Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Four Miss Grand International titleholders are coming together to share the stage at the 2026 pageant’s National Costume Competition and Preliminary Competition.

Reigning queen Emma Tiglao will share hosting chores with her predecessors, fellow Filipino queen Christine Juliane ‘CJ’ Opiaza from 2024, Luciana Fuster of Peru from 2023 and Isabella Menin of Brazil from 2022.

This is the first time that the four international titleholders will be hosting together for the Miss Grand International pageant. Fuster and Menin are already in Thailand for the 2026 competition, and have sat with Tiglao for the closed-door interview panel.

The National Costume Competition, one of the most anticipated events of the annual pageant, will be held at MGI Hall at Bravo BKK in Bangkok on Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. The crucial preliminary competition will follow at 8 p.m.

Seventy-six delegates from different countries and territories around the world are competing this year to succeed Tiglao, the second Filipino woman to receive the pageant’s ‘golden crown.’

Reina Filipinas Angelica Lopez is representing the Philippines in this year’s competition, and is on a mission to give the country a rare ‘three-peat’ and become the third Filipino woman in as many years to bring home the Miss Grand International title.

Tiglao will crown her successor at the conclusion of the ‘Grand Final,’ which will also be held at MGI Hall. The program will be on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. and will be streamed at the Grand TV YouTube channel.

The Miss Grand International Organization still has not announced who will host the Grand Final, but Thai-Australian TV presenter Matthew Deane has been hosting the Grand Final since the 2020 competition.

Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has brought a premature end to his season due to a knee injury, the Italian announced on Tuesday.

‘Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over,’ Sinner said in a video posted on social media.

The 25-year-old’s announcement came just over a month before he was due to defend his crown at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Sinner had finished the previous two seasons on a high by winning in Turin, leading to ‘so many beautiful feelings and emotions’, he said.

‘This year is going to be way different,’ he acknowledged. ‘But at the moment, I also need to think about my long-term career.’

He has had an impressive, if injury-hit season, winning Wimbledon in July and five Masters 1000 events. He has won all six finals he has played in this year.

The Italian’s 94 percent winning record in 2026 is the best of his career, even beating his figures from the previous two seasons in each of which he won two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals.

A statement from Sinner’s management team said that he would ‘follow a course of treatment for inflammation in his knee’, which would help him ‘to recover before beginning preparations for 2027’.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on second reading a bill that would institutionalize a 30-year national infrastructure master plan to ensure projects are implemented consistently, regardless of political changes.

Lawmakers approved House Bill No. 11597, or the Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development (MIND) Act, by voice vote.

Designed as a long-term roadmap for public works, the measure directs the government to craft a comprehensive infrastructure vision updated every six years, while allowing earlier reviews if technological advances, crises or economic disruptions require them.

‘This measure recognizes a simple but important principle. Vision building must outlast political terms,’ Surigao del Sur Rep. Romeo Momo Sr., sponsor of the bill, told lawmakers.

‘Administrations will change. Priorities may evolve. Technologies will advance. Economic conditions will shift. But the Philippines must have a long-term infrastructure direction that provides continuity, coherence and strategic purpose,’ he said.

The bill strives to create a national template ‘for determining what infrastructure we need, where it should be located… and how individual investments should work together to advance national and regional development,’ he said.

The master plan targets core developments in transportation systems, energy, water, digital infrastructure and housing, while also prioritizing agricultural and fisheries modernization, according to the bill.

And under the measure, local and regional infrastructure priorities would feed into the master plan to enable the government to identify development gaps and streamline needed projects to plug them.

‘Its purpose is straightforward: to make government infrastructure planning more coordinated, more strategic, and more accountable,’ said Momo.

Yearly infrastructure funding would also be tied to the 30-year plan to ‘prevent arbitrary changes,’ the bill’s fact sheet added.

Police intercepted a vehicle loaded with over P2.6 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes and arrested two male suspects during an operation in Barangay Lantian, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur, on Oct. 5.

Captain Derf Jay Maquinta, spokesperson for the Zamboanga del Sur Police Provincial Office (ZSPPO), reported that personnel from the Labangan Municipal Police Station conducted the operation at 2:40 p.m. following a tip about the transport of illicit tobacco products through the municipality.

Responding officers spotted and pursued a gray Toyota Hi-Ace Commuter van coming from Barangay Balimbingan before blocking and intercepting it in Barangay Lantian.

When flagged down, the two occupants failed to present legal documents covering the ownership, acquisition or transportation of the cargo.

