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MANILA, Philippines — Mexico is now tied with the Philippines as the fourth most successful country in the Miss Universe pageant with four wins each, after Mexican bet Fatima Bosch was crowned in ceremonies held in Thailand on Friday morning.

The new queen bested 119 other aspirants in the competition held at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi, northwest of Bangkok. She inherited the crown from Denmark’s Victoria Kjær Theilvig, who won last year’s contest held in Mexico.

Pageant veteran Ahtisa Manalo represented the Philippines this year, and was proclaimed third runner-up. She was first runner-up in the 2018 Miss International pageant.

Finishing as first runner-up was host-delegate Praveenar Singh from Thailand, followed by Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali as second runner-up.

READ: ‘Miss UniReverse’: Ahtisa Manalo’s Miss Universe runner-up win draws mixed reactions

Crowd favorite and former Miss World second runner-up Olivia Yace from Cote d’Ivoire rounded up the winners’ circle as fourth runner-up.

Before Bosch, the Miss Universe crown was won by Mexican women Lupita Jones, Ximena Navarette, and Andrea Meza, who was a member of this year’s selection committee.

The Philippines, on the other hand, has Miss Universe winners Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, Pia Wurtzbach, and Catriona Gray, who won in the 2018 competition held in Thailand.

Dramatic victory

It was a dramatic victory for Bosch, a 25-year-old at the center of the turbulent 74th staging of the popular beauty pageant, who stood up to public bullying from one of the hosts.

The bad vibes at this year’s event sprang from a sharp-tongued scolding of Bosch, which sparked a controversy marked by a walkout, feminist solidarity, and a teary melodramatic apology from the local organizer who set it all off.

At the livestreamed sashing ceremony for virtually all 120 contestants on Nov. 4, Thai national director Nawat Itsaragrisil hectored Bosch for allegedly not following his guidelines for taking part in local promotional activities. He called security when she spoke up to defend herself.

Bosch walked out of the room, joined by several others in a show of solidarity, including Theilvig.

“What your director did is not respectful: he called me dumb,” an unbowed Bosch told Thai reporters. “If it takes away your dignity, you need to go.”

The Miss Universe Organization president, Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú, released a statement condemning Nawat’s conduct as “public aggression” and “serious abuse.”

Even Mexico’s first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, piled on, saying at a news conference in her country’s capital that she wanted to give “recognition” to Miss Mexico for voicing her disagreement in a “dignified” way.

Nawat later made apologies for his actions, appearing both tearful and defiant at the same time.

During the final round, when asked how she would use the Miss Universe platform to empower young girls, Bosch responded: “Believe in the power of your authenticity. Believe in yourself. Your dreams matter, your heart matters, and no, never let anyone make you doubt about your worth, because [you’re] worth everything. And you are powerful, and your voice needs to be heard.”

For her part, Manalo responded: “I work with an organization called Alon Akademie, where we work with young people to provide them opportunities to make them realize that it doesn’t matter what your life circumstances are, it doesn’t define where you will go. And I want to continue working with Alon Akademie and a bigger platform like Miss Universe to pursue making sure that people who come from low-income backgrounds are given the same opportunities as everyone else.”

Bosch’s official Miss Universe biography says she studied fashion in Mexico and Italy and has focused on creating sustainable designs and working with discarded materials. It says she has volunteered with sick children, promoted environmental awareness, and supported migrants and mental health issues.

Organizers’ feud

This year’s competition also saw a report that two judges had quit, with one of them suggesting that there was an element of rigging to the contest. The allegation was denied.

Separately, Thai police investigated the alleged illegal promotion of online casinos as part of the event’s publicity, a turn of events that may have been connected with the organizers’ feud.

The United States remains the leading country in Miss Universe history with nine wins, followed by Venezuela with seven queens, and Puerto Rico with five.

This is the 74th edition of the international pageant, and the fourth time for Thailand to host. Next year’s competition will be held in Puerto Rico. —with a report from AP

MANILA, Philippines — Where is Cassandra Li Ong?

