112825 - New York and New Jersey Edition

DATELINE USA

Families of Filipinos in ICE detention decry neglect of migrants

The families of DACA recipient Yaa’kub Ira Vijandre and green card holder Sonny Lasquite speak out

NEW YORK — Families of several Filipino nationals detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities are speaking out, alleging both the United States and Philippine governments have neglected their loved ones, who now face possible deportation.

The statements came as relatives of Filipino freelance journalist and DACA recipient Yaa’kub Ira Vijandre – whose legal name is Jacob Ira Azurin Vijandre – and green card holder Sonny John Lasquite recently appeared in court, joined by the Tanggol Migrante Movement, an advocacy group assisting Filipino migrants across the United States.

Yaa’kub Ira Vijandre

Vijandre has been held in immigration detention since Oct. 7 after federal authorities terminated his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status over social media posts and public statements criticizing prison condiu PAGE 5

Zaldy Co extends allegations to Marcos family; Palace rejects claims as unverified

by AJPress

MANILA — Former lawmaker Zaldy Co has widened a series of explosive online allegations to include members of the Marcos family, asserting in new video statements that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, and the First Lady’s brother Martin Araneta

held roles in budget kickbacks or agricultural supply arrangements.

The claims, released between mid-November and Nov. 27, remain unverified, and no government agency, court, or regulator has filed charges in relation to any of Co’s allegations. Co has not presented documentary evidence to support his statements. Palace officials

Co, 7 lawmakers face plunder, graft cases

by EJ Macababbad Philstar.com

MANILA — Seven congressmen who are owners of construction firms that have contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been recommended for prosecution by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.

Also on ICI’s list – the eighth –was resigned party-list representative and fugitive Zaldy Co.

ment Officials and Public Employees, for taking part in firms found doing business with the DPWH, the ICI said in its recommendation addressed to the Office of the Ombudsman.

“These congressmen should not be engaging in private business activities that conflict with their official duties and they should not influence bids and awards,” ICI chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said.

Manila to host first WTA tour stop with 2026 Philippine Women’s Open

by AJPress

Nursing loses ‘professional degree’ status under new Trump administration loan rules

by AJPress

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Trump administration removed nursing programs from the federal list of professional degrees, a change that reshapes how thousands of students finance advanced training across the United States.

President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4, 2025, launching a broad restructuring of federal

u PAGE 8

Coming soon: Arrest of flood scam ‘big fish’

by RainieR allan Ronda, MaRk eRnest Villeza Philstar.com

The lawmakers – mockingly called “cong-tractors” – “appeared” to have violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Govern- u PAGE 4

“Members of Congress must not sway procurement processes nor should they participate in or benefit from government contracts,” he said.

MANILA — The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has officially added Manila to its 2026 calendar with the launch of the Philippine Women’s Open, a WTA 125 tournament set for January 26–31, 2026. It marks the first time the Philippines will host a WTA tour-level event, placing the country on the global tennis map during a period of renewed expansion for the sport in Asia.

$115,000 prize purse, making it one of the key early-season stops in the region.

PSC, PHILTA finalize preparations

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) will jointly stage the competition. PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio said preparations include significant upgrades to the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, which is being reinforced to meet WTA standards. The government-run complex, which previously host-

The WTA lists the event as a 32-player singles and 16-team doubles tournament with a u PAGE 5

MANILA — Expect the “big fish” in the multibillion-peso flood control corruption scandal – including senators and congressmen – to fall into the government dragnet and get locked up in five weeks, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Tuesday, November 25.

“Big fish are coming soon. We should expect the Discayas, senators and congressmen in the next five weeks. There will be no special treatment. They will be treated like everyone else,” Remulla said at a briefing with Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) officials at the New Quezon City Jail where six of eight pubu PAGE 4

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR. Customers check out Christmas decorations during the first day of the Noel Bazaar Christmas Expo at the World Trade Center in Pasay City on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. The expo runs until Nov. 30. PNA photo by Yancy Lim

Philstar file photo

Co and Sandro Marcos trade explosive allegations as flood-control scandal widens

Conflicting accounts emerge while investigators expand review of public works spending

by AJPress

MANILA

— A corruption scandal that began with a technical audit of flood-control projects has escalated into a public clash between former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, the eldest son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The confrontation comes as investigators widen a multibillion-peso review of infrastructure spending across the Philippines.

Co directly implicates the President’s son

In a new video posted online from abroad, Co claims that Sandro Marcos, who leads the House majority and represents Ilocos Norte, directed him to push budget insertions totaling around P50 billion across several recent national budgets. He says the alleged instructions involved flood-control and

infrastructure items now under scrutiny.

Co presents himself as a lawmaker who followed orders under political pressure. He acknowledges that he helped move funds through budget insertions but denies receiving kickbacks or designing the scheme. He has not publicly released documents that support his account, and his claims have not been tested in court.

The video marks the most direct attempt so far by a figure linked to the scandal to implicate the President’s son in alleged budget irregularities.

Sandro Marcos dismisses accusations as “lies on camera”

Sandro Marcos has rejected Co’s statements in a detailed written response and media interviews. He says Co’s video contains “lies on camera” and calls the accusations “as fantastical as

they are false.” He insists he has “nothing to do” with illegal budget insertions.

Marcos says intelligence briefings suggest that Co “struck a deal” with groups seeking to destabilize the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. According to Marcos, Co is trying to create political turmoil to escape the consequences of his own legal problems. He urges the public to rely on evidence presented in official proceedings and notes that Co has not submitted a sworn affidavit backing his allegations.

Two clashing narratives, one expanding probe

For now, Co’s claims against Sandro Marcos remain allegations. Marcos’ assertions about Co’s motives also remain unproven. No court has ruled on either account, and all parties are presumed innocent while investigations and court proceedings continue. n

Co alleges First Lady, brother influenced food-price inquiries; regulators report no cases tied to them

by AJPress

MANILA

— Former Ako

Bicol representative Zaldy Co released new video statements alleging that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and her brother Martin Araneta intervened in congressional inquiries into rising food prices. The claims come as Co continues to issue public allegations while facing graft charges related to flood-control projects.

Zaldy Co extends allegations to Marcos...

and those named have denied wrongdoing and dismissed his claims as unfounded.

1 both rejected the claims in public comments. The Palace says Co’s narratives shift across his videos and lack substantiating records.

Co issued the videos while facing arrest orders and plunder referrals tied to what authorities describe as the nation’s largest ongoing infrastructure corruption investigation.

Co names President, Romualdez, Sandro, First Lady, DOJ official and others in expanding series

In the video releases, Co alleges:

• Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez received roughly P55 billion in kickbacks tied to flood-control allocations.

• President Marcos received a P1-billion delivery of funds allegedly linked to budget insertions.

Flood-control probe advances as Co remains abroad

The Sandiganbayan earlier issued arrest warrants for Co and 17 others over an allegedly irregular river-dike project in Oriental Mindoro. Authorities say the case forms part of a larger DPWH-ICI audit of nearly 10,000 flood-control projects worth an estimated P545 billion, with potential losses pegged at P118.5 billion.

The administration says investigators will rely on audits, transaction records and sworn statements, not online videos, to determine liability.

Cartel allegations shift national attention to food supply chain

Co’s newest allegations place the First Lady and her brother at the center of a supposed rice and onion cartel.In his latest video message, Co’s claim that the pair influenced importation schedules and market flows.

Martin Araneta is a private individual and does not hold public office. His name appeared during the 2022 onion hearings when several witnesses mentioned him in relation to the importation process. Those references did not result in charges, and official reports issued after the hearings did not list him as a respondent or subject of further investigation. Regulators monitoring food-supply cases say Co’s new claims do not match any active inquiries. The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) continues to

In his latest video, Co said the First Lady “personally intervened” in the 2022 House investigation into surging onion prices and again in a 2024 inquiry into elevated rice prices. He asserted that both inquiries involved traders linked to a cartel that manipulated supply and that her brother had “interests” or influence within that network. Co did not provide documents supporting the allegation.

prosecute an onion-industry case involving alleged coordination by several trading groups, but none of its filings name the First Lady or her brother. The Department of Justice (DOJ), which has pursued hoarding and price-fixing cases since 2023, also does not list either individual in any of its complaints. There is no public record of a statement from the First Lady or the Office of the President addressing Co’s allegation. Public filings from the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) show no case involving the First Lady or her brother. As of this writing, Co’s allegations involving the First Lady and her brother remain unverified. n

• Rep. Sandro Marcos received another P1 billion, which Co claims flowed from insertion requests.

• A Department of Justice undersecretary acted as a “bagman” in some transfers.

• First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and her brother Martin Araneta held influence within a rice and onion cartel that allegedly shaped importation flows and pricing.

Co has not provided documents, receipts or sworn affidavits supporting these claims. None of the allegations have been confirmed by investigators. Regulators note that existing cartel and economic-sabotage cases involve other traders and firms, not the Marcos family.

Officials named by Co say the accusations are false. Romualdez and Sandro Marcos

Law-enforcement teams have detained several suspects. Co has already left the Philippines before the warrants came out. The Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Interpol issued a blue notice to help track Co and three other suspects who traveled abroad.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) have recommended plunder, graft and bribery charges before the Ombudsman against several lawmakers, including Co, in connection with project allocations.

Palace response: “Come home and face the accusations”

President Marcos has challenged Co to return and submit evidence to investigators. Marcos says Co’s lawyer attempted to negotiate over a possible passport cancellation, which the President described as an attempt to “blackmail” the government. Co’s counsel previously denied that interpretation in earlier interviews.

Regulators counter that current cartel and smuggling cases, including the PCC’s 2024 Statement of Objections and the DOJ’s economic-sabotage reviews, target traders identified in earlier congressional findings. None of the dockets name the First Lady, her brother or any member of the Marcos family.

Investigators weigh next steps

The Makabayan bloc has urged the ICI to examine Co’s statements and determine whether expanded investigations are warranted. The Ombudsman continues to review the DPWH-ICI plunder referrals, while authorities pursue remaining suspects in the flood-control cases.

Co maintains that he aims to expose systemic corruption. Officials maintain that his claims require evidence and formal evaluation.

For now, the infrastructure corruption probe and Co’s online allegations proceed along separate tracks, one grounded in official audits and prosecutions, the other in statements that investigators have yet to corroborate. n

STOP CORRUPTION. A protester holds a poster that asks for a stop to corruption and plunder during a protest rally at the corner of Recto and Mendiola Streets in Manila on Tuesday (Nov. 25, 2025). It is part of the kickoff for the One Billion Rising Philippines campaign and International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. PNA photo by Yancy Lim

Co, 7 lawmakers face plunder, graft cases...

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President Marcos also announced the development in a video statement, where he vowed no letup in efforts to recover funds lost to corruption. “This is our promise, that the money of the people will be given back to the people,” Marcos said.

Co was included on the list for his ties with FS Co Builders and Supply, owned by a sibling.

Construction Workers Solidarity Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola is related to top shareholders of Newington Builders Inc., Lourel Development Corp. and S-Ang General Construction and Trading Inc.

Uswag Ilonggo Party-list

Rep. James Ang Jr., one of the 17 lawmakers tagged by the Discayas in the flood control mess during a Senate hearing in September, has links to IBC International Builders Corp. and Allencon Development Corp.

