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VATICAN-Pope Leo XIV, in his first private audience since undergoing surgery on October 13, said the history of the world is inseparable from the history of the saints.

‘The history of the world without saints would be immeasurably poorer; that is, less human,’ Leo said in his address.

The pontiff met on Wednesday with participants of the ‘Holiness in History’ conference, held at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum center in Rome from October 19 to 21.

Organized by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the conference explored the role of historical research in determining whether to declare someone a saint.

Rigor in canonization causes

In his remarks, Leo referenced Pope Pius XI, who established the dicastery’s historical section in 1930, and emphasized that recent causes for canonization must continue to be carefully evaluated against historical evidence of one’s holiness.

‘The treatment of ‘recent causes’ likewise cannot dispense with a serious and rigorous examination of all the material collected,’ Pope Leo said.

‘Causes of saints make use of the tools proper to the study of history, even though their aim is not to produce historiography, but rather to bring to light the exemplary nature, spirituality, and reputation for holiness of those proposed for the altars,’ he added.

Saints must be understood in context

Leo also explained the importance of placing canonized saints in the context in which they lived, eliminating stereotypes and misunderstandings.

‘As the ages pass, even the profile of saints may undergo development: not to follow the stereotypes of the moment, but to interpret a particular experience through the categories of the Gospel lived out,’ the pope said.

‘For this reason, placing the witness of a saint within the context in which he or she lived is very important. The people of God seek models for living in the present, intercessors who help members of the Church face today’s challenges and recognize their opportunities,’ he added.

THAT was a huge win by the Ateneo Blue Eagles over the Far Eastern University Tamaraws last Saturday at the Blue Eagle Gym. They got payback for the first-round loss where they were outplayed.

Ateneo returned the favor this time around, 75-72.

The team showed its potential and when locked in, playing with that kind of manic intensity and nearly four periods of harassing defense, what they can do. How far they go depends on how many more wins can they pull out and how the other teams fare.

Here were their keys to victory against the erstwhile league leader.

High intensity from the onset

FROM the opening whistle, they attacked that basket, took fewer outside shots, played 2-2-1 on the trap, switched on defense, and made FEU feel very uncomfortable (at least for the first 25 minutes of the game).

Ateneo is still far from the finished product. They sustained their defense and intensity for much of the game except for those unforced errors that allowed the Tamaraws back in the game.

It is all about handling the pressure and the inevitable run or runs by the opposing teams.

The Blue Eagles coughed up leads against UP and La Salle and nearly did to FEU-twice in fact. However, this time, they held fast through their defense and some timely plays.

Sultan Baruwa huge difference

SULTAN BARUWA has had his moments during Ateneo’s very brief pre-season and this UAAP campaign, but yesterday, he was more in control rather than playing out of it. If he works on that drop step and is quicker around the hoop-watch out.

While Ateneo registered zero blocks for the game, Baruwa did make FEU think a few times on whether they should challenge him inside.

I had a short conversation with him last Thursday when I dropped by before the team’s practice to share some anecdotes.

I didn’t want to give a pep talk and the usual, ‘kaya niyo yan’ and so-so. Instead, I shared true to life anecdotes where I worked with players from Ateneo, Adamson, San Beda, UST, and National University to help them look at their struggles from another perspective.

What I shared, I made it clear, take away from them what you can or want.

When Sultan came over to shake my hand, I pulled him aside and told him to ‘play with controlled chaos.’ The result was 13 points, 12 rebounds and two assists against four turnovers.

Need for further consistency

THIS is that weird collective stat just like in football where a team can have the most time of possession or even shots at goal but still lose.

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Consider that FEU had more points off turnovers (20-13), rebounds (44-35), points in the paint (40-36), second chance points (17-11), bench points (31-12), and fastbreak points (20-16), but they still lost.

Ateneo had better statistics in the first half but when they coughed up that 18-point lead (48-30) in the third period, that really boosted FEU’s opportunity to steal the game. The Tamaraws’ collective body language was better in the second half (especially after the 26th minute).

