Category: Philippine Star

Many will be familiar with Elizabeth Kbler-Ross’ five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – as the template for dealing with a loss.

However, according to Jon Edward B. Jurilla, a doctor from MakatiMed’s Department of Psychiatry, one doesn’t necessarily have to strictly follow that order when grieving.

“It’s perfectly all right to skip some, re-experience others, or feel things not mentioned by Dr. Ross, like shock or guilt,” said Dr. Jurilla. “Grief is a very personal experience. No two people grieve alike.”

Emotions can be in a disarray when grieving, ranging from quiet sadness to intense ugly cries that leave one in pieces. Even loved ones have differing opinions on how long a person should grieve.

Dr. Jurilla described grief as a natural, human response that can both be physically and emotionally gut-wrenching, “Losing a spouse, parent, or child can feel like losing a part of you, because in reality, they were.”

The doctor first advises that to heal, one must acknowledge their feelings.

“Don’t suppress them or judge yourself for crying or screaming,” said Dr. Jurilla. “Allow yourself to express sadness, anger, regret, and whatever feelings that come up.”

It helps to talk or discuss one’s grief with a close family member, a trusted confidant, a spiritual adviser, or a trained professional, as thoughts out loud can be cathartic.

The doctor said being around people who care or even individuals experiencing their own grief can give comfort.

If speaking the words won’t work, writing them down can also help or going for a walk, as the doctor says quiet time offers clarity.

“Grief can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Make sure you eat and get enough sleep. Allow others to look out for you too,” Dr. Jurilla advised. “If someone offers to take you out to lunch, buy you groceries, or drive you where you need to go, graciously accept.”

Dr. Jurilla also suggests keeping a token of the lost loved one which can be a picture on the phone or wallet and wearing clothes or jewellery that belonged to them, just to soften the blow of loss.

Doing so is a way to remember the person, as well as recalling happy memories, funny anecdotes, and quirks that made the person be so loved.

“Eventually, as time passes and your sadness slowly gives way to a calm acceptance, that doesn’t mean you love the person or thing you lost any less,” ended Dr. Jurilla. “It simply means that they live on in your memories and in your heart.”

The Good Governance Advocates and Practitioners of the Philippines (GGAPP) will hold its ninth annual forum on governance, ethics and compliance on November 4, 2025, 1 to 5 p.m. athe Westin Manila, Pasig City.

Titled ‘Good Governance: What the Private Sector Can Learn from the Public Sector,’ the forum will gather leaders from government and business to highlight key lessons from the public sector – transparency, accountability, innovation and people-centered leadership – and how these can strengthen governance and sustainable practices in private organizations. Among the confirmed speakers are Akbayan partylist Rep. Chel Diokno and Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene ‘Kaka’ Javellana Bag-ao.

‘This forum is about bridging lessons between the public and private sectors. Both face challenges in governance and leadership, and by sharing approaches, we can foster stronger institutions and a more resilient future,’ the organizers said. The program will also feature panel discussions with leaders from government, industry and academia, offering a platform to exchange ideas and reflect on the event’s key insights. By encouraging cross-sector dialogue, the forum seeks to deepen understanding of the evolving challenges and opportunities facing institutions today.

Public sector perspectives, in particular, can inspire ethical and resilient leadership in business, guiding organizations toward principled decision-making rooted in public interest and social responsibility.

With guns still warm from its shooting spree in Vigan, TNT hunts for back-to-back wins and the solo lead in the PBA Philippine Cup today at Ynares Center-Antipolo against Titan Ultra.

The Tropang 5G made it rain in their previous 110-103 victory over Converge on the road, with RR Pogoy (six), Calvin Oftana (four), Kelly Williams (four), Simon Enciso (three), Kevin Ferrer (two) and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser (one) combining for 20 triples and Rey Nambatac rifling in a pair of four-pointers.

The combined output of 22 conversions from beyond the arc, according to PBA stats chief Fidel Mangonon, marked the fifth all-time most in a game and third in TNT franchise history.

