DepEd urges campus journalists at 2026 NSPC to stand for truth

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 





ORMOC CITY, 14 April 2026 — The Department of Education (DepEd) urged campus journalists during the opening of the 2026 National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) to remain steadfast in pursuing truth and accountability, even as artificial intelligence reshapes the media landscape.



This year’s NSPC, organized by DepEd in collaboration with the Local Government of Ormoc City, opened on Monday with a call for young journalists to take on a more critical role in combating misinformation and disinformation.



“Now more than ever, the role of the student-journalist is vital, for they are called to lead in fact-checking and to stand as defenders of verified, credible, and truthful information for the public,” said DepEd Undersecretary for Learning Systems Strand Carmela Oracion, who represented Education Secretary Sonny Angara in this year’s gathering.



Oracion also highlighted how the speed of information today has increased both opportunity and risk.



She stressed the importance of principled journalism in shaping public understanding, urging student-journalists to uphold accuracy and integrity.



Meanwhile, broadcast journalist and keynote speaker Atom Araullo emphasized the deeper purpose of journalism in his address to more than 3,400 delegates from 18 regions gathered at the Ormoc City Superdome.



“Ang journalism ay hindi isang competition. Ito ay isang serbisyo. Kapag may sakuna, may eleksyon, may katiwalian, kailangan may magsabi ng totoo,” Araullo said.



He also underscored the limits of emerging technologies in news work.



“AI can generate content, but it cannot pursue the truth,” he added.



This year’s NSPC, themed “Mapanuri, Mapanindigan, at Mapanagutang Pamamahayag,” features competitions in writing, visual journalism, and broadcast and multimedia, reflecting the evolving demands of the profession.



These include news, feature, editorial, sports, science and technology, and column writing, as well as copyediting and headline writing, photojournalism, editorial cartooning, radio and TV broadcasting, online publishing, and mobile journalism.



The conference serves not only as a venue for competition but also as a platform to reinforce the role of campus journalism in nation-building.

EcoWaste Coalition Shares Tips to Manage Heat as Mercury Rises

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

14 April 2026, Quezon City. With temperatures hitting dangerous levels, the environmental watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition has listed practical tips to keep your bodies and homes cool and safe, and manage extreme heat risks.

Echoing the advice from the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the EcoWaste Coalition shared heat stress avoidance tips to beat the intense summer heat. Taking a cue from the viral upbeat song "Hawak mo ang Beat," the group said, "kakayanin ang heat" by staying cool and safe.

Here are some ideas to keep your body cool and safe during the sizzling summer:

1. Drink water proactively to stay cool and prevent dehydration.
2. Carry a refillable water bottle wherever you go to stay hydrated and cut down on plastic waste.
3. Avoid alcoholic, caffeinated, and sugary drinks as they can exacerbate dehydration.
4. Choose hydrating snacks like fresh, water-rich fruits in season over fatty, salty, and sweet processed snacks.
5. Eat light and smaller meals to keep body temperature down.
6. Stay out of direct sunlight during the hottest time of the day, usually between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.
7. Be aware of your body's limits and stay out of the heat to reduce risks.
8. Seek shade and cover up with a bandana, hat, umbrella, or “Good Morning” towel if you must go outside. Bring a pamaypay (fan).
9. Wear breathable, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothes.
10. Wear UV-protective sunglasses to reduce glare and protect your eyes from sun damage.
11. Be alert to symptoms of heat exhaustion, and seek help when feeling unwell.
12. Apply a cold, damp cloth on your forehead, neck, and underarms for instant relief.
13. Avoid, if not quit, smoking and/or vaping as nicotine and other chemicals can increase body strain, raising the risk of heat-related ailments.
14. Inhale-exhale to cool down and lessen stress.
15. Keep a calm, joyful, and positive mindset to reduce summer irritability and avoid stress.

