Category: Philippine Star

Miss Grand Philippines 2025 Emma Mary Tiglao wowed spectators, both on-site and online, with signature moves during the Miss Grand International preliminary round.

Emma’s performance was well received by the venue audience as applause and shrieks swelled above the show’s music.

Her amazing swimsuit performance on the Hua Hin, Thailand stage translated on social media as her entry on Facebook garnered well over 300,000 likes as of writing, equal to more than 1.5 million points.

Other delegates with sizable like counts were Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Yen Nhi (398,000) and hometown bet Sarunrat Puagpipat of Thailand (158,000).

Likewise, Emma’s Mayari costume, employing Pampanga’s parol elements as designed by Patrick Isorena, became the top voted ensemble from the National Costume competition.

On Facebook, it amassed around 418,000 likes, joining Yen Nhi as the onyl ones whose reactions went over the 400,000 mark.

Emma aced her Grand Talk session with the pageant’s founder and president Nawat Itsaragrisil, where ten co-candidates chose her as the candidate to win the title should they vote for someone other than themselves.

Many were probably surprised by Emma’s choice of preliminary evening gown. Raul Ablaza Uson’s red number with studded epaulettes was not what most had in mind.

It is possible her team wanted her to look different from more than half of the delegates sporting the same silhouette.

The 13th Miss Grand International coronation rites will unfold on October 18 at the MGI Hall in Bangkok, Thailand. Reigning Miss Grand International Christine Juliane Opiaza of the Philippines will crown her successor. Stay tuned!

Our common understanding of speculation is that it is the forming of a theory or conjecture even in the absence of firm evidence. If someone thinks or guesses about something for which there is not enough information to be certain, he is speculating.

I saw a social media post of former Senator Gregorio ‘Gringo’ Honasan. In a specific portion of his post, Honasan said ‘nag lindol sa Cebu. Wala akong nabalita-an na may foreign aid na naman. xx Seguro ang nasa isip nuong nanuno-od sa atin sa ibang bansa ‘magbibigay tayo nang tulong, kukorakutin na naman,” I hope that I accurately quoted Gringo.

Let us break down Senator Honasan’s statement into recognizable parts. First, the former senator said that an earthquake hit Cebu. This was the tremor that devastated the northern part of the province on September 30. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, using the method first developed by Charles Richter, a seismologist based in California, reported that the quake’s magnitude registered 6.7. The Phivolcs also reported that it was a shallow earthquake and that was why it was more destructive due to its proximity to the surface.

In the second part of Honasan’s post, he claimed to have not noticed the presence of foreign aid to the victims. That was also the observation of my children and their friends. You see, the day after the earthquake, my children Averell, Byron, Beatriz and Charisse hastily organized a relief effort. With the help of their cousins and friends, they drove a wing van filled with water and readily edible goods to Bogo City and Medellin town. They delivered part of their relief goods to the office of Bogo City Mayor Mayel Martinez, a family friend, and City Administrator Max Suico, my former law student. Medellin Councilor Nino Lim, a blood relative, received part of the items. According to my children, they were probably among the earliest responders because there were not many noticeable relief operations although when they returned the following Sunday, the fifth day after the tremor struck, bringing forth another wing van of water and food to Tabogon and Daan Bantayan towns, hundreds of other relief teams already came.

In comparison, Bogo City and neighboring towns were also devastated by typhoon Yolanda, about 12 years ago. I do remember that my lady Carmen, I and our family went thru the same route to bring relief goods. The labor we put in gathering whatever little we could afford was more than adequately compensated by the grateful smiles of those who received our relief materials. More than that. The kind heartedness of many people from all walks of life was most evident. We were heartened to see several foreign national teams helping the typhoon victims. They travelled from distant shores. I could specifically remember Israelis helping repair damaged structures while their medical teams attended to the injured. The US navy sent their corps too as some other foreigners whose countries of origin I cannot now recall did. When my children went on their relief run, last October 2 and 5, they noticed such absence of foreign help teams.

The third portion of Honasan’s statement prods me to write the title of this article. Was the senator speculating when he said that foreign help was not forthcoming because relief givers from other countries knew that their goods instead of being given to disaster victims would just be lost thru all known tricks of corruption? No. Honasan’s statement was not speculative. In form, he might sound speculating but while he did not present material evidence to support his declaration, we heard then from unchallenged reportage following the Yolanda catastrophe that huge loads of American canned goods originally intended for typhoon victims were replaced with Philippine made sardines by heartless bureaucrats and selfish officials. And was it not that bundles of clothing entirely disappeared? The senator echoed a sad truth and not a speculation.

SM Prime Holdings Inc., the integrated property development arm of the SM Group, is opening its 89th mall in the country tomorrow.

SM City La Union, which spans more than 51,000 square meters of leasable area, is SM’s ninth mall in Northern Luzon.

