TAAL 'HAZARDOUS ERUPTION' LIKE 'ATOMIC BOMB' BUT WON'T CARRY SAME ENERGY: PHIVOLCS MANILA - A hazardous eruption of Taal Volcano will look like an "atomic bomb explosion" but will not carry the same energy, a state seismologist said Monday. The volcano remains under alert level 4 which means a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days, Phivolcs said. "Siguro ang closest na puwede nating ihambing sa malakas na pagputok ng Taal ay isang atomic bomb explosion 'yung hitsura niya, hindi 'yung energy," Phivolcs volcano monitoring division chief Ma. Antonia Bornas told reporters. Among the hazards of the eruption include base surges or expanding rings of turbulent mixture of fragments and gas at the base of explosion columns. Other hazards include widespread ash fall, landslides, volcanic gas, liquefaction, fissuring, and volcanic tsunami, according to Bornas. DUTERTE VOWS TO SIGN EO ON MEDICINE PRICE CAPS MANILA - President Duterte has vowed to sign a proposed executive order (EO) that would lower the prices of more than 100 life-saving medicines, saying it would benefit the public. The health department has been pushing for an EO that would cut the prices of 122 drugs by half, noting that Filipinos are spending more for medicines compared to their neighbors in the region. Drugs that may be covered by the price regulation include those that treat cancer, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, neonatal and chronic lung diseases. "I will sign it. That's good for the Filipino, reduced prices or maintaining a price, I will even sign the document twice over," Duterte told broadcaster Ted Failon in an interview aired over radio dzMM yesterday. Duterte said agencies are still studying the proposed order. DUTERTE WANTS NUMBER OF POGOS REGULATED MANILA - President Duterte wants to limit the number of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in the Philippines, saying the presence of too many gaming hubs has "side effects" and will pose difficulties for regulators. Duterte said while POGOs have created jobs, they cannot be "in every town and city," otherwise authorities would not be able to police them all. "Many Filipinos have benefited from jobs but you have to temper it also with the corruption. There is always the law enforcement. I am not only zeroing in on police, but I am warning them, there are a lot of, how do you call it, side effects of too many (POGOs)," the President said in an interview aired over dzMM yesterday. About 130,000 Chinese nationals are working for POGOs. STATE OF CALAMITY DECLARED IN BATANGAS MANILA - The province of Batangas was placed under a state of calamity yesterday, a day after Taal Volcano exploded, sending ash and debris to as far as Metro Manila and Central Luzon. Disaster teams struggled to penetrate areas blanketed by ash to rescue or help ferry thousands of residents fleeing a potentially destructive eruption. Near-zero visibility caused by the rain of ash has hampered the exodus of residents and tourists from many parts of Batangas. Provincial Vice Gov. Mark Leviste said local officials made the decision to declare a state of calamity during a meeting of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. "No need to go through the usual government processes because we are in an emergency situation," he said. Under a state of calamity, the provincial government can now utilize P60 million in emergency funds to address the needs of people displaced by the catastrophe. TAAL SURVIVORS HAGGLE TO CHECK HOMES IN VOLCANO'S DANGER ZONE AGONCILLO, Batangas -- Those living within Taal's expanded danger zone on Tuesday sought to briefly return to their homes and survey damage from heavy ashfall, with the volcano still under watch for a possible "hazardous" eruption. The town's police chief, Capt. Danilo Manalo, said Agoncillo was off limits due to ash and frequent earthquakes. Some 39,000 people have been evacuated, he told ABS-CBN News. In neighboring San Nicolas town, Mayor Lester de Sagun pleaded with residents wanting to return to leave as soon as they check their belongings. "Mga kasama, pagkakuha ng mga gamit, Level 4 pa din, kailangan tayo'y magsilikas pa din," he said, referring to the volcano warning that remains in force. Taal spewed a giant ash column on Sunday, shutting markets and offices on Monday and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights. At one step below the highest alert level, state vulcanologists said a "hazardous" eruption was still possible. Batangas was placed under a state of calamity on Monday, which will enable the local government to tap emergency funds and freeze prices of basic goods as needed. President Rodrigo Duterte said late Monday that he would visit areas affected by the volcano on Tuesday. NO MAN'S LAND: ANIMALS, PLANTS