Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Fans of Janella Salvador and Marlo Mortel could not seem to contain their excitement as the former love team are gearing up for an upcoming TV series.

The pair, dubbed as MarNella, was in a tight embrace while at the filming set of an untitled project, as seen in the photo shared by production company Lowe Key Productions on its Facebook page on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

‘MarNella spotted behind-the-scenes of an upcoming TV series!’ the caption read.

Further details on the project were not immediately disclosed.

MarNella spotted behind-the-scenes of an upcoming TV series! The last time Marlo and Janella worked together on a TV series was 10 years ago (Oh My G!) who missed them? Salvador and Mortel first worked together as an onscreen tandem in the hit 2012 TV series ‘Be Careful with My Heart.’ After their teamup gained popularity, they headlined the 2025 series ‘Oh My G’ and also had stints in ‘Maalaala Mo Kaya’ and ‘Wansapanataym.’

The actors reunited in November 2024 and starred in the music video of Mortel’s single ‘Huling Ngiti.’

Also among the popular characters they portrayed are Juanito Alfonso and Carmela Montecarlos from the online novel ‘I Love You Since 1892.’ The actors’ faces were used as representations of the lead characters when the novel was turned into a paperback book. They, however, were not cast in the series adaption of the book. /edv

It may look like a huge win, but coach Yuri Escueta thinks San Beda’s first victory in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament wasn’t a statement.

Escueta downplayed the victory even though it came at the expense of last season’s runner-up, College of St. Benilde, 96-85.

‘I have to give it to my players but this is still a long season,’ he said after their opener on Wednesday.

‘One win doesn’t bring you to the playoffs, one loss doesn’t end your season but this is a welcoming win for us. A very important win for our team’s confidence.’

The Red Lions began their young season with a 1-0 record thanks to Bryan Sajonia, who finished with 16 points and three steals.

Helping Sajonia on offense were Agjanti Miller, Jimuel Reyes and Yukien Andrada, who finished with 16, 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Justine Sanchez paced St. Benilde with a game-high 24 points. Reigning MVP Allen Liwag finished with a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort.

Escueta’s point about the grind ahead was underscored by San Beda’s next matchup: a rivalry clash against Letran on Sunday at San Juan Arena.

The plenary debates on the Office of the Vice President (OVP) proposed 2026 budget has been reset again as no undersecretary-level official showed up at the House of Representatives – with the chamber giving the office one last chance to appear on Thursday.

During the plenary session on Wednesday, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan asked whether Vice President Sara Duterte is present to defend the agency’s proposed allocation for 2026.

Deputy Speaker Yevgeny Emano asked Deputy Majority Leader and Mindoro 1st District Rep. Arnan Panaligan to respond to Libanan’s question.

‘Mr. Speaker, according to our agenda for today, the next agency in the agenda is the Office of the Vice President. May we know if the Vice President is present, Mr. Speaker?’ Libanan asked. ‘Mr. Speaker, we have been informed that the Vice President is not present, but sent the following officials of the Office of the Vice President, namely Assistant Secretary Lemuel, the OIC chief-of-staff; Atty. Rosalynne Sanchez, director for admin and financial services; and Mr. Norman Baloro, director for operations,’ Panaligan replied.

After this response from the Deputy Majority Leader, Libanan asked if the requirement of the House is to have either the head of agency or the second-in-command – an undersecretary-level official – assist the budget sponsor in defending the proposed budget.

In response, Panaligan said that plenary debates on the OVP budget was actually scheduled for Tuesday, but it was rescheduled to Wednesday because of the same issue.

Panaligan noted that OVP will have one final chance to appear on Thursday – the last day of debates before the House moves to make amendments on the floor.

‘Mr. Speaker, is it not the requirement of this House, is that for the heads of agencies (to) be personally present as what happened during our previous deliberations, and in this case, we need the presence of the Vice President?’ Libanan asked again.

