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South Korean dancer-actress Dasuri Choi encountered unfortunate incidents during her Europe trip, after she lost her luggage to thieves and ‘got hacked’ apparently after she used a public Wi-Fi in France.

Choi narrated her experience through a video on her TikTok page on Tuesday, Oct. 7, showing herself at a train station in Marseille.

‘I took a train. Nawala ‘yung isang luggage ko, ‘yung old one na dinala ko from the Philippines,’ she said. (One of my pieces of luggage got lost, the old one which I brought from the Philippines.)

‘Yesterday, I had this feeling [of wanting] to buy one more luggage, ‘di ko alam kung bakit. So bumili ako. Bale dalawa na ‘yung luggage ko,’ she explained. (I don’t know why but I did buy one. So I had two pieces of luggage.)

Choi said she put her P17,000 worth of winter clothes into her old luggage, then her important belongings into her new one.

‘It’s really hard to solo-travel,’ she said. ‘I don’t know when they got it. Hindi ako nakatulog e (I did not fall asleep).’

She then advised fellow travelers to always check their luggage every time the train stops at a station to unload passengers.

‘Be careful na lang. You have to always check your luggage,’ she added. ‘It’s my fault.’

At the latter part of her video, Choi showed her remaining luggage attached to a railing with a lock and said, ‘Sige, try mo ulit magnakaw.’ (Try to take it again.)

In the caption, Choi added, ‘[There’s more, guys]. I got hacked in both BPI and GCash after using the train’s public Wi-Fi. I never opened both app!’

Expressing dismay over the incidents, Choi wrote, ‘Europe is so beautiful, but the security system?’

Hindi pa tapos guys.. I got hacked in both BPI and GCash after using the train’s public Wi-Fi. I never opened both app! Europe is so beautiful, but the security system?.

It was not immediately disclosed if she had already recovered her e-wallets. Choi, based on her recent social media posts, had already left France and had arrived in Switzerland.

Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin found no excuses for his team’s collapse in the 83-69 loss to University of the Philippines in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday.

The Blue Eagles saw their four-game winning streak snapped with Baldwin saying his team couldn’t execute a way to stop a well-prepared Fighting Maroons side.

‘There wasn’t a letdown, just a lack of execution of the game plan,’ he said at Mall of Asia. ‘I went into the dugout at half time and I was wondering, did they really prepare well for us?’

After holding a slim cushion at the half, 40-38, UP took advantage of Ateneo’s problems in the second half with Harold Alarcon in the driver’s seat.

UP FIghting Maroons’ Harold Alarcon during a game against Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

‘I think Harold just got on a run and those coaches rode that a little bit. We didn’t answer the call. The adjustments we made weren’t effective and you saw a really good UP team in the second half,’ Baldwin said.

Alarcon ended up with 17 points, five assists and four rebounds to break the Blue Eagles’ four-game win streak.

Ateneo allowed UP to score 24 points in the third quarter, which proved to be the runaway for the Fighting Maroons.

The same pattern happened in the Blue Eagles’ close 81-74 win over La Salle.

After leading by as much as 31 points, Ateneo gave up 36 fourth-quarter points to the Green Archers and nearly blew the game.

Ateneo survived that second-half meltdown, but wasn’t able to pull off the same feat against UP.

‘I don’t think it’s a letdown on our part. It was just UP elevating their game while we were still lacking composure without discipline,’ Baldwin said.

The Blue Eagles look to reclaim their winning ways on Saturday when they take on University of Santo Tomas in their own backyard at Loyola Heights.

With at least 100,000 farmers from Alcala and nearby towns in northern Cagayan now cut off from the main trading hub in the capital Tuguegarao City, 43-year-old farmer Samuel Cabaldo fears what lies ahead for his family.

‘Our income is uncertain,’ Cabaldo, speaking in Ilocano, told the Inquirer on Wednesday, anticipating delays in the delivery of dried palay and corn, which were bound for a trading post in Isabela province.

‘Our access to the main markets has been hindered, and some of our produce end up spoiling. This means either a loss or a reduction in our projected income,’ he added.

Following the collapse of the 51-year-old Piggatan Bridge on Monday, heavy vehicles are now forced to take the San Jose, Baggao-Peñablanca route, while light vehicles are redirected to the Maraburab-Piggatan alternate road stretching what used to be a 10-minute drive to a 45-minute or even an hourlong detour.

An 18-ton load limit had been imposed on the 74.7-meter steel bridge built in 1974.

