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I truly feel that the youth of today are restless. In one way or another, and in varying degrees, our youth are faced with the serious choices ahead of them as they move toward adulthood. When we look back on our childhood, we often romanticize it with being young, wild, naive and free. Sometimes even stupid. It’s a chaotic mix of total dependence and total independence, rebellion and obedience, or feeling like we knew it all and totally confused at the same time. With the pandemic interrupting our young people, I believe it is safe to say they mourn the loss of their limited youth. Which brings me to Gen Z.

These young men and women are considered to be the digital natives – the leaders of tomorrow who are on one hand politically progressive but also said to be with the worst mental health issues. That’s what they say, to a point where they are described as entitled kids who think the world revolves around them.

But as I continue to talk to and understand our young people, the one question I asked them was if they felt a sense of restlessness and what they thought was the reason behind their behavior. It seems to me that some young people feel that they want to change so many things about the world, considering they are said to be on the most idealistic side of the spectrum and, while they want to make good changes, they are given too little power to do so. Hence, the ball of such energy has nowhere to go, with little outlets to make them work towards their goals.

In the end and out of frustration, the youth tend to be so critical of things because it’s the only way they know in terms of maintaining hope. For them, criticism becomes the only technique they can use to cope with their anger or hope, unsure of where to channel any of these outwardly and productively. So what else can young people do? Especially when they say they feel directionless and drifting?

In a moment of deep thought and reflection, I have come to realize that we need to help young people find Christ. When I think of the young people of today, I think of Charlie Kirk and how he tried to influence our youth to fearlessly make Jesus Christ an integral part of their lives. I think that young people can learn from the way Charlie Kirk viewed the world and how he actually lived his life. His faith was central both to his life and to his political views and at a very young age, he made the decision to offer it to Christ and follow Jesus. Through Charlie’s example, I believe the young people of today will have the opportunity to see what their future holds and find themselves with direction and purpose.

In an age when many people delay adulthood and treat responsibility as optional, Charlie Kirk called many young people into permanence. Charlie Kirk did not succumb to pressure nor did he soften his position in order to get more appeal – Charlie Kirk clearly emphasized the purpose. To the press, many thought Charlie was a combative personality but clearly, more and more people today are realizing, especially the youth, that he is a figure to be reckoned with and as a Christian, he became an example of what it looks like to hold unpopular views with dignity and conviction and to speak boldly about the saving faith in Jesus Christ.

I personally think our youth today are looking for a role model – someone they can look up to and be able to participate in changing our society. There is no better role model than Jesus and whether or not you previously knew of Charlie Kirk, it would be impossible not to know of him today. Charlie’s faith and courage made a difference – the kind that helps us give a clear testimony of what our purpose in this world is. I’ve been seeing so many young and anxious people and while we may have our generational differences, I see the one binding solution that can carry us through life together – and that is made possible when we follow Christ. Like Charlie, it is our faith that will motivate us to make a difference. While I think America is headed for revival, I do believe, as my pastor says, that God is doing something good for the Philippines.

It is in this regard that I hope our young people can see that they too have a voice and a role in building our nation and while politics and politicians come and go and political moments rise and fall, only Christ can change a life from inside out. Being close to truth and reason helps us engage with courage and clarity and this to me is exactly what the youth of today need, so that they no longer find themselves drifting in anxiety but rather in strength and confidence that is found in Jesus Christ alone.

Our lives are testimonies of all the things we have been able to achieve through the years and while this would be a great milestone, it would be an even greater one if we go through this journey with Jesus Christ, knowing that God’s word and promises are unchanging truths that provide us with a stable foundation in a world filled with uncertainty and change.

ONIC Philippines’ EXP laner Jann ‘Kirk’ Solcruz Gutierrez has been named one of the finalists for the Esports Breakthrough Player of the Year in the 2025 Esports Awards.

First held in 2016, the Esports Awards is the lone awarding body that celebrates achievements in the esports industry. Nominees are named by the public and then deliberated upon by a panel of judges, who narrow down the list to a few finalists. Public voting, which accounts for 25% of the final score, is open until November 12, while panel deliberations make up the remaining 75%. Winners will be announced during the live ceremony on November 19 in Las Vegas in the United States.

