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Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions and Araneta City on Wednesday celebrated the 50th anniversary of the epic ‘Thrilla in Manila’ – one of the greatest boxing fights ever recorded on Earth at the heart of the Philippines – to also kick off a month-long countdown to a loaded world championship fight card on October 29 to further immortalize the duel’s legend.

MP Promotions, led by former senator, eight-division world champion and world boxing Hall of Famer Pacquiao and Irene Jose, COO of Uniprom as the entertainment arm of Araneta City, unveiled an exhibit featuring memorabilia from the classic heavyweight duel between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at the Araneta Coliseum, now known as the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

With Ali and Frazier on the canvas, the Big Dome – at that time was one of the world’s largest indoor arenas – made the world stand still on Oct. 1, 1975, watched by more than 20,000 fans live and over a billion on TV and pay-per-view from all parts of the world.

Fifty years later, on October 29, the Philippines will commemorate that one-of-a-kind battle with a stacked card that includes Ali’s grand son Nico Ali Walsh.

Ali Walsh will clash with Thailand’s Patumpong Saengarun in a middleweight undercard bout, as WBC mininumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem stakes his belt against No. 2 contender Siyakholwa Kuse of South Africa in the main event. Other Filipino standouts like Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial, former unified world champion Marlon Tapales and rising star Carl Jammes Martin are also in the fray of a super card featuring 11 fights so far.

VIPs, including the families of Ali and Frazier and current world champions, have also been invited to grace the event.

“We honor the moment that forever changed the Philippine sporting landscape and global culture. The world stood still in what became one of the most iconic battles in boxing history. It was more than just a fight. It was a poetry in motion. Two giants of the sport stepped into the ring not as opponents but as symbols of pride, determination and will to win,” said Jose.

“Under the blazing heat of Manila, Ali and Frazier gave everything they had for 14 unforgettable rounds and as we make the golden anniversary of this bout, we remember the night and we honor a generation who rewrote history. Let this milestone remind us that great moments in history never fade. They echo and stood through time.”

Pacquiao, born in 1978, wasn’t alive just yet back then but is taking pride and honor of organizing and leading the commemoration of Thrilla in Manila for its golden anniversary with a full backing from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) led by Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio.

Malacañang has released a memorandum circular order for all agencies to highlight a sporting and cultural milestone that ‘placed the Philippines on the global stage’ for this month.

“Kinuwento lang sa akin at napaood ko lang sa replay ang Thrilla in Manila but now I’m blessed and happy na ako naman ngayon ang nagdala ng celebration of the 50th anniversaty nito. Honored and thankful to God for this blessing kasi alam naman natin na sa ang ating bansa ay nakilala sa sports, especially boxing. Nagkaroon tayo ng respeto mula sa buong mundo because of this sport,’ beamed Pacquiao, unarguably the greatest Filipino boxer in history.

“Dati, ako lang ang lumalaban dito sa Araneta pero ngayon, nagpo-promote na rin tayo ng big fights. I’m happy na kahit hindi pa tayo ipinapanganak noong time na ‘yun at kumbaga, tayo ang nagdala dito ngayon ng laban.”

Pacquiao, now 46 but has just unretired with a majority draw against Mario Barrios last July, once fought and won at the Big Dome in 2006 against Oscar Larios for the WBC title. Now coming back to the iconic venue as also a promoter, he’s hoping to produce the next world champions like him, Ali and Frazier.

Bills amending old laws, as well as those pushing for artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and more, are being prioritized for the 20th Congress, according to the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) on Wednesday, October 1.

The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), a joint effort between Congressional leaders and the President to align priority laws, has unveiled 44 bills it wishes to prioritize.

This was the first LEDAC meeting with newly installed leaders Senate President Tito Sotto and House Speaker Bojie Dy. The DEPDev initially proposed 33 measures from executive agencies, to which Congress added 11 more bills.

Two of these measures were proposed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., namely the Amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act and the Amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act.