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who last year led the Senate scrutiny of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), was shocked to learn on Friday that Ong, one of the key figures questioned and detained in the course of the inquiries, is no longer in government custody despite the criminal charges later filed against her.

Ong had been linked to a company that ran a Pogo hub in Pampanga and was reportedly a business partner of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who was convicted of qualified human trafficking on Thursday. (See related story on Page A4)

During the Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Hontiveros asked if Ong, an incorporator of Whirlwind Corp., remained under detention after she was cited for contempt by the House of Representatives during the 19th Congress.

But Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the DOJ budget sponsor and who spoke on behalf of the agency, said Ong had already been released.

“Actually I was also shocked. Both of us are shocked because we are monitoring this case closely,” Gatchalian told Hontiveros in Filipino.

“[Ong] was detained in the House and then, because of the transition from the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress, she was released. At that point, there was still no case filed against her. Now, there’s already a case and that’s qualified human trafficking. Unfortunately, because she was released and the case was filed late, she’s at large now,” he added.

In June 2024, following investigations focusing on Central Luzon Pogos involving Guo, authorities raided and closed down the Lucky South 99 Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga, over allegations of torture, human trafficking and online scamming activities.

Ong, as an incorporator of Whirlwind Inc., the company that leased land to the Porac complex, was later summoned by the House quad committee regarding the allegations.

The hearings revealed that she represented Lucky South 99, along with former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a June 2023 meeting with Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Chair Al Tengco to discuss Lucky South 99’s arrears.

Pursuit

Roque was listed as Lucky South 99’s legal officer in the Pogo hub’s application to have its operating license renewed.

Gatchalian said the Bureau of Immigration was verifying if Ong had left the country and “escaped.”

“What we’re fearing is that she might also use the same backdoor route to leave the country, similar to what Alice Guo did. But right now, there’s already a warrant of arrest and the police and other enforcement agencies are after her,” the senator added.

On May 8 this year, the Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 118 in Pampanga ordered the arrest of Ong, Roque and 51 others for human trafficking in connection with the illegal operations of the Porac Pogo hub.

The court said it found probable cause to put them on trial for the non-bailable charge. Roque is in the Netherlands and had applied for political asylum in that country.

Then facing a House contempt order, Ong disappeared from public view last year but was later arrested in Indonesia in Aug. 20 together with Guo’s sister, Sheila. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH

This is the Daily Gospel for November 22, 2025, which is the Saturday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time.

READ MORE:

Daily Gospel, November 21, 2025

Daily Gospel, November 20, 2025

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to Saint Luke 20, 27-40.

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.’

Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless.

Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless.

Finally the woman also died.

Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.”

Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and remarry, but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.

They can no longer die, for they are like angels, and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.

That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

Some of the scribes said in reply, “Teacher, you have answered well.”

And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

SOURCE: dailygospel.org

GENEVA, Switzerland — Swiss authorities searched Friday for two robbers who overpowered a security guard at a Roman-era museum in Lausanne, smashed a display case and made off with dozens of gold coins that had been displayed inside.

City police said late Thursday that the suspects had purchased tickets and waited until other visitors had left shortly before closing time, before assaulting and restraining the guard, and then breaking the display case.

READ: Louvre heist lays bare museum security complaints

The monetary value of the coins stolen in the heist Tuesday was not immediately revealed, but police said they had “archaeological value.”

The theft comes at a time when gold prices have soared in global markets — even if they have dropped off their highs lately — and a high-profile robbery at the Louvre in Paris exposed vulnerabilities and security lapses at museums.

Officials said the Lausanne museum employee, a 64-year-old Swiss national, was interviewed by investigators and that he was not injured in the incident. No other people — staff or visitors — were on hand at the time.

State prosecutors have opened an investigation. Lausanne city officials filed a legal complaint for damage to the museum, and the regional government — the owner of the gold coins — announced plans to file a criminal complaint.

MANILA, Philippines — Even if President Marcos resigns or the government succeeds in cracking down on corruption, this will not be enough to fix the Philippines’ deeper economic problems, an economist said, arguing that the country’s challenges are structural and require constitutional reforms.

