Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Philippines-Motherhood comes with its own-and often endless-demands, and for professional athletes, those responsibilities extend beyond the game.

In the Premier Volleyball League, several players are also juggling motherhood with the grind of training and competition, balancing family life with the demands of professional volleyball.

On a day dedicated to mothers around the world, Inquirer Sports shines a spotlight on some of the PVL’s ‘mom-athletes.’

Justine Jazareño is just unlocking her full potential as one of the country’s top liberos.

The 26-year-old Jazareño made an impressive debut for Alas Pilipinas last year, emerging as the Best Libero in the SEA V.League second leg. She is also the team captain of the Akari Chargers, who have been consistent contenders in the PVL.

And she’s doing all of that while adjusting to life as a new mother to her son, Austin.

‘As a mother athlete, some of my biggest struggles are balancing training, competitions, and motherhood at the same time. May mga araw po talaga na I feel physically exhausted, but I still have to be fully present for Austin,’ Jazareno told Inquirer.

But as tough as the balancing act may be, motherhood has also given Jazareno a new perspective that she carries both on and off the court.

‘One of the biggest positives of being both a mom and a professional athlete is the strength and perspective it gives you. Motherhood teaches patience, resilience, and unconditional love. These qualities also help in sports.’

‘At the same time, being an athlete allows me to show Austin the importance of discipline, hard work, and chasing dreams. I hope that by seeing my journey, my child grows up knowing that women can be strong, nurturing, and ambitious all at once.’

Chie Saet remains the oldest active player in the PVL, proving at 41 that age is just a number.

Her playmaking brilliance has fueled a long and decorated career. The former La Salle setter played a key role in all four of Petro Gazz Angels’ championships. She now plays for the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles.

Beyond her contributions on the court, Saet also serves as a mentor to a young core of players across her teams. At home, she carries another full-time responsibility as a mother.

In an interview with One Sports last year, Saet shared how she balances training and family life, making sure her children are prepared for their day even amid her demanding schedule.

‘Hindi ko parin pwede kalimutan yung pagiging nanay. I need to check on them every day,’ she said.

Aiza Maizo-Pontillas

Aiza Maizo-Pontillas during a PVL All-Filipino Conference game. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

At 38, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas continues to show that experience remains a powerful asset in the PVL.

The opposite spiker, known for her smart attacks and steady presence, played a key role in Petro Gazz’s recent championship runs before moving to Galeries Tower Highrisers, where she now provides leadership to a young roster.

Outside the court, Pontillas is a dedicated mother. She often shares moments with her kid on Instagram, offering glimpses of her life balancing motherhood and a successful professional volleyball career.

Dindin Santiago-Manabat

Dindin Santiago-Manabat continues to be a reliable option even as part of Choco Mucho’s bench rotation.

The 32-year-old NU alumna was part of the first PVL pro championship team, winning alongside her sister Jaja Santiago as they powered Chery Tiggo to a historic run in the bubble tournament in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte.

When not contributing to the Flying Titans’ campaign in the PVL, Santiago-Manabat spends time with her ‘mini me’ Chloe Sapphire and documents their memories-from mall trips and holiday celebrations to overseas travels-on Instagram.

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She said her biggest motivation is becoming someone her daughter can look up to and be proud of.

‘I have to be stronger because when my daughter watches my games she’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s my mom!” said Santiago-Manabat. ‘In the near future, I want my daughter to be proud of me.’

James Harden hit three clutch shots in the final two minutes, Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit 116-109 on Saturday to cut the Pistons’ lead to 2-1 in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Harden bounced back from two mistake-marred performances to finish with 19 points and Jarrett Allen scored 18 for the Cavaliers, who will look to even the series when they host Game 4 on Monday night.

James Harden scored 19 vs. Detroit today.

Mitchell reached 2,000 career postseason points in his 73rd game, tied for third-fastest among active players and ninth in NBA history.

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had his second career postseason triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but also committed eight turnovers. Tobias Harris added 21 points.

Duncan Robinson’s 3-pointer with 3:14 remaining tied it at 104 before Cleveland, which is unbeaten in five playoff home games, was able to seize control.

Max Strus intercepted an inbound pass by Cunningham at midcourt and made a breakaway layup with 2:28 left.

Harden, who drew plenty of criticism for turnovers in the clutch in the first two games, kept the Cavaliers in front with big shots. The 17-year veteran hit a 16-foot step-back jumper to extend the lead to 108-104. After a driving dunk by Cunningham, Harden made a floating 7-footer to put the lead back up to four.

Cunningham responded with a 3-pointer before Harden provided the decisive blow with 25 seconds remaining on a step-back 3-pointer while being guarded by Harris to make it 113-109.

Robinson was short on a 3-pointer after a timeout and Mitchell made three free throws down the stretch.

