Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

This year’s giant Christmas tree in Carigara, Leyte, stands out from previous displays as it features a 32-foot sundang (bolo), a symbol deeply rooted in the town’s culture and craftsmanship.

The sundang – the manufacture of which is one of the town’s major cottage industries – is the tree’s main ornamental feature, drawing curiosity and admiration from residents and visitors alike.

‘The sundang is iconic to Carigara. and it’s ideal that this is represented in our Christmas display,’ Mayor Ed Ong Jr. said in an interview Tuesday.

The giant Christmas tree has already become an online sensation, with photos and videos posted on social media attracting crowds to the plaza, eager to see the unique ornamentation up close.

Vice Mayor Jimmy Camposano lauded the inclusion of the sundang, noting that it honors Jugaban village, where the town’s blacksmithing tradition began and continues to flourish.

The production of sundang in Carigara dates back to at least 1922. For more than a century, artisans – particularly from Jugaban village – have passed down blacksmithing skills through generations.

The town has long been recognized for this craft, with travelers knowing they have reached Carigara upon seeing sundang displayed like wind chimes outside local workshops.

Leigh Castillo, the artist and designer behind this year’s giant Christmas tree, shared the deeper inspiration behind the concept.

Castillo said the sundang represents more than craftsmanship; it embodies Carigara’s identity, resilience, and unity.

She described it as a tribute to the ‘hardworking hands of artisans,’ to stories passed down by elders, and to the enduring pride of a community long known for its historic blade

Vice President Sara Duterte disputed the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) assertion that P500 is enough for a complete Noche Buena meal for a Filipino family of four.

According to Duterte, the DTI’s claim is false as the assistance her office provides to beneficiaries alone-which she said consists only of spaghetti and salad packs-already amounts to P2,100.

‘Hindi totoo ‘yun. Hindi totoo na kasya na ang Noche Buena sa 500 pesos,’ said Duterte in a copy of her chance interview in The Hague on Monday, which her office provided.

(That’s not true. It’s not true that 500 pesos is enough for a Noche Buena.)

‘Matagal nang hindi kasya ang 500 pesos para sa Noche Buena ng pamilya,’ she added.

(P500 pesos has not been enough for a family’s Noche Buena for a long time.)

Duterte made this pronouncement after the DTI recently drew flak for insisting that P500 was enough to purchase staple viands for Christmas.

According to the DTI, citing its ‘noche buena’ price guide, P500 could already feed a family of four.

In fact, DTI Sec. Cristina Roque even claimed that P428.70 would be enough, to include ingredients for holiday staples such as ham, spaghetti and either fruit or macaroni salad.

The DTI’s assertion is based on the DTI’s noche buena price guide where the price ranges as follows:

ham, P170 to P945;

fruit cocktail, P61.76 to P94.41;

all-purpose cream, P36.00 to P72;

‘nata de coco,’ P52.50 to P62.50;

‘kaong,’ P76.50 to P84;

‘queso de bola,’ P210 to P470;

cheese, P16.50 to P310; and

mayonnaise, P20.40 to P245.85

When it rains, it pours.

That may best describe the unpleasant situation the country finds itself in at present, which may continue in the coming years on account of recent events.

With public anger still simmering over ‘ghost’ and substandard flood control projects, news that some officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) run an extortion scheme on private businesses through the use of tax audits has added to an already gloomy economic outlook.

According to Sen. JV Ejercito, Letters of Authority (LOA)-the authorization to examine the books of account of businesses to determine their compliance with tax obligations, issued by the BIR-have been misused and resulted in 70 percent of collections made through them winding up in the pockets of corrupt BIR officials. (What else is new?)

What made that illegal money-making strategy more galling was that it was applied to diplomats and foreign business groups that the government has been wooing for years to invest in the Philippines to help improve the economy.

BIR officials

Perhaps, those BIR officials did not know (or if they did, chose to ignore) that those potential sources of dirty money are covered by strict anticorruption laws that prohibit them from engaging in unlawful business practices, such as bribing tax authorities to minimize or avoid taxes.