In an inventory conducted with the Bureau of Customs (BOC), authorities seized 45 master cases and 43 reams of cigarettes with an estimated value of P2,627,778.

The seized tobacco products and the van were turned over to the BOC for proper disposition.

The two suspects remain under police custody at the Labangan Municipal Police Station as authorities prepare to file appropriate charges against them.

The co-accused of former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co is due for discharge upon doctor’s clearance after suffering a stroke, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division learned on Tuesday.

Juliet Calvo, the former Maintenance Division chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Region IV-B, faces a malversation case filed against her and eight of her other co-accused under the jurisdiction of the anti-graft court.

After the testimony of Calvo’s co-accused Felisardo Casuno, Calvo’s lawyer Edwin Labro informed the court that there was a scheduled Wednesday hearing to tackle her condition.

‘The purpose of the hearing has become moot and academic,’ Labro said. ‘She is due for discharge already.’

Hence, the court, through Associate Justice Kevin Vivero, ordered the hearing cancelled after being deemed ‘moot and academic.’

Calvo suffered a stroke on Aug. 5 which led to a total paralysis, her lawyer Edwin Labro told the court on Aug. 13.

Labro noted that they have a motion if Calvo could still be detained in a medical facility at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Female Dormitory in Camp Caringal ‘while she remains immobile.’

Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez, the division chair, however, said it’s up to the BJMP to determine that.

Calvo’s non-bailable malversation of funds through falsification of public documents case stemmed from a P289.4 million worth of road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro which state prosecutors said was found to have serious structural deficiencies.

Public Works and Highways Secretary chief Vince Dizon, who inspected the site, discovered that the road dike only has a three-meter steel sheet pile (SSP), way off the 12-meter requirement.

However, the certificate of inspection (COI) for March 18, 2024 signed by Calvo declared that the SSPs in the project are compliant with the 12-meter requirement.

The COI is one of the requirements for the first progress billing for the contractor, which is Sunwest.

Sunwest is co-founded by Co, who also used to be the chairperson of the powerful House committee on appropriations before his resignation as a party-list representative in September last year amid the widespread public outrage on the multibillion flood control corruption scandal.

For his part, Co could not participate in the trial as he was earlier declared by Sandiganbayan as a fugitive from justice.

The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is bringing cloudy skies and rain to Palawan, the Visayas and Mindanao on Tuesday, according to the state weather bureau.

In its 5 a.m. weather forecast, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) weather specialist Veronica Torres said the ITCZ, a convergence of winds from the northern and southern hemispheres, would continue to affect Palawan and the Visayas until Wednesday and Mindanao until Saturday.

‘Sa Visayas at Mindanao, patuloy ang epekto ng ITCZ sa kanilang mga lugar at patuloy itong magdadala ng maulap na kalangitan at kalat-kalat na pag-ulan, pagkidlat, at pagkulog,’ Torres said.

(ITCZ will continue to affect Visayas and Mindanao and this will bring cloudy skies, scattered rainshowers, and thunderstorms.)

Meanwhile, the northeasterly wind flow will bring cloudy skies and light rains to Batanes and Cagayan. Pagasa said the weather system could persist in the two areas until Saturday.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies, with isolated thunderstorms possible due to localized thunderstorms.

Torres said Pagasa was not monitoring any low pressure area or tropical cyclone inside or outside the Philippine area of responsibility.

Temperature forecast in the following areas:

Metro Manila: 25°C to 33°C

Laoag: 25°C to 32°C

Baguio: 18°C to 25°C

Tagaytay: 22°C to 30°C

Tuguegarao: 25°C to 35°C

Legazpi: 25°C to 33°C

Kalayaan Islands: 25°C to 33°C

Puerto Princesa: 25°C to 33°C

Cebu: 25°C to 32°C

Iloilo: 26°C to 32°C

Tacloban: 26°C to 33°C

Cagayan de Oro: 25°C to 32°C

Davao: 25°C to 33°C

Zamboanga: 24°C to 32°C

Police arrested 48 drug suspects and confiscated at least P1.7 million worth of suspected shabu during a weeklong series of synchronized anti-criminality operations across Caraga (Region 13), a police official said Monday.

Brig. Gen. Rolindo Suguilon, Police Regional Office-13 (PRO-13) director, said that police operatives seized a total of 257.31 grams of alleged shabu valued at P1,749,732.48 during the Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations (SACLEO) conducted from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4.

Data from PRO-13 Regional Operations Division showed that the Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (PPO) netted the largest haul, confiscating 121.95 grams valued at P829,277.68.

