Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Amid all the controversies being faced by the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), Lupita Jones, Miss Universe 1999, couldn’t help but be impressed with the way the Miss International pageant remained classy all these years.

Jones, Mexico’s first-ever Miss Universe titleholder, was the national director of the Miss Mexico pageant that fields candidates to Miss Universe, until 2023 when she locked horns with MUO over certain policies changes. She is currently the national director of the Miss International Mexico..

But between the two major global pageants, she said Miss International stands out for its emphasis on international culture.

‘I love the Miss International pageant because they really focus on culture, how the candidates can share their countries’ cultures,’ Jones told Inquirer Entertainment.

The Mexican beauty queen granted an interview at the sidelines of the 63rd Miss International pageant’s preliminary evaluation in Yokohama, Japan, on Nov. 24, but begged off from answering questions about Miss Universe.

Her country posted its fourth Miss Universe victory in Thailand on Nov. 21, in a scandal-plagued competition that has birthed controversies all throughout, even after Fatima Bosch’s proclamation as the new queen.

Jones has also publicly declared her disapproval of the current management of the MUO, and how the pageant has been run lately.

In discussing the Miss International pageant, she cited how the delegates also get immersed in Japanese culture through the different visits to different places in the country.

Jones also shared that another thing that she loves about the Miss International pageant as a national director is the organization’s focus on the delegates’ wellbeing by imposing a ‘minimum body index,’ the only competition she knows has one.

‘That means a lot to me, because that means that they take care of the health of the girls, and not push them just to put their health at risk. And that’s what I love about Miss International,’ she said.

When asked about the qualities that she finds in Miss International winners, Jones said she observed that the queens possess classic beauty, very elegant and very articulate in her speech.

She also encouraged the public to follow the pageant. ‘This is the season for beauty pageants, so enjoy! Miss International is one of the classy pageants that we still have. Just support your favorite, and wish the best for the winner,’ Jones said.

Mexico is represented by Natalia Garibay in this year’s Miss International pageant, hoping to post her country’s third win at the final gala in Tokyo, Japan, on Nov. 27.

Eighty delegates from different countries and territories around the world are competing to succeed reigning queen Thanh Thuy. Binibining Pilipinas Myrna Esguerra is representing the Philippines and is on a mission to obtain the country’s seventh crown.

Minimum wage earners and domestic workers in Eastern Visayas are set to receive an increase in minimum wage starting December 2025, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Thursday.

The DOLE said that the wage increase will cover an estimated 114,126 minimum wage earners and 57,081 domestic workers. This new pay hike will be effective starting December 8, 2025, based on the Wage Orders Nos. RB VIII-25 and RBVIII-DW-06.

All sectors will get a P35 daily wage increase, which will bring the daily minimum wage at P440 (or P11,477 monthly) for the agriculture sector, cottage and handicraft and retail and service establishments with fewer than 10 employees. Meanwhile, the daily minimum wage for non-agriculture sector and retail and service establishments with more than 10 employees will now receive P470 a day, or P12,259 monthly. The domestic workers, or kasambahays, will also receive a monthly increase of P400 for those based in chartered cities and first-class municipalities, which will bring their monthly salary to P6,400. Those who are in other municipalities will get a P300 monthly wage increase, which will raise their monthly pay to P5,800.

The DOLE also said that about ‘162,501 full-time wage and salary workers earning above the minimum wage are also expected to indirectly benefit from wage adjustments at the enterprise level in the said region, arising from the correction of wage distortions.’

Meanwhile, the agency noted that retail and service establishments with not more than 10 employees and enterprises affected by calamities can apply for the exemption of the wage increase until February 5, 2026.

It added that barangay micro business enterprises with valid Certificates of Authority from the Department of Trade and Industry are not covered by the minimum wage law.

‘In deciding the amount of minimum wage increases in the region, RTWPB-VII [Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board] balanced the rights of workers to be protected from unduly low pay and of employers to reasonable profits, as well as the overall development objectives of promoting employment and productivity and preventing inflation,’ the DOLE said.

Retailers expect a strong Christmas season ahead despite economic headwinds that could trigger more cautious spending patterns among Filipinos, said Alice Liu, president of the Philippine Retailers Association.

‘It may be a little bit more tempered because people will be a little bit more conscious about how they spend,’ Liu told reporters. ‘But you know, with Filipinos, they never really cancel Christmas.’

Liu, who heads Golden ABC Inc., which handles six major Filipino apparel brands, including Penshoppe, Regatta and Oxgn, said the company began feeling the holiday surge in November.

