Author: user user

Abstract submission opens for conference at Baku Int’l Book Fair

A scientific and theoretical conference titled “Children’s Literature and Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Age” will be held at the Baku Expo Center as part of the 12th Baku International Book Fair.

The conference is organized by the Firidun bey Kocharli Republican Children’s Library and will focus on current trends in children’s literature, the digital transformation of libraries, the impact of digital resources on reading among children and teenagers, and the opportunities created by artificial intelligence for children’s literature and library services.

The programme will include academic and practical presentations on children’s literature, reading culture, library activities, digital resources and the use of artificial intelligence.

Researchers, specialists, librarians, educators, university staff and students wishing to take part in the conference can submit their abstracts by October 16, 2026, in line with the established requirements. Accepted abstracts are expected to be published in the conference proceedings.

Further information on the conference, including the requirements for preparing and submitting abstracts, is available through the library’s official website.

The 12th Baku International Book Fair will be held at the Baku Expo Center from October 21 to 27, 2026.

Organized by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture, the seven-day fair will feature a wide-ranging programme dedicated to books, literature, publishing and reading culture. This year’s event is being held under the theme “Life Is Bigger Than the Screen: One Child, One Book, One Real World,” with a particular focus on encouraging children and young people to read and strengthening their connection with books.

The fair will feature publishers, bookstores, printing companies, libraries, museums and other organizations from the literary and publishing sectors.

Its programme will include book presentations, meetings with writers and researchers, discussions and other literary and cultural events. Children’s literature, educational publications, fiction, nonfiction, scientific and popular science books, as well as e-books, audiobooks and digital publishing technologies, will also be represented.

Ibon: PH economy failing to generate enough jobs for young workers

The economy’s ‘weak’ industrial base ‘limits the creation of stable, productive, and better-paying jobs,’ Ibon Foundation said, pointing out that many young Filipinos are unemployed because the economy itself is ‘failing.’

The local think tank made the point as the ongoing reframing of higher education stirs controversy, saying education planners’ focus on whether to invest in so-called human capital for economic competitiveness or develop a wholesome citizenry reflects ‘an overstated tension.’

‘It is becoming more apparent that the purpose of reframing is to respond to the evolving demands of the global labor market, particularly the need for a workforce equipped for artificial intelligence (AI) and other rapidly advancing digital technologies,’ said Rosario Guzman, head researcher of Ibon Foundation.

In May, academics across the Philippines opposed the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) proposed reframing of the General Education (GE) curriculum, warning that the planned overhaul could weaken critical thinking, civic formation, and the role of the humanities and social sciences in higher education.

CHED, however, later announced that the rollout would be pushed back to 2028. The proposed reframing would reduce the 36 GE units to 18 or 21 and integrate some courses, such as ethics, philosophy, arts, literature and the history of the Philippines.

But as Guzman pointed out in a think piece released last week, ‘at the end of the day, reframing continues to be hinged on the same market-driven criteria of employability of graduates and agility of higher education institutions to adapt to ever-changing business needs.’

‘The pressure is unfairly placed on schools to produce whatever skills the global market requires, while the Philippine economy itself goes wherever the global market takes it,’ she said.

Deep ‘structural’ problem

Ibon Foundation said more and more young people ages 15 to 24 are seeking work but are unable to find jobs, with the latest youth unemployment rate at 18.6%, ‘more than three times the reported 6% overall.’

About 96%, or 1.3 million, of unemployed youth are not in employment, education or training (NEET), while 2 million NEET youth are outside the labor force, bringing the total number of young people neither working nor studying or training to around 3.3 million.

Guzman said ‘the sheer number points to a problem far more structural than the usual job-skills mismatch long posited by government planners.’ She said young people account for 36% of the Philippines’ unemployed.

‘This should be a concern not only for higher education institutions and curriculum planners, but even more so for economic development planners. This goes beyond whether young people are acquiring the right skills to whether the economy is creating decent and productive jobs,’ she said.

Weak industrial base

Guzman pointed out that agriculture remains the single largest employer of workers with a junior high school (JHS) education or less, followed by wholesale and retail trade.

She said that in the neoliberal economy, both sectors are characterized by low wages, widespread informality, weak labor protection and precarious work – conditions that help explain persistently high underemployment in the Philippines.

