Manila Times

1. Manila suspends afternoon F2F classes

   MANILA, Philippines — The Manila City local government suspended face-to-face (F2F) afternoon classes in public schools on Friday due to the scorching heat.

   In an advisory, the Manila Public Information Office (MPIO) said there would be no classes in the afternoon, from preschool to high school, including senior high school.

   "To ensure that students will have a safe and balanced education amidst the persistent rise in temperature, face-to-face afternoon classes are suspended, from preschool to high school (including senior high school), in public schools in the city of Manila, tomorrow, March 7, 2025, Friday," it said.

   However, it is leaving to private schools the decision to suspend face-to-face classes.

   "Private schools and higher educational institutions may suspend afternoon face-to-face classes at their own discretion," it said.

   "They must ensure the safety of their students, including going to and from the institution of learning."

   The heat index for Friday, particularly in the morning from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., will range from 29°C to 35°C.

   It is expected to rise by noon, reaching 43°C at 2 p.m.

2. Parts of PH will be cloudy with scattered rains due to 3 weather systems

   Parts of the Philippines will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to three weather systems – shear line, northeast monsoon (amihan), and the easterlies – state weather bureau Pagasa said early Friday morning.

   In its 4 a.m. weather bulletin, Pagasa said the shear line will affect the eastern section of Northern Luzon, the amihan will prevail over extreme Northern Luzon, and the easterlies will affect the rest of the country.

   Mainland Cagayan, Apayao, Kalinga, Isabela, and Aurora will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and isolated thunderstorms due to the shear line with possible flash floods or landslides occurring in areas experiencing moderate to at times heavy rains.

   Caraga, Southern Leyte, and Davao Oriental will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the easterlies. Flash floods or landslides are possible in areas experiencing moderate to at times heavy rains.

   Batanes and Babuyan Islands will have cloudy skies with rains due to the northeast monsoon with the possibility of flash floods or landslides due to moderate to at times heavy rains.

   Also, Ilocos Norte will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains due to the northeast monsoon, but will have no significant impact.

   Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the easterlies with flash floods or landslides possibly occurring during severe thunderstorms.

   For Northern Luzon, wind speed is strong, moving northeastward and causing rough coastal waters. Central Luzon will experience moderate to strong wind speed moving northeastward with moderate to rough coastal waters.

   The rest of the country will have light to moderate wind speed moving in the east to northeast direction while coastal waters will be slight to moderate.

3. PH, allies to oppose Chinese restrictions

   THE Philippines and its security allies will take measures to counter any attempt by China to impose an air defense zone or restrict freedom of flights over the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Wednesday, following confrontations between Chinese aircraft and those of his country, Australia and the United States.

   Teodoro told The Associated Press (AP) in an interview that China's increasing aggression in the disputed waters was now considered the greatest threat to the national security of the Philippines and should also be regarded as a global threat because it could choke a key trade route crucial for global supply chains.

   "The greatest external threat actually is Chinese aggression, Chinese expansionism and the attempt by China to change the international law through the use of force or acquiescence...or its attempt to reshape the world order to one that it controls," Teodoro said.

   There was no immediate reaction by Chinese officials.

   Confrontations over the strategic waterway, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety, have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy forces in the last two years. The long-seething territorial standoffs over the hotly disputed shoals also involve Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

   Recent brushes involving Chinese military aircraft firing warning flares or flying dangerously close to drive away US, Australian and Philippine patrol aircraft have set off fresh alarms.

   Teodoro said defense officials have discussed the possibility of China imposing a so-called Air Defense Identification Zone or any exclusion zone to restrict foreign aircraft movement in what Beijing regards as its airspace over the South China Sea.

   "That is a very serious transgression of international law, which will demand our response," said Teodoro, a US-educated lawyer and a licensed commercial pilot in the Philippines.

   "The Philippines will take a combination of measures singularly and with like-minded nations to counteract" any such action by China, he said. "We have formulated contingency measures to respond or to have proper courses of action." He did not elaborate.

   Last month, a Chinese navy helicopter flew within 10 feet of a Philippine patrol turboprop plane it warned had encroached in what Beijing calls its airspace over the disputed Scarborough Shoal, prompting the Filipino pilot to warn by radio: "You are flying too close, you are very dangerous."

   An AP journalist and other invited foreign media on the plane witnessed the tense 30-minute standoff as the Philippine plane pressed on with its low-altitude patrol around Scarborough with the Chinese navy helicopter hovering close above it or flying to its left in cloudy weather.

