Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Global AI device provider HONOR Philippines is giving Filipino consumers an early opportunity to get the HONOR Play 20A, exclusively on Shopee this November 11 as part of the 11.11 Mega Pamasko Sale. With a special selling price of PHP 8,099, down from its PHP 8,999 SRP, customers can also get the smartphone for as low as PHP 45 per day for six months with 0% interest via SPayLater.

Designed for everyday convenience and entertainment, the HONOR Play 20A features an interactive 2-inch Smart Rear Screen that lets users check notifications, control media, and take selfies using the rear camera. It also comes with a 6.9-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate for smoother viewing and a 6,000mAh battery to support everyday use.

‘We want to make the HONOR Play 20A more accessible to Filipino consumers while giving them more ways to enjoy its features,’ said Stephen Cheng, Vice President of HONOR Philippines. ‘Through our exclusive Shopee availability this 11.11, customers can take advantage of special pricing, vouchers, and flexible payment options, making it easier to experience a smartphone designed for their everyday needs.’

Get More Deals This 11.11 on Shopee

Customers can enjoy the HONOR Play 20A at PHP 8,099, with an additional 20% OFF Mega Discount Voucher and free shipping available on Shopee. Those who prefer installment payments can also get the device for as low as PHP 45 per day for six months at 0% interest through SPayLater.

Shoppers can also look forward to exclusive discounts, vouchers, and freebies during Shopee Live sessions featuring James Afante on November 10 at 12 noon and Kris Aquino and Bimby Aquino on November 10 at 6 PM.

The HONOR Play 20A will be available exclusively on Shopee for early online access on November 11, ahead of its official launch and nationwide availability on November 28, 2026.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is targeting an additional three million registered voters ahead of the May 2028 national and local elections as it prepares to open a nine-month voter registration period.

Registration will run from Nov. 10, 2026, to July 30, 2027.

However, registration in Naga City and Batanes will begin a week after their respective electoral exercises this month, Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said.

Naga City will hold a plebiscite on Nov. 21 to determine whether it will become a highly urbanized city, while Batanes will hold special elections on Nov. 28 to elect its representative to the lone congressional district following the death of Rep. Ciriaco Gato Jr.

Garcia said the commission aims to increase the country’s registered voters from the current 71 million to 74 million by 2028.

‘Currently, we have 71 million registered voters, and our plan is to add 3 million, bringing the total to 74 million voters by 2028,’ Garcia said in an ambush interview on Thursday, Nov. 5.

He said the nine-month registration period would give the Comelec enough time to finalize and clean up the voters’ lists, print the official copies, and allow candidates to verify the registered electorate ahead of the 2028 elections.

Applications will first have to be approved by the Election Registration Board of each city or municipality before undergoing checks through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System.

The system will cross-match applicants’ fingerprints and signatures against existing records to determine whether they are already registered or have multiple registrations, Garcia said.

‘We want to complete the cleansing of our voters’ list before 2027,’ he said.

Garcia added that the commission also wanted to ensure that those filing their certificates of candidacy for the 2028 elections are registered voters.

‘We want to ensure that those who file their certificates of candidacy are registered voters, so there will be no question about their eligibility to vote,’ he said.

He described the upcoming registration period as the last opportunity for voters to register ahead of the May 2028 national and local elections.

Garcia also reminded applicants that barangay certificates would no longer be accepted as proof of identity.

Instead, they may present government-issued IDs or other valid identification documents, including student, library and senior citizen IDs bearing their name, photograph and address.

No ticket holder won the ?87.84-million Super Lotto 6/49 jackpot or the ?10 million Lotto 6/42 jackpot in the Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, draws, according to results from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

The Super Lotto 6/49 draw produced the winning combination 10-46-40-39-04-16, with a jackpot prize of ?87.84 million. No bettor matched all six numbers.

The Lotto 6/42 draw yielded the winning combination 25-38-23-36-34-21 for a ?10 million jackpot. No ticket holder won the top prize.

