Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Binibining Pilipinas Myrna Esguerra is in high spirits and full of positivity as the final gala of the 2025 Miss International pageant approaches.

‘I feel so fulfilled with everything that has happened, sobrang grateful ko sa lahat ng taong tumulong sa akin [I’m very grateful to everyone who helped me] from the start,’ she told Inquirer Entertainment at the sidelines of the preliminary evaluation held earlier in Yokohama, Japan.

The event was held three days ahead of the final competition on Thursday evening, Nov. 27, at the Yoyogi National 2nd Gymnasium in Tokyo.

Esguerra waited for more than a year to get to Japan for her Miss International competition. She earned her national title at the 60th Bb. Pilipinas pageant in June last year.

‘I really set my expectation on Miss International that it’s gonna be a very great experience for me, and a fun one. And I’m so happy that my expectations were exceeded in a most meaningful way,’ she said.

‘Now that the [final competition] is nearing, I hope that you’ll continue to support me po. Para sa Pilipinas, lalaban po tayo [For the Philippines, we will fight],’ Esguerra declared.

The beauty queen flew to Tokyo earlier this month, ahead of the other delegates, to spend time with the Filipino community in Japan.

‘Here in Japan they taught us how to be kind despite everything that’s happening, despite the competition, the pressure, the nerves,’ Esguerra shared.

‘It’s not expensive to be kind to one another. And I think that’s the most valuable lesson that I learned,’ she continued.

Esguerra shared that she was happy with everything that has happened during the course of the pageant’s activities.

‘I’m really grateful. I feel very blessed. And this is more than what I prayed for, and I’m so happy to be here,’ she said.

Esguerra is hoping to post the Philippines’ seventh Miss International victory, following Gemma Cruz, Aurora Pijuan, Melanie Marquez, Precious Lara Quigaman, Bea Rose Santiago, and Kylie Verzosa

As the holiday season is around the corner and alcoholic beverages may overflow during gatherings, a heart expert has raised the concern of binge drinking and the implications it may bring to health, particularly to the heart.

Dr. Maria Encarnita Limpin, a medical specialist from the Philippine Heart Center, characterized binge drinking as the alcohol consumption of five or more standard drinks within two hours. She also noted that this is classified by the number of drinks consumed, not by alcohol quality. According to the 2023 National Nutrition Survey (NNS) released in December 2024, four in every 10 Filipinos (37.9%) are current drinkers, while six in every 10 Filipinos (58.7%) are binge drinkers. The NNS noted that binge and current drinkers are ‘significantly higher among males.’

With excessive alcohol consumption or binge drinking, Limpin said that this can cause ‘Holiday Heart Syndrome,’ where anyone can develop irregularity in heart rhythm.

‘If there is a timing on heartbeat, let’s say, it slows down, but in cases of Holiday Heart Syndrome, it is really more on a fast heartbeat,’ Limpin said in a media conference on Wednesday.

She also said that HHS’ symptoms include palpitations characterized by rapid and irregular heartbeat, chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, and syncope. Aside from these symptoms, Limpin added that other health problems can occur such as stress, which can cause heart failure.

Who can have HHS?

Limpin said that anyone can experience HHS, even those without existing heart problems. However, she stressed that the chance of contracting this disease ‘might be lower’ for those who have a healthy lifestyle but engage in binge drinking.

‘The problem is the effect of consumption on a regular basis. Its effect will be cumulative. What you consumed today will add up to what you consumed yesterday,’ she said.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, ischemic heart disease, or coronary heart disease was still the leading cause of death of Filipinos in 2024. It accounted for 96,049 cases or 19.3% deaths in the country from January to November 2024.

Seeing her teammates’ hard work to reach the PVL Finals is fuel for Anna DeBeer to deliver a dream championship for the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles.

DeBeer dropped 30 points in straight sets as ZUS Coffee ousted two-time champion PLDT, 25-22, 28-26, 25-22, and set a winner-take-all Reinforced Conference championship game against Petro Gazz at Smart Araneta Coliseum. ‘Just seeing how much it means to them just makes it mean so much more to me,’ said DeBeer on Thursday.

