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Manas runner-up in WC 10-Ball

At seven years old in dark-lit pool halls in Antipolo, AJ Manas took up billiards and dreamt of becoming Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes and Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante someday. He is getting there.

The cue artist known as ‘Starboy’ came close to snatching a major crown after barging into the Qatar World Cup 10-ball finals before falling to German Joshua Filler, 6-13, at the Ezdan Palace Hotel in Doha yesterday.

It was another close shave at glory for Manas after also finishing runner-up in the WPA Men’s Doubles 10-ball World Championship early this month in Bali, Indonesia where he teamed up with mentor Carlo Biado.

LIVE updates: Undas 2026

Filipinos are observing Undas on November 1 and 2 as families visit cemeteries and memorial parks to remember their departed loved ones.

Cemeteries across the country are expected to draw large crowds as Filipinos observe All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Authorities are also monitoring traffic and the movement of travelers heading to their home provinces for the holidays.

Bookmark this live blog for real-time updates on Undas 2026, including cemetery developments, crowd conditions, road closures and traffic advisories.

FDA sounds alarm over illicit sale of squishy toys

In August, the United States’ Consumer Product Safety Commission also warned consumers about fake squishy toys that could be choking hazards due to their materials. The CPSC explained that some squishy toys contain water beads or other gels, liquids, powders or sand.

‘If the outer covering tears or bursts, children may be exposed to the contents,’ the US CPSC said.

‘Water beads can expand after being swallowed and cause intestinal blockages, choking, aspiration or injuries when inserted into the nose or ear. Other unknown filling materials may present chemical exposure, inhalation or ingestion hazards,’ it added.

Meanwhile, Malaysia seized 5,801 squishy toys for failing to display the required Safety Compliance Mark, according to a report by The Straits Times on Oct. 25.

In its most recent advisory, the Food and Drug Administration reminded consumers ‘to observe the proper use of squishy toys and exercise care and diligence in selecting toys for use by children.’

The FDA issued two separate advisories in September to inform the general public not to purchase and use two unauthorized squishy toys: squishy delicious blue and squishy delicious green. Both were made in China, based on photos issued by the agency.

The FDA emphasized that the products have not gone through proper notification process with the agency, thus, it cannot assure their quality and safety.

BAN Toxics, a watchdog group, commended the FDA for issuing public health advisories regarding the sale of unauthorized squishy toys in the market.

The group also welcomed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ issuance of an order prohibiting the use of benzene in toys and other children’s products.

‘We laud the FDA and the DENR for their regulatory actions against unauthorized toys that may contain chemicals that pose risks to a child’s health and development,’ said Thony Dizon, Advocacy and Campaign Officer of BAN Toxics.

‘It is high time for government agencies to enforce the law and immediately recall and remove the products from the market,’ Dizon added.

BAN Toxics pointed out that all toys and games sold in the country must comply with applicable safety labeling and marking requirements under Philippine National Standards for toy safety based on Republic Act 10602 or the Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act.

Andrea Cruz, a classmate of Elisse, was surprised to learn of the hazards that squishy could pose to one’s health. Cruz first encountered squishy during a quick run to Divisoria during their term break last July.

Eventually she bought squishy from Elisse when the classes started in August. She bought what was called ‘crunchy peanut squishy’ as it was shaped as an unroasted peanut and contained beads giving a crackling effect when squeezed.

‘I would not throw this away because it is fun and entertaining. I’ll just clean it from time to time,’ Cruz said. ‘I always disinfect a squishy every time I buy a new one.’

5 engineers suspended over Bulacan flood projects

The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended five engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Bulacan in connection with alleged anomalous flood control projects worth P188.9 million.

Suspended for six months were engineers Michelle Cruz, Kevin Geronimo, Irene Ontingco, John Michael Ramos and Bernardo Villafuerte.

The respondents are facing charges of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and gross neglect of duty in connection with the construction of reinforced concrete slope revetments in the villages of Piel, San Roque and Sulivan in Baliwag in 2024.

Graft investigators said the respondents allegedly falsified documents to make it appear that contractual and legal requirements had been complied with.

UAAP: Tovera, La Salle escape Ateneo in OT for 3rd straight win

La Salle shook up the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball standings even more on Saturday night after it slipped past rival Ateneo, 76-73, in overtime at Araneta Coliseum.

The Green Archers escaped with their sixth victory in 10 games to overtake Far Eastern University (5-4) at No. 3 despite missing five of their last free throws in the final 17 seconds.

‘Every time we face Ateneo, we know it will be a good game,’ said La Salle swingman JC Macalalag, who finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two steals to help the Archers notch their third consecutive win.

‘When we went to OT, during those moments all we thought about was the message before the game, which is to be the strongest team for the moment.’

