THE national government’s outstanding debt soared to a new high of P16.632 trillion as of the end of February, according to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).
Treasury data showed the outstanding debt grew by 1.96 percent to P16.632 trillion as of end-February from P16.312 trillion in endJanuary.
“The rise was primarily driven by the net issuance of new domestic and external debt to support more public programs and projects,” the Treasury said, adding that the peso appreciation helped manage foreign debt obligations.
Ateneo de Manila University economist Leonardo A. Lanzona told the BusinessMirror that the peso appreciation, which partially offset the rising debt, can only be temporary. Lanzona said the US Federal Reserve’s announcement that it will maintain its key policy rates and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s easing monetary policy could make the US dollar stronger.
Year-on-year, outstanding debt rose by 9.57 percent from P15.178 trillion.
Broken down, the government’s outstanding debt is composed of 67.5 percent domestic debt, while the remaining 32.5 percent of the total was sourced externally.
“This financing mix reflects a prudent approach to debt management to help mitigate exposure to external risks while taking advantage of the country’s liquid domestic market,” the Treasury said. As such, domestic debt reached P11.223 trillion, 1.26 percent higher than the P11.084 trillion recorded in January 2025.
This was due to the P140.72 billion in net domestic financing, the Treasury said, as the gross issuance of government securities reached P268.25 billion, exceeding redemp -
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) should adopt a “modest easing” approach as uncertainties in growth, financial stability and weakening external position pose risks to inflation and the peso, a New York-based think tank said.
In a commentary by GlobalSource Partners, country analysts Diwa Guinigundo and Audrey Herrera-Lim said inflation may have settled to a low of 1.7 percent to as high as 2.1 percent in March.
This is based on the vector error correction model (VECM) and dynamic factor model (DFM) they used, considering the impact of exchange rates, food prices and Dubai crude.
As such, the inflation forecast was driven by easing cost of food, utilities and transportation.
Specifically, rice prices dropped due to more ample supply from imports and government-imposed price controls. Utilities costs and transport expenses also showed the same downtrend after the costs of power and fuel fell.
“Such prognosis allows the monetary authorities ample leeway to further ease monetary policy. However, some word of caution is imperative,” the analysts said.
While the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, in its recent Monetary Policy Report, said that economic growth would continue, it said expansion could be moderate in 2025 and 2026 due to weak services and agriculture.
Latest forecasts of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are also just close to the lower end of the government’s 6 to 8 percent growth target.
“Weak business activities, given the flexibility afforded by within-target inflation forecasts, could argue in favor of more rate cuts,” the analysts said. United States tariff policies as well as higher global commodity prices cited by the BSP could also lead to sustained monetary easing, they added.
Growing risks HOWEVER , the BSP has also flagged growing risks to financial stability as global trade pressures, geopolitical tensions and domestic debt concerns.
By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan
S tariffs are expected to result in a “new era of supply chain unpredictability” as congestion and a series of bottlenecks are expected in Intra-Asia with rising demand from shifting supply chains, according to a report by global logistics provider Dimerco.
Peter Lin, Vice President for Ocean Freight at Dimerco Express Group, said with US tariffs and potential port taxes on Chinese-built or operated vessels “accelerating” the shift away from China, Southeast Asia is absorbing a surge in manufacturing and trade flows.
“But without rapid improvements in vessel capacity and port infrastructure, we’re heading toward a major stress test in
Intra-Asia logistics. The real risk isn’t just cost—it’s congestion, bottlenecks, and a new era of supply chain unpredictability.”
Dimerco explained in its April 2025 Asia Pacific Freight Report that US Port Tax on Chinesebuilt/operated vessels may lead to vessel redeployments, skipping smaller US ports, and increased intermodal movements, causing congestion and higher costs.
“The US is proposing a fee of up to $1.5 million on Chinesemade ships entering US ports, aiming to boost domestic shipbuilding,” the Dimerco report noted.
The global logistics provider said this could “disrupt” coal and agricultural exports, as vessel availability shrinks. In fact, the freight report noted that the coal industry, worth
“Unless the BSP keeps its policy rate steady, or shifts to a more cautious stance, inflation is bound to gather some pace
“With
Moreover, the BSP projects that the current account and overall balance of payments position may be weaker this year due to slower global trade and subdued investor confidence linked to increased uncertainty in global trade policy and geopolitical developments. Analysts said inflows from foreign investments and foreign debt would not suffice to reverse the “huge” current account deficit of nearly $20 billion in 2025 and over $21 billion in 2026.
By John Eiron R. Francisco
BLUE Star Construction & Development Corp. (BSCDC), the developer behind the renowned ecotourism site Masungi Georeserve in Rizal, organized the Masungi Nature Defense Camp on Tuesday, coinciding with the 15th day of the eviction notice issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
According to Masungi Georeserve Foundation (MGFI) CoFounder Ann Dumaliang, the defense camp—attended by hundreds of volunteers, conservationists, and community leaders— symbolizes their stand against the eviction and the cancellation of the 2002 Supplemental Joint Venture Agreement (SJVA), which she
claimed was carried out without due process or dialogue.
“What we really want to emphasize today is how damaging DENR’s decision to cancel the agreement is. For three decades, this agreement enabled the protection of this area, despite the destruction happening around it,” Dumaliang said in a mix of Filipino and English.
She said many of the issues raised by DENR had already been addressed over the past two years, making the cancellation even more confusing. Instead of engaging in discussions or reviewing the available information, the department opted for outright termination, she said.
On the newly released DENR document, Dumaliang asked why the department did not raise its
concerns through the oversight committee or initiate a dialogue before making a final decision.
“If they had these concerns, why didn’t they bring them up in the oversight committee? Why weren’t we called for discussions? Instead, they imposed an instant cancellation,” she said, adding that upon reviewing the legal documents, “a lot of them are misleading or plainly false.”
In March 2025, the DENR canceled its 2002 SJVA with BSCDC and gave a 15-day notice to vacate the area, citing legal issues and unfulfilled contract terms. The reasons for the cancellation included the lack of a presidential proclamation designating the land for housing, the absence of proof that the project went through a proper
bidding process, and the failure to complete the 5,000-unit Garden Cottages housing project within five years of the agreement’s signing.
However, Dumaliang clarified that the construction firm had already delivered housing units in the first area of the georeserve, known as the JVA area, which the company entered into in 1996. She explained that, due to various developments, the project was opened to the open market, leading to land-only options. Meanwhile, they have yet to receive a response from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regarding their appeal to revoke the cancellation of the SJVA. However, they remain firm in their call to suspend the cancellation
we’ll have two to three distributors,” Lombardo said, hinting at the possibility of having a distributor for their products in the next few weeks.
The company offers various types of yerba mate such as toasted mate and mate with cranberry flavor, which he noted has been well received in different countries outside Brazil.
“The Philippines is a very interesting market because there are a lot of young people who have curiosity towards the world,” Lombardo said.
‘Energy, power sectors will fuel PHL construction growth’
By Bless Aubrey Ogerio @blessogerio
THEcountry’s construction industry is set to grow in 2025, boosted by government stimulus and private investments, according to a global insurance firm.
lower deposits of the national government with the BSP relative to a year ago.
Further, net foreign assets (NFA) in peso terms grew by 5.8 percent year-on-year in February compared to 2.6 percent in January.
The BSP’s NFA also increased by 8.9 percent, showing the increase in gross international reserves.
Meanwhile, the NFA of banks declined, largely due to higher foreign currency-denominated bills and bonds payable.
“The BSP will continue to ensure that domestic liquidity conditions remain consistent with the prevailing stance of monetary policy, in line with its price and financial stability objectives,” the BSP said.
Willis Towers Watson (WTW) highlighted that countries like the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia are focusing on new infrastructure, particularly in energy, power and renewable sectors.
“While residential projects are still important, especially in urban areas where the population is expanding at pace, the projects we see in the international insurance marketplace tend to be focused within the complex in-
the BSP. Year-on-year, the central bank’s
frastructure, energy and technology sectors with growth in both data center and semiconductor fields,” WTW indicated in its Q1 construction report.
Recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed a 14.6-percent drop in building permits in January 2025, with 12,526 approvals, worse than December’s 5-percent decline.
However, the overall value of con-
net financial asset position widened, resulting from the increase in the country’s gross international reserves as the BSP recorded higher investments in debt securities issued by nonresidents.
The report on the country’s net external liability position is part of the Central
struction surged to P48.58 billion, up 26.1 percent from last year and 0.8 percent higher than December 2024, buoyed by non-residential projects. (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2025/03/23/psa-value-ofconstruction-projects-jumps-by26-in-january/)
WTW pointed out that growth across Asia continues to be driven by government stimulus. In India, infrastructure projects are growing under the National Infrastructure Pipeline, while China is ramping up urbanization efforts despite economic challenges.
“From large-scale infrastructure projects to the development of smart cities, the region continues its path of delivering complex and sustainable construction,” it said.
The firm also noted a shift in the insurance market as it adapts to new demands while staying
Bank’s Philippine Balance Sheet Approach, which is a presentation of the country’s financial balance sheets from a whom-to-whom (wtw) basis using the aggregate balance sheet data of each sector of the economy.
cautious about risks like natural disasters.
Looking ahead to 2025, WTW said the construction market in Asia will continue to grow, with public-private partnerships playing a bigger role in vital projects and infrastructure upgrades.
Per the firm, sustainability is becoming a bigger driver of construction across the region, with growing investments in renewable energy projects like pumped storage hydro and battery storage.
It also pointed to a rise in projects along the battery manufacturing value chain, including mining and smelting, as well as interest in Sustainable Aviation Fuels and nuclear power.
“As these trends continue to unfold, the construction industry in Asia is poised to take on delivering more innovative and sustainable building practices in the future,” WTW said.
The report is a financial stability surveillance tool developed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and used to monitor the potential vulnerabilities of economic sectors and their relationships with one another.
The peso appreciation, meanwhile, contributed a P1.10-billion reduction in the overall domestic debt.
On a year-on-year basis, domestic debt increased by 6.12 percent from P10.576 trillion. Meanwhile, external debt amounted to P5.408 trillion in February 2025, a 3.44-percent increase from the P5.228 trillion posted in the previous month.
The Treasury said the net availment of foreign borrowings (P193.71 billion) and the P20.41-billion appreciation of third-currency-denominated debt increased this month’s external debt, which was partly offset by a P34.48-billion reduction from peso appreciation.
In January, the government secured a total of P197.30 billion in external financing. This includes the P190.82 billion raised through a tripletranche global bond issuance comprising 10- and 25-year USD
About P6.48 billion in project loans were borrowed, consisting of P3.86 billion from the Japan International Cooperation Agency to fund rail projects; P1.71 billion from the Asian Development Bank for physical connectivity and health sector interventions; and P910 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for agricultural and health sector programs.
Lanzona said the growing debt problem, which will continue to post new record highs, will worsen as the country’s resources continue to be depleted by debt servicing.
Last year, the government spent a record P2.020 trillion to settle its debt service bill.
The country’s debt-to-GDP is currently at 60.7 percent, slightly above the internationally accepted threshold of 60 percent.
The outstanding debt is expected to reach P17.353 trillion at the end of 2025 and will further balloon to P20.7 trillion by the end of Marcos Jr.’s administration.
pointed out that, despite some illegal activities still affecting the area, the protection efforts had significantly shielded it compared to other regions.
$130 billion, may see a 35- percent cost increase, “threatening competitiveness.”
“Agricultural exports face up to $930 million in extra costs, threatening US export volumes, especially in bulk crops,” added the Dimerco freight report. With this, the report said shippers should stay informed about market trends and collaborate with their freight forwarders to plan for potential changes in proposed regulations.
PHL context FOR the Philippines, the Dimerco report highlighted that there is no congestion at Manila North and South Ports in terms of shipping by the sea. However, it noted, “High container yard utilization is affecting empty container returns. Although recovering, some container returns may be diverted outside Metro Manila due to higher imports than exports.” As to shipping by air, Dimerco said “There may be high demand for air exports before the holy week holidays [April 16-20] which may raise freight costs.”
The freight report advised shippers to secure space 2 to 3 weeks in advance to avoid last-minute price hikes, especially for late April.
The global logistics provider said the ocean freight market will see moderate growth in 2025, but overcapacity from new deliveries is driving market rates softer.
“US tariffs and shifting supply chains are accelerating the move away from China, increasing traffic from Southeast Asia and boosting Intra-Asia trade,” the report explained.
Further, Dimerco noted that regulatory changes such as IMO’s (Carbon Intensity Indicator) CII, EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) are raising operational costs, pushing carriers toward cleaner technologies and “slow-steaming” practices, which it noted could reduce effective capacity.
Revealing the regional market trends, the global logistics provider said Intra-Asia remains the dominant trade lane, with rising demand from shifting supply chains.
“North America and Europe are seeing slower growth, while emerging markets in Africa and Latin America offer expansion opportunities,” the report noted.
“Port congestion in Europe is straining capacity and may disrupt shipping schedules, reducing availability for Asia-bound routes in the next 1–2 months,” it added.
to pave the way for thorough review of the decision.
“Hopefully, this is revoked. At stake here is a place that took so many years to restore,” Dumaliang emphasized.
She warned that the cancellation could dismantle the legal protections set up the past two decades for the Masungi Georeserve area. These agreements, she explained, were created to address the systemic weaknesses in the management and protection of the land in previous years. She
“This could lead to the loss not just of forest conservation here, but also the livelihood of those who protect the area, as well as the essential ecosystem services it provides,” Dumaliang said.
She cited the importance of the Masungi project as a pioneering and effective conservation model in the Philippines, one that should be replicated in other protected areas.
“Watershed areas like this are lifelines,” Dumaliang continued.
“They provide water security and prevent flooding downstream. So, this isn’t just about biodiversity or restoring green spaces; it’s about
the security of the communities downstream that rely on the health of these areas.” Asked by reporters about what will happen on the 16th day, given that the DENR had issued a 15-day notice to vacate the area, Dumaliang replied, “We stand our ground. As stated by our legal team and Blue Star’s legal representatives, they cannot enforce an eviction without going through proper court procedures. Doing so would be illegal.” She expressed hope that DENR would engage in dialogue and refrain from taking any actions that could escalate tensions or jeopardize the security of the area. “We hope that DENR at least opens room for dialogue and avoids any activities that could compromise the security of the place further,” Dumaliang said.
Legislators scramble to review building code
By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM & Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
@joveemarie
IN the wake of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that devastated the Mandalay region in Myanmar, and parts of Thailand, legislators want to revisit the National Building Code with the end of imposing stricter requirements for structures to be built, as well as regular inspection for existing ones.
Senate President Francis G. Escudero is focusing on four pending bills, including his own that amends the Building Code, to mandate periodic inspections of all structures in the Philippines.
Escudero revisited the pending measures on Tuesday saying, “a fresh inspection of our public and private structures is in order to ensure the integrity of buildings and bridges in the country, which is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire that is frequently visited by earthquakes.
“We must see to it that regular inspections are conducted on public infrastructure and on the structures constructed by the private sector, particularly the office and residential buildings that have sprouted over the past decades.”
Act on House-approved bill, legislator asks Senate AT the House of Representatives, a senior lawmaker on Tuesday called on the Senate to pass its version of the House-approved New Philippine Building Act to strengthen the country’s resilience against natural disasters.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte emphasized the urgency of updating the existing building code, citing the recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake that claimed over 2,000 lives in Myanmar and Thailand.
Villafuerte hopes the disaster will serve as a wake-up call for the Senate to act swiftly on the measure, which was approved by the House of Representatives in
2023 under House Bill 8500, that is designed to fortify Philippine infrastructure against calamities like “The Big One.” I hope that last week’s Magnitude 7 temblor that sadly shook our two Southeast Asian neighbors would serve as a strong impetus for our senators to pass their counterpart to the Houseapproved climate-proofing overhaul of the Philippine Building Act,” said Villafuerte, a co-author of HB 8500.
Pacific Ring of Fire ESCUDERO said “a fresh inspection of our public and private structures” is in order to ensure the integrity of buildings and bridges in the country, which is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire that is frequently visited by earthquakes.
“We must see to it that regular inspections are conducted on public infrastructure and on the structures constructed by the private sector, particularly the office and residential buildings
Romualdez tells DA to improve food price monitoring system
PEAKER Ferdinand Martin
SG. Romualdez on Tuesday called for improvements in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) price-monitoring system to ensure that official data accurately reflects market conditions.
Currently, Romualdez said the reported price estimates are not consistent with consumer experiences.
“Our agencies have price monitoring mechanisms, but we must ensure that the prices reflected in these reports align with actual market prices. As it stands, the estimated prices in these reports do not seem to match what consumers are experiencing,” Romualdez said.
Citing recent feedback from industry stakeholders, the Speaker pointed out that DA’s Bantay Presyo data lists the price of large
white chicken eggs at P8 to P9 per piece.
“In wet markets, these eggs are sold for P9 to P11, while in some supermarkets, prices reach as high as P12. Why is there even a one-peso difference in price?” he asked, underscoring the significance of even small price variations.
“We acknowledge the DA’s efforts in monitoring prices, but perhaps it would be beneficial to enhance our monitoring mechanisms further. Our goal is to improve services for our fellow Filipinos,” said Romualdez.
“Every peso counts. We need to correct these discrepancies to ensure that the data presented accurately represents market conditions,” he added, emphasizing that real-time and precise data is crucial for effective policymaking
and maintaining consumer confidence nationwide.
Romualdez also noted the importance of integrating direct input from local vendors and market operators to bridge the gap between official figures and onground realities.
Romualdez stressed the need for a synchronized approach among government agencies.
“The DA has its monitoring system, and so does the Department of Trade and Industry [DTI]. These agencies must work together to obtain a comprehensive and accurate picture of market prices,” he noted.
“This coordination will be key to a stable and well-functioning economy.”
Beyond egg prices, he pointed out other challenges affecting food costs. “We know that eggs are not
that have sprouted over the past decades,” he said.
There are three Senate bills— SBN 1181 of Sen. Christopher Go, SBN 1467 of Sen. Ramon Revilla, and SBN 1970 of Majority Leader Francis Tolentino— seeking to update Presidential Decree 1092 or the Building Code of the Philippines.
The Senate President has also filed SBN 289 to strengthen the National Building Code by requiring building officials of local governments to conduct a comprehensive inspection of all buildings nationwide and to issue certificates of inspection and clearance that these structures conform with the provisions of PD 1092.
The existing Building Code does not deal so much into the requirements of constructing buildings in relation to structural integrity during earthquakes. What is referred to by builders is the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP) that was developed by the Association of Structural Engineers of the Phil -
the only affected commodity. The prices of meat and poultry continue to rise due to issues such as African swine fever, inadequate storage facilities, and extreme summer heat. These problems cannot be ignored.”
Romualdez added, “We cannot afford to wait until Holy Week to address these concerns. Immediate action is necessary to support our citizens.”
The Speaker reassured the public that Congress, following the directive of President Marcos, is committed to collaborating with government agencies to refine the price-monitoring system.
“We will work together to ensure that goods remain affordable for all Filipinos. This is not just a fight for one agency or group—this is a collective effort for a better future,” he said.
“When we have accurate market prices, we have a solid basis for making informed decisions,” he said. “This initiative is for everyone—to guarantee a stable economy and effective governance in our country.”
Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
Filipino West Pointer who received Alexander Nininger Award speaks at Founders’ Day rites
By Troi Santos
NEW YORK CITY—The West Point Society of New York gathered alumni, cadets, and supporters on Friday evening at the Union League Club to celebrate the annual Founders Day Dinner, a tradition that pays tribute to the founding of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Among this year’s special guests was Maj. Floren Herrera of the Philippine Army, a member of USMA Class of 2013, who made history in 2024 as the first non-US citizen to receive the “Alexander R. Nininger Award for Valor at Arms.”
Alexander Ramsey Nininger is West Pointer deployed with Philippine Scouts who was killed by the Japanese in the battle of Abucay, Bataan, in the early days of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during the Second World War.
Founders Day commemorates the establishment of West Point on March 16, 1802, making it the oldest continuously operating military academy in the United States.
The event, which began formally in 1864 through the West Point Association of Graduates, is held annually by alumni societies worldwide to honor the Academy’s mission of producing leaders of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, and Country.
This year’s dinner featured keynote remarks from Anthony Noto, chief executive officer of SoFi and a graduate of the West Point Class of 1991. The evening also spotlighted Major Herrera, who addressed the audience following his receipt of the Nininger Award the previous October.
The award recognized his extraordinary courage during the 2017 Battle of Marawi in the southern Philippines, where he led Scout Ranger forces in urban combat against Islamic State-affiliated terrorists. The official award citation from the West
Point Association of Graduates read, “Then1st Lt. Herrera displayed remarkable bravery from June 12 to October 16, 2017, as the executive officer of 2nd Scout Ranger Company, 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, Philippine Army, and leadership during the Battle of Marawi against 1,000 foreign militants and local terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State. Herrera daringly maneuvered his platoon around a 50-meter open area and tactically seized a building, paving the way for a successful ambush against unsuspecting enemy forces.” The citation continued, “His actions resulted in a significant number of enemy casualties and saved the lives of troops who were in the enemy’s kill zone...Herrera displayed exceptional bravery and tactical expertise by maneuvering his platoon through unexpected avenues of approach and catching the enemy by surprise.” During his remarks, Herrera reflected on his journey from a remote province in the Philippines to the grounds of West Point and onto the battlefield. “West Point empowers young individuals—even from remote Philippine villages—to embody its values and represent them with honor,” he said. “Tonight is more than just a gathering—it is a report. A report to those who walked this path before us, who continue to inspire us with purpose, courage, and conviction, and to those who gave their all
See “Award,” A4
ippines in 2015 as the “referral code” of the PD 1092.
The NSCP requires buildings to be able to withstand strong earthquakes ranging from magnitude 7 to 8.4.
The proposed New Philippine Building Act as passed by the House aims to amend the country’s 47-year-old building code to ensure structures can withstand powerful earthquakes, including a potential 7.2-magnitude quake from the West Valley Fault (WVF), which experts warn could cause extensive devastation in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
A study by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) estimates that a WVF movement could result in up to 50,000 fatalities, 100,000 injuries, and severe structural damage affecting at least 10 percent of buildings in Metro Manila.
Villafuerte stressed that HB 8500 retains the authority of local governments to enact building
regulations, provided they align with national standards. The measure also proposes the creation of the Office of the National Building Official (Onbo) to oversee compliance and ensure buildings are designed to withstand earthquakes, storms, floods, fires, and other disasters.
Among its provisions, HB 8500 requires the use of disaster-resilient construction materials; strict compliance with safety and sustainability standards; energyefficient and environmentally friendly building designs; and hefty penalties, including fines and jail time of up to six years, for violators.
Villafuerte cited New Zealand as an example of effective earthquake mitigation through strict building regulations and mandatory retrofitting.
He argued that passing HB 8500 would pave the way for a similar approach in the Philippines, helping to minimize casualties and property damage during future disasters.
Philippine search and rescue team arrives in Myanmar
THE first batch of the Philippine humanitarian contingent to the earthquake-hit Myanmar arrived on Tuesday afternoon at the capital city of Naypyidaw, the Office of Civil Defense said on Tuesday afternoon.
The OCD said in a social media post in Filipino, “After refueling at Phitsanulok Airport in Thailand, the two C-130 planes carrying the first batch of the Philippine Interagency Humanitarian Contingent have landed at Nai Pi Taw Airport in Myanmar to conduct medical and search and rescue missions to those affected by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar.”
