Category: Philippine Star

At some point in life, everyone hits a wall. The day you thought would never come finally arrives. The deal collapses. The friendship ends. The dream you fought for slips through your fingers. You wake up and realize you are standing in the wreckage of something you built with everything you had. That moment feels like rock bottom.

People often describe rock bottom as a place of despair, a point of no return. But for those who have weathered enough storms, rock bottom is not the end. It is the foundation. It is where everything unnecessary falls away. The noise quiets. The masks drop. What remains is only you, raw and honest. There is no going lower, but there is clarity in that. When there is nothing left to lose, you begin to see what is truly worth rebuilding.

I have been there more than once. In business, in politics, in relationships, in moments where failure was both public and personal. Each time, I thought that was it. But each time, I realized something different. Rock bottom is not just where you fall. It is where you finally land. And once you land, you can stand again.

The strongest people are not those who never fall, but those who learn to rebuild from the ruins. The entrepreneurs, the dreamers, the leaders who have tasted both success and failure know that rock bottom is not the enemy. It is the reset. It strips you down to the essentials, forcing you to confront what truly matters. You stop pretending. You stop explaining. You stop chasing approval. You start again, this time grounded not in pride, but in truth.

But rebuilding requires one thing above all: acceptance. Not the shallow kind that says ‘it is what it is,’ but something deeper. Something called radical acceptance.

Radical acceptance is the ability to look at your reality without resistance. To say, this is where I am, this is what happened and this is what I feel and that is OK. It does not mean you approve of what happened. It does not mean you are happy about it. It means you stop fighting the fact that it happened, because it already did.

There is an old story about a farmer and his son. A farmer’s horse ran away, and his neighbors called it bad luck. When it returned with wild horses, they called it good luck. Later, his son broke his leg, and they said it was bad luck again. But when war came and his son was spared, the farmer only smiled and said, ‘Maybe.’

The lesson is simple. We are too quick to label our circumstances as good or bad. But time has a way of revealing meaning we could not see before. What feels like a loss today might be the very thing that saves us tomorrow. The truth is, things happen. That is all. It is we who decide what those things mean.

Radical acceptance is not detachment. It is not coldness or denial. It is acknowledging reality as it is, while still allowing yourself to feel. You can be sad, angry or disappointed, but still be at peace with the fact that this is where you are right now. It is the understanding that your emotions are valid, but they do not have to control your life.

When you resist reality, you suffer twice. Once from what happened, and again from wishing it were different. Acceptance removes the second suffering. It turns pain into clarity. It allows you to respond instead of react. You begin to see life not as a series of punishments or rewards, but as a flow of experiences, each shaping you in ways you do not yet understand.

Water is the perfect metaphor for this. It does not fight the rocks or the walls it encounters. It flows around them, adapts and keeps moving forward. Over time, it smooths even the hardest stone. That is what radical acceptance does for the soul. It helps you move through life’s obstacles without hardening your heart. It teaches you to adapt, to endure and to remain soft even in pain.

We often think strength means control over outcomes, people or emotions. But real strength is flexibility. It is the ability to remain calm in chaos, to bend without breaking. It is the power to say, this hurts, but I will not let it define me. This is not what I wanted, but it is what I have and I will make something of it.

When you combine radical acceptance with the lessons of hitting rock bottom, you develop an emotional armor that is quiet but unbreakable. You stop fearing loss because you have already rebuilt yourself before. You stop fearing disappointment because you know how to recover. You stop fighting every turn of life because you finally understand that peace does not come from control, but from surrender.

Maybe that is what all of life is, a series of falls and rebuilds, of heartbreaks and renewals, each one bringing us closer to wisdom. We spend so much energy trying to change what is outside of us, when the real transformation happens inside.

Rock bottom teaches you how to start again. Radical acceptance teaches you how to keep going. Together, they build a strength that no failure can destroy.

So when life hits hard, breathe. Sit with it. Feel everything, but resist nothing. You do not have to like it. You just have to face it. Then, like water, move again. Flow again. Rebuild again.

Because once you have accepted everything, there is nothing left to fear.

And that, at the end of it all, is where true freedom begins.

