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Sean Ramos closed with a flourish but fell short of a Top 10 finish, firing a three-under 67 to salvage a share of 15th place in the Macau Open won by Taiwan’s Wang Wei-Hsuan in sudden death on Sunday.

Ramos birdied two of the final three par-5s at the Macau Golf and Country Club to card a 32-35 and finish at nine-under 271, tying compatriot Justin Quiban, American Carson Herron and China’s Andi Xu. Herron mounted his own late charge with a 66, while Xu faltered with a 71.

Ramos launched an early bid to bounce back from a disappointing third-round 71 that dropped him to joint 19th after an impressive 64 had lifted him into a share of sixth halfway through the tournament. He birdied Nos. 4 and 6 to revive his Top 10 hopes but lost momentum with a bogey after missing the green on the par-3 11th.

Undeterred, Ramos birdied No. 12 before capping his round with another birdie on the last, finishing with three strokes under par to salvage a respectable finish.

Quiban, meanwhile, failed to sustain the momentum of his third-round 65, which had propelled him into a share of third place. He birdied the second hole but gave back a stroke with a three-putt bogey on No. 4, then dropped two more on No. 7 after a pair of errant shots.

A birdie on No. 13 briefly rekindled his charge, but he bogeyed No. 16 before matching Ramos with a closing birdie for a one-over 71 and a share of 15th. Ramos and Quiban each earned $15,540.

Miguel Tabuena posted a second straight 69 to finish joint 23rd at 273, while Lloyd Go also carded a 69 but settled for a share of 59th at 279.

Wang, meanwhile, delivered the decisive late surge, eagling the 18th hole to match Korean Sungjae Im’s closing 67 and force a playoff at 21-under 263. The Taiwanese prevailed in sudden death, turning the tables on his runner-up finish in last year’s event, when he lost on the second playoff hole to Germany’s Dominic Foos.

In Japan, Justin delos Santos settled for a share of eighth place after closing with a three-over 73 in the Japan Open, where Yusaku Hosono secured a two-shot victory despite a bogey-bogey finish.

Delos Santos, an Asian Games veteran, had hoped to mount a stronger challenge but stumbled to a two-over 38 on the front nine of the West Course at Tarao Country Club in Shiga Prefecture. He slipped further with bogeys on Nos. 12 and 14 before checking the slide with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15 and 16.

His closing 73 left him at four-under 276, good for joint eighth.

Hosono, meanwhile, tightened his grip on the title with a front-nine 33 before holding off Yusuke Sakamoto by two strokes to win at 13-under 267. Despite dropping shots on his final two holes, Hosono became the first left-handed player in 45 years to capture Japan’s premier national championship.

Sakamoto closed with a 67 to claim solo second at 269.

The Senate is looking to strip funding from controversial infrastructure projects to finance the Department of Education (DepEd)’s request for an additional P149.67 billion, including P15.6 billion for a remedial learning program that remains without a dedicated budget.

During a Senate finance subcommittee briefing on Friday, DepEd requested an additional P147.93 billion, while six attached agencies sought P1.74 billion.

The House of Representatives previously approved a P969.79-billion budget for the education sector, P6.17 billion lower than the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Senate finance subcommittee chairman Sen. Bam Aquino proposed redirecting funds from controversial infrastructure projects to education, including feeding programs and classrooms.

‘In 2025, we gave zero budget to flood control. At that time, it was mired in controversy and still mired in controversy until now,’ Aquino said. ‘Let’s strip those projects of their funding and put it into feeding programs and classrooms. Let’s make the welfare of our youth a priority in our budget.’

The proposal comes amid renewed efforts to address the country’s learning crisis and strengthen school security following recent incidents of violence on campuses that led to the deaths of students.

If approved, the additional funding sought by DepEd would cover personnel improvements, school security upgrades such as perimeter fences and metal detectors and the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program.

P15.6 billion for ARAL

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara specifically requested P15.6 billion for ARAL, which seeks to help students struggling with key competencies catch up with their peers.

‘We know from international assessments and from national assessments that we have been doing very poorly over the years,’ DepEd Undersecretary Carmela Oracion told the panel.

‘So now we have a clear basis for a program that will provide remediation for reading, for mathematics and for science. Unfortunately, the law is unfunded,’ he added.

Department of Budget and Management director Vivien Labastilla explained that ARAL received no dedicated funding because it lacks a specific line item in the budget.

The program is instead funded through an allocation attributed to the textbook budget, with teachers conducting tutorials compensated through overtime pay.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo criticized the arrangement, stressing the need for remedial classes, particularly in remote and rural communities.

