Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

For generations of Mangyan children from remote mountain communities in southern Oriental Mindoro, going to high school was once a difficult journey-literally.

Some had to walk for hours from their homes to reach a classroom.

At the Mangyan Education Center Inc. (MEC) in Barangay Bait-Panaytayan, Mansalay, that long journey has, for nearly four decades, been met by teachers who see education as more than lessons, examinations, and diplomas.

They see it as a way for Mangyan children to understand who they are, to value their heritage and gain the confidence to serve their own communities.

Born from a need

As the country marks World Teachers’ Day, MEC principal Nemia Gareza said the school continues to carry the mission on which it was founded in 1987: to make education accessible and meaningful to indigenous children.

Today, all of its students are indigenous people, with 13 licensed indigenous teachers in the faculty.

The MEC was established in 1987 by Fr. Ewald Dinter, SVD, in Bait-Panaytayan at a time when secondary education remained largely inaccessible to many Mangyan youth from Mansalay and Bulalacao.

For children living in farflung upland communities, the problem was not simply whether they wanted to study. Reaching a secondary school could itself be a formidable obstacle; for some, a five-hour walk just to make it to class.

Community leaders

In MEC’s early years, tuition was free. Families and communities also contributed what they could-rice, chicken, fruits, vegetables-to help sustain the school and its students.

The arrangement reflected a shared view of education as something not separate from everyday life but a collective investment in the future.

Over the years, the school produced hundreds of Mangyan graduates, many of whom went on to become professionals and community workers.

Education became a preparation not just for employment but also for leadership-to help the local population understand and defend their rights and protect their culture.

Some of those who once sat in MEC classrooms returned to pay it forward. Among them is Fr. Gabayno Calinog Oybad, a Hanunoo Mangyan and the school’s first indigenous priest who now serves as its school director.

Under Oybad’s leadership, MEC remained true to its founding goal: to help Mangyan youths become professionals without having to shed their cultural identity.

The 13 licensed indigenous teachers currently at MEC attend to children who share their heritage and understand the realities faced by families in remote communities.

Loving, tireless work

Shirley Alda, a 35-year Mangyan mission worker, said: ‘We especially remember and thank Fr. Dinter for all his loving and tireless work for MEC. This will be the first time we celebrate his birthday on Oct. 16 since he passed away last November. He also taught at MEC and was awarded the Many Faces of the Teacher Award in 2008 by the Bato Balani Foundation and Diwa Learning.’

According to Alda, Fr. Oybad, on the other hand, chose to serve his fellow Mangyans in the mountains rather than in a lowland parish. Oybad also taught at MEC when he was still a seminarian.

‘Almost all Mangyan licensed teachers at MEC are committed to the implementation of IP-ED (Indigenous Peoples Education) under Department Order No. 62, series of 2011,’ Gareza said.

The school’s location in Panaytayan is significant. The community has long been associated with Hanunuo Mangyan life and culture, including the preservation and study of ambahan and the traditional Mangyan writing system.

This cultural setting gives the school a particular responsibility: to ensure that education does not require children to choose between learning and being Mangyan. Instead, the two can reinforce each other.

A bomb threat against three universities in Bohol circulated online Monday, prompting security inspections and the suspension of classes at Bohol Island State University (BISU) as the province marked World Teachers’ Day.

The anonymous post named Holy Name University (HNU), University of Bohol (UB), and BISU.

Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap said authorities had not confirmed whether the threat was genuine, as Tagbilaran police chief Lt. Col. Joey Bicoy led the investigation.

Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado said authorities were closely monitoring the situation and investigating the reported threat.

‘Let us inform everyone that, together with our police, we are on top of the situation regarding the bomb threat spreading online targeting various universities, and we are currently conducting an investigation,’ Aumentado said.

BISU suspended classes and academic activities in all its campuses in Tagbilaran, Candijay, Balilihan, Bilar, Calape and Clarin for the remainder of Monday to allow security inspections.

