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The Spikers’ Turf tournament, long existing in the shadows of its women’s counterpart, now has a lot riding on its shoulders.

And it will need the support of the same fans that backed Alas Pilipinas in the recent FIVB Men’s World Championship if it wants to build on the national squad’s momentum.

Spikers’ Turf returns on Monday with the Invitational Conference at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan, aiming to ride the wave of national pride stirred by Alas Pilipinas’ breakout performance in the Manila-hosted world meet. The team finished 19th out of 32 nations and notched a historic win over Egypt-a result that captivated fans and reignited interest in men’s volleyball.

‘We really want this momentum to carry over,’ said league president Alyssa Valdez at the launch in Ortigas. ‘I’m super excited to see more talent emerge from Spikers’ Turf and maybe even future national team players.’

This conference features 10 teams, including collegiate squads from Far Eastern University and University of Santo Tomas, plus guest teams from Japan (Kindai University) and Australia (ProVolley Academy). Powerhouses Cignal and Criss Cross, finalists in the last three conferences, are expected to lead the title chase once again.

After a single round-robin elimination, the top four local teams will advance to the semifinals, where they will be joined by the international squads. The top two from that round will contest the winner-take-all final.

While showcasing local talent remains a core goal, the league has also made room to support the national team’s Southeast Asian Games buildup. Teams with players in the national pool-including Cignal’s Owa Retamar and Louie Ramirez and Criss Cross’ Marck Espejo-have agreed to release them for training as early as mid-November.

‘We’re fully supporting the national team,’ said tournament director Mozzy Ravena. ‘We’ve spoken to the clubs, and they understand the importance. They can bring in replacements to fill the gaps.’

The ultimate dream, Ravena said, is for each club team to have a national player-a reflection of just how much Spikers’ Turf now matters to the national program INQ

The Office of the Ombudsman’s preliminary investigation (PI) of cases related to flood control projects, including the ones in Oriental Mindoro and Bulacan, will be conducted within 60 days, according to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Remulla said that while a PI usually takes up to a year as allowed by the office’s rules, the Ombudsman aims to speed up the process.

‘We will change it also. What we want is for the PI to be finished within 60 days. Fact-finding, 60 days. PI, 60 days, when necessary,’ he said in Filipino.

He explained that not all cases require a fact-finding phase.

‘For example, the DOJ case was filed when we ordered it to be opened. We are already composing the teams, and by Thursday, we will start the preliminary investigation of the flood control cases filed by the DOJ. As for the other cases filed by Secretary Dizon and the ICI, we’ve already begun working on those,’ Remulla added.

Remulla said the Ombudsman will conduct a PI on six flood control projects-five in Bulacan and one in Oriental Mindoro.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted its findings on the Bulacan projects to the Ombudsman on October 14, while the Oriental Mindoro case findings were submitted by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure last month.

According to Remulla, the Ombudsman expects to start filing cases before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the controversial flood control projects by November. /gsg

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will also be invited by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) if there is a ‘reliable’ and ‘competent’ basis to do so, according to the commission’s executive director, Brian Keith Hosaka.

The ICI made the statement after a private citizen named John Santander on Tuesday morning submitted a letter of sentiment, urging ICI to investigate the alleged connection between Marcos and Maynard Ngu, the tech billionaire behind Cherry Mobile, whom some sectors have linked to the widening flood-control controversy.

‘If there’s any reliable and competent basis for the commission to invite any personality, as I said before, that would lead to finding the truth, so we can know what the truth really is,’ Hosaka emphasized in a press briefing on Tuesday.

‘But of course, we have to validate this. They will be invited upon their discretion,’ he noted.

‘We are being consistent here. We go where the evidence takes us,’ he further said.

Meanwhile, the ICI executive director clarified that ‘it’s too early to tell’ or confirm that Marcos would be invited since the commission has yet to review the letter of sentiment from Santander.

‘We are very careful here. As I said, the commission will really look into whether there is any basis for those allegations. We are careful,’ he said.

Based on the letter of sentiment of Santander, he showed two photos showing Marcos and Ngu together and alleged that there is a ‘possibility’ that the first lady also ‘benefited’ from Ngu or vice versa.

