Category: Philippine Star

After clinching the top spot of Group B of the PBA Governors’ Cup, the Magnolia Hotshots will have a tough quarterfinal matchup.

Magnolia clinched the No. 1 seed of Group B with a 107-103 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters Wednesday evening at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

As a reward, the Hotshots will be taking on defending PBA Governors’ Cup TNT Tropang 5G.

TNT finished the group stage as the fourth seed of Group A, despite Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Calvin Oftana missing a chunk of the import-laden conference with their respective injuries.

Despite the tall task, Magnolia head coach LA Tenorio said they are ready to face their tormentors.

‘The prize of being number one [we’ll] face TNT and RHJ. I’m not gonna lie that I’m not happy where we are right now. I’m sure yung mga players masaya kung nasaan kami,’ he told reporters.

‘Of course TNT, may extra [boost] sila kasi they’re very seasoned team, very, very well coached, yung experience nila ng championship. Going into the quarterfinals, we just have to be ready and we have to be up to the challenge,’ he added.

Magnolia will be facing TNT in the quarterfinals for the third time in the last four conferences.

In their last two quarterfinal matchups, the Tropang 5G booted out Magnolia out of the playoffs.

Holding a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarters, the Hotshots got swept by TNT in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup.

And in the next All-Filipino conference, it was the Tropang 5G who had the twice-to-beat advantage, which was not overcome by Magnolia.

This time, Magnolia will be carrying a six-game winning streak into the quarterfinals.

‘Carrying the momentum, malaking bagay sa amin yun. But beating TNT, probably, it’s gonna be a big question for us. We will be ready. Of course, hindi pa namin nakakalaban this conference yun, iba rin, so iba rin ang may RHJ and a healthy Calvin Oftana na nakapagpahinga nang sobra,’ he said.

‘I know that guy. I know that kid. Of course, sina coaches Chot and Josh [Reyes]. I know na pahihirapan kami nun. So we have to be on point in everything we do, especially against TNT,’ he added.

He stressed that their room for error is razor-thin.

‘It’s a big opportunity for us. It’s a big challenge for us. It’s a big challenge for me as a new coach facing a very good coach. How many times na naging coach of the year si Coach Chot. It’s a big challenge for us, not only for me, but for the whole team,’ he said.

‘This team beat Magnolia franchise twice to beat, twice beaten. So probably it’s an extra motivation also for them. Although it’s a different composition of players, but maybe it’s an extra motivation,’ he added.

‘We haven’t been playing to our full potential. So hopefully in this quarterfinals we play our full potential together as a team, collectively.’

Magnolia has not reached the semifinal round since barging into the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup finals.

‘Katulad ng mga sinasabi ko sa players, ang pinakamahirap tawirin is yung quarterfinals. Whether twice-to-beat, advantage, disadvantage, whether best-of-three or best-of-five. Yun ang pinakamahirap na tawirin, is quarterfinals.’

Television host Boy Abunda shared an emotional moment from his interview with Kris Aquino, recalling how the Queen of All Media spoke about her sons, Josh and Bimby.

Towards the end of the interview, Boy said he was particularly moved by Kris’ stories about Josh’s kindness and generosity, as well as Bimby’s commitment to his older brother.

‘Towards the end of the interview, very interesting. She talked about how generous, how pure Josh is,’ Boy said.

He also recalled how Bimby spoke about Josh and expressed his intention to continue caring for his older brother even when their mother is no longer around.

‘Ang nakaka-touch si Bimb when he spoke about Josh. Sabi niya, the kindest and most generous, ‘I will only marry a girl who can accept kuya. Because I know that one day my mother is gone. I would take care of him,” Boy recounted.

The statement highlighted Bimby’s devotion to Josh and his determination to make his brother’s well-being a priority as he looks toward his own future.

Boy’s recollection also underscored the close bond between the Aquino brothers, with Bimby recognizing the importance of finding a future partner who would accept and embrace Josh as part of their family.

For Kris, who has often spoken about her love for her children, the moment offered a glimpse into the values she has instilled in her sons and the commitment they share as a family.

The recorded interview with Kris will air on October 28 and 29 as part of a week-long celebration for Boy’s 61st birthday, which falls on the latter date. Other guests appearing next week are Alice Dixson, Ruffa Gutierrez and Andrea Brillantes.

“Kris and I are definitely back,” Boy said, noting it would be their first onscreen appearance together in person in 11 years after the end of their program “Aquino and Abunda Tonight.”

The two previously hosted together “Startalk,” “The Buzz,” “Boy and Kris,” and “SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon.” Kris did appear as a guest on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” on Feb. 26, 2025 but the interview was conducted via videoconference.