When Ateneo got its second wind, they once more gained a double-digit lead late in the game. It was the unforced errors that allowed FEU to come back.

The Blue Eagles take on National University this coming Wednesday, October 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Ateneo upended NU 87-76 in the first round encounter. They will shoot for a repeat win while the latter will seek revenge.

Needless to say, this is a big game, and the Bulldogs are stoked more so after crushing Adamson, 79-43, also last Saturday. That mauling if Adamson saw the Bulldogs return to the top of the league standings with a 6-2 record. Ateneo is at 7th with an even 4-4 slate with percentage points separating them from four other squads with similar win-loss records.

‘Wow! Meron tayong sariling atin!’

That was my reaction during that most eventful 1985-86 with the explosion of the local punk and new wave scene.

What I read and heard about in the pioneering music scenes in New York, Los Angeles, and London had found its way to Manila. Personally, that fired up all my synapses. I felt so alive.

While I was weaned on 70s hard rock and metal, psychedelic and pop rock, punk and new wave came to the fore during my teen years in the 1980s, thus me gravitating towards the scene with Twisted Red Cross bands Urban Bandits and Betrayed, and new wavers Ethnic Faces, the Dawn, and Identity Crisis, among others.

As a young boy who frequented Musikland (like almost every day from 1979-82) at the basement of Ali Mall, the biggest record store in Manila until Tower Records in Glorietta opened in the late 1990s, they had this long rack dedicated solely to Filipino artists. That rack? It must have had at least 36-40 records on display on either side.

While I purchased foreign artists, I was always drawn and intrigued by the records on display at the local rack. The one record that first drew the attention of my friends and I was Maria Cafra’s debut album with that burning guitar.

‘Like Jimi Hendrix,’ we told each other. And honestly? I didn’t think that was bad. After all, we had the Tony Bennet of the Philippines (Arthur Manuntag). Our Elvis Presley (Eddie Mesa). The Filipino Bee Gees (VST and Company and the Boyfriends). The answer to the Beatles (Dynasouls). And so on.

The Juan dela Cruz Band’s Kahit Anong Mangyari opened the floodgates for me to local music, especially the 1970s Pinoy Rock and its guitar heroes. That was the first Pinoy music record I ever purchased, and I never stopped since.

There was a lot of hype when the Juan dela Cruz Band put out Kahit Anong Mangyari in 1981, where there were print ads, TV and radio appearances, and during launch day, lines of fans eagerly looking to get their mitts on a copy. Me included.

I watched their album launch at the Big Dome and at the Loyola Center.

I did buy that record of Maria Cafra and later tore off a mini poster from Songhits that I taped to my bedroom wall.

The other album cover that snared my attention was Wally Gonzalez’ Tunog Pinoy that is a totally underrated album. And to this day, I enjoy listening to Wally’s two solo albums.

However, what got me to really listen more to local artists was Twisted Red Cross, that legendary underground punk rock label where all their bands had to create their own songs. And honestly, I think the songs where they railed against government corruption and ineptitude, as well as social ills, were something I learned more from music than school. Furthermore, their titles were my first-ever cassettes.

And boy – those early underground cassettes – are very much a part of my teen years aside from Philippine music history. They are keepsakes and treasures. And to this day, I love them as much as my teen self did back in the day.

It massively helped that my schoolmate, friend, and neighbor, Dominic Gamboa, was the vocalist for Betrayed. That put a name and a friendly face to the scene for me.

A few years before Twisted Red Cross detonated like Daisy Cutter (the most destructive conventional non-nuclear bomb in the 1980s) on us unsuspecting music fans, there were the Jerks who whose original songs were played only on DZRJ after which Ocean Zoo and Ethnic Faces put out independently released 7-inch extended play singles.

Then OctoArts released the Dawn’s ‘Enveloped Ideas’ on a 12-inch single, making the band the first local new wave artist signed to a local major label. There was a lot of noise and hype about the Dawn and that 12-inch single (that came out ahead of the full-length album).

I can remember that almost all radio stations gravitated towards ‘Enveloped Ideas’.

