PRESIDENT MARCOS URGES HONESTY AMONG BSK WINNERS AS OVER 98% ARE PROCLAIMED

MANILA - Nearly all the winning candidates in Monday's barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) have been proclaimed, and President Marcos has urged them to prioritize their constituents' welfare and remain honest. He emphasized the importance of unity for achieving peace and prosperity in the nation. Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia reported that 99.47% of election results from over 40,000 barangays nationwide had been canvassed as of 2:35 p.m. yesterday, with 97.44% of the winning candidates already proclaimed. Some unproclaimed winners were candidates with pending disqualification cases. The Comelec described the elections as "generally peaceful," with a higher voter turnout expected compared to five years ago.

BSKE: 300 BETS WITH LINKS TO MNLF WIN

Around 300 candidates affiliated with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) have emerged as winners in the recent barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Approximately 200 of these candidates, who are either MNLF leaders' children or relatives, are expected to be proclaimed as winners in the coming days. Among the elected officials is Datun Diocolono, a senior MNLF member, who ran unopposed for village chief in Barangay Tamontaka 5. Mohammad Ali Jawawi Sema, the son of MNLF chairman Muslimin Sema, was also declared the winner in Barangay Tamontaka Mother. The election of MNLF-affiliated candidates and those who support peace and development initiatives is seen as a positive development in promoting peace at the community level. In Central Luzon, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced the proclamation of winners in six of the seven provinces in the barangay and SK elections. Only four barangays in Bulacan had not yet proclaimed their newly elected officials by midday. The plebiscite results regarding the conversion of San Jose del Monte into a highly urbanized city are still being collated in Bulacan.

FILIPINOS THRONG CEMETERIES FOR ALL SAINTS' DAY

MANILA — Thousands of Filipinos flocked to grave sites across the country to honor the dead on All Saints' Day.

At the Manila North Cemetery, visitors have reached 38,000 as of 8 a.m., with some spending the night outside the grave site to pay an early visit to their departed loved ones.

Some 67,000 people visited the cemetery on Monday and the local government expects this figure to double on Wednesday and on All Souls' Day.

Manila police chief Col. Thomas Ibay, who went to the cemetery earlier in the day, said road closures around the area were modified to make it more accessible to the public.

Road closures were limited to the stretch of Blumentritt Avenue from the corner of Aurora Boulevard to the corner of A. Bonifacio Avenue, and the section of Blumentritt up to Dimasalang Street.

Around 300 police officers, some of them patrolling on bicycles, were deployed to the cemetery. Ambulances and fire trucks were also on standby.

Meanwhile, a "wall of remembrance" with the names of some 15,000 dead allowed visitors to offer flowers and light candles for their departed loved ones at the Tugatog Cemetery in Malabon, while it is under rehabilitation.

The cemetery's redevelopment started in 2021, and all the remains of those buried there were exhumed and temporarily relocated.

The city government said it still needed to complete 57 percent of the site’s renovation before it could be fully opened to the public.

The Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina reminded visitors that pets, liquor, and matches are not allowed inside the park.

The Marikina police said around 6,000 people were inside the park as of 7 a.m.

Broadcasters Mike Enriquez and Mario Dumaual, and former Marikina City mayor Bayani Fernando, were recently laid to rest at the memorial park.

The observation of Undas was peaceful so far, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said at around 10 a.m.

REFLECT ON PURPOSE, MARCOS JR TELLS FILIPINOS ON UNDAS

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday reminded Filipinos to reflect on their purpose as the country commemorates All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

In his message, Marcos Jr said the public should remember the courage that saints and their departed loved ones showed despite the challenges they faced.

This will help empower them "to be bold in living with and for Christ, no matter the difficulties that we face in this world."

"This time comes as a refreshing gift for we can also enjoy reuniting with our loved ones while receiving much needed nourishment for our spiritual lives," said the President.

"As we celebrate the saints' staunch devotion and the legacies of those who have gone before us, let us reflect on our purpose and our unceasing need for God's guidance," he added.

Meanwhile, Vice-President Sara Duterte urged the Catholic faithful to use this time to reflect on the depth of their relationship and faith to God.