‘As educational attainment rises, wholesale and retail trade overtakes agriculture as the leading employer, but the quality of employment improves little,’ she said.

For Guzman, ‘this reflects a deeper structural problem: the economy’s weak industrial base limits the creation of stable, productive, and better-paying jobs that can absorb an increasingly educated workforce.’

No economic capacity?

She said the discussion should focus on the economy’s capacity to absorb fresh graduates – not on whether higher education is failing or whether investment in reskilling is insufficient and unable to keep pace with technological changes.

‘[The government] does not have a clear industrial policy, nor a serious national industrialization plan on which desired learning competencies may be based,’ Guzman said. ‘Instead, the youth’s employability is largely being tethered to a foreign-investment strategy that assumes jobs will follow once investors come in.’

‘The lack of genuine economic development planning is the one failing the youth,’ she said.

Based on data presented by the think tank, 9.9 million people in the youth labor force have a JHS education or lower, while 10.2 million are senior high school (SHS) graduates or have higher educational attainment.

Among employed youth, 3 million are JHS graduates or have lower educational attainment, while 2.5 million are SHS graduates or have higher educational attainment. Among all employed Filipinos, 30.3 million have a JHS education or lower, while 18.5 million have an SHS education or higher.

Some 41% of unemployed Filipino youth are college and senior high school graduates, which Ibon said further shows that higher education has produced a labor force that is hardly employable.

KSA at 80

MUSIC legend, Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, famously known as King Sunny Ade, clocked 80 on Tuesday, September 22. Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Adegeye, also known by the moniker KSA, is one of the Nigerian musicians who popularised the Yoruba Juju music and hoisted it onto the global stage. His international success has earned him a place in history as one of the most influential musicians of all time.

Beginning with the formation of his band in 1967, which he named the African Beats, KSA has traversed several record labels, including Island Records in 1982, before owning his own independent label. His albums, Juju Music, (1982) and Synchro System (1983) put him on the lips of the world, with the 1983 hit earning him a Grammy nomination. He achieved the same feat in 1998, with a Grammy nomination for his album, Odu. Sunny Ade’s move to Island Records came after he was head-hunted by the British label owner, Chris Blackwell. This followed the death of Bob Marley, who was Blackwell’s major musical export from Jamaica. Upon Marley’s death, the label turned towards Africa. Sunny was introduced to Blackwell by Martin Meissonnier, and a deal was struck that led to the 1982 record. The album gave Sunny Ade so much global leverage that he was dubbed ‘the African Bob Marley’. Shortly after, however, he became estranged from Island Records. Even so, his brief stint on the label opened doors for many other African musicians like Mali’s Salif Keita and Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour.

Known globally as the King of World Beats and creator of the Golden Mercury sound, Sunny Ade is undoubtedly one of Black Africa’s greatest artistes. In his decades of musical engagements, he has traversed the world to promote his brand of music in a way that no other Juju musician has. Adegeye hails from Ondo town in Ondo State, though he was born in Osogbo, Osun State, to a church organist father and a trader mother, Maria Adegeye. Maria was a scion of the Akure royal dynasty, with the highly revered Oba Olofinlade Afunbiowo Adesida I, the legendary 41st Deji of Akure Kingdom and patriarch of the influential Adesida royal dynasty, being her relative. He began his musical career with the Federal Rhythm Dandies, a highlife band owned by the famous Yoruba comedian, Moses Olaiya, popularly known as Baba Sala. From there, Sunny Ade formed his own band which he named The Green Spots in 1967. For a very long time, his band was known as the African Beats, but he later switched to the Golden Mercury. This switch was attributed to musical direction and business strategy.

Critics say KSA’s stylistic form of Juju was born out of the style of Tunde Nightingale, a musician of the same genre in the 1970s. Over the decades, however, he has stamped his own art and musical form on the global stage in a transformative manner. He achieves the right blend of beats, stage presence, and a deft deployment of language and rhythm to inhabit a class of his own. Sunny Ade was one of many musicians of the 1970s who enthralled audiences and popularised the Juju genre of Yoruba music. With colleagues like Ebenezer Obey, Emperor Pick Peters, Dele Abiodun, Ahuja Bello and many others, Juju music was characterised by instruments like the Yoruba talking drum and the guitar, which were rooted in Yoruba tradition and custom. Their music was an admixture of age-old Yoruba oral poetry called ewi, with an infusion of dense proverbs and incantations called ogede or ofo. They were delivered in danceable and eclectic rhythms. What these musicians did was recalibrate the tradition of their forefathers and document it for posterity in evergreen songs.

