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From soulful covers to chart-topping original tracks, singer-songwriter Justin Vasquez continues to own his space in the OPM scene.

Known for his signature reverse-cap, boy-next-door charm, and buttery vocals, the Filipino-Australian artist has transformed from an Internet crush into one of the most exciting young artists to watch today.

First discovered by many through his YouTube covers, Justin quickly stood out for his ability to reimagine songs with raw emotion and artistry, never losing the spirit of the originals while making them distinctly his own.

His journey has taken him across stages and competitions, including “The X Factor Australia” and “Himig Handog” – both of which paved the way for his shift from cover artist to full-fledged recording act.

Over the years, Justin’s influence has grown beyond YouTube, with over 1.2 million TikTok followers and streaming milestones that strengthen his place in the local music industry.

His 2024 single “What U Need” earned over three million Spotify streams and landed on the platform’s Viral Charts, while his July 2025 release “Home” has already crossed the million mark.

Now, Justin returns with a song that might just be his most moving release yet.

“Kung Di Mo Alam” is a timeless R and B-inspired serenade, blending English and Tagalog in a way that feels both personal and universal.

With its production and delivery, it’s a piece that listeners will want to play on repeat, if they’re in love, healing, or simply daydreaming.

“This song is very close to me, it’s about the kind of love that grounds you, gives you clarity, and makes everything feel worth it,” Justin said in a statement.

Glowing skin isn’t just about looking radiant: it’s about feeling confident in your own skin. That’s the idea behind Galderma’s Journey of Glow, which has been making its way across Asia and has finally arrived in the Philippines, in partnership with The Icon Clinic.

More than an event, the Journey of Glow is designed as an immersive beauty experience, one that encourages you to see skincare and treatments not just as vanity, but as self-care. ‘Glow isn’t just about radiant and refreshed skin; it’s having that healthy and renewed skin from inside out. Giving you the confidence to celebrate beauty,’ shares Michelle De Jesus, business unit head of Galderma Aesthetics, at the Journey of Glow launch.

At the center of the experience is the Icon Glow On treatment, a combination of Restylane Skinboosters and Sculptra, two innovations that work synergistically to deliver both instant and long-lasting results.

Restylane Skinboosters works like water for the skin, delivering deep hydration that smooths texture, refines pores and restores that dewy, lit-from-within look constantly craved for. It is the original and long-lasting injectable designed to improve skin quality with results lasting up to 15 months, thanks to its use of hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally occurring molecule that binds water, keeping skin soft, hydrated and glowing.

Restylane Skinboosters delivers micro-droplets of stabilized HA beneath the skin, creating reservoirs of long-term hydration and restoring skin’s natural composition.

Meanwhile, Sculptra is the first and original FDA-approved regenerative biostimulator injectable that helps replenish age-related collagen and elastin loss. Sculptra injects PLLA-SCA (poly-l-lactic acid) deep into the skin, it induces the stimulation of collagen and elastin production to help our body boost its own collagen and elastin production, to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and correct of shallow to deep nasolabial fold.

Sculptra reaches places no topical creams can touch, and it’s the only proven regenerative biostimulator that can stimulate skin’s natural elastin production. The effect? Skin that looks fresh today and stays youthful for years to come.

‘What I love most about Icon Glow On is that it doesn’t change how you look: it enhances what’s already there,’ says Dr. Eric Yapjuangco, also known as Dr. Yappy.

Rona Tai, The Icon Clinic’s ambassador who obtained of the treatment, says that she likes the way it seamlessly intenerates with her life: ‘Usually when I wake up, I’ve only had five or six hours of sleep, but with this treatment, I look like I’ve had eight.’

As a busy woman, Tai has no time for a high-maintenance skin routine, which is why she loves the Glow On Treatment because it allows her to be low-maintenance.

‘I don’t always have to worry about a super long skincare routine just to look moisturized and hydrated, glowing. Now I just obviously must brush my teeth and wash my face. So, I think for me that’s the biggest advantage.’ Tai also shared that she loves the boost of confidence it gives her: ‘It also improves over time, it’s skin deep. That’s why I think Glow On is a game changer. It shortens my prep time and boosts my confidence.’

But the glow doesn’t stop at the clinic-it’s only the beginning. To truly lock in and extend the benefits of your treatment, aftercare is essential.

Galderma recommends Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance as the perfect partner for post-treatment skin. The Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Day Protection Cream and Night Comfort Cream not only brighten but also help restore and strengthen the skin barrier through GentleBright Technology-a proprietary blend of niacinamide and sea daffodil.

