Category: Philippine Star

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) continues to expand its universe with the introduction of Obsidia, a striking new hero born from the depths of the Abyss Dream Palace.

Alongside Obsidia’s arrival, Moonton Games unveils the haunting visual realm of the Abyss of Alienation, a surreal ecosystem that redefines the game’s dark power lore.

In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Terry Wei, head of the Basic Art Group at Moonton, shared the creative journey behind Obsidia and the visual philosophy that shaped the Abyss of Alienation.

Obsidia’s creation was driven by a desire to elevate the artistic quality of MLBB’s abyssal heroes. Initially envisioned as male, the team pivoted mid-development, realizing that a female character would bring a more compelling presence to the Abyss Dream Palace.

‘We hope she is a rising star, powerful and stunning. Interestingly, this character was initially positioned as male, but later we found that the female setting would be even cooler, so we invested a lot of time in recreating it,’ said Wei.

Obsidia now stands as the embodiment of the game’s most mysterious region, her lore intricately woven into the broader Abyss.

‘She is the representative of the most mysterious region in our abyssal power, someone who is more closely connected to the dark power. We hope that through her story and her growth, we can tell the stories of all the regions in the Abyss and connect the experiences of the main heroes,’ explained Wei.

Obsidia’s design reflects her stoic nature and deep connection to the Dark Power. Her personality is not rooted in cruelty, but in wisdom and detachment.

‘Cold and stern is the background color of this character. But I don’t think it’s because of her ruthlessness, but because she’s used to watching the ups and downs of things. We hope that players can sense her differences and discern some connection between her abilities and the Dark Power, which is wonderful,’ added Wei.

One of the biggest challenges in her development was achieving a visual balance between darkness and vibrancy, a concept the team referred to as ‘colorful black’.

He explained, ‘Our biggest challenge is that the color tone of the entire character is dark, but we also hope to achieve ‘colorful black’. All [our] colleagues in art and product would discuss every subtle difference in material and color on her body together for a long time. Often, there is no best answer; it is a choice made after careful consideration and discussion.’

Complementing Obsidia’s debut is the Abyss of Alienation, a new visual realm that reimagines the abyssal aesthetic. Inspired by deep-sea imagery, tribal symbolism and alien landscapes, the concept found its anchor in an unexpected source – the fungi mycelium.

‘When formulating art rules, we thought of the deep sea, vortex aesthetics, alienation, and explored many tribal civilizations and symbolic representations. But for myself, these are all ‘elements’ and not the final answer, which cannot complete the closed loop of design thinking. Until one day I saw a video of mycelium rapidly spreading in a culture dish at a visible speed to the naked eye. This wonderful visual effect and vitality suddenly inspired me. It visually perfectly corresponds to mystery, danger, and wonder. But at the same time, it is not terrifying and does not cause discomfort when performed well,’ recalled Wei.

And though dark and evil are the first things to come to mind when we hear the word, ‘abyss’, Wei and the team wanted the Abyss of Alienation to stand out to how it has been interpreted previously and move away from the normal depiction of mutation or something terrifying.

He further elaborated, “To be frank, the theme of the Abyss and its depiction have already been explored in many games before this. So our reference and learning from them is precisely to create MLBB’s artistic differentiation. The Zerg in Alien and StarCraft II had a profound impact on me, and my job is to express the danger of the Abyss while avoiding its evil nature.”

Thus MLBB’s Abyss of Alienation uses spiral motifs to symbolize descent, while deep blues and purples evoke mystery and danger. Mineral textures further distinguish it from surface ecosystems.

‘We use spiral shapes to symbolize the constantly sinking Abyss; Deep blue and purple are used to depict mystery and danger. By using various mineral materials, players can feel that this is a completely different ecosystem from the surface,’ said Wei.

To achieve the surreal, hostile atmosphere, the team leaned into acidic art techniques, a visual style known for its distorted, otherworldly feel.

‘This place is also very interesting. We have borrowed the feelings of acidic art in many visual expressions,’ added Wei.

With Obsidia and the Abyss of Alienation, Moonton aims to deepen player immersion and expand the storytelling potential of MLBB’s darker themes.

‘I hope to have the opportunity to shape more content about the Abyss in the future. By continuously delving into the stories of the Abyss and promoting the production of actual content provided that players like the Abyss we have shaped,’ said Wei.

President Marcos emphasized the need to adhere to safety standards in building structures and to undertake preparedness measures following the successive earthquakes that rocked various parts of the country.

In his latest vlog entry, Marcos said the Philippines is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire so it is very prone to calamities like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. He cited the earthquakes that hit Cebu, Baguio, Surigao, Davao, Zambales and Metro Manila and damaged several buildings and houses last week.

‘Whether it is an earthquake or the eruption of a volcano, we need to strengthen our disaster preparedness and response,’ the President said.

Marcos said there should be full compliance with policies on constructing structures.

‘Whether it’s a house, a bridge, a building, or any infrastructure, it should be compliant. We have safety standards from the assessment of the land to the integrity of the structure being built. The safety of each Filipino family is at stake here,’ he said.

The President also reminded households to prepare for disasters and to educate their children about the things they should do during an earthquake. He said family members and their companions should know where to evacuate and to ensure that their meeting place is a safe area.

Marcos also advised families to prepare a go bag containing important documents and other possessions that cannot be left behind. The go bag should also contain basic survival items like food, water, first aid kit, medicines, emergency hygiene kit, flashlight, whistle, lighter, rugged phone, radio and emergency cash, he added.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. ordered the Office of Civil Defense and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils to immediately intensify earthquake risk reduction measures while ensuring public service continuity.

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:43 p.m.) – Several major websites and applications were down on Monday, October 20, due to a widespread internet outage. Among those affected are Canva, Amazon and Zoom.

According to Downdetector, which tracks service disruptions across social media, web hosting platforms, gaming, and streaming services, users in the Philippines reported spikes in issues that began around 3 to 5 p.m.

Reports show that Amazon Web Services (AWS), a cloud computing platform that provides virtual servers, storage, databases, and networking for various sites, has been affected. Since AWS serves as the backend infrastructure for many popular websites and applications, the outage has caused disruptions across multiple platforms.

Some of the affected platforms include:

Roblox

Amazon Web Services

Zoom

Epic Games Store

Fortnite

Signal

Snapchat

Canva

Perplexity

PLDT

Viber

Gmail

Reddit

Google

Valorant

In the United States, the widespread internet outage has impacted even more platforms, including Venmo, Prime Video, VRChat, Hulu, Disney+, AT and T, T-Mobile, Verizon, as well as news outlets like The New York Times and social media platforms such as Reddit.

These are just some of the websites and apps currently experiencing disruptions, with several still unavailable, though some have begun to recover.

What we know so far

In a statement, AWS said the “potential root cause for error rates” may be linked to a domain name system (DNS) issue affecting the DynamoDB API endpoint in US-EAST-1, a key AWS region in the eastern United States that hosts a large number of its cloud services. The problem, however, remains unclear.

What is DynamoDB? DynamoDB is a “serverless” cloud-based database used by many websites and applications for fast response times, while an API endpoint is essentially the web address these services use to communicate with DynamoDB. US-EAST-1 is one of AWS’s main server regions in the US, serving as a hub for multiple services globally.

Amazon said gaming applications largely use DynamoDB because of the optimized efficiency when traffic is high. It also functions as a content management service for streaming applications.

AWS also confirmed that other global services and features relying on this endpoint experienced “increased error rates and latencies” starting around 3 p.m.

What Amazon is doing. By 6:30 p.m., AWS reported it has “fully mitigated” the underlying DNS issue, which means most affected services and operations are working normally, including those tied to US-EAST-1. Users should expect most requests to websites and applications to succeed soon, though AWS continues to work through a backlog of queued requests.

However, AWS reported that error rates and service issues continue to persist in the US-EAST-1 region.

“We continue to work toward full resolution,” the statement read.

Alex Eala soared to a new career-best ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association ahead of the resumption of her campaign in the WTA250 Guangzhou Open starting Tuesday.

From No. 54, Eala improved to No. 53 despite an early exit in the WTA250 Kinoshita Group Japan Open last week.

Eala has now 1131 points after productive campaigns in the United States, South America and Asia to move closer to a coveted Top-50 placing.

The 20-year-old Filipina absorbed a 6-1, 6-2 loss to qualifier Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic in an upset last week, making the Guangzhou Open perfect chance for sweet revenge.

Eala is the No. 4 seed in the 32-player main field, awaiting an opponent from the ongoing qualifying rounds.

While still on deck for the singles, Eala will mark her return to the doubles play for the first time since a first-round exit in the Wimbledon with Eva Lys of Germany last July.

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. today.

Eala is No. 207 in the doubles division of the WTA, where her campaign will continue in the Hong Kong Open on Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 after her Guangzhou stint for her second title bid.

The lefty ace won her first ever WTA crown last month in the WTA125 Guadalajara Open in Mexico on the heels of her milestone as the first Filipina winner in any Grand Slam main draw at the US Open.

That run led to her multiple deep runs in South America and in China leading up to a possible national team return for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games this December in Thailand.

Winner of three bronze medals in the 2022 SEAG in Vietnam, Eala is also slated to play in her first tournament at home when the country hosts a WTA Tour leg early next year to be branded as the Manila or Philippine Open.

The persistent rumor that the position of Senate president (SP) is going to be declared vacant anytime in the next few days indicates the leadership instability of the Upper Chamber. And this is nothing new or unprecedented.

The sixth SP, Camilo Osias, who was elected as such after the tenures of Manuel Quezon, Manuel Roxas, Jose Avelino, and Cebu’s Mariano Jesus Cuenco, respectively, stayed only in that position only from April 17, 1952 to April 30, 1952. A member of the Nacionalista Party, his position was declared vacant and he was replaced by his NP partymate, Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez, who became the seventh SP. Osias made a comeback on April 17, 1953 and was elected eighth SP.

But Osias only stayed in that post for 23 days. He was ousted again by the Liberal Party who elected Jose Zulueta from Iloilo, as ninth SP on May 20, 1953. Zulueta occupied the position for only 190 days when he was replaced by Amang Rodriguez on November 30, 1953. But Zulueta’s tenure was much longer than that of the fifth SP, Quintin Paredes, who occupied that post for only 42 days, from March 5, 1952 up to April 17, 1952. He was replaced by Osias.

After the EDSA Revolution, the nineteenth SP was Neptali Gonzales of LDP, who earlier replaced Ernesto Maceda. He was also ousted on June 30, 1953 and was replaced by his fellow LDP partymate, Marcelo B. Fernan of Cebu. Gonzales stayed as SP for only 154 days. Gonzales was earlier elected as the fifteenth SP replacing his former law firm senior partner, Jovito Salonga. He was replaced by Edgardo Angara, the sixteenth SP. Gonzales was also elected as the seventeenth SP and was replaced later by Ernesto Maceda.

SP Frank Drilon of the Liberal Party, the twenty-second president of that chamber, stayed as such only for 201 days from April 13, 2000 to November 23, 2000. He was replaced by PDP-Laban’s Aquilino Pimentel Jr. who stayed in that position for only seven months. Then Drilon recaptured the SP from Pimentel in 2001 and stayed there as the twenty-fourth SP for a long tenure until 2006. He was replaced by Manny Villar. Drilon became the twenty-seventh SP for the third time from 2013 to 2016. The only other SP elected three times was Neptali Gonzales.

In contrast, the longest sitting SP was Manuel L. Quezon who occupied that office from October 16, 1916 up to November 15, 1935 when he was elected the first president of the country under the regime of U.S. Commonwealth. Quezon was the first SP and the one who stayed there the longest, for 29 years. Next was Amang Rodriguez who was the SP from November 30, 1953 to August 5, 1963 or for almost 10 years. Jovito Salonga headed the Senate as the fourteenth SP for five years from 1987 to 1992.

The twenty-fourth SP, Drilon stayed as such from 2001 to 2006 or for five years. Tito Sotto, as the twenty-ninth SP, headed the Upper Chamber from 2018 to 2022. Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was the eleventh SP from 1963 to 1965. Manuel Roxas only stayed as the second SP from 1945 to 1946. Arturo Tolentino, the twelfth SP stayed as such only from 1966 to 1967. Blas Ople was the twenty-first SP and was there from July 1999 to April 2000. Francis Escudero was the thirty-first SP and occupied that post from May 20, 2024 to September 8, 2025.

Will Tito Sen, who was elected as the thirty-second SP only last September 8, 2025, be able to survive? Well, the moment the Villar siblings and the Tulfo brothers, plus Pia Cayetano decide to join Alan Peter, then we shall have a thirty-third SP anytime these days. Like Chiz, Alan is a lawyer, albeit Escudero is from UP and Cayetano is from Ateneo. One of the best SP was a non-lawyer, Amang Rodriguez. They should never make SP out of rabid partisans like Bong Go or Bato dela Rosa, or such men as Lito Lapid and Robinhood Padilla.

There has never been a female SP in Philippine history. Miriam Defensor Santiago would have been the best or Leticia Ramos Shahani, or Maria Kalaw Katigbak, Eva Estrada Kalaw, or Tecla San Andres Ziga. In contemporary politics, I would love to see Loren Legarda or Risa Hontiveros taking the helm of the Senate. But never Imee Marcos or Camille Villar.

A proposed law seeking to protect Filipinos – especially children – from the harmful effects of unhealthy food high in fat, sugar and sodium has been filed in Congress.

Under House Bill 2260 or the Healthy Food Environment Act, food makers will be required front-of-package warning labels on products that exceed safe levels of fat, sodium or sugar.

Authored by Rep. Nathaniel Oducado of 1Tahanan party-list, HB 2660 also seeks to regulate the marketing of such food to children, especially in schools, playgrounds and other child-centered spaces, to safeguard their right to proper nutrition and a healthy environment.

Oducado said it is the government’s duty to promote the right to health of every Filipino and to ensure children grow up in healthy environments.

He added that by mandating clear warnings, the measure aims to help consumers, parents in particular, make informed choices and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases like obesity, hypertension and diabetes among children and also adults.

‘This is about empowering parents and their respective families to make healthier choices and protect our children from aggressive marketing and misleading advertisement of junk food,’ Oducado stressed.

Once passed, the law will set stricter standards on food labeling and advertising practices, aligning with global health initiatives to fight lifestyle-related diseases, Oducado added.

The unsightly power lines that have long marred tourist spots across Metro Manila and nearby provinces may soon vanish, as Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) accelerates its plan to bury them underground.

Meralco networks head Froilan Savet said the utility giant intends to put up 1,500 circuit kilometers of underground systems within its franchise area to improve network resiliency and eliminate tangled overhead power and telco lines.

‘We have identified sites for underground cabling, particularly key value areas such as the financial district, commercial centers, heritage sites, tourist spots and, importantly for resiliency, locations frequently hit by typhoons,’ he said in a recent interview.

Flood-prone areas, however, pose challenges because civil works must be coordinated with the Department of Public Works and Highways’ flood-control projects, Savet said.

Asked about the timeline, the Meralco official said the initiative is slated for rollout by 2030, subject to permitting and right-of-way clearances from local government units and other relevant agencies.

In terms of investment, Savet said the company is projected to spend 10 times more on implementing underground cabling compared to overhead power lines.

‘It (underground cabling) can be done. It’s not impossible, but it’s a very complex project,’ he said, adding that implementation is much easier in newly developed locations or areas without existing power lines.

Currently, Meralco’s distribution network includes 567 circuit kilometers of underground cables, covering key areas such as Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Rockwell in Makati, parts of Bridgetowne in Pasig, Vertis North in Quezon City and select locations in Manila and Pasay.

According to Savet, underground cabling offers long-term benefits for consumers as it is far less vulnerable to disruptions from strong winds, typhoons and man-made accidents compared to overhead lines.

While more prone to damage, he said, overhead cables are quicker to repair as issues can be easily identified and addressed, especially during natural disasters such as earthquakes.

‘If the earthquake’s (epicenter) is close, the ground could crack and damage the underground cables, and the power restoration would be long. It is more difficult to restore underground cables than overhead lines,’ he said.

For 2025, Meralco has set aside around P23 billion to strengthen the resilience of its distribution network as part of efforts to ensure reliable and quality electric service for its over eight million customers.

According to a GMA online news report, two volunteer firefighters were assaulted by residents while responding to a fire last Friday afternoon in Barangay 650, in the Port Area in Manila.

The two volunteers had arrived at the fire scene ahead of others, but were still waiting for the water supply to catch up so they really couldn’t do anything. Two residents got upset and attacked them with a piece of wood.

‘I was beaten because I was waiting for water, as there was no supply yet. Now, they said there was no water, so they beat me. The water supply came later on. There were two of them. They hit me in the back with wood and another firefighter volunteer, so I ran immediately,’ one of them was quoted as saying in the same report.

The two fire volunteers are planning to sue the two men.

Thankfully, the assault came from just those two men. If the entire neighborhood had gone after them their injuries could have been worse.

This wasn’t the first time firefighters or volunteers were vented on. A few years back here in Cebu City, a firefighter was punched by a police asset whom he had ignored when he insisted that his house be saved first.

We understand emotions can run high when a fire is threatening to destroy everything you own, and civilians grabbing fire hoses or interfering with ground operations during such incidents aren’t unheard of, but attacks like these remain rare, thankfully.