   The Chinese military, referring to Scarborough Shoal by its Chinese name, said at the time that the plane had "illegally entered the airspace of China's Huangyan Island without the Chinese government's permission."

   Australia separately protested last month after accusing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet of firing flares that passed within 30 meters of an Australian P-8 Poseidon surveillance jet in daylight and in international airspace over the disputed waters.

   China's foreign ministry responded by accusing the Australian military aircraft of "deliberately" intruding into what it called Chinese airspace over the disputed Paracel Islands.

   The US military has also reported encountering such dangerous maneuvers by Chinese air force aircraft in the past over the disputed waters, where it has deployed fighter jets and navy ships to promote freedom of navigation and overflight.

   In 2013, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced that it has set an Air Defense Identification Zone over the East China Sea that covers the airspace above a chain of islands disputed by China and Japan.

   Beijing then issued a set of rules for the zone, saying all aircraft must notify Chinese authorities and are subject to emergency military measures if they do not identify themselves or obey orders from Beijing.

   Japan's defense ministry called on the international community to reject and protest China's action. Japan, along with the United States, Australia, South Korea and other countries, ignored China's declared air defense zone and rules.

   Teodoro said blocs of security alliances among Asian and Western countries, including the Philippines, the US, Japan and Australia, have emerged and could possibly band together in a broader coalition in the future due to their alarm over China's aggression.

   China has accused the US along with its treaty allies of "ganging up" against Beijing and threatening regional security and harmony.

   But Teodoro said "it is China's own behavior that is the best motive factor for like-minded countries to band together because what it is doing is entirely unacceptable to a majority of the countries in the Indo-Pacific."

4. PhilHealth seeks to lower out-of-pocket expenses

   THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenses of its members as part of its mission for the next 30 months, the agency's chief, Edwin Mercado, said Thursday.

   To achieve this, PhilHealth aims to expand the support value it covers, including outpatient drugs.

   "Hopefully, there will always be a stock of medicines and laboratory reagents because that is also an out-of-pocket component. The public hospital will say that you will not pay, but if there is no medicine, the patient will also come out to buy the medicine out of their own pocket. So hopefully, if we pay the benefit claims of our public hospitals quickly, they will also have additional resources to continue that," Mercado said.

   This is a part of PhilHealth's plan to retain and support its members by expanding their benefits despite budget constraints.

   To save on funds, Mercado said PhilHealth has scaled down its events, such as its anniversary celebration, which this year will be limited to Mass and simultaneous flag ceremonies, said Israel Vargas, senior vice president of the health finance policy sector.

   One of their new projects is Emergency Care, which will reimburse members for an x-ray, ultrasound, MRI or a CT scan every time they go to the emergency room, Mercado said.

   Benefit coverage has also been expanded to maternal care and open-heart surgeries, among others.

   PhilHealth also plans to digitalize its operations to strengthen its institutional capacity, Mercado said. Toward this goal, the agency has already formed a technical advisory group.

   Mercado, who was appointed in February, said he has been able to issue new z-benefits packages (illnesses deemed medically and economically catastrophic) for heart surgery and heart valve repair. He has also been able to expand ER coverage and recruit new officers for key roles, with the aim to build an organization that is quick, fair and trustworthy.

   PhilHealth, he said, encourages people to look into the other benefit packages to aid their needs and fully lower their out-of-pocket costs, particularly on high-cost or high-burden diseases.

   PhilHealth, he said, is also addressing the P8.8 billion worth of denied claims due to late hospital filing.

   "With the approval of the board, the claims that we denied, that our corporation denied because of the 60-day late filing period, will be paid. This will cover all our accredited facilities, public and private, that have claims," Vargas said.

   Based on this new policy, PhilHealth is giving all concerned health facilities a six-month period to submit their previously denied claims within the period of Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2024.

   "We will process them again to ensure that hospitals that have provided essential services to our citizens are properly compensated," Mercado said.

5. Design flaw blamed for bridge collapse

   (UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. slammed a "design flaw" which caused the recent collapse of the P1.2-billion Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in Isabela.

   Inaugurated on Feb. 1, the bridge collapsed on Feb. 27 after a dump truck passed over it. Six people were injured.

   "It is a design flaw, the design was wrong," Marcos said in a chance interview following his inspection of the structure on Thursday.

   "The design is really weak because this was supposed to be a suspension bridge. This is the only suspension bridge I've seen in any part of the world not being held up by a cable. If that was a cable, it wouldn't have caved in," he added in Filipino.

   The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) earlier said the bridge was meant to hold up to 44 tons of weight and had been "overstressed" by the passage of heavy-load trucks prior to its collapse.