La Salle rookie Joaquin Tovera shone with an all-around game of 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists, including a drive and dish to Henry Agunanne down low for the game-tying dunk, 66-66, with 12.1 seconds left in regulation.

Kieffer Alas had a chance to win it for the Eagles, but his contested short jumper hit the front rim as time ran out.

Ateneo trailed by six, 75-69, after Mason Amos buried a triple with 1:35 remaining, but the Blue Eagles rallied and were still in it up until the final buzzer when Ian Espinosa’s heave from past halfcourt hit all board following missed freebies from Vhoris Marasigan and Doy Dungo inside the last six seconds.

Jared Bahay had 18 points on 5-of-14 shooting, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals for Ateneo, while Alas also tallied 18 points on top of four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Alas, however, had a crucial turnover-a bad pass on the inbound to Bahay-with 4.4 ticks to go with Ateneo down by only three.

Agunanne, Dungo and Amos added eight points a piece for La Salle, which continued to miss the services of star guard Jacob Cortez due to a knee injury.

Ateneo, which was coming off a victory over National University on Wednesday, dropped to fifth at 5-5.

Cyber-libel rice

“Sa langit, madaming bigas.’

I still remember reading this line in my older brother Leonie’s high school valedictory speech after nosing around our father’s filing cabinet when I was around 10 years old. It was the answer of a farmer’s young child to my brother on what the boy imagined heaven to be. It was an innocent and bittersweet indictment of the state of Philippine agriculture then. I guess the boy’s answer stuck to Leonie, who subsequently devoted his entire life to try to help make the boy’s dream a reality in the country.

After graduating summa cum laude from the Ateneo, he went straight to join our father in the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), one of the oldest and the most reputable farmer organizations in the Philippines. He has been with the FFF for over 50 years, served several terms in Congress representing the farmers and even became the secretary of agriculture in the early 2000s.

Leonie is now 77 years old and still trying. The other day, the police went to his house to serve a warrant of arrest. As the song goes, ‘…planting rice is never fun.’ It could even land you in jail.

My brother and others in the farmer sector have been questioning why the Philippine Planter’s Products Inc. (PPI), which they claim appears to be like a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), has been heavily importing rice to the country. Under current laws, particularly RA 11203 and RA 12078, government entities cannot freely import rice except under extraordinary emergency conditions authorized through specific executive orders or presidential action. Historically a fertilizer and agrochemical company, PPI hardly imported any rice prior to 2025. However, it heavily started doing so in 2026. This year, PPI has reportedly imported close to two million sacks of rice worth billions of pesos and has become the second largest rice importer in the Philippines. In response to my brother’s questions, PPI filed a cyber-libel case against him, claiming that it is not a GOCC.

What is interesting is that approximately 80 percent of the shares of PPI is held by Planter’s Foundation Inc. (PFI) which was created by the government. In 1974, the government placed most of PPI’s shares under the custody of PFI ‘…to be held in trust for millions of Filipino farmers.’ PFI is chaired by the incumbent secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) who exercises voting rights and nominates candidates to the board of PPI. In a July 2019 post in its own website, the DA described it as ‘…a private agricultural company sequestered by the government a few years back and is now under the administrative control of the DA.’ It has been reported that in several government directories, such as those of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG), the PPI is listed as a GOCC. Do all these constitute or imply effective government ownership and/or control? I don’t know, you tell me!

I understand that a primary legal basis of PPI’s claim seems to be a 2008 Supreme Court (SC) ruling involving PPI vs Fertiphil Corporation. According to some summaries I read, the SC noted that both PPI and Fertiphil Corporation were private corporations under Philippine laws as part of that decision. I find it ironic that the central decision of that SC ruling was to order PPI to return millions of pesos in ‘capital recovery’ levy it had collected from Fertiphil Corporation during the martial law years. It declared a 1985 Marcos Letter of Instruction (LOI) 1465, which authorized ‘…the collection of fertilizer levy to bail out and benefit PPI,’ as unconstitutional and that to allow PPI to keep it would be ‘unjust enrichment.’

At the very, very least, PPI’s ownership structure; its apparent treatment as a GOCC by several government agencies and subsequent relevant laws such as the GOCC Governance Act of 2011 (RA 10149) all provide sufficient and good faith bases to question the real status of PPI and destroy any claim of an outright and malicious falsehood.

Moreover, the question is not frivolous and involves a clear and important public interest. Why is it considered malicious for a farmer leader representing rice farmers to question such an entity’s huge imports that they believe threatens the welfare of the country’s rice farmers?

If we ask the young children of farmers today on what they think heaven is like, as my brother did over half a century ago, I wonder what they will answer now.

