Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Philippines-Aris Dionisio admitted it was difficult at first to accept the reality that his stint with Magnolia had come to an end by way of being traded to Titan Ultra.

But realizing the nature of the business in the PBA, Dionisio was quick to put focus on getting the task at hand for his new team.

‘You always expect the unexpected as they say,’ Dionisio said in Filipino after his Giant Risers debut ended with a 107-96 victory over the Blackwater Bossing on Wednesday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Dionisio’s stint with the team that drafted him in 2019 ended last week when he was traded in exchange for rookie Chris Koon, the fourth pick in the Draft.

The lefty forward, known for his outside shooting and defense, was informed of the move by coach LA Tenorio. He said he he initially felt numb upon hearing the news.

‘It was sad at first because I’ve been with the team for so long,’ Dionisio said. ‘But I realize that it might be the Lord’s way for me to start a new chapter and play better as well.’

Good thing for Dionsio, the transition was smooth, given that he’s familiar with those who are already at Titan.

‘It was ‘The Beast’ who first called me,’ said Dionisio, referring to Calvin Abueva, who was his teammate at Magnolia for several seasons.

‘I’ve known Jerrick Balanza and Fran Yu, even before we entered the PBA. That’s why I felt like I was welcomed with open arms.’

Dionisio finished with three points and eight rebounds for the Giant Risers, who snapped a four-game skid to secure just their second win in the Philippine Cup. He now looks to play a key role for the squad that will seek to start off their maiden conference in the league with a playoff spot.

‘The team can be competitive even against strong opponents, even if the only stars are Calvin and [Joshua] Munzon. We just have to help each other out so that we can get as many wins as possible,’ he said.

The number of unemployed Filipinos eased down to 1.96 million in September from 2.03 million in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.

This translated to an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent, down from 3.9 percent last August. Some 5.52 million employed Filipinos sought additional work or longer hours to augment their income, an increase from 5.38 million in August. That brought the underemployment rate to 11.1 percent, rising from 10.7 percent.

The services sector accounted for the largest share of jobs, with 30.41 million of the total 49.6 million positions. /rwd

The entire province of Southern Leyte has been placed under a state of calamity following the widespread destruction caused by Typhoon Tino, which made its first landfall in the town of Silago early morning of Tuesday. Gov. Damian Mercado issued Executive Order No. 54 on Thursday, formally declaring the province under a state of calamity after Tino’s onslaught left significant damage to infrastructure, properties, and livelihoods across its capital city of Maasin and 18 municipalities.

According to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), over 40,328 residents were affected by the typhoon, while two fatalities were reported in Saint Bernard town.

Initial reports from the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) teams showed that Tino’s strong winds and heavy rains caused widespread flooding, landslides, and destruction to homes and utilities.

Mercado’s order authorizes the provincial and local governments to utilize calamity funds, implement rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts, and coordinate with law enforcement agencies to maintain peace and order in affected areas.

As of Thursday, the power supply has yet to be fully restored across Southern Leyte, including in its capital city of Maasin. Internet connection also remains unavailable in most parts of the province, hampering communication and disaster response coordination.

Typhoon Tino struck the province under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 issued by Pagasa, bringing destructive winds and torrential rain that displaced hundreds of families and damaged key public facilities.

Mercado said the declaration aims to speed up the delivery of basic services and assistance to affected communities as recovery and clearing operations continue./coa

Kris Aquino said she has been suffering from ‘awful’ bone pain due to the cold weather, disclosing she tried a new medicine but that ‘it’s not for [her].’

In the Queen of All Media’s latest update shared on her Instagram page on Wednesday, Nov. 5, she began by recalling a certain man whom she was with earlier this year but is apparently no longer in communication with her.

‘I saw our picture, holding hands at the start of the year, during one of my ‘baby dose trials’ when my BP was 186/119. He was one of the very few who saw the fear and the tears wanting to fall but he knew only too well I’d only let them fall like typhoon rain when the boys were asleep. I wonder how he is, his sisters abroad and those boys who stole my heart?’ she wrote.

While she did not mention any name, Aquino had been in a relationship in late 2024 with Dr. Mike Padlan, who was her physician when she was still in California undergoing treatment for some of her autoimmune diseases. They broke up sometime in the first quarter of the year, with the ailing actress-host saying he ‘did not love her’ and wanted his freedom.

Aquino, who appears to be currently staying in Tarlac, then reflected on her daily routine with her sons Josh and Bimb and how they bond over sharing a meal together.

Giving an update on her treatments for her 11 autoimmune diseases, she continued, ‘I disappointed one of the doctors I respect the most. I tried new medicine but it’s just not for me,’ she lamented. ‘He wants to help relieve the pain from fibromyalgia.’

She added that when the weather is colder, her bone protrusions ‘have a life of their own.’

