Author: Nouman Ali

Fresh off the box office hit ‘The Loved One,’ screenwriter and director Irene Emma Villamor returns with her latest offering, ‘Midnight Girls,’ starring Jodi Sta. Maria, Sanya Lopez, Jane Oineza, and Loisa Andalio. The film is a huge departure for Villamor, whose filmography is rife with stories revolving around the complex nature of love. From ‘Camp Sawi’ to ‘The Loved One,’ Villamor had always looked at the price of romance-especially in films like ‘Sid and Aya: Not a Love Story,’ ‘Ikaw at Ako at ang Ending,’ and ‘The Loved One’-where she argues that economics, politics, and society are of vital consequence to love and being in love.

‘Midnight Girls’ strays away from the central themes in most of Villamor’s filmography as she sets her camera on the bonds of sisterhood formed in a small community of Filipina hostesses in Japan. It’s an OFW story that centers on a different kind of love-that of family, both chosen and by blood.

Discussed, implied, but never shown

The four actresses represent the different struggles of the Filipina OFW in an exploitative industry. Sta. Maria’s Vicky has left her son in the Philippines and only communicates with him via video call on the phone. She provides for him, her grandmother, and other family members. Lopez plays Paris, who must navigate the difficulties of falling in love with a native, who may take her off her path. Meanwhile, Oineza plays Saki, who is struggling with the nature of the work while confused about her own gender identity.

And Andalio plays the latest arrival, Wanna, who is taken under the wing of the three older women and learns about the hardships of the work.

These hostesses, more popularly known as ‘japayuki’ (though I’m wary of using the term), work in bars and serve as companions for locals and tourists-mostly the former-and entertain them, getting them to order more drinks in exchange for large tips.

The film tells us that the clients have a ‘no touch’ policy, but we see it broken over and over as the girls and their patrons get comfy, seated beside each other and sharing drinks. This is Villamor’s approach to the story-the exploitation is discussed, implied, but never shown. But what is in full view here is the women’s humanity: The moments are spent showing them endure and persevere through their work-often questioned by people around them, and even sometimes themselves-and anchoring the narrative on why they do what they have to do.

Villamor is working hard to give these girls dignity and agency, presenting the film as a slice-of-life, rather than a plot-driven story. She carefully builds these women’s stories and amplifies the bonds that are formed from sharing these struggles.

Loisa andalo

Loisa Andalo in ‘Midnight Girls’

Immersing in the world

During a special screening leading up to the film’s opening in May, I had a chance to talk to Villamor about the film. She told me that they had spent a lot of time in Nagoya, Japan, interviewing the hostesses to gather their stories.

‘We were able to build other stories,’ she tells me, ‘and we gave them all to the producers-and this is what they chose. I was so happy it was this one that they gave the go signal to.’ She was happy because they chose the ensemble piece, which is something she really wanted to do. She calls out Marilou Diaz Abaya’s ‘Moral’ as her inspiration, and I can see it in the narrative structure and its elements.

When asked if it was hard shifting her lens to a different kind of story, Villamor says, ‘Yes! Kasi hindi siya ‘yung comfort zone ko-‘yung love story-at nakaka-challenge kasi nag-iisip pa rin ako ng panibagong love story.’

And this time, the focus is on love for family and the bonds of sisterhood. She claims that she had asked the universe for the chance to exercise her directing skills in another genre-and she truly was able to.

Women with agency

When I tell her about how the film never felt exploitative to me, she shares an anecdote about coming home after the one-month shoot-several days of immersion for the cast, 13 days of shooting-and where, during editing, she realized that the film had no sex scenes or scenes of abuse or the exploitation that is talked about by the characters.

‘Tama ba ‘yung ginawa ko?’ she questions, but because of the absence, the film now begins a dialogue with so many other previous Filipino films about OFW workers and the abuse and exploitation that they have received in their work. The absence is instantly filled by our own collective imagination of all the things we’ve seen on the news, on social media, and all the prior films that came before. ‘Midnight Girls’ ends up presenting us with the other side of the story.

Lopez, during the talk back, shared that this film does not present these women as victims. She emphasizes that the women are portrayed with agency, which elevates them from the usual representation.

