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Despite struggling in her previous two outings, Erika Santos rediscovered her lethal offensive form just in time to save Cignal’s campaign in the 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference.

After dropping their first two games in Pool A of the import-spiced tournament, the Super Spikers finally lived up to their new moniker as Santos and company, despite having no reinforcement, barged into the win column by stunning the erstwhile-unbeaten PLDT High Speed Hitters, 25-17, 25-22, 25-21, on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The PVL On Tour MVP unloaded 17 points on a 17-of-36 spiking clip to end her former team PLDT’s 15-game winning streak, which stretched from its two title runs in the preseason and Invitational, even after the team parted ways with Greek import Eva Chantava.

On her 26th birthday, the rising PVL star followed it up with a 21-point performance to lift Cignal past Nxled, which drew 38 points from Paola Martinez, in a nail-biting five-setter, 25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 25-15, 16-14, to improve to a 2-2 record.

For her massive bounce-back showing after being quiet in their first two games, Santos was named the PVL Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live for the period of October 21 to 25.

‘Personally, we just tried to stay focused and composed. We didn’t dwell on the past games. If anything, those losses motivated us to be hungrier for a win,’ said the 5-foot-9 opposite spiker.

‘We were too stiff in the first two games. It was like we forgot who we were and what our strengths were. Our errors got the best of us, and we couldn’t move forward. We just put in the work and reflected on what we needed to improve,’ she added.

Santos became the first local player to win the weekly honor in the Reinforced Conference, which is deliberated by print and online reporters covering the league organized by Sports Vision. Akari import Annie Mitchem bagged the award the previous week.

The former La Salle Lady Spiker, who has found much success under Cignal, edged out imports Anna DeBeer of ZUS Coffee, Eli Rousseaux of Farm Fresh, Marlee Smith of Choco Mucho, Yuni Bautista of Chery Tiggo, and Lindsey Vander Weide of Petro Gazz, as well as PLDT’s Savi Davison, for the recognition.

In Cignal’s five-set escape of Nxled, Santos perfectly complemented new import Katrin Trebichavska of Slovakia, who fought off jet lag and unfamiliarity with the system to help secure the victory.

‘She really helps the team because she brings a light mood and is very explosive, which challenges us to match her energy. We’re thankful that she’s sharing her experience with us,’ said Santos.

Santos and the Super Spikers aim to finish the first round on a high note when they take on the Capital1 Solar Spikers on Friday at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

Carly Rae Jepsen and music producer Cole M.G.N. marked a new chapter in their relationship after three years of dating, as they said ‘I do’ at an intimate ceremony in New York.

Jepsen announced that she got married to M.G.N., whose real name is Cole Marsden Greif-Neill, on Instagram last October 4, weeks after their special day took place at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City.

The ‘Call Me Maybe’ hitmaker was a radiant bride throughout the ceremony, where she first donned a scoop-neck wedding dress by Toni Maticevski. She then changed into a frilly midi number by Danielle Frankel. Meanwhile, her groom was handsome in a cream and brown suit and tie.

‘Husband. That feels good to say. New York City ~Oct. 4th. Favorite day of my life,’ she captioned her post.

Jepsen also shared some of her favorite memories from her wedding, including behind-the-scenes photos of herself and M.G.N. getting ready and the interactions shared by their loved ones.

‘Thank you for this magic,’ she wrote while thanking their wedding suppliers.

Jepsen and M.G.N. first met at a songwriting session in May 2021, although they started dating a year later. The first song they wrote together was ‘No Labels I Love You,’ which was released in 2022.

The couple got engaged at the Hotel Castello di Reschio in Italy in September 2024.

Thresher sharks were spotted at the Sipaway Island Marine Protected Area (MPA) in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Saturday, August 25.

Their presence was captured in underwater videos by Lasse Gerres, Ronja Trbger, and the diving team from Whispering Palms/Sipaway Divers based in the city.

