Author: Nouman Ali

National University clinched the No. 2 seed and a crucial bye in the first round of the step-ladder after rallying past University of Santo Tomas, 19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 15-13, in the final elimination round playdate of UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

In finishing second behind outright finalist La Salle, the defending champions also gained a prolonged break as the Golden Tigresses dropped into a tie for fourth spot with Far Eastern at 8-6 and both will figure in a KO duel for the right to play third-ranked Adamson in another you-or-me match.

That means more than a week of rest and recalibration-with the battle for the second title series slot slated for May 2-for the Lady Bulldogs, who are coming off two five-set games, the other a heartbreaking setback to the Lady Spikers over the weekend.

The Lady Bulldogs willed their way back from a two-set deficit, riding the troika of Arah Panique, rookie Sam Cantada and the seasoned Vange Alinsug, before National U wrapped it all up when Angge Poyos sent an off-pace spike wide when the pressure was at its highest.

Alinsug then promptly drilled the game-winning kill.

‘I’m very proud, not just of this game, but even the last one. Even when we lost, we gave everything,’ said NU coach Regine Diego. ‘From that point, I knew these girls would play their best because we’ve already seen what we’re capable of.

‘We proved we can fight until the end.’

Panique led NU with 24 points built on 21 attacks, two blocks and an ace, while Cantada delivered 20 points, 17 excellent receptions and nine digs as the Lady Bulldogs closed out the eliminations at 10-4.

Alinsug added 13 points and 10 digs. Chams Maaya chipped in nine points, highlighted by three aces in the fourth set that sparked the comeback.

‘This experience showed me that the team is still developing, [and] they’re improving every day,’ Diego continued. ‘These players aren’t made yet, they’re still gaining experience. But you can really see how fast they’re growing with every game.

‘A lot of challenges’

‘It hasn’t been easy, we’ve faced a lot of challenges and obstacles. But they’re much stronger now compared to our first game.’

Setter Lams Lamina orchestrated the offense with 24 excellent sets and five points, while libero Shaira Jardio anchored the floor defense with 33 excellent receptions and 16 digs.

Cramping up in the fifth set, Poyos still paced the Tigresses with 24 points, 15 receptions and nine digs, while Reg Jurado added 21 points and 16 digs. Jonna Perdido and Avril Bron contributed eight points each.

Santo Tomas libero Detdet Pepito impressed with 20 excellent receptions out of 22 attempts and 16 digs, but the Tigresses fell short in the deciding set after surrendering late momentum.

The Lady Tamaraws stayed alive in semifinal slot hunt after a come-from-behind 22-25, 23-25, 25-12, 25-21, 15-10 win over the also-ran Ateneo in the first game.

Far Eastern also came back from two sets down to finish with an 8-6 record and catch the Tigresses as Gerz Petallo led the comeback with 17 points, 16 digs and 11 excellent receptions. Kyle Pendon contributed 13 points off six blocks, five spikes and two aces.

There’s a saying that ‘one shouldn’t let a good crisis go to waste.’ Now is one of those times. We find ourselves in a crisis situation once again, this one triggered by a Middle East conflict thousands of miles away over which we have no connection or control. Under threat are over 2 million overseas Filipino workers and our oil supply, 95 percent of which is sourced from the region.

Oftentimes, in times of crisis, we resort to immediate measures and coping mechanisms, many of which are temporary. We tend to revert to normal policy and practice once the crisis abates. Shouldn’t we look at these times as an opportunity to install long-term, permanent solutions so we can avert future crises?

On the energy security front, the immediate concern is both the price of oil and its continued supply. Rising fuel prices and scarcity impact transport, food, electricity, and all activities that require energy. Our entire transport sector is dependent on oil as a fuel. Meanwhile, 60 percent of our electricity is sourced from coal (most of it imported), natural gas (15 to 18 percent), and renewables (20 to 25 percent). Aside from oil, prices for both coal and natural gas are on the rise.

While we are both oil-dependent and import-dependent, now may be a good time to accelerate structural shifts and policy changes to steer us in the direction of reducing these dependencies. To do that, we’ll need to have a convergence between our transportation and energy policies, plans, and infrastructure.

We can start by promoting the use of more electric vehicles (EVs) and active mobility (e.g., pedestrianization, cycling, etc.). Consumer interest in EVs is growing as a result of this fuel crisis, and EVs are already the fastest-growing segment of the automotive market. As the charging infrastructure is expanded, one can expect more EV growth.