Immersing themselves in the role

Sta, Maria reveals that she had studied extensively in preparation for the role-read articles and books on transnationalism and really engaged with the women whose lives were the basis for the characters on screen-and she adds that the women were present during filming, guiding them through the entire shoot so they could really represent them as accurately as possible.

They even had a translator on set, and the actors had to learn to speak Nihonggo for their scenes-most challenging for Sta. Maria, Lopez, and Oineza-as their characters have been living them for many years, and the delivery had to represent that.

But after all that practice, the moment the scene is done and they move off to the next, both Sta Maria and Lopez admit that they forgot the lines immediately.

A different kind of OFW story

Shot entirely in Nagoya, Japan, ‘Midnight Girls’ takes the expectations that are attached to the Filipina hostess in Japan and turns them on their head.

It never judges its characters-no matter how hard some characters judge them-but seeks to identify the social structure of the system that demands these kinds of sacrifices to be made. This is something that drew Sta Maria to the project-about how the film implicates how our own society and government have made these efforts necessary, by splitting families apart and building new homes in foreign lands.

The spectacle in the film is not the exploitation or the abuse but the bonds of the chosen family that help keep these women afloat. While the film has its dramatic moments, the most visually striking images are of how these women keep themselves together through the toughest events possible and the eventual reveal of their vulnerability.

Several boxes were allegedly brought for former Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr., Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, and ex-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Manuel Bonoan, a witness told the Sandiganbayan on Thursday.

Vergel Niño Garcia, a former driver and aide of state witness and ex-DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, made the revelation during the anti-graft court’s Third Division’s bail hearing for the malversation case of Revilla and several of his co-accused.

Revilla, Estrada, and Bonoan are respondents for plunder cases, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Garcia also said he allegedly delivered similar boxes and suitcases intended for late DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina ‘Cathy’ Cabral, former Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, a certain ‘Carleen Villa,’ and a building in Manila.

This information was gleaned after a series of questions from Associate Justice Karl Miranda, who is the Third Division chairperson.

However, Garcia said he personally did not know that the ‘maleta’ and boxes contained cash, which he only learned when the investigation into flood control anomalies began.

During the deliveries, he told the court that the boxes were sealed and the suitcases were locked, and he did not open them.

It was also Bernardo who told Garcia that the boxes were intended for senators, DPWH officials, and other personalities.

Garcia said he delivered 12 boxes intended for Revilla in the ‘White House’ in Cavite in February 2025.

In November 2024, Garcia said he delivered 12 boxes intended for Estrada at the ‘Artiaga Building’ in San Juan. Garcia said he personally saw Estrada during the delivery.

For Bonoan, he said he delivered a total of 55 boxes: 15 boxes at a posh hotel in Manila in November 2024; 20 boxes at a certain location in March 2025; and another 20 boxes at a restaurant in Tomas Morato St. in Quezon City in June 2025. Garcia said these boxes were allegedly received by Bonoan’s driver, whom he identified as a certain ‘Joni.’

He also said he delivered boxes for Cabral twice in 2023: one paper bag in her residence in ‘Tatalon’ in Quezon City, and one ‘smaller’ box in the parking area of Quirino Grandstand, during which Cabral’s driver fetched the package while the late undersecretary was present during the transaction.

As for Olaivar, Garcia said the former DepEd official personally received the boxes and luggage from him. In total, Garcia said Olaivar has received 15 boxes and four pieces of luggage across three deliveries between 2023 and 2024.

Meanwhile, Garcia said that Villa received eight boxes from him personally in January 2025.

Garcia also said he delivered six boxes in a building in Manila ‘in first quarter of 2025.’ However, Garcia said Bernardo did not tell him for whom the delivery was.

Associate Justice Ronald Moreno asked Garcia: ‘Did you not wonder or worry that the boxes contain illegal items?’

‘No, your honor,’ Garcia said.

‘I trust that he would not put me in jeopardy,’ he said of Bernardo.

Inquirer has reached out to Bonoan and Estrada but has yet to respond as of posting time.

An outright downgrade of the Philippine sovereign credit rating is unlikely unless the war in the Middle East drags on, Nomura Global Markets Research said, adding that growth should rebound as the government accelerates spending.

In a note, Nomura economists Euben Paracuelles and Nabila Amani said the country’s fiscal risks are more manageable than those facing many of its peers that are also under ratings pressure.

