Category: Philippine Star

The true-crime digital series “Philippines’ Most Shocking Stories” returned for a second season yesterday, October 28, on ABS-CBN News Channel’s YouTube and iWant with a gripping premiere episode on the 14-year manhunt for cult leader Ruben Ecleo – one of the country’s most haunting cases of crime, faith, and justice.

After earning almost six million views and strong engagement online in its first season, the series once again dives into the country’s most haunting real-life crimes that stunned the public, tragedies that changed lives, and mysteries that continue to raise questions decades later.

Among the stories revisited this season are tales of power, faith, fame, and justice, including the shocking abduction and killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre, the 1967 Maggie dela Riva rape case, and many more.

Leading this season are journalists Lyza Aquino, MJ Felipe, Jeff Caparas, Jessie Cruzat, and Jeff Canoy, who bring their experience, insight, and empathy to stories that have long shocked the Filipino public.

‘I feel so happy and honored to be part of this new season,’ shared Lyza. ‘When I first heard ABS-CBN News was planning a project like this, I prayed really hard to be part of it. I’m a fan of true-crime podcasts, so this project is truly a dream come true.’

Unlike traditional news reports that focus on immediate facts, ‘Philippines’ Most Shocking Stories’ allows for a more immersive approach. ‘We don’t just tell people what happened; we explore the how and why, and even the emotional aftermath,’ she explained. ‘It’s a more reflective kind of storytelling that allows for emotion and deeper understanding.”

According to the show’s supervising producer, Jeff Canoy, the second season continues ABS-CBN News’ evolution in digital journalism. ‘Our reporters piece together stories that audiences may have followed before, but now we can add context, insights, and new perspectives that only come with time,’ said Jeff.

‘Philippines’ Most Shocking Stories’ bridges generations of viewers from those who lived through these events, to younger audiences discovering them for the first time. Each episode offers not just a retelling, but a reckoning with truth, accountability, and the human stories behind the nation’s darkest headlines.

‘Philippines’ Most Shocking Stories Season 2′ airs on the ABS-CBN News Channel YouTube and iWant.

Apollo Global [APL] [link], the PSE’s only undersea mining company, told investors that its President, Bonner Dytoc, had been granted ‘full authority’ by the APL board of directors to ‘proactively identify and advance strategic business opportunities’, with a focus on ‘creating synergies that strengthen the Company’s core operations’ while also ‘spearheading diversification efforts within the digital sector.’ It has now been 1,730 days since APL first told its shareholders and the investing public that its only mining vessel, the MB Siphon I, was in ‘in position’ and ready to begin commercial operations. In the 247 weeks that have passed since that announcement was made, APL has failed to mine a single metric ton of ore. It has, in the 57 months since that announcement, found time to conduct a follow-on offering to buy a stake in the MB Siphon I, changed its President, repaired its tugboat, and renovated its head office.

MB bottom-line: Are we going to get a shitcoin? ALL WE WANT IS FOR APL TO MINE IRON ORE FROM THE SEA BED, LIKE IT SAID IT WOULD DO 4.74 YEARS AGO. Is there even a boat? What are these clowns doing? If I was a younger man, I would buy a million shares of APL (don’t worry, that would only cost P9,000 because this stock sucks), and go to its newly-renovated office at Antel Global Corporate Center in Pasig (near Megamall) every day demanding to see meeting minutes, the stock transfer book, board resolutions, and whatever correspondence I could get my hands on. Not to harass the company (as that would not be a legitimate purpose for requesting those records), but to protect shareholder value (which is a legitimate purpose). I’d take pictures of everything I see (without being a creep or weirdo), and I’d try to get a sense for how many employees actually report to work each day, and of those that do report to work, what time they arrive, what time they leave, and how long they take lunch. If all we get after all this time is some half-baked woowoo Xurpas-like digital bullshit, I’d want all of that data to support the lawsuit that I would absolutely file on behalf of myself and any other aggrieved APL shareholders that are tired of being gaslit. Fortunately (for my family), I’m an older man, and I have more important things to do with my time (like trying to find the best Vietnamese Coffee in town). Current leader is Wildflour. Cheer me up by DMing me with any alternative suggestions in the Makati area!