A total of 58 search and rescue personnel flew to Myanmar on board two Air Force C-130 “Hercules” transport planes early Tuesday morning to help in the recovery efforts in areas devastated by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Another batch of 33 will be flown to that country by another C-130 plane on Wednesday.
The contingent is headed by Lt. Col. Erwin Diploma and is composed of teams from the Army and Air Force as well as the Departments of the Interior and Local Government and of Environment and Natural Resources and Metro Manila Development Authority.
Private companies Energy Development Corp. and Apex Mining sent experienced miners to assist in the search for victims trapped under the rubble of collapsed structures.
“Two C-130 aircraft transported the initial 58 contingent members for their two-week deployment to Myanmar, with the remaining 33 members scheduled for transport by a single C-130 aircraft on April 2, 2025,” the Air Force (PAF) said in a statement.
The contingent also has a medical assistance team from the Department of Health (DOH) as well
as coordinators from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
“Bringing with them essential search and rescue equipment and medical supplies, these personnel are ready to perform life-saving operations, provide medical assistance, and deliver critical aid throughout the mission,” PAF said. Aside from search and rescue personnel, 40 PAF troops are also part of the mission as C-130 aircrew, aeromedical personnel, and aircraft security.
We will help in searching for those who may still be alive, who are trapped in collapsed structures in Myanmar, Office of Civil Defense Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said. “That is important because there is still time to rescue them,” he added in Filipino.
The Air Force statement also said that the mission to Myanmar affirms the Philippine government’s dedication to humanitarian assistance, reinforcing its commitment to swift disaster response and regional cooperation.
The Department of Health sent its Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (Pemat), which is composed of doctors, nurses, medical technologists, pharmacists, midwives, nursing attendants, as well as, administrative, logistics and technical staff.
“The number of Pemat members being sent, and the place where they will go, is according to the request of the receiving country in accordance with respect for their processes,” Albert Domingo, health department spokesman, said.
Domingo added that once the Pemats arrive they will provide acute medical care, life support, trauma management, pharmaceutical provisions and isolation facilities to victims of the earthquake for the next 18 days. With Rex Anthony Naval and Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
PSA: 2.5M 4Ps beneficiaries verified using National ID
By Bless Aubrey Ogerio
ORE than 2.5 million 4Ps beneficiaries have been authenticated using the Philippine National ID system, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. As of December 31, 2024, a total of 2,588,836 4Ps beneficiaries across the country have undergone National ID authentication during Family Development Sessions (FDS) in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
www.businessmirror.com.ph
A4
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Poe seeks cheaper modern jeepney units
EBy Butch Fernandez @butchfBM
XPRESSING hope that the Department of Transportation-ordered review of the jeepney modernization program will “ensure that everybody is on board,” Sen. Grace Poe on Tuesday urged authorities to assess not just the best way to move forward but also redress the situation of drivers and operators struggling with the “exorbitant cost” of the jeepney units.
“The review of the jeepney modernization program ordered by the Transportation Secretary [Vivencio Dizon] is a chance to make it
DOE
eyes
just, humane and right,” Poe said in a statement on Tuesday. “We trust the DOTr-led review body will tap transportation and commuters groups, private sector, local government units, academe, and other concerned stakeholders to produce a comprehensive outlook of the modernization situation and appropriate solutions,” added Poe, who as then chairwoman of the Committee on Public Services had led a Senate hearing seven years ago to study the proposed PUV modernization.
The current review as ordered by Dizon “should not only look forward on how the program would be rolled out smoothly, but also look back at the situation of the
stronger regulations to boost electric vehicle industy
By Lenie Lectura @llectura
THE number of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) nationwide, primarily concentrated in the National Capital Region, has reached 912 at end-March this year, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Tuesday.
In order to hit the 7,300 EV charging stations target by 2028, the agency is introducing new regulatory initiatives and will hold public consultations aimed at ensuring a safe, efficient, and sustainable charging network.
“Our goal of deploying over 7,000 EV charging stations by 2028 is ambitious but achievable. By combining infrastructure development with public engagement, we can accelerate the transition to EVs and build a cleaner, more sustainable transportation sector,” said Director Patrick T. Aquino of the Utilization Management Bureau.
The DOE said it will publish this month the Implementing Guidelines on Obligations of Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) Providers and EVCS Requirements, Specifications, and Interconnectivity (IG-Orsi).
The IG-Orsi will provide clear
for Duty, Honor, Country.”
Now 12 years since graduating, Herrera emphasized the lasting influence of the Academy’s teachings. “Among the values passed down to us, one has guided me more than most—the principle of leading from the front. I first experienced this lesson amidst combat chaos—in Marawi and the jungles of Sulu, Basilan, and Lanao del Sur. Leadership meant standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my troops, walking point, taking risks, and bearing their burdens.” He added that leadership extends beyond the battlefield, into everyday ethical decisions: “When combat ended, leadership was equally tested in quieter places— offices, decisions, and systems. Authority may have limits, but West Point taught us our values do not.”
Herrera reminded the audience that sustainable service is defined not by moments of glory
Continued from A3
“Through the National ID authentication services, both the
drivers and operators reeling from financial losses because of the exorbitant cost of the jeepney units,” Poe stressed.
On Monday, Dizon established a Special Committee to address concerns surrounding the Public Transport Modernization Program, formerly known as the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), following mounting pressure for its suspension.
Dizon signed Special Order 2025152 on Monday, officially creating the committee to review the program, consult with stakeholders, evaluate its current status, and identify any issues that may hinder its successful implementation.
The committee’s primary task is to propose solutions to address the concerns raised by critics, particularly related to the program’s consolidation phase, financing schemes, and local manufacturing impact.
Chaired by the Undersecretary for Road Transport and Non-Infrastructure, the committee will include the Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure, Assistant Secretary for Road Transport and Non-Infrastructure, Chairman of the Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC), and Assistant Secretary of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
According to the DOTr, the committee is set to present its recom -
mendations to Dizon “next week.”
Earlier, lawmakers raised concerns about the burdens that the program has placed on operators, citing a flawed financing scheme and delays in supporting local manufacturers in comparison to foreign suppliers.
The program, which started in 2017, aims to overhaul the public transportation system, particularly focusing on jeepneys, the backbone of public transit in the Philippines.
The program’s main goal is to modernize and unify the fragmented public utility vehicle industry, emphasizing the replacement of older vehicles with those meeting Euro 4 emissions standards.
The program’s objectives include changing the franchising system, introducing new routes, and providing education to drivers.
Aside from lawmakers, commuter groups and networks and driver organizations had called on the government to delay the implementation of the program, as this will result in a significant loss in transport supply, which they argue has already been insufficient to meet the current demand.
Transport groups have also mounted several strikes to call for the program’s cancellation.
IPOPHL to highlight IP rights in music industry
on Tuesday.
installation requirements for charging stations, particularly for Mode 4 chargers, which use direct current (DC) to deliver energy rapidly to EV batteries. It will also include comprehensive safety standards designed to streamline the deployment process and encourage investment in charging infrastructure.
The DOE is set to conduct public consultations in the current quarter to solicit comments on key initiatives, such as strategic placement of EVCS in gasoline stations to enhance accessibility and convenience for EV users, integration of the Charging Infrastructure Development Plan (CIDP) with the Distribution Development Plan (DDP) to optimize grid capacity, prevent strain on the power system, and ensure reliable charging services, and installation of EVCS in dedicated parking areas and related facilities to expand charging access and reduce range anxiety among potential EV owners.
“This multi-faceted approach will establish a comprehensive and accessible EV charging network across the Philippines, aligning with the country’s long-term sustainability, energy transition and transport modernization goals,” the agency said.
but by quiet acts of dedication.
“Making a sustainable difference is not about moments of glory— it’s about enduring impact, often unseen, but deeply felt.”
“Only time will tell how long I will continue wearing my Scout Ranger and Philippine Army uniform. But when the day comes to hang it up, I hope to look back knowing I gave my best and served with honor.”
In closing, he affirmed his ongoing commitment to service:
“Tonight, I report to you: the mission continues—a lifetime pursuit of service excellence, all towards making a sustainable difference. Let us continue to lead from the front. Let us continue inspiring and uplifting the next generations of graduates. Let us continue to make a sustainable difference.”
Herrera is currently assigned to the Capability Development Office of the First Scout Ranger Regiment which focuses on matters related to doctrine development, materiel, and force development, in alignment with the strategic direction of the Philippine Army.
public and relying parties can be assured that the delivery of services are more targeted and transactions are more seamless,” National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said.
“This highlights the National ID’s
By Andrea San Juan @jrsanjuan1573
INTELLECTUAL property rights in the Philippine music industry will be highlighted during this month’s observance of National Intellectual Property Month (NIPM) amid the growing preference for local music, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).
“Through NIPM 2025, IPOPHL aims to raise awareness not only on the power of music but also about the crucial role IP plays in helping the Philippine music industry thrive. Creators must be empowered to ensure that their intellectual property is valued, protected and celebrated whether at home or abroad,” IPOPHL Director General Brigitte M. da Costa-Villaluz said in a statement
With the theme “IP and Music: Bringing the Pinoy Beat to the World,” which connects with the World Intellectual Property Organization (Wipo) “Feel the Beat of IP” theme, NIPM 2025 will highlight the “rich and diverse” music of the Philippines, urging recognition of the importance of IP in empowering Filipino artists and those involved in the growing local music industry.
Citing the latest creative economy data of the Philippine Statistics Authority, IPOPHL said the Music, Arts and Entertainment category showed an upward trajectory since 2020.
In four years, industry revenues and employment increased at an annual average rate of 9.25 percent and 11 percent, respectively.
In 2024, Music, Arts and Entertainment grew 8.3 percent
year-on-year to P19.65 billion in revenues. The industry workforce expanded by 0.5 percent to 34,000, PSA data noted.
With this growth, the intellectual property rights watchdog said “a new era of preference for local music also emerges.”
IPOPHL also noted that Spotify Philippines reported that its Top 50–Philippine playlist, a daily update of the most played tracks in the country, is now dominated by local music.
“Pinoy music streams have also quadrupled globally over the past five years, with the US, Canada, Indonesia, Poland and Australia representing the top markets outside the Philippines,” added IPOPHL.
Global daily streams of playlists, meanwhile, have also surged. In fact, IPOPHL said the leading playlist on Philippine hi -
phop has increased by 600 percent in the last five years, while the main playlist on Philippine pop has grown by 138 percent year-on-year. The IPOPHL chief said it is important for the Philippine music industry to continue to “harness the power” of IP to ensure that local talent is recognized and rewarded fairly.
“With strong IP protections in place, our music can continue to break boundaries, share life stories and elevate the Philippines on the global stage,” da Costa-Villaluz also noted.
NIPM is celebrated every April to emphasize the importance of IP in driving, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship in the Philippines. The celebration is made pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 190 signed by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2017.
PPP Center to aid Iligan improve water supply
By Bless Aubrey Ogerio
THE Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center and the local government of Iligan City have signed an agreement for technical assistance in the development of a business case for its water supply system.
The signing of the Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA) for the preparation of the Business Case Report for the Tubo: A Tariff and Utility Blueprint for Water Operations, Model for the
Iligan City Waterworks System took place in mid-March at the Tourism Ethnic Center in Iligan City.
Iligan City was selected as a pilot site for the development of a business case incorporating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) under the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) Accelerating Green and Climate Finance in the Philippines: Nature-based Solutions Project.
The initiative seeks to facilitate private sector investment in NbS for climate-
resilient technologies and approaches.
The project will assess how private sector participation can contribute to investment, operational efficiency, and technical expertise in Iligan’s water supply system, with a focus on climate resilience and sustainable water resource management.
PPP Center Executive Director Ma. Cynthia Hernandez said the agreement reflects a joint effort to develop water infrastructure and ensure access to water services in Iligan City.
BJMP, CamSur ARBs seal marketing
By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga
THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s (BJMP) Iriga City District Jail have formalized a partnership that will benefit both the detainees or persons deprived of liberty (PDL) and agrarian reform beneficiaries in Camarines Sur. Through the partnership, the BJMP Iriga City District Jail will have a steady supply of fresh,
crucial role in the country’s efforts toward digitalization,” he added.
The PSA highlighted that the National ID system minimizes the risk of fraudulent claims and identity theft, supporting the
healthy food for PDLs while providing economic opportunities for the ARBs in the province.
Led by Labawon Agrarian Reform Upland Farmers Association (Larufa) Inc., this initiative strengthens food security. It enhances the livelihoods of ARBs, aligning with the government’s broader efforts to combat hunger and poverty.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (Parpo) Ricardo C. Garcia emphasized that the collaboration supports the Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty
government’s efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in social welfare programs.
The authentication service also extends to those requesting birth, marriage, and death certificates
pact
(PAHP) initiative, which aims to uplift marginalized communities.
“This initiative serves as a model for government partnerships that address both food security and economic empowerment, demonstrating how collaboration can create sustainable solutions for poverty alleviation,” Garcia said.
“This Technical Assistance Agreement is not just a document; it is a symbol of our collective dedication to addressing water security challenges in Iligan,” Hernandez said.
“This collaboration marks real progress in integrating nature-based solutions into PPPs, serving as a starting point for scaling up efforts and influencing future partnerships that embrace nature-based solutions,” she added.
The agreement also ensures product quality and guarantees timely payments, providing financial security for ARBs.
BJMP Iriga City District Jail officials, including the acting warden, Jail Chief Insp. Freddie T. Caballero II and the Food Service Supervisor, Senior Jail Officer IV Alfredo S. Martinez Jr., expressed their gratitude for the partnership, highlighting its positive impact on both PDLs and the local farming community.
Under the agreement, Larufa Inc., headed by its president, Ariel P. Amaro, will supply the BJMP Iriga City District Jail with fresh vegetables, fish, meat and poultry. This will benefit approximately 473 detainees while ensuring stable income for Larufa’s 104-member families. Deliveries will be made weekly or monthly, depending on the jail’s requirements.
PSAHelpline,
As of March 17, 16,477 indi
With Lorenz S. Marasigan
Move beyond traditional governance, says DOST chief
TBy Bless Aubrey Ogerio
HE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is urging the government to move away from traditional governance models and adopt data-driven governance through the integration of data science and analytics (DSA).
In a recently issued policy brief, Science secretary Renato Solidum Jr. explained the importance of using data to enhance service efficiency, promote transparency and ensure accountability in public governance.
“ We must move from traditional governance models to data-driven governance, which calls for investment, cooperation, and a dedication to ethical data use,” Solidum said.
T he policy brief also emphasized the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to establish a robust data governance ecosystem.
Moreover, Enrico Paringit, the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development executive director, stressed the significant role of DSA in improving public service delivery.
“We are at a pivotal moment that DSA is a necessity in good governance. If used
effectively, DSA can bridge gaps in public service, optimize decision-making, and ultimately improve the quality of life for Filipinos,” Paringit said.
Among the key recommendations in the policy brief is the development of a comprehensive framework to ensure the ethical and secure use of data.
It also calls for workforce upskilling and reskilling to address the shortage of DSA professionals, alongside strengthened local government ICT offices to drive digital transformation.
Additionally, PCIEERD highlighted its data-driven initiatives, including Project e-4PsMap, a platform that monitors compliance with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and the Social Service Analytics and Mission Planning System, which enhances social welfare services for persons with disabilities.
O ther projects include the Iloilo Province Employment Portal and Services for job matching and the Hundred Islands National Park Smart Tourism System, which automates tourism management.
PCIEERD called on stakeholders to collaborate in advancing data-driven governance, ensuring the country remains at the forefront of innovation and public service excellence.
DOLE rolls out paralegal training for trade unionists
THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is expanding its efforts to strengthen workers’ legal knowledge by providing essential paralegal training to trade unionists to assert their rights and navigate labor disputes.
In partnership with the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law and the UP Law Center, DOLE introduced a six-day program covering labor laws, procedural rights, and practical legal skills, such as evidence gathering and affidavit writing.
DOLE Assistant Secretary Lennard C. Serrano said the initiative is designed to empower workers by ensuring they understand their rights and can assist their colleagues in labor-related cases.
“Workers need to know their rights and obligations. Through this training, they will be equipped to help fellow workers who may not be aware of their legal protections. They are the first responders in cases of labor violations, so it is crucial that they understand how to document and preserve evidence,” Serrano told BusinessMirror
For the third quarter of 2024, the Bureau of Labor Relations reported a total of 1.68 million union members in the private sector, 658,729 in the public sector, and 4.03 million members of workers’ associations.
Participants in the program
undergo training in evidence gathering, affidavit writing, and legal documentation, skills that DOLE considers crucial in addressing workplace disputes.
“We want to invite representatives from all trade unions in every region. That is our goal so we can provide knowledge for the benefit of all regions nationwide,” Serrano said.
He added that the training is part of the government’s broader effort to improve compliance with international labor standards, particularly in line with the Philippines’ ratification of International Labour Organization Convention No. 87 on freedom of association.
Now in its third round, the paralegal training program has been conducted in various regions across the country.
The first session was piloted for National Capital Region workers, followed by subsequent training sessions for those working at Regions IV-A, VI, VII, and XI.
The latest session covered participants from Regions I, III, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Since its launch, the program has produced 111 graduates, including 36 from the latest session for Northern and Central Luzon workers.
DOLE aims to train at least 80 more trade unionists by the end of the year. Justine Xyrah Garcia
Marcos’ party endorses Evardone, Gonzales in Eastern Samar, citing unity for growth
POLITICAL unity is the key to unlocking economic growth and improving the quality of life for the people of Eastern Samar, local candidates said on Tuesday. With this vision, President Marcos-led Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) has officially endorsed Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone for governor and Sheen Gonzales for the province’s lone congressional seat in the upcoming May 12 midterm elections under the banner “Solido para Progreso.” The endorsement was announced at a proclamation rally in Dolores, Eastern Samar, where party leaders and supporters gathered to show solidarity and commitment to progress. Gonzales, a former vice governor of Eastern Samar and mayor of Guiuan, is the son-in-law of House
NBI uncovers massive birth certificate fraud, 66 cases filed against Davao del Sur officials
By Manuel T. Cayon @awimailbox
DAVAO CITY—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed 66 combination of cases against personnel of the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) of a Davao del Sur municipality who were involved in issuing fraudulent birth certificates to undocumented Chinese nationals.
Lawyer Arcelito Albao, regional director of the NBI here said the charges were a combination of graft and corruption, forgery, falsification of public documents and violation of Local Civil Registry Act.
These were filed against the personnel of the LCR of Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur who were involved in the issuance of the birth certificates to 1,576 Chinese nationals, many of whom turned out to be working in the raided establishments of Philippine offshore gaming operators, or Pogo.
Four of those who were filed
charges were already dismissed from work by Santa Cruz Mayor Jose Nelson Z. Sala Sr. Among those charged were also fixers at the LCR office and lawyers for notarizing the fraudulent birth records.
The cases were filed on several occasion since August last year and kept coming even in March, as Albao said he still expected some more cases to turn up to this time.
He disclosed that his office has also discovered confirmed issuances of fraudulent birth certificates in other LCR offices in other towns in the Davao Region but begged off from naming them yet pending the gathering of evidences to nail those involved.
He said other LCR offices nationwide have already reported that similar issuances of fake birth records to Chinese nationals have taken place and were being investigated.
At the height of the investigation of the Santa Cruz LCR fiasco, Albao said in October last year
that “we started with one hundred birth certificates and then 200 birth certificates, and eventually capped with 1,500 birth certificates issued to Chinese nationals in our investigation.”
Among those charged in the early part of the investigation was a Chinese respondent, who the NBI arrested sometime in August after he was tipped off by the Davao office of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Albao said the Chinese national used Limosnero as his surname, but the NBI said his real name was Qu Jan Lim.
Meanwhile, Albao said the local court in Panabo City dismissed in December last year the charges of syndicated estafa and illegal online gambling that the NBI filed against 58 persons working at a Pogo site in Panabo City.
Albao also said the Bureau of Immigration, which helped the NBI in preparing the charges, made a turnaround and ordered the NBI to release all those held in the raid.
The NBI discovered the Pogo operation when it raided a fenced compound in Purok 6, Manay Village, Panabo City. The NBI agents were only supposed to respond to a complaint of physical abuse by a Malaysian worker in the establishment when they were surprised to find 60 computer laptops and several mobile phones in two rooms. They arrested 55 Chinese nationals, three Malaysians and one a Filipina worker. Agents also confiscated several passports, identification cards, mobile phones, guns, hand cuffs and baseball bats.
Albao said the building was owned by a Filipino and investigation showed the alleged Pogo hub had operated the last three months before it was raided in December last month. He said many of the foreigners have no legal personal and travel documents, but said, “ask the Immigration” when asked how they would handle the issue.
Comelec to OPM bands: Report unauthorized use of songs in campaigns
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
WITH campaign jingles playing everywhere as the election season heats up, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is urging Original Pilipino Music (OPM) bands to report unauthorized use of their songs by candidates.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia stressed the importance of protecting artists’ intellectual property rights, saying the commission is ready to act on any formal complaints.
“Filipino artists work hard to create their music. That’s their in-
Comelec
TMinority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan. Meanwhile, RV Evardone, the son of outgoing Governor Ben Evardone— who also serves as PFP’s regional chairperson—has pledged to build on his father’s governance legacy. Gonzales and Evardone underscored the importance of political unity in driving progress for Eastern Samar.
They said political unity is the key to unlocking economic development and improving the quality of life for our people.
The two candidates also stressed the importance of collective leadership in addressing Eastern Samar’s most pressing concerns, including employment, education, and healthcare.
They also called for collaborative leadership in addressing the province’s challenges. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
tellectual property. If we receive a complaint, we will take action. We encourage bands to report these violations so we can coordinate with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and issue the necessary notices to those using their songs without permission,” Garcia said in a recent interview.
Garcia’s statement follows a social media post by OPM band Lola Amour, which revealed that their songs were being used in campaign jingles without permission.
“Many candidates are using our songs for their campaign jingles. Please note that all of those are used without our consent,” the
receives 34 complaints of vote-buying,
HE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has now received 34 complaints against candidates accused of vote-buying or abusing state resources as election day approaches.
Comelec Commissioner Ernesto P. Maceda Jr. said Tuesday that most of the reports came from the National Capital Region, which he considers a “center of vote-buying.”
“I don’t know if that’s because there are more vote-buying incidents happening here or that the citizens are just more aware of their rights and more inclined to report them,” Maceda said in an interview with Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.
Aside from Metro Manila, the poll body is also investigating cases in Mega Manila and the provinces of Palawan, Abra, and
Camarines Sur, where a concerning number of vote-buying incidents have been reported.
Maceda said the Comelec is working with mobile banking platforms, such as GCash and Maya, as digital vote-buying has become increasingly rampant.
H e assured that transaction limits would be imposed on e-wallets, and any account repeatedly sending identical amounts would be flagged as suspicious.
I don’t know when they’re going to impose this, they haven’t released the details.. But it’s likely to happen closer to election day because that’s when vote-buying is at its peak… on the eve of the polls. My guess is two or three days prior,” he added.
As chair of the Comelec’s Committee on Kontra Bigay, Maceda also warned that
band wrote, before jokingly adding, “What if I told you that it’s stolen?”
Garcia explained that when a campaign jingle is reported for copyright infringement, Comelec will presume that the candidate commissioned it themselves.
If a formal complaint is filed, the accused candidate will be required to explain the matter to IPOPHL.
