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Actress Nadine Lustre revealed that she is not yet ready to become a mother.

The actress told ABS-CBN News that she is not yet ready to take on another major responsibility. She is currently focused on her acting career, as well as her businesses, including a local coconut milk brand she put up with her boyfriend Christophe Bariou.

“Nakakatakot maging nanay, honestly, like every time we (referring to Christophe) talk about it. I’ve been working for as long as I can remember, and I can’t imagine having another responsibility other than my career,” she said.

“I am so focused with my career and, of course, this guy and our businesses as well. So, parang hindi ako ready. So, saludo talaga ako sa mga moms,” she added.

On the big screen, Nadine is cast as a beauty queen in the Metro Manila Film Festival entry “Call Me Mother” with Vice Ganda.

“I’ve done a lot of research when it comes to being a beauty queen. Research and I’ve done a few days of training, because my character in the film is a beauty queen and it’s very important for me to know about the industry and about my character as well,” she said.

The actress said that she particularly focused on her fitness training since she would film pageant scenes for the movie.

“I would say the trickiest part of my role is that every time I’m on set or every time we’re filming or shooting a scene, my posture needs to be different, and the thing is I’m used to… I’m hunched all the time. But in the movie, I have to be upright and beauty queen posture, so it’s kind of tricky. It’s very challenging because I always have to remember,” Nadine said.

Golden start for Magnolia’s reboot under LA Tenorio.

As past and present stars celebrated the PBA’s half decade of basketball tradition, the Hotshots hit the ground running in the Season 50 Philippine Cup, beating Barangay Ginebra, 80-73, last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It was Tenorio’s anticipated coaching debut and his new charges deemed it best to mark it with a first win at the expense of his old team and long-time maestro, Tim Cone.

Tenorio, who won seven championships as a player and later playing-assistant for Cone at Ginebra, gave props to his troops for rising to the challenge to get it done in this emotional Manila Clasico opening-night tussle.

‘It’s not about me and coach Tim, it’s about the players of Magnolia and Ginebra,’ he said in his first appearance at the post-game presscon for victorious coaches.

‘I just want to thank the players and my coaching staff, they really guided me kasi alam nila mahirap, especially with the kind of atmosphere tonight. The players were really ready for this game. I really appreciate their effort, their focus. I guess they really want to give this first win sa akin,’ he added.

Zav Lucero dropped 17 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and one shot block in leading Magnolia’s charge. Jerom Lastimosa and debuting Javi Gomez de Liano fired 14 apiece as Rome dela Rosa added nine.

The Hotshots unleashed a blistering 10-0 opening salvo to set the tone for the wire-to-wire conquest. They seized big leads that reached as high as 15, at 63-48, then kept the Gin Kings at bay with clutch counters throughout.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his heartfelt closeness to the Filipino people, offering prayers for those most impacted by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu.

‘I express my closeness to the beloved Filipino people, and in particular, I pray for those who have been most harshly affected by the consequences of the earthquake,’ Leo said in a message delivered in Itaian after the Jubilee Mass at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday, October 5 (Manila time).

‘Let us remain united and solidary in our trust in God and in the intercession of His Mother in every danger,’ he added.

Leo first extended his sympathies to the victims of the Cebu earthquake on October 2, according to Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy, who said the message was conveyed through Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown.

It can be recalled that Leo, also known as Robert Prevost, visited the Philippines several times when he was still the superior general of the Augustinians.

According to CBCP News, Leo has visited Cebu five times.

Meanwhile, the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recorded a death toll of 71 and 559 injuries due to the powerful earthquake that struck on September 30.

In response, Uy, whom Leo appointed as the archdiocese’s prelate, ordered an assessment of the structural integrity of the churches.

Senators rejected Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for snap elections, with Senate President Tito Sotto warning that the proposal would invite ‘uncertainty and chaos.’

Cayetano on Sunday, October 5 urged all leaders – from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to members of Congress – to resign, saying the country needed a ‘fresh start’ that could be achieved through a snap election.

Political analysts and fellow lawmakers quickly questioned Cayetano’s call, noting that he did not offer to resign himself and suggesting the proposal was a distraction from genuine efforts at accountability.

Sotto said the Constitution provides no mechanism for such a move and warned it could cause unrest.

‘We have no constitutional nor legal framework for snap elections. We will be flirting with uncertainty and chaos,’ Sotto told reporters.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson also said snap elections were not the answer to restoring public trust.

‘Election, snap or regular, is not the solution. In fact, election campaigns actually add to more corruption – of the electorate by the candidates,’ Lacson said in a statement.

He said holding wrongdoers accountable would do far more to rebuild trust in government.

‘For a change, how about certainty of punishment of corrupt politicians? The higher the better,’ he added.

Facing criticism, Cayetano later clarified that his remarks were not meant to urge officials to step down.

‘It’s not my job nor my intention to tell anyone what to do, to tell anyone to resign… My duty is to reflect on the problems our nation faces – discern, pray, then articulate ideas,’ he said.