Ang issued a statement on Wed., November 26 saying his “resolve for truth to come out is stronger and clearer.”

Pusong Pinoy Party-list Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay remains as the general manager of JVN Construction and Trading.

The family of Bulacan 2nd District Rep. Augustina Dominique Pancho owns C.M. Pancho Construction Inc.

Cagayan 3rd District Rep. Joseph Lasam Lara founded JLL Pulsar Construction Corp., which his children now own.

Surigao Del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Matugas, already indicted in July for allegedly diverting disaster response funds to other projects without authority, has ties with Boometrix Development Corp.

Tarlac 3rd District Rep. Noel Rivera, already facing a case for allegedly colluding with his wife and a DPWH engineer to secure over P600 million in government contracts, has links to Tarlac 3-G Construction and Development Corp.

All in all, their firms cornered 1,300 infrastructure projects from 2016 to 2024, but the ICI is mum about the specifics of the joint referral with the DPWH.

“We looked at the records. We looked at the contracts. That’s all I can say because this is investigative work. I cannot divulge how we arrive at these conclusions,” he said.

The ICI cited Article VI, Section 14 of the Constitution, which states that neither a senator nor a representative should “be interested financially in any contract with,

or in any franchise or special privilege granted by the government, or any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including any government-owned or controlled corporation, or its subsidiary, during his term of office.”

‘Culture of contracting’ Reyes called for the eradication of the “culture of contracting in Congress” as corruption in government continues to fester.

“This practice should have ended decades ago,” he said. “The longer we allow it to exist, the more it corrodes public trust.”

“Let us tear down this abusive system one by one with every filing,” the ICI chairman added.

More names will come out in the coming weeks, he said without elaborating.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said he is set to discuss with Speaker Faustino Dy III how to deal with the congressmen facing prosecution.

“There will be disruption. I have to talk to the Speaker because many will get affected. Our law is full of statutes that will make people accountable and make them pay the price for their misdeeds,” he said at a briefing.

Remulla said “more than 10 percent” of House members would likely be affected by the investigations.

He also said apart from the eight lawmakers being tagged, there could be around 12 to 15 more “with obviously conflict of interest.” The ombudsman, however, said they are waiting for the lawmakers themselves to “come clean.”

Also yesterday, Quezon 3rd District Rep. Reynante Arrogancia and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tarriela appeared before the ICI – but behind closed doors – to debunk the Discayas’ claim that they had also received kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects.

ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said the commission granted the request of the two not to livestream their testimonies because of “sensitivity” of some information.

“They cited sensitive and private information that might be divulged during their testimonies, and the commission saw it fit to allow an executive session,” Hosaka said.

“There is information that should really be divulged in confidence so that the investigation will proceed without any hitches or problems because the commission needs to get as much evidence and information as possible for us

to arrive at the truth,” Hosaka said.

“I encourage everyone to read our guidelines because they are based on law, jurisprudence and even the pronouncements of the Supreme Court,” he added.

In his video statement, Marcos also reported that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has secured two freeze orders for properties linked to the flood control controversy, bringing the total amount of frozen assets to about P12 billion. Among those covered by the orders are Co’s assets valued at P4 billion, he added.

Also covered by the freeze order were 3,566 bank accounts, 198 insurance policies, 247 motor vehicles, 178 real properties and 16 e-wallet accounts.

“This is just the beginning. More assets will be frozen so the money can be returned to the people,” the Chief Executive said.

The flood control controversy started after Marcos ordered an investigation on substandard and ghost projects during his fourth State of the Nation Address last July.

The scandal has caused leadership changes in Congress, resignations as well as calls to cleanse the bureaucracy of corruption.

“The issuance of the freeze orders will enable AMLC to pursue a more extensive financial investigation to uncover any possible money laundering scheme linked to the flood control projects,” said AMLC executive director Matthew David.

“The public can be assured that the AMLC will continue to pursue all possible legal remedies to ensure that those involved in the misuse of public funds are held accountable,” he added.

The AMLC has not publicly identified the officials involved, citing confidentiality restrictions while investigations are ongoing.

Meanwhile, DPWH accountant Juliet Calvo, who had posted P90,000 bail for her temporary release, was rearrested after she was included among respondents in malversation of public funds charges.

Another DPWH official, Montrexis Tamayo, was nabbed by police at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday upon his arrival from Israel.- Daphne Galvez, Keisha Ta-asan, Emmanuel Tupas, Rainier Allan Ronda, Jose Rodel Clapano, Rudy Santos n

Coming soon: Arrest of flood scam...

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lic works officials charged for involvement in flood control anomalies are now detained.

Remulla said some of the suspects or accused still at large are abroad, including in Qatar and the United States. He said they have until tomorrow to surrender to the nearest Philippine embassy.

“We have copies of their passports. We can find them wherever they go,” he said.

He noted that the search for alleged mastermind and former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co has been difficult because the former lawmaker holds two passports.

“Go home. You need to answer to the law,” the DILG chief said, adding that tracker teams confirmed Co’s recent movements in Europe, Asia and the U.S.

Remulla also disclosed that one suspect was arrested inside the home of a Mindoro vice mayor who, along with household members, may face charges for obstruction of justice.

“Do not help those who continue to hide. If you care for them, you should also care for yourselves,” he said.

Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. also issued the same warning and ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and other police units implementing the arrest warrants to prepare criminal cases against people found coddling the fugitives.

“We understand the close ties among relatives and friends but accountability and the rule of law must always prevail,” Nartatez said in a statement.

“There’s no need for you to get embroiled here and suffer the consequence,” he said.

No special treatment

BJMP director Ruel Rivera said the detainees will receive the same food, services and privileges as other detainees. They will be held in one cell and have access to 24-hour inhouse medical services. The BJMP food allocation was recently increased from P70 to P100 daily per inmate.

The BJMP allows two to five family members to visit the detainees at designated areas. Visitors may bring cooked food subject to inspection from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Mondays and Fridays.

The New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory remains at 80 percent capacity, with 14 cells still vacant. Each building can house up to 3,000 inmates.

Detained at the New Quezon City Jail male dormitory in Payatas are Gerald Pacanan, Gene Ryan Altea, Ruben delos Santos Jr., Dominic Serrano, Felisardo Casuno and Dennis Abagon.

One female accused, Lerma Cayco, is being held at the Camp Caringal Female Dormitory while another, Juliet Calvo, was allowed to post bail on a falsification charge and will face trial before the Ombudsman’s Fifth Division.

The accused are facing charges of plunder, indirect bribery and violations of the anti-graft law before the Office of the Ombudsman’s Sixth and Seventh Divisions.

At the Senate, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro said Co’s passport can’t be cancelled yet in the absence of a court order.

Security guarantee

Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, interpellating on the DFA’s proposed budget for 2026, pressed the DFA on the potential implications of Co’s passport cancellation, citing the scale of the former lawmaker’s corruption allegations.

“Considering the magnitude of Mr. Zaldy Co’s exposé… the magnitude of corruption described in his exposé… is mind-boggling,” Marcoleta said.

He asked what role the DFA would play in ensuring Co’s safety “right from the cancellation of his passport, considering that there will be trillion of reasons why people would like him silenced.”

Sen. Imee Marcos responded that the DFA’s mandate ends at the administrative processing of a court directive.

“As to his safety upon arrival in the Philippines, assuming that he does come back home, I think other authorities such as perhaps the police as well as the DOJ would have to take over,” Marcos added.

Meanwhile, Quezon City Rep. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde

and Caloocan City Rep. Dean Asistio, tagged by contractor Curlee Discaya as recipients of kickbacks from flood control projects, appeared before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) yesterday behind closed doors despite the issuance of livestreaming guidelines last week.

In a press statement issued after the meeting, the ICI said Atayde and Asistio belied Discaya’s allegations and were asked to submit some documents. Asistio was given until Nov. 28 to submit the required documents, while the deadline for Atayde was set for Dec. 2.

The ICI said the two had requested for executive session.

“The ICI granted the requests after finding that these had sufficient factual and legal basis, pursuant to the ICI Live Streaming Guidelines, which was published in the Official Gazette on Nov. 22, 2025,” the ICI said.

“The ICI remains committed to conducting its investigation in a manner that upholds the Filipino people’s right to information, ensures due process, adheres to the rule of law and protects the individual rights of its resource persons,” the ICI said.

In an interview with reporters before the meeting, Atayde said that he was appearing before the ICI as a “volunteer,” having even written the commission to fast-track the process of getting a schedule for his appearance.

“I told people I’ll answer at the proper forum and the proper time, and this is it. I also have my affidavit. And I’m ready to answer. I’ll lay my cards on the table, facts lang po,” Atayde said.

“I don’t want to invalidate the feelings of people towards the gravity of the situation if I deny. So I had to gather all the evidence,” he said.

(With reports from Neil Jayson Servallos, Emmanuel Tupas)

Iniharap sa media ang mugshot photos ng naarestong walo sa 16 akusado sa flood control projects ng DPWH-MIMAROPA. Humarap sa nasabing presscon sina DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla, Acting PNP Chief Melencio Nartatez Jr., DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon, DOJ Sec. Fredderick Vida, at NBI OIC Angelito Magno. Michael Varcas

Families of Filipinos in ICE detention decry...

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tions and U.S. policy in Gaza, according to his legal team.

A habeas corpus petition filed in federal court in Georgia argues that Vijandre’s detention violates his First Amendment and due process rights because it is based on constitutionally protected political speech rather than any criminal conduct.

A relative who previously worked with the Philippine Embassy said the family has sought help from Philippine consular posts but has not received diplomatic support or financial assistance more than a month into his detention.

Advocates say the case raises concerns that lawful residents and long-term immigrants could face detention and deportation for activities that the U.S. Constitution protects.

Sonny Lasquite

Relatives of Lasquite also criticized the lack of support from the Philippine government.

Lasquite was detained by ICE at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina after returning from a trip abroad in July this year.

Public records show Lasquite, who has lived in the US for more than two decades, is being held at Stewart Detention Center in Georgia in connection with a 2012 federal narcotics conviction for which he already served his sentence.

His brother described Lasquite as the main breadwinner who returned to school and tried to rebuild his life. He said the family has struggled to cover mounting legal costs.

The family said a request for additional Philippine government legal aid was denied after officials cited the existence of a community fundraiser, which relatives say is nearly depleted.

The families’ concerns were echoed by Nerissa dela Cruz of California, whose husband, Zenar, was deported to the Philippines after developing medical issues while in ICE custody.

Dela Cruz said Zenar has been hospitalized twice since his return and nearly died during a recent emergency due to a chronic condition.

The family has faced difficulty securing welfare and medical support from Philippine agen-

cies, she added.

Dela Cruz, a mother of three, said she continues to lobby for assistance from the U.S. and Philippine governments and advocate for other migrant families separated by detention and deportation.

Migrant rights groups have noted that deported Filipinos often face hardship in the homeland, having limited access to public health care and social services.

Tanggol Migrante, which has organized campaigns to provide legal and humanitarian support for detained Filipino migrants, accused both the Trump administration and the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of neglecting Filipinos in ICE detention. Philippine consulates said they provide assistance to distressed Filipinos abroad, including detained nationals, within the limits of host-country laws, such as monitoring cases, visiting detention centers and facilitating travel documents.