National University captain Vange Alinsug remained proud of the Lady Bulldogs after their three-peat dream was shattered in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament.

Alinsug stressed that the Lady Bulldogs have nothing to be ashamed of despite being swept by La Salle in the UAAP Finals on Saturday before 22,509 fans at Mall of Asia Arena.

‘I’m still very proud of our team because we really worked hard and went through a lot just to make it to the Finals,’ said Alinsug in Filipino after NU was dispatched by La Salle in Game 2, 25-22, 25-16, 25-16.

‘I told them that there’s nothing embarrassing about losing because making it to the finals is already something to be proud of for us. But at the same time, we also need to be tougher because our opponents really came in wanting to win,’ she added.

Alinsug, who led NU with 14 points in Game 2, remained proud of their runner-up finish in the post-Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon era, which won them three of the last four championships.

‘Actually, I was very confident that we could still do it because even now, when we’re still adjusting to each other, we still made it to the Finals. We just need to keep working harder,’ she said.

Asked about her commitment next season, Alinsug was still unsure: ‘We’ll see, we’ll see.’

The streets of the ‘City of Love’ are set to echo with the sounds of harana and the rustle of Filipiniana gowns as the Living Heritage Museum Tour kicks off the highly anticipated Spanish era tour package.

In celebration of National Heritage Month this May 2026, this immersive journey aims to bridge the gap between Iloilo’s storied past and its vibrant present from May 8-10, starting at 10:30 a.m. daily.

As a designated UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, Iloilo City is leveraging its culinary and textile heritage to offer an experience that goes beyond standard sightseeing. The tour promises an ‘experiential journey,’ featuring interactive theater performances and period-accurate costume sessions that bring Ilonggo culture to life.

The tour highlights the city’s architectural gems, serving as both museums and dining halls for the event. Participants will explore several iconic structures, each with its own unique story.

The Avanceña-Camiña Balay nga Bato is a grand ‘house of stone’ that stands as a testament to 19th-century Ilonggo lifestyle. It is world-renowned for its traditional hot chocolate and Molo soup, serving as the primary venue for the tour’s heritage lunch.

The Ynchausti-Elizalde Building, which now houses the Museum of Philippine Economic History, is a restored landmark that serves as the prestigious backdrop for the tour’s themed dinners.

The Rosendo Mejica Museum honors the ‘Father of Visayan Journalism,’ preserving the printing press and literary works that fueled the region’s intellectual heritage.

The Casa Mariquit, one of the oldest ancestral houses in Jaro district, was the residence of the influential Lopez family. It offers a glimpse into the opulent domestic life of the era.

The Casa Javelona-Ledesma, an architectural marvel, showcases the intricate wood carvings and spacious voladas characteristic of Spanish-Filipino elite homes.

Organizers have designed three distinct tiers for participants to choose from, ranging from casual daytime explorations to formal evening galas, with the cost ranging from P2,200 to P4,500 per participant.

In a nod to Iloilo’s history as the ‘Textile Capital of the Philippines,’ the tour emphasizes period-appropriate dressing.

Guests opting for the dinner package will participate in interactive costume photo sessions, complemented by the romantic atmosphere of live Harana serenades.

Each package is inclusive of a souvenir kit, a guided house and rolling tour, themed buffets, and era-specific musical performances.

For those looking to witness the soul of Ilonggo heritage, the Spanish Era Tour offers more than a history lesson-it offers a chance to step inside the frame of a living painting. INQ

Fuel prices remain relatively high despite several cuts and after global prices plunged recently on easing tensions between the United States and Iran.

Below are the prevailing fuel prices monitored and gathered by the INQUIRER team as of Friday, May 10, 2026.

After playing sparingly in Magnolia’s crucial win over TNT the last time out, Paul Lee got his rhythm back after helping the Hotshots handle the Meralco Bolts on Sunday.

Lee has coach LA Tenorio to thank for reminding him to take all the rest he needed before Magnolia’s final game in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination round.

‘I just took some rest and it was a big thing that after last game, we had a couple days of rest so I just took advantage,’ he said after the 93-76 rout of Meralco. ‘I give credit to coach LA because he always reminded me to rest.’

Lee was shaken up during a rebound play against the Tropang 5G, exiting the game after just 23 minutes of action and finishing with only four points.

Against Meralco, the veteran guard posted 13 points, three rebounds and three assists as Magnolia extended its winning streak to three games.

Thanks to Lee’s efforts, Magnolia locked up the fifth seed and will face either Meralco or Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals.

Sen. Bato dela Rosa is set to be subpoenaed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Monday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said, requiring him to personally appear before the CIDG office as part of an ongoing investigation.

Remulla emphasized that the order is ‘not an arrest warrant, but a subpoena,’ following reports that Dela Rosa is facing a pending arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

‘He was the tip of the spear in the EJK drive. So we will start with him and investigate down further,’ said Remulla.

