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The Mister Global 2025 final competition is set for tonight in Bangkok, Thailand. The Philippines’ representative, Jether Palomo, is in a very unique, pressure-filled position. He aims to achieve a back-to-back victory for the country, as the reigning king is Daumier Corilla.

Jether also follows the stellar performances of his fellow Mister Pilipinas Worldwide kings. Kenneth Cabangcal placed fifth at Mister Supranational in Poland on June 28, Kenneth Marcelino finished first runner-up at Mister Cosmopolitan in Thailand on September 7, and Kirk Bondad is the new Mister International who won the title in Bangkok on September 26.

Like Kirk, Jether is also a Century Tuna Superbods winner. He won in 2024.

At Mister Global, he and the Mister Pilipinas Worldwide Organization were awarded the Best in Country Presentation Video.

During the preliminary round on October 4, Jether wowed the crowd in his refreshing national costume created by Patrick Isorena.

Called ‘SSS,’ it means ‘Solihiya, Sampaguita, and Salakot,’ three iconic elements deeply rooted in Philippine culture and identity.

Isorena explained the ensemble: ‘The solihiya weave, reimagined in the fabric and patterns of the suit, represents Filipino artistry and craftsmanship, a timeless design found in our ancestral homes and heritage furniture. It symbolizes strength, tradition, and the enduring beauty of Filipino ingenuity.

‘The sampaguita, our national flower, cascades in abundance across the costume. Its delicate white blossoms embody purity, humility, and devotion. The floral wings adorned with oversized roses and sampaguita chains serve as a tribute to the grace and resilience of the Filipino spirit.

‘Finally, the salakot, delicately embellished with pearls and beadwork, crowns the ensemble as a proud emblem of our farmers and rural roots. It is a reminder of the hardworking Filipinos whose hands nurture the land and sustain the nation.’

Mister Global is about being a ‘Gentlemen with Essence.’

Jether describes this quality in his own words:

‘A Gentleman with Essence is not defined by titles or appearances, but by the values he lives each day. His essence is authenticity staying true to who he is, even when it is difficult. It is integrity choosing what is right over what is easy. It is compassion treating every person with dignity and respect. He is strong enough to lead, yet humble enough to listen; ambitious enough to dream, yet grounded enough to serve. A Gentleman with Essence builds a legacy not through accolades, but through the lives he touches and the hope he inspires.’

Up to 162 cases of leptospirosis with 15 fatalities were recorded in Negros Occidental as of Sept. 20, according to the provincial health office.

Of the figures, 25 cases with seven fatalities were reported in Bacolod City.

Ma. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer, said no increase was reported in the number of leptospirosis cases in 31 municipalities and component cities even as some areas remained flooded in the past few weeks.

Still, Pinongan said residents have been reminded not to wade in floodwaters to avoid contracting the disease caused by the urine of infected rats and other animals as well as contaminated soil and water.

Symptoms include fever or feeling feverish, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache and fatigue as well as vomiting and diarrhea.

Pinongan also reported a continued decline in the number of dengue cases in the past several weeks.

Alex Eala folded to Moyuka Uchijima of Japan, 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, in Round 1 of the WTA1000 Dongfeng-Voyah Wuhan Open qualifiers to absorb her first early exit in the last five stops of the WTA Tour yesterday at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center in China.

The fifth-seeded Eala, 20, who made the Top 8 of her last four tournaments, met a match in WTA No. 92 Uchijima by splitting the first two sets but was dragged to a deep 0-3 hole in the third and could not recover from there.

It was the fifth straight three-setter for Eala in the past two weeks and it showed in her meltdown after breaking away from a 3-all deadlock in the second set to force a deciding set.

Eala, WTA No. 58, could have moved a win away from the main draw that features the sport’s titans led by No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Swiatek and No. 3 Coco Gauff.

Eala came off a quarterfinal appearance in the WTA125 Suzhou Open and WTA250 Sao Paulo Open, a semis stint in the WTA125 Jingshan Open and the breakthrough crown in the Guadalaraja Open.

US Open runnerup Amanda Anisimova crushed defending champion Coco Gauff in just 58 minutes on Saturday to reach her first China Open final.

The third seed thrashed second-seeded fellow American Gauff 6-1, 6-2 in Beijing. She plays either fifth seed Jessica Pegula, also of the United States, or 26th-seeded Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic on Sunday.

‘I was able to put on a really good performance,’ Anisimova said.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic said he had to ‘fire up all engines’ as he overcame a stodgy first set to reach the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday, beating fellow veteran Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.

The 38-year-old Serb is chasing a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai, where he was greeted by rapturous cheers as he entered a stadium packed with adoring Chinese fans.

The official number of fatalities of the Sept. 30 magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu went back up to 70 yesterday as the management of the dead and missing cluster led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government continued to validate the reported deaths.