Sunny Ade, however, sidestepped virtually all his colleagues. He fashioned his own brand of Juju music, infusing into it the pedal steel guitar, as well as several attempts at ‘funkifying’ his sound. More than this, he uniquely branded his music through the introduction of the tenor guitar, vibraphone, synthesisers and clarinet into his repertoire. These helped carve a unique blend for his music. As modern instruments entered Sunny Ade’s music, he did not forsake the traditional African elements that made him the darling of millions. Sadly, however, the Juju music establishment became depleted, leaving Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey as the sole exponents. Many critics pilloried the incessant rivalry, musical rhetoric and mutual rain of abuses in the Juju genre that gained infamous traction in the 1970s/80s. It was also alleged that, beyond these exchanges, the musicians attempted to spiritually neutralise one another, and that these attempts were responsible for the early downfall and deaths of many of them.

Significantly, Sunny Ade proceeded to do Nigerian music proud through collaborations with famous musicians around the world. He collaborated with Stevie Wonder and Manu Dibango on Wakafrika, as well as with younger artistes at home like Wasiu Alabi Pasuma. It is also on record that in the 1980s Sunny Ade’s works were featured in Hollywood: his music appeared in Breathless, a 1983 film starring Richard Gere. In 1986, One More Saturday Night, a comedy, also featured his music. He then acted in a 1987 comedy by Robert Altman titled O.C. and Stiggs. Sunny Ade also featured in a couple of Nollywood movies in the early 2000s. In recognition of his imprints on the sands of time, King Sunny Ade has been honoured with diverse awards. He was inducted into the Hard Rock Cafe Hall of Fame in 2016, as well as the Headies Hall of Fame in February 2021. As part of his 80th birthday, a music fiesta in his honour was put together by fellow Juju great Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, popularly known as Ebenezer Obey. Obey led a galaxy of veteran musicians, including Fuji artistes Kollington Ayinla and Abass Akande Obesere, as well as other prominent musical personalities. KSA has brought succour to those who were down, uplifted many lives through his music, and become an exemplar. In the process, he has fought many musical battles and battles for recognition, ultimately becoming a model with his eclectic dancing steps.

We, however, want to use the occasion of KSA’s 80th birthday to deplore the gradual death of his genre, Juju, with another Yoruba genre, Fuji, seeming to take over the stage. There is a dearth of younger talents in Juju, in contrast to what is seen in Fuji, although Fuji itself has its own issues. This points to one indubitable fact: Juju needs reformation. This can start with mentoring a new crop of Juju artistes and extinguishing the infamous and unhealthy rivalry of the past that plagued the genre. KSA, Obey and a sprinkling of others of their generation who remain on the scene can take up this charge. Their songs contain elevated lyrics that diverge from the banality of today’s musicians. As music cannot be made just for music’s sake, and as music cannot serve just one generation, Juju content today must be recreated to carry the highly educative lyrical content of the Sunny Ade hue.

Oyo govt lists over 900km roads completed, ongoing statewide

Oyo State Government has listed more than 900 kilometres of roads either completed, nearing completion, or currently under construction across the state.

The projects comprise major inter-zonal highways, inner-city roads in Ibadan, federal road interventions and rural roads being constructed under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).

Among the major completed projects are the 76.7km Iseyin-Fapote-Ogbomoso Road, now renamed the Adebayo Alao-Akala Memorial Highway, which links Oke-Ogun and Ogbomoso zones, and the 65km Moniya-Ijaiye-Iseyin Road connecting Ibadan with Oke-Ogun.

Also completed are the 34.85km Oyo-Iseyin Road, which serves as a major route to the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, and the 83.83km Saki-Iseyin Road, a federal road that received rehabilitation.

The government also highlighted the 110km Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road in Ibadan as one of its signature projects.

According to the government, the South-East Wing of the circular road, covering 32.2km, is nearly completed, while work is ongoing on the 36km North-East Wing.

