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Two Christian governors and a big group of now elderly members of the Moro National Liberation Front on Saturday, October 31, took turns assuring support for the peacebuilding initiatives of the now duly-mandated 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament.

Gerry Salapuddin, thrice wounded in encounters with soldiers during the 1970s while chairman of the MNLF’s Basilan Revolutionary Committee, told reporters on Saturday that he and other veterans of the front were elated with the stay of Abdulrauf Macacua as chief minister of BARMM.

He was nominated to the post by colleagues in the parliament during their inaugural session on Friday.

‘Our wish now is for Chief Minister Macacua to keep his promise to ensure inclusivity in governance of BARMM, one that shall involve the Muslims and Christian and indigenous non-Moro communities in the region,’ Salapuddin said.

Members of the BARMM interim parliament, including Macacua who served as lawmakers from 2019 until the September 14 Bangsamoro regional elections were presidential appointees. Their tenures ended after last month’s first ever elections in the autonomous region.

‘We will help Chief Minister Macacua forge ahead with his development initiatives for all the Muslim, Christian and indigenous non-Moro communities in the autonomous region. We also wish he could establish an office that could be his conduit to MNLF veterans who pioneered the Moro uprising for self-governance in the 1970s,” Salapuddin said.

MNLF veterans, a number of them maimed by bullet wound sustained in encounters with soldiers during the 1970s, separately told reporters on Saturday that they are optimistic that Macacua, also a former Moro guerilla, will embark on humanitarian programs for them and the now elderly members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The MNLF and the MILF have separate peace compacts with the government and cooperated in managing some of the ministries and support agencies under the BARMM government while still under an interim parliament from 2019 until the election last month of 80 regional lawmakers, who nominated Macacua as their chief minister during their first plenary session on Friday.

Two non-Moro provincial governors in Region 12, Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza of Cotabato and Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr. of South Cotabato, who both have Moro constituents, among them members of the MNLF and the MILF, separately extended on Saturday their greetings to Macacua for his having secured an imprimatur, from 51 of the 80 members of the parliament, for him to continue functioning as BARMM’s chief minister.

Taliño-Mendoza told reporters on Saturday that she and her constituent-local executives shall continue supporting the security and humanitarian programs of the BARMM government in the eight municipalities in the Bangsamoro Special Geographic Area, or SGA, which is under the autonomous regional government, but are inside Cotabato, one of the four provinces in Region 12.

‘Residents of the SGA are related by blood to Moro villagers in the municipalities in our province. They are connected to us in terms of commerce and trade. We will support the peace and development initiatives in the area of the now duly-mandated BARMM parliament,’ said Taliño-Mendoza, chairperson of the multi-sector Regional Development Council 12.

Macacua told reporters on Friday that she appreciates the commitment by Taliño-Mendoza, a known supporter of the national government’s peace overtures with southern Moro communities.

“Her administration has not stopped from extending essential services to residents of the Bangsamoro SGA in her province, which has 63 barangays now grouped into different BARMM municipalities, despite being no longer under their provincial government,” Macacua said.

We usually refer to digital transformation in terms of technology: faster internet, new apps and artificial intelligence. In the Philippines, which identifies digitalization as a driver of social and economic development, the important question is: do these technologies help instutions work better for the people?

While technology can strengthen institutions and systems, it can also magnify weaknesses. If an existing manual, slow, complex and confusing process is put online, it only gives you a slow, confusing process online. Therefore, real transformation changes how decisions are made, services are organized and delivered and is responsive to the needs of the people.

The design and adoption of digital tools are very much key milestones that strengthen institutional capabilities, but they are most effective if people trust its use. Therefore, the digital systems must themselves be trustworthy: inclusive, secure, accessible, and accountable. Poorly governed technologies can increase exclusion and just as easily as good systems can reduce it.