Advocates, however, contended that the gap between official policy and on-theground support have left families relying on crowdfunding

and grassroots organizing. They are now pushing for systemic changes in immigration enforcement and consular response.

Tanggol Migrante Movement encourages families of Filipino detainees who need support to contact them at (415) 320-7823 or visit their website. (Inquirer.net/Elton Lugay)

Manila to host first WTA tour...

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ed Southeast Asian Games tennis events, will serve as the tournament’s initial venue.

Organizers also view the tournament as a bridge to long-term plans for a 10-hectare Philippine Tennis Center in New Clark City, a partnership between PHILTA and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

The dedicated hub, now in development, is expected to support future international events and national training programs.

A possible homecoming for Eala

The Manila stop follows a breakout 2025 season for Alexandra “Alex” Eala, who became the first Filipina representing the Philippines to enter the WTA Top 50. Her rapid climb has fueled national excitement over the prospect of her competing in a home tournament.

However, Eala’s participation is not yet confirmed due to an overlap with the 2026 Australian Open, which runs from January 12 to February 1. A deep Melbourne campaign would place her in

Australia during the Manila dates; a shorter run or strategic scheduling could allow her to appear at the inaugural event.

Filipino heritage in global tennis

The global game has seen standout athletes of Filipino lineage, most prominently Canada’s Leylah Annie Fernandez, a U.S. Open finalist whose maternal family comes from Ilocos Norte and Leyte, yet Alex Eala remains the first Filipina carrying the Philippine flag to break into the WTA Top 50.”

Fernandez competes for Canada and does not represent the Philippines in international play.

Manila’s new role in regional tennis

By hosting its first WTA event, Manila joins a select Asian roster and strengthens the Philippines’ long-term bid to become a regular venue for international tennis. For local athletes and fans, the Philippine Women’s Open marks the start of a new era — one that brings global competition closer to home and elevates the country’s presence on the world stage. n

Yaa’kub Ira Vijandre (top) and Sonny Lasquite FILE PHOTOS/ Inquirer.net

FeAtures OPiniOn

The rise of ad hominem politics, citizens must learn to recognize it

Personal attacks increasingly shape political arguments in the Philippines and the US. Citizens play a crucial role in identifying and resisting these tactics to keep public debate grounded in fact.

THE oldest tactic in political rhetoric has found new life in the present moment. It is the ad hominem attack, the act of striking at a person instead of addressing the idea. The phrase comes from Latin and means “to the person.” It describes an argument that targets the speaker rather than the issue. The move dates back to ancient debates, yet it now shapes political conversation in both the Philippines and the United States with striking force.

Ad hominem thrives when institutions face pressure and when the public grows weary of complexity. It offers a shortcut. It allows leaders to avoid evidence. It encourages supporters to respond with

Demand and supply

Boo Chanco

NATIONAL Artist Nick Joaquin, in Culture and History, a book he wrote in 1988, wondered if our mindset for smallness is responsible for our inability to address the growing needs of our people.

The depressing fact in Philippine history, he rued, is what seems to be our native aversion to the large venture, the big risk, the bold extensive enterprise.

emotion rather than analysis. Francis Bacon, a major architect of modern rational thought, once observed that “truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion." Today, confusion often tri-

Small minds

We blame our colonizers for many of our current problems but according to Joaquin, it was the colonial years that “there was actually an advance in freedom, for the unification of the land, the organization of towns and provinces and the influx of new ideas, started our liberation from the rule of the petty, whether of clan, locality or custom.”

I was going through a recent paper of Prof. Jesus Felipe and some economists at the De La Salle University and some of his comments on our Viber thread. Failure of policy, possibly because of small thinking,

umphs because public discourse turns inward, focusing on the individual instead of the claim. In this shift lies the erosion of both civility and reason.

Lessons from centuries of thought

Horizons

caused us to lose our status as the second-best economy in Southeast Asia. We landed on our ass down in the pits.

“Marcos Sr. tried to imitate the industrialization program of Korea,” Dr. Felipe wrote. “It failed due to policy mistakes. The implementation was very poor and the government failed to push exports. The program was financed with dollars….and the 1980s crisis hit us.

“Korea’s autocrat simply made the same decision that every single nation that has attained high income made:

I WOULD rather have a government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by Americans,” former President Manuel L. Quezon once (in) famously declared. The conventional interpretation of the quote often reduces it to a high-minded form of patriotic sentimentalism. Less charitable interpretations tend to dismiss it as idealistic folly. But Quezon’s

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

This pattern has a long and well-documented intellectual history. Ancient thinkers warned against arguments that target the person rather than the claim. Aristotle de-

Hundred years of war on corruption

well-intentioned declaration also inadvertently presented a false binary with troubling consequences over the next century. Quezon intended to emphasize the pricelessness of independence. Over time, however, his eloquently sentimental declaration had the unintended consequence of associating self-rule with malgovernance and corruption. In his new magisterial book, “The Profligate Colonial,” University of Cali-

fornia, Berkeley historian Lisandro Claudio deftly explains the crystallization of this self-Orientalizing malice throughout and beyond American colonial rule. From American colonial officers to Western scholars and organizations in more contemporary times, the consistent narrative has been this: The Philippines is ruled by a hapless and helplessly corrupt elite.

What this narrative con-

other applicable law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

Publication of a Client’s Material does not constitute an a greement to continue publication.

Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, causes of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations,

RichaRd heydaRian

As ad hominem politics rises...

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scribed these moves as errors that miss the real issue.

The English philosopher John Locke, often called the Father of Liberalism, argued that people possess inherent rights that no government may violate. He also examined how arguments shift when evidence becomes uncomfortable. His writings helped shape the modern understanding of ad hominem attacks and the danger they pose to reason.

At its core, an ad hominem attack is not an argu-

ment. It replaces thought with instinct and logic with impulse. It says, “I need not address your point because I have found fault in you.” What begins as dialogue becomes dissection, not of ideas but of identities. We stop listening to understand and start listening to expose. Public debate loses clarity. Two democracies, shared vulnerabilities This dynamic is now evident in the Philippines. Investigations into public-works spending, flood-control failures and governance prac-

tices require patience and clarity. Yet many debates quickly collapse into personal attacks. Critics face accusations of bias. Officials confront questions about motive instead of evidence. These exchanges draw attention but weaken understanding. They replace serious public inquiry with personality-driven drama.

The United States shows a similar pattern. Debates on immigration, voting rules, economic policy and healthcare access often turn to-

8

Small minds...

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industrialize… Who would have thought 10 years ago that Vietnam (a planned, inefficient economy) would overtake us?

“The reason? They focused on manufacturing… Vietnam is also corrupt. That’s what we need to understand: failure is due to policy mistakes…

“The Philippines did not have the carrot and stick incentives that Korea had. Markets were protected but we had no push to export (wrong incentives, etc).”

Along the lines of thinking small, we seem to also think we can survive in isolation from the rest of the world, institutionalized in our inwardly looking Filipino First Constitution.

While we also had an industrialization policy, it was of the import substitution type. Korea, in contrast, thought of the world market…exports.

Our so-called industrialists were content to be protected to “manufacture” overpriced but sloppy products for the domestic consumers. Their game is capturing the regulator, penetrating and weakening the state, to extract maximum profits.

Today, we do not have a decent manufacturing sector. When world trade was liberalized with the WTO, our import substituting industrial sector was wiped out. And because we have small minds, our “industrialists” turned to “sure things” like property, pawnshop style banking, malls and politics.

Same problem in agriculture. A good example is the piggery sector. Thailand, with a population smaller than ours, produced over 21 million heads in 2024 compared to the Philippines’ estimated 10 million heads. A substantial portion of Thailand’s production came from large farms.

Our industry, in contrast, is dominated by small-scale farms.

Sugar is another example that should make us cry. We had a head start of over 150 years, yet Thailand’s sugar sector is now significantly larger than ours, with an estimated 2024/25 production of 10.2 million metric tons compared to our pathetic production of 1.85 million metric tons.

In both the piggery and sugar sectors, the Thais took advantage of economies of scale.

We are happy with backyard piggeries. PIDS, the government economic thinktank, said our backyard hog farms have operating costs of P148.26 per kilo post-slaughter. Commercial farm costs are about P112.40 per kilo. Compare that to Thailand’s P97.53.

Our sugar industrialists chose to live the good life and squandered their salted sugar quota earnings. They failed to invest in modernization the way the Thais did.

Or maybe our agrarian reform program made it difficult for our sugar sector to give the Thais a good run for their money. But given the political clout of our sugar barons, they could have influenced government policy to induce modernization if they wanted to.

Nick Joaquin asks: “Is that the explanation for our continuing failure to rise — that we buy small and sell small, that we aim small and try small, that we think small and do small?”

Our political structure is affected by this small thinking.

Nick Joaquin observed: “We don’t grow like a seed, we split like an amoeba. The moment a town grows big it becomes two towns. The moment a province becomes populous it disintegrates into two or three smaller provinces…

“This attitude explains why

we’re finding it so hard to become a nation…Foreigners had to come and unite our land for us; the labor is far beyond our powers…we start small and end small without ever having scaled any peaks…we are not capable of sustained effort and lose momentum fast…

“One writer, as he surveyed the landscape of shortages — no rice, no water, no garbage collectors, no peace, no order — gloomily mumbled that disintegration seems to be creeping upon us and groped for Yeats’s terrifying lines: Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed…

“As the population swells, our problems will expand and multiply. If they daunt us now, will they crush us then? The prospect is terrifying…

“Have our capacities been so diminished by the small effort we are becoming incapable even of the small thing?

“One American remarked that, after seeing Manila’s chaos of traffic (in the late 1980s), he began to appreciate how his city of Los Angeles handled its far, far greater volume of traffic. Is building a road that won’t break down when it rains no longer within our powers? Is even the building of sidewalks too herculean a task for us?”

Too bad, Mr. Joaquin did not live long enough to witness how we have embraced bigness at last: stealing from the government, at least a trillion pesos worth. That’s progress.(Philstar.com)

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

Boo Chanco’s email address is bchanco@gmail.com. Follow him on X @boochanco

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Hundred years of

veniently elides, however, is the irredeemably corrosive impact of American colonialism, including a puerile tradition of libertarian antistatism as well as “pork barrel” politics that singularly bedeviled US democracy a century ago. Nor did Americans focus on building a strong bureaucracy capable of shepherding sustained economic development. Contrast this to the ruling elites in neighboring Taiwan or South Korea, who faced constant American pressure to curb their greed and engage in land distribution and rapid industrialization lest they fall prey to the communist wave. There is, however, also a pernicious ideological legacy, which induced not only historical amnesia about American colonial rule in the Philippines but also inadvertently cultivated a shallow political discourse that often dismisses our country as congenially and exceptionally corrupt.

In a recent journal article, titled “A Thousand Years of Corruption,” University of Chicago sociologist Marco Garrido examines a whole series of corruption scandals, dating all the way back to the war-surplus scandal during the Manuel Roxas presidency. What Garrido discovered is that corruption has been an evolving challenge immanent to our political development as a postcolonial nation rather than a monolithic crisis.

Both lay and intellectual discourse, Garrido argues, tend to treat corruption as

“genetic to Philippine culture or politics” and as a “generic social problem,” which is divorced from the inherent dynamics of state-building and democratization identified by leading thinkers such as Samuel Huntington. The upshot is a dangerous and “intolerant approach,” which Garrido aptly described as anticorruption “fundamentalism.” Never mind that, practically, all of our most successful neighbors, from South Korea to China and Malaysia, have been constantly grappling with massive corruption scandals throughout their highgrowth periods.

