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MALLS and gasoline stations may soon open their doors as designated rest stops for delivery riders under a new initiative by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to protect platform-based workers from extreme heat.

Under the proposed arrangement, riders will gain access to shaded areas, shelter, and basic amenities while waiting for bookings or taking breaks during their shifts.

The plan expands on Dole’s existing heat-protection guidelines outlined in Labor Advisory 20, which mandates that employers provide drinking water, rest areas, and cooling facilities scaled to local heat-index levels. Under that advisory, extreme heat conditions require employers to adjust work schedules, shorten outdoors exposure, or suspend and relocate activities if thermal risks cannot be adequately controlled.

However, because delivery riders work on the road rather than in conventional offices or factories, their access to rest facilities relies heavily on voluntary partnerships with external commercial establishments.

To formalize these measures, Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino met with mall operators, fuel retailers, and digital platform companies to discuss opening commercial welfare facilities to riders between deliveries.

‘To give you a proper perspective, the reason why we are having this shared dialogue is because of a previous meeting,’ Tolentino explained during the consultation, noting that platform companies had specifically requested the inclusion of mall operators and fuel retailers to get their perspective on the proposed framework.

‘This is a weather disturbance not of our own making, but we hope to prepare you and the employees as well and the general public,’ Tolentino added.

Tolentino instructed participating commercial establishments to submit their formal position papers by November 3, ahead of Dole;s planned release of the advisory next week. The effort reflects Dole’s broader push to extend comprehensive occupational safety and heat-protection measures to gig economy workers who spend prolonged hours outdoors.

THE iconic house marks an all-new start as Pinoy Big Brother 3.0 opened its doors to 16 new housemates on October 24. Leading the GMA banner on the hosting front, Gabbi Garcia returned as one of the main hosts, while Sparkle’s rising star Michael Sager joined the lineup.

As the brand-new season kicks off, get to know the eight GMA housemates who are all ready to make their mark.

First on the list is Sparkle artist and LA-raised model Anthony Constantino. Celebrated for his prince-charming looks and gentlemanly demeanor, he had already modeled for lifestyle brands like Louis Vuitton and Francis Libiran, starred in Huwag Kang Titingin and From Vlog to Love, and won over fans through his public courtship with Sparkle artist and former PBB housemate Shuvee Etrata.

Bela Arcal had started her journey as a local mall sales clerk before migrating to work as a factory worker in Japan in pursuit of a better life. She is another GMA housemate to watch out for, bringing her fighting spirit and strong personality to the house.

Strengthening the GMA presence, Filipino-Pakistani model-actor Raheel Bhyria, who was first introduced through Sparkada’s 2022 batch. An amateur boxer and actively involved in several sports, he made his TV debut in Luv Is: Caught in His Arms and Zero Kilometers Away, followed by breakout roles in Abot-Kamay na Pangarap, Mga Batang Riles, and Kamao.

Nicole Fortuna is under Status by Sparkle. Before joining the house, the Filipina-British morena beauty had built an impressive online following on TikTok through her island lifestyle, beauty, fashion, and travel content shared alongside her family and dogs in Bohol.

Sparkle actress-singer Mikee Quintos joined the GMA housemates. Best known for her award-winning role as Lira in Encantadia (2016) and starring roles in Onanay, The Gift, The Lost Recipe, and Apoy Sa Dugo, the 2025 UST architecture graduate and recording artist behind ‘Awit ni Lira,’ ‘Panaginip,’ ‘Tadhana,’ and ‘Just Enough’ had long charmed viewers with her raw, real personality.

Winwyn Marquez surprised viewers as she appeared to be a new housemate. The showbiz royalty daughter of Joey Marquez and Alma Moreno and Sparkle artist had made history as the first Filipina to win Reina Hispanoamericana in 2017 before placing 1st runner-up at Miss Universe Philippines 2025. Winwyn has been in the industry for a long time and showcased her acting skills in Mulawin vs Ravena, Nelia, Never Say Die, and Mommy Dearest, all while serving as a Philippine Navy Reserve Cadet since 2020 and being a mother to her 4-year-old daughter Luna.

Proud of his Negros Occidental roots, Ethan Benares is a La Sallian Psychology student-athlete with a team-player mindset. He has also cultivated a deep passion for camping and water sports prior to his entrance to the PBB house.

Completing the GMA lineup is the 24-year-old Lans Nagal from Cavite. Introduced with a massive social media following of around 10 million on all platforms, her accessible educational TikTok videos on science and animal behavior-such as viral hits on roosters and stray dogs-had even earned a stamp of approval from TV host Kuya Kim Atienza.

