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Freddie Freeman blasted a walk-off home run in a record-equaling 18-inning World Series classic to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

Freeman – who had smashed an iconic walk-off grand slam in the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series win over the New York Yankees – launched a mammoth solo shot to settle a marathon six-hour 39-minute battle at Dodger Stadium.

The victory puts the Dodgers 2-1 up in the best-of-seven Major League Baseball championship series with Game 4 due to take place on Tuesday.

Freeman’s winning home-run crowned a night of extraordinary drama that saw both teams slug it out in a back-and-forth battle that resembled a heavyweight boxing contest.

The game equaled the previous longest game in World Series history, the Dodgers 18-inning victory over the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 championship, that was also won via a walkoff.

‘This one took a little longer but this game was incredible,’ Freeman said, comparing Monday’s drama to last year’s grand slam winner against the Yankees.

Freeman’s moment of magic – which makes him the only player in history with multiple walk-off World Series home runs – eclipsed an array of astounding individual performances on both sides.

Dodgers’ superstar Shohei Ohtani had almost single-handedly hauled his team back into the contest, blasting two home runs and getting on base a record nine times.

Ohtani, the hitting and pitching superstar regarded by many as the greatest player in history, is due to lead the Dodgers from the pitching mound in Game 4 on Tuesday.

‘What matters the most is that we won and what I accomplished today is in the context of this game and what matters the most is we flipped the page and play the next game,’ Ohtani said.

‘I want to go to sleep as soon as possible so I can get ready.’

With the two teams essentially playing the equivalent of two games back-to-back without a rest, each team burned through almost their entire pitching staff.

Dodgers reliever Will Klein was the last available arm for the world champions as the tension mounted. Klein, who had not thrown more than 36 pitches in any of his previous appearances, threw 72 pitches as he navigated the final four innings superbly to shut down the Blue Jays bats.

‘Our bullpen was absolutely incredible,’ Freeman said afterwards. ‘Will Klein – absolutely incredible.’

Corruption is the nation’s crippling affliction – the core reason for its perennial underperformance and prevalence of poverty. While the majority of Filipinos live from hand to mouth, the political elite roll in scandalous wealth.

The culture of corruption took deep root under Marcos Senior and, over the decades, was institutionalized at every level of government. It reached its most brazen form under Marcos Junior. These days, public service is no longer a calling – it has become a shortcut to wealth and privilege.

As lawmakers and public officials jostle to extract more and more resources from the state, government has grown increasingly inept in most of its functions.

It is inept at carrying out simple infrastructure projects without it being overpriced and/or shoddily constructed (if the project exists at all). It is inept at managing public facilities like airports, railways and toll roads without making it to the list of the world’s worst. It must rely on the private sector to operate them.

It is inept at providing quality public services, be it by way of education or health care. It is inept at supporting the arts, sciences, patrimony and sports in the manner they deserve. It is inept in carrying out justice in an expeditious manner. It is inept at maintaining decent public spaces without flooding them with ugly billboards for quick profits. The list goes on.

In short, corruption has rendered government incompetent. The trajectory of the country will only improve once this culture of corruption is dismantled and replaced by one grounded on integrity.

The scale of corruption

Under the Marcos administration, ‘unprogrammed appropriations’ (UAs) – or budget items without a defined purpose – ballooned to record levels.

In 2023, UAs hit P807.16 billion, more than triple the Duterte-era peak. It reached P731.45 billion in 2024 and P363.24 billion in 2025. These funds carry minimal oversight and are fertile ground for abuse.

Unprogrammed appropriations are only the tip of the iceberg. Add the cost of economic sabotage like tax fraud, kickbacks, ghost projects, etc. Smuggling alone reached startling proportions last year. The Bureau of Customs seized P85.167 billion worth of illicit goods. This does not count the value of goods that slipped through the cracks. Meanwhile, the Department of Finance estimates losses of P35 billion from tobacco smuggling alone.

And then there are rigged bids. Take the P210-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge as an example. Insiders reveal that multiple Chinese state-owned enterprises are bidding for the contract. On paper, it looks like healthy competition. In reality, they are one and the same bidder – the Chinese government. Corruption is seemingly at play again at DPWH to favor the Chinese.

