SPEAKER BACKS CALAMITY STATE

Disaster officials on Sunday formally recommended that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. place the entire country under a state of calamity for a year, after Tropical Storm “Paeng” left 48 people dead and a wide swath of destruction across almost all regions.

Paeng is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility Monday morning or afternoon.

A state of calamity would enable the government to tap additional funds for disaster relief and freeze prices of basic commodities.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday said he supported the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) recommendation.

“The NDRRMC respectfully recommends the following: declare a national state of calamity due to the effects, damage, and projected impacts by severe tropical storm Paeng for a period of one year, unless earlier lifted; and to accept offers of international assistance based on needs,” said NDRRMC Executive Director Raymundo Ferrer in his recommendation to Mr. Marcos.

As of press time, Malacanang still had no word on whether the President would approve the disaster agency’s proposal. On Saturday, Mr. Marcos said he will wait for the NDRRMC resolution even as he acknowledged the number of regions affected already merits a state of calamity declaration.

“Considering that many regions are affected, that justifies the state of calamity,” the President said in a meeting with agency officials.

Meanwhile, Romualdez said: “Reports reaching my office indicate that almost all regions in the country were affected by the onslaught of severe tropical storm Paeng, which destroyed bridges, roads, and key infrastructure and wrought havoc on life and property.”

He said he has asked members of the House of Representatives to help executive department agencies assess the damage caused by the storm and help in relief operations in their respective districts.

MARCOS HOPES FOR 'MEANINGFUL' UNDAS POST-PANDEMIC

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed hope that in remembering the saints and departed loved ones, Filipinos will be able to cope better and heal amid anguish and distress—especially after another storm tore through the country, leaving scores dead and thousands more needing aid.

In his message for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day or “Undas” in Filipino, Mr. Marcos said the COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to “come to terms with mortality.”

“It taught us to number our days as we realize the uncertainty of our time on Earth. It made us contemplate what it truly means to live a meaningful life and to die free of regrets and at peace with oneself,” he said on Sunday.

The President enjoined Filipinos to find lessons that will result in healing.

“As we gain momentum toward complete recovery, I pray that our efforts to remember the saints and our late loved ones will bring healing to our hearts. May it likewise reinforce the foundations of our faith and compel us to live with genuine love and compassion in all our days,” he said.

The country annually observes All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day every November 1 and 2, respectively. October 31 and November 1 are non-working holidays this year.

Meanwhile, the city government of Manila said it expects the number of visitors to double on All Saints’ Day after it halted entry to the Manila North and South cemeteries on Saturday due to severe tropical storm “Paeng.”

MANILA SOUTH CEMETERY REOPENS TO PUBLIC FOR UNDAS

The Manila South Cemetery reopened to the public on Monday, October 31, two days after being closed due to severe tropical storm Paeng.

Manila South Cemetery director Jonathan Garzon said he is expecting a large number of people to arrive to visit their dead loved ones after the 2-day closure.

To avoid congestion, the sections of P. Ocampo and of South Avenue leading to Manila South Cemetery are closed to vehicular traffic.

Visitors are checked by Manila police upon entry, and there are separate lanes for men, women, the disabled, the elderly and children.

The Makati Help Desk, PNP Assistance Centre and Makati DRRMO are in place to provide assistance and emergency response.

Deadly weapons, flammable and sharp objects are prohibited in the cemetery.

PAENG DEATH TOLL RISES TO 98: NDRRMC

MANILA -- The death toll from the onslaught of Tropical Storm Paeng has risen to 98, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Monday.

Of these, 58 have been confirmed while 40 remain for validation.

Meanwhile, 69 persons were injured while 63 people remain missing.

The NDRRMC said 195 roads and 72 bridges remain impassable after Paeng's onslaught.

The agency also said 1,812,740 Filipinos--or 575,728 families, were affected by the severe tropical storm. More than 80,000 of these families moved to 27,109 evacuation centers across the country.

Power has also been restored in 94 areas across the 11 affected regions in the Philippines.

Up to 4,188 were also affected by the typhoon. Of these, 689 were destroyed while 3,499 sustained damage.

The cost of damage to infrastructure is so far pegged at P757,841,175. Damage to agriculture, meanwhile, is at P435,464,774.16, with 24,813 farners and fishermen affected by the storm.