The Comelec chief also reminded candidates that the commission signed a memorandum of agreement with IPOPHL last year to promote copyright awareness and ensure compliance with the Intel -
abuse of state resources
incumbent officials running for reelection could exploit state resources not only financially but also through institutional abuse, coercion, regulatory manipulation, and administrative misuse.
He noted that some candidates involve themselves in the distribution of government social welfare assistance programs—further blurring the line between public service and electioneering.
“If vote-buying is allowed to continue, it tips the electoral scales in favor of the strong over the weak, the rich over the poor… The Comelec is committed to ensuring that election results reflect the true will of the people,” Maceda said.
lectual Property Code of 1997. Under the law, copyright violations carry both administrative and criminal penalties. Fines range from P5,000 to P150,000, with an additional P1,000 per day for continuing violations. Criminal penalties include imprisonment from two to five years and fines between P50,000 and P200,000.
While unauthorized use of a song is not directly classified as an election offense, Comelec warned that failure to respond to the show cause order they will issue to the concerned candidates could escalate the case into a violation.
The Comelec had earlier exempted several government social programs from the election spending ban, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program, and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, as well as the Department of Labor and Employment’s emergency employment program for disadvantaged and displaced workers.
H owever, it clarified that elected officials or candidates are prohibited from participating in the distribution of financial aid.
A total ban on one-time government cash aid will also take effect 10 days before election day, except for medical and burial assistance. Justine Xyrah Garcia
In previous polling years, the Comelec recorded 1,226 vote-buying complaints in the 2022 national and local elections; and 375 for the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Go shares advocacies for health, education, youth during motorcade in Dasmariñas City, Cavite gency and preventive care; as well as updating policies to meet the needs of Filipinos.
SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go brought his “malasakit at serbisyo” campaign to Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Monday, March 31, during a motorcade he conducted with fellow senatorial candidates who he shared common advocacies with—starting in the morning with senatorial aspirant and TV host Willie Revillame, followed in the afternoon with Philip Salvador, former Senator Gringo Honasan and the team of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
As an adopted son of CALABARZON region, Go expressed gratitude for the warm reception and vowed he would scale up programs aimed at uplifting the poor, especially in health, education, and youth development.
“Kungsakalingmabigyanmulingpagkakataon na maipagpatuloy ang paglilingkod sa bayan,” Senator Go told supporters, “ mas ilalapit ko pa ang pro-poor programs sa tao atmagbibigaypang‘more serbisyo’saaking kapwaPilipino.”
In an interview, Senator Go zeroed in on long-standing issues within the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), revealing how his series of Senate inquiries
led to promised reforms and the fulfillment of overdue health emergency allowances for qualified healthcare workers.
“Alamko,kakaikotkosabuongPilipinas, marami po mga kababayan natin, takot magpa-hospital, takot magpagamot,” said Senator Go. “Eh, kaya nga po, galit ako sa PhilHealtheh.Sobra-sobra‘yungpondonila habangnaghihingalo‘yungmgapasyente.”
Senator Go also recalled holding 13 Senate hearings focused on health reforms and Health Emergency Allowances. “Finally, nabayaran po last year yung PhP 27 billion. At sa pagdinig natin,na-diskubrenatinnameronpongibinalik angPhilHealthna excess fund sa national government. Parasaakin,hindipomakatarungan ‘yon,dahilmaramipangpasyentenaghihingalo, walangpambayadsahospital.”
After numerous appeals from Senator Go, P hilHealth has also officially committed to assure implementation of their other promises such as increasing case rates; expansion of benefit packages especially for the top 10 mortality diseases; provision of free medicines and assistive devices, such as eyeglasses and wheelchairs; inclusion of dental, visual, emer -
Senator Go has pressed PhilHealth to accelerate its other reforms following the long-overdue scrapping of the Single Period of Confinement (SPC) policy last month. He has
PhilHealth
Israel issues sweeping evacuation orders in Gaza Strip, raising fears of imminent ground operation
By Wafaa Shurafa & Fatma Khaled The Associated Press
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip—
Israel’s military on Monday issued sweeping evacuation orders covering Rafah and nearby areas, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city.
Israel ended its ceasefire with the Hamas militant group and renewed its air and ground war earlier this month. At the beginning of March, it cut off all supplies of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to the territory’s roughly 2 million Palestinians to pressure Hamas to accept proposed changes to the truce agreement.
Israel’s military ordered Palestinians to head to Muwasi, a sprawl of squalid tent camps along the coast. The orders came during Eid al-Fitr, a normally festive Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Last May, Israel launched a major operation in Rafah, on the border with Egypt, leaving large parts in ruins. The military seized a strategic corridor along the border as well as the Rafah crossing
with Egypt, Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel.
Israel was supposed to withdraw from the corridor under the ceasefire it signed with Hamas in January under US pressure, but it later refused to do it, citing the need to prevent weapons smuggling.
On Monday, people fled with their belongings loaded onto donkeys and stacked on car roofs. Families traveled by foot carrying luggage as children held the adults’ hands.
“We are dying. There is no food, no drink, no electricity, no medicine,” said Hanadi Dahoud, who was displaced from the southern city of Khan Younis. “We want to live. We just want to live. We are tired.”
The United Nations said the
continuous forced movement of people was causing panic and uncertainty.
“People are treated like pinballs with constant military orders playing with their fate and lives,” said Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
Medics killed by Israeli fire are buried DOZENS gathered at a funeral for some of the 15 emergency responders killed by Israeli fire during a ground operation in Rafah last week. The International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called it the deadliest attack on its medics in several years.
Raed al-Nems, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent, said the paramedics were “killed in cold blood” despite wearing uniforms and operating in clearly labeled ambulances. At funeral prayers, their shrouds were draped with Red Crescent banners.
Israel’s military has said its forces opened fire on several vehicles that raised suspicions by advancing without headlights
or emergency signals. The military said a Hamas operative and eight other militants were among those killed.
The United Nations humanitarian office said the dead included eight Red Crescent workers, six members of Gaza’s Civil Defense, which operates under the Hamas-run government, and a UN worker.
Rescuers were only allowed to access the area nearly a week later to recover the bodies. Footage of Sunday’s recovery operation released by the UN showed Civil Defense workers digging into a mound of sand and pulling out a body wearing the same orange vest as theirs.
Netanyahu vows to implement Trump’s Gaza plan
ISRAEL has vowed to intensify its military operations until Hamas releases the remaining 59 hostages it holds—24 of them believed to be alive. Israel has also demanded that Hamas disarm and leave the territory, conditions that were not included in the ceasefire agreement and which Hamas has rejected.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would take charge of security in Gaza after the war and implement US President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Gaza’s population in other countries, describing it as “voluntary
emigration.”
That plan has been universally rejected by Palestinians, who view it as forcible expulsion from their homeland. Human rights experts say it would likely violate international law.
Hamas has insisted on implementing the signed agreement, which called for the remainder of the hostages to be released in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli pullout. Negotiations over those parts of the agreement were supposed to begin in February but only preliminary talks have been held.
The war began when Hamasled militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, rampaging through army bases and farming communities and killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants took another 251 people hostage, most of whom have been released in ceasefires or other deals.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. At its height, the war had displaced some 90 percent of Gaza’s population, with many fleeing multiple times.
Large areas of Gaza have been destroyed, and it’s unclear how or when anything will be rebuilt.
Khaled reported from Cairo.
Myanmar earthquake devastation: 2,000 killed, cities in ruins, aid efforts struggle
BBy David Rising The Associated Press
ANGKOK—The death toll in last week’s massive earthquake in Myanmar has passed 2,000, state media said Monday, as accounts of some people’s last moments emerged: Two hundred Buddhist monks crushed by a collapsing monastery. Fifty children killed when a preschool classroom crumbled. Seven hundred Muslims struck while praying at mosques for Ramadan. The quake could exacerbate hunger and disease outbreaks in a country that was already one of the world’s most challenging places for humanitarian organizations to operate because of civil war, aid groups and the United Nations warned.
Relief efforts are further hampered by power outages, fuel shortages and spotty communications. A lack of heavy machinery has slowed search-and-rescue operations, forcing many to search for survivors by hand in daily temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
Rescue workers at Mandalay’s collapsed U Hla Thein monastery said they were still searching for about 150 of the dead monks.
Some 700 Muslim worshipers attending Friday prayers were killed when mosques collapsed, said Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network. He said some 60 mosques were damaged or destroyed. Videos posted on The Irrawaddy online news site showed several mosques toppling. It was not clear whether those
The 7.7 magnitude quake hit Friday, with the epicenter near Myanmar’s second-largest city of Mandalay. It damaged the city’s airport, buckled roads and collapsed hundreds of buildings along a wide swath down the country’s center.
numbers were already included in the official toll.
Myanmar state MRTV reported that the leader of the military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, told Pakistan’s prime minister during a call that 2,065 people were killed, with more than 3,900 injured and about 270 missing.
Relief agencies expect those numbers to rise sharply, since access is slow to remote areas where communications are down.
The United Nations’ Myanmar country team called for unimpeded access for aid teams.
“Even before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar were in need of humanitarian assistance,” said Marcoluigi Corsi, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator.
Devastation’s full extent is not clear “WE’RE really not clear on the scale of the destruction at this stage,” Lauren Ellery, deputy director of programs in Myanmar for the International Rescue Committee, told The Associated Press. “They were talking about a town near Mandalay where 80 percentof the buildings were reportedly collapsed, but it wasn’t in the news because telecommunications have been slow.”
Groups the IRC works with have reported that some places are cut off by landslides, she said.
The World Health Organization said it has reports of three hospitals destroyed and 22 partially damaged in the region.
“There is an urgent need for trauma and surgical care, blood transfusion supplies, anesthetics, essential medicines and mental health support,” it said.
More than 10,000 buildings are collapsed or severely damaged in central and northwest Myanmar, the UN humanitarian agency said. One preschool classroom building collapsed in Mandalay district, killing 50 children and two teachers, it said.
An artificial intelligence analysis of satellite images of Mandalay by Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab showed 515 buildings with 80 percentto 100 percentdamage and another 1,524 with 20 percentto 80 percentdamage. It was not clear what percentage of the city’s buildings that represented.
Civil war had displaced millions RESCUE efforts are also complicated by the civil war. In 2021, the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into significant armed resistance.
While one group has declared a partial unilateral ceasefire, the government and other armed groups have not stopped fighting.
Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places were dangerous or impossible for aid groups to
reach even before the quake. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting, according to the UN Ellery with the International Rescue Committee noted that the area worst hit by the earthquake was seriously damaged by flooding last year, and many displaced people sought refuge there.
Since the earthquake, many people have been sleeping outside, either because homes were destroyed or out of fear of aftershocks.
Monsoon rains start in May and finding people shelter will be a major challenge, she said.
Myanmar’s neighbors and allies send aid INTERNATIONAL rescue teams from several countries are on the scene, including from Russia, China, India and several Southeast Asian countries.
On Monday, an Indian team jackhammered through slabs of fallen concrete at one site in Mandalay. They could be seen bringing out one body.
The European Union, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and others have announced millions of dollars in aid.
Despite massive cuts and firings at the US Agency for International Development—the body charged with delivering humanitarian assistance overseas— the US Embassy said a team of experts was on its way to Myanmar. The embassy said it would provide up to $2 million through local organizations.
Looking for survivors in Bangkok
A SMALL number of US military personnel were sent to assist in Bangkok, where the earthquake killed at least 18 people, many at a construction site where a partially built high-rise collapsed. Another 33 have been reported injured and 78 missing, primarily at the construction site near the popular Chatuchak market.
On Monday, heavy equipment was temporarily shut down at the site and authorities urged onlookers to be silent as they used machines to try and detect signs of life.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told reporters that signs had been detected Sunday night, though experts could not determine whether it had been machine error.
Watching the crews at work, Naruemon Thonglek said she had “made some peace” with the fact that her partner and five friends there were unlikely to be found alive.
“A part of me still hope they will survive,” she said.
The Associated Press journalists Jerry Harmer and Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok, and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.
MOURNERS gather around the bodies of 8 Red Crescent emergency responders, recovered in Rafah a week after an Israeli attack, as they are transported for burial from a hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on Monday, March 31, 2025. AP/ABDEL KAREEM HANA
Senate Democrats challenge Trump’s Canada tariffs, test Republican support
By Stephen Groves The Associated Press
WASHINGTON—With
President Donald Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” of tariff implementation fast approaching, Senate Democrats are putting Republican support for some of those plans to the test by forcing a vote to nullify the emergency declaration that underpins the tariffs on Canada.
Republicans have watched with some unease as the president’s attempts to remake global trade have sent the stock market downward, but they have so far stood by Trump’s on-again-off-again threats to levy taxes on imported goods.
Even as the resolution from Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia offered them a potential off-ramp to the tariffs levied on
Canadian imports, Republican leaders were trying to keep senators in line by focusing on fentanyl that comes into the US over its northern border. It was yet another example of how Trump is not only reorienting global economics, but upending his party’s longtime support for ideas like free trade.
“I really relish giving my Republican colleagues the chance
to not just say they’re concerned, but actually take an action to stop these tariffs,” Kaine told The Associated Press in an interview last week.
Kaine’s resolution would end the emergency declaration that Trump signed in February to implement tariffs on Canada as punishment for not doing enough to halt the flow of illegal drugs into the US. If the Senate passes the resolution, it would still need to be taken up by the Republicancontrolled House.
A small fraction of the fentanyl that comes into the US enters from Canada. Customs and Border Protection seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the northern border during the 2024 fiscal year, and since January, authorities have seized less than 1.5 pounds, according to federal data. Meanwhile, at the southern border, authorities seized over 21,000 pounds last year.
Kaine warned that tariffs on Canadian goods would ripple through the economy, making it more expensive to build homes and military ships.
“We’re going to pay more for
our food products. We’re going to pay more for building supplies,” he said. “So people are already complaining about grocery prices and housing costing too much. So you raise the cost of building supplies and products. It’s a big deal.”
Still, Trump has claimed that the amount of fentanyl coming from Canada is “massive” and pledged to follow through by executing tariffs Wednesday.
“There will never have been a transformation of a Country like the transformation that is happening, for all to see, in the United States of America,” the president said on social media Monday.
Republican leaders in the Senate have signaled they aren’t exactly fans of tariffs, but argued that Trump is using them as a negotiating tool.
“I am supportive of using tariffs in a way to accomplish a spe -
cific objective, in this case ending drug traffic,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters last month. He said this week that his “advice remains the same.”
While Trump’s close allies in the Senate were standing steadfastly by the idea of remaking the US economy through tariffs, others have begun openly voicing their dissatisfaction with trade wars that could disrupt industries and raise prices on autos, groceries, housing and other goods.
“I’m keeping a close eye on all these tariffs because oftentimes the first folks that are hurt in a trade war are your farmers and ranchers,” said Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican. Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, said he would prefer to see the US and its trading partners move to remove all tariffs on each other, but he conceded that Trump’s tariff threats had injected uncertainty into global markets.
“We’re in uncharted waters,” Kennedy told reporters. “Nobody knows what the impact of these tariffs is going to be.”
South Korea’s Constitutional Court set to rule Friday on Yoon’s impeachment
By Hyung-Jin Kim The Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea—South Korea’s Constitutional Court will rule Friday on whether to formally dismiss or reinstate impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol—a decision that either way will likely deepen domestic divisions.
The court has been deliberating his political fate after conservative Yoon was impeached by the liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly in December over his brief imposition of martial law that has triggered a massive political crisis.
Millions of people have rallied around the country to support or denounce Yoon. Police said they’ll mobilize all available personnel to preserve order and respond to possible acts of vandalism, arson and assault before and after the court’s ruling.
The Constitutional Court said in a brief statement Tuesday that it would issue its ruling at 11 a.m. Friday and that it will be broadcast live.
Removing Yoon from office requires support from at least six
of the court’s eight justices. If the court rules against Yoon, South Korea must hold an election within two months for a new president. If the court overturns his impeachment, Yoon would immediately return to his presidential duties.
Jo Seung-lae, a spokesperson for the main liberal opposition Democratic Party which led Yoon’s impeachment, called for the court to “demonstrate its firm resolve” to uphold the constitutional order by dismissing Yoon. Kwon Youngse, leader of Yoon’s People Power Party, urged the court’s justices to “consider the national interest” and produce a decision that is “strictly neutral and fair.”
Many observers earlier predicted the court’s verdict would come in mid-March based on the timing of its ruling in past presidential impeachments. The court hasn’t explained why it takes longer time for Yoon’s case, sparking rampant speculation on his political fate.
At the heart of the matter is Yoon’s decision to send hundreds of troops and police officers to the National Assembly after imposing martial law on December 3. Yoon has insisted that he aimed to maintain order, but some mili -
tary and military officials testified Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to frustrate a floor vote on his decree and detain his political opponents.
Yoon argues that he didn’t intend to maintain martial law for long, and he only wanted to highlight what he called the “wicked -
ness” of the Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda, impeached senior officials and slashed his budget bill. During his martial law announcement, he called the assembly “a den of criminals” and “anti-state forces.”
By law, a president has the right
to declare martial law in wartime or other emergency situations, but the Democratic Party and its supporters say South Korea wasn’t in such a situation.
The impeachment motion accused Yoon of suppressing National Assembly activities, attempting to detain politicians and others and undermining peace in violation of the constitution and other laws. Yoon has said he had no intention of disrupting National Assembly operations and detaining anyone.
The Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung contributed to this report.
Wall Street swings again as approach of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ wallops stock markets worldwide
By Stan Choe Ap Business Writer
NEW YORK—President Donald Trump’s fast-approaching “Liberation Day” sent stock markets swinging sharply worldwide on Monday.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent in another rollercoaster day, after being down as much as 1.7 percent during the morning. The reversal helped the index shave its loss for the first three months of the year to 4.6 percent, making it the worst quarter in two-and-a-half years.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average also swerved higher after erasing an initial loss, and it climbed 417 points, or 1 percent. Slides for Tesla, Nvidia and other influential Big Tech stocks, though, sent the Nasdaq composite down 0.1 percent. Such neck-twisting turns have become routine for the US stock market recently because of uncertainty about what Trump will do with tariffs—and by how much they will worsen inflation and grind down growth for economies.
Wall Street’s swings followed a sell-off that spanned the world
earlier Monday as worries built about the effects of the tariffs that Trump says will bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index dropped 4 percent. South Korea’s Kospi sank 3 percent, and France’s CAC 40 fell 1.6 percent. Instead of stocks, prices strengthened for things considered safer bets when the economy is looking shaky. Gold rose again to briefly crest $3,160 per ounce. Prices for Treasury bonds also climbed, which in turn sent their yields down. The yield on the 10year Treasury fell to 4.21 percent from 4.27 percent late Friday and from roughly 4.80 percent in January.
On Wednesday, the United States is set to begin what Trump calls “ reciprocal “ tariffs, which will be tailored to match what he sees is the burden each country places on his, including things
like value-added taxes. Much is still unknown, including exactly what the US government will do on “Liberation Day.”
At Goldman Sachs, economists expect Trump to announce an average 15 percent reciprocal tariff. They also raised their forecast for inflation and lowered it for US economic growth for the end of the year.
They now see a 35 percent chance of recession in the next year, up from an earlier forecast of 20 percent, “reflecting our lower growth forecast, falling confidence, and statements from White House officials indicating willingness to tolerate economic pain,” according to Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle.
If the April 2 tariffs end up being less onerous than investors fear—maybe Trump includes no additional tariff increases on China, for example—stocks could rally. But if they end up being a worst-case scenario, which gets businesses so fearful that they start cutting their workforces, stocks could sink much further.
Of course, there’s also the chance that April 2 does little to clear the uncertainty. It could end up being a “stepping stone for further negotiations” instead of a “clearing event” for the market, according to Michael Wilson and other strategists at Morgan Stanley.
“This means policy uncertainty
and growth risks are likely to persist—it’s a question of to what degree,” Wilson wrote in a report.
One worry is that even if Trump’s tariffs end up being less harsh than feared, all the uncertainty created by them alone could cause US households and businesses to freeze their spending, which would hurt an economy that had been running at a solid pace to close last year.
Either way, some familiar names were among Wall Street’s hardest hit on Monday.
Tesla fell 1.7 percent to bring its loss for the year so far to 35.8 percent. It’s been one of the year’s worst performers in the S&P 500 in large part because of fears that
Broken promises and abandoned fields: A failed US agricultural project in Senegal
By Jack Thompson The Associated Press
DAKAR, Senegal—Rusting pipes in a barren field and unpaid workers are what remain after a US company promised to turn a huge piece of land in Senegal—about twice the size of Paris— into an agricultural project and create thousands of jobs.
In interviews with company officials and residents, The Associated Press explored one of the growing number of foreign investment projects targeting Africa, home to about 60 percent of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land. Many, like this one, fail, often far from public notice. Internal company documents seen by the AP show how the Senegalese-government-endorsed plans for exporting animal feed to wealthy Gulf nations fell apart.
At first glance, the landscape of stark acacia trees on the edge of the Sahara Desert doesn’t hold much agricultural promise. But in an age of climate change, foreign investors are looking at this and other African landscapes.
The continent has seen a third of the world’s large-scale land acquisitions between 2000 and 2020, mostly for agriculture, according to researchers from the International Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands.
But 23 percent of those deals have failed after sometimes ambitious plans to feed the world.
In 2021, the Senegalese village of Niéti Yone welcomed investors Frank Timis and Gora Seck from a US-registered company, African Agriculture. Over cups of sweet green tea, the visitors promised to employ hundreds of locals and, one day, thousands. Timis, originally from Romania, was the majority stakeholder. His companies have mined for gold, minerals and fossil fuels across West Africa.
Seck, a Senegalese mining investor, chaired an Italian company whose biofuel plans for the land parcel had failed. It sold the 50-year lease for 20,000 hectares to Timis for $7.9 million. Seck came on as president of African Agriculture’s Senegalese subsidiary and holds 4.8 percent of its shares. Now the company wanted the community’s approval.
The land was next to Senegal’s largest freshwater lake, for which the company obtained water rights. African Agriculture planned to grow alfalfa and export it to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Both traditionally buy alfalfa from the US, but land in alfalfa production there has dropped by 38 percent in the last 20 years, largely due to drought caused by climate change, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
The proposal divided the community of subsistence farmers. Herders that raised livestock on the land for generations opposed it. Others, like Doudou Ndiaye Mboup, thought it could help ease Senegal’s unemployment crisis.
“I bought their dream. I saw thousands of young Africans with jobs and prosperity,” said Mboup, who was later employed as an electrician and now leads a union of employees.
Despite the formation of an opposition group called the Ndiael Collective, African Agriculture moved ahead, hiring about 70 of the community’s 10,000 residents.
After planting a 300-hectare pilot plot of alfalfa, the company announced in November 2022 it would go public to raise funds.
African Agriculture valued the company at $450 million. The Oakland Institute, an environmental think tank in the US, questioned that amount and called the deal bad for food security as well as
greenhouse gas emissions.
The company went public in December 2023, with shares trading at $8 on the NASDAQ exchange. It raised $22.6 million during the offering but had to pay $19 million to the listed but inactive company it had merged with.
That payment signaled trouble to investors. It showed that the other company, 0X Capital Venture Acquisition Corp. II, didn’t want to hold its 98 percent of stock. And it highlighted the way African Agriculture had used the merger to bypass the vetting process needed for listing.
One year later, shares in African Agriculture were worth almost nothing.
Now, security guards patrol the land’s barbed-wire perimeter, blocking herders and farmers from using it. The company has been delisted.
