of the 2026 National Tax Campaign Kickoff on Friday.
The BIR’s revenue target for this year is 11.18 percent higher than last year’s P3.219-trillion goal.
To help meet this target, Mendoza said that this year’s projected economic growth will boost collections on income, value-added and excise taxes.
By John Eiron R. Francisco
CAPAS, TARLAC—Organiz-
ers of the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) are pushing to strengthen regional cooperation in aviation sports across Asia, with efforts focused on expanding collaboration and promoting greater participation in the sector.
“We’re trying to get Asia to
Real-time monitoring to prevent tax leakages, acceleration of the government’s infrastructure projects and VAT on digital services will also lift BIR’s collections, Mendoza added.
HE Central Bank will end its easing cycle this year as inflation is expected to breach the 3-percent mark over the next two years, which is deemed higher than usual inflation that consumers were used to pre-pandemic, according to BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions.
“Our Country Risk team forecasts that inflation will increase again, averaging 3.1 percent y-o-y across 2026. This is higher than the usual inflation that consumers were used to pre-Covid (2015-2019, when inflation averaged 2.8 percent),” BMI said in its 2026 Consumer Outlook.
BMI said nominal income growth will keep pace with inflation, and consumers’ purchasing power will improve, providing a “boost” to their spending.
“However, prolonged inflation, particularly in relation to food, will mean that consumers will have to increasingly allocate more of their disposable income towards meeting neces-
sities,” it explained. In line with this, BMI’s economic overview showed that it expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to shave off 50 basis points from the current 4.50 percent benchmark policy rate to 4 percent before this year ends. It is also worth noting that the BMI forecasts the 4-percent interest rate will be kept unchanged until 2027.
This, as BMI expects consumer price index (CPI) to average at 3.1 percent in 2026 and 3.3 percent next year. Meanwhile, it sees the economy growing at 5.2 percent this year and expects the Philippines to expand at a faster pace of 6.1 percent next year.
BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. said on Wednesday that the Central Bank projects inflation will hover around 3 percent over the next two years. Remolona said he would worry more when inflation goes up beyond 3 percent. Explaining the inflation
work together for aviation sports development,” PIHABF lead organizer Captain Joy Roa told BusinessMirror in a sideline interview during the festival’s opening at New Clark City on Friday. Roa said the initiative aims to strengthen Asia’s presence in global aviation sports, noting that the sector has long been dominated by Europe and the United States.
By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
A deterioration in fiscal and government debt metrics relative to peers or an erosion of the country’s external position, as well as a reversal of reforms that have supported prior gains in economic and fiscal strength, would lead to a possible downgrade, Moody’s added.
The credit rater clarified that its review does not announce a credit rating action and does not indicate whether a credit rating action is likely to occur soon.
The Philippines holds a Baa2 investment-grade credit rating with a stable outlook from Moody’s.
The economy is expected to remain resilient compared with regional and rating peers, despite
growing by 4.4 percent in 2025, below the government’s target range of 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent and slower than the 5.7 percent expansion in the previous year.
“Although export growth has been strong so far, trends are likely to normalize in the wake of higher tariff rates and lingering uncertainty over US trade policy,” Moody’s Ratings said.
“We expect growth will be underpinned by robust household consumption, steady remittance inflows from overseas workers, a recovery in public investment, and continued progress on structural reforms,” it added.
Moody’s…
According to Moody’s, the country’s economic strength at “a3” also balances the economy’s large size and high growth potential against its low GDP per capita relative to investmentgrade peers, and its high vulnerability to climate-related shocks.
On the country’s fiscal consolidation, this will remain on track, albeit at a more modest pace, to meet the government’s target of reducing the deficit to 4.3 percent of GDP by 2028.
This will be supported by the implementation of reforms to boost revenue collection and spending efficiency.
“These efforts will contribute to a gradual moderation in the government’s debt burden, although it will continue to stay above pre-pandemic levels,” Moody’s said.
Although debt affordability, measured by the ratio of interest payments to revenue, is seen to weaken over the next two years, this will gradually normalize as refinancing rates decline and economic growth returns to its longterm trend.
The country’s “ba1” fiscal strength reflects a moderately large government debt burden and weakening debt affordability, as well as its relatively large stock of foreign currency-denominated debt compared to investment-grade peers, Moody’s noted.
“Despite rate cuts by the Central Bank since the second half of 2024, elevated government funding costs combined with a lag in monetary policy transmission are likely to keep the interest burden higher for some time,” Moody’s added.
What would result in a credit rating upgrade will be a more rapid improvement in fiscal and government debt metrics than what Moody’s currently expects, indicating sustained trend recovery from the deterioration caused by the pandemic shock.
“Such improvements would be facilitated by sustained robust economic growth,” Moody’s said.
Hot air…
He added that organizers want Asian countries to take a more active role in training, competition, and international exposure.
The 26th edition of the festival features 27 hot air balloons, including 22 special-shaped designs, with pilots and balloons coming from the United States, Brazil, North Macedonia, Belgium, and Switzerland.
While organizers had hoped to attract more participants from the Middle East and other parts of Asia to broaden regional representation, Roa said turnout from those areas remained limited this year.
Asian participation, however, includes countries such as South Korea, Japan, China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia, which are involved in aviation disciplines such as FPV drone racing and paragliding competitions.
“These are aviation athletes,” Roa said, emphasizing that the long-term goal is to develop Philippine competitors who can regularly travel abroad and compete in international events.
PH Balloon Fest Evolves ASKED what sets this year’s festival apart, Roa said the event has consistently evolved by shifting its focus each edition. Previous festivals highlighted international aircraft fly-ins, cultural exchanges—including participation from Turkish aviators—and milestone celebrations such as the 100 years of flight, which featured 100 aircraft flying simultaneously.
“This year, we’re concentrating on developing a Philippine team for international competitions,” Roa said, adding that this objective
shaped the direction of the current festival.
The event is also placing greater emphasis on aviation career seminars, which Roa said are rarely accessible to the public. He noted that the sessions feature experienced aviation professionals who share their career journeys, helping both students and parents better understand the long-term opportunities and potential returns of pursuing a career in aviation.
“Everybody explains the return on investment in an aviation career, and the return is much greater,” Roa said, adding that the discussions are intended to help families make informed decisions about entering the field.
The festival runs until February 15 and is expected to draw more than 20,000 attendees over its three-day run. Roa said attendance this year has improved compared to 2024, when access and transport issues affected turnout.
“We had several problems in 2024. The toll booth was not open, and there was not enough public transport,” he said. “We corrected all of that, and it seems more interesting now.”
Roa also cited the site’s proximity to Clark and its existing infrastructure as key reasons for holding the event in New Clark City, saying these factors make it more accessible for both participants and visitors.
Describing the overall experience, Roa said the festival offers a full day of activities and appeals to a wide range of age groups.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see all these specialshaped balloons and have international activities happening in one place,” he said, adding that the event draws interest from young children to senior citizens.
BIR BENT ON MEETING ₱3.58-T REVENUE GOAL
Since the implementation of the 12-percent VAT on digital services last July 25, Mendoza said the BIR has collected around P8 billion as of end-2025. This is higher than the expected collection of P7.25 billion at 50 percent compliance in the first year of its implementation.
For 2026 to 2029, the government is projecting a collection of P94.87 billion from VAT on digital service providers.
“No matter how high the target or how hard the work, we should not lose sight of the fact that how we treat the public is as important as the bottom line as the money we remit to the treasury,” Mendoza said.
In addition, Mendoza said ongoing reforms, such as streamlining processes, revising revenue
issuances and integrating revenue systems, improve voluntary tax compliance.
“When the government serves well, compliance becomes easier. Our message is clear: comply correctly, file on time and pay what is due,” Mendoza said.
Moreover, if the BIR also makes it easier for businesses to transact with the BIR, Mendoza said it should also have ease of closing a business.
“We will pursue this with urgency because a modern revenue agency must support taxpayers throughout the life cycle of the enterprise. That is how the BIR rebuilds trust,” Mendoza said in his speech during the tax campaign.
In 2025, the BIR raised a total of P3.105 trillion in revenues, exceeding the P3.101 trillion emerging collection target, which was lowered twice.
reflects improved voluntary compliance, more focused enforcement and sustained efforts to modernize systems and processes.
About 85 percent of the BIR’s total tax collection was made through e-Payments, reflecting the growing number of taxpayers opting to settle their obligations through various electronic payment channels.
The National Tax Campaign Kickoff is a major annual activity that officially commences the Bureau’s tax campaign efforts for the year. It gathered leaders and representatives from government agencies, business and professional organizations, multisectoral partners, and private institutions, demonstrating broad-based support for the Bureau’s reform and revenue mobilization agenda.
First Gen to acquire 40% interest in Prime Infra’s pumped storage hydropower portfolio
FIRST Gen Corporation is acquiring a 40-percent equity interest in Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc.’s pumped storage hydropower (PSH) portfolio for a transaction value of P75 billion, strengthening a strategic partnership aimed at delivering by December 2030 some of the Philippines’ most technically complex and critical energy infrastructure projects.
Of this amount, P62.5 billion will be used to directly fund construction and the equity requirements of the projects. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, covers Prime Infra’s 600MW Wawa PSH project in Rizal province and 1,400MW Ahunan PSH project in Laguna.
Together, these projects represent 2,000 MW of long- duration energy storage capacity, designed to provide large -scale grid balancing, system reliability, and renewable energy integration for the Luzon power system. Both have been certified by the national government as Energy Projects of National Significance and were issued notices of award for their respective capacities by the Philippine Department of Energy in the latter’s green energy auction.
Prime Infra emphasized that partnering with a seasoned local energy player is critical to the successful execution of these projects. “These are highly complex, multi-year infrastructure developments that require deep technical expertise, disciplined execution, and strong alignment with national energy priorities,” said Guillaume Lucci, President and Chief Executive Officer of Prime Infra. “We are pleased to be working hand in hand with First Gen, a trusted partner with a strong track record in power generation, to help ex-
ecute these critical energy projects safely, efficiently and on schedule.”
“Our investment in the 2000MW Wawa and Pakil Pumped Storage Hydropower Projects expands our partnership with Prime Infra and embodies First Gen’s mission to forge collaborative pathways for a decarbonized and regenerative future, crystallizing our portfolio’s shift to renewable energy. Together with our existing 132MW Pantabangan-Masiway and 165MW Casecnan hydroelectric power plants, the Wawa and Pakil plants will complement our portfolio, as pumped storage hydropower facilities provide grid stability and reliability, allowing for the seamless integration of renewable energy projects into the power system,” First Gen President and Chief Operating Officer Giles Puno said.
Construction across Prime Infra’s pumped storage hydropower portfolio is progressing steadily, with major civil and underground works for the Wawa PHS project well underway and early-stage construction of the Pakil PHS project having commenced.
These milestones reflect the projects’ transition from development into full execution, underscoring the importance of strong partnerships in managing scale, complexity, and delivery risk.
Power China is the EPC contractor for both projects with Toshiba and
Andritz Hydro providing the electromechanical components for the Wawa PHS and Pakil PHS, respectively.
Once completed, these projects will play a critical role in supporting the country’s growing renewable energy capacity by providing flexible, dispatchable power and system stability. The partnership between Prime Infra and First Gen follows the recent acquisition by Prime Infra of a controlling stake into First Gas and aligns with national goals of enhancing energy security, reducing dependence on imported fuels, and enabling a more resilient and sustainable Philippine power system.
Prime Infra is a leading infrastructure developer and operator focused on building and operating assets that support the most urgent sustainability priorities such as dependable energy supply, access to clean water, and modern waste management.
First Gen is a leading independent power producer in the Philippines that primarily utilizes clean and indigenous fuels such as natural gas, geothermal energy from steam, hydroelectric, wind, and solar power.
path in the coming months, Zeno Ronald R. Abenoja, the BSP Deputy Governor for the Monetary and Economics Sector (MES), told reporters that inflation could hit a little above 3 percent by the second half of the year.
Citing the BSP’s December 2025 Monetary Policy Report (MPR), Abenoja said: “It will move gradually close to 3 percent and then possibly a little above 3 percent by the second half. But after that [it will get closer to] 3 percent and then will stabilize around that area.” Abenoja admitted that inflation will be on the uptrend in the coming months due to the increase in the prices of oil, among others.
“It will be on an uptrend, first half. Some of it, some of the electricity rates have already been adjusted. So we take that into account. Oil is a little bit higher also. And base effects, of course, also will work. But in the second half, it should be more stable,” added the BSP deputy governor.
The BSP sees full-year average inflation to settle at 3.2 percent in 2026 and 3 percent in 2027. The country’s headline inflation edged up to 2 percent in January 2026, the fastest pace in 11 months. (See: https://businessmir-
Continued from A1
The BIR said this achievement
AN aerial view of the newly completed Upper Wawa Dam in Rizal. WAWAJVCO/PRIME INFRA
Marcos orders swift implementation of key Zambo projects
PRESIDENT Marcos has ordered concerned agencies to fast-track the completion of priority infrastructure projects in the Zamboanga Peninsula to boost agricultural production and economic growth in the region.
The Chief Executive gave the directive after getting updates on the priority projects, which aims to enhance market connectivity to the Zamboanga Peninsula in his meeting with the Regional Development Council IX on Thursday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said among the projects, which were presented to Marcos was the Improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road Sector Project; Daang Maharlika Improvement; Western Nautical Highway Network Improvement; New Zamboanga Airport; and coastal roads along Rock Dive Inn, Crystal Azul Mar, Love, Pang-pang, and Solaj beaches.
She said the President was also informed that the rehabilitation of the Zamboanga Fish Port Complex will be completed this year, while the Sindangan-Bayog-Lakewood Road is set to be completed after two years.
The Zamboanga Fish Port Complex underwent rehabilitation after it was severely damaged by Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae).
Marcos said he also wants the Department of Education (DepEd) to prioritize educational and skills training in the region.
“The President has ordered, especially the DepEd, to prioritize education and skills training, including the completion of projects that will uplift the lives of Filipinos, improve education, and have projects which will help modernize agri-fisheries development,” Castro said. Samuel P. Medenilla
Japan-funded Metro Manila subway moves ahead of sked, 54% complete
By Samuel P. Medenilla
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos has vowed to sustain the momentum in the progress in the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), which is now moving ahead of schedule, while ensuring there is still “careful oversight” in its construction.
The chief executive made the commitment to representatives of the Japanese government, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and other participants during the groundbreaking ceremony of the MMSP-Kalayaan Avenue and Bonifacio Global City
stations last Friday.
The 33-kilometer Project is financed by the JICA under a threetranche loan agreement.
“From the original timetable, we have accelerated the process and we are moving even more quickly than that,” the President
said during the ceremony.
However, he assured the public that even with the current pace of construction of the MMSP, his administration will ensure the necessary guardrails are in place so there will be no irregularities in its implementation.
“With the scale and complexity of this project, we are exercising careful oversight and close coordination among all the implementing agencies and all our partners,” Marcos said.