The NDRRMC said 16,260.67 hectares of crop area were affected by Paeng, Of these, 3,678.06 have no chance of recovery.

As of 5 a.m. Monday, tropical cyclone wind signal no. 1 was still hoisted over parts of northern and central Luzon due to Paeng. State weather bureau PAGASA said Paeng may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Monday afternoon or evening.

NOT IN JAPAN: MARCOS HOME IN ILOCOS NORTE

Malacañang yesterday belied speculations that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spent the weekend in Japan after he presided virtually over a full council meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Saturday to discuss relief operations in the wake of severe tropical storm “Paeng.”

“He is not in Japan,” Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Cheloy Garafil said on Sunday after the hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo trended on Twitter.

Also on Sunday, Mr. Marcos was seen having lunch at the Dawang’s Eatery in Laoag City in his home province of Ilocos Norte.

Wearing a baseball cap, a black T-shirt and shorts, the President was joined by his son, Vincent, and Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Manotoc.

“Someone stopped by for a quick lunch. Thank you, President Bongbong Marcos, Sir Vincent Marcos, and Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc for dropping by,” the restaurant said as it posted a photo of the Chief Executive having lunch on its Facebook page.

PALACE RE-APPOINTS ROMANDO ARTES AS MMDA CHAIRMAN

MANILA, — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reappointed Romando Artes as the acting chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, replacing its earlier appointee who took over the office just a few months ago.

Artes is set to replace Carlo Dimayuga III, who only served the MMDA for three months after he was appointed acting chairman in August. Acting Press Secretary Cheloy Garafil confirmed this to reporters over the weekend, but the Palace did not provide an explanation why Dimayuga was replaced.

In a statement Monday morning, Artes thanked Marcos for the second term as he vowed "to continue reforms my predecessors and I have started, as well as introduce new programs and projects to further improve metro-wide services for the benefit of all Metro Manila residents and the general public."

"The MMDA is close to my heart...I return to the agency with renewed zest and determination," he said.

Artes earlier served the MMDA as its assistant general manager for Finance and Administration, general manager, and eventually chairman in the past five years, during the term of then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

BSP SEES INFLATION'S PEAK IN OCTOBER, LIKELY OFFERING A REPRIEVE

MANILA, — Red-hot inflation likely hit is boiling point in October and would start cooling down from there, as price pressures from weather disturbances and transport fare hikes are expected to ease in the coming months, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Monday.

Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, is forecast to settle between 7.1-7.9% this month, the BSP said in a statement.

If realized, the October print would be faster compared to September, when inflation sizzled to a 4-year high of 6.9%. Meanwhile, inflation would approach close to 2009 levels, or the time when the domestic economy was recovering from the impact of the Global financial Crisis, if the upper-limit of the BSP’s projection is realized.

This would also push inflation further away from the government’s 2-4% annual target.

Explaining its October forecast, the BSP cited three pressure points: transport fare hikes, local pump prices and higher agricultural commodity prices.

But the BSP said inflation might have already hit its peak in October and would start easing in the next months. “More importantly, inflation is projected to gradually decelerate in the succeeding months as the cost-push shocks to inflation due to weather disturbances and transport fare adjustments dissipate,” the central bank explained.

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PHILIPPINES REPORTS 1,370 NEW COVID-19 CASES, 38 NEW DEATHS

MANILA — The Department of Health reported 1,370 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the country's total to 4,003,459 since the pandemic struck.

This is the tenth straight day that daily cases were below 2,000, ABS-CBN News Data Analytics Head Edson Guido said.

The DOH also recorded 38 deaths, raising the total to 64,033.

Active cases stood at 20,824, while the total number of those who recovered from the illness has reached 3,918,602.

Of the newly reported infections, 329 were from Metro Manila.

The positivity rate for the week of Oct. 23 to 29 is at 12.3 percent, lower than the 13.6 percent recorded the previous week, Guido also said.

From Oct. 17 to 23, the Philippines recorded an average of 1,714 daily infections, which is 22 percent lower compared to the previous week.

That is the lowest number of weekly cases in 15 weeks, or since July 4 to 10 when the DOH logged 10,133 infections, the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group said.