IN TAAL ISLAND ALREADY DEAD AFTER ERUPTION - NDRRMC MANILA - Plants and wildlife in Taal island are already dead following the volcano's release of ash and lava, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Tuesday. As of early Tuesday, some 18,000 residents from the towns of Laurel, Balete, Talisay, San Nicolas, Agoncillo, Alitagtag, Mataas na Kahoy, Lemery and the cities of Tanauan and Lipa in Batangas have been evacuated, according to NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal. "The residents were the first ones to be evacuated, and the animals were next in line. But when rescuers were supposed to return, the escalation prevented them from doing so," he told ANC's Early Edition. "We were informed during aerial inspection that both flora and fauna in the volcano are dead already so there would be no reason for our rescuers to return." The figure will rise as some residents within the 14-kilometer danger zone continue to be evacuated, Timbal said. "We surmise that the reason for them insisting of going now because they are aware that alert level 4 means there's an imminent eruption," he said. Supply for residents in 76 evacuation centers are still sufficient but donations of food, drinkable water, and sleeping kits are welcome, he added. Donations may be coursed through the NDRRMC, the social welfare department, and local government units, Timbal said. FILIPINOS IN LIBYA TOLD: EVACUATE DESPITE CEASEFIRE TALKS Filipinos in Libya still need to evacuate away from previous encounter sites in the capital even as the UN-recognized government and strongman Gen. Khalifa Haftar ironed out a ceasefire agreement, an envoy said Tuesday. First raised by Manila's foreign affairs department in May, the highest in a 4-step crisis alert system remained hoisted over Tripoli and nearby areas, which called for the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos there, said Ambassador Elmer Cato said. Only 12 Filipinos so far requested repatriation. Filipinos in Libya, who are mostly nurses, refuse to leave their jobs, Cato said. "Hindi nila maiwan iyong kanilang mga trabaho at naintindihan naman natin iyong sitwasyon nila," he told radio DZMM. "Ang understanding natin sa Filipino community dito is while handa ang Embahada na i-repatriate sila, kung hindi pa sila ready ay just make sure na umiwas sila sa kaguluhan," he added. During talks in Moscow on Monday, Haftar delayed signing a ceasefire agreement that would end 9 months of fighting with the UN-recognized government headed by Fayez al-Sarraj. Sarraj's Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli has been under attack since last April from forces loyal to Haftar, who is based in the east of the country along with his loyalist politicians. The 2 sides were expected to agree the terms of a ceasefire that took effect over the weekend, raising hopes of an end to the latest fighting to wrack the oil-rich North African country since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sarraj and the head of High Council of State in Tripoli, Khaled al-Mechri, have signed the document, but Haftar and his ally Aguila Saleh "have asked for a bit more time until morning" to study it. Turkey and Russia's foreign and defence ministers acted as mediators, but the rival delegations did not apparently meet face-to-face. DUTERTE ON MANILA BAY RECLAMATION: NOT IN MY TIME MANILA - President Duterte said yesterday he is not inclined to approve proposed Manila Bay reclamation projects as he emphasized the need to protect the environment and the public. "If it's an investment to infuse more money into the Philippine economy, it's OK. But reclaiming 10,000 hectares of the Manila Bay is mind-boggling. There might be some offices and residences," Duterte said in an interview over radio station dzMM. "I am not ready to grant it. Not in my time, as long as there is no guarantee that the environment will be protected and the health of the people safeguarded," he added. Duterte said an audit should be conducted to determine whether the reclamation area could absorb waste from the residences and offices that would occupy it. He noted that buildings should be connected to a water treatment facility. The proposed Manila Bay reclamation involves 25 projects covering 10,000 hectares from Navotas City to Cavite. Four projects have been given notices to proceed by the Philippine Reclamation Authority, including the Navotas coastal bay and the Horizon Manila 418-hectare reclamation. COFFEE FARMS WORST HIT BY TAAL ASHFALL MANILA - Ash from Taal Volcano has affected 752 hectares of agricultural land in Cuence, Lemery and Taal in Batangas, according to an initial assessment by the Department of Agriculture, with coffee farms being the most affected. Citing reports from its Calabarzon