GCash sets up insurance coverage for commuters

E-wallet pioneer GCash has rolled out a new insurance product designed for commuters as accidents are becoming more prevalent in public transport, particularly on the road.

GCash yesterday said it has teamed up with BPI MS Insurance Corp. to bring PasaHERO Protect into the insurance market with the aim of catering to millions of commuters.

The policy is available on GCash’s insurance platform, GInsure, and is being marketed as one of the most affordable accident coverage on the e-wallet.

PasaHERO Protect extends accident insurance for passengers of all kinds of public transport like buses, jeepneys and trains. The policy also covers commuters taking motorcycle-for-hire offered by transport network vehicle services, which is now one of the most popular transport modes.

PasaHERO Protect provides as much as P500,000 of coverage for death and disability caused by an accident while using public transport. The policy also renders up to P250,000 of coverage for other kinds of accidents.

On top of this, the policy comes with a double indemnity feature, meaning the insurer pays twice the coverage if the insured dies from a covered accident.

GCash head for GInsure Wilfrido de Ocampo said Filipinos can subscribe to PasaHERO Protect for as low as P15 a month.

De Ocampo said PasaHERO Protect can be procured for up to five people, including family and friends, through a single account for ease of transaction.

‘We believe protection should be part of everyday life – not a luxury, but a basic need that every Filipino and their families can access. Together with BPI MS Insurance and through PasaHERO Protect, we are making insurance more relevant, affordable and inclusive for the daily realities of commuters,’ De Ocampo said.

BPI MS Insurance president and CEO Noriyuki Kobayashi said PasaHERO Protect was created to make insurance closer to the daily needs of Filipinos. For PasaHERO Protect, the objective is to recognize the vulnerability commuters go through when they take public transport.

Recently, the Philippines has seen a rise in the number of fatalities resulting from car crashes and road-based accidents.

In May a bus crash at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway led to the death of 10 people, including four children, forcing the Department of Transportation to raise driving and transport standards.

EFCC probes two suspects over undeclared foreign currency at Lagos Airport

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, are investigating two travellers, Mamud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi, over alleged failure to declare foreign currencies in their possession at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The suspects were apprehended on Saturday, October 11, 2025, by operatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) during a routine check. According to preliminary findings, the duo were found with undeclared sums of $6,180 and £53,415.

The EFCC disclosed that the suspects had just arrived from Dubai via Addis Ababa and were scheduled to board a connecting flight to Abuja when they were intercepted.

Following their arrest, the travelers were initially handed over to operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) for profiling and further interrogation. The DSS subsequently transferred the suspects to the EFCC for in-depth investigation and possible prosecution.

Also recovered from the suspects were three mobile phones, which have been taken into custody as exhibits.

The suspects and the recovered items were received by CSE Margaret Lamai on behalf of the acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE I) Ahmed Ghali.

Money brings comfort, not happiness – success coach

If you ask Filipino success coach John Calub, money doesn’t bring happiness to people, at least not exactly.

During the launch of his wellness brand Optimmune, Calub said money rather makes people feel comfortable.

“When you’re comfortable, you have more time to think of brighter, more creative ideas kaya mas madali kang gumawa ng pera, which can make you more happy. Kapag comfortable ka, mas makakadiskarte ka,” he explained.

Calub also said that people who run out of money could resort to bad behavior.

“Kasi ‘pag pressured ka, naghahabol ka. Magnanakaw na lang, mang-i-scam. Kasi gipit na, eh. ‘Pag may pera ka, you’re comfortable, eh,” Calub reiterated. “Then you can think of more creative ways of helping other people.”

He further believed that having more money means more responsibilities

“We all know that having enough is enough. More money means more responsibility. In addition, greed is bad,” Calub said.

And yet for Calub, health remains the real wealth, “Useless magkapera ‘pag tinamaan ‘yung kalusugan mo, eh. I have realized that it’s not about wealth, but having good health is what truly matters.”

“Before puro pera-pera na lang. It caught up on me. Inabot na ako ng time that I was too focused on business. Talagang napabayaan ko ‘yung sarili ko,” Calub ended.

National Museum now hosts 6 of 7 Philippine meteorites

The National Museum of the Philippines are inviting Filipinos to celebrate Museum and Galleries Month this October by checking out its newly upgraded meteorite gallery.

The “Bulalato: Fragments from Space” exhibition now hosts six of the seven meteorites that have landed in the Philippines following three donations earlier this year for Philippine Space Week.