Experts estimate that corruption drains some P1.6 trillion annually – roughly 25 percent of the national budget. Redirecting even a fraction of this to education, infrastructure or the AFP’s modernization could fundamentally alter the nation’s future.

Leadership?

By running for president, Marcos Junior effectively applied for the nation’s Chief Executive post. Any responsible chief executive would first confront the country’s deepest ailment with resolve and determination. He did the opposite. Instead of dismantling the machinery of corruption, he entrenched it further by approving three consecutive budgets swollen with pork and UA’s.

Neither did he successfully resolve the pressing problems of ease in doing business, food insecurity and the uncontrolled prevalence of political dynasties. The latter is the most damaging defect in our political system. Marcos appears perfectly fine with the status quo. His actions showed no intention of becoming a transformative leader.

And to address the people’s rage over the scale of corruption, his response was to outsource the fight to the ICI – a commission ill-equipped to confront entrenched interests and constrained by limited powers. By letting the ICI take the lead, Marcos neatly cast himself as a bystander ‘awaiting findings,’ sidestepping direct accountability.

It’s been three months since the investigation into the flood-control anomalies began, yet no arrests have been reported. No hold-departure orders have been issued (only lookout notices). Asset-freezing is limited to a few lower-level officials and Zaldy Co’s passport is still valid.

Instead, we are given endless promises that ‘cases will soon be filed.’ ICI hearings are not conducted in a transparent manner but behind closed doors. Focus is on the small fry, not on the real plunderers in the legislature. Marcos’ promise that justice will be swift and blind is sounding like rhetoric.

There is growing fear that Marcos is orchestrating a whitewash to shield certain allies while assuaging public outrage by arresting a few sacrificial lambs. The pattern is familiar – scapegoats for optics, protection for the powerful.

Meanwhile, no meaningful reforms have been introduced to dismantle the machinery of graft – save for the ombudsman’s move to grant public access to officials’ SALNs. Too little, too slow. Why this administration continues to drag his feet on enacting reforms remains a mystery.

As an economist who worries about the country’s economic future, I could be more forgiving of PBBM’s weak leadership if the economy was doing well. But it too is losing steam under this status quo leadership. I’ve lost count of the number of times the economy’s growth rate was slashed. Foreign investments and exports are flagging while that of our neighbors’ surge. The budget deficit is at new heights while public debt is now at P16.31 trillion. No new competitive industries developed. Economic competitiveness is waning due to government’s inability to address systemic flaws.

President Marcos’ rhetoric has been loud, but his results are wanting. Yet, a window for redemption remains. If he confronts the culture of corruption head-on – by instituting genuine anti-graft reforms and restoring integrity in public service – he may still reshape the perception of his leadership.

We have been loyal clients of this bank since the early 1990s when we opened an account with another bank and stayed when the two banks merged. Many things to like and a few to dislike, but we saw no reason to move banks for probably close to 35 years.

However, this year we started having issues. I don’t like the idea that if I ever lost my phone, it would have banking apps on it, so I never downloaded the bank app.

We used to access our accounts through the website, which required an OTP (one-time password) sent to my phone to confirm identity before being able to securely login.

All of a sudden a couple of months ago, we were unable to log in through the website as we were told it now required a Mobile Key generated through the mobile app instead of an OTP.

After some discussions with customer service, it appeared that the bank was not giving us a choice, but basically forcing us to start using the app.

As I still dislike the idea of carrying around banking apps outside of the house where there is a higher chance of my phone being lost/stolen, we grudgingly decided to put the app on an old phone, an iPhone 7, which was always left at home.

This worked well for us until Monday morning when we tried to open the app only to be told we had to update it. However, the new app requires iOS 16.0, and an iPhone 7 can only be updated as far as iOS 15.8, so the app will no longer work for us unless we get a newer phone.

The iPhone 7 came out in 2016, although I probably bought it a few years later as I have never been a fan of buying the latest gadget at inflated prices. Nine years later it performs perfectly well, and I see no need to replace it, but now I may have to just to access my bank accounts!