“We remain committed to sustain the momentum and to ensure that this project proceeds with discipline, transparency, and accountability,” he added.
Marcos issued a statement as some business groups and other sectors expressed their concern on the prevalent corruption after the government crackdown on
anomalous flood control projects revealed billions of taxpayer funds were lost to corrupt practices.
Half-way done
Based on the audio visual presentation of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the MMSP is now 54 percent complete. It noted over 4 kilometers of tunnels were substantially finished, while the station boxes at Quirino Highway, North Avenue and Camp Aguinaldo were completed. The rest of the stations, DOTr said, showed major construction progress.
Japan Ambassador Endo Kazuya welcomed the pace of the construction of the MMSP, which he said will help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in Metro Manila.
Ciac promotes MRO, aerospace industry development at Singapore Airshow 2026
CLARK FIELD, Pampanga—
The Clark International Airport Corp. (Ciac) showcased investment opportunities at Clark Aviation Capital during the recent Singapore Airshow 2026.
The airshow, one of Asia’s largest aerospace and defense exhibitions, gathered global industry leaders, government officials, and corporate executives to present the latest developments in aviation and related technologies. Ciac joined the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Department of Transportation, along with private partners Lipad and Bertaphil, at the Philippine Pavilion.
Civil Aeronautics Authority (Caap) Director General Raul del Rosario, a Ciac board director and BCDA Vice President Kenneth Peralta also attended the event.
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Diplomacy, not ‘likes,’ protects WPS–DFA
By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
EFFECTIVE diplomacy—not performative rhetoric aimed at social-media applause—will best protect Philippine interests in the West Philippine Sea and the Kalayaan Island Group, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
The statement followed a series of public exchange between Coast Guard (PCG) Commo. Jay Tarriela and the Chinese Embassy and came amid wider debate over the balance between transparency and quiet diplomacy.
“While performative rhetoric is a reality in modern public discourse, the DFA has long ago resolved to conduct our work with the national interest as the sole consideration, not for fanfare, not for followers, and certainly
not for likes, but solely for the national interest and welfare of the Filipino people,” DFA Spokesman for Maritime Affairs Rogelio Villanueva Jr. said. Villanueva, who was appointed this week by Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro as her spokesman on maritime issues, warned that messaging alone cannot substitute for sustained diplomacy and legal strategy.
“We recognize that tactics such
as strategic messaging and transparency serve purposes, but if used by themselves, may fall short of actually changing state behavior and may derail the bigger effort to produce outcomes that advance the Philippines’ positions,” he said.
Geopolitical analyst Richard Heydarian, in an interview on One News, backed the DFA’s emphasis on stabilization as the immediate goal in Manila-Beijing ties.
Heydarian said the Philippines, as Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) chairman this year, should use the platform to win understanding from Asean neighbors and avoid domestic theatrics that undercut its regional credibility.
He urged restraint from politicians and public figures who seek quick political gains, warning that such gestures risk reinforcing a Chinese narrative that the Philippines is a proxy of external powers.
“We have to take the moral high ground here...We have to look like the responsible country and we have to look like a serious self-respecting democracy,”
he said during an interview with OneNews.
He added that messy domestic politics and “word wars” can make the Philippines appear to be playing a role assigned by others rather than acting as an independent regional leader.
“When I go across ASEAN what I tend to hear is ‘Oh you Filipinos you’re the deputy sheriff of US in the region.’ That is the Chinese narrative...This messy domestic politics is not helping, to be honest,” Heydarian said.
Heydarian criticized performative politics and urged lawmakers to consider how their statements read to Asean partners.
“I hope our senators and everyone keep in mind that we have to look all good also to the rest of Asean... from outside the Philippines some Asean countries are looking at it and saying ‘Here you go again the Filipinos...trying to score political points by making the Chinese a punching bag,’” he explained.
On government messaging, he
ICC confirms victims’ participation in Duterte hearing
THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed that victims of the Philippine “war on drugs” will formally participate in the confirmation of charges hearing against former President Rodrigo Duterte, which begins on February 23, even as judges adopt special scheduling measures to accommodate his health.
Judges of ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I authorized a group of victims to join the proceedings, underscoring the importance of their testimony.
Represented by Joel Butuyan, Gilbert Andres, and Paolina Massidda of the Court’s Office of Public Counsel for Victims, they will deliver oral submissions directly before the judges.
Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity—murder and attempted murder—allegedly committed between November 2011 and March 2019, during his tenure as mayor of Davao City and later as President.
The confirmation hearing is set for February 23, 24, 26, and 27, 2026. Judges will decide whether substantial grounds exist to proceed to trial before a different chamber.
Alongside victims’ lawyers,
the hearings will also feature counsel from the ICC Office of the Prosecutor. This dual structure is distinctive to the ICC.
n Victims’ Lawyers (Common Legal Representatives): Represent the direct interests of victims, ensuring their voices are heard through oral and written submissions. Their mandate is to safeguard victims’ rights and dignity throughout the proceedings.
n Prosecutors (Office of the Prosecutor): Act on behalf of the international community, leading investigations, presenting evidence, and seeking conviction. Their role is to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Unlike most domestic courts, where victims rely solely on state prosecutors, the ICC grants victim’s independent representation, giving them a unique voice alongside the prosecution.
On January 26, Pre-Trial Chamber I ruled that the 80-year-old former President is fit to participate, following an assessment by three independent medical experts. To safeguard his condition, judges adopted recommendations from
the ICC Detention Centre’s Medical Officer and the expert panel:
n Limited Hearing Days: No more than four per week, with a mandatory midweek rest day.
n Shortened Sessions: Hearings capped at three hours daily.
n Frequent Breaks: Mandatory breaks every hour.
The Defense had sought an indefinite adjournment, arguing Duterte was unfit, but the court rejected the request.
On February 5, defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman petitioned the ICC Appeals Chamber to revisit its stance and allow Duterte’s release to a State Party under strict conditions. Kaufman argued that the Pre-Trial Chamber judges committed “substantial errors of fact and law” by refusing to admit a medical report pointing to Duterte’s alleged cognitive decline.
Defense experts described impairments across “multiple domains,” concluding Duterte lacked the mental sharpness or stamina to plan an escape. They said he was incapable of sequencing daily activities, lacked executive functioning, and was in an “enfeebled physical state.” Judges dismissed
the findings because they were submitted by the defense rather than a court-appointed panel. Kaufman countered that disregarding such evidence undermines Duterte’s right to a fair hearing: “To categorically disregard a party’s submissions, to say nothing of objective medical evidence supplied by leading professionals in good standing, is, in effect, the rejection of a suspect’s right to a fair hearing.”
Pre-Trial Chamber I had earlier appointed three independent experts who found Duterte fit to stand trial, ruling he remains a flight risk, could obstruct the investigation or intimidate witnesses, and might continue committing crimes. Kaufman disputed this, arguing witness intimidation was inconsistent with Duterte’s functional abilities under conditional release.
The ICC Appeals Chamber upheld Duterte’s detention in November 2025, rejecting his earlier appeal. While that ruling was final for that specific appeal, ICC rules allow new requests for release if circumstances change. Kaufman’s February 2026 filings present fresh medical evidence and humanitarian arguments, which the defense says materially alter the detention assessment.
recommended an inter-agency coordination mechanism—a clearing house to harmonize public statements and avoid a mixed “good cop, bad cop” impression.
“We need an inter-agency coordination on what kind of message we want to send because to some people they’re wondering if we are also doing good-cop, bad-cop to China...There has to be a kind of clearing house,” Heydarian added.
Heydarian described some Chinese diplomatic postures as “wolf warrior” or “dragon warrior” tactics and called for a rollback of aggressive rhetoric from junior embassy officials.
On one hand, he defended Commodore Tarriela’s public transparency initiatives, saying Tarriela has been at the forefront of efforts to make maritime developments visible to the public and “has no reason to apologise for anything.”
“He’s obviously blacklisted by China... because he has been at the forefront of the public diplomacy transparency initiative against China.
PNP hails DILG
“Absolutely he has no reason to apologize for anything,” he added.
Villanueva reiterated that Manila’s territorial and maritime claims over the Kalayaan Island Group and features such as Scarborough Shoal rest on multiple legal and historical pillars—treaties, effective control, historical practice and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award—not solely on Unclos’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone provision. He stressed the need to align messaging with those legal and diplomatic instruments to avoid undermining long-term objectives.
Villanueva also outlined four core dynamics guiding policy: commitment to international law, open channels, alliances and partnerships, and domestic capacity building. He pledged continued protests and representations to Beijing when warranted and reaffirmed the DFA’s role as a credible, authoritative voice for the Philippines’ positions in the maritime domain.
move to acquire drones with LiDAR capability
By Rex Anthony Naval
GEN. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., National Police chief, on Friday said the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) plan to acquire drones equipped with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology will greatly enhance their law enforcement operations and manhunt capabilities.
In a statement, Nartatez said this strategic upgrade is part of the modernization effort of the PNP to boost operational capability, including the move to eliminate the tactical advantage that fugitives gain by hiding in dense terrain and forested areas.
“The PNP welcomes the plan of the DILG to procure drones with LiDAR as this will certainly boost our operational capability of our personnel on the ground in the conduct of law enforcement operations,” he added.
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla earlier said he already has clearance to procure drones with LiDAR, which can penetrate through tree canopies to see what is beneath them.
LiDAR technology allows authorities to see through vegetation and map the ground underneath, which cannot be done by ordinary cameras. It also ensures faster data collection over large areas.
Nartatez said the move ensures that the PNP keeps pace with other foreign police organizations.
“As we aim to transition towards a technology-powered future through the use of drones and interconnected systems, we are also gearing to be at par with our counterparts overseas,” he added.
Nartatez also said the PNP is determined to utilize these resources wisely not only to maximize our tactical advantage in law enforcement operations but also in protecting our personnel on the ground
Nartatez earlier said the PNP was working to enhance situational awareness and operational efficiency through the use of unmanned aerial systems, or drones, which are capable of realtime monitoring and reconnaissance.
Ciac President and Chief Executive Officer Jojit Alcazar said the agency’s participation aimed to attract more investments in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and other aerospace-related industries.
pressed interest in exploring business prospects in Clark.
He said meetings with global aviation players opened opportunities for potential partnerships, particularly in helicopter maintenance and other specialized MRO services. Several companies ex -
“Ciac’s participation strengthened our investment ties and highlighted Clark’s readiness to support the growing demands of the global aerospace industry,” Alcazar said.
He added that the event also allowed Ciac officials to observe global best practices in aviation operations, safety standards, technology adoption, and workforce development.
These insights, he said, will guide Clark Aviation Capital’s continued expansion as a competitive aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region.
Alcazar cited the 2024 Philippine Aerospace Industry Roadmap, which projects the country’s aerospace sector to become one of the fastest-growing in the region.
He noted that Clark is positioning itself to meet the increasing demand for reliable MRO services as global aircraft fleets require regular maintenance while maintaining strict safety and efficiency standards.
Currently operating in Clark are some of the world’s largest MRO providers, SIA Engineering and Metrojet Engineering, which underscore Clark’s growing reputation in the aerospace sector.
Ciac said its long-term goal is to transform Clark Aviation Capital into a dynamic business and logistics hub and eventually the country’s leading global aviation center.
Alcazar emphasized that lessons learned from the airshow support the administration’s push under President Marcos to attract more foreign investments and strengthen trade relations.
As the premier land and aviation development arm of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Ciac is mandated to develop Clark Aviation Capital into a full-fledged aerotropolis.
It oversees the Clark aviation complex, where firms operate in industrial, commercial, mixeduse, warehousing, and manufacturing businesses, underscoring Clark’s steady transformation into a dynamic, aviation-driven hub.
He said they are looking forward to similar cooperation between Manila and Tokyo.
“This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines. It is our sincere hope that this project [MMSP] will stand as a symbol of our enduring partnership and further strengthen the bonds between our two nations,” Kazuya said.
The construction of MMSP started in 2019 and was supposed to be finished in 2027. However, due to delays caused by the pandemic, the projected completion of the country’s first ever subway, which cost over P441 billion, was moved to 2032.
DOTr is aiming for a demonstration run for the MMSP in 2028.
Once completed, the subway is expected to provide a better commuting experience to 500,000
passengers per day. It will reduce the travel time from Valenzuela City to Parañaque from 90 minutes to just 29 minutes.
The subway will also provide easier access for commuters to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) or the Manila International Airport. It is expected to shorten travel from Quezon City to Manila Airport from more than one hour to 35 minutes.
Marcos said the MMSP will “restore dignity to daily travel” in Metro Manilla by providing commuters with a sustainable public transportation.
“For decades, traffic in Metro Manila has been more than an inconvenience. It has been a constant consideration affecting our daily decisions. It influences where we work, where we study, and how we plan our lives,” he said.
“And that is why this Administration is determined to address these problems by providing sustainable, long-term solutions. This subway is one of those solutions,” he added.
DOH Ilocos Region distributes 40 hearing aids to Pangasinan children
HE Department of Health
T(DOH)-Ilocos Region formally turned over and distributed 40 hearing aids to children from the First District of Pangasinan on February 7, 2026, reinforcing the regional office’s commitment to inclusive, child-centered healthcare.
The activity aims to address hearing impairment among children—one of the leading but often underdiagnosed conditions that can significantly affect a child’s speech development, learning capacity, and social interaction if left unmanaged.
DOH Ilocos Regional Director Dr. Paula Paz M. Sydiongco emphasized the urgency of early intervention, noting that hearing loss in childhood has long-term consequences beyond health. “Hearing is fundamental to a child’s growth and development. When hearing problems are not addressed early, they can affect language acquisition, school performance, and even self-confidence. We are giving these children not just hearing aids, but a better chance at learning, communicating, and thriving,” Dr. Sydiongco said.
She added that children are prioritized beneficiaries because early detection and management yield the highest return in health and development outcomes, aligning with the DOH’s thrust on preventive, promotive, and equitable health services
TimeOur NCSC releases ₧100-K cash gift to 4 Aeta centenarians in Tarlac
under Universal Health Care.
Children aged 3-18 years old from the municipalities of Tayug, San Nicolas, Sta. Maria, Rosales, Umingan, Balungao, Natividad, San Quintin, San Manuel, and Asingan were the targeted beneficiaries of hearing aid worth P50,000 each.
The turnover and distribution of hearing aids was made possible through the support of Congresswoman Marlyn Primicias-Agabas who said that access to assistive devices like hearing aids should not be limited by a family’s financial capacity.
“Many families cannot afford hearing aids, yet these devices are life-changing for children. These devices will ensure that children in our district are not left behind simply because of circumstance. We are
investing in their future—one where they can learn better, communicate freely, and reach their full potential,” Rep. Agabas said.
The distribution forms part of the DOH Ilocos Region’s continuing efforts to strengthen specialty care access at the community level, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children with disabilities. Beneficiaries were identified through local health units and screening activities to ensure that assistance reaches those most in need.