The Provincial Bomb Squad, in coordination with BISU security personnel, was set to conduct a thorough inspection of university buildings and facilities. Personnel were instructed to leave after students had safely exited the campuses and to deposit office keys with the University Security Office to facilitate the inspection.

Meanwhile, HNU said it had implemented appropriate security measures following the reported security concern.

‘The Administration has already issued an all-clear following the initial security assessment and has proceeded with all necessary safety and security checks throughout the campus,’ HNU said in a statement.

It said relevant personnel and security teams continued to closely monitor the situation and ensure everyone’s safety and well-being.

HNU urged students, faculty, and personnel to remain calm, vigilant, and cooperative and to follow safety protocols and instructions issued by the administration and authorized personnel.

‘The Administration remains committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment. Further updates will be provided as necessary,’ it said.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Monday disclosed several transactions by Vice President Sara Duterte and her spouse, Atty. Maneses Carpio, that were flagged for allegedly being related to the flood control scandal and drug trafficking.

During the 33rd day of Duterte’s impeachment trial, AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura disclosed several suspicious transaction reports (STRs) before the Senate Impeachment Court while being questioned by private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia.

STRs refer to reports filed by covered institutions on transactions that exhibit specific red flags or irregularities under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, regardless of the amount involved.

Among the STRs revealed during the trial were premium payments made to The Mercantile Insurance Co. on July 4, 2019, and Nov. 15, 2019.

‘Based on records, as reported by the covered person, the reason indicated is graft and corrupt practices,’ Buenaventura said.

Asked what the narrative was, or the explanation behind the suspicion, Buenaventura said the following:

‘Several news outlets recently released a list of individuals and corporations identified as being involved in the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) flood control issue, prompting the filing of an STR.’

Meanwhile, another STR, dated Aug. 1, 2024, linked Duterte’s husband, Mans Carpio, to drug trafficking, particularly PSBank accounts under his name, which were flagged following criminal complaints tied to a 2017 P6.4-billion shabu smuggling case.

Among the accused in the said case, based on the STR narrative, was Carpio, who owned two separate PSBank accounts, one peso and one dollar account.

‘Both accounts were still active, with average daily balances for the past six months amounting to P519,787.44 and USD6,411.05, respectively,’ the narrative read, which was likewise based on press accounts.

Another STR, dated Dec. 5, 2024, also flagged transactions Duterte allegedly committed for malversation of public funds and property.

‘The client is alleged to have misappropriated confidential funds to her office,’ Buenaventura said in reading the STR explanation, which also directly cited various news reports.

A college professor who also makes music on the side has launched a book that compiles choral arrangements of lesser-known folk songs from Bicol to preserve the region’s musical heritage.

Ramil ‘Plok’ Chavenia, 59, launched the book on Saturday, Oct. 3, saying it was the product of a decade of collecting and researching Bicolano folk music.

He said the book, ‘Bicol Folksongs’ believed to be the first collection of choral arrangements in Albay, would serve as an accessible reference for teachers, singers and cultural workers.

‘This is where we fall short, we need to do more to promote local songs. Popular music has increasingly overshadowed local music, and hopefully, this will encourage more people to recognize the importance of appreciating and supporting our own local music,’ Chavenia told the Inquirer during the book launch at a mall in this city.

The book presented 11 choral arrangements, including eight folk songs and three songs which were written by other known Bicolano writers with whom Chavenia has collaborated.

Some full renditions of folk songs were ‘Buhay Istambay,’ a folk ballad; ‘Rosdos na Duli-duli,’ a children’s song; ‘Baston Bantolinaw,’ a novelty song; ‘Katurog na Nonoy,’ a lullaby; and ‘Igwa akong Manok,’ a metaphorical song about courtship.

Chavenia said most of the songs in the book reflect the stories, experiences and culture of Bicolanos, explaining that their ‘rhythm and harmony were carefully considered to preserve the integrity of the original material.’