Ngu was recently tagged as the alleged bagman of Sen. Francis Escudero, one of the lawmakers implicated in the anomalies. /apl

Several students were brought outside the sports complex of the Bicol University (BU) on Monday, Oct. 20, because of cases of hyperventilation and suffocation right after a performance for the highlight of the university’s intramurals.

According to The Bicol Universitarian, BU Hataw 2025 was expected to commence the celebration, but colored smoke, which was used by the performers, eventually filled the venue, triggering panic to set in.

It reported that the students were ‘instructed to pop them at the end [of the performance]’ but some had already popped the smoke bombs right at the beginning.

As the smoke triggered mild to severe breathing difficulties and other respiratory complications, patients were immediately brought outside, where they eventually received medical care from rescuers.

The Office of the University President already suspended classes and postponed all activities related to the intramurals in consideration of the ’emotional and physical toll’ the incident may have caused.

It said that all students who are still in hospitals, as well as outpatients, ‘shall be monitored and followed up by the University Health Service (UHS) personnel.’ It also advised those experiencing symptoms to visit the UHS ‘for proper medical assessment and assistance.’

Back in 2023, at least 22 students and school personnel of the Bacolod City College felt sick after being exposed to colored smoke, which was also used as special effects for a class presentation.

Information and communication technology (ICT) professionals in the public sector are not spared by labor issues hounding most government workers: huge salary gaps, lack of investments in skills training and other resources, and the exodus to the private sector.

The lack of priority in enhancing ICT talent in government is a major factor pulling down the country’s efforts in digitalization.

These efforts would have helped streamline essential services and plug loopholes leading to corruption in the bureaucracy, as industry experts and government officials pointed out during the annual CXO Tech Summit, held in this world-famous resort island on Oct. 14 to 16.

Information and Technology Secretary Henry Aguda cited his own experience losing staff in the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to private companies that offer better pay and promising career opportunities.

New technologies

‘The problem also is the salary standardization [law] (Republic Act No. 11466). We want to provide cover and protection to our IT professionals because they are being poached. In my case, some worked for me for just six months, and they left and went [to] private,’ Aguda told participants in the summit organized by VST ECS Philippines, a local distributor of ICT products and services.

The summit highlighted the need for both public and private enterprises to adopt new technologies in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and other key areas in digital transformation.

Aguda said understaffing among ICT professionals remains a problem as long as there is no law or policy ensuring job security and career growth in government.

‘I know it’s very tempting for them. and we [in government] can’t even counter [the job offers],’ he said.

Social Welfare Assistant Secretary JP Acuña expressed concern over the high turnover of ICT workers even at the Department of Social Welfare and Development, another agency shifting toward digitalization in its services. He also noted that most ICT staff are hired as contract of service workers-a circumstance that remains a challenge for us,’ he said.

‘There are no safeguards for us to retain talent,’ Acuña said.

‘Upskilling’

Teresa Manabat, vice president for computer operations and support group of the Home Development Mutual Fund, or the Pag-Ibig Fund, also noted the high cost of technical training of ICT workers. To remedy this, her department sometimes includes upskilling of IT staff in the proposed contracts during project procurement, she said.

‘What we do is we bundle technical training when we bid [projects]; otherwise, there’s none. It’s really important to continue upskilling IT,’ she said.

Aguda said the department has supporters in Congress who see the need for a Magna Carta for IT workers.

There are three versions of the bill pending at the committee level in the House of Representatives. He hopes the lawmakers will make it a priority measure when Congress resumes session in November.

‘The IT sector should be recognized as a sector that is strategic in government. We have Magna Carta for teachers, for doctors, so we should also have [one] for ICT professionals,’ he said.

‘Industry benchmarks’

All three House bills seek the exemption of ICT workers from the salary standardization law (SSL), as their salaries must be based instead on ‘industry benchmarks, specialized skill requirements, and market conditions.’

The hike in the monthly pay of government workers, except for some institutions, is limited to computations mandated under SSL, which range from P13,000 in Salary Grade 1 to almost half a million pesos in Salary Grade 33.

In his explanatory note, Negros Occidental Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez said the proposed measure he had authored seeks to ensure the government can ‘attract and empower the very professionals who secure our digital sovereignty and advance the public interest in the information age.’

