BusinessMirror February 18, 2026

‘NGAs, GOCCs can’t waive fees sans charter clearance’

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has declared that national government agencies (NGAs) and government-owned and-controlled-corporations (GOCCs) are not allowed to grant amnesty or waive regulatory fees without express authority under their charters.

In a four-page legal opinion signed by Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, the DOJ held that while NGAs and GOCC have been given the power to charge and collect fees, “it does not follow that they are likewise authorized

to exempt clients from or waive service or regulatory fees.”

The DOJ issued the legal opinion upon the request of National Tax Research Center Executive Director Mark Lester L. Aure.

In his letter-request, Aure sought the DOJ legal opinion on the authority of NGAs and GOCCs to grant amnesty, condone, or waive the imposition of government fees, fines and penalties.

The request stemmed from ongoing policy discussions involving NGAs and GOCCs exploring relief measures for affected sectors, such as indigent clients, smallscale enterprises, and other regulated entities.

Specifically, Aure sought DOJ’s clarification on three key issues: (1) Whether an NGA or GOCC may, without express authority or an express grant under its charter, exempt clients from or waive service or regulatory fees, and whether such action may be justified as an exercise of administrative discretion or incidental powers; (2) Whether an NGA or GOCC may, in the absence of express statutory authority or an express grant under its charter, condone or waive fines and penalties arising from the exercise of its enforcement functions, and whether, in lieu thereof, it may grant a discount or reduction; and (3) Whether there are legal parameters, conditions, or limitations governing such acts of condonation or waiver. The DOJ agreed with the view that Section 54(1), Chapter 12, Book IV of Executive Order (EO) No. 292 (Administrative Code of 1987) and Administrative Order (AO) No. 31 dated October 1, 2012 limit the authority of NGAs and GOCCs to charging, collecting, and rationalizing rates and fees, including adjusting existing charges and imposing new ones. It also shared Aure’s position that a waiver of fines and penalties is not legally permissible in

By Andrea E. San Juan @andreasanjuan

PHILIPPINE

banks will likely focus on targeted lending to priority sectors like infrastructure and consumption this year as they transition from “pure growth mode” to a more disciplined and sustainable footing, according to an economist.

Jonathan Ravelas, senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong & Co., explained how the Philippine financial system will transition into a “disciplined, higher-quality growth” in 2026 from rapid accumulation in 2025.

“The growth in financial system resources in 2025 was driven by steady credit expansion, strong deposit inflows, and the impact of higher interest rates on bank balance sheets. Overall, it reflected resilience and confidence in the system,” Ravelas said in a Viber message.

PHL financial system resources HE said this after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released data which showed that total resources held by the Philippine financial system rose by 8.08 percent as of December 2025.

Based on BSP data, combined funds and assets of banks (excluding the BSP) and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) increased

In 2026, however, he pointed out that growth will likely be “more measured but still solid,” with banks focusing on targeted lending to priority sectors like infrastructure and consumption, while nonbanks benefit from capital market activity, trust funds, and insurance.

By Bless Aubrey Ogerio @blessogerio

SHOPPING decisions are increasingly being made before consumers step into stores, with artificial intelligence (AI) now shaping how buyers research, compare and choose products, according to the IBM Institute for Business Value and the National Retail Federation.

The study found that nearly half, or 45 percent, of consumers now turn to AI at some point in their buying journey. While physical stores remain central, with 72 percent of respondents still shopping in person, many are using AI tools to research products (41 percent), interpret reviews (33 percent) and search for deals before making purchases (31 percent).

“AI is changing how consumers shop, and every aspect throughout the shopping jour-

ney,” Caroline Reppert, Senior Director, AI and Technology Policy at the National Retail Federation, said. She added, “As these technologies increasingly guide consumer discovery, comparison, and choice, retailers that understand and respond to this shift will be best positioned to earn trust, relevance, and long-term customer loyalty.”

Moreover, visual appeal and convenience still matter, with 35 percent saying they want attractive stores with minimal waiting time.

At the same time, one in three consumers said AI-enabled features, such as “super apps” that combine shopping with other services, are nearly as important. More advanced expectations are also emerging. About 30 percent of respondents said they want smart homes with AIpowered personal shoppers and

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will now allow certain registered business enterprises (RBEs) to optionally register as value-added tax (VAT) taxpayers and exempt specific transactions from special VAT rules.

In its new revenue regulation, the BIR said buyers of goods from economic zones and freeports must file and pay VAT on business-to-business local sales on a per-transaction basis using BIR Form No. 0605 temporarily.

For bulk shipments covered by several invoices, buyers may opt to pay the VAT due in a single payment, provided they submit one payment form and a list of covered invoices to the Bureau of Customs before cargo release.

Moreover, the BIR also allows optional VAT registration for local sales of RBEs, availing of the 5 percent special corporate income tax or gross income earned regime. RBEs availing of the 5 percent special corporate income tax or gross income earned regime to voluntarily register as VAT taxpayers for their local sales.

“Such VAT registration shall not affect the RBE’s entitlement to its existing fiscal and nonfiscal incentives, including VAT zero-rating on local purchases and VAT exemption on importation, provided these are directly attributable to its registered activities,” the BIR noted. The BIR likewise excludes certain transactions and entities from the “buyer pays VAT” mechanism under Section 295(D) of the Tax Code.

VAT-registered domestic market enterprises that do not qualify for VAT zero-rating or import VAT exemptions, despite being registered with investment promotion agencies, will no longer be covered by the buyer-remittance system.

Instead, these enterprises will file and pay VAT directly to the BIR as regular VAT taxpayers. Sales of VAT zero-rated goods and services, VAT-exempt transactions under the

CROSSING INTO GOOD FORTUNE Fireworks burst above the Intramuros–Binondo Bridge on the eve of the Lunar New Year, illuminating the link between Manila’s historic districts, Intramuros and Binondo—home to the world’s oldest Chinatown. The bridge, funded by China, becomes a radiant backdrop to the annual celebration welcoming the new lunar cycle. BERNARD TESTA

WAVES OF WONDER Spectators gather at the Naga Park and Boardwalk as the “Naga’s WaterLight Symphony”—Cebu’s first musical floating seawater fountain—debuts on Valentine’s Day, dazzling audiences with synchronized lights, music, and seawater jets during its inaugural show. The attraction is set to become a regular weekend highlight aimed at boosting tourism and energizing the local economy. COURTESY OF CEBU PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

the absence of authority under the agency’s charter and without being authorized by law.

“Neither can waiver or exemption be justified as administrative discretion. After all, the rule-making power of administrative agencies must be confined to details for regulating the mode or proceeding to carry into effect the law as it has been enacted,” the DOJ said.

“By the same token, where there is no express statutory authority or an express charter grant to condone or waive fines and penalties, an agency has no authority to grant discounts or reductions,” it added.

NFA palay purchases plunge by nearly 59% in December

By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia

THENational Food Authority’s (NFA) palay purchases in December plunged by nearly 59 percent due to full warehouses and limited storage capacity.

“Hindi po dahilan ang paghaba ng balota para lang i-reduce ang bilang ng mga kandidato [Having a longer ballot cannot be an excuse to reduce the number of candidates],” he said.

The Comelec chief stressed that while the Commission must guard against individuals who file candidacies merely to make a mockery of the electoral process, it must also operate within the limits set by jurisprudence.

The Supreme Court’s ruling made permanent a temporary restraining order against the Comelec and ordered the reinstatement of Savellano’s certificate of candidacy. Garcia said the Commission will continue to align its nuisance candidate determinations with prevailing jurisprudence to avoid future reversals.

In its latest accomplishment report, the NFA said it procured 213,184 50kilo bags or 10,659.2 metric tons (MT) of palay in the reference month, down by 58.78 percent from the 517,143 bags or 25,857.15 MT it bought in the previous year.

Furthermore, the grains agency noted that the volume of palay it procured in December was only 22.86 percent of its target purchase of 46,626.1 MT from local farmers.

“The low accomplishment in procurement may be attributed to NFA’s fully maximized warehouses and limited storage space due to the ongoing warehouse repair and rehabilitation activities,” the NFA said.

The grains agency buys clean and dry palay at P23 to P30 per kilo, while the price of fresh and wet palay rang-

es from P17 to P23 per kilo, which changes on a weekly basis per province.

At the end of December, the NFA had a total expected milled rice inventory of about 438,752.65 MT, noting that its stockpile makes up 17 percent of the national rice inventory.

Meanwhile, the grains agency said it distributed 566,843 bags or 28,342.15 MT of milled rice during the reference month.

It allotted around 7,660 MT of rice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), legislators, and local governments for relief operations and calamity response.

Some 8,611 MT of rice were distributed to government agencies for nonrelief operations, the NFA said.

The NFA added that it allocated 10.6 MT to local government units (LGUs) under the food security emergency program declared to fast-track the release of rice stocks it held, which the government said will remain in place. At least 17.15 MT were distributed under the government’s One-Time Rice Assistance, the NFA said.

Moreover, the grains agency released 12,042 MT for private institutions or farmers, cooperatives or associations (FCAs) under its auction of aging rice stocks.

Earlier, the NFA said it wants to bring the auction of aging

rice stocks down to the regional level to expedite bidding. (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2026/02/16/nfa-eyes-auction-of-old-stocks-at-regionallevel/)

NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said the grains agency has outlined adjustments to the terms of reference (TOR) that may apply to the next auction round in early April, pending approval from the NFA Council.

“For faster and more efficient [process], the auction should be brought to the regional level since the central [office] gets clogged,” he said.

fragmented policymaking, regulatory delays, and weak coordination between the public and private sectors as barriers to wider adoption.

autonomous delivery, while 29 percent are looking for smoother purchasing through social media platforms.

Still, AI has limits. Stanislas Vignon, head of insights for AI and omnichannel at Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, said technology alone does not guarantee results.

“If you don’t have the right data, it doesn’t work,” he said. “And you must test your solution to know whether it works and where it will bring value.”

In the Philippines AI adoption in the country is progressing but unevenly, according to the Department of Science and Technology.

At a media forum in December last year, Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the country ranks “above the middle” globally in AI readiness, but still lags in computing capacity and workforce development.

A 2025 AI readiness report by Unesco Philippines also pointed to gaps in digital infrastructure,

In response to shifting consumer behavior, IBM said retailers and brands need to rethink how they design shopping experiences.

The company urged businesses to anticipate AI-influenced decision points, reduce uncertainty earlier in the buying journey, and treat data readiness and testing as essential rather than optional.

“AI is reshaping where, when, and how decisions are made across every industry,” IBM said.

“In retail, understanding AIinfluenced consumer behavior will become a defining competitive advantage, separating brands and retailers that shape decisions from those that simply fulfill them,” it added.

The findings are based on two global surveys conducted in the third quarter of 2025.

The consumer survey covered more than 18,000 respondents across 23 countries, while the executive survey gathered insights from 200 senior leaders in retail, consumer goods, and ecommerce.

pushed more than two decades ago by former Internal Revenue Commissioner René G. Bañez.

Both international and local experience consistently show that revenue performance depends less on agency mergers and more on the quality of governance.

“From a governance perspective, large-scale institutional restructuring is a high-risk reform that demands intense legal clarity, transition capacity, and safeguards against disruption,” Mendoza added.

Instead, Mendoza said a more immediate and practical approach is to strengthen governance in key areas, including improving coordination and data sharing among revenue agencies, reinforcing audit integrity and accountability systems, and institutionalizing digital, risk-based processes.

Lawmakers backed MAGNO noted that the proposal to establish an NRA was first

Former senator Sergio R. Osmeña III filed Senate Bill No. 1752 in 2004 to create the NRA, but it only reached first reading.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also filed House Bill 695 in 2016.

“[Let us] build a new National Revenue Authority where there’s no more politics, deceit and corruption,” Abrea said. “We, taxpayers, must be prepared, educated and compliant. Because if we don’t do our share, it will all just happen again.”

“[This reform] is not just about corruption,” Magno added. “But will ensure that the taxes we pay to the government will translate to a real service that will benefit the people of the country.”

“We are asking our senators and congressmen. We are behind you in supporting a reform that will upgrade the BIR and BOC in the form of a revenue tax reform.”

to P36.93 trillion as of December 2025, from P34.17 trillion during the same period in 2024. Banks accounted for the bulk, or 83.16 percent of total resources, while NBFIs held the remaining 16.86 percent. Resources held by banks climbed 8.67 percent to P30.706 trillion from P28.256 trillion in 2024. Broken down, universal and commercial banks (UKBs) continued to dominate the sector, holding 93.05 percent of total banking resources, or P28.572 trillion. This is higher by 8.07 percent from P26.438 trillion in 2024. Thrift banks accounted for 4.74 percent of all resources in Philippine banks, at P1.456 trillion, posting a 24.44 percent increase from the P1.170 trillion recorded in the same period in 2024. Resources of rural and cooperative banks also grew 1.53 percent to P505.9 billion as of end-September 2025, representing 1.71 percent of the banking system’s assets, from P498.3 billion in the same period in 2024.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael L. Ricafort said the growth in financial system resources is “largely” due to the continued double-digit growth in bank loans, sustained growth in bank deposits, continued net income growth of banks, which he said are “among the most profitable businesses/industries in the country consistently for many years.”

Ricafort also noted: “Lower BSP rates by a total of -2.00 since August 2024 and total Fed rate cuts of -1.75 since September 2024 partly led to higher trading gains and investment income for some banks.”

Moreover, the RCBC chief economist said reduced borrowing costs led to higher demand for loans/credit.

‘Gradual slowdown in growth of resources’ WHILE BSP data showed financial system resources have been growing since 2022, the pace of growth has slowly declined over the past four years.

Ravelas explained to the BusinessMirror, however, that the gradual slowdown in growth does not signal weakness.

“It reflects normalization as the financial system matures and operates under tighter monetary conditions,” he told this newspaper.

He further explained that while total resources continue to rise at a “healthy” pace, institutions are becoming “more selective, prioritizing asset quality and risk management over rapid expansion.”

Still, Ravelas cautioned: “This could slightly temper credit growth and investment momentum if it persists, but overall it shows a system shifting from pure growth mode to a more disciplined and sustainable footing.”

For his part, Ricafort said the slowdown could be pinned on the large foreign capital infusion in previous years.

“There were large foreign investments/capital infusions in earlier years. Larger income growth in earlier years that also led to higher base/denominator effects,” he told this newspaper. According to Ricafort: “Total resources of banks are already similar to the size of the Philippine economy at more than P28 trillion.” BSP data showed the total resources held by the Philippine financial system as of 2022 was at P29.043 trillion, which eventually grew by 8.54 percent to P31.517 trillion as of end-2023. From 2023, total resources jumped by 8.42 percent to P34.172 trillion as of end-2024.

Growth, however, slowed down as the Philippine financial system grew by only 8.04 percent to P36.932 trillion as of end-2025.

but not availing of Title XI incentives and local sales related to unregistered business activities, including the sale of scraps, machinery and equipment, are excluded from the special VAT treatment. Further, the BIR extended the deadline for RBEs to update their invoicing systems, including point-of-sale machines and computerized accounting systems, to reflect the term “VAT on Local Sales” instead of “VAT/VAT Amount” in the breakdown of sales. The compliance deadline has been moved to December 31, 2026. The commissioner may grant further extensions if necessary. Reine

Company introduces Korean plasma wastewater technology in Pampanga

By Ashley J. Manabat

EXICO,

MPampanga— Soliman EC, a leading provider of septage management and wastewater treatment in Central Luzon, introduced a plasma-based wastewater treatment technology during a facility tour at its plant in barangay Eden of this town.

The company presented the Groon Oxidation Technology, a Koreandeveloped system that uses low-temperature plasma to treat domestic and highconcentration industrial wastewater.

The system’s inventors, Lee Inho and Hong Youngpyo, said the technology enables efficient contaminant degradation while maintaining stable operations and reducing facility and maintenance costs compared with conventional advanced treatment systems.

Lee said they studied Philippine water quality and waste conditions before bringing the technology to the country through a partnership with Soliman EC. He noted that industrial discharge remains a major source of water pollution.

“We studied Philippine water quality and waste. I have a solution and want to share it here through partnership with Soliman,” Lee said.

DPWH set to rehab Maharlika Highway

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will open bidding for the long-term rehabilitation of Maharlika Highway as early as April, limiting the procurement to large contractors capable of deploying modern construction technology.

Public Works Secretary Vivencio Dizon said in a press briefing on Monday that the agency is now preparing a comprehensive rehabilitation plan covering four regions with the worst road conditions along the highway—Region 4A or Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Region 5 or Bicol, Region 8 or Eastern Visayas, and Region 13 or Caraga.

“The order from [President Marcos] is to really fix this once and for all,” Dizon said. “We will start the procurement process sometime in April or May. Our undersecretaries and our regional directors are now preparing the plan for the long-term rehabilitation of the most problematic areas of Maharlika Highway.”

He said the department has already engaged “Japanese, Korean, and other foreign consultants” to help design the rehabilitation using international highway standards.

Dizon explained the rehabilita-

ILO: Study

By Justine Xyrah Garcia

AMID concerns that a recent survey may undermine the lived experience of platform workers, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Philippines said on Tuesday that the study in question remains preliminary and has not been finalized.

The agency stressed that the figures circulating in media reports are “strictly draft findings” and remain “under active review.”

“Let me be clear: these findings are not final, not endorsed, and not intended to be cited as definitive conclusions. They were shared in the spirit of transparency and tripartite consultation, consistent with the ILO’s mandate and long-

tion will have three major components: restricting bidding to large contractors with sufficient financial and technological capacity; tapping foreign expertise for design and standards; and requiring the use of concrete pavers and other heavy equipment already standard on major highways elsewhere in Asia.

“I don’t mean to put down or diminish or demean small contractors, but for major highways like Maharlika Highway, the patchwork approach won’t work anymore,” he said. “We’ve been doing it that way, and we can see the results.”

He said the traditional method of manual road construction— where asphalt is spread and swept by hand—would no longer be permitted for the project.

Holy Week deadline BEFORE the long-term plan kicks in, Dizon said the DPWH is racing to make the highway passable for the Holy Week travel rush in the first week of April.

He asked motorists for patience, saying repair crews are working “full blast” on road sections in Quezon, Bicol, and Samar.

Dizon said all obstructions and clearing works along the highway must be completed by the end of March.

“When our countrymen travel along Maharlika Highway—especially in Quezon, Bicol, and Samar, where it’s always damaged and traffic is terrible because of construction—there will be no more obstructions, no more ongoing construction,” he said.

Potholes and uneven surfaces, meanwhile, will receive temporary patchwork to allow smoother travel.

Dizon noted that vehicle speeds along some stretches between Catbalogan and Tacloban had slowed to as little as five to seven kilometers per hour owing to poor road conditions.

“Obviously, it’s only been about two weeks since we visited, and we can’t permanently fix everything in that time. But we’ll level out the uneven surfaces so motorists aren’t crawling at five or 10 kilometers an hour,” he said.

During the briefing, Dizon showed a conceptual illustration of what the rehabilitated highway could look like, acknowledging skepticism given the road’s current state but pointing to comparable highways in neighboring Asian countries as proof the vision is achievable.

“We are confident that if we use big contractors, get the advice of foreign consultants, and use the proper technology—I don’t even want to call it new because it’s not really new, but it’s new for Maharlika because it’s never been used there before—we will get [the desired] result,” Dizon said.

on platform workers not final

standing practice,” the organization said in a statement sent to the BusinessMirror.

It also clarified that the press release on the survey results did not originate from the organization, but from an independent agency not affiliated with the ILO. The clarification came after a labor group expressed dismay over the circulating findings, arguing that the conclusions do not reflect the day-to-day realities of transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers and delivery riders.

National Union of Food Delivery Riders (Riders-Sentro) said that while research is essential to understanding the platform workforce, the ILO’s study should not reduce workers to abstract data

points or statistical averages.

The group said riders and drivers operate within what it described as an increasingly unequal platform economy, and stressed that their day-to-day realities must be adequately reflected in the agency’s assessment of working conditions.

Preliminary results of the ILO-commissioned survey, which circulated among media organizations, showed that the average net weekly earnings of a TNVS driver or rider reached P6,704 after costs. This compares with the prevailing daily minimum wage of roughly P498 to P695, or about P4,865 weekly.

