Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

On September 30,2025, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) participated in the ‘LAB for All’ Program held in Valenzuela City, demonstrating its commitment to expanding health and charity services to local communities.

Leading the PCSO team were Director Imelda Papin and Assistant General Manager for the Charity Sector, Atty. Lauro Patiag. They oversaw the distribution of 1,500 Charitimba relief packages to the city’s residents who attended the caravan.

In addition, the PCSO also turned over ?3,892,214.85 in Lotto Shares to the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Valenzuela. This amount covers the city’s share of lotto sales generated from January to June 2025 and is mandated to be used for local health and medical services.

The ‘LAB for All’ initiative, spearheaded by First Lady Marie Louise ‘Liza’ Araneta Marcos, is a collaborative program designed to mobilize various government agencies to bring direct medical and social services to citizens.

The PCSO’s participation and assistance directly support the directive of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to strengthen the country’s healthcare system and ensure that medical services are accessible in every community. The agency remains dedicated to continuous collaboration with government programs for the welfare of all Filipinos in need.

Alexa Miro, who just came from a breakup with presidential son Sandro Marcos, turned emotional while performing her version of Rockstar’s ‘Ika’y Mahal Pa Rin’ at the reality game show ‘Sing Galing.’

The actress earlier confirmed her five-year relationship and breakup with Sandro, the Ilocos Norte’s first district representative and the son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Marcos.

In the show’s episode aired on Sunday, Oct. 5, Miro, who was among the Sing-lebrities, sang the song as part of the game.

The first lines of the song was sang by hosts Randy Santiago, K Brosas, and Donita Nose who briefly joined Miro on the stage. While the three were singing, it can be noticed that Miro was holding her chest then covering her eyes and mouth.

When it was her turn to sing, Miro appeared to have struggled as her voice broke from tearing up. Miro’s emotions became more evident when she sang the line, ‘Ika’y mahal pa rin.’ She was also seen wiping her cheeks before the hosts returned to the stage.

Miro has yet to publicly comment about her performance as of this writing.

Miro previously confessed that she kept her relationship with Sandro from the public ‘for safety purposes’ since he is part of the first family. The actress also earlier named fellow actress Franki Russell as the alleged third party in the split.

‘Nasaktan kasi talaga ako sa mga huling kaganapan kaya siguro naramdaman ko na baka panahon na para magsabi ng totoo,’ Miro said of her admission. (I was really hurt by the recent events so I felt this might be right time to tell the truth.)

Nonetheless, Miro said she is open to reconciling with Sandro, saying she ‘will always have love for him.’

Reigning Miss Asia Pacific International Janelis Leyba came to the Philippines earlier last month for the remainder of her yearlong reign. But she will not be on hand to crown her successor.

The Dominican-American preschool teacher from New York even joined the delegates to Cebu, where most of the activities had been scheduled. However, she had already flown back home even before the winner had been chosen.

This was revealed at the ‘National Directors’ Night’ hosted by the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant at the Temple of Leah in Cebu City on Monday evening, Oct. 6.

Onin Mas, the pageant’s director for international relations, crown management, and media relations, told the national directors, ‘the winner for 2024 decided to go back to her home country because of the trauma that she had experienced during the earthquake.’

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake origninating in Bogo City in northern Cebu halted the pageant’s Benefit Gala Night at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City on Sept. 30, just as the program was about to close.

Videos from the incident saw Leyba frantically taking off her crown and dropping it on the runway as she hurriedly left the stage to seek safety from the tremor.

Inquirer Entertainment learned that she was still living in the Dominican Republic when the Caribbean was jolted by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake originating from Haiti, in 2010 when she was still six years old.

The pageant’s organizers said the painful memory of the tremor that she experienced as a child may still be fresh in her mind, and her fear may have been triggered by the Cebu earthquake.

‘We respect the decision,’ Mas emphasized. He also clarified that Leyba is still considered the reigning Miss Asia Pacific International titleholder of 2024.

Last year’s batch still has a representative, second runner-up Selena Ali of Belgium, who has been with the delegates since day one, from Manila all the way to Cebu, even experiencing the earthquake with the ladies.

‘She’s been with us right after the earthquake because she chose to be with us. And she’ll be with us until the coronation night, and she’ll be representing the whole batch of Miss Asia Pacific International,’ Mas said.