‘Aftercare is just as important as the treatment itself. It’s what transforms a one-time glow into lasting radiance, day after day,’ says Rhizza Mae Concepcion, Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance brand manager.

With Journey of Glow, Galderma reveals that true beauty isn’t found in quick fixes-it’s rooted in science, trusted products and lasting confidence. Glowing skin is more than appearance; it’s a reflection of how you feel, how you connect with yourself and the journey you embrace. Your glow begins here.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said the city will act on the results of an independent assessment that engineering and architecture groups did regarding the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) project, which may lead to a realignment of its civil works.

The City Council commissioned the experts’ assessment of the CCMC project, after Councilor Nyza Archival raised concerns about transparency and accountability on the long-delayed project. The assessment findings report is expected in the first week of October.

Nyza earlier delivered a privilege speech highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability in what she described as a critical and long-overdue infrastructure project of the city.

Without preempting the experts’ report, Mayor Archival revealed he was told of discrepancies between official completion reports and the actual status of the building, noting that some phases were listed as finished on paper but remain incomplete on-site.

‘The first, second, third, fourth (phases), mura’g ang ilang gitan-aw, kung sa paper human na pero wala pa,’ said the mayor, adding that civil works may possibly be realigned, and the project constructed gradually.

Mayor Archival added that the ?700-million contract with Dakay Construction for the hospital’s remaining floors is still under review, aligned with the City Council’s move, especially since the Department of Engineering and Public Works earlier found the project lacked as-built plans.

‘Kay ang mga nahuman nga Phase 1, Phase 2 nga mga contractors, wala may as-built plans, wala man ta’y plano nga nagsulti nga mao ‘ni ang nahuman namo,’ the mayor previously said.

In response, Councilor Archival, with the Council’s approval, sought the assistance of experts from leading organizations of engineering, architecture, and related disciplines to conduct a thorough audit of the existing documents related to the CCMC project.

Specifically, the councilor called for the involvement of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines, the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the United Architects of the Philippines, among others.

The objectives of the audit are to scrutinize all original plans, sketches, and designs; verify architectural and engineering documents; check for irregularities, discrepancies, or post-construction alterations that may have led to misappropriation of funds; and facilitate a comprehensive review for the city’s reference in making informed decisions.

It can be recalled that, following his long-awaited review of the CCMC contract for the third to sixth floors, Mayor Archival bared that the DEPW had not located the primary construction plan for the project, prompting him to stop the construction until the missing plan is provided.

When Archival assumed office as Cebu City’s mayor, one of his campaign promises was to finish the long-delayed CCMC building.

He said that, before his administration took over the city government, the contract to complete the third to sixth floors had already been awarded to a contractor, along with the corresponding Notice to Proceed (NTP). Currently, the contractor is requesting a down payment.

However, although the Programs of Work and Estimates (POWE) were already in place, the detailed plans on which construction should be based are missing. This has raised red flags among the engineers involved in the contract review.

Going back to the time of his predecessor, then-mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, before leaving office, named Dakay Construction as the winning bidder for the controversial CCMC project, despite an unfinished City Council investigation into the project’s delays and issues.

Garcia signed the contract with Dakay, which allows for a 240-calendar-day construction period, equivalent to eight months. He clarified that the agreement covers only the third to seventh floors, and that completing the remaining upper floors would require a separate contract-one he intended to leave to the incoming administration, Archival’s for that matter.

The project’s budget is approximately ?700 million, an amount left over from the previous construction before it was halted. Garcia also clarified that the inclusion of the seventh floor involves applying the final touches.

Resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez will be invited to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s probe into anomalous flood-control projects, panel chair Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson said Tuesday, September 30.

Lacson denied accusations that he was shielding certain personalities in the case. He had clashed with Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, the committee’s former chair, over the handling of the investigation.

Marcoleta had questioned why House members linked to the scandal could not be called to testify.

‘For the next hearing of the committee, we will send an invitation letter to [Co’s] address. Now we know he is abroad and will not show up. If that is the case, we will issue a subpoena, and then a show-cause order,’ Lacson told reporters.

‘If the show-cause order is not satisfactory, we will cite him in contempt of the committee and issue a warrant for his arrest,’ he added.

Summons issue. Inter-parliamentary courtesy had initially protected Co from being summoned while he was a sitting congressman. His resignation, however, now allows the Senate to issue a subpoena if he refuses to appear.