The draft findings also indicated that nearly 90 percent of respondents reported having ac -

cess to platform-provided social protection benefits, including health insurance, workplace injury coverage and pension or retirement plans.

Amid the debate over the preliminary figures, the Genevabased body said the validation stage is designed to allow stakeholders to scrutinize assumptions, clarify context and correct possible misinterpretations before conclusions are finalized.

The ILO also reaffirmed its commitment to “neutrality, technical rigour and social dialogue.”

“The objective is not to prejudge outcomes, but to support informed discussion and contribute constructively to advancing decent work in the evolving platform economy,” it added.

PHL, US, Australia naval, air units complete another MMCA in WPS

NAVAL and air units from the Philippines, Australia, and the United States completed the 14th multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Armed Forces said on Tuesday. The MMCA, the first for this year, was conducted from February 15 to 16, underscoring a shared and multinational resolve to strengthen interoperability and freedom of navigation and overflight under international law.

“The two-day exercise, spanning the waters of the WPS rein -

forces the continuity of multilateral cooperation and reflects the participating nations’ sustained commitment to strengthening maritime security in the region,” the AFP said in a statement.

The AFP, Australian Defense Force (ADF), and the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USIndopacom) joined the activity.

“Philippine forces deployed a robust mix of air and naval capabilities, including the Navy’s BRP Diego Silang [FFG-7], AW-109 ‘Power’ helicopter; Air Force’s FA-50 ‘Fighting Eagle’ fighter jets, A-29 Super

Tucano light ground attack planes, C-208B transport plane, and a W-3 ‘Sokol’ search and rescue helicopter,” the military said.

Likewise, the Coast Guard (PCG) also participated with BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701).

Meanwhile, the ADF had deployed HMAS Toowoomba (FFH156) with an embarked MH-60R helicopter and a P-8A “Poseidon” maritime patrol aircraft.

The US Indopacom sent USS Dewey (DDG-105) alongside a P-8A. The 14th MMCA’s exercise serials built upon previous engage -

AmCham urges balance as Senate advances child online safety bill

By Bless Aubrey Ogerio

REGULATIONS that are overly restrictive or difficult to enforce could unintentionally limit learning opportunities, weaken digital inclusion and dampen investor confidence in the country’s digital economy, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) warned.

As the Senate moves forward with the proposed Children’s Safety in Media Act, AmCham said the private sector sees the need for a regulatory approach that protects children while avoiding provisions that could undermine access to information or stifle innovation.

“From the private sector’s perspective, we respectfully underscore the importance of a balanced and proportionate regulatory framework, which effectively protects children while also preserving access to information, encouraging digital innovation, respecting data privacy, and ensuring practical and enforceable compliance standards,” the group said in a statement issued on Monday.

It added that it is open to working with lawmakers and other stakeholders to help shape a policy framework that safeguards children, upholds fundamental rights and supports a safe and competitive digital ecosystem.

Online abuse

SEPARATELY, child-rights groups Plan International Pilipinas and Consuelo Foundation raised concerns over what they described as a growing wave of artificial intelligence-enabled online abuse targeting children.

The organizations pointed to the rapid spread of artificial intelligence (AI) tools capable of producing highly realistic images, videos, and voice recordings that can be misused for exploitation, harassment, and extortion.

These include AI-generated sexual images, deepfake content, impersonation scams, and more sophisticated grooming tactics that are harder for parents and authorities to detect.

“We are facing a reality where algorithms move faster than our laws, leaving children vulnerable to abuse before we even know the risks exist,” Plan International Pilipinas Executive Director Pebbles SanchezOgang said.

Studies cited by the groups show that one in two children has experienced some form of online violence, while seven out of ten girls report being subjected to online abuse. Perpetrators often use digital platforms to produce, distribute, and profit from abusive content. According to the National Coordinating Center Against OsaecCsaem (Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials), reported cases represent only a fraction of actual incidents, indicating that many instances of online abuse remain unreported.

During the Safer Internet Day celebration, Sanchez-Ogang called for closer cooperation among government agencies, technology companies, communities, and families, stressing that online safety cannot rest on a single sector alone.

“Digital safety is a shared responsibility,” she said, adding that stronger child-focused technology design and more informed choices by users are needed to make online spaces safer.

Consuelo Foundation Managing Director Mariella Castillo echoed the concern, saying online harm has tangible effects on children’s wellbeing.

“‘Beyond the Feed’ is not just a theme; it is a call to look past the algorithms and see the human cost of unchecked technology,” Castillo said.

She added that the foundation supports efforts to ensure digital spaces help nurture young people rather than expose them to harm.

For its part, AmCham said that while it continues to support policies that strengthen the economy and attract investments, it also backs initiatives that promote a safer and healthier digital environment for Filipinos, particularly children.

GOVERNORS from six provinces thanked President Marcos for the release of financial assistance to areas affected by the recent Tropical Storm Basyang (international name Penha) and the shear line, describing the aid as timely support for displaced families.

In a joint statement, the governors of Cebu, Iloilo, Eastern Samar, Surigao del Sur, Aklan, and Bohol expressed gratitude for the President’s directive to release funds to local governments (LGUs).

ments to further enhance operational cohesion.

“Activities included a communication exercise to refine coordination procedures; maritime domain awareness events to strengthen shared situational understanding; and division tactics to advance maneuvering proficiency. A photo exercise, replenishment at sea, and a concluding ‘hotwash’ supported transparency, improved logistics coordination, and captured key operational insights for future joint activities,” the AFP said. Rex Anthony Naval

“We thank President BBM [Bongbong Marcos] for the timely help, which we are sure would ease the suffering and pain caused by the storm to our constituents,” the local chief executives said, as quoted in a Palace news release on Tuesday.

The joint statement was issued by Governors Pamela Baricuatro (Cebu), Arthur Defensor Jr. (Iloilo), Ralph Vincent Evardone (Eastern Samar), Johnny Pimentel (Surigao del Sur), Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol), and Jose Enrique Miraflores (Aklan), according to the Palace.

Marcos earlier ordered the release of a total of P321 million to 34 provinces and eight cities affected by Basyang and the shear line. He directed Executive Secretary Ralph Recto to facilitate the release following a meeting with provincial governors last week. Recto confirmed that the funds are now being released as instructed by the President. The governors said the assistance would be used to support families whose homes and livelihoods were damaged, distribute relief goods, and repair affected roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. They also committed to augment the national aid with local resources.

“Helping our people is a shared responsibility of the national government and local government units,” the release added, quoting the governors.

On February 11, Marcos convened governors from provinces hardest hit by Basyang and key members of his Cabinet to ensure a swift and coordinated response. PNA

PEZA eyes aerotropolis ecozones as aerospace companies expand

By Bless Aubrey Ogerio

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) is planning to develop aerotropolis-style economic zones in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines as more aircraft-related manufacturers set up operations in the country.

The plan follows the recent Peza registration of Global Aerospace Technology Philippines Inc. as an Ecozone Export Enterprise. The company will locate at the Cavite Technopark-Special Economic Zone. Global Aerospace is set to manufacture and assemble unmanned aerial vehicles and systems, special-purpose machinery, and aero -

Solon files bill to ease classroom shortage

ALAWMAKER is calling for stronger private sector participation to address the country’s chronic classroom shortage, warning that the situation could worsen as 51,000 public school buildings are expected to be declared structurally unsafe by 2028.

Parañaque Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan has filed House Bill 7362 to mobilize civil society organizations by formally integrating them into the government’s Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP).

HB 7362, or the proposed CAP Act, also authorizes qualified local government units (LGUs) to propose and implement classroom construction projects utilizing national government funds.

“We need all hands on deck to solve the massive classroom backlog. While many LGUs are qualified to take part in the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program, the private sector has shown that it is equally, if not more, capable of constructing school buildings of high quality at less cost,” Yamsuan said. Under the bill, the Department of Budget and Management, Government Procurement Policy Board, and Commission on Audit—in consultation with the Department of Education— would establish mechanisms to facilitate private sector participation as project proponents.

Yamsuan reiterated that addressing the classroom deficit is a shared responsibility, stressing that the government cannot resolve the problem alone and must adopt a whole-of-nation approach.

See “Solon,” A11

space components.

Peza said these activities place the Philippines more firmly in technology-intensive manufacturing tied to the global aerospace industry.

In a statement, the authority said the proposed aerotropolis ecozones are intended to cluster aviation and aerospace firms near major airports to improve infrastructure links, streamline supply chains, and strengthen international connectivity.

For his part, Ecozone Development Manager Ludwig Daza said a memorandum of understanding between Peza and the aviation regulator is already in place, with both agencies working on guidelines to operationalize aerotropolis ecozones in the near term.

Beyond large manufacturers,

Peza said the initiative is expected to open supply-chain opportunities for local micro, small, and medium enterprises, including through subcontracting, precision parts production, logistics and technical services.

Peza Director General Tereso Panga said the entry of Global Aerospace adds to the country’s growing aerospace footprint and deepens its role in global production networks.

“The project forms part of the broader aerospace ecosystem, positioning the Philippines to integrate with Japan—one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturing nations—as it progresses toward high-value systems engineering, defense platforms, nextgeneration aircraft technologies, and sustainable aviation solutions,” Panga said.

DBM releases ₧45 billion for local govts, communist insurgency-cleared barangays

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of P37.49 billion from the Local Government Support Fund (LSGF) to local governments (LGUs) and P8 billion to conflict-cleared barangays.

Acting Budget Secretary Rolando U. Toledo issued two local budget circulars to provide the guidelines for the release and use of the LSGF as financial assistance to LGUs (LGSF-FA to LGUs) and support to the barangay development program (LGSF-SBDP) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).

The LGSF-FA to LGUs will provide general financial support to eligible provinces, cities and towns for their priority development programs and projects.

LGUs are given flexibility in using the funds, as long as the expenditures comply with budgeting, accounting, auditing and procurement laws and regulations.

Meanwhile, the LGSF-SBDP is a targeted program to support infrastructure development in 808 conflict-cleared barangays nationwide.

The funds are intended to improve access to basic services in previously insurgency-affected communities and support peacebuilding efforts.

Eligible projects are farm-tomarket roads, school buildings, water and sanitation systems, health stations, and electrification facilities identified through the Retooled Community Support Program.

Under the guidelines, cities and municipalities are designated as the primary implementers of barangay projects and must

secure all necessary permits and clearances before construction begins.

If a city or municipality lacks the technical capacity to implement a project, the province may take over through a memorandum of agreement.

In cases where both are unable to carry out the project, a national government agency, including units of the Armed Forces (AFP), may serve as the implementing body.

Before funds are released for LGSF-SBDP projects, the NTFElcac must certify that beneficiary barangays have completed the required community support processes and submitted complete documentation.

For both programs, fund releases will be coursed through the Bureau of the Treasury and credited to the depository accounts of the concerned LGUs.

Cybersecurity firm warns against AI-driven scams

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

GLOBAL cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has issued a warning about sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI)-driven scams targeting Filipino consumers as the country’s live entertainment industry continues to expand and more ticket purchases move online.

Sam Yan, head of Sales for Asia Emerging Countries at Kaspersky, said cybercriminals are using AI technology to create increasingly convincing fraudulent schemes that are becoming harder for consumers to detect.

He said bad actors are exploiting the urgency around highdemand events and time-sensitive purchases by creating fake ticketing websites, phishing links, and fraudulent resale offers that closely replicate legitimate platforms.

“As ticketing scams become more sophisticated, it’s increasingly important for consumers to stay informed and cautious online, while the private sector and regulators continue working together to protect digital transactions,” Yan said. “With the Philippine entertainment industry continuing to grow, cybersecurity must keep pace to help preserve consumer trust and safe digital experiences.”

The threat is especially acute during peak periods such as holidays, major concerts, and sold-out shows, when buyers face pressure to act quickly and may be more likely to overlook warning signs.

Security researchers say this urgency creates conditions that favor scammers, who design their operations to exploit timesensitive decision-making.

Kaspersky recommends that Philippine consumers purchase tickets only through official websites or authorized sellers and exercise caution with resale offers promoted through social media or messaging apps.

The company advises against clicking on ticket links sent through unsolicited emails, texts, or private messages, even when they appear to come from known brands or events. Consumers should also verify website URLs and check page details for spelling errors, unusual payment requests, or design inconsistencies before entering personal or payment information.

Using strong, unique passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication on ticketing, email, and digital payment accounts can provide additional protection. Installing reliable security solutions that detect phishing websites and fraudulent pages in real time is also recommended.

For businesses operating in the entertainment and ticketing space, Kaspersky suggests monitoring platforms, websites, and social media channels for impersonation or fraudulent use of brand names and logos.

Companies should educate employees and partners on AIdriven phishing and social engineering tactics, particularly during peak events and holiday seasons.

The cybersecurity firm also recommends implementing advanced endpoint protection and threat detection solutions to identify and respond to suspicious activity across devices and workloads, along with strengthening incident detection and response capabilities through centralized monitoring to quickly contain potential threats.

DA boosts coffee industry Lawmakers back overhaul of power subsidy program

TBy Ada Pelonia @adapelonia

HE Department of Agriculture (DA) will centralize coffee projects and funding to strengthen the domestic industry and capture global markets amid robust consumption worldwide.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Department Order 6, which created the Coffee Industry Development Office (Cido) to centralize coffee pro -

grams, funding, and policies that were previously scattered across several units.

“We cannot keep talking about the promise of Philippine coffee while farmers grow older, yields stagnate, and imports rise,” Tiu Laurel said.

Despite growing coffee consumption, the DA chief stressed that local production continues to lag, with aging farmers, limited access to inputs, outdated equipment, and “patchy” infrastructure as hurdles for the domestic industry.

This has resulted in declining yields, uneven quality, and rising imports to meet local demand, according to the agency.

“By creating Cido under focused leadership, we are putting strategy, funding, and execution in one accountable office,” Tiu Laurel said. “This is about restoring competitiveness and making sure Filipino coffee farmers finally capture the value of a market that is already growing around them.”

The DO draws authority from an Executive Order (EO) that empowers the DA to support domestic and export-oriented agriculture.

“Coffee, long treated as a minor crop, now demands full attention,” Tiu Laurel said.

With this, the DA said Cido

will lead program planning and prioritization, track accomplishments across the bureaus and regional offices, and ensure all initiatives align with national agricultural priorities and ODAfunded projects.

Furthermore, the office will coordinate with local governments, universities, private firms, and farmer groups while also recommending reforms to fill gaps in policy or implementation.

All coffee development funds, including those under the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) and the Office of the Secretary, will now be under Cido.

The new office will sit under the agency’s Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Official Development Assistance (ODA), headed by Undersecretary Jerome Oliveros.

For the DA, consolidated control aims to boost accountability and speed up project delivery, citing analysts that the move reflects its commodity-specific governance, wherein sectors that lag now get dedicated oversight.

“Success will hinge on execution of modernizing farms, attracting younger farmers, upgrading processing facilities, and linking producers to higher-value markets.”

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

LEGISLATORS on Tuesday expressed strong support for President Marcos’ overhaul of the Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program (LRSP) that automatically grants free electricity for the first 50 kilowatt-hours of monthly consumption to families enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Deputy Speakers Paolo Ortega and Jay Khonghun, along with Reps. Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur and Ernix Dionisio of Manila, said the reform removes longstanding barriers that previously required low-income households to apply separately for electricity subsidies. Under the updated policy, qualified 4Ps beneficiaries are automatically enrolled, allowing assistance to reach vulnerable families faster and with minimal bureaucracy.

Lawmakers described the automatic subsidy as a major step in strengthening social protection, noting that electricity costs remain a significant burden for many low-income households. By turning the benefit into a builtin entitlement rather than an application-based program, the

reform delivers immediate relief while supporting broader poverty reduction efforts.

“This is a true game-changer under President Marcos’ leadership,” the lawmakers declared in their joint statement. “By making the lifeline subsidy automatic for 4Ps households, we are cutting through bureaucracy so help reaches exactly where it is needed most—without delay and without hassle. We fully support this initiative to shield our poorest families from energy poverty while opening doors to renewable energy solutions that can transform lives in the long run.”

The lawmakers said the initiative reflects a people-centered approach to governance by ensuring aid reaches those most in need without delay. They also emphasized the long-term potential of the reform to support energy access and future renewable energy initiatives for marginalized communities.

They called on the Department of Energy, power distributors, and implementing agencies to ensure a smooth rollout of the automatic subsidy mechanism. They, likewise, encouraged all eligible households to verify their 4Ps status to fully benefit from the program.

DENR overhauls residential land titling free system

WHE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued new rules that will significantly speed up and make residential land titling fairer for millions of Filipino families.

In effect, DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2025-35 overhauls the country’s residential free patent system and addresses challenges hounding properties that continue to delay infrastructure projects, complicate family inheritance, and fuel land disputes across the country. “We are fixing a system that has left too many families in uncertainty for too long,” DENR Secretary Raphael M. Lotilla said. “A title is more than a document—it is stability, dignity, and protection from abuse. Our duty is to ensure that land governance is not only efficient but truly responsive to the realities ordinary Filipinos face.”

This development is particularly important for the Philippines, where millions still live on land passed down through generations but remain untitled due to rigid rules, unclear requirements, or limited access to government services.

Untitled homes cannot be used as loan collateral, complicate reconstruction after disasters, and often face challenge from opportunistic claimants—issues that have consistently surfaced in communities hit by typhoons, large development projects, or property disputes.

The updated rules also matter deeply for families who have faced barriers in proving occupation or continuity of possession. Many have been disqualified due to temporary absences for work, marriage, or disasters—common circumstances in a country with high labor mobility, recurring typhoons, and widespread internal migration.

By clarifying who qualifies as an actual occupant and allowing heirs, spouses, returning former Filipinos, and those whose possession was interrupted for valid reasons to apply, the new order brings long-awaited fairness to households that struggled to secure titles through no fault of their own.

To support these reforms, DAO No. 2025-35 strengthens measures that cut processing time and improve transparency. It enforces a 120-day processing period, allows electronic filing and tracking through the Land Administration and Management System (LAMS Philippines), and permits the deferred submission of the Land Registration Authority certification for up to 90 days.

The Order also retains the P150 standardized application fee and removes cadastral survey costs, protecting applicants—especially low-income families—from unauthorized or excessive charges. Beyond land titling, the DENR stressed the urgency of foreshore management reforms, as coastal zones face rising threats from climate change, storm surges, and unregulated development. Strengthened foreshore governance is seen as crucial to protecting public coastal lands, supporting coastal economies, and improving climate resilience for millions of Filipinos living along the country’s shorelines.

Lotilla urged land officials to pursue a balanced, modern, and climate-responsive approach to land governance. He stressed that 2026 is a pivotal year for delivering faster, more predictable services, safeguarding public land assets, and ensuring that land administration contributes meaningfully to national development and public welfare. Jonathan L. Mayuga

DepEd hits ‘pause’ on trimester move, vows consultations with stakeholders

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco @claudethmc3

FOLLOWING the concerns raised by legislators, teachers, and stakeholders, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday assured that they are actively conducting consultations and will continue engaging education officials and stakeholders in the coming days to ensure that all voices are heard and considered, and that the trimester system remains a “proposal.”

“We take these views seriously as we acknowledge that structural reform and systemic issues, such as classroom shortage and teacher welfare, are not mutually exclusive,” the DepEd statement read, stressing that the trimester system remains a proposal, and no final decision has been made. The intent of the proposal, DepEd clarified, is to support broader reforms that simplify planning, improve the use of academic time, and reduce workload pressures on teachers.

“DepEd remains committed to refining the proposal based on feedback from the field. Our priority is that any reform must strengthen learning continuity while improving conditions for both learners and educators,” DepEd added.

As part of a holistic approach that ensures strategic curriculum implementation through the appropriate distribution of learning blocks covering academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities, the DepEd said that they are

advancing reforms to the school calendar, including the proposed transition to a trimester system.

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara noted that the proposal aimed at allowing longer and more flexible instructional periods, reducing teacher workload, and promoting higherquality instruction through improved organization of the academic year.