Gutierrez, who made waves in the Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines Season 13, is recognized for his explosive debut and consistent performance throughout the season. As ONIC’s EXP laner, Gutierrez helped steer the team to a top-tier finish, showcasing mechanical prowess and key strategic plays. His nomination places him among a competitive field of emerging talents across various esports titles, including Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege, and League of Legends.

Gutierrez joins a growing list of Filipino esports figures who have earned recognition at the prestigious awards. In 2022, RSG Philippines’ Eman ‘EMANN’ Sangco was nominated for Mobile Player of the Year, following his MVP performance at the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup, while the Philippines was further honored in 2024 when it was named Esports Ones to Watch: Emerging Region during the Esports Awards held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the country’s hosting of the M5 World Championship was also nominated as Esports Live Event of the Year.

Ayala Corp. of the Zobel clan, Ramon Ang-led San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and the Sy family’s BDO Unibank Inc. have been named by Forbes as among the best companies in the world for women to work for.

Ayala, SMC and BDO were included in Forbes’ list of the World’s Top Companies for Women in 2025.

Ayala, the country’s oldest conglomerate, is the highest ranked among the three Filipino companies that made the list this year, at No. 53 among 400 companies.

The conglomerate has investments in sectors such as real estate, banking, telecommunications and renewable energy. It likewise has a growing presence in health care, mobility and logistics as well as investments in industrial technologies, education and other ventures.

Another diversified conglomerate, SMC, came in at No. 83 on the World’s Top Companies for Women list.

SMC, which was the highest-ranked Filipino firm on the Forbes 2025 World’s Best Employers list, operates in segments including beverages, food, packaging, energy, fuel, oil and infrastructure.

‘First, Forbes named us one of the World’s Best Employers. Now, I am happy to share they have also recognized San Miguel as one of the World’s Top Companies for Women, one of only three Filipino companies to make the list this year and coming in at number 83 out of 400 in the world,’ Ang, chairman and CEO of SMC, said in a statement posted on his official social media page.

‘We don’t have a complicated formula. We just treat each other like family. We work hard, we help others and we do it together. I believe that when you get that right, everything else follows. This recognition is for our entire team, especially the incredible women who lead, create and inspire at every level of this company,’ he said.

BDO, the country’s largest lender, was ranked at No. 135. BDO is part of the SM Group of the Sy family.

As of end-2024, the bank’s consolidated network stood at 1,791 and 5,800 ATMs nationwide.

Forbes teamed up with market research firm Statista to survey approximately 120,000 women working for multinational corporations in more than 36 countries to come up with the World’s Top Companies for Women 2025 ranking.

To qualify for consideration in the list, Forbes said that a corporation was required to have a significant international presence with, for instance, operations in at least two of the six continental regions of the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America and Oceania.

It said that respondents were asked how likely they would be to recommend their employer to friends or family as well as to rate the organization on general workplace practices, such as salary and working conditions.

They were also asked to rate the corporation on gender-specific issues, including pay equity, management’s responses to concerns about discrimination, whether men and women have equal opportunities for advancement within the company, and parental leave.

Overall, Microsoft topped the list, followed by Roche Holding, National Bank of Canada, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and IKEA. Completing the top 10 are L’Oréal, Deloitte, Nike, Netflix and Apple.

Saying it endangers national security, Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez urged President Marcos yesterday to stop the plan of the Philippine embassy in Beijing to issue electronic visas for Chinese tourists.

‘I am strongly opposed to this plan of our ambassador, Jaime FlorCruz. The President should tell Mr. FlorCruz to scrap it,’ Rodriguez said in a statement. ‘The presence of Chinese nationals in our country endangers our communities and our national security. Many of them are spies and criminals engaged in kidnapping-for-ransom, illegal gambling and other illicit activities.’

Rodriguez said Chinese spies were caught red-handed surveilling critical establishments and agencies in the country, including military camps and the Commission on Elections.

According to Rodriguez, the country needs a ‘stringent process that will require personal appearance and thorough vetting of visa applicants and their records and papers to prevent the entry of Chinese spies and criminals in our country.’

