FIREARMS RECOVERY. Government troops belonging to the 46th IB recovered several fireams suspected from the communist armed group, the New People’s Army, in Motiong, Samar last Octber 8. (46TH IB FACEBOOK)
FIREARMS RECOVERY. Government troops belonging to the 46th IB recovered several fireams suspected from the communist armed group, the New People’s Army, in Motiong, Samar last Octber 8. (46TH IB FACEBOOK)
TACLOBAN CITY – Government troops from the 46th Infantry Battalion based in Calbiga, Samar, seized several high-powered firearms, including an M60 machine gun, in a military operation in Barangay Caranas, Motiong, Samar, on Wednesday, October 8.
According to the 46th IB, the discovery of the arms cache—which also included one M4 rifle and two M16 rifles—was made possible through information provided by a captured member of the Communist New People’s Army (NPA). The individual reportedly decided to cooperate with authorities after realizing the “propaganda and deception” of the communist group armed.
Lieutenant Colonel Marvin Inocencio, commanding officer of the 46th IB, said the seizure of weapons was a significant setback to the NPA’s operations in Samar, reducing their capability to conduct attacks and influence communities.
“This success showcased the bravery and dedication of our soldiers and highlights the growing trust and cooperation of those who have seen through the deception of the CTG,” Inocencio said in a statement. “Every firearm recovered means one less threat to our communities and one more step toward genuine peace.”
Inocencio also reiterated the government’s call for remaining NPA members to surrender and avail themselves of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which offers livelihood and reintegration assistance to former rebels.
The 46th Infantry Battalion vowed to continue its efforts to secure peace and promote development in Motiong and other parts of Samar.
More than 600 residents of Sitio Bagong Baryo, Brgy Tagbubunga, Villaba, Leyte are temporarily staying in tents and classrooms due to the threat of rock slide.
As a result of the 6.9 magnitude quake
More than 600 residents of Sitio Bagong Baryo, Brgy Tagbubunga, Villaba, Leyte are temporarily staying in tents and classrooms due to the threat of rock slide.
VILLABA, Leyte– The local government here is preparing to relocate more than 194 families—or over 600 residents—from Barangay Tagbubunga to a safer site following the recommendation of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) after a recent rockslide incident triggered by aftershocks from the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Bogo City, Cebu last Sept. 30.
Mayor Rudy Veloso said the affected families live in a rockslide-prone area, posing serious risks not only during the rainy and typhoon seasons but also amid continuing aftershocks from the Cebu quake, which was felt across Leyte.
A rockslide was reported in Tagbubunga on October 3, prompting residents to flee their homes.
MGB personnel conducted an on-site inspection and advised the LGU to immediately evacuate the affected households.
Currently, most displaced families are staying in tents set up at the barangay covered court, while others have taken temporary shelter at the Tagbubunga Elementary School and with relatives.
Mayor Veloso said the municipal government is searching for at least two hectares of land within the same barangay for relocation to ensure that residents remain close to their farms and livelihood.
He added that the LGU will seek assistance from Leyte 3rd District Representative Anna Veloso-Tuazon for funding the construction of housing units.
“We are looking for a lot within the village and not far from their farms so they can continue tending to them even after relocation,” Mayor Veloso said.
However, some residents have expressed opposition to the plan, citing their long-term residence in the area and the investments they made in building their homes, which they claim are far from the most at-risk zones.
“We will consult with higher authorities—from the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the provincial government—because we already have an advisory to evacuate and relocate,” Veloso added.
Meanwhile, evacuee Marichu Ondinato said her family would no longer return to their home due to fear of another rockslide.
“Takot na kami, natrauma na kami. Maghahanap na lang kami kahit maliit na lugar na ligtas,” she said.
The disaster has also disrupted classes for more than 200 students of Tagbubunga Elementary School, where several classrooms are being used as temporary shelters. Teachers have shifted to modular learning, providing printed lessons for home study.
Grade 2 adviser Maria Corazon Demeterio, who also evacuated with her family, said the setup poses learning challenges, especially for younger students who need close supervision.
“Once we’ve secured our belongings, I plan to bring back my struggling readers for limited face-to-face sessions,” she said. “Learning is much more effective in person.”
At least 10 classrooms in the school have been declared unsafe due to structural damage from the earthquake and may be condemned pending inspection.
Following the combined impact of the earthquake and Typhoon Opong, upon the recommendation of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), the town council has placed the entire town under a state of calamity on Tuesday, October 7.
TACLOBAN CITY – The Biliran provincial government has begun a month-long cash-for-work program to help rice farmers recover from the heavy losses brought by Typhoon “Opong”, which severely damaged irrigation systems and farmlands across the province.
