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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.’

Large sections of this city were plunged into darkness Tuesday night after a strong earthquake struck near Bogo City, Cebu, prompting unscheduled power interruptions across several districts.

In an advisory, distribution utility MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) said power went out at 10:01 p.m. on September 30, affecting the entire Molo Substation, Megaworld Feeder 6, and La Paz Feeders 1 and 3. Restoration work is ongoing as crews trace the cause of the outages as of 11:09 p.m.

The company apologized for the inconvenience and urged residents to remain safe as it works to restore electricity ‘as soon as possible.’

The blackout followed a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that jolted Cebu at 9:59 p.m., with its epicenter traced 17 kilometers northeast of Bogo City at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs reported instrumental intensity VI in Cebu City and Villaba, Leyte; intensity III in San Fernando, Cebu; and intensity II in Laoang, Northern Samar. The tremor was also felt in parts of Iloilo.

As of press time, no major damage or casualties have been reported, though local governments in affected areas are conducting inspections.

Authorities reminded residents to brace for possible aftershocks

Jared Bahay is well aware of the many big shoes that he has to fill as far as crack guards ever to have come out of Ateneo under the revered Tab Baldwin go.

From the likes of Tyler Tio, Gian Mamuyac, SJ Belangel and Thirdy Ravena, Baldwin has given his Midas Touch on them that they not only led the Blue Eagles to glorious UAAP paths but have become established professional players here or elsewhere.

All four were in the undefeated Season 82 team that won the championship. And Bahay remembers seeing clips of that squad while he was still in high school.

‘It gives me motivation,’ Bahay told the Inquirer recently. ‘I believe in our saying that ‘in Tab we trust.’ I feel motivated that I’m under him. He can not only make me a great basketball player, but a good person in general.’

Jared has happy home

Fast forward to six years and Bahay has found a home in Katipunan.

‘I love coach Tab. He has a history and reputation of winning,’ Bahay said. ‘I remember watching them go 16-0 and I got so inspired. I worked so hard and told myself I want to be a part of [a] team [like that].

‘Dreams do come true,’ he said. ‘I’m here now and I’m so happy.’

Baldwin, meanwhile, knows that he has another rough talent he can whip into a gem along with Kymani Ladi, a dynamic 6-foot-8 forward who is also a big reason why the Blue Eagles are leading the pack with a 3-0 record.

‘He has a lot of information that he’s willing to share and we’re willing to take them,’ Ladi said. ‘He has a lot of knowledge that we definitely use.

Baldwin has so far won 101 games in his UAAP career, fourth on the all-time list where only La Salle’s Franz Pumaren, late Santo Tomas mentor Aric del Rosario and ex-Ateneo tactician Norman Black have more victories.

He is on track to unseat Black at No. 3 if his streak continues for the rest of the year.

But knowing Baldwin, he doesn’t really give a care on personal accomplishments. He is a team-first guy and rarely takes the credit. And the biggest thing about him is he wants his charges to become better men after being under him. INQ

NCAA’s 101st season will open with a bang as last year’s Final Four teams clash in a double-header to raise the curtain on the league’s new century.

Jose Rizal University athletic director and NCAA Management Committee member Paul Supan said the league wanted to start strong by pitting its best right away.

‘We have the top four teams on the first day and we already have a salvo between all of them,’ he said during the Philippine Sportswriters’ Association’s weekly forum on Tuesday.

After the opening festivities at 12 noon, host school and defending champion Mapua battles Lyceum at 2:30 p.m. at Araneta Coliseum.

The Cardinals and Pirates last met in Season 100’s semifinals, where Mapua prevailed behind Finals MVP Clint Escamis, who erupted for a career-high 33 points in their 89-79 win.

The second game will feature another semifinal rematch, with College of St. Benilde colliding with San Beda. Like Mapua, the Blazers also advanced by ousting the Red Lions in the Final Four.

Beyond basketball, Supan highlighted the NCAA’s broader role in shaping Philippine sports across generations.

‘I’m sure for the past 100 years of the NCAA, we’ve seen athletes from the member schools rise to the elite level,’ he said. ‘For the next 100 years, with the help of the PSC and all the member schools, we hope that we can sustain our contribution to the national training pool,’ he added.