Both DOH and the Office of the Congresswoman reiterated their commitment to sustain collaborative programs that promote inclusive healthcare, especially interventions that support children during their most critical stages of growth and development.
Butuan City releases social pensions for 18,000 indigent senior citizens
By Alexander Lopez
BUTUAN CITY—The release of the social pension of indigent senior citizens has commenced in Butuan City, the City Social Welfare and Development Department (CSWDD) reported Tuesday.
“The payout activities started on Monday and set to run until Friday to cover all barangays in Butuan City,”
Cristine Sabandal, the focal person for senior citizens of CSWDD, said in an interview.
She added that the social pension will cover the first quarter of 2026, with 18,124 indigent senior citizens expected to receive P3,000 each as stipends during the series of payout activities.
In a statement on Tuesday, the CSWDD emphasized the importance of government support for indigent
senior citizens, especially those with no regular income.
“The stipend is a big help to the food, medicines, and other daily needs of our indigent senior citizens in the city,” the CSWDD said.
It also recognized the continued support of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for indigent senior citizens and barangay officials in facilitating swift payouts. PNA
I just found out my personality type
ONE time, during one of our late-night chats just before going to sleep, my wife pointed out something about me that I didn’t expect. She observed that I’m probably a person who doesn’t need anyone and that I can exist just fine without her. Because I seem to be so emotionally selfsufficient, she wondered whether I truly needed her.
I don’t remember now exactly how I responded to my wife. But it troubled me since then. What am I really? What is my personality type?
Karl Jung invented the terms “introvert” and “extrovert,” which he defines as two fundamental orientations of the personality of a person. An introvert is someone who prefers to spend time alone, while an extrovert is someone who prefers to be with other people.
I wouldn’t describe myself as an introvert. Although I prefer to be by myself most of the time, I’m not a recluse. I like talking with people when I am with them. Usually, I don’t initiate the conversation but when someone approaches me, I welcome it, and although I can sustain
our chat, I tend to listen more and say less. I can mix with any type, from shallow conversationalists to intelligent ones. I can be at home with simple folks as well as the sophisticated set.
On the other hand, I cannot I really call myself an extrovert either. Extroverts draw their energy from being with other people and enjoy activities like parties, talking, and meeting new people. That’s really not my cup of tea. I am not inclined to go to social functions but if I have to, I accept invitations to gatherings and I can blend with others and enjoy their company. That said, I don’t go out of my way to seek the company of others, and given a choice, I would much prefer to go it alone.
The funny thing is I don’t feel lonely and depressed in my alone-ness.
If I’m not an introvert nor an extrovert, how should I categorize myself? Maybe I am an ambivert, which refers to a person “who has features of both an introvert and an extrovert in their personality.”
I was about to accept being an ambivert until I came across a new term in the personality world to
which I can relate better.
The word is OTROVERT, coined by psychiatrist Dr. Rami Kaminski for a whole new type of personality which he discusses in his book “The Gift of Not Belonging: How Outsiders Thrive in a World of Joiners.”Dr. Kaminski’s newly minted term comes from the Spanish “otro,” which means “other.” The way he describes this personality type makes me believe that I am an “otrovert.”
If introverts look inwards, and extroverts, outwards, which way do otroverts look? Neither of the above. “Their fundamental orientation is defined by the fact that it is rarely the same direction that anyone else is facing.”
I think what really differentiates otroverts from other personality types is their sense of independence. Otroverts energize themselves “by thinking their own thoughts,” says Dr. Kaminski. “They do not have to withdraw from the group in order to recharge, as it is not the group that is draining. It’s exposure to the group think.”
This is why an otrovert is not a joiner by natural predisposition. He doesn’t feel a sense of belonging or allegiance to any group. He is a true individual, observer, free thinker: or in the words of Kaminsky “a perpetual outsider.” He is most comfortable being aloft, above the fray, not letting himself become affected by the din, commotion or hubbub surrounding him. From the outside, he is free and unencumbered to observe, analyze and compose ideas and insights. That sounds like me. If I were a
TBy Ma. Teresa Montemayor
HE National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) on Wednesday handed over a P100,000 cash gift each to four Aeta centenarians in Capas, Tarlac in line with the Expanded Centenarians Act (ECA). the benefits. Lawmakers Rep. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay and Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes also personally conveyed their greetings to the Aeta centenarians and shared updates on pending legislative measures to support senior citizens’ welfare.
The cash grants were awarded during a ceremony at the Capas Events Center.
Aside from the monetary benefit, the NCSC also handed to them the felicitation letters from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in recognition of the centenarians’ milestone.
NCSC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez said the commission acted promptly on the applications of the Aeta beneficiaries in accordance with the provisions of the ECA.
She thanked all partners who helped facilitate the immediate release of the grants to the indigenous senior citizens.
“It is truly possible to deliver the rightful gift for our Filipino senior citizens when we work together from the local to the national government,” Gutierrez, a lawyer, said in Filipino.
The NCSC also assured faster distribution of benefits as grantees may now choose to receive their ECA grants either in cash or through bank transfer.
“We will not make it difficult for
musician, I wouldn’t want to be in a symphony orchestra. I would be happier as a musician, doing my own thing in the middle of a town square or a fiddler on the street. When I am in a group of friends, even as I blend in and join the repartee, deep inside, I feel like I don’t belong and that I have better things to do. In my past life in advertising, I craved creative independence. While I participated in brainstorming sessions with fellow creatives, I would at some point leave the group when ideas became stale. I always like to come up with original ideas, or
our beloved senior citizens or deprive them of the gift they deserve upon reaching their milestone
The NCSC issued the clarification after a video circulated on social media claiming that the four indigenous beneficiaries did not receive their centenarian cash gift, allegedly because they were “overaged.”
The commission clarified that it received only the beneficiaries’ applications and the endorsement letter from the local government
years. This is a great blessing for them,” Gutierrez added.
Capas Mayor Roseller Rodriguez expressed gratitude for the swift coordination between the NCSC and the local government, which enabled the immediate release of
sweat shirts with a shoe lace to serve as tie in class. It was not meant to be a gesture of protest or to be different. I just felt suffocated wearing a tie and shirt all day long.
I don’t blindly follow the herd. In our lingo, “hindi ako nakiki-uso.” There’s no FOMO (fear of missing out) for me. When everyone else is raving about a hot new movie, I usually just shrug my shoulders because I know I would just be disappointed. While others were bragging about their expensive watches the likes of Rolex and GP, I was content with my Timex. All my graying senior friends dyed their hair and egged me endlessly to do the same, but I ignored them. I have sometimes been labeled as being aloofish or even arrogant. But Dr. Kaminsky says that an otrovert is really a warm, open, and funny person. He may even be soft spoken, polite, and helpful. At a gathering, he may not be the life of the party, but you will find him having a real conversation with someone he’s just met.
new twists to old ideas. I created my best ideas when I worked solo. Remember Groucho Marx who joked that he “wouldn’t want to join a club that would have me as a member?” He was describing otroverts long before the term was coined. In my case, I was never a joiner or a conformist. That’s because I was not interested in what “everyone” is doing, and I don’t need validation. In college, while it was de rigueur to wear a tie in class, I wore cut-off
He’s engaged and listens and he makes people feel good. This is why he usually connects deeply with a close circle of just a few people.
He is much happier finding one person and just sitting down and talking. Yet he reserves an “inner sanctum” where even intimates may not intrude. Perhaps the term otrovert could easily apply to other personality traits. Maybe it’s just another word for “nonconformist” or “maverick.” It’s true there aren’t enough studies done about this term that
unit on February 9, one year after the ECA administration was transferred to the NCSC. The NCSC reaffirmed that no indigenous senior citizen is to be forgotten, regardless of generation, in its list. PNA
people should be running to adopt it. Time will tell if this new personality category sticks, but for now, it may help people understand themselves better.
Personally, after reading Dr. Kaminski’s description of an otrovert, I felt a sense of relief. By giving a name to something that has troubled me for some time now, I’ve moved to a deeper level of self-acceptance. That’s why I’m glad my wife called me out for my being too independent, preferring to enjoy my free time all by lonesome myself. By openly discussing our differences, we can better understand each other and strengthen our bond as we navigate life’s final journey together. She is striving to be less jealous of my solo time. I now make sure to have more just-the-two-ofus time.
What gives me consolation is that according to Dr. Kaminski, otroverts can be great partners. They are really warm, compassionate, loving, and connect deeply with their precious loved ones, albeit not too expressive and demonstrative of their affection.
Dr. Kaminski wants people to know that there’s nothing wrong with being an otrovert. It’s just different, like a left-handed person in a right-handed world. So, let’s recognize otroverts and accept them. Consider Frida Kahlo, Albert Einstein, Vincent van Gogh — all are now suspected of being otroverts. We need otroverts for they help enrich our world. You can accomplish so many things when you are a little outside the box as “perpetual outsider.”
CHILDREN beneficiaries pose with DOH Ilocos Region officials.
FOUR Aeta centenarians receive their P100,000 cash gift under the Expanded Centenarians Act during a ceremony at the Capas Events Center in Capas, Tarlac on February 11, 2026. The National Commission of Senior Citizens also handed over felicitation letters from
ACKERY has officially entered the Philippine market, partnering with local gadget retailer Techroom. Jackery, called the “Apple of solar geneators,” is known for its portable solar generators and portable power stations. Jackery, founded in California in 2012 by a former Apple senior battery engineer, focuses on portable power solutions. The company is known for its Explorer series of power stations and SolarSaga solar panels designed for travel, emergency backup, and outdoor use.
Jackery’s name is a nod to its roots: “Jacket” and “Battery.”
“Jackery is a well-loved brand globally, and now that it is here in the Philippines, we envision it to be the ultimate partner for Filipinos, whether they are working from home, running a business, or exploring the outdoors,” said Igue Bonifacio, Marketing and Emerging Businesses head of Cognetics Inc.“We are excited to roll out our plans to bring Jackery to more areas as we expand regionally this February, bringing dependable power closer to every Filipino home.”
As it debuts in the Philippines, Jackery said hopes to provide “Life Uninterrupted for Filipinos.”
From the ultra-portable Explorer series to high-capacity SolarSaga panels, Jackery offers a silent, emission-free and sleek solution vs. traditional, noisy gas generators. Jackery’s
By Patrick Villanueva
PLANNING on getting YouTube TV, but you don’t need all of the channels? Then worry not because YouTube TV will be launching soon four new plans, all catered to your specific needs. Much like how people consume content on YouTube, not everyone is a fan of something.
By Rizal Raoul Reyes
AUSTIN, Texas-based global identity governance leader Sailpoint urged Philippine organizations to adopt identity security as a foundational component of its cybersecurity strategy due to several critical factors reshaping its digital and economic landscape.
“Traditional perimeter-based security is no longer sufficient as Philippine businesses shift to cloudbased operations and mobile-first services. In this environment, identity security becomes the core control plane, where every digital identity, device, and application must be continuously verified,” said Eric Kong, GVP, ASEAN, SailPoint, in an email interview with B usiness M irror
The “identity-first” model is essential for implementing Zero Trust, which is now an operational standard for preventing unauthorized lateral movement during a breach.
Kong said the adoption of identity security in the Philippines is necessary as the country continues to face an increase in cyberattacks, recording over 52 million exposed credentials in just three months as cyber attacks surged 49 percent during the third
minimalist aesthetics will also fit any modern space, powered by EV-grade LiFePO4 batteries and a sophisticated Battery Management System for ultimate safety.
Jackery has sold over 3 million units worldwide and earned more than 100 prestigious design awards. The Explorer 100 Plus is now officially available on Techroom’s Shopee and Lazada pages, where shoppers can grab exclusive discount vouchers. The Explorer 100 Plus, which fits on the palm of your hand, has three ports. There are two USB-C and one USB-A. The USB-C ports can pump out an impressive 128 watts. This means you could charge a laptop or fast-charge a phone if your gadgets are compatible. The USB-A port can handle only an 18-watt output, but you can use all three ports to charge devices at a maximum of 128 watts.
The 99-watt-hour capacity translates to about 31,000 mAh, or about six full charges of a phone. It’s a good travel charger especially for long haul flights or long road trips because it falls just below the maximum battery capacity that you can take with you on a flight without approval in most places. If you are without access to power, you can use Jackery’s SolarSaga solar panel to charge the power station in about two hours. The Explorer 100 Plus is available on Shopee and Lazada (Techroom) for P8,399. Meanwhile, the Jackery SolarSaga 100 has been called one of the best solar panels for power stations. This 100-watt solar panel converts energy from the sun better than others. The Jackery SolarSaga 100 charges rapidly both in direct and indirect sunlight.
Jackery said its Solar Saga solar panels achieve 23.7 percent efficiency. It also folds up into a 9.1lb unit with a handle and zippered pocket to hold cables. Unfolded, it stretches to 48 inches x 21-inches, and has built-in kickstands. Also built-in is a charger with USB Type-A and USB-C ports, plus a permanent 3-foot DC 8mm output cable for connecting to a power station.
At CES 2026, Jackery won a number of awards
Others only watch vlogs, while others only get their updates on sports and news on the platform. And TV is no different. With an abundance of channels, it is impossible to keep track of and watch them all. After all, you may be only getting YouTube TV to watch reality shows like the Real Housewives, without having the need to watch the NFL.
If so, then their latest plans should excite you, because YouTube TV added four options that will only keep what matters to you the most for a lower price than its main service.
Sports Plan will give users access to all major broadcasters and sports networks. From FS1, NBC Sports Network, and even ESPN, you will be enjoying this on your new plan for only $64.99/ month, or $54.99/month for new users.
Sports + News Plan, on the other hand, will give you all of the Sports Plan, alongside national news networks like CNBC, Fox News, MS Now, CNN, in addition to CSPAN, Bloomberg, and Fox Business.
quarter of 2025. In 2026, as cybercriminals use AI to create highly convincing deepfakes and automated phishing campaigns, proactive identity security is the only way forward to protect organizations.
Furthermore, with the Philippine government’s National Cybersecurity Plan (2023-2028) and the Bagong Pilipinas agenda under the BBM administration emphasizing digital and economic transformation, and the Data Privacy Act of 2012 requiring regulatory scrutiny, Kong said identity security has become more critical to minimize data breaches, and enable organizations to be compliant, audit-ready and support the Philippines’ continued economic growth.
Kong said SailPoint believes the only way forward to achieve robust security is through a new way of thinking about security—what it calls an adaptive identity model. “Adaptive identity is about securing enterprises efficiently and effectively in a dynamic world. It is an evolution of identity security designed for the realities of AI, where identity management continuously learns, decides, and acts across every human, machine, and AI interaction,” he said.
