Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

What was supposed to be a night of glamor and charity had a frantic conclusion as the 6.9 magnitude earthquake halted the benefit gala night of the 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International pageant here.

The quake’s epicenter was traced to Bogo City some 95 kilometers – or close to 3 hours – away, from where the pageant event was being held in the capital city.

Just as the 43 delegates were making their exit from the runway at the ballroom of Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City on Tuesday evening, Sept. 30, the hall shook and the ladies frantically ran to different directions as they sought cover.

The international pageant was holding the event to raise funds for Operation Smile through ticket sales for the fashion show of Philippine ternos designed by Cebuano designers, showcased by the delegates.

A silent auction of luxury bags and statement pieces was also conducted to help gather additional funds for the nonprofit organization, while a live bidding was held for items from Cebuano furniture designers Kenneth Cobonpue and Vito Selma, London-based fashion designer John Herrera, and jewelry maker Oro China.

After the successful bidders were announced, the ladies took the runway in their Filipiniana flair of different fabrics, silhouettes and styles. Reigning queen Janelis Leyba and second runner-up Selena Ali showcased the creations of renowned Cebuano fashion icon Cary Santiago.

Belgium’s Jana Janssens was chosen by Santiago as the Best in Philippine Terno, while Herrera picked Alejandro Godinez Jr. as the Best Philippine Terno Designer, his creation paraded by the Philippines’ Anita Rose Gomez.

Grace under pressure, chaos

After the awards were handed out and just as the program was about to close, the floor started shaking, and the crystal pieces from the chandeliers started swaying. The tremor was so strong that the wine glasses and water goblets on the tables tumbled. Some guests rushed outside the ballroom, while the others ducked and went under the tables, including some of the ladies. When the tremor stopped, hotel staff members guided the guests to safety, leading them out to the parking lot.

In her panic, reigning Miss Asia Pacific International queen Janelis Leyba from the United States could be seen in the video hurling off her crown as she tried to leave the stage.

Many of the ladies took off their high heels and rushed outside barefoot, some of them clutching their long skirts as Eva Patalinjug, the pageant’s president, instructed them to follow the ushers to safety while looking out for everyone’s welfare.

The police was deployed to the scene, followed by a rescue team. Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, who attended the gathering, was seen consulting her staff, asking about the province’s current situation and hurrying out of the vicinity.

Janssens had to get help from others to get to safety as she hurt her leg after jumping from the stage. She was later rushed to the hospital for tests and treatment. She had since been declared out of danger and has already joined her fellow delegates. As soon as the guests gathered at the designated evacuation area, the hotel setup a help desk at the parking lot. Staff members distributed towels for some of the guests who needed additional covering.

Slippers were handed out to those who had taken off their shoes, and for guests seeking relief from running in the high heels that they have been wearing all night.

Staff members also handed out bottled water as the hotel’s security team assessed the situation. And even if the ballroom was just located on the second floor, the ladies and the production team had to wait for hours before they were allowed backstage.

The ladies, still in their terno, sat on the chairs laid out by the staff members on the parking lot, as more seats were being setup in the evacuation area. But just as the hotel was winding down its sweep of the property, it started raining and the guests were ushered to shelter, with staff members hurriedly handing out umbrellas and helping guests seek cover.

The lobby on the ground floor was the first to be made available for the guests to settle in and collect themselves. The chairs set up in the parking lot were moved to the area for guests to use again.

And at the homestretch of the assessment for structural integrity, the hotel laid out a spread of warm dishes, breads, other food items and drinks for the guests who are awaiting further instructions.

The delegates and the production team were then allowed to return backstage, and the ladies were able to slip into more comfortable clothes. They then also got their meals from the spread.

A couple of hours after midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 1, the ladies were then guided to the buses that would take them to their hotel residence in Mandaue City that has also finished conducting an assessment for structural integrity.

Several other activities have been planned for the ladies in the province, under the Cebu local government’s partnership with the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant. But many of the items in their calendar have been put on hold as of this writing.

