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Pampanga Police Warn of "Pickpockets" During Undas — Police Deployed at Angeles Cemeteries and Major Roads

📌 On Friday, October 30, the Pampanga Police Provincial Office (Pampanga PPO) urged cemetery visitors to watch out for pickpockets during Undas (All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2) in a post on its official Facebook page. On the same day, the Angeles City Police Office (ACPO) deployed police at cemeteries and major roads in the city, and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Central Luzon regional office placed all units on "Code Red" emergency alert.

■ Police and Fire Response
· The Angeles City Police Office said that on the 30th it deployed police at cemeteries and major roads to handle traffic management, crime prevention, and immediate assistance.
· The Pampanga provincial police director inspected some cemeteries in the province on Thursday the 29th to check police deployment and security conditions.
· Starting on the 30th, the BFP Central Luzon regional office placed all units on Code Red (full alert) under "OPLAN KALULUWA 2026" and stationed personnel at key points (The Voice).
· The Angeles City Information Office reported that families were tidying up graves ahead of time at Holy Mary Memorial Park and La Pieta Memorial Park, and urged people to keep a close eye on children and the elderly and follow instructions from authorities.

■ Advice for Residents and Travelers
· Pampanga PPO advised keeping bags closed and worn in front of your body, keeping valuables such as phones and wallets secure, and being especially careful in crowded places.
· If someone follows or bothers you, go straight to the police or a Police Assistance Desk, and report emergencies by calling 911.
· The Angeles City Police Office asked people to keep a close watch on their belongings and obey traffic rules.

■ Sources
Pampanga PPO (official Facebook, 10/29, 10/30), Angeles City Police Office (official Facebook, 10/30), Angeles City Information Office (official Facebook, 10/30), The Voice (10/30)

■ Photos
· 1. Pampanga PPO Undas pickpocket warning notice — Pampanga Police Provincial Office (official Facebook)
· 2. Police deployed at Angeles cemeteries and roads — Angeles City Police Office (official Facebook)

Undas Homecoming Rush Begins — 430,000 Passengers at NAIA in Three Days, NLEX Preparing Counterflow Lanes

📌 Ahead of the Undas long weekend on Friday, October 30 (All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2), crowds of people heading to their home provinces are packing airports, seaports, and expressways. Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila handled more than 436,000 passengers over the three days from October 27 to 29, and the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) has prepared to operate counterflow lanes in anticipation of heavy congestion from the afternoon of the 30th through Saturday the 31st.

■ What's Changing
· The Office for Transportation Security (OTS) said the number of passengers at transport hubs such as airports and seaports has nearly tripled compared to normal, and it has suspended leave for security screening officers nationwide. It has also sent security inspection personnel to seaports, bus terminals, and train stations (ABS-CBN).
· Police have gone on heightened alert at NAIA (GMA).
· The NLEX operator said that with more vehicles heading north, it is ready to open counterflow lanes if necessary (Inquirer).
· The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) projected about 1.93 million passengers at ports nationwide from October 27 to November 5. As of the October 30 report, Manila North Harbor was still quiet (PNA).

■ Tips for Residents and Travelers
· Liquids, aerosols, and gels carried onto the plane are limited to 100 ml per container; anything over that must go in checked baggage. The OTS also urged travelers not to pack sharp or pointed objects in their bags.
· Packing only the essentials will speed up security screening. The list of prohibited items is available on the OTS website.
· If you're traveling to or from Angeles or Clark by vehicle, adjust your departure time to account for NLEX congestion on the 30th and 31st.

■ Sources
GMA (10/30), ABS-CBN (10/30), Inquirer (10/30), PNA (10/30)

■ Photos
· 1. Homecoming travelers and their luggage in a terminal waiting area — Daily Tribune
· 2. Passengers at the NAIA check-in counters — GMA News

Two Children Aged 3 and 5 Drown in Irrigation Canal in Banga, South Cotabato

📌 On the afternoon of Thursday, October 29, two preschool children aged 3 and 5 drowned after falling into an irrigation canal in Barangay San Vicente, Banga, South Cotabato Province, Mindanao. The children had been playing outside their home and went to a nearby canal without the adults knowing. Residents spotted them being swept along by the water, but they could not be saved.

■ What Happened
· According to a Philstar report, the children were playing outside the yards of neighboring houses when they disappeared and went to the irrigation canal in Purok Malipayon, not far from their homes.
· Residents found the unconscious children being carried along by the current, and rescuers from the Banga local government and personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) tried to revive them, but they died.