The NCAA kicks off Season 101 on October 1 at Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

When it comes to training, consistency is everything. Fitness isn’t built overnight-it takes weeks, or even months, of putting in the work. But the trick is to stay active every day, while still knowing when to rest. And that balance is what makes progress stick.

The challenge? Travel. Being away from home can easily throw us off our rhythm. But with a little planning, you don’t have to lose momentum. Here are some ways to stay fit, even when you’re out of town.

Being away from home can easily throw us off our rhythm. But with a little planning, you don’t have to lose momentum.

Time your trips around training

One smart move is to use travel as your built-in recovery week. After pushing your body with consistent workouts, we all need days of unloading to bounce back stronger. So if you can, plan your trips during these lighter phases. More experienced athletes sometimes push harder before traveling, then scale back while away-just doing light cardio or bodyweight movements to maintain baseline fitness.But if that’s not your style, no problem. The key is adjusting your mindset and routine, so you keep moving, even if it’s not your usual setup.

Bodyweight workouts

Don’t underestimate bodyweight training-it’s not ‘just for beginners.’ You can break a serious sweat with no equipment at all. YouTube is full of solid routines, but here’s a simple one you can try:

Circuit training (minimal rest between moves, one to two minutes of rest between rounds):

Push-ups (as many as possible)

Chair dips (12 to 15 reps)

Lunges (alternating, as many as possible)

Squats (15 to 20 reps)

Spiderman plank (15 to 20 reps per side)

V-ups (15 to 20 reps)

Plank (as long as you can)

Run it out

Running is the ultimate travel workout-simple, effective, and you can do it almost anywhere. Just pack your shoes and a weather-appropriate outfit. But before you head out, check if the area is safe for running or ask locals where it’s best to go.

Sample session:

15-minute warm-up jog

6 reps of four minutes of running, then one minute of walking

20-minute steady jog or brisk walk

5-minute cool down Try yoga

When I first tried yoga, I thought it would be easy. Big mistake. Fifteen minutes in, I was sweaty, shaking, and way out of my comfort zone. That’s the beauty of yoga-it challenges strength, flexibility, balance, breathing, and focus all at once. Perfect for travel since you don’t need much space.

Walk more (skip the cab)

Travel is the perfect excuse to walk more. Instead of always booking a cab, try taking public transport or just exploring on foot. Not only do you burn calories and log steps, but you also get to experience the city more authentically. Depending on your destination, safety and convenience may vary, so do your research. But even five to 10 kilometers of walking a day adds up fast.

Pro tip: Wear comfy sneakers, carry extra shirts, and don’t be shy about using Google Maps if you get lost.

Final thoughts: It’s not about being perfect

No matter where you’re headed, keep in mind that trips can double as both rest and movement opportunities. Mix in recovery (stretching, yoga, or even breathwork), adjust your routines, and remember, fitness isn’t about being perfect. We train so we can enjoy life more, not to let workouts control us.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) will prohibit and penalize the use of improvised and temporary vehicle plates starting November 1, 2025, the LTO announced on Wednesday.

According to LTO Chief Atty. Vigor Mendoza II, the agency no longer has backlogs of license plates for both four-wheel vehicles and motorcycles, which means ‘there is no more justification in the use of either the improvised or temporary plates.’

Once the policy is implemented, the LTO will impose a P5,000 fine and confiscate the temporary and improvised plates of vehicles that continue to use them.

Following this, Mendoza advised motorists who have yet to claim their plates to do so in October ‘to avoid any inconvenience with regard to the strict implementation of this policy.’

Additionally, Mendoza warned that improvised and temporary plates will no longer be accepted for the renewal of vehicle registration.

The initiative is in line with the LTO’s plans to implement a policy that requires official receipts, certificates of registration, and license plates to be released on the same day of a motor vehicle’s purchase.

However, Mendoza also stated that some improvised plates will be permitted, provided they are authorized and signed by the relevant LTO offices responsible for processing such requests.

These authorized plates shall ‘contain the assigned plate number of the vehicle with the words ‘Improvised Plate’ below it,’ Mendoza explained.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has been addressing its backlog of motorcycle plates through its plate distribution initiatives.

