Major rollback in petroleum product prices is expected to motorists effective 6:00 am tomorrow, June 2, 2026 (Tuesday).
According to oil companies' notice, DIESEL will go up to P8-P9/L, GASOLINE will go down to P5-P6/L will rollback while KEROSENE, it will go down toP9-10/L.
Teresa Hilis
When sugar and protein react and the Maillard reaction takes over in the magical melding of flavors, once sticky beige blobs turn into browned mounds of goodness, great for sweet and savory spreads. Waking up to the aroma of freshly baked pandesal might just be someone else’s definition of an ideal morning, but I had my fair share of embittered bouts with the bread of salt as someone who lived in a bakery, that coming to the tang of it slithering through my nostrils brings dread more than zest.
Growing up, our household rarely clapped the lights out before midnight. My mother would do the dinner dishes and last-minute meal prep for tomorrow’s breakfast and lunch while waiting for my father to arrive. My siblings and I would build forts from frayed blankets, stained bedsheets, and pillows heavier than all our weights combined. Amid such childish chaos, my father would arrive. In his hands were four small brown bags, each with exactly two pieces of malunggay pandesal, so that no childish bickering would transpire. We looked past his bloodshot eyes and slouched shoulders, and we savored the tasty treat without regard for the slight shiver of the man’s calloused hands. My mother, refusing to take a bite, saying she already brushed her teeth, would busy herself with ironing all of our uniforms, including my father’s old polo, as we ate. Midnight after midnight, this was our routine. Until 2017, when he was let go from work due to a mass layoff.
Once a clerk in an air-conditioned office, now a baker who stands in front of the blazing heat of the oven all day to cook rolls of dough. Every day of their lives since 2017, they wake up at 3 a.m., their backs do not so much as touch their thinly cushioned bed until 9 p.m.
The worst part is the inescapable fact that every kid of a Filipino small business owner would understand: tending the shop is part of the deal.
For a bakery like ours, it meant more than handing out the bread, receiving payment, and giving change. It also meant taking care of small tasks: preparing the baking sheets, helping with pagpipigura (shaping) and pagkakamada (organizing) of the small cuts of dough, and coating everything with fine bread crumbs to avoid sticking. All of which were, to an extent, enjoyable except for the part where I had to stand near a hot commercial oven.
Perhaps it is enticing when imagined: being the first to smell the aroma of freshly baked pandesal just when the town is rising from its solemn slumbers. It is often forgotten that baking uses dry heat to transform batter into cake and dough into bread. Browning against the crust yet searing against the skin.
Once in the middle of a Sunday morning rush, waves of customers from a nearby church poured in. My parents were out delivering to regulars a few houses away. No pandesal was warm enough to serve and the customers had a strong preference for maputi (without a toasted crust). In batches and finally all at once, they all demanded the same thing.
Taking shortcuts like the lazy kid that I was, I cranked up the oven valve to heat up the pandesal as quickly as I could. Day after day, since we opened shop, I had always found ways to make things easier and never did I ever burn pandesal. Even if I dozed off for a moment, even if I took quick bathroom breaks between batches, I never burned bread, so it was out of what I thought to be the realm of possibilities. Only increasing the flame to extreme levels without care. How was I to know that bread burns when blazed with high flames?
Needless to say, customers left without their brown bags of pandesal and with a thousand apologies from my parents, who returned briefly after the fact. I remember vividly to this day how the silence between my parents and me lingered throughout the day. How, as my father let out the smoke from the oven and the curses from under his breath, my mother burnt her hands trying to inspect the burnt batch for any survivors. There was the stench of seething in the air tussling with the burnt fumes. There was no exchange of words between me and my parents about the incident. Another Sunday for our household, only with way fewer bakery sales than usual.
It took a few years to realize what that loss meant to a home business like us. It took a few years to understand why my parents reacted that way. I expected some reproach, yet received none. Looking back, perhaps I should have insisted on some sort of corporal punishment, as it was easier to overcome physical wounds than to get rid of the guilt in the pit in my stomach.