The Surigao del Sur PPO followed with 57.30 grams valued at P389,640, and the Butuan City Police Office with 44.87 grams worth P305,136.40.

In Agusan del Norte, provincial operatives seized 22.94 grams amounting to P155,978.40.

Operatives in Agusan del Sur and Dinagat Islands also netted 9.75 grams (P66,300) and 0.50 grams (P3,400), respectively.

All arrested individuals are currently detained and face formal complaints for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Suguilon commended local operatives for the sustained campaign, stressing that removing illicit drugs from street circulation protects vulnerable communities from crime and exploitation.

‘This accomplishment is a victory for every Caraganon. Every gram of shabu that we take off the streets is one less threat to our communities,’ Suguilon said in a statement.

‘PNP Caraga will remain relentless. We will continue to intensify our efforts to identify and arrest those behind the proliferation of illegal drugs in the region,’ he added.

The Commission on Audit (COA) has found that 28 out of 119 pumps in large pumping stations operated by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were ‘unserviceable,’ largely due to ‘delays in repair and rehabilitation.’

‘The MMDA, under Republic Act No. 7924, is responsible for managing flood control in Metro Manila,’ COA said in its 2025 audit report. ‘To carry out this mandate, the MMDA operates a network of pumping stations and floodgates.’

‘Accordingly, pumping stations serve as one of the primary lines of defense against flooding, particularly in low-lying and highly urbanized areas,’ the commission added.

COA noted that in 2025, the MMDA reported achieving 100 percent reliability of its pumping stations and the Effective Flood Control Operation System.

However, state auditors noted that ‘audit evaluation shows that the actual condition of the pumping stations presents certain limitations.’

To determine the actual operational condition of the pumping stations, COA said it examined each individual pump. It found that 28 of 119, or about one in four pumps, were ‘not operational, being under repair, replacement, or rehabilitation.’

Of the 29 large pumping stations operated by the MMDA, the report showed that 18 had at least one pump due for repair.

COA noted that for a pumping station to be considered ‘operational,’ the majority of its pumps must be ‘serviceable.’ Based on its inspection, however, COA found that three pumping stations had failed to meet this criterion.

These included Uli-Uli Pumping Station and Makati Pumping Station, which both had no operational pumps, as well as Libertad Pumping Station, which had only two operational pumps out of six.

‘During normal conditions, these limitations may not immediately result in visible flooding. However, during periods of heavy rainfall, when the system is most needed, reduced or absent pumping capacity in specific locations may delay the removal of floodwaters, thereby increasing localized flood risk,’ said COA.

The causes of these unserviceable pumps were ‘attributed to ongoing rehabilitation and warranty-related repairs’ being undertaken through the Unified Project Management Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

According to COA, DPWH transferred flood control functions in Metro Manila to the MMDA through a memorandum of agreement executed in 2002.

But while the MMDA is ‘accountable for day-to-day operations and performance,’ the report noted that DPWH ‘retains control over capital outlay, major repairs, and infrastructure development.’

‘Since major repairs and rehabilitation fall under DPWH, the MMDA must coordinate with DPWH or contractors before defective pumps can be restored,’ said COA.

To address these concerns, COA recommended that the MMDA ‘endorse to Congress and appropriate authorities the need for direct and adequate funding,’ and pursue better alignment of responsibility through a review of existing arrangements with the DPWH.

It also urged the MMDA to improve its monitoring and reporting systems by establishing clear criteria for operational pumping stations, prioritizing the repair of stations with reduced or no capacity, and ensuring timely escalation of critical issues.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, MMDA Chair Don Artes said 73 of its pumping stations remain operational despite having an unserviceable pump.

‘Like Libertad pumping station, only two out of four are working, but that is enough to cover the service area, [or] catchment area. So, the service is not really affected. That’s why we are saying that it is operational,’ Artes said.

President Marcos has revealed that he did not initially want to become a politician, as he once dreamed of wearing a white coat and working in a laboratory as a scientist.

In a candid conversation with music icon Gary Valenciano on the season finale of the ‘Unshaken With Gary V’ podcast, which aired on Monday, Marcos reflected on what his life might have been like had he not entered the country’s political arena.

‘The funny thing is, I’ll tell you what: I knew I wasn’t going to be a politician. I absolutely said that there’s one walk of life that I am not going to go down because I saw how difficult it is, the sacrifices that my dad had to make, my mother had to make, and the other people had to make around them,’ Marcos told the singer.