Therefore, consider connectivity. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and UNDP have worked together to bring free Wi-Fi to underserved communities. The Wi-Fi signal is just the start. What matters is the change enabled because of access to the signal. Students can join a class, health workers can access new information to improve quality of services, local governments can disseminate information that can save lives at a time of disaster and for Indigenous Peoples and geographically isolated communities it provides an opportunity for increased economic and social participation. .

Contributing to sustaining peace and development, in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG-BARMM) and UNDP, are helping local governments, through the use digital tools to plan, deliver services and make decisions based on evidence.

Trust also continues to increase as people continue to see services being delivered, based on evidence, and in a needs responsive way. This requires institutions that continually learn and adapt. Monitoring, evaluation, and learning are therefore as important as investments made in physical infrastructure. Data and digital tools enable governments to identify what works, understand who is being left behind, and adjust policies and services accordingly. In the Philippines data is increasingly considered a development asset.

The country’s digital transformation journey highlights that it takes a collective effort. National government sets the vision and creates the enabling environment and invests resources, local governments deliver solutions for communities, civil society strengthens participation, universities provide evidence, the private sector brings innovation, and development partners help connect to resources, knowledge, and partners. Most importantly, communities help inform and confirm the solutions address the real needs.

As the Philippines advances toward a more inclusive, resilient, and digitally enabled future, success should not be measured by the number of new applications or processes digitized. A more compelling measurement would be whether students can access education regardless of they live, youth can access more job opportunities, whether communities are able to respond to disasters earlier and whether citizens can access public services with dignity and confidence.

Digital transformation is about trust. And trust remains the most important infrastructure any country can build.

It’s the spookiest time of the year once more!

Filipinos love a good scare, especially inside a dark theater accompanied by friends. In fact even sharing screams with a person you don’t know can feel like a good release whenever a frightening moment pops up onscreen.

This Halloween season gathers a number of scary and horror-adjacent movies in cinemas in the days leading up to October 31. Philstar.com lists some of them here:

Sine Sindak

SM Cinemas bring back its special series of horror films where tickets to screenings cost only P100.

Movies for this edition at participating cinemas include:

“App the Horror”

“Cerita Lila”

“Crawlers”

“The Influencer Project”

“Never After Dark”

“Phi Phong: The Blood Demon”

“VHS: Viva Horror Stories”

Thrill Fest: Zombie Outbreak

Ayala Cinemas also stages its own line of curated Halloween films revolving around projects with zombies in them. Tickets here will cost P150 per screening.

Selected by the cinema chain are:

“Colony”

“My Daughter is a Zombie”

“This Is Not a Test”

“Train 2 Busan: Peninsula”

“Train to Busan” (extended)

“We Bury the Dead”

Horrorkada Film Fest

Select cinemas under Robinsons Movieworld will screen classic horror films for just P250 (P200 in other participating theaters).

Making up the list here are:

“The Sixth Sense

“The Silence of the Lambs”

“The People Under the Stairs”

Fear Factory

Megaworld Cinemas meanwhile has its own horror film festival where a single pass costs P200, but a ticket to see all five films is P500.

These are the films to choose from:

“Maligno”

“Invisible Half”

“V/H/S Halloween”

“The Legend”

“Madeline’s Curse”

“Clayface”

DC Studios’ newest franchise entry is about the titular Batman villain capable of transforming his apperance into any individual or weapon.

Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, a rising actor who gets on the wrong side of a powerful Gotham mob boss, resulting his face getting disfigured and his stardom practically finished.

He desperately approaches doctor Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) willing to volunteer as a human test subject for her nanite treatment capable of healing damaged tissue and nerves.

The treatment begins well but when things go awry, Hagen injects himself with more nanites which on the surface heals him from any injury, but in reality also gives him the ability to alter his physical and vocal appearance.

Revenge seeps into the fallen actor’s mind against all who turned on him, risking the trust of an engaged Corr who he finds himself falling for.

“Clayface” is R-18 and will only be available in select theaters. Viewer discretion is advised.

“Whalefall”

Daniel Kraus’ book about a man attempting to escape the stomach of a sperm whale is adapted for the big screen by Brian Duffield.

Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving in the ocean to search for the remains of his estranged father Mitt (Josh Brolin), a year after the latter’s death.

The underwater search turns sideways – or rather goes even deeper – when Jay witnesses a giant squid fighting a sperm whale and in the encounter gets swallowed by the cacholot.

With limited oxygen literally left in the tank, Jay tries to escape the whale’s belly before getting digested while dealing with memories of Mitt.

“Other Mommy”

Jessica Chastain stars in Rob Savage’s adaptation of Josh Malerman’s 2024 novel “Incidents Around the House.”

The Oscar winner plays a mother who does everything to protect her seven-year-old daughter from a supernatural entity that looks just like her.

Jay Duplass, Dichen Lachman, Arian Moayed, Karen Allen and Arabella Olivia Clark also star.

“Resident Evil”

Zach Cregger breathes life into the live-action adaptation of the popular video game series after a number of failed attempts.

Austin Abrams plays a medical courier who comes across a zombie outbreak while making his way to Raccoon City.

Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, Will Merrick, Karel Dobry and Jo Martin also star.

“Verity”

Anne Hathaway is in a roll in 2026 with her fifth film of the year, an adaptation of Coleen Hoover’s novel of the same name.

Dakota Johnson is a ghostwriter for the titular best-selling author played by Hathaway and the former finds Verity’s notes, which lead to a potential conspiracy.

Josh Hartnett, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Brady Wagner and Irina Dvorovenko also star

“Red Crown”

Beauty queens and established actors come together in “Red Crown,” where winning the competition may mean survival.

25 contestants compete in the silver anniversary of the Queen of the Islands pageant where the contest takes a dark turn.

Among those in the cast are Sanya Lopez, Shuvee Etrata, Michelle Marquez Dee, Ahtisa Manalo, AZ Martinez, Ashley Ortega, Gazini Ganados, MJ Lastimosa, Herlene Budol, Faith da Silva, Ara Arida, Yana Aduana, Tarah Valencia and Alethea Ambrosio.

“The Fisher”

Paul Soriano’s new movie sees Mon Confiado play a fisherman who must decide the fate of a stranger he discovered lost at sea.

The said individual is a suspect in the fisherman’s teen daughter getting pregnant as well as a fish-rotting plague in the community.

Enchong Dee, Mercedes Cabral, Heaven Peralejo, Eula Valdez, Apollo Abraham and Buboy Villar also star.

“Pee Mak”

Wilbert Ross and Bea Binene star in the Philippine adaptation of the Thailand’s highest-grossing movie of all time that featured Mario Maurer and Davika Joorne.

Ross’ Mak returns to his village from a war with four of his soldier friends, eager to meet his wife and newborn child, but find everyone terrified of a ghost among them.

Vandolph Quizon, Jairus Aquino, Candy Pangilinan, TJ Valderrama, Janno Gibbs, Jerome Ponce and Gian Bernardino also star.

“Multwoh”

A queer college becomes a ghost after dying in their dorm room – but instead of seeking revenge, they only wish to say “I love you.”

Sassa Gurl, Joao Costancia, John Lapus, Iyah Mina, Phi Palmos and Mina Paner make up the main cast.

“The Cycle”

Deborah Ann Woll plays a forensic anthropologist whose long-missing father’s body somehow pops up at a crime scene, forcing her to confront his dark past.

Jeffrey Donovan, Gretchen Corbett, Phillip Botello, Will Hochman, Jack Doolan and Don Keith Opper also star.

“Vampire Carnival”

Nell Verlaqu’s grieving Gemma is drawn to a mysterious traveling carnival that comes to town. She later learns of an underground world that feeds on despair and demands a costly price for escape.

Paulina Chávez, Kieron Moore, Eoin Macken and Jason Isaacs also star.

Aboitiz Power Corp. led the earnings performance of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) in the first nine months of 2026, as higher electricity prices, increased contracted power sales and additional generation capacity offset weaker performance in other business segments.