This is part of an assessment being conducted by Pacific Environment, a global organization working to protect the Pacific Ocean, combat the climate crisis, and advance environmental justice.

The divers from the organization were accompanied by personnel from the City Environment Management Office-Coastal Resources Management Division, the city government of San Carlos reported on its Facebook page on Sunday.

Thresher sharks are known to be a rare sight globally, which is why Malapascua Island in Cebu, where they have been spotted, has earned its reputation as a premier diving destination.

These sharks (Alopias spp.) are protected under Philippine laws under Republic Act 9147 (Wildlife Act) and Republic Act 8550 (Fisheries Code).

These laws help prevent overfishing and protect threatened marine species.

The San Carlos City post quoted the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as saying sharks play a key role in keeping our oceans healthy,

These sharks the help control fish populations, protect coral reefs and seagrass beds, improve fish genetics, and even support coastal economies through tourism, San Carlos City said.

Alec Stockton was red hot in Converge’s most recent win in the PBA Philippine Cup at the expense of Phoenix on Saturday night at Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.

The FiberXers notched their first win streak in the all-Filipino conference, thanks largely to Stockton’s efforts.

The young guard, though, deflected the credit to his teammates for finding him in his spots in the 125-108 win.

‘They were finding me. Without them, I wouldn’t be getting my shots, especially Juan (Gomez de Liaño), he was finding me out there,’ Stockton said. ‘We stuck to the system and the game plan to come out with the W.’

The Far Eastern University product finished with 22 points built on five triples, while his backcourt partner Juan Gomez de Liaño showed poise beyond his years with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Stockton’s stellar night also pushed Converge to a 3-1 start in the Philippine Cup.

Up next for the FiberXers is defending champion San Miguel Beer, and Stockton aims to replicate his performance against the Fuel Masters to try and topple the Beermen.

‘We’re going to try to double our efforts. They’re the past champions from the last conference, so we have to make sure we’re very ready for them,’ he said.

Converge faces the June Mar Fajardo-led San Miguel Beer next Sunday at the same venue.

The four-point effect just showed how important it could be in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Rain or Shine escaped Titan Ultra, 112-111, at Ynares Sports Center here courtesy of four free throws from Anton Asistio in the endgame on Sunday night.

When the Elasto Painters needed a three-pointer to tie the game at 111-all in the dying seconds, they went to Asistio, and he gave them more than what they needed.

‘We knew they were going to foul so we told them, when you’re about to feel you’re going to get fouled, you put up a shot,’ coach Yeng Guiao said. ‘That’s exactly what Anton did.’ The Giant Risers led by as much as 19 points before Rain or Shine’s gargantuan fourth quarter surge.

Titan Ultra was still up, 107-98, with 2:54 left after a four-point conversion by Calvin Abueva. But what had been their weapon earlier turned out to be their undoing in the end.

Buckets from Jhonard Clarito and Adrian Nocum cut the deficit to 111-108 with 4.3 seconds remaining, leaving the Elasto Painters with the possession and a chance to tie the game with a triple.

Asistio then found himself at the top of the key against Joshua Munzon, launched a shot, drew a foul and got sent to the line for four free throws.

He calmly drained all four to finish with 11 points and lift Rain or Shine to a 3-1 record.

Helping the guard out of Ateneo were Nocum and Santillan, who finished with 24 and 21 points, respectively. Gabe Norwood also had a double-double in the win with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The Giant Risers fell to their fourth straight loss, dropping to a 1-4 card for the conference, but not without the efforts of Abueva, who finished with a double-double of 31 points and 18 rebounds.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Preparedness Index places the Philippines below the global median in readiness for artificial intelligence.

The index measures digital infrastructure, human capital, innovation and regulation. The Philippines performs moderately in human capital but remains weak in infrastructure and innovation.

The IMF also estimates that about one-third of all Philippine jobs are highly exposed to automation or AI-related transformation.