‘We saw it mid-November,’ she said. ‘Probably because when the government bonuses started to be released, some people started spending already.’

She cited the appointment of Finance Secretary Frederick Go as another reason to be optimistic, saying his business experience as a former Robinsons Land CEO could help improve business confidence. ‘Coming from the business sector, he will really be able to understand the pains of retailers and can help stir the economy again to make the playing field more even,’ she said.

Plans

Liu said Golden ABC remains bullish heading into 2026, planning to open 50 to 80 new stores in malls nationwide with a capital allocation of about P100 million.

By the end of the year, the company expects to operate over 1,000 stores nationwide. ‘Growth plans continue. The malls continue to open, so we need to be able to continue to position well with them,’ she said.

‘We just have to be agile and be able to react well, depending on what circumstances happen.’

Manila Water celebrated the 13th anniversary of its flagship environmental advocacy program, Toka-Toka, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable sanitation and community partnership. The event, held at Elements Eton Centris in Quezon City, gathered key government agencies, local leaders, and partners to recognize outstanding barangays that champion environmental protection and proper wastewater management.

Since its launch in 2012, Toka-Toka has been the only advocacy in the Philippines dedicated to promoting proper wastewater practices and environmental stewardship. Tokasangga, now on its second year, serves as the official awarding event of the program, where Manila Water recognizes barangay desludging champions and other environmental achievers.

Anchored on the theme ‘Bayanihan para sa Malinis na Tubig at Sanitasyon,’ this year’s celebration highlighted the collective efforts of communities and partners in advancing desludging services and sanitation awareness across the East Zone.

Sixteen barangays were hailed as Desludging Achievers, while 74 barangays received citations for their active participation in environmental initiatives, underscoring the growing impact of collaborative action in protecting waterways and public health.

‘Local community leaders share the pulse of our customers and the community that they serve. This [Tokasangga] is just a small way of showing our appreciation for all that you do-for us, with us, for your communities, and for yourselves,’ Manila Water President and CEO Jocot de Dios said during his welcome remarks.

The event also featured messages from representatives of key agencies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), and Local Government Units (LGUs), emphasizing the importance of shared responsibility in environmental protection.

‘The MWSS is truly privileged to have Manila Water as a partner in fulfilling its water and sewerage mandates. The MWSS is even more privileged to have you, our communities [Kasangga], as you contribute to the improvement of sewerage and sanitation services,’ MWSS Board of Trustees Chairman Vega said in his message.

‘I would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Manila Water for the outstanding success of your flagship environmental advocacy-Toka-Toka. We are also pleased of our customers who embody their Toka joining us as active partners alongside our concessionaires towards waterway rehabilitation and watershed protection,’ MWSS Chief Regulator Patrick Ty said in his speech.

‘Cleaning and rehabilitating our waterways, improving our drainage system, and enforcing related water regulations are all incorporated in our mandate. However, we could not do this alone. As the concern of wastewater sanitation and environmental protection are not just matters of engineering concerns nor work designated only to the government-it is a community concern and a shared responsibility,’ MMDA Planning Office Director Sheila shared, representing MMDA Chairman Romando Artes.

‘To our Kasangga-our operational partners-your feedback, coordination, and compliance at the local level help prevent downstream incidents and significantly reduce the cost of response for everyone involved,’ Quezon City’s Climate Change and Environment Sustainability Assistant Department Head Vincent Vinarao said.

The awarding ceremony served as the highlight of the program, honoring barangays that demonstrated exemplary performance in implementing desludging programs and promoting proper waste disposal practices. These efforts contribute significantly to reducing pollution in waterways and improving community health.

As Manila Water continues to expand its sewerage and sanitation services, Toka-Toka remains a vital platform for education and collaboration, inspiring communities to take their ‘toka’ or share in caring for the environment.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the proposed rental pool deals of property developer Sta. Lucia Land Inc.

Rental pool deals refer to investment contracts where a property developer sells or offers units in real estate projects such as condominiums, hotels or resorts to the public.

Under such deals, buyers contribute the units to a rental pool managed and operated by the company or a third-party operator. Consequently, the buyers receive a share in profits earned by renting out the units to third parties. The SEC said on Thursday it had cleared Sta. Lucia’s 16 registration statements covering 2,382 certificates of participation, subject to compliance with remaining requirements.

Sta. Lucia will offer certificates of participation priced at:

P70,000 each for 2,101 studio units;

P80,000 for each certificate in 150 one-bedroom units;

P90,000 each for certificates in 121 two-bedroom units; and

P100,000 each for certificates in 10 three-bedroom units.

