Category: Business Mirror

Motorcycle taxi platform MOVE IT is elevating industry standards with a Driver-Led, Tech-Reinforced Safety Commitment – a comprehensive program that pairs professionalized rider training with live safety technologies at scale.

The company reported a 99.999% incident-free completion rate across thousands of daily rides, and says its priorities are now squarely on the remaining ~0.001% trips.

‘Near-perfect isn’t the finish line,’ said MOVE IT General Manager Wayne Jacinto. ‘Leadership in safety means raising the bar every day – professional riders, real-time protection, and transparent accountability on every single trip.’

At the MOVE IT Moto-Taxi Road Safety Dialogue, 31 MOVE IT rider-partner communities signed the Katuwang sa Kaligtasan sa Kalsada, a pledge that anchors a community-led safety culture across the motorcycle taxi sector.

Driver-Led Safety: Professional Standards by Design

MOVE IT’s Pasado Bago Pasada framework subjects every rider to rigorous onboarding, continuous upskilling, and bi-annual retraining.

Highlights of the Pasado Bago Pasada Framework:

Every rider undergoes full government clearance verification. MOVE IT reports 100% compliance with document requirements.

Almost 60% of motorcycles pass inspection on the first attempt, underscoring the strict compliance standards for roadworthiness before deployment.

More than 80% of applicants clear the initial skills test, with the remainder retrained until they meet safety benchmarks.

All riders are mandated to retrain every six months, reinforcing a culture of continuous improvement.

MOVE IT also collaborated with Ateneo’s Bulatao Center for Psychological Services to produce a first-of-its-kind Behavioral Assessment Tool for the motorcycle taxi industry, set to roll out this quarter. Unlike conventional tests that focus solely on technical skills, the tool is designed to measure how riders make decisions, manage stress, and respond to high-pressure or unexpected situations on the road. By grounding assessments in behavioral science, MOVE IT raises the bar on rider professionalism, ensuring that safety is defined not just by ability, but by judgment and conduct in real-world conditions.

Tech-Reinforced: Progressive Safety Innovations

While professional standards are central, MOVE IT said technology is equally critical in keeping roads safe. Through its strategic partnership with Grab, the platform has strengthened its safety infrastructure to support thousands of rides in real time.

In its relaunch in 2023, MOVE IT rolled out first-of-its-kind safety tools in the industry – from live location sharing and in-app SOS integration, to passenger and driver verification selfies and AI-driven trip monitoring.

The platform has since expanded its safety stack with additional tools designed to address some of the most common risks on Philippine roads:

Overspeeding Alerts provide real-time reminders when riders exceed safe limits, reinforcing responsible driving behavior and reducing accident risk.

Fatigue Nudges monitor trip patterns to detect signs of overwork, prompting riders to take breaks and ensuring they are alert before going on the road.

AudioProtect records trip audio in the background, giving both riders and passengers added security by providing clear context for investigations and ensuring fairness in resolving disputes or safety-related reports. Audio Protect will be live on MOVE IT in Q4 2025.

Together, these features aim to prevent accidents before they happen, protect riders and passengers during trips, and deliver greater transparency when incidents occur.

Fair Accountability: Shared Protection and Rapid Response

MOVE IT said professional riders and advanced technology must be backed by transparent accountability.

Reports filed through the app prompt swift investigation, with high-risk cases leading to preventive suspension pending due process. The same standards apply to complaints from riders against passengers.

An Emergency Response Unit of volunteer riders serves as first responders, reaching incidents within 30 minutes to provide aid and coordinate with hospitals and authorities.

All trips are insured, covering both passengers and riders, through partnerships with providers including AIG and Cocolife.

The Coalition for Filipino Commuters, an advocacy group for passenger rights and interests, commended MOVE IT’s progress, calling it ‘inspiring to see how MOVE IT, together with other platforms, is proactively transforming and growing our industry for the better through their respective pioneering efforts.’ At the same time, the group stressed that ‘platforms can only go so far on their own. It is time to standardize these safety measures through the official legalization of motorcycle taxis.’