‘That is correct Mr. Speaker, the rules of the House requires the presence of heads of agencies in the consideration of their budget [.] Mr. Speaker for the record, today is the second time that the proposed budget of the OVP was put in our agenda. Yesterday, the proposed budget of the OVP was even number one in the agenda, but only the same officials mentioned earlier were present,’ Panaligan said.

This is not the first time that the OVP sent an official that is not of an undersecretary level. Last September 12, at the initial budget hearing before the House committee on appropriations, the panel was forced to reschedule the discussions as Ortonio was the highest-ranked official that Duterte sent.

Budget sponsor and Palawan 2nd District Rep. Jose Alvarez said that Vice President Duterte will eventually show up on September 16 – a promise that she fulfilled. During the committee hearing, both the Minority and the Majority accorded parliamentary courtesy to Duterte, sparing her from questions by the panel’s members.

Duterte however waived the parliamentary courtesy given, answering some questions from the Minority solons.

With Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia set to open the PBA’s 50th season this Sunday, fans are left to wonder if LA Tenorio will pull double duty as player and coach in his Hotshots debut.

But Magnolia team governor Jason Webb said he and Tenorio plan to discuss things in the coming days, though he admitted the possibility of the former Ginebra guard calling the shots on the sidelines and manning the backcourt at the same time is remote. ‘It’s something that LA and I have not discussed yet,’ Webb told Inquirer after the league’s press conference at Shangri-La The Fort in Bonifacio Global City on Wednesday.

‘But I think if you’re looking at the probabilities, I think there’s a greater probability that he’ll be starting in the injured reserve. He started practice late because he was so busy training the boys.’

The Hotshots have until noon Saturday, the eve of the ‘Manila Clasico’ to decide if Tenorio will place himself in the active roster.

Otherwise, Tenorio will put his focus on trying to outcoach Cone and open his tenure on a winning note.

‘It’s exciting,’ Webb said. ‘I’m not sure for the Ginebra fans if it’s exciting for them or not. It’s their first time seeing LA without a red jersey. But we’ll have a final decision come Saturday afternoon, Saturday noon.’

The PBA decided to place the Ginebra-Magnolia encounter to add spice to the start of its landmark golden season.

Tenorio was appointed to replace Chito Victolero as Magnolia coach in late July, but Magnolia had to go through the proper procedure to make sure he could also play for the Hotshots as well.

Webb said Tenorio was placed by Ginebra on the unrestricted free agent with the right to receive salary before moving to Magnolia when no other team expressed interest in acquiring the veteran after five days.

The musical-comedy ‘Kakabakaba Ka Ba?’ was chosen as the closing film of the 21st edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, which ends on Oct. 11.

The festival’s closing and opening films were announced on its social media platforms on Monday, Sept. 29, while inviting filmgoers to show support for local cinema.

The Mike De Leon-helmed film tells the story of Onota (Boboy Garovillo) who struggles to smuggle contraband into the Philippines, until his master (George Javier) offered him to try using the unassuming cassette tape in another attempt. This led to Onota slipping the cassette tape in the belongings of a passenger named Johnny (Christopher de Leon).

It turns out that the particular contraband caught the interest of many groups, forcing Johnny, Melanie (Charo Santos), Nonong (Jay Ilagan) and Nancy (Sandy Andolong) in chase beyond their control. They soon disguised themselves as priests and nuns and set off for Baguio, where they unwittingly discovered a bigger stream of syndicate activities.

‘Kakabakaba Ka Ba?’ will be screened at 8 p.m. of Oct. 11 at the Shangri-La Red Carpet Cinema in Mandaluyong.

Meanwhile, ‘The Elysian Field’ (originally titled as ‘Ha Lyngkha Bneng’) will be the festival’s opening film, scheduled for an Oct. 3 screening at Shangri-La Red Carpet Cinema.

