Abbey M.

‍MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Sonny Angara has ordered public schools nationwide to integrate the LIGTAS+ disaster monitoring system into their preparedness routines as hundreds of schools remain affected by floods and other hazards.

LIGTAS+, or Learning Institution Geohazard Tracking and Assessment for Safety, is designed to help school officials identify risks earlier and make decisions before disasters disrupt classes and school operations.

“We can’t just wait for a storm or earthquake to strike before we act. With LIGTAS+, we can anticipate risks early so our school leaders can make timely, informed decisions before hazards turn into emergencies,” Angara said.

The system was developed by the Department of Education’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service and the Education Center for AI Research.

It combines artificial intelligence, weather forecasts, satellite radar imagery and data from government and international scientific agencies to generate school-level hazard alerts.

The directive comes as recent weather disturbances continue to take a toll on schools.

Angara recently joined President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in inspecting flood-affected schools in Tarlac, Zambales and Pampanga, where the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and recent tropical cyclones damaged at least 622 schools and 4,025 classrooms.

Of the affected classrooms, 946 were destroyed, 806 sustained major damage and 2,274 suffered minor damage.

DepEd estimates that around P2.9 billion will be needed for response and recovery efforts in Central Luzon.

The department hopes LIGTAS+ will help schools act earlier on possible class disruptions, evacuation needs and other safety measures by giving administrators access to more localized hazard information.

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MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the government has begun implementing a flood control master plan that had existed for decades but was never fully carried out.

“We already have a master plan. It's just never been executed. We are only executing it now,” Marcos told on Wednesday after inspecting repair works at a collapsed bridge in Tarlac.

“We have had a master plan for decades pero walang ginawa. Ngayon lang natin sinisimulan,” he added.

The President made the statement as Central Luzon, Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon continue to deal with widespread flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains.

The flooding has renewed calls for long-term measures aimed at reducing flood risks, particularly in areas repeatedly affected by severe weather.

Malacañang has pushed for the implementation of measures such as improving waterways and drainage systems, strengthening land-use planning and addressing structures or developments that obstruct natural water flow.

Marcos also directed national agencies and local governments to enforce existing laws and no-build zones, stressing that disaster preparedness and compliance with regulations are necessary to lessen the impact of extreme weather events.

The President said the government would continue adjusting its disaster preparedness and infrastructure strategies as communities face increasingly severe weather conditions associated with climate change.

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Impeachment Court on Wednesday declared Vice President Sara Duterte’s former Department of Education chief of staff, Michael Wesley Poa, a hostile witness, allowing the House prosecution to question him through leading questions about DepEd’s ₱112.5 million confidential funds.

Presiding officer Senate President Francis Escudero issued the ruling shortly before private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. began examining Poa.

“The Chair will proceed to declare Atty. Poa as a hostile witness, therefore giving Atty. Tolosa the right to ask leading questions, but again, as a reminder, not to ask misleading questions,” Escudero said.

Poa served as DepEd undersecretary, chief of staff and spokesperson during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary. He is now part of her legal defense team in the impeachment trial.

Lead defense counsel Shiela Sison acknowledged Poa’s present role in Duterte’s defense, telling the court that it could be reasonably presumed that he would not readily support the prosecution’s theory of the case.

The prosecution sought to have Poa treated as a hostile witness as it questioned his role in responding to Commission on Audit findings involving DepEd’s confidential fund expenditures.

Tolosa argued that Poa had previously admitted he had no personal knowledge of how the confidential funds were actually used on the ground before he was tasked to answer COA’s Audit Observation Memoranda.

“Why is it that the Vice President tasked one of his trusted aides to respond to the AOMs issued by the COA when he confessed that he knew nothing about it? That is very material,” Tolosa told the court.

When asked by Escudero to clarify, Tolosa said Poa had no personal knowledge of how the confidential funds were “operationalized or used on the ground.”

The prosecution is examining the use and liquidation of ₱112.5 million in DepEd confidential funds in 2023 as part of the first Article of Impeachment against Duterte.

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MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Education Undersecretary Michael Wesley Poa, who now serves as spokesperson for Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team, testified Wednesday that he reported directly to Duterte and regularly received her instructions while at DepEd, but had no firsthand knowledge of how the agency’s confidential funds were operationally used.

Poa took the witness stand as a hostile prosecution witness on Day 21 of Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. questioned Poa about his authority and working relationship with Duterte while he served as DepEd spokesperson, undersecretary, chief of staff, officer-in-charge of the finance office and head of the procuring entity.

Poa confirmed that he had a direct reporting relationship with Duterte and could communicate with her without going through other department officials.

As chief of staff, Poa said he regularly gave Duterte updates and received her guidance on matters involving DepEd operations.

He also confirmed that he consulted Duterte before media interviews while serving as department spokesperson.

Poa earlier said that whenever he needed to face the media, he would message Duterte to determine what she wanted him to say. He confirmed during the impeachment trial that the statement was his.

Despite his close working relationship with Duterte, Poa maintained that he had no personal knowledge of how DepEd’s confidential funds were used on the ground.

“I don’t have personal knowledge in the operations of DepEd. So, I’m answering based on my understanding, based on what I’ve read when I was trying to study,” Poa said while discussing confidential fund requirements.

Poa also testified that his involvement in the confidential fund issue began only after DepEd received an Audit Observation Memorandum from the Commission on Audit.

He said he did not sign the original liquidation reports covering the confidential funds.

According to his testimony, the records were signed by then-special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda, Duterte as head of the agency, and an accountant.

DepEd received and used ₱112.5 million in confidential funds in 2023 while Duterte was education secretary.

The prosecution is examining who exercised control over the funds, what safeguards were put in place and how the money was actually used as part of the first Article of Impeachment against Duterte.

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NEW YORK — Alex Eala advanced to the second round of the 2026 US Open after a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over American qualifier Mary Stoiana on Tuesday night at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The 17th-seeded Filipina overcame a shaky start before taking control of the match, breaking Stoiana four times and completing the win in one hour and 18 minutes.

Eala faced a break point in the opening game after a double fault but recovered to hold serve. She then broke Stoiana in the next game and quickly built a 5-0 lead.

Stoiana finally got on the board at 5-1, but Eala responded with a love hold to close out the first set.

The American showed more resistance in the second set, with the two players holding serve through 2-2.

Eala then secured a crucial break in the fifth game and pulled away from there.

Stoiana saved three break points in the seventh game, but errors eventually gave Eala another break before the Filipina served out the match.

“Of course, it was very difficult. Every exchange had its own challenges, especially in the start of the second set,” Eala said after the match.

She added that Stoiana had put her in uncomfortable positions but said she was pleased with how she handled the contest.

The victory was met with loud support from the mostly pro-Eala crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium, continuing the growing “Eala-mania” surrounding the Filipina tennis star.

Eala thanked the Filipino community and tennis fans in New York for their support.

“Thank you everybody for being part of my journey and making it such a pleasure to do my job,” she said.

Eala will face Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova in the second round as she continues her US Open campaign.