As for Romualdez, Lacson said the invitation would be sent through current House Speaker Bojie Dy ‘out of courtesy.’

Ongoing probe. The Blue Ribbon Committee has been investigating irregularities in flood-control projects that allegedly involved lawmakers and contractors from both chambers of Congress.

Sens. Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva have been accused of receiving kickbacks from budget insertions for Bulacan flood-control projects.

Co, meanwhile, has been accused of delivering billions in alleged kickback cash to Romualdez.

The government is reviewing the country’s rice tariffs and may raise these to as much as 35 percent after the current import ban ends, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said yesterday.

Tiu Laurel said the review is being carried out with Finance Secretary Ralph Recto and Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go, following President Marcos’ directive.

‘We’re running the numbers now, from 20 percent, 25 percent or 35 percent. Hopefully, we can make a decision before the closure of the ban,’ Tiu Laurel told reporters in an interview at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.

The move comes as farmers’ groups press for stronger safeguards against cheap rice imports that have dragged down farmgate palay prices to below P10 per kilogram.

In a petition filed with the Department of Agriculture (DA) yesterday, the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) and the Magsasaka Party List urged the government to impose provisional safeguard duties under the Safeguard Measures Act.

The two organizations said the 60-day import ban that began in September was not enough to stabilize prices.

‘By itself, the import ban will not prop up palay prices significantly because traders anticipate that cheap imports will flood the market again when the ban is lifted in November,’ FFF national manager Raul Montemayor said.

He added that raising tariffs is the fastest way to compel traders to pay higher prices to farmers while remaining competitive with imports.

Magsasaka chair Argel Joseph Cabatbat, for his part, said the government’s proposed floor price for palay may not work if market prices remain low because of imports.

‘The low prices that rice producers have been receiving for their labor represent not just an economic problem. They threaten the very survival of rice farmers and the long-term security of our entire agricultural sector,’ Cabatbat said.

The two groups warned that the country’s 2.5 million rice farmers could lose as much as P43 billion this year due to the surge in imports.

They traced the surge to the government’s tariff cut from 35 percent to 15 percent in July 2024, as well as a 40-percent drop in world rice prices from early 2024 levels.

Under Republic Act 8800 or the Safeguard Measures Act, the DA secretary can impose safeguard duties on rice imports that cause or threaten to cause serious harm to local producers.

Duties can last up to 200 days while the Tariff Commission investigates and issues a final ruling. Importers must also post a bond equivalent to the safeguard duty on top of the current tariff.

Self-proclaimed ‘Son of God’ Apollo Quiboloy is now in stable condition after being hospitalized due to a ‘difficulty in breathing,’ according to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Tuesday, September 30.

BJMP spokesperson Jayrex Businera told Philstar.com that Quiboloy was rushed to the hospital on September 11 after he experienced difficulty in breathing.

‘He was later diagnosed with Community Acquired Pneumonia (Moderate Risk),’ Businera said.

‘As of 30 September 2025, he is stable and recovering in a public hospital, in line with BJMP policies on medical care for PDL (person deprived of liberty),’ he added.

The Pasig City court handling Quiboloy’s case, Regional Trial Court Branch 156, had already been informed and authorized Quiboloy’s hospitalization on September 15.

Quiboloy faces several indictments from the US, including sexual abuse and coercion, as well as human trafficking.

The pastor, a close ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, is on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list.

In the Philippines, Quiboloy also faces several cases, which include sexual abuse and qualified human trafficking.

The Philippine National Police suspect that Quiboloy sexually exploited hundreds of women.

On top of the sexual crimes he was charged with, Quiboloy also faces contempt charges from both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Quiboloy failed to show up in proceedings for both chambers, prompting lawmakers to issue subpoenas and eventually a contempt citation.

Talks of the US extraditing Quiboloy have been circulating ever since his arrest.

San Sebastian College-Recoletos showed its might right away by dumping Immaculada Concepcion College, 85-64, in the opening of the PG Flex Invitational Tournament 2025 Quintana Cup on Monday, September 29, at the Paco Arena.

Axl Ross Taporco led SSC-R’s mighty assault in the second quarter, coming through with daring drives to spark the Stags’ decisive breakaway.

The 5-foot-11 Taporco led a balanced SSC-R attack with 17 points, while Jew Hinoquin and Renz Robin Bernardo added 16 points. Four other players, including Josemaria Gomez De Liano – younger brother of PBA players Juan and Javi – added six points or more.