Jacinto closed with a call for collective action: ‘Safety is not a milestone but a daily mission. We will continue to raise the standards – through professional riders, progressive technology, and fair accountability – until every commuter embraces motorcycle taxis as a truly reliable and viable transport option for our nation.’

THE adverse trio of tepid capital formation growth, weakness of the manufacturing sector, and governance risks could become a ‘persistent drag’ on the country’s growth and development, according to a think tank.

In its latest brief, Global Source Partners Country Analyst Diwa Guinigundo said while the Philippine economy has been resilient, given these challenges, the country needs to be more proactive in addressing its development constraints.

‘The Philippine economy has demonstrated resilience through past shocks, but resilience alone will not suffice in the face of slowing capital formation, manufacturing weakness, external imbalances, and governance risks,’ Guinigundo said.

‘Without timely and credible policy action, the ‘dark clouds ahead’ may settle into a more persistent drag on the country’s development trajectory,’ he added.

Guinigundo said data supported assessments that gross domestic capital formation (GDCF) has kept the country’s economic performance lackluster.

The latest data supported this concern, which showed that the GCDF growth slowed to only 2.4 percent in the first six months of 2025, compared to 6.6 percent in same period last year.

He added that while the recent downgrade in the country’s economic growth outlook by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may be marginal, these are projected before the ‘full weight of global and domestic risks is felt.’

IMF projection

In a briefing in Manila on Wednesday, IMF Mission Chief for the Philippines Elif Arbatli Saxegaard told reporters that the Washington-based lender projects GDP to average 5.4 percent in 2025 and 5.7 percent in 2026.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) GDP target is at 5.5 to 6.5 percent in 2025 and 6 to 7 percent in the 2026 to 2028 period.

‘Although the Philippine economy remains broadly resilient, its performance in the first half of 2025 fell short of expectations. The IMF stresses that sustained policy discipline and structural reforms are essential to bolster competitiveness, attract investment, and support growth over the medium term,’ Guinigundo said.

Apart from this, he noted that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) estimates that the country’s Balance of Payment (BOP) and Current Account (CA) deficits could widen further.

The BOP is projected to post a steeper decline of 1.4 percent of GDP to a deficit of $6.9 billion for 2025 and post -0.6 percent of GDP to a deficit of $3.4 billion in 2026.

With this, the current account shortfall is expected to stay at 3.3 percent of GDP in 2025 and 2.9 percent of GDP in 2026.

‘In combination with political uncertainty linked to corruption revelations in major infrastructure projects, particularly flood control, this could undermine investor confidence and sustain depreciation pressures on the peso,’ Guinigundo said. ‘Such pressures risk amplifying imported inflation and complicating monetary policy management.’

Guinigundo said domestic price issues have also surfaced. Rice and fish prices remain elevated along with expensive pump prices, straining household budgets nationwide.

Flood, crop damage

Earlier, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said La Niña conditions, which may develop from September to December, could lead to flooding and crop damage in high-risk areas.

‘Given this backdrop, the BSP may find it prudent to hold its policy rate steady in the upcoming Monetary Board meeting, prioritizing financial stability over short-term growth support,’ Guinigundo said.

Earlier, local economists believe that faster inflation in September is not enough reason to exit its easing cycle when the Monetary Board meets next week.

On Wednesday, the BSP said it projects that September 2025 inflation will settle within the range of 1.5 to 2.3 percent. If the high end of the outlook is reached, this will be the second fastest inflation on record this year.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will release the latest inflation print on October 7, ahead of the October 9 policy meeting at the BSP.

Ateneo de Manila University economist Luis F. Dumlao told BusinessMirror on Wednesday that the inflation projection was still within the 2 to 4 percent inflation target of the BSP.