Unlike traditional static controls, Kong said adaptive identity uses real-time authorization to evaluate access
for the outstanding features of its products. The Solar Mars Bot earned a place on PCWorld’s Best of CES 2026 list and a Best of CES nomination from CNET and Consumer Technology. The Explorer 1500 Ultra was named a BestReviews Genius Product of CES 2026, recognized for rugged performance and everyday reliability. The SolarSaga Barrel Tile (The Jackery Solar Roof) received a CES Innovation Awards Honoree distinction for integrating high-efficiency solar generation directly into architectural roof design.
plans to launch
Priced at $71.99/month, or $56.99/month for new users. Their Entertainment Plan will bring you to their major broadcasters and content. Channels like Comedy Central, Bravo, Paramount, Food Network, HGTV, and many more will be available for only $54.99/month, or $44.99/month for new users.
Lastly, News + Entertainment + Family Plan will bundle your news and entertainment, making available family-friendly channels like Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, Cartoon Network, PBS Kids, and more for only $69.99/month, or $59.99/month for new users.
Of course, if you decide to purchase their main offering, it will be priced at $82.99/ month, or $59.99/ month for new users. Compatible devices include Smart TVs, phone or tablet, game console, or at tv.youtube.com. Make your viewing experience worthwhile and get the plan that you want by visiting https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/.
requests based on dynamic signals like location, device health, and behaviour. If a user’s credentials are stolen, the system can instantly revoke or escalate privileges based on these anomalies. He pointed out that adaptive identity helps organizations lead with confidence, innovation, and trust by governing AI agents, reducing standing privilege, and providing visibility into relationships between human and non-human identities. It is the way forward that will define the next era of enterprise security: security that moves as fast as the enterprise it protects.
He said Sailpoint is optimistic that adaptive identity will be a cornerstone of business security in the Philippines as organizations shift from static, compliance-focused models to real-time, risk-based access. Furthermore, Sailpoint’s adaptive identity unifies identity, data and security to continuously evaluate and govern every identity, embedding governance directly into the flow of work.
According to SailPoint’s Horizons of Identity Security Report, identity security delivers the highest ROI of any security investment, consistently outpacing endpoint, network and compliance tools—helping enterprises cut costs, reduce risk, and accelerate growth.
Discord draws ire over latest agerestriction policy
WITH the ongoing issues for online security among children, especially sexual exploitation and inappropriate content in the internet, instant messaging app Discord will now assume new users are ‘teen-by-default’ and therefore will have content restricted and age-appropriate.
“As part of this update, all new and existing users worldwide will have a teen-appropriate experience by default, with updated communication settings, restricted access to age-gated spaces, and content filtering that preserves the privacy and meaningful connections that define Discord,” the press statement reads.
In doing so, however, this forces new adult users to verify their age via the app, either by going through a facial age estimation or submitting a form of identification. This has irked the Discord community as they worry about where their data is being used and possible data breaches. And users have reason to be concerned about data breaches, especially when it was only a few months ago that Discord experienced a security incident that impacted approximately 70,000 of its users who had their IDs compromised by one of the app’s third-party customer service providers.
“Imagine having a data breach and losing 70,000 government ID’s to hackers and they turn around and say. ‘Okay, now for the rest of our users,’” an angry user commented on Reddit. Another lamented, “It was all ready breached and 70 thousand IDs stolen. They can’t be trusted with the information to keep it out of the hands of hackers.”
Others alleged enshittification (the act of providing bad service so users will be forced to buy its subscription model or other options) of the platform to draw more money from its users, after its announcement that the platform will be going public.
The outrage from the internet made Discord clarify their decision, claiming that they do not require “everyone” to go through the face scan or upload their ID. Additionally, they also claimed that the majority of users can still use Discord as is without being asked to verify their age.
“For the majority of adult users, we will be able to confirm your age group using information we already have. We use age prediction to determine, with high confidence, when a user is an adult,” their press statement reads.
As for the safety of data, they highlighted that neither Discord nor their vendor partners will receive the facial scan of the user, and IDs are only used to get the age. Moreso, Discord will only get the age and will not associate the ID with your account. Their latest statement has yet to gain the confidence of its users. After all, talks about switching to other messaging platforms may be faster than the platform getting their trust back.
PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN WIEDIGER ON UNSPLASH
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite review: Nothing gets lighter
HEN Carl Pei launched the brand
WNothing, the pitch was simple: make technology interesting again. Transparent backs, exposed screws, and the now-iconic Glyph Interface turned smartphones into something instantly recognizable in a market crowded with lookalike slabs. The brand built its reputation around design first—proving that personality could matter just as much as performance.
I’ve always enjoyed watching Pei’s YouTube videos—whether he’s reacting to reviews of Nothing devices or building “dream phones” inspired by popular creators. There’s a refreshing honesty in how he highlights a product’s strengths while openly acknowledging its compromises. That kind of transparency helped shape Nothing’s early appeal: bold design choices, clear positioning, and a willingness to let the product speak for itself.
This week, it’s our turn to review the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite. Carrying a ₱15,490 price tag, it steps into one of the most fiercely contested price tiers in the Philippine smartphone market. This is the range where students move beyond entry-level devices, young professionals upgrade to something more capable, and everyday users look for a phone that delivers the most features without crossing into flagship territory.
Nothing enters this competitive space with a device that carries its familiar design DNA—but in a lighter form. On paper, the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite feels like a natural extension of the brand’s philosophy: minimalist aesthetics, clean software, and a distinct visual language that has helped Nothing stand apart from the crowd. Yet in a segment where rivals often push aggressive camera setups, bigger batteries, or feature-heavy experiences, the question isn’t whether the Phone (3a) Lite works—it clearly does—but whether this streamlined interpretation still feels distinctly like Nothing, and whether a Lite version was even necessary in the first place.
DESIGN: SAME DNA, SIMPLIFIED LIGHTS
THERE’S no mistaking the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite for anything else. The transparent back panel, exposed screws, and industrial layout remain intact, giving the phone a distinctive identity in a market dominated by glossy finishes and oversized camera islands. Even the seemingly random camera cutouts feel deliberate, reinforcing the brand’s mechanical, tech-forward aesthetic.
However, longtime Nothing fans will notice the biggest change immediately. The Glyph lighting
system—once a defining visual signature—has been reduced to a single LED dot which isn’t even noticeable. It still supports notification alerts and Flip to Glyph functionality, but the dramatic personality of earlier Nothing devices feels dialed back. The phone still looks like part of the family, but one of its most expressive elements has been simplified. Build quality leans toward practicality. At 199 grams and 8.3mm thick, the device feels solid without becoming cumbersome. Panda Glass protection on the front and the flat frame contribute to a clean profile, while the in-screen fingerprint sensor blends seamlessly into the minimalist design language.
I do want to point out the placement of the Essential Key. Positioned just below the power button, it has become a trademark and serves several functions like a shortcut for screenshots, voice notes, and saved ideas. In theory, it’s a clever addition. In practice, its proximity to the power button can feel confusing. Even after spending time with the phone, accidental presses still happened occasionally, which can be frustrating when you simply want to lock the screen.
DISPLAY AND AUDIO: BRIGHT AND FLUID
THE 6.77-inch flexible AMOLED display stands out as one of the phone’s strongest features. With a resolution of 1084 x 2392, adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness reaching 3000 nits, the panel delivers visuals that feel closer to highertier devices than its price suggests. Colors appear lively without becoming exaggerated, and the high contrast ratio typical of AMOLED technology adds depth to photos and videos.
Outdoor visibility benefits from a 1300-nit brightness level, keeping content readable even under bright conditions. The 1000Hz touch sampling rate contributes to smooth scrolling and responsive interactions, whether navigating social media or multitasking between apps.
Audio reflects the Lite positioning more clearly. The single bottom-firing loudspeaker can reach relatively high volume, but the quality remains modest. There isn’t much separation between mids and highs, and bass presence is limited, which is expected from a mono setup. For casual viewing or calls, it does the job, but users who prioritize immersive sound will likely rely on earphones or an external speaker.
CAMERAS: CAPABLE BUT SELECTIVE
PHOTOGRAPHY revolves around a 50MP main camera paired with an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro lens. The main sensor, measuring roughly 1/1.57 inches with an f/1.88 aperture, handles a variety of scenarios reasonably well. Images often come out vibrant and contrast-heavy, aligning with Nothing’s preference for visually punchy results.
That said, the camera system feels uneven. The ultra-wide lens struggles to maintain consistency with the main camera, especially in low-light environments where detail drops and colors shift. The macro lens, while present, rarely adds meaningful value, as close-up shots from the main camera often produce better results.
At times, the main camera can feel slightly slow
to respond, and overexposure occasionally appears when preserving shadow detail. Moving subjects may look softer than expected, and the absence of a dedicated telephoto lens makes the 2x zoom feel more like a crop than a true optical step forward. A more focused approach—perhaps relying solely on a strong primary sensor—might have aligned better with Nothing’s design and purpose-led philosophy.
Video recording reaches 4K at 30fps with electronic stabilization helping smooth handheld footage. The 16MP front-facing camera performs reliably for selfies and video calls, delivering consistent results without trying to overreach.
One small detail that irks me is the camera watermark. Instead of branding the shot with the device name, it displays a series of numbers indicating date and settings. It’s a curious design choice that feels more technical than stylistic, and it may not appeal to users who prefer a cleaner signature. Hopefully an update would allow you to personalize this.
PERFORMANCE, RAM, AND STORAGE
POWERING the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G built on a 4nm process. Paired with 8GB of RAM, it handles daily tasks like messaging, browsing and streaming comfortably. App switching remains smooth thanks to Nothing’s software optimization, though heavier gaming pushes the device toward lower graphics settings.
Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 256GB, with expandable capacity supported up to 2TB—a feature becoming increasingly rare in this price range. The flexibility allows users to store photos, videos, and offline content without immediately relying on cloud storage.
The 5,000mAh battery complements the efficient chipset, offering enough endurance for a full day of regular use. Charging speeds reach 33W wired, enabling a quick 50% refill in around 20 minutes and a full charge in roughly an hour. Reverse wired charging adds a practical touch for powering accessories when needed.
SOFTWARE: A DISTINCT IDENTITY
NOTHING OS 3.5, powered by Android 15, remains the defining element of the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite. The retro pixel-inspired interface feels cohesive, with smooth animations and a curated selection of widgets that give the software a personality distinct from more generic Android skins.
Customization plays a significant role here, from monochrome icons to layout adjustments that emphasize clarity. The Essential Space feature, triggered through the Essential Key, acts as a hub for saving ideas, screenshots, and voice notes. Whether it becomes an everyday tool depends on the user, but it shows Nothing’s effort to rethink digital organization.
Software support includes three years of Android updates and six years of security patches— respectable longevity for a device in this category.
Connectivity remains modern with Gigabit 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC. It also has a modest IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance—which again could’ve been better.
Infinix unveils XPAD Edge, first 13.2-inch PC-level tablet
MAJOR tech company Infinix (https://ph.infinixmobility.
com/) has launched its first 13.2-inch ultra-slim productivity tablet, the Infinix XPAD Edge. Featuring a 13.2-inch FHD+ (Full High Definition Plus) display, a sleek 6.19 mm metallic body, and a lightweight 588g design, XPAD Edge delivers the ideal balance of mobility and performance. With all-scenario 4G connectivity, the tablet redefines mobile productivity for modern creators, professionals, and learners. Its detachable keyboard with touchpad transforms it into a true PC-level device, delivering a seamless workplace productivity experience, while combining cutting-edge technology and accessibility to give users greater freedom and efficiency everywhere. Designed for today’s dynamic hybrid workforce, XPAD Edge enables users to work and learn efficiently anywhere. Measuring only 6.19mm thin and weighing 588g, it slips easily into a backpack or briefcase. Its 8000 mAh battery and all-scenario 4G connectivity provide lasting power and reliable access whether in a café, during travel, or at a remote worksite.
Furthermore, the expansive 13.2-inch 3:2 aspectratio display mirrors the proportions of a traditional PC screen, offering a broad workspace for documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. With rich color
reproduction and optimized contrast, every detail appears vivid and clear. Certified by TÜV Rheinland for low blue light and flicker-free performance, the XPAD Edge display filters up to 70 percent of harmful shortwave blue light and addresses the often-overlooked issue of screen flicker—helping to reduce eye fatigue during long working hours. Inspired by the colors and light of the cosmos, the XPAD Edge is presented in the “Celestial Ink” colorway, refined metallic finish combining deep hues with a matte texture, blending technology with elegance in a minimalist design that suits both professional and personal settings.
Building on its ultra-slim design, XPAD Edge transforms mobile work into a truly PC-level experience. Designed as a versatile productivity hub, it brings together portability and power for efficient hybrid work and learning. Pre-installed WPS Office and an optimized task interface allow users to edit documents, manage files, and collaborate with ease. Whether preparing presentations, reviewing reports, or managing creative projects, XPAD Edge delivers a fast, intuitive, and professional workflow in every environment.
Final word: Starting at ₱15,490 (8GB + 128GB), the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite enters a savage market segment filled with devices competing via specs, features and even gimmicks. Nothing takes a different route, leaning into design cohesion and software identity as its main strengths. The result is a phone that feels visually distinct, even if some of the brand’s signature elements have been simplified.
Having reviewed several Nothing devices before this, the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite feels less like a bold move but a rather a carefully streamlined entry point into the brand’s ecosystem.
It offers newcomers a glimpse of Nothing’s philosophy without demanding flagship pricing— proof that even in a lighter form, identity still carries weight in a crowded market.
XPAD Edge supports split-screen, Parallel Windows, and multi-task drag-and-drop operations, maximizing the 13.2-inch large display for parallel applications. Within a single interface, users can browse data, take notes, and edit webpages effortlessly. For external productivity, XPAD Edge supports Wireless Second Screen for PC, enabling content mirroring or extension for meetings, design work, or entertainment. Users can also connect keyboards, mice, and other peripherals for a smooth, desktop-like experience that enhances both comfort and control.
In addition, XPAD Edge pairs seamlessly with the X Keyboard 20 to provide a flexible and natural writing experience. The magnetic keyboard and stylus combine precision with comfort, allowing users to take notes, sketch, or edit content with accuracy.
Each XPAD Edge undergoes 45 rigorous quality tests to ensure durability and reliability. Its lightweight design transitions easily between work, study, and play. Whether on the road, in a café, or outdoors, XPAD Edge empowers users to stay connected, productive and inspired wherever they go. The Infinix XPAD Edge is now available, retailing at P15,999 on
or
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UNICEF calls EDCOM 2 report ‘critical guide’ for reforms, urges action to address learning crisis
Evidence underscores need to prioritize early childhood development, literacy & accountable education systems
UNICEF Philippines has commended the release of the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s (EDCOM 2) Final Report, calling it a “critical guide” on reforms required to ensure quality education for all children.
The report, Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reforms (20262035), which is a culmination of three years of rigorous national assessment, presents a comprehensive diagnosis of bottlenecks in service delivery, governance, teacher support, and system accountability that have contributed to the persistent learning crisis among children in the Philippines.
Many of the report’s priority recommendations reflect mounting evidence from the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics 2024 study, which showed that while learners in the Philippines demonstrated modest improvements
since 2019, only a small share have reached higher proficiency levels in reading, writing, and mathematics.
