Peso sinks to fresh record low of ₱63.09:$1

 

Peso sinks to fresh record low of ₱63.09:$1 as BOP deficit, oil and war pressures mount

Just two trading days after hitting its previous record low, the Philippine peso slumped further to a fresh historic-low close of ₱63.09 against the United States (US) dollar on Monday, Oct. 19, as the country’s worsening balance of payments (BOP) position added to existing oil and war pressures, as well as rising demand for the safe-haven US dollar. Read more

KNOW YOUR WORTH

 KNOW YOUR WORTH

1. Be valuable, not available.

2. When you build in silence, people don't know what to attack.

3. Free youself from society's advice.

Most of them have no idea of what they are doing.

4. If you look at the people in your circle and you don't get inspired, you don't have a circle. You have a cage.

5. One day the people that don't even believe in you will tell everyone how they met you.

 

Nicht Schmelzkäse: Warum alter Cheddar und Parmesan überraschende Superfoods für den Darm sind

Stand:19.10.2026, 15:30 Uhr

Von Cheddar bis Camembert: Einige unserer Lieblingssorten bergen ein überraschendes Geheimnis für eine bessere Verdauung.

Reading – Großbritannien ist eine Nation von Käseliebhabern: Rund 65 Prozent der Bevölkerung essen ihn mehr als einmal pro Woche. Doch viele dürfte überraschen, dass dieses Grundnahrungsmittel zugleich ein heimliches Superfood ist. Eine aktuelle Studie hat gezeigt, dass die Mikroorganismen in verschiedenen Käsesorten auch die Darmgesundheit auf überraschende Weise fördern könnten.  

Content-Partnerschaft

Dieser Artikel von Damon Syson entstand in Kooperation mit telegraph.co.uk

Wissenschaftler der Universität Reading verfolgten die mikrobiellen und biochemischen Veränderungen während der Reifung dreier britischer Käsesorten. Ihre Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass einige der Bakterien, die für die Entwicklung des unverwechselbaren Geschmacksprofils der jeweiligen Sorte verantwortlich sind, auch gesundheitsfördernd sein könnten.

Käseplatte. © IMAGO/samael334

Sie könnten „möglicherweise Verbindungen produzieren, die mit einer Verringerung von Entzündungen, der Regulierung des Cholesterinspiegels und der Steuerung des Appetits in Verbindung stehen“.

„Die Theorie besagt, dass Käse gewissermaßen als Träger und Schutz für [gute] Bakterien dient“, sagt Stephanie Moore, klinische Ernährungsberaterin, Gesundheitscoach und Autorin von Eat Your Brain Happy. „Bestimmte Familien von Mikroorganismen, die in Käse vorkommen – insbesondere die Familien Bifidobacterium und Lactobacillus –, wirken sich wahrscheinlich positiv aus, während sie das Verdauungssystem passieren.“

Wie Käse entsteht – und warum diese Sorte zu den besten zählt

Die Käseherstellung beginnt grundsätzlich damit, dass der Milch Mikroorganismen zugesetzt werden. Je nachdem, welche Käsesorte entstehen soll, impfen die Käser die Milch mit unterschiedlichen Schimmelpilzen, Hefen und Bakterien.

Anschließend bestimmen die Lagerungsbedingungen während der Reifung, die Umhüllung des Käses und alle weiteren Milchzusätze den Verlauf der Fermentation und fördern die Vermehrung unterschiedlicher Mikroorganismenfamilien. Es ist ein komplexer Prozess mit vielen Variablen – deshalb gibt es so viele verschiedene Käsesorten. Doch welche sind am besten für den Darm?  

 

Peso crashes further below 63:$1, a new record low

BY NYAH GENELLE C. DE LEON

OCTOBER 20, 2026

EDITED BY FAITH HINOJOSA/INQUIRER PLUS GRAPHICS

The Philippine peso sank deeper into record-low territory on Monday, closing further below the 63-per-dollar mark as a stronger US dollar, elevated oil prices and mounting global uncertainties kept pressure on the local currency.

Data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed the peso closed at 63.09 against the greenback, shedding 10.5 centavos from its previous finish.