High-mast floodlights have also been installed on Bridges 1 and 6, as well as the Onipepeye Bridge section of the circular road.

In Ibadan, the government said 18 inner-city roads approved in 2024 under Lots 1, 2 and 3 have recorded significant progress, with the listed projects largely completed.

They include the 15.53km UI Preboye Junction-Bodija Market-Secretariat-Total Garden-Beere Roundabout road; 11.74km Queen Cinema-Dugbe-Mokola-Sango-Trans Amusement Park Junction road; 10.8km Bus Stop Gate-Oje-Beere-Oja Oba-Molete Under Bridge road; and the 9.3km Molete Under Bridge-Oke Ado-Oke Bola-Queen Cinema, Dugbe road.

Other completed inner-city projects include the 8.5km Mile 110-Ring Road Mobil-Challenge Car Park road; 6.13km Government House-NTA Junction-Ikolaba-JAMB Office-Officers’ Mess-Federal Secretariat road; 5.48km General Gas Junction-Kolapo Ishola GRA-Iyana Church road, with a spur to Dizengoff; and the 3.85km Iyaganku-Seventh Day-Oke Bola Junction/Olubadan Stadium-Vale College-NUJ Press Centre road.

The government also listed the 3.5km Oke Adu-Ode Aje-Aremo-Orita Aperin road, 3.48km Aare Junction-Ashi along Bodija Road, 3.45km Bodija Ojurin-Ashi Bashorun road with a spur to Ojoo, and the 2.99km Oshuntokun-Housing Corporation-Elewure-Awolowo Junction road as completed.

Under Lot 3, completed roads include the 2.8km Idi Arere-Kudeti-Eleta-Idi Aro-Labo Junction-Orita Aperin road; 2.52km Ogbori Efon-Ita Baale-Beyenruka-Ode Aje-Aremo Junction road; 2.15km Oke Ado-Tribune-Imale Falafia-Ososami-Iyana Adeoyo Junction road; 1.95km Yemetu Mobil-Adeoyo Road-Total Filling Station-Idi Ayunre-Oje-Aremo road and the 1.4km Idi Arere-Popoyemoja-Oke Ado-Molete road.

Other major completed Ibadan roads include the 12.5km Challenge-Odo Ona Elewe-Elebu-Apata Road, renamed Theophilus Akinyele Way, which has been dualised; the 8.2km Agodi Gate-Old Ife Road-Alakia-Adegbayi Road with an underpass at Onipepeye; and the 7.25km Idi Ape-Basorun-Akobo-Odogbo Barracks Road.

The government also listed the 7.17km selected roads within Old and New Bodija and the State Secretariat, the 4km Beere-Alekuso-Oritamerin-Agbeni-Ogunpa-Lebanon Street-Dugbe Road expansion, and the 3.26km Oke Adu Junction-Agodi Gate-Idi Ape-Iwo Road Interchange as completed.

Other completed projects include the dualisation of the 3.2km Ibadan Airport Road and spur roads, the 16.96km Kolapo Ishola GRA road network, the 3.5km Felele Idi Odo Junction-Splash FM-Onigari Felele Expressway, the 800-metre Bishop Court-Bolajoko Road and the 65-metre General Gas Flyover.

The government said several other projects are either ongoing or nearing completion; these include the 5.5km Adegbayi Junction-Bus Terminal-Iwo Road Interchange, which is nearly completed; the 21km Airport-Ajia-New Ife Express Road with a spur to Amuloko; and the 13.6km Ojoo Interchange-IITA-Moniya Junction-Akinyele Interchange, which is a federal road intervention.

Also ongoing are the 12km Apete-Awotan-Akufo Road, being constructed with rigid pavement; the 6km Mobil-Oluyole Industrial Estate Road Network and the 37.41km Beere-Olorunsogo-Amuloko-Akanran-Dagbolu Road.

The government said the Beere-Dagbolu road has been completed up to Olorunsogo by the state government, while Ona Ara Local Government is continuing.

Outside Ibadan, completed projects include the 9.7km Saki Township Road and Saki-Ilesa-Baruba Road; the 5.2km Gedu-Oroki-Sabo-Asipa Road in Oyo and the 3km Under G-Stadium-LAUTECH Second Gate Road in Ogbomoso.