This means, Dumlao said, the BSP has ‘space to be dovish.’ He said any reduction in policy rates will help support the country’s GDP growth.

Dumlao said the country’s GDP growth is growing slower than its natural growth of around 6.2 percent. Reducing policy rates can help boost the country’s economic performance this year.

The House of Representatives on Friday wrapped up plenary deliberations on the proposed ?6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2026, hailing it as the ‘best and cleanest’ national budget that prioritizes programs aimed at directly uplifting the lives of Filipinos.

House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing assured the public that the chamber is committed to ensuring that the 2026 national budget remains people-centered, transparent, and accountable.

‘We will make sure-in the House of Representatives-that the 2026 budget will be responsive to the needs of the Filipino people, transparent, and clean,’ Suansing said.

The House concluded plenary deliberations on the 2026 budgets of government agencies just past midnight on Friday.

The House Minority Leader is expected to deliver the traditional turno en contra on the proposed 2026 national budget this Monday.

She stressed that the budget priorities reflect the urgent needs of the population, highlighting investments in education, agriculture, health, job creation, and livelihood programs.

‘Our goal is to make it a human-centered budget. That is why our priority is education, agriculture, health, job creation, and livelihood. We want to improve the quality of life of every Filipino. That is what we pray will be the result of the budget we will pass,’ she added.

Suansing also expressed confidence that the measure will gain full support from the chamber.

‘With the help of the whole House and the collective wisdom of all its members, I am confident that we will be able to pass the best budget for 2026-one that truly responds to the needs of our people,’ she said.

Suansing stressed that the budget is not merely a policy document but a ‘backbone of fiscal policy’ and a reflection of government priorities.

Despite these challenges, she said the 2026 spending plan is anchored on a sound macroeconomic framework crafted by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), projecting 6.0 to 7.0 percent GDP growth, inflation of 2.0 to 4.0 percent, a fiscal deficit of 5.3 percent of GDP, and a sustainable debt-to-GDP ratio of 61.8 percent by end-2026.

Suansing highlighted the redirection of ?255 billion initially earmarked for flood control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to essential services such as education, healthcare, agriculture, and social welfare. The DPWH’s allocation was reduced from ?881.3 billion to ?625.7 billion, while education received ?1.17 trillion, the largest in Philippine history. Healthcare will get ?409.8 billion plus an additional ?89.3 billion from realignments, and social welfare programs, including the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), will receive ?59.1 billion to help about 5.9 million Filipinos.

Agriculture is allocated ?284.13 billion, including ?41.09 billion for farm-to-market roads, irrigation, post-harvest facilities, and crop insurance. Under the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk program, one million beneficiaries will receive ?7,000 each. Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment’s TUPAD program will be doubled to ?26.96 billion to assist 4.9 million displaced or disadvantaged workers.

The period of amendments and second reading approval will be on October 10.

In pushing for amendments, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste, vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, wants the DPWH to cancel or re-price ?1.6 trillion worth of ongoing and planned projects. Leviste said this could save the government ?400 billion, which could be redirected to health and education programs next year. He cited the recent termination of a ?95.99-million flood control project in Lemery, Batangas, as an example of how DPWH can enforce cost efficiency under existing procurement laws.

Under the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184) and DPWH contract rules, projects can be terminated ‘for convenience’ if they become economically, financially, or technically impractical-or unnecessary-due to changes in law or government policy, without penalty to the government. Contracts may also be terminated for unlawful acts, such as corruption, fraud, use of substandard materials, or collusive practices.

Leviste noted that the Lemery case demonstrates how DPWH can use these provisions.

‘After all the hearings and protests against corruption in DPWH, there are still over P1 trillion in ongoing projects and another P600 billion in upcoming projects that DPWH can act on,’ Leviste said.

Meanwhile, the House is expected to approve the 2026 General Appropriations Bill on third and final reading by Monday, October 13. Once passed, it will be transmitted to the Senate, after which a bicameral conference committee will reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions.

