In A Nutshell

28/11/2025

"Kaya nakikita ko na dito, na kung merong ginawang kasalanan dito sa nakalista na mga jurisdiction ng ICC, ang magbibista niyan ay ang korte doon sa bayan na yun, hindi ang International Criminal Court in The Hague. International Criminal Court, as I said, is a court of last resort. Pag hindi mo mabigyan ng katarungan ang akusado, ayaw mo o kaya hindi mo kaya ay saka palang yan pupunta sa ICC. Kaya maling-mali yung mga pinagtatanong sa akin sa Senado. Kasi hindi sila marunong magbasa...Ehh basahin mo lang nakalagay naman maliwanag doon, na ang magbibista ay yung bansa kung saan nangyari yung krimen na sinasabi. Hindi naman iyan dadalhin kaagad sa The Hague."

- Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago
Speech during the Public Forum on Advancing Philippine Contributions to International Criminal Justice (October 2011)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xzskZMIuJ0

13/11/2025

𝐂𝐃𝐑𝐑𝐌𝐎-𝐎𝐏𝐂𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄:
As of 08:49 AM | November 13, 2025

𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦: 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓-𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒁𝒐𝒏𝒆 (𝑰𝑻𝑪𝒁)

Areas within Davao City are experiencing sunny weather conditions with partly cloudy skies.

All river channels are monitored at 𝐂𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐍 (𝘚𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭).

𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒:
> Calm to slight seas
> High tide

#𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲
#𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗼𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆𝗗𝗥𝗥𝗠𝗢

©️ Davao City DRRMO

13/11/2025

You'll always win when you use painful experience as fuel for growth, not as reasons to build walls. Pain can be a teacher if you choose to learn from it. Turn setbacks into comebacks.

20/10/2025

THIS DAY IN HISTORY | October 20, 1944: U.S. General Douglas MacArthur returns to the Philippines to reclaim the country from Japanese occupation during World War II.

After advancing island by island across the Pacific Ocean, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur wades ashore onto the Philippine island of Leyte, fulfilling his promise to return to the area he was forced to flee in 1942.

The son of an American Civil War hero, MacArthur served as chief U.S. military adviser to the Philippines before World War II. The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, Japan launched its invasion of the Philippines. After struggling against great odds to save his adopted home from Japanese conquest, MacArthur was forced to abandon the Philippine island fortress of Corregidor under orders from President Franklin Roosevelt in March 1942. Left behind at Corregidor and on the Bataan Peninsula were 90,000 American and Filipino troops, who, lacking food, supplies, and support, would soon succumb to the Japanese offensive.

After leaving Corregidor, MacArthur and his family traveled by boat 560 miles to the Philippine island of Mindanao, braving mines, rough seas, and the Japanese navy. At the end of the hair-raising 35-hour journey, MacArthur told the boat commander, John D. Bulkeley, “You’ve taken me out of the jaws of death, and I won’t forget it.” On March 17, the general and his family boarded a B-17 Flying Fortress for northern Australia. He then took another aircraft and a long train ride down to Melbourne. During this journey, he was informed that there were far fewer Allied troops in Australia than he had hoped. Relief of his forces trapped in the Philippines would not be forthcoming. Deeply disappointed, he issued a statement to the press in which he promised his men and the people of the Philippines, “I shall return.” The promise would become his mantra during the next two and a half years, and he would repeat it often in public appearances.

For his valiant defense of the Philippines, MacArthur was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and celebrated as “America’s First Soldier.” Put in command of Allied forces in the Southwestern Pacific, his first duty was conducting the defense of Australia. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Bataan fell in April, and the 70,000 American and Filipino soldiers captured there were forced to undertake a death march in which at least 7,000 perished. Then, in May, Corregidor surrendered, and 15,000 more Americans and Filipinos were captured. The Philippines were lost, and the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff had no immediate plans for their liberation.

After the U.S. victory at the Battle of Midway in June 1942, most Allied resources in the Pacific went to U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz, who as commander of the Pacific Fleet planned a more direct route to Japan than via the Philippines. Undaunted, MacArthur launched a major offensive in New Guinea, winning a string of victories with his limited forces. By September 1944, he was poised to launch an invasion of the Philippines, but he needed the support of Nimitz’s Pacific Fleet. After a period of indecision about whether to invade the Philippines or Formosa, the Joint Chiefs put their support behind MacArthur’s plan, which logistically could be carried out sooner than a Formosa invasion.

On October 20, 1944, a few hours after his troops landed, MacArthur waded ashore onto the Philippine island of Leyte. That day, he made a radio broadcast in which he declared, “People of the Philippines, I have returned!” In January 1945, his forces invaded the main Philippine island of Luzon. In February, Japanese forces at Bataan were cut off, and Corregidor was captured. Manila, the Philippine capital, fell in March, and in June MacArthur announced his offensive operations on Luzon to be at an end; although scattered Japanese resistance continued until the end of the war, in August. Only one-third of the men MacArthur left behind in March 1942 survived to see his return. “I’m a little late,” he told them, “but we finally came.”