The 6D Lotto draw produced the winning combination 8-4-2-8-8-4, with a jackpot of ?5.76 million. No ticket holder won the jackpot.

Minor games

The PCSO also reported the following results for the 3D Lotto and 2D Lotto draws on Thursday:

3D Lotto, 2 p.m.: 9-8-9 – ?4,500 prize; 136 winners.

3D Lotto, 5 p.m.: 6-9-0 – ?4,500 prize; 111 winners.

3D Lotto, 9 p.m.: 8-7-5 – ?4,500 prize; 225 winners.

2D Lotto, 2 p.m.: 17-11 – ?4,000 prize; 168 winners.

2D Lotto, 5 p.m.: 10-23 – ?4,000 prize; 322 winners.

2D Lotto, 9 p.m.: 14-20 – ?4,000 prize; 589 winners.

Draw schedule

Super Lotto 6/49 draws are held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, while Lotto 6/42 draws take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The Sandiganbayan’s Third Division on Wednesday summoned Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) officials over claims that a warden had allowed former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to leave the Quezon City jail.

The antigraft court ordered Jail Supt. Maria Lourdes Pacion and medical officer Henry Fabro, both from the BJMP City Jail-Male Dormitory in Payatas, to appear before a hearing on Thursday, according to Third Division clerk of court Dennis Pulma.

The court wanted to check the current status of Romualdez, who is facing a plunder case stemming from P7.44-billion alleged kickbacks from infrastructure projects, ‘in light of the recent online news articles,’ Pulma said.

Far from truth

In a social media post on Tuesday, retired columnist Ramon Tulfo claimed that a jail warden had cut off the power supply at the jail facility, disabling closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and allowing Romualdez to exit through a backdoor stairs into a waiting ambulance. He cited his own sources.

BJMP spokesperson Jayrex Bustinera was quick to clarify that there was neither a recorded movement of Romualdez outside the facility, a power cutoff, nor a CCTV interruption during that period. Still, BJMP chief Efren Nemeño ordered an investigation.

The civil society group August Twenty-One Movement (Atom) described Tulfo’s claims as ‘alarming’ as it called on Malacañang to take the lead in ordering an investigation.

‘This is alarming. Whether the information shared by a veteran media personality is true or not, about the former Speaker being able to get out of jail, there is only one way to find out the truth. We call on the authorities involved to investigate this serious matter,’ Atom said in a statement.

‘Mr. Marcos Jr., if you are truly committed to accountability, then hold your allies accountable-especially your cousin, Martin Romualdez. And he should not be allowed to post bail. Otherwise, we strongly believe that the responsibility for all of this lies with you,’ it added.

‘False information’

Malacañang press officer Claire Castro, for her part, reminded jail officials to always perform their duties in accordance with the law.

She also cautioned the public against spreading false information on Romualdez’s case.

A traffic buildup was observed at the Marilao northbound portion of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) on Thursday morning due to a road crash, according to the NLEx Corporation.

In its latest traffic update as of 11:20 p.m., the corporation said it saw about 4.7 kilometers of traffic buildup along the Marilao northbound portion of the expressway.

The NLEx Corporation also noted that the road crash was occupying the middle and rightmost lanes (lanes 3 and 4).

It added that the vehicles involved were being retrieved.

Meanwhile, light traffic was monitored in all other areas of the NLEx-SCTEX [Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway]-NLEx Connector, including all toll plazas and interchanges.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Wednesday in Malacañang, Presidential Peace Adviser Sec. Mel Senen Sarmiento said Thursday.

In a Facebook post, Sarmiento said he joined the President in the meeting with the MILF leaders, which was conducted after the President met with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), also held in Malacañang.

He said the President met with MILF chairman Ahod ‘Al Haj Murad’ Ebrahim, MILF Peace Implementing Panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, Atty. Sha Elijah ‘Lai’ Dumama-Alba, and Engr. Mohajirin Ali.

