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Rodina Singh went into the Cinesilip awards ceremony with no expectations. After all, her film, ‘Dreamboi,’ had narrowly made it to cinemas; anything else would have been a bonus.

But by the evening’s end, Singh and her team walked away with seven awards including Best Film and Best Director at the inaugural film festival, which celebrates ‘bold, mature, and unconventional’ themes and storytelling.

All the more meaningful

The fact that they stood onstage holding trophies after initially being denied the necessary exhibition permits made the victories feel all the more meaningful. ‘My God, magkukwento lang po kami. pero bawal daw kami ipalabas,’ says Singh, fighting back tears after being hailed Best Director.

Last Oct. 16, ‘Dreamboi’ received an X rating from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), effectively barring it from all commercial cinemas. The producers appealed the decision days later, but to no avail. It wasn’t until a third version of the movie was submitted that it was finally rated R-18 just a day before its premiere last Oct. 22.

‘My God, magkukwento lang po kami. pero bawal daw kami ipalabas,’ says Rodina Singh, fighting back tears after being hailed Best Director

The MTRCB acknowledged ‘Dreamboi’ an erotic psychological drama with a trans woman protagonist for presenting ‘important representation and commentary,’ and praised its ‘mature, artistically driven exploration of sexuality, identity and desire.’ Still, the regulatory board deemed it ‘inappropriate for public viewing’ due to its ‘prolonged, sexually explicit’ scenes.

However, advocates like actress and internet personality Sassa Gurl who plays a minor role in the film argued that the censorship was discriminatory and could very well be a form of transphobia.

This sentiment appears to be supported by a provision in the MTRCB’s Implementing Rules and Regulations for films classified as ‘pornographic material and/or scenes not suited for public exhibition,’ which categorizes ‘homosexual and lesbian sexual acts’ as ‘perverted sexual acts’ lumped together with ‘sodomy, necrophilia, and ‘zooerastia.”

‘Reached the finish line with flying colors’

But despite censorship hurdles and lingering doubts, the movie ‘reached the finish line with flying colors.’ Screenings were well-attended some even sold out. As such, Singh dedicated ‘Dreamboi’s’ success to ‘everyone who believed in what we could bring to the table.’

Because truth be told, Singh after countless rejections, feelings of being unseen, and apparent indifference from film festivals had all but ‘lost faith’ that she would get a chance to make another film after her acclaimed 2018 debut feature, ‘Mamu: And a Mother Too.

‘I thought this industry wasn’t meant for girls like me,’ she admits. ‘That’s why I’m really, really grateful to Cinesilip for giving us the opportunity to bring this story to life.’

‘I thought this industry wasn’t meant for girls like me,’ she admits. ‘That’s why I’m really, really grateful to Cinesilip for giving us the opportunity to bring this story to life’

‘Dreamboi,’ follows Diwa (played by EJ Jallorina), a trans woman who turns to audio pornography to rekindle her desire and ‘to feel something again.’ Life and fantasy inevitably collide when she discovers that the stranger having sex at her workplace, whom she had been secretly eavesdropping on, is the anonymous voice behind her favorite audio porn star, the titular ‘Dreamboi’ (Tony Labrusca).

A promising space for sexual narratives

Aside from Best Film and Best Director, ‘Dreamboi’ also swept the technical awards, taking home Best Cinematography for Malay Javier, Best Editing for Arnex Nicolas, Best Production Design for Chips Day Abando, and Best Sound for Immanuel Verona and John Buquid.

Migs Almendras won Best Supporting Actor, and the film’s popularity with viewers was duly reflected in its Audience Choice Award.

While Cinesilip was initially met with skepticism and dismissed as a mere platform for gratuitous erotica or adult content, it has proven itself as a promising space for narratives that dare to confront or explore sex and sensuality topics typically ‘cloaked in shame’ or left in the ‘confines of the bedrooms’

While Cinesilip was initially met with skepticism and dismissed as a mere platform for gratuitous erotica or adult content, it has proven itself as a promising space for narratives that dare to confront or explore sex and sensuality topics typically ‘cloaked in shame’ or left in the ‘confines of the bedrooms.’