AboitizPower reported net income of P26.2 billion for the January-to-September period, up 13 percent from P23.3 billion a year earlier, making it the largest contributor to the conglomerate’s earnings.

The power business contributed P14.1 billion to AEV’s consolidated earnings, accounting for about 64 percent of the group’s reported earnings mix.

AEV reported consolidated net income of P17.8 billion, a 2 percent increase from the same period last year, supported by stronger contributions from its power and banking businesses.

AboitizPower’s growth was driven by higher electricity market prices, greater volumes covered by supply contracts and additional generation from the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) Hydroelectric Power Plant Complex and newly commissioned solar facilities.

These gains more than offset the effects of lower coal plant availability during the period.

Excluding one-off items and foreign exchange gains and losses, AboitizPower’s net income rose 11 percent to P25.5 billion. Operating earnings increased 13 percent to P63.7 billion.

The company, however, recorded lower third-quarter net income of P7.8 billion, against P10.6 billion a year earlier, reflecting reduced availability of its coal-fired power plants.

AboitizPower continued to expand its generation and energy storage portfolio, including the groundbreaking in July of a 60-megawatt battery energy storage facility in Cebu, aimed at strengthening grid reliability.

The expansion comes as power demand and supply reliability remain important considerations for the country’s electricity market, particularly in the Visayas, where additional capacity and grid flexibility are needed to support economic activity.

Banking provides additional earnings support

Union Bank of the Philippines was another major contributor to AEV’s performance, reporting a 53 percent increase in net income to P9.9 billion.

The bank’s total revenue grew 8 percent to P65.5 billion, supported by higher lending income, banking fees and wealth management services. Net interest income increased 9% to P51.9 billion.

Loans to individual customers accounted for 62 percent of its total loan portfolio, while provisions for potential loan losses declined 4 percent to P15 billion.

As of September, UnionBank had P1.2 trillion in assets and P573.5 billion in loans, contributing P5 billion to AEV’s earnings. The bank also reported serving more than 19.5 million customers in its October earnings announcement.

Mixed results across other businesses

AEV’s food and beverage operations, comprising Aboitiz Foods and Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines, contributed P4.7 billion, down from P5.2 billion a year earlier.

Higher beverage volumes at CCEAP and gains in regional livestock feeds, trading, pet food, specialty nutrition and fish feeds at Aboitiz Foods were partly offset by weaker farm and meat operations, amid import competition and softer domestic demand.

In real estate, AEV’s earnings fell sharply to P7 million from P1.7 billion, reflecting the absence of significant land sale gains recorded in 2025 and the timing of economic estate lot sales.

Residential operations nevertheless reported improved sales quality and fewer forfeitures, while economic estates benefited from higher occupancy and rental rates.

In infrastructure, AEV’s share of Aboitiz InfraCapital’s losses narrowed to P520 million from P668 million, helped by increased passenger traffic at Mactan-Cebu International Airport and contributions from the Laguindingan and Bohol-Panglao international airports.

However, Republic Cement continued to weigh on the segment, with AEV’s share of its losses increasing to P1.2 billion from P1.1 billion. Total infrastructure losses attributable to AEV reached P1.7 billion.

Despite the improvement in its nine-month earnings, AEV’s third-quarter net income dropped to P4.1 billion from P8.9 billion a year earlier, highlighting the uneven performance of its businesses.

As of September 30, AEV had total assets of about P1 trillion and cash holdings of P84.8 billion. Total liabilities stood at P621.2 billion, while equity attributable to parent company shareholders increased to P301.9 billion.

The group maintained a current ratio of 1.1 times and a net debt-to-equity ratio of 0.9 times.

In May, AEV received an A- investment-grade credit rating with a stable outlook from Japan Credit Rating Agency, which cited its diversified portfolio, recurring cash generation and financial management.

The results show the growing importance of power generation to AEV’s earnings base, with AboitizPower providing the largest share of profits as the conglomerate navigates differing operating conditions across its businesses.