- Former jeepney dispatcher from Carcar shot dead in Barili
- Gasoline expected up about ₱2 a litre, diesel down about ₱2, from 13 October
- Metro Cebu air turns 'very unhealthy' again
- Vicente Sotto hospital keeps its one-watcher rule
Former jeepney dispatcher from Carcar shot dead in Barili
A 34-year-old man originally from Carcar, who used to work as a jeepney dispatcher, was shot dead at about 2:30 p.m. on 10 October while drinking with a friend at a roadside spot in Barangay Mantalongon, Barili. The gunman wore a helmet and a black jacket with his face partly covered, and fled on a scooter driven by a companion toward Aloguinsan. Barili police are looking for both men, and a scene-of-the-crime team from the Carcar City forensic office processed the site. No arrest or motive had been reported. We are not naming the victim.
Police have not said why he was targeted. If you saw the two men on a scooter on the Barili to Aloguinsan road that afternoon, or know anything that could help, tell the Barili Municipal Police Station directly rather than posting it online.
Sources: SunStar, SunStar Superbalita Cebu
Gasoline expected up about ₱2 a litre, diesel down about ₱2, from 13 October
Industry estimates based on four days of world trading point to gasoline rising by ₱2.00 to ₱2.20 a litre on Tuesday, 13 October, while diesel falls by ₱1.80 to ₱2.00 a litre, its third weekly cut in a row. The Department of Energy linked the diesel drop to a G7 plan to release 100 million barrels of crude and diesel from emergency stocks. Gasoline stays under pressure from tight supply, including China's pause on refined fuel exports. No kerosene estimate was given. Oil firms usually confirm the final figures on Monday.
If you drive a car or motorcycle on gasoline, fill up on Monday, 12 October, before the increase. Diesel users, including jeepney and truck operators, should see a small cut from Tuesday. The final amounts can still change, so check the price board at your usual station.
Sources: The Philippine Star, PhilNews
Metro Cebu air turns 'very unhealthy' again
The Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) rated Metro Cebu's air 'very unhealthy' on 11 October. Its station in Talisay City read a fine-particle (PM2.5) index of 152 at 7 a.m., 155 at 11 a.m. and 180 at 4 p.m., up from 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' a day earlier. The Toledo City station stayed 'good'. EMB-7 blames vehicle exhaust, industry and cool nights that trap particles near the ground, not haze from Indonesia, and warned the high levels could last for days. Pagasa expects rain on 12 October, which may help clear the air.
Talisay is the closest station to Carcar, but it does not measure the air here. If you commute north, or have asthma, heart or lung problems, wear an N95 or KN95 mask outdoors, avoid busy roads in the early morning, and keep children and older relatives indoors when the index is high. If your child studies in Metro Cebu, check the school's announcements before leaving.
Vicente Sotto hospital keeps its one-watcher rule
Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, a Department of Health hospital, says it will keep allowing only one screened and authorised watcher at each patient's bedside, under Hospital Order 2024-123. It answered viral photos of relatives sleeping on cardboard outside the hospital. It cites overcrowding, infection control and safety. An earlier shelter and bus service for watchers ended after few people used it. A new building with a ground-floor area for emergency room watchers is being built, though the hospital admits it may not fit everyone.
If a family member is referred to Vicente Sotto, decide early who will be the one watcher, and plan where others will stay, since there is no shelter for extra companions now.
Sources: The Manila Times, SunStar