‘It has the potential to be a home for stories that we wouldn’t see otherwise,’ Singh says of the festival, whose lineup also include: the romantic drama and 2nd Best Film ‘Pagdaong’ by Pongs Leonardo, the erotic horror and 3rd Best Film ‘Haplos sa Hangin’ (Mikko Baldoza), the coming-of-age ‘Ang Lihim ni Maria Makinang’ (Gian Arre), the erotic drama comedy ‘Babae sa Butas’ (Rhance Añonuevo-Cariño), the sexy comedy ‘Maria Azama: Da Best P*rn Star,’ and the erotic thriller ‘Salikmata’ (BC Amparado).

‘Some stories really do refuse to die’

Singh thanked ‘everyone who showed up in the cinemas.’ She noted that the festival seemed to have sparked enough buzz to ‘bother’ other people and make them wonder: Why are there more people watching Cinesilip than the historical biopic ‘Quezon’?

This remark seems to allude to a Facebook post by Film Development Council of the Philippines chair Jose Javier Reyes, who wrote: ‘Why are there more people watching the Cinesilip movies than an ambitious epic of note like ‘Quezon’? I shall not sleep well tonight thinking about this.’

‘I think a lot of people are missing out on what this festival offers,’ Singh says. ‘We need festivals like this to show that sex isn’t just for procreation it can be pleasurable’

‘I think a lot of people are missing out on what this festival offers,’ Singh says. ‘We need festivals like this to show that sex isn’t just for procreation it can be pleasurable.’

Indeed, ‘some stories really do refuse to die,’ Singh stresses a firm reminder to the ‘nonbelievers’ who insist that their stories don’t deserve to be seen on the big screen. And she can only hope that one day, movies like ‘Dreamboi’ will no longer be watched only through discrete glimpses.

‘We’re not a token,’ Singh says. ‘I want to tell everyone na isang sineng malaya, ang mga ganitong kwento ay hindi lang dapat sinisilip dapat ipinapanalo natin.’

The Supreme Court has given the go-signal to continue the trial of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s remaining graft cases in relation to the pork barrel scam after it affirmed that violations of the antigraft law may be prosecuted separately from plunder.

The high court’s Office of the Spokesperson said in a briefer Wednesday that the Supreme Court en banc dismissed Estrada’s petition challenging his graft cases in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

The senator argued that graft charges under Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 were ‘deemed absorbed’ by his plunder charges under Republic Act No. 7080 (Anti-Plunder Law).

But the high tribunal rejected the argument, saying the absorption principle, where one offense merges into another, does not apply between graft and plunder, ‘except in rare cases where the same public officer is both the giver and recipient of the unwarranted benefit.’

A full copy of the ruling has yet to be made public.

In a decision handed down on Jan. 19, 2024, the Sandiganbayan convicted Estrada of direct and indirect bribery for pocketing P6.7 million in pork barrel kickbacks.

However, the antigraft court acquitted him and businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles of plunder involving P183 million of his PDAF due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

Other cases

Aside from that plunder charge, Estrada and Napoles were indicted for 11 counts of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, in a case that involved the fund release of about P255 million that came from Estrada’s PDAF and coursed through different foundations, as reflected in disbursement vouchers.

According to the Supreme Court, the component act of ‘giving any private party any unwarranted benefit, advantage, or preference’ under the antigraft law cannot be absorbed by the predicate criminal acts under the antiplunder law because the two offenses punish distinct wrongs.

‘Under Republic Act No. 3019, the benefit or advantage is given to a private individual separate from the public officer,’ it explained.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court said under RA 7080, it is the public officer himself who directly benefits by receiving kickbacks or unjustly enriching himself through a combination or series of overt acts.