And Chot Reyes’ crew is expected to continue tapping this weapon, in addition to its stifling defense and hustle plays, as it shoots for a followup win and a leading 3-1 record in the 7:30 p.m. encounter.

‘Last two games (prior to the Vigan sortie), ang pangit ng shooting ko pero ganun talaga, just keep on shooting lang,’ said Pogoy who converted 46 percent of his tries from deep in the said victory.

If successful, the Tropang 5G will sit at the summit by their lonesome, leaving behind idle co-leaders Magnolia, Converge and NLEX at 2-1.

The Giant Risers are reeling from a two-game skid, unable to rise to the challenge in the absence of Calvin Abueva, who was sidelined by a hamstring injury after leading them to victory in their maiden PBA appearance, 100-96 over Meralco.

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine (1-1) and Blackwater (1-1) clash at 5:15 p.m. with the victor returning to the win column after coming up short in their respective preceding matches.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is looking to remove the capacity limit on prospective power plants, allowing developers to build larger-scale projects.

In a draft resolution, the ERC plans to lift the prescribed capacity limits of 650 megawatts per generating unit in Luzon and 150 MW in Visayas and Mindanao.

‘In light of the developments in the energy and reserves market, the ERC finds that additional capacities can be accommodated and should be made available to address the needs of the grid and its users,’ the regulator said.

This follows the full commercial operations of the reserve market, a segment in the power spot market where backup electricity capacity is bought and sold to ensure grid reliability and stability.

By removing the cap, power generating units across the country may soon be able to inject larger capacities into the grid amid growing power demand.

‘The ERC is committed to promulgating rules that will entice capacity addition in the generation sector through efficient resources and risk allocation by the investors based on the prevailing market and technology conditions,’ it said.

To support this move, the ERC will also require the transmission network provider to consider provisions in the transmission development plan to accommodate upcoming large-capacity generating facilities.

According to the ERC, interested parties may submit their comments on the matter until Nov. 3, two days before the scheduled public consultation.

Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the ERC is mandated to promote competition and encourage market development.

The local stock market yesterday bounced back after Wednesday’s significant drop as investors picked up bargains.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index rose by 0.38 percent or 23.09 points to cap off the session at 6,053.96.

The broader All Shares index likewise ended in positive territory, increasing by 0.28 percent or 10.2 points to 3,637.58.

AP Securities Inc. said the index closed in positive territory after bargain hunting kicked in when the market touched an intraday low of 6,006.60.

‘The Philippine market went up, driven by late bargain hunting toward the end of the trading day as investors sought opportunities after recent declines,’ Luis Limlingan of Regina Capital said.

However, Limlingan said overall sentiment remained cautious as the peso continued to weaken against the dollar.

Total value turnover remained thin at P4.8 billion.

Sectoral gauges were a mixed bag, with services leading those in the green with a 1.72-percent jump, while financials lost the most with a 0.56-percent decline.

Decliners edged out advancers, 99 to 92, while 68 issues did not change hands.

Ayala Land was the session’s most actively traded stock, slipping by 0.69 percent to P21.50 per share, followed by BDO Unibank which improved by 0.74 percent to P137 and ICTSI which soared by 2.41 percent to P553.

Major stock markets mostly fell following some disappointing corporate earnings amid lingering worries over trade tensions

European equities also fell following declines in leading Asian markets earlier.

Saying it is high time for an increase, the Bureau of Corrections is urging lawmakers to increase the medical allowance for prisoners to at least P30, with BuCor chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. saying the current P15 allowance is simply not enough.

Catapang told the Senate finance committee during the hearing on the Justice Department’s proposed budget on Tuesday night that the BuCor is finding ways to solve the problem, including the effort of prisoners to plant herbs known to cure some illnesses.

‘We call it the Hardin ng Lunas. The prisoners are planting the necessary (herbal) medicines,’ Catapang said during the hearing.

He added that health issues caused by congestion in jails prompted the BuCor to transfer prisoners to facilities outside Metro Manila.