Mar Christian Cruz, Abraham Catiis, Melvin Lam, and Allen Yu of the Bayanihan Meteorite Recovery Team donated specimens to join the Orconuma, Bondoc, and Pantar meteorites.

The new additions include the first Philippine meteorite Pampanga, the fifth one Paitan, and the seventh and most recent Ponggo which was from Cruz’s personal collection like Orconuma.

The 3.3 gram-Pampanga meteorite landed behind the Santa Monica Church in Mexico, Pampanga back in 1859.

Half a century later Paitan – whose main mass weighs 431.3 grams – landed in San Juan, Ilocos Sur in 1910 and was initially thought to be a part of Halley’s Comet which flew by Earth that year.

Ponggo landed on a house in Quirino Province just last 2022, leaving a palm-sized crater on concrete floor.

The remaining meteorite is Calivo, which landed in Aklan back in 1916, as astronomers believe it was lost during World War II.

Also in the special exhibition, which just observed World Space Week, are four specimens donated by David Herskowitz, Ana Ophelia Herskowitz and Ferdinand Jolo Agbayani.

Among these is Northwest Africa 11273, a fragment of the Moon that landed on Earth. The others – Sahara 99753, Muonionalusta, and Brenham – are all meteorites.

The stony Sahara 99753 contains tiny spheres from primordial stardust called chondrules, the iron Muonionalusta was formed in a destroyed asteroid’s core, and the very rare stony-iron Brenham glitters with olivine “space gems.”

The National Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. free of admission fees.

Rights groups, Enugu disagree over alleged ?50,000 justice review fee

Two leading human rights organisations, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), have accused the Enugu Ministry of Justice of demanding a ?50,000 ‘review fee’ before accepting a petition seeking a review of a criminal case, a claim the state government has strongly denied.

In a joint petition dated October 7, 2025 to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, the groups described the alleged demand as a ‘shocking case of injustice and official misconduct’ that undermines citizens’ faith in the state’s justice system.

According to the petition, signed by RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, and CRRAN’s President, Barr. Olu Omotayo, the alleged fee demand arose when their representatives attempted to submit a petition over what they described as the ‘wrongful arrest and prosecution’ of one Mr. Godwin Odey, a 27-year-old OND graduate from Benue State.

Odey is facing charges of murder and unlawful possession of Indian hemp (Charge Nos. MEN/566C/2025 and MEN/565C/2025) after his arrest at Obollo-Afor, Udenu Local Government Area, on September 20, 2025.

The police reportedly claimed that Indian hemp was found in the vehicle he boarded while returning from a friend’s traditional wedding.

‘Credible evidence and witness accounts confirm that Mr. Odey was at the wedding ceremony throughout the period the alleged crime was committed. He was simply a victim of police extortion gone wrong,’ the petition stated.

RULAAC and CRRAN alleged that officials in the Attorney-General’s office refused to accept their petition unless the ?50,000 payment was made.

They called on Governor Mbah to order a full-scale investigation into the matter, discipline any officials involved, and direct the immediate review of Odey’s case to avert a miscarriage of justice.

‘It is inconceivable that an office established to uphold justice would impose a monetary barrier before receiving a public petition, especially one concerning a potential miscarriage of justice in a capital offence,’ the rights groups stated.

However, the Enugu State Government has denied the allegations, describing them as ‘wicked, false, and malicious.’

In a statement on Friday by the Director of Information at the Ministry of Information and Communication, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nebo, the government said no such fee exists and that the Ministry of Justice does not charge for receiving or reviewing petitions from citizens.

‘The Ministry only requires practitioners applying for certified true copies, fiats, and related reviews to pay statutory processing fees into prescribed government accounts, as obtained in other public institutions,’ Nebo clarified.

He explained that the processing fees do not apply to crime victims or lawyers acting pro bono, adding that such payments are long-standing administrative charges that do not go into private pockets.

The statement described the rights groups’ claims as ‘a smear campaign by detractors opposed to the government’s reform-driven justice agenda,’ while reaffirming that ‘justice in Enugu State remains free, accessible, and transparent.’

It further commended the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, SAN, for his ‘impeccable integrity’ and listed ongoing justice reforms, including digitalisation of court processes, establishment of citizens’ rights and mediation centres across LGAs, and creation of the Witness Support Fund.

‘All complaints and petitions are treated 100 percent free of charge and expeditiously. The Mbah administration is committed to ensuring justice delivery that is fair, efficient, and transparent,’ the government insisted.

Marcos activates disaster management agencies after Davao quake

President Marcos ordered disaster management agencies and security forces to evacuate residents in coastal areas and to work with local governments in responding to the impact of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck off the coast of Davao Oriental yesterday.