The big guns are here, all raring to ignite the fairways and greens in the largest golf event to hit the country in three decades – the International Series Philippines presented by BingoPlus.

From the next five days, the sport’s brightest parbusters led by two-time major winner Dustin Johnson and fellow major champions Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen will be in town to strut their stuff at the Sta. Elena Golf Club in Laguna in a battle royale for top honors.

The Philippines’ aces, headlined by three-time Asian Tour winners Miguel Tabuena and Angelo Que and Asian Tour mainstays Justin Quiban and Sean Ramos, are poised to steal the thunder as they join the biggest gathering of golf greats on local soil since the Johnny Walker Classic back in 1995.

Tabuena, a Sta. Elena boy, vowed to do everything in his power to protect ‘home turf’.

‘It’s a course where I do a lot of my practice in. I definitely think I can perform well and give it the best shot for the championship,’ the 2016 Olympics campaigner said Tuesday during his ceremonial signing as brand ambassador of ArenaPlus with Rafael Jasper Vicencio, representative of Total Gamezone Xtreme Inc.

‘But you know, it’s golf, anything can happen; there’s a lot of things that can go either way – weather, certain conditions but I’ll do my best.’

The participants and organizers took part in a series of events Tuesday to drum up the $2-million tournament set October 23-26. Aside from world-class golf action, the ISP also offers a lively Fan Village for the spectators featuring interactive games, kids activities and live DJ sets, among others.

‘Over the course of the next few days, I hope what we will be able to accomplish is what the International Series has set out to do – to bring world-class golf, world-class entertainment and activations to countries all around the world that have a history and bring excitement to the game,’ Rahul Singh, Head of The International Series said in the welcome presscon.

‘I’m very proud to say that we are the pioneers in bringing this prestigious event to our country,’ said Vicencio. ‘We wanted this to be the gateway for aspiring golfers to pursue their dream and to represent our country in this kind of league. A swing for the Filipino sports dream is about to happen.”

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure must widen its probe to include the controversial trillion-worth public-private deal with the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp., critics of the airport’s privatization said Tuesday.

PUSO ng NAIA, a coalition of concerned citizens, aviation workers and labor groups, in an open letter dated October 21, urged the ICI to investigate the concession deal between the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp (NNIC).

The group cited alleged procedural lapses, conflicts of interest, noncompetitive bidding and the lack of oversight over the San Miguel Corporation-led NNIC, which acts as the concessionaire.

What’s the deal about? The public-private partnership, finalized in March 2024, grants the NNIC control over the operation and maintenance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for 15 years, extendable by another 10.

It is part of the government’s effort to tap the private sector for NAIA’s rehabilitation, operation and expansion to address long-standing capacity and service issues.

San Miguel Corp. was awarded the P170.6-billion contract in 2024.

While the coalition is in favor of the long-overdue modernization of the NAIA, it warned that the process must remain transparent and free from ‘opaque and compromised arrangements.’

‘The airport belongs to the Filipino people – its rehabilitation should embody transparency, accountability, and public benefit, not private enrichment,’ the letter read.

Unregulated fee hikes

The concerned stakeholders believe the government may have railroaded the concession agreement without ‘genuine public participation or accountability,’ citing the apparent lack of consultation, disclosure and regulatory oversight.

They said the lack of transparency in how the deal was approved raises doubts, asking the ICI to determine whether legal safeguards protecting due process were bypassed.

The group also questioned the NNIC’s ‘near-unchecked power,’ saying provisions in the agreement allow it to impose fee hikes without government approval.

‘This provision contradicts public policy and effectively transfers regulatory authority to a private corporation. It risks excessive financial burden on passengers and airlines while eroding state control over a critical public facility,’ it added.

According to the government, the concession agreement is expected to generate P900 billion in revenue over the 25 years that the NNIC is permitted to operate the country’s main airport.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand ‘Bonbong’ Marcos Jr. said the government also stands to gain around P1 trillion from the public-private partnership.

However, the group argued that the projected P36 billion in annual revenue would require relentless rate increases, given that current collections from such fees amount to only around P16 billion a year.

This concern became more apparent after the 2024 order under the concession agreement took effect, which allowed NAIA to impose significantly higher terminal, landing and take-off, parking, and other fees.

The group has since questioned the fee hikes before the Supreme Court, particularly the 95% increase in terminal fees for domestic passengers and the 73% increase for international travelers.

Unfair bid?

On top of these hikes, Puso ng NAIA also criticized how the government agreed to make a deal with NNIC when San Miguel Corp.’s bid was ‘reportedly far higher than competing offers.’

‘Combined with redacted contract disclosures and limited stakeholder consultation, the process appears to have lacked the transparency and fairness required under the PPP framework,’ the group said.

Former Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, who now heads the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the concession agreement was “properly bidded out” and was advised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The coalition expressed confidence in the ICI, urging it to investigate possible graft, review the rate-setting process for airport fees, and suspend related activities until independent consultants are engaged.

The group also asked the ICI to recommend remedies, including revising or canceling the contract, if bad faith is found.

Consumer borrowing and spending are expected to accelerate toward the year-end holidays following the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s latest rate cut, according to global credit bureau TransUnion Philippines.

TransUnion said the timing of the rate cut coincides with the country’s peak retail and remittance season, when household consumption typically surges from September to December. Lower borrowing costs are expected to boost demand for consumer credit products such as credit cards, personal loans and buy now, pay later services.

‘This latest rate cut by the BSP sets the stage for a more active lending environment as we move through the BER months,’ TransUnion Philippines president and CEO Peter Faulhaber said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the BSP trimmed its benchmark rate by another 25 basis points to 4.75 percent, marking its fourth consecutive cut this year and the lowest level in three years. The move aims to support domestic demand amid signs of softer business confidence.

‘It’s a timely boost for consumers preparing for the holidays and for lenders aiming to meet that demand,’ Faulhaber added.

He also said that lenders can benefit from the easing cycle by rolling out ‘first-mover strategies’ that offer more personalized financial products while maintaining prudent risk management.

Based on BSP data, loans disbursed by universal and commercial banks expanded by 11.2 percent year-on-year in August, slower than the 11.8 percent increase in July. The August reading marked the weakest growth in nine months.

Bank loans reached P13.62 trillion in August, higher by P1.37 trillion compared to the P12.25 trillion recorded in the same month last year.

TransUnion also expects loan delinquencies to remain stable or even improve slightly in the coming months, supported by strong overseas remittance inflows that enhance borrowers’ repayment capacity.

‘What matters now is how the formal financial industry capitalizes on this momentum,’ Faulhaber said, emphasizing the importance of responsible borrowing and long-term financial discipline.

Separate BSP data showed that the industry’s non-performing loan ratio rose to 3.5 percent in August from 3.4 percent in July. It marked the fastest pace in three quarters or since the 3.54 percent in November 2024. Loans are classified as non-performing when unpaid for at least 90 days past their due date.

With inflation seen to moderate further and policy rates now at their lowest since September 2022, TransUnion said the lending environment is well-positioned for recovery heading into 2026, particularly as consumer sentiment improves alongside easing financial conditions.

Diesel and kerosene prices are set to decline today, bringing much-needed relief to motorists.

In separate advisories, Seaoil, Petron and PTT Philippines announced a rollback of P0.70 and P0.60 per liter for diesel and kerosene prices, respectively.

Gasoline prices, meanwhile, are poised to increase by P0.10 per liter.

The rollback was due to worries over a market surplus amid global oversupply and a weaker oil demand forecast, according to the Department of Energy.

Department of Energy-Oil Industry Management Bureau assistant director Rodela Romero said crude prices remained under pressure due to oversupply from major producers, including OPEC, Russia and the United States.

The International Energy Agency also trimmed its global oil demand projections following worries over a market glut.

Jetti Petroleum president Leo Bellas, meanwhile, noted that global market volatility may persist amid concerns that India could halt its imports of Russian oil.

‘The geopolitical tensions among Russia, the US and Ukraine are also bringing further uncertainty over global energy supplies,’ Bellas said.

Farm Fresh drew another supernova effort from Helene Rousseaux as it dumped Capital1, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22, to extend its historic run in the PVL Reinforced Conference on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The prolific Belgian spiker uncorked a masterful 36-point effort, including 33 on spikes, to power the Foxies to their best start in franchise history with this third straight victory.