‘Your NEP has zero funding for this. Yet, you can see that in the past few years, our students have been performing poorly. They need this, especially those in remote areas and rural communities,’ Tulfo said.

Buddy system

Meanwhile, DepEd is pursuing additional measures to address school safety and student well-being, including a peer support initiative and the involvement of barangay security personnel.

The department launched its ‘My Buddy’ system to build safer and more supportive school environments as part of its mental health and psychosocial support framework.

The initiative encourages students to seek help early through structured buddy pairings or small peer groups modeled after a ‘big brother/big sister’ arrangement.

Training tanods

In a related move, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will train barangay tanods to help secure schools and surrounding areas following an agreement between the Department of the Interior and Local Government and DepEd.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed police chiefs to conduct training programs to strengthen barangay tanods’ patrol skills and prepare them for other security-related duties.

The reigning four-peat champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers will open their second-round campaign in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 26 basketball tournament against the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers today (Sunday, October 18) at the UV-Main Gymnasium.

UV defeated USPF, 70-63, in their first-round duel last September 29 at the Cebu Coliseum

Coach Gary Cortes and his wards will look to repeat that performance when they face the Panthers at 3:30 p.m.

The Lancers carry a 6-2 win-loss record, while Panthers are at the bottom of the college division standings with just one win in eight games, alongside the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM).

In the 5 p.m. main game, the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors will seek another victory over the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats after prevailing 58-54, in their September 28 encounter.

The Warriors hold a 5-3 slate, just one game ahead of the 4-4 Wildcats.

In the juniors division, UCLM will aim to extend its unbeaten run to six games when it takes on the 2-3 UV Baby Lancers at 2 p.m.

The 4-2 University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguar Cubs will try to snap a two-game losing skid when they face the 2-3 San Roque College de Cebu (SRCDC) Greyhounds in the 10:30 a.m. opener.

Meanwhile, the 2-3 Benedicto College (BC) Baby Cheetahs will tackle the struggling USPF Baby Panthers in the second game at 12:30 p.m.

As the country braces for a super El Niño, more than 115,000 people belong to a Facebook group where users buy second-hand air conditioners at significantly lower prices than new units, despite concerns over higher electricity costs, maintenance expenses and potential safety risks.

Businessman Peejay Lim sold his two-year-old, 1.5-horsepower non-inverter window-type air conditioner for P4,500 on Sept. 29, far below its original price of more than P20,000.

In his post, Lim said the unit had no issues, cooled the room quickly and had been used ‘fairly’ at about 70 percent of its capacity.

‘Someone bought it immediately after I posted,’ he said.

The transaction reflects a thriving second-hand aircon market in the Philippines, where up to 300,000 used units are sold annually, equivalent to about one-third of new-unit sales, according to studies cited in the ninth ASEAN Energy Outlook report released earlier this month.

The report noted that price remains the primary consideration for consumers buying appliances, often outweighing energy efficiency.

‘The lower upfront price of second-hand aircons outweighs energy efficiency considerations in purchasing decisions, potentially leaving lower-income consumers exposed to higher electricity costs over the remaining life of the appliance,’ the report stated.

Lim said he sold his window-type unit because his home in Marikina is undergoing renovation.

‘We want everything new,’ he said. ‘We also want to refresh good energy inside our home.’

According to a 2022 journal article by Babette Never of the IDOS German Institute of Development and Sustainability, sales of second-hand air conditioners among micro and small enterprises typically peak from February to May, coinciding with the summer season. During off-peak periods, these businesses turn to repair and reassembly services.

Second-hand units are commonly sourced from condominium buildings, hotels, offices and large restaurants undergoing renovation or demolition, the study said.

Most units sold are window-type models with capacities ranging from one to 1.5 horsepower.

Never’s study, titled ‘Green and Social Regulation of Second-Hand Appliance Markets: The Case of Air Conditioners in the Philippines,’ found that the industry is thriving among middle-class consumers seeking affordable appliances.

‘There was high agreement among interviewees that the competition in the second-hand aircon market is strong, as profit margins are high,’ the article said.

‘As the very poor cannot afford aircons, individual customers are mostly middle-income enterprises or middle-class people looking for a bargain,’ it added.

Costs and risks

While buying second-hand air conditioners is not inherently problematic, poorly maintained or defective units can prove more expensive and riskier in the long run.

Meralco Power Lab manager John Pocholo Pabilona warned that even failing to clean an air conditioner’s indoor air filter can increase electricity costs.

