Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Grethcel Soltones and the Akari Chargers may have had some doubts when they were down two sets and 15-4 in the fourth. But their passionate coach, Tina Salak, gave them a wake-up call that fired up the squad to fight its way to another podium finish in the PVL Reinforced Conference.

‘Everybody doubted us, even ourselves; we had doubts in the fourth set,’ Salak said in Filipino. ‘But holding on together was what won us this bronze.’

Salak lit a fire under Soltones that sparked the fourth-set comeback and a come-from-behind 15-25, 25-23, 21-25, 26-24, 20-18 triumph over PLDT to clinch the bronze on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

‘As for Grethcel, everyone knows she’s the Lady Beast. That moniker won’t ever go away. That’s how big my trust in her is,’ said Salak. ‘Even when we argued once . I told her, ‘I’m not here to make friends. I need to push you.’ But we’re good. That was all on the court.’

With import Annie Mitchem powering Akari with 36 points, Soltones displayed an all-around game of 14 points, 13 receptions, and 10 digs for their second straight bronze after the All-Filipino Conference despite failing to sustain last year’s Finals appearance.

‘It’s a big deal for us because a lot of people doubted our team,’ Soltones said. ‘We had so much to improve on. But this is huge for us, it’s a stepping stone for us to mature.’

Soltones didn’t want to absorb another five-set loss after falling to Petro Gazz in the semifinals. Akari was the eighth seed heading to the quarterfinals, upsetting No.1 Farm Fresh.

‘In our last game, I can say it was really about emotions. We could have taken that win if we didn’t let our emotions and impatience take over,’ Soltones said. ‘That’s what the coaches kept reminding us during those tight moments. I kept telling the team, ‘Relax, it’s not over yet. We’ll celebrate when it’s done.’ [That helped us] stay calm and move properly during the crucial points.’

‘I think we really improved this time. Coach Tina helped us a lot-building culture, discipline, everything.’

Salak said this bronze was still sweet to start her coaching era for the Chargers.

‘I’m very passionate when I teach, and the team is very passionate too. The coaches all share the same vision for Akari, and I’m really thankful and blessed because they’re the reason we reached our goal,’ she said. ‘We didn’t get the championship, but it’s still a great opportunity to move forward.

‘By the All-Filipino, we can improve our attitude, our skills, our work ethic, and get to know ourselves better as players. I want harmony, rhythm, and a happy environment. I’m really glad I was able to influence them to have that mindset.

The UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament officially enters the Final Four on Wednesday, and here’s what to expect as the postseason begins.

Final Four returnees University of Santo Tomas, La Salle and defending champion University of the Philippines headline the field behind top-seeded National U, which secured the No. 1 spot after a breakthrough run in Season 88.

The Season 88 men’s basketball Final Four tips off Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. when La Salle and NU open the round. UP and UST follow at 4:30 p.m.

From the get-go, the Bulldogs already cemented themselves as the title favorites for this year’s UAAP race. In fact, they were the first team to clinch both a playoff berth and a twice-to-beat advantage with an 11-3 record.

UP, the defending kings of the UAAP, however, had lagged compared to NU, but the Fighting Maroons’ championship experience almost left no doubt that they would reach the Final Four.

They finished with a 10-4 card-also sufficient for the last twice-to-beat incentive.

The UST Growling Tigers, meanwhile, had a rocky elimination round. After starting the season at 5-1, coach Pido Jarencio and company went on a four-game losing slide.

Still, UST’s hot start gave them the cushion they needed, ending the eliminations with an 8-6 record.

La Salle probably had the hardest trip to the Final Four.

The Green Archers, at one point in the tail end of the season, were caught in a logjam for the final playoff spot with Ateneo and Far Eastern University.

So when La Salle took on its rival in the last day of eliminations, the Archers made sure not to leave any stones unturned, booting out the Blue Eagles and the Tamaraws at the same time to end up with an 8-6 card.

Surprise pairing: No 1. NU vs No. 4 La Salle

Things are quite different for the Green Archers this season.

Entering the Final Four may be a usual sight for them, sure, but being on the lower end of it with a twice-to-beat disadvantage? Now that’s not a sight La Salle usually sees.

On the other end of the match-up is the best team in Season 88: the NU Bulldogs.

NU coach Jeff Napa has successfully unleashed the talents of his roster, whether it be from the starting lineup or the reserves list.

In fact, the Bulldogs are 2-0 against the Green Archers, taking an 82-78 win in the first round and a 75-67 victory in the next.

In both those outings, one name proved to be pivotal for NU and no, it wasn’t Jake Figueroa or Steve Nash Enriquez. It was Paul Francisco, one of the Bulldogs’ main gunners, who flourished whenever NU took on La Salle.