In fact, leading economists such as Yuen Yuen Ang of Johns Hopkins University have spoken of “corrupt meritocracy” as an engine of economic development. This obviously doesn’t make corruption “okay,” but shows that there are many forms of corruption (e.g., “access,” ”petty,” “speed,” “grand theft”)— and, crucially, the Philippines is NOT singularly corrupt but just another struggling and modernizing post-colonial state.

“Anticorruption fundamentalism,” which sacrifices analytic nuance in favor of self-Orientalizing moralistic posturing, seems to have colonized even our journalistic and social science discourse. This is most evident in the misplaced response to a recent economic paper by economists Jesus Felipe, Gerardo Largoza, and Mariel Sauler, which was lambasted by commentators as “fringe economics” or, worse, insen-

war...

sitive to the obvious devilry of corruption.

Never mind that the paper’s main point was that bad economic policies, namely underinvestment or lack of industrial strategy, can cause far more poverty and misery than even the worst forms of nepo-kid profligacy and individualized graft. Absolutely, corruption is evil. And corrupt politicians, who stole taxpayer money and oversaw shoddy projects costing countless lives, should be held accountable. Heads have to roll. Justice must be served.

Let’s also keep in mind that our gross domestic product growth decelerated to only 4 percent in the latest quarter, thanks to a massive contraction in infrastructure spending. We surely need to clean up the books and avoid more shoddy flood control projects, but even worse is to forego trillions in foregone economic activity in the name of performative reforms.

Thus, properly balancing good governance reform and productivity-boosting investments is key here. The appropriate metaphor for our government spending conundrum is not the cliché “leaky bucket,” but instead this: avoiding prescribing the wrong medicine that kills the patient. (Inquirer.net)

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. * * * richard.heydarian@inquirer.net

MINOR BASILICA OF TONDO. The facade of the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Santo Niño de Tondo in Manila is photographed on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. Pope Leo XIV has elevated the parish to the rank of Minor Basilica, recognizing its significant historical, architectural and spiritual importance. PNA photo by Yancy Lim PAGE

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The rise of ad hominem politics...

ward labels, ideological identities or personal histories. Complex questions lose depth. Character becomes the centerpiece. Social media amplifies this shift. The “clapback” replaces the forum. A person’s entire worth is judged by a single phrase or affiliation, and once dismissed, their argument dies unheard.

The emotional pull of personal attacks

The psychology behind this tactic explains its appeal. Personal attacks feel simple. They offer fast conclusions. They spare citizens the effort of studying dense policy questions. They provide a false sense of clarity in a world that often feels chaotic. The danger lies in the illusion. When public debate centers on personal conflict, societies lose the ability to evaluate evidence.

Every culture carries its own etiquette of disagreement, but the impulse to defend the ego is universal. When an idea challenges what we believe, it can feel like a threat to who we believe ourselves to be. Rather

than question our certainty, we question the sincerity of the other person. This instinct fuels ad hominem reasoning in both nations. Training the public to recognize the fallacy

This is why democratic strength must begin with the citizenry. People who understand the fallacy behind personal attacks can resist the distraction. When a public figure answers scrutiny by attacking the person rather than the claim, citizens can pause. They can ask what evidence remains unaddressed. They can observe which questions remain unanswered. This awareness strengthens public judgment.

To resist ad hominem thinking is not only a rhetorical discipline. It is a moral one. It asks citizens to separate the person from the proposition and to recognize that imperfect messengers may still carry fragments of truth. The Stoics spoke of apatheia, a calmness that allows one to respond, not react. In modern discourse, that serenity is rare but essential. It calls us to disagree

without demeaning.

A call for evidence-based debate

A well-informed public is difficult to mislead. Citizens who understand fallacies can separate criticism from character assault. They can identify when accountability is necessary. They can recognize when rhetoric obscures deeper issues. This discipline builds trust and keeps democratic institutions responsive.

There is quiet courage in those who debate without rancor. They remind us that the purpose of discussion is not conquest but understanding. When citizens refuse to strike at the person, they strike at confusion instead and make space for clarity.

As ad hominem politics rises, the path forward depends on people who choose reason over impulse. Democracy strengthens when citizens demand substance over spectacle. In a time of division and uncertainty, the refusal to reduce people to their positions becomes not only a civic skill but a democratic safeguard. (AJPress)

Nursing loses ‘professional degree’ status...

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student-loan categories. The law reserves the highest borrowing limits for programs classified as professional degrees. Education officials later released an updated list that includes medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law and other license-based fields. Nursing and related disciplines are not included.

ages in primary care, critical care and long-term care, warning that tighter loan caps may deter qualified candidates from pursuing graduate education.

Nurses of color raise equity concerns

Graduate nursing students now face a loan ceiling of $20,500 a year and $100,000 total. Students in approved professional programs can borrow up to $50,000 a year and $200,000 overall. The rules also eliminate Grad PLUS loans starting July 1, 2026, removing a tool many students use to bridge tuition gaps.

The Education Department defends the classification. Officials say “professional degree” is an internal label for loan purposes, not a measure of professional standing. They argue that many nursing students borrow below the new cap and say the goal is to prevent unmanageable debt.

Nursing groups warn of restricted access

Major U.S. nursing organizations strongly oppose the rule.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) said the change “creates unnecessary financial barriers” and undermines efforts to strengthen the nursing workforce.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) described the exclusion as “deeply problematic,” noting the rigorous academic and clinical preparation required for advanced roles. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) pointed to sustained short-

In a joint statement on Nov. 20, the Nursing Organizations of Color, led by the Philippine Nurses Association of America and several partner groups, condemned the redefinition. They warned that the policy creates new barriers to advanced nursing education, especially for nurses of color.

“Nurses of color already carry disproportionately higher student loan debt than their white counterparts,” the coalition said. “Excluding Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and nursing PhD programs from professional degree classification will create insurmountable financial obstacles for aspiring nurse leaders of color who are essential to providing care in medically underserved communities.”

The coalition stressed that workforce diversity strengthens patient outcomes and expands healthcare access. They added that advanced nursing programs meet federal criteria for professional degrees, citing rigorous clinical preparation, advanced licensure and doctoral pathways.

Data from the Berkeley Migration Initiative show that Filipino-trained nurses account for about 33 percent of all foreign-born registered nurses in the United States. Separately, reporting from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Record notes that Filipinos make up roughly 4 percent of the broader U.S. nursing workforce, a category that includes registered nurses as well as licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants and other support roles. Philippine officials monitor impact abroad Rep. Kristine Alexie Besas-Tutor of Bohol urged Philippine agencies to study the U.S. rule and determine its impact on Filipino nurses. She said many Filipino nurses rely on U.S. graduate programs to reach advanced practice and leadership roles. Lawmakers warn that tighter borrowing limits may discourage students from pursuing these pathways.

Philippine officials have not issued a diplomatic protest. They emphasize that the U.S. decision affects federal loan access only and does not alter immigration, licensure or employment eligibility.

Advocates prepare evidence for 2026 rulemaking

The Education Department will release its final rule in 2026 after a public comment period. ANA, AACN, NCSBN and the Nursing Organizations of Color plan to submit evidence urging the government to include nursing in the professional-degree category.

Current graduate nursing students keep their existing terms. Future cohorts will enter programs under the new caps once the rules take effect in 2026.

Advocates in both countries say the outcome will determine who can afford advanced nursing education—and who cares for patients in already strained health systems. n

VOTERS' SIGN-UP. Mall goers enlist to vote at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) satellite office at the Farmers Plaza in Quezon City on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. The registration period for the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections runs until Nov. 29. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

‘No evidence President Marcos, ex-executive secretary Bersamin got kickbacks’ Marcos launches DPWH transparency portal to curb corruption

by NEil JaysoN sErvallos Philstar.com

MANILA — There remains no evidence linking President Marcos or former executive secretary Lucas Bersamin to the alleged facilitation of kickbacks from budget insertions, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson maintained yesterday.

“As of now we have no evidence (against Marcos). In the same manner that there is no evidence that Bersamin is involved. I want to make that clear,” Lacson told radio dzBB.

Lacson issued the statement amid suspicions being raised against Marcos, with some observers noting that because he has intelligence funds, it was “impossible” for him not to have knowledge of what was taking place among Cabinet officials.

Earlier, a wave of resignations prompted by allegations of involvement in the insertions in the 2025 budget and kickbacks hounded Malacañang.

Two undersecretaries –Trygve Olaivar of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Adrian Bersamin of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) – allegedly namedropped the President to make resigned congressman Zaldy Co believe that it was Marcos who ordered insertions in the bicameral conference.

Although the P100 billion in alleged bicameral insertions detailed by resigned Co “is true,” the claim that Marcos ordered the additions in return for kickbacks was “absolutely untrue,” Lacson earlier said.

Lacson explained that any implication on top officials must be supported by direct testimony or documents, not assumptions.

“If (former public works secretary Secretary Manuel) Bonoan for example got caught, returned home, and was issued a warrant of arrest, then later testified, that’s the direct implication to the ES. Then we will show whatever documentary evidence

that will strengthen the case if ever one will be filed. That’s what I was saying. We will not rely on standalone info, evidence,” Lacson said, stressing he agrees with the former ES who branded allegations against him as “triple hearsay.”

Lacson also addressed questions on whether the President should have been aware of alleged irregularities through the Office of the President’s intelligence funds.

“That’s reaching too far, because when Erap (Estrada) was president, the intelligence fund wasn’t his alone. He was the one giving to other agencies… if ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines) or the PNP (Philippine National Police) lack intelligence funds, the Office of the President augments their budget, so let’s not blame this on the President,” he said.

Lacson maintained that only evidence could establish whether President Marcos had any role in the budget insertions. n

by dExtEr cabalza Inquirer.net

MANILA — In another step to end corruption, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday launched the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Transparency Portal, which aims to give the public access to comprehensive information on government infrastructure projects nationwide.

For the first time, data on all DPWH projects since 2016 are now open for public monitoring, allowing citizens to track implementation and report any irregularities.

The transparency portal can be accessed at transparency.dpwh.gov.ph.

It serves as a digital library for 247,172 DPWH projects worth P6.359 trillion as of 2025.

Marcos attributed the lack of transparency to the widespread irregularities in the DPWH, which he exposed when he denounced billions in alleged kickbacks during his fourth State of the Nation

Address on July 28.

“One of the most important things that became very clear in all the investigations into these incidents is that we lost transparency. People could no longer monitor what was really happening inside the government,” he said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

“And because of that, all sorts of things were being done, no one was reporting anything because things were hidden. These wrongdoers

were able to conceal their misconduct, since ordinary people — and even officials, at times — could not check what was going on,” Marcos added.

Patterned after the successful Sumbong sa Pangulo website, the DPWH Transparency Portal includes not only flood control projects but all types of infrastructure such as farm-to-market roads, irrigation canals, classrooms, hospitals, and other facilities. n

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. conducts a press briefing at Malacañang on Nov. 24, 2025. PHOTOS FROM PCO

‘2025 among most disasterprone years in history’

by delon PoRcalla Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines has endured what could be “one of the most disaster-prone” years in its recent history this year, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Wednesday, November 26.