Two of the five accused of murder of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga voluntarily surrendered to authorities, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Wednesday.

According to the NBI, the two suspects, Police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza and former police officer Nelson Mariano ‘expressed their intention to surrender to the NBI’ after they learned about the arrest warrant issued by a Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court.

Mariano voluntarily surrendered to the NBI’s Organized and Transnational Crime Division in Manila on September 29, while Mendoza did the same upon the implementation of his arrest warrant in Bacolod City on September 30.

The arrest warrants were issued after corroborating the details of a House quad committee hearing and the findings of the NBI and Philippine National Police joint (PNP) investigation.

In the quad committee hearing on September 27, Mariano and Mendoza confessed to their involvement in the murder of Barayuga in July 2020.

While on his way home from the PCSO headquarters, police reported that Barayuga was shot by gunmen on a motorcycle around 3:30 p.m. at the corner of Calbayog and Malinaw Streets in Brgy. Highway Hills.

In the hearing, Mendoza said that it was PCSO General Manager Royina Marzan Garma and National Police Commission (Napolcom) Chairman Edilberto dela Cruz Leonardo who ordered the assassination of Barayuga.

Shortly after, a recommendation to charge Garma, Leonardo, Mendoza, Mariano, and Jeremy Zapata Causapin, alias ‘Toks,’ of murder and frustrated murder were made. This is where the arrest warrants are based.

The PNP, on Tuesday, formed teams to track down the three remaining suspects

With the meticulously planned release of Taylor Swift’s 12th album this Friday, the country singer-turned-pop star demonstrates again that she is as business savvy as she is musically adept.

From hints dropped during her last tour in 2024 to movie screenings this coming weekend to accompany the new album’s release, ‘Taylor Swift has perfected marketing as narrative art,’ said Robin Landa, a professor who studies advertising and branding at Kean University.

‘She doesn’t simply release an album-she orchestrates a cultural phenomenon.’

The massively hyped ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ album was inspired by Swift’s experiences during her record-breaking ‘Eras’ concert tour, which coincided with the singer’s romance with her now-fiance Travis Kelce, a three-time Super Bowl champion football star.

The 12-track record ‘comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life-and so that effervescence has come through,’ Swift herself promises.

That appears to signal a return to pop after her darker 11th album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ last year.

To call ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ which features a duet with rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter, eagerly anticipated is an understatement

Swift, 35, has said to expect ‘bangers’-high-energy, dance-friendly songs-in the ilk of her fan favorite ’22’ and ‘Shake It Off,’ and created with the same Swedish production duo, Max Martin and Shellback.

To call ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ which features a duet with rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter, eagerly anticipated is an understatement.

The album is the most pre-saved album ever on the Spotify streaming platform, breaking the record set last year by Swift’s last album.

Ownership

Accompanying the album, movie theaters in dozens of countries will host special screenings from Friday through Sunday of a music video, a making-of featurette, personal commentary by Swift about her songs, and a karaoke-style singalong.

The one-off movie event is estimated to gross between $30 million and $50 million, according to film industry website Deadline. Swift, who first announced the album on Kelce’s popular podcast last month, is ‘really taking ownership of the whole process, in every aspect of her music and her presentation to the public,’ said Toby Koenigsberg, a music professor at the University of Oregon.

Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour also spawned its own movie theater event, and underlined ‘the importance of having fan communities that interact in real life, not just on social media,’ he added.

One element that has long connected ‘Swifties’-the nickname for her die-hard fans-online is the frantic search for ‘easter eggs,’ or clues about Swift’s upcoming projects scattered through her album booklets, music videos, concerts and social media posts.

Easter eggs

Swifties noticed that, in a letter to her fans in May, Swift spelled the words ‘thiiiiiiiiiiiis’ with 12 ‘i’s – taken by some to indicate her 12th album was imminent.

Once the first album images of ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ were released, featuring cabaret-inspired outfits in orange and green tones, thrilled devotees rushed to social media to point out clues supposedly buried in Swift’s 2022 music videos as well as certain costumes from her latest tour.

