Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The first two years of the Miss Grand International pageant has set the tone for the Philippines in the competition, which would be marked with highs and lows for a country so obsessed with beauty contests.

In the inaugural edition in 2013, former Binibining Pilipinas runner-up Ali Forbes was fielded by her handler, the late John Dela Vega, and finished fourth overall. A promising start.

But the succeeding year was different. Kimberly Karlsson, who was chosen from the first standalone Miss Grand Philippines pageant that Dela Vega mounted, missed the cut.

Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) acquired the franchise in 2015, and sent 2014 Bb. Pilipinas Tourism Parul Shah to the contest. Like Forbes, she finished fourth, but she was also the Best in National Costume.

The next year, Nicole Cordoves almost posted the Philippines’ first win when she finished second in the competition. Her successor Elizabeth Clenci finished third overall.

But the Philippines missed the cut anew In the two succeeding editions, with Eva Patalinjug competing in 2018, and the controversial Samantha Lo in 2019.

Two-time Bb. Pilipinas runner-up Samantha Bernardo took it upon herself to redeem the country’s reputation in the global tilt, and sought BPCI’s blessing to compete. She indeed placed, but fell short of the title and was proclaimed first runner-up in the 2020 edition held in early 2021

Samantha Panlilio was sent to the 2021 edition, but went home empty-handed. Seasoned international queen Roberta Tamondong took up the cudgels in 2022.

Fans thought Tamondong would finally become the first Filipino woman to win the Miss Grand International crown, but she only managed a Top 20 finish in the contest in Indonesia.

But a week later, she found herself getting a fifth runner-up placement, after the delegate from Mauritius declined the position, awarded to the five ladies in the Top 10 who did not move on to the final round.

Later that year, the Miss Grand International announced that it was ending its partnership with BPCI, and awarded the franchise to Arnold Vegafria, organizer of the Miss World Philippines pageant.

Brazilian-Filpino ‘Supermodel Me: Revolution’ runner-up Nikki De Moura won in Vegafria’s first staging of his Miss Grand Philippines pageant in 2023. She went home empty-handed from the global tilt.

In 2024, Christine Juliane ‘CJ’ Opiaza convincingly won the national search that concluded just three days before the Miss Grand International delegates were expected to arrive in Thailand for the contest.

Opiaza, who had become a global fan favorite, settled for the first runner-up spot, with the crown going to Rachel Gupta, the first winner from India.

The Miss Grand International crown had remained elusive, fans thought. But the succeeding year had something in store for the Filipino queen.

In May, Gupta stepped down from her throne, and Opiaza assumed the remainder of her reign after officially receiving the crown in Thailand in June.

This year, broacaster and pageant veteran Emma Tiglao hopes to sustain the Philippines’ upward trajectory by posting a back-to-back for the country.

Filipinos will learn her fate at the ‘grand finale’ of the 2025 Miss Grand International pageant at the MGI Hall in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 18.

Chanting ‘Kabataan, magkaisa! Baguhin ang bulok na sistema!’ hundreds of students and youth groups marched to Mendiola on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, to mark the National Day of Action Kontra Korapsyon, a coordinated protest demanding accountability and justice over the alleged misuse of flood control funds.

The action was organized by a coalition of youth groups under the newly formed Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot (People’s Movement Against Corruption), which emerged after a series of campus walkouts and rallies across the country.

Protesters accused the Marcos administration of failing to hold top officials accountable in what they described as the worst corruption scandal in recent history. A continuation of ‘Baha sa Luneta’

Friday’s protest was a continuation of the ‘Baha sa Luneta’ demonstration held on Sept. 21, which culminated at Mendiola. That earlier march brought together students, teachers and civic groups calling for transparency in flood control projects that allegedly benefited a handful of favored contractors.

At Mendiola, students carried banners that read ‘Pondo sa edukasyon, hindi sa korapsyon’ and ‘Baguhin ang sistema.’ They denounced what they called Malacañang’s ‘performative’ response to corruption scandals and demanded that public funds be redirected to education and social services.