Fifteen of the projects under the rental pool program are located in Quezon City, Baguio City, Rizal, Cavite, Batangas, Palawan, Iloilo, Cebu and Davao. They have been operating since at least 2011.

A project in Cebu is still under construction and is expected to be completed by 2027. As holders of the certificates of participation, unit owners will be entitled to a share in the net profits earned by the pooled units made available as hotel rooms for paying guests, as well as personal use of the units for 30 nights per year

The local stock barometer failed to sustain its hold at 6,000 level on Thursday, falling anew on profit taking and as worries on the economy persisted.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) lost 0.59 percent, or 35.57 points, to end at 5,969.13.The broader All Shares Index also dipped by 0.24 percent, or 8.54 points, to 3,538.11.

The financial counter suffered the biggest blow, dropping by 2.21 percent.

Only the holding firms posted gains among the key sectors.

‘The PSEi closed lower as investors locked in gains from the previous session,’ said Luis Limlingan, head of sales at stock brokerage house Regina Capital Development Corp.

‘Sentiment also softened amid caution over Fitch’s recent warning on potential risks to the Philippines’ credit standing. The concern raised added pressure as markets weighed its possible impact on economic performance,’ he added. Political jitters

According to Fitch Ratings, unending political woes, further fired up by multibillion-peso corruption scandal linked to flood control projects, will remain a ‘significant risk’ to the credit rating of the Philippines until next year.

The impact on investor sentiment and public spending was already felt in the latter part of 2025, with the third-quarter economic growth logged as the slowest expansion in four years. If the social tensions continue, Fitch warned that they ‘can become more of a drag on growth as confidence among foreign and domestic investors suffers.’

The Philippines currently holds a BBB rating from Fitch-above the minimum investment grade-with a ‘stable’ outlook. However, given the issues at present, the country may fail to reach its dream of getting an ‘A’ rating this 2025.

Sluggish spending

Another factor dragging investor confidence was the drop in government expenditures, said Philstocks financial research manager Japhet Tantiangco.’The local market dropped as investors digested the Philippine government’s October budget position data, which posted a decline in both public revenues and expenditures,’ he said. Puregold Price Club Inc. and SM Investments Corp. were the index leaders, both climbing 2.96 percent.DigiPlus Interactive Corp., meanwhile, was the main index laggard, falling 4.64 percent, despite its announcement about a new payment option.

The Philippine women’s futsal team wrapped up its campaign in the Fifa Futsal Women’s World Cup with a 5-1 defeat at the hands of quarterfinal-bound Argentina on Thursday at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Argentina scored all of its goals in the first seven minutes before the Filipina5 put up a brave effort to ensure it would no longer concede another. Isabella Bandoja averted a shutout in the second half on a counterattack which served as a consolation for the home side and most of the 2,811 fans who came to witness the final matchday of Group A.

Coach Rafa Merino’s side lost all three matches to conclude its stint in the inaugural world competition. Argentina, on the other hand, finished with nine points after winning all three matches, emerging as the top team in the group.

A quick start propelled Argentina to virtually secure the maximum three points. Lara Villalba broke the ice 85 seconds into the match before Argentina doubled its lead behind Mailen Romero.

But Argentina was far from done as Luciana Natta and Agostina Chiesa made it 4-0 while Melina Quevedo converted the fifth from the penalty spot.

It looked as though Argentina was poised for more, but the early misery proved to be a rude awakening for the Filipina5.

Kayla Santiago replaced Samantha Hughes as goalkeeper and made some fine stops the rest of the way. Then Bandoja, a product of Tuloy sa Don Bosco who has a background at futsal since childhood, came through with the score with 12:31 to go in the contest.

More than 70,000 people have signed a petition calling for the cancellation of K-pop girl group Aespa’s performance at Japan’s most prominent year-end music show over the inclusion of its Chinese member, Ningning.

The petition, posted Monday, specifically targeted the NHK Red and White Singing Contest, one of Japan’s most-watched year-end programs. It argued that Aespa’s appearance could damage Japan’s image and offend those affected by historical tragedies.

‘We demand the suspension of Aespa’s appearance on the Red and White Singing Contest. Please cooperate with the online petition,’ the statement read in Japanese.

Observers say the petition reflects rising tensions between Japan and China. Relations have been strained after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently suggested that Japan could deploy its Self-Defense Forces if China attacked Taiwan. Industry insiders worry that such political tension could complicate matters for K-pop groups like Aespa with Chinese and Japanese members.

Amid rising tensions between the two countries, an old post by Ningning also resurfaced, drawing criticism from Japanese fans for referencing the tragic history of the Hiroshima atomic bombing.