That was also the ninth straight week with weekly cases below 20,000.

MASSIVE FLOODS IN NOVELETA 'WORST SINCE ONDOY': MAYOR

MANILA - Saturday night's flood in Noveleta, Cavite, which caused residents to seek higher ground, was the worst ever in the municipality since the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy in 2009, the mayor said Monday.

"In the span of 10 years ito po ang pinaka-worst na nangyari, sa loob ng 10 taon hindi kami nakaranas ng ganitong klaseng pagbaha, huli po nung Ondoy," Noveleta Mayor Dino Reyes Chua said on Monday.

The local government unit was on the alert for tropical storm Paeng's onslaught over the weekend but had focused on evacuating residents from coastal barangays based on information from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The mayor said collapsed river walls and rainfall from upland areas of Cavite such as Tagaytay, Magallanes, and Silang end up in the Noveleta catch basin.

Ylang-ylang River cuts through 12 barangays in Noveleta, all of which are protected by river walls.

But the powerful rush of water from Paeng's large amounts of rain combined with debris from uplands tore through and collapsed river walls in 4 barangays, submerging 10 of Noveleta's 16 barangays as the water made its way downstream to the sea.

"Kasama ang troso, mga naputol na puno, basura galing upland, yun ang tumama sa mga kabahayan kaya nasira ang mag pader, gate. Maraming natamaang mga sasakyan at tinangay na sasakyan, pati tulay nasira," Chua said.

"Kami po ay medyo nahihirapan kasi hindi pa bumabalik- ang karamihan po sa mga barangay sa amin wala pang kuryente at tubig, at down ang internet," Chua said, sharing that he sought to use internet connection from a local clinic to do the interview with Teleradyo.

Local government budgets will not suffice to fund what Chua said are better quality river walls, quoting about 200 million pesos for each barangay's sheet pile river wall.

There are 3 fatalities recorded in Noveleta: 1 died from a heart attack as floodwaters rose and left residents to stay on roofs, Chua said.

President Ferdinad "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is expected to arrive at Noveleta on Monday to give out relief goods and assess damage in the area.

3 POWER PLANTS SHUT, 4 MILLION MERALCO CLIENTS WITHOUT POWER AMID STORM

The Department of Energy (DOE) said three power generation plants were shut down on Saturday due to severe tropical storm “Paeng,” as the country’s biggest power distributor said more than half of its 7.5 million customers went dark as the cyclone rumbled through the country.

In a statement, the DOE said the plants included three units of Bacman geothermal power plant, Quezon Power Philippines Ltd.’s (QPPL) coal-fired power plant, and two units of TeaM Energy Therma Luzon’s Pagbilao coal-fired power plant.

Bacman Units 1 and 2 are operational again while Unit 3 was put on house load, or when a small part of the rated capacity is generated to power only the auxiliary loads of the plant, the DOE said on Sunday.

QPPL’s power plant was likewise disconnected from the grid on Saturday afternoon due to the malfunction of its feedwater control valve during the onslaught of the storm.

The 382-megawatt (MW) Unit 1 of Pagbilao coal-fired power plant, on the other hand, was synchronized to the grid before Sunday noon.

The 420-MW Unit 2, on the other hand, is estimated to return to service on Monday.

The Department of Energy also reported that 16 69 kilovolt (kV) lines were energized as of 9 a.m. Sunday.

“[A]s of 10 a.m. on 30 October 2022, out of 96 ECs (electric cooperatives), 38 ECs are in normal operation, 32 are in partial power interruption, 10 total power interruption, and 16 ECs without submission,” the DOE advisory read.

About 68 percent or 804 out of 1,174 municipalities that were affected by Paeng have been fully energized.

The Manila Electric Co., for its part, said Sunday that around 4,041,097 customers, or more than half of its 7.5 million customers across its franchise area, were affected by Paeng.

Meralco said this is the highest number of affected customers from any weather disturbance encountered this year.

ILOCOS NORTE EYED AS ‘TOURISM REST AREA’

BAGUIO CITY, — The province of Ilocos Norte is being considered to host one of 10 pilot “tourism rest areas” in the country, according to Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco.

The project is part of the government’s tourism development strategy, Frasco said, noting that clean restrooms with lounges are among the most basic aspects of travel.