‘We aim to sustain the strong momentum we established during the 19th Congress. With continued collaboration between the Senate and the House of Representatives, we are confident in our ability to push forward a legislative agenda that delivers meaningful change and a brighter future for all Filipinos,’ DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

The DEPDev listed the 44 LEDAC bills as follows:

Amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act

Amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act

Department of Water Resources (DWR) Bill

Waste-to-Energy Bill

EPIRA Amendments: Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Strengthening Bill

National Land Use Act

Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics

Blue Economy Act

Amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law

Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernized Governance Act

Right to Information Act

Amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act

Philippine Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Act

Amendments to the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act

National Center for Geriatric Health

Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Act

Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act

Amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act

Amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act

Amendments to the Teachers Professionalization Act

Amendments to the Local Government Code

General Tax Amnesty

Extension of Estate Tax Amnesty

Amendments to the Fisheries Code

Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law

Amendments to the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Law

Amendments to the Biofuels Act

Cybersecurity Act

Amendments to the National Building Code

Amendments to the Magna Carta for MSMEs

National Reintegration Bill

Reprogramming of Seal of Good Local Governance

Digital Payments Act

Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development

Classroom-Building Acceleration Program Act

Requiring Civil Servants to Waive Bank Secrecy

Law on Online Gambling

Disaster Risk Financing Insurance

Strengthening the Bases Conversion and Development Authority

Presidential Merit Scholarship Program

Disqualifying Relatives of Officials (4th degree) in Government Contracts

Fair Use of Social Media, AI and Internet Technology in Elections

Modernizing the Bureau of Immigration

Magna Carta for Barangays

Several bills on the LEDAC list appear to address recent corruption scandals involving government officials.

The flood control kickback scheme in the Department of Public Works and Highways exposed several weaknesses in government mechanisms against corruption and money laundering. Several lawmakers have been implicated in the Bulacan flood control mess, while several government contractors have been accused of executing ghost control projects.

Jake Figueroa showed why he is the top dog of National University.

Figueroa scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to tow the Bulldogs past the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 76-69, in their UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament matchup Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

The small forward shot 6-of-12 from the floor, including the dagger triple, while hauling down nine rebounds and dishing out two assists.

NU thus remained spotless through three games, joining the Ateneo Blue Eagles on top of the standings.

After Gelo Crisostomo’s short stab gave UST a 65-62 lead with 7:22 remaining, NU’s Gelo Santiago and Figueroa teamed up and scored four straight points to push the Bulldogs 66-65.

Mark Llemit then put UST up front anew, 67-66, before the two squads went on a dry spell.

Santiago and Figueroa broke the drought with back-to-back shots to give NU a 70-67 lead.

Nic Cabanero hit a jumper to inch the Tigers, playing in their own stomping grounds, closer.

But on the other end, Figueroa sized up Collins Akowe and hit the dagger 3-pointer to push NU ahead for good, 73-69.

In the next possession, UST point guard Forthsky Padrigao hoisted up an off-balanced triple that missed everything.

Free throws by Paul Francisco and Steve Nash Enriquez iced the game.

Omar John and PJ Palacielo chipped in 10 markers for the Bulldogs.

Cabanero paced UST with 19 points, six rebounds and an assist, but shot 8-of-19 from the floor. Amiel Acido backstopped with 18 points while Mark Llemit had 12.

Collins Akowe, a product of the NU Bullpups program where he won the UAAP Most Valuable Player and Best Foreign Student-Athlete awards, was held to just five points and eight rebounds after dominating in his first two collegiate games.

Before the contest, Akowe averaged 24.5 points and 18 rebounds per game.

UST now dropped to 2-1 this season. It will try to bounce back as it takes on still-winless University of the East Red, while NU will aim to keep its streak against defending champion University of the Philippines.

Both games will be held this Saturday, October 4, at the same venue.

Before plenary debates took place, the House appropriations committee’s subcommittee approved the realignment of over P255 billion from the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) flood control funds.

The task of reviewing amendments fell to the budget amendment review subcommittee (BARSc), which replaced the traditional and severely criticized small committee.

Sector-wise, the subcommittee under the appropriations panel prioritized allocations for health, agriculture, education and government assistance, significantly increasing the budgets of the agencies concerned.

Here’s how 27 government agencies and fund items benefited from the flood control fund realignment.

Health (DOH, PhilHealth)

One of the largest allocations went to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which received a P60-billion increase – nearly a fourth of the P256.5 billion realigned funds.

In the National Expenditure Program (NEP), the executive branch had proposed P53.26 billion for PhilHealth’s 2026 budget. Congress previously stripped off government subsidies from the state insurer in 2025, citing ‘excess’ or ‘surplus’ reserves PhilHealth failed to utilize.

The funds allocated to PhilHealth, a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), are largely dedicated to supporting indirect contributors by serving as their premium contributions. Indirect contributors are composed of indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and solo parents.

With the additional P60 billion, PhilHealth’s budget would rise to at least P113.26 billion to support the country’s universal health care program and expand benefit packages and case rates available to Filipinos.

