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From Mexico City to Manila, the United Kingdom to the United States, Taylor Swift fans hooted, sobbed happy tears and danced their way through the pop star’s latest album release, ‘The Life of a Showgirl.’

Swift’s 12th studio offering dropped Friday, and her Swifties were more than ready for it. Many were dripping in the color orange to usher in her latest era at gatherings around the world. Some closed their eyes to take in the fresh dozen tracks amid the chaotic crowds around them.

José María Bastida, a writer, rocked an orange sequin tuxedo jacket at a watch party in a Mexico City restaurant serving Swift-themed cocktails, including a tequila heavy ‘Ophelia’s Juice’ and a liquored up ‘Showgirl Slushy.’

‘I feel like it’s super experimental,’ he said of the album, ‘because it’s supposed to bring a lot of new stuff and we haven’t seen that more sexy side of Taylor Swift.’

Fans snatch up ‘Showgirl’ in all its variants

In Los Angeles, the fervent lined up at midnight at a Target to snap up the new music on vinyl and CD. Maria-Elena Garcia rented a hotel room and drove in from Santa Barbara. ‘I like a lot of her values and like we have a lot similar values. For example, cats,’ she said.

In theaters, Swift is schooling AMC on how to treat her fans. The theater chain has granted special permission for moviegoers to sing and dance their way through screenings of ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,’ in select theaters for the weekend only. The film is screening around the world. Added bonus: No trailers beforehand.

Fiona Cela, 11, in London woke up at 4:30 a.m. to listen to the album. She then headed out with her mother to the studios of Global’s Capital radio, hoping for a glimpse of Swift as she gave an interview there. On her agenda after that: school.

‘Taylor as a person is just super kind and loving,’ she said, her wrists stacked with Swift-themed friendship bracelets. ‘Her music is so inspiring.’

Swifties celebrate at a special pub

At the Black Dog pub in London, thought to be the location for Swift’s song ‘Black Dog’ from her last album, vacationing American Natalie Richmond, 43, showed up to mark the occasion. Her two Swiftie daughters woke her up extra early to listen to the album.

‘We actually lived in Nashville early on so we’ve been following her ever since she began,’ Richmond said. ‘She’s relatable. She’s the person that everybody wants to be friends with. We all listen to her music and think I’d love to go out and hang out with her.’

Longtime Swiftie Helen Brabant-Bleakley showed up at the Black Dog to mark her 30th birthday, wearing a teal sash with gold lettering that read: ‘The Life of a Birthday Girl.’

‘My good friend Taylor Swift gave me the best present ever by dropping a new album,’ she said, noting she’s already picked a couple of favorite cuts from the album: ‘Father Figure’ and ‘Elizabeth Taylor.’

Drag queens lip-sync Swift as hundreds cheer

A Manila mall went full Swift with a drag show, games, raffles and performers. Hundreds of screaming fans dressed in showgirl gear braved rain to celebrate at an outdoor amphitheater.

Among them was Cyril Aviguetero, 18. With a red showgirl head piece complementing his outfit, he was most excited about Track 7, ‘Actually Romantic.’ Asked why, he mused: ‘I’m not sure, but I’m also trying to find what’s actually romantic in my life,’ he said.

Other Swift events were held around the Philippines.

Kansas City’s Union Station was lit up in orange and teal in celebration. Musician Chloe Rose entertained Swift fans with four hours of covers at a spot there ahead of the release as the crowd made friendship bracelets and sipped on themed cocktails.

Number balloons for ’12’ floated around as Rose sang and played guitar and keyboards. Fan Tara Pickarell showed up but chose solitude to later take in the new work. ‘I have to be in my own space to listen to it. I need my own little bubble.’

Pickarell is happy the album is pop heavy.

‘I do like her slower songs, but I’m excited to get back to like 1989 ‘Reputation’ vibes,’ she said.

Showgirl pop-up draws lines for photos with props

In New York, hundreds of fans lined up to walk through a three-day Spotify pop-up offering five showgirl-themed rooms. They took photos with feathery boas and other props.