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That was the first 12-inch single ever released in the country, and soon the major labels began to put out even foreign 12-inch singles and remixes that were popular at that time because of the rise of the new wave dance parties.

And then came – Identity Crisis, Dean’s December, the Khumb Mela Band, and that 10 of Another Kind compilation.

I fell in love with the scene, and kind of lapped up all the Pinoy Rock, punk, and new wave releases that were issued. I guess that is where I became a true collector in every sense of the word. And to this day, I still do try to get as much local music as I can.

I have been blessed to have put out on vinyl a lot of local artists including the early Jerks music that was never released and only played on DZRJ.

With my own underground label, Eikon Records, the pioneers of the indie scene – (thanks to Insect Dance, DMZ, and Twisted Red Cross – gave me the inspiration to follow in their footsteps.

Who thought I would work with Betrayed, Maria Cafra, Sugar Hiccup, Neighbors, Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad, Apo Hiking Society, Greyhoundz, Kapatid, Wolfgang, among many others?

Pinch me, man. I am still dreaming.

And it only further whets my love for local music – rock, pop, jazz, classical, and all. After all, sariling atin ito.

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How Tindagat connects small-scale fisherfolk with chefs to bring the best of Philippine waters to the table.

The Philippines has an abundance of seafood, yet getting fish from the fishing grounds to restaurant kitchens while maintaining quality and ensuring fair compensation for fisherfolk remains a challenge.

Tindagat, a social enterprise working directly with small-scale fishing communities, hopes to change this by connecting fishers with restaurants and other buyers, creating a more direct route from the sea to the dining table.

Its collaboration with Chef Kevin Endaya of Lemuria demonstrates how this approach can benefit both sides: helping fishing communities find better markets while giving chefs access to quality local seafood.

‘Instead of importing seafood, we can use local seafood, showcase it internationally in quality,’ Endaya said, describing the potential he sees in the initiative.

During a tasting at Lemuria, familiar Philippine fish took on new identities. Tulingan, commonly fried or cooked in coconut milk, became a tartlet with dill cream. Himallit, or flying fish, was cured and prepared as boquerones, while surahan inspired a fish-based spread reminiscent of Spain’s sobrasada.

The dishes showed how creative cooking can introduce diners to local varieties beyond the preparations they may have grown accustomed to.

For Endaya, the collaboration also addresses a longstanding concern about seafood quality. Fish caught in the provinces can pass through several intermediaries before reaching Manila, with handling and transport potentially affecting its freshness.

He recalled the reaction of his kitchen team when they opened a shipment from Tindagat.

‘When we opened the vacuum pack, hey, it smells like the sea,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t smell like the market.’

For him, this was a testament to the quality of the products and the care taken in handling them.

Shortening the supply chain

FOUNDED in 2021, Tindagat began as an MBA capstone project before developing into a social enterprise. It initially focused on retail customers but later recognized the opportunity to work with restaurants, hotels, and other food-service businesses.

According to Marco Acevedo, Tindagat’s business development specialist, the enterprise aims to connect small-scale artisanal fishing communities directly with markets in Manila and other urban centers.

The goal is to improve livelihoods while ensuring that fisherfolk receive a fairer share of the value of their catch.

Traditional seafood supply chains can involve seven to 11 players, leaving small-scale fishers with limited bargaining power. When catches are abundant, prices can fall sharply, even when considerable work has gone into harvesting the fish.

Tindagat seeks to shorten this chain by acting as a marketing and sales partner for fishing communities.

‘We treat them like our business partners,’ Acevedo said.

The enterprise also trains fishers in filleting, cleaning, processing, freezing, and packaging, enabling them to supply products that are more convenient for restaurants and potentially command better prices.

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Its approach emphasizes traceability, wild-caught seafood, and proper post-harvest handling. Customers can learn where their fish came from and, in some cases, identify the fisher who caught it. Tindagat also works with communities using registered fishing methods and promotes responsible sourcing.

By freezing seafood within hours of landing, the enterprise aims to preserve quality and make storage and transport more manageable.