“UNICEF is proud to have supported EDCOM 2 over the past three years in uncovering bottlenecks and identifying opportunities to end the learning crisis and provide children in the Philippines quality education,” UNICEF Philippines Representative Kyungsun Kim said. “Our work does not end here. [We] will continue to stand with the Philippine government to help ensure that reforms are effective, inclusive, and truly delivered for all learners.”
Writer says STEM, liberal arts & history must be taught together
WHILE there is a huge drive for the country to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), a civil society leader and writer recently pointed out that the said subjects, as well as liberal arts and history, must be taught simultaneously.
Renato Redentor Constantino—writer and managing director of the Constantino Foundation— pointed out in a recent forum that separating the two subject areas is a false dichotomy.
For Constantino, the future of progress doesn’t lie in choosing between a microscope and a manuscript, but in wielding both at the same time.
While STEM fields provide the “hows” of innovation, he emphasized that the liberal arts and history provide the “why.”
According to the writer, teaching these disciplines in tandem— rather than as isolated silos—is essential to develop better discernment in a digital age. Although technical proficiency can build a powerful algorithm, he stressed it takes a grounded understanding of history, ethics, and sociology to discern whether that algorithm reinforces bias or protects privacy. Without the critical inquiry fostered by philosophy and literature, Constantino warned that students would risk becoming highly efficient “cogs” within a machine they don't fully understand.
Empowering teachers
IN the Pandesal Forum that honored the 150th birth anniversary of Pampanga labor leader Don Pedro Abad Santos, the writer said the country’s teachers will be more empowered by providing them fair wages to compensate for their worthwhile efforts in educating the youth.
The grandson of nationalist historian Renato Constantino is a vocal proponent for higher salaries for teachers, viewing it not just as a labor issue, but as a prerequisite for national development.
The younger Constantino said the country cannot build a sophisticated, interdisciplinary curriculum on the backs of an underpaid workforce. Moreover, he thinks that the country cannot expect a “renaissance” in the local class -
UNICEF also welcomes the alignment of the newly launched National Education Plan (NatPlan) 2026–2035 with evidence-based priorities focusing on early childhood development, foundational literacy and numeracy, inclusive learning, and strengthened resource allocation.
Reforms grounded in data THE final report identifies in -
rooms if its best educators are forced to seek better-paying roles abroad or in call centers.
If the country values the "stronger discernment" of its youth, the writer said the country must also hold in high regard the “architects” of such.
By merging the technical rigor of STEM with the reflective depth of the Liberal Arts—and by paying the country’s teachers a wage that reflects their role as the curators of the country’s collective future, Constantino said the country will create a generation that isn't just “job-ready,” but “future-ready.”
“For too long, education has been split into the ‘technical’ and the ‘creative,’” he argued. “Teaching these simultaneously is the only way to cultivate discernment.”
Thinkers—not just practitioners “IN a world of deepfakes and algorithmic bias, a student who can code but cannot deconstruct a historical narrative is a student at risk,” the writer said. “By [unifying] humanities into the technical sciences, we ensure that the next generation of Filipino engineers and scientists are not just practitioners, but thinkers.”
He emphasized that integrating humanities and history in the curriculum comes at a time when governance issues and corruption concerns remain prevalent: “The absence of a sound teaching of history and liberal arts has resulted in the lack of critical thinking among Filipinos, and high degree of ignorance on the real development of Philippine history.”
Last January 31, the forum honored the 150th birth anniversary of a profound but often unsung figure in Philippine history: Pedro “Don Perico” Abad Santos—social reform advocate, anti-colonial revolutionary, and founder of the Socialist Party of the Philippines in 1932.
He was the eldest brother of World War II martyr Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos and brother-inlaw to the young Kapampangan anti-colonial revolutionary patriot Capt. Isabelo “Bikong” del Rosario, who at only 22 gave his life for Philippine sovereignty during the Philippine-American War. Rizal Raoul S. Reyes
creased investments in early childhood nutrition as one of its top priorities, citing the data from Expanded National Nutrition Survey by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute which shows that nearly 24 percent of children under 5 years old in the country are stunted. Prevalence of stunting in the Bangsamoro Region in this cohort is at 34 percent—significantly
higher than the national average.
UNICEF has long underscored the prioritization of children’s health and nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life, when the brain undergoes key developments. Kim said: “The report reinforces the truth we cannot ignore: the learning crisis begins long before a child enters school. If we invest in this critical 1,000-day window, we give them a firm foundation to learn the skills they need for life.”
She added that Filipino children “deserve nothing less than a future where their potential is maximized by quality education and not limited by circumstances.” The findings reinforce the need to focus resources on early childhood, where interventions are most cost - effective. UNICEF’s earlier calls emphasizing on strengthening the first 1,000 days, expanding access to quality early childhood care and development, as well as ensuring functional literacy before Grade 3 have been integrated in the national plan.
Decisive moment to end crisis
THE 10-year plan adopts key priorities needed to break the national learning crisis.
These include a strong foundation in early childhood development, with commitments to expand and build capacity of child development centres; strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy, ensuring early learners achieve functional proficiency essential for lifelong learning; inclusive and equitable learning environments to reach more learners, regardless of their circumstances; and improved resource allocation, guided by evidence and accompanied by stronger governance and accountability mechanisms.
The state budget of P1.3 trillion ($23 billion) for education in 2026 is deemed the highest for education in the country’s history, and is equivalent to 4.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, which falls within the United Nations benchmark of 4 percent to 6 percent.
PHL Embassy holds student-leaders immersion program
THE Philippine Embassy in Riyadh organized the “Third Student Leaders Immersion Program: A Day in the Life of a Diplomat” which brought together 18 student leaders from Philippine Schools Overseas in Riyadh and the Eastern Province.
This network includes the Al Danah International School, Al Majd International School, Al Taj International School, Elite International School, Future Generation International School, International Philippine School in Al Khobar, International Philippine School in Riyadh, Palm Crest International School, and Second Philippine International School.
The program’s primary focus was to enhance participants' understanding of diplomacy, encourage meaningful dialogue, and foster leadership skills relevant to today’s global environment.
The program was held in both the embassy’s chancery and the Ambassador’s Residence, which provided students with a unique opportunity
THE transition from a scholar to a legal professional is rarely a straight path; more often, it is a test of endurance.
For Atty. Jermagne A. Ceria, passing the 2025 Bar exam was not just a personal milestone, but the culmination of a decade-long journey fueled by an unwavering spirit and the steadfast support of SM Foundation.
His story began in Cauayan City in the province of Isabela, where life took a challenging turn during his first year of high school after his parents’ separation. Raised by a single mother who worked as a public school teacher, he and his five siblings learned early on that education was their most reliable path forward.
The turning point came when he was awarded an SM Scholarship, which allowed him to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy at University of Perpetual Help LagunaIsabela. Having graduated in 2018, Atty. Ceria did more than just earn a degree; he gained the momentum to transform his family’s future.
Today, he is the one paying that gift forward by supporting his younger siblings as they finish their own schooling.
Global accountant-turned-lawyer BEFORE entering the legal profession, the lawyer was a rising star in finance. He began as a treasury as -
to learn about the essential functions of the embassy and the collaborative efforts required among its personnel to serve the Filipino community effectively.
Students actively engaged in discussions led by experienced embassy officials. They discussed political affairs, which explore countries’ interactions with one another; national security, which pertains to the protection of the state and its citizens; economics and trade, particularly international commerce and its impact
sociate in Cauayan, then became a treasury supervisor.
His expertise eventually crossed borders as he served as an Accounting team leader for a firm in New Jersey, USA and as a staff accountant for a company in California. His most recent role before the Bar was as a finance associate for a cloud-computing company based in Texas.
The shift to law was an unexpected pivot. When his initial plan to pursue a Master's degree was sidelined because the program was no longer available on campus, he turned his attention to the College of Law. “Perhaps you could say that my
on both local and global scales; and public and cultural diplomacy, which cover nations’ engagements through cultural exchange and shared values.
Additionally, the sessions addressed consular services and assistance to nationals, which detailed the embassy’s support for Filipinos abroad, as well as administrative functions that support its daily operations.
The students participated in a guided tour of the embassy offices that enriched their experiences and
friends inspired me to pursue my law degree,” Atty. Ceria shared, as he recalled several fellow SM Scholar alumni already excelling in their third year of law school at the time. Their progress gave him the confidence to believe that a legal career was a reachable reality.
Excellence during graveyard LAW school is demanding, but Atty.
Ceria took it on while working fulltime on a graveyard shift for four years. Despite the grueling schedule, he graduated as the Isabela State University College of Law-Class of 2025’s valedictorian.
“In those four years, I was also in a graveyard shift,” he shared. Asked how he was able to manage, he emphasized the importance of a strict system: “You have to learn… to prioritize what’s important…this means preparing all your books and codals, printing all your case laws, and outlining your schedule. You must have the discipline to stick to your plan and study schedule.”
He also highlighted a crucial, often overlooked aspect of success: “Strategizing when to take a break is just as important. You need to rest as much as you need to study.”
Grit, tenacity, faith
REFLECTING on his journey, the new attorney credits the positives learned
gave them practical insights into the routine work of diplomats and the various offices within.
Ambassador Raymond R. Balatbat addressed the student leaders, as he asked them to reflect critically on the significant roles they can play in shaping a brighter future for Filipinos across the globe. He emphasized that true leadership encompasses more than just influence; it involves a strong sense of responsibility and a commitment to serving others. Balatbat urged each student to embrace their confidence, develop their vital strengths, and strive continuously to become the best versions of themselves.
Looking ahead, the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia is dedicated to continuing the initiative, promoting education, leadership development, and cultural awareness. This commitment, it said, ensures that young Filipinos living in the kingdom remain connected to their rich heritage while preparing for impactful contributions to society in the future.
as an SM Scholar for his success.
“The value of persistence that I learned as an SM Scholar really helped me in my law studies,” Atty. Ceria said. “If you have a dream, sacrifice a thing or two to achieve it. My grit and tenacity led me here—that neversay-die attitude, a fighting spirit, and a refusal to accept defeat.” He gratefully noted the program’s impact on his family: “SM opened a lot of opportunities and pivoted me to where I am today. I was able to help my mother with finances, and [now I] am sending my siblings to school.” Atty. Ceria now looks forward to a legal career where he can apply his finance background and his hard-won legal expertise to serve others. His story also remains a beacon of hope for every student dreaming of a better tomorrow.
Graduating senior high school students with the same drive and determination to excel have the opportunity to change their lives, as the SM College Scholarship Program is currently accepting online applications from February 1 to 28, 2026. Aspirants are encouraged to visit the official SM Foundation website to complete their application and begin their own journey toward excellence. For more inspiring stories and program updates, follow @SMFoundationInc on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
Editor: Mike Policarpio
AMBASSADOR Raymond Balatbat (front row, center) with Philippine Embassy officials and student-leader participants PE RIYADH
SM scholar and 2025 Bar passer Atty.
THE latest EDCOM 2 report has disclosed the needed reforms to ensure Filipino children receive quality education. UNICEF PHILIPPINES
Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan
BLISSFUL BHUTAN, PART 3
High atop the iconic Tiger’s Nest monastery
Photos by Charo Logarta
‘THERE’S nothing in Bhutan except this,” said Lotey, my tour guide from 7days travel, arms sweeping across a majestic view of mountains, green valleys and temples. Indeed, the tiny kingdom in the Himalayas (territory also coveted by China), relies heavily on tourism for foreign exchange and revenues.
Bhutan is one of the few places in the world where lush greenery is protected by Constitutional mandate. Tourists come to unplug and find calm in deeply-rooted Buddhist tradition and practices.
While they aren’t coming in droves, Bhutan posted a 44% growth in tourist arrivals in 2025—despite the hefty USD100 per day, per tourist fee. Bhutan also boasts of several luxury properties such as Amankora and Six Senses.
The “high value, low impact” tourism policy of Bhutan has helped spur economic development, especially in rural areas. Tourist revenues generate jobs and provide education and other social services. There are no beaches, no flashy attractions, no swanky hotel-resorts, casinos or malls. Just pristine nature and Bhutanese heritage shared with every visitor.
A point to ponder when contrasted with how the tourism industry in the Philippines is faring. But that’s another story.
Ascending Paro Taktsang
WE come the most interesting part of every Bhutan trip—visiting the iconic Tiger’s Nest Monastery.
Perched on a sheer cliff about 10,000 feet above sea level, Tiger’s Nest is the most iconic image of Bhutan and its holiest site. Built in the 1600s, the monastery and temples were built over meditation caves that traces use since the 9th century. Legend says Guru Rinpoche flew to this cliff from Tibet on the back of a tigress, subduing the demons and evil spirits that dwelled in the cliffside cave and spreading peace and Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan. There are options on how one can see Tiger’s Nest. First is at “ground level,” about 3,000 feet below in Paro valley and totally reachable by
vehicles; and second, is from a teahouse halfway to the monastery, reachable by hiking or on the back of a donkey. I decided to climb Tiger’s Nest. It is not for everyone, however. The guides will assess if you can even make it to the teahouse—because that halfway-mark hike involves crossing rugged terrain and thinner oxygen levels at about 5,000 feet above sea level. You also need at least a day to get used to the altitude and acclimatize. Tourists are not allowed to just show up and hike—guides are mandatory.
The day I chose to climb the Tiger’s Nest was a very auspicious day for Buddhists. We started at about 7:00 am. The sun was shining and a gentle breeze blowing as Lotey and I made tra -
CEBU’S SEASIDE ESCAPE
THERE are travels you overthink, and then there are those that just require you to show up, ready to hand you exactly what you need.
Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan Island is one of those places. It has long ranked high among vacationers, prized for its white-sand beaches, luxury seaside retreats, and a marine playground that begins just offshore. Add to that the convenience of being only minutes from an international airport. It was the perfect setting for how I wanted my first vacation of the year to be: hours of lounging, good food within reach, and refreshing dips in clear, inviting water.
I stayed at Tambuli Seaside Resort and Spa, a beachfront retreat located along Buyong Road in Maribago, offering serviced-apartment accommodations alongside resort-style amenities.
Over three days, I became a different version of myself—up with the sun, moving slowly, soaking it all in.
This was my second visit. The first had been for work, yet from the moment I arrived, the resort’s open spaces and abundant greenery made it feel more like a vacation than a business trip. Anyone who has been to Tambuli knows how deeply the resort respects nature. Rather than overshadowing it, the property lets it take center stage. Trees rise in the lobby, thickets line the walkways, and everywhere you look, the boundaries between indoors and out blur. I learned that
versed pine forests and a steep, inclined trail. I had to stop every 20 minutes to literally catch my breath, taking small sips of water.
While hikers can reach the base of the monastery in about two hours, it took me almost four hours to reach the gates of Tiger’s Nest. En route, the rugged trail gets steeper, then leads to a paved portion with smaller temples and shrines.