Exposure does not mean certain displacement, but it shows how much of the country’s labor structure relies on tasks that machines can already learn.

The institutions that adapt quickly to this shift will convert exposure into productivity. Those that remain rigid will convert it into obsolescence.

Education sits at the center of institutional challenge

Comparative evidence from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Program for International Student Assessment (Pisa) and World Bank learning reports shows that Philippine schooling remains heavily based on memorization and test performance.

Pisa 2022 placed the Philippines near the bottom in reading, mathematics and science, all of which measure reasoning rather than recall.

The World Bank’s assessment of learning poverty confirms that while enrollment is high, comprehension and analytical ability lag behind. Rote learning produces graduates who are diligent and accurate but hesitant to improvise or reason under uncertainty.

The system rewards obedience to process rather than engagement with ideas.

These habits of rigidity extend beyond schools. They shape how the Philippines regulates its professions and, by extension, how it organizes its entire labor market.

The country’s laws and regulatory systems are resistant to the cross-pollination of ideas and practices across disciplines. To practice a profession, one must first complete a narrowly defined, practice-oriented degree such as accounting, customs administration or criminology, fields whose core competencies are often better learned through experience. Then comes a single national licensure examination that determines one’s right to practice. Passing rates are kept low in the name of preserving quality, rendering the training of those who fall short economically futile.

The pattern feeds on itself

Professions that do not yet have their own governing laws lobby for one in order to create new boundaries.

Environmental planning, for example, began as an interdisciplinary field open to architects, engineers, economists and geographers. Over time, legislative prescriptions narrowed their scope rather than widened their reach.

The same logic now influences education. Liberal arts and humanities courses are being trimmed to make way for technical units, as if the capacity to connect ideas across domains were a distraction rather than a source of creativity.

The intent to raise standards is legitimate. But the means by which the system pursues it may be counterproductive. The creation of specialized degrees, exclusive licenses and narrow practice laws achieves uniformity at the cost of flexibility.

Instead of viewing professional competence as a continuum of progression, the Philippines treats it as a binary. One is either qualified or not. Other countries take a more fluid approach, recognizing partial credentials, apprenticeship and modular advancement.

The Philippine model remains locked to a single, highly specific academic path.

Accounting: What rigidity looks like in practice

Accounting is among the most structured professions in the country, governed by Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order No. 27, Series of 2017.

When Salceda Research examined the approved curriculum subject by subject, a consistent pattern appeared. Roughly two-thirds of the coursework trains students in procedural or computational tasks such as financial reporting, cost accounting and taxation. Only one-third deals with interpretation, ethics or strategy.

These are the very areas least susceptible to automation, yet they receive the least instructional time.

The findings do not suggest that the degree has lost its purpose. They show that its strength, precision, has become its limitation. The discipline trains for exactness when the market now rewards interpretation.

Accounting, like most technical fields, is as much an art as it is a science. Its scientific side lies in method and measurement. Its artistic side lies in judgment, timing and intuition.

The more the curriculum drifts toward the former, the more it risks producing skills that AI can replicate.

Most model countries have already recognized this. In the United States, any bachelor’s degree qualifies for the Certified Public Accountant examination, provided the candidate completes the required accounting and business units.

In the United Kingdom, professional bodies such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Accountants accept graduates from any discipline, and vocational certificate holders can progress through modular examinations.

In India, the Institute of Chartered Accountants allows direct entry immediately after secondary school, integrating coursework and apprenticeship.

Singapore still prefers an accounting-related degree but recognizes bridging programs.

The Philippines stands almost alone in making a specific academic degree a mandatory prerequisite for licensure.

Resistance to cross-pollination of ideas: Broader consequences

By defining professions in increasingly narrow terms, the country has fragmented its labor force into isolated specializations.

Each field is walled off from others that could enrich it. The economy gains experts but loses integrators, professionals who can move laterally, synthesize perspectives and innovate.