On Monday, Fitch Ratings revised its outlook on the Philippines to ‘negative’ from ‘stable,’ signaling that the country’s investment-grade ‘BBB’ rating could be downgraded within one to two years if fiscal conditions fail to improve.

The move followed last week’s setback, when S and P Global Ratings cut its outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘positive,’ dimming hopes that the country could soon secure its first-ever ‘A’ rating from one of the three major credit rating agencies.

Fitch’s rating stands one notch below S and P’s ‘BBB+,’ itself one step short of the coveted ‘A’ level.

Explaining their actions, both agencies pointed to the same challenge: The Philippine government, still reeling from the fallout of a major corruption scandal that paralyzed public spending, is confronting an oil shock with diminished fiscal buffers.

‘As we argued before, a shift to a negative outlook, much less a rating downgrade, by S and P, is unlikely over the next few months, even with its higher credit rating, and we believe it will be the same for Fitch, unless the crisis becomes is significantly prolonged,’ Paracuelles and Amani said.

Review cycle

‘By the next review cycle (which is usually 12 months, unless there are significant developments that warrant an earlier review), the main factors cited by Fitch for a downgrade will likely show some improvements, in our view,’ they added.

Moody’s Ratings, the third major agency, has yet to announce a rating action. But in an April 14 credit opinion, it warned that the conflict in the Gulf region has increased downside risks to the Philippines’ economic outlook by lifting global energy prices and intensifying external cost pressures.

A rating downgrade could mark the country’s first since 2005, when political turmoil and fiscal instability eroded the Philippines’ credit standing.

A lower rating could raise the government’s borrowing costs at a time when it is running a budget deficit to finance development spending.

Infrastructure spending

But looking ahead, Nomura said gross domestic product growth should rebound as the government implements catch-up infrastructure spending and as terms-of-trade pressures ease. This assumes that a US-Iran deal could be made.

The bank forecasts 2026 growth at 5 percent-above Fitch’s 4.6 percent-even after trimming its own projection from 5.3 percent to reflect the energy price shock.

‘We still think the government has a limited appetite to implement blanket fuel subsidies that tend to be difficult to unwind,’ Nomura said. ‘Therefore, the medium-term fiscal consolidation agenda is unlikely to be derailed, even if implemented more gradually to recalibrate for the external shock and evolving domestic economic conditions, in our view.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD) on Thursday warned residents of dangerous heat levels after the heat index in Calapan reached 43 degrees Celsius.

A day before, the heat index in the city was at 42°C.

In an advisory issued at 11 a.m. on Thursday, the CDRRMD said the heat index, recorded at the Calapan City Public Market monitoring station, is under the ‘danger’ classification.

At this level, prolonged exposure to extreme heat may cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke, especially among vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

Authorities urged the public to take preventive measures to avoid heat-related illnesses, including drinking plenty of water, avoiding direct sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and wearing light and breathable clothing.

Residents were also advised to limit outdoor and strenuous activities during peak heat hours.

The CDRRMD reminded the public to remain vigilant as high temperatures continue to affect parts of the country, and to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms of heat-related illnesses occur.

Two Philippine beach volleyball pairs will be facing formidable opponents in group play at the start on Thursday of the sixth Asian Beach Games at Sanya Bay here.

The ninth-seeded women’s pair of Sunny Villapando and Grydelle Joanice Matibag will be campaigning in Pool H alongside Mongolia, Macau and Kazakhstan, while the 10th-ranked Khylem Progella-Sofia Pagara pair plays in Pool G against Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Macau.

Team PH will not be represented in the men’s division, even as 1,790 athletes from 45 member countries of the Olympic Council of Asia are competing in the Games, which officially opened on Wednesday at Sanya International Sports Park.

The beach volleyball tournament features eight pools each in the men’s and women’s divisions, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds.

China parades formidable tandems, including Beach Pro Tour Haikou champions Dong Jie and Jiang Kaiyue in Pool A, while Japan’s Ren Matsumoto and Non Matsumoto headline Pool B. China’s Zhou Mingli and Kadeliye Halaiti, runners-up in Haikou, are drawn in Pool C.

Also competing in the women’s field are teams from Chinese Taipei, Lebanon, Malaysia, Syria, Maldives, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

Philippines-Shaina Nitura is set to become Adamson’s first-ever Most Valuable Player in UAAP women’s volleyball history.

