Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Laureen Uy remembered her unborn baby Miles, underscoring how she and her husband Miggy Cruz were able to ‘find their way back to life again’ through their faith and support system.

The content creator looked back on their pregnancy and loss through a compilation video of their journey on her Instagram page on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

‘Feels just like yesterday since we lost you, Miles. One whole year since it felt impossible to get over our loss, but we were able to slowly find our way back to life again, one breath and one prayer at a time,’ Uy said.

Despite the grief, Uy reflected on how the heartbreak made her and Cruz stronger while also creating a ‘deeper connection’ between them.

Aside from Cruz, Uy also credited the ‘amazing community’ which was the reason why she never felt alone. ‘Thank you for making me feel that healing doesn’t have to be done in silence.’

‘I’m sharing this part of our story to honor our baby who never made it to this world, but changed us forever,’ she continued. ‘The past year has introduced me to pain I didn’t know could exist and resilience within myself I never knew was there.’

‘We’ll never stop praying and having faith that our story isn’t over- and that God has a better plan for us. A new chapter you’ll forever be part of,’ she added.

Uy concluded her message by addressing fellow mothers who have also experienced such loss. ‘Never lose hope. Better days are coming for us. Have faith,’ she said. ‘Trust the journey and believe that light will return to your heart. You are not alone-we hold each other up.’

Uy and Cruz got married in April 2024, then announced their first pregnancy the following October. They opened up about losing their child in December, saying the baby’s heart had stopped beating.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has minted a special series of P100 and P10 coins to commemorate Philippine festivals and the country’s role as chair of the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.

BSP Governor Remolona Jr. (lower left photo, standing second from the right) presented the ‘Pista sa Pilipinas: 100-Piso Philippine Festivals Commemorative Silver Coin Series’ (upper right photo) and the ’10-Piso ASEAN Coin’ (lower right photo) to President Marcos at Malacañang Palace on Nov. 26.

‘The coin issuances celebrate the Philippines’ rich cultural heritage and aim to raise public awareness and foster greater interest in the country’s role as Asean chair in 2026, as well as Asean cooperation as a whole,’ the BSP said in a press statement on Friday.

Joining the presentation for the 10-piso ASEAN coin are (lower left photo, from left) Department of Foreign Affairs Director-General for Operations Chief of Staff Aian Caringal, Assistant Secretary Anne Hernando and BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan.

An estimated 100,000 workers have been affected by the revocation of licenses contractors linked to the flood control projects controversy.

The matter was discussed during the Senate’s marathon plenary debates on the 2026 funding of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and was confirmed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian – the agency’s budget sponsor.

‘Mga 100,000 po ang estimate nila. Marami-rami rin,’ said Gatchalian on Thursday evening when he was asked by Sen. Risa Hontiveros how many individuals were affected by the corruption scandal.

In response, Hontiveros pointed out that this means that 100,000 families were affected and ‘are really relying on the urgent and longer-term assistance’ of the government at present, which Gatchalian confirmed.

‘Hopefully masalo ito ng private sector construction. I think ang private sector nakikita natin, despite — noong nawala ang [Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators] I’ve read reports na may resurgence in office space so ang hope natin is rechannel itong from government to the private sector,’ said Gatchalian.

(Hopefully, the private-sector construction industry can absorb them. I think the private sector-despite the loss of [Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators]-based on reports I’ve read, there is a resurgence in office space. So our hope is to rechannel this (workforce) from government projects to the private sector)

Prior to this, Hontiveros already asked what DOLE was doing to assist skilled and semi-skilled workers affected by the cancellation of licenses of contractors involved in the flood control issue.

She particularly asked what steps the agency was taking, further asking if they had plans prepared for the workers who lost their jobs because their contractors’ licenses were revoked under Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board.

Gatchalian, for his part, said DOLE is in constant coordination with the association of contractors because there is a ‘slowdown’ in the country’s construction industry.

But apart from this, Gatchalian said DOLE has an employment assistance for construction workers who are temporarily displaced.