The highly anticipated Pinoy Big Brother Collab 3.0 gives viewers a personal look at every housemate’s story. With unexpected friendships, exciting weekly tasks, and unfiltered drama provided by a new set of personalities coming from different backgrounds, this season will surely be another one for the books.

POLICEMEN seized P1.715 million worth of cigarettes lacking the required graphic health warnings and arrested two persons in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

In a statement released on Monday, the National Police (PNP) reported that its operatives confiscated 35 master cases of non-compliant cigarettes found in the possession and control of the two suspects. The names of the arrested individuals were withheld by authorities.

The joint operation was carried out by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Field Unit in coordination with the Ipil Municipal Police Station.

The police said cigarettes distributed without mandatory health warnings raise serious concerns regarding compliance with safety regulations designed to inform consumers about tobacco-related health risks.

The PNP highlighted two key laws governing the enforcement action: Republic Act 10643 (Graphic Health Warnings Law) that mandates that all tobacco product packages carry clear graphic and textual health warnings, and Republic Act 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act) that provides measures to address customs violations, smuggling, and illicit trade.

Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., National Police chief, said that all goods distributed and sold in the country must strictly adhere to national laws and regulations.

‘It should be clear to everyone that we have laws that must be followed when it comes to selling and transporting products. This is not just a matter of enforcement; it is also about protecting consumers and ensuring that no one is overlooked in implementing the law,’ Nartatez said in Filipino.

‘We will continue to work with our partner agencies to address these violations through proper and lawful action,’ he added.

The PNP reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate with local authorities and relevant government agencies to clamp down on the movement and distribution of non-compliant goods nationwide.

MANUFACTURERS will put expansion plans on hold in 2027, as the continued weakening of the peso jacks up operating costs and further squeezes their margins, according to the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI).

While manufacturers would do their best to retain their workers next year, FPI chairman Elizabeth Lee said they would postpone expansion plans due to surging operating costs.

‘We want to hold onto our workers as much as possible, because there’s so much equity already put in the workers,’ Lee recently told reporters. ‘But in terms of expansion, that will be on the shelf for now.’

At present, she noted that manufacturers are already using the P65:$1 assumption when purchasing imported inputs to beef up their inventories. The peso recently hit a new record low of P64 per dollar.

Higher import costs, however, would not instantly translate to increased prices for Filipinos. Manufacturers would absorb added costs so as to avoid further demand destruction on cash-strapped consumers.

‘Manufacturers also cannot just push that whole increase in cost down the line, because we already have demand destruction,’ Lee said.

‘If the prices go up too high, then who’s going to be buying the products down the line? For manufacturers, you actually have to have a balancing act.’

Other factors also add pressure to manufacturers, such as the costs of logistics and electricity necessary to efficiently run factories.

‘But the other thing that we can also fix is the ports,’ Lee said, pointing to congestion due to empty containers stuck in maritime gateways.

‘It’s because we do not export enough, but we import so much that the empties are now stuck [at ports] and that’s actually not helping with the business.’

The Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 49.6 in September from 54.9 in August, Standard and Poor’s (SandP) Global Market Intelligence said. This marked the first deterioration in operating conditions in the goods-producing sector since April.

The downturn was partly driven by a renewed contraction in production, which fell for the first time in nine months and at the fastest pace since November 2025, according to the report.

‘Output, new orders and employment all dropped into contractionary territory. Firms also signaled moves into retrenchment mode via a fresh decline in input buying and a running down of inventories,’ SandP Global Market Intelligence principal economist Jones said.

THE Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (Apeco) is seeking Alberta-based energy companies to develop power projects for its planned industrial hub in eastern Luzon, as it pitches investment opportunities in Canada this week.

Apeco President and Chief Executive Officer Gil G. Taway IV said the agency is looking for Canadian companies with expertise in energy development to supply the ecozone’s future power requirements.

‘As we build a self-sustaining ecozone on the eastern seaboard of Luzon, we need reliable and sustainable power, which Canadian businesses, especially those in Alberta, can help us set up given their expertise in energy,’ Taway said.

The agency kicked off its Canadian investment roadshow on Monday in Montreal and will meet Alberta-based investors in Calgary on November 5.

The briefings are part of Apeco’s effort to attract investors for its planned defense and clean energy hubs.

Beyond energy, the agency is also pitching opportunities in defense infrastructure, manufacturing and supply chains. The campaign will be tied to Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, backed by an initial CAD2.3-billion (P105-billion) commitment.

Further, the roadshow follows President Marcos’s July 1 to 4 official visit to Canada, where he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss bilateral economic and defense cooperation.

The two countries have since moved forward with several defense agreements. In May, Canada’s Minister of International Trade identified air and maritime defense, cybersecurity, land systems, defense procurement and supply chains as potential areas of cooperation.