‘I feel like there’s so few moments like this where you actually get to connect with other fans,’ said Ali Meehan. ‘Like we all kind of listen in our rooms, alone in our houses.’

This time around, Swift includes abundant nods to fiancé Travis Kelce amid the glitz, glamour and Las Vegas lechery of it all. This Swift isn’t waiting in the wings, and she’s definitely not holed up alone.

‘This is so different from the last album, but in a really good way,’ said Hannah Zuckerbraun, a fan in a Swift T-shirt among Target-goers in Los Angeles. ‘Like, it’s a lot happier sounding. I feel like it’s perfect and upbeat.’

Electricity has slowly returned in Masbate province a week after it was battered by Severe Tropical Storm ‘Opong’ (international name: Bualoi).

A report from the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol (OCD 5) said that as of Saturday, October 4, power was restored to 85 percent of Masbate City, the provincial capital, but many areas in the province still have no electricity.

OCD Bicol Director Claudio Yucot said in a Viber message to the Inquirer that power restoration efforts were in full swing.

‘The Department of Energy’s Task Force Kapatid, with 30 teams, is on the ground to reinstall or erect 1,178 electric posts toppled by Opong,’ he said.

He said thousands of evacuees still staying in temporary shelters were also being assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which is providing food packs.

In a radio interview over DZRH, Governor Richard Kho said on Saturday the province’s most urgent needs are potable water and electricity, but these are now being addressed with help from various government agencies.

‘We can’t say the exact date when power will be (fully) restored, but rest assured, all efforts are being exerted to speed up the process,’ Kho said.

Yucot added that all major roads in Masbate have been cleared of debris and are now passable to all vehicles.

The province, which has a population of 908,920 (2020 census) spread in one city and 20 municipalities, was hit hard by ‘Opong,’ which made two landfalls in the province early on September 26, hours after its first landfall in Policarpio, Eastern Samar at 11:30 p.m. on September 25.

Classes in all levels remained suspended in the province since as many as 600 classrooms were destroyed by the storm, affecting some 30,000 learners, the Department of Education in Bicol region earlier said.

Local authorities were still determining the total cost of damage to properties, agriculture and government facilities and infrastructure

‘You are what you eat. I’m sure you’ve heard that many times,’ Kim King, nutritionist and founder of Kim King Wellness, tells us. We are in her kitchen, surrounded by a plethora of books.

But where a regular kitchen may house cookbooks and recipes, King’s library is of a more specific niche-from titles on bone broth and collagen, to books about diets like keto and paleo, and even a range that covers recipes from vegetarian to carnivore.

On one end of the kitchen-what she calls her ‘office’-are a selection of meals and food items by her eponymous wellness brand. Stacked neatly are bowls containing a colorful array of dishes, alongside rows of intriguing broth lattes in bottles, and even fruits and vegetables, some of which are being fermented in jars. She excitedly tells us she’ll have us try the dishes, too.

She took a Master’s in Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen in the UK, pursued further studies at Ateneo de Manila University, and took up human physiology at Harvard

Rooted in a passion for good food

Her passion for food-good food, at that-has been rooted in deeply personal experience. She’s enjoyed cooking even when she was younger, and even had a dream of becoming a doctor. But to fulfill the wishes of her father, she instead went into the hospitality industry. Even then, the call towards the health field remained.

She later took a Master’s in Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen in the UK, pursued further studies in Ateneo de Manila University, human physiology at Harvard, and even studied perinatal and pediatric nutrition after becoming a mom. The more King experienced, the more her interests grew-and so did her list of educational credits.

And still, at just 36 with five children and a thriving business, King is bursting with energy. She tells us it’s all because of good food.

‘When I see food now, I don’t have cravings. I see it as ‘I’m going to eat so I can perform well in life,” King says. ‘When you see food as support to unleash your best potential as a human being, you become more mindful of what you put in.’

Building good habits

King’s holistic interest in various aspects of health informs every decision in the household. It goes beyond what’s on the dinner table, reflected in every corner and feature of their home.