To the credit of newly appointed BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza, he immediately ordered the temporary suspension of all field audits and related operations of the BIR.

For the BIR officials concerned, that order couldn’t have come at the worst of times because this is the time of the year when LOAs are the most effective means to make the season financially happy for them.

So now, we have the spectacle of two government offices-the Department of Public Works and Highways (in connivance with some lawmakers) and the BIR-exposed for brazenly stealing the people’s money to fund expensive lifestyles at the expense of the public.

Tax filing season

For taxpayers, the flood control projects scandal is sufficient motivation and justification not to be truthful in the payment of taxes or, when the opportunity presents itself, minimize to the extent legally possible those payments.

Unless one is a masochist, there is no joy in seeing hard-earned money being squandered by people tasked with efficiently managing the country’s financial resources.

Come the income tax filing season in April, it should not come as a surprise if the revenue collections of the BIR fail to meet their respective targets due to outright refusal to pay, underpayment or increased availment of tax avoidance benefits.

That some BIR officials use LOAs to line their pockets is an open secret in the business community.

But businesses that are owned, directly or indirectly, by politically influential people or conglomerates that are known to operate by the book on tax matters and are prepared to spare no expense in proving their point are, by and large, immune from the LOA caper.

Anyway, the ‘losses’ from those businesses can be recouped from other businesses that think it is the better of discretion to accept bribery as a part of doing business in the country, rather than go to court to contest questionable tax assessments.

The BIR’s power to issue warrants of distraint or garnishment on a taxpayer’s bank account to compel the payment of taxes, which can adversely affect business operations while in place, is reason enough to agree to a compromise settlement (assuming the BIR official concerned is upright), or make tax payments in the manner described by Sen. Ejercito.

The business community will be watching closely how Mendoza will restore credibility to LOAs as an essential instrument through which the BIR can effectively perform its responsibility as the primary revenue collection agency of the government.

But the problem is, some habits are difficult to give up if it would mean making changes in a lifestyle that one has been used to through that habit. INQ

Spain and Argentina cruised past their quarterfinal foes on Monday to secure berths in the semis of the Fifa Futsal Women’s World Cup at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Irene Cordoba delivered four goals as Spain walloped Morocco, 6-1, while Lucia Rossi’s brace propelled Argentina past Colombia, 4-1.

Argentina will face Portugal in the semifinals slated Friday at the same venue. Portugal crushed Italy, 7-2, in their quarters matchup. Spain, meanwhile, will take on either World No. 1 Brazil or Japan in the other Final Four pairing.

Cordoba scored her first three goals in the space of the game’s first 90 seconds that set the tone for Spain’s convincing rout.

Her rampage enabled Cordoba to climb up as the tournament’s top scorer with six.

Morocco was booted out after reaching the knockout phase by way of beating host Philippines and Poland to place second in Group A.

Rossi found the mark during Argentina’s early 3-0 lead eight minutes into the match.

Pauleen Luna expressed her gratitude to her stepson, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, for lending his time to speak about good governance at his little sister Tali’s school.

Luna took to Instagram on Monday, Dec. 1, to thank Sotto for imparting his wisdom as a guest speaker at Tali’s school in Muntinlupa.

‘Thank you to our dear Vico for visiting WR to talk about good governance. You’ve made such a big impact on the girls, and they are so fortunate to be able to pick your brain this morning,’ captioned Luna. The actress-host also shared a photo taken from behind Sotto and Tali sharing a sweet moment. ‘Look at the very proud little sister! Thank you again [@vicosotto],’ Luna expressed. Vico is Vic Sotto’s son from his past relationship with actress Coney Reyes. Vic is now married to Luna, with whom he shares two daughters, Tali and Thia.

Vico is currently serving his third and last term as the local chief executive of Pasig. He has been commended for his ‘exemplary leadership, integrity, and commitment to good governance.’

In 2021, the United States Department of State recognized Vico as one of 12 recipients of the International Anticorruption Champions Award. He’s also been included in TIME Magazine’s list of The World’s Most Influential Rising Stars for 2025.