But so much more can be done to promote EVs aside from passenger cars. We can, for instance, deploy more EV buses for mass transit and EV trucks for logistics and commercial delivery. EVs have already made their presence felt in the taxi industry. Can we eventually expand this to the jeepney and tricycle space? And for last-mile delivery, can motorcycles with swappable batteries be used instead of conventional motorcycles? All these technologies are already available. Passenger cars are available in both battery EV and plug-in hybrid EV models. Buses by Global Electric Transport/Comet and others run on electric engines. Cities like San Juan, Pasig, and Quezon City have already started EV shuttle bus systems. Mober delivery trucks handle home and commercial deliveries using their electric trucks. Meanwhile, the infrastructure for charging is rapidly expanding.

All this, of course, would not do anything to reduce oil dependency if EV charging continued using traditionally sourced electricity. To be truly green, we need to charge using renewable energy (RE). This is where energy policy fits in. Fortunately, the country has a policy and a plan for expanding the use of RE through its green energy auctions, green energy options program, and net metering schemes. Promoting large-scale RE as well as rooftop solar on a long-term and permanent basis will help improve our energy security picture. With the search and development of more indigenous energy sources, we could come up with a more balanced energy picture in the future.

Aside from the transport sector, another promising area for RE use lies in large estates and cities. Large estates with high electricity demand can use the Department of Energy’s green energy option to purchase electricity from their chosen RE supplier. So, too, can Philippine cities. One good example is Makati, which signed a nine-year contract with ACEN Corp. to provide RE power to city buildings. Makati owns over 150 buildings, and it calculates P300 million in savings for electricity and reduces carbon emissions by 289,885 metric tons. Aside from providing electricity, ACEN will also construct a network of EV chargers for the city to charge its fleet of e-jeepneys, e-buses, and e-shuttles. Quezon City is doing something similar by installing rooftop solar on its city-owned buildings, schools, and hospitals. These are great models for converging energy and transport policy, which enable cities to be more sustainable.

The Philippines has a total of 149 cities and over 1,500 municipalities across the country. Just think of the impact of having more cities run on RE.

The key is to think more long-term and strategically and get away from short-term crisis management, focusing only on solutions that fade away as a crisis abates. Whether we are looking at transportation and energy policy at a national level to urban planning solutions at the local government level, we need to set up institutions within government that take the long view and focus on eventual implementation. We should seriously consider some form of organizational structure that concentrates on getting things done.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Wednesday said increased seismic activity has been recorded at Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon.

Phivolcs issued the advisory after a total of 101 volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes were recorded in Bulusan since 4:50 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to Phivolcs, these VT events were generated by rock fracturing, which mostly originated within 2.5 kilometers beneath the northern edifice of Bulusan Volcano.

Meanwhile, Phivolcs noted that degassing activity from the summit crater and active vents has been ‘very weak to moderate,’ while volcanic sulfur dioxide emission has remained at low levels and averaged 75 tons/day as of April 9.

‘The increase in volcanic earthquake activity could indicate shallow hydrothermal processes beneath the volcano which could lead to steam-driven or phreatic eruptions at any of its summit vents,’ Phivolcs said.

With this, Phivolcs said Alert Level 1 or low-level unrest remains raised over Bulusan Volcano, with increased seismic activity signaling increased chances of phreatic eruptions from any of its summit vents.

Under this alert level, entry into the 4-kilometer radius permanent danger zone is prohibited, while the public is urged to exercise vigilance in the 2-kilometer extended danger zone in the southeast sector due to the possible impacts of volcanic hazards such as pyroclastic density currents or PDCs, ballistic projectiles, rockfall, avalanches, ashfall and others on these danger areas.

‘Communities west and downwind of the volcano are also advised to prepare for ashfall in case a phreatic eruption occurs, paying special attention to vulnerable members of the community including the elderly, expecting mothers, infants, and those with medical conditions,’ Phivolcs added.

People living within valleys and along river stream channels especially on the western sectors of the edifice, on the other hand, were told to be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows and lahars in the event of heavy and prolonged rainfall should phreatic eruption occur.

Furthermore, Phivolcs also called on civil aviation authorities to advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.

Globe Telecom Inc. bought back $426.42 million worth of its dollar-denominated perpetual capital securities following its tender offer, which formed part of its liability management program.

In a disclosure on Thursday, the Ayala-backed telco said the accepted tenders represented majority of the $600 million senior perpetual capital securities issued in 2021.

After the offer expired on April 22, about $173.58 million in principal amount of the securities would remain outstanding, Globe said.