Sunasing said bicameral sessions will be public.

The 2026 national budget is 7.4 percent higher than the enacted FY 2025 budget of ?6.326 trillion and carries the theme ‘Agenda for Prosperity: Nurturing Future-Ready Generations to Achieve the Full Potential of the Nation.’ Anchored on the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, it aims to prioritize education, healthcare, social protection, and food security.

Speaking just past midnight on Friday, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III lauded the collective effort that ensured the budget deliberations were both open and comprehensive.

‘Our people can be assured that our process will remain open and transparent,’ Dy assured. ‘When I was elected Speaker, I said we would ensure that every centavo allocated in the budget to every agency would match the needs of our people. We will continue to work together to pass an open, orderly, and clean budget.’

The Philippines has always lived in rhythm with fire and water. Storms cross our seas each year, earthquakes pulse beneath our feet, volcanoes remind us that the earth here never fully sleeps. Yet lately, nature’s restlessness feels sharper, as if something heavier presses down on the land. It is not only corruption or division that weighs us down, but also poverty, millions enduring hardship in fragile homes, daily survival always one disaster away.

This is a feedback loop we have created. The choices made by leaders, the neglect of basic needs, and the exploitation of land and resources build up like pressure in the soil. When rivers are clogged with garbage, they spill over. When forests are cut and mountains mined, the ground softens and collapses. When urban growth outpaces planning, floods arrive even with ordinary rain. The unrest of society is written into the environment, and the environment answers back.

Symbols matter. The flood that drowns a barangay is more than rainfall; it is the weight of unkept promises. The quake shakes more than houses; it shakes the fragile confidence of communities left to rebuild alone. Taal’s rumble is not just magma rising; it is the reminder that imbalance beneath the surface will always find release. These disasters are natural, yes, but their impact grows heavier when human neglect, inequality, and poverty feed them.

Consider the pattern. Metro Manila floods with rains that no longer need to be historic. Taal rumbles in Batangas, a reminder that the volcano’s fire is never truly dormant. In Cebu, a recent earthquake shook communities still piecing together stability after years of storms and economic strain. Each event has scientific explanation, but they also form a phenomenon: a mirror showing us what happens when a nation ignores its own fractures.

And yet, even in the cycle of collapse, renewal is possible. After every storm, we see neighbors carrying one another to safety. After every quake, families share food and light with strangers. Communities rise from rubble with little more than determination. These gestures shift the current. They remind us that resilience, while often romanticized, is real; and it is the nation’s truest strength.

But even as disasters repeat, the cycle of blame feels just as relentless. Each time, officials deflect responsibility; some leaving the country temporarily, others permanently, as if distance absolves them. Agencies point fingers at one another, investigations stretch into years, litigation drags on without convictions. We have witnessed this before: stories buried by the next great breaking news, accountability dissolved by the sheer pace of crisis. In this endless carousel of blame, guilt is diluted, and the people remain stranded in the floodwaters, standing on cracked soil, breathing ash.

Healing is not only material but spiritual. A country constantly bracing for the next flood or tremor cannot heal if its people never pause. To pause is to reclaim breath, to sit in silence long enough to hear what the land is telling us. Reflection does not erase poverty or corruption, but it steadies the spirit, creating space for clarity and compassion. Better this pause, this prayer, than the chaos of anarchy; for we are, at our core, a nation of prayer.

When a nation learns to pause, it changes its vibration. The energy of panic and bitterness softens into the energy of resilience and care. The earth, too, feels this shift. A people that breathes together, reflects together, and prays together sends a signal to the land: we are ready to heal with you, not against you.

Maybe it is time for the people to pause, to breathe, and to join in healing the nation-so that the land, too, can finally rest.

THE number of casualties following the 6.9 magnitude Offshore Northern Cebu Earthquake that struck Central Visayas on September 30 continued to rise, with 72 confirmed dead and 294 injured, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Thursday.