Sarmiento did not provide details of the meeting.

After the meeting with the President, the MILF leaders posed with Sarmiento for a photo opportunity at Malacañang Palace.

The MILF had sought a meeting with the President before the inaugural session of the regular Bangsamoro Parliament on Friday, Oct. 30, where Member of Parliament Abdulraof Macacua won the post of chief minister against Ebrahim.

After last year’s brouhaha over a P500 budget for Noche Buena, the president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., now said that P1,000 is enough for that traditional midnight family feast on Christmas Eve.

Tamayo, who also serves as president of the ruling Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, said the amount could already pay ‘for a simple Noche Buena celebration for a family of three to six members,’ stressing Christmas Eve does not have to involve an elaborate feast.

Speaking during his weekly press briefing on Tuesday, Tamayo said his ‘own family of six could manage with the amount, particularly since they were watching their diet.’

Tamayo said families could prepare simple dishes such as biko (sweet sticky rice), buy chicken and soft drinks, and cook their own food instead of spending more on an elaborate spread.

He claimed that even P500 ‘could be enough for a family of four,’ depending on their food choices and willingness to prepare the meals themselves.Last year, Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque drew flak for saying P500 is enough to serve Noche Buena for a family of three.

Economic think tank Ibon Foundation described Roque’s pronouncement then as ‘obviously false’ and ‘a part of government propaganda.’ Roque insisted that P500 would be enough for a basic Noche Buena like a cheap ham, macaroni salad and spaghetti.

Tamayo’s remarks on Tuesday came amid public discussion sparked by Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association (PAGASA) president Steven Cua, who said P1,000 could cover a family’s Noche Buena expenses this Christmas.Tamayo reiterated the amount would depend on the family size and the kind of food they wanted to prepare.

He noted that Noche Buena was primarily a family gathering, not a large celebration where households were expected to invite dozens of guests.’It’s a family time,’ he said, adding that most neighbors would celebrate Christmas in their own homes rather than visiting other households.

Filipinos in New York are in for quite a treat, as Beautiful Eyes is soon to open in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. There’s good reason to be excited-not only because it is an upcoming site of high-quality wine but great Filipino food as well.

Beautiful Eyes is the first queer Filipino wine bar to open in New York City, and it’s led by the inaugural recipient of the Michelin Sommelier of the Year Award, Miguel de Leon, and founding director of Dila, Lj Almendras. The same crew behind Pinch Chinese are also behind this new culinary experience.

In a feature on ‘Pilipino ka ba,’ a short-form video series by JV Gonzalez, the hospitality veterans share a glimpse of what could potentially be on their menu. Possible dishes to look forward to include pares carpaccio style and escabeche.

Thoughtful Filipino food

De Leon and Almendras are both veterans of the city, but they only met about two years ago. The connection was instant as they bonded over their shared identity as queer Filipinos and an exciting prospect: working together to bring a taste of the Philippines to Manhattan.

With both of them at the helm, they tease an interesting collaboration filled with Filipino favorites and a delightful variety of fine wine. One of the bar’s staples is a white wine called Wink Wink from Australia, one of the closest wine making regions in the Philippines.

As they introduce more mouthwatering dishes, De Leon shares a nugget of wisdom: ‘The food never needed elevating, it’s always been in front of us. [The only problem] is that we need to care about it way more.’

Beautiful Eyes dishes

A good cause

While guests await Beautiful Eyes’ official opening, the chefs and their team have hosted a number of pop-ups. Though they have yet to open at full capacity, they are already fostering a safe space for marginalized communities. Their profound presence in New York’s competitive culinary space is a notable safe haven for queer people and immigrants.

The beauty of this enterprise is that de Leon and Almendras don’t just support those who share in their identity. They have also offered their resources to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, donating a portion of their sales to the nonprofit providing humanitarian aid to children in Gaza.