Directed by Indian filmmaker Pradip Kurbah, it tells the story of Livingstone (Albert Mawrie) and his fellow villagers living at Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, India, in the year 2047.

After a months-long wait, this year’s Cinemalaya will be held from Oct. 3 to Oct. 11.

With a new contract and a new coach, expectations are high that Zavier Lucero could raise his game to another level for Magnolia going into the PBA season.

But Lucero, in his third season in the league and second with the Hotshots, has one thing in mind.

‘I just want to win,’ Lucero said.

Lucero unleashed the talents he hardly showed in his rookie campaign with NorthPort while recovering from an ACL injury and became arguably Magnolia’s best player in Season 48 with energy on both ends.

That also paved the way for Magnolia to reach an agreement with Lucero on a two-year deal despite rumors that the University of the Philippines product may have been headed elsewhere, particularly overseas.

He averaged 14.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in Season 49, where Magnolia absorbed quarterfinal exits in all three conferences. Those finishes are among the reasons why the Hotshots made some changes, beginning with the appointment of Barangay Ginebra legend LA Tenorio as coach coupled with the addition of Javi Gomez de Liano in a trade with Terrafirma.

With Magnolia keeping the core of Mark Barroca, Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang intact, Lucero hopes to put the Hotshots in a position to be among the contenders, especially in the season-opening Philippine Cup where San Miguel Beer is the defending champion, TNT is eager to build on its near Grand Slam and Barangay Ginebra always in the running.

‘I understand that I will always be on the floor and that I have God-given talent that should help us,’ Lucero said. ‘But it’s a team game. I can’t do it by myself and none of us can do it by ourselves.

‘So it’s just about putting it together and contributing what I can. And the main thing is just not seeing my stats on offense, I’m just trying to make sure I’m solid on defense and do what I’m supposed to be doing.’

Taal Volcano erupted early Wednesday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

According to Phivolcs’ bulletin, the eruption ended at 2:15 a.m.

Alert Level 1 remains raised at Taal Volcano.

‘ATM: Ongoing eruption at Taal Volcano. Details to follow. Alert Level 1 prevails over Taal Volcano,’ Phivolcs said on its social media accounts.

‘UPDATE: The eruption has ended at 02:15 AM,’ it added.

In its 8 a.m. report, Phivolcs added that the eruption produced a 2,500 meter-high plume that drifted northwest. Alert Level 1 or low level of unrest remains raised in the area.

According to the state seismologists, sudden steam or phreatic eruptions, volcanic earthquakes, thin ashfall and emission of poisonous gases are still possible under Alert Level 1.

Residents are urged to stay at homes unless absolutely necessary, to wear face masks and eye protection when going out and to follow the advice of authorities. /mcm

The local government of San Remegio, Cebu, confirmed that a 10-year-old child died during the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck at 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

In an interview with Inquirer, Maria Divina Nacionales of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said the child was struck by a hollow block after their house in Barangay Looc collapsed during the quake.

According to initial information from the MDRRMO, the child’s entire family was asleep when the earthquake occurred, leaving the child inside.

‘There was also an elderly companion with them who was rescued first, and the child was left behind,’ Nacionales said.

She added that they have received up to four reports of casualties, but as of this writing, they could not yet confirm them due to difficulty reaching affected areas.

‘Our situation is very difficult right now. We cannot respond quickly because a bridge also collapsed, making those areas inaccessible,’ Nacionales said.

As of now, the San Remegio MDRRMO and the police are still verifying reports of other casualties in the town

A Muntinlupa court has granted state prosecutors’ motion to withdraw their bid seeking the reversal of the acquittal of Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima in one of her drug cases-putting an end to the controversial legal battle that drew the ire of legal experts and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla himself.

In an order issued on Sept. 30, Presiding Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 204 granted the prosecution’s motion to withdraw its July 14 filing and declared the case ‘closed and terminated.’

‘To reiterate and emphasize, every acquittal becomes final immediately upon promulgation and cannot be recalled for correction or amendment,’ Alcantara said.