Whilst looking for solutions online, my wife came across many similar complaints, including for Android phones (the app requires Android 10), so I am not the only one who hangs on to phones for as long as possible.

Yes, I understand that built-in obsolescence is part and parcel of modern manufacturing (gone are the days when appliances could be repaired over and over again) but even Apple has not sent the iPhone 7 to the scrap heap yet and we were able to update it to the latest possible iOS yesterday. However, this is not enough.

Surely in a country where many people struggle to feed their children, we should not be putting age limits on mobile devices required to access apps needed for daily life.

After all, to quote their website from last Aug. 29, they are trying to ‘make banking more convenient and inclusive’ by opening ‘branch hubs’ in neighborhood stores where deposits and withdrawals can be made, which is a really great idea.

However, on one hand, they are trying to make banking more accessible to all, and on the other you need a newer phone to be able to access your money. Was this an ‘obsolescence oversight?’

Another issue is the bank gave customers no warning of this. Had we received any message that starting around 10 days ago (judging by all the online complaints) I would not be able to use my trusty iPhone 7 anymore, I would have done something about it, like finding the next higher used model in Greenhills.

Instead, all of a sudden I can neither access my money without going to a bank or ATM, nor even see my account balances as I cannot generate the all-important Mobile Key without the app.

Ironically, I can use a check book to pay bills or an ATM card to check my balances, but that is hardly convenient nor inclusive. As of this writing, I do not know what the solution will be.

The most drastic would be to transfer to another bank, so my wife did a quick check to see which banks have apps that would work with my iPhone 7.

To our surprise, we could not find any other local bank that required iOS 16. In fact, some only require iOS 12 (Land Bank for one) so if you still have a functioning iPhone 6 this could be for you!

Even apps of newer online-only banks such as Go Tyme, Union Digital only need iOS 13. Even GCash and Maya, which truly helped make online payments inclusive, only need iOS 14.

Asking why this bank made this decision to basically declare older phones obsolete and therefore ignore the situation of certain customer groups is probably meaningless, as the answer will probably be ‘enhanced security.’

But at what cost? Denying people access to their money? I’ve seen on-line comments from customers who suddenly cannot pay their bills.

It is not only those who are struggling financially that won’t be able to keep up with the new app but also older people who did not grow up with rapidly changing technology.

It took me ages to get used to one phone and I have no interest in acquiring a new one and then having to ask a Gen-XYZer to set it up and teach me how to use it! Technology is used to help customers, not burden them.

Filipino tanker James Ajido delivered a medal as promised – a silver in the boys’ 100-meter butterfly – even as Alas Pilipinas took a heartbreaking semifinal defeat to Iran in the 3rd Asian Youth Games here.

Ajido, 16, went for the gold but ended up with the silver after clocking 55.11 seconds behind Iranian Mohammadmahdi Gholami, who copped top honors with a blistering 54.75 at the Khalifa Sports City swimming pool.

It was another podium finish on the international stage for the La Salle-Greenhills stalwart, who struck gold in the South Asian and Asian Age Group Championships in Bangkok and New Clark City in Tarlac last year.

Ajido’s feat hiked the Philippines’ medal total to six golds, six silvers and seven bronzes, which kept it at No. 8 in the overall medal tally led by the rampaging Chinese, with an insurmountable 42-33-14 (gold-silver-bronze) harvest.

Former actress Marjorie Barretto is hurt by comments made by her mother Estrella “Inday” Barretto, noting how she has to “damage control” whenever issues arise in their family.

Inday sat down for a two-part interview with showbiz reporter Ogie Diaz. The the previously aired portion highlighted claims that actor Raymart Santiago abused Claudine, his ex-wife and Marjorie’s sister. Claudine is the youngest of the three Barretto sisters.

Raymart has since released both a legal and personal statement denouncing Inday’s allegations that he hurt his ex-wife.

The second part of Inday’s interview focused on the matriach’s relationship with Marjorie, Claudine, and another daughter, Gretchen, as well as the three sisters’ relationship with each other.

Inday described Marjorie as strong-willed but feels rejected by her. The Barretto matriarch said that she feels the need to provide something missing for Marjorie, adding that her second daughter never invites her to events.

