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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

10:45 PM7-minute read

ABOUT THE OCTOBER WATER-RATE INCREASES

Metro Manila households served by Maynilad and Manila Water will see slightly higher water charges beginning October 1. The announced increases are small for many residential customers, but the figures vary by concessionaire and consumption level. That makes it easy to misunderstand a notice expressed only in centavos per cubic meter.

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7:21 AM6-minute read

ABOUT THE NOTE HANDED TO GIBO TEODORO IN SEOUL

Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. was answering questions at the Seoul Defense Dialogue on September 8 when a man handed him a note. He read it aloud, challenged its rejection of the 2016 South China Sea ruling and objected to being interrupted that way.

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9:55 AM8-minute read

ABOUT EL NIÑO AND PREPARING FOR LESS RAIN

It can be raining outside while PAGASA warns about El Niño. That can sound confusing when the immediate problem is a wet road or a flooded field. The two warnings describe different periods: the weather happening now and the rainfall conditions that may develop over the coming months.

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5:30 AM8-minute read

ABOUT THE NEW ARREST WARRANTS AGAINST ZALDY CO, MARTIN ROMUALDEZ AND TWO OTHERS

The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of Zaldy Co, Martin Romualdez and two other accused in the plunder case filed on September 7. By Monday evening, authorities had served Romualdez's warrant and carried out booking procedures at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan. His arrest is a confirmed development; it does not establish that his three co-accused are also in custody.

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3:15 PM8-minute read

ABOUT THE PLUNDER CASE AGAINST MARTIN ROMUALDEZ

The Office of the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez at the Sandiganbayan on September 7 over his alleged involvement in flood-control kickbacks. The accusations have now reached the court that will handle the criminal case. Romualdez denies wrongdoing and remains presumed innocent.

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1:18 PM7-minute read

ABOUT THE NEW SWS POVERTY NUMBERS

Self-rated poverty and food poverty declined in June, but the figures also show how many Filipino families remain under pressure and why lower household budgets do not necessarily mean life became cheaper.

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2:02 PM11-minute read

ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY ACT

House Bill No. 9965 would bar children below 13 from having social media accounts, require parental consent for users aged 13 to 17, regulate platform algorithms, and impose fines reaching P50 million. It is still being deliberated in the House.

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12:02 PM7-minute read

ABOUT THE SEALED BIR BOX

Marcos authorized the BIR to comply with the Senate subpoena. That did not open the records to the public or prove the unexplained-wealth allegation.

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MCT DAILY BRIEF

MCT evening Daily Brief cover showing storm weather, power infrastructure, housing, public relief records, and a courtroom file.

Good evening. Queenie is now inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, the Visayas grid is under red and yellow alerts, a new 4PH housing option is being prepared, COA has flagged documentation problems in OVP relief operations, and the DPWH chief has testified in the Zaldy Co flood-control case.

1

QUEENIE IS INSIDE PAR, BUT PAGASA HAS NOT RAISED A WIND SIGNAL

PAGASA's 5 p.m. bulletin says Tropical Storm Queenie maintained its strength and was about 1,205 kilometers east of Northern Luzon. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour.

The storm is now inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, but no tropical cyclone wind signal is in effect. PAGASA's forecast said Queenie may intensify into a typhoon by Sunday and could leave PAR by Monday. A forecast is not a guarantee, so communities should use the latest bulletin rather than an old map or social-media post.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch the next PAGASA track, intensity, rainfall, and wind-signal bulletins, especially if Queenie's track moves closer to land or affects sea travel.

2

THE VISAYAS GRID HAS RED AND YELLOW ALERT PERIODS TONIGHT

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed the Visayas grid on red alert from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, with yellow-alert periods before and after that window. NGCP said available capacity was about 2,292 megawatts against a peak demand forecast of 2,495 megawatts.

The alert does not automatically mean every household will lose power. It means the reserve margin is too thin and the system is more exposed if a plant or transmission facility trips. NGCP also reported an emergency shutdown of the Tabango-Kananga 138-kilovolt line after a transmission-tower incident in Leyte.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch local utility advisories, the alert status after 9 p.m., and whether the Tabango-Kananga line returns to service or another unit is lost.

3

A NEW 4PH OPTION WOULD USE UNSOLD CONDOS, BUT THE GUIDELINES ARE NOT OUT YET

The government announced a new Expanded 4PH modality for unsold condominium units in Metro Manila priced at ₱3 million or below. The plan is meant to let qualified Pag-IBIG Fund members use low-interest housing loans for units that developers have not sold.

The announcement is not the same as an open application. The government still has to issue formal guidelines, identify eligible projects, and explain the buyer's income, loan, equity, fees, and occupancy requirements. A low interest rate also does not make a unit affordable if association dues, repairs, transport, and other monthly costs are too high.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for the final guidelines, the list of participating projects, the total monthly cost after fees, and safeguards against selling units that do not fit a family's budget or needs.

4

COA FOUND CONTROL AND DOCUMENTATION GAPS IN OVP RELIEF OPERATIONS

The Commission on Audit flagged inconsistencies, deviations from required procedures, and missing or incomplete records in nearly ₱168 million worth of Office of the Vice President relief operations in 2025. COA's 273-page report said 33,980 beneficiaries linked to about ₱25.27 million in assistance did not have complete pre-operation documents.

Those observations do not by themselves prove that money was stolen or that every distribution was improper. They do raise a basic public-accountability question: can the OVP show why each operation was needed, who was authorized, who received help, and how the money and supplies were reconciled?

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch the OVP's itemized response, the records it can provide, and COA's follow-up on whether the observations are resolved or remain open.

5

DPWH CHIEF TESTIFIED IN THE ZALDY CO FLOOD-CONTROL CASE

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon testified before the Sandiganbayan in the graft case involving former lawmaker Zaldy Co. The proceedings concern allegations linked to a roughly ₱289 million flood-control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Dizon's testimony is part of the evidence being presented in court. It is not a final finding that the accused committed the alleged offenses. The weight of the testimony will be tested through the court process, including questions about documents, project implementation, and the roles attributed to each person.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch the next hearing, the documents admitted into evidence, the cross-examination, and any ruling that changes the status of the case.

BOTTOM LINE

Tonight's developments all come with a gap between an announcement and its practical effect. Queenie still needs to be tracked through PAGASA bulletins. Power alerts can change before the evening ends. The new 4PH option needs final rules. COA's findings still require an OVP response and follow-up. And testimony in a graft case is evidence in a proceeding, not a final judgment. The useful question is what people should watch next and what has actually changed.

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