The collapse is expected to impact on the livelihood of some 40,000 farmers in Alcala and an additional 60,000 in neighboring towns. As of the 2021 Philippine Statistics Authority survey, Alcala had a poverty incidence of 12.61 percent as a third class municipality (average annual income of between P130 million and less than P160 million).

Patrocinio Battad, a 30-year-old truck driver whose vehicle was among those passing through the bridge when it collapsed, lamented his sudden loss of income.

‘My truck wasn’t even loaded yet. I was on my way to Gattaran to pick up palay,’ he said in a separate interview.

Additional burden

For many in the area, the longer, riskier routes through poorly maintained roads only add to their burden.

‘It could take years before a new bridge is built,’ said Benedicto Battung, 51, a resident of Alcala’s Maraburab village.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon visited Alcala on Wednesday afternoon to inspect the bridge and hold a dialogue with Cagayan leaders.

Dizon inspected the site and pledged funding for the bridge repair. He also ordered plans and budgets for detour bridges on four other aging bridges in Cagayan.

While considering charges against owners and drivers of overloaded trucks, Dizon said he would focus on restoring economic activity.

‘This is a critical link for rice, corn, and other goods. Any disruption raises costs,’ he said after meeting with Cagayan Gov. Edgar Aglipay.

Dizon also pledged to recommend the inclusion of the bridge’s reconstruction in the proposed 2026 national budget and revealed that a temporary detour bridge is being planned.

Aglipay promised to help enforce load limits on bridges to prevent future accidents.

Senate inquiry

Following the collapse of Piggatan Bridge, local officials in nearby Lal-lo town have begun stricter monitoring of the Magapit Bridge, a 45-year-old structure with a load capacity of only 15 tons.

Government workers have installed warning signs to remind and caution truck drivers about the bridge’s weight limit part of efforts to enforce safety regulations.

Meanwhile, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Wednesday called for a comprehensive Senate inquiry into the condition and structural integrity of bridges nationwide.

Review designs

Estrada’s Senate Resolution No. 153, urged the appropriate committee to conduct the inquiry, underscoring the need to review existing bridge designs and maintenance systems, assess the economic and tourism impacts of such incidents, and recommend measures to safeguard public welfare and ensure the integrity of the country’s infrastructure.

‘Will we wait for another bridge to collapse before we take action? We must act swiftly to identify vulnerable structures, especially in agricultural regions. It’s not just the roads that get cut off during incidents involving bridge collapse, transportation, safety and livelihood of people are also affected, he said in a statement.

Through the proposed inquiry, the Senate aims to identify aging and high-risk bridges that may require retrofitting or replacement, strengthen infrastructure audit systems, and reinforce government accountability in maintaining safe, reliable public structures.

Estrada urged the Department of Public Works and Highways and other agencies to prioritize the retrofitting and replacement of aging bridges, and to ensure that new constructions meet modern standards capable of handling increased traffic and heavier loads.

Olsen Racela expected Perpetual Help to be competitive in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament. It didn’t matter that he missed out on keeping the best player of the Altas’ powerhouse high school program six players did stick around to join the seniors squad.

‘And that was huge for us,’ the legendary PBA playmaker and now Perpetual coach said, ‘because we had a continuity to build on.’

But being hopeful and expecting success is far different from watching that hope translate into actual success.

The Altas are 3-0 (win-loss) after Wednesday’s stunning 76-65 victory over Mapua and while it is a welcome surprise, Racela hopes nobody misses the point.

‘It’s not the 3-0 that’s big; we’re just a week into the season and there’s a long way to go,’ Racela said in a late afternoon chat with the Inquirer. ‘It’s the fact that we beat a program as noted and accomplished as Mapua.’

‘For a team like us, who nobody else outside of us expected to be competitive, that is huge especially for our confidence.

St. Benilde capped a day of surprises at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan, hammering out a 95-80 victory over Letran to send the Knights who, in contrast to the Altas, everyone expected to figure strongly this season to a third straight defeat in as many games.

No luxury

Racela made sure Perpetual didn’t just win; the Altas dictated the game. JP Boral scored 15 points on an efficient 5-of-10 clip, while LA Casinillo and Patrick Sleat combined for 25 points and nine assists. Mark Gojo Cruz chipped in 12.

The Altas shot 42.4% from the field and outscored Mapua’s starters 40-26. More tellingly, they forced 18 turnovers and scored 18 fastbreak points punishing Mapua for every lapse.

And Racela credited that relentlessness to the team’s approach to the season.