SM Prime said that over 80 percent of the new mall located along Diversion Road in San Fernando City has already been taken up.

‘We designed it to serve as a landmark for both residents and tourists. As the surfing capital of the region, La Union deserves a retail center that reflects its vibrant lifestyle and rich culture,’ SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim.

SM Prime said a highlight of SM City La Union is the Sandbox, a 1,348-square meter outdoor venue designed for sports tournaments, mini-concerts, yoga, Zumba and other community activities.

SM City La Union will be anchored by major tenants such as SM Store, SM Markets, Ace Hardware, Toy Kingdom, Levi’s, Watsons, Surplus, Pet Express, Adidas, Miniso, Sports Central, SM Appliance Center, Puma, UNIQLO, National Bookstore and BDO.

For dining and leisure, SM City La Union will feature a food hall offering Ilocano, Filipino and international dishes, while SM Cinema will showcase the first Director’s Club in the province.

‘With our diverse and unique offerings, we hope to strengthen La Union’s position as both a tourism and economic hub in Northern Luzon,’ Lim said.

As the country’s largest mall developer, SM Supermalls has set an aggressive expansion and redevelopment program in its pipeline over the next five years.

Its expansion initiative will entail the opening of four to five malls every year. Also included in the plan is the delivery of one flagship mall annually over the next five years.

SM is investing over P150 billion in 16 major redevelopments and 12 new lifestyle malls to ensure that its entire portfolio evolves into greener, smarter and more people-centered destinations by 2030.

Farmers yesterday appealed to senators to restore higher tariffs on imported rice and strengthen domestic production as a more sustainable solution to help them recover their losses.

During the Senate hearing of the committee on agriculture, food and agrarian reform, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said there is a need to revert the rice tariff from the current 15 percent back to the previous 35 percent to mitigate the income losses suffered by farmers due to increased rice importation.

The Senate earlier adopted a resolution urging President Marcos to reinstate the ‘most favored nation’ tariff rate of 35 percent.

Pangilinan flagged the drop of P8 per kilo in the farmgate price of palay amid the influx of cheaper imported rice under the lower tariff regime.

‘If the agricultural sector’s land is a policy, it is clear that the Rice Tariffication Law has had a poisonous effect rather than a fertilizing one,’ Pangilinan said.

During the hearing, Rodolfo Unan of a Nueva Ecija farmers’ group and Gemma Tabian of an Occidental Mindoro farmers’ group blamed rice importation and the reduced tariff rate for undermining the local rice industry.

Raul Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers said the lower tariff on imported rice has failed to significantly reduce retail prices, resulting in only about a P6 decrease.

Pangilinan said the hearings aim to explore restoring the graft-tainted National Food Authority’s regulatory and import licensing functions.

The Philippines overcame a one-goal deficit before repeating over Timor Leste, 3-1, to maintain the Group A lead in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Tuesday night in Capas, Tarlac.

After a listless first half that enabled Joao Rangel to give Timor a 1-nil edge, the hosts flipped a switch and responded with three goals in the last 45 minutes to escape the blushes in front of home fans at the New Clark City Stadium.

Jefferson Tabinas delivered the equalizer off a counter barely two minutes into the second then Bjorn Kristensen, the Fil-Norwegian ace who struck four times in their previous 4-1 disposal of Timor in Darwin, slotted the go-ahead in the 70th. Jarvey Gayoso knocked in No. 3 for the hosts in the first minute of stoppage time.

With the sweep of Timor, the Philippines hiked its record to a leading 10 points on three wins and a draw and a +8 goal difference, ahead of Tajikistan (10 points, +6 GD), which scored a 3-0 away victory over Maldives.

‘It was really a bad first half for us so we talked about it at halftime and made everyone realize how crucial this game was. So I’m happy with how the team reacted and showed a different spirit in turning the game around in the second half,’ said Philippine coach Carles Cuadrat.

What started as a simple road rage incident in Quezon City last October 8 later revealed something else.

It all began when the driver of a sports utility vehicle slapped the driver of another vehicle after he allegedly cut him off, leading traffic enforcers to intervene.

On video, someone from the SUV is heard saying they are driving for a Very Important Person (VIP) and it was lucky they didn’t open fire.

“VIP kami, ginanon kami. Eh, kung nabaril namin ‘yan. Delikado ang ginagawa mo pare,” that person says. It wasn’t immediately determined if that person was the same driver accused of slapping the other.

As if to underscore how important that person was, the SUV had blinkers on and had the protocol license plate number 10.

The driver of the SUV and the one accused of slapping was later revealed to be working for Transportation Undersecretary Ricky Alfonso who is also now in hot water because he wasn’t authorized to use that protocol license plate or have blinkers to warn other drivers to yield. It was also revealed that the SUV belonged to someone else.