President Marcos signed on Sept. 5 RA 12254, or the E-Governance Act, which requires all agencies, including local government units (LGUs) and government-owned and -controlled corporations, to enhance their respective digitalization efforts in the provision of government services.

The DICT is preparing the law’s implementing rules and regulations, and Aguda said he hopes to ‘do a better job’ in the ongoing public consultations to entice ICT workers to the government.

This includes creating ICT departments and positions for chief information officers in every LGU-a position still lacking in the local governments.

Jobs, foreign investments

Executives from tech companies expressed willingness to work with the government in its shift toward digitalization.

Jimmy Go, president and CEO of VST ECS Philippines, said one measure he has been pushing is the passage of a data sovereignty law, which will help establish more data centers and thus open up more jobs and draw in foreign investments.

‘So the overall change is going to be very positive for the country. More investment, more purchases of computer equipment, and faster latency [in internet speed],’ he told reporters.

‘We need to improve the country’s digital infrastructure, but the government has to be ready also to act on it,’ Go said

When I did my column last week (see ‘Gen Z fever,’ 10/14/25) about the increasingly political Gen Z (people born, more or less, between 1997 and 2012), little did I realize that I would need to do a sequel so soon, as in today.

Gen Z seems to be a lot on the minds of earlier generations, in the form of anxieties that clash with older people’s aspirations for Gen Z and, increasingly, the next generation after Gen Z, labeled the Generation Alpha. These anxieties go back to the stereotypes of Gen Z that I described last week, of apolitical, if not apathetic and unfeeling, young people.

Yet, I did describe the surge of youthful activism and social movements in Asia and Africa, quite militant at that. The Gen Z activism has been powerful enough to topple governments in Nepal and, just last week, Madagascar, while sending tremors in other countries, including the Philippines.

But there is a paradox here, because Gen Z’s discontent has also been taking another form, first described in English as ‘planking,’ meant more as a prank, with young people lying on the street doing nothing. More recently, it has become popular in China using the term tang ping.

But, unlike the Western planking, tang ping speaks of Gen Z’s alienation from society, a sense that life is not worth all the hard work, including having children and raising a family. Social media is full of posts from young Chinese practically throwing in the towel, expressing exasperation from having to work so hard and, it would seem, for so little.

Underlying tang ping is frustration and a clear ‘rebellion’ of sorts against consumerism, almost disgust with the push to buy. After all, this is the China that gave rise to Shopee and Lazada (Lazada is actually Singaporean, but the market is hugely Chinese).

What’s so intriguing, too, is that the Chinese government has noted the new mood and is worried, warning young Chinese not to become ‘defeatist’ and to be overcome by pessimism. The officials’ concern is very real: if young people move away from consumerism, the Chinese economy is going to slow down.

Young people’s reluctance to start families also spells problems for the economy. The Chinese word for ‘population’ is ren kou, which literally means ‘people’s mouths,’ i.e., the population of a place is given literally as the number of mouths. Up to the 1960s, the Chinese government worried about feeding all those mouths and imposed a draconian ‘one-child-per-family’ limit and then realized population growth had slowed down too much. The government then relaxed the rules and spoke of two children per family, and just last month, it called for three children per family.

At one time, the pressure was extremely strong to have many children, a cultural imperative to carry on the family line, but despite all the incentives being offered to reproduce, Gen Z and their successors aren’t taking the bait. It’s simply become too expensive and intimidating to have children.

I’ve thought about where we’re headed in the Philippines. In at least three recent international meetings of educators, I’ve had colleagues asking me about our demographic (population) trends. I hear educators worrying about China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, with low birth rates, which means they don’t have enough students for their universities.

I tell them we still have a fairly high birth rate, but that’s dropping, too. Ten years ago, it was rare to find young students saying they wanted to limit their children to two, one, or none at all. They fret about the expenses of raising children, but here’s another catch-they worry about bringing children into a world in such bad shape: the climate crisis, natural disasters, and the people disasters of graft and corruption, and of widespread violence.

A few months ago, while waiting my turn at a government agency, a middle-aged man approached me and said he recognized me from his son’s graduation from the University of the Philippines a few years ago, during my term as chancellor, and he said he was worried because the son didn’t seem interested in getting married or working overseas.

