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Philippines’ bet Anita Rose Gomez is closer to winning the Miss Asia Pacific International 2025 crown as she has advanced to the Top 5 of the competition on Wednesday night, Oct. 8.

Gomez reached the final round after she displayed her wits during the question-and-answer portion, where she made a mention of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu and affected the pageant’s Benefit Gala Night last Sept. 30.

‘You’ve met people whose stories inspire strength and compassion. How did their stories transform your own perspective?’ the question read.

Gomez answered, ‘I always believe that each one of us carry a story and power that can positively impact the world that we’re living in. And as of my journey here in Miss Asia Pacific International, I’ve met so many people that literally gave me the inspiration, their story, and the lessons-and those are the stories of my 42 lovely ladies. And as I continue this journey, I have learned that winning is not just about winning. Sometimes it’s about experiencing the challenges, just like the earthquake that we experienced and knowing the stories of everyone and realizing that we’re all here. We have our purpose and we are all our own transformational journey. Thank you so much.’

Aside from Gomez, other delegates who made it to the Top 5 are Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil and Thailand.

Prior to the question-and-answer segment, the candidates exuded radiance in their swimsuit attires and evening gowns.

Gomez is among the 43 delegates from around the world who is vying to inherit the crown from reigning Miss Asia Pacific International Janelis Leyba. Leyba, however, is not present at the coronation night to relinquish her title.

Education agencies and lawmakers are pushing for the extension of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2), citing the ‘momentum’ it gained over the past three years since it was established.

In the Senate, the Edcom said Senators Loren Legarda and Risa Hontiveros filed separate bills extending the commission for another two years after its term was set to expire on Dec. 31 this year while at the House of Representatives, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo and Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre, who are both co-chairpersons of the commission, filed their respective bills as well.

‘The push for extension is gaining momentum as lawmakers in both chambers have filed legislation to ensure that Edcom 2’s extensive research and policy recommendations translate into long-term, systemic improvements for the Philippine education system,’ the commission said in a statement.

Legarda, during an Edcom hearing on Wednesday, hailed Edcom for doing ‘wonderful work’ and hopes that the commission will be able to sustain its ‘policy momentum’ once its operations have been extended.

Even the key education agencies of the government have also backed the extension of the Edcom, according to the commission, citing how its data has helped them in improving their policies for students, teachers and even education workers.

‘Overwhelmingly, the data that is being generated by Edcom is really very helpful to us in terms of planning and setting priorities,’ said Shirley Agrupis, chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

Francisco Benitez, chair of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), also supported the measures filed in the Senate and the House to give Edcom another set of two years. Benitez noted that the studies by Edcom have already helped them in looking into their own backyard such as its bureaucratic concerns.

As for the Department of Education (DepEd), they noted how Edcom’s gathered data has helped them shape their policies and how it became ‘instrumental’ in forming a connection between them, Tesda and CHEd. Edcom is an independent government body tasked to oversee the Philippine education system, coming up with annual reports that exposes the persistent challenges faced by the country such as the lack of personnel and teacher positions in public schools, shortages in classrooms, the mismatch of degree holders to the careers they have entered and even the process of textbook procurement.

Quezon City has intensified its surveillance and case investigations against dengue, including its community awareness campaigns, after the city saw a steep increase in the number of cases since the start of the year.

In a statement, the city’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Division (ESD) said the city recorded 8,729 cases from Jan. 1 to Oct. 7, a 91-percent increase from the 4,581 cases recorded during the same period last year.

‘Mga batang 10 taong gulang pababa ang pinakaapektado ng sakit na ito (4,235 cases). Tatlumpu (30) naman ang naitalang nasawi kaugnay ng sakit na ito (Children 10 years old and below are the most affected by this disease (4,235 cases). Thirty deaths related to this disease have been recorded),’ it said.

On Monday, the QCESD conducted investigations in Barangays Pansol and Tagumpay in District 3, as well as in Barangay Pasong Putik in District 5, to identify possible mosquito breeding sites.

They also encouraged residents to seek early consultation to prevent severe dengue complications.

About 1,684 students and teachers from Lagro High School attended a health education session focused on preventing WILD or Water-borne, Influenza, Leptospirosis, and Dengue diseases, as well as Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease.