During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Gatchalian cited the series of calamities that battered the country and left hundreds of people dead nationwide.

“This year would be one of the most disaster-prone years – from Typhoon Nando (in September, a howler with 130 miles per hour gusts and winds), to Ramil (in mid-October), two major earthquakes, cyclones Tino and Uwan and now Verbena,” he said.

During these calamities, Gatchalian highlighted the critical role of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s two main production centers in Pasay City and Cebu, which have sustained rapid prepositioning of relief goods.

“We can and we have automated 25,000 family food packs per day, that is our production output. The only missing link here is in Mindanao where we don’t have a resource center. It is because in disasters, speed matters,” the DSWD chief said.

Gatchalian also underscored the country’s vulnerability, reminding the public that the Philippines, situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, remains among the top five nations most exposed to natural hazards.

Recognizing the growing demands brought by climate-related events, Gatchalian expressed hope that the Senate would increase the DSWD’s budget by at least P32 billion, similar to the House-approved level.

He noted that half of the DSWD’s budget goes to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps program, which must be sustained.

The DSWD chief also outlined the agency’s disaster-preparedness strategies, including the Buong Bansa Handa program, and reaffirmed the president’s directive to ensure that “no Filipino experiences hunger” in times of crisis.

Gatchalian further emphasized the need to boost funding for the Assistance to In-

dividuals in Crisis Situations program to help families rebuild immediately after calamities, saying the proposal is now under Senate review as part of ongoing budget deliberations.

According to the Office of Civil Defense, Typhoon Tino has claimed more than 200 lives while government reports tallied around 30 deaths due to Uwan.

Meanwhile, the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu in September left more than 70 people dead, injured 1,200 others and damaged 185,900 homes.

The onslaught of Tropical Storm Verbena added to the year’s devastation, affecting tens of thousands across the Visayas and Mindanao.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the storm has impacted 275,458 people in the Negros Island Region.

Heavy rains and flooding also hit Caraga, Western and Central Visayas and Mimaropa, forcing 48,450 people into 469 evacuation centers.

Verbena likewise disrupted the education sector, damaging 24 classrooms and affecting 6.7 million learners, 303,290 personnel and 15,260 public schools across 11 regions.

In support of disaster-hit areas, the Philippine National Police deployed nearly 6,000 personnel for response operations, with 1,076 officers assigned directly to affected areas and 4,912 on standby as augmentation forces.

The DSWD, for its part, remains on high alert as Verbena affects more regions.

Fitch: Political instability ‘significant risk’ to Philippines credit rating

by iaN Nicolas P. cigaral Inquirer.net

MANILA — Political flareups would remain a “significant risk” to the credit ratings of several emerging-market sovereigns in the Asia-Pacific until next year, including the Philippines, where an escalating antigraft drive has unsettled businesses and slowed growth, Fitch Ratings said.

While none of this year’s protests have yet led to a deterioration in creditworthiness, the global debt watcher warned that sustained social unrest could undermine governments’ fiscal and economic strength through disrupted activity, weaker revenue collections and pressure on public spending.

According to DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao, the agency has intensified operations under Code Blue status, distributing family food packs (FFPs), hygiene kits, kitchen kits and readyto-eat meals to affected local government units.

In Bacolod City alone, the Negros Island Region field office delivered 10,000 FFPs, 250 hygiene kits and 150 kitchen kits, while the Caraga office provided 21 boxes of ready-to-eat food to stranded passengers in Agusan del Norte.

Dumlao assured the public that the DSWD will remain vigilant and responsive as Verbena moves toward the waters off the Kalayaan Islands.

As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the storm’s center was located 230 kilometers northeast of Pag-asa Island, packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 115 kph. It was moving west at 15 kph, with strong to stormforce winds extending up to 450 km from its center.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Verbena will continue to track west to west-northwest over the West Philippine Sea and is expected to pass north of the Kalayaan Islands between Wednesday night and this afternoon.

The storm was forecasted to exit the Philippine area of responsibility on Wednesday or early Thursday.  (With reports from Jose Rodel Clapano, Michael Punongbayan, Bella Cariaso, Emmanuel Tupas, Christine Boton)

dence among foreign and domestic investors suffers,” the credit rating agency said.

“Tensions can also serve as a distraction for policymakers, impeding the passage of reforms that have the potential to enhance economic productivity and competitiveness, or to address other underlying weaknesses in the sovereign credit profile such as fiscal imbalances,” it added.

Elusive A rating dream

The Philippines currently holds a triple-B rating from Fitch—above the minimum investment grade—with a “stable” outlook, signaling that any adjustment is unlikely in the near term.

Fitch pointed to the Philippines as a case in point, noting that the widening probe into anomalous flood control projects already weighed heavily on the economy.

Growth slowed to 4 percent in the third quarter—a four-year low—as investor sentiment soured and public spending weakened.

Mass protests

At home, the latest anticorruption protest, staged this month by the Iglesia ni Cristo in Manila, drew an estimated 650,000 people. But in countries where demonstrations have been even more disruptive, such as Bangladesh and Nepal, Fitch said the effects have been “more dramatic.”

“Should the social tensions highlighted by protests persist, they can become more of a drag on growth as confi-

But the high-profile corruption scandal has already derailed the country’s push for an “A” rating this year.

Former Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said that, based on recent discussions with S&P Global Ratings, the Philippines would likely have secured the long-sought upgrade were it not for governance concerns tied to the widening corruption investigations.

An A rating, Recto noted, would have strengthened lenders’ perception of the country’s ability to service its debts and, in turn, lowered borrowing costs for issuers, including the government.

Fitch said the external balances of affected countries could also weaken as social unrest saps investor confidence and disrupts foreign-currency inflows. Political instability, it warned, can likewise spur capital outflows—from non-

resident investors cutting their exposure to domestic securities to residents shifting assets offshore.

The Philippines has already shown signs of such strain. The corruption scandal has been widely blamed for the peso’s slide to record lows in recent months and for the local stock market’s underperformance. These pressures, Fitch said, compound economic stress and could ultimately weigh on sovereign ratings.

Fiscal constraints Governments confronting political unrest may also grow more hesitant to pursue fiscal consolidation—whether through tax increases or subsidy reforms—or may ramp up spending to head off public discontent. Even so, the agency noted that the disruption can be temporary and may, in some cases, pave the way for long-overdue fiscal and governance reforms.

“Major protests can serve as important catalysts for changes in governments’ fiscal policy approaches, but if social and political tensions persist over time, they can also have a negative influence on budgetary performance,” it said.

“Protest movements also have the potential to have a positive impact on fiscal performance. If governments respond by improving efforts to curb corruption, for example, it may be possible to cut public spending without impairing productive investment, allowing the same economic results to be achieved at a lower fiscal cost,” it added. n

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian Philstar.com file photo

REVIVING BINONDO. A worker repaints the Ongpin North Bridge arch in Binondo, Manila on Thursday (Nov. 27, 2025) as part of initiatives to enhance the aesthetic appeal of public infrastructures in the district. The revitalization project aims to attract more tourists to Binondo, home of the oldest Chinatown in the world.

What’s on your table: A Filipino Thanksgiving spread

A warm, vivid look at how Filipino families blend tradition, heritage and culinary experience to create a uniquely Filipino Thanksgiving feast rich with gratitude.

by AJPress

Thanksgiving in a Filipino home is never quiet. Something is always simmering or frying, and someone is always lifting a pot lid to taste what is almost, but not quite, ready. The holiday may have come from America, but Filipinos have long made it our own. We kept the spirit of gratitude and remixed the table with flavors and instincts carried across oceans. What emerges each year is a feast that reflects memory, migration and a cultural instinct for generosity.

On Thanksgiving morning, the scene feels familiar to anyone who grew up in a Filipino kitchen. A golden turkey roasts in the oven, filling the house with the scent of butter, herbs and garlic. Yet the rest of the table reveals another narrative. Pancit waits to be reheated. Lumpiang shanghai sits in a neat pile beside sweet chili sauce.

A pot of kare kare bubbles gently, its peanut aroma wrapping the kitchen in warmth. These dishes share space with the turkey the way Filipino identity shares space with American life, side by side and comfortably intertwined.

A Feast That Blends Traditions Filipino cooks do not simply follow tradition. We shape it. The turkey becomes a canvas for soy sauce, calamansi, garlic and black pepper, creating a seasoning both familiar and entirely ours. Pancit brings a welcome brightness, each strand carrying the promise of good fortune. Lechon belly adds the unmistakable crackle that signals a celebration has truly begun. Kare kare delivers depth and com-

fort, made complete with a scoop of bagoong that each person adds at their own pace and preference.

Leche flan cools nearby, dense and glossy, steadying itself for the moment it will close the meal. Each dish holds its own story. Together they form a table that looks like both home and history.

The Rhythm of the Filipino Kitchen

The kitchen moves in patterns passed down by mothers, titas and lolas who never needed recipes to know what felt right. Someone stirs the pancit and adjusts the seasoning until the balance hits the mark. Another slices embutido into clean rounds and fans them on a platter. A niece dresses the kare kare with fresh greens. The sound of lumpia frying provides the steady backbeat of the day.

No one rushes. No one stands idle. Every movement holds intention. The kitchen becomes a shared language, where instruction is rarely spoken but always understood.

Gratitude Served Family Style

A Filipino Thanksgiving table carries more than flavor. It carries the story of departure and arrival, the courage to begin again and the resilience it took to stay. The dishes reflect what families brought from the Philippines and what they discovered in America. They reflect how culture evolves, not by forgetting the past but by folding it into the present.

The portions are generous, because Filipino hospitality is an inheritance. The flavors are layered, because they mirror the lives of those who left home to build another. The intention is unmistakable. We cook to honor

where we came from. We cook to honor where we are.

A Homecoming You Can Taste

What makes a Filipino Thanksgiving special is not the abundance of dishes but the meaning they carry. Each ingredient links two worlds. Each plate becomes a quiet archive of stories and sacrifices. Together they tell a narrative passed from

Sofronio Vasquez, Michael Bublé’s holiday duet to feature Tagalog lyrics

by Jessica ann evangelista Inquirer.net

FILIPINO singer Sofronio

Vasquez and Canadian musician Michael Bublé‘s upcoming holiday duet is set to feature Tagalog lyrics.

Bublé recently took to Vasquez’s Instagram comments section to share that he couldn’t wait for the listeners to hear the Tagalog lyrics from their duet “Maybe This Christmas,” which will be out on Friday, Nov. 28.

“I can’t wait for them to hear the Tagalog lyrics,” the Canadian singer wrote on Vasquez’s announcement post.

The “The Voice USA” Season 26 champion replied that the holiday song is their “gift to the Filipinos” as he thanked Bublé for the opportunity to collaborate with him.

“When you’re new, you pray for someone to give you a chance. [Michael Bublé ] didn’t just give me a shot; he gave me his time, his wisdom, and his voice. I’m still in disbelief,” expressed Vasquez.

In the same comments section, singer Martin Nievera congratulated Vasquez for his duet with Bublé, who used to be his coach on “The Voice” before he made history as the first Filipino to win the competition, as well as its first male Asian winner.

“Every Filipino singer dreams of meeting their idol, their all-time hero. You were discovered and became friends and now collab buddies with one of mine. I envy you. Now my hero is yours, and now you are mine!” Nievera told Vasquez.