The DILG also clarified that the investigation is purely an internal process and not connected to the ICC.’We are not a member of the ICC. We are not working with the ICC. This is a purely internal matter that we are doing,’ Remulla said.

A spokesperson for the ICC on Saturday clarified that the tribunal has not released any new arrest warrants, including the supposed warrant against Dela Rosa.

According to Remulla, Dela Rosa remains in the Philippines, specifically in Davao City. The DILG chief also said airports, seaports, and other exit points nationwide have already been alerted.

‘All airlines have been informed. If he is traveling or if he does pass through a checkpoint, then we should be notified right away,’ said Remulla.

Remulla said Dela Rosa, being a senator, would be treated with proper respect, stressing that the process only involves a subpoena and not an arrest or the use of handcuffs.

A juvenile brahminy kite (Haliastur indus) and a Philippine long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis philippensis) were voluntarily surrendered to authorities in Barangay Fatima in Salug, Zamboanga del Norte, on Saturday.

Personnel from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Liloy immediately coordinated with partner agencies to ensure the safe retrieval and proper handling of the animals.

The operation was led by the agency’s Enforcement and Monitoring Team with the assistance of local officials.

Authorities said the brahminy kite was retrieved from Rogelio Gumasab, who had cared for the bird for about two months after its nest fell near a creek.

The macaque, meanwhile, was turned over by Anilyn Gumasab.

Both animals were safely secured for assessment and eventual rehabilitation.

Forester II Neil Aquino, team leader of the operation, commended the residents for their cooperation and concern for wildlife protection.

‘The active response of our communities is vital in protecting our wildlife resources. By working together, we safeguard biodiversity and uphold our responsibility to future generations,’ Aquino said.

He also reminded the public that unauthorized possession of wildlife species is prohibited under Republic Act No. 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, and carries corresponding penalties.

Aquino urged residents to immediately report wildlife sightings and related concerns to the nearest DENR office, local government unit, or the Philippine National Police to help ensure the protection of wildlife in their natural habitats

HYBE announced plans to debut a new girl group to be formed by Han Sung-soo, best known as the creative mastermind behind notable K-pop groups.

The K-pop behemoth’s new group will debut under ABD (or A Bold Dream), a new sublabel dedicated to producing girl groups, as announced in a press statement on Friday, May 8.

‘It embodies the label’s creative philosophy of pursuing unconventional, flexible, and playful ideas that push beyond the norm. Guided by a deep understanding of both artists and fans, the new label aims to pursue the intrinsic joy of music while exploring new possibilities and expanding the horizons of K-pop,’ it added.

Han was tapped to create the girl group’s concept, music, performance style, and overall identity, while No Ji-won was appointed as ABD’s president. No is known for her work with HYBE sub-label PLEDIS Entertainment and MORE VISION.

Further details about the upcoming girl group are yet to be announced, though they will debut in the second quarter of 2026.

Han is notable for his work with PLEDIS’ groups Seventeen, TWS, and After School, as well as project girl group IZ*ONE, where LE SSERAFIM’s Kim Chaewon and Sakura were among the members. LE SSERAFIM is a girl group under HYBE sub-label Source Music.

Also part of the girl group were IVE’s Jang Wonyoung and An Yujin, SAY MY NAME’s Honda Hitomi, Kang Hyewon, Jo Yuri, Kim Minju, Kwon Eunbi, Yabuki Nako, Choi Yena, and Lee Chaeyeon. /mcm

This Mother’s Day, I’m not asking for flowers. I’m asking my children to understand compound interest.

Romantic? No. Necessary? Absolutely.

The ilaw ng tahanan has a new job description in 2026-and it includes making sure the lights actually stay on. Figuratively and literally, during this energy crisis and era of geopolitical turmoil.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, as both a financial journalist and educator-and more relevantly right now, as a single mother navigating her own seismic financial reset.

Earlier last year, my byline officially changed to Salve Ibañez. A small bureaucratic act that carried enormous weight. My marriage ended-not in war, not in wreckage, but in what I can only describe as a mindful decoupling. Full focus was on healing everyone in the family, especially the youngest ones.

My ex-husband retains complete financial responsibility over our children’s needs and their future-no bitterness, no squabbles. These are heavy with regular psychological therapy sessions added into the equation, among many other things.

But we are two adults who choose dignity over drama, acknowledging that we are finally doing the right thing after decades of clinging to a beautiful thing-a family that loves each other no matter the circumstances.

I am not sharing these things merely as a form of self-indulgence, as if my personal story would be interesting to so many who are already struggling with the economics of cabbage and kangkong. I am sharing because single parents have come to me with questions, and stories are a more effective way of answering them.

