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The partnership was formally signed on October 8, 2025, led by top executives from both companies: Eusebio H. Tanco, Chairman of DigiPlus; Jasper Vicencio, President of AB Leisure Exponent Inc., a subsidiary of DigiPlus; Ray C. Espinosa, Chairman of Bayad; and Lawrence Y. Ferrer, President and CEO of Bayad. The agreement is effective immediately, making DigiPlus Bayad’s only gaming partner for OTC cash transactions. Through this collaboration, DigiPlus customers gain access to Bayad’s extensive network of payment touchpoints, present across 800+ Bayad Center branches and Bayad Partners in malls, supermarkets, and convenience stores nationwide.

Bayad is accredited by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) as an Electronic Money Issuer (EMI). DigiPlus partners only with BSP-accredited payment channels in accordance with the requirements of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), ensuring that all player wallet transactions are processed through secure and compliant payment platforms. BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone players can now make cash-ins or deposits through Bayad. Additional features including cash-outs or withdrawals and access through the Bayad App will be rolled out in next phases, providing DigiPlus customers with more options to manage their funds conveniently and safely.

It’s a bittersweet stretch for TJ Monterde, KZ Tandingan, and concert director John ‘Praty’ Prats, who are all nursing what they jokingly, but genuinely, call sepanx (separation anxiety).

After almost a year on the road, the ‘Sarili Nating Mundo’ world tour is down to its final few shows. ‘It’s super overwhelming,’ Monterde admitted. ‘We’re down to our last five shows. Almost every weekend we have a show-if not abroad, here in the Philippines. A lot has happened this year, pero si Direk ayaw muna niya pag-usapan kasi sepanx na siya.’

Sepanx describes the unease or longing one feels when parting from something meaningful. For the ‘Sarili Nating Mundo’ team, it’s the pain of saying goodbye to a project that’s been their life for months.

‘Even if we only started the show last February, the brainstorming and concept planning started last year,’ Tandingan shared. ‘Even just talking about it now, ‘five shows na lang,’ it makes me sad. But I’m grateful I got to do this with them and the entire team.’

What began as a three-night sold-out concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum grew into a 40-show global tour, with stops across the U.S., Canada, the Middle East, and the Philippines. From small provincial arenas to massive venues like Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, fans found their own stories in Monterde and Tandingan’s songs.

‘We didn’t expect it to turn out like this,’ said Prats. ‘I remember telling TJ after Araneta, ‘Three days lang natin ‘to ginawa!’ And he said, ‘Don’t worry, Direk. Lilibutin pa natin ang mundo.’ Looking back, it really happened-we toured the world with SNM.’

For Prats, who helmed his first major tour, it was both grueling and gratifying. ‘Grabe ang hirap ng tour. We were such a small team], and we had to multitask to deliver that experience to our fellow Filipinos. Monterde and Tandingan are easy to work with. Walang reklamo even with three back-to-back cities, all smiles lang. That’s why we don’t want it to end.’

Every stop became its own story. ‘There’s usually something special that happens at our concerts,’ Monterde said. ‘Out of 35 shows, isa lang ang walang marriage proposal-sa Jeddah! In Cagayan de Oro, there was even a gender reveal. Each city becomes special, not just for us but for the audience, too.’

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John Prats is the director of the 40-show global tour. Image: Marinel Cruz/INQUIRER.net

Tandingan added: ‘Ang ginagawa ko sa set ko, palaging customized. The spiels depend on the crowd’s energy. Every show feels different because of that interaction. And on the production side, si TJ, si Direk Praty, and the team-they never settle. Laging may pasabog.’

But perhaps the most unforgettable moment came not from spectacle, but from vulnerability. Monterde recalled a two-night show in Laguna that nearly didn’t push through. ‘On the first night, in the middle of my set, I lost my voice-completely gone, zero. It was my first time experiencing that. After KZ’s set, I still tried to sing ‘Harana.’ She heard me from the dressing room, grabbed a mic and sang with me.’