These rest areas will be constructed on Saud Beach Park in Barangay Saud, Pagudpud, she said.

In April 2021, international magazine Travel+Leisure named Saud Beach as one of the 25 most beautiful beaches in the world.

NEW TROPICAL DEPRESSION ENTERS PAR AS PAENG SET TO MAKE EXIT

MANILA -- A new tropical depression has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) even as tropical storm Paeng starts to exit, state weather bureau PAGASA said Monday.

At 5 a.m., the tropical depression near Palau entered the PAR and was named Queenie. PAGASA said they will issue bulletins about Queenie starting 11 a.m.

Paeng, meanwhile, was last seen 320 km west northwest of Iba, Zambales or 340 km west of Dagupan City, Pangasinan. It has maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph.

It is moving west northwestward, toward the PAR's northwestern limit, at 10 kph, according to PAGASA.

Moderate to heavy rains remains possible over Batanes, Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, and the Calamian and Cuyo Islands, according to the state weather bureau.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains may likewise still pour over Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Western Visayas, Babuyan Islands, the rest of Central Luzon and MIMAROPA.

ABS-CBN resident meteorologist Ariel Rojas said Paeng may exit PAR Monday afternoon or evening.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

'WALANG KATOTOHANAN': KARLA ESTRADA DENIES DANIEL PADILLA, KATHRYN BERNARDO BREAKUP RUMORS

MANILA, — Actress Karla Estrada denied rumors that her son Daniel Padilla and his girlfriend Kathryn Bernardo are now separated.

In her Instagram account, a fan of the love team known as KathNiel commented on Karla's post seeking clarification after TikTok videos of the two looking cold towards each other circulated online.

“Tita karla please enlightened us na hindi totoo na break ang kathniel or my prob sila po... my naglalabasan po kasing mga comments sa tiktok dahil lamg sa pagsabi ni dj na si summer ang definition ng pinaka loyal niya,” a fan wrote.

Karla was quick to answer the fan's question by replying, "“WALANG KATOTOHANAN!!!”

ABS-CBN entertainment reporter MJ Felipe recently posted photos of him with Daniel and Kathryn in Palawan, also putting an end to the separation rumors.

"This should shut down all the rumors. In El Nido with Kathryn and DJ. #KathNiel," MJ wrote in the caption.

Kathryn was in Palawan to open her newest business, Isla Amara, a boutique resort in El Nido, Palawan. The actress opened the resort with her business partners, including actor Piolo Pascual.

SPORTS

TNT CLAIMS BACK-TO-BACK CONFERENCE TITLES

MANILA, — The top seeds, the team with the most leg wins, are fittingly the kings of the PBA 3x3 Season 2 First Conference.

Banking on the clutch plays of Gryann Mendoza and Almond Vosotros, No. 1 TNT beat tough Platinum Karaoke, 20-17, in the battle for top honors last night at Robinsons Place Novaliches.

Mendoza knocked down the go-ahead layup while Vosotros canned the insurance freebies as the Tropang Giga fended off the cramping but hard-fighting challengers coming out of a 17-17 tie.

The conference title was the cherry on top for the rampaging TNT 3x3 specialists, who had won three of the six legs in the tourney and scooped back-to-back conference titles counting their conquest of the Third Conference last season.

Vosotros fired eight while Mendoza shot seven even as Lervin Flores had three markers plus eight rebounds and Ping Exciminiano contributed one as TNT clinched its latest feat and the P750,000 purse.

“Can’t even describe it (pride for players). Sa practice pa lang, everyday, we take it seriously and we make sure we stay focused kung gusto naming maulit yung nagawa namin last conference,” said TNT coach Mau Belen.

TNT had control most of the way after going on a 5-0 start but Platinum kept fighting back and managed to draw level with 48.6 seconds to go.

But the Tropang Giga’s championship experience and poise spelled the difference in the end.

Platinum’s Nico Salva, TH Tumalip, Brandon Bates and Yutien Andrada netted P250,000 for the runner-up finish.

Cavitex, meanwhile, took third place worth P100,000 after defeating Meralco, 16-11.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Dharma lives in the heart of public men; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no amendment, can save it. - Nani A Palkhivala