Adrian Aguilar, dean of the Bicol University (BU) College of Arts and Letters in Albay, said the book would help preserve folk songs and pass them down from one generation to the next.

Many folk songs containing stories about Bicolano identity remain undocumented, Aguilar said.

National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, who wrote the book’s foreword, described Chavenia as one of the dedicated students who attended his music workshops.

‘I warmly welcome this worthy contribution to our nation’s choral repertoire and to the preservation and celebration of our collective musical heritage,’ the foreword reads.

During the launch, Cayabyab congratulated Chavenia on the event through a recorded video message, while some of the folk songs were performed by the BU Chorale led by Apple Rubio and the Bicol Voices Choral by Jim Rey Baloloy.

Chavenia started his career as a music and arts teacher, and handled children and teacher’s choir at the Department of Education in 1990.

Bad loans approach P600 billion, despite the nonperforming loan ratio remaining steady at 3.35%.

This was the latest data by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), reporting that bad-loan ratio held steady in August. But while this may seem good for Philippine banks, it hints at a deeper issue affecting Filipino borrowers today.

What does the 3.35% nonperforming loan ratio actually mean?

In simple terms, 3.35% of the total value of debt held by Philippine banks was classified as nonperforming, generally meaning principal or interest payments have remained unpaid for at least 90 days. These include consumer loans such as credit card debt, car and housing, as well as debt taken out by businesses.

But here’s the catch: the ratio looks relatively stable not because the amount of bad debt has fallen, but because banks are lending more.

Bad loans increased from P550.1 billion in August 2025 to P596.3 billion in August this year, or 8.4%. Over the same period, banks’ overall loan portfolio grew even faster-by 13.2% to P17.78 trillion. In other words, bad debt grew, but total lending grew faster, keeping the percentage relatively low.

Banks still have a sizable cushion against these losses, with P555.6 billion set aside as allowances for potential credit losses. However, if repayment problems continue to worsen, banks could become more cautious about extending credit.

This could mean stricter loan approval criteria, higher borrowing costs, smaller approved loan amounts, or tougher collateral requirements. Borrowing money from the bank to purchase your dream home or that car you’ve always wanted could therefore become more challenging if the trend worsens.

Why are people struggling with their debt?

Economists have linked repayment pressures to inflation, slower economic growth, and higher borrowing costs. Inflation has also eroded household purchasing power, while high levels of debt and the cost of servicing those debts can eat into disposable income and limit how much consumers can afford to borrow later.

Among consumer loans reported by the BSP, housing loans accounted for the largest amount of nonperforming debt as of June 2026 at about P76 billion, followed by credit card receivables at nearly P69 billion. Motorcycle loans, meanwhile, had the highest NPL rate at 15.64%.

So, what now?

Whether or not banks eventually tighten their requirements, Filipinos need to carefully assess how much debt they can genuinely afford. This is true whether a loan is being used to purchase a new asset, fund a business, or cover household expenses.

Gabby Williams had 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, Kiah Stokes added 14 rebounds and three blocked shots, and the Golden State Valkyries took Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals by beating the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 71-60 on Sunday.

A’ja Wilson scored 24 points while Chelsea Gray contributed 16 points for Las Vegas, which lost guard Jewell Loyd to a left leg injury early in the third quarter, and was held to its lowest point total of the season. The team said she was being evaluated and coach Becky Hammon didn’t have an immediate update afterward.

Playing to chants of ‘Gabby! Gabby!’ from the sellout crowd at Chase Center, Williams scored 18 of her points on 6-for-10 shooting in the first half, including a 3-pointer that put Golden State ahead 32-23 with 5:43 left before halftime.

That defeaning ‘Ballhalla’ home crowd turned the arena into a sea of violet-colored T-shirts and energy the Valkyries have so counted on in their first two seasons. Fans waved and cheered when the final buzzer sounded and confetti fell.