In May 2022, Ningning uploaded a lamp shaped like an atomic bomb on Bubble, a subscription-based messaging app used by K-pop idols, ‘I bought a pretty lamp, what do you think?’ she wrote.

Observers noted that Ningning came from Harbin, a region under Japanese colonial rule from 1932 to 1945, suggesting she may have harbored anti-Japanese sentiments.

NHK said it is aware of the issue and has confirmed with Aespa’s agency, SM Entertainment, that the Chinese member did not intend to mock the atomic bomb victims, according to Japanese reports.

SM Entertainment declined to comment on the matter.

Apart from Aespa, a fan meeting event for JO1, an 11-member Japanese boy band formed through the audition program ‘Produce 101 Japan’ in 2019, has been canceled due to ‘unavoidable circumstances,’ according to Hong Kong’s Sing Tao Daily on Thursday.

On Monday, QQ Music, one of China’s largest music platforms, notified fans that the VIP member-only event scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled, without providing further details.

Currently, the boy group is under Lapone Entertainment, a joint venture between Japan’s showbiz conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo and South Korea’s entertainment giant CJ ENM.

The Philippines’ Myrna Esguerra ended her Miss International 2025 journey with a fourth runner-up finish, while Catalina Duque of Colombia is crowned Miss International 2025.

The 63rd Miss International pageant has concluded with the coronation of Duque as the new queen, besting 79 other aspirants in ceremonies held at the Yoyogi National Stadium 2nd Gymnasium here on Thursday evening, Nov. 27.

Duque inherited the title from last year’s winner, Vietnamese beauty Huynh Thi Thanh Thuy. This is the fourth Miss International crown for Colombia.

Settling for the first runner-up spot was Yollanda Chimbarami of Zimbabwe, while Paola Guzmán Sanchez of Bolivia was proclaimed second runner-up.

Melliza Xaviera Yulian of Indonesia was third runner-up, while Esguerra rounded up the winners’ circle as fourth runner-up. Meanwhile, the four continental queens are: Sophie Wallace of the United Kingdom for Europe; Zimbabwe’s Chimbarami for Africa; Farrah Grant of Turks and Caicos Islands for Americas; and, Katrina Wan of Macau for Asia Pacific.

True sisterhood

In her first speech as Miss International 2025, Duque thanked her supporters and family for believing in her. She said that the global tilt was truly a sisterhood, and made her believe that pageantry ‘still has a purpose.’

During the question and answer segment, the Top 5 finalists were to uniformly answer just one question: ‘If you were to describe your entire Miss International experience to your family and loved ones, what would you tell them?’

The Colombian beauty queen, who has been one of the frontrunners for the crown, said, ‘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.’

No small feat for Esguerra

Esguerra may have failed to bag the Philippines’ seventh Miss International crown, but her Top 5 finish was no mean feat for a Filipina beauty queen in any pageant, having won the Best in National Costume, Best in Swimsuit, and Best in Evening Gown awards.

During the QandA portion, Esguerra drew her answer from her experiences as one of the 17 children of an impoverished family in Abra. Being the only one who was able to finish her education with a college degree, she said that she wanted to give back to her community by helping similarly situated children. Esguerra had more than a year to prepare for the international competition. She won her Binibining Pilipinas crown during the national pageant’s 60th anniversary in June 2024.

The Philippines is the best-performing Asian country in Miss International. Gemma Cruz, Aurora Pijuan, Melanie Marquez, Precious Lara Quigaman, Bea Rose Santiago, and Kylie Verzosa have previously brought home the crown. The final gala of this year’s pageant capped two weeks of competition, wherein the delegates visited different places in Japan to immerse in Japanese culture.

The football team from the Hong Kong district reeling from a deadly apartment blaze wore black arm bands and stood in silence ahead of their match on Thursday in Asian club competition.

A massive fire broke out in an eight-building housing estate in Tai Po on Wednesday, killing at least 55 people in Hong Kong’s worst blaze in decades.

Tai Po FC faced Australian side Macarthur FC away in the AFC Champions League Two, the second-tier club tournament in Asian football, about 24 hours later.

Tai Po’s players wore black arm bands and both teams stood in solemn silence ahead of kickoff at Campbelltown Sports Stadium outside Sydney.

Tai Po’s Brazilian captain Igor Sartori declined to celebrate after putting his side ahead in the 24th minute, instead putting his hands together in prayer.

Several domestic sporting events in Hong Kong, including a trail race and rugby matches, have been postponed or are set to be, the South China Morning Post newspaper said.