I gently explained that young people have different aspirations now, and my parents were too worried about my ‘lack of ambition’ after I graduated from college in 1977. Let them be, I advised him. But I could understand where this father was coming from, having worked overseas, hoping to put his children through college so they would seek greener pastures abroad, not necessarily leaving for the long term.

If I had run into him around this time, I would have told him he was lucky his son wasn’t leaving the Philippines and that I’d worry about him running into racism overseas, especially in the United States. I worry about my own children saying they want to study overseas, knowing what they may have to face in terms of discrimination.

What, indeed, are we passing on to our children and their children?

The government was able to raise its target amount of short-dated local debts during Monday’s sale of Treasury bills (T-bills) after rates mostly fell as investors locked in better rates ahead of further easing moves by the central bank.

Auction results showed the government borrowed P22 billion via T-bills, as planned.

The offering attracted total bids amounting to P97.17 billion, exceeding the original size of the offer by 4.4 times.

‘T-bill average auction yields were mostly lower after dovish signals from most US Federal Reserve officials recently would help support possible future Fed rate cuts that could be matched by the Bangko Sentral to maintain healthy interest rate differentials,’ Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said.

The 91-day T-bill fetched an average rate of 4.884 percent, higher than the preceding week’s 4.880 percent.

The average rate for the 182-day debt paper stood at 5.058 percent, down from 5.072 percent before.

2025 borrowings

Lastly, local creditors sought for an average rate of 5.097 percent for the 364-day T-bill, cheaper than 5.119 percent previously.

This year, the government plans to borrow P2.6 trillion from lenders to plug a projected budget deficit of P1.6 trillion, equivalent to 5.5 percent of gross domestic product. The drive is expected to push the debt stock to P17.36 trillion by year’s end.

Fiscal planners say they will continue to favor onshore borrowing to limit exposure to foreign exchange risks.

The Marcos administration has also made clear it is seeking an upgrade to an A-level credit rating, a distinction it hopes to achieve by keeping debt metrics in check while sustaining economic growth.

Former Tacloban City Mayor Alfredo ‘Bejo’ Romualdez, a longtime political figure and member of the influential Romualdez family of Leyte, passed away on Oct. 17 at the age of 91 after a lingering illness, the Inquirer confirmed from sources on Tuesday.

While the cause of death was not disclosed, sources said Romualdez had been confined in a Manila hospital for several months before his passing.

His son, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, and grandson, Vice Mayor Raymund Romualdez, have yet to issue a formal statement as of Tuesday. They were reported to be in Manila now.

The news of Romualdez’s passing was confirmed by his younger son, Resty Romualdez, who posted a tribute on social media on October 19.

‘With profound sadness, we share that our beloved father, Mayor Bejo Romualdez, has passed away peacefully. A man of deep faith and strength, his wisdom, laughter, and presence were a blessing to all who knew him,’ Resty wrote.

‘As a former mayor of Tacloban City, he served with integrity, compassion, and tireless dedication to the people he cared so deeply for. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched and the city he helped shape.’

An online obituary stated that his remains lie in state at the Heritage Memorial Park in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Alfredo ‘Bejo’ Romualdez, uncle of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and younger brother of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, served as mayor of Tacloban City from 1988 to 2007.

During his nine years in office, he was credited with opening the city to new investors, leading to the establishment of shopping malls, food chains, and major infrastructure projects such as the Tacloban City Convention Center (Astrodome) and the modernization of public markets.

Tributes poured in from city officials, former colleagues, and residents who remembered him as a visionary and compassionate leader.

Former vice mayor Jerry Yaokasin said Romualdez would always be remembered for his commitment to public service.

‘He served our city with dedication for nine years, and his leadership will always be remembered with respect – especially his ‘Barangayan’ outreach program, which brought essential city services directly to the barangays,’ Yaokasin said.

Former city population officer Ceilito Esquibel, who served under his administration, expressed sadness over his passing

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to cleanse the bureaucracy of corruption to restore public trust.

‘We will continue cleansing the ranks of government to ensure that every official and every public servant is worthy of the trust given to them by the people,’ Marcos said during the awarding ceremony of the 2025 Metrobank Foundation’s Outstanding Filipinos at Malacañang.

Addressing the question of whether the government can still be trusted, the President pointed to the 10 honorees as living proof of hope and integrity in public service.