“Itinutulak natin ito upang magkaroon ng mas mahahabang, tuloy-tuloy na panahon ng pagkatuto, mas maayos na pacing ng mga aralin, at mas mababang administrative burden para sa ating mga guro. Sa ganitong paraan, napapangalagaan natin ang kalidad ng edukasyon,” Angara said, citing findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).

The trimester system will divide the school year into three academic terms with longer instructional and enrichment blocks, enabling teachers to sustain lesson delivery without frequent interruptions.

Under the proposed trimester calendar for School Year 2026-2027, the 201 school days will be distributed across three terms, each providing longer

Marcos admin pledges to tackle South Korean investor concerns to boost FDI

By Samuel Medenilla @sam_medenilla

THE Marcos administration is now addressing the concerns of Korean firms in a bid to draw more foreign investments in the country, according to Malacañang.

Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto made the statement during his meeting with Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines Lee Sang-Hwa at the Palace last Monday to explore how to further deepen Manila’s bilateral ties with Seoul.

“Executive Secretary Recto assured the Ambassador that the government is proactively addressing investor concerns to make the Philippines a more competitive and secure investment destination,” the Office of the Executive Secretary said in a statement.

Other Philippine officials, who were present in the meeting were Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Maria

Luwalhati C. Dorotan Tiuseco; Undersecretaries Erwin D. Sta. Ana and Facundo O. Palafox IV of the Office of the Executive Secretary; and Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Undersecretary Benjamin Acorda Jr.

In 2024, the Korean Chamber of Commerce Philippines called for the lifting of foreign ownership restrictions to make the country more attractive to foreign investors. There were also some business groups who expressed concern on the corruption in the government after President Ferdinand Marcos initiated a crackdown on billions of pesos worth of anomalous flood control projects.

For his part, Lee said South Korea supports the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related meetings this year. He said Seoul wants to forge stronger relations with the regional bloc.

Recto met with Lee as the Philippines and South Korea are set to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations this March.

The Philippine and South Korea trade relations have already reached a new milestone after both countries forge a free trade agreement (FTA).

Since the Philippines-Korea FTA took effect in 2024, trade between the two countries rose to US$13.2 billion from US$12 billion in 2023 in favor of South Korea.

Philippine exports to South Korea were US$3.5 billion in 2023, while its imports from the East Asian country were at US$8.5 billion. The following year the export figures were at US3.6 billion, while the imports rose to US$9.6 billion.

Last year, the country’s exports to South Korea dropped to US$3.3 billion, while its imports further increased to US$ 10.6 billion.

Cebu’s first musical seawater fountain opens in Naga City

By Carmel Pedroza

CEBU CITY Making waves as the first musical floating seawater fountain in the province, the City of Naga in Cebu officially unveiled the “Naga’s WaterLight Symphony” on Valentine’s Day, positioning the attraction as a new tourism magnet aimed at boosting visitor arrivals and energizing the local economy.

Launched on Saturday, Feb. 14, the WaterLight Symphony is the first of its kind in Cebu — a choreographed spectacle of lights, music, and seawater jets set against the scenic backdrop of the Naga Park and Boardwalk. Cebu Governor Pamela Baricu -

atro underscored that initiatives like this help keep Cebu competitive as a tourism hub while creating inclusive opportunities for communities.

“ Para nako ang turismo dili lang about destinations; it is about experiences,” the governor said in her message.

“And tonight, Naga is giving both residents and visitors a new reason to come, stay, and fall in love with this city even more. Initiatives like this help strengthen Cebu’s position as a vibrant and must-visit province,” she added.

City officials described the attraction as proof of their commitment to delivering high-quality amenities for both residents and tourists.

For Naga City Mayor Valdemar “Val” Chiong, the attraction reflects his administration’s dedication to ensuring that residents no longer need to travel abroad to experience a world-class musical fountain show.

Regular weekend shows

STRATEGICALLY situated at the center of the Naga Park and Boardwalk, the WaterLight Symphony combines synchronized lighting effects, carefully timed seawater jets, and music to create a worldclass visual experience.

The WaterLight Symphony will now be a regular weekend feature in the city, with shows scheduled every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

uninterrupted teaching periods and allowing better pacing of lessons.

Scheduled breaks between terms will also provide teachers with time for planning, assessment, and professional tasks, helping improve overall instructional delivery.

Based on the proposed calendar framework, classes will open in early June. The first trimester will run from June to September. The second trimester will cover September to December while the third trimester will run from January until late March, completing the 201 school days for the academic year.

Per term, there will be an instructional block (54-61 days),dedicated to quality teaching and learning time, with minimal disruption of non-academic activities, and an enrichment block, alloted for remediation and enrichment, grade computation, preparation and checking of school forms, and wellness break, among others. An opening block will also be implemented for Term 1 only for opening of school year activities.

‘Low disruption alternatives’ THE reform will also promote “low-disruption alternatives,”

where mandated celebrations and observances are integrated into classroom instruction rather than requiring separate programs that interrupt lessons.

DepEd data show that the current calendar structure has contributed to compressed instructional time, as schools must accommodate numerous mandated observances, reporting requirements, and administrative tasks. These disruptions often break lesson continuity and increase workload demands on teachers, forcing them to prioritize compliance over sustained instruction.

Examples include incorporating national and cultural observances into reading materials, writing exercises, science discussions, and project-based learning, allowing students to engage with civic themes while continuing their regular lessons. Schools may also conduct shorter in-class reflection activities, thematic discussions, or curriculum-linked projects instead of holding wholeday events that suspend academic instruction.

Formal policy guidelines on the trimester calendar are expected to be issued following consultations with teachers, school leaders, and other education stakeholders.

Gatchalian seeks tougher legislation against illegal online gambling

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

DECRYING their penchant for spreading like mushrooms, Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking tougher legislative action to curb the rapid spread of illegal online gambling, as unlicensed betting sites continue to lure millions of Filipinos into gambling addiction.

“ Parang kabute ang mga ito— kahit ma- block ngayon, bukas andyan na naman [They’re like mushrooms. Even if you block them today, they’ll spring up again]. It’s never ending. Dapat putulin na ang ugat [Their roots should be cut]. Have you gone further than blocking?” Gatchalian asked the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) during a recent Senate hearing.

The CICC said it has blocked an average of 50,000 online gambling sites, 95–97 percent of which

operate from outside the country. Authorities explained that they can only block access within Philippine jurisdiction, making full takedown impossible which is a key enforcement challenge of cross-border operations. Responding to the senator’s call for legislative proposals, CICC Executive Director Renato Paraiso recommended appointing cyber diplomats to bolster international cybersecurity cooperation, noting that the Philippines is the only country yet to designate such officials. He also said the country can expand mutual legal assistance treaties (MLATs) to cover cybercrimes, as existing agreements address only traditional offenses. Last year, Gatchalian filed the Online Gambling Regulatory Act seeking to establish a stringent regulatory framework for online gambling instead of imposing a total ban that could push operations underground.

Brawner hails retired Wescom chief for outstanding service

ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Monday lauded the distinguished service and leadership of outgoing Western Command (Wescom) head Vice Admiral Alfonso Torres Jr. during the latter’s change of command and retirement ceremony held at the Bonifacio Naval Station, Taguig City on Monday.

Brawner, in a statement, hailed Torres for strengthening Wescom’s operational capabilities and advancing its territorial defense mission.

Commodore Charles Merric Villanueva was installed as acting Wescom commander following Torres’ retirement.

Torres, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1991, took over Wescom in May of 2024.

“Under the leadership of Vice Admiral Torres, Wescom strengthened its maritime domain awareness, expanded its

operational presence through the deployment of personnel in detachments across our frontier islands, and sustained surveillance operations by conducting maritime patrols over our country’s territorial waters and Philippine airspace with discipline and resolve,” Brawner said. He added that Wescom upheld sovereign rights while sustaining internal security gains and reinforcing partnerships with local communities and allied forces.

Brawner also emphasized the critical role of Wescom in defending the country’s western frontier.

“The strategic landscape in the West Philippine Sea demands vigilance, unity of effort and leaders who can think clearly, act decisively, and inspire confidence. Western Command is the AFP’s line of defense in Palawan and the Kalayaan Island Group,” he said, reaffirming the AFP’s commitment to securing national sovereignty firmly and responsibly. Rex Anthony Naval

Lunar New Year prayers, robots, fireworks and festivities usher in Year of the Horse

By Ken Moritsugu The Associated Press

BEIJING—People are marking the Lunar New Year on Tuesday with prayers, robots, fireworks and festivities.

The activities ushered in the Year of the Horse, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, succeeding the Year of the Snake.

The Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China and some other East Asian nations and is celebrated outside the region, too.

Robots take the stage of an annual TV show in China

AS every year, China celebrated the Lunar New Year with a TV show and once again the humanoid robots were a central part of the performance Monday night.

One of the highlights of the CCTV Spring Festival gala was a martial arts performance by children and robots. For several minutes, humanoids from Unitree Robotics showed different sequences and even brandished swords.

The performance shows China’s push to develop more advanced robots powered by improved AI capabilities.

Temple crowds at midnight in Hong Kong

INCENSE smoke wafted into the air at a temple in Hong Kong where people line up every year to make wishes for the new year at midnight.

Holding up a cluster of

incense sticks, many bowed their heads several times before planting the sticks in containers placed in front of a temple hall.

Fireworks light up skies in Vietnam

ENTERTAINERS in Vietnam sang at an outdoor countdown event before multiple fireworks shows at several cities in the Southeast Asian nation, where the festival is called Tet.

Light shows lit up bridges and skyscrapers as the fireworks went off and crowds clapped in rhythm to live pop music performances.

Chinese street fairs in Moscow

PEOPLE sampled Chinese cuisine from stalls and strolled along snowy streets decorated with red lanterns and dragons as two weeks of events got underway Monday at various venues in the Russian capital.

The third annual Lunar New Year celebration comes at a time of warming relations between China and Russia—ties that have frustrated many European governments because of the war in Ukraine.

A temple bell rings 108 times in Taiwan

THE solemn peal of a temple

bell rang out 108 times—an auspicious number—as people flocked to the Baoan Temple in Taipei on Tuesday morning. They lit incense sticks, bowed their heads and left offerings of colorful flower bouquets on outdoor tables on the temple grounds in Taiwan’s capital city.

Argentines join celebrations in Buenos Aires

THOUSANDS of Argentines gathered in Buenos Aires’ Chinatown to celebrate the Lunar New Year and enjoyed dragon and lion dances on the main stage, alongside martial arts demonstrations.

The Chinese immigrant community is among Argentina’s most dynamic, accounting for more than 180,000 people in the South American country.

Australia won’t repatriate 34 women and children from Syria

By Rod Mcguirk The Associated Press

ELBOURNE,

MAustralia—The Australian government will not repatriate from Syria a group of 34 women and children with alleged ties to the Islamic State group, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday.

The women and children from 11 families were supposed to fly from the Syrian capital Damascus to Australia but Syrian authorities on Monday turned them back to Roj camp in northeast Syria because of procedural problems, officials said.

Only two groups of Australians have been repatriated with government help from Syrian camps since the fall of the Islamic State group in 2019. Other Australians have also returned without government assistance.

Albanese would not comment on a report that the latest women and children had Australian passports.

“We’re providing absolutely no support and we are not repatriating people,” Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. in Melbourne.

“We have no sympathy, frankly, for people who traveled overseas in order to participate in what was an attempt to establish a caliphate to undermine, destroy, our way of life. And so, as my mother would say, ‘You make your bed, you lie

in it,’” Albanese added.

Albanese noted that the child welfare-focused international charity Save the Children had failed to establish in Australia’s courts that the Australian government had a responsibility to repatriate citizens from Syrian camps.

After the federal court ruled in the government’s favor in 2024, Save the Children Australia chief executive Mat Tinkler argued the government had a moral, if not legal, obligation to repatriate families.

Albanese said if the latest group made their way to Australia without government help, they could be charged. It was an offense under

Australian law to travel to the former Islamic State stronghold of al-Raqqa province without a legitimate reason from 2014 to 2017. The maximum penalty was 10 years in prison.

“It’s unfortunate that children are impacted by this as well, but we are not providing any support. And if anyone does manage to find their way back to Australia, then they’ll face the full force of the law, if any laws have been broken,” Albanese added.

The last group of Australians to be repatriated from Syrian camps arrived in Sydney in October 2022.

They were four mothers, former partners of Islamic State

supporters, and 13 children.

Australian officials had assessed the group as the most vulnerable among 60 Australian women and children held in Roj camp, the government said at the time.

Eight offspring of two slain Australian Islamic State fighters were repatriated from Syria in 2019 by the conservative government that preceded Albanese’s center-left Labor Party administration.

The issue of Islamic State supporters resurfaced in Australia after the killings of 15 people at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14. The attackers were allegedly inspired by IS.

WORSHIPPERS pray at the Longshan temple early morning on the first day of the Lunar New Year celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. AP/CHIANG YING-YING

A8 Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Iran meets UN nuclear watchdog in Geneva ahead of more US talks

By Jamey Keaten & Stephanie Liechtenstein The Associated Press

GENEVA—Iran’s top diplomat met with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency Monday, ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and said he would also meet with Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi of Oman, which is hosting the USIran talks in Geneva on Tuesday.

“I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal,” Araghchi wrote on X. “What is not on the table: submission before threats.”

As US President Donald Trump ordered an additional aircraft carrier to the region, Iran on Monday held another naval drill, state TV reported. It said the drill would test Iran’s intelligence and operational capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Iran’s drills take place against the US military buildup

Just before the talks, Iran announced its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard started the drill early Monday morning in the waterways that are crucial international trade routes through which 20% of the world’s oil passes.

Separately, EOS Risk Group said sailors passing through the region received by radio a warning that the northern lane of the Strait of Hormuz, in Iranian territorial waters, likely would see a live-fire drill Tuesday. Iranian state TV did not mention the live fire drill.

This is the second time in recent weeks sailors have received warning about an Iranian live fire drill. During the previous exercise, announced at the end of January, the US military’s Central Command issued a strongly worded warning to Iran and the Revolutionary Guard. While acknowledging Iran’s “right to operate professionally in international airspace and waters,” it warned against interfering or threatening American warships or passing commercial vessels.

On Feb. 4, tensions between the Iranian and US navies rose further after a US Navy fighter jet

shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. Iran also harassed a US-flagged and US-crewed merchant vessel that was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, the US military reported.

Iran open to compromise in exchange for sanctions relief

THE Trump administration is seeking a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons. On Sunday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi signaled that Tehran could be open to compromise on the nuclear issue, but is looking for an easing of international sanctions led by the United States.

“The ball is in America’s court. They have to prove they want to have a deal with us,” Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC. “If we see a sincerity on their part, I am sure that we will be on a road to have an agreement.”

“We are ready to discuss this and other issues related to our program provided that they are also ready to talk about the sanctions,” he added.

Talking to reporters Monday night aboard Air Force One on his way to Washington, US President Donald Trump said of the US-Iran talks, “I’ll be involved in those talks -- indirectly -- and they’ll be very important, and we’ll see what can happen.”

“Typically, Iran’s a very tough negotiator,” he said, first describing Iran as “good negotiators” before correcting himself. “I would say they’re bad negotiators, because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B2s in to knock out their nuclear potential, and we had to send the B2s. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable.”

Trump added: “I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal.”

Oman hosted a first round of indirect talks between the US and Iran on Feb. 6.

Similar talks last year between the US and Iran about Iran’s nuclear program broke down after Israel launched what became a 12-day war on Iran, that included the US bombing Iranian nuclear sites.

The US is also hosting talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday, days ahead of the fourth anniversary of the all-out Russian invasion of its neighbor.

US keeps military pressure high TRUMP initially threatened to take military action over Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month, but then shifted to a pressure campaign in recent weeks to try to get Tehran to make a deal over its nuclear program.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Budapest, reiterated on Monday that the US hopes to achieve a deal with Iran, despite the difficulties. “I’m not going to prejudge these talks,” Rubio said. “The president always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things.”

Trump said Friday the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was being sent from the Caribbean to the Mideast to join other military assets the US has built up in the region. He also said a change in power in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.”

Iran has said if the US attacks, it will respond with an attack of its own.

The Trump administration has maintained that Iran can have no uranium enrichment under any

deal. Tehran says it won’t agree to that.

Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, its officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Before the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels.

The direct meeting with Grossi is a significant step after Iran suspended all cooperation with the IAEA following the June war with Israel. The two also met briefly on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in September. The IAEA said it has been unable to verify the status of Iran’s near weaponsgrade uranium stockpile since the war. Iran has allowed IAEA some access to sites that were not damaged, but has not allowed inspectors to visit other sites.

Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, Grossi previously told The Associated Press. He added that it doesn’t mean that Iran has such a weapon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to Washington last week to urge Trump to ensure that any deal to include steps to neutralize Iran’s ballistic missile program and end its funding for proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

Liechtenstein reported from Vienna. The Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Matthew Lee in Budapest, Hungary contributed to this report. The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Expectations low for US-brokered Russia-Ukraine talks in Geneva

By Illia Novikov The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine—A Ukrainian delegation was heading to Geneva on Monday for another round of US-brokered talks with Russian officials, ahead of next week’s fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

There was no anticipation of any significant progress on ending the war at the Tuesday-Wednesday meeting in Switzerland as both sides appear to be sticking to their negotiating positions on key issues, despite the United States setting a June deadline to reach a settlement. The future of Ukrainian land that Russia occupies or still covets is a central issue.

Ukrainian defenders remain locked in a war of attrition with Russia’s bigger army along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (750mile) front line. Ukrainian civilians endure Russian aerial barrages that repeatedly knock out power and smash homes, while Ukraine has developed drones that can fly deep into Russian territory and strike oil refineries and arms depots.

The governor of western Russia’s Bryansk region said Monday that air defenses had shot down 229 Ukrainian drones in the previous 24 hours. No other Russian region has come under as many simultaneous drone attacks in a single day, Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said.

Ukraine’s Air Force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 62 long-range strike drones and six missiles of various types at Ukraine overnight.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the talks in Geneva will deal with a “broader range of issues related to the territories and other issues connected to the demands that we have.” He didn’t elaborate on the issues.

A year of peace efforts by US President Donald Trump’s administration has failed to stop the fighting. Trump, as he flew back to Washington from his home in Florida on Monday evening, told reporters the Russia-Ukraine negotiations on Tuesday in Geneva

are going to “big talks.” He added, “Ukraine better come to the table fast.”

Western officials and analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that time is on his side, that Western support for Ukraine will peter out and that Ukraine’s resistance will eventually collapse under pressure.

Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, posted a photograph on Telegram showing himself standing next to a train with other members of the negotiating team, which is due to be led in Geneva by Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council chief.

Entering or leaving Ukraine entails a long overland journey, even for VIPs, as the country’s airspace is closed because of the war.

Putin’s adviser Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Moscow’s team of negotiators in the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022 and who has forcefully pushed Putin’s war goals, is returning to lead Moscow’s delegation. Medinsky has written several history books that focus on exposing purported Western plots against Russia and denigrate Ukraine.

Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russian military intelligence, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, along with other officials, will also be in the delegation, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said. Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev will also travel to Geneva for separate talks with the US on economic cooperation, according to Peskov. Moscow and Kyiv are keen to offer future business opportunities to Washington.

It was not clear which American officials would be in Geneva. At recent talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the Trump administration was represented by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The Russian and Ukrainian delegations were to report back to their leaders before any possible compromises discussed in Geneva could be accepted.

US troops in Nigeria to help train its military, Nigerian military says

By Dyepkazah Shibayan The Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria—About 100 US troops plus equipment have arrived in Nigeria to help train soldiers in the West African country as the government fights against Islamic militants and other armed groups, the Nigerian military announced Monday.

The arrival followed a request by the Nigerian government to the US government for help with training, technical support and intelligence-sharing, the military said in a statement.

The deployment follows an easing of tensions that flared between the US and Nigeria

when US President Donald Trump said the country wasn’t protecting Christians from an alleged genocide. The Nigerian government has rejected the accusation, and analysts say it simplifies a very complicated situation in which people are often targeted regardless of their faith.

Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesman for Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, previously has said that the US troops won’t engage in combat or have a direct operational role, and that Nigerian forces will have complete command authority.