‘It can already incur around P95 monthly for a one-horsepower unit,’ Pabilona told The STAR. ‘There are other cases where aircons not maintained for a year can incur an additional P500 to P600 per month.’

Meralco Power Lab tested a 2.5-horsepower floor-mounted air conditioner with a baseline electricity cost of P3.36 per hour.

After three years without maintenance, the cost rose by 17 percent to P3.93 per hour. Cleaning the unit brought the figure down to P3.39 per hour, nearly returning it to baseline.

Air conditioners typically last five to 10 years, Pabilona said, during which newer and more energy-efficient models become available.

Inverter-type air conditioners are now 30 to 70 percent cheaper than conventional models, he said.

Unlike traditional units, which operate their compressors at full capacity during cooling cycles, inverter models slow down their compressors once the room reaches the desired temperature, reducing electricity consumption.

Wear and tear also raises concerns about the structural integrity of second-hand units.

‘Given the wear and tear of our products, the fan and the compressor are definitely more prone to breakage over time,’ Pabilona said.

Refrigerant leaks pose another concern. The compound absorbs heat from inside a room and releases it outdoors. Leaks, combined with electrical sparks or an overheated compressor, can create fire risks.

To address these concerns, the ASEAN report urged the government to strengthen minimum energy performance standards to ensure that appliances passed on to subsequent households meet higher efficiency requirements.

It also called for stricter product registration, testing and enforcement to limit the entry of inefficient appliances, alongside targeted financing and replacement programs.

Six artworks made from or inspired by plastic waste challenge viewers to reconsider their relationship with the material in ‘The Plastocene,’ a contemporary art exhibition on view at the Yuchengco Museum until October 30.

The featured works encourage visitors to look beyond the material’s everyday uses and consider its lasting impact on the environment.

Here are six artworks to look out for at the exhibition.

Dennis Atienza’s ‘The Ocean Creatures’

Dennis Atienza transforms single-use plastics into fish-like forms in ‘The Ocean Creatures.’

The black-and-white piece highlights how plastic waste can remain in the environment long after it has been thrown away, reminding viewers that what disappears from sight does not necessarily disappear from the ecosystem.

Benedicto Modesto’s ‘Mutation of Negligence: Petzilla (Filipinus walapakealamus)’

A monstrous form takes shape in Benedicto Modesto’s ‘Mutation of Negligence: Petzilla (Filipinus walapakealamus).’

It is a social satire that challenges viewers to consider how habitual wastefulness and a lack of accountability can turn people into the very threats they should be fighting.

Melvin Culaba’s ‘Si Supreme El Niño sa Paligid ng mga Plastic Toys’

El Niño and plastic toys are the inspiration behind Melvin Culaba’s ‘Si Supreme El Niño sa Paligid ng mga Plastic Toys.’

Culaba’s handiwork draws on the Filipino expression ‘pagiging plastik,’ which can refer to artificiality, insincerity or hypocrisy.

Eghai Roxas’ ‘Toxic Life Submerged in Materials’

In ‘Toxic Life Submerged in Materials,’ Eghai Roxas uses disposable plastic materials and single-use bags to create an intricate composition against a white background.

Roxas, who also serves as curator of ‘The Plastocene,’ uses the composition to explore excess, toxicity and the contradictions surrounding disposable products.

Henri Cainglet’s ‘Octopussy #69’

The artistic possibilities of discarded materials arise in Cainglet’s ‘Octopussy #69,’ a soft sculpture incorporating hand-sewn textiles, found objects and single-use plastics.

The artist’s playful title and presentation contrast with the more serious concerns surrounding its materials, highlighting how objects commonly treated as waste can be transformed into works that encourage reflection on consumption and disposal.

Raul Jorolan’s ‘Dedma Manhid and Pasaway’

Filipino humor and familiar expressions work to deliver an timely environmental message in ‘Dedma Manhid and Pasaway.’

Jorolan made use of disposable plastic, and incorporates the line ‘Hoy! Wag kang Plastic!’ as a play on the material itself and the Filipino expression associated with insincerity or hypocrisy.

Other works

‘The Plastocene’ also features artworks that examine plastic pollution and environmental disruption through different artistic approaches.

Visitors can explore Roxas’ other large-scale works, Chrisanto Aquino’s diptych ‘Human Trash’ and ‘Pong Pagong,’ and Rara Carillo’s four-part sequence ‘Crude Imprint,’ ‘Red Tide,’ ‘Anthropocene Corals’ and ‘Mangrove.’

Beck Dollisen’s ‘Salamat sa Payong ni Denden’ also offers another perspective on the exhibition’s themes through humor and unexpected associations.