The state insurer also funds the zero-balance billing program promoted by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., which allows PhilHealth members to receive free services and admission when confined in basic or ward accommodations of Department of Health (DOH) hospitals.

The DOH also received a P29.28-billion increase – well above its P16.58-billion request – bringing its proposed 2026 budget to around P289.47 billion. The amount also covers additional funding for the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC).

In the NEP, P260.19 billion was earmarked for the DOH, excluding the attached corporations and agencies.

DOH, PCMC get P29.28 billion from flood control funds

Combined allocations to the DOH and PhilHealth make health the sector with the largest share of the rechanneled flood control funds, surpassing a third of the total realignment.

Agriculture (DA, NIA, DAR)

After health, agriculture emerged as the next major priority, with P44.97 billion realigned to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

This represents roughly 17.5% of the realigned funds.

The BARSc proposed a P39.37-billion increase for the DA, much of which would go to farm-to-market roads, rehabilitation of post-harvest facilities and financial subsidy for farmers and fisherfolk.

This allocation is about P9 billion higher than the DA’s request for P30.44 billion in additional funding, bringing the House-proposed budget to P174.31 billion in new appropriations.

Meanwhile, the NIA and the DAR received far less than what they sought, with the committee granting them a P5 billion and P600 million increase, respectively.

Agriculture receives P44.97 billion from flood control funds

While less than its 2025 budget, the augmentation would bump up NIA’s budget for 2026 to P50.07 billion. The DAR’s budget was also increased to nearly P18 billion, around P7 billion more than its 2025 budget.

Education (DepEd, DOST, CHED, TESDA)

With an expected budget exceeding P1.224 trillion, education – spanning basic and higher levels and related programs – received the third-highest share of the flood control fund realignment (14.5%).

The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to receive more than twice the additional funding it requested, with P26.55 billion realigned from flood control funds, largely for classroom construction and rehabilitation, facility improvements and the school-based feeding program.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), meanwhile, was granted P9.31 billion more funds, exactly how much it requested to fund the tertiary education subsidy and Tulong Dunong programs for universities and colleges.

To also settle the three-year funding gap of the Free Higher Education program, the committee agreed to allocate P12.3 billion from CHED’s budget and Congress’ funds during the plenary debates.

However, several state universities and colleges (SUCs) are expected to receive reduced funding if their proposed budgets in the 2026 NEP are retained in the executed budget.

Included in the education sector, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) was given P450 million, significantly lower than its requested amount of P763.8 million.

Instead of scholarship augmentation, the BARSc focused on funding the construction and rehabilitation of the Philippine Science High School in Quezon City. Only P100 million was allocated for S and T scholarships, as opposed to the requested P413.8 million.

Two programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) focused on work training and scholarship are expected to receive P991.2 million in total from the DPWH funds. This, however, is less than a tenth of the requested P14.35 billion.

Education gains P37.3 billion from flood control funds

Social aid programs

Other than the health, agriculture and education sectors, the BARSc also proposed to augment the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) financial assistance programs with P35.91 billion from the DPWH’s budget cut.

The largest share was allocated to the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), with an additional P32.06 billion to support a specific number of beneficiaries. It is slightly below the DSWD’s P37.07-billion request.

AICS provides medical, burial, transportation, education, food and financial assistance to Filipino families during emergencies, ensuring aid reaches those most in need.

The DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program, a capacity-building initiative for marginalized households, received the second-largest boost with P3 billion – still falling short of the agency’s P17-billion request by roughly P14 billion.

Despite the executive branch cutting funds for the controversial Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) Program, the BARSc has not proposed restoring its 2026 budget.

AKAP, which is former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s pet project, is primarily implemented by the DSWD. It has faced criticism for overlapping with the AICS program and being perceived as a potential pork-barrel tool for lawmakers.

Cash dole-out programs get P35.9 billion from flood control funds

After the flood control fund adjustments, the DSWD may have a 2026 budget of roughly P257 billion.

Not yet final

The House continues plenary debates, where lawmakers scrutinize agency budget utilization and key programs, while budget sponsors from the appropriations committee defend allocations or pledge adjustments during the period of amendments.

This amendment period allows for revisions to line items in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

For example, appropriations chair Rep. Mikaela Suansing (Nueva Ecija, 1st District) promised to realign P12.3 billion to cover the free tuition law deficit as requested by concerned agencies.

Although over P255 billion has been approved for realignment to specific projects and agencies, final allocations may still be adjusted.