Youth groups unite under new alliance

Organizers said the Oct. 17 mobilization was facilitated by youth organizations that first met during the Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot convening meeting. The gathering sought to build a broad alliance to sustain anti-corruption actions and encourage more students and first-time protesters to join.

They said the nationwide action sought to build unity across campuses and encourage first-time participants to speak out against corruption.

‘No to cover-ups’

In an Oct. 15 statement, youth groups accused the government of using ‘violence, disinformation and political theatrics’ to divert attention from the scandal involving the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

‘No to cover-ups! We cannot trust an investigation that the public cannot scrutinize and that is controlled by the so-called OG ‘nepo baby’ in Malacañang and his cronies. All those involved in corruption must be held accountable – including Marcos Jr. himself,’ said Joaquin Buenaflor, chairperson of the University of the Philippines Diliman University Student Council.

‘The fact that the House-approved budget remains filled with pork, especially the Unprogrammed Appropriations under the President’s discretion, proves that Malacañang’s supposed investigations are nothing but peak performative behavior,’ said Rep. Renee Co of Kabataan Party-list.

‘Police have been quicker to summon and jail those who fight corruption than those actually named in the anomalies – or even the unnamed masterminds and enablers, including the President himself,’ said Aldrin Kitsune of Kalayaan Kontra Korapsyon.

‘If Vice President Sara was not held accountable with Malacañang’s blessing, it is hard to expect that responsibility will reach the top if it is left to the President alone. Protest is our only way to make the truth come out,’ said Fran Reyes, national spokesperson of Gabriela Youth.

White Ribbon Friday movement

In Quezon City, members of Akbayan Partylist, Tindig Pilipinas and Youth Against Kurakot held a White Ribbon Friday rally at Kamias corner EDSA, part of the ongoing Trillion Peso March Movement. Volunteers distributed white ribbons to motorists and pedestrians as a symbol of truth and accountability.

Placards read, ‘On Fridays, we wear white ribbon – Katotohanan at Pananagutan.’

Marching for a future

Under a gray sky threatening rain, the protests continued into the afternoon. The energy of the youth, their banners, chants, and unity spoke of a generation determined to claim their voice.

For these demonstrators, the fight against corruption is not just a political act – it is a declaration of ownership over the nation’s future. /dm

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is requesting an additional P5.4 billion budget for 2026 to fund at least three rainwater catchment facilities aimed at mitigating flooding in Metro Manila.

The MMDA is planning to build the rainwater catch basins at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City and at two locations in Manila.

According to MMDA Chairman Romando Artes, the facility in Quezon is estimated to cost P1.5 billion, as it will cover almost half a hectare, while the government might have to spend P2.2 billion for a nearly one-hectare facility at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum and another P1.7 billion in Rizal Park, both located in Manila.

The request was in addition to the P5.8-billion budget proposal of the MMDA for 2026.

‘We would like to request an amendment to our budget to fund at least three rain catchment facilities, which we believe will have a significant impact in addressing flooding in the areas where they will be constructed,’ Artes said in Filipino when he presented the agency’s budget proposal before the Senate finance subcommittee on Thursday.

The proposed funding for these facilities was not included in the 2026 National Expenditure Program.

Artes said based on their research and planning, the facilities could be completed within a year.

‘We expect to see the impact of this within one year,’ he said in Filipino.

Artes cited the case in Singapore, which used to experience chest-high flooding on Orchard Road, but it disappeared after a rainwater catchment system was built.

‘So we want to replicate it. We had it studied, and the Singaporean government kindly agreed to assist us in planning our rain catchment systems here in Metro Manila,’ he said in Filipino.

In the Philippines, the plan is to build 10-meter, or three- to four-story, rainwater catch basins that are durable and earthquake-resilient, the MMDA chief said.

Sen. JV Ejercito, who was presiding over the hearing, said the proposal was worth considering, although he noted that Filipinos are now ‘allergic’ to flood-control projects.