She said Gretchen and Marjorie used to be very close but somehow drifted apart. They had a feud that became very public during the funeral of Inday’s husband and the Barretto patriarch, Miguel, back in 2019.

The senior Barretto even claimed that no one in Marjorie’s family accompanied her van during Claudia’s – Marjorie’s daughter with ex-husband Dennis Padilla – wedding because the vehicle was gifted by Gretchen.

“This family, mag-away-away kayo, but no one can beat the love that is in this family,” Inday said. “This family knows how to love and really love deep.”

Ogie and Inday briefly discussed the viral argument between Gretchen and Marjorie at Miguel’s funeral, a fight Inday admitted being indifferent to even after the intervention of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

She claimed that some of her children did not want Gretchen’s name placed on Miguel’s coffin, where a similar incident occurred when Inday’s sister died. She added that Marjorie’s family was “lined up ready for war” when Gretchen arrived for Miguel’s wake.

Inday stressed that she never played favorites with her children as she never treated any of them differently.

“I love Marjorie pero I’m not going to beg for her love. ‘Yung pagmamahal hindi mo niluluhod ‘yan,” Inday reiterated. “I feel rejection from her, like I’m not enough, like I always have to make her habol until tumubo na sungay ko.”

‘Damage control’

Marjorie in an Instagram post today decided to react to her mother’s comments, just as the Barrettos are mourning the death of their eldest sibling Mito who passed away last month.

The former actress admitted being shocked to learn that her mother Inday believes that they are not on good terms after spending so much time together for Mito.

“Was this really necessary to drag our grieving, non-showbiz family members into a new scandal while everyone is still mourning my brother’s death?” Marjorie asked. “Or am I once again damage control? The Mission: Destroy Marjorie – to make the youngest child look good and clean.”

She pointed out that across her Instagram posts are photos of her family, including Inday, and directly addressed her mother’s claim that she does not send invitations out of embarassment. She also revealed that she was told not to upload their photos together because those might upset Gretchen and Claudine.

“Mom, as God is my witness, you begged me to never fix things with my sisters so you won’t be left out,” Marjorie said, calling the interview as “false, unfair, and destructive” as the portion slamming Raymart.

Marjorie was hurt by Inday calling her strong-willed, viewing it as an insult. She is also confused when her mother described her as envious, cold, and distant only to follow up with a show of love.

“Mom, I want you to know that I love you. And I have learned to accept whatever kind of love you can give me. In fact, I have surrendered to it… Instead of looking for affection and protection from you, I will pour all of my energy into being the best mom to my children. I am not a perfect mom, but they can trust me,” she continued.

Apart from Claudia, Marjorie and Dennis are also parents to Julia and Leon. Marjorie’s eldest child is Dani (her daughter with Kier Legaspi), while her youngest is Erich (her daughter with Recom Echiverri).

“You may ask why do I feel the need to clarify and explain, it’s because I am misunderstood,” Marjorie ended. “And when someone close to you distorts the truth in a very public way, it creates an ache that my silence cannot hold anymore.”

Julia, Dani, and Leon were quick to show support for their mother in the comments section, as well fellow celebrity moms Karla Estrada, Ruffa Gutierrez, Mariel Padilla, Isabel Oli, and Neri Naig.

Eman Bacosa started off the 50th anniversary card of the Thrilla in Manila with a bang, as he won via unanimous decision against fellow Filipino Nico Salado in their lightweight division matchup.

Two judges scored the contest 58-55 in favor of Bacosa, while the third judge had it 60-53.

Bacosa, the pride of General Santos City, was aggressive from the get-go, connecting on combinations as he hunted his opponent throughout the match.

He also sent his opponent to the canvas with a left hook that landed square on the jaw in the fourth round.

And while Salado landed some punches on the cornered Bacosa in the sixth round, the eventual winner continued to keep the pressure on against the Boholano boxer.

‘Okay lang po. Saka gusto kong magpasalamat sa Panginoong Diyos natin dahil sa pagbigay Niya sa akin ng proteksyon at paggabay Niya sa akin ng tagumpay,’ he told reporters after the win.