‘Marami sa mga construction workers, mga ano ito eh, hindi naman sila regular employees. Marami dito ay mga contractual employee so meron silang mga temporary work assistance. And then meron din silang mga convergence program with TESDA, in so far as reskilling and upskilling [is concerned],’ said Gatchalian.

(Many construction workers are not regular employees-many of them are contractual-so they have temporary work assistance available for them. They also have convergence programs with TESDA in terms of reskilling and upskilling)

In the end, he explained that what’s essential is that the construction industry itself ‘coordinates with DOLE’ if there are still workers displaced due to the flood control issue.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is finalizing with the Office of the Ombudsman the list of individuals to be subjected to foreign travel restriction orders in connection with the investigation into anomalous infrastructure projects.

‘There’s a meeting today between the BI and the Office of the Ombudsman for the final list of those names that the Ombudsman is requesting to monitor,’ the bureau’s spokesperson Dana Sandoval said at The Agenda forum in Quezon City on Friday.

‘We don’t have the final list yet. But, the meeting today will be able to harmonize the information so that we can do the necessary action,’ she noted.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla last Wednesday asked the BI to ensure that 77 officials and individuals – whom he did not immediately name – should not leave the country’s jurisdiction.

Asked what assurances the BI had that the persons under investigation will not be allowed to flee, Sandoval said, ‘At this point in time, the Bureau of Immigration is really doing double, triple work to make sure that these individuals who are wanted by the law are not able to leave the country illegally.’

‘For those who are listed in the different orders pertaining to the flood control mess who are outside the country, maybe, you can just go home and face the charges against you,’ she suggested.

‘That’s about it. Let’s trust that justice will prevail and face the cases against you,’ she added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday led the distribution of livelihood assistance and the delivery of government services to indigenous peoples (IPs) in Zamboanga City.

During his visit to Barangay Sinunuc, Marcos met with around 500 members of the Sama Bajau group, each of whom received P10,000 in cash and family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program.

In addition, 71 families from the IP group received grocery packs worth P3,000 under the agency’s Walang Gutom Program, and 100 beneficiaries were granted P15,000 each under the Sustainable Livelihood Program.

‘I’m just here to ensure that proper assistance is given to what we call the first Filipinos, our IP community, the Sama Badjao,’ Marcos said in his address in Filipino.

‘We are here because sometimes the government is just waiting for you to approach. We haven’t served all of you. We haven’t helped everyone. That’s why what we did was this: We are the ones who will go to you. The government will come to you,’ he added.

During the event, 10 fishing boats, complete with accessories, were turned over to members of the Maasin Fisherfolk Association at the Sinunuc shoreline.

In addition, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources distributed informational materials, while the Office of the City Civil Registry provided free verification and certified copies of civil registry records for IP members.

The Department of Trade and Industry conducted program orientations and offered free business name registration, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples issued Certificates of Confirmation and provided consultations on IP concerns.

The Department of Health also delivered services, and the Philippine Statistics Authority facilitated national ID registration.

Moreover, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority offered skills enhancement programs and free grooming services.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced on Friday that the northbound lane of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa)-Kamuning in Quezon City will be closed early morning on Sunday, November 30.

This is in line with the ongoing rehabilitation of the Kamuning Bus Stop and the construction of a new Kamuning footbridge, the MMDA said in a Facebook traffic advisory.

The road closure on Sunday will be effective from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m.

The MMDA noted that the private contractor of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) working on the rehabilitation of the bus stop and construction of the footbridge will implement the road closure ‘to give way to steel structural works.’

Earlier, acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said that the project’s lead engineer told him that the Edsa Busway Kamuning Station-which he described as ‘modernized’ and ‘commuter, persons with disabilities (PWD), and senior citizen-friendly’-is expected to be finished in January 2026.

Meanwhile, the agency recently said that the new Kamuning footbridge is set to be completed this December.

The new Kamuning footbridge is designed to replace the one on Edsa, which is often referred to as ‘Mount Kamuning’ because of its very, very high elevation.