Marcos said search, rescue, and relief operations were being prepared and would be deployed as soon as it is safe to do so.

‘We are now assessing the situation on the ground and ensuring that everyone is safe,’ the President said.

‘I have directed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Office of Civil Defense, the Armed Forces, the Philippine Coast Guard and all concerned agencies to immediately carry out evacuations in coastal areas, activate emergency communication lines and coordinate closely with local governments,’ he added.

Marcos said the social welfare department is pre-positioning food and non-food items, while the health department is ready to extend emergency medical assistance to affected residents.

He urged residents in quake-hit areas to undertake safety measures and to cooperate with authorities.

‘To our kababayans in the affected regions, please stay alert and calm. Move to higher ground and stay away from the shore until authorities declare it safe. Follow all instructions from your local disaster councils and barangay officials. Your safety is our top priority,’ the President said.

‘We are working round the clock to ensure that help reaches everyone who needs it. Let us continue to look out for one another and pray for the safety of all our countrymen,’ he added.

For its part, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Friday said that its Southern Mindanao satellite office is closely monitoring the situation following the earthquake in Manay, Davao Oriental.

‘We are currently on standby to assist any local government unit (LGU) in providing relief to evacuees, should the need arise,’ the OVP said.

The OVP also urged those affected by the earthquake to seek psychological first aid to help alleviate anxiety and fear, especially for children who may be more vulnerable.

‘It is also important to ensure that Go Emergency Bags are prepared and accessible, in anticipation of possible aftershocks. We will continue to pray for the Philippines and anticipate coordination efforts to support the local communities,’ the OVP added.

Film maker Ololade Ebong shines with prestigious American approval

The delectable and hardworking filmmaker, actress, and cinematographer Ololade Tijani-Ebong’s talent goes international as the USA approves her as a person with extraordinary ability in her field.

Ololade has once again made herself and the country proud by earning this remarkable approval from the United States. This approval is reserved for individuals who possess extraordinary ability in the arts, sciences, education, business, or athletics – particularly those with a proven record of exceptional achievements in the motion picture or television industry.

This is one of the most distinguished forms of professional recognition in the global entertainment space. It is awarded to talents who have not only excelled in their craft but have also gained national and international acclaim for their work. This milestone confirms Ololade Tijani Ebong’s status as one of the most talented and visionary voices in contemporary African cinema.

This process is rigorous and merit-based. It involves the submission of an applicant’s professional body of work, career achievements, and recognitions to an authorized guild within the United States. In Ololade’s case, her evaluation and endorsement came from the Producers Guild of America (PGA) – one of the most respected professional organizations in Hollywood. The guild’s approval of her credentials signifies that she meets the highest international standards of excellence in filmmaking. The beautiful filmmaker is also expected to serve as a lead producer for a film production company on the feature film Alienated and in the Land of Ghosts, to be produced in the United States of America.

This approval, however, comes as no surprise to those familiar with Ololade Tijani Ebong’s stellar career. Over the years, she has built an impressive portfolio as a producer, director, actress, and cinematographer, contributing immensely to the growth and global appeal of the Nigerian film industry. Her works have not only won multiple awards at home and abroad but have also showcased the depth, creativity, and resilience that define the new wave of African storytelling.

Known for her dedication, artistic versatility, and passion for visual storytelling, Ololade continues to inspire a generation of young filmmakers who look up to her as a role model. This American approval further cements her place as a trailblazer and ambassador of African excellence in the global film space.

With this milestone, Ololade Tijani Ebong joins the ranks of a select few Nigerian creatives whose talents have been acknowledged at the highest international level – a testament to her hard work, consistency, and remarkable impact.

Reacting to the recognition, Ololade Ebong expressed deep gratitude and humility, saying:

‘This recognition means so much to me because it validates years of hard work, sleepless nights, and unwavering belief in the power of African stories. I’m grateful to God, my family, and everyone who has supported my journey. This is not just my win – it’s for every young creative who dares to dream beyond borders.’

EDITORIAL – Other needs

According to a report in this newspaper, a family of 12 in Barangay Gibitngil, Medellin Town, reportedly tried to take their own lives after suffering from mental distress following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Cebu.

Medellin police chief Police Major Manuel Cabanlit said they immediately responded along with personnel from the local government unit and the Municipal Social Welfare and Services Office after receiving a report that the family members –including an eight-year-old child and a pregnant woman– were reportedly unable to communicate properly and were poised to commit suicide.