Rediscovering local fish

BEYOND improving seafood supply, the partnership allows chefs to explore the variety of fish available in Philippine waters.

One example is himallit, which was traditionally dried in the community where Tindagat sources it. The enterprise saw potential in processing the fish into fillets, making it more accessible to chefs and consumers. It has since become one of the products sought by its restaurant partners.

Acevedo believes there is considerable room to expand appreciation for local seafood, particularly when consumers and restaurants tend to gravitate toward familiar or imported varieties.

‘We just want to be able to shine a light on that,’ he said, referring to the country’s rich marine resources and the many local fish that remain underappreciated.

For Endaya, working with Tindagat also means being flexible. Rather than requiring a fixed supply of particular species, he can develop dishes around what fishing communities have available.

‘I don’t want you to focus on just one thing. I want the partnership to be sustainable,’ he said.

This approach allows the kitchen to experiment with seasonal catches while helping buyers and fishers coordinate their needs.

Building livelihoods beyond the catch

TINDAGAT’S work extends beyond supplying restaurants. It also aims to equip fishing communities with the skills to manage more of the commercial process themselves.

Jaime Oyao, a fisher-entrepreneur based in Lubang, Occidental Mindoro, was among Tindagat’s pioneering fishing partners. The enterprise also works with communities in Busuanga, Palawan, and Zamboanga Sibugay, while developing initiatives in other areas, including Bantayan Island in Cebu.

Training includes not only seafood processing but also costing and bookkeeping, helping fishers better understand the value of their products and prepare to manage transactions independently.

Building this capacity takes time. Communities must learn to meet buyers’

specifications, maintain quality and fulfill orders consistently. Tindagat is working toward a model in which fishing communities can eventually manage their own operations with greater independence.

Supply remains a challenge, particularly when weather conditions disrupt fishing and affect the availability of particular species. Expanding the enterprise will require continued training, reliable cold-chain facilities, and sustained demand from restaurant partners.

The collaboration will take center stage at Lemuria in November 2026, when the restaurant showcases its partnership with Tindagat through a menu highlighting the diversity of Philippine seafood. The offerings will reflect the fish available through Tindagat, allowing Endaya to explore different varieties and develop dishes around their individual characteristics.

For diners, the collaboration offers an opportunity to discover local fish in new ways. For fishing communities, it represents a chance to connect their catch with a market that values quality, traceability, and responsible sourcing.

Ultimately, the initiative seeks to connect the people who harvest the country’s marine resources with the chefs who transform them into memorable dining experiences. By giving local fish greater visibility and fishing communities better access to markets,

Tindagat hopes to demonstrate that the value of Filipino seafood lies not only in what comes from the sea, but also in how it is handled, appreciated, and shared.

For many, gold marks life’s milestones: earrings given to a baby, wedding bands exchanged by a couple or a bracelet passed down by a grandmother. Be-cause it is durable and does not decay, gold can preserve value for the next gen-eration.

But gold’s value extends beyond the jewelry we wear. It is used in elec-tronic connectors and semiconductors because it conducts electricity efficiently and resists corrosion-qualities important to the computing infrastructure sup-porting artificial intelligence (AI).

Gold also serves a broader economic purpose. Central banks hold it in their reserves to help preserve value when inflation erodes purchasing power and currencies fluctuate.

For the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), gold forms part of the country’s reserves that help the economy absorb external shocks and meet international obligations.

With central bank’s purchasing 288.9 metric tons of gold during the sec-ond quarter of 2026, up 62 percent year-on-year, and demand from AI-related applications remaining strong, the average gold price reached $4,506.29 per troy ounce, 37 percent higher than a year earlier.

Yet long before gold becomes jewelry, a computer component or part of a central bank’s reserves, it must first be recovered from the earth. One of the oldest ways of finding it is through panning: swirling river sediment until lighter materials wash away and denser gold particles remain.