‘The only exception to this rule is when the Information alleging a violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 names the same public officer, acting in a private capacity, as the beneficiary of the unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference. This is so because the primary beneficiary of both plunder and graft now pertains to only one and the same person,’ it added.

Rain began pouring at the Manila South Cemetery on Thursday afternoon. Fortunately, visitors were able to go to the grave of their loved ones with the help of civilian volunteers.

The cemetery has 15 e-trikes, driven by volunteers, available for people visiting their loved ones’ graves. For free.

According to the drivers, they can take six to 10 people in their e-trikes at a time.

‘This is for all, especially senior citizens and PWD (people with disabilities),’ one of the volunteers said in Filipino.

The volunteers have been at the cemetery since October 29, ahead of Undas, and will continue to drive visitors around until November 1.

There are 45 driver volunteers dedicated to three four-hour shifts.

Additionally, other civilian volunteers braved the rain as they helped push wheelchairs for the elderly and PWDs.

Other volunteers at the cemetery are guiding visitors who get lost in the 25-hectare cemetery.

Alongside the volunteers are uniformed officers from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection for safety and security.

There are also volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross, and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, as well as members from the Manila Health Department on standby for emergency aid and assistance.

Despite the fickle weather, as of today, 2 p.m., the PNP has recorded approximately 3,800 visitors.

The Manila South Cemetery is open until 6 p.m. on Thursday, but from Friday until November 2, it is open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A student was killed after the motorcycle he was riding slammed into a Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) concrete post on Taft Avenue, the Manila Police District (MPD) said.

In a police report, the MPD identified the student as Carl Justin Manalo.

He was riding down the southbound lane of Taft Avenue past the corner of Vito Cruz Street in Malate late Wednesday night when the incident occurred.

‘The front side portion of [the motorcycle] hit the concrete post of the LRT. Due to the cause of impact, [the] rider was thrown several meters away and [he] sustained severe head injury,’ the MPD explained.

‘The [Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office] Ambulance. arrived at the scene and conducted a medical assessment on [the motorcycle’s] rider, who was later declared to have no pulse and no signs of life,’ it added.

The MPD said the body was turned over to a funeral home in Santa Cruz, Manila.

Security Bank has raised a historic-high P21 billion from the debt market as a policy easing cycle continues and as the bank pursues more lending activities.

Tycoon Frederick Dy-led Security Bank on Wednesday told the stock exchange that demand for its issuance had gone ‘well above’ its initial target of raising P5 billion.

The bonds, which are due in 2030, carry a fixed rate of 6 percent a year.

These are also part of Security Bank’s P200-billion bond and commercial papers program.

Proceeds would be used to diversify Security Bank’s funding sources and support lending activities, the company noted.

Market confidence

‘We’re grateful for the market’s confidence,’ Security Bank executive vice president Jim Yap said in a statement.

‘This successful issuance reaffirms investor trust in our strategy and strengthens our ability to fund growth while delivering on our BetterBanking promise.’

Security Bank’s record bond offer comes amid a monetary policy easing cycle, which typically sends a positive signal for investors and boosts confidence. This often results in greater demand for fixed-income securities, especially since these promise a higher yield for investors.

Philippine Commercial Capital Inc. and Security Bank Capital Investment Corp. were tapped as joint bookrunners, joint lead arrangers and selling agents for the issuance.

Small cap index

In September, Security Bank qualified for the FTSE Asia Pacific Small Cap Index, joining over 5,800 stocks across the region and gaining exposure to more international investors.

The FTSE Asia Pacific Small Cap Index, whose stocks have a combined market capitalization of $7 trillion, is part of the broader FTSE Global Equity Index Series that covers large, mid, small and micro cap stocks across the world.

