Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Quezon City government announced on Thursday that all of the 14 lechon (roasted pigs) establishments that were temporarily closed in La Loma, Quezon City, are already free from African Swine Fever (ASF).

‘The local government is pleased to announce that there is no longer any [ASF] Virus in 14 lechon establishments in La Loma, Quezon City,’ the city’s government unit said in a statement. The local government unit noted that after it issued a temporary closure order on November 13, the establishments conducted daily disinfection for a week, in compliance with the memorandum of the Bureau of Animal Industry.

Aside from the inspection, which was conducted in collaboration with the City Veterinary Department and QC Health Department, the 14 establishments were also directed to comply with the required sanitary, safety and health protocols. The local government added that it ‘will continue to assist entrepreneurs to ensure that all of them follow protocols and maintain the quality of products coming from La Loma.’

On November 13, the 14 establishments in the city’s ‘lechon capital’ were temporarily closed after several pigs tested positive for ASF.

After this, an official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently noted that the ASF cases in La Loma remains an ‘isolated’ case and ‘poses no threat to other markets in the city.’

The DA likewise earlier clarified that the ASF virus cannot be transmitted to humans. /

Aside from the string of controversies hounding the Miss Universe 2025 pageant, organization president and businessman Raul Rocha is facing yet another issue after he was reportedly formally charged in Mexico for alleged trafficking of drugs, firearms and fuel.

As per PEOPLE magazine’s report citing Mexican newspaper Reforma, Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República (FRG) or Attorney General’s Office charged Rocha-who also serves as a consul of Guatemala in Mexico-for allegedly leading an organization linked to drugs and weapons trafficking as well as smuggling of fuels from Guatemala into Mexico.

During a raid, FRG reportedly obtained documents showing Rocha’s monetary contributions to the criminal enterprise.

The Mexican businessman, as per federal sources, proposed a plea bargain to FGR after an arrest warrant was issued against him back in August. Details of the agreement were not immediately known. The arrest warrant, according to Reforma, states that members of Rocha’s alleged criminal enterprise have ‘connections with politicians and authorities at all three levels of government to deliberately carry out their mission, which includes the sale of hydrocarbons, narcotics, and the trafficking and sale of large quantities of weapons of war.’

Rocha has yet to publicly comment on the matter as of this writing.

Rocha has been making headlines after claims that the results of the recently-held Miss Universe 2025 were predetermined and that Mexico’s Fatima Bosch, who emerged as the titleholder, was a ‘fake winner.’

The executive denied this, saying the organization is taking legal action over the matter. Rocha then said he is already considering selling his 50 percent stake in the organization because he is ‘so fed up with all the talk.’

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.

De’Aaron Fox had 37 points and eight assists as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 115-102 on Wednesday night in an NBA Cup group stage game.

Devin Vassell added 23 points for the Spurs, who kept their NBA Cup hopes alive. Deni Avdija led Portland with 37 points and eight assists.

The Spurs shot 22 of 25 (88%) from the free-throw line, while the Blazers went 19 for 30 (63%). Portland also connected on only 25% of its attempts from behind the 3-point line, while San Antonio finished at 33%.

A layup by Kelly Olynyk put San Antonio up by 11 with 5:23 left before Portland rallied. A 3-pointer by Toumani Camara cut it to 107-99. After a replay review, Olynyk picked up a clear-path foul, giving the Blazers two free throws and possession. But they failed to take advantage of the opportunity. After being nearly perfect at the line, Avdija missed both foul shots and Portland came up empty.

Avdija was 2 for 8 – including four straight misses – from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

A hook shot by Donovan Clingan brought Portland closer at 107-101 with 3:59 left. Fox’s bank shot with 3:22 remaining made it 109-101.

Fox was fouled with 2:52 left and made both free throws to put San Antonio ahead 111-101. Portland turned the ball over on the next possession.

After the Spurs trailed for most of the first half, a 3-pointer by Fox gave them a 56-54 halftime lead.

A key player for each team returned to action. San Antonio rookie Dylan Harper came back from a calf injury when he entered midway through the first quarter after being out since Nov. 2. Portland’s Shaedon Sharpe made his first appearance since Nov. 18 with 3:43 left in the period.

Sharpe scored 11 points in 18 minutes, and Harper had seven in 16 minutes.

We tackled family therapy in psychotherapy class this week. As with most things in class, we realized how this doesn’t just apply to strictly clinical settings but also showcases psychological principles relevant to current events. It is befitting, after all, since the family lens is part of the systems perspective, where we see how systems perpetuate particular dynamics that affect each member. This becomes quite literal when we see flesh-and-blood family feuds show up in public speeches and other political confrontations. Unfortunately, the use of the political arena to reenact family dynamics adversely impacts the rest of us. They pull us into their longstanding personal conflicts to the detriment of our well-being, as well as our political and economic stability.

One rule in relationships is that the moment you’re rooting for someone to lose, the relationship loses. Thus, in a feud, nobody wins. The desire to win is appropriate in a competition, not in the family home. This adds to the reasons why family and politics should not mix: it erodes the family, and it also makes for poor politics. Family members entering politics bring a sense of competitiveness to the dinner table. National politics requires being cunning and cutthroat, especially if you want to win elections and get your bills passed.

Such a dynamic is not healthy in a family. A healthy family is one where all the members care for each other and do not wish harm or suffering on anyone. This unconditional care is an essential starting point for solving family conflicts and tensions. No matter how many disagreements we have or how much we end up hurting each other, we resolve to repair because we care. In a chosen family, such as a marriage, this commitment to caring and repair is what determines the viability of the relationship. It is not the absence of conflict. It is not in the similarity of our opinions. We can have a diversity of values and opinions and still thrive as a family as long as we share the value of care.