He almost canceled the next night but decided to go on. ‘I had to be honest with the audience. I said, ‘siguro napapansin n’yo iba ang voice ko ngayon. Pero it’s still going to be special,” he said. ‘After the last line of ‘Palagi,’ my voice was completely gone-KZ carried the rest. She finished the song for me.’

That raw, unscripted moment sums up ‘Sarili Nating Mundo’: a shared experience built on love, music, and teamwork. ‘Because I have a fan base that’s really there to listen and support, I’m very thankful,’ said Monterde. ‘Every time feeling ko kulang ang nabibigay kong boses, they clap and cheer me on. Feeling ko nga dapat hati kami sa TF (talent fee),’ he joked.

As they gear up for the last leg of the tour produced by Cornerstone Concerts-with shows in Australia, New Zealand, and the finale in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 2-the SNM family feels both grateful. ‘We try to push as much as we can to increase production value,’ said Prats. ‘We’re grateful to all the producers who believed in our goal to bring the SNM experience to people. Every after the concert, grabe ang positive posts nila. They feel their tickets were worth it. That’s the best feeling.’ During the press conference, the couple also announced that they’ll return to the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 6 and 7 for a back-to-back concert, again directed by Prats. Monterde teased: ‘This time, it will be all about KZ’s world. That’s what makes it exciting-how we’ll both shine, and what kind of magic will happen when our two worlds combine.’ /edv

A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck off the town of Calatagan in Batangas province on Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

According to Phivolcs, the epicenter of the minor tectonic earthquake, which occurred at 4:51 p.m., was located 21 kilometers southwest of the town. It had a depth of 98 kilometers.

A tectonic earthquake is caused by sudden movements along faults and plate boundaries.

Phivolcs said the tremor is not expected to cause any damage or aftershocks. Another magnitude 2.5 tectonic tremor also hit Calatagan on Oct. 6.

Calatagan is located 71 kilometers from Batangas City and 131 kilometers from Metro Manila.

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Batangas is among the most seismically active areas in the Philippines, primarily due to the Lubang Fault situated between Mindoro Island and Batangas.

The Philippines sits along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. /mr

Frederick Go, special assistant to the president for investment and economic affairs, on Thursday allayed concerns raised by the United States State Department that corruption remains a major barrier to investments in the Philippines.

He said the administration’s ongoing probe shows its seriousness in pursuing clean governance.

At a briefing, the official was asked whether or not Malacañang is bothered by the assessment and how it would affect the Philippines’ image globally. ‘I’d just like to stress that the swiftness and decisiveness of the president (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.) shows the resolve of the government to clean up corruption, which is good for the economy and builds confidence,’ Go responded.

‘From the formation of respectable members of the independent commission to the very swift appointment of an Ombudsman with gravitas (high seriousness), it shows how serious the president is about fixing this problem,’ he also said.

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Go noted that ‘the negativity is overblown’ and that the Congress and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s probe into anomalous flood-control projects will be good for the country in the long run.

‘The effect of this is that the budget, and we already see it now, will be more efficiently spent and allocated on more productive programs which will benefit the country and our people,’ explained the presidential assistant.

‘Better deployment of the budget will result in projects with greater multiplier effect, bringing about better effects on the economy and jobs created. So while this may be a short-term issue, it definitely will have long-term benefits,’ he added.

According to the 2025 Investment Climate Statement, corruption is still a significant barrier to investments in the Philippines.

It cited the country’s rank of 114th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index-a position Philippines has held since 2019. /apl

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday witnessed the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Program for Flexible Supervision of Pharmacies.

This initiative was launched by the Food and Drug Administration, the Professional Regulation Commission, and the private sector to enhance access to essential medicines in community pharmacies, especially in underserved areas, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a press release.

‘The pilot program between government agencies and the private sector seeks to address the current shortage of about 27,500 registered pharmacists across the country, as cited by the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC),’ it read. ‘The program aims to address the gap in the availability of registered pharmacists through flexible supervision mechanisms, including telepharmacy and video supervision,’ it also read.

The Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Program for Flexible Supervision of Pharmacies will allow licensed pharmacists to remotely supervise multiple community pharmacies.

It will be jointly implemented by the FDA, the Professional Regulatory Board of Pharmacy, and participating private sector pharmacies.

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Under the signed contract, the FDA will ‘provide regulatory guidance, issue necessary clearances, and oversee the compliance of participating pharmacies with Republic Act No. 10918, or the Philippine Pharmacy Act of 2016,’ which requires one registered pharmacist for every pharmacy.

The program will be implemented until 2027, with potential pilot areas including Caloocan, Manila, Abra, Ilocos, La Union, Camarines Sur, Quezon, Iloilo, Negros, and Misamis.

Three alleged gang members were arrested for allegedly luring a victim with a woman, only to rob him later on in Caloocan City, the Northern Police District (NPD) said.

In a briefing on Thursday, NPD special operations chief Lt. Col. Emmanuel Gomez said the alleged robbery took place at a parking lot in Barangay 78 near Monumento on Wednesday and were later caught in the same barangay that same day. ‘It’s the same modus operandi as the Sputnik gang’s. They use women to be part of their transactions, which is sex or prostitution. They come, then they mob him and hold him up,’ Gomez explained in a mix of Filipino and English.

He noted that the victim did not report the incident to authorities over fear of retaliation, but barangay officials flagged the incident through closed-circuit television footage and reported it to the police.

Authorities recovered the victim’s cellphone, wallet and other personal belongings as well as an improvised pen gun, a bullet and a knife from the suspects, NPD Director Brig. Gen. Jerry Protacio detailed at the briefing.

Protacio only identified the suspects as ‘Jonel,’ 29; ‘Raymond,’ 40; and ‘Billy,’ 42, all of whom have had previous cases of violations of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act and Presidential Decree No. 1602, which penalizes illegal gambling.

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The NPD director further pointed out, in a video shown to reporters at the briefing, that the three suspects all had tattoos on their body indicating that they were part of a certain ‘Sputnik gang.’

Protacio added that authorities have yet to track down the woman whom the suspects used to lure the victim.

At the same briefing, NPD investigation and detective management chief Lt. Col. Angelito de Juan said the district police recorded 88 incidents of robbery from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, arresting 168 suspects in the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela.

De Juan said this represented a decrease from the 94 robbery cases it had logged and the 140 suspects it had arrested during the same period in 2024. /jpv

You’d think baring skin on screen is easy when you’ve got a face like Tony Labrusca or Martin del Rosario. But for these actors, ‘sexy’ isn’t as simple as stripping down; it’s also about vulnerability, control, and a lot of courage.

‘Honestly, I always tell people that I’m a good catfish because what you see on screen is just the best version of me,’ Tony Labrusca said, laughing. ‘I’m not really confident with my body. I can’t just show up on set naked. That’s not something I’m comfortable doing.’

Tony plays the titular role in Rodina Singh’s ‘Dreamboi,’ a psychological drama about fantasy, identity, and desire. But for him, sexy isn’t about flexing-it’s about facing insecurities head-on. ‘Just showing up on set gives me a different kind of vulnerability,’ he said during a recent media gathering to launch the CineSilip Film Festival, which runs from Oct. 22 to 28.

‘Because now, it’s not just about showing emotions-you’re literally revealing yourself. That was the most challenging part about doing the film,’ he pointed out. Martin del Rosario, lead of ‘Haplos sa Hangin,’ shared the sentiment. ”Di naman bago sa akin ang paggawa ng sexy roles,’ he began. ‘Pero ito yata ang pinaka-daring kong nagawa. Ang paghuhubad makes you feel vulnerable as actors. We’re lucky we went through an intimacy workshop para ma-set ang boundaries ng isa’t isa.’

For Martin, respect and communication make all the difference when filming intimate scenes. ‘Pwede naman mangyari na maghubad na lang at gawin ang sex scenes, pero at least alam mong may respeto,’ he said. ‘You know when to stop and when to go for it. That’s what’s exciting and challenging about doing erotic films.’