The opening of the preseason tournament, which has the backing of Smart Sports, Crane, Topflite, Hapee, Gerry’s Grill, Spalding, Mighty Bond and Best Options, was graced by PG Flex Linoleum owner Nelson Guevarra, Manila Councilor Jefferson Lau and UCAL Director Bong Nebrija.

In the other game, Letran needed a late game heroic from Neil Narvaez to survive the spirited challenge of Diliman College, 74-72.

Protecting a slim 69-67 lead, Narvaez made the Blue Dragons pay dearly for leaving him slightly open by draining a 3-point shot – his lone field goal for the night. He also made his both free throws.

Diliman had several chances to snatch the lead back but it misfired.

Denzil Sison-Walker showed what he’s capable of doing after posting significant numbers of 21 points, 5 boards and 1 assist in almost 28 minutes of action.

Meantime, reigning UCAL champion Olivarez College launches its bid for another title when he battles Gardner College in another 3-game schedule that will see the Knights going for their second win against ICC and Centro Escolar University taking on Manila Central University.

Rep. Martin Romualdez denied another round of bribery allegations thrown against him, this time by Vice President Sara Duterte, who claimed he also accepted bribes from illegal gambling.

‘Naririnig ko ang mga akusasyon. Diretsahan kong sasabihin: hindi totoo na ako’y tumatanggap mula sa ilegal na sugal,’ he said in a statement on Monday, September 29. (I’ve heard the accusations. I will directly say it’s not true that I accept [bribes] from illegal gambling.)

Former Rep. Elizaldy Co’s resignation does not mean he gets away scot-free, Rep. Toby Tiangco (Navotas, Lone District) said.

In a statement on Monday night, September 29, Co’s vocal critic stressed that a resignation does not amount to anything if he faces no accountability.

‘Let me be clear: Congressman Zaldy Co’s resignation is not enough. Resignation is not accountability,’ Tiangco said. ‘What the Filipino people deserve is for him to face the music.’

By simply resigning, Co has insulted both the country’s institutions and the Filipino people, he said.

‘At kung hindi niya haharapin ang mga alegasyon, this can be interpreted as a tacit admission of guilt,’ he added. (And if he does not face the allegations, this can be taken as a tacit admission of guilt.)

The public expects Co to address the allegations against him not through press statements but in a proper forum where evidence and testimonies can be examined. This has been clear in the anti-corruption protests and demonstrations held weekly.

‘[U]muwi siya dito sa Pilipinas, para sagutin ang lahat ng paratang sa kanya,’ Tiangco said. (He should return to the Philippines to answer all the allegations against him.)

Tiangco, one of Co’s loudest critics in the House, turned his accusations over the P13-billion insertions in the 2025 budget and Co’s ‘ostentatious display of wealth’ into a formal ethics case.

However, Co’s irrevocable resignation renders the ethics complaint meaningless, given his departure from public office. This was confirmed by House Speaker Bojie Dy and ethics committee chair Rep. JC Abalos (4Ps Party-list).

Still, Tiangco pointed out that Co’s resignation does not close the door on legal action, as the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) had already recommended charges over a P289-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

‘Hindi ito natatapos sa simpleng resignation at statement lang. Mas lalong hindi tama na siya pa ang magdidikta kung kailan siya uuwi sa ating bansa,’ he said.

(This does not end with a simple resignation and statement. All the more, it is not right for him to dictate when he will return to our country.)

Co has been accused of padding the 2025 budget when he was the appropriations chair of the 19th Congress, allegedly to receive 20% to 30% in kickbacks from public works projects like flood control.

The recently resigned lawmaker also co-founded Sunwest Inc., one of the country’s top flood control contractors, which reportedly secured about P86 billion worth of infrastructure deals from 2016 to 2025.

On top of these allegations, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials from Bulacan have also linked Co to bribery incidents, including reports of him receiving suitcases of cash.

Co, however, has been absent since the 20th Congress convened. He reportedly left for the United States to seek medical care. While he promised to return, he failed to comply with Dy’s order to return by September 29, choosing to step down instead.

Two blockbuster events today:

At 5 p.m., President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos inaugurate the new Philippine International Convention Center.

The renovation makes PICC world class again. Why?

The Discayas were not the PICC contractors, unlike the new NBI building on Taft and the Film Heritage building, both of which have the Discayas as contractor and both of which are delayed and are being constructed badly, per the Discaya standard, which is substandard.