Those sticky beige blobs and browned mounds of goodness kept the lights on and carried us through difficult times. And while the magical transformation of the aromatic bread of salt may have brought more bitterness than sweetness, now I revisit this old memory with warmth.
Josiah Antonio - The Philippine Star
June 1, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Extreme danger heat index was recorded in Borongan, Eastern Samar at 52 degrees Celsius on Saturday, data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration showed.
The extreme label is the highest level in the heat index chart, starting from 52 degrees Celsius.
PAGASA warned that heat stroke is possible at this level.
Saturday’s record is the highest heat index recorded in the country this year and the first time a locality recorded a heat index at the extreme danger level.
According to the weather bureau, the localities that recorded 45 degrees on Saturday were Casiguran in Aurora, Infanta in Quezon and Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur.
Baler, Aurora and Cavite City followed at 44 degrees.
By Danny Estacio
Published May 31, 2026 05:08 pm
INFANTA, Quezon – Several houses and boats were damaged by a tornado in coastal Barangay Libjo here on Friday.
The tornado was caught on video.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office will conduct a damage assessment and provide immediate assistance to affected families.
The area, along with Burdeos town on Polillo Island, Quezon province, experienced severe weather due to typhoon “Domeng” which is on its way out of the country.
Residents said this was the first time they experienced a tornado. No deaths or injuries were reported.
Meanwhile, a 44-year-old man was struck and killed by an ambulance in Barangay Muliguin, Unisan, Quezon on Friday night.
Police said the victim was crossing the road when he was accidentally hit by the ambulance driven by a 30-year-old man.
The victim was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead. The driver was arrested and a nurse in the vehicle assisted in rescuing the victim.
By Mike Lim
Published May 30, 2026 03:47 pm
At A Glance
Social Media Influencer (SI) has long cultivated an image of being energetic, approachable, and fun-loving. She rose to prominence through innovative and creative content, gaining a large following with her unconventional style and presentations.
A Social Media Influencer (SI) reportedly displayed an aloof attitude toward an unsuspecting worker (UW) at an event.
UW had been assigned to welcome SI upon her arrival at the venue. However, her enthusiasm quickly faded when SI arrived. According to those present, SI walked straight into the office without acknowledging UW or the fans waiting to greet her.
SI has long cultivated an image of being energetic, approachable, and fun-loving. She rose to prominence through innovative and creative content, gaining a large following with her unconventional style and presentations.
As her audience grew—without resorting to gimmicks or gambling-related promotions—brands began offering sponsorship deals, while celebrities started appearing in her videos. Many followers admired how she used her earnings to improve her family's living conditions, including providing them with a new home. These gestures earned her widespread praise and reinforced her image as an ideal daughter.
With fame came greater opportunities. SI gradually rebranded herself into a more sophisticated personality, eventually turning her name into a marketable brand. Invitations and endorsements multiplied, but some observers have reportedly been less impressed with her off-camera demeanor.
At the recent event, SI appeared distant and reserved toward the staff, a stark contrast to the cheerful persona she projects online. UW was particularly surprised when SI's demeanor suddenly changed and she became warm and engaging. The timing, however, was notable—it happened just as members of the press arrived.
“Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice... Whatever choice you make makes you.” — Roy T. Bennett
Considerate partner
When the relationship of an influential industry couple came to an end, many expected a messy fallout. Observers anticipated a barrage of revelations, public accusations, or even a battle over creative credits. Instead, silence prevailed. No formal announcement was made, and news of the split spread only through whispers and industry gossip.
The creative partnership between Ex-Partner 1 (EP1) and Ex-Partner 2 (EP2) was widely admired. Despite being relatively young, the pair had already left a significant mark on the industry. Together, they were responsible for several landmark films and were credited with revitalizing the careers of actors whose box-office appeal had begun to fade.
Their projects often featured established but commercially risky stars. Yet, under the ex-couple's creative guidance, these films became both critical and commercial successes, earning impressive box-office returns and award-winning performances. Over time, EP1 and EP2 built a reputation for delivering quality productions, making them trusted names among moviegoers.