For her all-around brilliance on both offense and defense, Nitura finished the race for MVP award of Season 88 with 98.511 statistical points (SP), 16 points ahead of runner-up and teammate Frances Mordi, who tallied 82.766 SP.

The 21-year-old outside spiker led the league in scoring for the second straight year, producing 284 points built on 248 attacks, 24 blocks, and 12 aces in Season 88. She also powered the Lady Falcons to their first Final Four appearance in three years.

Nitura ranked third in spiking efficiency with a 38.15 percent success rate and seventh in service with an average of 0.26 aces per set. The Season 87 Rookie of the Year also placed fourth in receptions with a 44.48 percent efficiency and eighth in digging with 2.11 digs per set.

Adamson is now waiting in the stepladder quarterfinals, where it will face the winner of the University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University playoff match this Saturday.

La Salle Lady Spikers’ Angel Canino and Adamson Lady Falcons’ Shaina Nitura after a game in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament.

La Salle Lady Spikers’ Angel Canino and Adamson Lady Falcons’ Shaina Nitura after a game in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Nitura will also secure her first Best Outside Spiker award with 303 ranking points (RP), while La Salle’s Angel Canino will take the other outside hitter spot with 272 RP. Canino’s strong bid was fueled by her second-best 39.06 percent spiking efficiency and third-best 45.89 percent reception rate.

Lady Spikers captain Shevana Laput will claim her second straight Best Opposite Spiker recognition after finishing with 188 RP, highlighted by a 36.55 percent spiking success rate (sixth in the league) and 0.65 blocks per set (fifth overall).

The Best Middle Blockers awards remain unchanged for a second consecutive season, with La Salle’s Amie Provido (206 RP) and University of the Philippines’ Niña Ytang (181 RP) set to retain their titles.

Provido led the league in blocking with 43 total blocks and a 0.83 average per set, while Ytang ranked third with 35 total blocks and a 0.67 average. Ytang, who is set to receive a record fourth straight nod, was also the highest-scoring middle blocker with 172 points from 126 attacks, 35 blocks, and 11 aces.

Adamson’s Fhei Sagaysay will be named Best Setter, while National University’s Shaira Jardio will be honored as Best Libero to complete the major individual awards.

Sagaysay collected 247 RP behind her second-best 4.94 excellent sets per set and league-best 22 aces on a 0.47 average per set while Jardio finished with 238 RP after leading both the digging (3.96 per set) and reception (58.54 percent efficiency) categories.

Sam Cantada will be named Rookie of the Year after finishing sixth in statistical points with 66.786. She ranked second in aces with a 0.41 average per set, seventh in spiking with a 35.36 percent success rate, and seventh in receptions with a 37.9 percent efficiency.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) welcomed the appointment of former Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation and unity.

‘We recognize an opportunity in his appointment for the substantial fulfillment of the CAB (Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro) and building the foundations of peace in the Bangsamoro,’ Mohagher Iqbal, MILF vice chair, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Iqbal said the MILF also expressed its gratitude to the contributions of former presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. in the country’s peace efforts. Galvez took the post in 2018 after retiring from military service.

‘General Galvez has not merely been an official, but a partner to the MILF in the critical years of [CAB] implementation,’ he said.

Iqbal, who led the MILF in political negotiations with the government, noted that during the tenure of Galvez, the Mindanao peace process witnessed historic achievements like the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law and beginning the work on decommissioning.

‘Harder work’

‘What remains is the harder, less visible work: completing normalization, building fiscal and governance capacity in the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), ensuring that the Bangsamoro’s first parliamentary elections strengthen rather than fracture democratic legitimacy, and delivering development that reaches the communities most affected by decades of conflict,’ he said.

And for Iqbal and the MILF, this is where the new peace adviser fits in.

‘This is civilian work. It requires the kind of governance experience that Secretary Sarmiento brings-his understanding of municipal administration, regional development coordination, and national government and BARMM intergovernmental work,’ Iqbal said.

The Senate’s preparations for a possible impeachment trial would help ensure the smooth handling of the case against Vice President Sara Duterte, allowing proceedings to move in an orderly manner and without delay should it be elevated, House Deputy Speaker Janette Garin said on Thursday.She welcomed the Senate’s readiness and the arrangements being made to tackle the potential trial as the House committee on justice is set to conclude its proceedings on April 29.