Ongoing and nearly completed projects include the 45.3km Saki-Ogbooro-Igboho Road, linking Saki West, Saki East and Oorelope local government areas; the 48km Ido-Eruwa Road connecting Ibadan and Ibarapa zones; and the 30km Igboho-Igbope-Kisi Road.

Others are the 30km Okaka Junction-Otu-Igbojaiye-KAP Film Village Road and the 35.53km Ibadan-Iwo-Osogbo Road, which is expected to be handed back to the Federal Government.

Several roads in Ogbomoso North and South are also ongoing, including the 5.7km Owode-Idi Oro-Kere Baya Oje Road, 3.3km General-Orita Naira-Oja Igbo-Abede Road, 2.69km Corpers’ Lodge-Milky Junction Road and 1.7km Aguodo-Olojo-Sekoni-Osupa-Eleko-Bosunla Road.

The government said road construction is also being extended to rural communities and farm settlements through RAAMP.

Projects listed under the programme include the 37.1km Alako-Idiya-Batake-Olowa-Ijaiye Farm Settlement Road in Ido Local Government Area; 21.96km Oloko Oyo Junction-Ikere Road in Iseyin; 8.85km Adebayo-Alata-Obebe-Aba Oje Road in Oluyole; and 8.43km Fasola Farm Settlement Road in Oyo West.

Others are the 6.82km FRSC-Ago Are Saki Link-Okudi Oyada Road, covering Tede, Atisbo and Saki West areas, and the 4.73km Tewure Market-Ila Junction Road in Oriire.

The government also said traffic management improvements had been completed at major junctions including Challenge, Felele, Idi Ape, Civic Centre, Agodi Gate and University of Ibadan Junction.

Rehabilitation of the Iwo Road Roundabout and expansion of the Adegbayi Junction-Bus Terminal-Iwo Road Interchange have also been completed.

It added that the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) was carrying out regular maintenance across 16 local government areas, including roads in Ibadan metropolis, Ogbomoso North and South, Surulere, Oyo East and West, Afijio and Atiba.

The government said the road projects were being implemented as part of a broader plan to support agribusiness and economic expansion by improving connections between the Fasola, Ijaiye and Eruwa Agribusiness Industrial Hubs and major markets.

Troops rescue abducted Zamfara LG chairman, four others

Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have secured the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara, Hon. Nura Umar Abdullahi, and four other victims who escaped from terrorists’ captivity.

The victims reportedly escaped in the early hours of Thursday in the general area of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of the state and were subsequently received by troops deployed in the vicinity.

The Media Information Officer of the Task Force, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, the development followed an intelligence-led operation by troops against a suspected terrorists’ location in the area, during which the victims managed to escape from captivity.

Danja said Abdullahi was abducted from his residence in Bungudu town in July 2026, an incident on which the Theatre Command had earlier issued a statement.

He said the victims were provided with security cover and evacuated to a military medical facility, where they were receiving treatment, undergoing medical evaluation, and routine debriefing.

‘One of the victims has since been reunited with his family, while arrangements are being made for the safe reunion of the others with their families and the Zamfara State Government,’ he said.

The Theatre Command commended the victims for their courage, resilience and determination in regaining their freedom after a prolonged period in captivity.

It also commended the troops for their vigilance and professionalism in receiving and securing the victims.

‘The return of the victims is a welcome relief to their families and the people of Bungudu Local Government Area, and Zamfara State as a whole,’ the statement added.

The command reaffirmed that the Task Force would sustain clearance and dominance operations across the general area to disrupt terrorist activities and protect communities.

It also reiterated its commitment to securing the safe return of other persons still being held or reported missing.

The Theatre Command urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the nearest military formation or other security agencies to support ongoing operations.

NSCDC CG condoles Minna Emir, families of 37 miners

The Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has visited the Emir of Minna, Alhaji (Dr.) Umar Farouk Bahago, and families affected by the deaths of 37 miners in Niger State.

Audi also visited the family of the survivor of the incident, where he expressed condolences and assured the affected families of the Corps’ commitment to justice and transparency.

The NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Mr. Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

The NSCDC boss said the Corps would not shield any personnel found culpable in the incident, stressing that anyone found to have acted wrongfully would be held accountable.

