Manila Bulletin

By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA Alex Eala stormed back from a 1-5 second-set deficit to oust defending champion Leylah Fernandez, 6-2, 7-6 (1), and book a quarterfinal berth at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington D.C. early Thursday, July 30 (Philippine time). The unseeded Filipina dug deep against the seventh seed and 2021 US Open finalist, reeling off five straight games after trailing 1-5 in the second set to seize a 6-5 lead before Fernandez forced a tiebreak.

REFLECTIONS TODAY What is striking about the parable of the dragnet as a metaphor for the Kingdom is that it does not simply “catch” the good fish, but also the bad or undesirable ones. The net catches all sorts of fish and non-fish in the process. This implies that the Kingdom is offered to everyone, both good and bad. Which reminds us of Jesus’ pointing to the sun and the rain which shines or falls upon everyone, both good and bad.

MEDIUM RARE There may be something for everyone in the President’s State of the Nation Address, SONA, so I hope the reader does not mind if I list my own Sana. (To nonreaders of the national language, “sana” is a wish word, as in “Sana I win the lottery with one ticket.”) “Sana” every child grows up with loving parents in a home where he or she feels safe. Children who are loved do well in school and everywhere else, because whatever they do, even when they fail, they are loved and appreciated.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earned widespread public approval when he declared in his fifth State of the Nation Address that consumers should no longer pay the system loss charge on their electricity bills. His reasoning was straightforward. Electricity lost before it reaches homes and businesses is not the consumers’ fault. They should not be made to pay for it. The proposal deserves support. But it also demands careful legislation.

ENDEAVOR The morning after President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, July 27, I decided to look up memorable lines from post-EDSA SONA and inaugural addresses. The Manila Bulletin’s banner headline was “Marcos: I am not the president of my family.” This was delivered within the first three minutes — and it evoked spontaneous applause from an audience that was not yet sufficiently warmed up for a standing ovation.

Surigao del Sur 1st district Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. was among the handful of House members whose "SONA wish" got fulfilled. For this reason, Momo expressed his gratitude to President Marcos on Wednesday, July 29 for acknowledging the urgent need to amend the obsolete Philippine Building Code.

Marco “Super Marco” Requitano dazzled on the surprise Hanabi pick as the vengeful Team Falcons PH showed Team Vitality the door with a 3-1 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Mid-Season Cup at the Esports World Cup in Paris, France on Wednesday, July 29. The star gold laner lived up to his moniker “The Bulletproof” and was almost untouchable while dealing massive damages to steer Team Falcons to the series clinching Game 4 win.

TACLOBAN CITY – A total of 274 police personnel in Eastern Visayas were promoted in a ceremony at the Police Regional Office-8 on Wednesday, July 29. They were 30 majors, four captains, four lieutenants, two executive master sergeants, 22 chief master sergeants, three senior master sergeants, 44 master sergeants, 97 staff sergeants, and 68 corporals. Police Brig. Gen.

Hundreds of police officers were promoted in simultaneous ceremonies in the Ilocos, Cordillera, and Cagayan Valley regions on Wednesday, July 29. A total of 196 Police Regional Office-1 personnel were promoted at the PRO-1 Grandstand in Camp Brig. Gen. Oscar M. Florendo, Parian, City of San Fernando, La Union. PRO-1 Director Police Brig. Gen. Jovencio S.

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake hit Quezon province on Wednesday evening, July 29, with tremors felt in parts of Luzon, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). Phivolcs said the earthquake struck at 10:11 p.m. Its epicenter was traced 93 kilometers northeast of Jomalig, Quezon, at a depth of 10 kilometers. In its initial bulletin, Phivolcs said the quake was felt at Intensity III, or weak, in Quezon City, Metro Manila.