Catapang noted that BuCor has been decongesting its penal colonies since 2022.

The efforts resulted in reduced prisoner congestion – from 313 percent in 2022 to 243 percent this year.

Catapang admitted that 732 prisoners died under his watch, half of which were caused by congestion-related diseases.

The Global Prison Trends report, published by the Thailand Institute of Justice and EuroPris, named the Philippines as one of five countries in 2024 with prison occupancy levels operating between 300 and 600 percent of their maximum capacity.

The other listed countries were the Republic of Congo, Cambodia, Sao Tome and Principe and Uganda.

Aside from the medical allowance, Catapang asked Congress to pass a medical parole bill for prisoners aged 70 and above as well as those suffering from chronic illnesses.

‘We want to return them to their families so that they will be able to regain their camaraderie or whatever shortcomings that happened to their families,’ the BuCor chief said.

Before the concept of nepo babies shed a brighter light on political dynasties in the Philippines, Filipinos have long and remain fasincated with celebrity familes in local entertainment.

Some of the most popular local showbiz families are the Gutierrezes, the Eigenmanns and the Padillas.

Another is the Barretto family, headed by Estrella “Inday’ Barretto and her husband Miguel, who passed away in 2019.

Inday and Miguel are parents to the late Miguel Antonio or “Mito,” Michelle, Jose Joaquin or “JJ,” Geraldine or “Gia,” Gretchen, Marjorie and Claudine.

Many will be familiar with the latter three as actresses with some children who became personalities themselves.

Claudine dated her on-screen partner Rico Yan before his 2002 passing and married fellow actor Raymart Santiago until their marriage was annulled in 2013.

The two are biological parents to Santino, and Claudine later adopted kids Sabina, Quia and Noah.

Marjorie had her eldest daughter Dani with fellow actor Kier Legaspi, part of another celebrity family that includes the late Lito Legaspi, sibling Brando, and another brother Zoren (married to Carmina Villaroel, parent to twins Mavy and Cassy).

Dani, a content creator, is married to Xavi Panlilio and is a parent to Millie and Riley.

Marjorie was married to actor-politician Dennis Padilla from 1995 to 2009, during which they had children Julia, Claudia, and Leon, and had youngest daughter Erich with politician Enrico “Recom” Echiverri.

Julia is arguably one of the most well-known celebrities of her generation while Claudia – who is married to Basti Lorenzo – is a singer.

Gretchen has been in a relationship with common-law-partner and businessman Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco Jr. of the famous Cojuangco clan for around 30 years.

The two are parents to Dominique, who is married to businessman Michael Hearn, and grandparents to Dominique’s daughter Penelope.

Other publicly known members of the Barretto family are Michelle son’s Cholo who is an actor and JJ’s daughter Nicole, who played a part in the infamous Barretto argument during Miguel’s wake and was allegedly linked to business tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang.

Nickel prices are projected to remain subdued in the near term before recovering later in the decade while gold is expected to hit record highs next year before easing, trends that could bolster the Philippines’ position as one of the world’s top metal producers.

In a presentation at the Mining Philippines 2025 conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taguig, market intelligence firm S and P Global said nickel prices have remained range-bound amid persistent oversupply.

It said production from the Philippines and China has stayed resilient, supported by a forecast price of $15,500 per metric ton this year.

Despite this, it forecasts that the market will shift into deficit by 2032 as demand from electric vehicles and clean energy technologies accelerates.

Gold, meanwhile, has been the best-performing metal since 2023, with prices climbing from $1,843 per ounce to $4,040 per ounce as of Oct. 8, a 119 percent increase based on London Bullion Market Association data.

Prices are expected to hit record highs in 2025 and peak in 2026 before modest corrections as markets stabilize.

Across major metals, gold is forecast to post the strongest price growth through 2035 followed by copper, cobalt and nickel.

S and P Global said long-term demand from the global energy transition would sustain structural supply shortfalls over the next decade.