Unfortunately, the partnership eventually unraveled when EP1 reportedly had a change of heart. Despite being in a long-term relationship with EP2, he allegedly left her for a Fellow Colleague (FC), who was said to be working in the same office.
When EP2 realized the relationship had come to an end, she chose to maintain her composure. Rather than fuel speculation or provide gossip-hungry observers with details, she focused on her work and refrained from airing her grievances on social media.
According to a source, EP2 prioritized her peace of mind and allowed the more gracious side of her character to prevail. She understood the possible consequences if fans learned the full story. After all, she and EP1 were not only romantically involved—they were also business partners, and any controversy could have affected their ongoing and future projects.
Fans can be fiercely loyal, and public sympathy often translates into action. Had the circumstances become public, supporters might have called for boycotts or directed their anger toward EP1's projects. Such a scenario could have had serious business implications for everyone involved.
Instead, EP2 chose silence. In doing so, she not only protected the ventures they had built together but also shielded the man she once loved from potential backlash.
“Love that wounds over time is not love; it's a lesson to grow stronger and choose yourself first.” — Ayoub Imilouane
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Thank you for your unwavering support and for keeping www.fashionpulis.com your go-to source for entertainment blind items.
Finishing behind Pulgarin were Ghana's Faith Maria Porter as first runner-up and Vietnam's Nguyen Huong Giang as second runner-up.
The Philippines also delivered a strong showing at the inaugural competition through former Miss Universe Philippines titleholder Gazini Ganados, who advanced to the Top 5 and earned widespread praise from pageant fans.
Ganados captivated the audience with her commanding stage presence and a stunning gold gown designed by Filipino designer Rian Fernandez, drawing loud cheers during the finals.
Among the Philippines' five representatives, Ganados achieved the highest placement. Fuschia Anne Ravena reached the Top 18, while Alexia Nuñez, Imelda Schweighart, and Keylyn Trajano exited earlier in the competition.
Do you remember, my dear readers, what I wrote for a long time at this corner? Our life will never be the way it used to be – due to Covid-19. Everything in our life changed. Really everything.
Being in online classes while teaching but in the daily home office, I experienced a total change when it comes to the digital body language: cues you send – or don’t send. Writer David Robson gets to the point in a nutshell: “Online, as in real-life, it’s not just what you say – but how you say it”. Meanwhile I was asked by Ateneo de Davao to continue my teaching face to face. No more online. Thank God!
Think about the last work email that you sent. Did its sentences end with full stops or exclamation marks, or did you forgo punctuation altogether? Was it peppered with emoji – or plain text? And was your response prompt, or did you have to apologise for the time it had taken to reply?
Now, consider your last Zoom call. Did you check your phone or email at least once during the meeting? And did you pause to be sure that the other speaker had finished? Or did you find yourself frequently interrupting their sentences, as you failed to take into account the slight delays in the connection?
According to the leadership expert Erica Dhawan, these are all examples of our “digital body language” – a concept that serves as the title of her new book. Like our in-person physical body language, digital body language concerns the subtle cues that signal things like our mood or engagement, and change the meaning of the words we say – be it in text, on the phone or in a video call.
Following David Robson, it is needless to say, the rise of remote working during the pandemic has only made these issues more urgent, but psychologists have long known that digital communication is ripe for misunderstanding.
So, what can be done? It’s indeed a question of mindfulness, so that we can be sure that our digital body language is intentional and appropriate to the situation at hand.
Do you like emojis?!? Well, first consider written communication, starting with the use of emoji and punctuation marks, like the exclamation point. Stylists may sneer, but many people (and include me in!) argue that they often help to clarify the meanings of the words themselves, much in the same way as a nodding head or a smirk in person. Whether you’re signalling urgency or excitement with ALL CAPS, impatience and irritation with an “?!?” or mutual appreciation with a fist-bump emoji, you are helping your text to convey the feelings you would have embodied in person.
