Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Competition in Aichi-Nagoya has reached its penultimate full day, with several medals at stake for Team Philippines at the 2026 Asian Games on Friday, October 2.

Carlo Paalam goes for gold in men’s boxing, while Filipino athletes vie for medals in beach volleyball, jiu-jitsu, judo, taekwondo and wrestling.

Team Philippines schedule for October 2, Friday at Aichi Nagoya Asian Games 2026

Softball

8am – PH Blu Girls vs Hong Kong – preliminary round

Boxing

~12pm onwards

Carlo Paalam vs Rui Yamaguchi – men’s 55kg gold medal match

Jiu jitsu

8am – Antonio Dy vs Davaadorj Munkhtur (Mongolia) – men’s -77kg elimination Round of 32

8:40am – Mark Constance Vergel vs Bulgankhuu Shinezorig (Mongolia) – men’s -77kg elimination Round of 32

8:56am – Romeo John Arellano vs TBD – men’s -94kg elimination Round of 16

11:20am – Annie Ramirez vs Nuchanat Singchalad (Thailand) – women’s -52kg elimination Round of 16

11:52am – Jenna Napolis vs Thi Thanh Ha Tran (Vietnam)- women’s -52kg elimination Round of 16

~1:30pm onwards – medal matches

Golf

5:30am – men’s individual stroke play/team – round 3 – Carl Jano Corpus, Justin Delos Santos, Miguel Tabuena

8:19am – women’s individual stroke play/team – round 3 – Pauline Del Rosario, Rianne Malixi, Bianca Pagdanganan

Judo

~10am onwards

Kiyomi Watanabe vs Ekaterina Tokareva (Kazakhstan) – women’s -78kg elimination Round of 16

Chino Sy vs Ryotaro Masuchi (Japan) – men’s -100kg elimination Round of 16

Eskelen Kedo vs Magomedomar Magomedomarov (UAE) – men’s +100kg elimination Round of 16

~4pm onwards – medal matches

Padel

12pm – Danna Abad / Joshea Malazarte vs Indonesia – women’s pairs semifinals

Rugby Sevens

9:40am – Philippines vs Singapore – men’s pool

Taekwondo

9am – Jeus Yape vs Dunya Saber (Saudi Arabia) – mixed individual virtual taekwondo

12:30am – Tachiana Mangin vs Rita Bakisheva (Kazakhstan) – women’s -49kg Round of 16

1:06pm – Kurt Barbosa vs Abdullah Almushraf (Saudi Arabia) – men’s -58kg Round of 16

1:42pm – Laila Delo vs Ozoda Sbirjonova (Uzbekistan) – women’s -67kg Round of 16

2:44pm – Dave Cea vs Hung Jiun-yi (Chinese Taipei) – men’s -80kg Round of 16

~4pm onwards – medal matches

Volleyball

12pm – Alas Pilipinas vs Uzbekistan – men’s classification round

Beach volleyball

11am – Khy Progella / Sofiah Pagara vs China – women’s battle for bronze

Wrestling

9:38am – Aliah Rose Gavalez vs Feng Ziqi – women’s wrestling 50kg 1/8 finals

Alex Eala’s bid for an Asian Games women’s singles gold medal ended with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 semifinal loss to China’s Wang Xiyu, but the Filipino tennis star had a simple answer when asked whether she regretted competing.

‘No.’

‘I feel like I have no regrets,’ Eala added after settling for the bronze medal at Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Japan.

Eala had given herself an opportunity to reach the final after a strong opening set against Wang.

Momentum shifted in the second.

After the set reached 1-1, Wang won four consecutive games to open a 5-1 advantage. Eala responded by taking two games in a row, but Wang closed out the set, 6-3, to force a decider.

Eala won the opening game of the third set before Wang pulled away to complete the comeback.

‘I think she was more consistent. I think I had a couple ups and downs during the match,’ Eala said. ‘It’s something I have to talk with my team about and process.’

The semifinal defeat ended a campaign in which Eala had not lost a set before facing Wang.

She opened with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej in the round of 16 and then defeated Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland, 7-5, 6-0, in the quarterfinals to guarantee herself a medal.