Alfonso has yet to explain his side of the incident, specifically why he had blinkers and a protocol plate reserved only for justices of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, and the solicitor general under Land Transportation Office regulations, although the blinkers and license plate were noticeably gone when the vehicle was surrendered to the LTO.

It was later revealed that Alfonso is now on official leave, while his driver has been fired and also slapped with a 90-day driver’s license suspension.

This isn’t the first road rage incident, nor will it be the last. We have always cautioned people against letting their temper get the better of them on the road.

However, we suppose we should be thankful that this road rage incident did happen because it exposed someone who was abusing his authority and some hothead who doesn’t deserve to be behind the wheel is now off the road, at least temporarily.

Jose Rizal U overpowered San Sebastian College, 59-46, yesterday to remain in the Final Four hunt in NCAA Season 101 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

Sean Salvador erupted for a game-best 22 points as the Bombers claimed their third win in five starts – just half a game behind Group B co-leaders San Beda and St. Benilde, both totting 3-1 cards.

JRU coach Nani Epolundan later said it was all about hustle.

‘I just kept reiterating to my players that since we’re smaller than them, we shouldn’t be outhustled,’ said Epondulan. ‘If there’s anyone who should be hungrier, it should be us.’

JRU is out to redeem itself this season after a forgettable performance last year when they finished 10th and last.

The Stags fell to 1-4.

In the other game, Letran threw the defensive gauntlet on University of Perpetual Help and hammered out a 63-56 win.

It was the second win a row for the Knights after starting the season with three straight defeats.

Jimboy Estrada erupted for 23 points but it was Letran’s defense that stymied UPHSD’s bid to stay unbeaten.

The Altas stumbled to their first loss after four consecutive triumphs.

The University of the Philippines-Diliman’s sari-sari store-inspired artificial intelligence (AI) environment simulation has been picked as one of this year’s best innovations for the International Conference on Computer Vision 2025.

The ‘Sari Sandbox: A Virtual Retail Store Environment for Embodied AI Agents,’ from the team led by Prof. Rowel Atienza of the University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Engineering’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, was selected as one of the ‘Best of ICCV,’ a prestigious showcase of research from among 12,000 submissions worldwide.

‘This recognition at ICCV, one of the world’s most competitive conferences in computer vision and AI, demonstrates that the Philippines can stand alongside the world’s best researchers in AI,’ Atienza said.

Sari Sandbox is the first comprehensive retail store simulation environment designed to train AI systems in performing shopping tasks.

With the project’s photorealistic 3D simulation environment and dataset from human participants interacting with it through a virtual reality controller, embodied AI agents could learn complex shopping behaviors and tasks, from navigating store aisles to reading product labels such as expiration dates and scanning barcodes at checkout – benchmarked against authentic human behavioral data.

Lead researcher Janika Deborah Gajo, a BS Computer Engineering student, said the team surveyed several convenience stores across Metro Manila to ensure that the simulation accurately represents the retail experience.

The retail sector, particularly the sari-sari store, which represents nearly 70 percent of manufactured goods sold in the Philippines, remains a largely unexplored territory for AI development because existing systems focus on household tasks.

The study added that through Sari Sandbox’s simulation environment, AI assistants can be developed for inventory management, store layout design, product placement optimization, customer service and supply chain optimization, technologies particularly valuable for the country’s 1.3 million sari-sari stores.

For his part, Sari Sandbox co-author Emmanuel Maminta, an AI PhD student, said their goal was to ‘build AI that can make smart, practical decisions that mirror human-level reasoning.’

‘By developing AI that can handle tasks like budgeting and grocery planning, tasks every Filipino knows well, we’re advancing practical AI solutions rooted in Filipino ingenuity,’ Maminta said.

UP president Angelo Jimenez said while the project’s recognition in the conference reflects the university’s growing prominence in AI research, it demonstrates how our researchers are leveraging Filipino cultural contexts to advance global scientific knowledge while addressing challenges directly relevant to our economy.

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday cautioned local government units (LGUs) against prolonged suspension of face-to-face classes, warning that it could disrupt students’ learning and development.

The statement came after Laguna Gov. Sol Aragones ordered the suspension of in-person classes in all levels, both public and private, in the province from Oct. 14 to 31 due to the possibility of a strong earthquake.

DepEd chief media relations officer Dennis Legaspi said that while the department respects the authority of LGUs to suspend classes for public safety, such decisions should be made ‘with balance and prudence.’

‘While caution is important, extended suspensions can disrupt learning and affect students’ development. Every decision should reflect both care for safety and commitment to learning continuity,’ Legaspi said.

He added that DepEd will coordinate with concerned schools division offices to ensure that alternative delivery modes are provided to affected learners.

Legaspi also urged local governments to ‘periodically assess whether the suspension is still necessary for public safety.’