Moreover, the Philippines and Canada signed a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement in June, followed by the Philippine Senate’s ratification of their Status of Visiting Forces Agreement in August.

About 100 business executives and representatives from the infrastructure, energy, mining, critical minerals, defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and logistics sectors are expected at the roadshows.

‘This initiative will strengthen our engagement with Canadian investors, open new avenues for business partnerships, and generate investments that support the Philippines’ economic growth,’ Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose Victor V. Chan-Gonzaga said.

THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has strongly urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to withdraw two circulars that effectively allow other entities to build transmission facilities, arguing that allowing transmission projects outside the official transmission grid plan disrupts network coordination and design.

Furthermore, the grid operator maintained that allowing other entities to build grid facilities would not resolve regulatory, permitting and right-of-way constraints affecting transmission projects. This was the position sent by the NGCP to the DOE.

DOE circular no. 2026-01-0001 allows power generation companies (gencos) to finance and/or construct associated transmission projects while DOE circular no. 2026-02-0007 allows the National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) to finance and/or construct transmission lines and facilities critical to the country’s energy transition.

Citing the February 2025 arbitral award, the NGCP said it has the exclusive responsibility to prepare the Transmission Development Plan (TDP) during the concession period which is set to end in 2034.

The ruling distinguished NGCP’s planning role from the government’s regulatory authority: the DOE reviews and approves the overall plan, while the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approves or disapproves individual projects. The TDP should align with the wider Philippine Energy Plan and Power Development Plan. TransCo retains a right to be consulted, rather than a right of prior approval, the NGCP claimed.

‘The ruling could be seen as supporting a unified approach to planning and development, with clear responsibilities and government oversight. From a project-delivery standpoint, adding overlapping planning and review layers could prove counterproductive, potentially multiplying coordination requirements, complicating accountability and introducing further delays rather than accelerating construction,’ the NGCP said.

Further, the NGCP raised this point: ‘Allowing projects to proceed outside the Transmission Development Plan raises questions about how their timing, design and integration would be coordinated with other network investments.’

It also pointed out that regulatory rules prevent NGCP from proactively building infrastructure for uncertain power projects that lack system impact studies. This leaves transmission planning dependent on the readiness and location of proposed power plants, as well as the approvals needed to develop the infrastructure serving them.

As such, the NGCP said power developers must synchronize their timelines with the availability of transmission infrastructure, just as grid expansion relies on power plant progress and approvals.

The NGCP argued that the DOE circular oversteps by expanding a genco’s reach beyond basic plant connections into general grid infrastructure, including new or expanded transmission lines, substations and other facilities. NGCP is concerned that associated transmission projects are allowed to move forward even if they fall completely outside the official TDP.

This, NGCP claimed, effectively forces it to share technical data and modify its existing facilities, such as control rooms and switchyards, to accommodate third-party equipment.

‘In seeking the withdrawal of both circulars, NGCP proposed addressing transmission development concerns through coordination with the company and the ERC under the existing planning and regulatory process. It also reserved its right to pursue legal remedies,’ the NGCP said.

FINANCING for socialized housing under the government’s ‘Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino’ (4PH) program jumped by 173 percent in 2026, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said.

According to the DHSUD, the number of socialized housing units financed by the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) rose to 10,904 this year from 3,987 units in 2025.

In terms of value, financing for these units reached P12.10 billion, up from P4.45 billion a year earlier.

Under the Expanded 4PH program, qualified Pag-IBIG members buying socialized housing units can access a subsidized home loan rate of 3 percent.

The Pag-IBIG Fund also offers promotional interest rates of 4.5 percent for loans of up to P4.9 million and 5.75 percent for loans exceeding P4.9 million but not more than P10 million.

From January to September 2026, the Pag-IBIG Fund recorded a 15-percent increase in the number of homes financed and a 20 percent rise in housing loan releases.

Housing Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling said the increase reflects the government’s efforts to make homeownership more accessible to minimum wage earners and low-income families through the Expanded 4PH Program.

‘By making home financing more affordable, we are helping more minimum wage and low-income workers move closer to owning a home of their own,’ Aliling said in a recent statement. ‘This proves that under the Expanded 4PH Program, no Filipino will be left behind.’

Aliling said financial constraints should not prevent Filipino families from owning homes, citing the need for more affordable financing and a wider range of housing options.

Through lower interest rates and more housing choices, the government aims to help more Filipino families secure safe, decent and affordable homes, he added.

The British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) sees no immediate need for a separate free trade agreement (FTA) between Manila and London.

Chris Nelson, BCCP vice chairman, made the pronouncement amid the Philippines’ potential accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Nelson noted that FTAs take around three years to negotiate owing to their technical requirements and limited negotiating resources.