‘The Plastocene’ is on view at the ground-floor lobby of the Yuchengco Museum until October 30.

A Nigerian national was arrested in an anti-narcotics operation, which resulted in the seizure of P5.96 million worth of party drug Ecstasy in Angeles, Pampanga on Friday night.

The 46-year-old suspect, identified only as Justine of Mabalacat City was collared at around 10:30 p.m. following a sting on 1st street in Barangay Balibago, according to Central Luzon police director Brig. Gen. Jess Mendez.

Anti-narcotics agents said they seized from the suspect 3,510 pieces of Ecstasy pills and the marked money.

Probers expressed belief the suspect is a major supplier of illegal drugs in Central Luzon.

A bettor in Naga City, Camarines Sur won the jackpot in the 6/45 Mega Lotto drawn on Friday night, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office (PCSO).

The player correctly guessed the six-digit winning combination 08-22-19-10-35-27, which carried a total jackpot prize of P115.99 million.

PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles said the winning ticket was bought from a lotto outlet in Barangay Triangulo.

Sixty-five other players won P18,461.53 each for correctly guessing five of the six-digit winning combination.

The 6/45 Mega Lotto is drawn every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Meanwhile, the jackpot in the 6/58 Ultra Lotto is expected to increase tonight after no one correctly guessed the six-digit winning combination 21-12-30-04-36-41.

As of Friday night, the jackpot prize in the 6/58 Ultra Lotto was P401.33 million.

The 6/58 Ultra Lotto is drawn every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.

Before form, color, texture and volume – and way before composition of elements, brush strokes, and artistic styles even mattered – there was the line.

The basic line that started every drawing, doodle or sketch. The all-important line that defined an eye or nose in a portrait, served as foundation for a sea of cubes in an abstract painting, transformed into the adorable cartoon character in a comics strip, and created a visual representation of a heritage-inspired dress playing in the mind of a fashion designer.

With this in mind, ManilART 2026, which runs at the SMX Aura Convention Center in Taguig City from October 14 to 18, 2026, presents ‘Where the Line Begins’ for the 18th edition of this annual event. Acknowledging the line as the fundamental language of visual art, this year’s exhibit celebrates the line as the first gesture that transforms thought into image, imagination into form, and ideas into visual reality.

This year’s event brings together galleries, artists, collectors, cultural institutions, and creative communities for five days of exhibitions and special features across the visual arts. There are more than 35 large pavilion booths featuring a roster of over 600 artists, thus giving ManilART one of its broadest presentations to date. The scale of the venue allows galleries and artists to roll out major works rarely seen in conventional settings – from huge sculptures and ambitious installations to monumental paintings and other significant pieces.

Going down to details, one of the major highlights of ManilART 2026 is its celebration of the Filipino comics tradition, where the drawn line became character, movement, humor, and story. Presented with the Seven Lakes Komiks Festival, it is supported by the Komikero Museum, the first museum of Filipino comics, which is based in San Pablo, Laguna.

The feature pays tribute to pioneering figures who shaped Philippine comics, led by National Artist Francisco V. Coching, the celebrated ‘Dean of Filipino Illustrators’; Mars Ravelo, creator of Darna; Gerry Alanguilan, a leading figure in the Philippine comics renaissance who championed the preservation of the country’s Golden Age of Komiks; Tony Velasquez, widely regarded as the father of Filipino comics and creator of Kenkoy; and Alfredo Alcala, whose extraordinary draftsmanship and imaginative worlds, including Voltar, earned him recognition in the Philippines and abroad. Alanguilan also founded the Komikero Komiks Museum and worked extensively to preserve the work of earlier Filipino komikeros.

Featured partner Larong Atin brings the comics tradition into contemporary play with games based on beloved Filipino characters, including Darna, Lastikman, and Combatron. Its latest project, “Encantadia: War of Gems,” based on Original Filipino Intellectual Property with multi-generational following of the GMA fantasy series “Encantadia,” will make its much-awaited launch at ManilART 2026.

Larong Atin has also taken Filipino game design to international fairs and markets, and co-organized the inaugural Asian Board Games Festival Philippines this 2026.

The five-day exhibit also highlights the works of the late Larry Alcala. For those who missed “Return to the Popular: Drawing the Filipino Imagination,” the centennial exhibition of National Artist Larry Alcala held at the Metropolitan Theater, ManilART 2026 offers another opportunity to catch the production in a special roadshow feature, as it celebrates Alcala’s enduring contribution to Philippine popular visual culture, from his iconic Slice of Life cartoons to the distinctive characters and observations that made his work part of the Filipino visual memory.