‘Whenever we mention flood control projects, they’re immediately rejected. But I believe there should be exemptions-especially for those that are truly necessary. So we’ll see what we can do about this, because the P250 billion originally allocated for flood control projects was realigned to other programs,’ he said in Filipino.

The amount was lodged under the Department of Public Works and Highways’ budget proposal for 2026, but the fund was realigned to the agriculture and health sectors amid corruption allegations involving flood control works./mcm/abc

Meralco rallied from a 16-point deficit to stun Barangay Ginebra, 89-75, to claim back-to-back wins after dropping its first two games in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Chris Newsome, CJ Cansino, Bong Quinto, Allein Maliksi, Aaron Black and Brandon Bates were among those responsible for overhauling the Gin Kings’ 54-38 lead in the third with a massive fourth quarter that turned the tide in the Bolts’ favor. Newsome led the charge with 19 points on top of eight rebounds and four assists as Meralco won the second of a hectic schedule of three games in five nights, atoning for stinging losses to Titan Ultra and Rain or Shine in Rizal.

The Bolts wrap up that stretch on Sunday in Rodriguez against Magnolia at the new Ynares Center before flying to Japan for the start of their East Asia Super League campaign with Justin Brownlee, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Ismael Romero as imports.

Ginebra dropped to 1-2 after wasting a comfortable lead, with RJ Abarrientos scoring 14 points but on a 3-of-10 clip. The Gin Kings’ schedule won’t get any easier as they now prepare for a trip to Dubai to play the San Miguel Beermen on Oct. 26.

Cansino added 18 points, helping the Bolts pull away after pulling ahead 67-66 on Newsome’s corner triple in the fourth, while Bates posted six points and 14 rebounds.

Quinto hit some late shots for 11 points while Maliksi added seven for Meralco.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) sought over P6.6 billion to cover the tuition of qualified college students under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as part of its ‘wishlist.’

CHED chairperson Shirley Agrupis made the request during Friday’s Senate finance committee hearing which tackled the P33.9 billion proposed budget of the commission.

Panel chairperson Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the tuition of qualified 4Ps students should be tagged as priority during the budget amendments in the Senate plenary.

97% of Ched’s budget for scholarships alone

Of CHED’s P33.9 billion budget under the National Expenditure Program (NEP), 97 percent or P32.1 billion is solely allotted for its scholarship program under the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (Unifast).

But it’s still not enough.

Agrupis laid out the commission’s P8.6 billion ‘wishlist’ for tertiary education subsidy outside NEP, including the P6.6 billion that would benefit 490,315 more indigent college recipients under 4Ps.

Aside from the qualified 4Ps members, CHED is also seeking a P2 billion fund for the recipients of continuing Tulong Dunong Program (TDP), which has 135,792 beneficiaries.

The TDP partially covers the tuition of qualified college students.

‘It is clear that-for me-we need to prioritize the 4Ps,’ Gatchalian said.

‘If we will make an amendment, we should prioritize the P6.6 billion. Because if not, we will displace 490,315 children-that’s one of the priorities that we want to emphasize,’ he noted.

If granted, CHED will be able provide a P27,000 tuition subsidy for 490,315 college students under 4Ps.

Also, Agrupis asked Gatchalian if those items under the continuing TDP program can be included, to which the senator agreed.

‘If there is excess funds, we need to fund the continuing TDP. Because if we did not fund that, what is the likelihood that they would drop out?’ he asked.

Private university students also in need

Of the 135,792 students under the tertiary education scholarship program, 78,792 are from public schools while around 57,000 are enrolled in private schools, according to Septon dela Cruz, executive director of Unifast.

Sen. Bam Aquino said the students in private universities should also be covered by the tertiary education program.

‘It’s not bad to give assistance to the children under SUCs (State Universities and Colleges) and LUCs (Local Universities and Colleges) and the children who are in need in private universities,’ Aquino said.