‘Preparations at this stage help ensure that our institutions are ready to carry out their respective roles under the Constitution,’ Garin said in a statement.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Tuesday that the Senate may convene as an impeachment court as early as May 4, when Congress resumes from its six-week break, should the articles of impeachment against Duterte be sent to the chamber.

On Wednesday, the House committee on justice held its third session to assess whether the complaints against Duterte have merit and whether probable cause has been established based on the accusations.

‘The House is doing the work of building the record, carefully and within the rules,’ Garin said.

Disclosures by the AMLC and the Office of the Ombudsman during Wednesday’s hearing may add pressure on Duterte, who faces impeachment efforts over allegations of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds and amassing wealth beyond what her income would have allowed.

Also included are accusations that Duterte plotted to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, while also alleging she conspired to destabilize the government.

‘We are confident that the next stage, should it be reached, will likewise be guided by the Constitution and by the shared responsibility to ensure that the process remains fair, transparent, and credible,’ Garin said.

She said the proceedings are not aimed at presuming that Duterte’s guilty of the impeachment charges.

‘The goal is not to prejudge any party, but to allow the process to unfold in the proper forum where facts can be tested and clarified,’ Garin said.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) threw its support behind the possible lifting of the moratorium on new coal-fired power plants, which it said could be an ‘essential bridge’ to keep businesses running amid the energy crisis.

‘Our economy cannot run on uncertainty,’ PCCI president Ferdinand Ferrer said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘While the transition to renewable energy remains our long-term goal, our immediate priority must be the stability and affordability of our power grid.’

This comes after Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the Department of Energy is open to revisiting the 2020 ban, particularly amid surging fuel prices amid tensions in the Middle East, which had prompted the Philippines to declare an energy emergency.

‘Pragmatic solution’

PCCI, the country’s largest business group, said the move could serve as a ‘temporary and pragmatic’ step to stabilize supply, even as the country continues to scale up renewable energy capacity.

Any policy shift, it added, should not derail long-term clean energy goals but instead act as a bridge to address immediate needs.

‘This is not about choosing between coal and renewables, it is about ensuring the lights stay on, businesses remain competitive and households are protected from rising costs,’ said David Chua, director for energy at PCCI.

Call for ‘policy flexibility’

PCCI cited three key pressures behind the need for policy flexibility: the need for steady baseload power as manufacturing expands; persistently high electricity rates that blunt competitiveness; and exposure to swings in global oil and gas prices.

As such, the group said any new coal capacity should use high-efficiency technologies and form part of a broader transition plan.

It also urged the government to expand natural gas and liquefied natural gas, while accelerating renewables, energy storage and grid modernization.

‘We must be flexible enough to adapt our policies to the realities of 2026,’ Ferrer said. ‘Lifting this moratorium provides the essential bridge we need to keep the lights on and the factories running while we continue to build our renewable capacity.’

Arah Panique redeemed herself by leading National University to the No.2 spot ahead of the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball stepladder semifinals, anchoring the defending champion’s five-set comeback against University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Last Sunday, Panique’s costly net fault sealed La Salle’s five-set win to complete a 14-game sweep and clinch an outright Finals berth, sending the rest of the field into a stepladder.

The senior opposite spiker admitted she blamed herself for the crucial error.

‘I couldn’t help but blame myself before because it really was my fault,’ said Panique in Filipino. ‘So this game, I just gave my best to make up for the team and to help us secure that No. 2 spot so we won’t have a harder path and can also get some rest.’

‘I think we all know we could’ve won that game. We just fell short in closing it out. It also comes down to how we play together as a team,’ she added.

Against UST on Wednesday, Panique unleashed 24 points off 21 kills, two blocks, and an ace to help save NU from a two-set deficit en route to the 19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 15-13 win.

‘For me, the main thing was to bounce back from our last loss. That’s really what motivated us. We’re also happy because you can really see our team effort and teamwork in this game,’ she said.

NU finished the elimination round with a 10-4 record and will have enough time to prepare for the last phase of the stepladder, where the finals berth against unbeaten La Salle is at stake.

UST and Far Eastern University will fight for the last semis berth on Saturday, with the winner taking on Adamson next on April 29.