He scored 14 in their second round win against the Season 87 finalist and 13 in the first meeting.

Figueroa will still be a marked man come the playoffs. After all, he averaged 13.93 points, 7.21 rebounds, 3.93 assists and 2.14 steals per game in the elimination round.

Meanwhile, Mike Phillips is the obvious answer to the question of who La Salle will rely on after averaging a double-double of 12.79 points and 14.93 rebounds per game.

However, another vital piece to the puzzle is Jacob Cortez, who is no stranger to facing a twice-to-win predicament before he moved to La Salle.

‘We’re excited to go against NU. All I can say is we’ll take it one game at a time. I’ve been there before when I had to beat a team twice,’ he said, pertaining to his last stint with San Beda in NCAA Season 99 where they had to beat Lyceum twice in the semis.

The former Red Lion standout normed a team-high 14.21 points per game and as the leading playmaker for coach Topex Robinson, he will be someone to look out for.

Same, same, but different: That’s how the other bracket of the Final Four looks with UP and UST going at it again for the second straight year.

Lke last year, UST has to take on a UP squad equipped with a twice-to-beat advantage.

UST, though, opened its Season 88 campaign with an 87-67 rout of the Fighting Maroons. It was a new sight for the Tigers, who weren’t able to win one game against UP last year.

Nic Cabañero and company, however, fumbled a close one in their next meeting with UP in the second round of eliminations, 89-88.

Cabañero and Forthsky Padrigao are both in their final years for UST, and they don’t want to commit the same mistakes they made last year.

‘We’re just embracing the pressure and controlling what we can control. We’re focused on the games one at a time,’ Cabañero told the Inquirer.

The sniper out of España will attract UP’s defense after averaging one of the highest points per game in the league with 16.79. Alongside him, of course, is gritty playmaker Padrigao, who on average dished out 5.15 assists in 14 games.

There’s also Collins Akowe, UST’s newest resident foreign student-athlete, who averaged 16.43 points and 14.5 rebounds a night-a tough cover for UP’s Francis Nnoruka, who posted 12.57 points and 9.07 boards a game.

Nnoruka will be backed by UP’s vets, namely Harold Alarcon and Gerry Abadiano, who wreaked havoc for the Maroons in their elimination round games.

The Maroons will also be enjoying the services of former UE standouts Rey Remogat and Gani Stevens for the first time in a playoff setting.

The familiar chants of ‘Makibaka! huwag matakot (Dont be scared! Protest in the streets)’ rang out in downtown Baguio on Sunday from about 350 students and local activists who staged the Baguio leg of the second Trillion Peso March against corruption.

The group paraded down towards Burnham Park for its ‘Baha sa Burnham (Burnham Flooding)’ program that was organized by multiple campus leaders and Kabataan Partylist Group.

Transport leader Josefino Bautista said the youths in the crowd represent the future of a city that is beset with pressures from commercial interests that have tried to control the summer capital through public private partnership arrangements.

Young journalists operating the alternative Ili Press complained that Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who advocates good governance, chose to join the core anti-corruption march at EDSA instead of participating in the Baguio eventThey read poems to the audience which reflected on divisive issues like the PPP plan to build a modern market which the crowd opposes.

Their protest mascot was a papier mache crocodile

Akari captured the PVL Reinforced Conference bronze medal after pulling off a come-from-behind 15-25, 25-23, 21-25, 26-24, 20-18 win over PLDT in a five-set thriller on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Chargers, coming off a five-set heartbreak in the semifinal to the Petro Gazz Angels, never gave up on a podium finish even after trailing by two sets and 4-15 in the fourth to force a decider, which went toe-to-toe.

After five deuces in the fifth set, Ced Domingo drilled a crucial ace for the match point, followed by a wild sequence with Eli Soyud, who ended up with the game-winning push that landed on PLDT’s floor, completing the comeback after a two-hour and 38-minute duel. Annie Mitchem saved the best for last for Akari with 36 points, while Grethcel Soltones also rose to the occasion with 14 points, 13 excellent receptions, and 10 digs.

‘In the fourth set, I thought it was over. I kind of was just preparing to just like finish. And then all of a sudden, we were winning. I don’t even think we expected that. It was like a shock for even us,’ said Mitchem. ‘And then in the fifth set, I think we started to fight more. And want to actually show what we can do and win.’

Akari also drew solid contributions from middle blockers Domingo and Fifi Sharma, who had nine and eight points, respectively. Mars Alba paced the team with 22 excellent sets, while Justine Jazareno tallied 23 digs.