In December, US forces launched airstrikes on Islamic State group-affiliated militants

in northwestern Nigeria. Last month, following discussions with Nigerian authorities in Abuja, the head of US Africa Command confirmed a small team of US military officers were in Nigeria, focused on intelligence support.

Nigeria is facing a protracted fight with dozens of local armed groups increasingly battling for turf, including Islamic sects like the homegrown Boko Haram and its breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province. There is also the IS-linked Lakurawa, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.

Recently, the crisis has worsened to include other militants from the neighboring Sahel region, including the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam walMuslimin, which claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil last year. Several thousand people in Nigeria have been killed, according to data from the United Nations. Analysts say not enough is being done by the government to protect its citizens.

While Christians have been among those targeted, analysts and residents say the majority of victims of the armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-dominated north, where most attacks occur.

After Trump’s ‘absurd’ Greenland proposal, Denmark’s ‘Queen of Crises’ looks to election

By Sanne Wass & Sara Sjolin

FOR Denmark’s prime minister, Donald Trump’s Greenland grab now looks like a crisis too good to waste.

Public support has swung behind Mette Frederiksen on the back of her standoff with the US administration, leaving her weighing whether to call a snap election to capitalize on the momentum. The vote must be held by Oct. 31, but Frederiksen can summon Danes to the polls whenever she feels is most opportune.

Frederiksen had looked to be in trouble prior to the conflict, her second term dragged down by domestic controversy. Rising costs of living and discontent over the government’s decision to scrap a public holiday were among the factors that drove her personal approval to a low in December.

Two months on, Trump’s revival of diplomatic tensions over the Arctic territory has shifted the political spotlight in Denmark to foreign policy and leadership. That’s playing to Frederiksen’s strengths, as she projects an image of a steady hand confronting an erratic superpower, with all of

Europe at her back.

“Mette Frederiksen is at her very best when the country is in its biggest crises — she’s essentially the queen of crises,” said Hans Engell, a political commentator and former government minister for the Conservative opposition party. “She thrives in them and draws energy from situations that look bleak and complicated.”

The result is the reinvigoration of the 48-year-old Social Democrat’s party, in what Rune Stubager, a politics professor at University of Aarhus, calls an election-year “gift” to Frederiksen, delivered by Trump. Frederiksen is often described as Denmark’s “Iron Lady,” a left-wing incarnation of Margaret Thatcher. From the moment she entered Danish parliament in 2001 at 23, she was seen as a blunt newcomer with her sights firmly set on power. Her reputation for directness was reinforced in 2014 when, shortly after being appointed justice minister,

Prosecutors plan to charge Israeli settler with killing a Palestinian activist in the West Bank

By Sam Metz

The Associated Press

RAMALLAH, West Bank—Israeli prosecutors said Monday that they plan to charge a settler in the killing of a Palestinian activist during a confrontation that was caught on video, opening a rare prosecution of violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. Attacks from settlers and home demolitions by authorities have spiked dramatically over the past two years, but the death in July of Awdah Hathaleen has drawn particular attention due to his involvement in the 2025 Oscar-winning film “No Other Land,” which chronicled Palestinian villagers’ fight to stay on their land. The case also stands out because the confrontation between Palestinians and Yinon Levi, an internationally sanctioned settler, was captured on video from multiple vantage points.

In a video that family members say was taken by Hathaleen himself, Levi could be seen firing toward the person holding the camera. Another showed Levi firing two shots without showing where the bullets struck. An Israeli judge released Levi from custody six months ago, citing a lack of evidence that he fired the shots that killed Hathaleen.

Israel’s State Attorney General’s office confirmed in a statement Monday that it had initiated proceedings to indict Levi. It did not specify the charges.

Eitan Peleg, an attorney for Hathaleen’s family, said the office had informed them it planned to indict Levi for reckless homicide, triggering a process that allows Levi to contest charges before they’re formally filed.

“Enforcement of the law in cases like this involving Palestinians in the West Bank is very rare, so this is unique,” Peleg told The Associated Press on Monday.

Israel’s military referred questions on the indictment to police, who have not yet responded. Both bodies enforce laws in the area.

More than 3.4 million Palestinians and 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by Palestinians for a future state. The international community overwhelmingly

considers Israeli settlement construction in these areas to be illegal and an obstacle to peace.

Palestinians and rights groups say authorities routinely fail to prosecute settlers or hold them accountable for violence. Under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, investigations into settler attacks have plummeted, according to the Israeli rights group Yesh Din. Khalil Hathaleen, Awdah’s brother, said the family was glad some measure of justice was being pursued but felt the charge of “reckless homicide” was insufficient.

“It was an intentional killing in broad daylight, with prior intent and premeditation,” he said.

Levi’s attorney, Avichai Hajbi, declined Monday to comment on the coming indictment, which he said he hadn’t received. After the shooting, he told The Associated Press that Levi acted in selfdefense, without elaborating. Levi did not answer phone calls Monday.

Parts of the confrontation were filmed

VIDEO released last year by B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group showed Levi firing a gun toward the person filming. At the moment that B’Tselem says Hathaleen collapsed, the visuals are jostled but moans of pain can be heard. The group said it obtained the video from the family of Hathaleen, who said he filmed it. Additional footage obtained by the AP last year showed Levi waving a pistol during the standoff in Umm al-Khair that was with a group of Palestinians over an excavator that had rolled down from a nearby settlement and damaged Palestinian property earlier in the day.

Alaa Hathaleen, a cousin who filmed the encounter, told AP at the time that he had approached Levi to tell him the group was unarmed and to stop the bulldozing. In the video, one Palestinian insults Levi and another challenges him to shoot. Levi shoves someone just out of the frame, demands to know who threw stones, and later fires a shot, seemingly away from the crowd. He then fires again and yells toward the crowd to get away from the excavator.

she promptly demoted the ministry’s top civil servant. The move provoked such internal anger that other department heads appeared in black “mourning attire”—an unusually overt protest against a sitting minister.

The dispute over Greenland has left Frederiksen, seen as an uncompromising leader who disdains weakness, in a singular position. With the issue still to be decisively resolved, voters want to elect whoever is best equipped to steer Denmark in a more hostile global environment. That works decisively in Frederiksen’s favor, according to Engell.

Born in the northern industrial city of Aalborg into a workingclass family, she joined the Social Democratic youth party at the age of 15. She focused on social science and African studies at university, but put her education on hold as her political career gathered pace, returning later to complete her degree.

Frederiksen rose to the peak of Danish politics in 2019, when at 41 she became the country’s youngest-ever prime minister. Her success hinged on reclaiming working-class voters who had drifted to the right by steering her party toward a tougher stance on immigration.

She found herself in Trump’s cross-hairs that same year, when

he first began voicing his interest in the world’s largest island. Frederiksen labeled the proposal “absurd”; Trump called her “nasty” and canceled a planned trip to Denmark. Then in February of last year, as he kicked off his second term by renewing his campaign to take control of Greenland, she had a call with Trump described as “fiery.”

Even amid Denmark’s most serious foreign policy crisis since World War II, Frederiksen has displayed calm and decisiveness. Having faced Trump’s Greenland gambit before, she has learned how to navigate confrontation and deal with him.

After initially experimenting with a discreet, behind-the-scenes approach — dubbed “hygge diplomacy,” after the Danish concept of coziness — she has shifted to drawing explicit red lines and rallying European support. During the latest flare-up in early January, a joint statement issued with fellow European leaders urging Trump to respect Greenland’s borders was widely viewed in Denmark as a diplomatic victory. The Danish premier has since warned Trump in interviews against further threats and insisted that the US has no right

to annex Greenland. She’s reinforced the gravity of her message by wearing all black during these appearances.

Frederiksen’s ability to project control in moments of national stress has repeatedly translated into political gains: During the pandemic, her ratings jumped after she imposed early lockdowns and moved quickly to contain the outbreak, cementing her image as a competent crisis manager. Recent surveys show the Social Democrats as Denmark’s most popular party, with as much as 23% support, up from 18% in December.

In that respect, she’s enjoying a similar bump to those experienced by leaders in Canada, Australia and Brazil who have faced off against Trump over policies from trade tariffs to efforts to regulate US Big Tech.   It’s a “rally around the flag” effect, said Rachel Rizzo, a New Delhi-based senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, an independent global think tank.  “Political leaders want an easy message to be able to both build out and sell to their base,” she said. “Donald Trump offers this to foreign leaders in many ways.” But it’s a fine line to walk, and not just due to the risk of blowback from Washington.

See “Trump,” A11

DENMARK’S Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen arrives for an emergency European Union summit in Brussels, on Jan. 22. SIMON WOHLFAHRT/BLOOMBERG

A10 Wednesday, February 18, 2026

California walloped by winter storm with high winds, heavy rain and snow

By Kimberlee Kruesi The Associated Press

CALIFORNIA was walloped

Monday by a powerful winter storm carrying treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas.

Millions of Los Angeles County residents faced flash flood warnings as rain pounded the region and people in some areas scarred by last year’s devastating wildfires were under an evacuation warning through Tuesday because of the potential for mud and debris flows.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered emergency crews and city departments to be ready to respond to any problems.

The storm wreaked havoc on roadways spanning from Sonoma County to the Sierra Nevada. Traffic was halted temporarily in both directions on I-80 near the Nevada state line due to spinouts and crashes, the California Department of Transportation reported. In Santa Barbara County, a large tree toppled onto US-101, shutting down southbound lanes.

Forecasters said the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, northern Shasta County—including portions of Interstate 5—and parts of the state’s Coast Range could see up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow before the storm moves through late Wednesday. The

heavy snow, wind and low visibility could also make travel conditions dangerous to near impossible, forecasters added.

“It has seemed ‘springlike’ for a large part of 2026, but winter is set to show it’s not quite done yet,” the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post urging residents to stay aware of the storm. California’s Office of Emergency Services said it was placing fire and rescue personnel and resources in areas most at risk for flooding, mud and debris flows.

In Southern California, Six Flags Magic Mountain was closed Monday due to the storm, and Knotts Berry Farm amusement park shut its doors early. But the winter weather was celebrated by local ski resorts that have waited weeks for snow.

Other states on Monday braced for different threatening weather events. Residents in parts of eastern Colorado received warnings that they could be in fire danger due to a combination of abnormally high temperatures, gusty winds and dry conditions. The risks were expected to continue further into

the week as gusts up to 60 mph (96 kph) are likely to hit the Colorado eastern plains on Tuesday. Parts of Texas, New Mexico and Kansas were also under red flag warnings.

The latest storm comes amid a snow drought across much of the American West, with snow cover and depth measuring at the lowest levels scientists have seen in decades. Most states saw half their average precipitation or less in January, though California fared better others due to heavy rains in December.

It was the first of several days of stormy weather forecast for California. A coastal flood advisory was in effect for San Francisco until Tuesday afternoon, with cooler showers and a chance of hail on Tuesday, while nearby mountains were expecting snow, the National Weather Service in

Monterey reported. Kashawna McInerny, a realtor in the mountain community of Wrightwood, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, on Monday said she was still dealing with several tons of rock and debris on her property from Christmas and New Year’s storms that pummeled the community. After the last one, she said she got help trenching part of her side yard to direct stormwater down the street and placed a barrier of metal and wood by a door in hopes of keeping out mud and debris.

“We’re not panicking yet. At least I’m not,” she said with a laugh.

The Associated Press writers Amy Taxin from Santa Ana, California, and Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

More third-country nationals deported by the US to Cameroon, lawyers tell AP

By Gerald Imray & Nalova Akua

The Associated Press

AOUNDE, Cameroon—A

Ynew group of third-country nationals was deported by the United States to Cameroon on Monday, lawyers told The Associated Press, days after it came to light that the Trump administration sent nine people to the Central African nation last month as part of its secretive program to remove immigrants to countries they have no ties with.

Lawyer Alma David of the USbased Novo Legal Group said that a group of migrants who were not Cameroonian citizens arrived on a deportation flight that landed in the capital, Yaounde, on Monday.

David and Cameroon-based lawyer Joseph Awah Fru said they believed there were eight thirdcountry nationals on the plane but had not spoken to them yet. The two lawyers said they are giving legal advice to some of the nine migrants—five women and four men—from other African countries who were deported from the US to Cameroon last month.

The lawyers also expected to offer counsel to the new group of deportees, they said.

“For now, my focus is handling their shock,” Fru said.

A White House official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, acknowledged the second deportation flight to Cameroon but gave no details.

The New York Times first reported Saturday on the group of nine sent secretly to Cameroon last month. Two of them have since been repatriated to their home countries, David said.

Most of the deportees had protection orders

EIGHT of those nine previously deported migrants had protection orders granted by a US immigration judge that prevented them from being deported to their home countries for fear of persecution or torture, David said, some of them because of their sexual orientation and others because of political activity.

Deporting them to a third country like Cameroon, from where they could ultimately be sent home, was effectively a legal “loophole,” David said.

“That is why the United States did not send them directly to their countries,” Fru said. “Because there is cause for concern that they might be harmed, that their lives are threatened.”

David said none of the nine sent to Cameroon last month, which included migrants from Zimbabwe, Morocco and Ghana, had criminal records apart from driving-related offenses. She had no details yet on the eight who arrived on Monday.

African nations are being paid millions

CAMEROON , where 93-year-old President Paul Biya has ruled since 1982, is the latest of at least seven African nations to receive deported third-country nationals in a deal with the US. Others that have struck deals with the Trump administration include South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea. Some of them have received millions of dollars in payments to take deported migrants, according to documents released by the US State Department. Details of some of the other agreements, including the one with Cameroon, have not been released by the Trump administration.

The Trump administration has

spent at least $40 million to deport roughly 300 migrants to countries other than their own in Africa, Central America and elsewhere, according to a report compiled by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and released last week.

According to internal administration documents reviewed by the AP, there are 47 third-country agreements at various stages of negotiation. Of those, 15 have been concluded and 10 are at or near conclusion.

Immigration policies are a ‘top priority’

THE US State Department said Monday in a statement to the AP on the Cameroon deportations that it had “no comment on the details of our diplomatic communications with other governments.”

“Implementing the Trump Administration’s immigration policies is a top priority for the Department of State,” it said, adding “we remain unwavering in our commitment to end illegal and mass immigration and bolster America’s border security.”

Cameroon’s Foreign Ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed there had been deportations to Cameroon in January but didn’t give specific information on third-country migrants. It did not comment on the second plane.

“We are applying the law as written. If a judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period,” the department said. “These third-country agreements, which ensure due process under the US Constitution, are essential to the safety of our homeland and the American people.”

Chef questions

why Chinese cuisine is missing from the chef’s table scene

By Terry Tang The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO—Taiwan-born chef George Chen, whose family immigrated to Los Angeles in 1967, remembers vividly how his school lunch of braised pork and Chinese sauerkraut between two pieces of bread was looked at by his classmates. “’Oh, God, what are you eating? That’s gross,’” Chen recalled during a recent busy lunch hour at his San Francisco restaurant and bar, China Live, on the edge of the nation’s oldest Chinatown. “And now everybody wants the braised pork and Chinese sauerkraut. Hopefully, perception of Chinese (food) has now come a long ways.” The immigrant kid who felt like he had to hide his food has built a reputation for serving Chinese fine dining in the Bay Area. At China Live, Chen is like a circus ringmaster overseeing a dumpling-making station, a stone oven roasting Peking ducks, a noodle station and a dessert station churning sesame soft serve. With all this, he hopes to one day revive his upstairs restaurant, Eight Tables, where course-by-course dinners ranged from $88-$188. In addition, he and his wife Cindy Wong-Chen are getting ready to launch a similar concept, Asia Live, in Santa Clara.

The Chens aren’t the only ones elevating Chinese cuisine. They’re within walking distance of the equally established Empress by Boon, Mister Jiu’s, and the newer Four Kings.

Upscale Chinese American restaurants, from San Francisco to New York City, have sprung up in recent years, garnering buzz with their refined tasting menus that soar far beyond Chinese takeout-food staples. Many will put special spins on traditional Lunar New Year dishes for the Year of the Fire Horse, which starts Tuesday. Doing creative deconstructions of Chinese foods is part of their culinary hallmark, as many chefs are hungry to showcase their own culture.

But in an industry where diners rarely question high prices of French haute cuisine or Japanese omakase, Chinese restaurateurs often contend with resistance in getting customers to pay fine-dining tabs. Still, these owners and chefs insist their food, labor and cooking techniques are just as worthy.

“Why shouldn’t I?” says Chen about his prices. “Just because we’re in Chinatown? Or just because people’s perception of Chinese food is that it’s only good if it’s cheap? It’s not true.”

Being a Chinese chef who gets to cook Chinese SINCE husband and wife Bolun and Linette Yao opened Yingtao, named for Bolun’s grandmother, in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen in 2023, they have been up-front about their mission: “contemporary” Chinese food as an elegant dining concept. Their Michelinstarred restaurant offers a $150 chef’s tasting menu.

“We are trying to break this bias, this boundary of people who only think about like Sichuan food, Cantonese food, the takeout box,” said Bolun Yao, who has nothing but respect for casual Chinese takeout restaurants.

After earning a master’s degree in food studies at New York University, Yao knew he wanted “to build a bridge between traditional Chinese and the fine dining scene that New York people are familiar with.”

Emily Yuen, who was a James Beard Award semifinalist last year for her Japanese American fare at Brooklyn’s Lingo, is helping Yao achieve his goal as Yingtao’s new executive chef. For Yuen, a Chinese Canadian whose culinary education emphasized French cooking, the importance of representation—from who’s in the kitchen to what’s on the plate—has always stayed with her.

The Trump administration has used third-country deportation deals as a deterrent to force migrants who are in the US illegally to leave on their own, saying they could end up “in any number of third countries” if deported.

It has also defended the practice as part of a crackdown to remove what it refers to as dangerous criminals and gang members.

Activists and lawyers say the US should know that sending migrants to third countries with poor human rights records risks them being denied due process and exposed to abuse.

Last year, the US deported five nationals from Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos to the southern African nation of Eswatini.

The deportees had all been convicted of serious criminal offenses, including murder, attempted murder and rape. They had all served their criminal sentences in the US.

Four of them have been held at a maximum-security prison in Eswatini for more than six months without charges and have not been allowed to meet in person with a lawyer. Their detentions are the subject of two legal challenges in Eswatini. Eswatini, which is ruled by a king as Africa’s last absolute monarchy, will be paid $5.1 million to take up to 160 third-country deportees, according to details of the deal released by the State Department. The Eswatini king, Mswati III, has long been accused of clamping down on pro-democracy protests in a country where political parties are banned while using public money to fund his lavish lifestyle.

Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. Associated Press writers Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria, and Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Fla., contributed to this report.

“I want go back to like, who I am, and kind of explore that,” Yuen said. “I was really like struck by his (Bolun’s) mission statement and it just really struck a chord with me of wanting to elevate Chinese culture and Chinese food.”

She is eager to play around with typical recipes like the Cantonese custard egg tart, “dan tat,” with a savory makeover with caviar and quail eggs. “Egg on egg on egg,” Yuen said.

Similarly, Ho Chee Boon, the Michelin-starred chef who transformed the longdormant Empress of China in San Francisco into Empress by Boon in 2021, is pushing for Chinese cuisine to be considered fine dining in the U.S. The Malaysia-born restauranteur was accustomed to seeing high-end Cantonese food in China and India.

“I try to do something for the Cantonese cuisine and for the culture as well, for the young people and to know about and for other people to know about it,” said Boon, who has opened a chain of his Cantonese Hakkasan restaurants from Dubai to Mumbai and in the US.

“We can try to something better here,” he said, “and let people come back to Chinatown.”

Chinese food’s stigmatized US history

CHINESE culture and food has had its ups and downs when it comes to its reception in the West. More than 200 years ago, Europe highly desired Chinese silks, ceramics and tea, said Krishnendu Ray, director of NYU’s food studies PhD program.

China’s defeat by the British in the 19th century Opium Wars led to a view of China “as a poor country,” Ray said. Racist myths that Chinese people and their cuisine were strange and dirty persisted when Chinese railroad laborers came to the US and were segregated to enclaves.