‘The bone pain is awful because of the weather. But this is now part of my life and it hasn’t broken my spirit yet,’ she assured.

‘Probinsyana na si KCA and it’s love, love, love,’ she added, concluding her post by adding an appeal to an online e-commerce platform to verify her account.

Aquino has had several outdoor activities recently, among them was her attendance at fashion designer Michael Leyva’s birthday lunch and her visit to former city Mayor Susan Yap.

The Akbayan Party, along with civil society and youth leaders, has submitted a letter to the Office of the Ombudsman requesting the release of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of the president, vice president and other top government officials.The request comes ahead of the November 15 effective date of the new access guidelines.

The group issued the letter following the publication of Memorandum Circular No. 3, series of 2025, on October 31.

In accordance with the Civil Code’s requirement, the memo takes effect 15 days after publication.

The officials whose SALNs were requested by Akbayan include:

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte

Former Ombudsman Samuel Martires

Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Gamaliel Asis Cordoba

COA Commissioner Mario Gonzales Lipana

COA Commissioner Douglas Michael N. Mallillin

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia

Comelec Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino

Comelec Commissioner Rey E. Bulay

Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Ferdinand P. Maceda Jr.

Comelec Commissioner Nelson J. Celis

Comelec Commissioner Maria Norina S. Tangaro-Casingal

Comelec Commissioner Noli R. Pipo

Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Marilyn B. Yap

CSC Commissioner Ryan Alvin R. Acosta

CSC Commissioner Luis Meinrado C. Pañgulayan

‘Our request is a test of this government’s seriousness in addressing the massive corruption scandal. We will not accept half-measures,’ said Akbayan President Rafaela David in a statement handed out to the media when the group submitted the letter on Thursday.

‘The Ombudsman must heed the public’s demand for transparency and immediately release the SALNs of the country’s top officials. The greater the power, the greater the demand for transparency and accountability. Our highest officials must be subjected to the highest levels of scrutiny,’ she added.

According to David, SALNs will help the public spot if these top officials have unexplained wealth and if it matches their expected income.

For his part, Clergy for Good Governance convenor Fr. Robert Reyes noted that the public has no idea how much wealth the Marcoses had even during the time of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

‘All of the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth is being forgiven by the Sandiganbayan, the Ombudsman, and the Supreme Court. Why is that?’ Reyes wondered.’Maybe now that their SALNs may be exposed, declarations like that of [Sen.] Chiz Escudero, who is said to be the poorest senator, can be verified. Do you believe that he is the poorest senator? You’ll find out from their SALNs,’ he said.

On October 14, the Office of the Ombudsman lifted restrictions on public access to SALNs filed by government officials.The circular provides guidelines on public access to SALNs. Under Section 3, agency heads are required to collect and submit the SALNs of their personnel to the Ombudsman, along with a summary report, by May 31 every year.

SALNs must be filed with any Public Assistance and Corruption Prevention Office of the Ombudsman’s central office, any Public Assistance and Corruption Prevention Bureau, or sectoral offices.

Members of the public may request SALNs by completing an official form issued by the office, presenting two valid IDs, paying the reproduction or certification fee, and waiting for the offices to review the request.

Philippine banks increased their lending to the agriculture sector in the first half of 2025, surpassing a government-mandated quota for one of the economy’s most vital yet long-neglected industries.

According to preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), banks extended about P2.4 trillion in credit to the farm sector during the first six months.

The amount included loans to farmers, fisherfolk, agrarian reform beneficiaries and their households, the BSP said. It accounted for 104.24 percent of lenders’ total loanable funds, which amounted to P2.3 trillion during the period.

This means local banks went beyond their quota for agriculture lending.

Under the law, banks must allocate 25 percent of their total loanable funds for agriculture, fisheries and rural development. Newly established banks are exempt from the rule in their first five years of operation.

Even so, data showed the 104.24-percent compliance rate of banks was lower than last year’s.

Underinvestment

In the first half of 2024, banks allocated 192.36 percent of their loanable funds, or P1.8 trillion, to agriculture when their total loanable funds reached P912.75 billion.

Historically, agriculture accounted for about a tenth of gross domestic product and employed around a quarter of Filipino workers. Yet decades of underinvestment and the rapid growth of other industries have left the sector struggling to modernize and expand.

According to the BSP and the Department of Agriculture, vulnerabilities to natural calamities and harvesting uncertainties remain the most common problems that banks face when extending credit to agriculture. These inherent risks, they noted, were aggravated by the pandemic, which had affected the health and livelihood of farmers and jeopardized their capacity to pay bank loans.

At the same time, agricultural borrowers often struggle to meet basic credit criteria, making it challenging for them to secure loans. The BSP reported that banks still require traditional loan securities from agricultural borrowers, mainly favoring real estate mortgages.

To encourage more lending, banks previously surveyed by the BSP stressed the importance of credit support mechanisms like guarantees and loan insurance, access to borrower information, and crop insurance.

