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Baguio Bishop Rafael Cruz rallied at least 6,000 Catholics here to a prayer march on Tuesday in a bold stand against corruption-an event that brought parts of the summer capital to a standstill during the morning rush.

Nuns, priests, lay devotees, activists, and students from nearly every school in the city-including the largest, Catholic-run Saint Louis University (SLU)-marched from the Baguio Convention Center to the Baguio Cathedral, triggering heavy congestion downtown and along Legarda Road and Marcos Highway.

Workers and passengers were forced to walk to the city center amid the gridlock. Priests lent a hand, managing traffic flow as best they could. Some students, stranded by gridlock, joked that they had no choice but to join the rally. Others muttered in frustration as they jogged to reach their workplaces.

But many motorists responded with supportive blasts of their horns-a gesture of solidarity with the Church’s crusade against corruption in government, which has drawn national attention after President Marcos questioned how a few contractors scored multibillion-peso flood control contracts.

By 9 a.m., SLU students were still making their way to the cathedral-nearly an hour after the march began-underscoring how many heeded Cruz’s call. Protesters carried handwritten signs on bond paper: ‘Integrity is doing right even when no one is watching.’

Other signs read, ‘cuff the corrupt.’ Some participants wore protest shirts previously worn on September 21, the nationwide anticorruption rally and commemoration of the declaration of martial law in 1972. One shirt had the message, ‘Stop flooding us with corruption.’

Power of prayer

During the Mass, which coincided with the October 7 Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Bishop Cruz reflected on the power and purpose of prayer.

‘While we marched, we were praying the Holy Rosary,’ Cruz said as he cautioned against prayers caused by vindictiveness.

‘Prayer is not asking God to harm bad people-to have thieves and the greedy die or be struck with a severe illness that affects even their descendants up to the fifth generation. That is not prayer, and God will not heed such desires,’ the prelate said.

Instead, Cruz urged a prayer that seeks transformation.

‘What we pray for is that God enlightens the minds and hearts of the corrupt. so they realize what they have done and they repent,’ he added.

The bishop also issued a stark assessment of corruption’s spiritual toll: ‘They may take the very treasury of the Philippines, but they lost the most relevant aspect of their individuality, which is their souls.’

Yet Cruz stressed that repentance does not erase accountability.

‘I am not advocating that we forget their misdeeds, because the evil they have committed is so wide it has affected the whole country,’ he said.

Cruz further decried how flawed infrastructure projects-especially flood control works that were poorly built or never properly executed-had cost lives and properties.

‘People drowned in floods, were buried alive by landslides or lost property because of improperly constructed or ‘ghost’ flood control projects,’ he said.

Other church leaders in Leyte and Albay provinces also condemned widespread corruption in government infrastructure projects, particularly those meant for flood control.

The poor as victims

In a statement Monday, Fr. Chris Arthur Militante, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Palo in Leyte, affirmed their support for the pastoral letter issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which denounced corruption in public service.

‘We are all one against corruption, and this message is not only addressed to our leaders but also to every citizen,’ Militante said in an online interview on Monday.

Militante urged the faithful to channel their anger into responsible political action: ‘Hopefully, angered by corruption, we take the selection of our leaders more seriously in the future.’

In a separate message, Bishop Joel Baylon of the Diocese of Legazpi in Albay condemned what he described as systemic and blatant corruption in flood control spending.

‘The price of corruption is paid by the poor,’ Baylon said in his pastoral letter on Sunday. ‘Flaunting wealth acquired through public funds is a betrayal of the people and a violation of Gospel values.’

The bishop urged the faithful to begin renewal through personal responsibility and by choosing leaders who are committed to stewardship and truth

Factory output rose in August-the first month under higher US tariffs-suggesting that expectations of firmer demand ahead of the holiday season helped sustain domestic activity and offset persistent global trade headwinds.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the volume of production index, which tracks manufacturing output, had increased by 1.4 percent year-on-year, reversing a 1.8-percent contraction in July.

The rebound was driven mainly by food manufacturing, which expanded 20.2 percent from 11.4 percent a month earlier. Basic metals also provided support, narrowing their annual decline to 9.6 percent from 26.8 percent in July.

Production of machinery and equipment likewise strengthened, rising 6.7 percent year-on-year after a 3.1-percent drop in the previous month, pointing to a broader improvement across key industrial segments.

This, in turn, lifted the average capacity utilization rate in the manufacturing sector slightly to 77.3 percent in August from 77.2 percent in July.