The result is a service sector of narrowly trained specialists who are efficient within their niches, but struggle to collaborate on complex, multidisciplinary problems.

AI amplifies this weakness. It automates the routine and rewards the interpretive. What will distinguish the most resilient professionals are the capacities that resist codification, including ethical judgment, strategic thinking and foresight. These qualities make technical disciplines humanistic and transform skill into creativity.

Machines can execute procedures, but they cannot weigh fairness, anticipate consequence or connect insights across fields. Professions that isolate themselves from one another also isolate themselves from the capacity to learn.

Professional fortresses will fall-not because they are weak

They will fall because the foundations on which they stand have become too narrow to support renewal.

Standards should remain high, but the path to meeting them must widen.

The better alternative to exclusivity is progression, a continuum of learning that allows professionals to grow through experience, apprenticeship and reflection rather than through a single credential.

The economy will need professionals who can cross boundaries, not merely defend them.

In every field, mastery will depend less on the perfection of rules than on the art of judgment. -Contributed

‘Seasonal Adversities,’ a one-day show pairing the art of Pancho Alvarez and the poetry of Joel M. Toledo, has an online version worth checking out-both for its lyricism and activism.

‘Adversities’ draws its tone and texture from the natural and man-made calamities periodically shaping the Filipino experience, made starker these days by the public works corruption scandal.

The exhibit held on Oct. 19 at Alvarez’s Studio Maya in Quezon City can be seen at panchalvarez.com/seasonal-adversities, and is also presented as a book under the same title published by the University of Santo Tomas (UST).

Bellagio grant

The collaboration between the two artists owes much to the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) grant that they received in 2023 and sent them to Bellagio, the lakeside town in Italy’s northern region of Lombardy.

Toledo’s stay there was his second time. In 2011, he first availed himself of the monthlong fellowship, which is open ‘typically in February until March each year’ to as many as 100 artists worldwide.

A three-time Palanca awardee, Toledo was able to complete an earlier book of poetry, ‘Ruins and Reconstructions,’ through his 2011 fellowship.

He had submitted an initial batch of about 20 poems that were a ‘deep dive’ into tragedy, as he recalled-his mother’s death a year earlier and the larger tragedy of Tropical Storm Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) in 2009. Toledo recalled joining efforts at that time in his Quezon City neighborhood to provide aid and shelter to ‘friends and other residents who suddenly found themselves homeless.’

Toledo’s second residency in Bellagio was prompted by Alvarez, who was applying for a grant for the first time and had suggested to Toledo the idea of presenting a joint project.

The two further secured the required recommendations for their proposal from poets Eric Gamalinda, a past Bellagio alumnus, and Allan Pastrana.

Climate impacts have been a recurring theme in Toledo’s works, including ‘Adversities.’ ‘I do not necessarily think of myself as a full-fledged ‘ecopoet,” he said. ‘But this book is certainly guided by a swelling consciousness of and involvement in the issue of the climate crisis and other environmental concerns.’

Contemplative art

Perhaps there is no greater purpose for an artist than to respond to the times, as opposed to exploring one’s personal themes. Yet despite the shrillness today especially on social media, the poems and artworks by Toledo and Alvarez are more contemplative than indignant. This is also in keeping with the ruminative tone of much of Toledo’s poetry.

‘I could be the narrow plank/that leads to a new installation,’ he writes with vivid imagery in the poem ‘Difficult to Mean,’ which has the viewpoint of a debris that could have been an evacuee’s meager possessions.

Voice to the people

The same poem would also assume the perspective of the merciless weather itself. ‘I am the flooding in the highlands,’ declares the poem with bitter irony. ‘Ice-water, dark clouds in the summer./I need to be something you will notice.’

The most relatable perspective is that of the displaced, reeling from a storm: ‘I don’t aspire for a house/or a garden I could weed or water,’ begins the poem ‘PAGASA,’ titled after the weather bureau. ‘What I call my own: a damp floor/cushions and sheets baking in the sun.’