With five young kids, King considers this an important time to instill good and healthy habits. ‘They copy what they see,’ she says of her children. ‘My rule at home is, ‘If it’s in the house, everyone can eat it.’ That’s why I’m so mindful of what I bring in.’

In the kitchen, a wall is filled with lists-detailing schedules and allergies of each member of the family. Part of this schedule is also a curious detail: each day features a family member on cooking duty.

‘I want them to know how to prepare healthy food,’ King says. It’s more than just preparing them for the future; it’s also helping her kids to love the process. She proudly shares, ‘It excites them. In fact, minsan nag-aagawan pa sila. ‘Can it be me na lang today?” Being responsible for the day’s meals also boosts the kids’ feelings of confidence and independence, both valuable traits for King. Fostering a love for music and fitness

King appears to run a tight ship, but there’s a lightness around their household-and I mean this beyond their high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. Throughout our shoot, music reverberates through their home, coming from their treasure trove of a living room that also doubles as a music room.

In this space, a collection of guitars hangs on the wall, while a corner is filled with an assortment of instruments, from piano to drums. ‘We really value arts and music,’ King shares. She points out a few special guitars from her husband Atticus’ collection, while he settles down in front of the piano to practice.

All her kids are also learning music. It’s good for their development, she says-and like everything she shares with us, there’s science to back it up.

‘The science shows that any type of art will make the brain function better. It will push the brain cells and neurons to be at [their] optimal level. But nothing can beat music; it’s still the most potent medicine for your brain,’ she explains.

Aside from the musical instruments, various fitness tools and equipment accentuate the King family home-exercise rings and rope hang from the ceiling, in the threshold leading to a bathroom, near the dining table, and in the garden, a wall dotted with colorful handgrips and footholds for bouldering. At first, it’s all seemingly random, but it’s actually thoughtfully placed.

To build habits, King says, it’s important to surround yourself with the tools that will encourage it. ‘I equip my environment where I can thrive, where it becomes convenient for me to excel.’ She cites the SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands) principle as an inspiration, which in essence states that the body specifically adapts to the type of demands or stress placed on it.

With the equipment being placed around areas of the house they frequent, it’s easier to be reminded to incorporate movement into their routine. From her family to yours

King’s children are following in her footsteps. Aside from her eponymous brand, Kim King Wellness, King also leads several other food and wellness brands, each with different specialties. The Gut Gang, for example, is a playfully healthy approach to yogurt.

‘It’s actually the brand of my kids,’ she shares. The yogurt brand was the fruit of conversations between them. ‘I told them, ‘You know what, if you want to help mama, make something that will help more people.” The Gut Gang thus focuses on creating gut-friendly snacks and treats like zero-sugar, high-protein frozen yogurt.

King also works with Victoria Bites, the 24/7 food brand of Victoria Court. Established in the 1980s as a Filipino comfort food brand, Victoria Bites, now with King’s involvement, has taken strides towards further improving the quality of their dishes.

‘When I stepped in, I said, ‘I have to [make] some changes. If you’ll allow me, I can handle it,” King continues, emphasizing that she could only sell what she can eat. ‘The costing is not that different. But the science there-if the food is cooked in canola oil or vegetable oil, it’s more palatable. It rewires your brain to eat more. My goal is not to make people eat more; my goal is to make people eat quality food and feel satiated, not bloated, after.’

‘I want people to eat Filipino food and not feel heavy and sluggish. I want to give people access to good and healthy food,’ she adds.

Making healthy food accessible

King acknowledges that it’s difficult, especially now, to truly eat healthy. But it’s a challenge she’s passionately taking on. ‘I feel that the reason we don’t eat so well is [that] we don’t have access to quality food. The system is not designed to make it easier for us.’

‘It’s the lack of education and the lack of accessibility. Most of us have to work eight hours a day, and who really has the time to prepare [food]? You have a family to feed, you have a career to build,’ she says. Her brands-making food made with quality ingredients more accessible-and her consultation work are her ways of addressing the gaps in the system.