And just when you see the Tiger’s Nest looming closer, the trail takes you higher, then descends to hundreds of steps (at least 400, but I lost count as oxygen levels got thinner) and then a couple hundred more steps going up.
But these steps have the best views of Tiger’s Nest.
One of the things I love about the resort is how it celebrates local culture, and it comes through in the food, with Cebu longganisa, puto maya, torta, and sikwate taking pride of place at the breakfast buffet spread of Café Hojas, one of its dining establishments. Afterward, I’d find a quiet spot to sit, dive into the book I’d brought along, play my summer playlist, and squeeze in a swim.
But while I loved my moments at the resort, I am a traveler who also wants to explore.
Off its shores lies the an island group, which was too tempting to pass up. I thought it might
The trail ends at a waterfall over a bridge, then the final 120 steps to reach the monastery’s main entrance.
No photos, no bags, no shoes
IT’S rare to find photos from inside the temples as this is strictly prohibited. All bags, phones, footwear and cameras are stored in lockers just past the main entrance.
The temples are connected by stairs carved into the cliff. Inside, monks were praying— their almost hypnotic chants lulling me into a relaxed state that I dozed off. The temples and chambers were lit by candles, with wooden structures carefully preserved by monks and devotees. There are
be challenging for a solo traveler, but Tambuli made island hopping effortless with a jetski that ferried me to Nalusuan, an island resort; Caohagan, where a local market sells fresh seafood for on-the-spot cooking; and Hilutungan, known for its marine sanctuary.
I also made time for the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu, a place I try never to miss. My city tour included several other landmarks, most of them new to me: the National Museum of the Philippines Cebu, housed in the historic Aduana building; Abaseria Deli and Café, a Bib Gourmand-recognized restaurant in the inaugural Michelin Guide Philippines 2026; and Atua Midtown along F. Manalo Street, a vibrant space blending art and culture.
But even when I went out, I made sure to return to the resort in time for the magic hour. It’s not exactly a sunset view, but the shifting light along the shore is enchanting, and at night, the trees and pathways glow softly, giving the resort a serene, almost magical atmosphere.
And the perfect way to cap a day at the resort is at its beachside dining establishments.
These venues are attractions in their own right. On the ground floor, Caverna—Spanish for “cavern”—features fluid, organic curves in stark white concrete and serves Mediterranean dishes, including woodfired pizzas. Upstairs, Tipsy Dog is a casual, open-air beach club offering cocktails and a relaxed tropical vibe.
There, I could wind down, savor a drink or a meal, and soak in the relaxing beachfront atmosphere. And appreciate life and the place that quietly makes it all possible.
barely any traces of modern civilization or conveniences in Tiger’s Nest. It’s a place intended for prayer, meditation and devotion.
Tea and biscuits
BACK at the main entrance, teenage devotees give hot tea and biscuits for free, explaining that it was part of their service for all who visit the monastery.
The descent was relatively easier and took just three hours. But I still needed rest stops to deal with altitude sickness.
Hot stone bath
AFTER over seven hours on foot, a hot bath was just the thing to soothe tired muscles. Known as Dotsho, the hot stone bath is a traditional wellness therapy where a wooden tub filled with fresh spring water is heated using river stones on an open fire. The heat releases minerals, which are believed to have therapeutic properties. Medicinal herbs, such as Artemisia, are often added to enhance healing benefits. Locals use hot herbal-infused baths to relieve ailments such as arthritis, hypertension, joint pain and stomach disorders.
Would I revisit Bhutan?
WHILE a significant portion of Bhutan’s tourist arrivals are from repeat visitors, a revisit for me is a nice-to-have, and a hike up Tiger’s Nest would be excluded. But just to step away from anything modern or rushed, going back to the Land of the Thunder Dragon will never be a bad idea.
Story & photos by Kelly Austria
BHUTANESE hot stone bath tubs at a local farmhouse. The spring water heat is controlled by hot stones over open fire in the outer end of each tub PHOTO COURTESY OF LOTEY KUENDEN
PARO Taktsang, or Tiger's Nest Monastery is perched on a cliff about 10,000 feet above sea level
THE author along the trail to Tiger's Nest
A10 Saturday, February 14, 2026
Editor: Angel R. Calso
Bangladesh Nationalist Party claims victory in country’s first election since 2024 uprising
By Sheikh Saaliq & Julhas Alam Associated Press
DHAKA, Bangladesh—The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has claimed victory in the country’s first election since the 2024 uprising, positioning itself to form the next government and potentially reshape Bangladesh’s political landscape after years of intense rivalry and disputed polls.
The party’s media unit said on X Friday it had secured enough seats in Parliament to govern on its own, though rival group Jamaate-Islami raised concerns over delayed results.
The final tally has not yet been announced by the Election Commission, but several local media outlets reported the BNP crossing the 151-seat threshold needed for a majority in the 350-member Parliament, which includes 50 reserved seats for women that are proportionately distributed among the winning parties.
The Election Commission said Friday the voter turnout in Thursday’s election stood at 59.44%.
More than 127 million voters were eligible, with almost half of them women and 5 million first-timers.
The BNP is headed by the 60-year-old Tarique Rahman, its prime ministerial candidate who returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in self-exile in
London. He is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died in December.
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary-general of the BNP, extended congratulations to the people of Bangladesh on the party’s electoral victory in a statement. Separately, Saleh Shibly, press secretary to Rahman, said the BNP leader called on his supporters to hold special prayers alongside the weekly Friday service and not to hold any celebratory rallies and processions.
US, India and Pakistan congratulate the BNP’s Rahman THE US Embassy in Dhaka congratulated Rahman and his party on the win, calling it a “historic victory.”
“The United States looks forward to working with you to achieve shared goals of prosperity and security for both our countries,” US Ambassador to
Bangladesh Brent T Christensen wrote on X.
Leaders from India and Pakistan also lauded the BNP leader.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted the win “reflects the confidence of the Bangladeshi people in your leadership.” He added that he looks forward to collaborating with him to deepen bilateral ties.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari said his country “remains committed to a strong democratic partnership and advancing shared progress.”
Historically, Bangladesh has enjoyed mixed relationships with the two regional powers, India and Pakistan.
India helped Bangladesh gain independence from its rival Pakistan through a bloody war in 1971. India had a warm relation with Bangladesh under previous Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following the 2024 protests and sent to exile in India.
Pakistan remained sidelined under Hasina, but that has been reversed under the interim administration led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party makes inroads
THE contest was largely a twoway race between the BNP and an 11-party alliance led by the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, a conservative religious party whose growing influence has fueled concern, particularly among women and minority communities.
Despite falling short of a majority, the alliance made a notable impact, securing at least 77 seats, according to local TV channels.
See “Bangladesh,” A12
Trans-Atlantic tensions in focus as Munich security gathering opens
MUNICH—An annual gathering of top international security figures that last year set the tone for a growing rift between the United States and Europe opens Friday, bringing together many top European officials with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others.
The Munich Security Conference opens with a speech by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, one of 15 heads of state or government from European Union countries whom organizers expect to attend.
The many other expected guests at the conference that runs until Sunday include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In keeping with the conference’s tradition, there will also be a large delegation of members of the US Congress.
“Trans-Atlantic relations have been the backbone of this conference since it was founded in 1963 ... and trans-Atlantic relations are currently in a significant crisis of confidence and credibility,” conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger told reporters earlier this week. “So it is particularly welcome that the American side has such great interest in Munich.”
At last year’s conference, held a few weeks into US President Donald Trump’s second term, Vice President JD Vance stunned European leaders by lecturing them about the state of democracy on the continent.
A series of Trump statements and moves targeting allies followed in the months after that—including, last month, his later-abandoned threat to impose new tariffs on several European countries in a bid to secure US control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.
With Rubio heading the US delegation this year, European leaders can hope for a less contentious approach more focused on traditional global security concerns, though a philosophically similar one. Rubio will face a heavy lift if he wants to calm the waters, however.
“In the end it’s about trust: do we trust each other as partners and can this lack of trust be repaired?” said Claudia Major, a senior vice president at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin. “Particularly Greenland has been a fundamental change for Europeans. That one NATO ally threatens another NATO ally has deeply affected European trust in the trans-Atlantic relationship.” AP
Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Tarique Rahman waves as he comes out after casting his vote during the national parliamentary elections in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. AP PHOTO/MAHMUD HOSSAIN
Thailand uses birth control vaccine to curb elephant population near expanding farms
By Jintamas Saksornchai
BThe Associated Press
ANGKOK—Thailand has begun using a birth control vaccine on elephants in the wild to try and curb a growing problem where human and animal populations encroach on each other—an issue in areas where farms spread into forests and elephants are squeezed out of their natural habitat.
The initiative is part of efforts to address confrontations that can turn deadly. As farmers cut down forests to make more farmland, elephants are forced to venture out of their shrinking habitats in search of food.
Last year, wild elephants killed 30 people and injured 29 in Thailand, according to official figures, which also noted more than 2,000 incidents of elephants damaging crops.
Sukhee Boonsang, director of the Wildlife Conservation Office, recently told The Associated Press that controlling the wild elephant population has become necessary as numbers of elephants living near residential areas rises sharply, increasing the risk of confrontations.
The office obtained 25 doses of a US-made vaccine and conducted a two-year trial on seven domesticated elephants—using up seven doses of the vaccine—which yielded promising results, he said. He explained the vaccine doesn’t stop female elephants from ovulating but prevents eggs from being fertilized.
Then, in late January, the vaccine was administered to three wild elephants in eastern Trat province, he said, adding that authorities are now determining which areas to target next as they prepare to use up the remaining 15 doses.
The vaccine can prevent pregnancy for seven years and the elephants will be able to reproduce again if they don’t receive a booster after that time expires. Experts will closely monitor the vaccinated elephants throughout
the seven-year period. The vaccination drive has drawn criticism that it might undermine conservation efforts. Thailand has a centuries-old tradition of using domesticated elephants in farming and transportation. Elephants are also a big part of Thailand’s national identity—and have been officially proclaimed a symbol of the nation.
Sukhee said the program targets only wild elephants in areas with the highest rates of violent humanelephant conflict. Official statistics show a birth rate of wild elephants in these regions at approximately 8.2% per year, more than double the national average of around 3.5%.
About 800 out of the nation’s approximately 4,400 wild elephants live in these conflict-prone areas, Sukhee said.
“If we don’t take action, the impact on people living in these areas will continue to grow until it becomes unmanageable,” he said.
In addition to the contraception vaccine, authorities have implemented other measures to reduce conflict, Sukhee said, such as creating additional water and food sources within the forests where elephants live, constructing protective fencing, and deploying rangers to guide elephants that stray into residential areas back into the wild.
A court-ordered operation earlier this month to remove wild elephants that have repeatedly clashed with locals in northeastern Khon Kaen province sparked a public outcry after one elephant died during the relocation process.
An initial autopsy revealed that the elephant died from choking after anesthesia was administered ahead of the move, officials said.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation carried out the relocation effort, and its director general, Athapol Charoenshunsa, expressed regret over the incident while insisting that protocol was followed properly. He said an investigation was underway to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Taiwan, US sign trade agreement to cut tariffs, boost investments
By Yian Lee & Catherine Lucey
THE US and Taiwan finalized a trade agreement to cut tariffs, boost market access for American products in Asia and channel billions of dollars into US energy and technology projects.
Under the terms of the deal unveiled Thursday in Washington, Taiwan pledged to purchase more than $44 billion worth of liquefied natural gas and crude oil from the US and open its market further to American goods, including meat products, dairy, wheat, medical products and automobiles.
Taipei is also committing to buy around $15 billion in American civil aircraft and parts and invest roughly $25 billion in power-generation equipment by 2029.
The signing formalizes an agreement Washington and Taipei announced in January that would lower tariffs on goods from the self-governed island to 15% from 20%. There are exemptions for generic pharmaceuticals, chips and smartphones, which President Donald Trump’s administration has investigated for possible future levies.
The average tariff rate on Taiwanese exports to the US will fall to some 12.3% from 35.8%, when the reciprocal tariffs first took effect in April last year, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun said at a briefing in Washington.
The proportion of exports to the US subject to reciprocal tariffs will also drop to 15.5% from
24%, Cheng said. The remaining exports, which are the subject of US probes, will be eligible for most-favored tariff treatment going forward.
Taiwan will also permit ground beef and certain offal imports, and will align its rules on maximum residue limits for ractopamine in beef and pork products with international standards.
“The Agreement on Reciprocal Trade with Taiwan will eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers facing US exports to Taiwan, furthering opportunities for American farmers, ranchers, fishermen, workers, small businesses, and manufacturers,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. “This Agreement also builds on our longstanding economic and trade relationship with Taiwan and will significantly enhance the resilience of our supply chains, particularly in hightechnology sectors.”
Still, uncertainty remained about Taiwan’s promise to provide financing and investment for US chip manufacturing. The document lacks significant new details about how that money would be spent.
The self-governing island
initially committed to $250 billion in direct investment to expand advanced semiconductor, energy and artificial intelligence operations in the US, plus an additional $250 billion in government loan guarantees to boost the US chip supply chain.
In return, Taiwanese companies would be allowed to ship a set amount of semiconductor chips to the US tariff-free as American manufacturing capacity ramps up.
A fact sheet released Tuesday said Taiwan would receive “preferential treatment” from future US chips tariffs or other remedial measures.
The US has also said it would expand investments in key Taiwanese industries—including semiconductors, AI, defense and biotechnology—according to a January statement from the Taiwan government.
The democracy that China views as its own has benefited immensely from the global artificial intelligence boom in recent years. The demand for chips to power the emerging technology
propelled Taiwan’s economy to expand 8.6% last year, its fastest pace since 2010. The deal has wide-ranging implications for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Asia’s most valuable company. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said he expects “huge” investments from the chip manufacturer, which last year pledged $100 billion in US projects.
Trump has prioritized restoring domestic semiconductor production, calling it critical for economic and national security. The goal could run into hurdles moving forward.
Lutnick has said his goal is to bring 40% of Taiwan’s chip supply chain and production capacity to the US—a target Taiwanese officials have described as “impossible.”
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry has long been dubbed the island’s “silicon shield,” as it produces about 90% of the world’s
GANTRY cranes and a container ship at the Port of Keelung in Keelung, Taiwan. I-HWA CHENG/BLOOMBERG
IN this photo released by Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, wild elephants gather after receiving an elephant contraception vaccine in the Trat province of Thailand, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
THAILAND DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS, WILDLIFE AND PLANT CONSERVATION VIA AP
Takaichi’s landslide win faces market test over spending and tax cut plans
By Toru Fujioka & Takashi Umekawa
JAPANESE
Prime Minister Sanae
Takaichi’s landslide election win saw a largely positive initial response from investors. But they remain wary of another market meltdown over her expansive spending plans.
In her first press briefing after a historic victory on Sunday, Takaichi acknowledged market concerns over how she’ll be able to cut the sales tax on food for two years while ramping up spending on defense and strategic industries. Worries that she would add to Japan’s mountain of public debt prompted yields to spike last month to the highest levels in decades.