Back in August, Vasquez shared that he would release an extended play (EP) produced by Bublé, which would include a Christmas duet and an English-Filipino song, as well as collaborations with David Foster and Paul Anka.  Vasquez returned to the Philippines in July to sing the Philippine national anthem at the fourth State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

one generation to the next, not through speeches but through the instinctive act of feeding one another.

This is who we are.

This is where we came from.

This is how we give thanks. Thanksgiving, Filipino-style, is not simply a meal.

It is a homecoming you can taste.

Sofronio Vasquez and Michael Bublé. Photo: Instagram/Vasquez

The turkey is often prepared with a Filipino twist, marinated in calamansi and toyo or adobo flavors.

In addition to the traditional turkey, a Filipino Thanksgiving spread may includes pancit, crispy lechon or Cebuchon, kare kare, lumpiang shanghai and desserts such as leche flan and buko pandan. Photos courtesy of La Rose Café

Catriona Gray hopes for transparency, fair competition in Miss Universe

by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

CATRIONA Gray hoped that the following editions of the Miss Universe pageant will have a “more transparent judging process,” as the victory of recent titleholder Fatima Bosch continues to be marred by controversy and rigging allegations.

On her Instagram Broadcast Channel on Saturday, November 22, Gray called on the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) to give a “fair competition” to the candidates in its upcoming editions, noting the importance of having a “third party official tabulator.”

She also reiterated that the “multiple statements from judges and meant to be judges” are disheartening for the delegates, noting the recent resignations of the global tilt’s selection committee.

“My prayer has always been (as someone who has experienced a competition with vague judging methods first hand lol), is that the girls be given a fair competition. So my question becomes for the MU org. I hope moving forward they can regain the trust of the fans by having a more transparent judging process with a third party official tabulator,” she said.

“The doubts of us fans are not unfounded with multiple statements from judges and meant to be judges. It’s disheartening considering all the effort, sacrifices, and dreams that were up there on that stage,” she continued.

Despite this, Gray admitted that the hate that current titleholder Fatima Bosch is receiving makes her “really sad,” adding that she’ll be on the lookout for how she’ll use the global tilt as a platform to “make a positive impact.”

“But also, I’m actually really sad to see all the hate for Ms Mexico. I really admired how she stood up for herself in the early stages of the competition and I’ll be watching to see how she utilizes the platform to make a positive impact with her title as Miss Universe,” she said.

“Ayun ang 2 cents ko. I hope the best years of MU aren’t behind us. Lets uplift our girls and tell them how they impacted us, made us proud – and when they pursue their respective [journeys let’s] support them,” she further added.

Catriona’s two-cents on

this year’s candidates

According to Gray, Ahtisa Manalo and Côte d’Ivoire’s Olivia Yace performed the best in the pageant’s question-and-answer segment, noting that she “really values communication skills.” She added that seeing them on the Top 5 was “no surprise” due to their strong performances throughout the global tilt.

She also praised the performances of Thailand’s Praveenar Singh, Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali,  and Colombia’s Vanessa Pulgarin, noting they were “fan favorites for a reason.”

“Personal take ko: best in initial Q&A was Cote. And best in final word was PH. But again, kung judge ako — I really value communication skills, so Q&A means alot to me personally,” she said.

However, she pointed out that while the initial questions in the first round were “good,” the final question was “basic” since it’s one of the questions used to prepare for the global tilt.

“When it came to the Q&A, the selection of initial questions were good! Although i had super high expectations for the final word cause — I mean sa totoo guys, super basic yung tanong na yan in preparing for MU. If you don’t

This ‘Bagets’ is turning senior

by allan PolicarPio Inquirer.net

AS he turns 60, Raymond Lauchengco has no qualms about embracing the word “senior”—but he’s not letting go of “bagets” just yet either.

While he’s no longer that boy-next-door crooning “So It’s You” in the middle of a field oval in his breakthrough film, “Bagets,” the curiosity and sense of wonder that defined his youth have never really left him. Don’t let his head full of silver fool you— his zest for life and passion for his craft have only grown stronger with each passing year.

“It sums up the best of both worlds. I have these experiences, these lessons and insights I have learned and gained, yet I still feel like a teenager inside,” he tells Lifestyle Inquirer in an email interview.

No signs of slowing down

the song that started it all for him.

“She wrote my very first hit,” Lauchengco says. “Last year, during our U.S. tour for her 40th anniversary concert series, I asked her for a song I could record for my milestone year. She graciously said yes. It truly is a full-circle moment.”

As fate would have it, his 60th year also saw the announcement of the stage adaptation of “Bagets”—the landmark 1980s coming-ofage movie that helped make him a household name. He looks forward to seeing it, he says, because the “themes are universal, timeless, and still very relevant.”

Mentor and tormentor

have a super solid answer for that question, ewan ko nalang,” she said.

The former beauty queen, emphasizing on her experience as a pageant judge, said the “taste” of the panel will always “be different,” and it is something that couldn’t be explained.

“But just to share, I’ve sat on judging panels both locally and abroad and I have experienced (some, not all) being [surprised] by the results. Sometimes, the “taste” of judges really is different. Baka they value a certain look, beauty, type of walk –basta, baka may personal trip lang nila. We dont know eh,” she said.

“What i would like to see though, is transparency of criteria of judging, how is it being scored and to have an official tabulating firm in MU,” she continued.

Gray is the fourth Miss Universe winner from the Philippines, and her performance in the global tilt’s 2018 edition is often referred to as the “standard” for beauty queens.  She is also nicknamed the “pambansang coping mechanism” by Filipinos, as many would rewatch her Miss Universe performance whenever a delegate would lose in their respective pageants.

Indeed, life has been anything but dull for Lauchengco. His journey is marked by many creative turns—starting in theater before he rose to fame as a matinee idol and an iconic balladeer. Later in life, he evolved into an even more multifaceted artist, dabbling in painting, sculpting, and writing.

And there’s no way he’s slowing down. If anything, turning 60, he says, is an invitation to embrace more fun and more adventure in life. “I think that the most worthwhile challenge there is to try and become the best version of yourself,” he says. This might well be the bagets in him talking.

What better way to celebrate this milestone—of him “opening a new chapter” in life—than with a night filled with music? Happening at The Theatre at Solaire on Nov. 28—a day before his birthday—his upcoming show is called “Everybody Loves Raymond,” a nostalgic nod to his favorite ‘90s sitcom.

No, it’s not something that he would dare presume—that everyone loved him at any point in his career or even at the height of his fame. But maybe, just this once, he can claim it. After all, this concert is where his life comes full circle in more ways than one. First, it reconnects him with his earliest professional roots: His new single, “My Favorite Story,” is co-written by Odette Quesada, the renowned OPM composer who gave him “I Need You Back,”

Joining him onstage are three performers he admires: Mitch Valdes, Ice Seguerra, and Sharon Cuneta, who introduced him to Viva Entertainment and Vicor Records’ top executive Vic del Rosario. However, it’s his sister, theater legend Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, whose role as concert director draws the most striking parallels to his beginnings.

“Growing up, Menchu was my best friend and protector, my mentor and tormentor, as well,” he says, laughing.

But in any case, it’s safe to say that the trajectory of Lauchengco’s career might have turned out a bit differently had his sister not forged his name and signature on the audition form for the 1977 staging of “The King and I.”

“Let me just say that it was because of Menchu that I ended up auditioning with Lea Salonga, Risa Hontiveros, and Monique Wilson,” he shares. “I didn’t even know I was auditioning at that time. I was there only to chaperone her, so I had no idea.”

“I will tell everything during the concert because it’s payback time for my sister!” he adds with a laugh.

From the stage to the page, the final circle closes with the launch of his first book, “Dance with the Wind”—a collection of his writings and visual works created across different seasons of his life, including the tumult and stillness of the pandemic.

“Every story, essay, and poem I wrote during the pandemic—and every piece of art I created—was born from my most vulnerable state,” Lauchengco shares. “Back then, the world had broken down. Life as we knew it had ceased, and the things that once defined us were suddenly out of reach.”

There was a lot of fear: His father, Ramon, died of a stroke, and his younger sister, Vicky, suffered a medical emergency that left the left side of her body temporarily paralyzed. There was uncertainty: All his scheduled shows and projects—and with them, the means to provide for his family—vanished in an instant with the lockdown.

A silver lining

But somewhere along the way, a silver lining appeared. “It forced us to look inward, to find not just ways to stay afloat, but the motivation to thrive—to keep going, and even grow amid the chaos,” he says.

In art and writing, Lauchengco found not just a pastime but also solace and passion. He built minimalist figures, sculptures, and stylized furniture pieces. And in the quiet, he discovered his voice and heard his innermost thoughts and feelings with crystal clarity. He wrote everything down, not knowing that his words would one day appear in a book.

“At the time, I wrote simply to encourage myself. That it resonated with others later was a bonus,” he says.

Together, all these experiences, Lauchengco says, shaped him into the person he believes he was always meant to be—an understanding that could come only with age. That’s why he neither fears nor dreads growing older, for it’s a gift not everyone is given.

Now this is the “senior” in him talking. “Life enriches you over time. I have a family that keeps me grounded, gives me identity, and inspires me to persist and dream,” he says. “They are also my greatest joy. And then there are six decades of experience—from both triumphs and failures— that shape everything I do and the voice I now have.”

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray

Raymond Lauchengco Photo from his Facebook page

Emma Tiglao arrives at NAIA with the ‘grandest welcome’ from supporters

by HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

MISS Grand International 2025 Emma Tiglao was welcomed by a throng of supporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), a month after winning the golden crown at the global tilt.

Tiglao, who made history as the first back-to-back titleholder after her predecessor CJ Opiaza, was greeted with a group of supporters giving small gifts and waves at Terminal 3 of NAIA on Sunday, November 23. She was joined by the pageant’s founder and president Nawat Itsaragrisil.

“Pilipinas, na-miss ko kayo,” she captioned her post while posting a clip of her arrival in the country.

Meanwhile, Itsaragrisil also shared snippets of Tiglao’s return to the country, where he was seen greeting the beauty queen’s supporters with a big smile on his face.

“I am here with your victory queen @emmatiglao Philippines,” he wrote.

Tiglao and Itsaragrisil is also joined by Miss Grand International 2025 first runner-up Gotchabell Sarunrat

Puagpipat, who arrived at a later flight, where she was welcomed by pageant fans as well.

“This is my first time in the Philippines. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly. I’m so happy that I can’t stop smiling. I love you,” she said.

Puagpipat seems to be enjoying her time in the Philippines so far, as she shared a clip of herself trying balut with Tiglao in what appears to be a street market.

“First time to eat ‘balut’ The first time to eat duck egg. I’m crying. I feel sorry for the little one,” she wrote in Thai.  Tiglao greeted her sup-

Why friendship breakup hurts ‘10 times worse’

“What Lies Beneath” stars Kaila

Estrada, Sue Ramirez, Charlie Dizon, and Janella Salvador draw the line between supportive friendship and destructive enabling

by allan PolicarPio Inquirer.net

MUCH has already been said about the devastation of romantic breakups. But what if it’s your chosen family— people you let into your life without obligation and who have seen your rawest self— you end up losing?

porters in a grand homecoming celebration, with a parade held in Makati on Monday, November 24. The route started at the Tower One & Exchange Plaza, and traversed through Ayala Avenue, Paseo De Roxas, Makati Avenue, before ending at Ayala Triangle Gardens.

