Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Lovi Poe left fans and fellow celebrities in awe as she flaunted her toned physique just two weeks after she gave birth to her first child.

The celebrity mom documented herself putting makeup using her own cosmetic brand, through a video on her Instagram page on Monday, Oct. 27.

The clip began with her glamming up during the last week of her pregnancy, then transitioned to herself after childbirth. The actress was wearing a crop top that accentuated her defined upper abs.

‘Last week of pregnancy vs [two] weeks postpartum,’ she captioned her post.

The video has so far garnered over 167,000 likes, with fans and celebrities quipping how Poe did not seem to have birthed a baby at all.

Poe announced the arrival of her first child with her British film producer husband Monty Blencowe last Oct. 24, showing herself swaying while carrying her newborn.

The couple has yet to share further details about their firstborn, including the child’s name.

Lovi and Blencowe tied the knot in Berkshire, England, in August 2023. The actress then announced her pregnancy last Sept. 1.

The spirit of hope and togetherness shines bright at Robinsons Manila, where a heartwarming celebration of generosity, gratitude, and community unfolds beneath the mall’s Santa’s Workshop-inspired 40-foot grand Christmas tree. Customers are invited to embrace the season’s warmth through dazzling lights, uplifting performances, and a delightful selection of shopping and dining experiences that make Robinsons Manila a cherished holiday destination.

This year’s Tree Lighting Ceremony paid tribute to our everyday heroes from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). Together with their families, they enjoyed a day filled with gifts, entertainment, and surprises – a touching recognition of their service and dedication.

The celebration was graced by Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, RLC Executive Vice President and Business Unit General Manager Faraday Go, Robinsons Malls External Affairs Director Irving Wu, and City Administrator Wardee Quintos, who together officially ushered in a truly sparkling Christmas season at Robinsons Manila.

Experience the joy and hope of Christmas at Robinsons Malls, where every moment shines with meaning, warmth, and togetherness.

A Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Palawan has found Culion Mayor Cesar de Vera and his wife, Maria Virginia, who also once served as the town’s chief executive, guilty of child abuse in violation of Section 10(a) of Republic Act No. 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act.

Acting Presiding Judge Ryan Hartzell Balisacan of the Coron Regional Trial Court Branch 163, in a ruling dated October 24, sentenced the couple to four to six years of imprisonment and ordered them to pay a P15,000 fine and P40,000 for moral and exemplary damages to the family of the complainant.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the parents of a male minor who accused the De Veras of physical abuse at the Culion Municipal Police Station in June 2018. The complainants’ child was 15 years old at the time.

In 2023, the couple pleaded not guilty, after which a trial ensued, with the prosecution presenting the victim, his mother, and six other witnesses.

The victim recalled that he and his friends, who were brought to the station by police officers, were ‘mauled inside the Culion police station.’

He also stated that he was initially surprised to learn that he was among those summoned by police at the mayor’s instruction.

The boy told his mother that he and his friends voluntarily went to the Culion police station at around 2 p.m. on the day of the incident.

At the station, the De Veras allegedly conspired to ‘physically abuse him, slapping and punching him and pulling his hair,’ actions that he said placed him in a situation ‘prejudicial’ to his development and well-being.

Denial

Meanwhile, Mayor De Vera has continuously denied the accusations.

In a statement, he said the case stemmed not from the alleged physical abuse, which they vehemently denied, but from an alleged sexual abuse and attempted rape incident involving their daughter seven years ago.

‘The root of this case is not the assault that we vehemently deny, but the attempted defilement and humiliation of our minor daughter seven years ago-a victim of a planned rape, passing around, and dumping in the mangroves,’ De Vera said in Filipino.

The mayor said that while they respected the RTC’s decision, they would elevate the case to the Court of Appeals.

‘We believe that justice and truth will prevail. This is the process according to law,’ De Vera said.

He added: ‘In a world full of dangers, only a parent’s love and protection will prevail and bring peace of mind; it is a parent’s right to defend their child against any form of abuse and immorality

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake hit Los Baños, Laguna on Tuesday afternoon, and it was felt in some parts of the region, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

The quake was recorded at 12:34 p.m., nine kilometers southeast of Los Baños, Phivolcs reported.

It also said that the earthquake was tectonic in origin, with a seven-kilometer depth of focus.

The reported intensities are as follows:

Intensity III

San Pablo, Laguna

Malvar Batangas

Intensity II

Los Baños, Laguna

San Pablo, Laguna

Calamba, Laguna

Intensity I

Carmona, Cavite

Dolores, Quezon.

Following this, another magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded six kilometers east of Los Baños, Phivolcs said.

The subsequent tectonic quake struck the city at 1:12 p.m., with a 33-kilometer depth of focus, it added.

Phivolcs reported an instrumental intensity I in San Pablo, Laguna.

Neither earthquakes are expected to have aftershocks or cause damage.