As verified so far, the Office of Civil Defense said 32 of the casualties are from Bogo City, while 14 are from Medellin, 15 from San Remegio, six from Tabogon and one each in Sogod, Tabuelan and Borbon.

The number of reported injuries is currently at 559 – with Bogo City, the earthquake’s epicenter, accounting for 180 people hurt, followed by 150 in Tabogon, 66 in Medellin, 86 in San Remigio, 20 in Tabuelan, eight in Borbon, four in Catmon, 29 in Daanbantayan, 14 in San Francisco and two in Carmen.

Latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said a total of 128,294 families or 457,554 persons were affected by the earthquake.

Of the number, at least 407 families or 1,347 persons from affected communities were served inside four evacuation centers or temporary shelters.

The NDRRMC said a total of 18,154 damaged houses were reported in Central Visayas with 3,507 homes reported as destroyed.

Tent cities

Cebu residents displaced by the earthquake can now have temporary shelter following the tent cities put up by the national government.

Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon and Philippine Red Cross (PRC) chairman Richard Gordon yesterday led the establishment of tents in Barangay Cogon in Bogo City, alongside Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco and officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Cebu provincial government.

Around 200 tents were put up in Bogo City.

The PRC has brought about 2,500 family tents to be put up in several areas in Cebu. Each tent can accommodate a family of five persons and has blankets and other items for the comfort of the evacuees.

Teresito Bacolcol, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director, said the aftershocks would last for several weeks. He also did not discount the possibility that some of the tremors would have a magnitude of 5.1.

‘Eventually the numbers will decrease. Eventually the magnitude will downgrade,’ he said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City yesterday.

Phivolcs has recorded at least 5,092 aftershocks in Cebu since Tuesday.

Food packs

DSWD has released 75,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) to local government units (LGUs) in Cebu, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said yesterday.

He said the 75,000 released FFPs is part of the 142,000 FFPs requested by the 11 quake-hit Cebu LGUs.

The DSWD’s Field Office-7 (FO-7) has deployed its quick response teams in the municipalities of San Remigio and Medellin in Northeastern Cebu to render disaster relief operations.

The FO-7 also continues to lead the profiling of the affected families through the use of Family Access Cards in Emergencies and Disasters in Bogo City.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s Gabriela Silang transported relief goods to West of Sabil Point in San Remigio, Cebu yesterday.

The PCG said that LCT Island Shipping helped in the collaborative effort of the Coast Guard District Central Visayas and Coast Guard Station Northern Cebu.

At least 23 PCG personnel, 20 personnel from LCT Island Shipping and one representative from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) assisted in the delivery of relief goods.

The said relief goods are composed of 3,300 food packs and 2,066 evacuation supply kit from PCSO and 66 sacks of rice from the Coast Guard Civil Relations Service.

PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles said evacuation kits and relief goods were also on their way yesterday to typhoon victims in Masbate.

‘We cannot turn away from the suffering of our fellow Filipinos in Masbate and Cebu,’ Robles said in a statement.

Drop-off points

In a similar development, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has offered to use the Tourist Rest Areas built in the province of Cebu as drop-off points for donations to earthquake victims.

The agency brought up the suggestion after the municipal government of Medellin, one of the towns affected by the powerful temblor, announced it has established a 24/7 drop-off area for relief item donations at the Tourist Rest Area built in front of the municipal hall.

‘Our Tourist Rest Areas here in Cebu, including the one in the Municipality of Medellin, continues to be open and it is ready to receive and be a drop-off point for those who may wish to provide assistance to the Cebuanos affected by this tragedy,’ Frasco said.

‘Other tangible relief aid to Cebu may also be dropped-off to other Tourist Rest Area locations in Moalboal, Carcar and Carmen,’ she added.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is set to study the imposition of a definitive safeguard measure on cement imports following the recommendation of the Tariff Commission (TC).

‘DTI will review the recommendation of the TC,’ Trade Secretary Cristina Roque told The STAR.

The DTI will be making the final decision on whether a definitive safeguard measure would be imposed on cement imports.

In its final report on the formal probe on safeguard measures on cement imports, the TC recommended the imposition of a safeguard duty amounting to P349 per metric ton or P14 for a 40-kilogram bag of imported Portland cement Type 1 and blended cement for a period of three years.

The TC made the recommendation after finding a causal link between the serious injury to the local cement industry and increased imports of cement products.

The recommended safeguard duty is the difference between the weighted average importers’ price of imported cement and the weighted average factory gate price of local cement for 2024.

‘Since it addresses the extent of price undercutting by cement imports based on the latest available data, the commission deems that this level of safeguard duty is sufficient to alleviate the serious injury to the domestic industry and facilitate its adjustment to the adverse effects of increasing cement imports,’ the TC said.