‘Seeing their emotion and all the work they’ve put in over the years and to know this is the first time for this program and first time for me being here. Just not really knowing what to expect coming in, but seeing how far we’ve come from the very beginning. And this whole season we’ve worked so hard to get here and it’s finally paying off.’

Despite being the leader of ZUS Coffee in her first overseas stint, DeBeer attributed their success to her teammates.

WATCH: Anna DeBeer after leading ZUS Coffee to the finals. #PVL2025 | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/1HRS1UH1A1

– INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) November 27, 2025

‘I think it’s really awesome at times, but I have everyone around me who does so much that can sometimes go unnoticed. And I just want to give them credit because the middles are holding the blocks to allow me to be able to score one-on-one,’ she said. ‘There’s just so much that goes on behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t see all the time. So I totally give credit to the teammates for passing, setting, and all-around. It allows me to be able to do what I can.’ Interestingly, DeBeer faced Petro Gazz import Lindsey Vander Weide in the Major League Volleyball finals this year with her team, Indy Ignite, losing to the latter’s Orlando Valkyries.

‘It would be awesome. I honestly didn’t think about that. We just played each other months ago. It will be fun to battle it out against her on Sunday,’ said DeBeer. With a chance to win the title, DeBeer vows to keep anchoring the Thunderbelles.

‘The stakes obviously get higher each time. And the pressure is going to get more and more intense as we get into the finals. And it can go either way. Everyone is good. And I know Petro Gazz is really good,’ she said. ‘So I think just a few steps up in those moments. And I love those high-pressure moments. So I’m really looking forward to it.’

The lawyer of resigned congressman and fugitive Zaldy Co denied Wednesday President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim that he tried to blackmail Malacañang to prevent the cancellation of his client’s passport.

‘I have not spoken with anyone from the government to negotiate the stoppage of the videos for the passport,’ Ruy Rondain, Co’s legal counsel, said in a message.

‘As I have always maintained, I have no control over the release of the videos,’ he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the president said Co’s camp offered to suspend the release of videos containing allegations implicating top officials in graft-riddled insertions in the 2025 national budget; in exchange, it wanted the Palace to stop the cancellation of the former lawmaker’s passport.

‘Zaldy Co’s lawyer approached us and attempted to blackmail us, saying that if we do not cancel his passport, he will [not] stop releasing his videos,’ the president said in a video statement.

‘I do not negotiate with criminals. Even if you release all your videos full of lies meant to destabilize the government, I want you to know, Zaldy, your passport will still be canceled. You will not escape justice,’ he added.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to receive a court order to cancel Co’s passport.

Should his passport be canceled, Co would be unable to travel to any foreign country, compelling him to return to the Philippines. He might also be detained by immigration officers in his destination country and eventually be deported to Manila.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, however, said authorities were facing difficulty in tracking Co’s whereabouts. The government is looking into information that Co might be using another passport and assuming another identity. First lady implicated

Malacañang and Marcos himself turned offensive in the verbal war after Co dragged him and other members of his family into the corruption scandal.

The latest to be implicated by Co, after the president, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, and presidential son and House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, is first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

In ‘Part 3’ of his ‘tell-all’ videos, Co alleged that the first lady intervened to halt two separate House investigations into the sudden spike in onion prices and alleged rice smuggling.

‘This may be painful to hear, but this is the truth. The first family itself is involved in these corrupt systems. From the president to the first lady, they are the ones who dictate, control, and benefit from transactions that should have been for the benefit of the people,’ Co said.

Co alleged that the first lady called Romualdez to ask that the inquiries be halted shortly after her name and that of her brother, Martin Araneta, surfaced.

Inconsistencies

Marcos has repeatedly dismissed Co’s accusations. He also dared his former political ally to return to the country and prove his claims against him right to his face.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Palace press officer Claire Castro flagged the ‘inconsistencies’ in Co’s recorded video statements, such as the year when he allegedly started delivering money to Mr. Marcos and Romualdez.