Mboup said he and others haven’t been paid for six months. The workers took the company to employment court in Senegal to claim about $180,000 in unpaid wages. In February, they burned tires outside the company’s office. Mboup later said an agreement was reached for back wages to be paid in June.
“I took out loans to build a house and now can’t pay it back,” said Mboup, who had been making $200 a month, just above average for Senegal. “I’ve sold my motorbike and sheep to feed my children and send them to school, but many are
not so lucky.”
Timis didn’t respond to questions. Seck told the AP he was no longer affiliated with African Agriculture. Current CEO Mike Rhodes said he had been advised to not comment.
Herders and farmers are furious and have urged Senegal’s government to let them use the land. But that rarely happens. In a study of 63 such foreign deals, the International Institute of Social Studies found only 11 percent of land was returned to the community. In most cases, the land is offered to other investors.
“We want to work with the government to rectify this situation. If not, we will fight,” warned Bayal Sow, the area’s deputy mayor.
The Senegalese minister of agriculture, food sovereignty and herding, Mabouba Diagne, did not respond to questions. The African Agriculture deal occurred under the previous administration.
The failed project has undermined community trust, said herder Adama Sow, 74: “Before we lived in peace, but now there’s conflict for those of us who supported them.”
Meanwhile, African Agriculture’s former CEO has moved on to a bigger land deal elsewhere on the continent—with experts raising questions again.
In August, South African Alan Kessler announced his new company, African Food Security, partnering with a Cameroonian, Baba Danpullo. It has announced a project roughly 30 times the size of the Senegal one, with 635,000 hectares in Congo and Cameroon.
The new company seeks $875 million in investment. The company’s investor prospectus, obtained by the AP, says it planned to register in Abu Dhabi.
In an interview with the AP in January, Kessler blamed the failure of the Senegal project on the way African Agriculture’s public offering was structured. He said there were no plans for a public offering this time. He claimed his new company’s project would double corn production in these countries, and described African Food Security as the “most incredibly important development company on the planet.” He said they have started to grow
on
of Wall Street’s most influential stocks, fell 1.2 percent to bring its loss for the year so far to 19.3 percent.
On the winning side of Wall Street was Mr. Cooper, which jumped 14.5 percent after the home loan servicer said it’s being bought by mortgage company Rocket in an all-stock deal valued at $9.4 billion. The deal comes just weeks after Rocket acquired real estate listing company Redfin,
the electric-vehicle maker’s brand has become too intertwined with its CEO, Elon Musk.
Musk has been leading US government efforts to cut spending, making him a target of growing political anger, and protests have swarmed Tesla showrooms as a result.
Other Big Tech stocks also struggled. They’ve been at the selloff’s center in large part because of criticism that their stock prices had become too expensive. Critics pointed to how their prices rose faster than their already quickgrowing profits in recent years.
Nvidia, which has ridden the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology to become one
Bitcoin investor buys an entire SpaceX flight for the ultimate polar adventure
By Marcia Dunn Ap Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—A bitcoin investor who bought a SpaceX flight for himself and three polar explorers blasted off Monday night on the first rocket ride to carry people over the North and South poles.
Chun Wang, a Chinese-born entrepreneur, hurtled into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX’s Falcon rocket steered southward over the Atlantic, putting the space tourists on a path never flown before in 64 years of human spaceflight.
Wang won’t say how much he paid Elon Musk’s SpaceX for the 3 ½-day ultimate polar adventure.
The first leg of their flight — from Florida to the South Pole — took barely a half-hour. From the targeted altitude of some 270 miles (440 kilometers), their fully automated capsule will circle the globe in roughly 1 ½ hours including 46 minutes to fly from pole to pole.
“Enjoy the views of the poles. Send us some pictures,” SpaceX Launch Control radioed once the capsule reached orbit.
Wang has already visited the polar regions in person and wants to view them from space. The trip is also about “pushing boundaries, sharing knowledge,” he said ahead of the flight.
Now a citizen of Malta, he took along three guests: Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge and Australian polar guide Eric Philips. Mikkelsen, the first Norwegian bound for space, has flown over the poles before, but at a much lower altitude. She was part of the 2019 record-breaking mission that circumnavigated the world via the poles in a Gulfstream jet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing.
The crew plans two dozen experiments — including taking the first human X-rays in space — and brought along more cameras than usual to document their journey called Fram2 after the Norwegian polar research ship from more than a century ago. Until now, no space traveler had ventured beyond 65 degrees north and south latitude, just shy of the Arctic and Antarctic circles. The first woman in space, the Soviet Union’s Valentina Tereshkova, set that mark in 1963. Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, and other pioneering cosmonauts came almost as close, as did NASA shuttle astronauts in 1990.
A polar orbit is ideal for climate and Earth-mapping satellites as well as spy satellites. That’s because a spacecraft can observe the entire world each day, circling Earth from pole to pole as it rotates below.
hectares in Cameroon.
HERDERS and farmers from left, Adama Sow, Oumar Ba and Daka Sow walk outside Niéti Yone, northern Senegal, Tuesday, December 10, 2024. AP/JACK THOMPSON
Trump shifts blame from Putin to Zelenskyy in frustrated push for Ukraine ceasefire deal
By Kate Sullivan
PRESIDENT Donald Trump dialed back his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and instead accused Ukraine of attempting to renegotiate an economic deal with the US.
The US leader is in a hurry to get a ceasefire agreement over the line in time to mark his 100 days in power. His frustration at the process saw him lash out at Putin over the weekend. But on Monday, Trump had turned his ire back to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The result is a geopolitical whiplash on the eve of Trump’s global tariff announcement on April 2 and shows US impatience with the process of securing a temporary truce between Russia and Ukraine more than three years after Putin’s invasion of its neighbor.
Trump had vowed he would end the war within 24 hours of taking office but has found Russia to be a tough negotiator and able to
wrest concessions from the US by exploiting Trump’s desire to get a deal done quickly. On Sunday, Trump told NBC he was “pissed off” at Putin.
It was a marked change of tone for a leader he has expressed admiration for until now. It raised the question of whether Russia was going to start seeing a more punitive side to Trump’s negotiations. The Kremlin reacted calmly, and a day later Trump de-escalated.
“I want to make sure that he follows through, and I think he will,”
Trump said of Putin on Monday in the Oval Office. “I don’t want to go secondary tariffs on his oil, but I think, you know, something I would do if I thought he wasn’t
doing the job.”
Trump instead redirected his anger at Zelenskyy, who has been his usual target, saying that he was basing his criticism off news reports he read that Kyiv was seeking new terms for a natural resources partnership deal.
“I heard that they’re now saying, well, I’ll only do that deal if we get into NATO or something to that effect,” Trump said. The president said membership in the military alliance was never part of the discussion and would not be accepted by Russia.
A draft proposal of Ukraine’s requested changes concerns the country’s effort to enter the European Union, not NATO, and sought a pledge for more US investment in the country.
Russia is one of the world’s three largest oil producers, and any attempt by the US to punish purchases of Russian supplies could have a far-reaching impact on the oil market, including by intensifying inflationary pressures in the US.
Trump’s tougher talk toward Putin caused crude prices to rise Monday. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, climbed to $71.48 late Monday, well beyond
On the heels of dry winter, firefighters around the US brace for wildfire risks
By Ty Oneil & Susan Montoya Bryan
PThe Associated Press
RESCOTT, Ariz.—From the southwestern US to Minnesota, Iowa and even parts of New Jersey, it seemed that winter never materialized.
Many communities marked their driest winters on record, snowpack was nearly nonexistent in some spots, and vegetation remains tinder dry—all ingredients for elevated wildfire risks.
More than 1,000 firefighters and fire managers recently participated in an annual wildfire academy in Arizona, where training covered everything from air operations to cutting back brush with chain saws and building fire lines. Academy officials say there’s consensus that crews will be busy as forecasts call for more warm and dry weather, particularly for the Southwest.
The lack of moisture and warm temperatures can combine to increase the rate of spread and intensity of fire, said Roy Hall, the prescribed fire officer for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. He says it’s been dry in his state for months.
“We would be remiss to not acknowledge that changes how we might see fire behavior come out of the blocks at the beginning and through fire season,” he said. How dry has it been?
EXPERTS with NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information reported in early March that total winter precipitation in the US was just shy of 6 inches (15.24 centimeters)—or nearly an inch (2.54 centimeters) below average. The period of December through the end of February— what forecasters consider the meteorological winter—ranked the third driest on record.
Flagstaff, nestled in the mountains south of the Grand Canyon, has long been on the list of quick
escapes for desert dwellers looking to build snowmen or go sledding. The northern Arizona city finished the winter period with a 50-inch (1.27 meter) snowfall deficit. A major storm hit the area in mid-March, forcing the closure of Interstate 40 and stranding motorists for hours. It wasn’t enough to erase the shortfall.
In New Mexico, there were at least 17 sites that marked either their driest winters on record or tied previous records. Albuquerque set a new low by logging just 0.12 inches (0.30 centimeters) of precipitation over a three-month period.
“The tap just turned off and the drought conditions have been proceeding,” Andrew Mangham, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said during a recent call with state and federal drought experts. What does that mean for wildfire conditions?
ARIZONA , New Mexico and parts the Midwest already have had their share this spring of red flag warnings—when low humidity couples with windy, warm weather to heighten wildfire risks. Those threats materialized in midMarch in Oklahoma, where fires destroyed hundreds of homes. Crews in New Jersey and the Carolinas also battled flames amid dry conditions.
In the West, land managers and firefighting forces are concerned that without adequate snowpack in many mountain ranges, there’s less moisture to keep fires from ballooning into fast-moving conflagrations.
April 1 typically marks the peak of the snowpack, but forecasters say many areas already are melting out. Strong spring winds that deposit dust onto the snowpack help to speed up the process.
Even southern Alaska is experiencing a snow drought at lower elevations, according to the National Integrated Drought Information
the mid-$60s that Trump was celebrating earlier this month.
Trump’s comments suggested a possible souring in US-Russian relations over the pace of the ceasefire talks. Trump has previously voiced concern that Moscow could be slow-walking negotiations.
The US president’s flash of irritation toward Russia was prompted by comments Putin made last Friday implicitly challenging Zelenskyy’s legitimacy by propos -
ing the United Nations take over Ukraine with a temporary government overseen by the US and possibly some European countries.
“He’s supposed to be making a deal with him, whether you like him or don’t like him,” Trump told reporters Sunday about Putin. “So I wasn’t happy with that. But I think he’s going to be good.”
Trump told NBC he and Putin planned to speak again this week.
The Kremlin on Monday said Putin remained open to contacts with
Trump. However, a spokesman, according to the state-run Tass news agency, told reporters no call had been scheduled yet.
The last publicly disclosed call between the two leaders was earlier in March, a conversation that saw Putin refuse to grant Trump a 30-day ceasefire. Putin instead agreed only to limit attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure while demanding that the US and other nations stop the flow of weapons and intelligence to the neighboring country he invaded. After subsequent talks held separately with Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia, the US said the two nations had agreed to a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea. But while Ukraine said it would observe the ceasefire, Russia said its involvement depended on preconditions, including sanctions relief. The threat of secondary tariffs is a novel tactic Trump has adopted to ramp up economic pressure on other countries. He’s previously threatened to impose tariffs on countries that buy oil from Venezuela in a bid to choke off its trade with other nations. With assistance from Jennifer A. Dlouhy/Bloomberg
System. The Anchorage airport recorded its driest February on record, while large areas in southwest Alaska and low elevations in the south-central part were nearly snow-free as of March 1.
Recent storms brought some moisture to California, pushing snowpack levels there to just shy of average. But most of the southern region is dealing with moderate to extreme drought.
A new wildfire outlook will be released Tuesday. While California isn’t among those areas facing significant potential for wildfires at the moment, deadly fires in January torched more urban area than any other fire in that state since at least the mid-1980s.
How are communities dealing with the threat?
SEEING flames race through Los Angeles earlier this year prompted municipal leaders throughout the West to host community meetings to raise awareness, including in New Mexico’s San Juan County. The Four Corners region— where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet—is among those on the radar for high fire
potential given the unfavorable conditions. Firefighters in San Juan County responded to 25 bushfires in the first 27 days of March and two more were reported on Friday, said county spokesperson Devin Neeley.
In Arizona, the Phoenix Fire Department have warned the mayor and city councilors about increasing risks. They have a plan for surging department resources to help contain fires before they escalate, particularly in areas where urban development intersects with wildland environments.
In neighboring Scottsdale, Mayor Lisa Borowsky recently floated the idea of creating a volunteer brigade to bolster wildfire prevention, pointing to invasive species and overgrown vegetation within the McDowell Sonoran Preserve that could pose risks. A fire department crew has been clearing and trimming brush along roadways.
Christopher Reed, a fire prevention captain with the Arizona forestry department, said some people think of wildfire as a “macro problem” that involves vast landscapes beyond their suburban borders. He said people should prepare on a micro level, ensuring their own homes are defensible before it’s too late.
“We always say Day 1 of firefighting is now,” Reed said.
Supreme Court set to decide billions in compensation for UK motor finance consumers in landmark hearing
By Jonathan Browning & Adelaide Changole
AFIGHT over UK motor finance and whether lenders should be on the hook for billions of pounds in compensation will play out at the Supreme Court in one of the most highly-anticipated hearings in years.
A t stake, the scope of a huge compensation program for consumers who took loans to buy cars without knowing about the commission paid by lenders to dealers. Banks are bracing for a payout that could run as high as £38 billion ($49.1 billion) according to some estimates, if the top court’s judges rule against them.
Investors are taking note.
In an unusually swif t timeframe for the country’s top court, a panel of five judges will sit for three days this week to hear an appeal brought by Close Brothers Group Plc and South Africa-based FirstRand Ltd.
T he hearing will take place less than six months after a lower court effectively ripped up historical consumer finance practices by declaring it unlawful for banks to pay commission to a car dealer without obtaining the customer’s informed consent.
Rulings in this case ha ve shaken investors. Close Brothers shares have lost two thirds of their value since the first customers lodged appeals in July 2023, and banks including Lloyds Banking Group Plc have set aside increasing sums for a redress program.
Llo yds, the UK’s largest provider of car finance, has earmarked £1.15 billion so far for any potential payouts, while the UK arm of Spain’s Banco Santander SA has put aside £295 million. Close Brothers, where onefifth of the loan book is dedicated to motor finance, set aside a first-half provision of £165 million for the matter.
D epending on how broadly the compensation requirements are set, banks could face an overall bill of between £24 billion and £38 billion, analysts at Bank of America have estimated.
D ubbed “PPI on wheels,” the fallout has provoked comparisons with mis-sold payment protection insurance—the UK’s most expensive consumer scandal to date where around £50 billion was ultimately paid out.
The Financial Conduct Authority, which has been reviewing car finance since the start of last year, said it’ll decide whether to implement the compensation program within six weeks of the Supreme Court’s decision.
T he watchdog was granted permission to take part in the top court case, but in a blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the judges refused a challenge by the Treasury, which had argued that the case risked causing considerable economic harm. The court’s role is to decide the law relating to secret commissions and not to consider economic outcomes,” Robin Henry, a lawyer at Collyer Bristow not involved in the case, said. “But for the FCA, this is a damage limitation exercise to protect the motor finance industry.”
The court typically takes at least three months to issue a ruling, but has handed down judgments quicker in urgent cases, such as when the judges thwarted thenPrime Minister Boris Johnson’s attempted prorogation of Parliament after a highly contentious hearing.
The FCA banned so-called discretionary commission arrangements on motor finance in 2021, saying the practice incentivized car dealers to increase a customer’s borrowing costs.
T hen last year, the regulator said it was aware that auto lenders were facing a deluge of complaints from consumers alleging their loans were priced in a way that treated them unfairly. The Supreme Court is likely to consider whether the issue goes even further. The case was initially brought by consumers who used car dealers as their credit brokers to arrange financing for second-hand cars for less than £10,000.
But the buy ers were never told that a commission would be paid, even though in two cases the payment was referenced in the terms and conditions.
“ The consumers were very poorly served by the brokers and the lenders alike,” the Court of Appeal judges said. Notice of the commission payment was “buried in a mass of contractual documents that no one concerned expected them to read.”
The ruling—that motor dealers owed a duty of loyalty to their customers— stunned the consumer finance industry and increased the possibility of the redress requirement going further than a demand for compensation for discretionary commissions.
T he judges ruled that the customers placed “trust and confidence” in the brokers to secure a competitive agreement and that gave rise to a duty in turn. Almost any user of car finance could apply for compensation in this circumstance. Bloomberg News
Banana exporters urge Japan to lower tariffs amidst stiff competition
THE Philippines remains as the top supplier of bananas to Japanese consumers, accounting for nearly 75 percent of the market last year. This means that three out of four consumers in Japan bought bananas grown in the Philippines. While it would appear that the Philippines is dominant in Japan’s banana market, its market share is now being eaten up by other competitors. (See, “Banana exporters ask govt to coax Japan to lower tariff,” in the BusinessMirror , March 21, 2025).
More than a decade ago, the Philippines accounted for 94 percent, or nearly all of the bananas consumed by the Japanese. Compared with the 2024 figure, the share of the Philippines in Japan’s banana market has gone down by almost 20 percentage points. The Philippines’s loss became the gain of other countries like Vietnam and Cambodia as well as Latin American countries like Peru, which also enjoys zero duties for their banana exports under the agreements forged by their governments with Japan.
According to the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association Inc. (PBGEA), the country’s competitors may export bananas to Japan at zero tariffs. They enjoy this concession after their respective governments granted favorable concessions under their bilateral trade agreements with Japan. At zero tariffs and with the subsidies enjoyed by exporters from other countries, Filipino banana exporters may have to contend with lower orders from Japan in the years to come. This scenario could be prevented if Tokyo would heed the appeal of Philippine banana exporters to significantly reduce or eliminate tariffs on the fruit under the Philippine-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA). Manila and fruit growers have been urging Tokyo to eliminate tariffs on their produce for years. (See, “PHLJapan trade deal review stalls on market-access issue,” in the BusinessMirror , November 8, 2021). During the 5th PJEPA Joint Committee Meeting held in Manila in 2016, the country sought for more favorable terms for local farm products and other items, including bananas, pineapples, yakitori chicken and tuna, among others. In 2021, Philippine officials have signaled their willingness to discuss concessions for better market access for local fruits like bananas, which are slapped a tariff of 8 percent when shipped to Japan during summer and 18 percent during winter. (See, “PHL growers urge Japan to cut banana tariffs next year,” in the BusinessMirror , March 24, 2025). Tokyo, according to an official of the Department of Trade and Industry, will likely ask for lower tariffs for industrial products and eliminate tariffs for vehicles below 3,000 cc.
Based on Article 161 of the PJEPA, the Philippines and Japan should undertake a general review of the agreement and its implementation and operation in 2011 and every five years thereafter, unless otherwise agreed by both parties. At the time, the trade environment and the geopolitical landscape were starkly different from what the world is seeing now. Fast-tracking the general review of the first bilateral trade agreement forged by the Philippines will be beneficial not only for local fruit growers but also for Japanese industries.
Growth fuels infra spending
IAntonio L. Cabangon Chua
T. Anthony C. Cabangon
Lourdes M. Fernandez
Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug
Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos
Lyn B. Resurreccion, Dennis D. Estopace Angel R. Calso, Dionisio L. Pelayo
Ruben M. Cruz Jr.
Eduardo A. Davad
Nonilon G. Reyes
D. Edgard A. Cabangon Benjamin V. Ramos
Aldwin Maralit Tolosa
Rolando M. Manangan
BusinessMirror is published daily by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines. Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725. Fax line: 813-7025. (Advertising Sales) 893-2019; 817-1351, 817-2807. (Circulation) 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news.businessmirror@gmail.com www.businessmirror.com.ph
Mark Villar
THE BUILDER
NFRASTRUCTURE spending is expected to support economic growth, and sustained gross domestic product (GDP) expansion will provide the government more resources to fund public works. This leads to a virtuous cycle that will benefit the people.
The private sector is feeling the prevalent economic dynamism. I am glad to hear that our major conglomerates booked record revenues in 2024, reflecting the sustained expansion of the Philippine economy despite global uncertainties.
International organizations believe the Philippines will remain one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia this year and the next.
Moody’s Analytics, the research arm of Moody’s Investor Service, sees the Philippine economy growing 5.9 percent this year and 5.8 percent next year. Private consumption and investment are expected to be key drivers of growth, supported by stable inflation and easing monetary policy.
Inflation is seen settling within the government’s target range of 2 percent and 4 percent, a cue for more interest rate cuts by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Fitch Ratings also expects the Philippine banking system’s credit profile to remain stable on the back of strong macroeconomic fundamentals. Per Fitch, the Philippines’ resilient medium-term economic potential and favorable banking
It expects the Philippines’ GDP to grow 6 percent annually over the next two years, which should underpin banking business volume and keep impairment risks at bay.
While rising geopolitical tensions and greater trade protectionism pose downside risks to the Philippines’ growth momentum, Fitch believes the country is relatively insulated and more resilient than many of its export-oriented regional peers.
The Philippine government, on its part, is serious about ensuring economic expansion, as it keeps public spending on infrastructure elevated at five percent of the GDP. One major source of infrastructure budget is official development assistance (ODA) loan from multilateral organizations, such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank as well as partner-countries.
Japan, in particular, has heavily invested in Philippine infrastructure by providing low-interest ODA loans.
The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) cited the partnership with Japan as a factor in the sustained and transforma-
By Erik Larson
RESIDENT Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order directing major changes to the way America registers voters and counts mail-in ballots was challenged as unconstitutional in separate lawsuits filed by the Democratic National Committee and a group of nonprofits.
Trump’s directive, which for the first time would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and ban the counting of lawful mail-in ballot that arrive after Election Day, threatens to disenfranchise voters and upend an election system that has “stood the test of time,” the DNC said in its complaint.
The suit was filed in Washington federal court by Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other groups, escalating a growing battle between the party and the 78-year-old Republican president over his efforts
to expand his power over the US government.
“The Framers of our federal Constitution foresaw that self-interested and self-aggrandizing leaders might seek to corrupt our democratic system of government to expand and preserve their own power,” the Democrats said. “They therefore created a decentralized system of elections based upon separated powers divided among the leaders elected by—and closest to—the people.”
Trump has argued that the unprecedented changes, which could have a big impact on the next election, are necessary to prevent the
tive growth.
The Philippines secured financing from Japan for big-ticket infrastructure projects during a high-level meeting on March 24, 2025.
Senior Japanese government officials, led by Dr. Mori Masafumi, Special Advisor to the Japanese Prime Minister, visited the Philippines to convene the 15th Philippines-Japan High-Level Joint Committee Meeting, or HLJCM, on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation to expedite the rollout of Japansupported projects in the country.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Country Chief Representative Baba Takashi signed financing agreements during the occasion. Included in the deals are supplemental financing agreements for a bypass road project in Mindanao and two major flood control projects in Luzon.
The Davao City Bypass Construction Project III, with financing worth about P17.67 billion, will improve mobility and accelerate economic growth in the region through the construction of a four-lane bypass road with a total length of 45.5 kilometers.
Meanwhile, a P17.45-billion Japan loan for the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project, Phase IV II, will help strengthen the flood management infrastructure in Metro Manila through the establishment of dikes and revetments, installation of flood gates and channel dredging.
The Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project II also received financing worth around P5.52 billion to help mitigate flood damage in the lower reach of the San Juan
kind of voter fraud that he falsely blames for his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.