Parents and guardians were also advised to bring children with dengue-like symptoms, including fever, headache, and rashes, to the nearest health center for free check-ups and dengue testing. The QCHD continues to urge residents to maintain cleanliness in and around their homes, cover water containers, and use protective measures such as long-sleeved clothing, insect repellents, and window screens, and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, while emphasizing the importance of preventive actions such as regular handwashing, cough etiquette, mask-wearing when symptomatic, and early medical consultation.

The city government said its health centers are open from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

While it is good that lawmakers found a way to increase the proposed allocation for classroom construction and repair for 2026, it might be better to also consider cutting the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) project costs to address the country’s over 160,000 classroom gap.

In a privilege speech on Wednesday, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste reiterated his suggestions – to lower the DPWH’s Detailed Unit Price Analysis (DUPA) and to cut costs or outright cancel existing but unbidded or unimplemented projects – and save up to P400 billion. ‘The country lacks over over 165,000 classroom, according to DepEd. The good news is, today, the funding for 25,000 classrooms in 2026 was approved. The question, my dear colleagues is, how do we fund fund new classrooms in every school nationwide.’ Leviste said in Filipino.

‘The answer: We can save more if we reduce by 25 percent the cost pf DPWH projects. Current and planned DPWH projects cost P1.6 trillion. If we reduce the cost by 25 percent, we can save P400 billion, enough to build new classrooms in every school nationwide, without additional expenses, debts or taxes from the government,’ he added.

According to Leviste, there is a provision in the New Government Procurement Act that allows for the termination of contracts, due to the changes in government policy – just like what happened in his district in Batangas. ‘Para sa mahigit P1 trilyon na mga kasalukuyang proyekto ng DPWH, maaari pa itong kanselahin o i-reprice. Ang Government Procurement Reform Act ay may probisyon para sa Termination for Unlawful Acts at Termination for Convenience. Sa aking distrito sa Batangas, nakansela na ng DPWH ang isang flood control project sa ilalim ng Termination for Convenience ‘bunsod ng pagbabago sa polisiya ng pamahalaan sa pagpapatupad ng mga proyektong kaugnay sa flood control,’ nang walang multa sa gobyerno,’ he said.

‘For the current DPWH projects worth over P1 trillion, such can be cancelled or repriced. The Government Procurement Reform Act has a provision for Termination for Unlawful Acts and Termination for Convenience. In my district in Batangas, the DPWH cancelled one flood control project under the Termination for Convenience due to a change in government policy in implementing flood control projects,’ added Leviste.

Earlier, at the hearing of the Budget Amendments Review Sub-committee (BARSc), appropriations chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing said they have found a way to increase the proposed budget under the Basic Education Facilities (BEF), from P22.5 billion to P35 billion.

The BEF includes allocation for the construction, completion, rehabilitation of classrooms, and the provision of furniture.

‘We have found the fiscal space to add more to the basic education facilities program, towards the new construction, completion, rehabilitation of classrooms. So if before what the BARSc approved is P22.5 billion, we are able to find the space to increase that to P35 billion, so that’s an additional P13 billion towards the creation of classrooms,’ Suansing said. ‘So just to clarify po, that’s in addition to what’s already there in the NEP for the BEF. So there is currently P28 billion in the NEP (National Expenditures Program) for BEF, so if we add the P35 billion, that will be P63 billion in total for classrooms,’ she added.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said it has immediately implemented the close monitoring of 33 individuals.

The list includes former Speaker Martin Romualdez as well as five incumbent and former senators, who have been implicated as having had roles in the questionable insertions in the national budget that led to ghost or substandard public infrastructure projects.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that immigration officers have started keeping a close watch of the travel movements of 33 key personalities who were the subject of the immigration lookout bulletin order (Ilbo) requested by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). ‘We confirm receipt of the ILBO issued by the Department of Justice against 33 individuals,’ Sandoval told the Inquirer. ‘Their names have been immediately included in our centralized database, and their travels will be strictly monitored.’

The ICI on Wednesday sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ) an ‘urgent request’ for the issuance of an Ilbo for 33 individuals, including Romualdez, as well as three incumbent and two former senators.