Vic and Reyes previously showed a united front for Vico when he took his oath for a third and final term as mayor of Pasig City last July.

Jackson Wang has officially closed the chapter on ‘Magic Man,’ saying the persona that shaped his last album no longer exists as he enters a new phase defined simply as himself on the road to recovery.

The singer and producer made the statement while discussing ‘MAGICMAN 2,’ the follow-up to his 2022 album ‘MAGIC MAN,’ and a project he wrote during a year-long break in 2024. The new record, he said, marks the end of a dark period in his life.

‘There’s no more MAGIC MAN because the entire MAGICMAN 2 is talking about how I – Magic Man – felt in my darkest days. That’s why it looks super dark, but MAGICMAN 2 is the conclusion,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t exist anymore; I have recovered.’

Wang said his time away from the spotlight allowed him to reconnect with himself and create music that finally reflects who he is because his past songs often felt detached from his real experiences.

‘I started writing journals, and one of the things I realized is that a lot of songs that I sang in the past as Jackson Wang, I don’t even know what they mean. I started to realize a lot of those songs have nothing to do with me as a human,’ he expressed.

The international pop star, who staged his first solo concert in the Philippines as part of the ‘Magic Man 2’ tour last October, said that he hopes his new album and current tour will give his fans encouragement to recover from their darker days.

With ‘MAGIC MAN’ closing a personal chapter, Wang said he is ready for a new beginning. ‘I’d rather have fewer people support me than have them support someone that’s not me,’ he expressed. ‘MAGIC MAN is done. Now it’s just. Jackson Wang.’

Wang also marked his first solo magazine cover in the Philippines. He graced the December cover of the local music magazine Billboard Philippines.

I watched ‘Wicked’ (2024) armed only with surface-level knowledge of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ I wasn’t aware of Elphaba’s backstory, her deep friendship with Glinda, and the injustice and lies she had to fight against. In fact, my only previous full encounter with the IP was 2013’s ‘Oz the Great and Powerful,’ which I will defend as a great watch to this day.

And yet, even without the makings of a bona fide musical fan, I enjoyed ‘Wicked,’ thanks in part to the dazzling performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, a catchy soundtrack featuring classics like ‘Dancing Through Life’ and ‘Defying Gravity,’ and the film’s gripping narrative.

But, unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the highly anticipated follow-up in ‘Wicked: For Good,’ which was burdened by the expectations set by the first film, and a script that had too much going on.

No part three?

‘Wicked: For Good’ follows the divergent paths that Elphaba and Glinda took at the end of the first film, after the former defied both gravity and the Wizard of Oz.

Now branded as a Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba fights to free oppressed animals and reveal the Wizard’s trickery to the rest of Oz. However, because of the propaganda proliferated by Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible, she is branded as the kingdom’s enemy, making her feared by all.

On the other hand, Glinda becomes Emerald City’s darling, now known as Glinda the Good, and stands as the opposing force to the Wicked Witch. Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero Tigelaar is named Captain of the Gale Force and betrothed to Glinda, but maintains that he’s simply using the position so he can be the first to find Elphaba and guarantee her safety. Meanwhile, Glinda is saddened by how Oz has vilified Elphaba, but is also elated by the adoration she’s received from the people.

Without delving too deeply into spoiler territory, the first half of ‘Wicked: For Good’ sets Elphaba and Glinda on a collision course that tests their friendship-mostly caused by their love triangle with Fiyero, and a tragedy that came at the cost of a loved one. The end of this first half sees Elphaba embracing the wickedness the rest of Oz sees in her, while Glinda sees that she cannot effect change within the confines of the corrupt system she’s working in.

The film’s second half, however, takes the pace up a couple of notches and speeds the crowd through the rest of the remaining plot points. In fact, with the introduction of the events taking place in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and how these were supposedly happening in tandem to ‘Wicked: For Good,’ I had thought that they were already wrapping up the film to set up a possible third entry. But instead, I was blitzed with quickly changing intentions and motivations, and introduced new characters whose own arcs were never fully realized and fleshed out. The only saving grace was the heart-tugging duet of ‘For Good,’ which was undoubtedly the best song in the ‘Wicked: For Good’ soundtrack, and the perfect conclusion to the film.A quick search through comment sections and review boards finds that the lack of pacing in the film was already present in the original ‘Wicked’ Broadway runs. Perhaps having only two halves was not simply enough for such a rich story.