“I don’t think it will solve the problem,” said Federation for Economic Freedom president Calixto Chikiamco, referring to certain calls for Marcos to step down amid the corruption scandal.

“As I said, our problem is structural. Who’s going to replace that person? What will they do? What kind of reforms will they do to change this? Even the military—what will they do? Will they make the same economic policy?” he added.

READ: FEF: Economic Cha-Cha ‘necessary’ but not enough

Chikiamco said a struggling economy, paired with political instability, was a “cause for concern.”

He noted that the Philippines also has a weak manufacturing base, which in 2024 accounted for only 15.7 percent of its gross domestic product—the fourth-lowest share in the East Asia and Pacific region.

He also noted how the Philippines lags behind Southeast Asian peers in terms of agriculture.

For Chikiamco, these and other issues cannot be solved by leadership changes alone.

“It’s not just a question of morality or corruption or anything. There’s something fundamentally wrong with our economy,” he said.

“Graft and corruption are not unique to the Philippines. It’s just that the magnitude has gone up. But if you want to stop it, we have to change our political and economic system,” he added.

Protectionist

At the Pilipinas Conference 2025, Chikiamco noted how the string of corruption scandals has further eroded trust in public institutions.

Restoring confidence, he said, will require a stronger political system with safeguards against corruption and turncoatism.

READ: Top economists warn vs hike in rice tariff

“If you don’t change the Constitution, I’m afraid that the problem will keep repeating itself,” he added. “We cannot rely on morality to solve our problems.”

He said this also means removing protectionist provisions in the 1987 Constitution, which he said were shaped by “Filipino-first” and “Filipino-only” policies that hamper competitiveness.

Pandora’s box

Chikiamco said charter reform should be pursued through a constitutional convention, saying that a constituent assembly would not be ideal due to the public distrust in Congress.

He proposed holding a referendum alongside the 2028 national elections.

However, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry chair George Barcelon warned that pushing for charter change while corruption investigations are ongoing could create new risks.

“I’m not against tweaking the constitution, but it’s the timing of it. We have this concern right now and, in a way, it’s a very serious situation,” he said.

“If you open up Pandora’s box on constitutional change at this time, ‘di natin masabi ‘yong mga vested interest ng mga politiko. They will take advantage of it. They will try to navigate and see how they can manipulate to their advantage,” he added.

(If you open up Pandora’s box on constitutional change at this time, we can’t foresee the vested interest of the politicians. They will take advantage of it. They will try to navigate and see how they can manipulate to their advantage.) INQ

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine economy is expected to stay below official growth targets through 2026 and may only return to its intended path in 2027, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said, citing weather disturbances, weakening demand for services and slower government spending as a graft investigation unfolds.

If the projections hold, the country would miss its growth targets for a fourth straight year, after falling short in both 2023 and 2024, according to the highlights of the Monetary Board’s Oct. 9 policy meeting released on Thursday.

READ: Underwhelming Q3 growth souring Philippines 2025 outlook

The Marcos administration is aspiring for growth of between 5.5 and 6.5 percent for 2025 and a faster 6 to 7 percent for next year. While those targets may not be met, the BSP said the economy could return to its target range only by 2027, the penultimate year of the Marcos administration.

“Overall domestic demand may moderate based on high-frequency indicators,” the central bank said.

“In addition, ongoing controversy over flood control projects, public infrastructure spending may delay implementation and dampen investment sentiment,” it added, while noting that initiatives to prevent fiscal leakages could nevertheless boost overall budget efficiency and growth prospects over the longer term.

Last month, the Monetary Board cut the key interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 percent, aiming to steady business sentiment shaken by a widening probe into allegedly dubious flood control projects.

Government spending

The central bank had also warned that the corruption scandal could limit the ability of government spending to support growth. As it is, the administration is aiming to keep infrastructure investment at 5 to 6 percent of gross domestic product to help sustain economic momentum.

True enough, the state’s economic managers already acknowledged that hitting even the lower end of the government’s growth target for 2025 would be very challenging, after the economy expanded 4 percent in the third quarter, the weakest pace in four years.