‘FTAs take a long time to negotiate because it’s very technical and you have to cover a lot of different areas,’ Nelson recently told reporters.

The Philippines should instead focus on existing mechanisms, such as the CPTPP, UK-Philippines Joint Economic and Trade Committee (Jerco), and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

‘But if you pass further legislation, that then encourages companies to come,’ Nelson said.

The BCCP urged the government for the passage of Cybersecurity Act, Digital Payments Act, Open Finance Act, and Blue Economy Act.

‘There’ll be cybersecurity companies who wish to do business here. If you pass the Open Finance Act, that will boost your consumer market,’ he said.

‘I don’t think we’ll go to FTA. But I think CPTPP, as long as it’s done properly, will certainly help in terms of trade with UK.’

Earlier, the Philippines is looking beyond its current tariff preferences with the UK, seeing its application to join the CPTPP as a potential route to deeper access to the British market.

One of the longest-running original Filipino musicals, ‘Joseph the Dreamer,’ returns to the stage for a limited run with a new-generation cast including Jordan Andrews, Neo Rivera, and veteran actor Nonie Buencamino. Produced by Trumpet’s, Inc., the show will run from November 6 to 22, 2026, at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

Inspired by the biblical tale in the Book of Genesis, the story follows Joseph, Jacob’s eleventh of 12 sons, who is sold into slavery by his brothers out of envy and resentment. Blessed with the ability to interpret dreams, Joseph overcomes hardships anchored by unwavering faith and trust in God.

Audie Gemora, Trumpets’ Artistic Director and the original Joseph, looks back on the legacy of the musical that changed his life, which was first staged in 1989.

‘When I played Joseph the Dreamer for the first time, I realized we could affect people’s lives by our performance. People would come up to us and say, ‘I was going to leave my husband, but after watching this show, I learned about forgiveness.’ So many lives were changed,’ Gemora recalls.

For the 2026 run, Joseph Andrews and Neo Rivera will take turns portraying the title character, Joseph. Both actors previously played Judah, one of Joseph’s brothers, and they now step into the lead role with greater experience and a deeper appreciation of Joseph’s journey.

Andrews first took on the role of Joseph in 2025 with theater credits that include Ang Huling El Bimbo, Rent, Shrek the Musical, and A Chorus Line. He also gained early stage experience performing in Broadway and West End productions of Miss Saigon and The King and I. Andrews later became widely known in the Philippines as a housemate on Pinoy Big Brother Season 10: Celebrity Edition, where he was introduced as ‘The Musical Dream Chaser of London.’

For Andrews, Joseph’s story is something all people can relate to because of its universal theme of faith, perseverance, and the pursuit of dreams. It serves as a reminder that there is always ‘hope’ to hold on to even during difficult times.

‘We’ve all gone through our own journey, and Joseph is relatable because we all have dreams we want to achieve. [Whether] you’ve watched it a hundred times, or seeing it for the first time, we can all relate to that,’ Andrews shares.

Rivera is a versatile actor who’s also gifted in singing and dancing, and dabbles in the visual arts, photography, and content creation. He has built a steady career in theater and film, with lead roles in Going Home To Christmas and The Quest For The Adarna before briefly stepping away from the stage. Rivera made his comeback as Fred in A Christmas Carol, and was widely praised in portraying Phil in this year’s production of On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.

Veteran actor Nonie Buencamino joins the production as Jacob, the patriarch, bringing decades of experience across television, theater, and film. His notable screen credits include Heneral Luna, Goyo: The Boy General, and Jose Rizal. Buencamino also recently won a Gawad Buhay award for playing three roles in Balete and portrayed Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha.

The supporting cast includes Iya Villanueva and Naya Ambi, who alternate as Asenath and the principal narrator, while Lorenz Martinez plays the Pharaoh. Omar Uddin takes on the role of Potiphar, with Dippy Arceo and Jannah Baniasa as Mrs. Potiphar.

Rapah Manalo and Boo Gabunada play Judah and Reuben, respectively, alongside Luis Marcelo, Renz Bernardo, Sam Panlilio, Anton Posadas, Daniel Solis, Carlos Canlas, Gabo Tiongson, Antonio Valdez, and Matthew Barbers. Liam Nery and Enzo Isaac portray Young Joseph and Manasseh.

Julia Serad plays Rachel, Joseph’s mother, and performs the ballad ‘He Opens a Window.’ Justine Narciso, Kathleen Francisco, Gabby Concepcion, Jim Ferrer, and Coleen Paz complete the cast.

Leading this run’s production as the staging director is industry veteran Bernice Aspillaga, who has also worked on a variety of shows under Trumpets and Theatre Group Asia, among others. Jim Ferrer is also on board as assistant director and dance captain, and Jay Pangilinan as musical director.