‘As the holidays draw near, the orders for various seasonal items have begun to pile up,’ Leonardo Lanzona, an economist at Ateneo de Manila University, said. ‘Production of this magnitude is expected for the rest of the Christmas season.’

‘Modest recovery’

John Paolo Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), said the August data reflected a ‘modest recovery’ in industries such as food manufacturing and possibly export-aligned electronics, which tend to show resilience even amid external shocks.

‘This uptick came despite higher US tariffs, suggesting some delayed impact or offsetting domestic demand. It may also signal inventory restocking or catch-up from July’s contraction,’ Rivera added.

But the outlook looked bleak based on advance estimates by SandP Global.

SandP reported that the country’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)-another barometer of manufacturing health-fell to 49.9 in September from 50.8 in August. Any reading below 50 indicates a decline in activity.

It was only the third time in more than four years that the index had slipped into contraction, a downturn SandP described as ‘highly unusual’ given the sector’s steady momentum since the pandemic.

In contrast.

The weakness contrasted sharply with the broader region, where the Asean PMI rose to 51.6-a 14-month high. Only the Philippines and Malaysia, whose index eased to 49.8, recorded deteriorating conditions.

Companies surveyed by SandP mentioned a fall in client numbers and a modest drop in production from the suspension of rice imports.

‘Outlook remains cautious. Persistent global trade uncertainty, especially with tariffs and geopolitical risks plus local cost pressures (fuel, logistics, input costs), could temper further expansion,’ PIDS’s Rivera said.

‘Sustained growth will depend on stronger domestic demand, easing inflation and policy support for manufacturing competitiveness,’ he added. INQ

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) championed the true spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie as it concluded its Sports Fest with a festive closing ceremony held at the Gatorade Sports Center.

PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles, Sports Committee Chairperson Atty. Isidro Martin Reyes, Jr., and other members of the organizing committee led the closing of the event.

In his address, GM Robles extended his heartfelt congratulations to all employees who took part in the various sporting events, with special recognition given to those who excelled and emerged victorious in their respective categories. More than just celebrating competition, he emphasized the deeper value of the games: unity, discipline, and fair play.

Robles also highlighted a memorable line that captured the true essence of PCSO’s Sports Fest: ‘Ang kalaban ay hindi kaaway, siya ay kalaro,’ a reminder that sportsmanship should prevail above rivalry.

Adding thrill to the festivities, the Sports Fest was capped off by a nail-biting basketball showdown where the Executive Sector edged the Security Force by a solitary point, 73-72. That victory proved decisive, contributing to the Executive Sector’s overall triumph as the 2025 PCSO Sports Fest Champions.

Complete Team Events Results:

Basketball – Champion: Executive | 1st Runner-Up: Security | 2nd Runner-Up: Administrative

Volleyball – Champion: Administrative | 1st Runner-Up: Executive | 2nd Runner-Up: Gaming

Badminton – Champion: Branch Operations | 1st Runner-Up: Executive | 2nd Runner-Up: Administrative

Billiards – Champion: MSS | 1st Runner-Up: Gaming | 2nd Runner-Up: BOS

Chess – Champion: MSS | 1st Runner-Up: Executive | 2nd Runner-Up: Charity

Darts – Champion: Charity | 1st Runner-Up: Executive | 2nd Runner-Up: Gaming

Table Tennis – Champion: Charity | 1st Runner-Up: Executive | 2nd Runner-Up: Gaming

The closing ceremony not only marked the end of weeks of competition but also served as a testament to PCSO’s commitment to promoting wellness, teamwork, and camaraderie among its employees.

Malacañang on Wednesday said there is no need to abolish the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s appointment of a new Ombudsman.

The remarks came after questions were raised about the possibility of dissolving the recently formed super body and letting the Office of the Ombudsman handle investigations into anomalous flood-control projects.

‘The Ombudsman, after all, is not focused solely on flood control projects; there are many other cases that also require the Ombudsman’s attention. So, we don’t see this as a reason to abolish or end the work of the ICI, because the ICI is specifically focused on investigating irregularities in flood control projects and other infrastructure,’ Castro explained speaking in Filipino.

‘The work and investigations of the Ombudsman and the DOJ will proceed much faster if they already have complete documents provided by the ICI,’ she also said.

The Office of the Ombudsman is the institution empowered to investigate illegal, unjust, or improper acts and omissions of public officials.

According to Castro, the ICI is necessary because it focuses on gathering and investigating documents so that when everything is submitted and recommended for filing, the process becomes more efficient.