Governor Rogelio Espina said on Tuesday, October 7, that the initiative is being implemented through the Office of the Provincial Agricultural Services (OPAS) and will run from October 1 to 31, 2025. The program aims to rehabilitate irrigation systems and ensure adequate water supply for standing rice crops currently in critical growth stages.
According to the provincial government, about 990 affected rice farmers from several municipalities are expected to benefit from the P2.52 million emergency program. Each farmer will receive P416 per day as part of the province’s efforts to provide both short-term income and labor for the recovery effort.
Based on initial assessments, Typhoon Opong left around 441.8 hectares of rice fields totally damaged and another 1,823 hectares partially affected, with many irrigation systems rendered unusable. The damage has caused a shortage of water supply during the vegetative, flowering, and soft dough stages of rice production—periods vital for grain development.
Governor Espina emphasized that immediate action is necessary to prevent a steep decline in rice yield, which could lead to significant economic losses for farmers and potential shortages in the local rice supply.
“Without immediate intervention, there is a high risk of significant yield reduction, which could lead to shortages in local rice supply and economic losses for the farmers,” Espina said.
Under the program, members of rice farmers’ associations in affected municipalities will be tasked with clearing and repairing damaged irrigation channels and restoring water flow to farmlands. Only legitimate users of the irrigation systems will be hired to ensure that assistance directly benefits those who rely on these systems for their livelihood.
The OPAS said the initiative not only provides temporary employment for farmers but also supports food security in the province. By restoring irrigation and rescuing standing rice crops, the program is expected to help sustain the production of 170,146 cavans of palay, which could feed over 37,000 people for a year if the crops are successfully saved from water stress.
The provincial government added that the cash-for-work program benefits both the farming sector and the broader community by preventing a decline in rice production and ensuring continued food supply.
Biliran remains under a state of calamity as of September 29, following the widespread agricultural damage caused by Typhoon Opong.
PH PRIDE. Tacloban-born Filipina-Swiss artist and gallerist Minerva Mondejar-Steiner represents the Philippines in this year’s “Forest of Civilizations” collaborative exhibit at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, an international art project. (PHOTO COURTESY)
PH PRIDE. Tacloban-born Filipina-Swiss artist and gallerist Minerva Mondejar-Steiner represents the Philippines in this year’s “Forest of Civilizations” collaborative exhibit at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, an international art project. (PHOTO COURTESY)
TACLOBAN CITY – Tacloban-born Filipina-Swiss artist and gallerist Minerva Mondejar-Steiner is representing the Philippines at the upcoming “Forest of Civilizations” collaborative exhibit at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, an international art project symbolizing human resilience and environmental continuity.
Mondejar-Steiner, owner of the Mondejar Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland, partnered with two Czech private firms for the outdoor installation that showcases 133 subfossil oak trees—ancient trunks preserved underground for more than 6,500 years since the Ice Age.
“These trees represent history, resilience, and the continuity of life,” said Mondejar-Steiner, whose gallery has gained recognition in Europe for blending artistic innovation with historical and cultural consciousness.
She said the “Forest of Civilizations” project is not merely an exhibition but “a statement of how Filipino creativity and leadership can resonate on the world’s most prestigious cultural platforms, expanding the reach of Philippine art while shaping conversations on preservation and shared human history.”
The ancient oak trees—extracted from glacial sediments eight meters deep in North Moravia, Czech Republic—offer a glimpse into prehistoric climate and environmental patterns through modern scientific analysis of their annual rings.
Supported by the United Nations and several participating countries—including the Czech Republic, Norway, Monaco, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Canada, Armenia, Colombia, Thailand, Japan, the United States, and the Philippines—the installation underscores global unity and climate awareness.
The exhibit, which opened on April 13, 2025, will run until October 13, 2025, as part of Expo 2025’s larger theme of connecting lives and sustainable futures.
The political scenario in the Philippines has sunk to an alarming level of disorder and self-interest. Public service has become secondary to political survival, and governance now bows to the whims of personalities rather than principles. The decay is evident, and it calls for immediate reckoning.
Partisan conflict has taken precedence over national interest. Instead of addressing poverty, education, and health crises, political leaders have been engrossed in feuds and personal vendettas. The current tension between the Marcos and Duterte camps clearly manifests this breakdown in political ethics. What should have been a cooperative effort for governance has turned into a public spectacle of power struggle, with both sides using their influence to malign the other. Such open hostility from two of the most dominant political forces exposes how leadership has been reduced to rivalry rather than responsibility.