‘Unlike the more established programs, we don’t have the luxury of staying in elimination-round mode and then just kick things up in the playoffs,’ the San Miguel Beer legend said.

‘Every game for us is a playoff game.’

It’s a mindset that makes the Altas vulnerable to mental exhaustion, but Racela isn’t worried about that.

‘Us coaches will handle that and make sure they recover, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, after every game,’ he said. ‘But these kids are young and they haven’t been to a Final Four in a long while. So they’ll always be excited and prepared every game.’

The Altas lost high school star and junior MVP Lebron Jhames Daep to La Salle but managed to keep most of the core of its high school program and maintain a homegrown vibe in the senior squad.

ACEN Corp. is providing an additional P1.9-billion capital to subsidiary Natures Renewable Development Corp. (Naredco) to support solar power operations.

In a disclosure on Wednesday, the energy unit of the Ayala Group said it subscribed to about 420,000 redeemable preferred shares. These are priced at P4,527.16 apiece.

The company said the injection of funds will help Naredco finance its operating expenses. A portion of the investment will also be used to settle Naredco’s debts.

Naredco is a joint venture between ACEN and Cleantech Renewable Energy 4 Corp. Acen holds a 60-percent interest.

Naredco operates the Cagayan Solar Power plant. It can generate energy at a peak of 133.464-megawatts. It can power some 75,000 households.

Expansion

Just last week, ACEN also injected about P900 million for its wind power project in the provinces of Quezon and Laguna.

Giga Ace 6 is the group’s special purpose vehicle for the development of the 553-MW onshore wind facility. This is called the Quezon North Wind Power project.

The group has a roster of renewable energy projects here and abroad. It hopes to grow its portfolio to 20,000 MW by 2030. Currently, it has 7,000 MW.

Focusing on renewables, ACEN officially divested from its remaining diesel-fired plants last September. These include Bulacan Power Generation Corp., One Subic Power Generation Corp. and CIP II Power Corp.

These firms serve as special purpose vehicles that manage power plants in Luzon. These include a 52-megawatt plant in Bulacan, a 116-MW facility at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and a 21-MW plant in La Union.

‘The divestment will help ACEN achieve its goal of 100-percent renewable energy generation by end-2025,’ the company said earlier.

ACEN is also aggressive in advocating for the potential use of transition credits for the early retirement of coal plants.

Now that we have finally enacted the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining (under Republic Act No. 12253), I want to explain why I fought so hard for one particular element of this law: transparency.

As governor of Albay, I stood firmly against irresponsible mining. I was a supporter of Alyansa Tigil Mina, and I signed an anti-mining ordinance to protect the province from destructive practices. I have always believed that mining without accountability is destructive.

The wealth under our soil must serve the Filipino people. That conviction guided my work in Congress.

When the fiscal regime was being debated, I tried to push for higher rates. I felt strongly that the people deserved a larger share of the country’s mineral wealth.

But the Department of Finance presented its analysis showing that effective tax rates on mining in the Philippines were already as high as 60 percent to 70 percent. That presentation convinced most members of Congress that we were already at the ceiling of competitiveness when it comes to fiscal burden.

The consensus was clear. Rates could no longer go higher. What we lacked was integrity in reporting and the tools to enforce it.

Opening the books

That is where I inserted my advocacy in the fine print.

Section 151 D of the Tax Code empowers the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs to examine and audit every sale and export of minerals, mineral products and raw ores. It requires mining companies to open their books of accounts, including assay reports and marketing agreements, and compels the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to furnish revenue agencies with copies of those documents.

On paper, it looks technical. In practice, it is the clause that ensures the Filipino people get what they are owed.

When I was chair of the House ways and means committee, I received a high-level parliamentary delegation from Mongolia that came to study our fiscal reforms. They later applied those lessons to their own mining sector.

In their first transfer pricing audit of a multinational mining firm, they recovered $228 million in additional taxes, equivalent to 1.7 percent of their gross domestic product, and blocked $1.5 billion in carried forward losses that would have eroded revenues for years.

Mongolia learned from us. Today, through Section 151 D, we are taking that lesson back and applying it fully to our own mining industry.

In our case, with metallic mining contributing around P100 billion annually to the economy, I estimate that even a modest 10 percent to 20 percent underdeclaration of value could mean P4 billion to P8 billion in lost revenues each year. That already exceeds the official P6.3-billion projection for this reform.

The real prize will not be in the rates we impose, but in the honesty of the declarations we will now be able to enforce.