‘Taylor’s Easter eggs are one of the most brilliant fan engagement tools in modern music,’ said Landa.

‘This strategy creates free marketing through fan theories and social media speculation-essentially turning her audience into her promotional team.’

‘Sometimes people talk about her business acumen, which is really remarkable. but at the core of what she does is her songwriting’

So, is Swift a musician or a businesswoman?

‘Sometimes people talk about her business acumen, which is really remarkable. but at the core of what she does is her songwriting,’ said Koenigsberg.

Swift is ‘able to consistently write good songs, year after year, album after album, in a way that almost nobody else can.’

Nadine Lustre got candid about her thoughts on motherhood, admitting she is currently not ready to take on the role yet as she is focusing on her career.

The actress-businesswoman spoke about this during a ‘TV Patrol’ interview on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at an event for her and her boyfriend Christophe Bariou’s coconut milk brand.

The topic was brought up after she and entertainment reporter MJ Felipe discussed the motherhood theme of the actress’ upcoming film ‘Call Me Mother,’ one of the official entries at the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

‘Nakakatakot maging nanay, honestly (It is scary to be a mother, honestly),’ Lustre said. ‘I’ve been working for as long as I can remember and I can’t imagine having another responsibility other than my career.’

‘I am so focused with my career and, of course, this guy right and our businesses as well,’ she continued, pointing at Bariou who was standing beside her. ‘Parang ‘di ako ready. So saludo talaga ako sa mga moms.’

(I feel like I am not ready for it. That is why I salute all mothers.)

In her several interviews before, Lustre had expressed her seeming hesitation to have children. In 2021, she said she did not want to have kids and that if she did, she might opt for adoption.

Meanwhile, also starring along Lustre in ‘Call Me Mother’ are Vice Ganda, Klarisse De Guzman, Mika Salamanca, Esnyr, Shuvee Etrata, and Brent Manalo, among others. /edv

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said inflation may have picked up in September, projecting consumer price hike to average between 1.5 and 2.3 percent, as higher rice, fish, and fuel costs added pressure.

The forecast comes after August inflation stood at 1.5 percent, which settled below the 2 percent to 4 percent target band of the inflation-targeting central bank.

The central bank said it would stay alert to both domestic and global developments, underscoring its data-dependent stance on monetary policy. /dda

The death toll in the devastating 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu on Tuesday night has further risen to 53, with at least 175 persons reported injured, according to the latest report collated by the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO).

As of noon, the 53 fatalities were broken down as follows: Bogo City – 30; San Remegio – 11; Medellin – 10; Sogod – 1; and Tabuelan -1.

Bogo City, about 98 kilometers north of Cebu City, was the epicenter of the strong quake, while the other towns with reported fatalities were all in northern Cebu./coa

Water utility concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. bagged the first Philippine Green Equity label as regulators seek to deepen the local capital market by attracting more investors toward sustainability initiatives.

In a letter to Maynilad on Sept. 26, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) markets and securities regulation department confirmed that the water utility provider had ‘sufficiently established and demonstrated’ its compliance with the commission’s newly issued guidelines.

The SEC last week launched Southeast Asia’s first Green Equity Guidelines, allowing more capital flows toward businesses that champion sustainability. Under Memorandum Circular No. 13 Series of 2025, companies may submit applications to carry the Philippine Green Equity label. Once approved, eligible companies may label their shares as green equity prior to their offering. This comes as a timely milestone for Maynilad, which plans to raise up to P34.33 billion from its upcoming initial public offering (IPO) next month.

Maynilad has so far secured the commitment of two cornerstone investors, International Finance Corp. and Asian Development Bank, that plan to chip in as much as $245 million to its IPO. /dda

Here is a quote from the science fiction novel ‘Ender’s Game’ that I’ve used for years to describe the 36-year restoration campaign from 1986 to 2022: ‘I am your enemy, the first one you’ve ever had who was smarter than you. There is no teacher, but the enemy. No one but the enemy will tell you what the enemy is going to do. No one but the enemy will ever teach you how to destroy and conquer. Only the enemy shows you where you are weak. Only the enemy tells you where he is strong. And the only rules of the game are what you can do to him and what you can stop him from doing to you.’