Even today, Asian American restaurants have been impacted by tired stereotypes. Ray says the rise in an “ethnic” food’s prestige tends to correlate with its country of origin rising in economic power. In Michelin’s New York City guides—which highlight between 300 and 400 restaurants—Ray found the percentage of Chinese regional cuisine went from 3% to 7% of mentions between 2006 and 2024.

“I think it’s wonderful that there are these restaurants now” in Chinatown, said Luke Tsai, food editor for the San Francisco Bay Area PBS station KQED. “It’s fine also if you don’t think it is worth it. But at the same time, I’m really glad that these restaurants exist.”

Don’t call it ‘fusion’

MANY Chinese chefs want to make it clear they are not serving fusion, or food tinged with Asian influences. Their food is “more East to West rather than West to East,” said Chen, of China Live. Yuen, of Yingtao, agrees that kind of characterization puts the “fusion” in confusion.

“I think fusion food is in a lot of those places where it’s dimly lit with the trendy cocktails,” Yuen said. “What we’re trying to do is just Chinese.”

What also matters to these chefs is incorporating Chinese cooking techniques and not defaulting to European ones. At Empress by Boon, chef Boon and his staff maintain four wok stations with woks shipped from Hong Kong.

“We want to do exactly everything the same operation,” Boon said. “We want to keep the traditional, but we can look in a modern way.”

Chen takes pride in having an open kitchen where customers can see woks and clay pots being utilized. They represent techniques from various regions of China.

“You actually look at the greater culinary disciplines of China and because you have the space, you can showcase the cuisine,” Chen said. “I think that’s really served us well.”

Securing the ‘game-changer’: Why the EU-PHL

Free Trade Agreement needs new labor laws

By Justine Xyrah Garcia

LEGISLATING stronger protections for freedom of association is being pushed as a critical step toward securing the European Union-Philippines Free Trade Agreement (EU-PH FTA).

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Party-list Representative Raymond C. Mendoza on Tuesday said strengthening workers’ rights is not merely a labor issue but an economic imperative to finally secure what he described as a “game-changing” trade deal. According to Mendoza, the government must demonstrate that the country is ready for fair trade and decent jobs, especially as economic growth continues to be weighed

He also commended Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara for advancing a public-private partnership initiative aimed at reducing the 145,000-classroom shortage. The program targets the construction of 15,000 classrooms by 2027, a move projected to benefit approximately 600,000 learners nationwide.

The current 145,000-classroom backlog, if left unacted upon, would be exacerbated when about 51,000 school buildings reach the end of their 50-year structural lifespan by 2028.

“We urge our colleagues in the House of Representatives to swiftly act on the proposed CAP Act for the welfare of students in public schools who have no choice but to hold class in overcrowded classrooms, in school corridors, or under trees. Others have to attend classes as early as 5:45 AM or leave school late at night,” Yamsuan said.

The measure has been included in the priority legislative agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council recently approved by President Marcos.

While House versions of the bill remain

Trump.

Continued from A9

Frederiksen’s reputation for toughness has not sat comfortably with all voters. Often criticized as uncompromising and heavy-handed, she has sought to project a more relatable, working-class image, sharing carefully curated images of everyday life such as eating mackerel sandwiches and cleaning her own windows. She has also pushed back against claims that she’s power hungry, suggesting such attacks are sexist.

Her tenure has been marked by controversies that have chipped away at her domestic standing. In 2022, she called an early election after the culling of 17 million mink during the pandemic sparked accusations that her government had exceeded its legal powers. More recently, a bill to scrap a Danish bank holiday to boost military spending cost Frederiksen voter support. Last year, the Social Democrats

West Bank. . .

Continued from A9

The footage did not show where bullets struck, though other relatives said they saw Awdah Hathaleen fall immediately after shots were fired.

Levi was detained before being released to house arrest. That condition was eventually lifted, too. Levi was among the Israeli settlers sanctioned by the United States and other Western countries over allegations of violence toward Palestinians in 2024. US President Donald Trump lifted the US sanctions after taking office the following year.

Attacks spike as spotlight grows ACTIVISTS and crew members on the film “No Other Land” have said settler attacks have

down by governance and corruption concerns.

“We urge the President and our colleagues in Congress to work triple time to pass long-overdue labor reforms that will transform the Philippines from being among the world’s worst countries for workers…into a globally competitive investment hub anchored on raceto-the-top worker-centered trade,” Mendoza said.

“If we lose this trade agreement because our government remains stubbornly tied to a more than 50-year-old Labor Code and refuse to align with international labor standards, it will not only be workers who suffer: the entire nation stands to lose billions of euros in trade and investments

pending, the Senate has already approved its counterpart on third and final reading as of January 26, 2026. As a member of the bicameral conference committee on the 2026 national budget, Yamsuan backed the increase in funding for the Basic Education Facilities Fund to over P85 billion and supported provisions allowing DepEd to partner with qualified LGUs and civil society groups for school construction.

DepEd has begun implementing this approach through agreements with LGUs to build and rehabilitate classrooms within their jurisdictions, with the department providing priority lists, standard designs, and technical specifications. Yamsuan said the proposed CAP Act builds on the momentum of the educationfocused 2026 budget and strengthens the national response to infrastructure shortages in public schools.

The bill sets classroom construction cost ceilings for one- to four-story buildings at P1.6 million to P2.1 million per classroom, subject to adjustments of up to 20 percent based on regional price variations, site conditions, labor, and logistics. All projects must comply with DepEd’s Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications. Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

lost political control over Copenhagen for the first time in more than a century, signaling waning support among the urban voters who have long been the party’s base.

As her support faltered at home during that period, Frederiksen’s international profile rose, with some analysts predicting she could be a serious contender to serve as NATO secretary general. That came to nothing, and attention has since swung back to her domestic political future.

There are signs the government has been positioning itself for the possibility of an early vote: It has rushed through relief grants on food prices, further sharpened its stance on immigration, and presented plans to reform Denmark’s school system. Still, calling an election too early could appear as if Frederiksen is exploiting a national crisis, while waiting too long could leave her with little control over timing, and force a campaign on inconvenient terms. Calling a snap election carries the ad -

intensified on the village portrayed since the movie won the Oscar. Hamdan Ballal, one of the film’s directors, said his family home in Umm al-Khair was subject to another attack on Sunday. Four relatives were arrested during the confrontation, he said. Ballal said a soldier, who came to their home accompanied by another soldier and a settler-herder, grabbed his brother by the neck and tried to choke him. Neither the army nor the police responded to requests for comment on the incident.

“The year after I won the Oscar, the assaults increased significantly. On a daily basis, settlers come and destroy the fields, destroy the trees, destroy the crops around the house,” he said.

Israeli proof-of-ownership rules spark anger

AS prosecutors move to indict Levi and violence persists across the West Bank, Israel is moving ahead with measures to deepen its

and hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

The TUCP is pushing for the immediate passage of three priority labor measures. These include a bill strengthening freedom of association to ensure workers can form and join unions free from employer interference, as well as the proposed Assumption of Jurisdiction Act, which would limit the Labor Secretary’s power to intervene in disputes only to International Labour Organization (ILO)-defined “industries engaged in essential services.”

The group is also advocating the Workers’ Right to Strike Act, which seeks to remove dismissal and imprisonment as penalties for strikes later declared illegal.

Mendoza also proposed the creation of a Labor Rights Advisory

Board to monitor and ensure proper implementation of pro-worker reforms.

“It must ensure that ILO Conventions are not merely ratified but implemented, that fundamental labor rights to living wages, security of tenure, and freedom of association are not aspirational but mandatory,” he added.

Labor rights are central to the EU’s negotiating framework. The bloc requires “robust and enforceable” commitments on Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD), including binding obligations to uphold high standards for workers’ rights, enforce environmental protections, and pursue ambitious climate goals.

Free trade talks between the

Philippines and the EU began in December 2015, with the first round of negotiations held in May 2016. Negotiations were suspended in 2017 during the Duterte administration amid EU concerns over alleged human rights violations linked to the anti-drug campaign.

Talks formally resumed in March 2024 under President Marcos and are ongoing, with the next full round of negotiations scheduled for March in Brussels.

In 2023, the ILO conducted a high-level tripartite mission to the Philippines to examine 380 labor rights cases filed by local labor groups. The mission recommended stronger measures to address reports of anti-union violence and interference.

Following the mission, the government created the Inter-Agency Committee for the Protection of FOA and the Right to Organize of Workers through Executive Order No. 23 in April 2023. In 2024, the government rolled out the Omnibus Guidelines on Freedom of Association and the Tripartite FOA Roadmap, aimed at strengthening labor protections and institutionalizing social dialogue.

Most recently, President Marcos signed Executive Order No. 97, adopting the Omnibus Guidelines on the Exercise of FOA and Civil Liberties.

The order directs government agencies to protect workers’ rights to organize, bargain collectively, and conduct peaceful assemblies.

Comelec trims Antipolo special polls budget to ₧70M–₧75M

By Mary Jade Jadormio

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is recalibrating its preparations for the special elections in Antipolo City’s second district after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) denied its request for additional funding.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said the poll body is now working within a reduced budget of about P70 million to P75 million, down from the earlier proposed P98 million for the March 14 special elections.

Garcia said the adjustment was necessary after the DBM did not grant the Commission’s request for supplemental funds, forcing the agency to realign internal savings and trim operational costs.

Ginawanponaminngparaanbastaang importante hindi masasakripisyo ang salary, sahod, honoraria ng ating mga guro na maglilingkodsaarawngeleksyon,” Garcia said.

He assured that teachers serving as members of the electoral board will still receive the across-the-board increase earlier granted during the previous automated elections, stressing that manual elections are more labor-intensive.

ditional risk of disrupting diplomatic talks with the US, although she could argue that the current lull offers a window for Danes to go the polls. Equally, Frederiksen’s current boost might quickly fade once campaigning begins and attention shifts back to domestic issues.

“This kind of support is fleeting,” said Kasper Moller Hansen, professor of political science at University of Copenhagen, who studies voter behavior. While voters will stand up for their nation during difficult times, “it’s not that Danes have suddenly become Social Democrats.”

Boost from Trump or not, Frederiksen’s party looks set to be smaller than it was four years ago, albeit with her still in charge of the country.

“Even if her party were to suffer a significant setback, it’s difficult to see an outcome of an upcoming election in which Mette Frederiksen does not end up as prime minister,” Hansen said. Bloomberg News

control over land in the occupied territory.

On Sunday, it announced it would resume a land registration process across the West Bank to require anyone with a claim to land to submit documents proving ownership. Rights groups say the process could strip Palestinians of land they’ve lived on and farmed for generations and transfer vast swaths of land to Israeli state control.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the steps countered Palestinian Authority land registration efforts in areas where Israel maintains civil and military control. The measures follow years of accusations by Palestinians that actions by settlers and the military—campaigns of violence, harassment and demolitions—have pushed them from their land.

The Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed reporting from Tel Aviv.

Under the revised spending plan, Comelec will forego sending personnel from the central office to Antipolo to cut travel, accommodation, and fuel expenses.

Instead, election officers from nearby towns in Rizal will assist in training teachers and supervising the conduct of the polls.

Garcia also said that instead of holding training sessions in hotels, the Commission will use public and private school facilities offered by the city and provincial governments to minimize venue costs.

Meal allowances for teachers during training will likewise be lower than initial projections.

To further limit expenses, Comelec is collecting unused but still serviceable indelible ink supplies from other local offices in Rizal instead of placing new procurement orders.

Despite the scaled-down budget, the poll body chief maintained that preparations remain on track, with ballot printing ongoing and verification scheduled before the week ends.

He said the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology are also ready to support election operations, including voting for persons deprived of liberty.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 6th Judicial Region Branch 31 Iloilo City rtcilo031@judiciary.gov.ph Tel. No. (033)327-9722

-oOo-

CAD. CASE NO. 25-3183 PETITION FOR ISSUANCE OF OWNER’S COPY OF ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. F13092 COVERING LOT NO. 2598, SPOUSES REX A. ANASARIAS and LIEZEL P. ANASARIAS. LIEZEL P. ANASARIAS representing herself and as attorney-in-fact of her husband, Petitioners, -versus-

THE REGISTRY OF DEEDS, PROVINCE OF ILOILO, Respondent.

x—————————x

O R D E R Finding the Motion to be meritorious, the same is GRANTED. Let the Resolution/Decision in this case be published in a newspaper of general circulation for two (2) consecutive weeks. SO ORDERED.

Iloilo City Philippines, January 26, 2026. (SGD.) CYRIL R. REGALADO Presiding Judge REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 6th Judicial Region Branch 31 Iloilo City rtcilo031@judiciary.gov.ph Tel. No.

Garcia expressed hope that future vacancies in Congress would not require similar funding scrambles, noting that special elections are not fully anticipated under the commission’s annual budget allocation. The Antipolo special elections were triggered by a vacancy in the city’s second congressional district seat, with seven candidates initially filing their certificates of candidacy. Comelec earlier sought additional funding, arguing that the P11 million originally allocated under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) would not be sufficient to cover the full cost of the special polls.

Solon.

The aging farmer crisis: A growing concern for US and PHL agriculture

JUST like their counterparts in the Philippines, farmers in the United States are also aging and The Wall Street Journal again raised the alarm over this worrisome development a few days ago. In the story titled “Farmers Are Aging. Their Kids Don’t Want to Be in the Family Business,” the newspaper pointed out that the number of farmers in America has been shrinking for years. Rising production costs as well as weak prices of commodities are making it more difficult for older American farmers to convince their kids to continue tilling the land.

A story published by USA Today indicated that the average age of American farmers is 58 years old, five years older than the average age of their Filipino counterparts. The dilemma, according to the USA Today story published last year, started in the 1980s when thousands of families lost their farms because of plummeting land values and over production. This prompted the parents of young Americans to dissuade them from going into farming.

Just like their American counterparts, Filipino planters would much rather see their children work abroad as nurses or sailors than plow their farms using their carabao to produce crops that could be bought at low prices. Apart from the middlemen that prey on hapless local planters, the poorest basic sector that feeds the nation will also have to contend with pests and the vagaries of weather. Compounding their woes is the lack of basic infrastructure, such as roads that will link them directly to markets so they can cut costs and earn more from their produce, as well as their limited access to affordable credit. These inefficiencies make it difficult for local planters to compete with other farmers in the region and other countries that supply other food items to the Philippines. Further adding to their pain is the middlemen’s use of the importation of agricultural products as rationale for lowballing farmers. Because production is more efficient in other countries and foreign farmers get financial support from their governments, the price of imported produce is even lower than local items, even with the inclusion of freight cost.

Unfortunately, unlike their American counterparts, Filipino farmers have limited access to the necessary information that would aid them in making production decisions. Until now, farmers are still awaiting the opening of a data hub that is supposed to shield them from volatility. (See, “DA: Data hub aims to shield PHL from food price volatility,” in the BusinessMirror , December 15, 2025). This data hub, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA), will enable the agency to “anticipate shortages, prevent oversupply, deploy interventions faster, and improve coordination across regional units.”

Nearly five years ago, the DA had warned that the Philippines may suffer a “critical shortage” of farmers in 12 years. (See, “PHL faces ‘critical’ lack of farmers in 12 years,” in the BusinessMirror , August 30, 2021). Unless production inefficiencies are addressed, affordable credit is extended to farmers and more farm-to-market roads are built, thei children may continue to leave the Philippines in droves to work elsewhere than till the land.

A

sign of stable economy

TMark Villar

THE BUILDER

HE Philippine economy opened 2026 on a stable note, with headline inflation settling at 2.0 percent in January.

The rate falls within the government’s target range of 2.0 percent to 4.0 percent, signaling a “Goldilocks” zone of growth where prices remain manageable, while consumer demand stays robust.

Such price stability provides a buffer for both household spending and business expansion. It is also an opportune time for the government to kickstart its infrastructure projects, while the cost of construction materials remains manageable.

Stable inflation creates certainty. When people are certain about the future, they spend and invest, and the economy expands.

In most developing nations, inflation is a primary measure of economic stability, along with unemployment rate. It reflects the government’s and the central bank’s ability to implement policies that temper consumer prices, while maintaining a stable exchange rate and food supply.

Most central banks, including the US Federal Reserve, view a 2-percent inflation as an ideal environment for growth. At this rate, prices move

Amoderately, encouraging consumers to buy, rather than wait, which keeps demand steady.

This means that while prices move at a moderate rate, the economy continues to grow. If prices rise moderately, consumers are encouraged to buy.

Price stability sustains a virtuous cycle of growth. For households, their purchasing power is preserved, ensuring that the cost of living remains predictable.

Predictability in business costs also fosters the confidence necessary for long-term capital investments, infrastructure expansion and job creation. In infrastructure development, the prices of construction materials play a crucial role in the feasibility of the projects.

Business predictability allows businesses to plan for the next five or 10 years. Growth is manifested

when companies feel safe enough to build new factories and hire more people because they know what their costs will be.

In the financial sector, low inflation provides monetary authorities the policy flexibility to manage interest rates effectively, ensuring credit remains accessible to entrepreneurs and homebuyers.

Small amounts of inflation allow firms to adjust real wages more easily, often preventing layoffs during minor downturns.

Moderate inflation makes it cheaper for businesses to pay back debts over time, encouraging them to borrow and expand. Stable inflation keeps lenders comfortable and makes interest rates affordable. Lower rates make it easier for consumers to buy a home and for entrepreneurs, to start new businesses.

If inflation is high, the public feels the pain, and their spending power is eroded. Stable prices mean their money holds its value, allowing them to spend adequately for their needs and save some for the future.

The current inflation rate provides the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and commercial banks the flexibility to maintain favorable lending rates. The BSP expects inflation to remain close to the 3.0 percent midpoint target through 2027, which is good news for everybody.

Per the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), headline inflation rose slightly from 1.8 percent in December 2025 to 2.0 percent in January

By Brian Platt

S Prime Minister Mark Carney lowers tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, new polling suggests that Canadians are becoming much more open to buying the cars.

More than half of Canadians, or 53 percent, say that knowing an EV was made in China would have no effect on their purchasing decision, according to a new poll by Nanos Research Group for Bloomberg News.

A further 15 percent said Chinese manufacturing would make them more likely to buy the vehicle, while 28 percent said it would make them less likely to do so.

That’s a big change from 2024, when 61 percent of Canadians said they would be less likely to buy a Chinese electric vehicle, and just 25 percent said it would have no effect on their decision. At that time, only 9 percent said they would be more likely to purchase such a product if it was made in China.

The softening of attitudes in Canada toward Chinese manufacturers comes after a year of tariffs from the US—and frequent threats of more from President Donald Trump.

Canada is the largest export market for US-made vehicles.

In 2024, under then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada imposed an additional 100 percent tariff on Chinese EVs to effectively prevent their entry into the Canadian retail market, aligning with a US move. China soon retaliated with its own levies on Canada’s agricultural exports, including canola.

But during a trip to Beijing last month, Carney changed that policy, announcing that as many as 49,000 Chinese EVs annually would be allowed into Canada at a much lower tariff rate of about 6 percent. In exchange, China said it would roll back the duties on Canadian food.

Although the vehicle quota may at first get filled by more expensive options already known to Canadians, such as Tesla Inc. models built in Chinese factories, Carney’s government wants to see cheaply priced EVs

gradually enter the domestic market.

The pact with China includes a provision that part of the quota will be reserved for electric vehicles priced at C$35,000 ($25,700) or less, the government has said.

The EV agreement with China faces opposition from US automakers and from the government of Ontario, the province that’s home to several assembly plants. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has raised security concerns, calling them “Chinese spy vehicles.”

Allowing in low-cost Chinese cars

“can open the market in terms of affordability, but it does come with its share of concerns around security, privacy and where that data ultimately goes,” said Falak Kothari, manufacturing industry leader at Marsh Canada.

“I think it’s still going to make

2026. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items, rose from 2.4 percent in December to 2.8 percent in January. Food inflation eased to 0.7 percent from 1.2 percent in December, thanks to slower price increases for vegetables, meat and fish. Rice prices also declined at a slower pace.

Per Finance Secretary Frederick Go, the January inflation signals a “pivotal year” for the Philippines. The Department of Economy, Planning and Development said to sustain this low price movement, the government is implementing several targeted interventions.