‘I’m super happy, I didn’t know that this is like history for Farm Fresh to be 3-0 and I’m grateful to be part of it,’ said Rosseaux.

Rosseaux’s recent feat came two hits shy from duplicating her mammoth 38-point performance in their first win over Nxled in Dasmariñas last October 9.

In all, the Belgian has compiled a whopping average of 30.3 points in three outings that put her in early contention for the Best Foreign Player award.

For Farm Fresh coach Alessandro Lodi, he compared all their wins to birth pains.

‘I don’t want to sound blasphemous, but sometimes these team gains were like giving birth,’ said Lodi. ‘I feel like we’re a team that never gives up but we kind of like to make it harder.’

‘But we need to grow if we want to be contenders,’ he added.

Lodi’s wariness was caused by Farm Fresh’s loss of concentration in the second inning that allowed Capital1 to snatch a set.

Good thing Rosseux came through.

‘Overall, we take the win. It’s not easy to win in this league, we’re 3-0 so it’s a good day,’ he said.

The Solar Spikers dropped to 1-2.

Standing over 8,000 meters above sea level, Mt. Everest is a mammoth to be reckoned. Summiting and surviving it requires years of preparation, solid teamwork and sheer willpower. It’s in this hostile environment that a handful of Filipinos have made history.

This October, R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor Exchange) pays homage to Filipinos who have stood on the world’s highest peak, Mt. Everest, which is considered as every mountaineer’s dream.

It recently held the photo exhibit ‘Ating Tugatog: Filipinos on the World’s Highest Peaks’ in its Bonifacio High Street store.

The exhibit showcased 40 rare photographs chronicling the five Filipino trailblazers-Romi Garduce, Carina Dayondon, Noelle Penetrante, Miguel Mapalad and Jeno Panganiban-who have stood atop the world’s most unforgiving peaks, including Mount Everest.

Garduce, Penetrante, Mapalad and Panganiban attended the exhibit opening and they shared their personal anecdotes of hardships and triumphs.

Who could forget Garduce, one of the first Filipinos to summit Mount Everest in 2005, and later, the first to complete the Seven Summits-the highest peaks on each continent.

Rare images from his Everest expedition capture both the enormity of the climb and the humility of the man behind it.

Of his many memories, he also recalled how he had to carry a set of production equiptment for TV including a camera and satellite among others so he could document and time his time at the peak of Everest.

Garduce’s discipline and methodical approach shaped his remarkable career as a mountaineer. As such, he shared his advise to young-and old-Filipinos aspiring to climb Mt. Everest.

‘Really build your name,’ he said in gaining the trust of sponsors. This include investing in oneself, going on your own expeditions and trips so that sponsors would be familiar with your name.

‘When I felt that I was ready, that’s when I started doing my program to start my Seven Summits journey. I made a structure and sponsorship [program],’ he added.

Penetrante, who was among the first Filipina Mt. Everest summiteers, echoed this and added, ‘You will have to be creative, makapal ang mukha at desidido sa gagawin mo kasi ang daming lunok ng pride din talaga.’

Penetrante was part of a team of Pinays who summitted Mt. Everest via a reverse traverse in 2007. Together with Carina Dayondon and Janet Belarmino, the trio redefined what Filipino women could achieve in extreme adventure despite countless sacrifices.

Completing the lineup were Mapalad and Panganiban, who recently made history when they successfully summitted Mt. Everest in May.

Mapalad, who had long dreamed of climbing Mt. Everest way back in early 2000s, felt that it was the right time for him, beyond the physical, mental and financial preparations.

‘May tamang oras para sa akin, o para sa kung sino mang gustong umakyat [ng Mt. Everest],’ he said.

Both Mapalad and Panganiban are now part of the Philippine 14 Peaks Expedition Team, aiming to scale all fourteen 8,000-meter mountains.

Their stories bring a modern perspective to the pursuit-balancing ambition with environmental responsibility and community advocacy.

As it highlights real stories even from the world’s most unforgiving environments, R.O.X. affirms its role as the outfitter of choice for explorers-providing globally trusted, high-performance gear that empowers them to reach new heights-both on the mountain and beyond.