Since he ran for the vice presidency in 2016, I’ve asked people active in Edsa one constant question: In 1986, one of those considered the most hawkish in President Marcos’ inner circle was his son. Yet today, this is hardly his reputation. So, what happened? No one has ever given me a straight answer to this basic question.

Recently, a friend of the President finally gave me one when he recounted how Ferdinand Jr. reminisced about how the late President Ferdinand Sr., on his good days, spent his exile systematically and thoroughly, passing down to his son and heir a lifetime’s worth of lessons learned in politics (and much else besides). That was a time, incidentally, when the President’s elder sister was in exile, elsewhere in Morocco.

Salvador P. Lopez, former president of UP, once described Marcos Sr. to the American historian Theodore Friend in this manner: Lopez said Marcos Sr. was ‘obscure, manipulative, calculating (he pointed to his head while frowning and narrowing his eyes).’ The term his contemporaries used to compare his political dexterity was jujitsu-something swift, nearly surgical, and lethal. Marcos Sr. himself once advised Time Magazine that you should never make a decision when you are angry, hungry, or sleepy.

The President’s man in London, Ambassador Teodoro Locsin Jr., posted something on Sept. 18, which suggests the hawk of 1986 is still there: ‘My President grew up in England and admires all things British. He said to me that the English will fight with their bare hands if they must. Let’s learn from them.’ The learning, not the fighting or the daring-it goes without saying if you are in the eat-or-be-eaten world of high-stakes politics-is the thing.

The public persona of the President today-amiable, imperturbable, and thus, astounding when ruthless-departs from the well-accustomed boastfulness and bluster that passes, most of the time, for political showmanship among the President’s peers. Just because he doesn’t conform to the hyperactivity or the ‘hyperloquaciousness’ that passes for dynamism in these parts doesn’t mean that there is a strategy and not just tactics.

What, then, is the strategy? To appear so relaxed as to make whatever ensues seem to be an inevitability. If, as Lao Tzu famously warned, there is no greater danger than to underestimate an enemy, those dismissing the President as mere ‘nepo’ ought to consider Franklin D. Roosevelt’s cunning corollary to the warning: ‘Never underestimate a man who overestimates himself.’

Since time immemorial, the best defense when the going gets tough has been to run out the clock. And so you have the Bart Simpson defense: I didn’t do it, nobody saw me do it, you can’t prove anything. Similarly, senators implicated in cash-for-contracts crow they will sign waivers and disclose their bank accounts-maybe, someday; it depends.

Do what it takes to fight another day. Then, the day of the announcements about the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) came.

The announcements came two days apart, first concerning Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. Joel Villanueva, and assorted other suspects. Then, covering former senator, now Mayor Nancy Binay and former Senate President Francis Escudero.

The AMLC announcements came days after Filipinos from all walks of life rallied at Luneta and the Edsa Shrine to express anger while debating what to do about it. And here I want to bring up something few have noticed, and to which all of us should be paying attention.

In 2023, the President signed a budget that took out the Vice President’s intelligence funds. This was significant because the budget passed in 2023 was for 2024, and that was the actual midterm election budget. In 2024, the President complained about over P100 billion in insertions that he vetoed, because it was the budget for 2025, half of which was after elections. In 2025, after the midterms, where he did worse than expected, he confronted both chambers of Congress and kicked off an offensive still unfolding before our eyes.

Days after his State of the Nation Address, the Palace released a list of the biggest contractors, and this got the public furiously digging into the lifestyles of those named. All sorts of allegations, followed by investigations, took place; but it was the Department of Justice that actually started filing cases, and now, the momentum remains with the Palace, as first the Senate president, then the speaker, has fallen.

