Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) signed a memorandum of agreement to formalize and strengthen their collaboration in delivering high-quality, technical-vocational education in senior high school (SHS).

The primary objective of the agreement is to ensure that the SHS Technical Professional (TechPro) track complies with Tesda training regulations, and that DepEd teachers possess the requisite competencies and certifications to effectively deliver the technical-vocational courses.

By aligning institutional processes, resources, and standards, the collaboration seeks to ensure the consistent delivery of quality-assured curricula by qualified educators, ultimately supporting the development of students’ foundational and technical skills. This will enhance their employability and facilitate a seamless transition to further education, training, or employment.

Flexible options

Under the agreement, DepEd is responsible for identifying and endorsing SHS TechPro teachers for enrollment in Tesda’s Trainers Methodology I (TM1) programs, as well as those that need updating in their qualifications. The department will also develop learning resources in consultation with Tesda, monitor the implementation of the curricula, and ensure that SHS learners undergo assessment for national certification.

For its part, Tesda will offer flexible access to training courses for teachers, including online and in-person options for DepEd teachers. Tesda will provide crucial technical assistance to align DepEd’s curricula with its official Training Regulations, ensuring that learners acquire industry-aligned skills.

The agreement, signed by Education Secretary Sonny Angara and Tesda Director General Kiko Benitez aims to ensure the work readiness and global competitiveness of Filipino graduates.

‘Our goal has always been to ensure that every Senior High School graduate is equipped not just with knowledge, but with real-world skills. This partnership with Tesda is a critical step in fulfilling that promise,’ Angara said. Benitez recognized Tesda role in the partnership ‘to ensure that the skills being taught are the skills that industries actually need. By embedding our Training Regulations and certification processes directly into the Senior High School system, we are creating a seamless pathway for students from education to employment. This collaboration carves the path for industries to have a pipeline of skilled talent ready to contribute from Day One.’

Long-standing mismatch

The partnership addresses the longstanding need to resolve the mismatch between DepEd’s SHS programs and Tesda’s guidelines. Recommendations by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) have consistently emphasized the need for alignment between DepEd’s and Tesda’s programs, including its push to increase funding for the assessment of SHS-TVL graduates.

Findings in the EDCOM 2 Year Two Report showed that, while about 53.9 percent of SHS graduates pursue higher education, a significant number enter the workforce in private establishments or informal employment.

This is further supported by a 2023 report of the Philippine Institute of Development Studies which found that children induced to attend SHS tend to earn higher wages and are more likely to be employed in middle-skill jobs compared with junior high school graduates.

DepEd and Tesda agree to undertake joint monitoring of SHS-TechPro programs offered in DepEd schools, as well as to map public and private technical vocational institutions, with the aim of strategically expanding the Joint Delivery Voucher Program (JDVP) to enable students to pursue a wider range of technical-vocational electives.

The two agencies also commit to engaging with industry stakeholders to ensure curriculum relevance and provide valuable work immersion opportunities for students. The agreement will be effective for a period of three years upon signing, with DepEd and Tesda working towards enhancing technical-vocational offerings under the SHS pilot come June 2026.

Despite public clamor to immediately jail all personalities involved in the flood control mess, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he does not want a rushed and haphazard investigation, as that may backfire on his administration’s anti-corruption campaign.

For the President, mere accusations and testimonies, even in congressional hearings, would not hold up in court in the absence of proof.

‘We know many of these people are not innocent. But if you’re going to bring them to court, you must have a very strong case,’ Marcos said in an interview with Philip Cu-Unjieng of the Manila Bulletin and his childhood friend as part of his BBM Podcast.

A teaser of the latest episode of the podcast was released by the Presidential Communications Office on Sunday.

‘Look, what would happen if we rushed the investigation? We would have incomplete and unclear evidence. But we still pursued the filing of cases. The result: We lost the cases. Can you imagine that right now?’ the President said.