The mayor of Bulusan on Tuesday stressed that actress Heart Evangelista is not related to the issue raised by actor-host Vice Ganda in an episode of the latter’s noontime show.

‘Nais ko pong bigyang-diin na wala pong kinalaman si Ms. Heart Evangelista-Escudero sa isyung ito,’ read the statement of Bulusan mayor Wennie Rafallo-Romano as posted on the municipal government’s Facebook page on October 28.

The mayor referred to the October 24 episode of ‘It’s Showtime,’ where Vice Ganda is one of the hosts.

Vice Ganda shared during the episode’s ‘Laro Laro Pick’ segment about his experience visiting Bagacay Elementary School in Sorsogon.

Heart’s husband, Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, served Sorsogon as congressman from 1998 to 2007 and governor from 2019 to 2022.

“Na isang paaralan na walang reading materials. Pinagawa ko ‘yung eskuwelahan at nagpadala ako ng tulong doon kasi walang reading materials. Bulok ‘yung paaralan doon sa lugar nila Heart Evangelista. I cried so much when I saw that school,’ Vice said during the episode.

The mayor’s statement gave details about Vice Ganda’s visit on Sept. 26, 2023 to Bagacay Elementary school. It came with a detailed breakdown of the amount of money donated and the items and services that were built and availed out of the donation.

The mayor said that Vice initially gave P50,000 in December 2023 and was followed by more donations the next month in January 2024, amounting to P17,360. Vice’s total donation of P67,360 went to repairs of windows, doors and plastering of the school’s makeshift classroom, putting tiles on one comfort room, and installation and payment of internet bills.

The mayor gave its appreciation and gratitude to the actor-host, and adding that these were welcome in addition to the initiatives by the school’s Parents Teachers’ Association and funds from the MOOE (school maintenance and other operating expenses) and the local government unit’s special education fund.

The statement also included a number of clarifications, including the existence of a permanent classroom and books and supplementary reading materials before Vice’s donations. It also mentioned that the Department of Education of Sorsogon launched the reading program ‘Project Target’ on May 11, 2023.

‘Ang reading kiosk na handugan ni Vice Ganda ng karagdagang reading materials ay initiative po ng mga magulang para may pook pahingahan din ang mga bata at at makapagbasa sa kanilang bakanteng oras.

‘Nagpapasalamat po ang LGU Bulusan sa ipinakitang malasakit ni Vice Ganda, ngunit ang paraan ng pagsasamadla ng kanyang donasyon na may komentong ‘bulok na paraan at walang reading materials’ ay nagdulot ng kahihiyan sa Bagacay Elementary School, sa bayan ng Bulusan at sa Department of Education.”

‘Nabalewala ang lahat ng pagsusumikap ng mga guro at pamunuan, mga magulang at mag-aaral, lokal na liders at ng Kagawaran ng Edukasyon at iba pang stakeholders para mabigyan ng kaaya-ayang paaralan ang mga kabataan na angkop sa kakayahan ng komunidad,’ the statement read.

It also mentioned that all the stakeholders in Bulusan continue to coordinate to meet the school’s needs, as well as the efforts of Sen. Escudero as an ‘active supporter’ of the children’s education.

Pinas Sadya, a homegrown Filipino brand that’s been making headlines recently due to its beautiful fashion pieces that make use of traditional local materials and patterns, has marked its debut at New York Fashion Week, bringing Filipino craftsmanship, bold style and unapologetic confidence to the global stage.

Walking to the rhythm of Maymay Entrata’s Amakabogera, the brand graced the runway with its models that embodied the essence of a modern kabogera-radiant, confident and playful.

Through design that moves and inspire

The debut highlighted Pinas Sadya’s ‘Kabogera with a Purpose’ campaign, a celebration of women embracing their potential and individuality.