Game 2 in the best-of-five series is Wednesday night back at Chase Center.

‘The goal here is to win our home games, so yes we did well for the first game but the Aces are championship-caliber, they know what it takes to win,’ Stokes said. ‘I know in their locker room they’re not happy with how they played so their whole goal is to come to our house and still win games, so they still have the opportunity to do that. Going forward we know that we need to come out on Wednesday and make sure we set the tone again.’ Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase was well enough to coach after she went down on the sideline near Golden State’s bench with 1:40 remaining Friday night in a 77-73 comeback win to clinch the first-round series against Dallas. She was examined by a doctor during the day off Saturday.

Jackie Young’s 3-pointer with 8:25 left pulled Las Vegas within 58-53. WNBA leading scorer and reigning MVP Wilson made 6 of 11 first-half shots for 15 points for the third-seeded Aces.

It was a defensive, low-scoring game in which neither team shot particularly well – the Valkyries 37.7% to 33.9% for Las Vegas – after both went the distance in the best-of-three first round to advance.

Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton struggled on the offensive end, missing a layup and 3-pointer during one third-quarter sequence and sat down at the 7:29 mark. Nakase then went to Kaitlyn Chen for the rest of the game and she scored 11 points.

Burton didn’t have a health issue.

‘She’s amazing and she’s feeling great,’ Nakase said. ‘Kaitlyn Chen was fresh and I’m playing a fresh Kaitlyn Chen.’

Mixing and matching rotations worked out after Golden State shot just 31.4% – 11 for 35 and 5 of 15 on 3s – in the first half. Newcomer Aminata Gueye came off the bench to score nine points in 12-plus minutes for the Valkyries. She signed with the team Sept. 20 after playing with Williams and Janelle Salaun on the French team in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

Salaun received a rousing ovation when she entered the game with 2:25 left in the first quarter after being named WNBA Sixth Player of the Year before the game.

Kayla Thornton also pulled down 11 rebounds to go with eight points for the Valkyries, who dominated the boards with a 52-25 advantage.

‘We were really really connected tonight, I felt we were communicating, I felt like we were showing them bodies and then it came down to rebounding,’ Williams said. ‘I said after the game that KT and Kiah really won this game for us, limited them to one possession and gave us extra possessions.’

Hammon called it one of her team’s ‘most atrocious games of the season’ in which they were outhustled.

‘We lost the game on the boards, no question about that,’ Hammon said, noting all her team talked about the past 48 hours was rebounding and blocking out.

Golden State was 3 for 10 from 3-point range in the opening quarter and finished just 7 of 24 from deep, also overcoming 14 turnovers that led to 11 Las Vegas points.

Aces forward Stephanie Talbot missed the game because of a left leg injury.

Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank transactions of over P500,000 from 2011 to 2024, including a P55 million interaccount transfer, were reported by various banks to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), its Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura said Monday.

Private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia, during her examination of Buenaventura, pointed to the covered transaction reports (CTRs) of Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, from 2007 to 2025.

Dennis Trillo capped a week of heightened public attention with a career milestone after he became the only artist to receive two trophies at the Golden Screen Awards: Dekada Awards 2026 on Sunday, October 4.

Trillo was recognized for his performances in the films ‘Felix Manalo’ (2015) and ‘Green Bones’ (2024) during the ceremony, which was held at the MMFF Auditorium in Pasig City.

The awards were given as Trillo has been at the center of public attention over the past week following Patrick Garcia’s interview with Ogie Diaz, in which Garcia discussed his past relationship with Mercado and their son, Alex Jazz.

Trillo has responded to the controversy through several social media posts. He took a jab at Garcia by including in one of his videos where he poked fun about endorsing a bag, saying, ‘Ano ang bag mo? (Ano ambag mo?),’ a playful reference to Garcia’s alleged lack of support for Jazz.

In his acceptance speech, Trillo once again took a swipe at Garcia when he made a playful reference to his ‘bag’ before giving a shout out to Mercado for being his number one supporter.