Among them were former Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero; Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva; former Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr.; former Sen. and now Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay. According to the ICI request sent to the DOJ, its ongoing probe into ghost or substandard projects ‘puts the subjects in a relevant position that operates to make him (or her) an inevitable personality during the fact-finding process.’

‘The timely issuance of an Ilbo is of utmost necessity to enable the Commission to proceed without delay and to hold those liable accountable to the Filipino people,’ it added.

The DOJ, through the Bureau of Immigration (BI), can keep watch of certain individuals under Ilbo should they attempt to depart the country. The BI has earlier clarified, however, that the Ilbo does not ban individuals from leaving the country, as it is merely for ‘monitoring purposes’ only.

Should immigration agents encounter an individual who is a subject of an Ilbo, the BI would relay the matter to the concerned authorities.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ (IBP) conferment of the Golden Pillar of Law Award on former President Rodrigo Duterte was ‘unbelievable’ and a ‘disgrace,’ according to National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) chairperson Edre Olalia.

Olalia – who was recognized last year as the first-ever recipient of the IBP Human Rights Award for Luzon – issued his statement on Wednesday after the organization’s Davao chapter defended the award, saying the former president fully met the qualifications set by the national office ‘Unbelievable. What a disgrace. No one else could be so undeserving. And to mindlessly gloss over that this award was given automatically for mere length of years as a lawyer is to bestow it to even those who make a mockery of the lofty IBP ideals of no master but law, no goal but justice, and no guide but conscience,’ he said.

Olalia added that the recognition further insulted the ideals of the legal profession, as it ‘gratuitously lionized’ Duterte for his supposed ‘distinguished and dedicated service in the legal profession, upholding the ideals of justice, integrity, and the rule of law,’ and for his ‘unwavering commitment and invaluable contributions that stand as a pillar of inspiration to the legal community.’

‘What incomparable irony,’ he said. ‘Or perhaps the award was meant to immortalize his controversial record as a lawyer – with eloquent sarcasm.’

According to the IBP Davao, the award ‘does not serve as an endorsement of political acts or personal ideologies.’ ‘It is a recognition of professional longevity and standing under the IBP’s by-laws, applied without distinction, and grounded on verifiable compliance with the rules governing the legal profession,’ it explained in a statement issued earlier Wednesday.

The Davao chapter defended the award given to the former president after it drew flak from members of the legal community. Duterte is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court over his brutal war on drugs.

IBP Davao, however, asserted that lawyers must be reminded of their duty to ‘rise above biases and to uphold this fundamental precept of our justice system, that judgment must rest on evidence and final conviction, not mere perception.’

‘Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty,’ it said. /jpv

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on Wednesday announced that it is relaxing its policies when it comes to claiming Z Benefit packages for selected orthopedic implants for those affected by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu province on Sept. 30.

In a statement, the state-run insurer noted that there was only one accredited health facility in Cebu that was authorized to provide Z Benefit packages for orthopedic implants, prompting the PhilHealth Board to effect special policy relaxations in order to widen access.

‘This is not just a matter of policy, but of timely action to save lives and limbs. By easing restrictions, we are ensuring that those injured in this calamity receive the proper treatment without delay or undue cost,’ said PhilHealth acting President and CEO Dr. Edwin Mercado.

‘We are loosening policies not to compromise standards, but to maximize access to care at a time when scarcity of accredited providers could mean the difference between recovery and permanent disability,’ he added. Taking effect retroactively on Sept. 30, PhilHealth said health care institutions in Cebu have been granted provisional accreditation to claim Z Benefit packages for orthopedic implants, covering injuries sustained during the quake.

Among the services offered by contracted providers of Z Benefit packages include implants for hip arthroplasty or hip replacement surgery, implants for hip fixation, implants for pertrochanteric fracture, implants for femoral and tibial shaft fracture, implants for total knee replacement, and implants for upper extremities. Earthquake victims needing urgent orthopedic intervention will also be exempted from the 24-hour confinement rule. No co-payment policy is also extended to those with eligible injuries.

The deadline for the filing of claims is also extended up to 120 calendar days from the date of discharge, and will also include retroactive coverage for admissions up to 60 days before Sept. 30. PhilHealth added that it will reduce the requirements for claiming benefits to only include forms 1 and 2, as well as the operative record.