As for how daring his role gets, Martin added: ‘Yes, daring talaga. Poured chocolate on my body, and so there was a lot of licking that happened. But it’s very tastefully done. It has a message the director wants to convey.’ If vulnerability is the new bravery, then the CineSilip Film Festival might just be this year’s boldest stage for it. The festival is showcasing exciting works from emerging Filipino directors. Its fearless lineup says it all.

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Gian Arre’s ‘Ang Lihim ni Maria Makinang’ is a century-spanning romance that unfolds only under the full moon; Rhance Anonuevo-Carino’s ‘Ang Babae sa Butas’ is a mysterious erotic tale about faithfulness, curiosity, and a literal hole in the wall.

Mikko Baldoza’s ‘Haplos sa Hangin’ is a sensual horror where love is tested by obsession and a mysterious neighbor; Alan Habon’s ‘Maria Azama: Da Best Prn Star’ is a sexy comedy where a J-porn actress literally steps out of fantasy and into real life. Pongs Leonardo’s ‘Pagdaong’ is a drama on love, loss, and the transient nature of relationships, while BC Amparado’s ‘Salikmata’ is an erotic psychological thriller told in reverse, tackling manipulation and the unseen.

As festival director Ronald Arguelles put it: ‘This is not just a festival but a platform for fearless storytelling, a space kung saan welcome ang experimentation, kung saan lumalabas ang tunay na creativity ng mga Pinoy. Today, we meet the risk-takers and the dreamers of the seven new feature films. These films will make you laugh, cry, question, and maybe feel uncomfortable-that’s the magic of daring cinema.’

The Senate has received a petition for a writ of habeas corpus from detained contractor Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya, who cited alleged irregularities in his detention under contempt.

In a hearing before the Regional Trial Court of Pasay City, Branch 298, presided over by Judge Melvin Cydrick Bughao, the court ordered that Discaya remain under the safekeeping of the Senate sergeant-at-arms.

Earlier, Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III said the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings on the anomalous flood control projects will continue amid the change in leadership in the powerful panel. Lawyers representing Discaya argued the legality of his continued detention, while the respondents were represented by the Senate legal counsel. The case is scheduled to resume Monday at 9 a.m., after which it will be turned over to the Office of the Solicitor General for succeeding hearings.

The Senate remains firm in its decision, asserting that the contempt order against Discaya was issued within its constitutional authority.

A 12-year-old boy who went missing while crossing a river was found dead along the shoreline of San Miguel Beach early Thursday morning. According to reports from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the victim, identified as Genesis De Leon, a resident of Barangay Antipolo, allegedly drowned around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday while attempting to cross the Pamatawan River with two friends, aged 10 and 11.

Search and rescue operations were immediately launched, involving residents, the PCG Sub-station in San Antonio, the PNP Maritime Group, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

De Leon’s body was recovered around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, just a few meters from where he was last seen.

Authorities remind the public, especially children, to avoid crossing rivers during unpredictable weather and currents, as safety remains a top priority./coa

A low-pressure area (LPA) is forecast to bring rain in the southern portion of Luzon on Thursday evening, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

The LPA was located 315 kilometers west of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, at 3 p.m., Pagasa recorded.

Pagasa warned that the LPA will cause ‘cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms’ in Metro Manila, Mimaropa, Calabarzon, and Bicol Region. Meanwhile, the southwesterly windflow will carry the same weather conditions to Visayas and Mindanao, while the northeasterly windflow will bring isolated light rains to Batanes and the Babuyan Islands, Pagasa added.

On the other hand, Tropical Storm Quedan (international name: Nakri) will still not affect the Philippines and its current weather conditions until it exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

According to Pagasa, Quedan remains at the edge of the PAR, at around 1,370 kilometers east-northeast of extreme northern Luzon, moving north-northwestward at 30 kilometers per hour (kph).

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It has maximum sustained winds of 75 kph, and gusts of up to 90 kph. Quedan is expected to be out of the PAR by early Friday morning, based on Pagasa’s forecast.