And to keep your home cool amid the sweltering heat, try these tips:

1. Keep windows open if appropriate and safe to allow continuous air circulation, but use light curtains or blinds when there is direct sunlight. Screened windows are ideal to improve airflow while preventing mosquitoes.
2 Coat your roof with lead-safe white paint to deflect the sunlight and lower indoor temperatures.
3. Spend more time downstairs, farther from the roof.
4. Tidy up your home of non-essential things that consume space and block the air.
5. Use indoor plants to enhance air quality and cool the indoor environment.
6. Maximize use of natural light; turn off unnecessary lights and appliances as these emit heat and cause indoor temperature rise.
7. Point portable fans toward windows or doors to purge trapped heat, creating a cooler environment.
8. Schedule heat-generating chores such as cooking and ironing in early morning or at night, and avoid doing them during peak heat hours when possible.
9. Use gray water to clean or cool outdoor surfaces.
10. Keep the air clean by not burning waste. Segregate at source, repair, reuse, recycle, and compost instead.

Weather experts have warned that dangerous heat index levels will persist across the Philippines throughout April-May 2026.

Smoke over the Shoreline: The Battle for the Navotas Landfill

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

 

The skyline of Navotas is currently defined by a grim, towering plume of smoke—a stark reminder of the volatile crisis unfolding at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill Facility (NSLF). As fire crews battle the stubborn blaze, a complex narrative of corporate responsibility, legal transitions, and environmental safety is surfacing from the haze.

At the center of the storm is San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI). While the company has mobilized a massive relief operation, it finds itself in the delicate position of being the property’s legal owner while distancing itself from the operational failures that may have led to this disaster.

A Call to Arms: SMAI’s Emergency Response

In a race against time and toxicity, SMAI has unleashed a formidable fleet of heavy equipment, barges, and tankers to the site. Their objective is clear: contain the fire and safeguard the surrounding communities.

Working in lockstep with local authorities and government agencies, the company’s intervention has been swift. Yet, as the embers fly, a crucial question lingers: How did a facility destined for closure become a flashpoint for such a crisis?

The Tug-of-War: Ownership vs. Operation

To understand the fire, one must look back to 2023. Through a court-approved expropriation, SMAI officially acquired the land. However, out of a stated concern for Metro Manila’s precarious waste disposal system, SMAI did not immediately take physical control.

The timeline of the facility’s management reveals a tangled web of transitions:

August 2025: The concession agreement between the Navotas City Government and the operator, Phil Ecology Systems Corp. (PhilEco), officially expired.

August 2025 – February 2026: Despite the expired agreement, PhilEco continued to occupy the site.

February 2026: SMAI finally entered the area to begin a formal transition.

SMAI is now making its stance clear: Ownership does not equal operational liability. While SMAI holds the deed, they assert that the responsibility for the site’s "safe closure and rehabilitation" rested squarely on the shoulders of the former operator.

The Closure That Never Came

The crux of the controversy lies in the Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan. Under Republic Act No. 9003 (the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act) and the facility’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), the operator is legally bound to decommission the site safely once operations cease.

According to SMAI, PhilEco occupied the area post-expiration but failed to implement these vital safety protocols. This lack of rehabilitation created a "ticking time bomb" scenario—a landfill full of combustible materials without the necessary safeguards to prevent or suppress a deep-seated fire.

"PhilEco remains responsible for complying with its obligations under the ECC... including the implementation of the Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan," SMAI stated in a clarifying release.

Looking Ahead: Safety in the Aftermath

As the fire continues to be managed, the focus remains on public health. Landfill fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish, often burning deep beneath the surface and releasing hazardous fumes into the air.

For SMAI, the immediate priority is the containment of the blaze. But once the smoke clears, the legal and environmental fallout will likely spark a broader conversation about corporate accountability and the oversight of waste management transitions in the Philippines.

For now, the heavy equipment continues to roar, and the tankers continue to pour—a desperate effort to quench a fire that began long before the first spark was ever seen.