The BARSc, a 23-member subcommittee, reviews budgetary revisions from agencies, known as ‘institutional amendments.’ Should lawmakers seek additional funding or cuts to specific programs, Suansing said they would have to coordinate with the agencies for their requests to be considered.

Once the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) passes second reading – after institutional amendments have been reviewed by the BARSc, approved by the appropriations panel, and voted on by the plenary – no further amendments should be made.

Any more changes are expected to occur instead during the bicameral conference committee, where the House and Senate reconcile differences in the versions they approved.

La Salle held on to a 74-72 triumph against the listless Far Eastern University to bounce back from its deflating defeat to University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

The Green Archers banked on their defensive fangs in the clutch after going scoreless in the final minute and nearly losing a five-point lead as Jorick Bautista muffed a game-tying lay-up in the last seven seconds for the win.

La Salle, which beat Adamson, 60-58, but wasted a 12-point lead against the host and dark horse UST, 93-84, thus improved to 2-1. It is behind for solo fourth place unbeaten Ateneo, UST and National University nearing the halfway mark of the first round in its title redemption bid.

Doy Dungo led the way with 17 points on three triples, while Mason Amos, Jacob Cortez and EJ Gollena churned out 14 points each for La Salle, which made it up for the quiet scoring team captain Mike Phillips with only six points on 1-of-7 clip.

Phillips bounced back in other departments though, collaring 13 rebounds and dishing nine assists as the Green Archers almost squandered a lead as high sa 58-44 in the third quarter.

“You really want to win coming off a loss and we had parts in the game where we’re playing really well for that bounce back win but you cannot say that you’re gonna have an easy win in the UAAP,” said assistant coach Caloy Garcia. “FEU came back in the fourth and we just had to figure out our struggles from there.”

Like its last match against the Growling Tigers with a 12-point lead in the third quarter, the Green Archers appeared headed into a blowout but their inexperience with a young core following the departure of two-time UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao showed down the stretch.

La Salle was outscored by FEU, 21-10, in the fourth but its 74-69 cushion on Dungo’s jumper in the 1:22 mark proved to be enough for still a good momentum entering a gigatic duel against archrival Ateneo that’s been on tear at 3-0 after a Final Four miss on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Janrey Pasaol’s 25 points along with the efforts of Mo Konateh (14), Kirby Mongcopa (13) and Jorick Bautista (10) went for naught anew as the Tamaraws slid to 0-3 for a tie at the cellar with University of the East.

Meanwhile, FEU (1-1) scraped past La Salle (1-1), 73-72 in women’s basketball behind MG Manguiat and Amyah Espanol with 15 and 14 points, respectively.

The scores:

First Game

DLSU 74 – Dungo 17, Amos 14, Cortez 14, Gollena 14, Phillips 6, Marasigan 5, Pablo 2, Abadam 2, Daep 0, Melecio 0.

FEU 72 – Pasaol 25, Konateh 14, Mongcopa 13, Bautista 10, Owens 6, Daa 2, Ona 2, Bagunu 0, Montemayor 0, Salangsang 0, Amos 0.

Quarterscores: 21-14, 37-30, 64-51, 74-72

Ukraine and the Philippines are moving to revive a dormant agreement between their parliament and the Philippine Congress following the first major Ukrainian delegation visit to Manila, Ukraine’s ambassador said.

The Ukrainian parliamentary delegation, which includes lawmakers, members of Ukrainian media and think tanks, was on a three-day visit to the Philippines from September 22 to 24 to strengthen bilateral relations.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the Philippines Yuliia Fediv told Philstar.com in an interview on Monday, September 29, that the ‘most valuable’ part of the delegation’s visit was the talks between both countries’ lawmakers for trade ties.

‘We had several meetings, but I think the most valuable one was the meeting between the MPs and the House of Representatives of the Congress,’ Fediv said.

‘We were pretty lucky to join the session at the House and also to have a meeting with the Speaker before his first speech at the House,’ the ambassador said.

Members of Ukraine’s Parliament also met with the House Inter-Parliamentary and Foreign Policy Committee on September 23 to discuss renewing a memorandum of understanding signed in the 1990s between the Ukrainian Parliament and the House.

The panel is chaired by Rep. Georgina de Venecia (Pangasinan, 4th District).

‘We talked about renewing the text of this memorandum and making it more active now, and to sign maybe the new MOU or the action plan with deliverables for the next years,’ the Ukrainian ambassador told Philstar.com.