‘He should finish all of his allegations, because every time we criticize his inconsistencies, his story changes-along with the hairstyle in the video,’ Castro said, implying that the videos were not recorded in one sitting as Co intended with his similar outfit throughout the video clips. In a series of recorded videos, Co had accused the president and Romualdez, as well as some Cabinet members, of orchestrating supposed ‘insertions’ worth P100 billion in the 2025 national budget.

He also claimed that he delivered P56.4 billion in cash hidden inside pieces of luggage from 2022 to 2025 to the residences of Marcos and Romualdez. Both Marcos and Romualdez denied receiving such amounts from Co. Co, who has an arrest warrant issued against him, also asserted that the government was in ‘full force to silence him.’ He has maintained his innocence against allegations that he was involved in the multi-billion-dollar flood control corruption scandal. -With a report from Krixia Subingsubing

Joaquin Arce opened up about being deaf in one ear, saying it made him unique and that he considers it as his ‘superpower’ growing up.

The ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ housemate talked about this in a conversation with Big Brother, in which they discussed a group activity Joaquin was working on with his fellow housemates Lella Ford and Marco Masa.

Joaquin then spoke about his condition as he stated how the story Masa shared about a disability tug at the former’s heartstrings.

‘Masaya po ako na pinili niya akong maging part ng kwento niya (I am happy that he chose me to become a part of his story). I really feel for him,’ Joaquin said.

‘Pinanganak po akong bingi sa kanang tainga. Never ko po naranasan na may dalawa akong tainga na nakakarinig,’ he continued. ‘But my entire life, I’ve been looking at it in such a positive light na hindi ko po napansin ang mga negatibong effects.’

(I was born deaf in my right ear. I never experienced having two fully functioning ears. But my entire life, I’ve been looking at it in such a positive light that I didn’t notice its negative effects.)

Joaquin credited his parents for their relentless support, which prevented him from dwelling on his special needs.

‘They treated me like I wasn’t deaf. They didn’t treat me na kawawa ako (as if I’m pitiful),’ he said of them. ‘They enforced positivity – na dahil dito, unique ako.’ (that because of this, I am unique.)

‘As a kid, inisip ko po siya na superpowers ko siya,’ he added. ‘At dahil po dito, actually, I made it a habit na mas [makinig] sa mga tao para marinig ko lahat ng mga sinasabi. I guess I became a good listener because of that.’

(As a kid, I thought of it as my superpowers. And actually, because of this, I made it a habit to listen more closely to people so I can hear what they say. I guess I became a good listener because of that.) Neil Arce, Joaquin’s dad, admired his son and underscored how the latter is an inspiration to him.

‘From an accident to a blessing; from having special needs to having super powers; from inspiring me to inspiring millions,’ Neil said via his Instagram page. It was actress Angel Locsin, Neil’s wife and Joaquin’s stepmom, who first made public about the ‘PBB’ housemate’s condition earlier this month

First-time grandparent Manny Pacquiao couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear during her first meeting with his granddaughter Clara, the firstborn of his eldest son Jimuel Pacquiao.

Manny and Clara’s precious moment, which took place in Los Angeles, California, was documented by his wife, Jinkee Pacquiao, through her Instagram page on Thursday, Nov. 27.

The boxing legend seemed ecstatic as he carried the child in his arms. Clara, for her part, was seen flashing a smile while being held by her grandfather.

‘Ang pagkikita ni Lolo Manny at ni Clara!’ the caption read, with Jinkee adding the hashtags ‘Praise God’ and ‘God is good all the time.’ (The meeting of Grandpa Manny and Clara!) Jimuel shares Clara with his non-showbiz partner Carolina. The couple’s relationship was revealed to the public last May.

Carolina gave birth to their first child last Nov. 20. The child’s name and face was then shared by Jinkee on her social media page days later.

Ronnie Alonte and Loisa Andalio have once again surprised their fans after tying the knot in a private ceremony witnessed by their family and close friends, less than a week after confirming their engagement.

Alonte and Andalio said ‘I do’ at an outdoor ceremony in an undisclosed location, as seen on the actor’s Instagram account on Thursday, November 27.

The actress, who chose to have her hair done in a simple bun, was a radiant bride in a wedding gown lined with tulle and a v-neckline, while carrying a bouquet of white and green flowers. Alonte was dapper in an all-black suit.