The Philippines had a slow, gloomy Wednesday, with failed attempts of taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin, thrower Alyana Nuñez and high jumper Wilson Sante, Jr. to snatch a medal in the 5th Asian Para Games here.

Ganapin ran into Paralympics silver medalist Mahdi Pourrahnamaahmad of Iran in the quarterfinals and lost, and then blew an early lead and succumbed to Uzbekistan’s Otabek Amatov in the repechage of the men’s K44 -80-kilogram division at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Stadium.

It was another heartbreaker for the 28-year-old Marikina City native, who qualified to the Tokyo Paralympics five years ago but got hit by COVID-19 just a few days before his scheduled flight to the Japanese capital.

Ganapin’s coach, Gershon Bautista, said it was just a tough field.

‘Talagang as mentioned before, it was a good shot but all these athletes all qualified here,’ he said.

Nuñez, for her part, wound up fourth in the women’s discus throw F11 with a 28.77-meter heave at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

Rosalie Torrefiel also saw action in the same event but finished eighth and last with a 21.58m.

Same with Sante, who ended up tied for fourth with Bangladeshi Md Salem Reza with 1.83m each in the men’s high jump F11 class.

He finished a fraction of a meter behind eventual bronze winner Temurbek Giyazov of Uzbekistan with a 1.86m.

Two people have been sentenced to life in prison by the Pasay and Parañaque courts.

The Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 297 found Arlene Angeles guilty of importing nearly four kilos of shabu valued at P27 million.

Angeles yielded illegal drugs when she arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on June 14, 2025.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Isagani Nerez said Angeles’ conviction should serve as a warning to potential drug mules.

The Parañaque Regional Trial Court Branch 259 sentenced Anthony Reyes to life in prison for selling 994.3 kilos of shabu worth P6.76 million on May 8.

Angeles and Reyes were fined P1 million each.

Actor Baron Geisler and his wife, Jamie Evangelista, appear to be working on their marriage after attending a couples’ retreat.

In a Facebook post, Baron shared a photo of himself and Jamie following the retreat, along with a heartfelt message about healing, forgiveness and the commitment to stay together despite the challenges they have faced.

‘Marriage is not always easy,’ Baron wrote.

‘There will be seasons of joy and seasons of challenges, moments of understanding and moments when we struggle to understand each other,’ he added.

The actor reflected on how love goes beyond emotions, emphasizing the importance of listening, forgiveness, patience and supporting one another.

Baron described the retreat as an opportunity for couples to reconnect and work through difficulties in their relationships.

‘This retreat is an opportunity to pause, reconnect, heal where healing is needed, and remember the love and commitment that brought us together,’ he said.

He also expressed hope that God would continue to guide them as they work on their marriage.

‘May God continue to strengthen our marriage, restore what needs restoring, and teach us both to love each other with grace, humility, and understanding,’ he wrote.

‘Through thick and thin, may we continue choosing each other, walking together, and keeping God at the center of our marriage,’ he added.

Baron ended his post by quoting Matthew 19:6, which reads, ‘Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’

A fire on Wednesday night, October 21, destroyed several buildings on the campus of a historic Catholic school in the predominantly-Muslim town of Mapun, Tawi-Tawi. The school is known for prompting interfaith dialogue and cultural solidarity among its students and surrounding communities.

Local officials and representatives of Notre Dame of Cagayan in Mapun told reporters early Thursday that the fire destroyed several classrooms and the school library. The institution was established in 1968 by foreign and Filipino missionaries from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate congregation.

The Notre Dame of Cagayan campus is located in Barangay Lupa Pula in Mapun, an island municipality in Tawi-Tawi, one of the five provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Regional lawmaker John Anthony Lim, who represents Tawi-Tawi in BARMM’s 80-member parliament, said on Thursday that the fire saddened residents of the island province, where Catholic schools are credited for fostering peace among culturally diverse communities through peace education and community-building activities.

Lim called on the Mapun Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Tawi-Tawi office of the Bureau of Fire Protection to work together to investigate the caused of the fire that destroyed several school buildings and the library.

School officials and Mapun Vice Mayor Rambie Sadjiril separately said Thursday that efforts to determine the cause of the fire that damaged key facilities at Notre Dame of Cagayan were still underway.

Notre Dame of Cagayan is among the schools under the Notre Dame Educational Association (NDEA), an influential network of more than 80 Catholic elementary, secondary, and tertiary institutions across the BARMM and Region 12.

The association’s member-schools are located in Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Cotabato and Sarangani. It also has member-schools in Cotabato City, BARMM’s regional capital, as well as in the Region 12 cities of Kidapawan, Koronadal and General Santos.

