Alas men seek long-term system overhaul

Manila Times - Oct 4, 2026

THE Alas Pilipinas Men concluded their campaign at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in 13th place out of 16 nations. While returning home with just two victories, the squad leaves with invaluable international experience and a clear roadmap for the program’s future. Alas secured its first on-court win on Friday with a four-set victory over Uzbekistan (25-19, 25-15, 23-25, 25-17), followed by a victory by default against Kyrgyzstan on Saturday, Oct. 3. Despite a short preparation window, the team showed flashes of strong play throughout the tournament, holding their own in the preliminary round against powerhouse China and putting up spirited fights against Taiwan and Indonesia. Alas team manager Ronwald Dimaculangan highlighted limited practice time as the main obstacle to stronger results. “Preparation — specifically dedicated training camps — is essential for better results, but we’re still glad to secure a win at the Asian Games,” said Dimaculangan, who also serves as the head coach for the University of the East in the UAAP. To bridge the gap with the region’s top programs, Dimaculangan emphasized the need for a comprehensive development pipeline. “We need to identify talent early and bring in coaches who have proven experience at the international level,” Dimaculangan noted. “The goal is to...

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Dennis Trillo amid family controversy: 'Gagawin [ko] lahat para protektahan sila'

Oct 4, 2026

Dennis Trillo amid family controversy: 'Gagawin [ko] lahat para protektahan sila'

Dennis Trillo wholeheartedly dedicated the two Best Actor awards he received from the Multi-Media Press Society of the Philippines at the Golden Screen Dekada Awards last night, October 4. In his acceptance speech, Dennis said, “Gusto kong i-special mention ang aking number one supporter sa buhay, sa bahay, at sa lahat ng kaganapan sa mundo ko. Kay Jennylyn Mercado, maraming salamat sa 'yo. Sobrang proud ako sa 'yo. Kung proud ka sa akin, mas proud ako sa 'yo.” In a separate interview with GMANetwork.com and other entertainment media, the Kapuso actor expressed how grateful he is to his wife. “Hindi ko mararating ito kung hindi dahil sa kanya, kung hindi dahil sa ginawa niya sa akin, ginawa niyang pagbabago sa buhay ko. Siya yung nag-lead sa akin para mapunta dito sa maganda.” The media then asked about their family, which is currently embroiled in controversy following Patrick Garcia's statements about his past relationship with Jennylyn and their son, Alex Jazz. READ: Patrick Garcia, nilinaw na hindi iniwan si Jennylyn Mercado at ang kanilang anak “Well, kailangan mo lang maging matibay, siyempre. Isipin mo palagi yung pamilya. Sila naman yung pinakaimportante talaga. And, ayun, harapin nang matapang dahil, siyempre, kapag pamilya yung pinag-usapan, ibang usapan na 'yon.” On the issue, the actress has chosen not to make any statement. However, Dennis has been noticeably responding to and making remarks about comments regarding the controversy. READ: Jennylyn Mercado's agency issues official statement on Patrick Garcia's interview According to the actor, he and Jennylyn did not discuss his decision to defend their family. He explained, “Ako na lang talaga dahil, siyempre, pamilya ko 'yan. Walang ibang magtatanggol dahil ako yung padre de pamilya. Yun 'yong talagang pangunahing responsibilidad ng ama. Bilang tumatayong tatay ng pamilya, gagawin mo ang lahat para protektahan sila at to all costs.” Dennis admitted that they were surprised by Patrick's statements in his interview with Ogie Diaz. “Siyempre, nagulat, di ba?” he said. “Dahil, more than 20 years na, after 18 years, bago napagdesisyunang magsalita, bago magkuwento. Nakakagulat lang dahil tahimik na yung lahat. Siyempre, ayaw naman nating maungkat pa yung mga dating pinagtatalunan.” He said the situation could have been avoided if Patrick had spoken to them directly instead of going through other people. “Sa totoo lang, wala namang problema dun. Ngayon, siyempre, mas mahirap lang kasi nagkaroon ng ganyan. Pero lahat naman ito, madadaan sa mabuting usapan. Kung, alam nyo, siguro dumiretso siya sa amin, hindi na dumaan sa ibang tao, hindi na siguro nagkaroon ng ganitong klaseng pag-uusap.” Despite the controversy, Dennis said his support for his wife and family remains unwavering. His advice to Jennylyn was, “Maging masaya pa rin. Kahit na, ano yan, hindi maiiwasan ng mga itong kasi problema at mga pinagdadaanan sa buhay. So, ayun, maging masaya, maging thankful pa rin sa lahat ng blessings, siyempre. Thankful dahil maraming nagtatanggol sa amin, nagmamahal, at sumusuporta.” In the end, Dennis once again appealed for the issue to come to an end as their respective children have already been affected. “Hiling namin, matapos na lahat ng pamba-bash, ayaw na natin nangyari yun dahil mga magulang involved dito. Huwag na natin idamay ang mga bata dahil, at the end of the day, sila yung buhay natin, sila yung pinoprotektahan natin, sila yung mga mahal natin. “At ayaw nating masangkot sila sa ganitong klaseng at ayaw natin, alam ninyo, masangkot sila sa ganitong klaseng kaguluhan pa,” he concluded. Meanwhile, here are photos that show why Dennis Trillo stands out as the best dad ever: