Category: Philippine Star

British singer Louis Tomlinson honored his late fellow One Direction member Liam Payne ahead of the latter’s first death anniversary, saying he and other band members looked up to him during their time together.

Liam died last October 16 after falling from a window in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31 years old.

Louis told The Rolling Stone UK he found it “really, really, impossibly difficult” with Liam’s passing.

“Naively, I thought that because at this point, I’m relatively well versed in grief for my age, that it might soften the blow,” Louis said. “[That was] super-naive. It’s very different. I’e never lost a friend before.”

The two formed One Direction with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik (who departed the group a year before One Direction’s 2016 hiatus) and last July marked the boy band’s 15th anniversary but the first without Liam.

The milestone was “really uncomfortable” for Louis but still found it “more important than ever” to recognize it on behalf of his late friend.

He admitted that previous anniversaries made him “sick of nostalgia” though the most recent one hit differently with Liam gone.

“You know, there’s still a level in my head [where it feels] unjust and frustrating that he’s not with us anymore,” Louis continued. “So, it just brought up those feelings, although I’m still living with them anyway.”

Louis said Liam had the “safest pair of hands” among the One Direction members as the latter had some entertainment experience already.

“None of us would have admitted it at the time, because you have a lot of pride as a young lad, but we all looked up to him like that,” Louis added.

Meanwhile, on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast, Louis shared that he learned of Liam’s passing through a phone call from Niall.

Louis compared knowing the news to the death of his teenage sister Félicité back in 2019, “I think anyone has this when they’re around someone who’s struggling – my 150% wasn’t nearly enough.”

“And that’s when it’s my own arrogance thinking that I could have helped really, because it was so much deeper than what I could have done for him,” Louis continued.

“He was definitely struggling at that time in his life.”

The singer recalled the tribute post he made for Liam following his passing, explaining he wanted Liam to be remembered “the way that he should be remembered.”

“I could just go on and talk all day about how amazing he was, but I think we all looked up to him,” he reiterated. “I don’t think we would have been brave enough to say at that age when I was in the band, I think I would’ve had too much pride, but we all looked up to him massively.”

Liam’s funeral brought back all members of One Direction, including Zayn, together for the first time since the group went on hiatus.

Louis is set to release his third album “How Did I Get Here?” and promote it with a world tour, and will reunite with Zayn for a Netflix roadtrip documentary series.

From one Muhlach to another.

Young actor Andres Muhlach is joining the cast of upcoming production “Bagets the Musical” based on the popular 1984 film following five young boys as they navigate the trials and triumphs of adolescence.

He will take on the role of the “boy next door” character Adie as originated by his father, Aga Muhlach, alternating with fellow VIVA artist Mico Hendrix Chua.

Andres and Mico’s additions wrap up the previously announced cast members:

Noel Comia Jr. and Tomas Rodriguez as Gilbert (originated by Herbert Bautista)

Milo Cruz and Migo Valid as Tonton (originated by William Martinez)

Ethan David and KD Estrada as Arnel (originated by Raymond Lauchengco)

Jeff Moses and Sam Shoaf as Topee (originated by J.C. Bonnin)

Andres acknowledged in a statement how big “Bagets” remains to be, and being a part of it on top assuming Aga’s original is surreal.

The young actor even said that Aga was “super happy” for him gettinghis first major theater project, “He was also excited to see how I’m going to approach the character.”

Having just appeared in his film debut “Minamahal: 100 Bulaklak Para Kay Luna” opposite Ashtine Olviga, Andres feels more ready now than nervous after some thorough practice and workshops.

“It’s really about honing your talents,” Andres continued. “Once you start learning more about yourself and your abilities, it just makes you more motivated – to perform, improve, and keep getting better.”

Despite taking up his father’s famous role, Andres still wants to carve a path for himself, something the whole “Bagets” cast will be doing for themselves.

“What we put out isn’t because of what the original actors did, but because we want to create something worthy for today’s fans,” Andres added.

“Bagets the Musical,” a joint production of Viva Entertainment, The Philippine STAR and Newport World Resorts, will run at the Newport Performing Arts Theater from January to March 2026.

Christmas in the Philippines begins early, and this year, the spirit of togetherness takes center stage at Makati’s Power Plant Mall.

Pasko at Nayon Natin, a vibrant bayanihan pop-up led by ANTHILL Fabric Gallery, has been extended until the end October of October, inviting everyone to step into a Christmas village where the fiesta comes alive through craft, color, and collaboration.

Launched last August in time for Buwan ng Wika, Nayon Natin: A Bayanihan Pop-Up was designed as a living storybook and a two-month immersive marketplace filled with vibrant, community-centered brands.

Now continuing through the holiday season, this edition of Pasko at Nayon Natin is a feast not to be missed: showcasing festive collections, new unexpected collaborations, and shared experiences rooted in community.

“We wanted to recreate the feeling of a Filipino fiesta at Christmas – where togetherness, joyful exchange, and celebration of who we are as a people are at the center,” said ANTHILL co-founder Anya Lim in a statement, calling community the greatest gift. “Textiles are our language here, from woven threads to wearable statements of identity.”

Andanté Footwear co-founder Larcia Lim added that the pop-up is “bayanihan in the form of fashion” and her brand creates shoes made from fabrics honoring two different communities, Marikina and Cebu.

Other present Filipino brands are the handmade jewelry of Tropik Beatnik and home decorations of Studio Sursidan.

All structures that collapsed during the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu on Sept. 30 had already been identified as high risk in the hazard maps of Project NOAH, an expert from the University of the Philippines said.

UP Resilience Institute executive director Mahar Lagmay led a team of engineers in assessing the extent of damage in northern Cebu and in recommending safety measures to local and national authorities.

‘A majority of the damaged houses were not as severe as what I imagined before doing fieldwork. Social media made me think that many houses crumbled or were toppled by the earthquake,’ Lagmay noted on Facebook.

He also learned that ‘all the collapsed structures that they documented were already on the hazard maps of Project NOAH.’

‘Three were built on waterways, one on a steep slope and one along the coast underlain by sediments,’ he noted.

Launched in 2012, Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazard) was a government program that utilized science and technology to identify areas prone to natural disasters and empower local governments and communities to prepare for and reduce disaster risks.

With this vision, Lagmay said the team’s current findings would contribute to strengthening disaster risk reduction strategies nationwide, particularly in preparation for ‘The Big One,’ which is expected to be a potential magnitude 7.2 earthquake along the Marikina Valley Fault System.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Teresito Bacolcol said the government, in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, is set to revisit next year the 2004 study on the possible impact of ‘The Big One’ in Metro Manila.

The two-decade-old study projected as many as 33,500 fatalities and 113,600 injuries in the capital region, which then had a population of 9.9 million.

Including nearby provinces, the projected death toll could reach 48,000, Bacolcol said.

Coastal subsidence

Following Cebu’s magnitude 6.9 earthquake, the Department of Science and Technology and its attached agencies reported several geological effects across the province.

Phivolcs observed signs of coastal subsidence in Barangay Hagnaya, San Remigio, where the sea level has noticeably advanced inland after the quake.

The movement of the Bogo Bay Fault, which generated the quake, caused portions of Hagnaya Port and nearby structures to become submerged during high tide.

‘The northeastern portion of the Hagnaya Port and the ground in the building’s vicinity subsided and became inundated by seawater during high tide,’ Phivolcs said, citing findings from its Quick Response Team.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) reported the appearance of 14 new sinkholes in Bogo City and San Remigio, on top of the 198 previously identified in the same areas.

Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. also urged the Bogo City local government to take immediate action following the discovery of the inland extension of the Bogo Bay Fault in Sitio Looc, Barangay Nailon, which may stretch up to 1.5 kilometers.

As local and national agencies continued to assess the damage and assist communities reeling from the quake, international partners also joined relief efforts in Cebu.

The Philippine Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force have begun their first joint military exercises under the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between Japan and the Philippines.

Dubbed Doshin-Bayanihan 5-25, the training exercise runs from Oct. 7 to 11 at the Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu, marking the inaugural implementation of the RAA, which entered into force last Sept. 11.

ABS-CBN brings yet another Asian favorite with the premiere of ‘Go Ahead’ last Monday on Kapamilya Channel, TV5, iWant, and A2Z.

The series, which captured the hearts of millions across Asia with its heartfelt story about family, love, and friendship, stars award-winning actors Tan SongYun, Song Weilong, and Zhang Xincheng.

‘Go Ahead’ follows three children, Enzo (Song Weilong), Kevin (Zhang Xincheng), and Janna (Tan Song Yun), who come from different families but grow up together under the care of Janna’s father.

Bound not by blood but by genuine affection, the three navigate life’s joys and struggles as they build a home founded on understanding, acceptance, and unconditional love.

As they grow older, Enzo, Kevin, and Janna face emotional wounds, separation, and rediscovery – testing the strength of the bonds they once thought unbreakable. Will the trio be able to bring back the love, support, and bond they had in the past as fate brings them together again?

‘Go Ahead’ airs 10:15 pm weekdays on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, iWant, and A2Z.

Amid ongoing political noise and flood control projects controversy in the country, President Marcos gamely answered personal questions about his family in a podcast interview.

In the last part of his latest podcast, the President credited First Lady Liza Marcos for her accomplishments in the past three years of his presidency.

Marcos said he was amazed at how his wife worked to ‘bring back to its old glory’ the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City in time for the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit next year.

Asked how many ‘brownie points’ he earned for praising his wife during the recent reopening of the PICC, the President responded laughing, ‘I hope a lot. I’m going to live off that for as long as I can.’

Marcos described his wife as smart and very effective.

‘She just doesn’t let go of something. Once she gets a hold of something and she decides to do it, she actually gets it done. And she’s very effective,’ the President said.

Marcos added: ‘Her legal training serves her well.’

Back to square one.

It came to be after the Premier Volleyball League ordered a replay of the Reinforced Conference opening matches that pitted ZUS Coffee with Akari and Choco Mucho with Capital1 Tuesday at the Ynares Center Montalban.

The decision was made after the pro league finally received yesterday the International Transfer Certificates of all its imports and Fil-foreign players, who all can now play for their respective squads starting today.

The league re-start features Galeries Tower battling Petro Gazz at 4 p.m. and Farm Fresh tackling Nxled at 6:30 p.m. at the City of Dasmariñas.

Without the ITCs the day before, the PVL was forced to push through with its opening-day schedule minus the international players.

It ended with ZUS and Choco Mucho ending up as winners.

But all of that will be stricken off the books following the recent developments.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is planning to hand over nine airports in two separate packages to the private sector to complement its own efforts to improve regional gateways.

At the 2025 Philippine Aviation Summit, Transportation Undersecretary Jim Sydiongco said the DOTr is currently reviewing the bundled airport projects prepared by multilateral agencies.

The DOTr tapped the World Bank’s International Finance Corp. (IFC) to firm up a public-private partnership (PPP) framework for the Davao, Dumaguete and Siargao airports.

The DOTr also hired the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to work on a similar PPP project for the Laoag, Bicol, Busuanga, Bacolod, Tacloban and General Santos airports. Both IFC and ADB are signed as transaction advisers by the DOTr for the bundling of airport PPPs.

Once the projects are approved, they will be offered to the private sector via solicited bidding. In this process, the DOTr will set the bid parameters that parties have to consider when submitting their offers.

Under former transport chief Vince Dizon, the DOTr has employed a new approach when turning over airports to the private sector by packaging them into groups to raise their value.

Although the DOTr is eyeing to solicit offers for its airport bundles, this has failed to discourage private firms from coming up with their own proposals to take over gateways.

The Philippine Regional Airports Consortium, led by the Gokongwei and Gotianun clans, submitted a P16-billion offer to operate and maintain the Davao, Bicol and Siargao airports.

The DOTr is also evaluating unsolicited proposals for airport development. The Villars, for one, want to take over the operations and maintenance of the Iloilo and Puerto Princesa airports.

Right now, the DOTr is negotiating the terms of the P21.27-billion proposal of Villar-led Prime Asset Ventures Inc. (PAVI) to rehabilitate and expand the Iloilo International Airport. The DOTr is also waiting for PAVI to reconcile its paperworks for the P11.63-billion upgrade of the Puerto Princesa International Airport.

Sydiongco also confirmed that the DOTr has revoked the earlier proposal of Mega7 Construction Corp. to operate and maintain the Kalibo International Airport.

Sydiongco said there is a need for the DOTr to review the position of the airport in Kalibo given that air traffic in Aklan is concentrated in Caticlan, which leads to tourist haven Boracay.

A Filipino seafarer injured by Houthi rebels has died, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported yesterday.

Houthi militants fired missiles at the ship Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden on Sept. 29.

Twelve Filipinos were among the ship’s crew. Ten of them have returned to the Philippines.

‘We convey the sad news of the passing of the seafarer who was injured in the attack on Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden,’ Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac posted on social media.

Rescuers drove a helicopter to save 19 of the ship’s crew, who are Russians, Ukrainians, Filipinos and Sri Lankans.

Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Iran-aligned group has been assaulting vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, targeting ships they deem linked to Israel, in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the DMW is seeking the immediate repatriation of the sailor’s remains.

Cacdac assured the seaman’s family of full support.

He is flying to Djibouti to work with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Amsterdam-based shipowner Spliethoff for the transport of the Filipino worker’s remains.

The victim’s wife and sister will accompany Cacdac.

While in the East African country, Cacdac said he would also visit the other injured Filipino sailors recovering in a hospital.

The national government commits to restoring Cebu’s earthquake-damaged heritage churches, recognizing them as irreplaceable symbols of Filipino faith, identity, and craftsmanship.

The Department of Tourism said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has included in his order the immediate rehabilitation of infrastructure, including the restoration of centuries-old religious structures that have long stood as cultural anchors in their communities.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, during a site inspection at the Archdiocesan Shrine of San Vicente Ferrer in Bogo City-considered ground zero of the quake-announced that rapid assessment teams from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) have been deployed in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

She emphasized that the restoration of these churches is a national priority.

‘We have already deployed teams from TIEZA, our attached agency, to do a rapid assessment and inspection, and we are endorsing as well, to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the other relevant heritage agencies, so that together, we can ensure the restoration and rehabilitation of these symbols and living edifices of our faith and culture, and they can rise again,’ Sec.Frasco said.

The DOT identified five major heritage churches severely affected by the tremor: the Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan (built in 1858), Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church in Bantayan (1863), San Isidro Labrador Church in Tabogon (1954 structure; parish established 1851), San Juan Nepomuceno Parish in San Remegio (1864), and the Archdiocesan Shrine of San Vicente Ferrer in Bogo City (originally built in 1858, reconstructed post-WWII).

These coral stone churches, many over a century old, were assessed by a joint team from the Archdiocese of Cebu, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the NCCA.

Other damaged churches noted by DOT were Capelinha de Fatima Replica in San Remigio, San Ignacio de Loyola Church in Medellin, Holy Family of Nazareth Parish in Bogo City, Saint Ignatius de Loyola Parish in Medellin, St. Labrador Church in Tabogon, and St. Martin de Porres Church in Tabogon.

From October 4 to 6, NHCP Chair Ricky Jose led technical inspections of affected sites in Liloan, Catmon, Bantayan, Daanbantayan, and Cebu City.

The team documented extensive structural damage, as well as harm to movable heritage objects and archival materials.

Jose underscored the enduring legacy of Filipino builders whose craftsmanship shaped these churches, noting that their work continues to inspire even as their names are lost to history.

The DOT also reported that five major tourist sites in Cebu City-including Museo Sugbo, Casa Gorordo, and the National Museum of the Philippines Cebu-remain closed pending structural integrity assessments.

An estimated 1,206 tourism workers have been displaced due to the quake’s impact on establishments. Secretary Frasco assured that these workers are prioritized for relief and livelihood assistance through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Cebu, which welcomed over five million tourists in 2024, is widely regarded as the cradle of Christianity in Asia. The restoration of its heritage churches is not only a cultural imperative but a reaffirmation of national resilience and unity.

Through the combined efforts of DOT, TIEZA, NHCP, NCCA, and local partners, the government is determined to ensure that these structures, deemed sacred, rise again-preserved, strengthened, and ready to inspire generations to come.

Meanwhile, the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-Phivolcs) has appealed to the national government for the urgent acquisition of additional seismic instruments and stations, following the earthquake that jolted Cebu last week.

Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, Phivolcs director, said this equipment and facilities can help them in mapping more off-shore active faults just like the Bogo Bay Fault, which was confirmed as the source of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit northern Cebu on September 30.

Currently, Philvolcs has 125 seismic stations across the country, with its latest facility launched earlier in June this year. However, Bacolcol admitted that these are not yet close enough to the ideal number of seismic stations of 300, considering the size of the Philippines.

Bacolcol also disclosed that at least four more stations were launched every year, saying that it will take more than 40 years for the country to complete what is ideal.

To urgently acquire the 175 additional stations, the Republic Act 12180 or the Phivolcs Modernization Act was already enacted in June 2025, he said.

‘Good thing and with that law, we’d be able to fast-track the acquisition of our seismic instruments to complete these within the next five years,’ he said during the OpenLine News Forum yesterday, October 8.

The law is aligned with the agency’s mission to expand its seismic network nationwide and to improve its technological operational capacity, he added.

In the case of the Cebu earthquake, Phivolcs has already monitored active faults through several operations off-shore and mostly on land, which were prioritized because of their risks to the residents living on top of them.

‘Mostly ang na-mapped na nato karon would be on-shore active faults, naa sa yuta, precisely because they have direct, immediate, and visible effect sa LGUs kay (para) matagaan nato og advise ang mga LGUs that they are not supposed to construct here,’ said Bacolcol.

‘We already did several off-shore active faults mapping before. But again, we need more equipment to do that. But I think that will be answered by the Phivolcs Modernization . Hopefully we will be able to acquire these things,’ he added, noting the urgency of the needed facilities and equipment.