Garland had moved within a game of taking the first set before Eala won three consecutive games and then dominated the second.

Against Wang, Eala again made the quicker start. This time, however, her opponent found a way back.

‘I think everyone’s constantly trying to find their way around the court and what works for them,’ Eala said afterward. ‘But yeah, I think she played really well today.’

Even with the loss, Eala focused on what the Asian Games gave her beyond the result.

‘I’m really happy to have experienced this, of course, to experience the support, to be with the team and to compete for the country again,’ she said.

Eala also believes she has changed substantially as a player since her previous experiences on the international stage.

‘I think physically I’m better, more mature, more experienced, of course,’ she said. ‘So many things. I think everything all around has improved.’

That made her verdict on competing in the Asian Games unequivocal even after seeing a first-set lead disappear in the semifinals.

There was a match to review with her team and a bronze medal rather than the gold she had pursued.

There were no regrets.

ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio on Thursday called on the Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSc) and the leadership of the House of Representatives to provide a detailed committee report on the amendments that will be made regarding the proposed national budget for 2027.

The BARSc will begin its deliberations on the amendments on the national budget on Thursday, October 1. According to House Secretary General Atty. Cheloy Garafil, the proceedings will be livestreamed to the public to ensure transparency.

‘Immediate call natin sa BARSc at sa House leadership, maglabas ng detalyadong committee report on the amendments that will be approved and integrated into the final General Appropriations Bill na pagbobotohan para transparent sa lahat ng miyembro at sa publiko kung ano ba yung binago at kinalikot sa budget,’ Tinio said in a press briefing.

(Our immediate call to the BARSc and to the House leadership, release a detailed committee report on amendments that will be approved and integrated into the final General Appropriations Bill that will be voted to ensure transparency among members and the public on the changes made.)

The House wrapped up its plenary deliberations on the P7.2-trillion budget bill last week.

The BARSc, composed of select lawmakers from major political parties and the minority bloc, will discuss and handle proposed amendments expected to be introduced by lawmakers before being voted on the floor for second reading.

Tinio then said that releasing the report on amendments is necessary, as he noted that ‘essentially, these are committee amendments.’

‘Dapat ang tamang proseso nyan, pagkatapos ng BARSc, magkaroon muli ng meeting ng committee on appropriations, yung mother committee, tapos aprubahan ng buong committee yung amendments,’ he added.

(The proper process should be: there must be another meeting of the committee on appropriations after the BARSc deliberations, then the whole committee will approve the amendments.)

He then emphasized that every member of the committee on appropriations must review the report first before approving the amendments.

The BARSc was introduced last year after the abolition of a ‘small committee’ of select lawmakers tasked with finalizing the House’s budget bill behind closed doors

Converge has brought back Serbian coach Djordje Jovicic in an active capacity to help out the team’s campaign in the PBA Governors’ Cup, which resumes next week.

Jovicic was spotted calling the shots for the FiberXers during Thursday’s 113-99 loss to the Blackwater Bossing in a tune-up game held at Ronac Art Center in San Juan.

Team governor Archen Cayabyab is hoping that Jovicic’s expertise will replicate what Converge did in the Philippine Cup when she served as a consultant under coach Delta Pineda’s staff.

‘He is really in charge of our defense, and when he was with us, the team was doing well,’ Cayabyab said. ‘That’s why we took him back because we believe that he can be a big help.’

The 50-year-old was coming off a coaching stint in the Indonesia Basketball League for Satria Muda Pertamina.

The FiberXers resume their Governors’ Cup campaign on Oct. 11 against the Titan Ultra Giant Risers, looking to build on a string of back-to-back wins before the league went on a long hiatus.

Converge also hopes to make good use of the confidence boost gained by its three stars who played for Gilas Pilipinas: Juan Gomez de Liano, Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar.

Gomez de Liano excelled for Gilas during the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers while Arana and Baltazar took part in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Baltazar didn’t play in the tune-up while Arana saw limited action as he’s still recovering from a sprained ankle sustained during the Asian Games.