As they continue to cultivate a charitable connection with their community, they are meticulous in ensuring that all feel welcome.

Siargao residents and tourists can now experience much faster mobile speeds as Smart further boosted its 5G internet coverage on the island.

Mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the wireless arm of PLDT Inc., is further enhancing its 5G coverage and capacity in key areas of Siargao Island in time for the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour event at Cloud 9 in General Luna, the island’s premier surfing spot.

Siargao vacation spot

Ongoing until November 10, the event marks the first time the Philippines is hosting a stop on the prestigious WSL Championship Tour, bringing world-class surfing talent and an international audience to one of the country’s most celebrated island destinations.

As the event’s official telecommunications partner, Smart is building on its existing 5G network presence covering key locations in General Luna, including Cloud 9, as well as Siargao Airport, Siargao Seaport, and other strategic areas. These enhancements aim to help meet the increased demand for mobile connectivity during the competition while supporting the digital needs of athletes, media practitioners, content creators, spectators, residents, and local businesses.

‘Siargao is an important tourism destination, and we are committed to supporting its continued growth through reliable connectivity. By further enhancing our 5G network in key areas, we are building on our established presence on the island to support the evolving needs of residents, businesses, and visitors who drive its local economy,’ said Lloyd R. Manaloto, First Vice President and officer-in-charge of Smart.

‘Our partnership with the WSL Championship Tour is another opportunity to help deliver meaningful digital experiences to athletes, visitors, and local communities as Siargao welcomes the global surfing community,’ he added.

Beyond the competition, reliable mobile connectivity helps residents and visitors make digital payments, book accommodations and transport, communicate in real time, work while traveling, and share their Siargao experiences online. For tourism-oriented businesses, mobile connectivity also helps facilitate transactions and engage customers.

WSL Championship connectivity

Visitors attending the WSL Championship Tour can make the most of their 5G-compatible devices with select Smart Unli 5G offers, which include unlimited 5G data and non-stop 4G data, starting at P90 for three days.

#/

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is bracing for the ‘more significant effects’ of the intensifying El Niño phenomenon on rice production in the first half of next year.

This could result in a further decline in local palay output, which is projected to fall by 5 percent to 18.67 million metric tons from the 19.67 million MT recorded by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in 2025.

‘The extent of the impact will depend on the severity and duration of dry conditions, water availability, and the effectiveness of timely interventions,’ the DA said in a statement on Wednesday.

This year, local palay production could also fall below 18 million MT for the first time since 2012, when output stood at 18.03 million MT.

Agriculture Undersecretary Christopher Morales said the agency had anticipated a contraction in local harvests in the third quarter of this year, primarily because of a decline in the area planted to rice as a number of farmers opted not to plant amid higher input costs.

However, Morales said the expected decline in production should not be attributed solely to El Niño.

Morales, who oversees the Rice Industry Development Program, noted that other factors had also affected farmers’ production decisions and cropping schedules, including high fertilizer and fuel costs, delayed planting, and irrigation constraints.

He also cited farmers’ reluctance to take on production risks, as well as weather disturbances, including heavy rains associated with the southwest monsoon, or ‘habagat.’

The El Niño phenomenon, however, is already taking its toll on the agriculture sector. .

Data from the PSA showed that third-quarter palay output declined by nearly 18 percent to 3.08 million MT from 3.75 million MT in the same period last year.

To mitigate the effects of the intensifying El Niño, which is characterized by extended periods of below-normal rainfall, the DA said it was implementing several measures.

These include improving water availability, promoting climate-resilient rice varieties, strengthening farm monitoring, and helping farmers adjust their planting schedules based on local weather and water conditions.

The agency is also exploring additional interventions to help manage production costs and sustain farm productivity.

‘We have more tools now to mitigate the impact,’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said, citing improved rice varieties, solar-powered irrigation systems, better weather monitoring, and more accurate crop calendars.