 

Unplugged

BY FATIMA GIMENEZ

OCTOBER 19, 2026

It has been quite some time since I made a detour to my next-door neighbor, who is an expert in the field of adolescent medicine. Our discussions have always turned out to be quite colorful, and this was no exception. While we swung from one topic to another, both personal and work-related, the conversation eventually landed on concerns regarding the vulnerability of our youth and their mental health.

I have always turned to her for needed guidance, particularly on how to improve conversations with my adolescent and young adult patients. Admittedly, even if there is a template with which we can assess their psychosocial well-being and identify risk factors that may influence their behavior—better known to pediatricians as HEADSSS—which stands for H-home, E-education, E-eating, A-activities, D-drugs, S-sexuality, S-suicide, S-safety—I need to work at making those interactions more comfortable and fluid rather than sounding rigid and rehearsed. It is a learned skill and requires constant practice and extreme patience. From experience, I have found that the mention of food never fails to be a good jump-off point aside from touching on the latest trend, or knowing what the current and so-called “happening places” are. The challenge is to get them interested enough to pursue the conversation with you and progress to that level wherein they voluntarily provide the needed information, which, as a physician, enables you to manage their concerns. And while I may be touching on a doctor-patient relationship, the ingredients to having that needed connection may also apply to parenting techniques.

 

Beyond four walls, a balcony worth loving

BY IDR. CHAT FORES

OCTOBER 17, 2026

If you live in a small space, you might be blessed with a balcony that’s big enough to accommodate a few things that can turn your home into an oasis.

I always look at the balcony as a backyard of sorts. You can get quite creative by adding design pieces that make this outdoor space a cozy retreat, distinct from your interiors.

Having a small garden on your balcony can bring in a lot of good vibes.

Pinoy dance crew among winners at K-Pop dance cover fest in Seoul

By Jonathan Hicap

Published Oct 18, 2026 12:51 pm | 

Now in its 16th year, the 2026 K-Pop Cover Dance Festival featured over 100 participants from 13 countries.

During the final round, Meraki performed K-pop group TWICE’s “Ooh-Ahh” and “Heart Shaker.” 

They were named winners alongside male cover dance group EXNITE from Indonesia, and K*Dear from Japan. 

The judges were Choi Young Jun from Team Same, Nohwon from 1Million Amazon, Paperman from Lock’N’Lol Crew and Ryuo from Auspicious Crew. 

Meraki earned the right to represent the Philippines in the KCDF World Final when they won the local round in June during the “Everyone’s KPop: KPop in Colors."

The world final in Seoul was hosted by The Seoul Shinmun Daily and sponsored by the Korean Cultural Center, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea Entertainment Producers Association, Federation of Korean Music Performers, Seoul Tourism Organization and Black Clover.   The K-Pop Cover Dance Festival (KCDF) World Final in Seoul on Oct. 17 (Screenshot from K-pop TV video on YouTube)

Winner Meraki from the Philippines (Photo from K-Pop Cover Dance Festival Instagram account)

Winner Meraki from the Philippines at the K-Pop Cover Dance Festival (KCDF) World Final in Seoul on Oct. 17 (Screenshot from K-pop TV video on YouTube)

Winner Meraki from the Philippines at the K-Pop Cover Dance Festival (KCDF) World Final in Seoul on Oct. 17 (Screenshot from K-pop TV video on YouTube)

Meraki from the Philippines performing at the K-Pop Cover Dance Festival (KCDF) World Final in Seoul on Oct. 17 (Screenshot from K-pop TV video on YouTube)

Winner Meraki from the Philippines at the K-Pop Cover Dance Festival (KCDF) World Final in Seoul on Oct. 17 (Screenshot from K-pop TV video on YouTube)

EXNITE from Indonesia (Screenshot from K-pop TV video on YouTube)

K*Dear from Japan (Screenshot from K-pop TV video on YouTube)

The judges (Photo from K-Pop Cover Dance Festival Instagram account)

Finding sanctuary in fragility

In 'Glass Houses,' Chels Munger journeys through grief and heritage

By S.C. Fojas

Published Oct 19, 2026 09:08 am

MEET THE ARTIST Chels Munger

Sometimes the path we think we’re supposed to take stops making sense. For Filipino-American artist Chels Munger, working in digital design felt increasingly distant from the real feelings she wanted to share. So she stepped away from the screen and picked up a paintbrush instead. That leap of faith culminates in “Glass Houses,” her first solo exhibit, where she uses bold abstract art to process the loss of her mother and reconnect with her Filipino roots.