Last September 23, Converge Studios, a fully owned subsidiary of Converge ICT Solutions, officially launched its health IT solutions at ‘AI in Healthcare: Elevating What’s Possible,’ an exclusive executive reception held at VU’s Sky Bar and Lounge at Marco Polo Ortigas.

The event brought together healthcare leaders, technology executives and key decision-makers from across Metro Manila to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and digital innovation in healthcare.

Through meaningful discussions and strategic networking, the gathering highlighted the growing role of technology in advancing healthcare delivery, enabling greater efficiency, and unlocking new possibilities for patient care.

More than a product launch, the evening marked a significant step in Converge Studios’ commitment to bringing innovative, technology-driven solutions to the healthcare sector.

By fostering collaboration among industry leaders and decision-makers, the event reinforced Converge Studios’ ambition to be a trusted partner in healthcare’s digital transformation-helping organizations harness technology to build a more connected, efficient and future-ready healthcare ecosystem.

Building a smarter healthcare ecosystem through AI and digital innovation

James Mendoza, chief executive officer of Converge Studios, opened the evening by discussing how healthcare IT is evolving from basic regulatory compliance to true digital confidence. He highlighted how modern technology can address core industry challenges around data privacy, operational efficiency and risk management.

‘Cloud computing in healthcare is evolving from siloed and traditional to security-focused and AI-enhanced,” Mendoza shared. “With new opportunities come new challenges-mitigating risk in regulated environments, ensuring data residency while maximizing AI solutions, and improving productivity in a changing world.”

Mendoza introduced Converge’s secure, AI-ready cloud environment, emphasizing how local cloud infrastructure provides a safe and scalable foundation for modern healthcare operations.

His remarks set the tone for the evening, highlighting the opportunity for technology to move healthcare organizations beyond simply digitizing existing processes and toward creating smarter, more connected and more resilient healthcare ecosystems.

Proven enterprise success in healthcare

Jofrey Marfil, assistant vice president and sector head for GBG Regional Sales (NCR) at Converge ICT Solutions, shared how Converge’s connectivity and infrastructure are actively supporting healthcare providers nationwide.

‘We built a smarter healthcare ecosystem through a solid digital foundation,” Marfil noted. “Whether it is connecting LGU health centers, enabling archipelagic telemedicine in remote communities, or securing hospital data backup in data centers, our mission is empowering your business from fiber to future.”

Marfil highlighted real-world implementations, showing how pure fiber connectivity links health stations, subsea networks power remote telemedicine and secure data center storage protects critical hospital records.

His presentation illustrated how connectivity serves as a critical foundation for digital healthcare, particularly as healthcare providers increasingly rely on digital platforms, remote services and secure access to information.

By combining connectivity with secure infrastructure and cloud capabilities, Converge aims to help healthcare organizations strengthen their digital backbone and deliver services more efficiently, even across geographically dispersed communities.

Solutions showcase: HealthBlocks 360 and Sigla Health app

Grace Agustin-Mendoza, senior vice president for Delivery Excellence at Converge Studios, presented the flagship HealthBlocks 360 product showcase. Building on an established track record in Health IT, she shared how platform updates were designed directly around feedback and day-to-day experiences from doctors, clinic staff and IT teams.

“Every feature you see today came from listening to two things at the same time: the market where AI-assisted decision making is becoming standard, and our partners-the clinic owners, doctors and IT heads who live inside these systems every day,” Agustin-Mendoza explained. “Watch the direction. Listen to the people living it. Build the bridge before the gap gets too wide.”

The showcase highlighted how HealthBlocks 360 continues to evolve around the needs of healthcare organizations and the people who use the platform every day.

Key capabilities presented during the showcase included:

Streamlined experience: Simplified system navigation and an updated interface that allows staff to manage records and appointments with fewer clicks.

Smarter management: Improved appointment reporting tools that give clinic managers clear visibility into scheduling trends and staff productivity.

Patient empowerment: The Sigla Health app, a mobile companion that lets patients access their medical history and schedule visits right from their phones.

Secure AI features: Privacy-first AI insights powered by Google Gemini that help doctors analyze data locally without exposing sensitive patient records.

Agustin-Mendoza also noted the platform’s successful adoption by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to standardize health records across its care facilities.

Supporting the future of digital health in Metro Manila and beyond

The launch of Converge Studios’ Health IT portfolio reinforces its commitment to delivering accessible, enterprise-grade technology tailored to the healthcare sector. By pairing reliable cloud infrastructure with easy-to-use software, Converge Studios empowers healthcare leaders to elevate operational standards and deliver better patient care.