   Construction of the 990-meter bridge started in November 2014, and it was completed more than 10 years later.

   Marcos lamented how funding changes for its construction led to the use of substandard materials, which ultimately compromised the bridge's structural integrity.

   "The funding was supposed to be — the project cost was originally P1.8 billion. So, it was reduced to under P1 billion to save money. The detailed design was done, [but] the design is really weak," the Chief Executive said.

   Part of the contract which amounted to P600 million ended in 2018, but the bridge remained inaccessible due to design adjustments.

   In 2022, the bridge was retrofitted to comply with the updated design code of the DPWH.

   The retrofitting cost the government another P300 million and wrapped up last year.

   "Why did they do a refit? They should have already seen during the construction that it's weak," the President said.

   "We have no choice. We have to go back. The money we saved from the P1.8 billion is now useless. Now we have to go back. We will again spend big. We will replace the support. It's like we're building a new bridge," he added.

   Marcos said they will first "fix the problem" before holding those responsible for the oversight accountable.

   "Believe me, we will find out who is responsible," he said.

   At the House of Representatives, Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teachers party-list, House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel called for a congressional inquiry on the collapsed bridge to identify the responsible parties and determine if corruption or negligence played a role in the incident.

   "Allegations of corruption, inadequate inspections, substandard materials and possible collusion between contractors and government officials have surfaced, as the DPWH has long been perceived as an agency plagued with corruption, as evidenced by multiple cases of infrastructure failures across the country," the lawmakers said in their resolution.

6. DICT secretary resigns

   (UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has accepted the resignation of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy, Malacañang said on Thursday.

   "DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) Secretary Ivan john Uy's resignation was accepted by the President today. An OIC will fill the position until the president appoints a secretary," Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a text message to reporters.

   She did not say who will be temporarily leading the agency.

   News of Uy's purported resignation made the rounds last Wednesday evening.

   Sources said he was under pressure over his frequent trips abroad which reportedly affected his department's performance.

   Uy's frequent absences left major decision-making in the hands of subordinates, further slowing down the implementation of government digital initiatives, the sources added.

   Marcos has repeatedly voiced out his desire for the government to fully embrace digitalization and for internet connectivity in the Philippines to be at par with its Asian neighbors.

   Uy is the third member of the Cabinet to step down in the first quarter of 2025 after former transportation chief Jaime Bautista and communications secretary Cesar Chavez.

7. La Niña expected to be short-lived

   GENEVA, Switzerland — The cooling weather phenomenon La Niña that emerged late last year is weak and likely to be brief, the United Nations said Thursday, dashing hopes it could help rein in soaring global temperatures.

   "The weak La Niña event that emerged in December 2024 is likely to be short-lived," the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in its latest update.

   There is currently a 60-percent probability that conditions will shift back to neutral between this month and May, it said, adding that chances increased to 70 percent between April and June.

   The WMO had last year voiced hope the return of La Niña would help lower temperatures slightly after months of global heat records fueled in part by La Niña's opposite number, the warming El Niño weather pattern, which gripped the planet for a year from June 2023.

   But the phenomenon appeared unlikely to significantly impact temperatures after 2024 ticked in as the hottest year ever recorded.

   Despite the presence of weak La Niña conditions, WMO pointed out Thursday that "January 2025 was the warmest January on record."

   And it said its latest global seasonal climate update, which looks beyond just the impact of the El Niño and La Niña phenomena, noted that "above-normal sea surface temperatures [were] expected to persist across all major oceans — except for the near-equatorial eastern Pacific."

   It also forecast "above-average temperatures over nearly all land areas worldwide."

   La Niña refers to a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that cools the ocean surface temperatures in large swathes of the tropical Pacific Ocean, coupled with winds, rains and changes in atmospheric pressure.

   In many locations, especially in the tropics, La Niña produces the opposite climate impacts to El Niño, which heats up the surface of the oceans, leading to drought in some parts of the world and triggering heavy downpours elsewhere.

   The agency said the probability of El Niño developing again between now and June was "negligible."

   While both are natural climate events, WMO stressed they were "taking place in the broader context of human-induced climate change, which is increasing global temperatures, exacerbating extreme weather and climate, and impacting seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns."

   WMO chief Celeste Saulo stressed in the update that seasonal forecasts for El Niño and La Niña, and the associated impacts on weather and climate patterns globally were "an important tool to inform early warnings and early action," and help support decision-making.

   "These forecasts translate into millions of dollars worth in economic savings for key sectors like agriculture, energy and transport, and save thousands of lives over the years by enabling disaster risk preparedness," she said.