This degeneration is worsened by the absence of ideological substance in political parties. Most parties in the country function not as institutions of vision but as vehicles of convenience for candidates seeking office. They shift allegiances at will, disregarding consistency and principle. The frequent political turncoatism in Congress—where lawmakers switch parties depending on who sits in Malacañang—shows the utter lack of conviction among the supposed representatives of the people. In effect, the political system has become a revolving door for opportunists rather than a platform for public service.
Corruption and misuse of public funds further deepen the public’s disillusionment. The controversies surrounding confidential and intelligence funds, particularly the transfer of millions of pesos to certain offices without clear accountability, reveal how public resources are mishandled in plain sight. Likewise, investigations into overpriced government projects and questionable appointments show how political connections often outweigh competence and integrity. These are not isolated lapses but symptoms of a system built on patronage and entitlement. Instead of serving as the machinery of reform, the bureaucracy has been weakened by political interference.
If this nation is to survive with any moral core intact, its citizens must demand a higher standard of leadership. Electoral laws should be reformed to eliminate political dynasties, strengthen party discipline, and punish corruption with certainty. Civil institutions must assert their independence and resist political intimidation. Above all, voters must reject personalities that treat politics as a family inheritance or a business venture. With genuine accountability and political education, the country can rise again from the moral collapse that now defines its governance.
Having grown accustomed to scandals over the years, the public appears to be holding its breath—some in anger, some in fatigue. But if corruption continues to drain this nation and the powerful remain deaf to moral responsibility, the repercussions more catastrophic than outrage may fall upon them.
Filipino society has corroded so much with corruption that it now operates like static white noise—it is always there but not heard. Every term starts with boasts of reform and is followed by exposes of thievery. The scandals are long and circuitous: the fertilizer fund scam, the pork barrel plunder, the overpriced Pharmally scandal, and the recent din over confidential funds used for dubious purposes. The same scenario repeats: money disappears, fingers are pointed around, and justice is lost in the next news cycle. This constant trickle of fraud eats away not only the nation’s coffers but also the people’s trust in democracy.
The irony bites. The nation that once set the world ablaze with the fire of EDSA—the people power uprising that overthrew a dictator—now also appears too exhausted to rise again. Filipinos wait in the sun for hours for government doles, as ruling politicians squander the money of the people on political bickering and consumption excess. The long-tested patience of the people, stretched thin for decades, is beginning to fray. And history has borne witness to the fact that where anger and hunger meet, the street is the final court of justice.
But one must appreciate that the Filipino is not easily revolutionized. Patience is a national quality—a sometimes weakness. Years of injustice, humiliation, and betrayal pass before the people cry, “Enough is enough”. The initial People Power did not emerge overnight; it culminated years of repression, corruption, and moral decay. Now the same symptoms are manifesting again, but slicker, more insidious—protected by legalities, covered by propaganda, and submerged in spectacle. But deception, no matter how stylishly dressed, will eventually betray itself.
Unless the government views corruption as more than just a nagging irritant, but a moral sickness, it unwittingly raises the subsequent rebellion. People power doesn’t need to be declared; it simmers from within—rice-and-fish talk, jeepneys and street stalls, the disenchantment of students and workers who have been disappointed with those to whom they handed over the reins. Once the disgust of individuals crystallizes into courage, the streets will resound once more with the voice of moral sanity. It is not that everywhere it will be 1986 again, but it will be the same in effect: a call for decency.
The reason why the crisis is now more explosive is that news travels faster than conscience. Social media, though tainted with lies, can also spread truth. It can rally hundreds of thousands within minutes, start movements overnight, and scare giants with fear of exposure. The government, if it is deaf to the undertone of the people’s mood, would soon be aware of the reality that the cyber din it dismisses can be converted into a street din. Deceit and denial are no longer the recipe since the days when ordinary people used to record and broadcast injustice in real time.
Nevertheless, a new people power cannot be romanticized if it is ever to materialize. Revolution is not a fiesta but a recourse of the desperate, which is resorted to because institutions have broken down. Nobody wants anarchy, but nobody should also settle for perpetual corruption in the name of peace. It is only justice that brings absolute stability, not quite. Suppose the political class continues to disrespect the intelligence of the people with empty words and selective justice. In that case, they will have no option but to allow citizens to reclaim what was taken away from them—not in dollars and cents but in dignity.
The preferable alternative, of course, is prevention. The government must stop playing at reform as a slogan and begin mopping up its backyard. Transparency is no longer optional, accountability is no longer a choice, and prosecution of those who have done wrong is no longer politicized. The masses don’t need a revolution; they need results. But if politicians continue to confuse patience with weakness, they will learn, earlier, that a weary nation, once pushed to the brink, can again convert its silence into thunder.