But why not make a third? Surely there was enough of a demand.

The burden of expectation

Ongoing discussions surrounding ‘Wicked: For Good’ have it rated under last year’s entry, with popular complaints ranging from a less catchy soundtrack to the pacing issues previously mentioned.

But if anything, it’s not to say it wasn’t a good watch. Instead, it’s simply a matter of having expectations that can never be met. After all, a school setting with a rivals-to-best-friends setup lends itself to a lot of iconic and whimsical moments that a more grounded, serious, and political story would never have. And not to mention, the iconic ‘Defying Gravity’-that’s it, there’s just no beating that.

Could it have been better? Sure. But that doesn’t take away from the amazing two-year run that Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, and the rest of the ‘Wicked’ cast and staff had.

And to wrap up such a story in just two years-in an era where it normally can take several years before we see the sequel. that in itself is worth lauding.

The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) has vowed to continue investing in the Philippines despite a turbulent political climate marked by corruption controversies and the persistent tensions between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea.

‘As the local Chinese, we will continue to invest, we will continue to look at opportunities. Where there is a crisis, there are always opportunities,’ said Cecilio Pedro, honorary president of FFCCCII, the country’s largest organization of Filipino-Chinese businesses.

‘The local Filipino-Chinese will not stop helping the country move forward by investing, by creating jobs,’ he added.

FFCCCII president Victor Lim reiterated this commitment on Monday during the launch of a coffee-table book commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines.

The launch, held at the Goldenberg Mansion near the Malacañang Palace, was attended by First Lady Liza Marcos, Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission Zhou Zhiyong, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Foreign Affairs Secretary Tess Lazaro and members of the chamber.

In his remarks, Lim said the FFCCCII remains committed to helping strengthen economic cooperation with China.

‘We shall continue to expand our efforts to promote business partnership and people-to-people exchange between our two countries, and a deep understanding that will promote inclusive economic growth and social development,’ he said.

Slowdown

Lim acknowledged, however, that recent corruption scandals have begun to weigh on business sentiment.

‘To be honest, after this kind of corruption problem, the business is a little bit slowing down,’ Lim said, adding he hopes ‘corruption will be corrected so that our country will grow at a very fast pace.’

As for China, the world’s leading manufacturing hub, it posted its eighth consecutive month of contracting factory activity in November.

Pedro warned that this extended slump could be a cause for concern for the Philippines.

China remains the Philippines’ largest source of imports, supplying $3.41 billion worth of goods in October, or 30.4 percent of the total.

Major factor

Given the uncertainties both at home and abroad, Pedro stressed the need for the Philippines to maintain stable trade relations with both China and the United States.

‘The relationship between the Philippines and China is a major factor moving forward, especially for our economy, since our biggest trading partner is in China,’ he said.

‘Considering the downturn in the economy in the world, we have to stick to our relationship with our friends, specifically China and the US,’ he added.

The stars of the beloved K-drama ‘Reply 1988’ – including Hyeri, Park Bo-gum, Go Kyung-pyo, Sung Dong-il, and Lee Il-hwa – will reunite for a 10th anniversary special which is set to air on December 19.

South Korean cable network tvN revealed a teaser of the ‘Reply 1988’ 10th anniversary special on its social media platforms on Monday, December 1, showing the cast recreating the K-drama’s poster.

The teaser is a nod to the drama’s original poster which includes the banner, ‘We hear. We reply. Longing replies,’ in Korean.

The cast included in the revived poster are Hyeri, Park, Go, Sung, Lee, Ra Mi-ran, Kim Sung-kyun, Choi Moo-sung, Kim Sun-young, Yoo Jae-myung, Ryu Hye-young, Ahn Jae-hong, Lee Dong-hwi, Choi Sung-won, and Lee Min-ji.