The coming Mindanao leg of the IP Games and the World Wushu Championships headline the topics to be discussed in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday, October 7, at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Philippine Sports Commissioner Fritz Gaston talks about his program that will be going to the Province of Agusan Del Norte and Municipality of Buenavista from October 11-12, featuring indigenous people vying in different games and sports.

Wushu Federation of the Philippines Secretary-General Julian Camacho, meanwhile, will be appearing in the Forum for the first time in a long while and is set to discuss the country’s hosting and preparation for the world biennial meet set here in 2027.

Presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus, the session starts at 10:30 a.m.

The public sports program is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2, which shares it on its official Facebook page Radyo Pilipinas 2 Sports.

The Court of Appeals has affirmed the dismissal of the criminal case against Dominican priest and exorcist Fr. Winston Cabading, who was accused of offending religious feelings over his comments on the 1948 Marian apparitions in Lipa City, Batangas.

In a 28-page ruling promulgated on Sept. 29, 2025, the appellate court’s 12th Division denied the petition for certiorari filed by retired Sandiganbayan Justice Harriet Demetriou, who sought to overturn the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) decision acquitting Cabading.

In May 2024, the Quezon City RTC Branch 224 granted Cabading’s motion to quash, ruling that the Facebook program where the alleged offending statements were made did not qualify as a ‘religious ceremony’ as defined under the Revised Penal Code.

Ruling upheld. The Court of Appeals upheld the RTC’s reasoning, saying Cabading’s remarks-warning the public about the alleged apparitions-were not made during any religious ceremony, which is a key element of the crime of offending religious feelings.

‘We uphold and support the RTC’s pronouncement that the online Facebook program entitled Pananampalataya at Katuwiran does not fall under the purview of a ‘religious ceremony,” the appellate court said.

‘The same is similar to a show, broadcast, telecast, videocast, performance, or dialogue and does not connote a formal or solemn act prescribed by the ritual or protocol of a religious procedure,’ it added.

The appellate court also rejected Demetriou’s claim that the RTC engaged in ‘judicial legislation’ by defining the term ‘religious ceremony.’

It warned that adopting Demetriou’s broader interpretation would set a ‘dangerous precedent,’ potentially classifying all faith-related activities-such as prayers, discussions, or online dialogues-as religious ceremonies under criminal law.

‘Religious ceremonies often involve various rituals and customs deeply rooted in tradition and belief,’ the ruling said. ‘These practices vary depending on the religion or culture being observed, but all serve to honor the deity or spiritual entity being worshiped and to connect participants with their community and history.’

‘The petitioner’s stand that the RTC resorted to judicial legislation . is likewise unacceptable,’ it added.

What came before. Demetriou filed the criminal complaint in December 2022, describing Cabading as a ‘rabid critic’ of the Mediatrix of All Grace devotion.

She accused the priest of offending her and other devotees by publicly criticizing followers of the Marian apparition at the Carmelite Monastery of Lipa in 1948, which the Vatican has twice ruled as “not supernatural.”

Sought for comment, Demetriou told Philstar.com she has yet to read the appellate court’s decision.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has introduced a new web-based application designed to automate the detection of sinkholes, a move expected to strengthen the government’s geohazard mapping and disaster response capabilities.

Developed by the bureau’s Lands Geological Survey Division, the system combines manual and automated methods to identify potential sinkholes, and assess karst formations or limestone terrain prone to ground collapse.

‘The application, that is currently being tested in the Central Visayas region, integrates manual digitization and automated geospatial analysis of available satellite data,’ the MGB said over the weekend.

The tool uses topographic maps from the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority with satellite based digital elevation models to track changes in terrain and surface deformation.

Once fully implemented, the app is expected to improve data collection and the accuracy of sinkhole mapping used in local land use planning and post disaster response operations.

Death toll rises to 71

The reported death toll from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu last week has climbed to 71, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said yesterday.

In its situational report, the NDRRMC said 559 others were injured and for validation.

The earthquake affected some 128,464 families or 455,631 people. Of this number, at least 405 families were served in four evacuation centers.

Office of Civil Defense Administrator Harold Cabreros said search and rescue efforts following the earthquake in Cebu have now shifted toward relief and early recovery operations.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has assured quake survivors they can avail themselves of free surgery and other medical services at any hospital.

Acting PhilHealth president Dr. Edwin Mercado said the agency has approved a special policy relaxation to ensure that victims receive urgent, life-saving care at no cost.

Mercado said the Philippine Orthopedic Association and the Private Hospital Association of the Philippines have immediately pledged to extend timely surgical services and hospital care to earthquake victims.

In another development, the Department of Labor and Employment allotted an initial P11 million for the implementation of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers program in quake-affected areas.

Faster aid

Meanwhile, Sen. Erwin Tulfo has urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development to fast-track the distribution of food aid to earthquake victims.

Meanwhile, the Jesus is Lord Movement of Rep. Eddie Villanueva and the Metropolitan Bible Baptist Ekklesia of Rep. Benny Abante have been mobilizing assistance for quake victims.