In its situation report, the agency said 30 of the 72 fatalities were from Bogo City, 22 from San Remigio, 12 from Madellin, five in Tabogon, two in Sogod, and one in Tabuelan.

As rescuers race against time, a magnitude 5 aftershock occurred on the eve of October 1, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

Phivolcs said as of 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 2, 2025, it has recorded a total of 2,929 aftershocks, 14 of which were strong enough to be felt.

The earthquake, which generated a few seconds of an Intensity VII strong earth-shaking event near the epicenter in Bogo City and nearby cities and towns in Cebu, was traced to an offshore local fault line. Intensity VII is categorized as ‘Destructive’ on the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) scale and ‘brutally devastating’ on Japan’s JMA scale, which is the highest level.

Other areas, as far as Luzon and Mindanao, experienced Intensity III to VI.

NDRRMC said a total of 47,221 families, or 170,959 persons, were affected in 53 barangays in the Central Visayas region.

Damage

DESTRUCTION caused by the earthquake includes damage to 87 infrastructure, 96 houses totally damaged, and 501 partially damaged.

A total of 85 cities and municipalities were affected, mostly in Central Visayas and 10 in Western Visayas.

Classes and work were suspended in affected areas in Regions 6 and 7 and Negros Island Region, the NDRRMC reported, with a total of 53 cities and towns in Region 7 having been declared under a state of calamity.

The NDRRMC said an earthquake-induced landslide occurred in Tabuelan, and Tobogon, Cebu, while a structural fire was reported in Consolacion, also in Cebu.

In Asturias, a collapsed structure was recorded. In Mandaue, Cebu, an Ammonia Leak was reported to authorities, reportedly originating from San Miguel Corporation’s facility in barangay Tipolo.

On Tuesday, President Marcos inspected the SM Cares Village in barangay Polambato, Bogo City. Built for Typhoon Yolanda survivors, the village built in 2013 with 200 free housing units was among the hardest hit by the earthquake.

A total of eight persons were killed when housing units collapsed, the NDRRMC reported.

The President also inspected the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer, which sustained heavy damage.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), and various local governments in the province have started providing relief goods to affected families.

Navy prepares

THE Navy (PN) on Thursday said it is now preparing the transport ship, BRP Dagupan City (LS-551), as part of its humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) efforts.

‘This preparatory action highlights the Navy’s high level of operational readiness and its continuing support to national disaster response operations. BRP Dagupan City is being prepared for deployment,’ the Navy Public Affairs Office chief, Capt. Benjo Negranza, said in a statement.

To further beef up its HADR efforts, Negranza said Naval Forces Central’s medical team is on standby to assist.

Davao sends rescue team

DAVAO City disaster and rescue officials sent off early Thursday a convoy of 13 trucks, personnel and urban search and rescue vehicles for rescue and relief operations in northern Cebu.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said it dispatched government trucks to Cebu to distribute 5,000 food packs, along with a team of 50 personnel including doctors and psychosocial workers, and seasoned personnel in urban search and rescue.

Among them were personnel of the Urban Search and Rescue (Usar), the Fire Brigade Unit, Emergency Medical Services at Central 911, including the K9 team.

Rudy Encabo, assistant head of CDRRMO, the convoy left at 6:00 am Thursday for a land trip across five Mindanao provinces and the island provinces in the Visayas to reach Bogo City in northern Cebu, where rescue personnel were still entangled in the search for the casualties in the rubbles.

South Cotabato has earlier sent relief goods and Zamboanga City has announced it would also send a convoy of relief and rescue personnel.

President Ferdinand Marcos said he will ask Congress to replenish the fast dwindling Quick Response Fund (QRF) of some government agencies.

During a situation briefing in Bogo City in Cebu after it was hit by a magnitude-6.9 quake earlier this week, the chief executive said the additional QRF will ensure the government will be ready for disasters this year.