Asked about the challenge of giving voice to the Filipino masses in English, Toledo said ‘There’s still this disconnect about language that, I think, we have come to terms with. I believe that we don’t just speak in English as a country but from it-to paraphrase National Artist Gemino Abad.’

‘It’s a post-colonial conceit, sure. But one that finds its way into our collective notion of language, even as more and more Filipino and English are becoming intertwined in our daily speech,’ added Toledo, who teaches creative writing at UST.

‘Adversities’ in Bicol

‘Most of my recent poems embrace this duality, with many local words and terms weaved into this new Filipino-English,’ he said.

Alvarez, who hails from Naga City and had served as staff member of its current mayor, former Vice President Leni Robredo, is certainly familiar with the ‘seasonal adversities’ in his home region of Bicol.

‘Back when Ma’am Leni was congresswoman of the third district of Camarines Sur, we would always visit those affected by the storm,’ he said, recounting one such experience with calamity. ‘One common thing I see on the ground is families always gather in one area. It is automatic, even without directive from their leaders, they look around and assemble in a common area.’

Exploration of chaos

Alvarez’s art is marked by the tension between the abstract and figurative, the dynamic evident in his personal themes, ranging from the cerebral (his abstract works) to the sensual (his flowers series and his erotica). It stands out all the more in his exploration of chaos, disruption, and oblivion left by calamity-from the bare tree of ‘Perspective’ (ink on paper, 36×24 inches, framed), all stark and atmospheric; to the frenzy and desperation conveyed by ‘We Convene and Sit’ (ink on paper, 36×24 inches, framed), a rendition of evacuees huddled together in their flight.

‘The piece ‘We Convene and Sit’ is about this experience. It is like breathing. After every tragedy, it is human nature to come together to pick up the pieces,’ Alvarez said when asked if his art is drawn directly from memory, from that experience.

The highlights among Alvarez’s works are his renditions of past cyclones-particularly ‘Yolanda,’ the supertyphoon from 2013 which the country still commemorates 12 years later.

Star for All Seasons Vilma Santos was honored with the Hall of Fame award at the 27th Gawad PASADO on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Manila Tytana Colleges in Pasay City.

Santos was given the organization’s highest honor after she won her fifth Best Actress trophy for her role in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2024 entry ‘Uninvited.’

Her latest win joined her previous works recognized by the awarding body, which were ‘Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?’ (1998), ‘Anak’ (2000) , ‘Dekada ’70’ (2002) , and ‘Everything About Her’ (2016).

In an interview with select members of the press prior to the awarding, Santos said that despite being in the industry for more than six decades, every award is still valuable to her.

‘Kahit sabihin mo na public servant ako ngayon, sa puso ko, artist pa rin ako, at ‘yung mga ganitong recognition na binibigay sa akin para sa mga pelikulang ginawa ko ay malaking bagay because nag-aattest ito na you did good,’ she said.

(Even though you say I’m a public servant now, in my heart, I’m still an artist, and the recognition I get for the films I’ve made means a lot because it attests that I did good.)

‘Mga educators ito, may sarili silang mga desisyon, ibig kong sabihin hindi ito ordinaryo na pwedeng sabihin ‘Sige, pili na lang tayo’; kahit paano may prestige, they’re educators, malaking bagay ‘yon,’ added Santos.

(These are educators, they have their own decisions; I mean it’s not ordinary to say ‘Okay, let’s just choose’; somehow there is prestige, they’re educators, that’s a big deal.)

The Star for All Seasons said that she believes she was able to stay long in the industry for all these years because she took care of her career in the ways that she can.

‘I did not take my career for granted. I think in a way naalagaan ko ‘to (I took care of it). For more than six decades, may point sa career ko na kailangan mag-take ka ng risk at hindi ako natakot (there was a time that I needed to take a risk, I did not get scared), I took the risk,’ she explained.