‘The President is fighting tooth and nail for national sovereignty, denouncing in the strongest terms every act of aggression by China. Mr. FlorCruz’s plan undermines such stance and can be seen as weakness on the part of the President and our country,’ Rodriguez said.

He urged the ambassador to ‘promote and speak more forcefully for our national interest instead of devising plans for convenience for the Chinese.’

‘He is often silent on instances of Chinese bullying of our fishermen in the West Philippine Sea,’ Rodriguez said.

A senior United States Embassy official met with the Independent Commission on Infrastructure Friday, October 17, to ask about its mandate and functions, particularly in uncovering corruption in anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects.

Michael Kelleher, acting deputy chief of mission at the US embassy, visited the ICI headquarters in Taguig Friday afternoon for a “getting to know” talk, ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka told reporters at a press conference.

“They were very much interested in what the ICI will do to address the problem on the flood control projects and other anomalous infrastructure projects,” Hosaka told reporters. “They wanted to know what have we done, what we will be doing.”

Asked why the US would be interested, Hosaka said corruption concerns anyone with commercial interests in the Philippines. “I believe anybody would be interested in any corruption issue regardless of whether or not you’re a Filipino, or you’re a foreigner, because they are partners.”

“They have commercial interests. So naturally, they would want to know what the ICI will be doing as far as these projects are concerned,” Hosaka said.

There was no offer of US assistance, Hosaka said.

The ICI is currently investigating some 421 non-existent projects that were included in the national budget in past years – the type called “ghost” projects – while working to review a massive inventory of 238,200 infrastructure projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The massive number of projects up for review has required the ICI to divide its work to “fit the current capacity,” Hosaka said.

“So now we are getting more capacitated, meaning more and more people, more systems, more direction of the investigation of the ICI, we will gradually achieve what we need to do,” Hosaka said.

Yesterday, the ICI met with government agencies to plan its next steps in recovering assets from personalities involved in the current flood control scandal.

A rough estimate of how much can be recovered, according to Hosaka, is based on how much the Anti-Money Laundering Council has frozen in relation to the investigations: P5 billion in approximately 2,800 accounts.

“As we go along, it’s going to be bigger,” Hosaka said.

San Beda leaned on a huge first half cushion in offsetting Mapua’s furious third quarter fightback to fashion out a 79-70 victory that snared it the solo Group B lead in NCAA Season 101 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

Up by 13 points at halftime, the Lions suddenly turned meek in the third period as the Cardinals rallied their way back to within a single-digit deficit, 64-58, going into the final canto.

But San Beda woke up from that momentary stupor by making the stops when needed and hitting the shots that mattered to preserve the victory, its fourth in five outings.

San Beda coach Yuri Escueta was quick to point out the loss of concentration of his wards in the third period.

‘I’m not really satisfied,’ said Escueta. ‘We allowed them 24 points in the third quarter. Good thing in the fourth quarter we were able to make stops and get baskets.’

He also pointed at their surprisingly lack of rebounding.

‘This is the first game we got outrebounded,’ said Escueta referring to Mapua’s 36 boards to his squad’s 35.

Earlier, Emilio Aguinaldo College dumped Arellano University, 84-73, to improve to 2-3.

The Chiefs dropped to 2-3.

The scores:

First Game

EAC 84 – Oftana 19, Angeles 15, Bagay 12, Shanoda 11, Bacud 7, Castillo 7, Ochavo 3, Quinal 3, Lucero 2, Postanes 2, Devara 2, Villarente 1, Omandac 0, Loristo 0, Tolentino 0.

AU 73 – Abiera 24, Ongotan 13, Libang 7, Cabotaje 7, Geronimo 6, Valencia 4, Camay 4, Hernal 2, Vinoya 2, Langit 2, Borromeo 1, Acop 1, Buenaventura 0, Anama 0.

Quarterscores: 25-23; 49-37; 66-52; 84-73

Second Game

San Beda 79 – Miller 20, N. Gonzales 11, Puno 9, Andrada 8, Lina 8, Calimag 7, Estacio 7, Reyes 4, Etulle 2, Sajonia 2, Celzo 1, Culdora 0.