Party-list Tingog, which is the organization of former speaker Martin Romualdez and his congresswoman-wife Yedda, along with their son Andrew Julian, rolled out its initial relief mission to assist quake-affected families.

‘One Caritas response’

Meanwhile, Caritas arms in other countries have united with Caritas Philippines for a ‘One Caritas response’ in helping earthquake victims in Cebu and those stricken by recent tropical cyclones Mirasol, Nando and Opong.

In a Facebook post, Caritas Philippines said, ‘In collaboration with In-country CIMO-Catholic Relief Service Philippines, Caritas Germany, and Caritas Spain, a unified-One Caritas response has been agreed upon.’

Other Caritas partners such as Caritas Australia, Caritas Italiana, Caritas Austria, Caritas Humanitarian Aid and Relief Initiatives Singapore, Caritas Asia including Caritas Internationalis have expressed their solidarity.

Caritas Philippines has coordinated with agencies under the United Nations such as the Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs.

Caritas Philippines would also be launching an emergency appeal through the Alay Kapwa Solidarity Fund to support the immediate needs of the most affected communities in Cebu or through Caritas International.

Mayor Bruce Matabalao has offered a P500,000 bounty for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the gunmen in the fatal ambush of a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman and his brother here on Saturday.

Matabalao condemned the murder of Barangay Poblacion 5 SK chairman Mohaz Salvador Matanog and his brother Muamar at a busy intersection near the Cotabato City Police Precinct 1.

Their assailants also shot and wounded Pat. Norsaiden Laguiali who responded to the incident.

Matanog, an engineering student of Cotabato City State University, died instantly from multiple gunshot wounds. His brother died several hours later at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is preparing to issue enhanced rules for real estate investment trust (REIT) to boost participation in the space.

SEC chairperson Francis Lim said the revised rules for Republic Act 9856, or the REIT Act of 2009, are currently ‘a work in progress.’

Lim said the SEC is discussing with REIT participants the commission’s own ideas on how to liberalize the REIT rules.

‘We will define what the income-generating assets are. We will enumerate them to minimize issues. What is really an income-generating asset?’ Lim said.

‘For example, electric towers, they’re income-generating, so that can be REIT-able assets. Toll roads, although the company is not the owner, but they have the real right to operate the highway, that long piece of land, that’s a REIT-able asset. So we will be giving examples,’ he said.

Lim said that power plants and cell towers could also be characterized as REITs because, under the law, they are considered immovable properties.

‘Real estate assets are immovable properties and therefore, by definition under the Civil Code, they are real property and therefore, if they generate income on a regular basis, that’s a REIT-able asset,’ Lim said.

‘So it’s like we’re expanding the definition so that more companies will be able to list,’ he said.

In line with its goal of deepening the capital market, the SEC earlier said that it is considering revising the implementing rules and regulations of the REIT Act to better meet market demands.

To promote reforms in REIT, the SEC is reviewing rules to expand eligible assets, lengthen the reinvestment period, and attract broader participation.

The implementing rules and regulations of the Real Estate Investment Act of 2009 were issued in 2020, a move aimed at spurring the growth of the sector.

Companies that own and operate income-generating real estate assets are considered REIT companies.

Congress passed the REIT Act in 2009, as it was deemed a vital vehicle to generate more investments, especially for real estate companies.

Ayala Land’s AREIT was the first REIT in the country, listing its shares in the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2020.

Other REITs soon followed, such as DoubleDragon’s DDMP REIT, Filinvest REIT of the Gotianun family, Megaworld’s MREIT, Gokongwei’s RL Commercial REIT, Citicore Energy REIT and Villar Group’s VistaREIT and Premiere Island Power REIT.

Analysts attribute REIT stet to the inclusion of new asset types such as prime office and residential buildings, hotels, malls and renewable energy infrastructure.

Urging a ‘fresh start’ for the country’s leadership, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano is proposing a snap election that would cover President Marcos, Vice President Sara Duterte and all members of the Senate and House of Representatives amid declining public trust in political leaders.

In a statement posted on social media, Cayetano said people have lost confidence in government institutions and officials, adding that politicians today are ‘suspects’ in the eyes of the public.

‘Honestly, who can blame them?’ he said.

‘So here’s a thought: what if we all just resign and allow a snap election. with one important addition-no incumbent from the above can run for one election cycle,’ Cayetano noted.

Cayetano’s proposal came amid growing public anger over alleged corruption in multibillion-peso flood control projects, which has fueled broader frustration toward government accountability and deepened distrust in political institutions.

The controversy has sparked mass protests in recent weeks, with local movements continuing to hold rallies calling for transparency and reform.

He said the bureaucracy would continue functioning even without elected leaders, noting that local officials such as governors, mayors, and barangay chairpersons – whom he described as ‘generally trusted’-could remain in place.

‘No drama, no excuses, no recycling. Just a clean slate for the Filipino people. A turning point leading to renewal and revival,’ Cayetano said.

‘If we truly serve them, then starting over shouldn’t scare us. Because real change starts with radical honesty – and the courage to admit when it’s time to step aside,’ he added.