READ: Our regional disparities

BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. earlier said another rate cut in December was “possible,” but ruled out any aggressive easing that could fuel concerns the economy is careening toward a hard landing.

Remolona added that the economy may “more than catch up” with the momentum lost by 2027, believing that the slowdown may prove to be short-lived. The pace of that rebound, he said, would determine how much further the central bank could ease policy in the months ahead.

Offshore, the central bank also flagged “lingering global uncertainty” that could temper investor sentiment. Even so, it maintained that “future monetary policy adjustments will continue to be guided by evolving risks to inflation and growth.”

“On balance, the favorable inflation outlook and moderating domestic demand provided scope for a more accommodative monetary policy stance to support economic activity,” the BSP said. INQ

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s largest crayfish nursery is now up and running in Pampanga. This marks a significant step in positioning the Philippines as a major player in the global aquaculture industry.

The 1,280-square meter facility in Candaba will mass-produce Australian Redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus). It is a high-value species sought for its rapid growth, hardiness and strong market demand.

Investing in the nursery are local firm Farm Fresh Early Catch Inc. headed by former Candaba mayor Jerry Pelayo and Taiwanese company Da Shin Biotech Ltd. The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) provides support.

READ: DA to roll out digital hub for food ecosystem

“Crayfish offers a protein source that is nutrient-rich, low-impact, and requires minimal feed,” the DA said in a statement on Friday.

The hub will provide supply to Farm Fresh’s existing three-hectare grow-out ponds. These currently produce 30 tons of market-size crayfish annually. It will also support partner growers as the industry continues to expand.

The crayfish hub houses 16 tanks capable of producing 48,000 fry every two weeks. It uses water-recycling technology in Philippine crayfish nurseries, reducing wastewater and conserving freshwater.

Large-scale rollout

Next year, Farm Fresh plans to implement a large-scale rollout of grow-out operations. This will be across 1,500 hectares in Luzon and 750 hectares each in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The planned sites are expected to produce more than 1,200 tons of crayfish every six months. This positions the Philippines as a serious contender in regional and global markets.

In his speech delivered by Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said crayfish farming “opens new doors for our fisherfolk—bringing in more income, more livelihood and more food on our tables.”

READ: Have you ever had crayfish?

Given BFAR’s strict guidelines aimed at protecting native aquatic life, Tiu Laurel said each pond must also nurture care, discipline and respect for the balance of the country’s ecosystems.

“Built through the partnership of Farm Fresh Early Catch Inc., Da Shin Biotech and the DA-BFAR, this nursery shows that when government, private innovators and fisherfolk come together, progress stops being a dream—it becomes our shared reality,” he said.

The project is expected to create more than 3,000 direct jobs and spur new enterprises across farming communities. INQ

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicated two companies and their executives for allegedly soliciting unlicensed investments from the public through a sham e-commerce platform, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The corporate watchdog said on Friday that state prosecutors found prima facie evidence to charge New Seataoo Corp. and Seataoo Information Technology OPC for violating the Securities Regulation Code.

Likewise, the DOJ recommended filing 54 counts of violation of Section 26 of the SRC that prohibits the use of lies, deceit and fraud to sell securities.

READ: JRL Kwarta Trading fined for illegal investment schemes

Also indicted were New Seataoo CEO Widiana Chen, project manager Dylan Lim and directors Anna Rose Jangao Tero, Jonathan Tuazon Garcia, Danny Tuazon Sudaria, Lew Yean Yee and Seow Kai Sheng.

Seataoo OPC’s single stockholder, Jayson Corono Clidoro, was also indicted.Based on its Oct. 22 resolution, prosecutors upheld the SEC’s findings in its complaint filed in January that Seatoo group offered investment contracts through its e-commerce platform without securing the necessary secondary license.

The SEC earlier said that the companies had used YouTube and Facebook to operate their scheme, with investors shelling out as much as P2.3 million due to the promise of “guaranteed returns” of 7 to 12 percent without doing any genuine selling activity.