On All Saints' Day, Duterte asked the public to pray for saints' blessedness so it could "guide us down the path where we are called to serve the poor, the oppressed, the sick, and the dying."

"Let us pray for protection against calamities, disasters, wars, and forces that may threaten our unity and cause human suffering or death," she said.

Thousands of Filipinos went back to their hometowns this week to celebrate the twin holidays with their families and vote for the village and youth elections.

OCTOBER INFLATION MAY SETTLE BETWEEN 5.1-5.9 PCT: BSP

MANILA - Inflation may settle within the 5.1 to 5.9 percent range in October amid higher prices of electricity, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), fruits and fish, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Tuesday.

The provisional fare increase in jeepneys may also contribute to an uptick in inflation, the BSP added.

Meanwhile, lower rice, meat, and vegetable prices could contribute to downward price pressures for the month.

Lower petroleum prices may also keep inflation lower, the BSP said.

Inflation quickened to 6.1 percent in September despite President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. imposing a price cap on regular and well-milled varieties of rice.

The BSP raised its benchmark target reverse repurchase (RRP) rate by 25 basis points in an off-cycle move in a bid to tame inflation.

MILLIONS OF MOTORCYCLES UNREGISTERED: LTO

There are 8.5 million registered motorcycles in the Philippines, with millions more unregistered, the Land Transportation Office chief said Wednesday.

LTO chief Asec. Vigor Mendoza said many delinquent motorcycle owners either forget to renew their registrations or fail to transfer ownership after purchasing the vehicle.

"Marami na 'yang [8.5 million registered] pero mas higit pa diyan ang motorsiklo sa daan. Marami diyan hindi registered up to date. Mahina ang doble [sa unregistered motorcycles], we are looking at 16-17 million. Concentration ay sa [National Capital Region], Region 3 and Region 4," he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

He noted that as far back as 2003, there were 38 million 4-wheeled vehicles and motorcycles on the road but only 13.9 million were registered, according to LTO data.

"Majority of vehicles on the road are not registered," he said.

Mendoza said some motorcycle owners fail to register their vehicles especially if they are in a 3 to 5-year payment plan. Law enforcers should go after these unregistered motorcycles, he said.

He warned that failure to transfer ownership of vehicles could cause problems if the vehicle is involved in an accident. "Ang registered owner ang liable," he said.

NEW RULES FORCE SOME TO SLEEP OUTSIDE MANILA NORTH CEMETERY

MANILA — New guidelines at Manila North Cemetery caught some visitors off guard on the eve of All Saints' Day, causing them to spend the night outside. Regie Vasquez and his family from Pandi, Bulacan arrived at 5 PM, unaware of the new guidelines. They chose to stay, even though people were leaving, as returning home was not feasible due to the distance. Angelina Marzol and her relatives from Laguna were in a similar situation, sleeping on cardboard boxes until the cemetery opened. They questioned why only residents could enter beyond operating hours. The cemetery's management has limited access to 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM from October 30 to November 2, 2023, for cleaning purposes.

PHILIPPINES DEBT EASES FROM RECORD HIGH

MANILA — The country’s outstanding debt saw a slight decrease, reaching P14.27 trillion at the close of September, the Bureau of Treasury reported on Tuesday.

The amount is 0.6% lower, representing a decrease of P80.9 billion compared to the August debt of P14.35 trillion.

The Bureau of Treasury attributed the dip to the P81 billion worth of repayments of borrowings from local and foreign lenders.

In September, domestic debt fell to P9.73 trillion, a decrease of P56.8 billion.

Foreign loans now stand at P4.53 trillion, significantly lower than August’s P24.1 billion.

The government's guaranteed obligations also decreased by 1.2% to P362.22 billion.

NEARLY HALF OF FILIPINO FAMILIES FEEL POOR: SWS

The Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 poll found that 48 percent of Filipino families rated themselves as mahirap or poor, 25 percent said they were not poor, and 27 percent rated placed themselves on the borderline.

Compared to June 2023, the percentage of poor families rose by 3 points from 45 percent. Borderline families fell by 6 points from 33 percent, and families which were not poor rose by 3 points from 22 percent.