“The Democrats continue to show their disdain for the Constitution and it continues to show in their insane objections to the President’s commonsense executive actions to require proof of US citizenship in an effort to protect the integrity of American elections,” said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields. “The Trump administration is standing up for free, fair, and honest elections and asking this basic question is essential to our Constitutional Republic.”
Earlier on Monday, a similar lawsuit was filed by nonprofits representing Latinos, military families and college students.
“Under our Constitution, the President does not dictate election rules,” the groups said in their complaint. “States and Congress do.”
Schumer and Jeffries said they sued because the changes called for
River Basin and its adjacent Maalimango Creek Drainage Area. Apart from these infrastructure projects, officials signed agreements for two program budget-support financing to assist the Philippines in advancing health and climate change initiatives.
The Japanese government reaffirmed its commitment to support the Philippine government’s Build Better More program and other key priority areas. Both sides discussed the status, implementation issues and ways forward to speed up the rollout of the big-ticket projects funded by Japan.
These include the Metro Manila Subway Project Phase I, the NorthSouth Commuter Railway Projects, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 Rehabilitation Project, the Dalton Pass East Alignment Road Project and the Metro Manila Priority Bridges Seismic Improvement Project.
The two countries, in addition, discussed support for the Central Mindanao High Standard Highway, the second San Juanico Bridge Construction Project, the Flood Control and Drainage Project in Davao City, the Parañaque Spillway Project, the National Public Broadcasting Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting Network Development Project, the Magat Dam Reconstruction Project and other infra projects.
We need cheaper credits to fund our economic development. And a strong and enduring bilateral economic cooperation with Japan will certainly advance infrastructure development in the Philippines.
For feedback e-mail to senatormarkvillar@ gmail.com or visit our web site: https://markvillar. com.ph
under Trump’s executive order could impact their bids for reelection.
“These injuries are not mere idle concerns for a future day,” they said in their complaint. “They come on the cusp of at least three special congressional elections and two gubernatorial elections in the coming months.” And they said the campaign cycle for the 2026 midterm elections “is already well underway.”
Several Democratic state attorneys general said last week that they’re exploring legal options to challenge the executive order, citing evidence from Democrat and Republican-led states that US elections are already secure and that voting by non-citizens is exceedingly rare. Legal challenges THE new lawsuits on Monday are among more than 175 challenging Trump’s directives, many of which seek to stretch the limits of presidenSee “Democrats,” A11
US chip grants in limbo as Lutnick pushes for bigger investments
By Mackenzie Hawkins & Ian King
COMMERCE Secretary Howard Lutnick has signaled he could withhold promised Chips Act grants as he pushes for companies in line for federal semiconductor subsidies to substantially expand their US projects, according to eight people familiar with the matter.
The Commerce chief wants firms that won awards from the 2022 Chips and Science Act to follow in the footsteps of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which recently announced it will invest another $100 billion in US plants on top of a previous $65 billion pledge, the people said. Lutnick’s goal is to generate tens of billions of dollars in additional semiconductor investment commitments without increasing the size of federal grants, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private conversations.
As he negotiates, Lutnick’s team has suggested that he could scrap disbursement of subsidies that have already been agreed upon, according to some of the people. At the same time, Lutnick has expressed interest in expanding a separate 25% tax credit from the Chips Act, some of the people said. That’s worth more to most companies than the direct funding awards. Major changes to the tax credit would require an act of Congress.
The Commerce Department didn’t respond to requests for comment. Lutnick has previously said that he intends to review Chips Act awards in order to get what he calls the “benefit of the bargain.”
President Donald Trump—who has called on Congress to repeal the law—signed an executive order Monday to establish an office within Commerce to encourage companies to make large investments in the US. The United States Investment Accelerator will facilitate projects of more than $1 billion and also administer funds from the Chips Act.
“This rebrand gives the president a permission structure to support the underlying policy despite previously attacking the Chips Act,” said Jim Secreto, who served as deputy chief of staff to former President Joe Biden’s commerce secretary.
The bipartisan law set aside $52 billion to revitalize the American semiconductor industry after decades of production shifting to Asia. The majority of that is for direct funding awards to companies, which are designed as reimbursements for private expenditures and are supposed to be doled out over time as projects hit negotiated milestones.
Many companies haven’t hit any new benchmarks since Trump took office, meaning they haven’t yet expected to receive any money under the new administration. But there are signs that Lutnick’s team is slowwalking the eventual disbursement of that funding as he reviews award agreements.
In one case, a small manufacturer that signed a binding Chips Act agreement was wrapping up discussions around payment timing before Trump took office, some of the people said. Those talks are now delayed, and it’s unclear when the money might come.
There’s also a host of firms that reached preliminary agreements under Biden but didn’t sign final accords, and are now unsure about when—or whether—they’ll receive funding. One of them, North Carolina-based Wolfspeed Inc., said last week that its $750 million deal is likely to evolve, but did not provide more specifics, according to the Triangle Business Journal.
Biden’s team announced several dozen preliminary and final awards before leaving office, in a blitz of deals that the previous administration hoped would limit disruptions to the program once Trump took over. Major beneficiaries include TSMC, Intel Corp., Micron Technol-
Protecting lives and property: The urgent need for stricter building standards in the Philippines
Iogy Inc., Samsung Electronics Co., GlobalFoundries Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc., all of which are slated to receive more than $1 billion in grants. Together, those companies account for the lion’s share of more than $400 billion in pledged privatesector investments that the Chips Act has spurred.
But Trump, who argues tariffs are a better incentive for companies to build factories on American soil, wants Congress to scrap the initiative—an unlikely prospect given strong bipartisan support for the program on Capitol Hill.
Trump and Lutnick both credited the threat of tariffs on foreignmade chips with TSMC’s decision to expand from three to six plants in Arizona, plus other investments in chip packaging and research. TSMC, though, has said its latest investment is based on US market demand.
Trump is poised to unveil tariffs targeting other countries on April 2, and he’s teased duties on chips “down the road.” Whether companies respond to those threats by announcing more investments is an open question.
Samsung last year downsized its planned Texas investment, which led to a smaller Chips Act grant than originally anticipated. The company’s semiconductor division has struggled in recent months as it loses ground to rivals. Samsung representatives declined to comment.
Micron, meanwhile, originally planned as many as four facilities in New York, but last year began slowwalking plans for the third plant as it talked with Japanese officials about standing up a similar facility there. Micron has publicly committed to the first two New York facilities plus another plant in Idaho, all of which are covered by its Chips Act award.
Micron declined to comment.
Thomas Caulfield—the executive chairman at GlobalFoundries, where he previously served as chief executive officer—has said that tariffs, combined with Chips Act grants and a 25 percent investment tax credit also offered from the program, could “create the dynamics to make the demand want to come home.”
In almost all cases, Chips Act grants are the lesser of the subsidies companies will receive. The much bigger chunk of money comes from the 25% tax credits, which also aren’t contingent on environmental or labor conditions that Republicans have long argued should not be part of the grant application process.
Lutnick has indicated he’s open to expanding the tax credit, people familiar with the matter said, but he has yet to offer specifics.
The current guidelines allow companies to claim the credit for projects—including chip and wafer production—that break ground by the end of 2026. A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a bill that would extend the credits to semiconductor R&D in addition to manufacturing, and would also apply the credits to any projects that break ground by the end of 2036— giving companies another decade to get started.
“The credit is essential,” Peter Cleveland, a senior vice president at TSMC, said at an event last week. Developing the US semiconductor industry “depends on continued collaboration with this administration and future administrations,” he said—“and the form that that collaboration should take, should be through extension of the credit in the code.” With assistance from Yoolim Lee, Jane Lanhee Lee and Dina Bass /Bloomberg
MAKE SENSE
HAVE been actively campaigning against the use of substandard products, particularly construction materials that are illegally imported into the Philippines through technical smuggling. I have spent the better part of my 83 years fighting smuggling and other forms of illicit trade, particularly the smuggling of substandard steel and other construction materials.
Lately, my primary concern is that the steel tariffs implemented by US President Donald Trump will adversely impact Chinese steel producers. Inevitably, these producers will seek out alternative markets with lower tariffs.
In this scenario, the Philippines is likely to experience a significant influx of substandard construction materials. Regulatory authorities have already reported the discovery of substandard steel products bearing “Made in China” markings. This is a worrying trend that requires immediate attention and action to protect the safety and integrity of buildings and infrastructure in the country. Substandard building materials can compromise the structural integrity of structures, endangering the lives of occupants. It is crucial that policymakers and regulatory bodies take decisive steps to address this issue to protect our citizens.
With the recent collapse of a highrise building under construction in Thailand following a devastating earthquake, I believe the Philippines needs to implement comprehensive safety standards for constructing buildings that can withstand earthquakes. We should ensure that only high-quality, standards-compliant materials are used in construction projects across the country. Taking proactive measures to enforce material standards will help improve the quality and safety of buildings nationwide.
Currently, the Philippines does not have a single, national law that dictates a maximum height for skyscrapers. Of course, height restric-
tions exist due to a combination of factors including airspace safety, zoning ordinances, and urban planning goals, particularly near airports and in specific areas like Intramuros. I’m really focused on protecting consumers. After the devastating Myanmar earthquake, I can’t help but be concerned about the high-rise buildings in Metro Manila. I strongly believe there is a need to revisit the National Building Code, which was enacted in 1977 and has been in effect for over 45 years, with its Implementing Rules and Regulations last revised in 2004. The building code and regulations may need to be updated to ensure the safety and resilience of structures, especially in light of evolving construction practices and technologies, as well as changes in environmental and seismic conditions. Reviewing and potentially revising the National Building Code could help safeguard consumers and communities from the risks posed by outdated or insufficient building standards.
In a recent TV interview, Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, Director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), stated that the agency is estimating a death toll of around 50,000 should “The Big One”—a 7.2 magnitude earthquake—hit the National Capital Region and nearby areas. A Phivolcs study has projected that a magnitude 7.2 earthquake along the West Valley Fault could cause the collapse of at least 168,000 buildings in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.
The West Valley Fault is an ap -
proximately 100-kilometer-long active fault line that traverses portions of the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite, as well as the cities of Pasig, Marikina, Taguig, Muntinlupa, and Quezon City. The last recorded major earthquake caused by the West Valley Fault was in 1658, and experts forecast it to generate major earthquakes every 200 to 400 years.
The Philippines is located within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region prone to seismic activity and earthquakes. Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno of the Office of the Civil Defense emphasized the critical importance of maintaining robust infrastructure in a recent radio interview, addressing the threat of powerful earthquakes.
“We need to focus on engineering solutions to enhance our preparedness. Our buildings, infrastructure, and bridges must be sturdy enough to withstand the impact of a major earthquake,” Nepomuceno stated.
This is the reason why we are launching a new semestral magazine called “Standards Philippines” —to raise awareness about the importance of standards. Substandard construction materials can have disastrous consequences.
For example, investigations have shown that the collapse of the 6-story Ruby Tower in Manila during a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on August 2, 1968 was due to the failure to adhere to proper construction standards. The tragedy resulted in the loss of 322 lives and left approximately 300 people injured.
The collapse of the Ruby Tower serves as a sobering reminder of the devastating impact that can occur when quality standards are not upheld in the construction industry.
Our new magazine aims to educate the public on the critical role standards play in ensuring public safety and preventing such catastrophic events in the future.
I urge our lawmakers to thoroughly review the building material standards to ensure they are robust enough to withstand a powerful earthquake. If the current standards are insufficient, I encourage them to establish stronger and more
stringent requirements. Prioritizing structural integrity and safety is crucial for protecting lives and property in the event of a major seismic event.
In February 2023, a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, resulting in over 55,000 fatalities. It was the most powerful earthquake to hit the region in two decades. Last Friday, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Sagaing Region of Myanmar, also significantly impacting Thailand. The latest reports indicate over 2,056 deaths in Myanmar and 18 deaths in Thailand, with the toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
The impacts of climate change are increasingly evident. One notable example is the devastating wildfires occurring in California and various other regions globally. Additionally, we are now experiencing powerful earthquakes. It makes me ponder whether these natural disasters are all linked to climate change. It’s hard not to wonder: are these catastrophic events not a warning or a message from above, urging us to take action or make changes?
In the Philippines, we have been conducting regular national earthquake drills, with the first nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill of 2025 already having taken place. The goal of these drills is to increase public awareness and preparedness for earthquakes. One important aspect of these drills is teaching the “duck, cover, and hold” safety guideline, which instructs individuals to drop to the floor, seek cover under a sturdy object, and hold on until the shaking stops. While these efforts are commendable, as I gaze up at the towering buildings surrounding me, I can’t help but wonder whether these structures will be able to withstand the impact of a massive earthquake. The most important question is, will these buildings hold when the “Big One” comes?
Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard government revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.
Trump tariffs may spell economic crisis for Japan, Onodera says
By Yoshiaki Nohara & Sakura Murakami
THE Trump administration’s tariffs may spell a big economic crisis for Japan, a senior lawmaker in Japan’s ruling party said, adding that the auto tariffs in particular would have huge implications across all regions in Japan.
“I personally feel that this may become a big economic crisis for Japan,” Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Itsunori Onodera said Tuesday as he led a party workshop to discuss the trade tensions.
“Especially given the breadth of the supply chain of the auto industry, I think this will become an enormous problem that will have an impact on all regions across Japan,” he said, referring to the 25 percent auto levy that has already been announced by President Donald Trump.
Japan will learn this week what
Democrats
. . .
continued from A10
tial power. The US Supreme Court is likely to have the final say in many of the cases, particularly around immigration and efforts to shrink the federal workforce.
The first suit over Trump’s order was filed by the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, which represents hundreds of thousands of members in dozens of states.
The other groups in that case are the Secure Families Initiative and the Arizona Students’ Association, both of which describe themselves as nonpartisan organizations representing thousands of voters.
the so-called reciprocal tariffs in its biggest export market will entail as concerns mount over the auto tariff that’s set to take effect on April 3. The auto tariffs on all US car imports will hit Japanese carmakers beyond their direct car shipments to the nation. Japanese carmakers ship about 1.45 million cars to the US from Canada and Mexico, where they operate factories, according to Japan’s Trade Ministry. That’s slightly less than 1.49 million cars directly exported from Japan to the US, while Japanese automakers make 3.3 mil-
The nonprofits said Trump is trampling on the authority of states to run elections by demanding proof of citizenship. They also claim the president can’t restrict the counting of mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day, even if they arrive days later—a practice allowed by more than a dozen states.
“The order is an attack on the constitutionally mandated checks and balances that keep American elections free and fair,” the suit says.
“Through this unconstitutional action, the president intrudes on the states’ and Congress’s authority to set election rules in an attempt to make it far more difficult for eligible US citizens to exercise their fundamental right to vote.”
lion cars in the US.
“We will continue to seize various opportunities to strongly call for an exemption,” Japanese Trade Minister Yoji Muto said on Tuesday. “We need to continue negotiations and communicate with the US. As for domestic measures, we are considering measures such as cash flow support.”
The US threats on the trade front are coming just as Japan is warming up to China, its biggest trading partner. Beijing has already retaliated against Trump’s tariffs. Over the weekend, Muto and his Chinese and South Korean counterparts renewed a call for fair, rule-based trade rules.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hasn’t ruled out taking countermeasures against US tariffs, but Tokyo finds it difficult to play hardball because it relies on the US to stave off security threats from Beijing. Also over the weekend, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US would deepen its defense coordination with Japan, reflecting Washington’s focus on China as its primary security challenge. Recalling his time as defense minister during a period that overlapped with Trump’s first term as president, Onodera said he’s familiar with a degree of unpredictability that makes it difficult to anticipate impacts from forthcoming policies. Tariffs will likely affect multiple sectors with implications beyond trade. During Trump’s first term, Japan dodged his threat to raise levies on Japanese cars with a trade deal that gave US farmers greater access to the Japanese market. This time, the Trump administration has criticized Japan’s elevated rice tariffs, the yen’s weakness and Tokyo’s reliance on the US for security. Bloomberg
Passports, real ID
THE executive order requires the Election Assistance Commission to amend its national mail voter registration form to require proof of citizenship for the first time, including a US passport and other IDs compliant with the Real ID Act of 2005.
According to the suit, only about half of all Americans have US passports, while most Read ID compliant identification documents “do not indicate that the holder is a citizen of the United States.” The plaintiffs say that only “enhanced” versions of the ID indicate citizenship, and they’re only used in five states.
The groups are also challenging a provision of the executive order that threatens to withhold federal fi-
nancial assistance for administering elections from states that fail to follow Trump’s order. The president also directed the US Attorney General to take “all necessary action” against states that count mail-in ballots that were lawfully cast by Election Day be received later. According to the suit, neither the president nor the attorney general have such authority.
“The US Supreme Court has said that while votes must be cast by Election Day, some aspects of the election process, such as tabulating all votes, will naturally take place after Election Day,” the groups said. “Congress has also recognized the difference between ‘collecting’ absentee ballots and ‘delivering’ them to election officials for tabulation.” Bloomberg
Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza
Feb bank lending up 12.2%; BSP cites loans to industries
By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto @reine_alberto
BANKlending continued to accelerate in the Philippines, as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported a double-digit growth in loan expansion in February.
Preliminary BSP data showed outstanding loans of universal and commercial banks (UKBs), net of reverse repurchase (RRP) placements with the BSP, rose by 12.2 percent year-on-year in February 2025. Credit activity of banks amounted to P13.026 trillion as of end-February 2025 from P11.611 trillion in the same period a year ago.
On a month-on-month seasonally adjusted basis, the BSP said outstanding UKB loans, net of RRPs, rose by 0.6 percent from 12.8 percent.
Broken down, outstanding loans to residents rose by 12.6 percent to P12.701 trillion in February 2025 from P11.275 trillion in February
2024.
Outstanding loans to nonresidents, however, declined by 3.2 percent to P324.819 billion following the P335.705 billion recorded in the same period a year ago.
Meanwhile, outstanding loans for production activities went up by 11.2 percent to P11.081 trillion in February from P9.969 trillion a year ago. The BSP said this was driven mainly by the rise in lending to key industries such as electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply (21.5 percent); wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (13.7 percent); manufacturing (0.9 percent); construc-
Rising financial obligations swell PHL’s net external liability position in Q3
By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
@reine_alberto
THE Philippines’ net external liability position expanded in the third quarter of last year due to rising financial obligations of non-financial corporations and the general government.
In the Philippine Balance Sheet Approach report, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the country’s net external liability position widened by 33.8 percent to P3.9 trillion in the third quarter from P2.9 trillion in the second quarter.
This was driven by higher net external liabilities of non-financial corporations and the general government, as well as the reversal of the other depository corporations to a net external liability position, but was partly offset by the central bank’s increased net external assets, according to the BSP.
Year-on-year, the domestic economy’s net external liability grew due to higher liabilities from nonfinancial corporations, the general government and a reversal of other depository corporations. This was partly offset by the central bank’s increased net external assets. Broken down, the net financial liability position of non-financial corporations widened by 7.8 percent quarter-on-quarter to P11.6 trillion from P10.8 trillion.
This is because of the rise in the sector’s higher external financing through equity and investment fund shares, increased loans payable to other depository corporations and higher equity holdings by other financial corporations.
The sector’s net financial liabilities expanded year-on-year after the increases in nonresidents’ equity and investment fund shares, loans payable to the rest of the world and other depository corporations and equity holdings by other financial corporations.
Meanwhile, the general government’s net financial liability position rose by 4.6 percent quarter-onquarter to P9.8 trillion from P9.3 trillion.
The increase was driven by additional financing from nonresidents through debt securities and loans, and increased investments in government securities of other financial corporations.
Banks’ holdings of government securities also increased, while the general government’s deposits with banks declined, the BSP said. On an annual basis, the net financial liability position rose due to greater government security holdings by nonresidents, other depository corporations and other financial corporations, alongside a rise in loans payable to nonresidents.
Further, households’ financial asset position rose by 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter to P14.1 trillion from P14 trillion, driven by higher insurance, pension, and standardized guarantee schemes issued by other financial corporations.
Compared to the previous year, the growth was fueled by increased bank deposits, higher investments in equity and investment fund shares, more insurance and pension schemes and greater currency holdings.
Other depository corporations’ net financial asset position increased by 3.9 percent quarter-onquarter to P1.64 trillion from P1.57 trillion on the back of higher loans receivable from enterprises, increased investments in government securities and lower deposit liabilities to the general government.
However, year-on-year, the sector’s net financial asset position declined due to higher deposit liabilities to households, non-financial corporations and the general government, along with increased loans payable to the rest of the world and higher equity and investment fund shares issued to nonresidents.
Lastly, the central bank’s net financial asset position remained generally stable at P1.3 trillion, up by only 0.3 percent quarter-onquarter, due to the growth in repurchase agreements with nonresidents, tempered by the rise in the general government’s deposits with
tion (12.7 percent); and transportation and storage (20.6 percent).
Moreover, consumer loans to residents also increased by 24.1 percent in February to P1.619 trillion from P1.305 trillion a year ago.
Credit card loans expanded by 28.9 percent to P950.974 billion in February from P737.934 billion a year ago.
Both motor vehicle loans and salary-based general-purpose consumption loans increased by 19.2 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the key policy rate reductions since August last year helped reduce borrowing costs that led to higher demand for loans that grew faster than the economy.
“[This], in turn, [will lead] to more investments, trade, jobs/employment, and other business/economic activities around the country,” Ricafort said.
Midterm election-related spending would lead to faster economic growth and lead to greater demand for loans, particularly from businesses that would benefit from this spending, Ricafort added.
More interest rate cuts, Ricafort said, would also reduce borrowing costs further and drive higher demand for loans to bankroll new investments and expansion projects.
“Faster growth in bank loans demand would remain a bright spot and could still bode well for overall economic/GDP growth of the country, among the fastest/best in Asean/Asia,” Ricafort added.
Domestic liquidity
SEPARATE BSP data showed domestic liquidity (M3) rose by 6.3 percent year-on-year to P17.984 trillion in February 2025 from P16.923 trillion.
Domestic claims expanded by 10.1 percent year-on-year to P20.185 trillion in February 2025 from P18.335 trillion.
Claims on the private sector rose by 12.3 percent to P13.083 trillion in February from 13.1 percent in the previous month, driven by continued expansion in bank lending to non-financial private corporations and households.
Meanwhile, net claims on the central government went up by 5.9 percent from 7.4 percent due to
FOREIGN FIRMS BUOYED BY GROWING RANKS OF PLANT-FOOD CONSUMERS
By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
FOREIGN firms are banking on the growing ranks of health-conscious Filipinos as a market for their plant-based products.
According to Jim White, Head of Sales for Sambazon in Southeast Asia, the firm’s acai-based food and beverages have been available in the Philippines for over a year now through its local partner Healthy Top Harvest Distribution Inc. (HTHD).
Despite being relatively new, the firm is looking at doubling sales this year due to strong demand from the Philippine market.
“It’s still very young but we’ve been accelerating very quickly because of the interest,” White told reporters on the sidelines of a recent food expo in Pasay City.
“The younger generation are the ones embracing it, either because they’ve got the disposable income or they’re more healthconscious.”
In particular, White said people have started leaning toward healthy diets following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Post-Covid, we’re seeing more interest in healthy eating in a lot of cultures, and so we’ve hit the market at the right time when people are looking for
more healthier foods.”
Sambazon offers acai-based products such as sorbet and purees, which Filipino consumers could blend into a smoothie or bowls and top with customizable ingredients apt for their liking.