Takaichi emphasized the prudence of her “responsible proactive fiscal policy” while insisting that Japan “must make a complete break from excessive austerity and chronic underinvestment for the future.”
Her bet is that continued inflation and faster nominal growth in the economy will cover any holes in the nation’s finances in the coming years. But investors want clarity on the specifics.
“With the public finances already extremely stretched, the threat of further spending and an increase in debt issuance will add to the risk premium and could trigger a fresh selloff in bonds and a jump in yields,” said Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at
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Shafiqur Rahman, who heads Jamaat-e-Islami, secured a seat in Dhaka and is poised to become the opposition leader in Parlia -
financial services firm Ebury.
January’s flareup saw investors frantically ditching bonds in a selloff that pushed up yields beyond 4% on the longest-dated JGBs, generating concerned comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as the impact rippled through global financial markets.
Takaichi this week insisted the government wouldn’t sell new bonds to fill the spending gap, saying instead her administration would review subsidies, special tax measures and non-tax revenues to find funding that is “sustainable.”
“The concerns are simmering over how the measures would be funded and whether they will end up resorting to issuance of deficitcovering bonds,” said Naomi Muguruma, chief bond strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. “A fundamental concern is the risk that the tax cut will last beyond two years.”
History shows those concerns are valid. The sales tax took around a decade to introduce and subsequent increments have triggered the economy to shrink on each occasion by as much as 11% in annualized terms. The last two
ment. But his party voiced objections to the handling of the election results.
The party’s assistant secretarygeneral, Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, said the Election Commission had delayed announcing results in several constituencies, calling
increases were delayed in an indication of the political difficulty of raising the tax—fueling doubts over how easy it would be to temporarily lower it.
In defense of the government’s spending plans, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has pointed out that for the annual budget for fiscal 2026, the issuance of new bonds has been kept below ¥30 trillion ($195 billion) for a second straight year.
A two-year suspension of the sales tax on food would cost ¥5 trillion each year. One option to plug the gap is to draw on non-tax revenue sources such as money made from the Finance Ministry’s foreign exchange reserves, including gains stemming from currency intervention. The estimated surplus for the account this fiscal year was about ¥4.5 trillion—and 70% of it can be used for budget financing under a ministry guideline.
But other sources of funding would still be needed if the government is to reduce the sales tax without issuing more bonds.
“Her victory is too big to not proceed with cutting the sales tax,” said Ayako Fujita, chief Japan economist at JPMorgan Securities. “Markets must stay on alert.”
Japan’s benchmark 10-year bond yield has been hovering around 2.2%, almost double the level from a year ago and higher than the 2% assumed rate for the budget for the fiscal year ending in March. This change translates into a significant cost for the government as it issues new bonds at higher rates to fund the purchase of older bonds that are coming due. Those costs are likely to rise fur -
the holdups “unusual.” In a statement on Facebook, the party also claimed that candidates from the alliance it heads were “narrowly and suspiciously losing” in multiple areas.
The National Citizen Party, established by student leaders of the uprising as a break from traditional politics but later aligning with the Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition, also left its mark. Party chief Nahid Islam and at least three top leaders secured victories.
The vote was seen as test of Bangladesh’s democracy THURSDAYS’ vote took place amid tight security and concerns of democratic backsliding, rising political violence and the fraying of the rule of law.
The election was the first since
ther as the Bank of Japan weighs more interest-rate hikes, putting upward pressure on yields.
Outlays for servicing Japan’s mountain of debt — more than twice the size of the economy — have grown by one third in the past decade and now make up a quarter of the annual budget.
“I hope that Takaichi administration is doing a decent and careful estimate for an increase of debt servicing costs,” Fujita added.
“With BOJ’s rate hikes, the reality is it will go up.”
Takaichi has tried to switch the focus away from balancing the budget on an annual basis to lowering the nation’s debt load in comparison with gross domestic product, now around 230%.
According to the International Monetary Fund’s projection in October, Japan’s overall budget deficit excluding net interest payments was 0.9% last year, the narrowest since 1992. The size of tax revenue has more than doubled since the aftermath of the global financial crisis in late 2000s.
Sovereign credit default swaps, a gauge of market views on the risk of default, are around 26 for Japan, similar to France and lower than for the US. Fitch told Bloomberg last month that it had no plan to downgrade Japan’s credit ratings for now as they had already expected Japan to shift to a more expansionary fiscal policy.
“If you look at the Japanese economy’s growth rate in nominal terms, this is a really big transformation we’ve seen in the last few years because we’ve got back to positive inflation,” Brian Coulton, chief economist at Fitch Ratings, said on Bloomberg TV on Friday.
a bloody student-led revolt in July 2024 led to Hasina’s ouster. Many viewed it as a crucial test of Bangladesh’s ability to restore trust in democracy and transform public protests into tangible political reform.
The vote was held alongside a referendum for political reforms that include prime ministerial term limits and stronger checks on executive power. The result of that referendum is yet to be announced, but it is likely to be endorsed by voters.
BNP’s Rahman spent years in exile FOR much of the past 15 years, the BNP languished in opposition, boycotting several elections and accusing Hasina’s government of systematic vote rigging and political repression.
“It’s actually meaning that the economy looks kind of healthier in a broad sense, and I think that’s easing some of the concerns about the potential fiscal dynamics.”
As inflation eases the pressure on Japan’s finances, the BOJ’s normalization policy is increasing the vulnerability of long-term bonds.
Governor Kazuo Ueda scrapped the purchasing of bonds as a tool to control bond yields in March 2024, after which the BOJ has been downsizing its purchases. Even though the central bank continues to hold half of the outstanding bonds, it is no longer stepping into the market with extra purchases when yields rise.
What’s more, global investors who tend to move money in and out faster than long-term local holders now account for roughly 65% of monthly cash transactions in Japan’s government bond market.
The central bank has said it will take extra action in the case of extraordinary circumstances such as a global financial shock, but its lack of action during the January bond yield jitters indicates that such episodes are largely being viewed as the necessary growing pains of a policy shift. It remains to be seen if an emboldened Takaichi will pressure the BOJ to take action in the future.
Changes in regulations for life insurers and banks are also making it more difficult for them to fill the space left by the BOJ despite rising yields. New rules made it difficult for banks to hold longerdated bonds, because their deposit liabilities are short-term in nature. Life insurers have little need to add
Tarique Rahman himself spent 17 years in self-imposed exile after Hasina’s government pursued multiple corruption and other criminal cases against him. He has denied the charges, saying they were politically motivated.
Those cases were dropped after Hasina’s government collapsed, paving the way for his return to Bangladesh. His campaign has cast him as a defender of democracy in a country whose politics have long been shaped by entrenched parties, military interventions, and allegations of electoral manipulation.
Tarique Rahman’s BNP has for decades formed one half of the country’s entrenched dynastic political system. His father, Ziaur Rahman, rose from the ranks of
China economists urge looser capital controls as dollar dips
SBy Bloomberg News
EVERAL prominent Chinese economists have called for loosening restrictions on the movement of money in and out of the country, arguing that a weaker dollar provides a historic opportunity to boost the yuan’s global appeal by increasing its convertibility.
In what would represent a tectonic policy shift for the world’s No. 2 economy, Miao Yanliang—chief strategist at China International Capital Corp.—said in an article Tuesday that conditions are becoming ripe to push for such reforms without necessarily provoking massive capital outflows.
Echoing that view, Ju Jiandong, a finance professor at Tsinghua University, identified this year and next as a “strategic window” for opening up the so-called capital account because the yuan’s appreciation provides a favorable environment while geopolitical risks rise.
“The more China opens its capital account and allows greater exchange rate flexibility, the more it can actually attract capital inflows,” said Miao, formerly the chief economist at China’s foreign-exchange regulator. “Especially when the dollar enters a strategic and sustained depreciation cycle and the yuan enters an appreciation cycle, that is precisely the right time to raise the level of capital account openness.”
The remarks follow comments by President Xi Jinping—delivered in 2024 but published recently—in which he laid out ambitions to make the yuan “widely used” in global trade and finance as well as attaining reserve currency status.
The quick succession of speeches and publications in recent weeks will add to speculation that Chinese authorities could make a much freer flow of capital the centerpiece of their efforts to promote broader international use of the yuan. Progress toward a convertible currency was disrupted by a shock devaluation in 2015, and momentum behind discussions of reforming the capital account waned in recent years. But for the first time in a decade,
the army to become a dominant political figure, serving as the country’s sixth president until his assassination in 1981. His mother Khaleda Zia, who first came to power in 1991, served two full five-year terms.
The party was the principal rival to Hasina’s Awami League party, now banned, and their longrunning feud came to define Bangladesh’s political life.
Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council, said while the outcome appears as “a blow to the spirit of the 2024 revolution,” as the BNP has long been associated with corruption and dynastic politics, it will still face significant pressure to act differently this time.
“The BNP will need to be on its toes,” he said.
See “Takaichi,” A13
See “China,” A13
China. . .
Continued from A12
influential voices in academia and finance are publicly broaching the possibility of ceding more control to seize the chance provided by misgivings over the dollar’s dominance that are driving diversification needs for central banks and investors alike.
The dollar ended 2025 with the sharpest annual retreat in eight years after months of unpredictable policymaking during Donald Trump’s second presidency. By contrast, the yuan had its best annual performance since 2020 in nominal terms.
A key part of the new calculus for China also stems from the mismatch between its standing as a global manufacturing powerhouse and the limited reach of its currency abroad. China has for years maintained a “managed float” of the yuan, while existing restrictions on cross-border investments and personal remittances mean the capital account remains largely closed.
For months, officials have been signaling a greater ambition of reforming the yuan and the capital account, which tracks investment flows.
The Communist Party’s October proposal for its next economic plan through 2030 included a pledge to “push forward the internationalization of the yuan and enhance the openness of the capital account.” That’s a bolder stance compared with the previous five-year plan, which called for promoting the currency’s globalization in a “stable and prudent” manner.
China has a long way to go to accomplish its goal. Despite gaining a bigger role in trade settlement and financing, the yuan’s share in global international reserves is less than 2%, according to the International Monetary Fund, lagging in a distant sixth place and remaining far behind the dollar.
Capital controls remain the biggest obstacle to Xi’s vision, even though China has taken steps in recent years to relax the restrictions. Investors and companies still need permission to move money in and out of the country or have to rely on designated channels, preventing domestic markets from being more integrated with the outside world and limiting the currency’s appeal.
The threat of large capital outflows that risk destabilizing markets and the economy is the biggest concern for authorities as they explore bolder liberalization.
China last experienced significant capital flight in 2015 after a botched move to shift to a more market-based exchange rate triggered panic among investors and forced the central bank to intervene. China’s foreign reserves plunged by around $1 trillion within the span of about two years, prompting authorities to tighten capital controls.
But the environment both at home and
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such debt after already increasing holdings to match their long-term obligations to pay out policies under revised regulations.
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most advanced chips, which power everything from spacecraft to smartphones. That position has led some in Taipei to worry that relocating production capacity to the US—the island’s main military backer—could weaken Washington’s incentive to defend the island in the event of a Chinese invasion.
China has ramped up political and military pressure on Taiwan in recent years in a bid to reinforce its view that the island is part of its territory. Trump, who is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April, has sought to ease disagreements with Beijing over trade, Taiwan and other issues. But the Chinese government cast a recent discussion between the two presidents about Taiwan in a contentious light.
overseas has changed significantly from a decade ago, according to Miao. He said foreign investors have a growing need to invest in Chinese assets as the appeal of the US suffers from Trump’s drastic tariffs and geopolitical maneuvering.
Meanwhile, Chinese households and companies have already purchased a sizable amount of assets overseas via approved channels, reducing potential outflow pressures, Miao said.
Li Xunlei, chief economist at Zhongtai Financial International Ltd. who attended an economic seminar hosted by Premier Li Qiang in April, made a similar point in an article published last week.
The Chinese currency’s significant undervaluation—based on actual purchasing power—results from a lack of global liquidity, he said. A more open capital account could boost the availability of yuan internationally, a change that will likely help the currency appreciate, according to Li.
To be sure, after treading carefully for decades, Chinese authorities are likely to remain cautious and be in no rush to roll out any big changes.
“It wouldn’t be like tomorrow that they suddenly allow a full movement in a certain component of financial accounts,” said Gary Ng, senior economist at Natixis SA. “There could be some room on a marginal basis to experiment with certain policy.”
China could take modest steps to promote its currency, including pushing for some commodities to be traded in the yuan or using it to settle and finance investments in overseas projects, said Ng. A new model of yuan internationalization based on trade financing may already be emerging, according to Absolute Strategy Research’s economist Adam Wolfe. Chinese banks in recent years have ramped up their cross-border lending in yuan, with the currency’s share in global trade financing rising to over 8% in January, from 5% two years ago.
It’s a sign that Chinese banks have “lent renminbi to foreign firms to pay for imports from China,” Wolfe said in a report Thursday, using the official name for the currency. But the challenge is that the lower interest earned on yuan assets compared with those in the dollar reduced the appeal of holding the Chinese currency instead of borrowing it, he added.
Xiao Sheng, an official with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, signaled that going forward, the focus will likely be on optimizing existing channels of cross-border investment.
In an article published Wednesday, Xiao said the regulator will make it more convenient for foreigners to use programs such as the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor system. Authorities will “step up the supply of policies to expedite crossborder investment and financing,” he said. With assistance from Nectar Gan / Bloomberg
With the election results on Monday, Takaichi said talks with opposition parties were needed on the sales tax, given the complexities of the issue, with initial conclusions to be reached by the summer. That may still leave wiggle room for an alternative
The tariff agreement now requires approval from Taiwan’s legislature. The opposition Kuomintang, which holds a majority with a smaller allied party, has criticized the negotiations, saying they have lacked transparency. The party has also raised concerns about the impact on local pork producers and food safety issues related to feed additives in US pork and beef. The Trump administration also announced Thursday it reached a framework agreement with North Macedonia for the country to eliminate customs duties on all American industrial and agricultural goods. The US will maintain its 15% tariff on North Macedonian products but identify some goods that will be exempt from the levy. The two countries are also planning additional talks to reduce trade barriers on agricultural products and strengthen security cooperation. With assistance from Philip Glamann/Bloomberg
Scientific studies calculate climate change as health danger; Trump calls it a ‘scam’
By Seth Borenstein AP Science Writer
THE Trump administration on Thursday revoked a scientific finding that climate change is a danger to public health, an idea that President Donald Trump called “a scam.” But repeated scientific studies say it’s a documented and quantifiable harm.
Again and again, research has found increasing disease and deaths—thousands every year—in a warming world.
The Environmental Protection Agency finding in 2009, under the Obama administration, has been the legal underpinning of nearly all regulations fighting global warming.
“It boggles the mind that the administration is rescinding the endangerment finding; it’s akin to insisting that the world is flat or denying that gravity is a thing,” said Dr. Howard Frumkin, a physician and professor emeritus of public health at the University of Washington.
