Filipinos have always loved beauty pageants and in this time of great need, following the recent and devastating earthquakes that struck Cebu and Davao, the Philippines is getting some love back.
The Miss USA Organization has partnered with the Philippines Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), the country’s major private sector coordinator for disaster risk and reduction management, chaired by tycoons Manuel V. Pangilinan, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, to support its relief efforts, reaffirming the pageant community’s deep bond that transcends borders.
‘The Filipino pageant community has given so much love, talent, and spirit to the Miss USA and Miss Universe families over the years,’ said Thom Brodeur, chair and CEO of the Miss USA Organization. ‘When they hurt, we hurt. When they rise, we rise with them. It’s our honor and our duty to show up for them now, just as they have always shown up for us.’
Indeed, the global pageant family has always come together in times of crisis-and this moment is certainly no different.
In a letter to PDRF president Rene Meily, Brodeur said that the organization will pledge a portion of the proceeds of online streaming sales from the 2025 Miss USA and Miss Teen USA national pageants to PDRF.
The funds will go to help PDRF’s ongoing restoration programs in the affected regions.
‘In times of tragedy, it is often the collective compassion and generosity of others that lights the path to recovery. It is in that spirit that we are honored to support your tireless efforts in disaster response and community rebuilding,’ he said. -Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Veloso: ‘I have no agenda’
Jose Arnulfo ‘Wick’ Veloso is no stranger to boardroom battles, given his nearly four decades of experience in banking and finance, thus he is not entirely fazed by the latest attempts to remove him from the helm of state pension fund Government Service Insurance System.
Last Oct 14, current and former high-ranking GSIS officials called for his ‘immediate and irrevocable’ resignation as president and general manager of the fund, and accused him of ‘poor investment decisions’ that they said resulted in losses amounting to P8.8 billion.
Veloso dismissed these allegations as ‘baseless’, adding in his statement that GSIS’ performance ‘speaks for itself.
As of August 2025, GSIS’s total assets have climbed to ?1.92 trillion, net income has reached ?100.02 billion, and total income stands at ?231.06 billion. These results clearly demonstrate that, despite market headwinds, GSIS remains financially strong, resilient, and highly profitable, he said.
‘With nearly four decades of experience in banking and finance, my sole objective in joining government is to contribute my expertise toward strengthening our institutions. I have no hidden agenda, only a clear commitment to serve,’ Veloso said.
‘I appeal to everyone to spare GSIS from politics. As head of GSIS Management, I am committed to ensuring that our institution is treated with the respect it deserves, and I will not allow unwarranted fault-finding to derail our collective progress,’ he added.
Veloso stressed that he would continue to serve as long as the administration wants him there, thus it will ultimately be up to Pres. Marcos to decide his fate. -Tina Arceo-Dumlao INQ