8. Comelec names dominant majority, minority parties

   (UPDATE) THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has named Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) as the dominant majority party and the Nacionalista Party as the dominant minority party in May 12 polls.

   The Comelec also accredited nine other major political parties and 14 majority local parties, which was declared as the sole major local party of their region, province and city.

   The commission on Thursday released Resolution 11119, promulgated on March 5 in compliance with Section 34 of Republic Act (RA) 9369, which provides that the Comelec will name the dominant majority party, dominant minority party and six major political parties, each of which shall be entitled to one official watcher in every polling place and canvassing center.

   Under RA 9369, the Comelec will furnish the dominant majority and dominant minority parties, 10 accredited major national parties and two accredited major local parties with copies of the election returns and the certificates of canvass.

   Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that since only 11 political parties filed a petition for accreditation, from which the dominant majority and dominant parties were selected, only nine major political parties have been accredited.

   The major political parties are the Akbayan Citizens Action Party, Aksyon Demokratiko, Liberal Party of the Philippines, Nationalist People's Coalition, National Unity Party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, Partido Demokratikong Reporma, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas and United Nationalist Alliance.

   Of the 15 parties that sought accreditation as major local parties, only 14 have been found by Comelec to have complied with the criteria set by law.

   The 14 major local parties are the Arangkada San Joseno Inc. (Arangkada) for San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan; Asenso Manileno Movement (Asenso Manileno) for Manila; Bileg Party (Bileg) for the province of Ilocos Sur; Filipino Rights Protection Advocates of Manila Movement (Frontliners And Bida) for the National Capital Region; Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (MTL) for Davao City; Kusog Bikolandia (KB) for Region 5 (Bicol Region); Malayang Kilusan ng mga Mamamayang Zambaleno (Makimaza), Zambales province; Partido Balikatan ng Bataan (Balikatan), Bataan province; Partido Navoteno (Navoteno), Navotas City; Serbisyo sa Bayan Party (SBP), Quezon City; Solidarity for Transportation, Advancement Nationalism Toward a Dynamic, United and Progressive Quezon Province (Stand-Up or Stan Q), Quezon province; Together as One (TAO), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley); Unang Sigaw Partido Pagbabago (Unang Sigaw), Nueva Ecija; and Umpungan ng Mapagmalasaki Party (UMP), Maguindanao province.

   There are six criteria for accrediting political parties. They must be based on the established record of the parties, coalition or groups that now compose them, taking into account their showing in the past elections; the number of incumbent election officials belonging to them on the last day of the filing of certificate of candidacy; and their identifiable political organizations and strengths as evidence by their organized chapters.

   Also taken into account is the party's ability to field a slate of candidates from the municipal level to the senatorial positions, the number of women candidates fielded by political parties from the municipal level to the position of senator; and other analogous circumstances that may determine their relative organizations and strengths.

   Speaker Martin Romualdez, the Lakas-CMD president, said on Thursday the Comelec's recognition of the party as the dominant majority party is a "reaffirmation of the party's legacy of leadership and action."

   "This is a significant moment for us — not just as a political organization, but as a team that has consistently worked to move the country forward," Romualdez said.

   He highlighted the party's long-standing contributions to national development, citing its history of producing two presidents and shaping key policies that strengthened the economy, enhanced national security and built critical infrastructure.

   "Lakas-CMD has been here before. We have led, we have governed, and we have delivered. Our party has produced two Presidents and played a major role in shaping policies that strengthened the economy, improved national security and built critical infrastructure," Romualdez said.

   He said that the party's dominant status comes with the responsibility of advancing the Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) agenda for a more efficient government, inclusive economic growth and the restoration of public trust in institutions.

   Romualdez said the recognition of Lakas as the dominant majority party reinforces its role in upholding electoral integrity and democratic processes.

   "This also means ensuring that the 2025 elections are clean, credible and orderly. Dominant status comes with the duty to help safeguard the democratic process, making sure that the people's will is upheld and that governance remains focused on their needs," he said.

9. Elcac task force hits Comelec 'labeling' rule

   THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) has voiced strong opposition to the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) resolution penalizing "labeling" in election campaigns, saying it undermines the government's efforts to expose infiltration by communist rebels.

   James Clifford Santos, spokesman for NTF-Elcac's Legal Cooperation Cluster, raised concerns over Comelec Resolution 111116, which establishes guidelines against discrimination and unfair campaigning.

   Specifically, Santos criticized a provision penalizing individuals who categorize or associate candidates or groups with communist, subversive or terrorist organizations without evidence.