He said the quake, which struck Cebu, as well as tropical cyclones Nando and Opong(international name: Bualoi) has led to government agencies to use a considerable portion of their QRFs.

Aside from Cebu, the President also visited Masbate, which also suffered heavy damage from Opong to also lead in government relief operations in the island province.

‘I will be going to Congress because after the – coming from Masbate, coming from Cebu, I will be going to the Congress, the House and the Senate, I will ask-so they can give more emergency funds,’ Marcos said in Filipino.

He said he already instructed Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman to make the necessary preparations for the fund request to Congress.

‘I spoke to Sec. Menah already yesterday and this morning and she’s making all of those arrangements,’ the President said.

He has yet to disclose how much funding DBM will request from Congress for the QRF replenishment.

Under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the government has allocated P7.73 billion for the QRF, which is included in the National Risk Reduction and Management Fund or also known as Calamity Fund.

The QRF was distributed to the following agencies: Department of Agriculture (P1 billion); Department of Education (P3 billion); Department of Health (P500 million); Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Bureau of Fire Protection (P50 million); DILG-Philippine National Police (P50 million); Department of National Defense-Office of Civil Defense (P500 million); Department of Public Works and Highways (P1 billion); Department of Social Welfare and Development (P1.25 billion); and Department of Transportation (P75 million).

The QRF for Budgetary Support for Government Corporations was pegged at P300 million.

Last week, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the country is expected to be hit by 5 to 9 more tropical cyclones before the end of the year.

A steady pouring of rain flooded several towns in Zambales, rendering parts of the national highway impassable to light vehicles and causing some residents to evacuate, as Typhoon ‘Paolo’ (‘Matmo’) drenched Northern and Western Luzon on Friday, Oct. 3.

The Zambales Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said heavy floodings occurred in the central towns of San Felipe, Cabangan, Botolan, and Iba, as well as parts of Palauig and Masinloc towns up north.

PDRRMO head Rolex Estella said that as of 6:00 p.m. on Friday, a total of 128 families composed of 388 individuals have evacuated to safety because of the floods. Most of these are in Masinloc with 84 families, and Iba with 33 families having relocated to barangay halls, schools, and health centers.

Traffic build-up was also reported along the highway at Barangay Sindol in San Felipe, Barangay Binoclutan in Botolan, Barangay Mabanglit in Cabangan, and Barangays San Lorenzo and Bamban in Masinloc, where severe flooding made the roads impassable to light vehicles, Estella said.

Northern Zambales was placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 on Friday, according to the 2:00 p.m. bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The Zambales provincial government ordered the day before the suspension of classes in all levels in the province on Friday, as well as the pre-emptive evacuation of residents in low-lying areas in anticipation of heavy rainfall from Typhoon Paolo, Estella said.

The Philippine Coast Guard office in Zambales likewise cancelled all marine activities in the province and urged residents and visitors to stay away from beach areas after PAGASA warned of moderate to high risks of storm surge in coastal communities.

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) kicks off its golden 50th season this weekend, headlined by a marquee matchup between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Magnolia Hotshots on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. The clash follows Saturday’s fellowship night at the Meralco Theater.

Ginebra, with two-time Grand Slam coach Tim Cone calling the shots, will face off against his former player LA Tenorio, who is now Magnolia head coach.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m., following the opening ceremonies and the annual Leo Awards at Novotel Manila, where Season 49’s Most Valuable Players will be honored.

Cone made minimal adjustments to his roster, adding 6-foot-7 Norbert Torres via free agency from Meralco and signing 6-foot-3 rookie Sonny Estil, the 11th overall pick.

The Gin Kings core of Scottie Thompson, RJ Abarrientos, Japeth Aguilar, Stephen Holt, Troy Rosario, Jeremiah Gray and Maverick Ahanmisi aim to end a two-year championship drought.

Tenorio, who played under Cone at Alaska and Ginebra, shared his excitement about the matchup, saying it’s a privilege to coach against one of the country’s finest basketball minds-even as his team focuses on execution.