He said their acai sorbet can be purchased in retail supermarkets at P406 for a pint (500ml) while a tub (3.6L) sold to cafes and restaurants could reach P2,400.
The acai berry is native to the Amazon in Brazil where most of the superfood is grown.
White said the Americanbased company has contracts with farmers who would supply the berries for their products instead of purchasing from traders.
“We buy from the farmers so we can have full traceability from the palm of the tree to the palm of the consumer here in the Philippines.”
Meanwhile, Giovanni Lombardo, Business Development Director at Sapiens Global, said the firm is looking for distributors that will carry a range of their yerba mate products, which is a traditional South American herbal tea.
“We are in the process of getting some distributors here. The Philippines is big, so maybe
By Samuel P. Medenilla
OFFICIALS from the Executive branch are no longer expected to attend the next Senate hearing on the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte this week after Malacañang declined to participate in the said sessions.
On Tuesday, Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin confirmed he sent a letter to Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero on their decision not to accept the invitation of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to join the second hearing on April 3.
President Ferdinand Marcos’s sister, Senator Imee Marcos, who served as the chair of the committee, had led the previous hearing on Duterte’s arrest on 20 March 2025.
“We will file a revised one early tomorrow morning,” Bersamin told Palace reporters in a Viber message.
But he noted there will be minor changes in the letter he already sent to Escudero last Monday.
In the one-page letter, Bersamin said the officials of the Executive Branch of the government, who attended the initial hearing, have already exhausted the information they can disclose on the matter, which are not covered by executive privilege.
“Given the extensive disclosures made, we believe that further participation may no longer be necessary at this time especially considering that the Honorable Chairperson has publicly relayed her comprehensive findings thereon,” Bersamin said in the original letter.
Furthermore, he said some of the matters being discussed in the hearing may be covered by the four pending petitions before the Supreme Court related to the arrest and may be covered by the sub judice rule.
“Nevertheless, we remain available to extend our full cooperation through other appropriate channels, should there be any further clarification required within the bounds of the law,” Bersamin said. Malacañang has said multiple times that it is ready to give its full cooperation with the
ate hearing on the arrest to ensure the
of its legality. After the initial hearing last month,
See “Foreign,” A2
KARST BLANCHE: DEFENDERS FIGHT FOR MASUNGI Hundreds of volunteers, conservationists, and community leaders joined the Masungi community in the “Stand for Nature, Stand for Masungi” and “Defend and Save Masungi” campaigns as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued an eviction order against Blue Star Construction and Development Corp. The order directs the company to vacate the 130-hectare Masungi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary near the National Capital Region. Ann Dumaliang, co-founder of the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, urged the DENR and the national government to reconsider the decision, warning that it threatens the country’s only karst wildlife sanctuary. Story in A1, “Masungi Georeserve bucks DENR junking of accord.” BERNARD TESTA
Editor: Jennifer A. Ng
B1 Wednesday, April 2, 2025
FDC aims for another banner year, hikes ’25 capex budget
By VG Cabuag @villygc
FILINVEST Development Corp. (FDC), the holding firm of the Gotianun family, said it has allotted some P24 billion in capital expenditures (capex) this year, 20 percent higher than last year’s P20 billion.
The 70-year-old firm is targeting an annual income growth of 20 percent in 2025 in its bid to surpass its record last year.
Ven Christian Guce, the company’s CFO and treasurer said, 47 percent of this year’s capex will go to the expansion projects of its real estate firms.
“These are projects that are al -
ready ongoing, just completing. And then, we’re looking at 40 percent will go into the expansion of the different portfolios of our segments, like hotel, investment into renewables, investments into our core power business,” he said.
“And then, 10 percent will go into digitalization and our investments into the shared services or -
ganization, which is really going to drive operational efficiencies groupwide.”
Meanwhile, FDC [resident and CEO Rhoda A. Huang said the company’s performance is currently on track to achieve its 20-percent annual growth target.
“Anything that’s higher than the current yield from the previous year is always a record,” she said.
“But the 20 percent average is not necessarily 20 percent every year, right? So there will be periods where it’s called hyper-growth. There will be periods where it’s going to taper off a little bit.”
Interest rates should introduce some cyclicality, with both the Philippines and US central banks are both eyeing one to two cuts, she said.
“But on the domestic side, we see other levers that the BSP can
use in terms of the RR [reserve requirement]. So when we look at the 200-basis point cut, that would be between P5 and P7 billion actually into the banking system, something that could be used now to fuel growth.”
Given the age and the demographics of the current environment, Huang siad the country’s growth would continue to come from consumption.
“The pillars we are in. So real estate, though it’s soft in the National Capital Region [NCR], it’s strong actually nationwide.”
For its banking arm, it’s a consumer-driven bank. It is 82 percent in terms of the portfolio, highest in terms of net interest margin, Huang said.
“So again, what we’re looking at is redeployment there, looking at efficiencies all across now.”
CP Foods, FTI seal hog supply deal
TTBy Lenie Lectura @llectura
HE Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) wants to develop a small-scale liquefied natural gas (ssLNG) facility in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“We hope to replace NPC [National Power Corp.] diesel power plants with LNG in off-grid areas to reduce generating costs and lower subsidies shouldered by all Filipino electricity users,” said PNOC President and CEO Oliver Butalid.
The planned modular and scalable LNG infrastructure will be tailored fit to remote and off-grid locations. PNOC is looking at launching these facilities initially in Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, and Jolo. These areas will test ssLNG applications for industries like fisheries, manufacturing, and trade, aligning with regional development strategies, including the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) framework.
The pre-feasibility study will assess commercial viability, risks, and investment strategies for using pilot projects in BARMM as proof of concept that ssLNG supply can be made commercially viable.
“We hope to make our first delivery in 2026,” Butalid said. “We won’t be investing in the LNG generating units. We will focus on the logistics to bring small-scale LNG to Mindanao. We’ll undertake a study to determine costs and returns.”
Earlier, PNOC announced it will team up with Indonesia’s PT Pertamina (Persero) (Pertamina) to advance collaborative development in LNG, among others. As part of the partnership, PNOC and Pertamina will explore cooperation opportunities in the LNG market in the Philippines including the establishment of LNG and gas infrastructure to meet rising energy demands in both countries.
By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
HE Food Terminal Inc. (FTI)
forged an agreement with a Thai food giant’s local unit to temper persistently high pork prices in Metro Manila.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said FTI President Joseph Lo and Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC (CP Foods) CEO Nattakorn Sujipittham signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) last week.
The agreement stipulates a pilot program where CP Foods will supply 100 live hogs daily at a discounted price. These hogs will be sent directly to a slaughterhouse in Caloocan, where the distributors and viajeros will receive them rather than transporting them from various farms.
The hogs will then be processed for fresh pork and delivered to different retailers in various wet markets. Under the partnership, the trial
program will run from April to June, with the pork sold in retail markets around Metro Manila, Rizal, and Cavite.
Lo said the decision to partner with CP Foods was driven by the firm’s capacity to supply the volume needed for the program.
“If this pilot proves successful, we will extend it to other hog raisers, creating a broader solution to ensure pork remains affordably priced, with minimal shock to the industry,” he said in a statement.
“We needed a company that could guarantee the volume we need at the price we were looking at to achieve our goals.”
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. called the program “a critical step” toward modernizing the local pork industry.
“We need creative approaches like this deal between FTI and CP to modernize the pork industry’s supply chain, stabilize prices, and
ensure food security.”
The DA implemented a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for pork, with P300 per kilo set for fresh carcass or “sabit ulo,” P350 per kilo for kasim and pigue, and P380 per kilo for liempo last March 10.
Retail prices of pork ham in Metro Manila markets range from P320 to P420 per kilo, while pork belly is being sold at P380 to P450 per kilo, based on the latest government price monitoring report.
CP Foods is a leading integrated agro-industrial and food company, which has invested in expanding its operations in the Philippines.
Last November, the company introduced a P10-billion plan to build 20 new breeding farms and increase local pork production, which aligns with the company’s long-term goal of ensuring a stable and sustainable pork supply in the country, the DA said.
PHL, CebuPac bag Routes Asia top awards
By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo @akosistellaBM Special to the BusinessMirror
THE Philippines received the Destination of the Year Award at the just-concluded Routes Asia 2025 Awards in Perth, beating out Guam, Japan, South Australia, and Thailand. At the same event, the Philippines’s largest carrier, Cebu Pacific Air (CEB), was awarded Best Airline, edging out Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, VietJet Air, and Vietnam Airlines. It was the second consecutive year CEB received the award.
The awards were handed out during the Routes Asia Networking Evening on March 26. The nominees were shortlisted from submissions by airlines, airports, and destinations in five categories, which also include the Best Airports under 5 million, 5-20 million, and over 20 million passengers. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and Clark International Airport earned spots as nominees in the Best Airport in the 5-20 million, and under 5 million passengers categories, respectively. Routes Asia gathers representatives from airlines, airports,
tourism authorities, and aviation stakeholders to meet and discuss route development issues specific to the Asia-Pacific region, to drive future growth in its air route networks.
DOT’s ‘strong leadership’ IN a statement, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco celebrated the twin wins for the Philippines, describing these as “a testament to the strength of our partnerships with different stakeholders in the aviation and travel industry, our unwavering focus on connectivity, and our collective vision of positioning the Philippines as a premier global destination.”
She also took credit for the Destination award and route development in the country, as it “underscores the DOT’s strong leadership in expanding the Philippines’ air connectivity through strategic marketing, robust industry collaboration, and sustainable tourism initiatives. Launched in 2023, the Department’s flagship campaign ‘Love the Philippines’ has fueled demand by highlighting the country’s diverse biodiversity (sic), rich cultural heritage, and emerging destinations. These efforts form part of the National Tourism Development
Plan (NTDP) 2023–2028, which outlines enhanced connectivity as a strategic objective to improve access and inclusivity in Philippine tourism.”
The DOT said, as of February 28, 2025, there were 46 new domestic and 47 international routes that have improved access to destinations such as Siargao, Batanes, Panglao, and Coron.
CEB has yet to comment on its award, but the DOT said the lowcost carrier’s second consecutive win “reinforces its role as a leader in Philippine aviation.”
Frasco underscored the importance of air connectivity in the growth of Philippine tourism. “These advancements not only unlock more destinations across the country, but also provide greater ease and convenience for travelers,” she added, expressing the DOT’s gratitude to the airlines and aviation industry for providing more routes to and within the Philippines.
Last year, some 5.95 million foreign tourists arrived in the Philippines, falling short of the DOT’s conservative 7.7-million target under the NTDP. Frasco has said the agency may have to recalibrate the rest of NTDP’s targets due to the missed arrivals goal last year. (See, “Missed goal: 5.95-M foreign tourists visited PHL in 2024,” in the BusinessMirror , Jan. 6, 2025.)
The state firm will tap a consultant for a pre-feasibility study to access technical, financial, regulatory, and environmental aspects of the project. It has earmarked P5 million as budget for this.
The memorandum of understanding they signed in 2024 also emphasizes knowledge exchange and joint market intelligence efforts between PNOC and Pertamina. Both will share information on topics such as LNG supply chain including commodity, sea transportation, regasification terminal, energy demand and supply trends in both countries.
On firm culture & governance
“We cannot be mere consumers of good governance, we must be participants; we must be co-creators.”—Rohini Nilekani
ONE may recall celebrated cases of accounting scandals in the past like Enron, Lehman Brothers, WorldCom, and Wirecard. Those scandals translated to billions of dollars lost that caused the collapse of companies, imprisonment of executives, reputational damages to accounting firms and more. The episodes were driven by greed or the pressures of achieving ambitious goals like growth, profits, etc. Despite well-published consequences and commitments to transparency, improvement in professional behavior and governance, scandals continue to happen.
Among the key groups of players in such unfortunate incidents are the professional accountants. The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (Iesba) recognizes the efforts by accounting firms to strengthen their ethical culture and enhance governance. It believes it should do its part to address whatever gaps there may be. With public interest foremost in mind, the Iesba included in their “2024-2027 Strategy and Work Plan” the firm’s culture and governance.
A working group was created to develop a culture and governance framework that promotes and reinforces a high standard of ethical behavior by a firm’s leadership, other partners, and staff across all of the firm’s services; thereby helping the firm develop a reputation as a highly ethical firm, mitigate the risks of unethical behavior and strengthen public trust and confidence in all of its services.
The following guideposts are to be observed in the new standard:
1. Principle-based for no one-size fits all;
2. Applicable to the whole firm from leadership, partners and staff to cover all professional services; and, 3. Scalable.
To have a broad perspective, a series of global roundtables to consult the public were conducted in New York, Australia and Belgium. To follow are similar events in Africa and Latin America. For our side of the world, the public consultation will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 28, 2025. The International Association of Financial Executives Institutes (Iafei) will be represented in the public consultation and will be represented by its Chairman Tsutomu Mannari and the Chairman of IAFEI Advisory Council Dr. Conchita Manabat. The whole day event will take place at the Securities Commission of Malaysia offices. May the well-meaning project of the international standards setting body successfully leads to enhanced accounting firm culture and governance.
Conchita L. Manabat is the president of the Development Center for Finance, a Trustee at the University of San Carlos and San Carlos School of Cebu Inc. She is a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Council of the Public Interest Oversight Board and she chairs the Advisory Council of the International Association of Financial Executives Institutes. Her views in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the BusinessMirror
NFA led state subsidy recipients in Jan
By Reine Juvierre Alberto @reine_alberto
STATE-run corporations were granted budgetary support amounting to P4.385 billion in January, after none in the same period last year, according to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).
Treasury data showed the government extended a total of P4.385 billion in subsidies to government financial institutions (GFIs), major
non-financial government corporations and other government corporations.
Among the 23 state-run corpora-
tions recipients of subsidies for the month, the National Food Authority received the highest amounting to P2.250 billion, followed by the National Irrigation Authority with P1.085 billion.
Other major non-financial government corporations, such as the Light Rail Transit Authority and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, obtained P74 million and P14 million, respectively.
Meanwhile, only the Small Business Corp. received subsidies worth P63 million among government financial institutions.
As for other government corporations, the Philippine Heart Center was granted the highest
SGV names country managing partner
THE SyCip Gorres Velayo (SGV) and Co., the country’s largest accounting firm, announced last Tuesday the appointment of Rossana A. Fajardo as country managing partner effective July 1. Fajardo will replace Wilson P. Tan, who assumed the role on January 2020. He has extensive experience in financial audits for large companies in the banking, infrastructure, telecommunications, power generation and distribution, oil refinery, mining, construction, and manufacturing sectors. As the new country managing partner, Fajardo will spearhead SGV’s strategy for achieving “transformational and sustainable growth, focusing on revenue enhancement, operational excellence and client delivery,” the firm said.
Fajardo joined SGV in 1988 and was admitted to the partnership in 2001. Over the course of her ca-
reer, she has served in various SGV and Ernst & Young (EY) Global Ltd. leadership positions including the following: SGV Consulting Leader; EY Asean Business Consulting Leader; SGV IT Risk and Assurance Leader; SGV Performance Improvement Leader; EY Asean Advisory Quality Leader; and, EY Asean Advisory chief operations officer.
Fajardo has extensive experience in business and digital transformation, technology risk, risk transformation, finance transformation, customer and growth and organizational change, serving local and international clients in the telecommunications, media and entertainment, technology, power and utilities, retail, manufacturing, financial services, business process outsourcing, global shared services, and government and public service sectors.
She is “a strong advocate for women in leadership” and an active member of “EY Women in
Technology.” She also spearheads the “Philippine EY STEM Girls” program, which seeks to create awareness and promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics careers to girls aged 11 to 18.
Fajardo graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in commerce, major in accounting from the University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod City.
She completed the executive MBA Program of the Asian Institute of Management, the Ernst and Young Kellogg Account Leadership Program of the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University in Illinois, United States and the London Business School Account Leader Program in the United Kingdom. She is a certified public accountant, certified information systems auditor, certified information systems manager, certified fraud examiner and certified in risk and information systems control.
VG Cabuag
Coinbase sees worst quarter since FTX fell as cryptocurrencies slide
SHARES of Coinbase Global Inc. and other firms linked to cryptocurrencies were hammered this quarter as growing concerns about the US economy weighed on digital assets.
Coinbase fell 31 percent in the worst quarterly performance since FTX collapsed near the end of 2022. Nearly every major crypto-linked stock plunged alongside it, from conglomerate Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd. to miners such as Riot Platforms Inc. and Core Scientific Inc. Things haven’t been much better in crypto markets, with Bitcoin tumbling more than 10 percent and Ether losing 45 percent of its value.
As US President Donald Trump escalates a global trade war, fear about what it means for the world’s largest economy has sparked unease across markets. The S&P 500 Index itself closed out its worst performance since 2022 on Monday. And traders have fled particularly quickly from risky bets, including digital assets.
“Many people in the community understand that this is not driven by fundamental reasons,” Oppenheimer analyst Owen Lau said. “This is mainly driven by the macro reasons because of
the tariffs, potential trade war, people worried about a recession coming in.”
Crypto-linked stocks are higher-risk and more volatile than even Bitcoin itself, with an investment in a company carrying the added threat of bankruptcy, Lau said. When economic warning signs are flashing, that means they’re prone to sell off even faster.
In the case of Coinbase, its exchange draws revenue not only from Bitcoin, but also from alternative tokens like Ether that have sold off even faster, the analyst noted.
Though some in the industry see Bitcoin as “digital gold,” the precious metal itself has been a starkly different story—its quarterly return has been the best since 1986 as it’s powered to new highs. Gold has emerged as a main hedge against risk, with “limited conviction” until recently that Treasuries could play that role effectively, according to Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone.
And the state of crypto markets is a far cry from the beginning of the year, when optimism was at a fever pitch after Trump’s election. The price of Bitcoin hit
a record high above $109,000 on Inauguration Day in January.
At the same time Trump’s trade war roiled markets, his actions on crypto failed to live up to the wildest hopes of the industry. Bitcoin fell earlier this month after he created a strategic reserve of the token but didn’t authorize the government to use taxpayer money to expand it. Bitcoin was trading around $82,600 last Monday—still well above where it sat before the election.
Shares of industry players also soared after Election Day, but Coinbase and prominent crypto miners have given up those gains. Michael Saylor’s Strategy is among the few crypto-linked stocks in the green since November 5.
The industry continues to grow in power in Washington and move closer to integrating with traditional finance. That just hasn’t translated into a market rebound.
“What we saw a couple months ago, I don’t know how much crazier it can get than that,” said Connor Loewen, a cryptocurrency analyst at 3iQ, of investors’ focus on the industry. “I think we’re going to have to be looking for new catalysts.” Bloomberg News
subsidy amounting to P184 million, followed by the Philippine Rubber Research Institute with P156 million and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute with P124 million.
The remaining 15 other government corporations received a total of P435 million in budgetary support.
In January last year, the government did not disburse any subsidies to these corporations due to the timing of fund releases.
The release of subsidies depends on the processing of necessary documents by the Department of Budget and Management, based on the ap
proved budget (GAA) and the fiscal program.
This went down by 32.30 percent from P188.229 billion in 2024.
Philhealth fund case, MIF row petitions on SC plate
TBy Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573
HE Supreme Court (SC) is set to conduct a 2-day oral argument in an bid to wrap up and eventually decide on the three consolidated petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional the transfer of unutilized funds of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to the National Treasury to fund unprogrammed projects of the government.
In a recent advisory, the Court said the continuation of the oral arguments for the PhilHealth case will be held on April 2 at 2 p.m. and April 3, 2025 at 10 a.m. at the SC’s Baguio compound. If necessary, the Court said another oral argument will be set on April 4 at 10 a.m. The SC had already conducted three oral arguments on the petitions, first on February 4, 2025, then on February 25,2025 and on March 4, 2025.
Aside from the PhilHealth cases, the SC had also set for oral argument the petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional Republic Act (RA) 11954 or Maharlika Investment Fund Act of 2023 (MIF) and RA 12116 or the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of Fiscal Year 2005. Both are considered cases of public interest.
The oral arguments for the petitions challenging the General Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2025 were set to May 19, 2025.
The oral arguments for the petition seeking the declaration of the MIF as unconstitutional were scheduled on July 8 and July 9.
The three consolidated petitions assailing the constitutionality of PhilHealth fund transfer were filed by Senator Aquilino .dLL Pimentel III et al., Bayan Muna Chairman Neri J. Colmenares et al. and the 1Sambayan Coalition.
The petitions specifically assailed the constitutionality of Department of Finance (DOF) Circular 003-204 and Section 1 (d) of XLIII of the 2024 GAA. The DOF Circular directs the transfer of unused subsidies from government-owned and-controlled corporations (GOCCs), specifically PhilHealth amounting to P89.9 billion, to the Treasury to bolster the government’s unprogrammed appropriations
It was issued in line with Section 1(d) of XLIII of the GAA 2024, which the petitioners said was an “inserted” provision on unprogrammed appropriations.
TRO issued
LAST October, the Court it issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) enjoining the further transfer of the remain-
ing unutilized funds of PhilHealth to the national treasury.
During the first oral argument on the petitions, several amici curiae or “friends of the Court” had told the SC that the respondents may have violated several provisions of the Constitution in allowing the transfer of PhilHealth’s unutilized funds to the national treasury.
Amicus curiae Zy-za Nadine M. Suzara told the magistrates that the enactment of the national budget under the present administration has shown a new pork barrel scheme that had already been declared unconstitutional by the High Tribunal in 2013 “For the past three fiscal years, Congress has been funding ‘pork’ in unprecedented levels, prioritizing them in the ‘Programmed Appropriations’ while the original strategic development programs and projects are placed under ‘Unprogrammed Appropriations,’” Suzara, a public budget analyst, had said.
“Congress has certainly found a way to circumvent the prohibition on postenactment intervention, mangling the budget as it undergoes legislation. Worse, Congress authorized a questionable measure to finance the hundreds of billions worth of programs and projects that were defunded in favor of pork,” she added.
Also during the previous oral arguments, SC Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier questioned the haste in transferring PhilHealth’s funds to the Treasury to fund projects under the unprogrammed appropriations that had been fully-funded in the 2024 budget.
Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho Jr., on the other hand, has suggested an overhaul of the PhilHealth for its failure to fully utilize government subsidies to expand the health benefits of its indirect contributors.
“The fact that PhilHealth could not spend this amount for benefits and the national government will take this amount to fund unprogrammed expenditures, the fault is on PhilHealth for not spending this. It is not for the government to take this away and for PhilHealth to expand its program so that the subsidies that were allocated by the government for healthcare should not be taken away,” Kho said.
Named as respondents in the three petitions are Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Senate President Francis Joseph G. Escudero, Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin and nowformer Philhealth President Emmanuel R. Ledesma
Conchita L. Manabat
Show
FIGHTING COUPLE
THE social-media famous couple seems very sweet in public but when they are home, they fight all the time. The fights are loud and long. Perhaps it’s not surprising considering the couple’s huge age gap. The girl seems to be at a stage in her when she should be traveling and going out with friends and meeting new people. Instead, she is always with this older man. Old friends of the girl are saying that she has changed a lot since she entered into the relationship with the older guy, and the changes have not been for the better. One of the changes they have seen is that the girl is reportedly now a snob when she used to be so friendly.
ATTITUDE PROBLEM
THE actress was recently bashed by the public because of an infidelity issue. What people don’t know is that the actress is more notorious for her attitude than for her personal affairs. On set, she’s said to be nice only to the men and mostly ignores other women. She also likes to smirk in the presence of people she sees are not to be on the same level as her. She is a good actress so she can get away with her attitude problem. She also has a good box-office draw.