Recent government pronouncements tagging a growing list of lawmakers in the flood control corruption scandal may just be a ‘smoke screen’ to draw attention away from the proverbial big fish, especially those closer to Malacañang.

The warning came from ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, who said the public should take note of the recent ‘recommendations’ coming from the Palace-created Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

He said such recommendations to file charges against certain officials may only be creating an ‘illusion’ that swift, decisive actions were being taken.

Name-dropping

‘We need to question if this constant name-dropping is just a smoke screen,’ Tinio said in an interview on Tuesday. ‘And note that these names are only being named in a recommendation to file charges, not actually to file charges against those named.’

‘Let’s not get deceived by the illusion that so many things are happening when, in actuality, there are no cases filed yet against everybody named,’ the lawmaker said.

Tinio was referring to the joint recommendation by the DPWH and ICI on Wednesday to file charges against resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co and seven other congressmen with links to public works contractors for violating the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.

Apart from Co, also named in the recommendation were Construction Workers Solidarity Rep. Edwin Gardiola, Uswag Ilongo Rep. James Ang Jr., Pusong Pinoy Rep. Jernie Nisay, Bulacan Rep. Agustina Pancho, Cagayan Rep. Joseph Lara, Surigao del Norte Rep. Francisco Matugas, and Tarlac Rep. Noel Rivera.

3 Palace execs tagged

Before this and the previous recommendations from the ICI or DPWH, Tinio said, recent public testimonies already pointed to at least three Palace officials as allegedly having a hand in the funding of questionable flood control projects.

Co, for example, named former Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, former Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin, and Justice Undersecretary Jojo Cadiz as having facilitated the insertion of P100 billion worth of projects in the 2025 budget, he said.

The resigned Ako Bicol representative also accused former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan of getting a cut from the kickbacks drawn from the insertions.

Former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo also claimed he personally delivered kickback money to Bersamin and former Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar.

Cover-up

All but Cadiz have since resigned from their posts, and ‘it seems like the administration is content to just let them disappear from the scene,’ Tinio said.

‘So again, it seems like the president is now using the announcement of many names of congressmen or whatever officials to cover up the lack of action in the Cabinet’s own investigation that points to his own role in this corruption scandal,’ Tinio added.

Mr. Marcos has repeatedly denied Co’s allegations that he orchestrated, along with his cousin and former Speaker Martin Romualdez, the insertion of P100 billion worth of projects in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Isabella Bandoja relished the feeling of scoring the Philippines’ only goal in the 5-1 loss to Argentina that concluded the host’s campaign in the Fifa Futsal Women’s World Cup on Thursday at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Bandoja, a product of the Tuloy sa Don Bosco futsal and football program, came through in transition with 12 minutes to go in the match, which proved to be one of the silver linings in the Filipina5’s final appearance in the inaugural world competition.

‘It’s really special for me since it’s the World Cup which is a once in a lifetime experience,’ Bandoja said in Filipino. The score ignited a crowd of 2,811 who, in the early going,s were in disbelief after the Argentinians produced all of their goals in the opening seven minutes of the match that had nothing at stake for the Filipina5-except for pride.

But coach Rafa Merino’s side would atone for its woes, with tightened defending and some close calls from the likes of Regine Rebosura, Katrina Guillou and Bella Flanigan.

The Filipina5’s hard work paid off when Bandoja rushed back after a blocked attempt by Argentina’s Carina Nunez before firing a low right-footed shot past keeper Silvina Espinazo.

‘At the time when I had control of the ball, my focus was to just give my team at least one goal,’ said the 24-year-old, who had been a part of the futsal national team for the past few years.

Bandoja played in last year’s Asean Women’s Futsal Championship under then-coach Vic Hermans. She was eventually included in the pool by current mentor Rafa Merino in the months leading up to the World Cup.

Gilas Pilipinas relied on its defense to lock down Guam and come away with a masterful 87-46 away victory in its first game of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Friday night at Calvo Fieldhouse in Guam.