‘We will rely more on our defense. I believe our players have what it takes to win the game,’ Tenorio told BusinessMirror on Friday.

‘It is really an honor to play or coach against Tim Cone, but I do not worry about it. We just must treat this as a normal game for us. We must get better each game.’

Magnolia’s new additions include Javi Gomez de Liaño, Rafi Verano, Paolo Taha, and Gab Gomez.

Rookie 6-foot-5 center Yutien Andrada will join the team after fulfilling his commitments with the San Beda Red Lions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

This season also marks the debut of Jason Webb as Magnolia’s new team governor.

The festivities begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the green gate of Araneta Coliseum, where players will engage with fans for four hours.

The celebration then moves to the Meralco Theater in the evening, honoring the league’s past and present members from the press, teams and staff.

THERE is an interesting take on European history happening onscreen and this is the story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and her love affair and adventure with Franz Joseph of Austria. Bearing the title The Empress (its German title is Die Kaiserin), the tale is a push-and-pull between the grand and the intimate, with the depiction of the empire startling us with how miniscule sometimes the historical antecedents involving these grand personalities that once ruled the narratives of power and conquest in that part of the world.

The tale begins with a very young girl, an impulsive Sisi-the Bavarian Duchess, Elisabeth von Wittellsbach. She is pictured as tomboyish, a lover of horses, in contrast to her sister, the Duchess Helene, who is not only being groomed as the next Empress but is much willing to go through the challenge of being introduced to Franz Joseph of Austria.

As fate would have it, the young Sisi who much prefers to be addressed as Elisabeth sees Franz and is smitten and falls in love with the young man. Franz at this point has taken over the empire.

Ludovika travels with Helene and Elisabeth to Austria for the engagement. That day also happens to be the birthday of Franz and it is during this moment that he will announce his engagement with Helene. Without the knowledge of both their mother and Helene, Sisi and Franz have, more or less, found themselves liking each other. Indeed, during the birthday celebration, Franz announces who he will marry and it is Elisabeth, not Helene.

The wonder of it all is that there is no remorse on the part of Elisabeth; for the family of Elisabeth also, the complication did not last long-it just felt natural that, if the other daughter is not marrying the emperor, then the other one, if she is willing, can always be the empress.

What follows then is how Elisabeth tries to negotiate the court-its affairs and complexities. Along the way, characters like Johann Strauss, the great composer, make an appearance and in the soiree-which is more like a stag party before the wedding-even the mighty Franz Liszt regales the bacchanalia with his piano-playing.

I still have to complete viewing this spectacle of a drama. Handsomely photographed, The Empress is the kind of film that suffuses the screen with the splendor that we associate with desire and conquest. Emotions seem to run high and hot among these characters. Outside of Franz, the emperor, there is his brother Maximilian who, while wholly trusted by the brother, appears to teeter on the edge always of infidelity.

Empress Elisabeth herself is both a tough and a delicate character. Around her, there is the mother-in-law and other ladies-in-waiting who are, I am afraid, merely waiting for their chance to trick the young empress or, at least, expose her own frailties.

At certain points of the film, one gets this notion that only Elisabeth and Franz are the real human characters in this caper; the rest are cardboard characters straight out of illustrated comic magazines.

The Empress is created by Katharina Eyssen; it is written by Katharina Eyssen, Bernd Lange, and Janna Maria Nandzik. It is directed by Katrin Gebbe and Florian Cossen.

Devrin Lingnau, a German actress of Turkish descent, plays Elisabeth; Philip Froissant is Franz of Austria.

Which brings me to another film-Wayward. It is a strange story about young people, which while on the surface it feels like it is reaching out to them, in the end it manages to alienate the very depiction of the said population.