SOUGHT-AFTER
A MALE starlet is currently involved in a controversy about his lovelife. Apparently, the male starlet has a girlfriend and apparently a lot of exes with whom it seems he has not had closure with. So why is every female starlet running after this guy? He seems pleasant-looking but ordinary. Well, he is rich because his father is a politician and the starlet is said to be very generous with the girls that he dates. Other girls would defend him, saying that the starlet is a good actor and he is. But that still does not explain all the fights involving him and the girls.
FRIENDS NO MORE
THE two actresses used to be very, very good friends. They were so close that they went on sleepovers and trips together, but people have been noticing that they no longer seem to be friends. Actress 2’s new set of friends does not seem to include Actress 1. No one knows why they seem to have had a falling out. Actress 2 is known for being a loyal friend so it’s surprising how and why she is no longer friends with Actress 1. According to the grapevine, Actress 2 doesn’t like how Actress 1 now acts like they are equals and is no longer subservient to her.
Man’ upsets ‘Snow White’ to take No. 1 at the box office
NEW YORK—In an unexpected upset, the Jason Statham thriller A Working Man took No. 1 at the box office, besting the rapidly declining Snow White, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
Even after a lackluster debut, the Walt Disney Co.’s live-action remake was predicted to remain the top film in US and Canadian theaters over the weekend. Instead, Snow White, plagued by bad buzz and backlash, nosedived in its second weekend and dropped 66 percent.
At the same time, Amazon MGM Studios’ A Working Man, directed by David Ayer, beat expectations with a $15.2 million debut. Co-written by Sylvester Stallone, A Working Man reteams Statham
Cinemalaya 2025 Calls for Short Film Entries
CELEBRATING more than 20 years of championing Philippine independent filmmaking, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation Inc. open the screens for submission to the Short Film Category of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2025. The deadline for submissions is on or before May 16, 2025, until 6 pm. The country’s biggest independent film competition is open to all Filipino filmmakers. Interested participants may submit a maximum of three entries but only one entry per proponent may be considered as a finalist. Submitted entries must have been produced from March 8,
2024 to May 16, 2025. Short film entries that participated in other local and international festivals and competitions are qualified to join Cinemalaya. However, if an entry is submitted and is selected as a finalist in both the Cinemalaya and Gawad Alternatibo, the said entry will automatically be removed from the Gawad Alternatibo lineup, in favor of Cinemalaya. Entries may be submitted online or offline. For online application, submit all requirements through forms.gle/ NbgnaybpZ7jMvQ9W9. Requirements include a duly completed entry form, synopsis in English, a brief resume with 2x2 photo/s of the filmmaker/s, and the
and Ayer following last year’s successful The Beekeeper ($162 million worldwide). This time around, Statham plays a construction worker with an elite military past. While reviews have been mixed and audiences only gave A Working Man a “B” CinemaScore, showing Statham has carved out something rare in the movie industry today: bankability. A Working Man opened similarly to The Beekeeper, which launched with $16.5 million.
The bigger headline, though, might have been the fast erosion of ticket buyers’ appetite for Snow White The film, directed by Marc Webb and starring Rachel Zegler, had been hoped to lift movie theaters after a painful start to 2025. Produced for more $250 million, the film has turned into a poisoned apple, with a twoweek global haul of $143.1 million.
Next weekend, Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft Movie is expected to win the weekend and will, like Snow White target family audiences.
A trio of newcomers—A24’s Death of a Unicorn Universal and Blumhouse’s The Woman in the Yard, and the Fathom’s Chosen: The Last Supper—also opened over the weekend, though none made a big impact.
One of the weekend’s biggest successes was the 1997 Studio Ghibli classic Princess Mononoke. The Hayo
CONTINUED ON B5
final work in MP4 format, with violator/ watermark (for screening purposes only) and properly labeled with title, production company, address and contact numbers, production date, director’s name, and running time (which should not exceed 20 minutes including credits).
For offline submission, send entries to the Film, Broadcast, and New Media Division office, located at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Annex Building, Vicente Sotto Street corner Magdalena Jalandoni Street, Pasay City.
For offline submission, film entry must be submitted on a thumb drive (USB), with the entry form, synopsis, and filmmaker’s
profile. All must be submitted in a long brown envelope properly labeled with the proponent’s name, title of the film, and contact details. The Cinemalaya Selection Committee will shortlist 10 film finalists which will be screened at the 2025 Cinemalaya Film Festival on October 3 to 12, and will have the chance to compete for the coveted Balanghai trophies. Since 2005, Cinemalaya has been committed to the development and promotion of Philippine independent film. The full mechanics are available at www. culturalcenter.gov.ph or the Cinemalaya website (www.cinemalaya.org).
By Eugenia Last
LEO (July 23-Aug.
your creativity flow, and you’ll develop a plan that attracts attention. Participate in groups or events that can turn your idea into something tangible and able to support your efforts. Emotional issues are best dealt with swiftly to avoid unnecessary anxiety and an inflated self-assessment.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Lend a helping hand, but don’t let anyone take advantage of your kindness and consideration. Suggest alternatives and encouragement, but don’t take over. Pay attention to purposeful relationships and do your best not to overlook something meaningful to someone you love. ★★
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Get firsthand information. Participate in your community and the issues that concern you. Your input can make a difference that influences your life, environment and safety. You will gain recognition and become a voice if you step up and do your part.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Set a budget, cap your spending and be cognizant of subscriptions and other expenses that can set you back financially. Look for new outlets for your skills, experience and knowledge. It’s time to diversify and separate yourself from any competition. A personal change you make will positively impact your love life. ★★★
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Focus on being creative and rearranging your living space to better suit your needs. Refuse to let anyone mislead or overcharge you for something you can do yourself or find cheaper elsewhere. Say no to temptation and excessive behavior. Examine what and who matters most to you. ★★★
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Pay attention to detail. Joint ventures can be beneficial if solid agreements and designated plans are in place. Put time aside for someone you love or want to spend more time with, and enjoy putting plans in place. ★★★
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take time to reorganize your space. The more efficient you are, the easier it will be to get things done, leaving time to relax and make memories with loved ones. Let your imagination explore new ventures that can help you bring in extra cash. Be a leader, not a follower. ★★★★★
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be moderate, stick to a budget and surround yourself with those offering support instead of
THE Jason Statham starrer A Working Man led the North American box-office on its openbing run.
GLOBE CELEBRATES ALEX EALA’S INSPIRING RUN AT MIAMI OPEN
FILIPINA tennis sensation and Globe ambassador
Alex Eala once again made the nation proud with her stellar performance at the Miami Open, where she showcased remarkable skill and determination against some of the biggest names in the sport.
The 19-year-old wildcard and world No. 140 delivered a breathtaking run in the tournament, defeating three Grand Slam champions—world no. 25 Jelena Ostapenko, world no. 5 Madison Keys, and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek—before bowing out in a hardfought semifinal match against American Jessica Pegula.
Despite an early lead and a valiant comeback in the second set, Eala ultimately bowed out, missing a finals berth but drawing rousing applause from the crowd following a remarkable run.
Alex was the first Filipina to make it as a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 Semifinalist and the first in the Open Era to beat Top 10 players. She is expected to reach her career-best ranking of 75 in the WTA when the rankings get published on Monday, becoming the first Filipina in history to debut in the top 100 of the WTA rankings.
“Alex has once again demonstrated the heart and fighting spirit of the Filipino. Her Miami Open journey is a testament to her relentless drive and unwavering dedication to the sport,” said Ernest Cu, Globe president and CEO. “We are incredibly proud of her achievements and will continue to support her as she inspires young athletes across the country.”
Eala, who has been a Globe ambassador since she was eight, has continuously raised the bar for Philippine tennis, showing that Filipino talent can shine among the world’s best. Her Miami Open campaign cements her status as a rising star in professional tennis and a beacon of inspiration for future generations.
STATHAM’S ‘A WORKING MAN’ UPSETS ‘SNOW WHITE’ TO TAKE NO. 1 AT THE BOX OFFICE
CONTINUED FROM B4
Miyazaki film grossed $4 million across just 347 IMAX screens. Distributor GKids touted that result as a victory for humanity over technology. Earlier in the week, a new version of ChatGPT allowed users to render images in Studio Ghibli-like animation. Sony Pictures Classic’s The Penguin Lesson, starring Steve Coogan and Jonathan Pryce, opened with $1.2 million at 1,017 theaters. Coogan plays an Englishman teaching in Argentina in 1976 who rescues a penguin from an oil spill. With flagging ticket sales overall, Hollywood marked the first quarter of 2025 with a sizeable box-office deficit. Sales are down 11 pecent from the same point in 2024, and nearly 40 percent from 2019, according to Comscore.
“Hopefully Minecraft can help the marketplace level up since after some underwhelming weekends at the box office we need to get some momentum back at the multiplex,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. AP
Fuel yourself
EVER had a day where you feel completely drained, but then you do one specific thing, maybe a quick workout, a chat with a friend, or playing your favorite instrument, and suddenly you feel energized again? That is the power of revitalizing activities. These are not just hobbies but are essential activities for keeping you mentally, emotionally and physically refreshed. The challenge is figuring out what fuels you and how to make space for it in your busy schedule. The first step to making time for energizing activities is knowing what actually gives you energy. Exercise is not just about fitness, it is also about energy. Some people feel amazing after a long run, a yoga session, or even just a 10-minute stretch. If you love movement, any physical activity like dancing, hiking, swimming, or cycling might be your thing. Some people feel most energized when expressing themselves creatively. These outlets are fulfilling because they encourage self-expression, problemsolving, and a sense of accomplishment. If you feel refreshed when creating, you might thrive on painting, drawing, playing an instrument, writing, or photography. Even activities like cooking, knitting,
Image BusinessMirror
The algorithm of infamy: Part 1
It’s time we talk about the cultural shift that led to the rise of influencers and internet personalities with questionable ethics.
BY PAULINE JOY M. GUTIERREZ
YOU’RE scrolling. A video loads: “$456,000 Squid Game in real life!” You shrug, mostly because of the irony. Save. Send. A headline appears on your screen—a fake heiress who conned New York’s elite while flaunting a glamorous lifestyle. You pause. Click. Comment. This isn’t just your For You Page—it’s ours. A collective dopamine loop where society crowns its idols not for their talent or achievements but for their ability to game attention economies.
Figures like Anna Delvey (a.k.a. Anna Sorokin), whose high-society cons were dramatized in Netflix’s Inventing Anna, have become cultural touchpoints, subjects of fascination and even reluctant admiration.
Then there’s Israeli conman Simon Leviev, whose elaborate scams, chronicled in Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler, drew global outrage. Posing as the wealthy heir to a diamond fortune, Leviev duped millions from unsuspecting women through a combination of “love bombing” and modern Ponzi tactics. But rather than fading into obscurity, his notoriety only grew. You have to wonder: Why, rather than being shunned for their deception, are such figures dissected, memeified, and, in many cases, catapulted to even greater fame (notoriety)?
A CULTURAL OBSESSION WITH ANTI-HEROES
ACCORDING to media psychologists, our fascination with these figures stems from their bold defiance of societal norms. Crumbling faith in traditional power structures has left us craving anti-heroes who “hack” systems we perceive as rigged. Their audacity, then, becomes a contradictory kind of virtuosity.
Crystal Abidin, founder of the TikTok Cultures Research Network, illustrates in her 2018 analysis of visibility labor how influencers strategically perform calculated rule-breaking to cultivate fame. The
SPECTACLE AS CONTENT
OUR addiction to spectacle has turned moral complexity into consumable content. The rise of reality TV trained audiences to view human drama as a product, and social media has since industrialized that craving.
Delvey’s courtroom outfits and Leviev’s Instagrammable escapades didn’t just document their crimes; they aestheticized them. The same parasocial forces that make us feel bonded to influencers also convince us that we “know” these figures, transforming their sentencing hearings into season finales where punishment feels like plot resolution.
Even when their façades crumble, the fall itself becomes part of the spectacle—a dynamic that media theorist Douglas Kellner attributes to society’s shared appetite for “drama and sensationalism.”
According to Kellner, events processed through mass media are often transformed into spectacles designed to captivate and sustain public attention. Think of the O.J. Simpson trial and the Clinton sex scandals and impeachment.
Delvey and Leviev become part of this broader phenomenon, where even condemnation transforms into cultural relevance.
CONTROVERSY CURRENCY
MOST striking is how these figures have managed to transform notoriety into profitable platforms. After serving prison time, Delvey launched art shows, strutted down runways, and even appeared on Dancing with the Stars Season 33, her bedazzled ankle monitor serving as both prop and punchline. In 2022, she sold “prison chic” sketches that she made while incarcerated at the Orange County Correctional Facility in upstate New York for $10,000 apiece.
Another example is the Kardashian family, who has weathered accusations of cultural appropriation, deceptive advertising, and exploiting personal drama
if they put you in a state of creative flow, where time flies and you are fully immersed in the process. Others feel refreshed through social connections. These people recharge through conversations and interactions. If that is you, activities like game nights, group fitness classes, volunteering, or simply catching up with a friend over coffee can be a great energy booster. If you thrive on challenges, mental stimulation can be a great energy booster. Activities like reading, learning a new language, playing chess, or solving puzzles keep your mind sharp while providing a sense of accomplishment. Whether it is diving into a thought-provoking book or tackling a tricky brain teaser, engaging your brain in new ways can leave you
Sometimes, the best way to boost your energy is by slowing down. Relaxation and mindfulness activities like meditation, deep breathing, taking a slow walk, or simply lying in a hammock with a book can help you recharge. By giving your mind and body a break, you create space for clarity, calmness and renewed energy. If you are not sure what fuels you, start by paying attention to your energy levels throughout the day. What makes you feel refreshed? You can also think back to your childhood and what you loved doing before life got so busy. Another clue is noticing when you lose track of time. If an activity keeps you so engaged that you forget to check your phone, it is probably something that energizes you.
When we struggle to prioritize activities that fuel
The algorithmic attention economy creates a perverse incentive structure where infamy becomes fungible: it didn’t diminish their cultural capital—it multiplied it. But this doesn’t mean we’re rewarding deception; we’re merely feeding a content beast that recognizes only one currency: our never-ending scroll.
ALGORITHMS THRIVE ON CONTRADICTION
LEVIEV’S victims recounting their financial ruin rack up views on Dr. Phil, but so do his interviews rebranding himself as a “dating coach” on The Blue Tick Show.
According to Sinan Aral, director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy (IDE), in his book The Hype Machine (2020), algorithms amplify emotional and controversial content because they attract the most likes, comments and shares. The more provocative, contradictory, or divisive the content, the wider it spreads.
Moreover, the same platforms that amplify outrage also sell ad space beside it. This isn’t a bug, it’s the business model. Every scroll, click, and hatewatch reinforces the idea that any attention is a form of absolution.
What drives this cycle isn’t human nature— it’s machine learning. Platforms don’t care about morality; they care about engagement. Anna Delvey, Simon Leviev, and their ilk aren’t anomalies—they’re the logical conclusion of a culture that rewards their infamy and packages it as a form of success.
The more we engage, the more the machine learns. And as long as we keep feeding it, the algorithm will keep serving us the next villainturned-celebrity, the next scam or scandal repackaged as entertainment.
The question, perhaps, isn’t why we’re fascinated, but what happens when the next generation learns that ethics are negotiable and infamy is infrastructure. If the internet now runs on virality, who’s to say that those willing to court controversy aren’t its most visionary entrepreneurs? ■
us, the most common excuse is not having enough time. But the truth is, time is not something you find, it is something you make. If something is important, it deserves a place in your schedule. And if these activities energize you, they should be a priority. Making time for energizing activities starts with small, intentional changes. Schedule them like appointments, just as you would a work meeting, to ensure they become a priority. Combining activities can also help like listening to music while cooking, or going for a run with friends to make it more enjoyable. If an activity feels difficult to fit in, start with just a few minutes. Once you begin, you will likely want to continue. Finally, identify and cut back on timewasters like mindless scrolling on your phone or unnecessary binge-watching to create more space for the things that truly recharge you.
Once you know what energizes you, it is important to protect that time. This means setting boundaries, both with yourself and with others. If you have decided that morning journaling or an evening walk is a priority, do not let distractions or unnecessary commitments take that time away. It also helps to surround yourself with people who encourage your passions. If you love playing sports, joining a team can keep you motivated. If learning new skills excites you, being around other lifelong learners will inspire you to keep going. At the end of the day, energizing activities are not just a luxury but a necessity. They help you become the best version of yourself, making you more productive, happier, and even more present in your daily life.
So, what is one thing that fuels you and when will you make time for it?
PHOTO
A MARKETING poster for the Netflix drama Inventing Anna, starring Julia Gerner, which is based on the fraudster who paylayed her infamy to pop culture currency.
Mitsubishi Triton hailed as Best Pick-Up Truck Design in 2024-2025 AFMCA
MITSUBISHI Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) is proud to announce that its latest pick-up truck, the Mitsubishi Triton, has been awarded the Best Design in the Standard PickUp Truck Category for 2024-2025 Auto Focus Media’s Choice Award (AFMCA). This esteemed recognition highlights the Triton’s robust and athletic design which makes it a perfect companion for any scene.
AFMCA is organized and conducted by Sunshine TV annually since 2008. The purpose of this award is to further recognize the automotive brands and their products. A select group of recognized motoring media professionals and journalists are the ones determining the winner of the awards.
It’s been a year since the Mitsubishi Triton was first launched in the country, but it continues to set the standard for style and durability in the competitive pick-up truck market. Combining tough design elements with rugged capability, the Triton has become a true game changer in the segment, captivating both urban drivers and off-road enthusiasts.
Mitsubishi Triton’s aggressive front
fascia, longer overall length and wider stance exude dominating presence on the road. Sporting Mitsubishi Motor’s iconic Dynamic Shield Design, cunning projector headlight and Daytime Running Light design, it helps boost the driver’s inner audacity. Its signature T-shaped taillamps are easily noticeable from afar, serving its function well. Encouraging drivers to go beyond limits, the Mitsubishi Triton is infused with sturdy armor, athletic sports bar and 18-inch1 alloy wheels. All these features are curated not just for aesthetics, but also for functionality. Triton’s robust and athletic design empowers drivers with undeniable reliability.
MMPC President & CEO Ritsu Imaeda expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm
upon receiving the award. “We are truly honored to receive the Auto Focus Media’s Choice Award for Best Design in the Pickup Category. This award will help customers realize how the Mitsubishi Triton is the bestsuited pick-up truck for city driving, work and adventure due to its perfect combination of cutting-edge design, functionality, and performance”, said Imaeda.
The Mitsubishi Triton continues to challenge the pick-up truck segment, offering a combination of advanced features such as a bold exterior design, an upgraded interior, enhanced safety features, and superior driving comfort. This award further affirms Mitsubishi’s commitment to offering vehicles that stand out in both form and function.
With the Triton’s recent achievement, MMPC looks forward to further strengthening its presence in the Philippine automotive market and continues to deliver products that exceed customer expectations.
For more information on Mitsubishi Motors Philippines and its product line up, visit www.mitsubishi-motors.com.ph and follow their official social media pages.
Honda is official motorcycle partner of 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship
HONDA Philippines, Inc., the No. 1 motorcycle manufacturer affirmed its commitment to empower the youth through sports by becoming a key partner in the Philippines’ historic hosting of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025 this September. As the Official two-wheel Motorcycle Partner, Honda is set to play a vital role in enhancing the championship experience for athletes, fans, and stakeholders.
Honda believes that sports serve as a powerful platform for youth development, fostering discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. This partnership aligns with Honda’s global advocacy to inspire the next generation by providing access to world-class sporting events, where young athletes and enthusiasts can witness and engage with elite competition at its finest.
“Just like the athletes on the court who push their limits with every serve, spike, and block, Honda is committed to pushing boundaries in mobility and innovation. We share the same drive: to move people forward, inspire action, and fuel progress,” said Honda Philippines President Sayaka Arai. “Through this partnership, we aim to fuel the passion of volleyball fans, empower
future champions, and make the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship an unforgettable experience.”
The FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship is one of the most prestigious volleyball tournaments, bringing together the top 32 men’s teams from around the world.
This global event not only highlights the highest level of volleyball competition but also unites sports lovers from different cultures, fostering camaraderie, teamwork, and the sheer joy of the game.
With a history spanning decades, the FIVB has played a proactive role in shaping the landscape of international volleyball, providing young athletes with opportunities to develop their skills while bringing the sport closer to communities worldwide. The 2025 edition will take place from September 12 to 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Guided by its sports philosophy of ‘Enjoying Challenges, Nurturing Challenges, and Connecting Challenges,’ Honda fosters a spirit of perseverance, growth, and unity among athletes and fans alike.
Through this initiative, Honda continues to inspire courage, cultivate talent, and strengthen community connections, ensuring that the passion for sports transcends competition and fuels a shared pursuit of excellence.
Beyond its support for volleyball as a sport, Honda’s involvement in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship is a testament to its mission of making worldclass events more accessible and
engaging. “With Honda committing its full support, not only will the Philippines be on the world sporting and volleyball map for the duration of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, but in global volleyball history as well,” said Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara. Suzara, Arai and Sales & Marketing Vice President Jomel Jerezo officially sealed the partnership during a contract signing event at the Gallio Events Hall at Aseana Drive in Parañaque City, witnessed by key PNVF, FIVB, and Honda officials.
As a partner, Honda enjoys extensive visibility and promotional opportunities throughout the event. This partnership not only reinforces Honda’s presence in the global sporting arena but also underscores its dedication to fostering athletic excellence and youth engagement worldwide.
Arai also shared her thoughts on the significance of this partnership, “Through our partnership, we’re not just backing a world-class sporting event — we’re supporting a community of athletes, fans, and enthusiasts who believe in pushing boundaries and taking action. We are here to help you move forward, to achieve your goals, and to continue striving for greatness.”
With this partnership, HONDA and FIVB, through its Local Organizing Committee, will set the stage for an exhilarating tournament that unites athletes and fans worldwide, fostering a culture of excellence, sportsmanship, and passion for the game.
For more information, visit www.hondaph.com.
Stay updated on Honda’s newest products and promos by following Honda Philippines, Inc. on Facebook (facebook.com/ hondaph) and Instagram (instagram.com/hondaph_mc/), YouTube (Honda Philippines_Motorcycle) and Tiktok (tiktok. com/@hondaphilippines) or contact (02)-8581-6700 to 6799, and 0917-884-6632.
Understanding Sensitive Skin Science with Cetaphil
Cwith
towards an advocacy-first strategy. This new approach was announced at the inaugural Cetaphil SkinLabs launch and is built upon Cetaphil’s ongoing collaboration with dermatologists while forging new partnerships with the influencer community, ensuring expert-backed advice and education are accessible to all.
In response to the influx of skincare misinformation on social media, Cetaphil’s advocacy-first strategy prioritizes empowering consumers with dermatological expertise. A gap in dermatology knowledge means that many turn to illinformed sources online, which can wreck skin with excessive use of chemical and physical exfoliants. By fostering a collaborative relationship with both dermatologists and influencers, Cetaphil champions responsible education, advocating for gentle, effective skincare for all.
“Cetaphil’s commitment is to deliver science-driven, dermatologist-recommended solutions that cater to diverse skin needs, ensuring that everyone—regardless of skin type or concern—has access to effective, clinically proven skincare,” says Louie Roxas, General Manager of Galderma Philippines.