FTSE conducts a regular review of its indices to ensure that these are up-to-date and accurate. It considers the ‘liquidity and investability’ of the stocks in assessing which to include and which to kick out.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chair Vigor Mendoza II on Wednesday vowed to solve over 37,000 pending motions and petitions filed with the agency before the end of the year.

Mendoza ordered all LTFRB division chiefs to resolve 4,000 pending motions and petitions in the next 30 days to expedite the clearance of the backlog.

The order, he said, is in line with Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez’s instruction after being informed of the thousands of backlogs based on a report submitted to his office.

Aside from the 33,000 pending in the LTFRB Board, there are around 4,000 more pending motions and petitions in various divisions of the LTFRB.

Despite the unpredictable weather, around 5,200 visitors chose to pay tribute to their departed loved ones at the Manila North Cemetery ahead of Undas, or All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

The Sta. Cruz Police Station tallied this figure as of noon Thursday.

Among the early visitors were 60-year-old Rosario de Guzman and her husband, who paid respects at the graves of 10 family members. She said that she prefers going to the cemetery ahead of Undas.

‘It’s still not crowded right now, and we’re senior citizens,’ De Guzman told the Inquirer, speaking in Filipino.

She also said that locating the tombstones of her family members became easier because of the cemetery’s ‘Puntod (gravestone) Finder Assistance.’

The ‘Puntod Finder Assistance’ simplified the task of locating the gravestones of their loved ones. The service is also accessible online through manilanorthcemetery.ph.

Another visitor, 49-year-old Geraldine Amores, brought her two children to visit their three family members. Amores noted that the free e-trike rides helped her and her children to get inside the 54-hectare cemetery.

‘We came all the way from Laguna and traveled early this morning. We’re also heading back today,’ she said in a separate interview with Inquirer.

With the cemetery expecting around two million visitors during the Undas season this year, Manila North Cemetery Director Tan implemented security measures for the expected visitors.

‘For security, we have CCTVs [closed-circuit television]. We have our MTPB [Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau], our PNP [Philippine National Police], those from civilian manning security, MDRRMO [Municipal Risk Reduction and Management Office] and our LGU [local government unit] in Manila, lending a hand to help us,’ Tan said in a mix of Filipino and English in a separate interview with reporters.

He also shared that many CCTVs are installed inside the cemetery, along with drones, to ensure that the cemetery officials keep track of what’s happening inside.

Free services

Manila North Cemetery is offering free e-trike rides from October 29 to October 31. Tan also shared that wheelchairs will be available for those who will need them, particularly the senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

The cemetery also established a wristband tagging station for children to register with wristbands, ensuring easier identification if they get lost.

Tan urged visitors to practice cleanliness inside the cemetery by bringing their own garbage bags. He warned that the police would apprehend individuals who attempt to steal or cause chaos.

Regular services inside the cemetery, such as inurnment, will resume on November 3. The cemetery will be open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. until November 2.

Tan also warned that the following items will be confiscated upon entrance:

Guns, sharp objects like knives, cutter, spatulas, others

Alcoholic beverages

Pets

Guitars, sound systems

Inflammable objects like alcohol, thinners

The Police Regional Office 4A (PRO-4A) will deploy 2,500 policemen across the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region to maintain peace and order during the annual observance of this year’s All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, or Undas.

‘The 2,500 police officers are fully prepared to secure cemeteries, transport hubs, and public roads,’ Brigadier General Paul Kenneth Lucas, PRO-4A commander, said in a press release issued by the PRO-4A public information office (PIO) on Wednesday, Oct. 29.

The police will be supported by 1,696 personnel from other government agencies and 6,037 civilians, or ‘force multipliers,’ the PIO said.

‘With the support of other government agencies and our force multipliers, we will ensure that the observance of UNDAS 2025 will be peaceful and orderly,’ Lucas said.

The augmentation teams will strengthen the police force ‘to support law enforcement operations and ensure the safety of travelers and commuters in various areas of convergence to ensure a peaceful and orderly observance of Undas.