The company’s Health IT portfolio reflects a broader commitment to supporting the digital transformation of healthcare in the Philippines, bringing together connectivity, cloud, AI and purpose-built applications to address the evolving needs of the sector.

The Cebu City Agriculture Department is proposing a P30-million, multi-year program to revive the city’s mango industry by helping farmers rehabilitate aging plantations, improve fruit production and quality, and establish direct links with buyers and processing enterprises.

Under the proposed Cebu City Mango Growers Development Program, the city aims to provide sustained support to one of Cebu’s most iconic agricultural products and the farmers who depend on it for their livelihood.

The program covers the entire mango value chain, from production and pest management to postharvest handling, marketing and agribusiness development.

Under the plan, the city will conduct its first comprehensive inventory of mango growers and plantations, establish a database of farmers, provide technical training, rehabilitate old and unproductive trees, strengthen pest and disease management, and improve farmers’ access to markets, financing and crop insurance.

The program will focus on 28 upland barangays with existing mango farms or areas considered suitable for mango production.

Priority beneficiaries include small-scale growers, organized farmer groups, women engaged in mango-related enterprises, and young people interested in agriculture and agribusiness.

City agriculture officials said the intervention is needed as mango growers continue to face challenges, including aging trees, rising production costs, pest infestations, weather-related risks, and limited access to technical services and reliable markets.

The program also seeks to reduce postharvest losses and address the weak bargaining power of individual farmers.

The initiative comes as Cebu remains closely associated with the country’s mango industry. Cebu mangoes have long been known for their sweetness and quality, helping establish the province as a major source of fresh and processed mango products.

The growth of the dried mango industry has also made the fruit one of Cebu’s most recognizable export products, supporting thousands of jobs in farming, manufacturing and trade.

However, the industry continues to face recurring challenges, including declining productivity in some areas, the effects of extreme weather conditions, disease outbreaks, rising farm input costs, and the need to encourage younger generations to pursue agriculture. These concerns were earlier raised by Councilor Jun Alcover, chairperson of the City Council’s committee on agriculture.

To address these issues, the city plans to establish demonstration farms and conduct regular training on orchard management, soil fertility, pruning, flower induction, harvesting techniques, climate-resilient farming practices and integrated pest management.

Farmers will also be linked with national government programs and technical partners to secure additional assistance.

The proposal also seeks to improve postharvest operations through better harvesting, sorting, grading, packaging and transport practices. Shared equipment for farmer organizations and market-matching activities with buyers and processors are also envisioned.

Beyond fresh fruit production, the program aims to create additional income opportunities through value-added products such as dried mangoes, purees, jams, preserves and mango-based beverages.

The city also plans to coordinate with the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry to develop processing enterprises and help farmer groups gain access to higher-value markets.

Among the program’s indicative targets are training at least 500 growers, rehabilitating at least 100 plantations, establishing or supporting demonstration farms, developing buyer linkages, and strengthening farmer organizations in mango-producing communities.

The city also aims to improve farm productivity and increase growers’ incomes during the implementation period.

If approved, the program will run through 2030, with the Cebu City Agriculture Department serving as the lead implementing agency in partnership with barangays, national government agencies, research institutions, cooperatives and private-sector stakeholders.

Globe Telecom is urging the government to incorporate telecommunications infrastructure requirements into the National Building Code of the Philippines, saying clearer building standards could reduce costly retrofitting and ensure new residential, commercial and mixed-use developments are equipped for digital connectivity from the outset.

The proposal comes as the government reviews the building code, giving policymakers an opportunity to establish connectivity provisions for new developments.

Globe is advocating for the inclusion of fiber-ready faciliti es and in-building connectivity solutions in building standards, positioning telecommunications infrastructure alongside other essential considerations in modern property design.

Integrating these requirements at the planning stage could help developers avoid expensive structural modifications after construction begins, while making buildings better prepared for growing demand for digital services.

Clearer standards could also provide developers, architects and engineering teams with a more consistent framework for incorporating network infrastructure into project designs.

‘The earlier we bring those perspectives together, the better we can plan for what comes next. While the plans are still being shaped, let us sit down together and determine what needs to be built in from the start, with enough flexibility to evolve over time,’ said Carl Cruz, Globe president and chief executive officer.

Globe reiterated its position at Collaboration Forum 2026, which brought together about 150 participants, including more than 100 external partners from the property sector.

The event, themed ‘Design Today. Connect Tomorrow,’ gathered property developers, architects, designers and technical teams to discuss how telecommunications infrastructure can be incorporated into residential communities, commercial buildings and estates before construction plans are finalized.