STI Education Systems Holdings Inc. saw its earnings for the fiscal year ending June 30 soar by 38 percent following record enrollment numbers.

In a disclosure on Wednesday, the firm said its net income had reached P2.22 billion from P1.61 billion a year before.

Its top line likewise jumped by 18 percent to P5.56 billion against the previous P4.7 billion.

STI said it recorded a 15-percent rise in enrollment across its network. There were 138,060 students for the school year 2024-2025.

CHED

Enrollees for programs regulated by the Commission on Higher Education, in particular, expanded by 20 percent to 100,161 students. This accounted for 73 percent of STI’s total enrollment for the period.

The main contributor was STI Education Services Group (ESG), which welcomed 84,122 students.

With 63 schools, STI ESG offers associate and baccalaureate degrees and technical-vocational programs in a number of fields. These include information and communications technology, business and management, hospitality and tourism management.

STI WNU in Bacolod City, engaged in preelementary to graduate levels, also witnessed an increase in enrollees, reaching 14,503 students.

Meanwhile, iAcademy, which focuses on creative, design and technology-driven curriculum, enrolled 2,183 students.

Strong performance

Operating income also surged by 33 percent to P2.36 billion from P1.78 billion.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization stood at P3.15 billion, 27 percent higher than P2.49 billion.

‘Building on our strong performance in SY 2024-2025, we are committed to delivering quality education through continued focus on academic innovation and digital integration,’ said STI Holdings president and CEO Monico Jacob.

‘We remain focused on optimizing our nationwide education network and building capacity that strengthens our leadership in the Philippine education sector,’ the official added.

It ended the fiscal year with 66 schools across the Philippines.

Miss Universe Thailand head Nawat Itsaragrisil broke down in tears, he insisted he ‘did nothing wrong’ after he publicly confronted Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, over a sponsored shoot, which led the latter and other delegates to walk out of a sashing ceremony.

Itsaragrisil met with the international press on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to address the mounting criticism over his actions towards Miss Mexico.

In a clip posted on Missosology’s Facebook page, Itsaragrisil stressed his apology for the past incident as he clarified that he did not call Miss Mexico a ‘dumbhead.’

‘I said that today I would come to apologize. I didn’t do anything wrong,’ he said in tears. ‘For the international press, I didn’t say ‘dumbhead’ even for one second. I said, ‘damage.”

The Miss Grand International head vowed to do better in the coming pageant events, telling the press, ‘Do not worry, by the way, I will take care very well from now until the end of the 24th with you.’

Itsaragrisil had earlier apologized for the incident through a livestream on TikTok, explaining that he has been facing ‘daily problems’ since the pageant events commenced, including several delegates allegedly refusing to film videos for pageant sponsors.

During the sashing ceremony on Nov. 4 in Thailand, a livestreamed video shared by the Miss Universe Thailand organization showed some of the delegates walking out of the venue after Nawat confronted Bosch for allegedly refusing to participate in sponsor activities.

Reigning Miss Universe, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, was among the beauty queens who walked out of the sashing event to show support for Miss Mexico.

Miss Universe titleholders Sheynnis Palacios and Andrea Meza, and resigned Miss Grand International 2024 Rachel Gupta, also voiced their support for Bosch through their social media pages.

The walkout incident happened weeks before the Miss Universe finals night on Nov. 21 in Bangkok, Thailand, where Ahtisa Manalo is vying to bring home the fifth Miss Universe crown for the Philippines.

The Philippine government’s subsidized milled rice is now available in 81 provinces across the archipelago.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said this leaves Tawi-Tawi as the last province where the initiative has yet to be launched In a statement on Thursday, the DA said they have 427 sites nationwide for selling P20 a kilo of rice. They serve a total of about 1.2 million Filipinos.

This surpassed the DA’s ‘modest target’ of 136 sites in 13 provinces when the program was launched in May. The agency is targeting to roll out the P20/kg rice program in Tawi-Tawi in December.

They also intend to offer subsidized rice for eligible beneficiaries in Aklan, Capiz, Catanduanes, Davao Oriental, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Sarangani and Sulu. /rwd

DigiPlus Interactive Corp. sustained its earnings growth in the first nine months, hitting P10.11 billion.

The 16-percent profit expansion was driven by the retail games segment, with new product offerings and operational efficiencies providing an added boost. Revenues in the January to September period also revved up by 30 percent to P66.83 billion from P51.56 billion.

However, the group saw weaker performance in the third quarter alone. Net income plunged 59 percent to P1.71 billion, following stricter policies against online gambling. ‘This period demonstrates DigiPlus’ resilience amid temporary setbacks. Throughout this period, we continue to focus on digital innovation, player protection, and good governance,’ chair Eusebio Tanco said in a disclosure Thursday.