2 TEEN GIRLS DEAD, 5 STILL MISSING IN DAVAO FLASH FLOOD

Tragedy struck at Mini Asik-Asik Falls in Barangay Carmen, Baguio District, Davao City, on Monday morning, Sept. 15, after a sudden flash flood swept away a group of young people.

Authorities confirmed that two teenage girls were found dead, while five others remain missing as of this report. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with local responders and volunteers scouring the area despite challenging conditions.

The incident highlights once again the dangers of sudden floods in waterfall and river destinations, especially during the rainy season.

#BreakingNews #Davao #FlashFlood #AsikAsikFalls #Philippines #RescuePH #HeadlinePH

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Incentives for foreign investments

BY RAUL J. PALABRICA

SEPTEMBER 16, 2025

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With the recent signing into law of Republic Act No. 12252, foreign investors may now lease private lands in the country for an aggregate period of not more than 99 years.

The premises that may be leased can be used solely for approved and registered investments and shall comprise such area that may be required for the investment as may be agreed upon by the parties, subject to existing government regulations.

Prior to the enactment of this law, foreigners were allowed to lease lands for 50 years, renewable for another 25 years, or a maximum period of 75 years.

July remittances rose to 7-mo high of $3.18B

BY IAN NICOLAS P. CIGARAL

SEPTEMBER 16, 2025

Metro Manila skyline —AFP FILE PHOTO

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Heavy monsoon rains and flash floods that washed out jobs and paralyzed businesses drove overseas Filipinos to wire home bigger cash cushions in July, lifting remittances to their highest level in seven months.

Cash remittances coursed through banks went up by 3 percent from a year earlier to $3.18 billion, according to data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday. This was the strongest inflow since December 2024, when Filipinos abroad sent home $3.38 billion.

The surge lifted total remittances in the first seven months of the year to $19.33 billion, a 3.1-percent increase from the same period in 2024 and slightly ahead of the central bank’s 2025 forecast of a 2.8-percent remittance growth.

Remittances, a vital source of fuel for the country’s consumption-driven economy, rose just as downpours that swamped farms and cut off roads pushed the unemployment rate to a three-year high of 5.3 percent in July.

The increase reflects the counter-cyclical nature of these flows, said John Paolo Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). Unlike private capital, which typically retreats during economic downturns or natural disasters, remittances often swell as expats step in to provide relief to their families back home.

The local currency’s weakness, which can increase the peso value of remittances, helped boost the inflows, Rivera added.

“Historically, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) tend to send more during times of hardship (e.g., calamities, inflation spikes, school opening), providing a financial safety net for their families [altruistic motive of sending remittances],” he wrote in a commentary.

“That said, the weak peso also likely amplified inflows, as the depreciation improves the peso value of dollar remittances, incentivizing OFWs to remit more to maximize household purchasing power,” he added.

The United States remained the single largest source of remittances in the January-to-July period, accounting for 40.3 percent of the total, the central bank said. But that figure comes with a caveat: many remittance centers abroad route their transfers through correspondent banks based in the US, inflating America’s share.

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This was followed by Singapore with a 7.1-percent share, and Saudi Arabia, where 6.2 percent of inflows came from.

Moving forward, PIDS’ Rivera said the BSP’s projected remittance growth for 2025 remained doable despite geopolitical risks and foreign exchange volatility that could weigh on inflows.

“Remittances are expected to remain resilient in the coming months, driven by seasonal demand (e.g., ‘-ber’ months holiday spending) and strong labor demand abroad,” he added.

Jonathan Ravelas, senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong & Co., shared the same view. “Remittances remain a backbone of household spending. It’s a signal that OFWs are still powering the economy — quietly but consistently,” he said.

500 book titles, 400 Philippine creatives guests of honor at 2025 Frankfurt book fair

 

Artist's perspective of the 2,000-square-meter Philippine pavilion at the Frankfurt Book Fair from October 15 to 19, 2025.

