Motorists pass through traffic along McArthur Highway in Angeles City, Pampanga, near the construction site of the Sto. Cristo Flyover columns, as of 4:55 p.m. on July 30.

To recall, the project site was inspected by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon earlier this year, who attributed the project’s delays to the staggered release of funds. He also ordered the immediate release of funding to expedite construction.

The 1-kilometer Sto. Cristo Flyover project has been under construction since 2023 and is targeted for completion in June 2027.

Starting as early as 6:30 in the morning, volunteers of Scholars of Sustenance (SOS), together with the Universidad de Manila (UDM) Student Government, began preparations for its rescue kitchen to culminate this year’s nutrition month.

The initiative gathers surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and transforms it into nutritious meals for partnered communities facing food insecurity. Through the day’s preparations, SOS aims to distribute 1,000 meals for the student beneficiaries of UDM.

Scholars of Sustenance (SOS) is among the organizations advancing food rescue efforts in the country, working to address food waste and insecurity by recovering surplus food and redirecting it to communities with limited access to nutritious meals.

In an interview, Program Officer Jennella Castillo said their food rescuing efforts are driven by the reality that hunger goes beyond the lack of food supply. “The world produces enough food to feed everyone, yet millions still go hungry. We need to ensure that the food reaches communities that need it most,” she said.

Student volunteers began distributing free lunch packs to student beneficiaries of the Universidad de Manila (UDM). Made from nutritionally improved meals using rescued surplus food, the packs contain a combination of vegetables, fruits, protein, and rice intended to help supplement students’ daily nutritional needs.

According to UDM Student Regent Shan Yong S. Kal, the collaboration forms part of the university’s student-centered food accessibility initiative. He noted that based on the university’s research, a significant number of clinic visits involve students experiencing stomach-related concerns linked to skipping breakfast. When interviewed, student beneficiaries cited inflation and the rising cost of food as among the main reasons why some students attend classes without eating beforehand.

The Malolos Station of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) continues to take shape along the old Philippine National Railways (PNR) corridor. Construction of the 163-kilometer railway linking Clark, Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna began in 2020, with the Malolos-Clark segment nearly 47% complete as of early 2025.

The project displaced more than 2,000 families in Malolos, many of whom were relocated to Northville 8 in Barangay Bangkal.

Fisherfolks in Brgy. Sinbanali prepare for the day's catch near Bacoor Bay.

The said community as source of seashell harvest including tahong (oyster) and talaba (mussel), but resident report reduced production due to land reclamation activities near Manila Bay.

“Nung mga nakaraang taon, umaabot ng 30 hanggang 50 sakong ’yung nakukuha; ngayon, 20 na lang. Nababawasan ’yung huli kasi lumiliit ’yung area ng tahungan ng Bacoor,” said tahong farmer Ryan Modesto.

Motorists navigate a narrowed portion of a road in Sto. Entierro, Angeles City as construction continues at an excavation site where an open hole remains.

The site is where a vehicle fell into the excavation on July 25 before being removed on July 27.

The road is known for heavy traffic due to several intersecting streets leading to the Minor Basilica and Parish of the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary.

Members of the Tagbanua Indigenous community in Sitio Impapay, Barangay Irawan, Puerto Princesa City are facing demolition after the city government issued Memorandum Order No. 315 directing the clearing of structures within the Palawan Flora, Fauna and Watershed Reserve.

The order cites the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act, the Revised Forestry Code, and recommendations from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office.

The demolition brings into focus the challenges of balancing environmental protection with the welfare of Indigenous communities living within protected areas. The operation is being implemented by the City Engineering Office, City Anti-Squatting Program, and other local authorities.

Concessionaires offering food, clothing, and other locally made products gathered in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga on July 31 as part of the province’s growing weekend pop-up market scene.

Similar markets are set to open in Angeles City starting Saturday.

In an earlier interview, one market organizer said the events provide concessionaires with opportunities to introduce their products to customers and eventually expand into larger businesses.

Visitors said the markets also showcase Kapampangan heritage, with food serving as the main attraction.

Laid-off workers from San Miguel Integrated Logistics Services, Inc. maintain their strike in front of the San Miguel Corporation Industrial Complex in the City of Santa Rosa, Laguna.

The strike came after about 800 workers from the company's logistics arm were barred from reporting to work on July 6, as reported by Bulatlat. Since then, the workers have remained on strike in front of the complex, urging company management to reinstate them.

"Gusto po naming mapabalik po sa loob ng pagawaan namin kasi po kami po ay tinanggal nang wala man lang abiso," said one of the laid-off workers.

According to the workers, representatives of the strike and company management are scheduled to hold discussions on August 14.

Thousands of residents across Palawan were affected by a scheduled province-wide power interruption on August 1 and 2, implemented to facilitate maintenance and upgrading works on the island's transmission system, disrupting daily activities, online classes, and virtual work.

Amid the outage, residents went to the Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) Gymnasium in Puerto Princesa City to charge their mobile phones, laptops, and other electronic devices.

Some remote workers also used the free Wi-Fi provided by the PALECO to continue working and stay connected, while others relied on the facility to communicate with their families and receive updates as power restoration continued.

Ex-Zamboanga del Norte congressman dies at 85

Former Zamboanga del Norte representative Romeo Jalosjos Sr. has died, his son Seth Frederick "Bullet" Jalosjos announced on Sunday, August 2.

He was 85.

"It is with profound sorrow and heavy heats that our family announces the passing of our beloved father, Romeo "Nonong" Garcia Jalosjos, Bullet Jalosjos announced in a Facebook post early Sunday evening.

The post also included details of his wake viewing which will be at Taguig City from August 3 to 5 and Dapitan City on August 6 to 12.

Jalosjos Sr. is the father of politicians Romeo "Romy" Jalosjos Jr., Seth Frederick Jalosjos, and Rosalina Jalosjos who formerly held local and provincial positions in the said province.

Prior to his death, the elder Jalosjos served as representative of Zamboanga del Norte's 1st District from 1998 to 2007 before he chaired the Aggrupation of Parties for Prosperity (APP) in the 2025 elections.

Despite being barred from public office as a result of his 1997 statutory rape conviction, Romeo Sr. remains a prominent figure in Zamboanga del Norte politics.  (via Kean Bagaipo/Mover)

San Juan, Batangas is home to one of the province's oldest earthenware traditions, with the barangays of Palahanan, Libato, and Muzon serving as the municipality's historic pottery centers. Since the 1950s, generations of artisans have crafted palayok, banga, and kalan using traditional methods of hand-molding, sun-drying, and open-kiln firing, preserving a craft deeply rooted in the town's cultural identity.

Lutgarda Cueto-Ilao, one of the three master potters of Barangay Palahanan, San Juan, Batangas, handcrafted this clay pot using traditional pottery techniques. She shaped the vessel entirely by hand with the aid of a wooden tool locally known as a pamalo, a traditional wooden beater used by Batangueño potters to shape and refine the clay. This mano-mano (likhang-gawa sa kamay, or handmade) method has been passed down through generations of pottery-making families in Barangay Palahanan and distinguishes their work from pottery produced using electrically powered equipment or machines. Christian Patulot/Rappler