The company said early coordination between property developers and connectivity providers can help identify infrastructure requirements and potential design constraints before they become more difficult and costly to address.

Planning for connectivity in advance can also give buildings greater flexibility to accommodate future technologies and rising demand for digital services.

The building code review is a key policy dimension of the initiative. While individual developers can work with telecommunications providers to incorporate connectivity into their projects, Globe’s proposed approach would seek to make such considerations part of a broader framework for building design and construction.

The company said recognizing telecommunications infrastructure in building standards could help ensure that new properties are equipped to support residents, tenants and businesses from the time they move in, rather than requiring network upgrades or retrofits later.

The push reflects the growing role of connectivity in residential and commercial property, as households and businesses increasingly rely on digital services for communication, work and daily operations.

For developers, integrating network requirements into project master plans could help manage construction costs while preparing properties for changing tenant needs.

Through its engagement with the property sector, Globe is seeking to advance both industry collaboration and policy recognition of connectivity as a fundamental component of modern developments.

The outcome of the government’s building code review could help determine how telecommunications infrastructure is addressed in future construction standards across the Philippines.

Riot Games has unveiled the eight organizations that will make up the VCT Pacific partnered league beginning in 2027, a move that also signals the departure of several current organizations. These include Global Esports, home to Filipino players Xavier ‘xavi8k’ Juan and Patrick ‘PatMen’ Mendoza, as well as assistant coach Derren ‘Aimix’ dela Cruz.

The new long-term lineup features Japan’s Crazy Raccoon and Zeta Division, South Korea’s Gen.G and T1, Singapore’s Paper Rex, Indonesia’s Rex Regum Qeon (RRQ), Thailand’s Full Sense, and Vietnam’s GAM Esports.

According to Riot Games, the organizations were selected following a months-long evaluation process that considered fan engagement, organizational values, support for players, sustainability, and their ability to grow local communities across the Pacific region.

The announcement ushers in a new era for VCT Pacific while bringing an end to Global Esports’ run in the league despite one of the organization’s most successful seasons in Valorant.

Global Esports captured the VCT Pacific Stage 2 championship in 2026 and qualified for Valorant Champions Shanghai, with Juan, Mendoza and Dela Cruz playing key roles in the team’s campaign.

The organization’s exclusion from the new partnership program also coincides with its decision to step away from competitive esports altogether. Global Esports founder and chief executive officer Rushindra Sinha announced that the organization would cease esports operations and transition into GE Studios, shifting its focus toward content creation and artificial intelligence-driven projects. According to Sinha, 2026 had long been planned as the organization’s final year in esports despite its championship-winning season.

For Juan, the announcement marked the end of an unforgettable first season at the Tier 1 level.

In a social media post, the Filipino player looked back on his rookie campaign and thanked the teammates and staff who helped shape his first year on the international stage.

“This was my rookie year, and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. The memories we made and the experiences we shared are things I’ll never forget.” wrote Juan.

He also paid tribute to the roster and coaching staff behind the team’s championship run, saying the season’s experiences would stay with him regardless of what comes next in his career.

“I’m not sure what the future holds or where I’ll be next year, but I’ll always be grateful for everything this year has taught me. This chapter may be over, but the memories and lessons will stay with me.” said Juan.

The former Valorant UAAP champion with De La Salle University likewise gave a special mention to fellow Filipino Mendoza, expressing hope that the pair could one day represent a Philippine organization together.

“To my Pinoy duo @patmenVLR, hopefully we get to represent a PH org together in the future,” said Juan.

Dela Cruz shared a similar sentiment in his own farewell message, describing his stint with Global Esports as a “life-changing journey” after years of pursuing a place in Tier 1 competition.

The Filipino assistant coach said joining the organization was already a major achievement, but helping the team win Pacific Stage 2 and qualify for Champions Shanghai made the experience even more meaningful.

“Joining the team was already a huge blessing on its own, but it became an even bigger one with the Pacific Stage 2 Championship, and actually qualifying and making it to Champions Shanghai,’ said Dela Cruz.

He also praised the players, staff and management he worked with during the season and thanked fans who supported the team throughout its run.

“Thank you for this life-changing journey, GE. I will forever be grateful, and these memories will stay with me always,’ said Dela Cruz.

The announcement of partner teams comes as the Philippines prepares to host one of the region’s newest Valorant events.

Riot Games previously confirmed that Manila will host the inaugural VCT Pacific Cup from April 29 to May 23, 2027, with teams competing for qualification spots to Masters Valencia. The tournament forms part of the revamped VCT calendar and will bring the newly selected Pacific partner organizations to the Philippines for one of the first major events under the new competitive structure.