Now, here’s what no one tells you about even the most civilized separations: The financial shift is massive. And the work of making sure my children understand money-real money, earned money, protected money-doesn’t end because you have a clean agreement. If anything, it intensifies.

What has made the healing more beautiful, more than anything I could have planned, is that my own mother now lives with us. She is 88 years old, and her presence in this house fills every room.

Mommy Marcy is the original financial literacy lesson of my life.

She was a public school teacher-which, as any Filipino will tell you, is a calling that demands everything and returns just enough. After her school day had ended, she didn’t go home. She went to public hospital hallways and sold abaca slippers, some of which we made with our own hands.

Five little girls needed to eat. Five daughters, one mother, multiple ends to meet and not a single evening wasted on self-pity.

She never used the words ’emergency fund’ or ‘multiple income streams.’ But she lived them-in the only language available to a woman of her generation and circumstance: sheer, unrelenting diskarte (resourcefulness). All while smiling with grace.

My children see her every day now. They see her at 88, still sharp, still warm, still the kind of woman who made something out of almost nothing for decades. And I think-I hope-that is worth more than any financial literacy module I could design.

Because here we are: Three generations under one roof. Her story, my reset, their beginning. What connects all of us is the same stubborn truth-financial independence isn’t a luxury.

For the women in this family, it has always been survival, dignity and love, in that order.

Which brings me to the much larger question this Mother’s Day. Not just for my household, but for every nanay, lola and tita raising the generation everyone seems baffled by: How do you teach Generation Z the power of money when they’ve decided, as a generation, that money isn’t really the point?

The ‘deserve ko ‘to’ economy

The Filipino Gen Z cohort is about 41 million strong-roughly 38 percent of our total population. They are already reshaping the consumer landscape. Research from The Fourth Wall describes them as ‘self-rewarding, intelligent consumers’ whose spending is driven by emotional connection and a fierce sense of self-worth.

‘Deserve ko ‘to!’ isn’t just a caption. It’s a philosophy.

Here’s where mothers of a certain age get confused: These young people are not reckless. They are not lazy. They are not indifferent to money. Research from the Ateneo de Manila University, published in the peer-reviewed journal Evidence-based HRM last year, found that Filipino Gen Z employees are idealistic yet pragmatic-seeking meaningful work that benefits society while actively working toward long-term financial security.

Read that again. Purpose and prosperity. They want both. But they refuse to pursue money at the cost of meaning.

The new playbook

This is the planetary shift. The old playbook-work hard, save 10 percent, invest in your Pag-Ibig MP2, buy a house-was built on a premise our generation accepted: that financial security was the goal, full stop.

Gen Z doesn’t buy that. The Ateneo researchers found that many Filipino Gen Z employees are motivated by work that aligns with their passion and allows them to make a positive impact on others and on society at large.

So the Mother’s Day challenge isn’t just celebrating the women who raised this generation. It’s asking whether we equipped them.

What actually works

In my financial education sessions through Empower and Transform, I’ve learned that the frame matters everything with this generation.

Don’t say: ‘Save for retirement.’ They’ll tune out-retirement is a foreign country to a 22-year-old.

Do say: ‘Save for options.’ Financial independence isn’t about being rich. It’s about the ability to say no-to a bad job, a bad relationship, a bad situation-without financial terror pulling you back. That framing lands. Every single time.

Don’t moralize about materialism. Inquirer reported last year that Gen Z is price-conscious with daily staples but happily splurges on things they connect to emotionally-concert tickets, collectibles, experiences. That’s not dysfunction. That’s a values-based spending hierarchy. Work with it, not against it.

And if you want to reach them where they actually are: A 2024 Fidelity report found that 30 percent of Gen Z investors turn to TikTok and YouTube as their primary sources of financial education.

FinTok is not the enemy. It’s the distribution channel. The question is whether credible voices show up there-or leave the space entirely to the hype merchants.

The best Mother’s Day gift

My children have watched me rebuild this year. They’ve seen me navigate paperwork, reestablish my own brand (yes initially it messed them up, but now they love it), restructure my income streams, and still show up-at the home office and office, at the radio and television studio, at the client meeting or moderating heavy discussions on stage-with my game face on.

And every day, they see their lola at 88, the woman who once sold slippers in hospital hallways after a full day of teaching, still luminous, still present, still proof that a woman with very little can build something that lasts generations.

That is their financial education.

I am fiercely, deliberately, nonnegotiably financially independent. Not because their father isn’t responsible-he is, and his offer reflects that deeply. But because I refuse to raise children who believe financial security is something that happens to you, delivered by someone else.

Gen Z doesn’t want to be materialistic. Good-neither do I, and neither did my mother, who never had the luxury of choosing otherwise.

But teach them this: Money buys options. Options buy dignity. And dignity-the ability to choose, to leave, to stay, to build, to show up for the people you love without your hands tied-is everything.