■ Investigation and Current Status
· According to the head of the South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. will help cover the funeral expenses of the two families, who are struggling financially.
· The governor said a large-scale awareness campaign will be conducted in every barangay to prevent such accidents. In South Cotabato's rice-farming areas, irrigation canals run throughout the landscape.

■ Notes for Residents and Travelers
· Households near rice fields, irrigation canals, and rivers should make sure young children do not wander out of the yard alone.
· A child who falls into a canal with a current can be swept away very quickly.
· If a child is missing, check the nearest bodies of water first.

■ Source
Philstar (10/30)

NBI Identifies 60 People Involved in Online "Grooming" Linked to Tacloban School Shooting

📌 On Wednesday, October 28, the head of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Eastern Visayas regional office said the agency has identified at least 60 people suspected of grooming minors online and leading them toward violence, in connection with the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Leyte, on Monday, June 22. According to a Philstar report, those identified include minors and foreign nationals, and the NBI is looking into about 200 more people.

■ What Happened
· On June 22, a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City left 3 students dead and 20 injured, and 2 students were arrested.
· The NBI said it identified the 60 people through digital evidence gathered by its task force. Regional head Jeremy Lotoc said, "Not all 60 were in direct contact with the shooter, but they clearly had an influence through the network."
· Lotoc explained that the group targets minors who are going through problems at home or at school and encourages them to carry out attacks.
·

■ Investigation and Current Status
· The NBI is investigating the group's organizational structure, recruitment methods, and reach, as well as its links to extremist groups. Digital evidence is coming in almost daily, and no timeline has been set for concluding the investigation.
· The nationalities and charges of the 60 people have not been reported, and the case is still at the NBI investigation stage.

■ Notes for Residents and Travelers
· Pay attention to whether your child is exchanging violent or extremist content with strangers online.
· As the NBI explained, children struggling with problems at home or at school are more likely to be targeted by this kind of approach.
· If you find suspicious accounts or conversations, report them to the NBI or the police.

■ Source
Philstar (10/30)

■ Photo
· The school where the shooting took place, cordoned off with police tape — Philstar

Mayon Volcano "Moderate Explosive" Eruption — Alert Level Raised to 3, Evacuation of 6 km Danger Zone

📌 On Friday, October 30 at 11:53 a.m., Mayon Volcano in Albay province, Bicol Region, produced a "moderate explosive" eruption lasting about 6 minutes, sending an ash plume about 3 km above the crater. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised the alert level from 2 to 3 and recommended that residents of the 6 km radius permanent danger zone evacuate, and the city of Tabaco has begun forced evacuations.

■ What's changing
· The eruption began at 11:53 a.m. and ended at 11:59 a.m., and the gray ash plume drifted west-southwest (Philstar·The Manila Times).
· Alert Level 3 means a "high level of volcanic unrest." PHIVOLCS said lava flows and pyroclastic flows could reach the upper to middle slopes of the volcano within days to weeks. Mayon had been at Alert Level 3 since January 6 and was lowered to Level 2 in August.
· The city of Tabaco (Tabaco) enforced forced evacuation for residents of the 6 km permanent danger zone, and classes were suspended in some areas. The Office of Civil Defense raised a red alert at its Bicol regional operations center (GMA).
· The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) advising aircraft to avoid flying near the volcano from the ground up to 19,000 feet, from 1:27 p.m. on October 30 until 11:53 a.m. on Saturday, the 31st (GMA).
· A small amount of ashfall was reported in 2 barangays in Guinobatan (Guinobatan) and 1 barangay in Camalig (Camalig).

■ Tips for residents and travelers
· PHIVOLCS warned that volcanic ash can irritate the respiratory tract, and urged people to cover their nose and mouth with a mask or a wet cloth, close doors and windows, and turn off fans and air conditioners. Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with heart or lung conditions should take extra care.
· If you have booked a flight to Albay, check airline announcements and the news to see whether flights are operating.
· PHIVOLCS said it cannot tell whether further eruptions will occur. Do not enter the danger zone.

■ Sources
Philstar (10/30), The Manila Times (10/30), GMA (10/30)

■ Photos
· 1. Ash plume from the Mayon Volcano eruption rising above a village — GMA News
· 2. Distant view of Mayon Volcano erupting — GMA News

Literacy [OC]

Drug Buy-Bust in Pampang, Angeles and Wanted Person Arrested in Clark — October 29

📌 The Angeles City Police Office (ACPO) said on its official Facebook page on Friday the 30th that on Thursday, October 29, it arrested suspects one after another through a drug buy-bust operation and the service of an arrest warrant in Angeles City, Pampanga. At around 5:45 p.m., one suspect accused of selling drugs was arrested in Barangay Pampang, and at around 10:30 p.m., a wanted person accused of falsification of public documents was arrested on a warrant at the Pampanga Provincial Hospital in Clark.