The TC said the definitive safeguard duty would not apply to imports from developing countries with de minimis import volumes such as Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Back in February, the DTI imposed a provisional safeguard duty of P400 per metric ton or P16 for a 40-kilogram bag of imported cement after it found a link between increased cement imports and injury to the domestic industry.

Under the Safeguard Measures Act, the government may put in place safeguard measures to protect domestic industries from increased imports that cause or threaten to cause serious injury.

Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines Inc. executive director Rey Baja earlier said that the industry needs the safeguard measure for local cement manufacturing to remain viable and to protect local jobs.

Cement manufacturing contributes at least one percent to the country’s gross domestic product. It also provides around 130,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Up to 100 families were left homeless after a fire broke out at a neighborhood in Malate in Manila on Friday.

The blaze started from a two-story house along Leveriza Street in Barangay 705 at 9:24 p.m., according to a report from the Manila Police District.

The MPD said most of the destroyed houses were made of light combustible materials.

The Bureau of Fire Protection raised the first alarm at 9:33 p.m. and elevated it to second alarm two minutes after. The BFP declared the blaze controlled at 10:50 p.m. and fire out at 12:03 a.m. yesterday.

According to the MPD, the blaze displaced 70 to 100 families. Investigators initially estimated property losses to be at P500,000.

The fire victims are sheltered at the Dakota covered court at the corner of Quirino Avenue and Asuncion Street, the MPD added.

In a report by ABS-CBN News, Barangay 705 chairperson Lara Teves said some residents blamed people who burn copper as having caused the blaze.

If this were an edge-of-your-seat Netflix-style political thriller, it’s the kind where no one can tell just yet how the ending will unfold.

The plot, after all, has become so twisted in this flood-control corruption saga.

The grapevine is buzzing – speculating on different scenarios, each with its own ending. Here are the possible next chapters of this flood control series, based on the circumstances of alleged key players implicated in this mess:

Scenario 1: Zaldy Co returns and does a do-or-die tell-all

One possibility is that Zaldy Co, the ex-lawmaker and former House appropriations committee chairman, dramatically resurfaces and sings like a canary.

He would be doing exactly what New York mafia underboss Salvatore ‘Sammy the Bull’ Gravano did when he turned against the untouchable mafia boss John Gotti.

Gravano, once Gotti’s confidante, testified against the crime kingpin in 1992, paving the way for Gotti’s eventual conviction and life imprisonment.

In this plot twist, Co, whom witnesses say is a key player in this infrastructure kickbacks scandal, testifies that former speaker Martin Romualdez is the mastermind of the budget insertions and the whole caboodle.

If all that talk about Co is true, including the P1 billion in cash supposedly delivered to him in seven vans, then he will surely be a credible witness, as he can corroborate the testimonies of other respondents in the congressional inquiries.

It’s not going to be easy for Co, but when he runs out of places or countries to escape to, the only way out may be to come home and spill it all.

Such a bombshell will make Romualdez the face of this systematic looting of state coffers.

This, of course, is just a scenario, as both Co and Romualdez have repeatedly denied all the allegations against them.

Scenario 2: Marcos charges his cousin

Another hypothetical scenario, assuming the first scenario happens, is that President Marcos – who earlier said there would be no sacred cows – greenlights the filing of charges against his cousin, the former House speaker.

This may be a shining moment for Marcos but it won’t be easy because it will surely fracture the decades-long Marcos-Romualdez alliance. Is Marcos willing to take that political risk?

The repercussions of this are that Romualdez will retaliate, which may be a threat to the Marcoses. After all, as they say in the underworld, he knows ‘where the bodies are buried.’ In short, Romualdez, if he is guilty of allegations against him, knows where the money trail ends or who else received billions in kickbacks from insertions.

He may invoke his last card and remind the First Family that he helped keep them afloat during exile. If he retaliates, it may destabilize the administration and rivals may exploit it.

It may also boomerang back to Marcos himself as it will weaken him. What was once a family alliance turns into open political warfare, with the Dutertes circling like sharks.

Scenario 3: The Duterte camp exploits the rift

If the second scenario becomes a reality, it will be an opportunity for the Duterte camp to exploit the cracks in the Marcos administration.

Sara Duterte and her allies in both the Senate and the House will use Romualdez’s downfall to weaken Marcos further. New alliances will form and will paint the Marcos presidency as corrupt and compromised. Note that in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests.

For sure, the Dutertes will reassert themselves as the ‘cleaner’ alternative for 2028. They will take advantage of the public works corruption scandal, arguing that the investigations launched by the Romualdez-led chamber against Sara were merely a smokescreen to cover up his own crime.

The result is that Sara will gain momentum against both Marcos and opposition figures and will be a shoo-in for 2028.