Settlement of the accepted securities is expected by April 24.

This buyback comes as the company moves closer to redeeming the remaining balance of equity instruments, which carry an initial distribution rate of 4.2 percent.

Ukay-ukay has always been a great part of everyday life. For a long time, it has simply been a game of finding treasure: going into stores to find and buy clothes that were definitely more affordable than something you’d pick out at a mall. You go in to find racks and racks of clothes and pieces that were new to you, with price tags that weren’t so painful to look at.

This system hasn’t changed for a long time. But somewhere down the road, the appeal of ukay-ukay or thrifting expanded to more than just a lower price. It reached a newer, bigger demographic of creative and eco-conscious youth.

Unpredictability is part of the appeal

Now, people don’t only go to ukay out of necessity-they go because they want to. There’s something about it that feels therapeutic and feels different from regular shopping. It’s not predictable, it’s a little less polished, and a lot more personal.

What sets ukay-ukay apart is the way you move through everything. There’s no clear system, no guarantee of finding something specific. Sometimes the clothes are all packed tightly together, the styles overlap, and the sizing is iffy at best. It’s the kind of place where you have to be patient and go through everything thoroughly.

That unpredictability is part of the appeal, though. Finding something good looks completely different to everyone. So, it isn’t given that you’ll find something to your taste-but when you do, it feels more considered and intentional. A

‘tsamba’

comes down to the right place and the right time. And because of that, the pieces people end up with feel more personal.

A ‘tsamba’ comes down to the right place and the right time. And because of that, the pieces people end up with feel more personal

People aren’t dressing the same way anymore

This shift has also happened with what the rise in ukay-ukay means socially. It has changed the way people think about style and experimenting with new types of fashion. Because the pieces are affordable, there’s much less pressure to get them ‘right.’ You can always try something different, pick up something you won’t usually go for, and see how well it works for you.

Because the pieces are affordable, there’s much less pressure to get them ‘right.’ You can always try something different

It also means that people aren’t dressing the same way. Unlike mall brands and fast fashion companies, where trends are repeated across racks, ukay offers a mix of everything. You’ll see more personal styles and outfits that are put together in a way that reflects individual taste rather than what the current norm is.

At the same time, with the growing awareness of current eco-crises and environmental concerns, people are now more aware of how much they consume. Ukay fits into this shift perfectly, making being eco-conscious feel effortless. Buying secondhand and pre-loved clothes and extending their lives has become part of how people approach fashion-not in an overly conscious way, but as something that just makes sense.

Thrifting now also works as a kind of social space. It’s common to go with friends, looking through the racks together, asking for opinions, and doing a try-on haul at the changing rooms. In a way, it fills a gap. Nowadays, there aren’t many casual, low-cost places to just spend time in, especially for the younger people, and ukay doesn’t ask for much. You walk in, you browse, you chat, and spend your time creatively. It makes it easy to treat it as less of an errand and more of a fun pastime.

What makes it work is how low-pressure it is. There’s no expectation to buy anything, no rush to decide. That alone feels like the best part. It feels like slowing down and pausing in a world where hustle culture is extremely present.

What makes it work is how low-pressure it is. There’s no expectation to buy anything

READ MORE: The local creatives championing thrift shopping and sustainable fashion

Ukay is forever relevant

Ukay-ukay has even found its way to creating small businesses. Many online clothing shops now start the same way with pieces sourced from ukay, then resold with a bit more creativity. It’s less about changing the clothes and more about presenting them differently-making do with what you’re given, and building a style around it.

In that sense, the concept of ukay doesn’t just shape personal wardrobes. It feeds into how people approach the selling and styling of the clothes as well.

What people also look for tends to shift-one week it’s oversized jackets, the next it’s baby tees or cargos. And because of this cycle, ukay also follows this process. But instead of getting them directly from the store, people look for versions of them in ukay.

All of this happens without much structure. There’s no fixed way to approach it, no single reason people keep going back. Some go for practicality, some for style, some just to see what’s there. And that’s really what keeps ukay-ukay relevant. It works in different ways for different people, and it doesn’t try too hard to be anything more than that.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) hiked its policy interest rate by a quarter-point on Thursday, its first tightening move in more than two years, amid a war-driven inflation flare-up.

The decision of the BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board brought the key rate that guides bank lending costs to 4.5 percent.

‘The inflation outlook has deteriorated amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Higher global oil and fertilizer prices have begun feeding through to domestic fuel and food prices. At the same time, core inflation has continued to rise, pointing to a broadening of underlying price pressures,’ the BSP said in a statement.