It must be noted that on Tuesday morning, two minor quakes were recorded three minutes apart from each other southwest of Los Baños.

The first earthquake at 11:28 a.m. had a magnitude of 1.5, while the second quake at 11:31 a.m. had a magnitude of 2, based on Phivolcs’ earthquake bulletin.

As of writing, these are the only four quakes recorded in Laguna in October 2025.

Tycoon Enrique Razon Jr.-led Bloomberry Resorts Corp. has found a chance to exit its loss-making casino business in South Korea after 10 years of grappling with this challenging market.

Bloomberry has signed a deal to spin off and then sell its casino on Jeju Island held by its South Korean indirect subsidiary, Golden and Luxury Co., Ltd. (GandL).

GandL signed the share purchase agreement with a company called Gangwon Blue Mountain Co. Ltd.

No other details were provided on the buyer, who has paid a down payment of 500 million won (around P20.4 million).

Closing conditions

However, the transaction is still subject to closing conditions, including demerger, due diligence and regulatory approvals.

Since 2015, GandL has been operating Jeju Sun Hotel and Casino, located on the holiday island of Jeju in Korea.

The property consists of a 202-room hotel with 2,000 square meters of gaming operations. It has 36 gaming tables, 20 electronic gaming machines and four food and beverage outlets to service its hotel guests and casino players.

Financial drag

In 2018, a reorganization was implemented to separate the hotel and casino operations of Jeju Sun.

Over the last few years, Bloomberry has put the Jeju Island casino on the block as it has been a drag on its financial position.

This is especially since Bloomberry is grappling with a more challenging home market, marked by a big decline in VIP or high-roller foot traffic, in turn due to the reduction in tourist arrivals from China. The opening of other overseas markets has likewise made the gaming landscape more competitive, alongside the boom in online gaming.

Online gaming

Bloomberry, for its part, has joined the online gaming scene with the launch of its platform ‘MegaFUNalo!’ in June.

It has likewise developed its second property, Solaire North in Quezon City, to diversify its market.

In its second quarter earnings report, Bloomberry said the gains from its second property had contributed to the performance of its Metro Manila mass gaming and nongaming revenue, which rose by 18 percent and 37 percent year-over-year, respectively.

For its part, Jeju Sun registered P2.5 million of gross gaming revenue in the second quarter of 2025, P33.2-million lower than the year-ago level. INQ

Magnolia acquired rookie forward Chris Koon after playing just five games for newcomer Titan Ultra.

The Hotshots sent veteran southpaw Aris Dionisio to complete the deal that was approved by the PBA on Tuesday.

Titan dealt the Ateneo product a few days since sending the rights of Dave Ildefonso to Converge in exchange for rookie Kobe Monje and two future draft picks.

Koon’s move came amid the Giant Risers’ struggles in the Philippine Cup with a 1-4, having dropped four in a row after defeating the Meralco Bolts in their PBA debut.

Last Sunday saw Titan squander a 19-point lead and lose by one to Rain or Shine on four free throws by Anton Asistio in the dying seconds.

Koon was picked fourth overall in last month’s Draft when Titan’s purchase of NorthPort was still pending league approval.

Dionisio has been with Magnolia since being taken eight overall in the 2019 Draft, usually playing as a spot-up big man off the bench.

Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc on Tuesday challenged the House of Representatives to explain how and why it quietly increased its own budget by P10 billion in the proposed 2026 national budget.

In a press conference, ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio and Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago noted that while the proposed P27.7-billion budget for the lower chamber was still lower than the P33-billion budget it had in 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), it’s still unclear which items exactly saw higher funding and from where it drew the money.

‘We call on the House to be transparent and explain the reason for this increase. What are the items involved, which items saw increases? Especially in this time of mounting corruption allegations, this move is insensitive to public sentiment to have transparency in the national budget,’ Elago said.

A comparison of the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the Department of Budget and Management to Congress and a copy of House Bill No. 4058 showed that it raised its own budget allocation from P17.2 billion to P27.7 billion-a 61 percent jump-in the proposed P6.7-trillion national budget for next year.

These changes did not appear in the reports of the House budget amendments review subcommittee and only appeared in the third version of the HGAB.

Much of this P10 billion increase went to the House’s maintenance and other operating expenses, which jumped from P10.7 billion in the NEP to P18.6 billion in the HGAB.

Within this budget line, the biggest increases went to communication expenses (+P1.07 billion) and an item called other maintenance and operating expenses (+P2.9 billion).

In a press conference last Wednesday, People’s Budget Coalition policy researcher AJ Montesa said the 61-percent hike was ‘very steep’ compared to other branches of government and worth noting since Congress controls the national budget.

While it was unclear where the increase was drawn from, an analysis conducted by the People’s Budget Coalition (PBC) says it could ‘reflect new insertions for infrastructure, assistance programs, or internal budgets.’