Health-care professionals accredited by PhilHealth will also be compensated for performing surgeries regardless of where it is conducted, even in health facilities that they are not affiliated with.

These provisional measures will be in effect until the ‘state of calamity’ declaration in Cebu is lifted, said PhilHealth.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday emphasized the importance of transparency, clear parameters, and public accountability in the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI)’s ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, stating that the body’s credibility will depend on how it conducts its work.

In a press briefing, Cayetano said that while he understands the arguments against livestreaming ICI proceedings, the public must still have access to information about the commission’s deliberations.

‘ICI should also be fixed. If I’m going to side with ICI on not allowing livestreaming, then at the very least it should be like a court, where reporters are allowed,’ Cayetano said.

He suggested that the commission could follow the practice of U.S. courts, where reporters are allowed to observe and take notes even without live video coverage.

Cayetano cautioned that shielding the entire process from public view could undermine public trust in the ICI’s conclusions.

‘Usually, when people don’t know the premise and the process, it’s not that easy to support the conclusion,’ he said. The senator also raised questions about how the commission’s independence will be defined, noting that the term ‘independent’ must be clearly explained to prevent confusion about its accountability.

‘While it’s a good idea to have an independent commission, what are the parameters? At least for me, because when you are independent, you are independent from who and what exactly?’ Cayetano asked.

Cayetano added that the ICI will only succeed if its mandate is firmly grounded in law and its direction clearly communicated to the public.

Even if the commission decides against livestreaming, Cayetano emphasized that it must offer other forms of transparency.

ANTIPOLO-Calvin Abueva scored a career-high 41 points in a performance that brought back memories of his younger days as new team Titan Ultra stunned Meralco, 100-96, for a winning start to its PBA participation on Wednesday at Ynares Center here.

Abueva highlighted a big day by putting up 16 in the third quarter when the Giant Risers pulled away, eventually owning a 19-point lead in the fourth before foiling the Bolts’ comeback in the final minutes. Titan UItra also got 14 points from last season’s Most Improved Player Joshua Munzon plus six rebounds and five assists in the win that came despite a flat beginning to its Philippine Cup stint by missing the first eight shots and trailing 11-0 in the first five minutes.

Cade Flores had 10 points and six rebounds, Fran Yu posted nine points and nine assists and Ato Ular delivered eight points and seven rebounds after being traded from Phoenix days before the season opener.

CJ Cansino finished with 22 points and nine rebounds for the Bolts, who threatened to spoil the Giant Risers’ opening act when they cut the 90-71 lead down to three in the final seconds. Cansino drained a four that put Meralco within three, 98-95. The Bolts appeared to have gotten a big break when rookie Chris Koon missed two foul shots, time down to five seconds.

But Abueva came out with a hustle play to keep the possession, eventually leading to Munzon making two freebies after being fouled.

Cansino made one free throw and deliberately missed the second with 1.7 seconds. He actually got his own miss and made a pass to Chris Banchero from the four spot, only for time to run out.

Students and teachers will soon no longer have to brave the raging current of Pisompongan River to reach the other side of the village as government peace body allocated P48 million funds to kickstart the construction of a concrete bridge in Midsalip town in Zamboanga del Sur province.

Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) chief Carlito Galvez Jr. handed over last week the cheque to Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Divina Grace Yu and Midsalip Municipality Mayor Elmer Soronio for the bridge.

Galvez, during a Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum on Wednesday, said the OPAPRU only gave P48 million or 80 percent of the P60 million worth of project in line with Commission on Audit requirements.

The P60 million fund is from the OPAPRU’s Pamana program, which aims to address the root causes in areas affected by decades of armed conflict.

This double lane concrete bridge will have a net length of 50.84 linear meters with carriageway width of 7.32 meters, and is expected to be completed in about 236 days or roughly seven months, according to OPAPRU.

Galvez said the analysis on the bridge’s footing is underway before the construction begins.

The two-way concrete bridge will replace a former hanging bridge that collapsed years ago due to frequent heavy rains, leaving students with no choice but to risk crossing the river. Their predicament came into light after Gideon Goc-ong, principal of Pisompongan Integrated School took photos showing children being carried by their parents, wading through waist-deep, fast-flowing river water to get into their classrooms. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had vowed in his State of the Nation Address that the government would construct a bridge in Midsalip town. /