‘Your longing echoes reached us and the ‘Reply 1988′ family has responded,’ tvN said in the caption. TvN also uploaded a teaser clip of the cast gathering for the photoshoot on its YouTube channel. They are also set to go on a one-day, two-night trip to honor ‘Reply 1988’s’ legacy.

One of the K-drama’s lead stars Ryu Jun-yeol was notably absent from the poster and teaser shoot, although tvN confirmed that the actor would be present, albeit his scenes filmed separately.

Hyeri and Ryu – who met on the set of thw drama – were notably in a long-term relationship, however, their split was announced in November 2023. Months later, Ryu was accused of allegedly leading Hyeri on that they have a chance to reconcile after he was spotted with actress Han So-hee.

‘Reply 1988’ premiered in November 2015 as the third installment to the ‘Reply’ drama series. It tells the story of five childhood friends and their families living together in an alley in Seoul’s Ssangmun-dong district in the 1980s and 1990s.

Directed by Shin Won-ho, the drama received critical acclaim and widespread success after its release. It was also the highest rating cable drama of tvN at the time and was considered a ‘national drama’ in South Korea.

Veteran coach Jerry Yee believes that for a young franchise to win it all in the PVL, it needs experience and a consistent hunger to go over the top.

That’s what the astute tactician came to terms with after the dream run of his fast-rising ZUS Coffee ended with a silver medal following a finals defeat to old guard Petro Gazz.

Yee isn’t picking up the lesson merely from the Thunderbelles’ stint in the Reinforced Conference; he is also digging into his experience from building the foundations of the Angels’ championship lore.

‘I’m not saying the team wasn’t hungry or that [the players] were complacent,’ Yee said. ‘But I think the real answer is experience. It really shows how difficult it is to be in that moment and manage everything that comes with it.’

‘You need hunger, consistent hunger,’ the ZUS Coffee coach said in Filipino.

ZUS Coffee showed the depth of its talent and the shades of its hunger in the first set as it displayed the vaunted performance that allowed the Thunderbelles to dominate most of the tournament.

‘People saw how capable we are, but we had a lot of self-doubt,’ Yee said.

That doubt was in the shadows early as Anna DeBeer personified the youthful spark the Thunderbelles used to overwhelm foes on the way to the final.

But then, experience reared its head at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Petro Gazz turned to returning import Lindsey Vander Weide and the All-Filipino championship trio of MJ Phillips, Brooke Van Sickle and Myla Pablo to win its fourth PVL crown-third in the Reinforced conference-with a 21-25, 28-26, 25-23, 25-20 victory in the winner-take-all final late Sunday.

‘Hopefully, we can draw lessons from this run,’ Yee said.

There are many other parallels the Thunderbelles can draw from as they turn their gaze to the future.

Yee recalled how the Angels also started from scratch when he started building their roots. Yee was head coach of Petro Gazz in 2018 and was promoted to program head, a position he used wisely to steer the Angels to championships in 2019 and 2022.

And that’s the same thing he wants to do for ZUS Coffee.

No expectations

‘I think that’s my niche, building something from zero, from scratch,’ Yee said. ‘I’ve done it with other teams before. Even the team we faced in the finals started like that, too.

‘But you can already see signs that we can do it . and that next time, we can bounce back.’

The Thunderbelles still made their coaches and management proud after a franchise that once had a 20-game losing streak last year made the leap to their first-ever championship game.

‘Even entering the semis, management didn’t expect us to get that far. They were very, very happy already. They told us, ‘No pressure, you made it this far, we’re happy,” Yee said.

ZUS Coffee might not need to wait long for the franchise’s breakthrough. Yee has signed veterans Jov Gonzaga, Alyssa Eroa and Chinnie Arroyo-all of whom can fast-track the learning process of young stars Thea Gagate, AC Miner and Riza Nogales.

That’s a potent mix, one that this defeat will help get stronger.

‘Of course, there was sadness and regret, but there was also celebration,’ Yee said, branding the team’s medal as a silver that shone like gold. ‘It was a magical run. Hopefully, we stay motivated coming back.’ INQ