In line with this, the senator said CHED should make clear guidelines on this.

‘For me, personally, let’s make the guidance simple: As long as you are enrolled in SUC and LUCs, you can avail,’ Aquino said. ‘On private schools, I leave it to CHED.’

The Department of Health (DOH) has no plan to implement a lockdown in any part of the country due to flu or influenza-like illnesses.

DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa emphasized this in a press briefing on Friday, adding that there is no outbreak of flu, cough, fever, or other respiratory diseases in the country.

‘There is no planned lockdown; that is fake news. What we have is the seasonal respiratory illnesses, so it’s not a flu outbreak. We do not have a flu outbreak,’ Herbosa said.

According to the DOH chief, the country is merely experiencing the influenza-like illnesses season, leading to the increase in flu cases.

‘It is our ILI (influenza-like illnesses) season. It has many diseases. And these are diseases like cough, cold, flu and all others similar to that. That spreads very fast during rainy season,’ he said in Filipino, noting that the DOH is currently monitoring those.

‘We don’t have an outbreak from a single virus, so there is no need to declare a lockdown,’ added the official.

‘Wearing masks, staying at home when sick recommended’

Meanwhile, Herbosa said that the DOH recommends the wearing of face masks or staying at home for those having influenza-like illnesses.

‘That’s the public health recommendation because it’s our season for these influenza-like illnesses, which you get by respiratory spread. Maybe if you’re sick, don’t go to work, don’t go to school,’ he pointed out, while also clarifying that these are optional and not a policy.

With this, the DOH chief commended the Department of Education (DepEd) for canceling face-to-face classes in public schools in Metro Manila from October 13 to October 14 due to the increased number of influenza-like illnesses among students and the impacts of the recent earthquakes that hit the country.

‘It’s actually also good because, I think the kids, if they don’t go to school, won’t infect each other. My fear is that kids will get infected; they recover after 3 to 5 days, but if they bring it home to a grandfather, grandmother, or someone who’s on dialysis, they might die,’ Herbosa said.

‘So in a way, that’s okay. I’m not against doing alternative methods of education,’ he added.

‘Lesser ILI cases this year’

Despite the reported increase in influenza-like illness cases, Herbosa clarified that the cases this year were lower compared to the numbers recorded in 2024.

‘For the month of September, our cases of ILI were over 155,000 last year. This September, it just ended, it was only 133,000. So less. It’s not more,’ Herbosa said.

‘It’s just a coincidence. Maybe people noticed it now [because] maybe they are connected to a relative that got flu or something,’ he added.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced on Thursday that 4,570 out of 5,900, or 77.46% passed the Physicians Licensure Examination (PLE) given earlier this month.

The examination was administered by the Board of Medicine in Metro Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga.

University of Santo Tomas’ Kharam Baricaua Molbog topped the licensure examination with a rating of 91.17%, while Eris Orlan Munoz of University of the East – Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMC) ranked second with a rating of 90.67%

University of the Philippines – Manila’s Charles Jerome Bartolo ranked third with a rating of 90.25%.

The other top ten passers are Jorel Franco Tangpuz (Cebu Institute of Medicine), 89.42%; Zairah Monjardin (Far Eastern University – Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation), 89.25%; Beatrice Hope Reyes (St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine), 89.25%; Nathan Ross Bantayan (UP-Manila), 89.17%; Judah Elijah Cagas (West Visayas State University – La Paz), 89.08%); Johan Vincent Lam (Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health), 89.08%; Abigail Sim (Cebu Institute of Medicine), 89.00%; Yousef Naeem (Ateneo de Zamboanga University),88.92% and Jarvin Lumauig (UERMMC), 88.83%.

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila emerged as the top-performing school with over 100 examinees, with a passing rate of 99.05% (104 out of 105 examinees).

The other top-performing schools with 100 or more examinees are UERMMC (98.86%), Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (98.44%), University of Santo Tomas (98.17%), and UP-Manila (97.42%)

A former police officer from Lanao del Sur was wounded after being shot outside his residence in Barangay Iponan here around 1 p.m. on Friday, October 17.