‘Kabogera is your birthright,’ says Skeeter Labastilla-Turgut, founder of Pinas Sadya. ‘You are born to shine, to stand out and to achieve your best. This collection is meant to accompany you at different parts of your journey, as you discover, fulfill and share your purpose.’

Skeeter’s vision brought together iconic Philippine weaves, delicate hand embroidery and contemporary silhouettes, creating dynamic, versatile pieces that reflect both heritage and modernity.

‘Every look tells a story,’ Skeeter explains. ‘It allows women to express every side of themselves, with pieces called Meeting with the Ambassador, No Time for That, Ayan na Sya! all while carrying kabogera pride.’

Strategic global positioning and customer engagement

With the help of Filipinxt, an innovative platform that showcases Filipino creativity and craftsmanship on the global stage, Pinas Sadya was able to bring such concepts to life at NYFW and offered an opportunity to showcase Filipino design to an international audience.

‘There’s a growing global appetite for Philippine-made, thoughtfully designed products. The response we received confirmed that Filipino creativity resonates internationally while staying true to its roots,’ notes Valerie Fischer, co-founder and general manager of Pinas Sadya.

Fischer adds, ‘It has been very exciting to see our audience engage with the collection and connect with the stories behind the pieces. The enthusiasm and feedback reinforced the potential for Filipino brands on a global scale.’

Collaborations on and behind the runway

Key partnerships elevated the presentation. Farah Abu, a Filipino artist and designer guided by a deep passion for creating beautiful and distinctive artistic expressions, provided accessories that perfectly complemented Skeeter’s designs, adding depth, cohesion, and personality. Collaboration with the organizers of Filipinxt further amplified visibility, providing curated exposure to media, buyers and influencers.

In the same vein, runway presentations of this scale require precision, creativity, and teamwork. Skeeter thanks Filipinxt for leading the effort and acknowledges the invaluable contributions of fellow designers and partners-Bitagcol, Style Ana, Farah Abu, Bessie Besana, Ram Silva and Project Runway Season 21 winner Veejay Floresca.

Each of whom contributed to the success of Pinas Sadya’s NYFW debut; as well as the makeup artists, photographers, production crew, marketplace staff and models who added to the overall cohesive experience that reflected Pinas Sadya’s brand DNA-joy, pride and confidence.

The NYFW debut marked a milestone in Pinas Sadya’s journey, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to heritage, boldness and purpose-driven design.

Valerie concludes, ‘To all the kabogera women out there: this collection, this moment, and this energy are for you. Shine, stand out, and make your mark-the world is ready.’

Following the overwhelming response and invitations from partners and audiences, Pinas Sadya will return to New York for YAMAN 2025-a cultural movement bringing the heart of the Philippines to New York City. YAMAN celebrates heritage, empowers artisans and creates opportunities for communities to thrive worldwide-values that perfectly align with Pinas Sadya’s mission to showcase Filipino creativity on the global stage.

Celebrate Filipino artistry and fashion with Pinas Sadya. Visit its pop-up store at SM Mall of Asia Main Entrance or its showroom at Room 254 of The Peninsula Manila.

Beauty queens, pageant media, and supporters all showed up to wish Binibining Pilipinas International 2024 Myrna Esguerra a safe trip as she prepares for her voyage next month for the Miss International 2025 competition.

The Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. organized the intimate send-off for Myrna at the World Kitchens in Araneta City.

As a beauty queen, Myrna dedicated her platform to raising awareness on environmental preservation and sustainability.

She’s been a consistent volunteer in cleanup drives around the Philippines and also works with the National Cleanup Coalition Philippines, a coalition of cleanup groups, government agencies, and local government units nationwide.

“Everything happens for a reason. Rejection is never a thing; but redirecting you is. To young girls everywhere, go for bigger dreams. Never limit yourself,” encouraged the Abra maiden, who put her beloved province on the pageant map.