The DOTr said it aims to distribute around 5.4 million motorcycle plates by the end of October.

Newly-installed Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy has ordered a structural assessment of all churches and rectories in the province following a strong earthquake on Tuesday night.

In a Facebook post, the archbishop also directed parishes in the northern portion of the province who were affected ‘to refrain from using your churches for the celebration of the Holy Mass until the proper experts have carried out the assessment and declared the structures safe for use.’

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology initially measured the earthquake’s magnitude at 6.7 before upgrading it to 6.9.

The earthquake occurred at 9:59 p.m. with its epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City in Cebu.

In a social media post, parishioners said that the centuries-old Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan town partially collapsed.

Meanwhile, videos showed that Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol was swaying during the earthquake, with lights and parts of the facade crumbling.

Uy’s installation rites were held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, who attended the installation, described the earthquake as Uy’s ‘first major test.’

‘We continue to pray to our Loving Father for calmness and strength in the midst of these trials,’ the archbishop said.

The Indigenous Teduray-Lambangian community in Maguindanao del Sur is in mourning following the brutal beheading of another tribal leader around 6 p.m. on Tuesday in Limpongo village, Datu Hoffer Ampatuan in the same province.

Timuay Leticio Datuwata, head of the Timuay Justice and Governance, the indigenous political structure of the Teduray-Lambangian tribe, identified the victim as Nel Lupos, 60, a former village councilor of Barangay Mantao and currently a resident of Limpongo village.

‘He was alone inside his nipa hut in his farmland when several armed men forcibly entered and brutally killed him by beheading,’ said Datuwata.

According to him, Lupos had previously evacuated from Mantao village following the murder of another tribal leader, Baywan Angan, also a village councilor, who was gunned down in Sitio Kukor on December 7, 2024.

Datuwata attributed the killing to land conflict, which continues to plague indigenous peoples’ communities in the province.

‘This unending violence targets tribesmen who refuse to give up their ancestral lands. When you resist, they kill you,’ he said, pointing to what he believed was the same group of gunmen responsible for previous attacks.

Despite the recurring violence, Datuwata said he is no longer issuing formal condemnations.

‘The more I speak out, the worse the killings become,’ he explained. ‘We’re tired of this cycle of violence against us, but still, there’s no direct action from government.’/coa

Taal Volcano erupted early Wednesday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

According to Phivolcs’ bulletin, the eruption ended at 2:15 a.m.

Alert Level 1 remains raised at Taal Volcano.

‘ATM: Ongoing eruption at Taal Volcano. Details to follow. Alert Level 1 prevails over Taal Volcano,’ Phivolcs said on its social media accounts.

‘UPDATE: The eruption has ended at 02:15 AM,’ it added.

In its 8 a.m. report, Phivolcs added that the eruption produced a 2,500 meter-high plume that drifted northwest. Alert Level 1 or low level of unrest remains raised in the area.

According to the state seismologists, sudden steam or phreatic eruptions, volcanic earthquakes, thin ashfall and emission of poisonous gases are still possible under Alert Level 1.

Residents are urged to stay at homes unless absolutely necessary, to wear face masks and eye protection when going out and to follow the advice of authorities. /mcm

The entire province of Cebu has been placed under a state of calamity following the strong earthquake that struck the island late Tuesday night, which caused widespread destruction and a death toll now confirmed to be at 36.

The Cebu Provincial Information Office said that 36 fatalities have been recorded as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, of whom 27 were reported in Bogo City, the epicenter of the 6.9 magnitude quake that struck at 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

In an emergency online session early Wednesday presided over by Cebu Vice Governor Glenn Soco, the 17th Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved the state of calamity declaration to enable a faster and more efficient response to the growing needs on the ground.

‘This declaration is necessary to give our provincial government the ability to respond quickly and effectively. It allows us to mobilize resources, extend immediate assistance to affected families, and implement rehabilitation measures as we begin our recovery,’ Soco said in an official statement.

The Provincial Board members attended the session on Wednesday morning remotely, as many are stationed in their respective districts to monitor the situation and assist constituents