■ Details of the Incident
· At around 5:45 p.m. on October 29, the Station 2 Special Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) conducted a buy-bust operation in a vacant lot near Angeles City National High School on Pampang Road, arresting one newly identified street-level drug-selling suspect.
· Police said they seized about 2 g of suspected shabu (methamphetamine), worth 13,600 pesos at the standard price. The suspect is charged with violating Sections 5 and 11 of the Dangerous Drugs Act (Republic Act No. 9165).
· At around 10:30 p.m. the same day, Station 4, together with the ACPO tracker team and others, arrested a wanted person who had an arrest warrant for falsification of public documents at the Pampanga Provincial Hospital in Clark.

■ Investigation / Current Status
· The police station's announcement headline said two wanted persons and one drug-selling suspect were arrested, but details on the second wanted person cannot be confirmed in the published post.
· The charges are at the stage of the police announcement and have not been confirmed at trial.

■ Notes for Residents and Travelers
· In the Philippines, drug-related charges can lead to arrest and detention even for foreigners, so do not get involved with anyone who offers you drugs.
· Angeles police are also conducting operations in secluded places, such as vacant lots near schools.
· If you witness a crime or become a victim, report it to 911 or the nearest police station.

■ Source
Angeles City Police Office (official Facebook, 10/30)

■ Photo
· Angeles City Police Office arrest announcement graphic (suspects' faces blurred) — Angeles City Police Office (official Facebook)

No helmet!

A drawing by our seven-year-old

Rare Stones at the Museum

Zombies? Undead?

Either way, fair enough.

Family Heritage

Isn't this illegal in the Philippines?

They advertise prices before VAT. As far as I know, unlike in other countries, in the Philippines it's illegal to display the pre-tax price at all, no matter where in the graphic you put "+VAT."

I was shocked that the receipt total was higher than I had expected (one of our group paid, and we were seated right away as soon as we walked in). I had already set a budget, and because I knew this was illegal, I never noticed the small +VAT label.

It was also my first time eating at Kabalen since around 2013/2014. The food was all just mediocre. It's not worth the price at all. Even the fried kangkong I used to love didn't taste anything like it used to, and the "authentic Pampanga-style" sisig tasted nothing like real sisig.

Honestly, I felt sorry for the group of foreigners who picked this place.

The Van Boys situation is serious

Van Boys, the well-known vlogger and YouTube travel influencer, has left the Philippines because of multiple threats and is now at the airport in Houston.

He's having a serious mental breakdown at the airport, and it's pretty scary to watch. His Instagram account is Vanboys222, and the short live Reels updates posted over the two hours before I wrote this are truly heartbreaking. Brennon is on camera threatening to take his own life, saying he'll give up his faith in God, asking people in the Houston area nearby to connect him with someone who can get him pills to overdose on, expressing hatred toward his dad, mom, and sisters, making extreme accusations, and so on.

Someone please help this person. This is going to end badly. I'm genuinely worried about him. I know a lot of you will say "he brought it on himself" or "who cares, pathetic YouTube vlogger," and if you're not interested, I understand. But the situation is getting worse fast. For those who want to look, the clips are being posted live on the Vanboys222 Instagram right now. It's pretty shocking, and I hope someone can help this person, who is at his lowest point, before it's too late.

"No, not on my concrete, dude!"

Bataan Doppler Radar Installation

Bataan Peninsula State University is teaming up with PAGASA to install a high-performance radar system for weather monitoring.
The location is Abucay, Bataan. Construction started this week. Check out the photo I attached.

It's a very small "flying under the radar" project (pun intended)… but it's nice to read some good news in the area where I live.

This $4 million project will make dangerous heavy rain and flood warnings easier, faster, and more localized.

Is there any construction in your neighborhood that has caught your eye?

If you live in the Philippines, do you really need to worry about dengue?

How serious is it? Is it common?

While eating the Chowking sweet and sour chicken lauriat, I suddenly craved noodles, so I ordered some separately. It was around 80 pesos, and the portion isn't bad, but I also ordered the new seafood chao fan, and it wasn't that great... I think the original pork chao fan is better..

I kept mixing up whether it was Premier XO or Nine, so I took photos as I walked by and updated it.

I'm curious...