‘We’re happy that Selena is with us, and joining until the coronation night. So expect more from Selena. We’re very happy that we have [Ali], and you make your batch very, very proud,’ he continued.

Meanwhile, Mas and Miss Asia Pacific International President Eva Patalinug-Lim revealed that the province of Cebu will still host next year’s competition. The 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International coronation night will be held at the Cebu Coliseum on Oct. 8. Forty-three ladies from around the world are competing for the title.

A new smartphone is about to make gaming more fun and stylish. Launching on October 19, 2025, the vivo V60 Lite combines beauty and performance in one device made for the new generation of gamers.

Designed for young people who love gaming and expressing their unique style, the vivo V60 Lite proves that a gaming phone can be both powerful and fashionable. It comes in two eye-catching colors, Pop Pink and Titanium Blue, that highlight its soft pastel tones and modern look.

While vivo is saving a few surprises for launch day, here’s a preview of why this device will be a must-have for gamers.

The MediaTek Dimensity 7360 Turbo promises an upgraded gaming experience that delivers impressive speed and smoothness.

The Bypass Charging feature ensures you can stay in the game longer, keeping things cool while you play.

With Ultra Game Mode, expect a more focused and seamless session each time you tap into your favorite title.

The vivo V60 Lite also draws you into every match with a vivid 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED display that turns every frame into a visual delight.

This October, vivo unveils a gaming phone that blends power and style into one beautiful device. The vivo V60 Lite is designed for young people who play hard, create fearlessly, and stand out with confidence.

Gov. Edgar Aglipay has ordered a thorough investigation of the collapse on Monday of the Piggatan Bridge here, which sent five trucks crashing down and left parts of the national highway linking the capital city of Tuguegarao to the northern towns of Cagayan impassable.

The bridge, constructed in 1974, had an 18-ton load limit, far below the estimated 50-ton combined weight of the five vehicles-an 18-wheel, two 16-wheel, and two smaller trucks-passing through it at the time of its collapse.

Aglipay, who inspected the bridge on Monday night, urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to hold accountable those who might have violated regulations.

‘If found liable, the truck operator and drivers should be [face] criminal and civil [charges],’ he said at a briefing.

Aglipay also ordered the strict monitoring of other aging bridges in the province, including Buntun connecting Tuguegarao and Enrile town, Gava and Baybayog, both in Alcala town, and Magapit in Lal-lo town, to ensure the durability of these structures and to avoid accidents.

‘This should be a wake-up call. Let’s not wait for more disasters before we act,’ he added.

‘Just seconds’

‘It happened in just seconds,’ Jonathan Relos, one of the truck drivers passing through the bridge, recounted the moment it collapsed around 4:30 p.m. Monday.

He said he was transporting 650 sacks of palay that would be delivered to Cauayan City in Isabela province, where the grain sold for P12.80 per kilo, higher than the P11 buying price in northern Cagayan.

‘I was aiming to earn for my two children’s school expenses. But now, it’s gone,’ Relos, 41, said in Ilocano.

He appealed to the authorities to allow them to recover their cargo of palay so the sacks could be transferred to another truck and sold before the grains rot.

Alcala Mayor Cristina Antonio, in a statement, said the bridge’s structural lifespan should be checked.

‘Could the bridge be nearing its lifespan, and could this have been a factor in its collapse? Also, should the lifespan of a bridge first draw near before it is replaced?’ she asked.

Describing Piggatan Bridge as a critical artery for the Cagayan Valley region, Antonio stressed its role in connecting Cagayan to neighboring provinces and Metro Manila.

‘All vehicles, including heavy trucks, have no alternative except to pass through the national highway and Piggatan Bridge. They have no other way,’ she said.

‘Cagayan is one of the country’s rice and corn granaries, and it cannot be helped during harvest season that tons of produce are transported. Shouldn’t bridges with higher load limits have been built to serve today’s pressing needs?’ Antonio said.

DPWH action

Oscar Gumiran, district engineer of DPWH’s First Cagayan Engineering District Office, declined to comment further, saying he did not want to preempt actions by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.

However, Gumiran confirmed that a team from the DPWH Bureau of Designs had been sent to Alcala to assess the structure after its collapse.