This thus resembled an illegal Ponzi scheme wherein profits provided to investors were derived from contributions given by new participants rather than actual business activities.

READ: In Koronadal, SEC alerts public vs firm inviting investors sans license

“Respondents misrepresented their companies as a legitimate e-commerce platform when, in truth, there was no inventory, no supplier arrangements and no real product movement,” the DOJ said.

“The system merely simulated transactions and internally rotated funds, creating the false appearance of a functioning business. The totality of these acts constitutes a deliberate and systematic scheme to defraud the public,” it added. INQ

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government has secured 22.6 million euros, or about P1.5 billion, in funding from the European Union (EU). This is intended to support the country’s transition to advanced technologies.

Bulk of the package is a 20- million-euro contribution from the EU itself. There are also 2 million euros from Finland and 600,000 euros from France.

The fund will cover expenses related to digital technologies related to 5G telecommunications, cybersecurity solutions, artificial intelligence (AI) in earth observation and improved digital connectivity.

READ: Supreme Court eyes AI work on legal documents

Among the key components of the package is the high-speed and real-time application of AI to earth observation data. This is through the EU Copernicus Philippines program. It is expected to help develop smart solutions for disaster risk reduction, environmental monitoring, food security and infrastructure mapping.

“This will allow the government to better prepare for natural disasters, respond faster in times of crisis and provide immediate relief to Filipino families. And we need this now more than ever,” newly appointed Finance Secretary Frederick Go said in a statement.

Policy support for 5G technology is aimed at improving international and national digital connectivity. This, while strengthening cybersecurity measures for critical infrastructure and services.

EU and Philippine universities that are focused on science and technological research and innovation are also set to collaborate.

READ: Southeast Asia seen as growth hub for EU firms

Spearheading the projects are the Philippine Space Agency and Department of Science and Technology. Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Office of Civil Defense are also involved.

The digital economy package is part of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative. This is a strategy to boost smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy, transport, health and education sectors across the world. INQ

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s drive for agencies to adopt cashless payments helped a 36-percent surge in digital transactions made through the Land Bank of the Philippines.

The state-owned bank recorded P3.14 trillion worth of digital transactions in the first nine months of 2025. This was achieved through half a billion transactions across its major digital platforms.

The volume of transactions jumped 27 percent year-on-year. Landbank processed over 550 million online transactions across its 10 platforms during the period.

Such a growth coincided with efforts to expand financial access, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

READ: LANDBANK streamlines digital agri lending with AGRISENSO Plus

“Innovation, at its heart, must make people’s lives easier—more connected, more secure and more inclusive,” Landbank executive vice president Leila Martin said in a statement.

“Landbank’s digital transformation began with that principle. We modernized our systems not just to compete, but to serve our people better,” Martin said.

The bulk of the transactions went through Landbank’s mobile banking app, which recorded P418.4 billion from 492 million transactions. This is a 38-percent increase in value and 26 percent in volume year-on-year.

Gains in the weAccess platform, Landbank’s digital channel for institutional clients, pushed transaction value to P1.29 trillion. This was driven largely by a surge in ATM payroll disbursements that hit P266.71 billion from 26.95 million transactions.

Meanwhile, the online retail banking channel iAccess processed 2.59 million transactions worth P11.89 billion.

Also, the web-based payment platform Link.BizPortal handled 6.76 million transactions totaling P12.27 billion.

For far-flung areas

Further, the LANDBANKasama Program for far-flung areas logged P11.68 billion through 2.38 million transactions.

Government agencies likewise increased their reliance on Landbank systems. The Electronic Modified Disbursement System processed P1.14 trillion in payouts for 3.63 million transactions.

READ: UP, Landbank offer financial aid to 2026 Upcat passers

A total of P132.93 billion from 554,151 transactions was recorded in the bank’s alternative tax payment facility.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s VAT Digital Services Portal, which was just launched this year, generated P1.93 billion.

Batch disbursements through the bulk credit system amounted to P52.37 billion after making 6.08 million transactions.

Lastly, the remittance system garnered P58.26 billion from 650,203 transactions. INQ