This is equal to 13.2 million self-rated poor families in September and 12.5 million in June. The SWS arrived at these estimates by applying the percentage of self-rated poor respondents to the Philippine Statistics Authority's medium-population projections for 2023.

The 3-point rise in the nationwide self-rated poor figure between June and September "was due to increases in all areas, especially in Mindanao, combined with a decline in Balance Luzon" or Luzon areas outside Metro Manila, the pollster said.

The same survey found that 6.6 percent or 1.8 million families were "newly poor", meaning they were not poor 1 to 4 years ago.

The Marcos administration eyes bringing down the poverty incidence in the country to 8.8 to 9 percent by 2028 from 18.1 percent in 2021, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) said in June.

The SWS poll used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults. It had a sampling error margin of ±2.8 percent for national percentages.

PALACE DECLARES LOCAL HOLIDAYS

CAMP GEN. ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan — Malacañang has declared holidays in various localities of the country to allow residents to participate in the celebration of their community festivals.

The holidays were contained in several proclamations signed last week by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin by the authority of President Marcos.

Proclamation 384 declared Nov. 13 a special non-working day in Pantukan, Davao de Oro to allow people to celebrate the town’s 86th founding anniversary and the 21st Pasaka Festival.

Proclamation 385 declared Dec. 7 a holiday in M’lang, Cotabato because of the Kawayanan Festival.

Bersamin also signed issuances declaring Dec. 12 a holiday in San Juan, Batangas, and Dec. 16 a special non-working day in nearby Malvar town as well as in Sorsogon City, which will celebrate their founding anniversaries.

The holiday declarations for San Juan, Malvar and Sorsogon City were contained in Proclamations 386, 387 and 388, respectively.

Meanwhile, Proclamation 389 declared Dec. 22 a special non-working day in Bayawan, Negros Oriental for the city’s 23rd charter anniversary.

Dumingag in Zamboanga del Sur will celebrate its founding anniversary on Dec. 27, which was declared a local holiday through Proclamation 390.

Proclamation 391 declared Dec. 7 a special non-working day in Virac, Catanduanes because of the Kaaldawan nin Virac.

San Jose in Occidental Mindoro will commemorate the 79th Liberation Day of Mindoro Island from Japanese occupation on Dec. 15, which was made a holiday through Proclamation 392.

Malacañang also signed Proclamation 393 declaring Dec. 23 a special non-working day in Sto. Niño, South Cotabato to allow residents to celebrate the town’s 43rd anniversary and the 24th Hinublag festival.

THE REST

========

BULACAN VOTES 'NO' TO SJDM CONVERSION TO HIGHLY-URBANIZED CITY

MANILA — Residents of Bulacan voted "no" to converting San Jose Del Monte into a highly-urbanized city in the plebiscite held last October 30, the same day that the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls were conducted.

A total of 820,385 voted against the conversion, which would have made San Jose Del Monte independent of the province while 620,707 votes "yes".

Supporters of the reclassification said it would give local officials more direct control of programs and would bring better opportunities to the city.

Those against it worried it would mean hyper-urbanization, higher taxes, and a loss of support and benefits provided by the provincial government.

Under the Local Government Code, cities with a population of at least 200,000 inhabitants and annual income of at least P50 million a year can be classified as highly urbanized upon presidential declaration.

That declaration — made in Proclamation 1057 by then President Rodrigo Duterte in 2020 — must be ratified in a plebiscite.

Based on the Certificate of Canvass, 1,608,004 million cast their votes, out of the more than 2,092,248 registered voters.

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia personally observed the canvassing Tuesday night.

12,186 CENTENARIANS RECEIVE P100,000 CASH GIFT

MANILA — At least 12,186 centenarians have received a cash gift of P100,000 each since 2017 under the Centenarians Act.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has disbursed P1.218 billion for the program.

“This achievement serves as a testament to the nation’s unwavering commitment to honoring its elderly citizens,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez said.

The cash incentive is given to senior citizens who reach the age of 100.

Aside from the cash gift, the DSWD said it would present a posthumous plaque of recognition to the surviving relatives of centenarians who have died.

The birth certificate and Philippine passport of the centenarian should be submitted to the city or municipal social welfare office or to the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) in the area for availment of the cash incentive.