The Philippines accounted for 10.2 percent of global nickel production in 2024, making it the second-largest producer worldwide and holding 10.5 percent of global reserves, ranking third.

It also contributes 0.9 percent to global gold output and holds 1.3 percent of total gold reserves.

For cobalt, the Philippines makes up 1.6 percent of world production and 1.5 percent of reserves.

Seven to eight criminal cases are being readied for filing with the Sandiganbayan by next month in connection with anomalous flood control projects, according to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.

He said the cases to be filed may include malversation of public funds, graft, or the complex crime of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents.

‘We have seven or eight cases that we can file already in Sandiganbayan before the end of November,’ Remulla said in an interview with The STAR’s ‘Truth on the Line’ on Wednesday.

With the huge amounts involved, the malversation cases will be non-bailable and could warrant life in prison, he said.

Remulla commended the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) for transmitting a report on its investigation to the ombudsman along with some pieces of evidence. The move, he said, will hasten the ombudsman’s preliminary investigation.

The ICI report covers the P289.5 million worth of flood control projects in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 4-B through contractor Sunwest Inc. in 2024.

In its report, the ICI urged the ombudsman to determine appropriate charges against 18 public officials, including resigned congressman Zaldy Co.

‘It is a good report. It is already backed by evidence. Our preliminary investigation is already ongoing. So we expect to be filing cases in the Sandiganbayan also, besides what’s to be filed in the RTC (regional trial court),’ Remulla said.

Remulla said he has deputized the prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prosecute the five flood control cases in Bulacan involving public officials under Salary Grade 26 or below.

‘The five flood control cases that they (DOJ prosecutors) investigated, I reverted them back to DOJ so that it will not undergo vetting again in the Office of the Ombudsman. I told them to direct (the cases) to the RTC,’ Remulla said.

Section 2 of RA10660, which introduced amendments to the Sandiganbayan’s functions and structural organization, transferred to the RTCs the exclusive jurisdiction over cases that do not allege ‘any damage to the government or any bribery,’ or ‘if the amount of the alleged damage to the government or bribery arising from the same or closely related transactions or acts does not exceed P1 million.’

Remulla said that for cases involving bigger amounts of funds and higher-ranking government officials, his office will file them with the Sandiganbayan by next month.

Asked what cases would be filed, Remulla said possibly multiple counts of malversation of public funds and malversation through falsification.

He said prosecuting a plunder case may be difficult under the current law, which requires the identification of the main plunderer who must have accumulated ill-gotten wealth of at least P50 million.

‘I would still consult with the courts about this phenomenon of making plunder a very hard to convict case. Very few were convicted of plunder in the history of the Philippine (legal system),’ Remulla said.

‘So, if we can have other resort, if we can resort to other statutes to have this desired effect, we might as well do it now,’ he added.

Remulla pointed out that conviction for multiple counts of malversation of public funds as well as for the complex crime of malversation through falsification is also punishable with life imprisonment or 20 to 40 years behind bars.

‘It works well with ghost projects, I think. And because it’s ghost project, there’s definitely falsification and there’s malversation, that’s a sure thing,’ he said in Filipino.

Plea bargain

He also said on ‘Truth on the Line’ that he wants enlightenment from the Supreme Court and the Sandiganbayan on the possibility of entering into plea bargain deals with several congressmen who are open to restitution.

He said 67 incumbent and former congressmen may be involved in the flood control project anomalies, based on his office’s investigation.

‘They will still have to plead to a lesser offense. But I would still have to talk to the Sandiganbayan on this. I will also consult with the Supreme Court. Maybe I’ll talk to Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen to discuss the metes and bounds of this [plea-bargain],’ Remulla said.

Remulla said a majority of the lawmakers whom he dubbed as the ‘cong-tractors,’ have already expressed intention to ‘come clean’ and return to the government the amount that they had amassed from the scam.

‘There are some congressmen, ‘congtractors’ as we call them, who want to come clean and return [their loot]. So, the money that they have amassed, they must return it. There are rumored to be 67 of them and many of them, I think, are willing to come clean,’ he said.