Charles Pangalina, a 40-year-old Twali-Ifugao born and raised in Barangay Didipio, an upland community in Nueva Vizcaya near Quirino, once relied on farming and gold panning. Both provided uncertain incomes. As a high-school graduate, he depended on rain-fed farming, while poor roads made it difficult to bring produce to market.

‘You were lucky if a vehicle made the trip once a week,’ Pangalina re-called.

The area where he panned was eventually depleted, leaving him without a stable livelihood. Gold, however, would remain part of Pangalina’s life. His next opportunity would take him from searching for loose gold particles to helping ex-tract ore from deep beneath his own barangay.

Unlike panning, underground mining involves recovering gold embedded in solid rock through a carefully planned system. It requires trained miners, engi-neers, drillers and equipment operators working together to develop tunnels, operate specialized machinery and safely bring ore to the surface.

OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc. (OGP) began commercial production at the Didipio Mine as Pangalina was looking for work. He joined the mine as a pit technician in November 2014.

Producing both gold and copper, the mine’s underground workings extend to the 2,133-meter relative level-a distance around two and a half times the height of the Burj Khalifa if the skyscraper were turned upside down.

OGP employs more than 968 people, 97 percent of whom are Filipino. Pri-oritizing local residents in the workforce, almost 70 percent come from Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, while 44 percent are Barangay Didipio residents with Indig-enous roots.

OGP provided Pangalina with three months of underground-mining train-ing. He was part of the service crew and progressed through several operational roles.

His dedication earned the respect of his coworkers and supervisors, even-tually leading to his current position as production supervisor.

‘I asked them, ‘Why me?’ I did not finish college, I was not very good at English, and I did not know how to use a computer. They told me they liked my work ethic and made sure I received managerial training,’ Pangalina recalled.

He also saw his family’s farm’s income improving.

‘My cousins now work on our farm, and their income has increased be-cause their produce no longer spoils before reaching the market through the farm-to-market roads built by OGP,’ he said.

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Elmer Dulnuan, a 39-year-old Twali-Ifugao from Didipio, followed his own path underground. Previously a carpenter, mason and heavy-equipment opera-tor, he joined the mine in 2017 and underwent training in underground-mining operations.

Dulnuan began as a nipper, supplying crews with tools and materials. He steadily advanced and is now acting superintendent for underground mining, helping manage the people and equipment needed to bring ore to the surface and meet production targets.

‘I am proud to lead our team in working safely, Filipinos and expatriates alike,’ he said.

Once the ore reaches the surface, part of Didipio’s output is processed in-to gold doré. Under an agreement effective from March 2025 to March 2028, OGP offers at least 25% of its annual gold doré production to the BSP.

In 2025, OGP sold around 6,684 ounces to the central bank, equivalent to 31% of its annual production. These sales allow locally produced gold to help strengthen the country’s reserve buffer amid inflationary pressures and global uncertainty.

For Pangalina and Dulnuan, however, gold’s value is most evident at home.

Charles supports six children, including his eldest, who is studying nursing. His work has helped him educate his children, improve their home and afford family trips.

Dulnuan and his high-school sweetheart, now his wife of 16 years, are rais-ing five children. His work has helped make their family more comfortable. With a high school now in Brgy. Didipio, his children no longer have to travel four hours to pursue an education. Most importantly, he can return home to them after work.

Behind every piece of jewelry, electronic component or gold bar in a cen-tral-bank vault is a long journey. For those who bring gold to the surface, its value is measured not only in ounces, but in children kept in school, comfortable homes and better futures built close to family.

OceanaGold operates the Didipio gold-copper mine in Luzon un-der a Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement. It is committed to safely and responsibly maximizing the generation of Free Cash Flow from its operation and delivering strong returns for its shareholders. It is a listed company with the Philippine Stock Exchange.

There won’t be a golden hat-trick in floor exercise and vault for Carlos Yulo as the Paris Olympics and Nagoya Asian Games double champion finishes eighth and last in the final of floor exercise at the world artistic championships in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, on Saturday.

Fred Richard became the first American in 23 years to win the world title, sending Great Britain’s Jake Jarman to the silver and Israel’s Artem Dolgopyat to the bronze meda