Converge holds a 5-4 record for third in Group A with three games to play.

The internet expression ’67’ was the most searched slang word in the Philippines from January to September 2026, according to research conducted by Word Unscrambler.

According to the study, ’67’ (pronounced ‘six-seven’), a nonsensical internet slang term and meme that generated 166,300 monthly searches, has no literal meaning. But ‘its absurdity is the point, making it a prime example of ‘brainrot’ internet humor where the randomness itself becomes funny.’

The term, which can mean ‘so-so’ or ‘maybe’ or be used as a random response, originated from Skrilla’s song ‘Doot Doot (6 7)’ and gained traction through a trending video referencing basketball player LaMelo Ball’s 6-foot-7 height. Since then, people around the world have ‘scream[ed] and chant[ed] it, often paired with exaggerated hand gestures.’

‘Rizz,’ with 34,900 monthly searches, came in second, Word Unscrambler said. The slang term refers to style, charm or attractiveness, specifically someone’s ability to attract a romantic partner or make others like them.

‘Gooning,’ which recorded 29,100 searches from Jan. 1 to Sept. 15, ranked third. It originated in certain online communities as a reference to prolonged sessions of sexual self-stimulation.

The term, however, evolved to casually refer to becoming overly obsessed with something, ‘essentially losing oneself in enthusiasm for an activity or interest,’ Word Unscrambler explained.

Its spokesperson, Randoh Sallihali, said the results ‘give insight into the cultural conversations happening in [the] Philippines,’ pointing out that ‘what people search for can tell us something about what they are trying to understand and participate in culturally.’

‘Slang may look like a collection of throwaway jokes from the internet, but psychology suggests it is doing something much more interesting. Using slang helps people navigate identity and belong to a community,’ he said.

The other terms on the list of the 15 most searched slang words included ‘mogging,’ ‘tuff,’ ‘cap’ and ‘no cap,’ ‘moots,’ ‘larping,’ ‘unc,’ ‘foid,’ ‘chopped,’ ‘chud,’ ‘aura,’ ‘cracked’ and ‘clock it,’ Word Unscrambler said.

‘Mogging,’ ‘mogged’ and ‘mog’ refer to outclassing a person, specifically in attractiveness, skill or success, and recorded 22,800 monthly searches. ‘Tuff,’ with 21,700 searches, is a variation of ‘tough’ that can also mean cool.

‘Cap,’ which generated 20,300 searches, refers to a lie, fake claim or exaggeration, while ‘no cap’ means someone is being truthful or serious. ‘Moots,’ meanwhile, generally describes social media users who follow each other and recorded 19,100 searches.

‘Larping’ or ‘larper,’ with 15,800 searches, describes someone perceived as pretending to be something they are not, while ‘unc,’ short for uncle, had 15,300 searches and is commonly used to describe someone perceived as old, out of touch or past their prime.

‘Foid,’ which recorded 14,400 searches, is a derogatory misogynistic term. ‘Chopped,’ with 11,600 searches, describes someone or something considered unattractive. ‘Chud,’ which had 9,400 searches, is generally used as an insult for an obnoxious person.

‘Aura,’ ‘aura points’ and ‘aura farming’ accounted for 9,100 monthly searches and refer to someone’s perceived coolness, swagger or presence, while ‘cracked,’ with 8,400 searches, describes someone who is exceptionally skilled in video games.

Last on the list, which was generated from Google Trends data, was ‘clock it,’ which recorded 7,200 searches and is used to express strong agreement with a sharp or truthful observation

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed Administrative Order No. 50, transferring the management of Mile-Long Property back to the Privatization and Management Office (PMO) to facilitate its disposition and maximize its value.

The PMO is an attached agency of the Department of Finance (DOF) that acts as the government’s marketing and disposition arm for state-owned or non-performing assets.

Located in Makati’s central business district, the 22,924-square-meter property was transferred to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority under Administrative Order No. 21, issued in 2020. It is registered under the national government.

The newly signed order reverted its administration and management to the PMO ‘as part of the government’s efforts to optimize the utilization of public assets, enhance fiscal space, and support priority development programs.’

