MANILA, Philippines — In case you missed it, the Philippines faced both natural and man-made disasters on Monday, prompting social media users to liken it to the popular line from content creators: “A Day in the Life of a Filipino.”
On Monday morning, Filipinos complained about Banco De Oro’s downtime, with some customers reporting that they lost money due to the glitch.
The incident trended online and reports from consumers revealed a prolonged downtime of the BDO app, prompting delays in baking transactions in many areas.
BDO has issued a statement and said the issue has been resolved as of 10: 26 PM late Monday night.
The bank explained that the prolonged system downtime was caused by a vendor issue during scheduled maintenance to upgrade its online banking services.
Sabina Shoal Collision
Philippine authorities condemned China for another accident in Sabina Shoal which led to the “deliberate” collision that damaged two Philippine-flagged vessels BRP Bagacay and BRP Cape Engaño which Beijing accused of “illegally” entering the disputed area without permission from Chinese authorities. But Philippine authorities said that local authorities have the right to operate in the area because it’s within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
This caused a collision with the right side of the vessel, leaving a five-inch hole in the deck in the wee hours of Monday morning.
Local authorities slammed Beijing and received backing from the United States on Tuesday saying China is using “dangerous and escalatory measures to enforce its expansive and unlawful South China Sea maritime claims.”
Within six hours after the collision incident, reports showed that Chinese authorities deployed over 13 ships in the contested waters.
Taal Volcano smog
Shortly after the collision incident, Taal Volcano also made headlines after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported that Taal Volcano had been releasing volcanic smog or “vog,” made up of sulfur dioxide and other volcanic gasses that combine with air, moisture, dust, and sunlight.
This prompted several cities and municipalities surrounding the area to suspend or cancel their in-person classes and work operations to mitigate the impending health risks of inhaling volcanic smog.
Authorities warned the public to mask up to avoid inhaling volcanic smog and to prevent its health risks, saying that the smoke from Taal can irritate the eyes, throat, and lungs, with the severity depending on how concentrated the smoke is and how long it’s inhaled.
Hot-headed Jinggoy in rape hearing
As authorities fight the effects of volcanic smog, lawmakers also convened on the alleged rape incident of a young actor by GMA contractors. During the hearing, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was seen allegedly “pressuring” Sandro Muhlach to recount the alleged rape incident while the young actor seemed to be having a hard time narrating his experience, prompting his lawyer to intervene and said they would wait for the other camp to receive their complaint before putting into details his experience.
“Pag hindi natin tatapusin to, hahaba nang hahaba ito. You’re wasting our time here, eh,” Estrada said.
Estrada faced criticisms online for how he handled the hearing, saying the senator should not force the young actor to recount his trauma to the public, adding that he should not say the victim’s camp is wasting their time because it’s his job to do it.
The Muhlach camp requested an executive session after Estrada pressed details of his case.
First mpox case for 2024
Coinciding with the Senate hearing was a press briefing from the Department of Health, which announced the country’s first mpox (formerly monkeypox) case of 2024.
This new case, reported on August 18 (Sunday), is a 33-year-old Filipino male with no travel history outside the Philippines but with close, intimate contact three weeks before symptoms began.
The DOH only reported the case on Monday.
The exact location of the new case was not disclosed, but it was recorded in a government hospital.
There are now 10 cases of mpox in the country, and authorities have yet to impose travel restrictions or masking requirements.
The World Health Organization declared mpox as an international concern and a public health emergency for the second time after its cases began to rise.
Guo escaped the hands of the Philippine government
In the thick of public concerns on mpox, fearing for another pandemic after the COVID-19, Senator Risa Hontiveros reported that suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo has fled the country using a Philippine passport and reportedly traveled to Malaysia and Singapore as early as July 18.
Guo allegedly met her parents, Lin Wen Yi and Guo ZianZhong in Singapore. But the Bureau of Immigration said there were no records of Guo’s departure from the country, with the Department of Justice saying that it would verify how Guo slipped out of the country.
BI said late Monday that Guo might have left the country “illegally,” and canceling Guo’s Philippine travel documents “could fast track” her extradition to the Philippines.
Hontiveros blew off steam and said Guo wouldn’t leave the country without help from government officials.
“Who allowed this travesty to happen? Sino ang may kagagawan nito? Hindi makakaalis si Alice Guo kung walang tumulong sa kanya na mga opisyales ng pamahalaan. Para tayong ginisa sa sarili nating mantika,” Hontiveros said.
Heavy rains hit the metro, other provinces
Following Guo’s escape and growing discontent over her alleged departure, the country faced another disaster: heavy rain.
On Monday afternoon, Metro Manila and surrounding areas experienced intense and torrential rainfall, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
In its advisory at 3:57 p.m., PAGASA reported “intense to torrential rain showers with lightning and strong winds” affecting the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby areas including Bulacan, Cavite, Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, and Batangas.
This also led to flooding in low-lying areas and toppled electrical posts in nearby provinces.
Social media users reflected on how Monday’s issues severely impacted the economy, public health, politics, and the environment. While some made light of the disasters, both natural and human-caused, others called for improved service and accountability in addressing these problems.