Essential industrial input

Gold makes this even more urgent. The Philippines is one of Asia’s leading producers.

Gold is not only a store of value. It is an essential industrial input. It conducts electricity better than any other material, resists corrosion, and works reliably in high-precision components.

Every smartphone, every circuit board and every semiconductor device contains gold. Our electronics sector, which remains our largest export, relies on it. This is one quiet secret of our competitiveness in the world market.

By making gold reporting transparent, we also protect the foundation of our place in global value chains.

There is another benefit. Transparency makes the good actors in the industry stand out.

Companies that already comply with environmental, social and governance or ESG standards gain credibility when their reporting is verified by law.

This reform helps align Philippine mining with global ESG standards. It gives responsible miners the confidence to invest more and to demonstrate to the world that they are part of sustainable development.

Still, taxation is not the end goal. In the long run, my vision is for us to mine less but create more value. That means refining and processing here in the Philippines, capturing the downstream opportunities in manufacturing and industrial development.

But that requires lowering our power costs, which remain among the highest in Asia. No smelter or refinery can thrive under our current electricity prices.

This law is a first step toward a mining industry that is fair, transparent and accountable. My real contribution is in the fine print. It will help ensure that the wealth beneath our soil benefits the Filipino people.

The greater challenge now is to use these revenues wisely, and to build the kind of economy where we do not merely ship our ores abroad but transform them into industries that uplift our people and secure our future.

The singing voices behind Rumi, Mira and Zoey in ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ captivated the audience with their first live performance of the smash hit ‘Golden.’

Looking chic in all-black outfits, Ejae, Audrey and Rei took the stage on the Oct. 8 episode of ‘The Tonight Show’ to perform ‘Golden,’ one of the songs from the hit film’s soundtrack, which is described as the ‘story’ of their respective characters.

The overwhelming success of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ has been ‘surreal’ for the film’s lead stars, with Nuna saying that the three of them are still trying to think of possible adjectives to describe how much the impact means to them.

According to Nuna, it was her trip to South Korea that made her realize how massively successful the animated film was.

‘I got off at Dongdaemun Station, and this cute little grandpa was doing a street performance of ‘Golden’ on a Korean traditional instrument. He was so swagged out. I had to do a double-take. In Korean culture, it’s a big deal if an elderly person is impressed by you,’ she said.

‘You can get into an Ivy League school that makes sense to them. it’s really hard to [get compliments] for them because of their high standards. But for the older generation to embrace something like this, it’s something different,’ she added.

Even Jimmy Fallon, the show’s host, said he found the animated film to be ‘phenomenal,’ saying he planned to only watch it with his daughters.

‘I watched it and I went, ‘Oh, this will be fun. I will watch it with my daughters.’ And I go, ‘Hey, this music is actually phenomenal. This is great.’ I got so into it. I loved it. Let’s [watch] it again. Let’s play it all day long,’ he said.

Containing songs like ‘Golden,’ ‘Soda Pop,’ ‘Your Idol’ and ‘Takedown,’ the soundtrack of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) after surpassing one million units.

‘Golden’ topped the Billboard Global 200 charts, and rose to the top of several music charts in different countries.

With the imports unable to make their mark, the locals took their chance to hog the spotlight on opening night.

Bella Belen, the most anticipated rookie in the Premier Volleyball League, delivered everything Capital1 could’ve hoped for and more. But even her spectacular debut wasn’t enough to stop Choco Mucho’s balance and veteran resolve.

In a thrilling all-Filipino matchup hastily arranged due to the delayed endorsement of international transfer clearances (ITC) of foreign players, Choco Mucho swept Capital1, 33-31, 26-24, 25-23, late Tuesday evening at Ynares Center here.

Yet the straight-sets scoreline told nothing of the drama.

‘It was really tough to contain [Belen],’ said Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin. ‘But we just stuck to our game plan . even if we were able to stop her once or twice in a set, it was already a huge help to our team.’

The three-time UAAP MVP exploded for 20 points and added 18 digs and 12 receptions jaw-dropping numbers for a debutante. But with the game on the line, it was Choco Mucho that made the stops that mattered.

Belen’s next shot

‘We knew that every time their reception wasn’t perfect, they’d likely give the ball to Belen probably 85 to 90 percent of the time,’ Alinsunurin told the Inquirer. ‘We worked hard to respond to whatever situation came up.’

‘I think what I need to develop more is patience,’ Belen said post-game. ‘This is a different level. It’s not like the UAAP anymore . I used to move with hesitation or fear. But now, I’ve left that behind. That was in the UAAP. I need to be more aggressive now.’