Lawmakers from both countries spoke of potential cooperation in trade and investment, with Ukrainian officials saying they see room to strengthen export-import ties.

Other areas discussed include science and technology, people-to-people exchanges, and coordination at international forums on maintaining rules-based international order.

The ambassador said the next steps include renewing the MOU and encouraging more exchanges between Ukrainian and Philippine legislators in the coming years.

Broader diplomatic push

Ukraine is finalizing several agreements with the Philippines, including memoranda on a joint commission for trade and investment, agriculture, security and cybersecurity, the Ukrainian ambassador said.

The embassy is also working with Ateneo de Manila University and other schools to establish Ukrainian studies programs, with Ukrainian universities planning reciprocal courses on Filipino history and ASEAN issues.

The ambassador said Ukraine wants direct communication between the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Ukraine’s Ministry on culture and information policy.

A cybersecurity memorandum focused on countering disinformation is also in the works.

Manila is expected to open an embassy in Kyiv, though no timeline was given.

For now, Ukraine coordinates with the Philippine ambassador to Warsaw, Poland, who also covers Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Manila in June, where he met President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and vowed to strengthen both nations’ diplomatic ties, which have spanned over three decades.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is expecting to have former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, former Rep. Elizaldy Co and Sen. Mark Villar in its next hearings.

In an ambush interview on Wednesday, October 1, ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said that Romualdez, Co and Villar will be receiving subpoenas to shed light on the controversy surrounding the budget insertions and kickback scheme in infrastructure deals.

‘Yes, I believe he will be invited, or in fact, I think according to our secretariat, he was invited already. I just have to find out if the summons or the subpoena was actually received,’ Hosaka said, referring to Romualdez.

He later confirmed to reporters that Co and Villar will also be invited.

Villar, an ex-DPWH secretary

He explained that Villar will be invited simply because he served as the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) secretary during the Duterte administration, which is well within the ICI’s 10-year scope.

Both the House and Senate hearings into the anomalous flood control projects have mentioned Villar’s name, especially as he was the one who appointed the dismissed Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara in 2019.

In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking into Villar and his family over a potential conflict of interest case due to the reported P18 billion worth of government infrastructure contracts awarded to Villar’s cousin.

Remulla said that the DOJ is scrutinizing Villar’s actions in two capacities: as a current lawmaker and, significantly, as the former DPWH secretary.

‘First cousin niya ang contractor sa lugar nila, that’s a prohibited interest,’ Remulla said. (His first cousin is a contractor in their province, that’s a prohibited interest.)

When asked if Sen. Camille Villar, who is a former member of the House of Representatives, will be included, he said: ‘Siyempre kasama iyan, kasama rin iyan, it really has to stop, isa lang iyan, pero ano iyan it’s all over the Philippines, people know it.’

(Of course she’s included, she’s included. It really has to stop, and that’s just one, what more if you look all over the Philippines? People know it.)

ICI out for Co

Co, meanwhile, is the former House appropriations chair and a key figure in the flood control investigations, with several resource persons accusing him of allegedly manipulating the 2025 budget and seeking commissions from flood control projects.

Alcantara claimed that Co padded the national budget with P35 billion worth of infrastructure projects for Bulacan’s First District from 2022 to 2025. He said the former lawmaker sought 20% in kickbacks, citing one instance in 2022 where Co was given P519 million.

Meanwhile, dismissed DPWH district engineer Brice Hernandez claimed he delivered P1 billion in 20 suitcases, transported in as many as seven vans by one of Co’s staff, to a hotel in Taguig City.

Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, on the other hand, said Co asked for a 25% commission from public works deals through Alcantara.

The ICI has already recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against Co for his ties to top contractor, Sunwest Inc., which he co-founded in 1997. Sunwest had bagged over P86 billion in government infrastructure deals from 2016 to 2025. It was also the contractor behind the anomalous P289-million Oriental Mindoro flood control project.

Why Romualdez?

While the ICI’s initial report did not name Romualdez or recommend charges against him, testimonies at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee have since referenced him in receiving alleged kickbacks.

One of Co’s former security aides alleged that 35 suitcases of cash were delivered to Romualdez’s Taguig property, with 11 reportedly left with Co – each containing an estimated P48 million. According to Orly Guteza, Co regularly received such luggage.

The Discayas, also known as the super contractor family, also implicated Romualdez in their initial testimony at the Senate hearing.

But during a House hearing, Curlee Discaya said Romualdez’s name was probably being used by others to secure kickbacks from projects they handled. He said he had no direct transaction with him.