When the President pointed fingers at some of his own people, the floodgates opened. Like a demolition, even a flood can be controlled.

Gov. Pamela Baricuatro’s proposed P10 to P11 billion budget for 2026 has raised eyebrows, especially since it slashes more than half of this year’s P25-billion allocation. Critics may view the move as a retreat from ambition, but the governor argues it is simply living within Cebu’s means. Provincial revenues average only P10 billion annually, yet past administrations approved ‘bloated’ budgets that looked impressive on paper but strained the province’s finances.

The cut is undeniably huge-around 56 to 60 percent. It breaks from a pattern of ever-increasing budgets under former Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, during which annual appropriations ballooned from P18 billion in 2022 to P23 billion in 2024. Baricuatro calls this trend ‘wishful thinking,’ and instead pushes for realism: balancing spending with actual income.

What does this mean for Cebuanos? Large-scale infrastructure projects may slow down, but hospitals, schools, and nutrition programs stand to gain more. With P1.3 billion earmarked for health-care upgrades and significant funds for disaster readiness and malnutrition reduction, the shift reflects a bet on people rather than prestige. Paying off debts also signals fiscal responsibility-a step toward restoring investor confidence.

Of course, a leaner budget carries risks. Can essential services truly keep up with Cebu’s growing population? And will trimmed infrastructure dampen economic momentum? The answers will depend on how effectively the funds are spent and whether revenues grow in the coming years.

Baricuatro’s proposal is not just about numbers-it’s about trust. Instead of presenting an impressive but unrealistic budget, her administration is offering Cebu a reality check. The challenge now is whether less spending can truly deliver more for the people. The question is: are we ready to trade big promises for sustainable progress?

For 65 years, RCBC has been a steadfast partner to progress. RCBC is and has always been a force for nation-building, financing infrastructures, renewable energy, and other transformative projects to empower industries and connect communities. Banking, when purposeful, can help build a stronger and more sustainable future. ‘Our most important asset will always be trust. It’s the foundational principle for all banks. For 65 years, RCBC has earned the confidence and trust of millions of Filipinos by standing with them through challenges and triumphs,’ President and CEO Reggie B. Cariaso said. ‘It is this trust that allows RCBC to turn bold ambitions into concrete progress,’ he added.

RCBC has financed multiple infrastructure projects throughout the years, financing more than 100 kilometers of toll roads and bridges that are vital for connecting communities. More recently, the bank broadened its focus to digital infrastructures which include data centers and telco towers to support the booming digital economy.

As the first local bank to publicly announce that it would stop funding coal power plants, RCBC has shifted its energy portfolio towards renewables which includes extensive solar power installations, large-scale wind farms, hydroelectric projects, and other clean energy alternatives. To date, RCBC has financed over 3 gigawatts (GW) of projects with another 3GW of renewable energy capacity in the pipeline, which it hopes to integrate into its portfolio within the next three years.

RCBC’s sustainability bonds have historically been met with strong support from the capital market. Earlier this year, the bank issued new bonds in both offshore and onshore markets, raising USD 350 million in January and PHP 12.2 billion in July. These latest issuances brought the total amount of sustainable financing instruments issued since 2019 to over USD 1B and over PhP 64B, deployed to over 19,000 sustainable projects nationwide.

Leveraging on the bank’s strong presence in the country’s economic zones, RCBC has partnered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to help promote the Philippines as an investment site for foreign companies which intend to expand and relocate operations in the country. It is to also enhance collaboration in investment facilitation, financial services, and strategic projects to strengthen the country’s position as a key player in the regional economy.

‘Our journey is far from over,’ said Cariaso. ‘RCBC remains committed to delivering value to our customers and our country through innovative financial products and solutions and channeling capital into sectors that support sustainable growth – renewable energy, resilient infrastructures, and industries with diverse enterprises that create lasting value for the communities they serve.’

‘By aligning our strategies with national priorities and global sustainability standards, we are committed to driving progress that is inclusive, responsible, and built for the long term,’ Cariaso added.