He said the Federal Government, following a directive from the Presidency, had constituted a high-powered investigative committee to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Audi assured that the NSCDC would provide the committee with full cooperation to enable it conduct a transparent investigation.

He disclosed that relevant personnel had already been placed in protective custody to ensure their availability to the investigative panel and facilitate the investigation process.

The Commandant-General said his visit was also intended to identify with the community and bereaved families during the period of mourning, noting the significance of the third and seventh-day prayers for the departed in the Muslim faith.

He joined the Muslim faithful in praying for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for strength for their families.

Responding on behalf of the traditional institution and the affected families, the Emir of Minna appreciated the Commandant-General for personally visiting the community and identifying with them in their moment of grief.

He also commended the NSCDC leadership for the administrative measures taken so far and its willingness to cooperate with the presidential investigative committee.

Marcos ‘seriously considering’ pardon for Mary Jane Veloso – Palace

Malacañang on Wednesday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was ‘seriously considering’ granting an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipino woman who came close to being executed in Indonesia for a drug trafficking conviction but was later allowed to be moved to a Philippine prison to serve the rest of her commuted sentence.

Asked during a briefing at the Palace whether Veloso could be released on humanitarian grounds in time for Christmas, Palace press officer Claire Castro replied that it would depend on Marcos.

‘Should I preempt the president? It could be earlier. We don’t know,’ Castro said. ‘Let us wait for the president to speak [about this].’

At the House of Representatives, Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia said, ‘There will be an announcement in a few days.’

‘The Office of the President is seriously considering to grant an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso on humanitarian grounds in support of the government’s commitment to protecting Filipino migrant workers,’ Garcia, the second-ranking member of the House appropriations committee, said as he defended Marcos’ office budget.

‘Relentless calls’

The Marcos administration had received multiple petitions and appeals to grant Veloso clemency since 2024, but none of these were granted.

Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago said Veloso ‘should have long been freed’ after years of incarceration and ‘relentless calls for her release.

Veloso was arrested by Indonesian authorities in 2010 after 2.6 kilograms of heroin were found hidden in her suitcase. She maintained she had been duped into carrying the luggage and was a victim of human trafficking. Later that year, she was sentenced to death by firing squad.

A moratorium on capital punishment in Indonesia delayed her execution for nearly five years. In 2015, Veloso received a last-minute reprieve after then President Benigno Aquino III appealed to Jakarta, arguing she could be a vital witness in prosecuting drug syndicates.

Veloso, now 41 years old, was repatriated to the Philippines on Dec. 18, 2024, after Manila and Jakarta agreed that she could serve her sentence in the country.

She has been detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, a Bureau of Corrections facility for female convicts.

Presidential power

Castro said the possible pardon for Veloso would no longer require concurrence from the Indonesian government.

The power to grant pardon, except for individuals convicted in an impeachment trial, is given to the President under Section 19, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution.

An absolute pardon totally extinguishes the criminal liability of a convicted individual without any condition. However, it does not exempt the offender from the payment of civil indemnity imposed by the court in the sentence.

It restores to the individual their civil and political rights, allowing them to exercise their right to vote and serve in public office.

Ibon: PH economy failing to generate enough jobs for young workers

The economy’s ‘weak’ industrial base ‘limits the creation of stable, productive, and better-paying jobs,’ Ibon Foundation said, pointing out that many young Filipinos are unemployed because the economy itself is ‘failing.’

The local think tank made the point as the ongoing reframing of higher education stirs controversy, saying education planners’ focus on whether to invest in so-called human capital for economic competitiveness or develop a wholesome citizenry reflects ‘an overstated tension.’

‘It is becoming more apparent that the purpose of reframing is to respond to the evolving demands of the global labor market, particularly the need for a workforce equipped for artificial intelligence (AI) and other rapidly advancing digital technologies,’ said Rosario Guzman, head researcher of Ibon Foundation.

In May, academics across the Philippines opposed the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) proposed reframing of the General Education (GE) curriculum, warning that the planned overhaul could weaken critical thinking, civic formation, and the role of the humanities and social sciences in higher education.

CHED, however, later announced that the rollout would be pushed back to 2028. The proposed reframing would reduce the 36 GE units to 18 or 21 and integrate some courses, such as ethics, philosophy, arts, literature and the history of the Philippines.