The Philippines limited Guam to only 17 combined points in both the third and fourth frames to blow the game wide open.

‘We just had to step it up defensively. I thought we were letting them get the ball a lot of times. They were able to do that but we were also able to slow them down and control the tempo,’ coach Tim Cone said.

‘Still, they’re very, very disciplined. We saw that when they played Syria in the Asia Cup.’

After a 17-all stalemate at the end of the opening period, the Philippines took over the game for good with a blistering 23-point second quarter run for a 40-29 lead heading into the second half. The troubles continued to pile up for Guam in the third frame, where it only scored seven points, while Gilas continued to step on the gas pedal, churning out 24 quarter points.

By the end of the third, the Philippines had built an insurmountable 64-36 lead.

Justin Brownlee led Gilas anew with 22 points, two rebounds and two assists built on an efficient 53.33 percent shooting clip. Dwight Ramos finished with 10 points. AJ Edu also chipped in eight markers and eight rebounds. Jericho Cruz carried the offensive load for Guam with 17 points, but he fumbled the ball six times with Guam committing a total of 16 turnovers. Tai Wesley registered 12 points and five boards in the loss.

Guam and Gilas go at it again on Monday, this time in the Philippines’ home soil at Ateneo’s Blue Eagle Gym.

The top five finalists of Miss International 2025 reflected on their pageantry experiences during the question-and-answer round at the coronation night in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, Nov. 27.

The finalists spoke of cultural appreciation, global sisterhood, personal growth, and embracing one’s authenticity, which helped shape them throughout the competition, as they answered the question, ‘If you were to describe your entire Miss International experience to your family and loved ones, what would you tell them?’

Myrna Esguerra of Philippines, Miss International 4th runner-up

‘I will tell my mama that I just gained 79 more siblings among my 16 siblings back home. Miss International taught me to be selfless and it taught me the value of having friends from all around the world. And I am so grateful for this opportunity because I learned to help everyone in here, everyone who needs my help. And above all, it made me a better person, a human that cares because I was able to create my project. And with that, it is my tribute to all the people who helped me.’

Melliza Xaviera Yulian of Indonesia, Miss International 3rd runner-up

‘I still remember when I got to the audition of my national competition. My mom asked me, what is the international pageant that I want to compete in? And back then, I answered, and I will always be answering this with Miss International. And yeah, I’m here, together with the rest, beautiful, gorgeous women, showing up to my mother that my choice is right. Because here in Miss International, we don’t need to be pretending to be someone else. We just need to show who I am, but the best version of myself. And Miss International taught me that we don’t need. Thank you.’

Paola Guzmán Sanchez of Bolivia, Miss International 2nd runner-up

‘Since the moment I won the crown, I have been learning about Japanese culture. In my first meeting with an ambassador of Japan in Bolivia, he told me the three pillars of Japanese culture. Responsibility, resilience and kindness. In this Miss International, I have seen all my sisters grow as women, as humans. And I’ll see myself grow through it. That teaches me that I need to believe in myself as much as I believe in others. And that’s what I want to inspire.’

Yollanda Chimbarami of Zimbabwe, Miss International 1st runner-up

‘I would say this experience has been empowering. As a woman of color, I’ve been in spaces and rooms where I’ve been undermined because of the color of my skin and the texture of my hair. But Miss International has taught me that you can cheer for all women and there’s enough room for everybody. I came in as a young woman with hopes, but I’m standing before you as a young woman with a purpose, ready to serve, ready to lead and ready to cheer all women who dare to dream. Because I am a strong, powerful African black woman.’

Catalina Duque of Colombia, Miss International 2025

‘Actually they are here with me today, so I’ll say it directly to them. I used to think that the big moments were the only ones that mattered. But learning about Japanese culture, I’ve learned about ‘Mono no aware,’ about the little things. Just how the leaves fall in autumn and they make things beautiful. How kids hug me and they smile at me. And how every yummy, tasty ramen I have reminds me to have a glorious life and to enjoy every single moment. I’m so thankful for being here and I’m having so much fun.’