Despite already having the chance to play almost all the roles, Santos stated that she hasn’t played her dream role yet, which is a female Muslim or a mentally challenged person or a person with a disability.

‘I will be serving Batangas for three years pero sana kahit makaisang pelikula, ipapakiusap ko sa mga Batangueno. Namimiss ko rin, hinahanap ng katawan ko talaga,’ said the Batangas governor.

(I will be serving Batangas for three years, but I hope to make at least one movie. I will ask the Batangueños. I miss it, my body is really looking for it.)

Aside from Santos, actress Mylene Dizon took home the Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 2024 MMFF entry ‘Uninvited.’ Meanwhile, veteran actress Perla Bautista received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Gawad PASADO is a film organization of teachers from various private and public elementary and high schools, and colleges in the Philippines.

University of Santo Tomas-Gameville is setting its sights on a semifinal berth for a chance to face international competition in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference starting Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

UST stepped in as a replacement for V-League silver medalist De La Salle, which withdrew from the tournament due to academic commitments.

Coach Odjie Mamon, who was part of the Alas Pilipinas coaching staff in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, said he wants his squad to reach the semifinals, where the top four teams will be joined by Kindai University of Japan and ProVolley Academy of Australia. The six teams will play another round, with the top two advancing to a winner-take-all final.

‘Our goal is to be among the top four teams that make it to the semifinals,’ said Mamon. ‘I’ll really push the team to give their all. This is a rare opportunity to be part of the semis pool and compete against guest teams from Japan and Australia, so we’ll definitely fight hard for it.’

UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year and Second Best Outside Spiker JJ Macam said the entire team has embraced the challenge from Mamon.

‘Actually, I think our confidence is even higher now because we know the teams we’ll be facing have more advanced skills than us. That makes us more eager to prove ourselves,’ said Macam in Filipino. ‘We’re aware that if we get too relaxed, they can easily beat us, so we really have to go all out in training every day.’

Mamon said he also picked up lessons from his World Championship stint, with Alas Pilipinas libero Josh Ybañez returning as the main offensive option alongside Macam, Gboy De Vega, and 6-foot-5 opposite hitter Al-Bukharie Sali.

‘Coach Odjie mentioned the importance of having a strong serve and staying aggressive on attack from his experience in the World Championship,’ Macam said. ‘Even on broken plays, those teams still find ways to score. Those are the things we’ve really been trying to learn and apply. But honestly, we still feel like we’re adjusting in training. Hopefully, we’ll be able to apply all of it once we start playing in Spikers’ Turf.’

UST opens its campaign on Wednesday against PGJC-Navy at Paco Arena.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will double its patrol units in residential areas from October 29 to November 3 as part of efforts to protect empty homes and businesses from burglars during the Undas break.

‘We’ve instructed our personnel to maintain a visible police presence and work closely with local government units and barangay officials to prevent burglary and other crimes while families are away visiting their loved ones,’ PNP Acting Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Sunday.

According to him, all police units nationwide have been ordered to heighten patrols in areas expected to be vacated during Undas.

Barangay patrolmen and volunteers have also been ‘strengthened to ensure a quick response to any suspicious activity,’ the PNP said.

Nartatez advised the public to take extra precautions before leaving their homes to visit their loved ones at the cemetery, and to immediately report any suspicious activity to the police.

‘Make sure all doors and windows are locked, unplug appliances, and inform trusted neighbors or barangay officials if you’ll be away. If you notice any suspicious activity, report it immediately to the nearest police station or through our hotlines and social media channels,’ the PNP chief added.

For Undas 2025, the PNP will be deploying around 31,200 police units in over 5,000 cemeteries, memorial parks, and major roads.

The police will be joined by 11,700 military and uniformed personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Philippine Coast Guard; and another 29,900 additional help from patrolmen, radio groups, and volunteers.

Over 5,000 police desks will also be established for security and guidance during Undas.