The funds could have been taken from two agencies that saw major cuts in the House’s version of next year’s budget: the Department of Public Works and Highways, which absorbed a P255-billion slash, and the Office of the Vice President, whose proposed funding was reduced to the 2025 level of P733 million.

Higher operating costs continued to drag the bottom line of Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines, with its earnings in the January to September period dropping by 24 percent.

In a disclosure to the local bourse on Monday, the lender said its earnings in the first nine months had declined to P6.5 billion from the P8.56-billion profit posted a year ago.

The company’s quarter-on-quarter performance, on the other hand, witnessed a solid result, with net income surging by 77 percent to P3.2 billion in the July to September period.

Consumer business

Its net revenues during the nine-month period, meanwhile, grew 7.2 percent to P60.5 billion, mainly fueled by its consumer business.

Unsecured consumer loans increased 16 percent to P138.5 billion, an improvement the firm owed to its ‘targeted digital marketing campaigns and portfolio actions.’

Net interest income likewise jumped 11.6 percent to P47.5 billion from P42.6 billion.

However, the group’s operating expenses went up by 7 percent to P35.5 billion from P33 billion in the same period a year ago.

Client acquisition

But UnionBank, now led by its new CEO Ana Maria Aboitiz-Delgado, said the investments were necessary to pump up its customer service game, as the funds had gone to boosting client acquisition, service delivery, client engagement and operational efficiency.

The bank said these were ‘key pillars in the expansion of both consumer and institutional banking franchises.’

‘The bank will continue to build on the progress made in strengthening operational resiliency and reinforcing the balance sheet,’ UnionBank chief financial officer Manuel Lozano said.

‘Credit costs have stabilized while portfolio quality continues to improve. Combined with strong top-line momentum, these developments position UnionBank for a positive growth trajectory in the future,’ the executive added.

In June, UnionBank raised P16 billion from the domestic debt market to finance its expansion plans. INQ

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) filed administrative charges against Police Col. Roland Vilela – ex-husband of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma – over alleged ‘ill-gotten wealth.’

Garma allegedly masterminded the 2020 killing of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga.

In a press briefing at the Napolcom central office in Quezon City on Tuesday, Napolcom Inspection, Monitoring and Investigation Service (IMIS) Director Edman Pares said Vilela was charged with two counts of grave misconduct, two counts of conduct unbecoming of a police officer; and a count of grave neglect of duty.

‘The misconduct charge shows how the respondent had ill-gotten wealth,’ Pares explained at the press briefing.

The Napolcom IMIS director cited last year’s House of Representatives quad committee testimony of Police Capt. Delfinito Anuba, whom Vilela allegedly tasked to convert large sums of pesos into United States (US) dollars and send them via diplomatic channels.

Garma allegedly sent P50 million to Vilela, a police attache in the US at the time.

However, at the House mega panel last Sept. 27, Vilela maintained that his account only had his monthly salary as a police officer and attache.

Neglect charge

Why the neglect of duty charge? Pares claimed Vilela did not attend a hearing of the House mega panel, later clarifying in a message to the Inquirer that it was the 15th public hearing of the quad committee last June 9.

‘One of the things we are considering is to file a grave neglect of duty case against him because our quad comm, during their investigation, is performing a quasi-judicial function,’ Pares said prior to the filing of the complaint.

The Inquirer is still reviewing the House’s records as to whether Vilela was summoned but failed to appear before the mega panel.

In preparation for Undas, the Manila North Cemetery set up an online grave finder, wheelchairs for seniors, persons with disabilities (PWD) and pregnant women.

Aside from this, its officials is also setting up a tagging system for children, and new CCTVs, the cemetery Assistant Director Anthony Escueta said.

The online grave finder is available at the Manila North Cemetery website for visitors who can’t find their way around the 54-hectare cemetery, Escueta announced in a press briefing on Tuesday.

‘We launched our website, our ‘grave finder.’ Just type in the name of the loved ones you want to visit. Then, the cemetery map will appear. A red indicator will appear there. Then, you will find the way to your loved one,’ he detailed.

For those who have difficulty in walking long distances, especially seniors, pregnant women and PWDs, Escueta said there are wheelchairs available for them.

He added that there are volunteers on standby to take persons on wheelchairs to the grave they are visiting.

‘We have a volunteer organization that will push from the gate to where they are going because the Manila North Cemetery is quite large,’ Escueta added.

On the other hand, the cemetery will implement a tagging system for minors who may be lost in the crowd of people.

Upon entry, minors visiting the cemetery will be given a tag on their wrist with their name and their guardian’s contact number. These details will also be recorded by the staff.

Escueta also said that the local government has installed 64 CCTV cameras all over the cemetery for public security purposes.

The Manila North Cemetery is one of the most visited cemeteries in Manila, with more than 1.2 million visitors recorded during Undas 2024, according to the Manila Public Information Office.