The film centers on two good friends-one a dyslexic and another, for lack of a newer term, a juvenile delinquent. Abbie belongs to a rather comfortable family but a father who demands a lot from her; Leila finds comfort in being with Abbie. In Abbie’s home, Leila is sent away by her friend’s father who does not hide his discomfort about this friend’s wayward habits.

Many things are happening in this film. For one, the film opens with a runaway, a boy who escapes from what would turn out to be the very institution that Abbie’s parents would later bring their daughter to. As this daring escape was taking place, a couple was moving into a countryside home. As this couple is gradually introduced to us, we realized that the ‘man’ of the house is a transgender – a transman. It looks like they are moving back to the hometown of the wife-we describe her as, pardon the term, a real woman-to lead a ‘normal’ life, to start anew. Later in the scene, Leila herself would bring up the modifier ‘queer’ to address Alex, the husband of the young, pregnant woman.

In the town, Alex notices an odd behaviour in many of the residents of the town. One day, upon returning from running an errand for his wife, Alex finds Evelyn, the head of the Tall Pines Academy, an institution that keeps troubled young men and women, in their home.

Leila would soon find Abbie in Tall Pines and with the help of Alex, they would try to uncover the dark secrets of the town.

Mae Martin who plays the transgender policeman, created the series, which made Wayward a gripping if not messy mystery thriller about abandonment, isolation and identity.

Toni Colette’s performance in the film is a tour de force, even if in most part she was stealing the scene from what would have been quiet depictions of events. Her character has been described as committed. The two young actors are a find: Alyvia Alyn Lind as Leila and Sydney Topfliffe as Abbie.

With over 19,000 learners affected by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struct northern Cebu, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara assured parents and teachers that education will continue as immediate emergency measures are being addressed.

Angara stressed that the Department of Education (DepEd) will rely primarily on modular learning, the most practical mode for communities with damaged classrooms or limited connectivity.

Policies on lesson packets and the Dynamic Learning Program are also set to be finalized next week, with emergency funds for learning materials to be released right after, the DepEd said.

The DepEd Learning Systems Strand (LSS) is also coordinating with Schools Division Superintendents for context-specific interventions once immediate emergency measures are addressed.

To minimize lost school days, estimated at about one month in the hardest-hit areas, DepEd will also establish Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) in Bogo and nearby Cebu towns to prioritize early grade learners and resume limited face-to-face classes sooner.

‘Bayanihan ang susi. Dapat mabilis ang aksyon ng lahat para mas mabilis din makakabalik ang ating mga guro at mag-aaral sa normal na klase,’ Angara said.

On Thursday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Angara, and other national government officials on visited Bogo, Cebu to provide immediate assistance and assess the impact of the earthquake that damaged thousands of classrooms and communities.

Marcos led the situation briefing together with Angara and other Cabinet Secretaries, including Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Public Works Vince Dizon, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, and Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa. They also assessed the City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy, one of the hardest-hit campuses, where at least three buildings were not declared safe for occupancy.

Damaged classrooms

As of 11 p.m. on October 1, the DepEd reported 5,587 classrooms sustained minor damage, 803 major damage, and 1,187 were totally destroyed in Cebu schools. There were 950 teaching and non-teaching personnel affected.

‘Sa gitna ng trahedya, kailangan mas maagap tayong tumulong para hind rin maputol ang pag-aaral ng ating mga mag-aaral. Habang inaayos ang mga paaralan, agad tayong maghahatid ng alternatibong paraan upang may gabay, pag-asa, at direksyon silang mahahawakan,’ Angara said.

Subject to further validation by field offices, a vetted list will then be endorsed for joint DepEd-Depatment of Public Works and Highways validation to determine costs.

The department noted that reconstruction funds will be downloaded immediately.

Recovery kit

The DepEd chief also distributed nearly 90 EduKahon teaching and learning recovery kit.

DepEd also said that those in affected areas declared under a state of calamity may avail of Special Emergency Leave under CSC rules.

The DepEd added that unaffected regions are mobilizing resources to extend support, including financial aid, to affected teachers.