Scenario 4: Nothing happens

Another scenario I see isn’t exactly a positive one, but it has a strong likelihood of happening in our storied nation of 115 million.

Despite the mayhem and the chaos, and despite all the promises of leaving no stone unturned, it’s possible that nothing will happen. There will be inquiries behind closed doors until the national attention moves to another big issue.

Maybe one or two underbosses of the underbosses will be charged, but the cases will drag in court for years until the rage dies down and the public forgets. Nobody will be sent to jail. The big fish will end up scot-free, lay low for a while and come up with another idea for a grand thievery.

In the end, just like in previous corruption scandals, it will be back to the good ol’ days.

Scenario 5: 2028

OK, this is not a scenario, it’s inevitable. But what happens in 2028 depends on how well Marcos will handle the biggest crisis his administration is facing. If the public is satisfied with the outcome, a Marcos ally may yet win against Sara Duterte.

If not, it’s Sara for sure – and the fallout from the ugly breakup of UniTeam will linger. The Marcoses and the Romualdezes may once again have to prepare for exile, assuming Sara is kind enough to simply send them abroad.

These are of course just scenarios in our TV-like story, hinging on whether the alleged masterminds are really who the witnesses claim them to be.

As for the rest of us, we can only hope there will be a day of reckoning when the guilty are finally charged. Now, that’s one happy ending.

It’ll be a big test for Ginebra coach Tim Cone to harness his resources in trying to beat Magnolia in the PBA Golden Season opener at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight. Filling the gaps is something Cone has to do with Japeth Aguilar and Isaac Go on the injured list and Jamie Malonzo gone abroad. That leaves Troy Rosario, newly-acquired Norbert Torres, Ben Adamos and possibly Stephen Holt to hold the fort inside the paint with size a major handicap.

Cone will likely play small with Scottie Thompson, RJ Abarrientos and Mav Ahanmisi rotating in the backcourt. Abarrientos started only once in 19 games in the Philippine Cup last season but may take a bigger role at point guard to slide Thompson at two. Ahanmisi could be the wildcard at two or three. Holt’s versatility will be useful as he can play multiple positions. For Ginebra, the key is controlling the pace. Cone employs a short rotation so Ginebra has to set the tempo for a deliberate, half-court battle. To control the pace, it’s critical to control the boards.

Ginebra was No. 1 in assists last conference with finding the open man a priority in creating motion to execute from the triangle. That’s where Abarrientos and Thompson come in as they averaged a combined 10 assists in the previous Philippine Cup. Ginebra will miss Aguilar’s norms of 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds and Malonzo’s 13.1 points and 6.2 rebounds. It’ll be about stepping up and adjusting to maximize who’s available.

For Magnolia, new coach LA Tenorio knows Cone’s system like the back of his hand. They’ve been together for years since their Alaska partnership. Now, they’ve parted ways. Magnolia gave up assistant coach Johnny Abarrientos to Ginebra in a reunion with Cone and a happy get-together with nephew RJ. Kirk Collier traded seats with Abarrientos. Because Cone and LA know each other so well, expect a tactical chess match with both sides playing tit-for-tat.

The Hotshots will lean on Mark Barroca, Peter Alfaro and Rome de la Rosa to play physical backcourt defense. They’ll make it difficult for RJ and Thompson to set up. Ian Sangalang and James Laput will take care of the interior, leaving Lucero and Javi Gomez de Liaño to attack wherever there’s a mismatch. An advantage is Magnolia’s fully-loaded bench which led the past conference in points from relievers. Tenorio will remind his players not to fall in love with deep shots even as Paul Lee shot 48.7 percent and Alfaro 60 percent from four. The downside is Magnolia was last in three point percentage.

Investigation on massive corruption should expand from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the Department of Health (DOH), Mayor Benjamin Magalong said on Friday.

‘Not only DPWH – what’s happening in DOH is getting close, too,’ Magalong said after corruption complaints were filed against Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and five other officials, specifically for misusing P44.6 million worth of government-bought psychiatric medicines, allegedly given to a private group.

‘Si Herboza, malapit na yan,’ he said in radio interview.

Lawmakers have also flagged DOH’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).

Many health centers supposedly built under the program turned out to be unfinished or unusable, and some were even described as ‘ghost’ facilities.

Lack of staff has made many of them non-operational. Magalong is part of Mayors for Good Governance.

Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, however, questioned Magalong’s own record, citing his P110-million Baguio tennis and parking facility project linked to Discaya-owned St. Gerrard Construction.

Magalong, who resigned from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on ‘conflict of interest’ concerns, may need to present more solid proof of corruption in the DOH, as he did in the case of the DPWH, according to his detractors.

Even before his shortlived stint as ICI adviser and investigator, he claimed to have already submitted documents and other pieces of evidence to President Marcos to back up his allegations against officials linked to anomalies in flood control projects.