But still, this incident shows how one shouldn’t behave toward firefighters or fire volunteers, especially in the case of volunteers who aren’t getting regular pay for the extra they do. And they are in as much danger as regular firefighters are when they rush to contain a fire.

Firefighters and fire volunteers should also be left alone to do their job. They have been training for years how to handle a fire. Getting involved in a fire operation like grabbing the hoses or insisting where they should spray water first will only add to the delay and the chances of more houses getting damaged or destroyed.

Halloween is your time to shine, so take cues from these unforgettable, cinematically bold characters.

It doesn’t always have to be all fake blood and jump scares. If you’re looking to turn heads this spooky season, it’s time to seek inspiration from the silver screen. Diving into Lionsgate Play’s library will reward you with costume ideas that will not only let you channel your main character energy but might just help you nail the best costume awards of the season. Whether you’re going for effortlessly spooky or seriously stylish, these unforgettable characters are the blueprint.

The Grudge (2004)

Die-hard horror fans need not look any further: a Grudge costume is a no-brainer for an easy, yet terrifying look. Grab a loose white nightgown, apply pale makeup, straighten your long hair (or get a wig) for a costume that’s simple to assemble but delivers maximum fright, not to mention nostalgia. Top it off with a chilling, vacant stare, and you’ll instantly be the creepiest ghost in the room – and you don’t even have to say a word!

Kill Bill (2003)

For a costume that’s instantly iconic and nostalgic, you can’t beat The Bride’s yellow jumpsuit from Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece, Kill Bill. It’s a bold choice that honors a legendary action film and lets you channel Uma Thurman’s truly badass character. Complete the look with (fake) blood and a (prop) katana, and you’ve got the vengeance and vintage look down pat.

The Crow (2024)

For a striking, effortlessly cinematic look, channel Eric Draven (a.k.a. The Crow). This costume is a goth dream come to life and requires minimal effort: just an all-black outfit, smudged eyeliner, and a signature brooding stare. It’s the perfect, irresistible aesthetic for all the poetic souls out there. Plus, if you’re an introvert, this no-frills look lets you become the main character at any party without having to say a word.

Midsommar (2019)

Tired of the usual dark Halloween costumes? Stand out in a sea of black capes and zombie makeup by channeling the unique folk-horror vibe of Midsommar. You’ll be making a bold statement by going against the usual Halloween trends. All you need is a big, beautiful flower crown, a flowing white gown, and that unsettling smile to imitate Florence Pugh’s iconic character. That’s enough to give anyone the creeps!

The Hunger Games (2012)

The brave and fashion-forward can never go wrong with dressing up as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Embrace utility chic with cargo pants, sleek boots, and Katniss’ signature braid. Add a prop bow and you’re ready to volunteer as tribute or just dominate the costume contest. If that’s too utilitarian for you, you can also go for Katniss’ more chic looks. Choose one of her stunning Capitol gowns or put your own spin on a dress on fire for a more dramatic look.

This year, Halloween’s about more than just costumes, it’s all about serving main character energy, having fun, and owning your spotlight. Whether you’re in it for the scares or the style, these Lionsgate Play characters have you covered.

And if you need a refresher, hit play on the movie that started it all, grab some inspiration, and build your outfit. Get it straight from the source and binge these films now on Lionsgate Play.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is positioning its ecozones as an ideal location for aviation and aerospace investments.

During the Philippine Aviation Summit, PEZA ecozone development department manager Ludwig Daza said the investment promotion agency is opening its doors to more aviation-related industries.

Daza said PEZA is also encouraging the establishment of aerotropolis parks to link industries with airports and integrate aviation into the broader industrial landscape.

Aerotropolis parks are also expected to help ensure the country remains competitive in the next era of industrialization.

According to Daza, ecozone locators are supporting the growing aerospace and aviation sector, which requires precision, reliability and world-class standards.

‘PEZA is nurturing a growing ecosystem of locators that are quietly powering the aviation and aerospace value chain of the Philippines,’ he said.

PEZA currently hosts 16 registered aviation and aerospace projects of multinational corporations and Filipino enterprises.

These projects generated over P26 billion in investments and more than $1 billion worth of exports in 2024. In addition, these projects provided employment to over 11,500 skilled Filipino workers.

With its growing ecosystem of locators supporting aviation and aerospace firms, PEZA said the Philippines could serve as a regional hub for these sectors and advanced manufacturing.