Antonio criticized the department’s previous advisories, which urged heavy trucks to unload cargo and ferry goods in batches across older bridges.

‘As the agency in charge of public works, DPWH should have the planning and foresight to install bridges that meet the demand of the times, instead of putting the blame and burden of adjusting upon the public. ‘Overloading’ should not be made a convenient excuse,’ she lamented.

One of the drivers was injured and taken to a local hospital, while four trucks had yet to be towed from the collapsed bridge as of Tuesday

Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon met with Cagayan Gov. Edgar Aglipay and local officials on Wednesday to discuss urgent solutions following the collapse of the decades-old Piggatan Bridge, which has left thousands of residents and farmers cut off from key trade routes.

During his inspection, Dizon announced plans to install detour bridges in areas with aging or structurally compromised spans while a more permanent solution is being worked out. He also committed to include the construction of a new bridge in the DPWH’s proposed 2026 national budget.

The 50-year-old Piggatan Bridge, built in 1974, collapsed on Monday afternoon after several overloaded trucks attempted to cross the span, exceeding its 18-ton capacity.

The collapse has severely disrupted travel and commerce for at least 100,000 farmers in Alcala and neighboring towns.

Aglipay earlier called for stricter monitoring of aging bridges in the province, including the Buntun, Gava, Baybayog, and Magapit bridges

Authorities arrested two men and confiscated a pistol and parts of two rifles in Camarines Norte on Wednesday morning, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

Acting on intelligence reports, police flagged down the suspects aboard a white pick-up while in Santa Elena town, Camarines Norte province, the PNP said in a statement.

‘Upon inspection, authorities discovered a hidden compartment near the chassis area containing parts of an M16A1 rifle, including its upper receiver, lower receiver, and barrel; a caliber 9mm pistol without a serial number; a magazine for the same firearm; and several front sights believed to be for M16 rifles,’ the police explained. The PNP neither identified the arrested suspects nor explained what the firearm components were supposedly for.

However, it did detail that the arrested suspects were taken into the custody of the Camarines Norte Provincial Highway Patrol Team.

Both suspects will face charges for violating Republic Act No. 10591 or the Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said it has immediately implemented the close monitoring of 33 individuals.

The list includes former Speaker Martin Romualdez as well as five incumbent and former senators, who have been implicated as having had roles in the questionable insertions in the national budget that led to ghost or substandard public infrastructure projects.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said that immigration officers have started keeping a close watch of the travel movements of 33 key personalities who were the subject of the immigration lookout bulletin order (Ilbo) requested by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). ‘We confirm receipt of the ILBO issued by the Department of Justice against 33 individuals,’ Sandoval told the Inquirer. ‘Their names have been immediately included in our centralized database, and their travels will be strictly monitored.’

The ICI on Wednesday sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ) an ‘urgent request’ for the issuance of an Ilbo for 33 individuals, including Romualdez, as well as three incumbent and two former senators.

Among them were former Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero; Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva; former Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr.; former Sen. and now Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay. According to the ICI request sent to the DOJ, its ongoing probe into ghost or substandard projects ‘puts the subjects in a relevant position that operates to make him (or her) an inevitable personality during the fact-finding process.’

‘The timely issuance of an Ilbo is of utmost necessity to enable the Commission to proceed without delay and to hold those liable accountable to the Filipino people,’ it added.

The DOJ, through the Bureau of Immigration (BI), can keep watch of certain individuals under Ilbo should they attempt to depart the country. The BI has earlier clarified, however, that the Ilbo does not ban individuals from leaving the country, as it is merely for ‘monitoring purposes’ only.

Should immigration agents encounter an individual who is a subject of an Ilbo, the BI would relay the matter to the concerned authorities.

The Senate minority bloc can also handle the powerful blue ribbon committee if the majority decides to offer it to them, Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said Wednesday.

In a press conference, Cayetano said he does not want to be presumptuous, but the minority bloc could take on the committee.

‘It’s possible for the minority. In fact, if they give it to the minority, I’ll compare it to a coalition government. You know, now and then, when a president is elected but the vote was close, you take some government members from the opposing party,’ he said in Filipino.