Also gracing the homecoming parade in Makati was Miss Grand International 2024 CJ Opiaza.

Tiglao returned to her hometown in Pampanga, where another homecoming parade was held in her honor on Tuesday, November 25 in Mabalacat.

Miss Universe head Raul Rocha mulls sale of pageant stake amid controversies

by anne PasaJol Inquirer.net

Miss Universe Organization (MUO) president Raul Rocha seems weary of the recent controversies hounding the pageant, saying he is considering selling his stake in the organization and “passing on the baton.”

Rocha spoke about this during an interview with Mexican journalist Adela Micha, as seen on media outlet La Saga‘s YouTube channel on Monday, Nov. 24.

The interview, which was conducted in Spanish, included discussions regarding the accusations of fraud over Mexican beauty queen Fatima Bosch’s win.

Rocha, as per the video’s caption, denied the allegation that the pageant results had been influenced by one of his companies’ contract with Mexican oil company Pemex—where Bosch’s father

used to hold a top position.

As per the English translations provided by PEOPLE magazine, Rocha said he is “looking for someone to pass on [his role as the 50 percent-shareholder of Miss Universe] to.”

He reportedly added, “This is like a test, like a relay race.

Who do I pass the baton to?”

“It’s just that I’m so fed up. I’m so fed up with all the talk. I don’t lend myself to that kind of thing,” he was further quoted as saying.

The MUO executive also noted how everyone wants to have an opinion about the business.

Some say that a friendship breakup can cut deeper than a romantic heartbreak. Kaila Estrada, Sue Ramirez, Charlie Dizon, and Janella Salvador—stars of the suspense thriller series “What Lies Beneath”—couldn’t agree more.

And when a sisterhood fractures, they say, the wounds hurt all the more. “Ten times worse,” Salvador tells Lifestyle Inquirer in a recent interview with the cast. Breach of trust

This pain can stem from many different things. But the one reason that stands out most to Estrada is the breach of unconditional trust. “Wala kang expectations at wala kang hinihinging kapalit. So, when that kind of breakup happens, you really grieve losing the person,” she says.

Ramirez makes an interesting distinction: a deep friendship is akin to chosen family, she observes, whereas romantic partners aren’t immediately treated as such—at least not until after marriage or having children together. “Friendship is special, especially among women. It’s a sisterhood wherein we treat each other like real siblings,” she says. “That’s why betrayal truly hurts.”

Unlike romantic relationships, which often end with a definitive farewell—say, a formal split, an annulment, or moving out—friendships can unwittingly fade away, and sometimes, for reasons you can’t quite put a finger on.

“It’s important to share the same values with the people you choose to be part of your life,” Ramirez says. “But there also comes a point when your morals no longer align.”

One life-altering lie

This is the premise of “What Lies Beneath,” albeit on a significantly larger magnitude. Streaming on Netflix

and airing on the Kapamilya Channel, the drama follows four women whose strong bond falls apart because of one damning, life-altering lie.

Fourteen years ago—in the aftermath of their fifth friend, Louisa’s death—Alice (Salvador), Mel (Ramirez), Beth (Dizon), and Erica (Estrada) give in to the pressures from the authorities and frame Edong (Jake Cuenca) for the murder. Their bond, built on shared dreams and affection, turns into shared guilt and perhaps even blackmail.

They were once each other’s source of comfort; now, their presence brings anxiety and distrust. And because they all hold secrets that can ruin each other’s lives, the four can’t afford to separate, leaving everyone unable to genuinely heal.

This kind of vulnerability, this sense that your life has been blown wide open to exploitation, is something Dizon relates to. “I’m the type who’s super open in a friendship, so when I get betrayed, there’s this feeling that the other person knows everything about me already,” she says. “Malalim siyang kind of betrayal. Kasi feeling mo family mo na.”

If there’s a lesson to be gleaned here, it’s that there’s a very thin line between supporting your friends and enabling them. In their attempt to protect each other’s futures, the four friends enabled a lie that offered fleeting reprieve, but ultimately left them in moral debt.

But in real life, one of the beauties of female friendship, Salvador says, lies in the ability to call each other

out without letting egos get in the way. “And we do it respectfully,” she says. “We can accept [each other’s words] and really listen.”

“You support your friends in things that will be good for them, not in what’s wrong,” Dizon adds.

A delicate balancing act

This, of course, is not always the case for everyone. Sometimes, Ramirez says, people end up doing the wrong things without even realizing it. “Maraming gumagawa ng mali na hindi nila alam na ‘yon na pala ang ginagawa nila. O minsan, they know but they just don’t want to accept it,” she says.

It’s a delicate balancing act. You want to be supportive, and at the same time, not let your friends make decisions that could be detrimental to their lives. That often entails dishing out harsh truths—but without overstepping each other’s boundaries, coming across as overbearing, or, in Estrada’s words, “being negative or a hater.”

“There’s a healthy way to communicate with people you love. Even if your opinions challenge your friends’ or you’re not a fan of what they’re doing, you can have that conversation without telling them what to do. Because nobody likes that—we want to be in control of our own lives,” Estrada says.

As such, she stresses, communication is key to friendship and to healthy relationships in general. “You want your friends to understand that you’re doing this out of concern and out of love, and that you want the same from them, too,” Estrada says.

Charlie, Kaila, Janella, and Sue

Tiglao greeted her supporters in a grand homecoming celebration, with a parade held in Makati on Monday, November 24. Photo courtesy of Miss Grand Philippines

Miss Universe Organization president Raul Rocha. Photo from Facebook/Miss Universe

Health@Heart Cardiac surgery

PhiliP S. chua, Md, FacS, FPcS

LAST WEEK, we took our readers on a journey back to the year 1628, almost 400 years ago, when blood circulation, as we know it today, was “discovered,” understood, and accepted by medical science for the first time. This fundamental information inspired and led to cascading advances, one after the other, in medicine as a whole, and in cardiovascular medicine and surgery in particular. One discovery enabled the invention of more sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic measures or procedures. The cutting-edge and state-of-theart medical and surgical procedures available to patients today were made possible and ushered in by those past proven concepts and evidence-based discoveries.

The first right heart angiography in humans was done in 1929 by Werner Forssmann on himself. He was derided as crazy but was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1956, which he shared with Andre Cournand and Dickinson Richards, who introduced diagnostic cardiac catheterization in the early 1940s. Selective coronary angiography, which is used today worldwide to diagnose coronary artery disease (which causes heart attacks), was introduced by Mason Sones of the Cleveland Clinic in the 1960s. Rene Favaloro of Argentina, also on the staff at the Cleveland Clinic, pioneered the technique of coronary bypass surgery in the early 60s, which is used today with refinements.

In 1962, autogenous saphenous vein grafts were used for coronary bypass by D. Sabiston. The first reported use of the Internal Mammary Artery (from behind the breast bone) as a coronary graft was performed by R. Goetz in 1960 using a sutureless technique. Four years later, V. Kolessov did the first sutured IMA as a coronary bypass graft. IMA grafts are superior to vein grafts. It was not until the early 70s that the full impact of Forssmann's discovery was realized when Marcus De Wood, M.D., of Spokane, Washington, used coronary angiography to search for blockages in the coronary artery. As late as that time, the accepted concept was that heart attacks were “merely the last gasp of a dying heart,” a gloomy

Part II – Conclusion

and hopeless situation that could not be treated or altered, or improved. His concept and research were ostracized and derided. In 1980, De Wood was able to prove by angiography his theory that virtually in every heart attack there was a clot blocking the artery. This was a revolutionary change in cardiology, which has led to the modern clot-dissolving therapy to prevent a full-blown heart attack and save heart muscle and save lives. This has dramatically improved survival from a heart attack.

Angioplasty opens new horizons

In 1977, the first angioplasty was performed by Andreas Gruentzig, M.D., of Zurich, Switzerland, to “open up” a tight blockage in a coronary artery. This was improved on by the invention of “stent” (a tiny mesh tube of coiled spring, like car shock absorbers) to keep the angioplastied artery from re-collapsing and re-closing. The stainless steel stents were then improved on with the introduction of drug-coated stents that keep the angioplastied artery patent (open) much longer.

Robotic heart surgery

In May 1998, the first coronary bypass using the da Vinci robot was performed with a mini-chest incision.

A year later, the first totally endoscopic da Vinci robotic coronary bypass surgery was accomplished with no chest incision, except for small holes through which instruments were inserted and manipulated. With the more sophisticated da Vinci robots today, cardiac surgery and other specialty surgeries are routinely performed.

There are at least 21 industrial robotic firms and 11 surgical robotic companies in the United States. Robotic surgery is a standard part of the surgical residency training today. It is evident that the use of robots is the trend for most surgeries. The widespread use in the industrial arena is far ahead compared to that in surgery for obvious reasons.

TAVR: Hope for the rejected

Another more recent advance in cardiac surgery is Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) or Implantation (TAVI), which was first performed by Cribier and associates on April 16, 2002. This is a much less invasive procedure to replace a severely diseased aortic valve (with no chest in-

cision) among old, high-risk patients with other major illnesses, who were, before TAVR was developed, deemed inoperable and hopeless. TAVR has been so successful that it is now used for Mitral valves and more.

The past half-century has brought us life-saving knowledge and discoveries in cardiovascular medicine and surgery. Since then, the mortality rate from coronary heart disease, among other illnesses, has coasted down in a steep plunge, from its record peak in the early 1960s. People today are healthier and live longer…thanks to all the dreamers, explorers, and brilliant minds in the various sectors of science and technology. With the mind-boggling advances in computers, it is apparent that the best is yet to come.

No one discovery or invention could be awarded all the credit for improving the standard of care. Most of the new innovations have built upon and improved on the ones before them. Each technology – from computer science to medical science – has made possible the development of better, safer, and more effective diagnostic procedures and/ or therapies.

“Insanity and audacity”

Many of the great minds in medicine who dared to espouse new concepts or to alter the “status quo” had faced ridicule and contempt of their peers, who thought their “ideas and concepts” were inspired by “misinformation”, if not by “insanity and stupid audacity.” However, as medical history shows, these pioneering physicians were vindicated, and humanity was the better for their vision and courage to risk their name and reputation to venture into the world of possibilities to help mankind.

However, the potential positive impact on mankind of all these cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art evidence-based medicine and surgery is dependent on the wisdom, will, personal behavior, and lifestyle of the individual. Beneficial information and bountiful resources are only useful when taken advantage of and wisely utilized to the fullest for ourselves and our families.

As always, our health is, to a significant degree, in our hands.

Franco Laurel shares the stage with his three daughters

by leaH c salterio Philstar.com

MANILA — Singer-actor Franco Laurel cannot be any happier that he is sharing the stage for the first time with his three daughters — Mariella, Sophia and Lucia — in 9 Works Theatrical’s forthcoming offering, “A Christmas Carol.”

“I can’t take away my being a dad when I’m with them,” he told The STAR. “They grew up watching me and their mom (Ayen Laurel) perform. Now, seeing them in a field that they love…

“We never forced them to get into theater. They are the ones who actually like to get into it. To get into character and discover their talents during rehearsals, it really makes me proud as a dad.”