A team from the Regional Health Unit and the visiting Manila medical team has reportedly provided psychological first aid to the family.

This should remind us that following a disaster, there may be needs other than food, water, building materials, and the other essentials. What needs are we talking about? Psychological care.

Not all of us respond the same way to a natural disaster. While others shrug it off and move on, others develop deep emotional trauma and shut down. Mind you, this isn’t necessarily an indication of weakness; how people react to life-changing events depends on many factors like how they have been brought up, what they have previously experienced, and what emotional support they have, among others.

There’s no doubt that the recent quake caused trauma in many people. Seeing your house destroyed, your neighborhood in ruins, and friends and family injured, or even dead, is bound to cause distress on a different level.

Quakes are also different from other natural disasters. You can go to high ground away from floods or seek shelter indoors from rain and high winds during typhoons, but when the very ground beneath your feet shakes there’s almost nowhere safe.

Of course, we hasten to add that such relief must be provided by personnel who have had training when it comes to counseling disaster victims. Yes, nothing should stop you from asking someone you know personally to talk about what happened to them, but those who have been left deeply scarred by events may be best handled by an expert.

Following disasters like these not all scars and wounds can be seen.

Defections: Those remaining in PDP are undertakers – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has described party leaders remaining in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as undertakers waiting for the final burial of the opposition party.

The APC Spokesman, Mr Seye Oladejo, in a statement on Saturday in Lagos, said this while reacting to the recent defection of some PDP leaders into APC.

Oladejo urged the former ruling party to stop downplaying ‘the wave of defections currently rocking its already fractured structure’.

He said: ‘The PDP’s claim that defections cannot break it is not only laughable but also betrays the party’s chronic state of denial , delusion and self-deception.

‘What is happening to the PDP today is not mere political migration, it is the inevitable consequence of years of internal deceit, lack of ideology, and serial betrayal among its leaders.

‘When a house is built on quicksand, it does not take much for it to collapse.

‘The ongoing exodus from the PDP is only a confirmation that even its loyalists have lost faith in a party that has consistently failed to reform itself or offer a credible alternative to Nigerians.

‘The few remaining members of the PDP are perhaps the undertakers – staying behind only to perform the final rites and fittingly dispose of what remains of a once-dominant but now lifeless political carcass.’

According to him, the APC is not surprised at the wave of defections from PDP as the opposition party has only thrived on propaganda and empty rhetoric.

He claimed that the former ruling party had mismanaged the nation for 16 years before the coming of APC.

Oladejo said that PDP could not suddenly reinvent itself as a credible opposition ‘when it remains a cesspool of confusion and leadership vacuum’.

‘The recent defection of key figures from the PDP to the APC is a testament to the growing confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

‘It will serve the PDP’s best interest to start learning to walk alone on the dark, bumpy road to 2027.

‘The party is obviously over for the former ‘largest party in Africa,’ and the sooner it confronts that reality, the less humiliating its final exit will be,’ he added.

According to him, PDP should look inward, conduct an honest post-mortem of its failures, and come to terms with the reality that its relevance in Nigeria’s political space has drastically waned.

‘The opposition cannot claim to be unshaken when its members are fleeing in droves to a party that represents progress, stability, and genuine leadership.

‘For the APC, these defections are not just political victories – they are endorsements of our party’s enduring commitment to national renewal and people-centered governance.

‘The Nigerian people are speaking loudly and the message is clear: the era of deceitful opposition politics is over,’ Oladejo said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a number of PDP governors and members of the House of Assembly as well as other key figures have recently dumped the party for APC.

On Thursday, two remaining PDP members in the Ondo State House of Assembly,defected to APC, citing internal crisis in the opposition party.

They are former House Minority Leader,Mr Olajide Oguntodu, representing Akure South 1 Constituency, and his deputy, Mr Oluwatoyin Daodu, representing Akoko South West 1 Constituency.

P1 million at stake in ICTSI leg

Florence Bisera heads into the ICTSI Del Monte Championship unfolding Tuesday brimming with confidence, riding a wave of momentum and a game trending steadily upward.

After a dramatic come-from-behind win in Negros Occidental followed by a breakthrough international triumph in Thailand, the rising Davaoeña has emerged as one of the hottest names on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

With a P1 million purse at stake, Bisera steps into the Del Monte Golf Club in Bukidnon as a marked player.

Standing in her way are Daniella Uy, Chanelle Avaricio, Mafy Singson, Sarah Ababa, Chihiro Ikeda and Harmie Constantino, among others.