Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Saturday, November 1, 2025.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner.

READ: Marcos to Asia-Pacific CEOs: Invest in PH

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday made a fresh pitch for global investors to look to the Philippines, highlighting sweeping reforms and digital transformation efforts designed to build “a connected, resilient and opportunity-driven Asia-Pacific.” Speaking before top executives and policymakers at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) here, Marcos said his administration is positioning the Philippines as an innovation-driven economy through infrastructure modernization, artificial intelligence and education reforms that prepare the workforce for the digital age. The president’s keynote address came as he met with fellow APEC leaders to chart the region’s economic priorities and investment course. Marcos said digital infrastructure and connectivity are at the core of the country’s development agenda, citing government initiatives to expand broadband access to underserved areas and to equip micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with e-commerce and digital marketing skills.

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READ: Crowds begin to surge in cemeteries

THE crowds at two of Metro Manila’s biggest cemeteries started to swell on Friday, the eve of All Saints’ Day. Seaports were also packed with travelers journeying to provinces where they will spend All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, traditionally known as Undas. Close to 12,000 people gathered at the Manila South Cemetery in Makati City to pay respects to departed loved ones. Police reported that the number of visitors at the Manila South Cemetery rose steadily, from 60 people at 5 a.m. to 11,850 by 1 p.m., with total foot traffic reaching nearly 19,200 throughout the morning. Despite the huge crowd, police said the situation remained generally peaceful and orderly. About 127 police officers and support personnel, including disaster, health and fire responders, were stationed at the cemetery, backed by volunteers from Bantay Bayan and the Manila Disaster Force. Police confiscated more than 200 lighters and cigarettes, and four bladed items, which are banned in the cemetery. The Manila North Cemetery also began to fill up. The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said that as of 4 p.m., there were 53,700 visitors in the cemetery. More people were expected to arrive before the cemetery closes at 9 p.m. It will reopen early Saturday morning.

READ: DPWH, ICI to File Cases vs Officials in Corruption Sweep

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) will prioritize the prosecution of government officials with conflicts of interest in government projects, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said on Friday. He added that they would prioritize cases that are easier to prove and involve clear instances of self-dealing. These, Dizon said, involve public officials or their family members who own construction firms that won government projects in their respective districts or provinces. According to Dizon, the ICI plans to submit at least two cases every week to the Office of the Ombudsman in the coming weeks. He said the names of the officials involved are being withheld pending formal filing, though several independent investigations have already linked around 18 politicians and their relatives to construction firms with government contracts.

READ: Gasoline, diesel prices to spike for 2nd straight week

GASOLINE and diesel prices are seen to go up by more than one peso per liter for the second consecutive week due mostly to the effects of the sanctions against Russian oil companies, local oil industry sources said Friday. They said gasoline prices are expected to increase between P1.50 and 1.70 per liter, and diesel prices between P2.50 and P2.70.  These estimates are based on the four-day trading of Mean of Platts, Singapore, the pricing basis of refined goods in Southeast Asia. Also influencing next week’s price upward adjustments are the easing of trade tensions between US and China which, in turn, will increase global oil demand.

BUSINESS: BMI: Bangko Sentral to keep cutting rates

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will likely continue lowering key interest rates to support the economy amid lower inflation, a Fitch Group unit said. BMI Country Risk and Industry Research, in an Oct. 30 commentary, said the central bank was likely to cut by another 25 basis points (bps) in December after surprising the market earlier this month by bucking expectations of a hold. It noted that the BSP had said that “the outlook for domestic economic growth has weakened” and that there was “scope for a more accommodative monetary policy stance.”

SPORTS: GenSan boxers ask for more support

GENERAL Santos City gained recognition in the boxing world as the hometown of eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao. Naturally, one would expect that children in this southern city of Mindanao would follow Pacquiao’s footsteps and dream of becoming boxing champions someday. The city’s next generation of boxers, however, failed to hit their mark in the 2025 Batang Pinoy Games held right in their home turf as Team GenSan bagged only one medal in the boxing event — a bronze. Out of the nine boxers fielded by the host city, only Shechem Tanggo was able to make the podium when he won the bronze medal in the 43-kg under-15 boys’ event. When asked about the dismal finish amid high expectations, the young boxers claimed they are not getting the kind of support boxers from other local government units are getting.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Antonio Contreras, Yen Makabenta, and Danton Remoto are today’s front page columnists. Contreras talks about the irony of impatience, Makabenta says the ICI needs a reset and review, while Remoto talks about the country’s restaurants in the Michelin list.

Today’s editorial asks if Filipinos should worry about lagging tourism. Read the full version in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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