The Chargers earned their third straight podium finish despite failing to sustain their runner-up finish last year, adding their second bronze after the previous All-Filipino Conference.

‘With that match, everybody doubted us, even ourselves, we doubted ourselves in the fourth set. We didn’t realize that holding on together is the best thing we can possibly do to win this bronze medal,’ said Akari coach Tina Salak.

Akari was the eighth seed in the elimination round, but it knocked out the No.1 team Farm Fresh in the quarterfinals.

PLDT botched its chance of winning bronze after reaching match point in the fourth, 24-22.

Akari pounced on the opportunity with Sharma nailing back-to-back blocks on Anastasiia Bavykina, Soltones scoring a point to put Akari ahead, and Mitchem nailing the set-clinching kill to force a fifth set.

Savi Davison gave her all with 30 points in a losing effort. Bavykina had 28 points, while Dell Palomata added 11 only for PLDT, which settled for fourth place, following a semifinal loss to ZUS Coffee.

They came, as promised, like ninjas.

And with choreographed stealth plus added twists to familiar winning stunts, the National University Pep Squad forged a runaway victory on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena that proved it was a cut above the rest in the UAAP Cheerdance Competition.

The group also proved it was a cut above the rest in UAAP Cheerdance Competition history.

It was a second straight victory for the NU Pep Squad, which leaned on a breathtaking performance that had throwbacks to last year’s golden feat.

‘We wanted to create a variety of the Ferris wheel pyramid we did last year,’ coach Gabriel Bajacan said. ‘Almost all of our pyramids had someone spinning and twisting like a washing machine.’

It certainly was rinse-and-repeat for Bajacan’s fearless ninjas, who turned to ancient Japan’s clandestine assassins as a theme.

‘We knew the audience liked what we did last year and just to create a variety is so fulfilling despite these kids having a hard time practicing those pyramids,’ Bajacan said.

NU finished with 695 points, 36 better than second-placer Adamson University.

The margin was befitting the main accomplishment NU created with the victory: The unassuming campus on Jhocson street in Sampaloc, Manila, annexed its ninth overall crown, leaving University of Santo Tomas and University of the Philippines-traditional cheerdance powers that finished way out of the podium on Saturday-tied for second at eight wins each.

UST finished fifth with 618.5 points while UP was a spot below with 558 points.

‘I can’t even imagine, as someone who grew up with UAAP Cheerdance, that we got to this point,’ Bajacan said. ‘We know the history of NU before and we can’t believe that we’d be the coaches to make history for NU. We’re very grateful.’

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has suspended the impounding of electric vehicles, particularly electric bikes and tricycles (e-bikes, e-trikes), that will be caught operating on national highways on Monday, December 1.

In a video statement on Sunday, LTO chief Markus Lacanilao said the ‘strict enforcement’ of the impounding of e-vehicles on national roads will be extended to January 2, 2026.

According to Lacanilao, what will happen on Monday will be the agency’s ‘information drive’ to make motorists aware that e-vehicles are prohibited from operating on national roads.

‘In response to public complaints, I would like to clarify that our President, Bongbong Marcos and [acting transportation] Secretary Giovanni Lopez have heard your concerns. Therefore, there will be no impounding operation for the time being while we implement a comprehensive information drive to give everyone enough time to understand and comply with the existing regulations,’ Lacanilao said.

‘We will issue guidelines and information campaigns to clarify where LEVs (Light Electric Vehicles) are allowed and prohibited,’ he added.

Lacanilao said that starting on Monday, enforcers and personnel of the LTO will be visible on the roads to promote the information drive and explain to motorists the proper use of e-vehicles.

On January 2 next year, the LTO chief said the strict impounding of e-vehicles and apprehension for those who violate the ban on the national highways will already be implemented, emphasizing that ‘there will no longer be an extension.’

‘Ultimately, the LTO has only one goal, not to inconvenience the public, but to ensure that our roads are safe, well-maintained, and with clear responsibilities for every user, including users of e-bikes, e-trikes, and other LEVs,’ said Lacanilao.

Last Friday, Lacanilao announced that e-bikes and e-trikes will be banned on national highways after citing accidents involving the vehicles, noting that this will be for the safety of everyone.

Brazil and Spain asserted their reputation as the top two teams in the Fifa rankings after headlining the list of quarterfinalists in the Futsal Women’s World Cup at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The group stage drew to a close on Saturday with Brazil pounding Panama, 9-0, behind a hat trick from Lediane Marcolan and a brace from Lucilela, to complete a three-game sweep of Group D.

Spain likewise won all three matches in Group B after Friday’s 7-0 drubbing of Canada, with Laura Cordoba, among the top scorers of the competition, accounting for one of the goals.