Sensitive skin affects an estimated 70 percent of people globally, with the Philippines ranking number six. Despite the staggering prevalence, a longstanding misconception has hindered the sensitive skin category’s growth: products designed for sensitive skin were often viewed as too gentle or lacking efficacy.
Cetaphil has decisively debunked this notion, delivering powerful skincare solutions that protect the skin barrier without compromising results.
“For over 75 years, Cetaphil has been relentlessly pushing boundaries and advancing skin science so that everyone can
feel free to be their most authentic self. At Cetaphil, we are for everyone’s sensitive skin,” says Mark Sarmiento, Cetaphil Business Unit Head.
In this new campaign, Cetaphil places a spotlight on Gen Z, many of whom have yet to establish brand loyalty with the leader in sensitive skincare. As studies reveal their increased vulnerability to skin sensitivity, Cetaphil seeks to resonate with this audience and empower them to embrace gentle skincare solutions designed for their needs.
Cetaphil introduced its rebrand with the exclusive launch event, Cetaphil SkinLabs, bringing the campaign’s ethos to life through an immersive and educational experience. Held at The Courtyards at Vermosa, the event welcomed dermatologists, ambassadors, beauty and lifestyle KOLs, media, and other brand advocates.
Attendees were guided through a curated journey exploring Cetaphil’s science-backed approach and longstanding commitment to sensitive skin. The experience featured engaging activities, derma talks, and demonstrations of the brand’s latest innovations.
Highlights included: INSIGHTS from Khen Kon, Head of Medical Galderma Asia Pacific, who addressed the increasing prevalence of skin sensitivity and the need for gentle skin science.
• A walkthrough to different rooms dedicated to Cetaphil’s different brands, where guests were able to better learn how Cetaphil cares for sensitive skin at every stage of life.
An emphasis on empowering Filipinos, as the Philippines
ranks sixth globally in skin sensitivity prevalence.
Guests left with a deeper understanding of Cetaphil’s dedication to advancing skin science and the brand’s mission to elevate self-care routines for everyone—
m360 CCO
Highlights Mobile Network Operators’ Critical Role in A2P Messaging at MWC 2025
THE Mobile World Congress (MWC), the premier global event for the mobile technology industry, once again transformed Barcelona into a hub of innovation this March.
“Future
messaging and the role of MNOs will play in 2025.” Speaking alongside industry experts Usama Shahid and Salman Nayyar, Hizon shared insights on the evolving landscape of Application-to-Person (A2P)
messaging and how Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) will shape its future.
Asked about key priorities for m360 coming into 2025, Hizon said: “We need to strengthen what we currently have and continue to evolve, continue to do best practices when it comes to network protection. We already know what to do and we know the right discipline to apply.”
This perspective reflects m360’s commitment to build on established security protocols while continuing to innovate. As A2P messaging grows as a critical business communication channel, maintaining network integrity becomes increasingly vital for operators.
The session highlighted how artificial intelligence is reshaping A2P messaging capabilities, offering MNOs new opportunities to enhance service delivery while addressing emerging security challenges. As businesses increasingly rely on A2P channels for customer engagement and service delivery, AI integration is becoming a competitive differentiator for forward-thinking operators.
This aligns with GMS’ positioning as “the AI-driven communications solutions partner” that helps operators implement next-generation solutions.
The presentation also showcased the three-year partnership between m360 and GMS, which has produced significant advancements in fraud prevention methodologies and industry standards elevation.
The collaboration between m360 and GMS demonstrates how strategic partnerships can accelerate innovation in messaging security and delivery as the industry continues to evolve with new technologies and challenges.
To learn more about m360, visit https://m360.com.ph/.
Fincluding those with sensitive skin.
For the first time in a Cetaphil event, multiple brand ambassadors were present: host Bianca Gonzalez, Catriona Gray, Nico Bolzico and Andi Manzano shared their experiences with the brand. New members of the Cetaphil family were also introduced: Donny, Ella and Hannah Pangilinan, Atasha Muhlach and Bea Fabregas discussed their excitement at being presented for the first time as brand ambassadors.
Cetaphil’s rebrand signifies an enduring commitment to advocacy, education, and inclusivity within the skincare community. With this fresh perspective, the brand looks forward to empowering individuals of all generations to embrace gentle, effective skincare rooted in science and care.
For more information on Cetaphil and the new rebranding initiative, visit Cetaphil, follow @CetaphilPH on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Cetaphil products are available at Watsons, Mercury Drug, leading e-commerce platforms, and other key retailers.
IBERBLAZE, the homegrown fiber internet and digital cable TV brand carried by Dasca Cable Services Inc., Meridian Cable TV Inc., Spectrum Cable Network and Broadband Inc., and Infinity Broadband Inc., is making waves once again. With the launch of the all-new XtraBOOST plans, subscribers can now enjoy faster internet speeds at the same affordable rates, a move that reinforces FIBERBLAZE’s commitment to delivering top-notch connectivity while ensuring exceptional value for Filipino homes and businesses. With the all-new XtraBOOST plans, FIBERBLAZE is giving its subscribers faster speeds without increasing costs.
For those on Plan 999, speeds will be upgraded from up to 150Mbps to up to 300Mbps, perfect for small families, students, and casual users who need smooth video calls, fast browsing, and seamless HD streaming. Meanwhile, Plan 1499 subscribers will see their speeds jump from up to 500Mbps to up to 1Gbps, making it the ideal plan for those working from home, gaming competitively, or enjoying 4K streaming on multiple devices at once.
All
“We’re doubling speeds without increasing costs because we believe in giving more to the people who trust us,” said Mark Reyes, President of Dasca Cable Services Inc. “Our roots in Cavite have taught us the value of genuine service, and as we grow, we remain committed to providing reliable internet with a human touch—ensuring that our subscribers are always connected and always cared for.” Beyond XtraBOOST, FIBERBLAZE
IN the photo are, from left, Ramon Hirang, President and CEO, m360 Inc.; Salman Nayyar, Senior Regional DirectorAsia, GMS; Charles Upchurch, CEO, GMS; Hermi Hizon, Chief Commercial Officer, m360 Inc.; Usama Shahid, Director of Operations, GMS; Amer Siraj, CRO, GMS; Syed Ali, COO, GMS.
IN the photo are, from left to right, current and new Cetaphil Brand Ambassadors Donny Pangilinan, Catriona Gray, Bea Fabregas, Hannah Pangilinan, Andi Manzano, Ella Pangilinan-Miranda, Bianca Gonzales-Intal, Atasha Muhlach and Nico Bolzico
Editor: Tet Andolong
Century Properties soars with 32% profit
CENTURY Properties Group, Inc. (PSE: CPG) delivered an impressive performance in 2024, posting a 31 percent yearon-year jump in net income after tax (NIAT) to P2.44 billion from P1.86 billion in 2023. Revenues rose 15 percent to P14.64 billion, fueled by a booming first-home market and continued momentum in the company’s premium residential business segment.
This banner year reinforces CPG’s successful pivot to address the surging demand for affordable housing across the country. Revenues from the first-home segment surged to P9.9 billion, up from
P7.4 billion the previous year. The company’s higher-end offerings contributed P3 billion, while its leasing and property management arms added P1.31 billion and P464 million, respectively.
“We are very pleased with our 2024 performance, which reflects our commitment to operational excellence, successful project completions, and effective debt management,” said Marco R. Antonio, President and CEO of CPG. “Our focus on delivering affordable, quality homes continues to meet the strong demand across various market segments. The year also saw CPG aggressively expanding its geographical reach with the launch of multiple projects in North and South Luzon across both the firsthome and premium markets. Additionally, we ventured into the Visayas, bringing our promise of quality, affordable homes to more
TAs a homeowner, you’re not just near one of the Best Golf Course in the Philippines—you’re a part of an exclusive golf community. The world-class 27-hole championship course becomes an extension of your backyard. Perfect your swing, enjoy a morning stroll, or unwind at the clubhouse with friends.
But life here goes beyond golf. After an active day of cycling, swimming, or exploring the outdoors, savor exceptional dining experiences that make every meal special.
Get more than a home —Experience a way of life Every corner of our community is designed to foster a lifestyle that is both leisurely and active. Each home serves as a personal retreat, where nature’s beauty enhances your refined living.
If you dream of calling this paradise home, The Alcove at Mount Malarayat offers the opportunity to be part of this exclusive community. This private enclave offers residential lots surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, with access to the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club and homeowner amenities.
Secure your place in the heart of Lipa’s finest address—Mount Malarayat Residential Estates. For inquiries and more information, visit www.activegroup.com.ph.
Filipino families.”
Antonio noted the synergy between government infrastructure investments and CPG’s regional growth strategy. “The government’s Infrastructure Flagship Projects—especially those boosting nationwide connectivity—will quickly drive progress and, consequently, increase the demand for quality homes across the country. We are committed to capitalizing on these emerging opportunities and fulfilling the aspirations of homeowners with our Centurybranded developments,” he added. Backing this performance is a strong financial position. The company’s total assets grew 3 percent
to P55.9 billion while interestbearing debt was trimmed by 16 percent, a move that significantly boosted returns. CPG’s 2024 results delivered a maiden doubledigit return on equity (ROE) for common shareholders—marking a critical milestone in its financial trajectory.
“The confluence of the management’s prudent balance sheet handling, operating efficiency initiatives, and sensitivity to market needs allowed Century to achieve strong financial results in 2024,” said Ponciano S. Carreon Jr., CPG’s Chief Financial Officer. “Our healthy financial position and key indicators will enable us to continue on our planned trajectory, with more than enough cushion to navigate persistent industry headwinds and increase value for our shareholders over time.”
A glimpse ahead:
Growth engine in motion WITH 2024 results setting a new benchmark, CPG is sharpening its focus on scale and reach through a twin-engine strategy. By blending affordability with aspirational living in underserved growth corridors, the company is not just building homes—but building lives and uplifting communities. This strategy combines the strong performance of CPG’s first-home segment with the synergy of its premium residential segment, driving overall growth. With disciplined financial management and a bold geographic strategy, CPG is well-positioned to ride the next wave of real estate growth in the Philippines.
Carreon also pointed to the favorable macroeconomic outlook as a tailwind for CPG’s future ambitions. “Our positive outlook on current and expected domestic policies, along with the stable economic landscape, gives us high confidence in CPG’s expansion through organic growth, strategic acquisitions, and partnerships.”
Quezon City a health tourism hub
QBy Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio
UEZON City has developed a solid reputation as a major player in the country’s health tourism sector. Furthermore, the city named in honor of the Commonwealth president has made significant strides in positioning itself as a key player in the health tourism sector in the Philippines. It is home to numerous renowned medical institutions, including St. Luke’s Medical Center, the Philippine Heart Center, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, and the Lung Center of the Philippines. The presence of concentration of specialized hospitals is a major draw for medical tourists.
The city government also has actively pursued initiatives to promote these facilities and their high-quality medical services.
In essence, Quezon City is leveraging its strong foundation of medical expertise and facilities to attract both domestic and international health tourists.
Confidence in Quezon City
DR. YANEE VASQUEZ, founder and owner of Aesthetic Science health clinic, told the B usiness M irror in an email interview that putting a branch in Quezon City was their next step for growth. “Quezon City was a natural next step in our growth. As the most populous city in Metro Manila, it allows us to bring our signature #BestFacialinManila experience to a wider audience,” Vasquez said.
“This expansion reflects years of thoughtful planning and a vision to make expert care and science-backed, transformative treatments more accessible to those seeking quality aesthetic services in the north,” Vasquez added.
Vasquez said Aesthetic Science Clinic can also play a key role in the promotion of health tourism in the country. She believes it is well-positioned to serve both local and foreign wellness enthusiasts. “Our wide range of science-based treatments—designed to address diverse skin concerns—makes us an appealing destination for anyone seeking effective, safe, and personalized skincare solutions,” Vasquez pointed out. She said Aesthetic Science also puts a premium on safety and expertise being central to their practice, making the health clinic a trusted name for those prioritizing real results and professional care.
She described their two-decade journey of continuous growth, innovation, and care. From the beginning, she said
Aesthetic Science has been committed to raising the standard of aesthetic medicine in the Philippines—offering personalized, results-driven skincare in a warm and restorative environment. “We’ve evolved alongside our patients, adapting to new technologies and techniques while staying true to our core values of integrity, excellence, and compassion,” she said.
Furthermore, Aesthetic Science continues to invest in education, attending local and international aesthetic and anti-aging conferences to ensure our team remains at the forefront of innovation. Ultimately, Aesthetic Science is providing the wellknown Filipino touch by focusing on personalized care, continuous education, and high safety and efficacy standards has solidified its reputation as one of the trusted providers in aesthetic medicine.
With three branches established over two decades—and having weathered challenges like the pandemic—she said Aesthetic Science’s stability stems from consistency, commitment, and care. She said Aesthetic Science is also focusing on science-backed treatments delivered by a highly trained medical team. “All energybased procedures, injectables, and peels are performed exclusively by licensed doctors, while surgeries are conducted by a board-certified plastic surgeon.”
What drives Aesthetic Science is it has been consistently delivering effective, high-quality skin and body treatments accessible—without compromising on safety or results.
Promoting the aruga concept to the world IN October last year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reinforced the Philippines' position as a major health tourism hub in the Asia-Pacific region by hosting the International Health and Wellness Tourism Congress. Led by Secretary Christina Frasco, the DOT emphasized malasakit, the Filipino spirit of compassionate care, as a key characteristic of the country's wellness tourism.
The event highlighted “Aruga,” a Filipino concept that embodies care and nurturing, showcasing the country's blend of modern healthcare and traditional wellness practices. This unique combination positions the Philippines as a top health and wellness destination in the Asia-Pacific region.
AESTHETIC Science Health Clinic founder and owner Dr. Yanee Vasquez
PICOLO laser treatment
NOW celebrating its 20th anniversary, Aesthetic Science Health Clinic opened its third branch in Quezon City after the success of operating in Alabang and Makati City.
Sports
Cool Smashers get rhythm back, beat Chargers to go 1-1 in semis
CREAMLINE leaned on its experience and sheer determination to beat Akari, 25-18, 25-19, 25-19, and avoid failing to defend its Premier Volleyball League AllFilipino Conference crown on Tuesday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Bernadeth Pons was Creamline’s main weapon in the one-hour and 23-minute victory with 17 points, with Tots Carlos and Pangs Panaga contributing 13 points each and Alyssa Valdez adding nine points. Pons also capped off her stellar allaround performance with 12 excellent digs and 15 receptions, while Carlos contributed 10 digs of her own.
We knew how important this game was—it was do-or-die—so we gave it our all while enjoying every moment,” Panaga, a middle blocker, said. “We learned a lot from our loss to Petro Gazz, so we poured everything into this match.
The Cool Smashers had their backs against the wall entering the Akari match after they lost to the Petro Gazz Angels, 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16, at the start last Saturday of the round-robin semifinal phase.
B ut to be in a stronger contention for the finals though, Creamline must defeat sister team
Choco Mucho in a crucial showdown
By Josef Ramos
Iat the close of the semfinalis on Thursday.
T he Cool Smashers and Chargers are now tied at 1-1 won-lost. Kyle Negrito outplayed counterpart Michelle Cobb with 24 excellent sets, 10 more than Akari’s playmaker.
T he Cool Smashers effectively shut down Eli Soyud as Akari’s top scorer was limited to just
11 points after her career 34-point explosion against the Flying Titans. Worse, the Chargers struggled to find a reliable offensive spark with Ivy Lacsina, Faith Nisperos and Ced Domingo managing only eight, seven and six points, respectively. Creamline asserted its dominance from the get-go and systematically broke down an Akari squad that pulled off a stunning five-set upset over Choco Mucho, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 22-25, 1614, also last Saturday
Lady Bulldogs bring budding act to AVC Beach Tour
By Aldrin Quinto
Honey Grace Cordero of National University (NU) get a stern test as they debut on the continental level in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Beach Tour Nuvali Open starting on Wednesday. Epa, on the radar of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) since her junior days, and Cordero, the UAAP Season 87 MVP, look to make a splash and earn ranking points in the AVC and FIVB event featuring three other Alas Pilipinas women’s pairs and two tandems on the men’s side at the world-class Nuvali Sand Courts By Ayala Land. Eyes will also be on UAAP runnersup Khylem Progella and Sofia Pagara of the University of Santo Tomas, who reached the Round of 16 in the Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championships and won the PNVF Beach Volley Invitational late last year. Also seeking honors in the 44team, 11-nation tournament is Sunny Kalani Villapando, who suited up for Stanford in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, as she teams up here with Jenny Gaviola of the Philippine Coast Guard.
Veteran Alexa Polidario of the Philippine Army will see action with another college player in young Lorien Ysobel Gamboa of UST against top international players in the tournament organized by the PNVF headed by Ramon “Tats” Suzara, also president of the AVC.
Australia’s Stefanie Fejes seeks a second straight Nuvali Open title but now goes into battle with Jasmine Fleming,
part of the duo that got runner-up honors in Santa Rosa last year. Georgia Johnson, the other half of last year’s runner-up pair, teams up with Elizabeth Alchin in the tournament offering $2,500 to the winning tandems (around P143,000).
Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee and Taravadee Naraphornrapat lead the Thai women’s squad, while China is spearheaded by Yan Xu and Zhou Mingli. Twenty teams vie for the women’s title, while 24 pairs see action in the men’s side. Pool play is set on Wednesday and Thursday, with the Round of 16 and quarterfinals slated Friday and the semifinals and medal matches to be held on Saturday. Abbas Pourasgari and Alireza
Aghajanighasab of Iran are back to defend the title they won last year, while runners-up Pithak Tipjan and Poravid Taovato of Thailand also return for another shot at the title.
Alas Pilipinas will again lean on James Buytrago and Rancel Varga, silver medalists in the FIVB Futures Nuvali, while also vying for honors in the men’s division are Edwin Tolentino of NU and Lerry John Francisco of the Coast Guard, and Ronniel Rosales of Perpetual Help with Alexander Jhon Iraya of NU. Reigning Asian Senior Beach Volleyball champions D’Artagnan Potts and Jack Pearse of Australia also eye another win in the Philippines. Also seeking medals are teams from Japan, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Uzbekistan.
T was foggy at the Sun Moon Lake in Nantou City in Taiwan on Monday but that didn’t deter world No. 4 pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena in ruling the Taiwan International Pole Vault Championships. Obiena, 29 and a two-time Olympian and Asian champion, needed only to clear 5.50 meters to beat the 24-athlete field with enough to spare.
“I t was a great new experience,” Obiena said. “I had my first fog warning in the middle of a pole vault competition in Taiwan.”
“ With just roughly 10 meters visibility, you just disappear,” he said. “It’s about the proverbial Leap of faith.”
Leap of faith it was for Obiena who prevailed by 20 centimeters over American Matt Luwig and also over Thailand’s Patsapong Amsamaring in the race for the podium—Luwig got silver for making fewer attempts.
“I’m very thankful to have won the competition under such murky
in Taiwan: What fog?
conditions,” Obiena said. “We can’t always have sunny skies and perfect weather conditions, this was a new kind of adversity and I learned from it.”
The other Filipino bet, Hokket de los Santos who owns a silver from the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, finished 10th at 5.15 meters.
Obiena is now 2-0 in gold medals in Taiwan after he jumped to 5.62 meters in the Taiwan Open indoor competition last week at the National Caotun High Schoo where he also beat Amsarang (5.42) and Luwig (5.32).
“EJ was forced to start his approach outside and run through the doorway and had to adjust down to 16 steps. It’s ridiculous,” Obiena’s adviser, Jim Lafferty, told BusinessMirror on Monday. “His record at 16 steps is 5.70m. He made 5.62 here so he is right near his best.”
L afferty said Obiena is now focusing on 20 steps for the outdoor season.
Obiena, meanwhile, arrived in Manila on Tuesday and went directly to Imus
SENATOR Joel Villanueva filed a resolution congratulating and commending tennis star
Alexandra Eala for her outstanding performance at the 2025 Miami Open.
Pr oposed Senate Resolution (PSR) No. 1330 also honors Eala for making history as the first Filipina to break into the Top 100 of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World Rankings.
Alex’s achievement serves as an inspiration to young athletes across the country and proves that with hard work and perseverance, Filipinos can compete and triumph on the world stage,” Villanueva said. The 19-year-old tennis star and
GLOBALPORT bounced back into contention in the US Open Polo Championship on Sunday with a hard-fought 10-7 victory over BTA at the National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida.
Led by team owner and sports patron Mikee Romero, GlobalPort delivered a balanced offensive behind 10-goaler Bartolome Castagnola, who scored six times including all three in the decisive sixth and final chukker.
The crucial win kept GlobalPort in contention for the quarterfinals.
The 22-goal tournament, considered the crown jewel of polo in the United States, is the third and final leg of the prestigious Gauntlet of Polo series, which also includes the CV Whitney Cup and the recently concluded USPA Gold Cup.
The victory put GlobalPort back on track in the preliminary matches following a narrow 7-9 loss to favorite La Dolfina/ Tamera, the Whitney Cup champion, in last Wednesday’s opening match.
G lobalPort next plays USPA Gold Cup winner Park Place on Saturday in a bid to bag a quarterfinal berth in
the 12-team tournament.
The luck of the draw put GlobalPort in the tournament’s toughest group, the socalled “bracket of death,” where the teams must play against three of the toughest teams in the tournament, including the winners of the first two legs of the Gauntlet, in cross-bracket matchups.
Castagnola, the Argentinian star who is one of the top goal scorers of polo’s winter season in Florida, once again led GlobalPort’s scoring.
Nico Escobar, substituting for Lucas Diaz Alberdi, contributed three goals, while 18-year-old Argentinian phenom Beltran Laulhe added one.
R omero anchored a solid GlobalPort defense that thwarted shot after shot by BTA.
G lobalPort took an early 2-0 lead in the first chukker and maintained their advantage, leading 3-2 in the second and 5-3 at halftime.
But BTA fought back fiercely, with the combined offensive efforts of 10-goaler Tomas Panelo and 5-goaler Steve Krueger keeping the game close.
Swiatek of Poland, might have beaten Pegula had she not collapsed in the first set where she blew a 5-2 lead and let Pegula escape with a 7-6 win.
Although Eala bounced back with a 7-5 second set win to equalize matters, Pegula’s experience as the tournament’s No. 4 seed prevailed and snatched a match-clinching 6-3 victory in the deciding third set.
Still, Eala left an indelible mark on the world stage. And she did not only win a record purse of $322,160 (roughly P19 million) but also earned a 75th world ranking from 140th, making her eligible to a direct entry in the Grand Slams of the French Open from May 25 to June 8, Wimbledon from June 30 to July 13 and the US Open from August 25 to September 7. Her next most likely tournament—should her thigh heals in time—is the Mutua Madrid Open set from April 21 to May 4 at La Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain. Indeed, Eala has the come a long way—from starting out as a four-year-old to being now a full-fledged worldclass campaigner. And she’s only 19. Imagine her potential.
“Our national athletes are starting to make a mark on the world stage, which is why we need to invest in them,” Villanueva emphasized. Villanueva, a former national athlete, has been a strong advocate for sports development through legislative initiatives.
He has filed Senate Bill
THAT’S IT With TNT’s classic conquest of Barangay Ginebra last week
VILLANUEVA
SPORTS patron Mikee Romero, 10-goaler Bartolome Castagnola, Nico Escobar and 18-year-old Argentinian phenom Beltran Laulhe are in the groove in Florida.