‘Maraming salamat din po sa mga sumusuporta. Thankful ako kay God saka masayang-masaya,’ he added.

He underscored that while he was confident of getting the win, he made sure to be careful when the bell rang.

‘Confident ako na mananalo pero sabi kasi ng coach ko, wag masyadong gigil, wag masyadong habol kasi darating din po yun e.’

Bacosa rose to a win-loss-draw record of 7-0-1, while Salado dropped to a 2-2-1 slate.

Six undefeated fighters will put their unblemished records on the line during the ‘Thrilla In Manila’ Golden Anniversary boxing card with the first of 13 bouts starting 12 noon at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.

The six are middleweight Eumir Marcial (6-0, 4 KOs), superbantamweight Carl Jammes Martin (26-0, 20 KOs), lightflyweight Berlan Robles (12-0-1, 5 KOs), middleweight Vadim Tukov (16-0, 7 KOs), lightweight Eman Bacosa (6-0-1, 4 KOs) and lightweight Ronerick Ballesteros (5-0-1, 4 KOs). Of the six, only Martin and Turov are world-rated. Martin, 26, is ranked No. 2 by WBO and No. 8 by IBF in the 122-pound division while Turov, 31, is ranked No. 2 by WBA and No. 10 by IBF in the 160-pound class.

Marcial and Martin are now based in Las Vegas, staying in MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons’ Knuckleheads spread which has living quarters and training facilities. They’re back in Manila to celebrate the ‘Thrilla’ anniversary. Five of Marcial’s fights were in the US and the four-time SEA Games gold medalist is chasing the vacant WBC International middleweight crown. A win over Venezuelan KO artist Eddy Colmenares will be his ticket to a top 10 rating. Colmenares, 28, is known as ‘El Terrible,’ borrowing Erik Morales’ nickname, and has won 11 fights all by KO, five in the first round. His two losses were close decisions, one majority and the other split. Colmenares has fought in Russia, Argentina and Germany aside from Venezuela so he’s no stranger to fighting on unfriendly soil.

Martin’s last seven opponents were foreigners, three Mexicans, two Thais and two Tanzanians. He’s taking on another Thai Aran Dipaen whose four career defeats were away from home, twice in Japan and once each in Russia and UK. Dipaen, who was stopped by Naoya Inoue in an IBF bantamweight title match in 2021, boasts a record of 21-4, 18 KOs. It’s a homecoming for Martin and Marcial who’re promising an explosive ending to their assignments.

Tukov is up against Ghana’s Sena Agbeko in an eight-rounder. The Russian had an extensive amateur career of 60 fights before turning pro in 2020. He’s the reigning WBA International and Golden middleweight champion. It’s his first fight outside of Russia. Agbeko, 33, roared to a 15-0 start in his pro career then lost a decision to Russia’s Vladimir Shishkin in 2021. He intends to avenge that defeat to Shishkin by dealing Tukov his first defeat.

Robles, 25, will challenge WBC International Silver lightflyweight champion Arvin Magramo in a tenner. Bacosa, 21, drew with Jommel Cudiamat in his pro debut then rattled off six straight wins. He faces Nico Salado who’s coming off a 14-month layoff from losing on points to Ricky Cristobal. Ballesteros has won his last four fights by KO and the Jackhammer aims to add Speedy Boy Acope to his list of victims.

An influx of port passengers is expected on October 30 and 31 in commemoration of All Saints’ Day, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said.

Eunice Samonte, spokesperson for the PPA, said that the agency expects a surge of passengers during the Undas season, noting that there are more passengers this year as students are already on vacation.

She also mentioned that the peak season for travel is expected to fall on Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31.

“We’re expecting na mas marami po yung pupunta sa mga pantalan ngayon most especially dahil naka-vacation na po ‘yung mga estudyante,” Samonte said in an interview on PTV on Wednesday, October 29.

(We’re expecting more people to go to the ports now, most especially because the students are already on vacation.)

Samonte also said that some ports across the country are expected to have the highest volume of passengers during the Undas peak season.