Running at Gallery BiG, located on the 4th floor of Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong City, the exhibit marks both an essential homecoming and an intimate evolution for the 22-year-old artist.

From pixels to pigment

Chels’ journey to canvas was not a straightforward trajectory. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and currently studying Studio Art at Pasadena City College, she initially pursued a career in entertainment design. She spent years immersed in digital media. Screen-bound pixels, however, eventually felt inadequate for the weight of the stories she needed to tell.

“I was doing a lot of digital work, but it slowly began to lack a certain feeling I was trying to convey,” Chels reflects. “Eventually my digital work was doing everything to look painterly, so I figured, why not just paint? I found that painting was the only place I could access the emotion I was trying to convey.”

Describing her signature style as “a mix of abstraction and expressionism,” Chels channels visceral emotion into raw visual statement. Working primarily in oil paint while frequently incorporating acrylics and mixed media to build layered, tactile surfaces, her canvases weave recurring themes—childhood memories, grief, family relations, upbringing, growth, and guidance—seamlessly across every piece.

A defining characteristic of Chels’ work is her distinct integration of text as a visual and narrative element. By incorporating paper cutouts, repeated phrases, song lyrics, and fragments of old letters or personal documents directly into her compositions, these textual components act as emotional markers, deepening her visual storytelling and guiding viewers through subtle layers of each painting.

A tribute to heritage and heartbreak

At its core, “Glass Houses” serves as both a tribute to Chels’ late Filipina mother and a journey through her personal heritage in the Philippines. The collection traces a year-long trajectory through loss, transforming personal heartache into shared human connection.

“‘Glass Houses’ is somewhat a homecoming for me,” Chels explains. “It is also a tribute to my late mother. After her passing, I was struggling with handling the grief, so everything in this exhibit is really a display of that grief throughout this past year, as well as a way for me to reconnect with my heritage here in the Philippines.”

The title itself highlights her commitment to emotional openness with the viewer.

“I chose my title because of the transparency I was trying to have with my audience about who I am and what I feel. To me, art is all about connection, to empathize with one another, human to human, even just for a few moments. ‘Glass Houses’ is a safe space for that,” she says.

Every collection has a turning point. For Chels, two key pieces anchored the trajectory of “Glass Houses.”

“Counting Sheep” served as the foundational spark. “I had been painting for months, but it wasn’t until ‘Counting Sheep’ that I felt ready to work on a possible exhibit,” Chels notes.

“You Won’t See Me on Monday,” by contrast, provided the central motifs and atmospheric imagery that defined the rest of the collection.

The spontaneous spark

Chels’ creative process thrives on sensory triggers: a fleeting sound, an evocative phrase, or a sudden visual image that demands realization.

“Sensory things are what give me the best leads to a new painting,” she says. “Some paintings are done in an hour; others take me months of scraping and refining before I’m satisfied.

Her studio setup mirrors this organic, unpretentious ethos. Rather than a formal, pristine workspace, her studio lives in everyday domestic corners.

“My studio is basically either my desk next to my dining room or the floor of my garage. So it’s hardly a studio, but I think that’s okay,” she says. “My grandparents’ house is the same way; the whole house is the studio. Wherever you find space to paint, that’s where you will do it.”

This physical constraint adds an authentic dynamic to her canvases.

“I think this helps apply a bit of tension to my work because I am forced to work with the elements around me while also conveying the message I want. It’s somewhat of a balance,” she says.

Knowing when a piece is finished requires delicate intuition. Chels describes an internal gut feeling that signals completion, often accompanied by a wave of anxiety that warns against further interference.

When viewers step into Gallery BiG to view “Glass Houses,” Chels hopes they approach the collection with an open interpretation and personal resonance.

“Take with you what sticks, and toss the rest,” she ends.