   "The resolution reinforces the narrative that 'red-tagging' exists when, in reality, it is not recognized under our laws," Santos said in a media briefing on Thursday. "The government only identifies individuals or groups as linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) based on evidence to protect citizens from recruitment and deception."

   Santos said penalizing "labeling" through a Comelec resolution contradicts legal principles, since there is no law enacted by Congress against red-tagging.

   He warned that the resolution could infringe on the constitutional right to free speech.

   "When a person speaks the truth and identifies an individual as part of the CPP-NPA-NDF based on evidence, that is an exercise of free speech," Santos said.

   He further argued that the Comelec resolution could unduly restrict public discourse during elections.

   Santos said the resolution hampers the government's counterinsurgency efforts by reinforcing what he called the "propaganda" of communist-affiliated groups.

   He expressed fears that it could impede state authorities from unmasking alleged subversive activities and protecting vulnerable sectors, particularly the youth.

   During the same briefing, former rebel Arian Jane Ramos, known as "Ka Marikit" in the underground movement, also expressed alarm over the Comelec resolution.

   Ramos, a former chairman of Gabriela Youth at the University of the Philippines in Mindanao and former secretary of Guerrilla Front 55 under the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, delivered a letter to the Comelec last week urging the commission to reconsider Section 2J of the resolution.

   "For us, being legitimate former rebels, it was alarming because how do we speak our truth?" Ramos said. "How many years have we struggled to counter the CPP-NPA-NDF? All of our victories are due to the defeat of these groups in different regions of the country, and that has been based on truth and facts."

   She said the communist insurgency does not only operate in rural areas but also infiltrates legal organizations, Congress and even the Senate as part of their recovery efforts.

   Ramos believes the resolution could hinder the government's vigilance in countering such movements.

   "We are here to help. We are not enemies of the government anymore," she added, emphasizing that their action to approach the Comelec was an attempt to clarify and correct potential issues within the resolution.

   While commending the resolution for protecting marginalized groups such as Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals and people living with HIV, Ramos maintained that Section 2J could have unintended consequences.

   "For example, if I say that a certain person is a criminal, will that now be considered an election offense?" she said.

   The Comelec has not responded to the objections raised by NTF-Elcac and former rebels to its resolution.

10. Bodies of 2 PAF pilots recovered

    THE bodies of the two pilots of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) FA-50 fighter jet which crashed in Mount Kalatungan, Bukidnon, on Tuesday were recovered by a team of Army Scout Rangers Thursday.

    Lt. Col. Francisco Garello, spokesman for the Army's 4th Infantry Division, said the bodies were brought to a pickup point in Barangay Pangantucan and transported to Lumbia town in Cagayan de Oro City.

    "The retrievers walked 5 to 6 hours and braved the muddy trails and thickly forested area toward the pickup point," Garello said.

    An online post from the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) Civil Relation Service identified the pilots as Maj. Jude Salang-oy and 1Lt. April John Dadulla.

    Garello could not give a full description of the bodies other than the fact that they were burned.

    The recovery team said the aircraft was a total wreck.

    Unconfirmed reports said the fuselage of the FA-50 was intact but its wings had been sheared off, apparently after it hit some trees.

    The pilots' bodies were brought to a funeral parlor in Cagayan de Oro City.

    A PAF spokesman said the remains will arrive at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City either Friday or Saturday.

    The FA-50 were dispatched from Mactan Air Base in Cebu to provide air support to Army ground troops battling some 50 communist rebels in Barangay Cabanglasan, Bukidnon.

    The jet fighter disengaged from the other aircraft carrying out the mission and lost contact while heading back to Mactan air base.

    On Thursday, Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an inquiry into the crash.

    Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President wanted to know what went wrong and what could be done to prevent a similar incident in the future.

    She said the President was "saddened" by the tragedy.

    All 11 remaining PAF FA-50s have been grounded while the crash is being investigated.

    Sen. Imee Marcos said budget cuts and inadequate aircraft maintenance were endangering PAF pilots.

    In a press conference on Wednesday in Cebu City, Marcos warned that climate change has made flying even more dangerous, making proper maintenance more critical than ever.

    Marcos criticized the Air Force for skimping on maintenance, arguing that aircraft upkeep must be a top priority to protect pilots.

    She also condemned the removal of P15 billion from the AFP modernization budget during bicameral deliberations, which reduced it from the originally proposed P50 billion.

    Marcos extended her condolences to the pilots' families, saying the incident was a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by the country's airmen.

    House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez also mourned the death of the two Air Force pilots.

    Romualdez said the House would keep helping in strengthening the military.