Emma Mary Tiglao of Pampanga crowned Miss Grand International Philippines 2025

 

Newscaster and seasoned beauty queen Emma Mary Tiglao of Pampanga was crowned Miss Grand International Philippines 2025 at the finals night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Sunday, Aug. 24.

By Annalyn S. Jusay

Published Aug 25, 2025 08:08 am

The 30-year-old stunner bested 28 other aspirants for the title and will represent the Philippines in the 13th Miss Grand International pageant set for October in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Outgoing queen Christine Juliane “CJ” Opiaza, the first Filipina to receive the Miss Grand International crown, passed on her title to Tiglao in a moving turnover witnessed by pageant fans. With her extensive experience, Emma is now being looked at as a strong contender who could secure a back-to-back win for the Philippines.

In her post-coronation interview, Tiglao shared her confidence and determination. “Ngayon, masasabi ko with all the experiences, wisdom, ang tagal na natin sa pageantry, sana naman kakayanin natin itong back to back para naman another history for the Philippines. Sabi ko nga, if someone asks me, are you ready? I'm born ready!” (Now, with all the experiences and wisdom I’ve gained, after being in pageantry for so long, I hope we can achieve this back-to-back to make another history for the Philippines. If someone asks me, am I ready? I’m born ready.)

Emma is no stranger to the pageant stage. Her career began in Mutya ng Pilipinas 2012, where she finished first runner-up. She later joined Miss World Philippines 2015, placing Fourth Princess, before winning the Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2019 title. That same year, she represented the country at the Miss Intercontinental competition in Egypt, where she landed in the Top 20 semifinals.

Emma also proved her stage dominance at Sunday’s finals by sweeping the major special awards: Best in Evening Gown, Best in Swimsuit, and Miss Photogenic.

She sealed her win with her eloquent answer during the Question & Answer portion, where she was asked: “If peace could be packaged like a product, how would you convince world leaders to buy it?” 

Tiglao responded: “I would convince world leaders to see it as a quality, not as a quantity. What I mean is that quality of us having constant dialogue with eachother. It's not about the quantity or the time we need to prepare or we need to talk with each other, but it's the constant dialogue. Because if we will do that, we will eradicate disparities between the opportunities that we can get. And also, we cannotgrow the division between people in terms of politics, in terms of power, and in terms of properties. So I hope that they will look at it in quality instead of quantity of time. Thank you."

The Miss Grand Philippines 2025 coronation, organized by Arnold Vegafria's ALV Pageant Circle, also saw the crowning of four additional queens, who will represent the country in international pageants:

Beatriz Abalajon McLelland of Aklan was named Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas 2025, succeeding reigning queen Dia Mate. She now carries the challenge of securing a back-to-back victory for the Philippines at the Bolivia-based competition.

Nikki Buenafe of Quezon City won the Face of Beauty International Philippines 2025 crown from Jeanne Isabelle Bilasano, the reigning Face of Beauty International. Like McLelland, she also holds the task of delivering a second straight win for the country.

Anita Rose Gomez of Zambales was crowned Miss Asia Pacific International Philippines 2025 by reigning Miss Asia Pacific International Janelis Leyba of the United States. Meanwhile, Michelle Arceo of Taguig City was named Miss Tourism World Philippines 2025.

Completing the roster of winners were the runners-up: Margarette Briton, of Bicol Region, as first runner-up, and Beatriz Angela Ocampo of Rizal as second runner-up.

Taking care of our senior citizens: Gesture of gratitude, not a handout

 

By Manila Bulletin

Published Aug 24, 2025 12:05 am

A proposal to grant all Filipino senior citizens a ₱1,500 monthly social pension through Senate Bill No. 215, or the Lingap Para Kay Lolo at Lola Act, filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros, is a long-overdue gesture of compassion and assistance. At its core, this measure is not just about economic assistance — it is a recognition of the nation’s debt to the men and women who helped build this country.

Currently, under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, only indigent seniors — those who are frail, sickly, or without a regular income or family support — are entitled to a ₱1,000 monthly pension from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This amount, unchanged for years, is hardly enough to cover even a week’s worth of maintenance medicine, let alone monthly living costs. That this amount is still limited to a small subset of seniors makes it even more inequitable.

Senator Hontiveros’ bill addresses both the inadequacy and exclusivity of the current system by raising the pension to ₱1,500 and making it universal. All seniors, whether they are indigent or are funded by a job or a generous child, will welcome any additional income to augment their daily living expenses – and boost dignity.

“Our grandparents’ needs increase as they age, especially when it comes to their health,” Senator Hontiveros noted, emphasizing that most seniors are forced to choose between essentials like food, water, and electricity — often at the expense of their health. As inflation pushes prices upward, this modest increase can be the difference between resilience and suffering.