To date, the Philippines has won the Miss International crown in 1964 (Gemma Cruz), 1970 (Aurora Pijuan), 1979 (Melanie Marquez), 2005 (Precious Lara Quigaman), 2013 (Bea Rose Santiago), and 2016 (Kylie Versoza).

Myrna hopes to join the ranks of these Filipina titleholders and win the seventh title for the country.

The 63rd Miss International pageant will unfold at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Shibuya, Tokyo. Outgoing queen Thanh Thuy Huynh of Vietnam will crown her successor. Stay tuned!

Celebrity couple Chris Evans and Alba Baptista have quietly, as they have been throughout their relationship, welcomed the birth of their first child.

Hollywood outlet TMZ reported that Alba gave birth over the weekend in Massachusetts where the couple resides after their lowkey 2023 weddings.

An update by the outlet added that the baby was a girl and the couple have named her Alma Grace, also taking up the surnames of both her parents.

A source confirmed the latter to another outlet, People magazine, saying the couple is “enjoying their privacy and these special first few days as a family with their baby.”

Rumors that Alba was expecting emerged last June when the actress’ father Luiz commented on a Father’s Day post that Chris’ “turn was coming.”

Chris and Alba reportedly began dating 2021 but were confirmed to be in a relationship in November the following year where at the time, they were “serious… in love and have never been happier.”

Alba is best known for starring in “Warrior Nun” and the 2022 adaptation of “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.”

“I now have friends and friends of friends who have children, have babies, and I look at them and I don’t know… It’s all so beautiful, the purity of the universe, the rebirth, all these clichés, I think it’s so beautiful,” Alba previously said about motherhood.

Meanwhile, Chris has had a busy 2025 with roles in “Materialists,” “Honey Don’t” and “Sacrifice,” though his most iconic role remains to be Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe among several comic book characters.

In 2022, Chris was named by People as the Sexiest Man of the Year and in his interview with the magazine, he talked about wanting to build a family.

“When you read about most of the best artists, whether it’s actors, painters, writers, most of them [admit] it wasn’t the work they made [that they are most proud of],” Chris said. “It was about the relationships; the families they created, the love they found, the love they shared.”

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala gave her well-wishes to fellow tennister Katie Boulter, who retired in their Hong Kong Open first round matchup Tuesday evening.

Eala punched her ticket to the next round of the WTA250 tournament after Boutler was forced to retire from the match due to injury, 6-4, 2-1.

After the match, the 20-year-old Filipina said she hopes the Olympian can ‘take this time to recover.’

‘I’m a little out of words, you know I think this time of the year is a tough moment for a lot of players physically and mentally it being the end of the season,’ she said in the post-game interview.

‘I hope that Katie can take this time to recover and just look back at her season proudly, yeah,’ she added

Eala took the first set after breaking a 4-all deadlock with two straight games.

The Filipina had the upper hand in the second set, before an emotional Boulter asked for the medical timeout.

Shortly after, she retired from the match.

Now, Eala, who has bowed out in the first round of her previous three tournaments, will be taking on 2025 Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko in the second round. Mboko is ranked 21st in the world.

As he was being brought to the hospital after an assassination attempt, former vice president Emmanuel Pelaez asked Gen Tomas Karingal, the chief of the Quezon City Police, ‘What is happening to our country, General?’

That was back in 1982. What was happening to our country at the time was the Marcos dictatorship getting tiresome. A year later, the Marcos regime started to unravel.

Ninoy Aquino was assassinated and who had good reasons to want to see him dead? Our people gave Ninoy the longest, best attended and most heartfelt funeral that took the whole day.

Soon, our Central Bank was found to have cooked the books by claiming more dollars in our account than we had. Cesar Virata, the Marcos technocrat who was prime minister, had to bravely tell Mr. Marcos to ask his cronies to bring back a few hundred million dollars so we can pay our creditors and avoid a formal default.

Between 1983 and 1986, the Filipino people quietly seethed in anger, organized boycotts of products of Marcos crony companies, shredded the yellow pages of phone books to fill Ayala Avenue with a rain of yellow strips of paper from the top floors of buildings to show unity against the dictatorship.