‘And once the review is completed and it is found that a case should indeed be filed, the DOJ and the Ombudsman will be able to file it much faster,’ she also said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, the Palace official maintained that the ICI does not need to report or provide updates to Marcos regarding its findings since it is an independent body.

The ICI is composed of Chairperson Justice Andres Reyes Jr. and members Rogelio ‘Babes’ Singson and Rossana Fajardo.

Brian Hosaka serves as executive director of the ICI.

Former Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. was also named as special adviser and investigator for the commission, replacing Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who had served only as a special adviser but not as an investigator.

Debt or ‘utang’ is not just a financial tool anymore. It is the lifeline that keeps many Filipino families afloat. With consumer spending making up about 70 percent of the economy, every peso that is spent keeps the economy moving.

When households keep buying, businesses do well but when they cut back, growth slows down. The tougher reality is that a lot of this spending is sustained by utang, drawn from savings, credit cards or loans simply to keep everyday life moving.

Behavioral finance explains that this behavior is rooted in a concept called present bias, which is the tendency to put more weight on immediate rewards than on future costs.

In the late 1990s, psychologists David Laibson of Harvard University and Ted O’Donoghue of Cornell University published an influential study that revealed how people often choose short-term satisfaction, such as spending or borrowing today, even when it leads to bigger problems later.

This bias explains why households continue to spend, even when incomes fall short, interest rates rise or debt levels grow. The pleasure of maintaining a lifestyle today feels more tangible than the burden of repaying loans tomorrow.

Extension of income

Combined with easy access to credit cards, installment plans and digital lending apps, present bias makes utang feel less like a burden and more like a convenient extension of income.

Recent data on the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) highlight this behavior. Before the pandemic, Filipino households typically spent 58.6 percent of their income in the first quarter, then pulled back midyear, before a sharp surge to nearly 70 percent during the Christmas season. Spending followed a familiar rhythm: spend, save, then splurge at year-end.

Since 2022, however, the pattern has changed dramatically. The first quarter spending rate has dropped to 54.4 percent, while the second and third quarters turned negative at -16 percent and -141.2 percent, respectively.

This means households are not only cutting back but also financing spending by dipping into savings or accumulating debt. Even the usual year-end rebound is weaker, with spending in the fourth quarter at just 61 percent, below prepandemic highs.

A negative MPC is a red flag. It signals that many households are keeping up their spending not with income, but with credit. This is present bias at work. Rather than cutting back, families choose to borrow so they can maintain the same lifestyle, even if it means pushing the real cost further into the future.

When incomes stagnate.

There is only so much households can borrow to keep spending at the same pace. Families stretch themselves to maintain their lifestyles, even when incomes stagnate and inflation eats into budgets. When borrowing fills the gap, the economy may still look steady but once the financial pressure builds, momentum may eventually weaken.

This slowdown is already showing in the data. In the first quarter of 2024, household spending grew by 8.3 percent compared to 2023, but in the first quarter of 2025 the pace slowed to 7.7 percent.

The second quarter tells the same story. Spending grew by 8.9 percent in 2024, but slipped to 6.8 percent in 2025. Taken together, total household spending in the first half of 2025 grew by 7.2 percent, down from 8.6 percent in the same period of 2024. The trend is clear. Growth is losing steam, and with much of consumption propped up by debt, the risks of a sharper slowdown ahead are rising.

Why does borrowing feel so normal? Because it has become part of everyday life. Taking on debt is seen as a practical choice. Credit cards, ‘buy now, pay later’ apps and installment plans make it easy, while social pressures make it hard to say no.

Present bias then blinds households to the consequences. A family that borrows P20,000 at 3-percent monthly interest may end up repaying almost P30,000 in a year. That money could have gone into savings or investments, but instead it locks them into repayment cycles.

Break the bad cycle

Breaking free from the psychology of utang takes both awareness and discipline. Families need to recognize that spending habits are not just cultural but also behavioral.

One way to break the cycle is to reframe the question. Instead of asking, ‘Can I afford the monthly payment?’ ask, ‘What will this really cost me a year from now?’ That small shift can turn the focus from short-term comfort to long-term impact.

Debt can keep the economy afloat for a while, but over time it leaves households and businesses weaker. Real resilience comes when families move away from utang-driven spending and focus instead on saving and sustainable consumption.

In the end, stability doesn’t come from borrowing just to look secure, but from building financial strength that lasts. INQ

The local government of Zamboanga City had placed its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on high alert following continuous rains since Tuesday.

According to a statement from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), its personnel have been on standby to respond to cases of emergencies, especially in flood-prone communities.