Mapua 70 – Cuenco 13, Sapasap 11, C. Gonzales 10, Delos Reyes 8, Concepcion 7, Nitura 7, Recto 6, Igliane 4, Escamis 2, Lazarte 2, Gulapa 0.

Quarterscores: 26-16; 49-34; 64-58; 79-70

The police are now in custody of a municipal councilor implicated in the bombing in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao del Sur, that left two barangay leaders dead and injured eight villagers earlier this year.

The 44-year-old suspect, Allan Tahir Ganoy, is a member of the municipal council in Datu Salibo town, which is close to Shariff Saydona Mustapha.

Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters on Friday, October 17, that Ganoy was arrested by policemen near the Cotabato Airport in Barangay Awang in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte on last Saturday, October 11.

‘He will soon be prosecuted properly in court,’ De Guzman said on Friday.

Ganoy yielded peacefully to agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and policemen from the Highway Patrol Group, the Aviation Security Group and operatives of different PRO-BAR units who flagged down his vehicle near the Cotabato Airport and showed him a warrant for his arrest from a local court.

Ganoy was tagged in the roadside bombing in Barangay Ganta in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao del Sur, early this year, that left his known political adversaries, Manaot Silongan, then chairman of Barangay Pendeten in Datu Salibo, and his constituent-councilor, Salik Katua, dead and injured eight other villagers

Silongan, Katua and their companions were walking along a highway in Barangay Ganta when an improvised explosive device planted along the route exploded, set off from a distance using a mobile phone.

Silongan died instantly from the blast while Katua succumbed to shrapnel wounds in a hospital several hours later.

Officials of the Datu Salibo Municipal Police Station and relatives of the slain barangay officials cooperated in filing double murder and multiple frustrated murder cases against Ganoy for allegedly masterminding the deadly bombing.

Close to 200 young netters will begin their quest for supremacy in their respective categories as the highly anticipated 24th Gullas Tennis Cup fires off today (Friday, October 17) in two venues – the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club in Barangay Pardo and at Citigreen Tennis Resort in Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City.

Participated in by racquet-wielders from Cebu, Leyte, Bohol, Surigao del Norte, Negros Oriental, La Carlota City, Iloilo, South Cotabato and Siquijor as well as the 15-year-old Joseph Tomo from Melbourne, Australia, the tournament is making a return after a seven-year hiatus along with a promise of a bigger and grander Silver edition next year.

Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA)-ranked players Juvels Velos, Al Jose Gairanod, Zeun Paul Verallo, and

Donna Mae Diamante are among the top seeds in the boys 18 Under of the four-day tilt.

The rest of the early favorites include Jhunreal Espinosa, Kathlyn Bugna, and Thea Mae Castro (16 Under), Xian Wynn Calagos, Claudwin Seven Tonacao, Everett Gil Niere, Ethan Nadine Seno and Kathlyn Bugna (14 Under), and Everette Pete Niere, Everette Enzo Niere, Thirdy de Juan, James Andrio Estrella, Val Ian Gairanod, and Ethan Nadine Seno (12 Under).

All the champions of the PHILTA Group 2 event will earn 120 points while the runners-up get 100 points. The semifinalists and quarterfinalists will receive 75 and 50 points, respectively.

A Fritz Tabura Award will also be given to the Most Outstanding Player in both boys and girls division.

Founded by Cebu Sports Hall of Famer Dr. Jose Dodong Gullas in 1995, the Gullas Cup has become the biggest and most sought-after junior tennis spectacle in the VisMin region, producing dozens of national champions over the years.

Among its brightest products are Jacob Lagman, Fitzgerald Tabura, Sally Mae Siso, Oswaldo Dumoran, Francis Casey Ni o Alcantara, the 2009 Australian Open junior doubles champion, and Philippine National Games (PNG) triple-gold medal winner Norman Joseph Enriquez to name a few.

Lito Villanueva, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC)’s executive vice president and chief innovations and inclusion officer and founding chairman of Fintech Alliance.PH, turned global attention at the World Trade Organization toward the Philippines’ ambitious agenda of onboarding 80% of Filipino adults with digital transactional accounts and 80% of retail payments transformed into digital by 2028.