Kathleen A. Llemit - Philstar.com

September 14, 2025 | 3:13pm

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will be sending a strong 400-plus contigent of authors, artists, creatives, illustrators and publishers who will be bringing 500 titles with them when the country will be participating as the guest-of-honor at the annual Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse). 

The Philippines was named as guest-of-honor at the largest and oldest international publishing event, which has been around for over 500 years. 

The country has been participating at the centuries-old international book fair since 1998 and yearly since 2014, but it will be the first time that the Philippines has been invited as a guest-of-honor. 

As a milestone participant, the Philippine pavilion will occupy a 2,000-square-meter space during the five-day fair, from October 15 to 19, in Frankfurt, Germany. 

The Philippine pavilion features an open communal space with modular rattan and bamboo seating curated by Patrick Flores and designed by Stanley Ruiz. Its translucent walls double as canvas for works by Gary-Ross Pastrana, Mervin Malonzo, and seminal artist David Medalla.

Bookworms and visitors can view 500 Philippine titles, as well as listen, participate and watch in over 100 talks, readings, and performances curated by Karina Bolasco. Themes include urgent global issues, including human rights, democracy, climate change, geopolitics, children’s literature, religion, race, queer stories, and more.

Notable Filipino artists and creatives, such as National Artist Virgilio Almario, will lead the Philippine delegation, which also includes notable names like Maria Ressa, Marjorie Evasco, Maria Paz Luna, Red Constantino, Patricia Evangelista, and the Philippine Madrigal singers. 

Apart from the main pavilion, the Philippines will also be featured on the Philippine Stand, a central hub for business and rights negotiations featuring 52 publishers; the Asia Stage, which hosts hourly B2B talks on the Southeast Asian market; and the Comics Stand. 

The Philippines' guest-of-honor activities at the Frankfurt Book Fair is spearheaded by the National Book Development Board (NBDB), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Peso 'underperforms' amid flood control corruption scandals

Japanese financial giant MUFG Bank Ltd. said the unearthing of flood control scandals has started to weigh on the Philippine peso, which weakened through last week and lagged behind other Asian currencies. Read more

Beauty queen Jessie Zou tells women: Be independent and confident

    

By Robert Requintina

Published Sep 14, 2025 02:17 pm    
  

Former beauty queen Jessie Zou looked back at her amazing reign as Miss Charity International 2024 as she encouraged women to be independent and confident.

"It was really great because I was able to join several charity events here in the Philippines. The events were interesting," said Jessie when asked about her reign during an interview at the launch of the popular Indonesian makeup brand Skintific held at SM North EDSA in Quezon City.

Jessie highlighted that one of the best parts of her reign was participating in charity work in the Philippines and China.

"I established my own charity projects to help poor women and children. I've been doing business in the Philippines, so it's time to give back to society," the Chinese beauty queen said.

Jessie expressed her gratitude for participating in the Miss Charity International pageant, which empowers women.

"The pageant focuses on inspiring society to change for the better. When I joined the pageant, my advocacy was for women's independence. I want them to be independent, just like me, in terms of their career and personal life. And the pageant promotes charity works aside from my own advocacy," she said.

Even if she had passed on her crown, Jessie said that she is still active in charity work.

"I still pursue my advocacy even after my reign. Even if I have passed the crown, I still want to pursue charity work not only in the Philippines but also in China," Jessie said.

She recalled that in China, she helped build a library for poor children in the province.

Jessie also shared her unsolicited advice to women who want to join pageants. "Do whatever they like. No matter who you are and wherever you are, be the best version of yourself."

She added, "As Miss Charity International, I aim to empower women to become independent and confident. They have the right to empower themselves. One way to empower yourself is to wear makeup to boost your confidence and stay beautiful."

Jessie is the first Chinese woman to win Miss Charity International and the first Chinese contestant to secure a global pageant crown in 2024.

Her advocacy for women’s independence has been a key aspect of her campaign. She is well-positioned to leverage her new title to further her mission.

The Philippines holds a special place in her heart, as it was the site of her pageant victory and has become a “home away from home” for her.

Jessie intends to strengthen her connections with both countries by engaging in charitable projects, addressing local needs, and fostering international solidarity.