Fun fact, according to Franco, Lucia was actually born during their production week eight years ago in November 2017 when they first did “A Christmas Carol.”

“So this is like a full-circle moment with our family because now, she is part of the show. I’m just so happy about it.”

“A Christmas Carol” marks the first time that all four of them are performing together. “This is Sophia and Lucia’s first professional theatrical production,” Franco offered. “I previously worked with Mariella in ‘A Christmas Carol’ in 2017. This is like a family affair for us.”

Franco, who shuttles between theater, TV and film, remains constantly amazed that he gets to discover new things about his daughters while they are doing rehearsals.

“Both Sophia and Lucia are very smart,” Franco said. They are very observant. When they are given directions, they take them in, but when they start acting onstage, they’re onpoint. So that means they are thinking about their characters and they are adding their own flavor to it.”

That makes the dad remark that his girls are really smart. “Not that I want to just praise and admire them,” Franco said. “They are really theater kids, as they call themselves.”

When the family watched the musical, “Side Show” last August, director Robbie Guevarra asked Franco if he’s free to do “A Christmas Carol” again.

“I didn’t give an affirmative answer right away,” Franco

recalled. “I told him I need to check my schedule because I’m doing a movie and a teleserye at the same time. Then I went out to the rest room and when I returned, Robbie told me, ‘Franco, your two girls are in the cast of ‘A Christmas Carol.’

“Then I said, ‘Give me a week to fix my schedule.’ Then one dinner at home, Sophia and Lucia were praying, ‘And Lord, we pray that Dad will do ‘A Christmas Carol’ (again) with us.’ How can I say no to that? They already talked to God. So I made it a point to fix my schedule and here we are.”

When Sophia, 11 and Lucia who’s turning eight, are in rehearsals, Franco allows his daughters to act freely, aside from the guidance of direk Robbie. “What’s so cool about it, I asked Ayen, who’s a theater major from UP (University of the Philippines), to give a workshop to the kids,” Franco said.

“So at home, just to bring out more from my daughters, I allowed Ayen to coach them, guide them and help them rehearse. In their rehearsals, they do their choreography and blocking. But discovering their character, I let them do it on their own.”

Admittedly, Franco can’t help being a (stage) dad even when they are in rehearsals. “I always encourage my daughters to bring out the best in them,” Franco said. “I would even call them and remind them that they are next. ‘You are going to come in already.’

Sometimes, they are not aware of it. I always remind them to give their energy onstage.

“When I’m the only one acting, I just think of myself and what I’m going to be doing for my character. This time, I’m

consciously thinking, ‘Where’s Sophia? Where’s Lucia? What’s next? When they know what they’re doing already, I get calm rehearsing.”

Franco is playing the Ghost of Christmas Past, reimagining his previous role in the musical in 2016. “It’s like riding a bike, because I did it before, I wanted to add something new and different to the role,” he shared. “You will see it when you watch the show. It’s the same. I want to still retain what I created eight years ago. But I want to do it differently. Add something new in terms of nuances and choreography.

“Adding to PJ’s choreography and Robbie’s direction, just adding a little bit here and there, it’s still the character I created eight years ago. We have a new Scrooge. I worked with the late Miguel Faustmann. Arnel Carreon is the new Scrooge. He reacts to something new that I do.

That’s what’s nice about it.

With this 2025 cast being new, that also allows Franco to give a different take and nuance to his role.

Joining Franco is Lorenz Martinez as the jovial Ghost of Christmas Present, Carmelle Ross as the haunting Ghost of Christmas Yet To Be, Boo Gabunada as Jacob Marley, CJ Navato as young Ebenezer, John Joven Uy as Bob Cratchit, Anna Santamaria returns as Mrs. Cratchit, a role she played in the 2016 staging, the first time 9 Works staged “A Christmas Carol.”

“A Christmas Carol” runs on all weekends of November, starting Nov. 29 until Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati City.

Franco Laurel, who shuttles between theater, TV and film, is joined by daughters Mariella (right), Sophia (left) and Lucia (front) in 9 Works Theatrical’s staging of ‘A Christmas Carol.’

Why Richard Gomez decided to step back into acting

by cHarMie Joy Pagulong Philstar.com

MANILA — Richard Gomez couldn’t help but turn emotional when he saw the showbiz press at the grand mediacon for his acting comeback, “Salvageland,” an action thriller helmed by Lino S. Cayetano.

“I really missed you all. I got teary-eyed. I’ve been an actor for such a long time,” Richard told the press.

It was a warm feeling for the veteran actor-turned-politician to return to his “home turf,” as he put it.

“I’ve worked with you guys for a long time. And seeing you guys again, it’s wonderful.”

What led him to say yes to “Salvageland” was the impressive script material. “Even before, when I was very active in movies, the movies I did were very script-based. When this script came, I said, ‘This is really good.’ I checked my schedule, tamang-tama ang gulo-gulo sa (the timing was right as it was so chaotic in) Congress. So I said, ‘Out muna ako diyan (I’ll stay out of that) and work on this first.’”

It was also a new experience for Richard to work with direk Lino, as well as with the rest of the cast, including Elijah Canlas who plays his son in “Salvageland.”

“It’s a good opportunity for me to work with a new set of actors, crew and director.”

Accepting “Salvageland” is a “wonderful time to be back in my own turf as an actor,” Richard reiterated, adding that he sorely missed acting. “In fact, during my first two days (of taping), I told my manager Pia (Campos) that I needed to warm up because I hadn’t acted in a long time. It’s our job to memorize pages and pages of lines. I haven’t done that in a long time so the first two days, it was difficult for me to memorize the lines until I got back into the routine.

“I really have to go through the whole script. And then reread, re-read, re-read and then I was acting alone. I was doing my lines and it went OK.”

The last movie that Richard did was the 2018 family romantic comedy-drama “Three Words to Forever” with Sharon Cuneta. He was the mayor in Ormoc at that time.

Showing in cinemas nationwide on Nov. 26, “Salvageland” follows the story of Richard’s character who’s a policeman about to retire and

his son who’s a budding policeman, played by Elijah.

According to the media release, the film is set in a desolate town. Along a dead highway stands a rundown sub-police station occupied by the characters of Richard and Elijah. It’s looking like a regular night for them until a wounded woman comes crying for help. She has just escaped from her abusive boyfriend, who’s also the leader of a crime syndicate — and he’s deadset to hunt her down.

Naturally, this sets the father and son duo into defensive mode, not just for the sake of the woman, but of their town. As the nearly-retired cop and his rookie son find themselves thrust into a brutal battle like never before, they realize that it’s not just their survival skills, but their principles and their bond that are being put to a test.

Described as a neo-Western kind of film, “Salvageland” also marked the return of direk Lino into feature filmmaking after focusing primarily on television directing for 15 years. The screenplay is co-written by Shugo Praico and JC Pacala.

Joining Richard and Elijah are Mon Confiado, Cindy Miranda, Mccoy De Leon and Angela Morena.

The film is a collaboration between Rein Entertainment and Viva Films.

The central themes addressed in “Salvageland” remain relevant today, particularly its depiction of the clash between old and new societal systems, direk Lino maintained.

“Our film is about a cop who wants to retire and wants to

‘Nakakaloka’: Kim Chiu shatters KimErald reunion clamor

by Jan Milo severo Philstar.com

KIM Chiu shut down the fantasy of KimErald fans for a comeback project between her and former on- and offscreen partner Gerald Anderson.

A video of Kim and Gerald at the Star Magical Christmas 2025 went viral, where they were awarded with Loyalty Awards.

Gerald greeted Kim and they hugged each other.

KimErald, the name of their fans, were glad to see Kim and Gerald interact with each other.

Kim, however, opted to downplay this interaction.

the actress for being vocal about her true feelings.

live a peaceful life,” direk Lino told The STAR.

“But his son, whom he raised well, is now fighting against him because he doesn’t want the status quo. He wants change. So for me, in every field — in our work, in the industry, in politics, in the family, in business — the old and the new are always clashing. And it’s so interesting to watch that clash.”

“Salvageland” likewise highlights a woman’s courage to stand up, as shown through Cindy’s character as a whistleblower, direk Lino said.

He added that they were inspired by the success of the sports drama “Sunshine” and the historical drama “Quezon,” and hoped to follow in their footsteps.

“You sit (in the cinemas), you get entertained, and these are very uniquely Filipino stories but the themes are universal. I think we wanna continue to ride that wave of these kinds of films.”

As for Richard, the movie is “mirroring life and basically society.”

“There’s social relevance,” he stressed.

“In the midst of all that is happening now, corruption, blaming people, in the movie, pinakita rin yung corruption nung trabaho namin (in the local government unit). Hindi lang siya on a larger scale but on the scale na saan kami at the present time,” he further explained.

“It’s about how we deal with problems like that. It makes you think and ask, ‘What are we going to do?’ That’s where Elijah’s character comes in — showing that we need to change our system.”

“Nakakaloka 'yung feed ko ah. Kung makapag-relapse akala mo talaga eh di tayo niloko 15 years ago!!! hahahahaha char not char!!!!” Kim wrote on X.

Fans of Kim commended

“Kim is in her outspoken era. Alam na n'ya ang worth n'ya at 'di kailangan always silent and be a nice girl. Naaabuso ang ganyang image ng mga users sa showbiz," an X user commented. “Maganda ngayon career

ni Kim. Mukhang hindi na siya mapipilit ng management or even fans to save Gerald’s image / career,” another commented.

Kim and Gerald were part of the first edition of "Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition" in 2006, where Kim eventually won.

Jessica Sanchez teases new album, return to music scene weeks after childbirth

by anne PasaJol Inquirer.net

“AMERICA’S Got Talent”

Season 20 champion Jessica Sanchez appears to be gearing up for her return to the music scene, just over a month after she gave birth to her first child Eliana Mae.

The Filipino-American singer shared her music plans as well as an update on motherhood, through her Instagram page on Friday, Nov. 28.

“[Six] weeks postpartum. My heart is so full,” she said. “These weeks have changed me in ways I can’t explain.”

“Overwhelming love, healing, late nights, and moments

I’ll never forget. I’m beyond grateful for my little family and for all of your support,” she added.

Sanchez then expressed her excitement while hinting at the project she is currently working on.

“I’m excited to be step back into the music, into my purpose, and into everything we’ve been building. The album is on the way. And I’m ready,” she declared. “Thank you Jesus.”

Further details on the album have yet to be announced as of this writing.

Sanchez gave birth to Eliana last Oct. 13, just over two weeks after she won the reality

competition “America’s Got Talent.”

Sanchez is set to come to the Philippines in December for a New Year’s countdown event in Pasay.

Cardiac surgery...

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points expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United

The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, pugilist Muhammad Ali, David Letterman, distinguished educators, scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com. On Amazon.com, search for “Where is My America?” Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

Richard Gomez returns to his acting turf via Lino Cayetano’s action thriller ‘Salvageland,’ which opens in theaters nationwide on Nov. 26.

Photo from Rein Entertainment and Viva Films’ social media pages

Ex-partners Kim Chiu (right) and Gerald Anderson (left) walk the red carpet of Star Magical Christmas held in Okada Manila on November 23, 2025. Philstar.com photos by Anjilica Andaya

Jessica Sanchez and her child Eliana Mae Screen grab from Instagam/ jessicaesanchez