Source: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/October-20/macarthur-returns

20/10/2025

𝐃𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐓 𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 “𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐠-𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐠”

The Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) is all set for the expected surge of passengers traveling to various destinations across Mindanao in time for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

During the I-Speak Media Forum, DCOTT Manager Aisa Usop said preparations have been in place to accommodate the influx of travelers expected to start as early as the last week of October.

“We coordinated with the SMBOA because there is a possibility na magdagsa ang pasahero. As always, ang SMBOA ginapa-coordinate sa LTFRB to operate with additional permits sa mga ruta tungod sa expected nga kadaghan sa mga pasahero (We coordinated with the Southern Mindanao Bus Operators Association (SMBOA) because, as always, there’s a possibility that passengers will flock to the terminal. The SMBOA, in turn, coordinates with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for the issuance of additional permits for routes with high passenger demand),” she said.

Usop said the LTFRB plays a vital role in issuing special permits for bus companies to operate additional trips when necessary.

“Sometimes dili ma pre-empt; there are times na daghan og naa ang panahon mudaghan ang north, important ang LTFRB for the issuance of special permits sa mga buses (There are times when we cannot pre-empt the increase in passengers. Sometimes, travel to the northern area suddenly surges, so we rely on LTFRB for impromptu permits),” she added.

Currently, DCOTT oversees an average of 700 to 800 bus trips daily. However, the number is expected to rise to between 1,000 and 1,500 trips per day during the “Kalag-Kalag” period, translating to about 50,000 to 80,000 passengers daily. The terminal normally caters to around 35,000 passengers per day.

To ensure passenger safety, Usop said that the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will conduct inspections to ensure the roadworthiness of buses. Meanwhile, the LTFRB will also check drivers’ documents.

She said that, as to the security aspect, the DCOTT’s safety is monitored by 32 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, walk-through scanners, and baggage X-ray machines. This is on top of the security forces from Task Force Davao and the Davao City Police Office.

Usop underscored that the city, through an inter-agency task force, continues to implement the “no pick-up policy” along highways.

“Ginapa-huot gyud nato ang policy nga dili dapat pick-up drivers along the highways because that is part of the safety measures in our terminal (We continue to implement a stricter no-pick-up policy as drivers should not pick up passengers along the highways because that is part of the safety measures of the terminal),” she said, underscoring that all the security measures implemented at the DCOTT will be rendered useless if drivers continue to pick up passengers outside the terminal.

She added that online booking remains available and advantageous for passengers, as those with online tickets are prioritized at the entrance to ensure they don’t miss their trips.

Despite the high passenger turnout in previous years, Usop said DCOTT continues to maintain order and discipline among travelers.

“So far, we have not received significant reports of theft. With our CCTV monitoring, we can quickly trace incidents and coordinate with bus companies and authorities for apprehension,” she said, citing a past incident where coordination led to the arrest of a suspect along the highway.

Usop lauded Dabawenyos for their cooperation and discipline.

“We appreciate our passengers for being disciplined. Whether there are many passengers or not, they continue to follow safety guidelines,” she said.

DCOTT operates 24 hours daily and serves 21 bus companies for both the northbound and southbound routes, including major operators. CIO

04/08/2025

Here’s a cool piece of trivia for today in Philippine history:

On August 4, 1851, the El Banco Español Filipino de Isabel II was officially established. This bank later became the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)—making it the first bank in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Its original office was located in Intramuros, Manila, and it played a major role in shaping the country’s financial system.

💰 So next time you pass by a BPI branch, you’re looking at a piece of living history that’s been around for over 170 years!

04/08/2025

🎸 "Wind of Change" by Scorpions is more than just a rock ballad—it’s a time capsule of hope and transformation. Released in 1991, the song was written by lead vocalist Klaus Meine after the band’s visit to Moscow during the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989. That experience, set against the backdrop of the Cold War’s final days, inspired lyrics that captured the spirit of political and social change sweeping through Eastern Europe.

🌍 The song’s iconic whistled intro and evocative lines like “I follow the Moskva down to Gorky Park, listening to the wind of change” reflect a yearning for unity and peace. It became an anthem for the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, symbolizing a new era of international brotherhood.

📀 With over 14 million copies sold, it’s one of the best-selling singles of all time, and the most successful single ever by a German artist. The band even presented a gold record and royalties to Mikhail Gorbachev to support children’s hospitals in the USSR.

29/05/2025

PUBLIC ADVISORY

In light of the recent reported cases of MPOX (Monkeypox) within the Davao Region, the Office of the Executive Judge of RTC XI – Davao City has issued a memorandum mandating the strict wearing of face masks within the Hall of Justice.

This directive applies to all employees, clients, and visitors effective immediately.

Let us all cooperate and take this precaution seriously for everyone’s health and safety. Please wear your mask properly at all times while inside the premises.

Stay safe, Davao! 💚

28/05/2025

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

18/05/2025

Good morning. Happy Monday! ☺️

12/05/2025

ATM: Explosive eruption happening at Kanlaon Volcano, according to PHIVOLCS.

11/05/2025