Asked if the ombudsman has any ballpark figure on the amount that can be recovered, Remulla said about ‘a few billion’ pesos.

‘Of course there will be some resistance [against plea bargain] for sure. For those who would want to continue with the trial of their cases, we are ready for that. We’re ready for the litigation. That’s what the office was created for. That’s why we have so many litigators. We have so many prosecutors,’ he added.

At a briefing, DOJ spokesman Polo Martinez said their prosecutors aim to finish the probe on the five ‘ghost’ flood control projects within a month.

‘We will try to finish everything within a month. We’ve already deputized the panel of DOJ prosecutors to conduct preliminary investigation so it can go straight to the courts if it meets the standard,’ Martinez said in Filipino.

He also said those wanting to be state witnesses must first return the stolen government funds before they can be considered.

‘It’s just like applying for a job or school, there are conditions set. If you’re not ready to meet the conditions, it’s up to you. But we also cannot give you what you’re asking for,’ he said.

He cited that Section 5(d) of Republic Act No. 6981, which requires that an applicant for state witness must comply with his legal obligation under the law, which is the restitution of stolen government funds.

‘We can proceed if the evidence is sufficient, we can proceed with trial. If their statements cannot provide a direct link to the crimes, to the anomalies conducted, (they’re) not imperative. Their statements are not that important, they’re not crucial,’ Martinez said.

Jail ready

Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla inspected the Pasay City jail yesterday to check on its readiness to accommodate some of the officials who may be ordered detained by the courts while on trial for involvement in the flood control mess.

‘If they are indicted in court, they will be placed here as regular inmates,’ Remulla said. ‘There is no longer a La Catedral, no longer a place for rich people to live inside the prison. The law is the law and we will follow it, no matter how painful it gets for anyone,’ he added.

The Pasay City Jail, designed to accommodate 103 inmates, currently holds 964 inmates, or a congestion rate of more than 800 percent.

Remulla said the accused would be detained in common cells without air conditioning.

‘I gave strict instructions that no one is allowed to place an inmate in the warden’s office,’ he said, noting that the warden’s office is the only air-conditioned area in the facility.

He also clarified that the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame would not be used as detention center for those found involved in the flood-control controversy.

To ensure transparency, he said the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology will implement CCTV monitoring of jail personnel and operations.

The national government’s budget deficit narrowed to less than P250 billion in September, driven by a sharp decline in government expenditures, according to the latest data released by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).

Data showed that the Marcos administration recorded a budget shortfall of P248.1 billion in September, which is 9.2 percent lower than the P273.3 billion deficit posted in the same month last year.

Month-on-month, the latest figure is nearly three times larger than the P84.8 billion recorded in August.

A budget deficit occurs when government expenditures exceed revenue collections, meaning the state spends more money than it generates.

Despite a decline in government expenditure in September, a slowdown in the administration’s revenue collection prevailed.

Treasury data indicated that total revenue collection during the month slowed to P281.7 billion, representing a nearly six-percent decline from P299.7 billion in the same month in 2024.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue remained the top contributor in September as collections increased by 4.7 percent to P183 billion from P174.7 billion a year ago.

‘This was driven by increased collections from corporate income tax, personal income tax, value-added tax, excise tax on tobacco and percentage tax on banks or financial institutions,’ the BTr said.

Collections of the Bureau of Customs also increased by 5.25 percent to P80.3 billion during the month from P76.3 billion in September last year.

However, non-tax revenues underperformed, declining by 65.8 percent to P15.8 billion. This represents a P30.4-billion cut from P46.2 billion in September last year.

From January to September, the budget deficit widened by 15.1 percent to P1.12 trillion from P970.2 billion in the same period last year.

Total revenue collections for the nine-month period stood at P3.37 trillion, a surge of 2.24 percent from last year’s P3.29 trillion.

Meanwhile, the total expenditures were higher by 5.2 percent, at P4.48 trillion from P4.26 trillion in the same period last year.