Remulla also noted that appointing Co as the appropriations chair of the 19th Congress was the “speaker’s choice,” linking Romualdez in the DOJ’s case build-up.

Repeatedly denying the allegations, Romualdez stepped down as House speaker, while Co resigned as a member of the House of Representatives.

Despite Co’s resignation, he has yet to return to the Philippines to attend the hearings he was invited to, which now also include the Senate.

The Miss Asia Pacific International 2025 candidates were in the Queen City of the South, Cebu City, for one of its pocket events when a deadly earthquake struck at about 9 p.m, Tuesday, September 30.

All 43 candidates, including Philippine bet Anita Rose Gomez, and the current titleholder, Janelis Leyba of the United States, are safe.

The organization released a statement shortly afterwards:

‘Following the 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Cebu, we would like to assure everyone that all Miss Asia Pacific International 2025 candidates and the MAPI Organization team are safe and well.

‘We extend our deepest gratitude to Radisson Blu Cebu for their swift and professional response in implementing safety measures during the tremor.

‘Our thoughts and prayers remain with the people of Cebu and all those affected by this incident.’

The evening’s festivity was a charity event of the organization with Operation Smile as beneficiary.

‘It’s a project of [Cebu philanthropist] Dame Mariquita Yeung. There was a presentation of candidates dressed by different Cebuano designers in Terno,’ said Philip Rodriguez, Cebu’s pillar of fashion design.

His creation, worn by Miss Belgium Jana Jansens, was a fuchsia Thai silk gown with oriental yellow chrysanthemums embroidery on the side, highlighted with a peplum that fell into a train in origami style.

It was awarded Best in Terno by haute couturier Cary Santiago.

‘I just gave the award for Best in Terno when the earthquake happened,’ Santiago recalled. ‘People were running scared, bulbs from the chandelier fell and a part of the ballroom ceiling collapsed.’

The activities of the pageant scheduled today, October 1, are canceled.

Based in the Philippines, Miss Asia Pacific International is ‘a pedestal for women who want to be the voice of celebrating beauty and harmony in diversity. May it be in the form of culture, race, belief, or opinion, we believe that all women are distinctly beautiful and one of a kind.’

The preliminary competition will be on October 3 at Lanson Place Mall of Asia Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, Philippines. The grand coronation night will be on October 7 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Pasay City.

Gunmen beheaded a Teduray chieftain in another attack in a state-recognized non-Moro tribal domain in Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao del Sur, on Tuesday afternoon, September 30.

Teduray representatives to the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament and officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region told reporters on Wednesday, October 1, that Ramon Lupos, a timuay, or chieftain, was to harvest bananas in his farm in Sitio Kulab in Barangay Limpongo when gunmen flagged him down, hit him with pieces of wood on the head and then one of them cut his neck with a machete.

Citing reports by his subordinate officers in Maguindanao del Sur, Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said the armed men behind the atrocity immediately escaped, now the subject of an extensive manhunt.

Lupos was the 87th Teduray tribal leader killed brutally in Maguindanao del Sur since 2019, all unsolved.

A Teduray member of the Bangsamoro parliament, Froilyn Mendoza, and tribal leaders in two towns where they have bastions, Upi in Maguindanao del Norte and South Upi in Maguindanao del Sur, have urged the Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Police Office and PRO-BAR to exhaust all means of identifying the assailants of Lupos for prosecution.

He was the second tribal leader in Datu Hoffer, killed and decapitated by gunmen within just 11 months. Three others were killed in gun attacks in different areas in the municipality in the past three years.

Kapuso actress Shuvee Etrata made a public call for medical volunteers in Cebu after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the province last night.

On her Instagram broadcast channel, the “Pinoy Big Brother” alum shared an art card calling for help.

“Cebu Province is in need of MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS to augment manpower especially in the north. If you want to volunteer now and in the next days please call 0915-330-3293,” the art card read.

Shuvee said that help is on the way for quake victims. She also reminded fellow Cebuanos to take care as aftershocks are expected.

Meanwhile fellow Cebuano “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate Slater Young shared that his family is safe following the earthquake.

“Thank you for the messages and well-wishes. The family is all okay from the quake last night,” the Cebu-based Slater said via his Instagram Stories. “Praying for our fellow Cebuanos and everyone else affected from the quake.”

Other Cebuano celebrities that expressed concern were Ellen Adarna, Manilyn Reynes, Kaye Abad, and beauty queens Bea Luigi Gomez and Gazini Ganados.