Belen will get more help now as ITC’s have finally been cleared. And to ensure fairness, the league will replay the opening-day games, rendering the results meaningless.

Still, Tuesday’s results will not be easily forgotten.

Helping foil Belen’s heroics was the return of Kat Tolentino, who scored 15 points in her first match since suffering a ruptured appendix earlier this year. Isa Molde, Royse Tubino, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Maddie Madayag and Lorraine Pecaña also contributed key plays in crunch time.

‘There are definitely more options in our game now,’ said Alinsunurin. ‘In the previous conference, we struggled with adjustments. Now, I’m thankful that when we face tough situations, we’re finding ways to recover.’

Capital1, despite the loss, showed that it’s no longer the league’s pushover, which Alinsunurin acknowledged: ‘They’re really putting up a fight now.’

Belen will get another shot in an official game this time with Ukrainian import Oleksandra Bytsenko by her side as Capital1 faces preseason champion PLDT on Monday.

Meanwhile, Choco Mucho reloads with import Marlee Smith and Fil-Am rookie Tia Andaya against powerhouse Cignal.

What’s going on with globalizing Jollibee? Perhaps this was everyone’s burning question when they woke up to Jollibee UK’s newest Facebook post.

Its ‘exciting news’ was, maybe, for some people, indeed exciting.

‘Jollibee confirms that Chickenjoy are there were once they are did,’ the official post said. ‘They became the first ever to have the first as in the era that when of Jollibee UK began. Congratulations Jollibee.’ (Where can we even put the [sic]?)

Naturally, the grammar police came to arrest the Bee.

While we were all left confused as to the reason behind it, Jollibee UK owned up to the post, which turned out to be deliberate.

The beloved mascot was indeed behind the post, as it was typing with ‘big bee hands.’

This is not a new move for Jollibee UK’s social media team. A quick look at their post history shows that they’re fond of using memes to market the products of the brands, riding trends and pop culture.

One post shows Jollibee’s appearance in a ‘boss fight’ level in Hollow Knight, a popular action-adventure video game.

Time will tell now whether there is something to congratulate about. For now, the post has done numbers and turned much-deserved attention toward the homegrown fast-food giant. MEG J. ADONIS

Alfamart opens up to franchising

Competition in the Philippine retail scene is heating up, and all players are determined to win the game.

This time, the SM Group is upping the game of its minimart chain, Alfamart Philippines.

The retail giant on Wednesday announced the launch of Alfamart’s franchising program, thus opening doors for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to partake of this business.

The first two franchise-owned stores sprouted in Laguna province, with a long-time Alfamart lessor and partner at the helm.

‘This reflects the SM Group’s commitment to inclusive growth and entrepreneurship,’ Alfamart Philippines chief operating officer Harvey Ong said.

‘By allowing tenants to evolve into franchisees, Alfamart is enabling MSMEs to scale alongside its own expansion, strengthening local communities and livelihoods,’ Ong added.

This comes as a huge opportunity now for Alfamart to grow exponentially, especially with the SM Group’s competitors already bringing in foreign brands to attract more customers and potential entrepreneurs.

For one, Ayala Corp. is already in the process of bringing back Makro stores in the country, while also debuting Spinneys.

Budget chains Dali and O’ Save (of Robinsons) are also fast gaining ground.

The expansion moves are getting faster and faster every day, so it’s no surprise that SM is also gearing up.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong suspended classes from kindergarten to senior high school on Thursday after a magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck nearby Pugo town, La Union, prompting parents to rush to schools and fetch their children.

The evacuation of students from the schools caused mild traffic congestion across the city.

Students at St. Louis University-Maryheights Campus in Baguio City gather in an open field after a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck La Union at 10:30 a.m. on October 9. The tremor was felt at Intensity V in Baguio City. (Contributed photo)

One university in the city continued its graduation rites, although the ceremony was briefly interrupted when the building swayed during the tremor.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded Intensity 5 in Baguio City, but no significant damage has been reported so far.

As part of standard safety protocols, students were evacuated from classrooms in several grade schools shortly after the quake struck.

Phivolcs said the tremor was also felt in La Union, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, and Bontoc, the capital of Mountain Province.

Thursday’s earthquake in La Union came just over a week after the deadly magnitude 6.9 temblor in Cebu, which served as a reminder of Baguio’s vulnerability, having been devastated by the July 16, 1990, earthquake, which required the city to rebuild almost entirely from the ground up.