The following ports are:

Port of Iloilo

Port of Jordan in Guimaras

Port of Batangas

Port of Calapan

Port of Bredco in Banago, Bacolod

The PPA also canceled the scheduled days off for its personnel to ensure continuous assistance and support for passengers, according to Samonte.

October 31 and November 1 were declared as special non-working holidays in commemoration of All Saints’ Day Eve and All Saints’ Day.

During the Undas season, people usually go back to their hometowns and provinces to visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried.

A young contestant’s answer on game show “Family Feud Philippines” is going viral for her quiet yet blunt reaction.

The October 22 episode of “Family Feud Philippines” featured contestants of another competition show, “The Voice Kids Philippines.” Both shows are currently hosted by actor Dingdong Dantes.

Competing against each other were Billy Crawford’s “Team Bilib,” consisting of Yana Goopio, Lovers Cabrera, Ava Towns, and Thurd Jacob Casumpang, and Zack Tabudlo’s “Project Z,” composed of Summer Pulido, Erallyn “Era” De Guzman, Alliyah Raylee Rodriguez, and Sofia Mallares.

“Project Z” dominated the game by defeating “Team Bilib” by 420 points. The team qualified for the “Fast Money Round,” where they were represented by Era and Sofia.

Era started well by giving the three top answers from five questions, scoring 165 points. With Era scoring top marks, Sofia only needed 35 more points for “Project Z” to win P200,000.

Sofia’s three qualified answers accumulated their points at 204, but a quiet response by the young contestant is now making the rounds online.

The third survey question was: “Sa iyong palagay, ano ang trabaho ng presidente ng Pilipinas?”

Era previously answered: “Nagko-kontrol ng bansa,” which scored 10 points.

“Gumagawa ng batas,” Sofia answered.

She later acknowledged that it was not the correct answer since lawmaking is the job of legislators, such as senators and congressman. Nevertheless, Sofia’s answer garnered 14 points, higher than Era’s.

Dingdong then shared the top answer was “Ayusin ang problema ng bansa,” eliciting a reaction from Sofia, who bluntly murmured, “Ah, hindi niya rin ginagawa…”

The moment belatedly trended as the microphone barely picked up Sofia’s response. Last Monday, “Family Feud Philippines” posted a clip highlighting the reaction, followed by numerous art cards doing the same across social media platforms.

Women in their mid-30s or 40s still feel changes in the body like slowing metabolism, muscle mass loss, and bone density.

Perimenopause and menopause occur in middle-aged women, leading to mood swings, brain fog, and increased risk of certain health disorders such as diabetes and heart disease.

An active, non-sedentary lifestyle is highly beneficial, with strength training offering exceptional advantages for women in this age range.

According to a study conducted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in the United States, women who do strength training have a 30% lower risk of cardiovascular-related deaths.

Aside from making them physically stronger, regular strength training burns calories more efficiently, reduces the chance of injury, helps control blood sugar levels, enhances mental health, and promotes increased mobility and flexibility.

Strong moms Aliza Goco, Jackie Go, Sam Valenciano, and Millie de Luna all believe that disciplined strength training is beneficial to women of all ages and stages of life.

First-time mother Millie has been training at premier strength and conditioning training gym Kinetix Lab for well over a year even while pregnant.

She notes that prenatal strength training is quite different from regular strength training, “You need a very educated coach who knows what you need, what your limits are. And having a coach makes me feel very supported and makes it very safe, while all the more increasing my strength.”

As a mother of two young and energetic children, Sam managed to unlearn the clichés about women becoming “buff.”

“I [learned] how to strengthen my core, arms, and legs, which helped me with my two-year-old, who is very magulo,” said Sam, who enjoys playing football.

Perimenopausal mom Aliza credits her training to her coach allowing her to move easily at home.

“My being strong helped me move easily while carrying my children’s school bags and groceries. Everything is about movement,” said Aliza. “At home, I do a lot of house work, I move around freely without aching joints or back pain.”

Aliza, now in her mid-40s, has already been experiencing hormonal changes, which is why she recognizes the importance of engaging in consistent strength training.

“My energy level improves when I train. I super love it. I guess it has something to do with working out. It is no longer just looking good, but it’s more of feeling good about yourself. It boosts my confidence level,Aliza ended.