Witnesses said the victim, who is about 60 years old, had just come from a nearby mosque when he was attacked. He was reportedly walking toward his house in Villamar Subdivision when unidentified men opened fire from a passing car.

A neighbor, who identified herself only as ‘Gina,’ said she saw the victim at the mosque earlier that day. ‘I even saw him in the mosque,’ she said, adding that the gunmen were aboard a milk-colored Toyota Vios.

The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

Investigators from the Bulua police station said they are eyeing rido or clan feuding as a possible motive behind the shooting.

The former law enforcer, who once served in Butig, Lanao del Sur, relocated to Cagayan de Oro after retirement.

Authorities are conducting follow-up investigations to identify the assailants and establish the circumstances of the attack

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has earmarked P3.3 billion to improve rice yield and reduce postharvest losses over the next three years.

In a statement on Thursday, the DA said the budget allocation will be used to set up 300 drying systems across the archipelago.

The DA is targeting the completion of 145 rice processing systems nationwide this year to address ‘the chronic lack of drying and milling facilities’ that still affect local rice farmers.

To date, 118 rice processing systems have been established nationwide. The agency said the delivery, installation, and commissioning of the remaining 27 facilities will be completed by December.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the completion of 145 rice processing systems in three years is ‘a scale of investment’ unmatched in the DA’s history.

‘Legacy investment’

‘This is a legacy investment,’ Tiu Laurel said. ‘One that finally gives our farmers the tools to compete and thrive.’

Citing industry estimates, the DA noted that the rice sector loses up to 16 percent of potential yield due to postharvest inefficiencies.

‘This aggressive infrastructure build-out could mark a turning point for the country’s beleaguered rice industry. Postharvest losses, inefficiencies in the supply chain, and poor access to processing facilities have long eroded farmer income and inflated consumer prices,’ it added.

The DA is undertaking the development of these processing systems through the mechanization component of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). The fund intended to boost rice farmers’ income and productivity.

According to the DA, more investments are being prepared to sustain the momentum in the remaining half of President Marcos’ term.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that palay production in the third quarter of this year is estimated at 3.93 million metric tons (MT).

This represents an increase of 18.1 percent from the actual output of 3.33 million MT in the same period a year ago.

The DA previously slashed its palay output forecast for 2025 due to widespread flooding in key agricultural areas. This now ranges between 20.09 million MT and 20.39 million MT.

If attained, it would still breach the 2023 record high of 20.06 million MT. /rwd

Typhoon ‘Opong,’ which hit Masbate, unveiled one painfully clear truth: our so-called Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils have become little more than bureaucratic deadweight. The storm lasted only hours, but the waiting that followed dragged on for weeks. Relief and recovery operations crawled, while families endured hunger, displacement, and despair.

I write this as someone inside the system-and I’m frustrated. Frustrated by how we’ve turned disaster response into a show of press conferences and photo ops. Because let’s be honest, we’ve made excuses to cover up inaction. We’ve heard them all-‘We’re still assessing,’ ‘There’s no power,’ ‘Communication lines are down,’ and a dozen other senseless lines meant to justify delay.

The truth is, we call ourselves public servants, yet when the public cries for help, too many of us are nowhere to be found. We have Disaster Risk Reductions and Management Councils in name, but not in spirit. What’s ‘quick’ about relief goods that arrive after two weeks? Relief coming after one or two weeks is like calling a snail a racehorse.

It’s true that relief delayed is relief denied. Every day of delay is another day a child goes hungry, a student’s dream fades, and a family sleeps without a roof over their heads. It’s our responsibility to the people, and to the title we carry, to do better. To always be reminded that our duty does not begin when pictures are taken, nor should it end when the headlines fade.

The problem isn’t just logistics; it’s leadership. True disaster management doesn’t start after the damage-it begins long before the storm, with preparation, coordination, and the political will to act swiftly.