‘It’s possible. I’m just not sure how comfortable they will be. If they offer it to the minority, we will discuss it, and then they will have the majority. But until they offer it, I will only consider it a coalition,’ he added.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier named five senators as possible replacements for Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson as blue ribbon panel chairman.

Six senators have been mentioned as potential candidates to succeed Lacson, according to Sotto. He identified them as Sens. JV Ejercito, Raffy Tulfo, Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan, Pia Cayetano, Risa Hontiveros, and Erwin Tulfo.

The majority bloc is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss Lacson’s resignation.

Meanwhile, in a resignation letter dated Oct. 7 and addressed to Sotto, Lacson explained that several colleagues expressed disappointment with the ‘direction’ of the blue ribbon committee hearings regarding the anomalous flood control projects.

‘Some senators publicly and secretly pursue the narrative that I am zeroing in on several of my colleagues while purportedly protecting those members of the lower house perceived to be the principal actors in the budget anomalies related to the substandard and ghost flood control projects,’ said Lacson.

But according to him, nothing could be further from the truth.

‘This narrative is categorically false. These misrepresentations are being floated mostly by critics opposed to our efforts to get to the bottom of the flood control anomalies,’ he said. /mcm

Policies which ensure that locally-grown rice grains are prioritized, instead of imported variants, are part of the House of Representatives’ goal, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Dy said he made this commitment to farmers from Nueva Ecija and Isabela provinces who visited him on Tuesday – including former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano – to discuss proposals for improved crop insurance and livelihood support programs.

Dy, a former governor of Isabela, said that the House’s doors will always be open to the agricultural sector and other marginalized groups.

‘Congress is always open for you. The doors of the House are not only for lawmakers but for people who breathe life to our country – our farmers,’ he said speaking in Filipino.

‘We need to thoroughly discuss and revisit the law,’ he added, referring to Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law. ‘What we want is to give back the control over importation to the Department of Agriculture, and to give priority to the purchase of local grains before we allow importation. Let us prioritize our own produce before the imported.’

According to Dy, in Isabela, rice farmers contribute a lot not only for food security purposes, but also for the province’s economy – which is why initiatives under his watch will focus on the agricultural industry.

‘What gives life to the province of Isabela is our hardworking rice farmers. That’s why we hold them in high regard and give our utmost respect. We always respond to their needs and challenges – from land, water, and even their livelihood,’ he said in Filipino.

‘Our programs in Isabela are not only geared towards production, but also the future of farming families. That is what we want to push for at a national level – a system that acknowledges, protects, and helps our farmers,’ he said.

On Tuesday, Dy told the agricultural sector that the chamber under his leadership will back a better crop insurance system, aside from the provision of zero interest loans for farmers.

Dy reiterated the stance he made during the joint hearing of the House committee on agriculture and food and the committee on ways and means on Monday – that reforms in crop insurance and government lending programs will ensure ‘long-term stability in the agriculture sector.’

Dy attended the hearing on the rice importation moratorium, announcing on the onset that at least one million rice farmers will get a P7,000 cash aid for 2026, with an allocation reserved under the proposed 2026 national budget.

The Speaker said this after saying that the Department of Agriculture (DA) needs to implement systems properly so that the country would not be reliant on importation.

However, a farmer from Nueva Ecija told the committees that what they need is higher buying prices of palay and not another wave of cash assistance, saying that the practice of providing aid makes it seem that they are beggars.

According to Danilo Bolos, they would not need the P7,000 cash aid pushed by the Speaker if the government addresses extremely low buying prices for palay – ranging from P8 to P10 per kilogram.

Bolos said they are forced to dig into their savings or ask for loans since they have invested at least P14 to P15 per kilogram, only for palay to be bought at low prices.

After Bolos aired his sentiments, Dy assured him and other farmers that they think highly of workers in the agricultural sector, and that the aid is just a manifestation of the government’s yearning to support farmers.

Aside from support for farmers, Dy said that part of the discussions between him and farmers were the infrastructure projects for Northern and Central Luzon – particularly road projects that would connect these regions to Metro Manila.

‘That has been our lifelong dream. If that pushes through, it will be a big convenience for farmers transporting their products. Isabela’s contribution accounts for 15 to 18 percent of Metro Manila’s consumptiona,’ he said in Filipino.