‘In their service, you will find your answer. Because of them, we are reminded that hope is never lost, that integrity still lives in our institutions, and that honor still defines what it means to be Filipino,’ President Marcos said.

This year’s 10 Outstanding Filipinos who received the Medallion of Excellence include four teachers: Noel Sadinas, who was honored for turning a dumpsite into a learning space for indigenous students; Amando Perfecto Molin, whose acts of kindness brought inspiration to students across Southeast Asia; Dr. Mylene Uy, who pioneered natural products research in Mindanao; and Dr. Angelo Mark Walag, who championed experiential learning and empowered teachers in underserved schools.

Among the ranks of soldiers, the President awarded Underwater Operationsman First Class Anro Anthony Turallo for his courage that helped reclaim communities from violent extremism; Col. Ricky Canatoy for rebuilding war-torn villages; and Col. Joey Fontiveros for establishing the nation’s first Cyber Battalion.

In the police service, the Chief Executive honored Master Sgt. Ivan Velasco for community-driven programs that unite law enforcement and environmental protection; Maj. Elmira Relox for restoring the dignity of countless women and children through her rescue and reintegration efforts; and Col. Frederick Obar for innovative reforms and digital learning system that have transformed the way the police serve the public.

Marcos called the 10 awardees as the ‘faces of the New Filipino: honest, principled, and wholeheartedly dedicated to serving your fellow Filipinos.’

‘Every honest teacher, soldier, and police officer represents a victory against the corruption and cynicism that plague our nation. You are part of our inspiration to strive to correct the long-standing wrongs in government,’ he added.

Amid the flood control corruption probe he initiated, the President acknowledged that the current challenges faced by the nation have shaken the public’s trust in government institutions.

‘This fight is not easy. There are still many challenges ahead, and we have much to go through,’ Marcos said.

‘It will be hard and sometimes painful, but it will be worth it because what we are fighting for is a country that our children will inherit – a nation that they can be proud of, where they can proudly say, ‘I am Filipino,” he added. /das

The lone company that operates buses plying the Cagayan de Oro City-Davao City route on Monday asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to authorize a temporary route following the collapse from a landslide of a section of the Bukidnon-Davao (Buda) road in Barangay Palacapao, here on Saturday.

According to Glynn Pedingula of Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. (RTMI), they wanted to deploy buses that take the so-called Talaingod route, which passes through Valencia City and San Fernando town in Bukidnon, Talaingod and Kapalong towns and Tagum City in Davao del Norte and on to Davao City, passing through Carmen town and Panabo City, also in Davao del Norte.

Currently, RTMI operates buses on that route, but not to Davao City as the end-destination, but to Mati City in Davao Oriental.

Pedingula said the Talaingod route conforms with the advisory of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

With a permit for the proposed temporary route pending, travelers to Davao City may opt to take the Talaingod route to Tagum City, and then transfer to another bus. If they are from Davao City, they have to travel to Tagum City and then take the bus to Cagayan de Oro from there.

Challenging commute

The biggest challenge for travelers is that there are not many bus trips plying the Cagayan de Oro-Mati or Mati-Cagayan de Oro route.

Hence, RTMI continues to operate the route via Buda. But passengers had to disembark and walk either downhill or uphill to a waiting bus to complete their trip.

RTMI had employed porters to assist the passengers with their luggage and cargo as they transfer to another bus unit.

But Pedingula said they are advising the elderly and persons with disability to take alternate routes.

Apart from the Talaingod route, bus travelers can also opt to take the bus bound for either Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat or General Santos City, both of which pass through Bukidnon from Cagayan de Oro. They can then disembark at Kabacan town in Cotabato province and take the bus to Davao City from there.

Compared to the trip via Buda, the Talaingod route adds about 60 kilometers to the trip, while the Kabacan route adds some 90 km.

On Monday, the municipal government of Quezon said DPWH engineers have assessed the area and could be ready with work on opening a detour route along the Buda road.

Also on Monday, rescuers searching for a couple who went missing during Saturday’s landslide called off the operation at 3:30 p.m. when they observed ground movements.

Some 400 responders were doing shifts in the search operation, aided by K9 dogs and scanners. The rescuers include personnel from the Army, police, disaster response units from the Bukidnon provincial government and nearby municipal governments and firefighters.