‘I think that would be much, much, much worse,’ he added.

The President created the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate all the anomalous government infrastructure works, most especially flood control projects, in the past 10 years. The results of its inquiry would be used to recommend the filing of charges against all those involved.

Almost a month after the fact-finding body’s three members were appointed, the ICI has conducted numerous closed-door hearings and summoned different government officials and contractors involved in the flood control mess.

However, it has only publicized one interim report, which urged the Office of the Ombudsman to recommend the filing of graft charges against 18 individuals, including resigned lawmaker Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co, over the substandard flood control project in Oriental Mindoro worth P289.5 million. The public, including lawmakers, also urged the ICI to open its hearings to the public for the sake of more transparency and accountability. The ICI, however, was hesitant to accept the proposal, stressing it wanted to ‘avoid trial by publicity and will not allow itself to be used for any political leverage or agenda by any individual or group.’ In a previous episode of his podcast, the President said he was committed to going after the ‘big fish’ behind the corruption-tainted flood control projects once the ICI investigation concludes.

For him, the rotten system could be fixed only by jailing the contractors and government officials involved in numerous irregularities surrounding publicly funded infrastructure projects over the years.

The boos rained down from all corners of the Mall of Asia Arena. On Sunday night, Ateneo fans made sure Mason Amos understood the extent of the enmity he created by swapping his blue uniform for green.

The jeers were loud. Personal. Unrelenting.

Turns out, they weren’t needed. Amos knew exactly what he was getting into. ‘That’s how they feel,’ he said with a shrug, moments after La Salle’s 81-74 loss to Ateneo in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament. ‘That’s how they’ll feel for the rest of the season.’

The 6-foot-7 forward, who transferred from Ateneo to La Salle before last season, struggled in his first rivalry game wearing the other shade of school pride. He played more than 25 minutes but finished with just six points, two rebounds and two assists. ‘I had a bad game,’ he admitted. ‘But we all have bad games. I’ll keep improving.’

It wasn’t just the missed shots or the stats. Amos was also tasked to guard Kymani Ladi, who wound up with 15 points for the Blue Eagles-another detail that underscored his tough night.

Still, Amos didn’t search for excuses.

La Salle dropped to 2-2 with the loss, but Amos quickly turned the page. His eyes are now set on bouncing back when the Green Archers face National University next Sunday at UST’s Quadricentennial Pavilion.

And whatever noise he heard Sunday night, he is wading right through it.

‘I just have to keep moving forward,’ he said.

The long and winding 50th season of the PBA tips off Sunday with the opening of the centerpiece Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

And there will be a lot of burning questions that will seek answers. Except maybe one. June Mar Fajardo is expected to take home a ninth MVP trophy, an incredible and unprecedented number considering that no one else has won more than four-and that the well-liked San Miguel Beer center didn’t set out on this path in the first place.

‘Who would have thought?’ Fajardo said in Filipino. ‘I was never a huge basketball fan [when I was younger], but here I am possibly winning another MVP.’

Everything else about the season will be answered as the games proceed. Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia, who will square off at 7:30 p.m. following the Leo Awards and the traditional opening ceremonies, will try to shed light on some of those mysteries that will hover over the golden season set to run until December 2026 with the usual three-conference format.

Ginebra’s Tim Cone and Magnolia rookie coach LA Tenorio are looking to end their respective teams’ title droughts, among the subplots going into the longest season that the league has ever had.

Winning a championship right away seems to be the least of Tenorio’s concerns.

‘The team is learning and I’m also learning,’ Tenorio told the Inquirer recently. ‘I still have a lot of things that I need to know and I think the comfortability [as a head coach] will come in if I know my players are ready and well-prepared. And that’s my job.’ The Gin Kings and Hotshots are two of the biggest threats to the Philippine Cup reign of their other sister team, San Miguel, who are hell-bent on extending their dominance in the PBA’s centerpiece event.