Additionally, the PMO was directed to prepare and implement a privatization plan for the property in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, and in a transparent and competitive manner that ensures optimal value for the National Government.

Under AO 50, the Department of Budget and Management was directed to study and propose measures to ensure that proceeds from the property’s disposition will fund priority government programs.

It also said the PMO will seek the approval of the Privatization Council before proceeding with the property’s disposition.

Complex history

The property was occupied by Sunvar Realty Development Corp. until it was ordered to vacate the premises in 2017 in compliance with a court order. Sunvar is owned by the prominent Rufino-Prieto clan.

Three years later, the administration and management of the Mile-Long Property were transferred to the BCDA pursuant to AO No. 21, signed by then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte also ordered the property’s development to generate funds for priority programs, particularly pension programs for retired military and uniformed personnel.

The Inquirer sought further information from the PMO and the Palace regarding future plans for the Mile-Long Property but had yet to receive a response as of posting time

This central Pangasinan town has temporarily banned the entry and exit of live pigs and fresh and frozen pork to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF).

Executive Order No. 156 was issued after an emergency meeting on Thursday, after isolated ASF cases were detected in six barangays in the town.

The prohibition will run for 30 days from October 1, unless it is lifted, amended, revoked, or extended.

Bayambang is currently classified as a Red Zone for ASF.

Municipal Information Officer Rafael Saygo said the executive order is meant to strictly monitor the movement of pigs into and out of Bayambang, which is also implementing the Department of Agriculture’s new ASF guidelines.

If two to three confirmed hogs are infected with the disease and within a 500-meter radius, culling must be carried out under the Test-and-Destroy strategy protocols. If the pigs are still healthy and in good condition, the Test-and-Slaughter approach may be implemented, subject to the DA’s assessment and protocols.

‘We continue to coordinate with the concerned agencies to ensure that our response is properly and correctly implemented,’ Saygo said.

Among the measures are that all pigs and pork products transported into or out of Bayambang have complete permits, certificates, clearances, and other required documents. They must also comply with requirements of the DA, Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), and other concerned agencies.

Shipments must also pass through designated ASF inspection and quarantine checkpoints and comply with zoning, quarantine, and biosecurity protocols. Transporters must have proper authorization from the concerned government agencies.

ASF inspection and quarantine checkpoints will be established at strategic entry and exit points of the municipality.

Authorities may inspect and monitor commercial and backyard swine farms, meat processors and meat-packing establishments, supermarkets and groceries, public and private markets and talipapa, slaughterhouses, food establishments, and other facilities involved in the handling, transport, sale, processing or storage of pigs and pork products.

Saygo said the Revised Guidelines for Granting Cash Assistance to Hog Raisers Affected by ASF were also discussed, including cash assistance for affected hog raisers, with a maximum of P500,000.

The meeting also clarified how ASF is transmitted, noting that the virus is spread when it is transferred to pigs and not through the air

Control measures discussed included selective and non-selective depopulation, use of disinfectant spray-mounted trucks, intensive surveillance activities, heightened biosecurity and quarantine protocols, and zoning through the issuance of Certificates of Freedom from ASF

A Florida woman accused of driving across the country to fire a rifle at Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s home, hitting a trailer the celebrity couple was inside and a nursery where their kids were, has been indicted by a grand jury on 14 felony counts including attempted murder.

The indictment against 36-year-old Ivanna Lisette Ortiz of Orlando was unsealed Wednesday by a Los Angeles County judge.

Ortiz, appearing in court wearing yellow jail clothes, spoke only to her attorney, who entered a not guilty plea for her. The judge then ordered her held on $2.6 million bail.

The move came a day after another judge ruled that Ortiz is mentally competent to stand trial. The secret grand jury proceedings were held as Ortiz was undergoing months of psychiatric evaluation. The jurors returned their indictment June 18, but it was kept under wraps for three months until the judge ruled on her competency. Now, a case that appeared stalled – possibly permanently – is on a fast track to trial.