The January 2026 inflation confirms that the Philippines is entering a period of sustainable economic stability. By keeping a low inflation target, the Philippine has shown its economic stability. The focus should be on how to turn this “Goldilocks” period into long-term, inclusive growth that benefits every Filipino household.

By maintaining price stability, the economy effectively balances the needs of the consumer with the ambitions of the business sector.

I believe the Philippines can leverage this price stability into sustained, inclusive growth. If these conditions continue, the economy will develop into a more resilient and predictable environment for all Filipinos.

For feedback e-mail to senatormarkvillar@ gmail.com or visit our web site: https://markvillar. com.ph

a splash with companies like BYD and others” potentially entering the Canadian market for the first time, he said.

The government also recently unveiled a plan to bring back consumer incentives for buying EVs—as much as C$5,000 per vehicle—and promised new emission standards for the industry.

Furthermore, the government wants to see Chinese investment in Canada’s auto manufacturing sector, which is struggling to cope with Trump’s tariffs. Industry Minister Melanie Joly said the goal is to see a Chinese company form a joint venture with Canadian firms to open an assembly factory.

“We believe that these great Canadian champions can partner with Chinese EV companies to make a Canadian-Chinese car to export it around the world,” Joly told Bloomberg News.   The Nanos poll of 1,009 Canadians was conducted online and by phone from January 31 to February 4, and has a

A huge bet on supertankers reverberates through the oil market

ABy Alex Longley, Weilun Soon & Alaric Nightingale

NICHE but crucial part of the oil market is being rocked by a huge bet from a South Korean tycoon who has amassed a large share of the tanker market—with help from one of the industry’s wealthiest men.

Over the past month or two, the Sinokor group has quickly moved to buy or charter a significant number of ships and now controls roughly 120 very-large crude carriers, according to estimates from several senior industry executives. Some market veterans said the huge position amassed by the company, overseen by shipowner Ga-Hyun Chung, is unprecedented in their experience.   But the Seoul-based shipping firm isn’t acting alone. At least two large ship owners that have recently negotiated vessel sales with Sinokor found that the final buyer was in fact an entity linked to Gianluigi Aponte, the founder of a sprawling shipping empire that includes Mediterranean Shipping Co. It’s not clear what the relationship between the two companies is, or how many of the other Sinokor deals have involved MSC.

This story is based on interviews with a dozen shipping brokers, vessel owners and executives, most of whom asked not to be identified discussing private information.

Many of Sinokor’s purchases and charters have also been disclosed in industry broker reports. Several shipowners added that the venture is still showing interest in acquiring more vessels.

A representative for MSC declined to comment. Sinokor did not respond to multiple e-mails and phone calls seeking comment.

The move in itself is eye-grabbing, even by the standards of the opaque world of shipping. Many of the tankers carrying oil around the globe tend to be tied up on long-term leases or regular routes, and a growing share have been hit by sanctions over the illicit trade of Russian and Iranian oil, leaving fewer and fewer vessels available for hire at a time when the global oil trade is surging.

Sinokor’s aggressive buying has spooked the market, traders say, in turn dramatically driving up the cost of freight as nervous charterers rush to book space in case prices rise further in the future due to the concentrated ownership. Crude-tanker earnings have had the strongest start to a year in more than three decades, according to Clarkson Research Services Ltd., a unit of the world’s largest shipbroker, while traders say that prices for physical oil in some regions are being pushed lower by the turmoil in the shipping market.

“You have one party or group of people who are working together who effectively control around a third of the available or traded tanker VLCC fleet out there,” Ole Hjertaker, chief executive officer of shipping firm SFL Corp. said on a call with analysts last week, without naming the parties. The tanker market is a niche but vital cog within the global oil trade. It has long been dominated by owners from a handful of nations with significant maritime history like Greece and Norway, as well as countries with major oil interests like Saudi Arabia and China.

While Sinokor is a lesser-known name with its roots in container shipping, the group has in the past gone on chartering sprees that have tightened the market. However, at least one person involved in the market said that the current flurry of deals far outpaces any of its previous runs.

For Aponte, the purchases only serve to expand the reach of a massive global empire. The billionaire last year emerged as a key investor in a consortium looking to acquire a substantial share in two ports along the Panama Canal. In 2022, after scooping up hundreds of ships, MSC overtook Maersk as the world’s largest container line, a title the Danish company had held for decades.

The move to amass a large share of the world’s available tankers— roughly 15 percent of the total nonsanctioned fleet, and around a quar-

Breaking the P1-trillion barrier: BOC’s 2026 revenue target hinges on reforms and curbing smuggling

ter to a third of the VLCCs that aren’t already locked up—would provide greater influence over pricing if the ships aren’t quickly made available for hire.

‘Fundamental shift’ DEMAND for non-sanctioned tankers has soared in recent months as a flood of supplies hits global oil markets, at the same time that a chunk of the fleet is subject to Western sanctions. Together the two have boosted the amount of ships being used at any given time, spurring higher earnings and the risk of further spikes. The extent of the venture’s fleet is difficult to measure because it includes a mix of vessels that have been purchased and hired, as well as ones that Sinokor already controlled. Some of the people involved in the market estimate that the group had fewer than 120 ships.

But on a recent call with investors, Svein Moxnes Harfjeld, chief executive of tanker company DHT Holdings Inc. referred to a “fundamental shift” in global fleet ownership consolidation, without naming the parties involved.

“We can say with confidence that this is taking place and already making an impact, both on freight rates in the spot market, customer demand for time charters, and values of second-hand VLCCs,” he said. “This consolidation is shifting the pricing dynamics and is putting pressure on timely availability of ships.”

Benchmark earnings for VLCCs, which can haul 2 million barrels of oil, are currently higher than $120,000 a day, up more than fourfold over the last month in part because of the Sinokor deals, people involved in the market said. Hiring one of the ships for three years costs just over $50,000 a day, Clarkson data show, the most since 2008.

Sinokor’s purchases have largely been focused on vessels that are 10 years and older, and the resale price for older supertankers has been creeping up in recent weeks.

The rise in the outright value of ships can also bolster long-term hire prices, people involved in the market said. Higher ship values offer unrealized gains if the vessels aren’t sold, and so one way of shipowners realizing some of the profit from an upswing in prices is through higher chartering costs for their ships.

Boom and bust

STILL , the shipping industry is notoriously boom and bust because periods of high earnings are usually met with large periods of vessel ordering that flood the market with new ships years down the line. Higher rates in recent weeks have already started to boost the number of tanker orders, which as a percentage of the current fleet is now the highest in a decade, Clarkson Research data show.

Although the precise details of the arrangement between Sinokor and Aponte are unclear, there was a pre-existing commercial relationship. Late last year, Sinokor sold a series of container ships to Aponte’s MSC, according to data from Clarkson Research.

Even at the lowest end of estimates for the number of ships purchased, the recent buying spree would have cost about $1.5 billion, while some market participants pegged the sum closer to $3 billion.

“This market consolidation, occurring at an unprecedented level, by a buyer with deep financial power, occurs at a time when market fundamentals continue to get tighter,” said Aristidis Alafouzos, chief executive officer of Okeanis Eco Tankers. “It all creates an amazing opportunity if you have tankers on the water today, and the commercial ability to capture such market to its full extent.” Bloomberg

TDr. Jesus Lim Arranza MAKE SENSE

HE Department of Finance, under Finance Secretary Frederick Go, is making a strong push for the Bureau of Customs to finally breach the symbolic P1-trillion revenue mark in 2026—a goal that has remained elusive for years despite repeated attempts.

This optimism comes at a challenging time. The Philippine economy grew by only 4.4 percent in 2025, marking the slowest post-pandemic expansion and missing government targets for the third consecutive year. That underperformance triggered downward revisions to macroeconomic assumptions, including a slight trimming of the BOC’s 2026 revenue target to around P1.003 trillion (from an earlier higher figure like P1.013 trillion or P1.033 trillion in some projections).

The slowdown stemmed from factors such as unfavorable weather, lingering effects of the billion-peso flood control scandal, and weaker momentum in key sectors. Secretary Go’s confidence, expressed during the BOC’s 124th anniversary, rests on several pillars:

1) Sustained reforms within the bureau that have long been advocated but not fully realized.

2) New leadership momentum under Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno.

3) Stronger inter-agency coordination and policy shifts on imports. He emphasized that if the BOC falls short, the DOF would offset the gap by ramping up collections from other sources—primarily taxes via the BIR or non-tax revenues—rather than drastically altering fiscal plans.

Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno struck a more measured tone, calling the target “attainable but challenging” and unlikely to require “drastic” changes to economic assumptions, while framing it as a contribution to national recovery.

This P1-trillion milestone carries both practical and psychological weight. Customs duties and related fees represent the government’s second-largest revenue stream after internal revenue taxes. Achieving it would signal improved border enforcement, reduced smuggling/ technical smuggling, better valuation compliance, and effective use

of digital systems—issues that have historically dragged collections below potential. However, the realism check is unavoidable. Last year’s BOC collections reached only around P934 billion, a modest increase but still short of targets. With economic growth expected to modestly recover in 2026 (some forecasts suggest around 4.6%), import volumes and values may not surge dramatically enough to deliver a 7% to 8% jump in collections without aggressive anti-evasion measures or favorable global trade conditions.

The DOF’s contingency plan to backfill any shortfall is prudent fiscal housekeeping, but it also quietly underscores the pressure on the entire revenue apparatus amid slower-than-desired growth. Hitting or exceeding P1 trillion would be a welcome vote of confidence in the administration’s reform agenda and could ease some budget constraints for infrastructure and social programs. Falling short again, however, risks reinforcing perceptions of persistent structural weaknesses at the borders.

In short, 2026 offers a realistic—though not guaranteed—opportunity for the BOC to cross this long-standing threshold. The combination of determined leadership, ongoing reforms, and fallback mechanisms creates a credible path forward. However, the achievement of this ambitious goal will ultimately rely on successful execution in an economy that is still in recovery.

Effects of smuggling

FOR over 40 years, I have been deeply involved in the ongoing fight against smuggling and other forms of illicit trade. In my capacity as FPI chairman for decades, I have engaged persistently in this battle. Illicit trade poses serious threats to the Philippine economy, as it not only undermines government revenues but also deters investment,

President Marcos recognizes smuggling as a national security concern and has tasked law enforcement and intelligence agencies with addressing this illicit trade, which undermines local industries, threatens livelihoods, disrupts markets, and jeopardizes public health and food security. With the President’s firm stance against smuggling, we remain hopeful that the Bureau of Customs will achieve its goal of reaching P1 trillion in revenue in 2026.

hampers innovation, and disrupts fair competition. Studies estimate that the Philippines faces an annual influx of approximately P2.3 trillion from both outright and technical smuggling. These illicit activities result in revenue losses of P250 billion for the government, hampering its ability to fund vital public services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure projects.

While I am encouraged by some recent successes in combatting smuggling, thanks to initiatives by the FPI in collaboration with government agencies, we must acknowledge that much remains to be done.

For example, our vigorous campaign against the illegal importation of palm olein has highlighted significant revenue losses, which have been estimated at around P45 billion over multiple years, as noted by Rep. Joey Salceda during his time as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Working closely with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Office of the President, we dug deeper into the tactics of palm olein importers who evade taxes and duties by falsely claiming their shipments are for animal feed. They obtained exemptions from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

I greatly appreciate President Marcos’s quick responses to my letters and columns in BusinessMirror . When stakeholders in the coconut industry raised alarms regarding the surge of imported palm olein—often smuggled and sold as cooking oil—I brought these concerns to the President’s attention. I pointed out that this smuggled product not only creates unfair competition in the cooking oil market but also acts as a cheaper bio-diesel addi-

tive, threatening the higher-priced coconut oil and harming coconut farmers and the industry overall. That’s why we have been advocating for amendments to Republic Act 9367, the Biofuels Act of 2006, to allow for the shifting between locally-produced coco methyl ester (CME) and imported palm olein oil as additives to diesel fuel, depending on which commodity is cheaper in the world market at a given time. When coconut prices are high, we should substitute it with palm olein in diesel fuel. This will allow our coconut sector to sell coconut oil in the world market at a premium. This substitution of additives can also help tame local prices of diesel when international petroleum prices are high… by mixing whatever additive is cheaper. To my surprise, President Marcos promptly addressed my letter. Through the Presidential Management Staff, he instructed the Department of Agriculture to investigate the issue. I received a follow-up letter from Malacañang, directed to Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban. Subsequently, Panganiban and other Department of Agriculture officials, including the head of the Bureau of Animal Industry, convened a meeting. We found that while tax exemptions were granted to palm olein importers for animal feed, many of these shipments were being diverted to the market as cooking oil or used as a coconut oil substitute in bio-diesel production, which adversely affect the tax-paying coconut sector. We are pleased with President Marcos’s willingness to engage with the FPI, which highlighted the misuse of tax-exempt, duty-free palm olein imports intended for animal feed.

President Marcos recognizes smuggling as a national security concern and has tasked law enforcement and intelligence agencies with addressing this illicit trade, which undermines local industries, threatens livelihoods, disrupts markets, and jeopardizes public health and food security. With the President’s firm stance against smuggling, we remain hopeful that the Bureau of Customs will achieve its goal of reaching P1 trillion in revenue in 2026.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the Chairman Emeritus of the Federation of Philippine Industries and concurrent Chairman of the Anti-Smuggling and AntiIllicit Trade Committee.

Baring the ‘silent violence’ of Philippine jails

By Danika Geronimo

CONVERSATIONS about Philippine jail congestion often begin and end with statistics: thousands of case backlogs, cells built for 50 crammed with 200 bodies, and facilities straining at 300 to 400 percent beyond capacity. Yet these numbers barely capture the everyday human cost of overcrowding.

What does punishment feel like when confinement overwhelms the senses?

New research at the Ateneo de Manila University shifts attention from numbers to lived experience, examining how carceral punishment in Philippine jails extends far beyond legal sentences by permeating every bodily sense.

Dwayne Antojado is no stranger to these conditions, having served time himself in Australia for insurance fraud. His lived understanding of imprisonment shapes his engagement with persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Davao and Zamboanga City jails.

He found that confinement inflicts overlapping sensory overload—sight, sound, touch, and smell—creating a persistent, invisible form of shackles that Antojado calls “silent violence.”

Oppressive prison air

NOWHERE is this more apparent

than in the prison air itself. Poor ventilation and tropical humidity trap the stench of bodily fluids, ineffective cleaning chemicals, sweat-soaked clothes, sourness of leftover foods, and the pervasive reek of shared toilets. Odors cling to everything, lingering even in visitors’ memories. Physical sensation also offers no relief. Overcrowded cells radiate heat, with wall-mounted fans merely circulating warm and foul air.

The sounds and visuals of confinement compound this sensory burden. Punctuated by constant hums: sporadic shouts, clanging gates, whirring fans, blaring televisions, and synchronized greetings to officials, make quiet nearly impossible. Meanwhile, the eyes encounter compression everywhere. Often repurposed from schools or offices, jails reflect an architecturally crushing fullness of makeshift adaptations: plywood and cardboard wedged between

bunks, forming fragile sleeping tiers, clotheslines hang from bars, shelves jam the walls, and belongings fill every gap. Yet amid this press for survival, murals, religious icons, family photos, and slogans accent the spaces, asserting dignity, resistance, and ownership within confinement.

Frustration with elite impunity

ANTOJADO acknowledges that, within public discourse, harsh jail conditions are perceived to be a legitimate part of the Philippine penal system. However, public reactions to high-profile detentions— such as calls that former Senator Bong Revilla should receive “no special treatment”—reflect frustration with elite impunity and unequal justice, not just a desire for suffering. Antojado shows that calls for harshness usually stem from resentment and distrust in institutions, rather than a true belief in degrading punishment.

“The insistence that he should ‘feel it’ functions as a moral argument about anti-impunity and equality before the law, not simply as retributive sentiment,” he said. Rather than moralizing or relativizing harm, the research anchors its ethics in Philippine constitutional commitments against cruel, de -

grading, or inhuman punishment, alongside international standards. The central question is not who deserves to suffer, but on the effects of overcrowding and sensory deprivation on people and justice.

Addressing the full spectrum of harm

RECOGNIZING this dynamic, Antojado calls for sensorially attuned penal reform to acknowledge the full spectrum of carceral harm. He asks what forms of justice genuinely reduce harm, uphold equality, and address the structural roots of crime.

“By foregrounding smell, heat, sound, touch, and the micropolitics of space, this work offers an evidentiary bridge between rights-based obligations and daily experience. It invites policymakers, practitioners, and the public to attend to the sensory infrastructures of confinement where human flourishing is either quietly sustained or steadily eroded, and to craft reforms that answer to those embodied realities now,” he adds.

Dwayne Antojado published “Embodied Overcrowding and Sensory Tensions: A Carceral Autoethnography of Philippine Jails” in International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice in December 2025.

CLIMATE CHANGE BECOMING REAL GROWTH RISK–EXPERT

By Justine Xyrah Garcia

Cand the destruction of land, infrastructure and productive assets. Heat stress is also expected to weaken labor productivity, while fisheries may suffer major disruptions as warming oceans alter marine ecosystems and fish stocks.

The Paris-based body noted that its estimates are broadly consistent with World Bank projections, which place climate-related GDP losses at 5.7 percent to 7.5 percent by 2040 and 7.4 percent to 11 percent by 2050.

For an economy that expanded by 4.4 percent

in 2025—its weakest performance outside the pandemic in more than a decade—the longterm projections highlight how climate shocks could evolve from temporary disruptions into a sustained drag on output.

Tiongco said the most immediate impact is felt at the household level. Each major typhoon or disaster wipes out income gains, particularly among families hovering near the poverty threshold.

“If there’s a typhoon, all those on the poverty threshold would again go back to being very poor so those who are near just above the poverty threshold, they would also go back to being poor. So I think having that climate adaptation as a poverty prevention strategy [is really important],” she said.

Beyond reversing poverty gains, she said repeated disasters dampen consumption, reduce labor productivity and complicate fiscal planning as government funds are redirected toward reconstruction and emergency response instead of long-term investment.

The economist said stronger implementation at the local level is critical. While many local government units (LGUs) already have climaterelated ordinances and programs, execution remains uneven.

She emphasized that transparency in climaterelated spending is essential under the devolved fiscal system, where LGUs receive a larger share of national tax revenues and exercise greater discretion over allocations.

“It has to be tracked to have that transparency verified. It’s important to have governance transparency to be able to really, for the public to really see what’s going on, what’s being spent and to be accountable for everything that’s being spent,” Tiongco said.

Experts revive bid to set up a single revenue authority

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto @reine_alberto

THEDepartment of Finance (DOF) must throw its support behind proposals to abolish the country’s two main tax-collecting agencies to improve revenue collections and curb corruption opportunities.

At the Pandesal Forum on Tuesday, economist Cielo D. Magno-Gatmaytan told the BusinessMirror that the DOF should push for the unification of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) into a single revenue authority.

“We are challenging them to implement concrete anti-corruption policies,” Magno said. “This is one concrete proposal to address corruption at the BIR and BOC, as well as to improve their efficiency.”

Proposals to establish a National Revenue Authority (NRA), which seeks to modernize the country’s

revenue system, reduce fragmentation and improve coordination, have surfaced again.

Magno, previously an undersecretary at the DOF, said establishing the NRA is feasible if there is strong political will from the President.

During the forum, tax policy expert Raymond A. Abrea said the proposed NRA could adopt a corporate-style governance led by a professional board and a chief executive officer who is not coterminous with the current president.

Similar to a state-run corporation, Abrea said the NRA would have fiscal

autonomy and be allowed to retain a portion of its revenues for modernization, including investments in digital systems to reduce reliance on foreign grants.

Audits would also be risk-based, while the NRA would unify tax and customs data platforms and reduce human discretion in enforcement and assessment.

Under this setup, taxpayers would be treated as clients rather than targets, as processes would be simplified and services improved.

To further limit corruption opportunities, employees would receive performance-based compensation that is competitive and marketaligned, with incentives tied to performance and compliance outcomes.

Through these reforms, Abrea said higher revenue efficiency could be expected, while investors would be assured of greater transparency. “Tax administration reform is an economic and investment reform.”