But financial support isn’t the only concern. Another bill, refiled by Senator Panfilo Lacson, underscores a deeper issue: the erosion of familial responsibility. Lacson’s Parents Welfare Act of 2025, filed in July, seeks to criminalize the abandonment of aging parents by adult children who have the capacity to provide care or support. While many Filipinos still hold firm to traditional values of filial duty, the law confronts a growing reality — not all families remain intact, and not all parents are supported in their final years.

Lacson’s bill, though controversial, proposes penalties for deliberate neglect while still protecting children who were abused or are financially incapable. The bill also allows for the dismissal or reduction of support obligations if the parent had a history of abandoning, abusing, or neglecting the child. It even mandates the creation of “Old Age Homes” in each province — a solution that complements, rather than contradicts, Hontiveros’ universal pension approach.

Taken together, these two bills reveal the need for a multi-pronged strategy to protect Filipino seniors — from financial support to legal safeguards. Currently, seniors are entitled to additional benefits, including 20 percent discounts on basic goods and services, VAT exemptions, priority lanes, and free medical services in government hospitals. But for many, these are not enough.

Why must the government take care of its elderly? Because they once took care of us. Their decades of labor, caregiving, and sacrifice laid the foundation for today’s society. To ignore their needs now is not just unjust — it is shameful.

The Lingap Para Kay Lolo at Lola Act is a statement of national conscience — a promise that we will not turn our backs on those who once gave us everything. The bill, if passed into law, can alleviate financial needs, but more important is, it will serve to honor lives well lived.

House bill seeks creation of National Museum of Filipino Women

Olympic Gold Medalist Hidilyn Diaz (Photo from Facebook)

Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas wants to honor Filipino women by putting up a National Museum of Filipino Women. Vargas says that the measure is not only about honoring the past but also inspiring future generations. Read more

Overwhelming joy and gratitude

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THIS is how we should feel every time we celebrate or attend a Holy Mass. If we only know what a Holy Mass really is, we cannot help but be filled with extreme joy and ineffable thanksgiving. If we do not feel it that way yet, then it’s time we do something about it.

What we have in the Holy Mass is what we may regard, if we are to be guided by our faith, as God’s supreme gift to us. He did not only create us, making us his image and likeness and given the charge to have dominion together with him over the whole world.

He continues to take care and to love us all the way even if we have been unfaithful to him. And this he has shown by sending his Son to us. His Son is Jesus Christ, the second person of the Blessed Trinity who became man. 

Christ assumed all our wounded condition, becoming like sin himself without committing sin if only to show and give us the way of how we can convert our wounded condition into “the way, the truth and life” meant for us. 

For this, what he did was not only to preach and give us good examples of how we should live. He offered his life, assuming all our sins and conquering them through his passion, death and resurrection.

And that is not enough. He perpetuated this supreme sacrifice and gift of his to us by making his very passion, death and resurrection continually present up to the end of time through the celebration of the Holy Mass where he himself gives his whole own self to us as the Bread of Life.

For sure, if we can only capture this reality about the Holy Mass, we cannot help but be overwhelmingly happy and thankful. Thus, the challenge for us now is how to train ourselves, involving our mind and heart, our senses and feelings, etc., to enter into this most wonderful reality of Christ’s gift to us.

Yes, we have to learn how to step into this wonderful spiritual and supernatural reality and teach ourselves to be truly amazed at what happens in the celebration of the Holy Mass. We should not forget that at every celebration of the Holy Mass, we are made contemporaries of Christ in his supreme sacrifice and gift for us on the cross.

It is this sacrifice of Christ on the cross that conquers all sins and evils in this world. We have every reason, despite our weaknesses and sinfulness, to feel ever confident, hopeful and focused on doing what we are supposed to do, that is, to do a lot of good in this world.

In the Holy Mass, we are invited to also join, in vivo, in that sacrifice of Christ. Yes, there is suffering and death involved, but let’s not forget that all this would lead us to that victory of Christ’s resurrection that takes care of everything in our life.

Indeed, we need to prepare ourselves properly before celebrating or attending a Holy Mass. We should know what is actually taking place every time the Holy Mass is celebrated. For this, we need time and effort to condition our mind, heart and our whole being to capture this reality.

It cannot be denied that despite our weaknesses, mistakes and all that, we would be filled with overwhelming joy and gratitude after each Mass that we celebrate or attend.

8 signs you have a brilliant mind, according to psychology

 

Human Mind (Psychology)

 

Posted by 

Hoorab Jahangeer

8 signs you have a brilliant mind, according to psychology

1. You see connections others miss.

2. You’re easily bored.

3. You’re deeply empathetic.

4. You often feel misunderstood.

5. You have a constant thirst for knowledge.

6. You enjoy solitude.

7. You question everything.

8. You are uniquely you.

Thank you for reading 🙂