ng National Commission of Senior Citizens, katuwang ang San Pablo City Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, isinagawa sa Pamana Hall ang pamamahagi ng benepisyong pinansyal sa kabuuang 437 octogenarians at nonagenarians mula sa iba’t ibang barangay ng lungsod.

Pinamunuan ang aktibidad ng mga opisyal at kawani ng Central at Regional Offices ng NCSC at OSCA, sa pangunguna nina OSCA Head Odilon C. Aquino at Administrative Officer Josephine Velasco. Nakiisa rin ang mga kawani ng Office of the Social Welfare and Development Office sa pamumuno ni Administrative Officer V Edward Alcantara upang matiyak ang maayos at sistematikong pamamahagi ng tulong.

Bawat kwalipikadong senior citizen na umabot sa edad na 80, 85, 90, at 95 ay tumanggap ng tig P10,000. Samantala, tatlong senior citizen na umabot sa edad na 100 mula sa mga barangay ng San Mateo, Sta. Maria Magdalena, at V-B ang pinagkalooban ng tig P100,000.

Ayon kay Mayor Najie B. Gapangada, nararapat lamang na kilalanin at pasalamatan ang mahalagang ambag ng mga senior citizen sa lipunan. Aniya, patuloy nating pangangalagaan at pahahalagahan ang kapakanan ng mga nakakatanda sapagkat sila ang haligi ng kasaysayan at inspirasyon sa susunod na henerasyon.

Ang Expanded Centenarians Act, na kilala bilang Republic Act No. 11982 at nilagdaan bilang batas noong 2024, ay pinalawak ang naunang Centenarians Act of 2016. Sa ilalim ng batas na ipinasa sa pangunguna ni Cong. Amante, hindi na lamang ang mga Pilipinong umaabot sa edad na 100 ang makatatanggap ng insentibo, kundi pati ang mga senior citizen na umaabot sa edad na 80, 85, 90, at 95. Layunin ng batas na magbigay ng konkretong suporta at pagkilala sa mga nakatatanda bilang mahalagang bahagi ng pambansang kaunlaran.

Ayon sa mga opisyal, ang programa ay patunay ng patuloy na pagtutok ng pambansa at lokal na pamahalaan sa kapakanan ng mga senior citizen, na naglalayong magbigay ng konkretong tulong bilang pagkilala sa kanilang mahabang serbisyo at mahalagang ambag sa pamilya at komunidad. Inaasahang magpapatuloy ang pagpapatupad ng programa bilang bahagi ng mas pinalawak na social protection program para sa mga nakatatandang Pilipino sa mga susunod na taon.

Photographer discovers thousands of dinosaur footprints near 2026 Olympic venue

Paraluman P. Funtanilla
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Photographer discovers thousands of dinosaur footprints near 2026 Olympic venue

MILAN — A wildlife photographer has uncovered one of the oldest and largest known collections of dinosaur footprints, dating back about 210 million years to the Triassic Period, in Stelvio National Park near the 2026 Winter Olympic venue in Bormio, Italy, officials announced Tuesday.

The discovery is remarkable for its sheer number, estimated at up to 20,000 footprints stretching over five kilometers, and for its location near the Swiss border, an area previously unknown for dinosaur tracks.

Cristiano Dal Sasso, paleontologist at Milan’s Natural History Museum, said the prints were likely made by long-necked, bipedal herbivores similar to Plateosaurus, measuring up to 10 meters long and weighing around four tons. Some tracks were 40 centimeters wide, showing visible claws.

“The tracks show that these dinosaurs traveled in packs and sometimes stopped in circular formations, possibly for protection,” Dal Sasso said. “There are clear traces of individuals walking at a slow, calm, rhythmic pace, without running.”

The footprints were discovered by wildlife photographer Elio Della Ferrera, who had been photographing deer and vultures in September. He noticed something unusual on a vertical rock wall about 600 meters above the nearest road and scaled the rock to take a closer look.

“The huge surprise was not just discovering the footprints, but finding such a massive quantity,” Della Ferrera said. “There are tens of thousands of prints, more or less well-preserved.”

The site is located two kilometers from Bormio, where Men’s Alpine Skiing events will take place during the Games from February 6 to 22. Lombardy regional governor Attilio Fontana called the discovery a “gift for the Olympics,” although the remote location makes winter access difficult and plans for public visitation have not yet been made.

Trump administration expands travel ban to 20 more countries

EDGARDO HERNAL
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Trump administration expands travel ban to 20 more countries

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Tuesday it is expanding U.S. travel restrictions to 20 additional countries and the Palestinian Authority, doubling the number of nations affected by limits first introduced earlier this year on who can travel and emigrate to the United States.

The move adds five countries to the full travel ban list, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, and applies new restrictions to 15 other nations, such as Angola, Nigeria, and Zambia. People traveling with Palestinian Authority-issued documents are now also fully barred from entering or emigrating to the U.S.

Acting officials said the restrictions are aimed at tightening U.S. entry standards, citing concerns over “widespread corruption, unreliable civil documents, criminal records, high rates of visa overstays, and lack of government stability” in affected countries. Exemptions apply to individuals with valid visas, lawful permanent residents, certain categories like diplomats or athletes, and those whose entry is deemed in the U.S. interest. The new rules take effect January 1.

The expanded ban follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspected in the shooting of two National Guard troops over Thanksgiving weekend. The Afghan man has pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges.

Critics, including refugee advocates and legal organizations, have condemned the move as discriminatory. Laurie Ball Cooper of the International Refugee Assistance Project said, “This expanded ban is not about national security but instead is another shameful attempt to demonize people simply for where they are from.”

Advocates for Afghans who aided U.S. efforts in Afghanistan raised concerns that the revised ban now excludes those eligible for Special Immigrant Visas, designed for wartime allies who risked their lives supporting U.S. missions. No One Left Behind called the change “deeply concerning,” stressing that allowing vetted wartime allies entry also contributes to U.S. security.

The administration also updated restrictions for countries previously partially restricted, tightening rules on Laos and Sierra Leone while easing some limits for Turkmenistan. Previous travel bans from June remain in effect for all other countries.

Regarding Palestinian travelers, the administration said recent conflicts and ongoing terrorist activity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have compromised vetting and screening abilities, justifying the extension of restrictions to Palestinians seeking to enter or emigrate to the U.S.

The expansion of travel bans is likely to spark further debate over the balance between national security and immigration policy, with critics arguing that it broadly targets people based on nationality rather than individual risk.

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