In fact, a sense of caring is something I require as a prerequisite to family and couples therapy. Such therapies are notorious for having variable rates of success (hence why few therapists do it). I would rather not have a family start therapy if I feel they won’t benefit from it. If they exhibit a lack of caring for the other person’s needs, struggles, and difficulties, I do not deem them ready to do family work. Instead, I urge them to do individual work first so they can reflect on what’s getting in the way of caring, which is necessary for a relationship to be successful.

While politics may be cutthroat, good governance does require a strong sense of caring, just like a family. When it comes to governance, it is no longer about winning or trampling your enemies. Instead, it should be about taking care of your constituents. It should be about a desire for everyone to enjoy the good life. The concern should be about how to better address the needs of the community, not how to secure your position in the next election.

You see, the problem is that some of our elected leaders never seem to stop campaigning or scheming for the next election, so they completely forget to govern. Even the corruption we are hearing about now is really about amassing a war chest for the next election. A lot of public posturing is happening so they can position themselves as worthy candidates in 2028. In the meantime, what happens to Filipinos in 2025? Who is addressing their needs? Who is governing? It’s like parents fighting for custody, but nobody remembers to feed the kids.

Another principle in family therapy is triangulation. This is the concept where a third person gets unconsciously pulled into an impasse between two people in the hopes of stabilizing the relationship. Have you ever talked about your relationship to someone who isn’t your partner? That’s already triangulation. This concept isn’t inherently problematic, in the way three legs on a stool are more stable than two. When it does solidify as a habit, and we instead turn to the third person rather than addressing our concerns directly with the involved party, it can become detrimental to the relationship-and potentially destroy the friendship with the third person as well.

Applying this to the bigger ‘family’ of Filipino constituents, public family feuds triangulate the Filipino people into their problems. Instead of political families addressing their problems directly with one another, they rope us in to ally with them against each other. If only they took on the responsibility of resolving their family issues directly, our national stability wouldn’t have to be the collateral damage.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III branded as mere black propaganda the accusations that he and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson are slashing the budgets of some districts.

At the Senate’s marathon plenary debates on the 2026 budget, Sotto disclosed receipt of information that several members of the House of Representatives, especially district representatives, are ‘anxious’ and claiming that the budget for their districts are ‘being cut’ by he and Lacson. ‘This is unfounded. We have not touched the budget of the districts. Our finance chair can confirm this,’ said Sotto.

In return, Sotto suggested that their counterparts in the House of Representatives discuss their apprehension with the lower chamber’s chairman of appropriations.

‘There is nothing happening here. We didn’t make cuts in districts of GAB. This is just period of interpellation,’ said Sotto.

‘They said Ping and I cut the budget, but that’s black propaganda,’ Sotto said in Filipino.

Sotto, however, did not name the solons involved in the information he supposedly received.

Manuel V. Pangilinan expects to pour in ‘several million dollars’ as PXP Energy Corp. prepares to pursue exploration activities under newly-awarded petroleum service contracts.

Popularly known as MVP, Pangilinan, who chairs PXP Energy, said the company was still in the early stages of preparing its work programs following the government’s award of the exploration areas-part of the country’s biggest batch of contracts issued to date.

In October, the government granted eight new petroleum service contracts, projecting around $207 million in investment commitments from the deals. The contracts cover areas in the Sulu Sea, Cagayan, Cebu, Northwest Palawan, East Palawan and Central Luzon. For its part, PXP holds three service contracts and is awaiting two more, according to MVP.

Asked about the cost of the new projects, Pangilinan said it would be ‘very small,’ amounting to ‘several million dollars.’

The long game

While optimistic, he cautioned that exploration work would take time.

‘That’s a long process,’ he said, adding that securing additional areas would also take time. ‘. We have to be patient,’ he added.

He emphasized that oil exploration involves extended timelines and significant capital. ‘We have to see many years for this. It’s gonna be a long process and probably complicated,’ Pangilinan said.

‘We’re slowly learning about the business of oil exploration and development. It’s a very complex business. Long term, it requires a lot of money. It’s really for the big boys. We’re too small for them. But we do our bit in terms of oil exploration,’ he added.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said the seven-year exploration programs would involve geological and geophysical studies, including seismic and aeromagnetic surveys, as the country seeks new petroleum prospects and potential hydrogen reservoirs.

Jalen Brunson scored 33 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and 10 rebounds and the New York Knicks handed the Charlotte Hornets their seventh straight loss 129-101 on Wednesday night.

Josh Hart added 22 points for the Knicks, who made 13 of 26 shots from 3-point range to improve to 3-1 in NBA Cup group play. Brandon Miller had 18 points in his second game back from a shoulder injury for the Hornets, who’ve lost 10 straight Cup games over the past three seasons and were eliminated from this year’s competition.

The Knicks played like a team eager to advance in the NBA Cup midseason tournament and improve their point differential, which was at minus-2 entering the night.

Jalen Brunson’s 33 lifts the Knicks over the Hornets! They bolted to a 25-point halftime lead behind a balanced offensive attack as all five starters scored in double digits before halftime. New York shot 64% from the field and made 6 of 10 shots from beyond the arc before the break.

Of the Knicks’ 72 first-half points, 68 came from their starters including 19 from Hart.

Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball struggled to keep up with Brunson, who sent him to the bench in the third quarter with his fourth foul. Ball, the only player in Hornets history to ever sign a max contract that pays him $260 million, later was assessed a technical foul for arguing with officials and he finished with just 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Meanwhile Brunson was greeted with repeated chants of ‘MVP! MVP!’ from the crowd at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center.

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.