‘I had an affinity for mathematics and science in school. And I said, I’m going to be a scientist. I want to be a scientist. I dreamed of working in a lab in a white coat and doing really important research and continuing to study, maybe teach a little bit,’ he continued.

Aside from science, Marcos said he was also interested in pursuing music, mainly due to his mother’s influence.

He recalled that there was always music playing in their house, which sparked his interest in the subject.

‘I studied music for years. Because, well, of course, because of my mom. And then, you know, you’re in England in the ’70s. That’s when everything was happening. I was hearing all kinds of music,’ Marcos said.

‘And the reason I seriously studied music was because my housemaster-I was sent to my housemaster to be punished, right, that I did something wrong. So he said, ‘You’re here all the time. You’re always in trouble. Go find yourself a hobby so that you can occupy your time doing something constructive.’ And at the time, I was listening to a lot of music,’ he continued.

‘Life-changing’ music encounter

Marcos, sharing more memories from his childhood, said accidentally listening to Lou Reed’s ‘Take a Walk on the Wild Side’ further ignited his interest in music.

‘But I remember when I was in school, this was 1972, second year. So, ’72 ‘yun, 1972 I was… In school, we had to do something after breakfast. ‘Pag second year ka, you inspect the dormitories to see if the first year had swept it properly,’ he said.

‘And so I was doing my inspection, and one-in the room, somebody played Lou Reed, ‘Take a Walk on the Wild Side.’ And it stopped me cold. And I couldn’t believe that you’re allowed to make music like that. In fact, in the end, I didn’t do my work,’ he also said.

Marcos said in a 2023 interview that he was ‘determined not to go into politics,’ but the ‘survival’ of his family motivated him to enter the political arena.

When their family was allowed to return to Manila from exile in 1991, Marcos said there was a need to defend their family politically and that somebody had to enter the political arena.

Philippine transport technology provider Global Electric Transport (GET) aims to triple its electric bus fleet by year-end to meet increased demand for electric vehicles, deploying these units on public routes and corporate shuttles.

GET operates the Community Organized Managed Electric Transport (Comet), which is a China-made electric minibus. The company uses these vehicles for its public ‘Love Bus’ service and shuttle operations for major multinational companies in the country.

About 110 Comet buses currently ply Philippine roads, including units owned by GET and its partners.

But GET president and cofounder Sigfrido ‘Freddie’ Tinga said the goal is to bring the fleet to more than 300 units, as interest in electrified mobility gains traction even in public transportation.

The company has ordered 100 units, which will be delivered in early November. GET is looking to place another 100-unit order to reach its year-end target, although Tinga acknowledged that some deliveries could slip into January due to supply-chain constraints.

Tinga said the war-driven fuel crisis ultimately accelerated interest in, and acceptance of, EVs for public transport.

‘The Iran war was our COVID moment,’ he told the Inquirer, likening the shift to the growth of the fintech industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

GET’s public Love Bus network includes routes connecting Batasan and Bonifacio Global City, as well as the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange area and Mall of Asia. Meanwhile, its corporate shuttle business serves companies such as JPMorgan and Wells Fargo.

Gov’t projects

Tinga said bigger government partnerships are also in the pipeline.

GET, which has worked with the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, is keen on bagging transportation projects in Cebu and Bases Conversion and Development Authority-managed estates in New Clark City and Camp John Hay.

‘It looks like we will end up doing their BRT,’ Tinga said, referring to the long-delayed Cebu bus rapid transit. ‘We should have an agreement signed by next month, and it’s going to be less than six months to roll out the system.’

GET is also proposing a partnership with Victory Liner that would bring its payments and ride-tracking system to the bus operator.

Beyond offering electric buses, GET also has its own charging infrastructure and fleet-management technology that tracks vehicles, passengers, routes, battery levels, and maintenance issues in real time. Ridership data can also help anticipate demand and adjust routes and schedules accordingly.

‘We’re offering the system to the big bus companies, not the vehicle,’ Tinga said.

Public transport

Each Comet costs about P4.5 million, but Tinga said financing arrangements could bring the effective rollout cost to around P2.5 million per vehicle. At that level, deploying 10,000 units across Metro Manila would cost roughly P25 billion.

‘A 10,000-unit fleet rollout in Metro Manila will solve your problem,’ Tinga said, arguing that such a network could make a substantial dent in the capital region’s transport shortage without building new roads.

Asked whether he saw competition from the growing number of ride-hailing services using EVs, Tinga said GET’s proposition was different as it focuses on offering a more private-like commuting experience at public transport prices.