The Beermen and Fajardo will have a lot of help in CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz while rookie Chris Miller, who is 34, may show up as a potential steal the way he’s played in tune-up games.

The Beermen foiled the Grand Slam bid of TNT, which is eager to go back to its winning ways with a healthy roster and some new additions that included pesky guard Jio Jalalon, who joined the Tropang Giga as an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.

There’s plenty of talk that Converge may spoil the SMC-MVP party following the arrival of rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño, while its fellow independent team Rain or Shine may do so if it can get over the hump of four successive semifinal exits with free agent pickup Stanley Pringle.

Meralco aims for a repeat of its 2024 Philippine Cup title run, NLEX seems hungry to rebound from a near semis appearance, while Blackwater may sneak into the playoffs with the selection of rookie guard Dalph Panopio.

Titan Ultra, the new kids on the block, look to go through some growing pains even as a young Phoenix squad hopes to get some wins under rookie coach Willy Wilson.

Another rookie coach, Ronald Tubid, tries to defy low expectations of a ragtag Terrafirma team while it awaits the arrival of No. 1 overall pick Geo Chiu later in the conference, at the earliest.

Beauty queens and the stars of the Premier Volleyball League were among the muses for the opening of the PBA’s 50th season on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Ahtisa Manalo, who will represent the country in this year’s Miss Universe, served as muse of Magnolia during the traditional ‘palabas’ that drew some famous names from the entertainment industry. Last year’s Miss Universe bet Chelsea Manalo represented Meralco while actress Sue Ramirez was back for the same duty, this time for crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra.

Ramirez previously was the muse of TNT in the 2022 opener at the same venue.

PVL On Tour and Invitational champion PLDT had Mika Reyes, Jessy de Leon, Majoy Baron, Savi Davidson and Kianna Dy on hand for PBA, even as Chery Tiggo standout Pauline Gaston was the muse of Phoenix. Other participants were Miss Universe Philippines contestants Chelsea Fernandez for Blackwater and Eloisa Jaud for Terrafirma, reigning Miss International Philippines Myrna Esguerra and Mutya ng Kapampangan 2023 Salma Emam for Converge.

NLEX had beauty queen and actress Pearl Gonzales, Rain or Shine tapped content creator Pattie Paraiso and defending Philippine Cup titleholder San Miguel Beer was joined by Caroline Eyer.

Among the artists who entertained the crowd were Randy Santiago, Jett Pangan, Mitoy and Mike Hanopol while Jamie Lim and Almira Teng hosted the ceremonial rites.

Lim, daughter of the late great Samboy Lim, was San Miguel’s muse in last year’s opening ceremonies.

Tuesday Vargas expressed her dismay after she was accused of allegedly ignoring requests for photos during a Hong Kong trip, reiterating that the claim was ‘made up’ to make her look bad.

Vargas took to her Facebook page on Saturday, Oct. 4, to voice out her concerns about an unnamed netizen who accused her of being a ‘total b****’ on Reddit, after the actress-comedian allegedly ignored photo requests at Hong Kong Disneyland.

‘Bakit po may mga ganitong tao sa mundo? Lahat po ng nag ask nicely sa akin ay pinagbigyan ko po magpa picture. Nakaka lungkot po na may ganitong mapag gawa ng kwento (Why do these kinds of people exist? I entertain photo requests from people who ask me nicely. It makes me sad to see that people would make up such stories),’ she said, claiming that the netizen made up stories about her.

Vargas also clarified that if ever she passed up someone’s photo request, it might have been due to factors beyond her control. ‘Kung nalampasan ko po kayo, napaka daming tao at napaka init po noong araw na yon.’

‘Wala akong maalala na nang irap ako at nag taray sa kahit sinong MAAYOS akong nilapitan at nagpa picture,’ she continued. ‘Please lang po, huwag naman po tayong ganyan. Nakaka sakit po kayo ng damdamin.’