‘Magandang gabi po sainyong lahat, sayang hindi ko dala ‘yung bag ko ngayon para malagay ‘yung dalawang trophies ko,’ said the actor as he proceeds to thank his family, specifically his wife.

Speaking to reporters after the awarding, trillo said that everybody deserves to be given a second chance to rectify their mistakes. When pressed, he said that he has no problem with Garcia, except that they were caught offguard when they saw his interview with Ogie Diaz.’Kung dumiretso siya sana amin, hindi na sana dinaan sa ibang tao. Nagulat. Dahil more than 30, 18 years bago nagsalita, kwento. Nakakagulat lang dahil tahimik na lahat. Siyempre naungkat pa mga dati,’ said Trillo.

‘Hiling namin sana matapos na ang pang-bash. Ayaw natin noon. Oo, magulang involved dito pero wag na natin involve mga bata. At the end of the day, sila buhay natin, pinoprotektahan natin, sila mga mahal natin. Ayaw natin masangkot pa sila sa gantong kaguluhan,’ he added.

Trillo said he felt compelled to defend his wife and his adopted son, Jazz following Garcia’s tell-all. ‘Ako na lang talaga kasi siyempre pamilya ko iyon. Walang ibang magtatangol. Iyon ang pangunahing responsibilidad ko bilang ama, tumatayong tatay… Kailangan mo maging matibay. Isipin mo lagi pamilya. Sila importante. Harapin dapat ng matapang, pamilya kasi usapan.’

At the same time, Trillo asked the public to spare the children from involvement in the issue, amid the bashing supposedly being leveled against rising TV personality Michelle, Garcia’s daughter with wife Nikka Martinez.

Dekada Awards

The Dekada Awards, mounted by the Multi-Media Press Society of the Philippines (MMPRESS), honored artists, filmmakers and production companies for achievements in Philippine cinema over the past decade.

Among those recognized were Maricel Soriano, Aga Muhlach, Judy Ann Santos, Marian Rivera, Vilma Santos-Recto, Charo Santos-Concio, Piolo Pascual, Kathryn Bernardo, Nadine Lustre, Daniel Padilla and John Arcilla.

Directors Brillante Mendoza, Lav Diaz and Erik Matti were also recognized, while Regal Entertainment, Viva Films and Star Cinema Productions received honors for their contributions to the local film industry.

The ceremony marked the return of the Golden Screen Awards after a decade-long absence and celebrated major performances, films and creative achievements in Philippine cinema from the past 10 years.

Best Actress honorees:

Marian Rivera

Maricel Soriano

Vilma Santos-Recto

Jaclyn Jose

Judy Ann Santos

Hasmine Killip

Joanna Ampil

Janine Gutierrez

Alessandra de Rossi

Charo Santos-Concio

LJ Reyes

Max Eigenmann

Charlie Dizon

Nadine Lustre

Kathryn Bernardo

Best Actor honorees:

Aga Muhlach

Allen Dizon

Daniel Padilla

Dennis Trillo

Elijah Canlas

John Arcilla

Noel Trinidad

Paolo Ballesteros

Piolo Pascual

Vince Tañada

Outstanding directors:

Brillante Mendoza

Lav Diaz

Erik Matti

Production houses:

Regal Entertainment

Viva Films

Star Cinema Productions

A business linked to Vice President Sara Duterte had transactions with companies in China, including a remittance of over P5.6 million, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura testified on Monday.

Buenaventura enumerated transactions between four Chinese companies and CALE 88, among the vice president’s business interests.

Of the 742 covered transaction reports (CTRs) of CALE 88 listed in AMLC records, the House prosecution pointed to five inward international remittances credited to the company’s accounts.