Also with three wins out of three matches is Portugal in Group C following its 10-0 shellacking of New Zealand, with Tifo scoring twice.

Also advancing are group runner-ups Colombia from Group B, Japan in Group C and Italy in Group D.

They joined Argentina and Morocco, which placed first and second in Group A where host Philippines was drawn.

The quarterfinals will start Monday at the same venue with Argentina taking on Colombia at 6 p.m. followed by Spain against Morocco at 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday’s other quarterfinal twinbill pits Portugal and Italy at 6 p.m. before the clash between Brazil and Japan at 8:30 p.m.

The winners advance to the semifinals on Friday, with the final slated for Sunday.

A fire broke out at the Senate building in Pasay City on Sunday morning, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said.

In an interview, the BFP Pasay City-Senate substation reported that the fire was raised to first alarm at around 6:50 a.m. and reached second alarm at 6:58 a.m.

The fire, which erupted along Diokno Boulevard, was brought under control by 7:43 a.m.

Fire authorities said they deployed five personnel and a rescue truck to the area. An ambulance also responded to the scene.

No injuries or fatalities were reported so far, but authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire.

Maris Racal and Maki were among the celebrities who showed up at the second leg of the Trillion Peso March Movement on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Held in different areas of the National Capital Region (NCR), the anti-corruption rallies saw thousands of Filipinos take to the streets to express their fury against corrupt government officials. The march took place two months after the first leg of the anti-corruption protests in Manila and Quezon City.

Racal once again joined the Philippines-Palestine Friendship Association at the rally in Manila, where she held a sign saying, ‘No to dynasty of thieves.’

Meanwhile, Maki and BenandBen were among the acts invited to the rally at the People Power Monument, channeling their protest through their own interpretations of their songs ‘Namumula’ and ‘Kapangyarihan,’ respectively.

At the rally in Manila, Catriona Gray, Carmi Martin, Pinky Amador and Bibeth Orteza – the latter having been known to have protested against Ferdinand Marcos Sr. during the height of Martial Law – gave speeches.

‘To the Ombudsman, file the cases now. To the Senate, suspend the senators implicated. And to the Congress, pass the anti-political dynasty bill. Because power should not be inherited, it should be earned through service of the people,’ Gray said in her speech, urging government officials to take action against widespread corruption.

Anne Curtis took to her Instagram Story to express her support for those who took their fury to the streets.

‘Ikulong na ang mga kurakot (Jail the corrupt officials). I can’t believe it’s been taking this long! What a joke,’ she wrote.

In September, the first leg of the anti-corruption rallies was attended by Gray, Curtis, Racal, Vice Ganda, Gabbi Garcia, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Donny Pangilinan and Andrea Brillantes, to name a few.

Meanwhile, other celebrities like Kim Chiu, Paulo Avelino, and Maymay Entrata took to social media to call on politicians to take action against corruption.

Enrique Gil admitted that working with Piolo Pascual in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2025 entry ‘Manila’s Finest’ feels like an ‘early Christmas gift,’ while expressing his excitement for the film.

In the MMFF 2025 entry, Gil stars as First Lieutenant Billy Ojeda who works for the Manila Police Department. He is the trusted partner of Captain Homer Magtibay (Pascual) who investigates brutal murders in the city’s growing slums.

‘Billy looks up to Capt. Homer [is] like an older brother, and I think that mirrors how I see Piolo in real life. I’ve always dreamed of working with him,’ Gil said of his working experience with his co-star.

Gil, who signed a multi-picture contract deal with MQuest Ventures, said being part of the film is an experience that made him step into ‘another time.’

‘Being part of Manila’s Finest as my first film project under MQuest Ventures is really special. The whole experience – from the costumes to the set design – felt like stepping into another time. Everyone on set was so passionate about bringing that era to life, and it made me appreciate how meaningful this project is,’ he said.

Meanwhile, ‘Manila’s Finest’ is Pascual’s fourth consecutive MMFF entry after ‘Mallari,’ ‘GomBurZa,’ and ‘The Kingdom,’ and his third consecutive time to take on a lead role.

‘To be part of the MMFF for three years in a row is truly special. To also work with a cast and team of this caliber is an honor. The chemistry on set was incredible, everyone was driven by the same passion to create something that feels big, bold, and deeply Filipino,’ he said.

Also part of the Raymond Red-helmed film are Ariel Rivera, Romnick Sarmenta, Joey Marquez, Soliman Cruz, Cedrick Juan, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Rico Blanco, Kiko Estrada, Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio, Ashtine Olviga, Ethan David, Dylan Menor, Paulo Angeles, Inday Fatima, and Pearl Gonzales. /mr