(If I passed you by, there were a lot of people, and it was very hot at the time. I don’t remember rolling my eyes at someone and becoming mean to them, no matter how many times people would approach me for photos. Please don’t be like this. It hurts my feelings.)

In separate posts, Vargas shared screenshots of comments from netizens defending her, saying the ordeal has been ‘overwhelming.’ She also hoped to find the person behind the false claims that were made against her.

‘Kung maayos na nag sabi, lumalapit nang naka ngiti at hindi demanding o entitled, bakit naman hindi pag bibigyan magpa picture? Sana alam ko kung sino ka na naninira sa akin para pwede tayong mag harap at nang masabi ko sa iyo na kahit kelan ay hindi ako madamot sa oras ko at sa mga taga hanga ko. Kung talagang matapang ka ay sana sinabi mo sa akin doon mismo ang saloobin mo at di ka naka tago sa Reddit,’ she said.

(If you say things nicely, approach me while smiling without being demanding or entitled, why should I not entertain your photo requests? I wish I knew who you were so I could tell you face to face that I don’t deprive people of my time. If you’re brave enough to make these claims, tell it to me face to face and don’t hide behind your Reddit profile.

The number of individuals who reportedly died from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu rose to 71, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Sunday.

In its latest report, the NDRRMC said that the 71 deaths, along with 559 injuries are up for validation. Meanwhile, no individuals were reported missing.

Aside from this, the NDRRMC said that the earthquake affected a total of 128,464 families or 455,631 individuals. Of this figure, 405 families or 1,205 individuals were served inside four evacuation centers while 7,942 families or 25,291 persons were served outside the temporary shelters. Bogo City recorded the highest number of those affected, with a total of 27,967 families or 90,187 individuals. The city was the epicenter of the earthquake that occurred last September 30.

The agency also said that the earthquake damaged a total of 18,154 houses. Of this figure, San Remigio tallied the most number of damaged houses at 12,644.

As of Saturday, 8 p.m., the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said that the strong earthquake generated 5,540 aftershocks, with magnitude ranging from 1.0 to 5.1. Of these, 24 were felt while 1,083 were plotted. The Phivolcs has also found the fault that caused the earthquake, with its quick response team locating the inland extension of the newly named Bogo Bay Fault in Sitio Looc, Barangay Nailon, Bogo City.

The Phivolcs said that ‘the team observed fault scraps, open cracks, and small pressure mounds within a 2-meter-wide deformation zone.’

Twice member Jeongyeon may miss the group’s world tour stops in Singapore and Malaysia, following her absence from the Philippines concert.

‘We cannot confirm whether Jeongyeon will appear at the Singaporean and Malaysian shows. What we can say for sure at the moment is that she will not be performing at the Bulacan show,’ a JYP Entertainment official told The Korea Herald, Friday, Oct. 3.

On Thursday, the agency announced on the group’s fan platform that the singer would not join the Twice ‘This is For’ World Tour Bulacan concert scheduled for Saturday. She had performed at the group’s concert in Macao on Sept. 27-28.

‘We sincerely apologize to fans who have been waiting for the concert for a long time. This was an unavoidable decision made with the artist’s health and recovery as our top priority,’ JYP Entertainment said.

Jeongyeon had been active in the group’s sixth world tour since it kicked off in Seoul on July 19, performing in four Japanese cities and most recently in Macao. News of her sudden absence just a week after the Macao shows has heightened concern among fans.

The singer has faced recurring health challenges over the years. She underwent surgery for a herniated disc in 2020 and went on hiatus in 2021 after being diagnosed with panic disorder. Though she returned in June 2022, she took another short break two months later due to side effects from steroid treatment and recurring panic attack symptoms. /ra

The University of the Philippines showed its trademark grit on Saturday-none more than Harold Alarcon.

Playing under the weather, Alarcon powered through sickness to help the Fighting Maroons gut out a 66-59 victory over National University at the Quadricentennial Pavilion, handing the Bulldogs their first loss of UAAP Season 88.