‘I really want to push that advocacy,’ King says. ‘There’s so much potential that we have, if only we knew that food is connected to all of those things we want to unleash. It boils down to, if you are healthy to begin with, you will feel limitless.’

While a bevy of Filipino and part-Filipino beauty queens joined the massive protest rally against corruption at the People Power Monument in Edsa in Quezon City on Sept. 21, a reigning Paraguayan pageant titleholder was also among the flood of people.

Yanina Gomez, Paraguay’s delegate to the 74th Miss Universe pageant next month, attended the ‘Trillion Peso March’ denouncing corruption in government projects attended by tens of thousands of protesters.

The Paraguayan human rights lawyer and teacher revealed this when she faced members of Filipino media at the Yugen Group headquarters in Taguig City last month.

The company helped bring her to the country, and has arranged for her to train under Filipino mentors to prepare for the 2025 Miss Universe pageant. And on the day of the rally, she said the car she was in got stuck in traffic. When the driver told her what had caused it, she said she did not hesitate to take part in the rally.

‘I participated in one like this in Paraguay. And I’m so happy here the people use their voice to make a difference. Because we need to grab now, don’t repeat the same, because money needs to go to things that make life better for the people,’ she told Inquirer Entertainment in an interview.

Gomez said she got inspired when she saw 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray onstage, and knew she made the right decision to get off the car, and cancel her supposed appointment.

She also said that she was aware that several other beauty queens from the Philippines had taken part in the same rally, including reigning Miss World Krishnah Gravidez, one of the several Filipino pageant girls that she looks up to. They both competed in the recent staging of the Miss World pageant in India.

‘No more people in the streets need to go hungry, no more children in the school need to go hungry. [There must be] good transportation, because here it’s one big problem, traffic every day, and how many times we spent in the traffic too,’ Gomez said.

The Paraguayan beauty queen lamented the traffic situation in the country, something she personally endured while staying in Manila, and noted the need for an efficient mode of public transportation.

She also addressed Filipino government officials: ‘Be honest, because the people are tired. And this is one big message and lesson for everthing. And this is one big example for other countries that are tired, leaving their house to commute,’ Gomez pleaded.

Speaking to Flipinos, she said, ‘Go, make the difference, and use this to serve as an example for the world. And I’m happy to participate because it’s one big lesson for me. And many, many people are so tired of this situation.’

Gomez will be among the more than 130 delegates from around the world, including the Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo, who will be competing to succeed reigning Miss Universe Victori Kjær Theilvig.

About three months after confirming the breakup of her three-year relationship with Katrice Kierulf, Klea Pineda declared that she has moved on and has been getting better by the day.

Pineda opened up about this in an interview on ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’ on Friday, Oct. 3. The actress visited the show along with Jasmin Curtis-Smith to promote their upcoming queer film ‘Open Endings.’

‘This is about love, heartbreak and exes. Have you moved on, Klea?’ show host Abunda asked.

Pineda initially laughed off how the host smoothly injected the topic into their conversation, then answered, ‘Have I moved on? I think yeah. Paunti-unti (little by little).’

Pineda, however, admitted that her recovery process has not been linear. ‘May mga pasulpot-sulpot na feeling. Normal naman ‘yon after ng breakup pero I think nagiging better naman ako every day.’

(I still feel things here and there. It’s normal after a breakup, but I think I have been getting better every day.)

Further speaking about her relationship with her ex-girlfriend, the actress said they are not enemies but are also not friends.

‘We’ll get there,’ Pineda continued, expressing hopes to rebuild her friendship with Kierulf. ‘Sa ngayon, masyado pa kasi sigurong fresh.’ (For now, it’s still fresh.)

‘Sa ngayon, siguro wala pang reason para mag-connect kami ulit and nire-respeto ko rin ‘yung healing process niya,’ she added. (Maybe there is no reason for us to reconnect at the moment, and I also respect her healing process.)

During the interview, Pineda also intrigued the host when she was asked during the Fast Talk segment about her thoughts on having a relationship with a co-star.

‘Why not?’ she said.