Sa Pilipinas, madaming imported na bigas?

The late, great Patrick Stewart and his many videogame roles

After a brief battle with Alzheimer’s and Lewy body dementia, Sir Patrick Stewart passed away this week.

Anyone with any contact with pop culture knows of Stewart. His portrayal of intrepid starship captain Jean-Luc Picard on television’s Star Trek: The Next Generation made him a presence in living rooms across the world. He would reprise the role for decades to come. Stewart also brought Professor Charles Xavier to life on the big screen, where he cemented the leader of the mutant superheroes known as the X-Men into a comic book icon.

Like anyone else, I loved Stewart in those parts, as well as his roles in films like Jeffrey, Conspiracy Theory and Green Room, as well as amazing comedic turns in shows like Blunt Talk and American Dad! He was an actor’s actor – famous not just for range and technique, but his professionalism and work ethic. That’s why I’ll always remember how he never put himself above the world of videogames, where he turned in some banger work.

A special presence in an old school DOS classic

He’s most famously known as Emperor Uriel Septim VII in The Elder Scrolls, where he spends about five minutes with you before he gets assassinated. Stewart’s performance is such a presence that he’s been memed to death by fans of the games. Stewart went on to appear in over twenty five videogames over the course of 30 years, but the fantasy monarch I associate with him most is that of Richard LeGrey of Gladstone for the 1994 CD-ROM re-release of Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos by Westwood Studios.

This was back in the old days before Windows 95 was a thing, and fully voiced ‘talkie’ versions of games were considered special releases. Richard chooses the player to serve as his champion in the fight against Scotia, a shapeshifting crone and the most evil woman alive.

The other notable addition Stewart provided was ‘Lands of Lore,’ in which he narrates some of the history of the game world. It wasn’t exactly prestigious work in the 90s, but Stewart was reportedly a ‘consummate professional’ during the alloted three hour recording session.

A stalwart presence in licensed video games

Sir Patrick also went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to his portrayal of Captain Picard in four films and over 207 episodes of television. He also voiced the character for several Star Trek videogames.

In 1995’s Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity, players would point and click their way through an original adventure featuring the full bridge crew of the Enterprise-D.

Now, I wasn’t much of a Trekkie at around the time of Stewart’s prolific output as the character, but as an avid gamer I appreciated the legitimacy he gave with his performances. 2002’s Star Trek: Bridge Commander and 2003’s Star Trek: Elite Force 2 definitely felt more like ‘real’ parts of the franchise with his vocal presence. In a way, Sir Patrick was a rubber stamp of approval for a generation of Star Trek games on PC.

He provided a similar honor for the X-Men series, reprising his role as Charles Xavier across various games for the Marvel Comics franchise, beginning with 2002’s X-Men: Next Dimension, a fighting game for sixth generation consoles such as the PlayStation 2. His authoritative presence as the Professor X was the glue that held together 2004’s X-Men Legends and its 2005 sequel, Rise of Apocalypse.

More than just a franchise carry

Of course, everyone who has ever watched Sir Patrick Stewart perform not just on stage and on screen, but on various shorts, sketches and bits for comedy, late night and anthology specials know that he was game for just about anything. Whether its dressing up in mock knight armor to poke fun at audiences in Montreal, spar with Mark Hamill for an UberEats ad or voice the poop emoji in The Emoji Movie.

In videogames, he portrayed Leonardo Da Vinci, ‘the most famous Italian artist of all time – what, not Michelangelo!’ for Leonardo’s Cat, a puzzle game for iOS and Android phones. Sir Patrick also gamely provided promotional narration for 2011’s The Sims Medieval, a castles and Crusades themed spin-off of The Sims 3. He also supplied his voice to the short-lived massively multiplayer online game LEGO Universe.

But it’s in 2010’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and its 2014 sequel where Sir Patrick has arguably his most expansive part in a videogame. In it he plays Zobek, the oldest living member of the Brotherhood of Light. The game leverages his signature baritone, allowing him to portray a figure who plays against both good and evil. It’s a role that’s so well suited to Stewart, who is a natural at using the regality that comes so naturally to him to obscure the motivations and principles to his characters. I may even just re-install it tonight.

Sir Patrick Stewart will be surely missed, not just for the place he held in people’s hearts as Jean-Luc Picard and as Charles Xavier, but for his tireless work and boundless enthusiasm, his moving friendship with X-Men co-star Ian McKellen and his enduring opposition towards domestic violence, an issue that affected him and his mother growing up. Once in a while, he graced video games with his gifts, never giving them less than he could offer.

Cops destroy P108.8-M marijuana plants in Tinglayan, Kalinga

Police eradicated 544,000 fully grown marijuana plants worth an estimated P108.8 million during an anti-illegal drug operation in Tinglayan, Kalinga, this week.