It took me almost a whole year, but right now allow me to tell you: don’t feel shy about adopting these more informal digital cues, where appropriate – and be aware that others may well be expecting them.
Broadly, your use of punctuation and emojis are part of a bigger set of cues that will establish the tone of your exchanges – whether they feel formal or informal, enthusiastic or bored. Other signals will include your greetings (whether you include a friendly “Hello” at the start of the message or simply dive straight in), and your sign off (an emotionally distant “Regards” versus an enthusiastic “Thanks!”).
Honestly, sometimes I’m really getting tired of video calls and zoom meetings. They present their own unique problems. Your body language, manners and level of engagement on video-chat platforms can influence how colleagues see you and interpret your message. Even during my online teaching, I observed some students being absent-minded or even not being dressed well.
Whatever medium you use, you should remain conscious of two factors – trust and power – in all your interactions. These ratings will be subjective, of course, but if you sense there is a clear gap on either of these dimensions, you need to be more cautious.
In the past, the handshake, the smile and the smile gave us many well trusted signals,– but in online communication, our gratitude is often less apparent, or may not be expressed at all. Measures to remedy this could be as simple as sending a follow-up email, after a virtual meeting, to make it clear that you valued someone’s input, or cc’ing a junior colleague on an email to a client, acknowledging the role they played in a project. We can’t just assume that our colleagues will know how much we value them.
Erica Dhawan’s book Digital Body Language, is out now from St Martin’s Press. I learned a lot from her, especially perfecting our digital body language will take practice – but a few moments of thought each day may save hours of anxiety and confusion in the days and weeks ahead.
Earlier in this writeup, I mentioned David Robson. He is the author of The Intelligence Trap: Revolutionise Your Thinking and Make Wiser Decisions (Hodder & Stoughton/WW Norton) – out now in paperback. He is @d_a_robson on Twitter.
Since the pandemic, employees are leaving the workforce or switching jobs in droves. For many, employers have played a big part in why they’re walking away. It’s another big change in our business world. Read more about my thoughts in my next column here at this corner.
Telling when somebody likes you can sometimes be quite tricky, more so if the person does not make their feelings clear in any way. In fact, attraction usually begins at the level of small, almost imperceptible signs.
In the first place, it is important to bear in mind that they may be extremely skilled communicators. There are others who, by nature, show a lot of interest and, through their attitude, they are capable of making the whole world feel worthy and important. That being said, the feelings that they have for you are not necessarily the same as those that they communicate to you.
When someone is really attracted to you, this can lead to a situation where they send you a lot of conflicting messages perhaps because being around you makes them feel a little bit nervous.
You’d think airlines make a profit, but no. You see, airlines aren’t really in the business of ferrying people around, that’s just a necessary side hussle. They’re banks.
A few reasonably well known airlines
The airline business model is they ferry people around and if they turn up with what we call a “positive zero” around here, meaning the bottom line that looks like a bill for a bubble gum at a convenience store, they call it a successful year. They often don’t get that far, but it’s not a problem. For an airline, that’s just the inconvenient cost of doing business.
Their real income cash cow are loans. Airlines sit on piles upon piles of money that they turn and churn in the world financial markets. If you’re in the need of a big loan, odds are airlines have the money you need. Just sign at the bottom and they expect the delivery of your firstborn later that day.
Airlines are in the business of finance and their operating capital comes from you paying your tickets months in advance. That’s their business model, sell seat tickets well in advance and loan out the money in the meantime. With a sufficiently large volume of sales you’ll always have a huge amount of cash in a bank and that can be turned into enormous profits on financial market. The passenger is just the inconvenience they have to deal with on the side.
Now you understand why airlines sell deeply discounted tickets well in advance and also why they bother with the economy class at all. Economy class barely covers its own operating costs, but sells most tickets several months in advance, which gives the company the capital for their financial shenanigans. Business class makes money by itself and first class is again barely profitable but gets them the connections in business and finance they need to make a profit in their real business.
Funny, eh? That’s why USA doesn’t have a national high speed rail system. The finance system needs their airlines nice and plump to work with.