Reported by Security Bank Corp. – Davao Rizal

P4,397,353.29, December 16, 2024, from Yiwu Yunnong Import and Export, Chengxi, China

P4,370,572.50 , November 4, 2024, from Beijing Zhenweifang Food Co LTD, Nanhanji Innovation Industrial China

Reported by Bank of the Philippine Islands – Davao

P5,655,530.52 , October 21, 2024, from Jinhua Dongxi Trading Co. LTD, Jinhua China

P 5,662,519.97, April 30, 2022 from China National Township Enterp, Beijing Chaoyang China

P5,662,935.23, April 30, 2024 from China National Township Enterp, Beijing Chaoyang China

These, counsel for the prosecution Atty. Mae Divinagracia noted, are not the only transactions CALE88 has with entities from China.

‘We would like to manifest that there are several other transactions coming from China involving CALE88,’ Divinagracia told the court.

CALE88 was also reported to have three suspicious transactions that were also reported due to the lack of ‘underlying legal or trade obligation, purpose or economic justification.’

These transactions amounted to around P3.31 million, P3.27 million, and P3.19 million.

In total, 141 CTRs and three suspicious transactions were reported pertaining to inward remittances to CALE88 from China worth P319,326,770.41.

Candy Pangilinan urged Patrick Garcia to give himself a chance to build a relationship with his son Jazz, following the actor’s recent statements about his past relationship with Jennylyn Mercado.

Pangilinan shared her thoughts on the issue during the Oct. 4 episode of ‘Kalurks,’ where she emphasized the importance of resolving personal matters privately before discussing them publicly.

‘Bago siguro siya nagsalita sa maraming tao, pinuntahan muna niya si Jennylyn at inayos niya na ito nang tahimik at privately. Nag-usap sila, kinilala niya si Jazz,’ Pangilinan said.

‘At nagkaroon sila ng taimtim na pag-uusap at nakilala niya silang dalawa. Nagkaroon ng kapatawaran, ng unity, reconciliation,’ she added. ‘Pati with Dennis, di ba? At makilala rin ng mga kapatid ni Jazz ‘yung mga kapatid [niya].’

Pangilinan, a mother to a child who’s part of the autism spectrum, stressed that Jazz, whom she described as a neurodivergent child, should be given the opportunity to have a relationship with his father.

‘Kasi si Jazz is a child, a neurodivergent, and will always be a child. He will have all the chance to be a friend to this child. Given a chance, give himself a chance to be a friend to this child of his,’ she said.

Meanwhile, ‘Kalurks’ host Ashley Rivera said she believed Garcia had the right to tell his side of the story but questioned the way he presented it.

‘He said that he wanted to share his truth. And we are all free to do so naman. Ang sa akin lang, if you are going to share your truth, sana hindi ka na nagta-taint ng image o reputation ng ibang tao,’ she said.

Rivera pointed out that Mercado is the mother of Garcia’s child and said there was no need to include details that could affect her reputation.

‘Lalo na siya ‘yung mother ng anak niyo. Parang there’s no need for that. If you’re gonna tell your story, say it in a way na alam mo yung parang concise lang, hindi na kailangan ng mga unnecessary details na may name dropping pa, may mga kung ano-anong pagdagdag na about this and that,’ she continued.

Rivera added that Garcia’s intention to speak out after 18 years was to protect his daughter, Michelle, but forgot that Jazz is also his child too.

‘He reiterated na 18 years na he was doing, the intention was to protect his daughter, si Michelle. And he said naman na equally he loves his children,’ she expressed.

‘So my question is, if you’re trying to protect your daughter, how come you didn’t protect Jazz? Kasi anak mo silang lahat. Anak mo rin naman si Jazz. So parang I don’t get why,’ Rivera added.

The controversy stemmed from Garcia’s recent interview with Ogie Diaz, in which he denied that he abandoned Mercado in 2008 while she was pregnant with their son Jazz.

Garcia claimed that Mercado did not want him involved in the pregnancy. He also revealed that he has not seen Jazz since 2017 and has not provided financial support for him since then.