No one was injured in the March 8 shooting. Authorities allege Ortiz drove a Tesla up to the gates of the Beverly Hills-area property of the singing superstar and her rap star partner, A$AP Rocky, pointed an AR-15 style rifle out the window and fired at least 20 rounds toward the property and the neighboring house.

‘This is a person who wanted to kill Rihanna,’ Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott said outside court. ‘Everyone else was collateral damage.’

Bullets tore through the Airstream trailer, according to a police report. Shots also struck the wall of their home’s nursery, where their three small children were with their nanny. Rihanna’s mother and several staffers also were in the home, and authorities say she also fired shots toward a neighbor’s house.

Both Rihanna and her mother, Monica Fenty, testified to the grand jury, as did Hollywood agent Tracey Jacobs, who was listed among the victims from the property in the indictment.

Their testimony remains under seal but will become public in about two weeks unless the defense seeks to keep them secret and the judge agrees.

Rihanna told investigators just after the shooting that she ‘suddenly heard approximately ten loud sounds like something banging on metal,’ and pulled Rocky out of a bed and onto the ground. She said she opened curtains and saw bullet marks in the windshield right in front of where she had been standing.

Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman, Ortiz’s attorney, did not speak to reporters outside the courtroom, and a message seeking comment from the public defender’s office on the indictment was not immediately answered. Other than her not guilty pleas, her lawyers have not publicly addressed the charges, saying only that they would work to defend her rights.

Investigators said that on the day of her arrest, Ortiz told them: ‘I wasn’t attempting murder.’

Ortiz was charged with very similar counts in March. The new indictment supersedes those charges. The secret grand jury proceedings allow prosecutors to skip California’s preliminary hearing process, where evidence must be presented publicly to see if a trial is merited.

The indictment also charges Ortiz with 10 counts of assault with an assault weapon – one for each of the people on the two properties – and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper. It names the couple’s three children Rza, Riot and Rocki, all under age 5, as victims. The assault weapon counts carry a stiffer sentence than the original charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

She could get life in prison if convicted of all counts.

Reports have been sealed on the psychiatric evaluations that paused the case shortly after it began, and there was no public discussion of the details of her mental state. Prosecutors have not said anything about a motive or cited any connection between Rihanna and Ortiz, a longtime licensed speech pathologist. But in videos posted on Facebook and YouTube in the months before the shooting, Ortiz made increasingly angry comments on Rihanna that sometimes took the form of threats, at one point calling her a ‘devil.’

A nine-time Grammy Award winner, Rihanna has had 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including ‘We Found Love,’ ‘Work,’ ‘Umbrella’ and ‘Disturbia.’

Davao City Register of Deeds lawyer Kathy Baldonado testifies on Day 32 of Vice President Sara Duterte impeachment trial that none of the properties declared by the vice president in her 2025 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) matches the value of a P6 million property owned by her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio

A 31-year-old fisher from Maasin City, Southern Leyte was rescued on Wednesday, Sept.30, after his pump boat suffered engine failure while he was fishing in the waters off Limasawa Island, authorities said.

The fisher, a resident of Barangay Combado, had been out of communication with his family for more than 12 hours when the Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGS)-Southern Leyte and the Maasin City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) launched a search and rescue operation at around 9 a.m.

The fisher was located at about 10:30 a.m. by another fisher from Macrohon, Southern Leyte, who found him in the waters off Limasawa.

He was found dehydrated but otherwise in good condition, according to the rescuers.

Authorities said the fisher’s pump boat, described as white and red, bearing a Greenland flag and marked ‘BETH,’ had been last known to be operating near the waters of Loay, Bohol.

The CGS-Southern Leyte and CDRRMO Water Search and Rescue teams immediately deployed CDRRMO water assets after receiving the report and proceeded toward the fisherman’s last known location.

The search operation was coordinated with CGS-Bohol, local fishers, and neighboring local government units in the area.

Authorities later determined that the fisher’s boat had suffered engine failure, leaving him unable to return to shore on his own.

The boat was safely towed to shore in Macrohon, while the rescued fisher was brought back to Maasin City, where he was reunited with his family.

CDRRMO responders conducted an initial physical assessment and found that he did not require further medical assistance