At 6:30 p.m., DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon is guest of honor and speaker of the Manila Overseas Press Club’s ‘Infra Night’ at the Raffles and Fairmont Hotel ballroom. Vince is expected to update a select group of businessmen, professionals and senior journalists on the latest in the P1-trillion flood control scam or flood-gate, who have been charged and who are facing arrest and who are being investigated.

Reservations for Vince’s MOPC appearance have more than doubled in recent days after shocking revelations on how senators helped themselves, making insertion or amendments in the P6.326-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA).

The insertions were between P103 billion (flood control alone) and P142 billion, the total insertions then SP Chiz Escudero was supposed to have masterminded.

Congressmen also make insertions and commissions. But our senators are held to a higher bar of integrity and performance. Each senator is reckoned as presidential material. Our senators disappoint.

Senate Blue Ribbon committee chair Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson says ‘almost all’ senators made insertions in the 2025 GAA.

We have 24 senators, so P103 billion divided by 24 is P4.29 billion (some senators, Ping says, got P10 billion). The standard senatorial ‘cut’ or commission is 25 percent. So 25 percent of P4.25 billion is P1.0725 billion. Our good hardworking senators ran away with over one billion pesos of taxpayers’ money, a single deal, in a single year. That is from flood control alone. They also made insertions in the budget of other Cabinet departments.

If stealing or malversing P8.8 million is a non-bailable crime and subject to life imprisonment and if, indeed, nearly all our senators are corrupt, then we don’t have a Senate to speak of. ‘Almost all’ of the senators should resign. Forthwith.

With ‘almost all’ senators gone, the Senate will effectively be abolished. Without a Senate, the Philippines will be left with just one legislative house, the House of Representatives. Of course, not all our 315 congressmen are thieves; only some, not ‘almost all.’ That leaves a fully functioning House.

The House has always dreamed of making constitutional amendments, without the Senate. That time has come. The House can amend the Charter forthwith.

The 1987 Constitution offers three modes:

Constituent assembly (con-ass)

Congress, the Senate and House of Representatives, not necessarily in joint session, act as a constituent assembly.

Congress can propose amendments or revisions by a vote of three-fourths of all its members.

People’s Initiative

Section 2, Article XVII, the Constitution allows amendments through a People’s Initiative.

The people can directly propose amendments to the Constitution. It requires a petition signed by at least 12 percent of the total number of registered voters, with each legislative district represented by at least three percent of its registered voters. Last year, then speaker Martin Romualdez got this done, legally, until the public got cold feet with it.

People’s Initiative can only be used for amendments, not for revisions. I suggest two: define what is a dynasty (up to fourth degree of consanguinity) in the anti-dynasty provision of the Constitution. And second, abolish the party-list system. These two amendments will be a sea change and will wash the nation into the fine earth of good governance.

Constitutional convention (con-con)

Congress may call for a constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing amendments or revisions.

A constitutional convention will consist of delegates elected by the people and tasked solely to amend the Constitution.

Congress can either call for a con-con by a two-thirds vote of all its members or submit the question of whether or not to call a con-con to the electorate for a majority vote.

While the House is doing reforms, President Marcos Jr. can cash in on the climate of reform by declaring a state of emergency.

With his commander-in-chief and emergency powers, Marcos Jr. can order the arrest of the ‘nearly all senators’ who made GAA insertions and freeze their assets and deposits. He can order the arrest of all other people involved in the P1-trillion flood-gate and freeze or seize their assets and cash.

On Sept. 25, Orly Regala Guteza, a so-called ‘Marines’ intelligence, was brought to the Senate by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta as a witness against former speaker Romualdez. He was a polluted source, to say the least.

Guteza claimed to be among a group of 90 ‘Marines’ (wow, that many?) assigned to Congressman Zaldy Co, our premier and the most corrupt contractor-politician (he got P86 billion worth of DPWH contracts). Guteza’s job as a ‘security consultant’ was to be a ‘garbage’ collector for suitcases of cash. Each Rimowa suitcase contained P48 million. One million cash is one kilo. So 48 million is 48 kilos. There is no Rimowa that can carry 48 kilos; 32 kilos is max.

Guteza claimed to have brought 46 suitcases of cash (P48 million in each Rimowa) to the 56th floor penthouse of Co in Taguig. That’s 2,288 kilos or 2.4 tons – the weight of a truck. Of the 46, 35 Rimowas were brought to the house of Romualdez on 42 McKinley, Taguig (wrong city). Having 35 suitcases with 48 kilos each is like carrying 1.85 tons – the weight of a small truck. Guteza alone carried it. Not even Tom Cruise can claim such lifting powers.