Citing the 2017 case of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo v. People (G.R. No. 220598), the court emphasized that granting the state’s motion for reconsideration would violate the constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy, since it would effectively reopen the prosecution and subject the accused to a second jeopardy despite their acquittal.

‘Considering that this case already involves an acquittal, the Court shall exercise sound discretion and allow the withdrawal of the prosecution’s motion for reconsideration,’ it added.

The case was the second of three drug charges from which De Lima has been cleared.

It was remanded to the trial court after the Court of Appeals, on April 30, ordered the RTC to submit a revised ruling that would ‘clearly and distinctly state the facts and legal basis’ for acquitting De Lima and her co-accused Ronnie Dayan of conspiracy to commit drug trading.

After the RTC issued a lengthy revised decision, a panel of prosecutors sought to revive the case by filing a motion for reconsideration on July 14.

Remulla and Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon, however, later stepped in and ordered the withdrawal of the motion.

‘It should not have been filed in the first place,’ Fadullon told reporters in July.

Many people go to Iceland to chase the breathtaking but elusive Aurora Borealis.

Or they go to New Zealand for the stunning landscapes, maybe visit Hobbiton, the famous movie set of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit.’

Not the technical people from Energy Development Corp., whose parent firm First Gen Corp. is awash with P50 billion in cash from the sale of its gas business to tycoon Enrique Razon Jr.

If they are traveling to Iceland, New Zealand or even the United States, they are on the prowl for opportunities in geothermal energy.

EDC recently firmed up its debut in Indonesia. But the Lopez group’s investment horizon goes far beyond Southeast Asia.

‘Aside from Indonesia, there are very, very early stages of research. I don’t call it exploration. It’s research [first]-technical, commercial, legal, in the US, Iceland, New Zealand,’ Allan Barcena, EDC assistant vice president and head of corporate support group, told Biz Buzz on the sidelines of an energy forum organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines.

These countries have vast geothermal areas harnessed for energy production, not just to showcase geysers and hot springs.

At the very least, EDC would like to bring home new technologies.

‘It’s not only the resource itself but sometimes the technology,’ Barcena said.

‘Also, we’ll go to other countries to explore carbon storage technologies. Even if we are very low in emission in geothermal (operations), we’d like to really bring it down by capturing our CO2 (carbon) emissions in our power plants.’

EDC is exploring these technologies because they are not yet available in the Philippines, he added.

‘The technology is still new but we’d like to pilot these in EDC.’ -Doris Dumlao-Abadilla

Security Bank’s Vohra passes the torch

One pandemic and a flood control crisis later, Security Bank Corp. is welcoming a new chief as part of its succession plan, and he’s another veteran banker.

Security Bank on Tuesday announced its appointment of Victor Lee Meng Teck as the company’s new president and CEO, effective in early January 2026.

The former CEO of CIMB Singapore succeeds Sanjiv Vohra after more than six years. Although leaving his post, Vohra will remain the bank’s senior advisor to the board.

‘We’re grateful to Sanjiv for his steady leadership during one of the most challenging periods in recent history,’ Security Bank chair Cirilo Noel said in a statement.

Vohra’s appointment in 2019 came just months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which paralyzed economies across the globe and certainly was a challenge even for banks.

‘His vision and dedication have left the bank stronger, more resilient and well-prepared for the future,’ Noel added.

For his part, Lee was lauded for spearheading the growth of CIMB Singapore and doubling the bank’s revenue and raising return on equity to nearly 20 percent.

‘As we welcome Victor, we’re confident this seamless transition will allow us to sustain momentum and capture new opportunities,’ Noel noted.

This is a timely development, especially since former Security Bank chief financial officer Eduardo Olbes just retired. He’s also staying on board as senior advisor to the president and CEO.

Is this a new era for Security Bank? Abangan! -Meg J. Adonis INQ