‘They will be strategically assigned to 626 cemeteries and memorial parks, 32 bus terminals, 22 seaports, and 169 Motorist Assistance Centers (MACs) and Police Assistance Desks (PADs) to assist the public and maintain peace and order during the long weekend,’ the PIO said.

Lucas reminded the public to cooperate with law enforcers, follow safety reminders, and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police assistance desk.

The PNP across the country is on heightened alert from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3, with all police units directed to strengthen security measures and readiness to respond to any incidents or emergencies.

Col. Romulo Albacea, Quezon police chief, urged motorists to follow traffic rules on the Maharlika Highway.

The 150-kilometer Maharlika Highway in Quezon runs from the Quezon-Laguna boundary in Tiaong town down to Calauag town in the Quezon-Bicol boundary.

Road accidents along Maharlika Highway, mostly involving passenger buses and motorcycles, occur with alarming regularity.

The maintenance crew from the Department of Public Works and Highways, equipped with heavy equipment, has been conducting repair works in some sections of the highway near the Bicol boundary.

Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) has raised P15 billion from its latest sustainability-linked bond offer, allowing it access to more funds meant to enhance its developments across Luzon into green buildings.

The Zobel family-led real estate giant on Wednesday said the offering included five-year Series C bonds due 2030 at a fixed rate of 6.0671 percent per annum and 10-year Series D bonds due 2035 at 6.3192 percent per annum.

Of the total proceeds, 60 percent, or P9 billion, will be used to refinance existing debt.

The remaining 40 percent, or P6 billion, would support the redevelopment of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) headquarters and Greenbelt 1 in Makati City, and the development of Ayala Malls Evo City in Cavite province, ALI said.

This represents the fourth tranche of its P50-billion debt securities program and the developer’s last debt funding for the year, according to ALI chief finance officer Jose Eduardo Quimpo II.

Milestone

‘With this issuance, we have raised a total of P56 billion, or approximately $1 billion a milestone that reflects our collective progress in integrating sustainability into the way we fund growth,’ Quimpo said in a statement.

The company also noted the bonds were linked to ALI’s achievement of two key sustainability targets: a 42-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across its malls, offices and hotels by 2030, and EDGE Zero Carbon certification for 1.5 million square meters of office space by the end of 2025.

The redevelopment of the BPI main office will feature a 45-story ‘energy-efficient’ tower integrated with the new Dela Rosa Gardens, ALI said. Meanwhile, the legacy Greenbelt 1 is primed to be transformed into a modern lifestyle destination with sustainability features, including skylights and rainwater collection systems.

In pursuing sustainability-linked bond offers, ALI previously said these formats were ‘well-received’ among investors, as interest in sustainability was steadily growing.

No security threat has been monitored so far as visitors start to flock to the Manila North Cemetery in observance of Undas or the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, according to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

NCRPO Regional Director Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin made this statement on Thursday during an inspection of the cemetery’s security measures.

‘We have not received any security threat as of now. The NCRPO will continue to coordinate with different intelligence units to ensure that security is intact,’ Aberin, speaking in Filipino, told reporters in an interview.

Aberin also shared that a total of 144 NCRPO personnel are deployed in six police assistance desks in the cemetery. He added that regional and district mobile forces, personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority also help secure the place.

‘We will see if additional police personnel are needed to ensure a safe and peaceful Undas,’ he noted.

However, he warned that those who are attempting to cause chaos will be apprehended. He also reminded visitors not to bring pets and other prohibited items such as sharp and inflammable objects.

Meanwhile, when asked about NCRPO’s preparation as the weekly Friday protests against corruption in government infrastructure projects coincide with the Undas commemoration, Aberin said that they are ready to deploy more forces.

‘We have a security plan. The NCRPO is ready to contain protests that may happen simultaneously,’ he said.

The Philippine National Police has deployed a total of 50,253 police personnel nationwide in commemoration of Undas.