Countries with semi-autonomous revenue authorities, such as Singapore, the United Kingdom and Malaysia, demonstrate higher efficiency and compliance. The Philippines must align with global standards to

DFA rebukes Chinese Embassy over job losses warning

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

THE Department of Foreign Affairs has sharply rebuked the Chinese Embassy after an embassy statement appeared to link potential job losses among Filipinos to strained bilateral ties, calling the remarks a veiled threat that could be perceived as coercive and undermine constructive dialogue.

The DFA said it “notes with concern the Chinese Embassy’s statement attributing job losses among Filipinos to strained bilateral relations.”

“We take strong exception to the Embassy’s tone, which appears to imply that such cooperation could be withheld as a form of leverage or retaliation.

“In the current atmosphere, this framing risks being perceived as coercive and undermines constructive bilateral dialogue,” the DFA said in a statement.

The DFA urged the Chinese Embassy to “adopt a responsible and measured tone in public exchanges” and reiterated its commitment to diplomacy to stabilize and advance the bilateral relationship.

What drew DFA’s ire

THE DFA was particularly miffed by the embassy’s framing that “any serious damage to diplomatic relations, including downgrading of those relations, would cost millions of jobs,” a line that embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng used in comments on February 13.

Ji also accused some Philippine senators of “posturing” and “bluffing,” questioned whether lawmakers would personally compensate workers for lost incomes, and warned that political grandstanding could

inflict real economic harm.

The DFA said this combination of economic projection and personal admonishment of Philippine officials crossed a line from diplomatic warning into what it viewed as implicit coercion.

Chinese Embassy reaction

IN a follow-up, Ji Lingpeng, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, said China remains committed to managing differences and resolving disputes with the Philippine side through dialogue and consultation.

He added that China “firmly opposes any slander or smear against China, as well as irresponsible remarks that incite hatred,” and urged the DFA to restrain certain individuals in the Philippines from making such remarks to avoid undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Think‑tank’s challenge

THE Stratbase Institute disputed the embassy’s assertion that millions of Filipinos would lose their jobs if relations with China deteriorated, saying the claim is not supported by official economic data.

Stratbase cited Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas figures showing foreign direct investment inflows from China for JanuaryNovember 2025 totaled USD 3.10 million, down 52.43 percent from USD 6.52 million in the same period in 2024, and representing only 0.27 percent of total FDI received by the Philippines.

The think-tank noted that in 2024, China accounted for just 0.55 percent of total net FDI inflows, arguing that the numbers undercut the scale of economic leverage implied by the embassy’s warning.

remain competitive, Abrea said.

A modern, transparent, and predictable tax system is critical to lowering investment risks, improving regulatory certainty, and enhancing competitiveness, Abrea added.

“The time for incremental reform has passed,” Abrea said. “We cannot continue burdening compliant taxpayers, losing investments, and tolerating inefficiencies. We need to move. We need a modern system, a digital system, a transparent system—not just to collect taxes, but to restore trust, grow the economy, and protect the Filipino people.”

BIR: NRA should be a last resort

SOUGHT for comment, Internal Revenue Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza said the proposed NRA may remain part of the long-term policy conversation.

“Still, it should be approached as a governance reform of last resort, not a first response,” Mendoza said. “The priority is to build strong, credible, and trusted institutions first—because even the most elegant structure cannot compensate for weak governance.”

See “Revenue,” A2

Comelec: We’ll align nuisance bet rulings with latest SC rulings

By Mary Jade Jadormio

THE Commission on Elections said recent Supreme Court rulings have further narrowed the grounds for declaring candidates as nuisance candidates, potentially limiting the poll body’s discretion ahead of future elections.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said any guidance issued by the High Court on provisions of election law would be binding on the Commission.

“A guidance from the Supreme Court on a provision of law will be treated by Comelec as law by itself,” Garcia said.

This is after the Supreme Court ruled that the mere use of a nickname similar to another candidate’s is insufficient to establish intent to confuse voters and cannot automatically justify declaring a candidate a nuisance.

In a decision involving Charles “DB” Savellano, the High Court held that Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion when it declared him a nuisance candidate in the 2025 Ilocos Sur congressional race.

The Court stressed that having similar nicknames alone is not enough to prove intent to confuse voters, even if such similarity is invoked under the catch-all provision of the Omnibus Election Code.

Under Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, a candidate may be declared a nuisance if the certificate of candidacy was filed to mock the election process, to confuse voters by using a similar name with a registered candidate, or if there are circumstances showing a lack of genuine intent to run.

The Supreme Court clarified that allegations of a lack of campaign activity, by themselves, are likewise insufficient absent substantial evidence.

Garcia acknowledged that a series of recent High Court decisions has progressively reduced the parameters for declaring nuisance candidates. He noted that the Court has ruled that the lack of political party affiliation, low votes in a previous election, or absence of campaign funds cannot automatically be used as grounds for nuisance declarations.

He added that the similarity of names, without proof of deliberate intent to confuse voters, also cannot stand on its own.

Garcia said Comelec will strictly comply with the Court’s pronouncements but admitted that the Commission is studying how much “space” remains for it to exercise discretion under existing law. He warned that an unchecked increase in candidates, particularly in national positions such as the presidency, could strain election administration, though he emphasized that ballot length alone cannot justify nuisance declarations. See “Comelec,” A2

Editor: Jennifer A. Ng

February 18, 2026

Semirara coal operating deal on Meralco unit’s radar–exec

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

THE power generation arm of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is mulling over its participation in the auction for the coal mining operations in Semirara following the energy department’s decision not to renew the coal operating contract (COC) of Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC).

Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) has already thought about it. “Maybe better if it’s… Meralco, MGen (will) take a look at it. It’s a mine mouth kind of auction. I don’t know yet, but certainly. It’s on your radar, right? We mentioned it this morning,” said Pangilinan, who was referring to MGen President Emmanuel Rubio.

When sought for comment, Rubio said the company has yet to understand the details as “we have little information so far.”

Pangilinan cited a strong advantage of owning and mining one’s own source of coal before feeding into the power plants. “Well, I guess, if you secure your supply chain, localize…

so that must be the benefit. You save on freight, at least.”

The Consunji-led integrated mining firm currently operates a highly integrated supply chain that offers significant competitive advantages. With a 97-percent share of the country’s coal production, Semirara’s supply chain creates high efficiency, cost stability, and resilience, especially amid global market volatility.

SMPC had sought a 13-year extension of its COC beyond 2027 but Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said her office has decided not to renew it and instead auction if off.

“Our direction is to have it auctioned. They said we cannot renew it,” Garin said, citing the legal opinion of the Department of Justice (DOJ). The auction process will happen this year, she added.

Aboitiz Power Chief Corporate Services Officer Carlos Aboitiz, meanwhile, said the company may not participate in the auction, saying “that’s not associated with our company.”

“It’s sort of outside of the area of business for our company. So I can’t really say much about it,” he said.

SMPC, for its part, said it has yet to receive a formal notice from the DOE of its final decision on its request for term adjustment. The DOE said SMPC may still participate in the upcoming auction, citing the company’s decades of experience.

“Yes, they are qualified. If you’ve been to Semirara it’s such a complicated engineering project. The advantage they (SMPC) already know what to do, they have the equipment, and they have experience. It’s not about who offers the lowest, we want to find the most qualified,” Garin had said.

SMPC said its decades of experience in managing complex engineering projects, coupled with its established operations, technical expertise, and extensive equipment fleet developed through its long-standing operations in Semirara Island, “provide a strong competitive advantage, which we have communicated to the DOE.”

Globe teams up with AC Logistics

By Bless Aubrey Ogerio @blessogerio

GLOBE Telecom has partnered with AC Logistics to manage its warehousing and distribution operations from AC Logistics’ MCX Warehouse in Muntinlupa.

The facility, located along the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway, will handle storage, inventory management, and dispatch of Globe’s trade materials, SIM cards, devices and retail collaterals to partners and channels across the country.

Under the agreement, AC Lo -

Phinma Foundation gets ₧400-M donation

PHINMA Corp. Vice Chairman Magdaleno B. Albarracin, Jr. and wife Trinidad M. Albarracin are donating a total of P400 million to Phinma Foundation Inc. (PFI) to directly support Phinma Education students and ensure the completion of their studies.

The couple formalized their donation during the memorandum of agreement signing with PFI President Nicole del Rosario-Serafica. Under the agreement, Phinma Education will receive P30 million annually over the next 20 years to better assist students in their college journey, from enrollment to graduation.

During this period, about 30,000 underprivileged students will benefit from this financial support.

“Education is a very powerful instrument for uplifting our underserved youth—I myself have seen the many doors it opened and vast opportunities it unlocked for a better life. It is our hope that investing in our students will help them realize their full potential, build better futures for themselves and their families, and ultimately live fulfilling lives,” Magdaleno Albarracin said. VG Cabuag

Megawide to build second pre-cast facility in Cavite

By VG Cabuag @villygc

MEGAWIDE Construction Corp. is set to put up its second pre-cast facility in Cavite starting this year, which should be operational by next year when the construction of its government’s housing program is expected to be in full swing.

Edgar B. Saavedra, the company’s chairman, president and CEO, said Megawide needed one in the southern part of Metro Manila, which should be in Cavite province as this is the area of its Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) project with the government.

“We should need one in the north, in around two to three years,” Saavedra said.

Megawide and Pag-IBIG Fund earlier entered into a partnership for the delivery of more than 7,000 housing units in Dasmarinas, Cavite under the Expanded 4PH over the next two years.

Saavedra said they may turn-over some 1,000 units by September this year as using pre-cast in the construction speed up the building job.

gistics serves as Globe’s preferred warehousing partner, overseeing the flow of goods from receipt to nationwide delivery.

The Muntinlupa facility will act as a hub for distribution in Metro Manila and the Calabarzon region while supporting routes to the rest of the country.

“This partnership strengthens a critical part of our operation, ensuring that Globe products reach our customers and partners with consistency and speed,” Globe’s chief financial officer and chief risk officer Carlo Puno said.

The MCX Warehouse manages inbound receiving, storage, inven -

tory tracking and outbound shipments for Globe’s trade network.

For his part, AC Logistics’ Erry Hardianto said the company aims to provide “precise, reliable, and agile” supply chain support to meet Globe’s nationwide requirements.

“Our role is to ensure their supply chain moves with precision, reliability, and the agility required by a nationwide operation.”

Irma Diaz-Guevara added that managing Globe’s operations highlights the strength of AC Logistics’ contract logistics and national distribution capabilities.

“At the MCX Warehouse, our teams are committed to ensuring

100 percent inventory accuracy, efficient order processing, and consistent service across every segment of the supply chain.”

Globe reported recently that its net income for 2025 reached P23.3 billion, down 4 percent from P24.3 billion in 2024, weighed down by higher depreciation and interest expenses tied to continued investments in network expansion and digital infrastructure.

This includes one-time gains from the deemed disposal of Mynt, the operator of GCash, shares and gains from tower sale and leaseback transactions.

Xiamen Airlines restores Quanzhou-Cebu flights

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

XIAMEN Airlines will resume direct flights between Quanzhou in Fujian province and Cebu City FL beginning March 29, the Chinese Embassy in Manila announced, marking a significant step in the recovery of air links between China and the Philippines.

The service will operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while the carrier will also increase frequencies on the Xiamen–Manila route should demand rise.

The relaunch of the Quanzhou–Cebu route comes as the Philippine government implements a 14 -day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, a policy intended to spur tourism and business travel.

Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan, speaking at the Binondo Chinatown Revitalization Phase II launch on February 13, said the direct connection will allow Chinese visitors to take fuller advantage of the visa-free arrangement, and that additional flights will be scheduled if tourist numbers grow.

The combined effect of visa liberalization and expanded air capacity is expected to accelerate post-pandemic recovery in inbound travel from China.

Cultural and historical ties QUANZHOU’S ties to the Philippines run deep.

The city in Fujian province is wide-

ly regarded as the ancestral home of a large share of the Hokkien-speaking Chinese Filipino community, and that Fujian connection has shaped Philippine language, commerce and cuisine—from the Philippine Hokkien dialect spoken by many Chinese Filipinos to culinary staples such as pancit lomi.

“When I visited Cebu several days ago, the local people asked me to help open a direct flight between their city and Fujian. They told me that 90 percent of Filipino- Chinese are originally from Fujian Province. With a direct flight, Chinese tourists will enjoy even more benefit of the visa-free entry,” Jing said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,

who attended the event, welcomed the announcement and described it as a catalyst for increased people-to -people exchanges.

The Chinese envoy also stressed the need to strengthen law-enforcement cooperation with Philippine authorities to combat crime and ensure safe, orderly travel.

He said authorities on both sides would work together to protect tourists and support normal cultural and commercial exchanges.

China issued multiple travel advisories for the Philippines in 2025, citing public-security incidents and crimes affecting Chinese nationals, including harassment, robberies, kidnappings and murders.

He said its pre-cast expansion in Cavite is still in the works as they still do not have the land to build the facility.

Saavedra said the company needed to expand its current pre-cast facility in Taytay in Rizal as stateowned Pag-IBIG Fund, or Home Development Mutual Fund, is asking Megawide to speed up the delivery of the housing projects as there could be more in the pipeline.

He said its Taytay facility is already running at 80 percent capacity.

Jez G. Dela Cruz, the company’s CFO, said the company may spend some P1.5 billion to P2 billion in the new facility in Cavite, which costs the same as the Taytay facility.

“The creation of the new Expanded 4PH Program will change the perception of how we view our socialized housing… we are implementing world-class prefabricated system, comparable to any of the first-world country, like in Germany or Japan, as you can see on this facility,” he said. “This will give chance for our common Filipino homebuyers to own decent houses that are comparable or even better than any of the top development in the country at an affordable price.”

“In line with our mandate to deliver sustainable financing for socialized housing in our country, we support projects like this, to speed up construction, make construction more efficient and deliver premium and quality housing that is affordable and within reach of our fellow Filipinos,” Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene Acosta said.

Megawide said it plans to build 100,000 housing units in the next five years to help address the housing needs with speed and consistency. About half of these will be launched in the next three years, Saavedra said.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan ,Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, and leaders of the Filipino-Chinese community attended the Chinatown Revitalization Phase II: A Walk Through Heritage in Binondo, Manila last February 13. (PHOTO FROM THE FACEBOOK PAGE OF THE CHINESE EMBASSY)

Editor: Dennis D. Estopace |

WB poised to OK loan of $250M to PHL

By Justine Xyrah Garcia

PROPOSED $250-million

AWorld Bank loan to modernize the country’s hazard monitoring and early warning systems is in the pipeline, according to a new document released by the Washingtonbased lender.

In its concept paper, the World Bank said the Philippines’s “Technologydriven, Human-centered climate and Disaster Resilience through Innovation for Vulnerable Empowerment,” or “Thrive,” project is targeted for Board approval on February 25, 2027.

The project seeks to enhance the country’s ability to track natural hazards and deliver more accurate and timely risk information and early warnings to better prepare communities for disasters and climate-related threats.

It will be rolled out nationwide, including in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), through the installation, upgrading, and rehabilitation of geophysical and hydrometeorological monitoring stations and related support facilities across the country.

“The investments are likely to be implemented in both urban and rural settings, with many of the monitoring stations expected to be located in remote and rural areas, which increases the likelihood of intersecting with Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities and ecologically sensitive zones, including protected areas and potentially coastal regions,” the World Bank said.

The project will be led by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), which the Bank noted has not implemented a World Bank or other international financial institution–funded operation in more than three decades.

To strengthen implementation capacity, the World Bank has extended a separate $1.7-million Global Facility for Project Preparation grant to DOST for targeted capacity building and project readiness support.

In 2024, independent development organization Germanwatch e.V. ranked the Philippines as the seventh-most affected country globally by climaterelated disasters.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

It noted that between 1995 and 2024, the country endured 371 extreme weather incidents, resulting in more than $35 billion in economic losses.

Dear Philippines

OF late, much has been said on the economic development of the country. It is very concerning and what comes to mind is: Does the published report take into account the informal sector?

A quick technology-assisted search provided the following highlights for sharing. The informal sector (or informal economy) refers to independent, selfemployed, small-scale producers and distributors of goods and services. It is often described as the “missing middle”—workers who are neither among the poorest receiving government subsidies nor part of the formal workforce with standard employee benefits.

Bill to abolish travel tax filed in Senate

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SENATOR Francis “Kiko” N. Pangilinan has added his voice to the proposal to abolish the travel tax, a notion that the Executive is also supporting amid calls to ensure that the projects being funded by travel tax proceeds are not abandoned or scuttled outright.

Pangilinan described the travel tax levied on Filipino tourists traveling abroad as an “economic burden” that hinders the right to travel of those with limited means.

“By lowering the cost of international travel, we expect to stimulate passenger volume, increase spending

on transport, accommodation, food, and services, and generate positive spillovers across the economy,” the explanatory note of Senate Bill (SB) 1843, filed on February 11, read.

“Increased travel activity also strengthens people-to-people exchanges and supports the Philippines’

positioning as a competitive and accessible destination,” it added.

Pangilinan explained that the current mandatory travel tax—P2,700 for first-class passengers and P1,620 for economy class—adds an extra cost or burden that impacts Filipinos’ ability and right to travel, which is guaranteed under Article III, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Instead of collecting the travel tax, the senator said that the current programs it is funding should be charged to the national budget of the Department of Tourism for the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.

The programs must also receive allocations from the annual appropriations of the Commission on Higher Education for the Higher Education Development Fund and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts

Terrorism financing laws sought for review

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie

AHOUSE deputy minority leader has filed two House resolutions calling for sweeping inquiries into the country’s counterterrorism and terrorism-financing laws amid claims they are being used to stifle lawful dissent and civic action.

House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa M. De Lima introduced House Resolution (HR) 786 and HR 787. The former seeks to review the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 11479 (Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020). HR 787, meanwhile, wants to examine enforcement of RA 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.

“Our objective is clear: to ensure that our laws protect our people instead of suppressing dissent. Counterterrorism measures erode their core purpose if they are weaponized by the State to promote a climate of fear, harassment, and intimidation among human rights defenders, activists, youth leaders, humanitarian workers, and civil society organizations,” De Lima, also the Mamama -

yang Liberal Partylist Representative, added.

She said that the laws should never be used to harass, red-tag, detain without basis, or endanger Filipinos.

Through HR 786, the lawmaker seeks to ensure the Anti-Terrorism Act complies fully with constitutional guarantees—including due process, free speech, association, peaceful assembly, and privacy—as well as the country’s international human rights commitments.

Both resolutions also aim to assess how these laws affect journalists, indigenous peoples, labor leaders, humanitarian workers, and other groups engaged in lawful advocacy and public participation.

The Anti-Terrorism Act was signed in July 2020 by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte and later faced multiple constitutional challenges. In 2021, the Supreme Court of the Philippines upheld most provisions of the law but struck down certain portions as vague and overly broad.

Under HR 787, De Lima seeks to determine whether enforcement of the terrorism-financing law has disproportionately targeted civil society actors rather than high-risk money-

The Informal Sector

‘Estimates

and domestic workers (2.3 million)” –Ibon Foundation, 8 April 2025.

tax returns nor pay taxes. A few may be “compliant” on very limited scope.

Key statistics and scope (AI generated)

n Workforce share: As of early 2025, estimates suggest approximately 20.6 million Filipinos (roughly 42 percent of the total employed population) work in the informal sector.

laundering or corruption networks. The measure proposes reviewing safeguards on due process, judicial oversight of asset freezes, evidentiary standards, humanitarian exemptions, and transparency mechanisms.

At a February 16 media forum organized by the Mamamayang Liberal Partylist and allied groups, participants voiced support for the resolutions, citing what they described as a chilling effect on free speech and association.

During the forum, advocates also highlighted the case of Frenchie Mae Cumpio, a community journalist convicted on January 22, 2026. Cumpio was recently denied bail over allegations she aided an organization authorities link to the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.

In a separate statement, De Lima condemned what she described as the unjust detention of Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil, calling the denial of bail a serious setback for press freedom and civil liberties. She urged the dismissal of what she characterized as fabricated charges and called for an end to the alleged weaponization of laws against dissent.

and leaders may have considered various economic models and analysis to come up with economic reports, a number of our countrymen may have already offered arguments that are replete with ‘motherhood statements’, yet they may not be in the know of the reality on the ground. Worse, what they are suspecting may just be the ‘tip of the iceberg’. The foregoing is meant to make the readers ask questions and be in touch with what is in our midst. Katotohanan lang po!

for the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts.