Alex Eala improved a notch on her career-best WTA ranking ahead of her campaign in the WTA250 Guangzhou Open starting today.

From No. 54, Eala improved to No. 53 despite her early exit in the Japan Open last week.

In Guangzhou, she teams up with WTA doubles No. 58 Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine against the fourth-seeded pair of Great Britain’s Emily Appleton (No. 80) and China’s Qianhui Tang (No. 69) at 10 a.m.

CJ Cansino is off to a flyer in his sophomore year in the PBA.

The Meralco shooting guard played a key role in the Bolts’ three-game, five-day swing in the second week of the 50th Season Philippine Cup.

With his performance, Cansino, who averaged 15.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in that stretch, was named as PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period October 15-19.

Cansino closed the week by notching career-highs of 23 points and four blocks in Meralco’s 78-76 win over Magnolia last Sunday at the Ynares Center-Montalban.

The Meralco second-year player also stepped up on both ends of the floor in the Bolts’ 89-75 win against Barangay Ginebra where he had 18 points and two steals last Friday, and played quality minutes by chipping in six points and four rebounds in 16 minutes during their 105-96 win over Blackwater at the start of the week.

‘I’m happy na binibigyan ako ng ganitong role. Pero for me, sa sistema kasi ni coach Nenad (Vucinic, Meralco active consultant), wala ‘yung ganung role. Kung sino ‘yung mainit sa game, binibigay namin. Nasaktuhan lang na maganda ‘yung nilalaro ko sa offense nitong mga last game,’ said Cansino.

Meralco coach Luigi Trillo praised Cansino for his offseason work which is paying dividends early in the conference.

‘He has put in the work in the offseason. I think he has gotten 12 pounds of muscle. More than anything, you see the stats and the scoring but to me, nakakataba ng puso kay CJ because he is playing defense. Last conference, we had to go through those times that they were attacking him. This time, he is holding the fort,’ said Trillo.

Cansino won over teammate Chris Newsome, and the San Miguel duo of Marcio Lassiter and Cjay Perez for the plum handed by scribes from major broadsheets, tabloids, and online publications covering the PBA beat.

Although controlling inflation remains the most urgent national concern of Filipinos, fighting graft and corruption has surged as among the key issues that they want the government to address, a recent survey conducted by the OCTA Research group showed.

The survey, conducted from Sept. 25 to 30, found that 31 percent of the respondents selected fighting graft and corruption as among their top three most urgent concerns.

It went up by 18 points from 13 percent in a similar survey conducted by OCTA in July and reflects a similar trend seen in a recent Pulse Asia survey.

‘This marks the highest level of concern recorded and the first time that corruption as an issue has entered the top five national concerns in OCTA’s Tugon ng Masa surveys,’ the research group said.

‘The sudden surge in concern over corruption has overtaken improving or increasing wages, which had consistently ranked among the top three urgent national issues since March 2024. This reflects a notable shift in public priorities – from primarily economic anxieties to governance and accountability concerns,’ it added.

Like in previous polls, controlling the increase in the prices of basic goods remained the top priority, although it continued its downtrend from 50 percent in July to 48 percent in September.

This was the first time that inflation was not selected by a majority of the respondents under the present administration.

The last time was in February 2022, when it was at 41 percent. It went up to as high as 73 percent in December 2023.

Tied with fighting graft as a top priority is ensuring access to affordable food, which was selected also by 31 percent, similar to the previous poll.

The respondents were asked to select up to three issues that they think the government must immediately address.

Other issues included improving salaries of workers (27 percent), reducing poverty (23 percent), creating more jobs (19 percent), providing free quality education (18 percent), fighting drugs (16 percent), lowering the prices of rice (15 percent), addressing hunger (10 percent) and fighting criminality (10 percent).

Issues selected by less than 10 percent of the respondents included promoting peace, providing assistance to farmers, equal enforcement of the law, providing support to small entrepreneurs, defending the country’s ownership in the West Philippine Sea, reducing taxes, stopping the destruction of the environment, defending Philippine territory, controlling population growth, providing assistance and changing the Constitution.

OCTA’s third quarter survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus three percent.