The move was correctly predicted by 10 out of 16 economists polled by the Inquirer last week.

Higher borrowing costs are intended to prompt households to rein in spending, easing demand-driven price pressures but also cooling economic activity.

However, the Philippines-the first country to declare a national energy emergency amid Middle East turmoil-is grappling with supply-driven inflation after the war in the Middle East disrupted global oil exports.

The central bank earlier acknowledged that such challenges are not best addressed through rate hikes, which could also delay the economy’s recovery from the fallout of the flood control scandal.

Despite the limits to monetary policy, analysts have said raising rates could help anchor inflation expectations.

The Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has established satellite offices, funded by the European Union (EU), in Basilan and Tawi-Tawi to bring the government closer to its constituents there.

Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua inaugurated the satellite branches along with Governors Mujiv Hataman of Basilan and Ysmael Sali of Tawi-Tawi and other officials in the island-provinces on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Ambassador Massimo Santoro of the European Union Delegation in the Philippines (EU Philippines) joined the inauguration rites for the OCM satellite offices, which were constructed under the EU-funded Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) program.

‘Distance should not be a hindrance. Government service must be felt fast, efficient, and direct,’ Macacua posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon after inaugurating the facility in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.

Macacua expressed the Bangsamoro government’s gratitude to the EU for its continued support of the region and the Bangsamoro peace process.

He also acknowledged the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for helping bring the regional government closer to the two island provinces.

‘This effort strengthens governance and ensures that development reaches our communities,’ Macacua said.

In a statement, EU Philippines said the OCM satellite offices were designed to bring government services closer to the people.

Built with the help of local workers-including a majority of women engineers-this new office stands as a long-term investment in faster, more accessible, and more inclusive governance, it said following the inauguration in Basilan.

Santoro also visited Maluso town to witness firsthand how the EU’s Bangsamoro Agri-Enterprise Programme (BAEP) is transforming lives across communities – from fish processing to rubber farming and coffee production.

The seat of the Bangsamoro government is in Cotabato City, located in mainland Mindanao.

Besides Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, the Bangsamoro region also comprises the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Lanao del Sur, all in mainland Mindanao.

The BARMM was established in 2019 following the ratification of Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The creation of the Bangsamoro autonomous region is the centerpiece of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which was signed in 2014 by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front after 17 years of peace negotiations.

Four vendors were arrested on Wednesday after authorities seized more than 66 kilograms of puffer fish being sold at the public market in Nabua town in Camarines Sur.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Bicol (BFAR-5), in coordination with the Nabua police, inspected the public market at 6 a.m. This led to the arrest of the vendors for violating Fisheries Administrative Order No. 249, series of 2014, which bans the sale and distribution of puffer fish.

Wheng Bricia-Briones, BFAR Bicol information officer, said violators can be penalized with imprisonment from two months to a year, and a fine of not less than P10,000.

She said seven kilograms of puffer fish were worth P1,400; another seven kilograms were worth P1,540; 7.02 kilograms were worth P1,404; and 45 kilograms were seized, valued at P45,000.

Administrative charges will be filed against the four suspects.

The confiscated fish were brought to the BFAR regional office for proper disposition.

The agency reiterated its warning against the sale, whether fresh or processed, and consumption of pufferfish, locally known as ‘butete,’ citing its potent toxin that can cause serious illness or, worse, may lead to death.

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.

Since being appointed as Blackwater’s interim coach, Pat Aquino has given Sedrick Barefield all the green light he needed to shine.

On Wednesday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, that trust finally paid off with a 126-120 win over San Miguel Beer in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Barefield led all locals in the scoring column with 29 points to help the Bossing improve to a 2-6 card and more importantly, give Aquino his first dub as Blackwater’s tactician.

‘Coach Pat gives me the ultimate confidence but at the same time, he tells me how to be smart or when I need to be doing something better,’ said Barefield, who also had eight assists, seven rebounds and a steal.

‘I wasn’t necessarily shooting the ball well so it means a lot to me that he believed in me.’

Barefield struggled a bit, going 11-for-23 from the field, but import Robert Upshaw III was present to make up for it with a double-double of 35 points and 17 rebounds.

In three games under Aquino’s tutelage, Barefield wreaked havoc on offense with averages of 22.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds per outing.

‘His message was to believe, be confident and we kept fighting,’ Barefield said.

Aquino looks to see Barefield flourish even more under his system on Friday when the Bossing take on Barangay Ginebra at Araneta Coliseum.