regional field office, the DA said damage to agriculture is at an estimated P74.55 million. Ninety-nine percent, around P73.96 million, of the estimated crop damage, is to coffee. According to a report in Agriculture Monthly in November, Batangas province produces 13% of the coffee supply in Calabarzon, although the region only accounts for 7% of the country's coffee production of about 35,000 metric tons a year. The bulk of Philippine coffee, 77%, is grown in Mindanao. The ashfall has also affected 102 animal head, the DA said. The ash is also expected to damage around 6,000 fish cages on the lake and will affect stocks of tawilis and tilapia. "[P]roduction loss is estimated at 15,033 metric tons since fishkill is expected in Taal Lake due to high sulfur content brought by the volcanic eruption, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources," the department also said. The DA assured the public, however, that there is enough rice for the needs of the affected areas, with more than 4 million bags allocated to relief agencies for distribution to evacuees. WANT TO HELP? DAMAYAN WELCOMES DONATIONS FOR TAAL RELIEF DRIVE MANILA - The Philippine STAR's social arm, Operation Damayan, is mobilizing a quick-response fund drive to reach out to communities around Taal Volcano that have been severely affected by Sunday's eruption. Close to 25,000 individuals from Batangas and Cavite have been evacuated from the immediate vicinity of the volcano. Donations in cash and in kind, preferably food, water, masks, medicine and other relief items such as clothing, towels, blankets, toiletries, sleeping mats and other basic essentials are most welcome. Taal Volcano remained under Alert Level 4 as of yesterday. The fund drive received a total seed donation of P500,000 yesterday with P300,000 from Philippine STAR, Pilipino Star Ngayon and Pilipino Star Printing; and P100,000 each from regular donors LV-TGFHA and MGB. Donations may be deposited to Philstar Daily Inc./Operation Damayan Metrobank Savings Account No. 151-7-15152422-9. Donations in kind may be delivered to The Philippine STAR headquarters at 202 Roberto Oca corner Railroad Sts., Port Area, Manila. Interested donors may also contact 8527-7902 to 15 local 194. ENDING BREAKUP RUMORS, NADINE POSTS VIDEO WITH JAMES IN BRAZIL Nadine Lustre and James Reid appear to have weathered the latest intrigue to rock their relationship, as they shared snaps of each other following reports that they have broken up. Over the weekend, Reid posted on Instagram Stories a clip of Lustre in Rio de Janeiro, where the two are reportedly shooting a fashion editorial for lifestyle magazine Mega. On Monday, Lustre similarly posted a selfie video of her beside Reid, where they can be seen pulling faces while using a crying filter. The couple's back-to-back updates featuring each other came a week after rumors that they had separated. Lustre eventually denied this, specifically addressing a column by Philippine Star editor Ricky Lo. The supposed "disrespectful" wording of her statement subsequently triggered an on-air tirade from radio host Jobert Sucaldito, whose suicide-related joke targeted at Lustre became a controversy of its own. ABS-CBN UNVEILS 2020 LINEUP OF TV SHOWS, MOVIES, IWANT RELEASES MANILA - ABS-CBN on Monday revealed its lineup of TV programs, movies, and streaming platform releases for the coming year, including the teleserye comeback of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, and a big-screen romance starring Coco Martin and Angelica Panganiban. Over a dozen new titles were introduced in the trailer dubbed "Sama-Sama Tayo sa 2020," from drama series, Star Cinema films, to iWant originals. Among them are January releases: the teleserye "Make It With You" (January 13), the military drama "A Soldier's Heart" (January 20), the zombie flick "Block Z" (January 29), and iWant's "My Single Lady" (January 22). On television, Kapamilya viewers can look forward to "Love Thy Woman" (Kim Chiu, Xian Lim, Yam Concepcion), "Kahit Minsan Lang" (Bea Alonzo and Richard Gutierrez), "Ligaya" (Ivana Alawi), "Heart to Heart" (Maymay Entrata, Edward Barber), "The Voice Teens" (new season), "Everybody, Sing!" (Vice Ganda game show), and "Tanging Mahal" (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla). ABS-CBN's streaming platform iWant is also packing fresh original content, such as "Call Me Tita" (new season), "Batang Poz" (new season), "I Am U" (Julia Barretto and Tony Labrusca), "I" (Zanjoe Marudo and Lovi Poe), "The Tapes" (Sam Milby and Yassi Pressman), "Sunday Night Fever" (Nathalie Hart and Diether Ocampo), and "Quezon's Game" (online premiere). Offerings from ABS-CBN Films included in the trailer were "Fangirl" (Paulo Avelino), "U Turn" (Kim Chiu), "Love or Money" (Panganiban and