Abunda later asked Pineda about Janella Salvador, her other co-star in ‘Open Endings’ who is being romantically linked to her and is also being accused as the supposed third party in her split with Kierulf.

‘I think nadamay lang naman ‘yung pangalan ni Janella kasi nga magkasama kami sa film,’ Pineda spoke in defense of her fellow actress. ‘Maraming rason kung bakit kami naghiwalay ni Katrice pero labas si Janella do’n. Walang third party.’

(I think Janella only got involved because we were working together in a film. There are a lot of reasons why Katrice and I broke up, but Janella is not one of those. There is no third party.)

Pineda and Curtis-Smith then expressed their admiration for Salvador, nodding in agreement with the show host’s remarks about the celebrity mom being ‘blooming.’

Then asked if Salvador is the type she would fall in love with, Pineda replied, ‘Why not? Walang reason na hindi magugustuhan si Janella.’ (There’s no reason to not like Janella.)

Both Pineda and Salvador have remained mum on the real score between them. /ra

Heavy to intense rain showers are forecast over Metro Manila and three provinces in Luzon on Saturday afternoon, the state weather bureau said.

In its thunderstorm advisory issued at 2:25 p.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the following areas are expected to experience heavy to intense rain showers with lightning and strong winds within the next two hours:

Metro Manila

Nueva Ecija

Tarlac

Zambales

The weather condition is already being experienced in the following areas, which may persist for two hours and may affect nearby areas:

Bulacan (San Ildefonso, Dona Remedios Trinidad, San Rafael, Angat, Pandi, Bustos, Baliuag, Santa Maria, Norzagaray)

Cavite (Kawit, Cavite City, Noveleta, General Trias, Imus, Dasmarinas, Tanza, Rosario, Trece Martires, Maragondon, Naic, Ternate, General Emilio Aguinaldo, Magallanes, Indang)

Bataan (Limay, Mariveles, Hermosa, Dinalupihan)

Batangas (Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Santa Teresita, Alitagtag, Nasugbu, Tuy, Calatagan, Lian, Balayan, Santo Tomas, Tanauan)

Pampanga (Lubao, Floridablanca, Sasmuan, Candaba, San Luis, Apalit, San Simon)

Laguna (Pila, Victoria, Los Banos, Bay, Calauan, Nagcarlan)

Quezon (Burdeos)

Rizal (Cardona, Binangonan)

‘All are advised to take precautionary measures against the impacts associated with these hazards, which include flash floods and landslides,’ Pagasa said.

The weather bureau earlier reported that even though Severe Tropical Storm Paolo (international name: Matmo) exited the Philippine area of responsibility on Saturday morning, it still had a direct effect across Luzon.

Paolo was last located 440 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur, packing a maximum sustained wind speed of 110 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 135 kph. /mr

Seventeen days after the deadly flash floods that struck this city on the night of September 17, families and friends continue to offer prayers for the two people who remain missing.

One of the missing, Dina Consolacion, 48, of Purok 13, Poblacion, was found floating near Busco Bridge in Barangay Butong, Quezon, on the morning of October 4. Her body, already in an advanced state of decomposition, was discovered by residents and later confirmed by authorities.

The discovery raised the death toll to six. Previously confirmed fatalities were Jaya Taña, 27; King Winston Adran, 13; Larry Labay, 53; Princess Kyarah Dacoycoy, 17; and Deejay Ark Taña Viña, 4. Search and retrieval operations led by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) continue for the two remaining missing individuals – Johnny Borbon, 63, and Andrea Vistal, 2.

CDRRMO chief June Ray Valero said responders would sustain the search until the city government issues an official directive on when to conclude operations.

Families of the missing have accepted the painful reality of their loved ones’ fate, offering prayers amid the devastation caused by the sudden cloudburst. The flash floods destroyed millions worth of property, livestock, infrastructure, and agricultural crops, and left hundreds of families displaced.

Valero added that relocation efforts are underway for affected residents still staying at the city gymnasium, which serves as the main evacuation center.

The city government plans to transfer displaced families once the subdivision plan and construction of housing units at the relocation site in Barangay Pinatilan are completed.