Speaking at the WTO Committee on Trade in Financial Services (CTFS) Thematic Session on Payments Interoperability and Remittances, Villanueva plotted the Philippines’ collective vision of elevated inclusion and innovation within digital payments after successfully pivoting digital finance payments from a mere 1% in 2013 to 57% by 2024.

‘We envision 80% of Filipino adults with digital transactional accounts and 80% of retail payments conducted digitally by 2028,’ Villanueva emphasized.

‘This roadmap is not just a policy paper. It is a compass. It gives industry players the certainty to innovate, investors the confidence to commit, and consumers the assurance that their trust will not be misplaced,’ Villanueva stressed.

Villanueva said that as the Philippines gears up for becoming a $1-trillion economy by 2030, digital finance players are pivoting to a 4T Framework – focused on pillars of Tech for Good, Tech for Growth, Tech for Trust and Tech for All, to sustain a robust digital financial infrastructure for decades to come.

‘What sustains transformation is values. That is why FinTech Alliance.PH has introduced the 4Ts Framework, a movement for building strong, inclusive, and trusted payment systems,’ Villanueva said.

He further elaborated the renewed blueprint of Filipino digital finance companies by spotlighting the efforts of RCBC to go beyond the Philippines to capture a wider market of underserved Filipinos with a strong appetite for convenient digital experiences such as enabling Filipino to own a US bank account through a partnership with Meridian, money transfers with Visa Direct, and bolstering campaigns with migrant-centric government institutions.

‘Beyond this, RCBC also works with Philippine government agencies such as the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) to extend digital financial inclusion to over 12 million Filipinos abroad. Through easier onboarding and financial literacy, OFWs can now access withdrawals, deposits, transfers, bills payment, and remittances through our all in one RCBC Pulz app, without the need to fly home,’ Villanueva expounded.

The executive concluded his speech by emphasizing the value of exchange amongst practitioners in the region such as dialogues with transformative leaders such as Vijay Shekhar Sharma of Paytm, which services 540 million customers and 44 million merchants in India’s booming economy; and collaborations with advocates such as Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health who called on leaders at the Singapore FinTech Festival to look to the Philippines as a model for financial inclusion.

Villanueva reminded his colleagues and peers in the global community that technology is sustained for its social value, and ‘trust’ remains to be the most valuable currency, ‘Technology only matters if it empowers people, and empowerment only endures when it is built on trust.’

He spoke alongside other global leaders around the theme ‘Creating Robust Digital Payment Systems’. He joined Paul Bedford, Senior Manager for Strategy and Policy Development, Payments Directorate, Bank of England; Wenhui Yang, General Manager, Tencent Financial Technology, Asia Pacific; Sohail Javaad Syed, Executive Director, State Bank of Pakistan; Diana Zamora, Director, Government Affairs and Policy, Mastercard; Álvaro Castro, Partner, Damma Legal Advisors; and Matthew Swinehart, Managing Director, Rock Creek Global Advisors LLC.

Kapuso star Marian Rivera headlined a major fashion event in Vietnam for luxury fashion house Hacchic Couture.

The brand known for bridal and evening gowns recently launched its “Lunar Fracture” Collection.

Marian previously worn pieces from Hacchic Couture for the her 10th wedding anniversary and renewal of ties with husband Dingdong Dantes, the recent Guillermo Mendoza Box Office Awards where she won Best Actress, and the GMA 75th Anniversary Special.

On her Instagram account, Marian posted a video of her arriving in Ho Chi Minh City where she was welcomed by fans at the airport, taking selfies with them and signing autographs.

Another post showed Marian at the “Lunar Fracture” launch for which the actress thanked Hacchic Couture for inviting her to be a part of.

“I’m truly touched by your love. All the gowns are so beautiful, elegant, and sophisticated. Grateful to be part of such a special event,” she wrote in the latter post’s caption.

Marian posted more videos on her official Facebook account, including clips inside the VIP area and of her wearing one of the new bridal gowns from the colleciton.

“Vietnam, you were unforgettable. Thank you, Hacchic Couture, for a night of beauty and love,” she wrote on one of the Facebook posts.