If the two documents are not available, any one of the primary ID cards issued by OSCA, the Government Service Insurance System and Social Security System; driver’s license; Professional Regulations Commission license and voter’s ID is accepted.

TORTURE DEN FOUND IN PASAY POGO HUB

In Pasay City, a Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) hub, previously raided for housing illegal activities such as sex dens, love scams, and crypto scams, has been found to also contain a torture den, as reported by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC). The den included various torture devices like tasers, rattan sticks, baseball bats, airsoft guns, and a wooden club, used to torture individuals who hadn't paid their fees, particularly those who had rented prostitution rooms and hired women. In a joint operation involving the PAOCC, the Philippine National Police, and the Department of Justice, 731 suspected human trafficking victims, both foreigners and Filipinos, were rescued from two POGOs in Pasay. These POGOs were operating illegally since their licenses had been revoked by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. The victims were often recruited through Facebook under the guise of working as encoders but were forced into prostitution upon their arrival at the POGO hub. Initial proceedings have been conducted against six suspects, five Chinese and a Filipino recruiter, on charges of human trafficking and torture. One victim claimed to have been kidnapped and sold for P500,000, while another revealed they had been held for over a year and forced to work long hours. Additionally, sexual paraphernalia was discovered in a massage parlor within the facility.

RAINY ALL SAINTS' DAY IN LUZON, FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE

MANILA — Triple weather systems will bring rains over Luzon this All Saints' Day, state weather bureau PAGASA said, as millions of Filipinos are expected to flock to cemeteries to pay respects to their deceased.

Weather forecaster Robert Badrina advised the public to bring an umbrella when they visit the cemetery.

A low pressure area was last spotted over the coastal waters of Caramoran, Catanduanes and is very likely to dissipate in the coming hours, Badrina said.

A shear line, the convergence of cold and warm winds, will also affect the eastern section of Luzon.

Metro Manila, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Bulacan, CALABARZON, Marinduque, and Camarines Norte will experience scattered rains from the LPA and shear line.

Flooding and landslides are possible during occasions of moderate to at times heavy intensity.

Meanwhile, the weakening Northeast Monsoon, or Amihan, will also bring light rains over Cordillera, Nueva Ecija, and the rest of Cagayan Valley.

Ilocos Region and the rest of Central Luzon will have fairer weather with only isolated light rains expected.

The rest of Bicol Region and MIMAROPA and the entire Visayas and Mindanao, however, will be sunny and hot with thunderstorms expected in the afternoon or evening.

Metro Manila is still forecast to have scattered rains on All Souls' Day as the shear line will continue to affect the eastern section of Luzon tomorrow.

As the Amihan weakens further, the shear line will retreat northwards and just affect Cagayan Valley before dissipating on Sunday.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

VICE GANDA, ANNE CURTIS, ANDREA BRILLANTES TURN HEADS AT OPULENCE BALL

Halloween parties are back and party organizer and host Mond Gutierrez came back with a bang bringing the biggest artists to his annual Opulence Halloween ball.

The stars went all out Tuesday night, dressed as gods and goddesses at the Marquis Events Place in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

The whole Gutierrez family showed support for Mond, from Richard to Ruffa to Eddie Gutierrez who dressed up as Elvis Presley and Annabelle Rama who was celebrating her birthday.

Kapamilya stars brought their A-game.

Anne Curtis stunned every one at the black carpet as what she described herself as "herself" or "Dyosa".

For tonight, Andrea Brillantes is Lilith - a she-demon who was said to have been banished from the Garden of Eden.

Meanwhile, in the usual Vice Ganda fashion, the unkabogable star arrived as Psyche, the Greek goddess of soul.

With black and white butterflies from head to toe, Vice said she had to think of a character that nobody would usually choose as a costume for a Halloween ball.

Piolo Pascual, who rarely attends parties and socials like this one, came to support Mond.

Other celebrities who dressed up were Chie Filomeno, Kylie Verzosa, James Reid, Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho, Kiana Valenciano, Mikki of BGYO, Aubrey Miles and Troy Montero among others.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 56.73

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. - Bertrand Russell