Thousands of scientific studies have looked at climate change and its effects on human health in the past five years and they predominantly show climate change is increasingly dangerous to people.
Many conclude that in the United States, thousands of people have died and even more were sickened because of climate change in the past few decades.
For example, a study on “Trends in heat-related deaths in the US, 1999-2023 “ in the prestigious JAMA journal shows the yearly heat-related death count and rate have more than doubled in the past quarter century from 1,069 in 1999 to a record high 2,325 in 2023.
A 2021 study in Nature Climate Change looked at 732 locations in 43 countries—including 210 in the United States—and determined that more than a third of heat deaths
solution that might be cheaper or avoid the challenges of a temporary reduction.
With opposition parties suffering a crushing defeat, “the system of checks and balances on a Takaichi administration has effectively weakened,” said
are due to human-caused climate change. That means more than 9,700 global deaths a year attributed to warming from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.
A new study published this week found that 2.2% of summer deaths in Texas from 2010 to 2023 were heat related “as climate change brings more frequent and intense heat to Texas.”
Research is booming on the topic
IN the more than 15 years, since the government first determined climate change to be a public health danger, there have been more than 29,000 peer-reviewed studies that looked at the intersection of climate and health, with more than 5,000 looking specifically at the United States, according to the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed research database.
More than 60% of those studies have been published in the past five years.
“Study after study documents that climate change endangers health, for one simple reason: It’s true,” said Frumkin, a former director of the National Center for Environmental Health appointed by President George W. Bush.
In a Thursday event at the White House, Trump disagreed, saying: “It has nothing to do with public health. This is all a scam, a giant scam.”
Experts strongly disagree.
“Health risks are increasing because human-cause climate change is already upon us. Take the 2021
Muguruma of Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. “That leaves financial markets as the only remaining force capable of exercising discipline.”
With assistance from Masahiro Hidaka, John Cheng, Brett Miller and Russell Ward / Bloomberg
heat dome for example, that killed (more than) 600 people in the Northwest,’’ said Dr. Jonathan Patz, a physician who directs the Center for Health, Energy and Environmental Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The new climate attribution studies show that event was made 150-fold more likely due to climate change.”
Patz and Frumkin both said the “vast majority” of peer-reviewed studies show health harms from climate change. Peer-reviewed studies are considered the gold standard of science because other experts pore over the data, evidence and methods, requiring changes, questioning techniques and conclusions.
More than just heat and deaths
The various studies look at different parts of health. Some looked at deaths that wouldn’t have happened without climate change. Others looked at illnesses and injuries that didn’t kill people. Because researchers used different time periods, calculation methods and specific aspects of health, the final numbers of their conclusions don’t completely match.
Studies also examined disparities among different peoples and locations. A growing field in the research are attribution studies that calculate what proportion of deaths or illness can be blamed on human-caused climate change by comparing real-world mortality and illness to what computer simulations show would happen in a world without a spike in greenhouse gases.
Last year an international team of researchers looked at past studies to try to come up with a yearly health cost of climate change.
While many studies just look at heat deaths, this team tried to bring in a variety of types of climate change deaths—heat waves, extreme weather disasters such as
2017’s Hurricane Harvey, wildfires, air pollution, diseases spread by mosquitos such as malaria—and found hundreds of thousands of climate change deaths globally. They then used the EPA’s own statistic that puts a dollar value on human life—$11.5 million in 2014 dollars—and calculated a global annual cost “on the order of at least $10 billion.”
Studies also connect climate change to waterborne infections that cause diarrhea, mental health issues and even nutrition problems, Frumkin said.
“Public health is not only about prevention of diseases, death and disability but also well-being. We are increasingly seeing people displaced by rising seas, intensifying storms and fires,” said Dr. Lynn Goldman, a physician and dean emeritus at the George Washington University School of Public Health.
“We have only begun to understand the full consequences of a changing climate in terms of health.”
Cold also kills and that’s decreasing The issue gets complicated when cold-related deaths are factored in. Those deaths are decreasing, yet in the United States there are still 13 times more deaths from cold exposure than heat exposure, studies show.
Another study concludes that until the world warms another 2.7 degrees (1.5 degrees Celsius) from now, the number of temperaturerelated deaths won’t change much “due to offsetting decreases in coldrelated mortality and increases in heat-related deaths.”
But that study said that after temperatures rise beyond that threshold, and if society doesn’t adapt to the increased heat, “total mortality rises rapidly.”
Another milestone for LeBron at 41 Sports
Loldest player in NBA history to have a triple-double, accomplishing the feat Thursday night at 41 years and 44 days old during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 124-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
James had 28 points and 12 assists when he grabbed his 10th rebound with 2:06 to play. He got a standing ovation when he checked out moments after completing his 123rd career tripledouble, the fifth-most in NBA history. James broke the record held for the past 22 years by Karl Malone, who recorded his final triple-double for the Lakers when he was 40 years and 127 days old.
“I guess I’m more appreciative of moments like this in my career, understanding where I’m at, at the later stage of my journey,” James said. “You definitely take it in a little bit more.”
James’ play has remained strong when healthy during his unprecedented 23rd NBA season, but the top scorer in NBA history hadn’t had a tripledouble since February 1, 2025, in New York. That day is better remembered in Lakers history for the late-night breaking news of the seismic trade that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers Malone had held the record as the oldest player with a triple-double since he had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists on November 28, 2003, during his final NBA season. James recorded the next 15 triple-doubles on that list,
and he repeatedly came close to setting the record over the past year, but didn’t quite reach it until the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break. “I think what it represents is pretty cool—the fact that you can go out and have an impact in three facets of the game,” James said. “Rebounding. The assists, obviously, are what I love the most. Being able to get my guys involved, throughout my career I’ve always loved that more than anything. And being able to put the ball in the basket, that’s part of this game as well. So I think what it means, to be able to have your hand in three facets of the game, making an impact in those three, that’s pretty cool.”
With Doncic sidelined by a mild hamstring strain, James was aggressive and active from the opening tip when he returned from his own injury absence during the Lakers’ loss to San Antonio on Tuesday.
After dancing gleefully in pregame warmups and screaming his way down the tunnel when he took the court, James put up 14 points and six assists in the first quarter alone against Dallas. He factored into the Lakers’ first 23 points of the game.
James had 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds by halftime. He topped double digits in assists during the third quarter, but he didn’t come out of the game during the fourth quarter before he grabbed the three rebounds necessary to get the triple-double. He almost had it a few possessions earlier, but Austin Reaves beat him
THE youth brigade won’t be left behind and will have their share of the spotlight in the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association 2025 Awards Night on Monday at the Diamond Hotel Manila.
A total of 16 youngsters are going to be recognized with the Tony Siddayao Awards, given by the country’s oldest media organization to young athletes 17 years old and below, who excelled in their respective fields in the year just passed. Named in honor of the late Manila Standard sports editor Tony Siddayao, acknowledged as the Dean of Philippine sports writing, the award has been a staple part of the annual gala night co-presented by the Philippine Sports Commission and ArenaPlus.
The 2025 Siddayao awardees are composed of weightlifters Jay-R Colonia and Jhodie Peralta, swimmers Behrouz Mojdeh, Sophia Garra, Titus Sia, and Patricia Mae Santor, golfers Zach Guico and Nicole Gan, chessers Jemaicah Mendoza and Christian Gian Karlo Arca, squash’s Aerra JC Mae Relano, bowler Royce Wayne Padua, boxer Leo Mhar Lobrido, jiu-jitsu’s Bailey Heinsohn, netter Tenny Madis, and gymnast Karl Eldrew Yulo. Together, they share center stage with Male and Female Athletes of the Year Carlos Yulo and Alex Eala during the award proceedings supported by major backers Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Cignal, Premier Volleyball League, Philippine Basketball Association, Akari, Rain or Shine, Capital1 Solar Energy, and Acrocity.
Eala herself was a former Siddayao awardee along with the likes of Kiefer Ravena, Dottie Ardina, Wesley So, Jacob Ang, among others. Colonia and Peralta accounted for half of the 10 gold medals the Philippines won in the IWF Youth and Junior World Championships in Lima Peru, Mojdeh made waves with rich medal hauls on top of record feats in the Asian Open School Invitational in Thailand and the Buccaneer Invitational in Japan, Garra and Sia emerged as the most outstanding performers in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa, while Santor did the same in the 2025 PSC-Batang Pinoy meet. Guico swung his way to glory
Top young athletes share spotlight in PSA Awards
in the 2025 US Kids Golf World Championships by ruling the boys’ seven-year-old division, Gan flew the Philippine flag high and proud with a top-podium finish in the 31st Singapore Island Country Club Championships, Arca won top honors in the Eastern Asia Youth Championships and Asean Age-Group Championships, while Mendoza bagged a bronze in the World Youth Chess Championships, brought home three golds in the Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championships, and had six golds in the PSC-Batang Pinoy tournament. Relano captured double golds in the 9th SEA Cup Squash Championships in Bangkok and 12th SICC International
International
Bowling Championships, and Lobrido punched his way to the gold and bronze in the 4th Greater Bay Area Youth Boxing Championships in Shenzhen, China and Asian Boxing U17 Championships in Amman, Jordan.
Heinsohn reigned supreme by winning golds in the women’s U14 -32kg GI in the Asian Jiujitsu Youth Championships in Thailand and the JJIF Junior Jiu-Jitsu World Championships, Madis smashed her way to the championship of the junior women’s doubles in the J100 ITF World Tennis Tour in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, and Yulo for his bronzemedal feats in floor exercise and horizontal bar at the 2025 Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
The helmet drew international attention after the IOC said it violated rules banning political messages. Heraskevych’s insistence on wearing it anyway got him barred. “He could have refused, he could have said, ‘Fine, I’ll wear another helmet and fight for a medal,’” Prots, 52, told The Associated Press inside her home in Kyiv. “He didn’t do that. To stand up for his truth—that is great heroism.” Heraskevych came up with the idea for the helmet design and his father, a long-
“It had to be done, and it had to be finished in time,” Prots said. “These were athletes who could have been standing there at the Olympics, but they are no longer here.” The project marked a sharp departure from Prots’ usual work: Tuscan landscapes that are regularly exhibited in a small gallery in the Italian town of Montepulciano. She travels to Italy several times a year and said those visits shaped her belief that many Europeans remain poorly informed about the realities of the war in Ukraine.
“I understand that when a war is somewhere far away, people get used to it,” she said. “They have their own lives. But we are fighting every day. Fighting to survive.”
Working from photographs of the fallen athletes and coaches, Prots said the emotional weight of
UKRAINIAN artist Iryna Prots shows a photo of 20-year old athlete Dariya Curdel who was killed in a Russian air attack—one of over 20 other Ukrainian athletes and coaches whose portraits were painted on the helmet of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych. AP
the task was immediate.
“This is pain—pain for our country,” she said. “For the fact that we lost Olympic champions, essentially, and coaches who were raising this generation of Olympic champions.”
Prots said she believes the stories of the athletes depicted on the helmet deserve to be known globally, especially as international sporting events continue with the war still ongoing. AP
La Salle squares off with FEU as UAAP volleyball gets going
AST season’s runner-up La Salle and Far Eastern University clash on Saturday as the new University Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s volleyball season fires off at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The La Salle–FEU match is set for 3 p.m. after the match between University of the Philippines and the University of the East at 1 p.m.
In men’s action, FEU, last season’s runner-up, takes on La Salle at 11 a.m., following the UP–UE opener at 9 a.m.
La Salle, which last won in UAAP Season 85 (2023), is eager to get back on top with seniors Angel Canino, Shevana Laput and Amie Provido leading the way.
Meanwhile, FEU aims to go deeper after a string of fourth-place finishes, relying on Congo’s Faida Bakanke, Gerz Petallo, and Jaz Ellarina. Noel Orcullo, head coach Ramil de Jesus’ long-time trusted lieutenant, knows the Lady Spikers will have to grind to reclaim the throne amid strong off-season preparations by rival teams. Now in her fourth season, a fit Laput is ready to make strides not only in her game but also as La Salle skipper.
“Of course, I am embracing it with a lot of hope and a lot of happiness. Of course, even though I am the captain at the end of the day, it’s not only me leading this team. I still do have my batchmates. I still have Amie, Angel, Lyka [de Leon, libero], all four of us are leading this team this season,” Laput, last year’s top opposite spiker, said.
Canino, last season’s second-best scorer behind Adamson’s Shai Nitura, will also rely on her experience with Alas Pilipinas.
Tin Ubaldo is aware of the magnitude of the Lady Tamaraws’ expectations to climb the standings.
“I expect this season to achieve our goal. Because last season, we fell short, like a triple tie. We will really work hard,” Ubaldo said.
Newly-appointed UP mentor Fabio Menta is focusing on the resources at hand. Joan Monares has been ruled out for the first round due to a back injury, but the Fighting Maroons still boast a stacked roster led by decorated middle blocker Niña Ytang, Irah Jaboneta, and Kianne Olango.
Casiey Dongallo, Jelai Gajero, and Kizzie Madriaga will make their UP debut after completing their oneyear residency.
“Yeah, well, I always tell the players on paper it’s okay. But we always play on court, so it’s different from the paper. Basically, our focus is on improving the tactics. The girls were aslready a good team. Last year, they slayed some giants. So we’re trying to complete the process with a more…I would call it more modern volleyball. So we have a different approach. We’re much faster than last year, and we hope that that is enough to get into the Final Four,” Menta said. The Lady Warriors will showcase 11 rookies, with new captain Van Bangayan, Khy Cepada, and libero Angge Reyes guiding the young crew.
League-leading Super Spikers, Chameleons
ONE winning streak will continue and the other will end as Cignal and Nxled clash on Saturday in a showdown between rising contenders in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
Fans in Antipolo City and nearby areas are in for a treat as two of the league’s three remaining unbeaten teams square off just two weeks into the 10-team tournament. Cignal enters the highly anticipated duel brimming with confidence, riding a three-match winning run that includes victories over Galeries Tower, Choco Mucho, and most recently, Farm Fresh. It marks one of the Super Spikers’ strongest starts in recent years. Still, head coach Shaq Delos Santos is keeping his squad grounded.
“I think the number one thing we need to focus on is how to recover from fatigue,” de los Santos said. “We also need to study how they play, how they perform, and try to maximize what we need to improve. Our strengths and the areas we can sharpen.” The Super Spikers’ solid start has given them the solo lead in the early going of the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision, but they face a stern test against an Nxled side many believe is
FOCUS will again be on Angel Canino as La Salle looks to regain the top spot.
Flying Dutch Jens van ‘t Wout of the Netherlands wins the short track speed skating men’s 1000m final at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan over Sun Long of China, William Dandjinou of Canada, Rim Jongun of South Korea and Roberts Kruzbergs of Latvia. AP
Jumbo Doubles Tournament in Singapore, Padua burned the lanes in the 49th Thailand