Martin), "Motel Acacia" (JC Santos), "Kun Maupay Man It Panahon" (Daniel Padilla and Charo Santos), and "Servando Magdamag" (John Lloyd Cruz and Shaina Magdayao). Cross-platform collaborations were also enumerated, including "The Soulmate Project" (James Reid and Nancy McDonie), and "He's Into Her" (Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano). PBA: GINEBRA USES BIG 3RD QUARTER TO DOWN MERALCO For Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone, the game was defined as a tale of two halves. What was a close affair in the first 24 minutes became a rout for most of the second half as his team held off the Meralco Bolts, 92-84, in Game 3 of the PBA Governors' Cup Finals Sunday evening at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Ginebra outscored Meralco 35-16 in the third quarter to widen what had been a narrow 43-42 lead at the half. The win gives Ginebra a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. "[The Bolts] were tough to handle. For the most part, we were able to get our game going tonight. That's the way we play. We got some stops and got on the open court. Stanley [Pringle] had a bunch of spectacular plays," Cone said after the game. However, Allen Durham surged for 12 points in the fourth to trim a 23-point deficit to just five, 87-82, with 2:04 left in the game, as he finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and six turnovers. Ginebra counterpart Justin Brownlee had an all-around statline of 24 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, including some big assists down the stretch, which led to an LA Tenorio triple, and a Japeth Aguilar layup to clinch the game. Aguilar also put up 23 points and seven blocked shots. "It's a great team win. Everybody was really focused. We were shaky in the beginning ... We had a defensive mindset throughout the whole game. That's what we pride ourselves on," said Brownlee. Pringle was also instrumental in the critical third quarter, posting 17 points in the period. Meralco guard Chris Newsome had a contrasting performance of 24 points and six rebounds, wherein he scored 20 in the first half. The Bolts were dealt a huge loss as big man Raymond Almazan suffered a left knee strain at the 5:55 mark of the first quarter. He was carried to the dugout and did not return. Almazan was immediately brought to a hospital for further evaluation. Game 4 will be played this Wednesday, 7 p.m., at the same venue. THE SCORES Ginebra (92) -- Brownlee 24, Aguilar 23, Pringle 21, Tenorio 11, Slaughter 6, Thompson 5, Devance 2, Mariano 0, Dillinger 0. Meralco (84) -- Newsome 24, Durham 23, Faundo 10, Jackson 8, Amer 6, Pinto 3, Quinto 2, Hodge 2, Almazan 2, Caram 2, Maliksi 2, Hugnatan 0. Quarter Scores: 24-21, 43-42, 78-58, 92-84 SCHEDULE Game 4 - Jan. 15 7:00 PM (Araneta) Game 5 - Jan. 17 7:00 PM (MOA Arena) Game 6 - Jan. 19 6:30 PM (Phil. Arena) Game 7 - Jan. 22 7:00 PM (Phil. Arena) NBA SCORES JAN 12 FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Heat 27-12    31    29    34    27    121 team logo Knicks 11-29    27    28    29    40    124 SCORING LEADERSJ. Butler MIA 25 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST J. Randle NY 26 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Jazz 27-12    23    32    38    34    127 team logo Wizards 13-26    34    32    25    25    116 SCORING LEADERS     B. Bogdanovic UTA 31 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST     B. Beal WAS 25 PTS, 1 REB, 4 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Warriors 9-32    26    33    17    26    102 team logo Grizzlies 18-22    27    33    35    27    122 SCORING LEADERS     D. Russell GS 34 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST     J. Valanciunas MEM 31 PTS, 19 REB, 1 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Spurs 17-21    21    22    26    36    105 team logo Raptors 25-14    28    23    31    22    104 SCORING LEADERS     D. DeRozan SA 25 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST     S. Ibaka TOR 21 PTS, 14 REB, 1 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Hawks 8-32    16    30    20    20    86 team logo Nets 18-20    37    33    22    16    108 SCORING LEADERSC. Reddish ATL 20 PTS, 0 REB, 2 AST K. Irving BKN 21 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Hornets 15-27    24    21    26    21    92 team logo Suns 16-23    18    28    25    29    100 SCORING LEADERS     D. Bacon CHA 24 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST     K. Oubre Jr. PHO 25 PTS, 15 REB, 1 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Clippers 27-13    30    22    22    30    104 team logo Nuggets 27-12    29    37    23    25    114 SCORING LEADERSK. Leonard LAC 30 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST N. Jokic DEN 20 PTS, 15 REB, 6 AST