It noted that the water level at the Pasonanca diversionary weir is at 74.68 meters, which is already ‘critical above normal’ as of 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

‘The public is advised to take precautionary measures as the city continues to experience inclement weather,’ the CDRRMO added.

On Wednesday, the city government declared a suspension of classess in all levels in private and public schools to protect the safety and the welfare of students and school personnel amid the bad weather.

The CDRRMO cited an advisory from the state weather bureau that Zamboanga City ‘will continue to experience light to moderate to at times heavy rains due to the intertropical convergence zone.’

The public alert has been raised since Tuesday, prompting Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committees (BDRRMCs) to continuously monitor the situation in their area of responsibility

Mass housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc. has moved closer to exiting the Philippine bourse after concluding the tender offer of its shares.

The shares were transferred to its subsidiary on Tuesday.

In a notice, the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) said the indefinite suspension on trading of 8990’s shares was implemented at 9:02 a.m. on Tuesday. The firm had already gone below the 20-percent minimum public ownership requirement.

The tender offer of 8990 shares was conducted from Sept. 2 to Sept. 30. It involved 580.57 million common shares at P10.42 each.

The shares were transferred from the minority shareholders to subsidiary 8990 Housing Development Corp.

This paves the way for 8990’s P6-billion delisting scheduled on Oct. 29. It would be the third company to go private again this year.

Keppel Philippines Holdings Inc. went private on July 8. Philab Holdings Corp. was forced to exit on July 11.

Challenging times

Analysts said 8990, which currently develops affordable and mid-market residential projects, may have been having a hard time navigating the challenging property market. Its projects include medium-rise condominiums under the Urban Deca Homes brand and high-rise projects under Urban Deca Towers.

The exit of 8990 reflects the challenging environment in the local stock market. It has been struggling to climb and sustain its gains because of recent political developments.

PSE president and CEO Ramon Monzon earlier told the Inquirer they had reduced their capital raising target to as low as P170 billion. The goal used to be P185 billion. This was due to deferred initial public offerings, including that of casino developer Hann Holdings Inc.

At the same time, Monzon said mounting corruption allegations against high-ranking government officials allegedly involved in anomalous flood control projects had dampened investor sentiment.

Monzon is one of the top business personalities that joined the Sept. 21 protests. He said the billions of pesos lost to corruption could have been reinvested in the market.

‘Our index has gone down since all these [corruption] investigations . Can you imagine if all those amounts that disappeared were invested in the market?’ he said in an earlier interview. INQ

Geneva Cruz shed tears of joy as she celebrated the engagement of her son Heaven Arespacochaga to his girlfriend Adi Escobar.

Through her Instagram page on Sunday, Oct. 5, the celebrity mom showed moments from when Heaven popped the question in an outdoor setting in California in the United States.

‘Son, I always knew you would find your other half, someone who truly understands and loves you through all of life’s ups and downs. But I wasn’t prepared for the flood of emotions I felt when you sent me the video of your engagement,’ Cruz said in the caption.

‘Thank you, anak, for trusting me with your deepest feelings and plans – from the moment you told me about meeting a wonderful girl while I was in Balesin Island a few years ago, to when you designed this beautiful ring,’ she continued.

Cruz praised Heaven for his loving nature, expressing delight over how they have kept their closeness as mother and son.

‘I believe I have done my best as your mother, as our bond has remained strong despite all the challenges we’ve faced, and I am truly grateful for that,’ she added.

Cruz then addressed Escobar and looked forward to the life the latter will share with Heaven.

‘Adi, thank you for loving my son wholeheartedly. I welcomed you into the family long ago, so that’s nothing new. However, I look forward to meeting your family and seeing you and my son Heaven, soon,’ the actress wrote. ‘I love you both, and congratulations again on the engagement.’

Heaven is Cruz’s son with her former husband, musician Paco Arespacochaga. The actress has another child, a daughter named London, with her ex-fiance, Filipino-Australian Lee Paulsen.

Some senators are appealing to Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson to reconsider his decision to resign as chair of the powerful blue ribbon committee.

But Lacson, who resigned on Sunday, is firm about his decision.

‘When I say no, it’s no. When I say yes, it’s yes. Final answer,’ Lacson said when sought for comment.

Five candidates

Senate President Vicente Sotto III also said: ‘He really doesn’t want to [change it]. Maybe he’d be more effective as a critic. Maybe it becomes a blessing in disguise.’