Those were bad times. We lived through those times. And we not only survived but came out of it proud to be Filipinos. We forced a dictator and his family fleeing to exile in Hawaii. Democracy triumphed.

Our problem today is not having a single villain as a unifying focus. Our problem today is essentially us, for allowing our democratic system to deteriorate as badly as it had. Our elections are killing democracy, or its essence.

The shocking revelations about trillions of taxpayer money lost to senior political leaders and their conspirators have caused a stir in the public conscience. But not enough. Not like it was in the 80s.

While we might have thought it was possible to rid ourselves of the dictatorship in the 1980s, today there is a sense of cynicism. No one believes anything will come out of the public expressions of disgust other than algorithms working to make us think we did something.

It is generally felt that the government is just toying with us with promises of retribution that will bring the politicians and their fellow plunderers to jail by Christmas. A supposedly independent investigative body with no subpoena powers is seen as a sideshow to feed the people hope that the crooks will pay for their crimes.

Then there is the realization that under our current system, the most likely successor to BBM is a political nepo baby with no proven abilities for good governance and with a spotty track record in the use of public funds.

Democratic fatigue is creeping in. There is fear we may become another Myanmar with generals taking advantage of our faltering democracy. The increasing pressure of poverty, hunger and the frustration of unemployable college graduates are combining to kill faith in our democratic system.

To some of us, there is nowhere to go. Even the supposed bastion of democracy in the world for 250 years we looked up to, seems on the verge of giving up too.

The institutional guardrails that protect America’s democratic system are falling one after the other to a would-be autocrat in the White House. Congress has given up on its prerogatives and the Supreme Court has ruled in a way that diminishes the checks and balances designed into their system.

A recent column of David Brooks of the New York Times observed ‘the public has been rendered utterly cynical about government. Nothing is shocking anymore because there are no moral norms left standing. And in fact, there are good reasons to think that Americans simply don’t care about their democratic rights.’

Brooks continues: ‘In a diseased democracy a politician’s first instinct is to amass power by any means necessary. In a healthy democracy, politicians abide by a series of formal and informal restraints because those restraints are good for the nation as a whole. In a diseased democracy like ours all the decent rules and arrangements are destroyed. Anything goes.’

Anything goes. That’s also what’s happening to us. And we only got angry when the ghost infrastructure projects mess took the headlines. A kleptocratic cabal of four congressional leaders led a massive pillage of the Treasury. They have stolen over a trillion pesos by the time we got very angry.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan once wrote that when the amount of deviant behavior rises, people begin to redefine deviant behavior as normal. We have redefined corruption as normal and did nothing about it. The kleptocracy stealing us blind is simply being itself.

Until we realized that their greed is insatiable, we did nothing. A ‘normal’ kickback of 20 percent has become 100 percent. Only then did we react with anger. But for how long?

It’s worrisome that some think our problems have become too big to resolve under our democratic system. We need Constitutional change but don’t know if that’s possible.

We are almost a failed state. We can’t even quickly jail folks who have publicly confessed taking all that money which they spent in casinos and to buy fancy cars.

Three months after BBM, during his State of the Nation Address, called on congressmen and senators to show some shame, not one culprit in the corruption mess has seen a day in court.

An influx of port passengers is expected on October 30 and 31 in commemoration of All Saints’ Day, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said.

Eunice Samonte, spokesperson for the PPA, said that the agency expects a surge of passengers during the Undas season, noting that there are more passengers this year as students are already on vacation.

She also mentioned that the peak season for travel is expected to fall on Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31.

“We’re expecting na mas marami po yung pupunta sa mga pantalan ngayon most especially dahil naka-vacation na po ‘yung mga estudyante,” Samonte said in an interview on PTV on Wednesday, October 29.

(We’re expecting more people to go to the ports now, most especially because the students are already on vacation.)

Samonte also said that some ports across the country are expected to have the highest volume of passengers during the Undas peak season.