But as Guzman pointed out in a think piece released last week, ‘at the end of the day, reframing continues to be hinged on the same market-driven criteria of employability of graduates and agility of higher education institutions to adapt to ever-changing business needs.’

‘The pressure is unfairly placed on schools to produce whatever skills the global market requires, while the Philippine economy itself goes wherever the global market takes it,’ she said.

Deep ‘structural’ problem

Ibon Foundation said more and more young people ages 15 to 24 are seeking work but are unable to find jobs, with the latest youth unemployment rate at 18.6%, ‘more than three times the reported 6% overall.’

About 96%, or 1.3 million, of unemployed youth are not in employment, education or training (NEET), while 2 million NEET youth are outside the labor force, bringing the total number of young people neither working nor studying or training to around 3.3 million.

Guzman said ‘the sheer number points to a problem far more structural than the usual job-skills mismatch long posited by government planners.’ She said young people account for 36% of the Philippines’ unemployed.

‘This should be a concern not only for higher education institutions and curriculum planners, but even more so for economic development planners. This goes beyond whether young people are acquiring the right skills to whether the economy is creating decent and productive jobs,’ she said.

Weak industrial base

Guzman pointed out that agriculture remains the single largest employer of workers with a junior high school (JHS) education or less, followed by wholesale and retail trade.

She said that in the neoliberal economy, both sectors are characterized by low wages, widespread informality, weak labor protection and precarious work – conditions that help explain persistently high underemployment in the Philippines.

‘As educational attainment rises, wholesale and retail trade overtakes agriculture as the leading employer, but the quality of employment improves little,’ she said.

For Guzman, ‘this reflects a deeper structural problem: the economy’s weak industrial base limits the creation of stable, productive, and better-paying jobs that can absorb an increasingly educated workforce.’

No economic capacity?

She said the discussion should focus on the economy’s capacity to absorb fresh graduates – not on whether higher education is failing or whether investment in reskilling is insufficient and unable to keep pace with technological changes.

‘[The government] does not have a clear industrial policy, nor a serious national industrialization plan on which desired learning competencies may be based,’ Guzman said. ‘Instead, the youth’s employability is largely being tethered to a foreign-investment strategy that assumes jobs will follow once investors come in.’

‘The lack of genuine economic development planning is the one failing the youth,’ she said.

Based on data presented by the think tank, 9.9 million people in the youth labor force have a JHS education or lower, while 10.2 million are senior high school (SHS) graduates or have higher educational attainment.

Among employed youth, 3 million are JHS graduates or have lower educational attainment, while 2.5 million are SHS graduates or have higher educational attainment. Among all employed Filipinos, 30.3 million have a JHS education or lower, while 18.5 million have an SHS education or higher.

Some 41% of unemployed Filipino youth are college and senior high school graduates, which Ibon said further shows that higher education has produced a labor force that is hardly employable.

Delta: Police rescue 48-year-old woman, arrest 54 suspected cultists

The Delta State Police Command has confirmed the rescue of a 48-year-old woman who was kidnapped on Wednesday in Ovade Forest, Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state.

It also confirmed the arrest of 54 suspected cultists in Eku, Ethiope East; Obiaruku, Ukwuani; and Ubulu-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Areas, for cult-related activities.

Spokesman of the command, SP Bright Edafe, in a statement on Thursday, said that, acting on a distress call regarding the kidnap of the woman (name withheld), the Divisional Police Officer in Oghara led operatives of the division, the Quick Response Squad, vigilantes and hunters into the forest to rescue her.

‘During the operation, about four suspected kidnappers engaged the team in a gun duel but were forced to retreat, abandoning the victim, who was rescued unhurt.

‘The operatives pursued the fleeing suspects, during which one unidentified suspect was found lifeless, while another, Abubakhar Sani, was apprehended with gunshot injuries.

‘Both of them were later confirmed dead at the hospital.

‘One dagger, a NIN slip, OPay Verve card, Tecno mobile phone and other personal effects were recovered.’

Edafe said the victim was stable and undergoing debriefing, while efforts to apprehend the other fleeing suspects were ongoing.