‘Zup! Mrs.Alonte,’ Alonte captioned his post. The couple was congratulated by their followers in the comments, including celebrities such as Chie Filomeno, Enchong Dee, Katarina Rodriguez, and Elisse Joson.

Meanwhile, Andalio sweetly replied to her husband’s post in the comments, saying, ‘Hi’ along with emojis of hearts and a bride. The couple, who has been in a relationship for nine years, also shared a glimpse of how the actor proposed to his longtime girlfriend in a YouTube video on Wednesday, November 26.

Andalio confirmed her engagement to Alonte last November 21, where she shared a photo of herself wearing an engagement ring with an oval-shaped diamond.

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.

Miguel Tanfelix narrated his unfortunate experience of mistakenly paying P20,000 instead of just P2,000, and not being able to get it back at a restaurant in Brazil.

The actor recalled his South America trip in his ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’ interview on Wednesday, Nov. 26, saying he was filled with excitement despite some warning him against the dangerous places and people in the continent.

Tanfelix was all praises as he said he was fascinated by the nature experience it offers as well as its night life. However, the actor admitted there was also an unpleasant incident during his trip.

‘Na-scam lang ako ng P20,000. Kasi first night ko sa Rio, kumain ako sa restaurant. Medyo malungkot ako ‘non e kasi birthday ko sa Pilipinas,’ he narrated.

(I lost P20,000 to a scam. During my first night in Rio [de Janeiro], I ate at a restaurant. I was a bit sad at the time because it was already my birthday in the Philippines.)

‘So medyo senti and siguro not paying attention, ang nabigay ko 20 bills ng 100, na dapat 10 lang,’ he recounted. ‘So instead of P2,000, ang naibigay ko ay P20,000.’

(I was quite sentimental and not paying attention, so I paid 20 pieces of 100-bill instead of just 10. So instead of P2,000, I mistakenly gave them P20,000.)

Tanfelix did not immediately realize the mistake, only becoming aware of it the next day after he checked his wallet.

‘Kinonnect-connect ko. Binalikan ko at araw-araw akong nandoon sa restaurant na ‘yon,’ he said, noting that he was in communication with the establishment owner. (I connected the incidents and repeatedly visited the restaurant.)

Tanfelix added that he and the owner reviewed the CCTV but unfortunately, there was no clear footage of him handing out the P20,000 payment.

‘So sabi ko, birthday ko naman, regalo ko na lang sa kaniya ‘yon,’ he stated, chuckling. (So I told myself, I’ll just treat it as my gift to them since it was my birthday.)

Despite this, Tanfelix underscored that the trip, albeit quite expensive, is a memory he will forever treasure.

A total of 40,692 out of 45,192 applicants passed the November 2025 Nurses Licensure Examination (NLE), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced on Thursday.

Topping the exam were Johannah Marie Gerardo Acevedo and George Wilson Tan Escordia of West Visayas State University-La Paz, both with a score of 93.8 percent.

They were followed by the next set of top scorers: Rank 2 (93.6 percent) – Mariella Theony Reyes Medina (Saint Louis University) and Carl Andrew Tella-In Soliva (University of Saint La Salle); Rank 3 (93.4 percent) – Tracey Faye Rosagaron Abellon (Ateneo de Zamboanga University), Khyla Shane Jordan Acab (Silliman University), and Charles Jasper Tan Lim (University of the Philippines-Manila).

The full list of passers is available on the PRC website or via this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kBVJjVFgwBmlzIE8rufaczFAzKGcm75n/view

Meanwhile, the PRC said it withheld the results of six examinees pending a final determination of their liabilities under licensure examination rules.

Successful applicants may begin securing appointments on the PRC’s website for the issuance of their Professional Identification Cards and Certificates of Registration on December 23. Those registering are required to bring the following papers:

Downloaded, duly accomplished Oath Form

Notice of admission (for identification only)

Two passport-sized photos (colored, white background, complete name tag)

Two sets of documentary stamps

One short brown envelope

PRC added that the date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees will be announced later