It wasn’t Alarcon’s scoring that stood out-he had only eight points-but he was all over the court during his short stints, finishing with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

‘I want to commend Harold because I know he only had a few points, but he played 20 minutes and every time he had the ball, he was just big time,’ said assistant coach Christian Luanzon. ‘For him to fight through what he was feeling, that was big for us.’

After trailing by one at the end of the third, the Maroons clamped down on defense, holding NU to just 10 points in the final quarter. UP’s communication and collective effort on switches and coverages proved decisive.

‘What’s important was that everyone was involved in communication,’ Luanzon added. ‘Everybody was on the same page.’

Gani Stevens and Francis Nnoruka anchored the attack with 10 and 14 points, respectively, but Stevens said Alarcon’s toughness set the tone.

‘Harold’s one of the veterans in our team and he came through for us even if he was sick,’ Stevens said.

Teoscar Hernandez rallied the Dodgers with a three-run homer in the seventh inning that bailed out Shohei Ohtani, both on the mound and at the plate, and led Los Angeles to a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Saturday night.

Ohtani struck out four straight times at the plate, the final time in the seventh with no outs and two runners on against Matt Strahm. No worries, at least for the reigning World Series champions.

Following a Mookie Betts popout, Hernández silenced a roaring Phillies crowd with an opposite-field drive to right off Strahm for a 5-3 lead. The veteran slugger gestured in wild celebration in his trot around the bases.

His hat off, Ohtani rose from his dugout seat to join in the fun, and exhale once he was on track for the win.

A three-time MVP, Ohtani recovered from a three-run second in his first career playoff pitching start to shut down the Phillies and finish with nine strikeouts over six innings.

Alex Vesia retired pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa with the bases loaded in the eighth to preserve the lead. Roki Sasaki worked the ninth for his first career save. Ohtani had admitted to nerves about playing in front of a crowd that voraciously tried to live up to its four hours of hell moniker – he was jeered as he stepped on the field during warmups – and he never found his footing at the plate.

Ohtani walked in the ninth.

Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez struck out Ohtani three times, included a called strike three in the fifth inning that sent a towel-waving crowd into delirium.

Sánchez was even fired up on that one, and punched his fist in the air as he left the mound.

The Oh-4 became but a mere footnote – though Ohtani is the first player to strike out four times as a batter and strike out nine batters as a pitcher in the same postseason game – in an exhilarating comeback for a Dodgers team riding high after thumping the Reds in two games in the Wild Card Series. Sánchez was thrust into the ace role when Zack Wheeler was ruled out for the season in August with complications from a blood clot. Wheeler was in full uniform and received a roaring ovation in the pregame introductions.

Sánchez pitched early like a No. 1 starter.

He fanned Ohtani on three pitches to start the game and breezed through five scoreless innings.

Kiké Hernandez chased Sánchez in the sixth when he ripped a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line that made it 3-2. David Robertson retired pinch-hitter Max Muncy to end the threat.

Robertson, the 40-year-old late-season pickup, allowed a single and hit Will Smith with a pitch to open the seventh before yielding to Strahm.

While disaster struck late for the Phillies bullpen, Vesia saved Tyler Glasnow in the eighth. Glasnow, pitching out of the bullpen in a short series, loaded the bases before he got the hook. Vesia got Sosa, who hit three home runs in a game last month, to fly out to center field. The Phillies had only two hits after they scored three times in the third on J.T. Realmuto’s two-run triple and Harrison Bader’s sacrifice fly.

Up next

Jesús Luzardo will start for the Phillies on Monday in Game 2. Luzardo went 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA with a career-high 216 strikeouts in his first season with the Phillies after he was acquired from the Miami Marlins in an offseason trade. The Dodgers already had announced that two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell was expected to start Game 2, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the bump in Game 3.