The statement further revealed that on September 19, 2026, operatives of the Abraka Division, supported by personnel of the State Intelligence Department (SID) and local vigilantes, stormed a suspected cult initiation gathering in Eku and arrested 30 suspects, including one female.

It said preliminary investigation indicated that the gathering was allegedly connected with the initiation of new members into the Black Axe Confraternity.

‘The suspects were transferred to the Command Anti-Cult Unit (CACU), Sector 2, Ozoro, for further investigation.’

According to the statement, further intelligence developed from the investigation led the Commander, CACU Sector 2, Ozoro, and his operatives to Obiaruku the following day, where 20 additional suspects, comprising 15 males and five females, were arrested over suspected cult-related activities.

In another development, four male suspected members of the Supreme Vikings and Eiye confraternities were arrested in Ubulu-Uku on September 20, 2026, in connection with a suspected cult-related killing.

The suspects, Okwudili Ozah, 34; Chekwube Onwuka, 18; Onyebe Emmanuel, 19; and Ozoremenem Izuchukwu, 21, have been handed over to operatives of the Command Anti-Cult Unit (CACU), Asaba, for further investigation.

Edafe disclosed that one locally made single-barrel cut-to-size gun, one live cartridge and a quantity of substance suspected to be cannabis were recovered during the operation, while the victim was taken to a medical facility, where he was confirmed dead. His remains were deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

Edafe further said investigation was ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing and the individual involvement of the suspects.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Samuel E. Erale, commended the operatives and other security stakeholders involved in the operations.

He reiterated the command’s resolve to sustain intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism and other violent crimes, warning criminal elements to desist or face the full weight of the law.

He assured residents that the command would continue to dismantle criminal networks, recover illegally held weapons and bring perpetrators of violent crimes to justice.

What to know about Taylor Swift’s new song, her first since wedding

Taylor Swift is back in action. Did you miss her?

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, less than one day after announcing a new song, ‘Patient Zero’ – her first since her starry wedding this summer – Swift has revealed ‘The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,’ an extended version of her 2025 album with four new tracks: The aforementioned single ‘Patient Zero’ as well as ‘Cleveland!’ ‘Pink Clouding’ and ‘Babylon.’

The new collection arrives Friday, Sept. 25.

‘About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing. Something that completely blew my mind,’ Swift wrote in an Instagram caption with the announcement. ‘You gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history. I took a trip to Sweden to celebrate with Max (Martin) and Shellback, my two collaborators on this album. Really we just wanted to reflect and take in how grateful we were for the moment we were in, but there was a studio there and we did what we do when we feel anything at all: We wrote more songs. I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made.’

Here’s what else to know:

How Taylor Swift announced ‘The Encore’

The announcement of ‘The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore’ follows an exciting 24 hours for Swift’s audience. On Tuesday morning, the pop powerhouse launched a cryptic countdown clock on her website, displayed atop a red curtain and due to end at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Her dedicated fans, known as Swifties, quickly got to work attempting to decode whatever news was forthcoming, noting that her official Instagram bio was changed to read ‘And, baby, that’s sh0w business f0r y0u,’ with each ‘o’ replaced with a zero.

Now it appears clear that the gesture was a reference to ‘Patient Zero.’ Once the countdown timed out, her website updated to reveal three, limited-edition CD variants of the new track for preorder: one with a double-sided cover as well as an acoustic and piano version, for $3.99 each.

It is her first new song since marrying Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in July.

The original ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ album was released last October, and she contributed a song to the ‘Toy Story 5’ soundtrack in June.

The announcement follows Swift’s 2026 Emmys pretaped skit

At the Emmys last week, Swift appeared in a pretaped skit, playing a rookie in the ‘Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’ office.

Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson went through two large crime boards to make connections between Swift’s songs, and the Emmy-nominated shows to see if she would attend the telecast. One of the detectives called it a ‘rabbit hole.’ (In reality, Swift was at Arrowhead Stadium during the award show and sitting alongside Tom Cruise to watch the Chiefs open the NFL season against the Denver Broncos.)

In one pointed moment, Swift looked to the camera and appeared to utter a series of hints: ‘Saccharide. Ares. From the Vineyard. North or South,’ she said. Fans have urgently been trying to decode the message since.

But in true Swift spirit: They won’t know for sure until she has connected the dots.