The United Nations Children’s Fund earlier warned of a ‘real and widespread learning crisis’ in the Philippines, noting that a vast majority of students are falling behind in reading and mathematics.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Teresito Bacolcol reiterated that earthquakes cannot be predicted.

‘We understand the concern for public safety, but Phivolcs would like to clarify that earthquakes cannot be predicted. There is currently no technology anywhere in the world that can determine exactly when or where a quake will occur,’ Bacolcol said.

Amid the 18-day suspension, the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) has asked the provincial government to allow the university to continue essential face-to-face academic activities.

In a memorandum, UPLB said that scheduled examinations, laboratory classes, fieldwork, clinical and internship rotations, human kinetics courses, exchange student activities and other tasks that cannot be effectively conducted online or through modules shall proceed as scheduled since they require physical participation.

The university also directed unit heads to strictly implement safety protocols, including building inspections, emergency preparedness measures and compliance with disaster risk reduction guidelines to protect students, faculty and staff.

Flu break in Rizal

Aside from Laguna, Rizal has also suspended face-to-face classes in all levels, both public and private, from Oct. 14 to 17 due to an increase in flu-like illnesses.

‘The purpose of this is to ensure the safety and health of our learners and teachers amid the rise in influenza-like illnesses,’ Rizal Gov. Nina Ynares explained.

Classes will shift to modular distance learning during the suspension period.

Teachers want health break

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has asked Education Secretary Sonny Angara to declare a health break for public school teachers from Oct. 27 to 30.

In a letter to Angara, ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo cited overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated facilities, teacher shortages and added workload from the ARAL Program as factors straining teachers’ well-being.

Pointing to the impact of recent floods, typhoons and earthquakes, Bernardo said the proposed break – coinciding with students’ mid-year break – would allow teachers to rest, recover and engage in professional development activities such as learning action cells and in-service training.

She added that the pause would also give local governments and school administrators time to inspect facilities for damage or structural risks caused by recent seismic events.

‘In upholding teachers’ right to rest and well-being, the department reinforces the foundation of inclusive, resilient and quality education,’ Bernardo said.

DepEd partners with Phivolcs

In a related development, DepEd has strengthened its partnership with Phivolcs to ensure that class suspension decisions are guided by scientific data, localized risk assessments and safety standards.

Angara said the collaboration aims to balance learner and personnel protection with the goal of sustaining education amid emergencies.

He emphasized that decisions on suspensions and resumptions should be based on science, not fear.

DepEd is working with the Department of Science and Technology to ensure schools near fault lines are ‘over-engineered’ to withstand strong earthquakes.

Training programs with Phivolcs are also being planned for regional and field offices to assess building integrity and manage response actions.

Angara added that the department is eyeing the establishment of a DepEd command center to monitor disaster response and early warnings.

DepEd and Phivolcs also committed to improving coordination in releasing science-based advisories and information materials to prevent misinformation during crises.

‘Preparedness must go hand in hand with learning continuity,’ Angara stressed.

Under DepEd Order 22, s. 2024, the authority to suspend classes rests with local executives, schools division superintendents and school heads, who must base their decisions on Phivolcs advisories, field conditions and readiness to resume learning.

Preventive suspensions should activate learning continuity plans, such as modular, online or take-home learning, while safety inspections are ongoing.

Akari proved that its stunning five-set victory over powerhouse Creamline was no fluke, beating Chery Tiggo, 25-11, 22-25, 29-27, 17-25, 15-7, yesterday in the PVL Reinforced Conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Annie Mitchem, Eli Soyud and Ced Domingo fired 17, 17 and 16 points, respectively, with Fifi Sharma also providing a lift as the Chargers zoomed to the Group B lead with a 2-0 record.

It came on the heels of a 23-25, 25-23, 30-28, 23-25, 15-12 squeaker over the Cool Smashers, the reigning champions and the league’s yardstick, last Saturday.

The strong start was the significant improvement for the chargers of Akari coach Tina Salak.

‘I saw the character, growth and composure of the team improved. The team is starting to mature,’ she said.

Akari could have wilted under pressure against Creamline boasting 10 crowns and Chery Tiggo, reigning supreme in the Bacarra bubble several years back.

But it did not.

‘Every day, we have a mindset that we want to prove ourselves,’ said Domingo.

It was the Crossovers’ second straight defeat.

In what was expected to be a tightly contested decider, Domingo’s poise and precision under pressure turned the momentum decisively in the Chargers’ favor. She scored three crucial points during a fiery stretch that saw Akari surge to a commanding 9-4 cushion, a lead the Chargers never relinquished.

In the second game, ZUS Coffee routed Galeries Tower, 25-22, 25-16, 25-16, to remain atop Group B with a 3-1 mark. The Highrisers dropped to 0-2.