Sotto has named five of his colleagues, whom he said are possible candidates to replace Lacson. They are Sens. JV Ejercito, Raffy Tulfo, Francis Pangilinan, Pia Cayetano and Risa Hontiveros.

The Senate leader again noted that it is ‘not a requirement’ that the committee chair be a lawyer, though this may be to his or her advantage.

‘For me, whoever is recommended by Senator Lacson would have a very strong edge over anybody else,’ Sotto said in a TV interview.

Ejercito, however, said while he is thankful about being considered for the position, he believes ‘there are others who are more capable of holding this important committee.’

He said he still hoped Lacson would reconsider his decision.

Tulfo said he was flattered that he was among those considered for the post.

‘However, if offered to me, I will humbly decline for the simple reason that I don’t want to lose focus on my three committee chairmanships that are my main advocacies-labor, migrant workers, and public services,’ he said.

‘Principal actors’

In his resignation letter addressed to Sotto on Monday, Lacson noted the ‘disappointment’ that a number of his colleagues have expressed over the ‘direction’ of the committee probing the flood control projects scandal.

‘In the course of the current investigation, which has implicated some senators in the flood control mess, a number of our colleagues have expressed disappointment [over] the ‘direction’ of the blue ribbon committee, which this representation chairs,’ Lacson said.

‘Furthermore, some senators publicly and secretly pursue the narrative that I am zeroing in on several of my colleagues while purportedly protecting those members of the lower house perceived to be the principal actors in the budget anomalies related to the substandard and ghost flood control projects,’ he added.

‘Straightforward’ investigator

‘Nothing could be further from the truth. This narrative is categorically false,’ Lacson stressed.

Sen. Manuel ‘Lito’ Lapid is among those hoping Lacson ‘will stay put’ as chair.

‘We respect his decision, but we know he is needed here; we know he is very straightforward when investigating. He’s a former cop, he is the ex-Philippine National Police chief,’ Lapid told reporters.

‘He’s a policeman like Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, like Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa. They will really investigate. They are experts in that field. But I will respect whatever decision Senator Lacson makes,’ he added.

Pangilinan also said he was hoping Lacson would reconsider his decision.

‘I appeal to Senator Ping to stay on as blue ribbon committee chairman, and appeal as well to our colleagues in the majority bloc to reaffirm our support for him to stay on even as we iron out our differences,’ he said.

‘While I appreciate Senator Ping’s sensitivity to the sentiments expressed by our fellow senators in the majority as a reason for his resignation, I am still hopeful that with the renewed support of the majority bloc, he will be convinced to stay on,’ Pangilinan added.

He also said now, more than ever, ‘our people are looking for stability and certainty in the state of our affairs and looking to the strength of our institutions to withstand the ongoing crisis and resolve it in favor of truth, transparency, and public accountability.’

All imports and Filipino-foreign players are cleared to play in the PVL Reinforced Conference after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation signed the international Transfer Certificates on early Wednesday.

A day after the PVL called out the PNVF for refusing to endorse the ITCs, Control Committee chairman Sherwin Malonzo told the Inquirer that all documents were ‘100 percent active and signed’ as of 6:30 a.m.

Petro Gazz can now field Filipino-Americans Brooke Van Sickle and MJ Phillips, as well as returning import Lindsey Vander Weide, in its campaign opener against Galeries, which will parade Montenegrin Jelena Cvijovic, on Thursday at Dasmariñas Arena.

Nxled’s Paola Martinez and Farm Fresh’s Helene Rousseaux are also cleared to suit up for the second game at 6:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, the PVL was forced to bench all foreign reinforcements despite the timely submission of complete requirements-including clearances from players, their federations, and clubs-after the PNVF withheld its endorsement.

ZUS Coffee, which played without Anna DeBeer, turned to a balanced attack led by Riza Nogales to pull off a come-from-behind 24-26, 25-23, 17-25, 26-24, 15-7 win over Akari sans Annie Mitchem.

In the second game, Marlee Smith of Choco Mucho and Oleksandra Bytsenko of Capital1 no longer joined the warm-up. Flying Titans Filipino-American rookie Tia Andaya also decided to sit out, not wanting to risk her transfer of federation and avoid getting sanctions from the FIVB.

Choco Mucho spoiled Bella Belen’s 20-point PVL debut after sweeping Choco Mucho, 33-31, 26-24, 25-23, behind the inspiring comebacks of Kat Tolentino and Maddie Madayag.

On Tuesday, the Inquirer reached out to the PNVF through president Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara but received no reply. A source said the federation chief was under the weather, which Suzara later confirmed in a message: ‘I’m in the hospital.’