The following ports are:

Port of Iloilo

Port of Jordan in Guimaras

Port of Batangas

Port of Calapan

Port of Bredco in Banago, Bacolod

The PPA also canceled the scheduled days off for its personnel to ensure continuous assistance and support for passengers, according to Samonte.

October 31 and November 1 were declared as special non-working holidays in commemoration of All Saints’ Day Eve and All Saints’ Day.

During the Undas season, people usually go back to their hometowns and provinces to visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried.

Fifa Laopakdee rewrote golf history by becoming the first player from Thailand to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course on Sunday. The 20-year-old overcame a six-shot deficit in the final round to defeat Japan’s Taisei Nagasaki with a birdie in the third play-off hole and win the prestigious Championship. The triumph came with an invitation to the Masters Tournament and an exemption into The Open in 2026. This is his blog from Dubai.

It means the world to me. To pull off the win is amazing and it was a great battle. At the start of the day, I said to myself, it’s just another round of golf and to go out there and try to play your best golf and whatever happens, happens. I tried to not pressure myself this year because I’ve been putting pressure over the past few years at this event where I kind of choked at the end. This year, I felt like I could just go out and have fun.

When I played the Asia-Pacific Amateur for the first time in Thailand in 2022, I had zero expectations. After that Championship where I finished T-5, I told myself that I could win this. I have the potential and I could play in this event for another three or four years. So at the start of each year, I always looked forward to this event the most.

Knowing I could potentially win this Championship, it gave me the focus and confidence in my practice and all the things you do daily, and as time went by, I grew and became more mature. At the start of the week in Dubai, I told the media I’m more mature now than three years ago. I’m also more confident and I guess I’m heading in the right track for my golf career.

I was laughing and singing songs with my caddie walking down the fairway on 18 in regulation. We rock a lot of Bruno Mars during the final round, like Marry You, Just the Way You Are. It’s a nice, happy vibe. I didn’t know I had shot five under on the back nine as I just tried to have fun, and took it shot?by?shot.

I look up to Jeeno Thitikul (current women’s World No.1). My parents and her parents, and our coaches, our agencies, are very close. They always talk to each other, and we support each other no matter what. Watching Jeeno dominate women’s golf and how she controls herself, how she reacts to good shots and bad shots is remarkable. She always smiles and she always laughs at bad shots. She’s played a huge role in how I want to be on the golf course, and I try to mimic her attitude and I feel it is helping my game go up to the next level.

Jeeno is an exceptional golfer and person. I was on the national team with her for a couple of years before she turned professional. She has always been the person who inspired me the most. Even though she is super talented, she is an extremely hard worker. She also has a unique personality that very few people have. She is fun to hang out with, and she always radiates positive energy.

I started singing during my rounds when I began playing college golf at Arizona State University. There are a lot of big events and playing with other top guys, I feel a lot of pressure. I don’t know when I actually started to sing, but it’s worked out. I’ve been doing it every week.

I think all the Thai fans have been waiting for such a long time for a Thai amateur to compete in the Masters and The Open. With this win, I feel I’ve gained so many fans. It’s amazing for me, my parents, the Thai fans and for my country.

I’ve been watching the Masters since I was very young, maybe when I was 2 or 3years old at the time Tiger Woods was dominant. I think the Masters was the first event I watched on TV with my dad and I think it’s why I started to love golf. I think that specific event brought me here. I’ve watched every Masters since then and I get emotional watching someone win. Being able to follow that path with the professionals, it’s just unreal.

I’m also looking forward to The Open. One of my coaches in Thailand, he lives in Royal Lytham so I think he’s not far from Royal Birkdale. He’s probably as excited as I am. I also watched a lot of The Open through the years. It’s going to be a challenge with the cold weather and tough conditions but I’m looking forward to the challenge. When I was like 8 years old, I played links golf in Scotland once and it was pouring rain and gusting. I was crying. It was not the best memory for me.

And why is my name Fifa? Well, my dad just loves football. It was between Fifa or Uefa. Thank God it’s Fifa.