The spotlight is also given to Maria Beatriz ‘Patis’ Tesoro, who was recently conferred the title of National Artist for Design. She is celebrated for her lifelong work with Filipiniana fashion, indigenous textiles, and traditional craftsmanship.

At ManilART 2026, a selection of her illustrations and visual works reveals another dimension of her practice, featuring colorful Filipiniana themes rendered in a playful, naïf-inspired illustrative style.

Tesoro’s participation also coincides with the launch of a coloring book project developed with the Department of Education (DepEd), featuring her illustrations and bringing Filipino visual culture and creative expression closer to young learners. The project extends Tesoro’s continuing work of connecting cultural heritage with the next generation through art and education.

For the 18th year, ManilART Foundation is co-presenting ManilART 2026 with the City of Taguig, with the partnership expanding into a city-wide celebration as Taguig headlines its National Committee on Art Galleries and Subcommission on Cultural Heritage for Museums and Galleries Month (MGM) program. ManilART 2026 serves as a banner event of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) celebration this October.

Throughout October, a calendar of satellite exhibitions, cultural activities, and art programs around Taguig will connect the art fair with the city’s museums, galleries, cultural spaces, schools, creative communities, and other venues. In effect, it extends the ManilART experience beyond the SMX Aura Convention Center.

“ManilART 2026: Where the Line Begins” is ongoing until today, October 18, 2026.

Motorists going to the northernmost part of Quezon City will soon find relief now that the Novaliches link of the North Luzon Expressway has reached 96-percent completion, NLEX Corp. announced.

NLEX Corp. said it is close to completing the first phase of Segment 8.2, also called the NLEX-C5 Northlink, as the project is down to its final sections.

The segment is expected to handle at least 11,000 vehicles daily, easing access to Novaliches via Quirino Highway.

The NLEX-C5 Northlink project is designed to be an all-weather infrastructure, elevated throughout its two-kilometer coverage and will be equipped with security cameras and speed sensors for traffic management.

According to NLEX Corp., the segment would have Neology antennas and RFID readers for toll collection and is enveloped with roadside lighting and traffic signs for ease of navigation.

The project extends NLEX eastward to Quirino Highway, giving motorists an alternate route to Novaliches by bypassing Mindanao Avenue.

As the project nears its completion, NLEX Corp. is shifting its focus on the installation of concrete barriers and expansion joints along the mainline.

The builder is finishing the westbound and eastbound ramps in Quirino Highway, as well as the remaining civil works to prepare for opening.

Luis Reñon, NLEX Corp. president and general manager, said the project, once opened, would be beneficial to motorists trying to save time on the road to cut fuel burn.

‘While fuel prices and other travel-related costs are beyond our control, we can provide reliable road infrastructure that help people reach their destinations more efficiently. That is the value we aim to deliver through this project,’ Reñon said.

After the first phase, NLEX Corp. will proceed with the construction of the remaining segments of the NLEX-C5 Northlink. The second leg of the project extends NLEX to Regalado Avenue, deeper into Quezon City, and the third and final phase stretches to Congressional Avenue.

National University grinded out a 69-65 victory over the Far Eastern University Tamaraws to finish the first round of the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament on a high Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

With the win, the Bulldogs are currently on top of the standings with a 5-2 win-loss slate.

While they share the same record with University of the Philippines, they get the tiebreaker after NU won over the Fighting Maroons earlier in the round.

Mac Alfanta powered the Bulldogs with 14 points, two rebounds and an assist, while PJ Palacielo and Tebol Garcia had 13 points apiece.

Reinhard Jumamoy added 12 markers.

The Bulldogs trailed by nine, 45-54, in the third quarter after free throws by Cabs Cabonilas.

But an 18-4 run capped by back-to-back transition layups off the steal by Garcia pushed NU ahead, 63-58, with 6:34 to go.

Jorick Bautista then strung together seven straight points to push FEU ahead anew, 65-63, with 4:45 remaining, but it turned out to be the final buckets of the Tamaraws.

An alley-oop slam finish by Mo Diassana, followed by back-to-back jumpers by Alfanta and Palacielo, gave NU the 49-45 lead with 1:53 left.

The Bulldogs then bared their fangs and tightened up on defense as they prevented FEU from scoring in the ballgame.

Paul Francisco added 10 points and three for the winning team.

Cabonilas shone off the bench for the Tamaraws with 14 points, five rebounds and an assist. Janrey Pasaol and Mo Konateh added 10 points apiece, with the former dishing out six assists, and the latter hauling down 15 boards and swatting away four shots.

FEU dropped to 4-3.