In a statement on Thursday, Oct. 29, the Kalinga Police Provincial Office (PPO) said the operation covered seven marijuana plantation sites spanning 48,500 square meters in Barangay Loccong.

The operation, conducted on Tuesday, was led by the Kalinga PPO Drug Enforcement Unit, with support from the provincial intelligence unit, Tinglayan Municipal Police Station and other municipal police stations in the province, as well as the Regional Mobile Force Battalion and the Philippine National Police Special Action Force.

The marijuana plants were uprooted and destroyed through on-site burning following coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

No cultivators were arrested during the operation.

Police collected marijuana samples for qualitative examination by the Kalinga Police Forensic Unit.

Kalinga PPO officer-in-charge Police Col. Peter Ngabit Jr. urged residents to report suspected drug-related activities and cooperate with law enforcement.

Cebu prelate to faithful: ‘Reclaim’ Halloween meaning

As Christendom prepares to observe All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, the prelate of the country’s oldest Catholic community called on the faithful to go back to the real meaning of these holy days.

Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy has called on the faithful to reclaim Halloween’s Christian meaning by celebrating holiness and honoring the lives of saints, rather than dwelling on horror and frightening imagery.

In his pastoral message titled ‘Why a Parade of Saints?’ Uy encouraged parishes, schools, families and communities to organize a Parade of Saints as an alternative to Halloween celebrations centered on evil, violence, horror and death.

‘Because what we repeatedly present to our children helps shape their imagination, their values and even their dreams,’ Uy said.

Cebu prelate to faithful: ‘Reclaim’ Halloween meaning to the lives of men and women who exemplified faith, love and service to God.

‘For Christians, therefore, this is a wonderful opportunity not simply to entertain our children, but also to introduce them to the men and women who show us what a beautiful human life can become when it is given to God,’ he said.

‘Heroes of faith’

Uy described saints as ‘heroes of faith’ who lived real lives marked by struggles, failures, prayer, sacrifice and love. They came from different walks of life, including the clergy, religious communities, families, schools, workplaces and missionary fields.

‘Instead of asking our children only, ‘What scary character do you want to be?’ perhaps we can also ask them, ‘What kind of saint do you want to become?” he said.

The archbishop cited St. Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Carlo Acutis as examples of saints whose lives can inspire children to care for the poor and creation, value small acts of love, and pursue holiness even in the digital age.

Through a Parade of Saints, children can learn about the saints by wearing costumes, discovering their stories and understanding the virtues they embodied, turning religious instruction into a meaningful and engaging experience.

Uy said the celebration would also remind Christians that light is stronger than darkness, Christ has triumphed over evil, and death is not the end because of the promise of resurrection.

He clarified that celebrating faith does not mean abandoning wholesome Halloween activities, such as wearing costumes, sharing food and enjoying time with family and friends. Rather, these activities can also become opportunities to strengthen children’s faith.

He envisioned streets filled with children dressed as saints, singing, smiling and carrying flowers and candles as they learned that holiness can be joyful.

‘That is more than a parade. It is evangelization in motion,’ Uy said.

He encouraged parishes to make the celebration creative, beautiful and joyful, emphasizing that saints should not be viewed as distant but as people whose lives of love and faith remain relevant today.

Lone player bags Lotto 6/42 jackpot on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026

One ticket holder won the ?10 million Lotto 6/42 jackpot on Saturday, October 31, 2026, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

No winner hit the jackpot in Grand Lotto 6/55 draw also on Saturday.

Lotto 6/42 draw result: 16-40-07-18-41-03. Jackpot prize: P10 million

Grand Lotto 6/55 draw result: 42-30-21-17-20-01. Jackpot prize: ?319.54 million.

The 6D Lotto draw also ended without a jackpot winner. The winning combination was 9-5-3-8-8-5, with a jackpot prize of ?4.49 million.

Minor games

The PCSO also reported the following results for the 3D and 2D Lotto draws on Oct. 31:

3D Lotto, 2 p.m.: 3-5-8 – ?4,500 prize; 404 winners.

3D Lotto, 5 p.m.: 4-6-6 – ?4,500 prize; 107 winners.

3D Lotto, 9 p.m.: 8-3-5 – ?4,500 prize; 278 winners.

2D Lotto, 2 p.m.: 15-31 – ?4,000 prize; 238 winners.

2D Lotto, 5 p.m.: 02-17 – ?4,000 prize; 134 winners.

2D Lotto, 9 p.m.: 01-31 – ?4,000 prize; 1,014 winners.

Draw schedule

Grand Lotto 6/55 draws are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, while Lotto 6/42 draws take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.