If passed, the measure will abolish the travel tax imposed under Presidential Decree 1183, as amended, and Section 73 of Republic Act 9593 (Tourism Act of 2009).

Pangilinan’s filing came a day after a new study—Institute for Risk and Strategic Studies, Inc., also known as Salceda Research—estimated the travel tax abolition could generate P43.6 billion in additional economic output, far exceeding the levy’s current P8.9 billion in annual collections.

Research by the institute projects the policy would also produce P19.6 billion in new gross value added, underscoring the potential multiplier effects of lower travel costs on airlines, tourism services, and consumer spending.

According to Salceda’s paper, the

timing of the reform carries diplomatic weight as the Philippines prepares to assume the chairmanship of Asean in 2026.

Salceda, a former House Committee on Ways and Means chairman, said eliminating the tax would demonstrate compliance with the Asean Tourism Agreement, which encourages member states to phase out travel levies among Asean nationals to strengthen regional mobility.

“We should not be taxing mobility in a region that is liberalizing travel,” he added.

The “Top 5 Reasons to Abolish the Travel Tax” report backs House Bill 7443 filed by House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos. The proposal is already included in the priority agenda of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council.

Cebu employees’ bonus pending on audit report

By Carmel Pedroza | Contributor

CEBU CITY—Cebu City Hall employees may have to wait— or possibly go without—their Charter Day bonuses this year due to audit findings and a reported budget deficit.

In a news conference last Monday, Mayor Nestor D. Archival Sr. said the city is taking precautionary measures in granting bonuses to avoid possible sanctions from the Commission on Audit (COA).

Archival cited what happened in the past two years as examples.

In 2023, the city received an “Audit Observation Memorandum” (AOM), followed by a “Notice of Suspension” (NOS) and eventually a “Notice of Disallowance.” As a result, all employees who had received bonuses were required to return the full amount.

The same situation occurred in 2024. The city again received an AOM, a NOS and a Notice of Disallowance.

The P35,000 bonus granted that year is now subject to refund by employees.

Archival said in the local language that the employees will return this amount. He added that even officials who approved the release of the bonuses cannot retire unless the disallowed amounts are settled.

He also noted that the refund covers not only regular employees but also city councilors who received the incentive.

Deficit FOR the January to December 2025 audit period, Archival disclosed that the city is facing a P91 million deficit.

“For now, this is the initial finding. If we cannot generate savings, it will be difficult to grant bonuses,” he said. The mayor warned that pushing through with the bonus despite the financial shortfall could again trigger COA action. If we push for it, the AOM will arrive, then the suspension memo, and the disallowance, then we would have to return the money), Archival said. He said he has been furnished with an initial audit report but is awaiting the final findings before making a definitive announcement.

Archival said in the local language he would need the final report from the COA to confirm the findings from the initial report.

Once the final report is issued, the city can formally decide whether bonuses will be granted for this year’s Charter Day celebration.

“If dunay bonus, ihatag gyud na nako (If there’s a bonus, I would definitely give it to them). They can have it,” Archival said.

As an alternative, a committee has suggested allowing employees to use up to 10 days of leave credits instead of granting a cash bonus.

Archival said he may issue a memorandum if the proposal is approved.

A2. Eco-friendly practices where sustainable practices are promoted like greening the community; and 3. Cultural preservation where local traditions, arts, and heritage sites are preserved and blended-in historical highlights. Funding may be a concern. Note though that there are international funding agencies open to address this need. One is the EU-Philippines Green Economy Partnership that provides grants and initiatives. If both national and local governments will work together, sustainable tourism can be achieved and it can contribute to economic development. Conchita L. Manabat is an

Among those that can be identified are food street vendors, ambulant vendors selling packed food to offices, sari-sari stores, tricycle/pedicab/motorcycle drivers, condo/home cleaners, sewers, some professionals like doctors, accountants, lawyers practicing on their own, independent carpenters/plumbers/mechanics and more. They are reliant on their “suki” and referred customers. They conduct “business” from their residences or “offices” or on the streets while cars line up due to traffic. They are usually not registered with the local government/regulators and do not have business permits. Most do not render any

n Economic contribution: The informal economy is estimated to account for roughly 28 percent to 34 percent of the Philippines’ GDP.

n Core demographics: Informal workers are often concentrated in Calabarzon and Central Luzon. A significant portion (approx. 41-44 percent) works in agriculture, hunting, and forestry, followed by wholesale/ retail trade and transport. Perhaps, one may venture to add the business of “graft and corruption”. The statistics on this and the impact on the economy can be anyone’s guess and distress.

While economic analysts, experts

Conchita L. Manabat is an incorporator & the President of the Development Center for Finance, an incorporator and Trustee of San Carlos School of Cebu Inc. and a Trustee at the Coalition of Services for the Elderly. She is an incorporator of and Lifetime Fellow at Institute of Corporate Directors. She is a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Council of the International Federation for Ethics & Audit and she chairs the Advisory Council of the International Association of Financial Executives Institutes. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the BusinessMirror.

Importers, licensed customs brokers charged with illegal importation before DOJ

ernment

TOTAL of 40 importers and licensed customs brokers have been charged with illegal importation before the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

The BOC announced last Tuesday it has filed 14 criminal cases against 40 importers, their representatives and licensed customs brokers for violating Republic Act (RA) 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The cases involve unlawful importation activities, such as technical smuggling, misdeclaration and undervaluation of goods, to evade the correct payment of duties and

By Reine Juvierre Alberto @reine_alberto

THE Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) generated P50 billion via its sustainable bond offering, higher than the P30 billion initial target, on the back of strong investor demand. The debt papers, which Landbank labeled as the “Agriculture, Sustainability, Environment, and Socioeconomic Development,” or “Asenso,” bonds were listed on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx) last Monday, a statement issued by the state-owned lender read.

Tenders surged more than tenfold over the P5 billion minimum offer, prompting an early close. Proceeds will bankroll green and social projects nationwide, such as renewable energy, food security, housing, employment and socioeconomic empowerment, according to the Landbank.

The issuance marked the country’s first corporate bond offering made available for direct in-app purchase via the Landbank Mobile Banking App (MBA), with a minimum investment of P10,000.

The bonds drew Landbank’s largest retail participation to date, with 16,914 investors subscribing through the bank’s mobile app, branches and authorized selling agents.

The Landbank MBA facilitated over 7,000 transactions across the 1.5-year and 3-year tenors.

Landbank said this latest issuance is aligned with its Sustainable Finance Framework, which has been recognized by Moody’s for adhering to global standards for sustainability bonds.

Project evaluation and selection will be conducted in accordance with Landbank’s Sustainable Framework, and an allocation report will be prepared within one year from issuance of the ASENSO Bonds, the bank said. The state-run bank has supported renewable energy, energy efficiency upgrades and power distribution through its Real Energy+ Financing Program,

Conchita L. Manabat

MISBEHAVING PARENT

There is a big uproar on social media about fur parents who use facilities meant for human babies for their dogs. Well, this actress, who was famous in the 1990s, used a restaurant table to change her child’s diaper and it wasn’t a normal changing, although even then that was beyond proper. The actress’ child had a bowel movement and it was lunch time so the other restaurant guests complained because their meal was disrupted by the horrible sight and odor. They complained to the manager but the actress said it was well within her rights as a customer. By the way, the actress’ child was not a baby at the time but around four years old and it did not seem to be an accident.

ANOTHER WOMAN

Many people assume that the reason for the actor’s marital troubles is drugs because he is known to indulge in them and these rumors don’t seem to be baseless based on his appearance. But the real story is that he has another woman and his wife found out about it. She has threatened to leave him and take the kids with her. Even worse (for him) is that the wife said she and the children will migrate to another country. The actor’s problems, which seem to be caused by him and his immaturity, are apparently never-ending.

SUGAR BABY

The actor is very handsome. He comes from a showbiz and political family. He is also a working actor, meaning he’s always in a drama or a movie. He’s not a leading man but his roles are significant, which leads everyone to assume that he isn’t broke. The actor once met a sexy star, who is known to be moneyed. The sexy star was enamored with the handsome actor but she was shocked that after their first date, he was sending feelers that he wanted to buy something but could not afford it. As someone who’s used to being a sugar baby, the sexy star soon got out of that situation.

NEW ROMANCE

The young star seems to have found a new love in the person of a reality show star. Funny enough, her ex also came from a reality show. They were together for a number of years but they quietly ended the relationship in 2025. The young star’s strict parents approved of her relationship with her ex. They would even invite him to the family’s travels. The relationship of the young star and the new guy is still in the early stages and while they are strict, her parents are letting her make her own way because they know she’s a smart girl.

Show BusinessMirror

‘Adolescence’ and ‘Train

Dreams’ win top prizes at Film Independent Spirit Awards

CLINT Bentley’s lyrical Denis Johnson adaptation Train Dreams won the top film award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles, while Adolescence dominated the television categories. Both were released on Netflix.

Bentley also won best director for the film starring Joel Edgerton, whom he thanked profusely for “being the heartbeat of our film.”

“We’re so grateful to Netflix,” Bentley said. “It’s very, very hard these days to film in the United States, but it’s worth it and we’re proud to be able to pull it off.”

Edgerton missed out on the top acting prize, however, which went to Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. The organization switched to genderneutral acting categories in 2022.

Byrne was one of the few actors nominated for both a Spirit Award and an Oscar, for her performance as a mother on the edge.

I share this with Mary Bronstein, my writerdirector who fought for eight years to get this movie made,” Byrne said.

She added that this was a film that could have only been made independently. Her character, she said, is “fierce and ferocious and a middle-aged woman.”

Adolescence won new scripted series, best actor for Stephen Graham, best supporting actor for Erin Doherty, and the breakthrough prize for Owen Cooper.

The show, which serves as a fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, was held at the Hollywood Palladium for the first time since 1994, as its longtime beachside perch in Santa Monica under-

goes renovations. Comedian and Saturday Night Live

veteran Ego Nwodim hosted the celebration of independent film and television, which was livestreamed on YouTube.

“In the spirit of independent filmmaking, we don’t have a permit,” Nwodim said in her opening. “If I shout ‘cameras down,’ you know what to do.”

The Secret Agent won the international feature prize. The film is also nominated for best picture and best international film at the Oscars.

“I really believe that programming films in the cinemas is more and more a political act,” said director Kleber Mendonça Filho.

He dedicated the award to the late actor Udo Kier, who was part of the ensemble of The Secret Agent.

The Perfect Neighbor, about a deadly shooting incident in Florida constructed primarily from police bodycam footage, won best documentary. Filmmaker and producer Geeta Gandbhir thanked Netflix for “giving us a global platform.” It’s also up for the best documentary Oscar.

Eva Victor won the screenplay prize for Sorry, Baby. Naomi Ackie also won the supporting award for Victor’s film, over fellow nominees like Zoey Deutch (Nouvelle Vague), Kirsten Dunst (Roofman), Nina Hoss (Hedda) and Archie Madekwe (Lurker).

The awards sometimes overlap significantly with major Oscar contenders and winners, as it did with Anora, and Everything Everywhere All At Once, and sometimes not. Organizers limit eligibility to productions with budgets less than $30 million, meaning more expensive films like One Battle After Another are not in the running. AP

GMA NETWORK, ABS-CBN LAUNCH NEW SUSPENSE SERIES ‘THE SECRETS OF HOTEL 88’

GMA Network and ABS-CBN team up once again to unveil The Secrets of Hotel 88, a suspense-filled series headlined by the breakout stars of Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition 1. The series premieres on GMA primetime beginning March 2 at 9:35 pm, following its early digital debut on iWant on February 23. The Secrets of Hotel 88 brings together big winners Mika Salamanca and Brent Manalo, alongside fellow housemates AZ Martinez, Ralph De Leon, River Joseph, Klarisse De Guzman, Esnyr Ranollo, Xyriel Manabat, Josh Ford, Kira Balinger, Dustin Yu, Bianca De Vera, and Will Ashley. The Star Creatives-produced series is directed by Henry Quitain.

At the heart of the story are the Fernandez brothers—Gio (Brent), Martin (Ralph), and Francis (Will)—who are unexpectedly reunited following the mysterious death of the father they never knew. Their lives collide when they inherit Hotel 88, a once-grand property haunted by unresolved conflicts and longburied secrets.

Their claim, however, is quickly challenged by the influential Almazan family, led by Luna Almazan (Mika), Leon Almazan (River), Jade Almazan (Bianca), and Justin Almazan (Josh), who assert their own stake in the historic hotel. What follows is a tense battle of loyalty, power, and truth, where shifting alliances and hidden revelations threaten to destroy both families.

As tensions rise between the Fernandezes and the Almazans, viewers will discover how Sari (AZ), Edward (Dustin), Raphie (Esnyr), Monette (Klarisse), Cheska (Xyriel), and Trixie (Kira) become deeply entwined in the lives of both families—each with

personal stories and hidden agendas that reveal what truly brought them to Hotel 88. The series also features industry veterans Dominic Ochoa, Gardo Versoza, and Ina Raymundo. Don’t miss the premiere of The Secrets of Hotel 88 beginning March 2 on GMA and Kapuso Stream at 9:35 pm, Mondays to Fridays, and airs at 11:25 pm on GTV. It will also be available on GMA Pinoy TV, with early streaming exclusively on iWant beginning February 23, seven days ahead of its television debut.

By Eugenia Last

duty. Competition will be fierce, and presentation will make a difference. Leave nothing to chance when it comes to your reputation and your opportunities to advance. Someone you encounter will offer more than you expect. Your charm and intelligence will help seal a deal. HHHHH e LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Set high standards and do your best. Call on your resources, expand your knowledge and experience, and push forward with discipline and determination. The impression you make will set the stage for what’s to come. Act like a pro, and others will treat you like one. It’s what you do that counts. HHH

fVIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ll get a glimpse of what’s possible if you are observant and open to suggestions. Be a vessel for information, and you’ll detect the right balance to carry you in your direction of choice. A networking event will provide some interesting options that you can twist to fit your objective. HHH

g

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Unusual people, professions and pastimes will attract your attention and raise your awareness. Once you see how something begins to unfold, you’ll gain insight into how to manipulate what you discover to fit your needs. Laziness will be your downfall. Don’t fall short when going the distance, as it will make a difference between success and failure. HHH h SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Learn from experience, sign up for courses, ask questions, test information and find those who can help you reach your goal. Opportunity is within reach; all you must do is use your skills, knowledge and experience to network your way up the ladder. Self- and home improvement, along with social interaction, will help structure what’s next. HHHHH

iSAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be the one to make choices. Refuse to let anyone dictate what’s next. Listen to your inner voice, and push yourself in a direction that feels comfortable and allows you to use your skills more to your liking. Walk away from emotional mind games and people who cause you grief. HH

j

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change of pace and space will do wonders for your emotional well-being. Give some thought as to how you budget and allocate your money to fit the lifestyle you want to pursue. Refuse to let anyone limit or discourage you from striving for what excites you most. HHHH k AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): High energy leads to satisfaction. Finishing what you start will be the reward

Rose Byrne wins the top acting prize for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.

MIKA SALAMANCA

BRENT MANALO

3rd Tanghal Tertulia to showcase UP’s homegrown talents in honor of National Artists Cabrera, Mojares, Locsin

HOMEGROWN talents of the University of the Philippines, together with some of the country’s most esteemed artists, will pay tribute to National Artists Benedicto Cabrera, Resil Mojares and Agnes Locsin for the third offering of Tanghal Tertulia on February 21, 2026. The UP Dance Company, the UP Rondalla, and the UP Filipiniana Dance Group will join forces during the festive evening at the Executive House Amphitheater in UP Diliman with performances showcasing the country’s rich and diverse dance and soundscapes for a musical journey across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The UP Tugtugang Musika Asyatika (UP TUGMA) and the UP Diliman chapter of Paggawisan Tako Amin (PAGTA-UPD) will perform a fusion rendition of the folk song “Salidummay,” featuring Althea Linelle Domngal, as an homage to Cabrera and his Cordilleran roots. Domngal is a soprano hailing from Baguio City.

Soprano Pauline Therese Arejola, an alumna of the UP Diliman College of Music, will also perform a medley of Visayan folk songs “Ay, Kalisud,” “Matud Nila,” “Pobreng Alindahaw” and “Rosas Pandan” as a tribute to Mojares. Arejola finished Bachelor of Music major in Voice, cum laude, in 2018.

World music performer and indigenous people’s rights advocate Bayang Barrios and the KUL-Kulintangan ensemble will bring Maguindanawon music to Locsin’s distinct neo-ethnic Filipino dance choreography. The ensemble features UP Diliman College of Music faculty Maria Lourdes Cecilia Matute, Tusa Montes, Lilymae Montano, and Ginoong Jason Santiago; along with Maguindanao kulintang artist Norodin Kalanduyan.

Tanghal Tertulia is UP’s flagship cultural program celebrating the university’s homegrown National Artists. It recently won the Best Special Events Production Award at the 38th Aliw Awards—the only event from a higher education institution recognized in the category. The event is free and open to the public. However, due to limited seating capacity, attendance will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested attendees may RSVP via https://tinyurl.com/exrjj38d.

Protecting your peace from panic

YOU know the feeling. You walk into a room feeling steady enough and you walk out with a tight chest racing thoughts or a low grade unease that seems to come from nowhere. No crisis happened to you directly yet your body reacts as if one did. Someone else’s worry has quietly attached to you. Absorbing other people’s stress is common especially if you are observant, empathetic, or used to being the reliable one. Over time, this habit can drain your energy, blur your focus, and leave you emotionally exhausted without a clear reason why. Stress travels quickly through tone, body language, and urgency. A tense voice, a frantic message, or a sigh heavy with frustration can activate your nervous system before logic has time to intervene. The first skill to build is awareness of how stress shows up physically for you. You may notice your shoulders rising, your stomach tightening, or your breathing becoming shallow after certain interactions. These sensations are early signals. When you catch them, pause and silently label the experience. Say, “This is stress but it is not mine”. Naming it creates a small but important gap between what you feel and what you choose to do next.

Many people worry that if they stop absorbing stress, they will become uncaring. The opposite is true. Empathy does not require absorption. You can listen, support, and validate without internalizing someone else’s urgency. Imagine a friend anxious about an upcoming presentation. You can encourage them, offer perspective, and wish them well. What you do not need is to rehearse their fear in your own mind for the rest of the day. After emotionally charged conversations, give yourself a brief reset. Take a few slow breaths, stretch your body, or step away from the environment. This signals to your system that the moment has passed.

Clear emotional boundaries are one of the strongest forms of self-protection. Boundaries are not confrontations. Often, they sound calm and ordinary. “That sounds challenging”. “I hope it goes smoothly”. “I need to focus on my task right now”. These phrases allow compassion without prolonged exposure. If someone repeatedly unloads stress on you, it is reasonable to limit the time or depth of those exchanges. You are allowed to decide how much emotional traffic you can safely manage.

Another useful practice is separating concern from responsibility. You may care deeply about a family member dealing with uncertainty, or a coworker under pressure. Ask yourself a grounding question: Is there a specific action I need to take today? If the answer is yes, focus on that step and release the rest. If the answer is no, remind yourself that worry without action helps no one. This mental check prevents stress from expanding into spaces where you have no control.

Your surroundings also influence how much stress you absorb. Constant exposure to alarming news, complaining conversations, or rushed schedules

Get a handle on your love handles:

in your

Wkeeps your nervous system on edge. Counterbalance this by intentionally creating moments of calm.

A short walk, quiet music, or even a few minutes of stillness between tasks can reset your baseline. These small rituals teach your body that urgency is not the default state.

It is also important to notice your own capacity. When you are tired, hungry, or overwhelmed, your emotional defenses weaken. Basic self-care strengthens your ability to stay grounded. Adequate rest, nourishment, movement and downtime are not luxuries but protective measures. Think of them as reinforcing your emotional immune system so outside stress does not take hold so easily.

A final mental tool is learning to return stress to its rightful owner with kindness. This is an internal exercise rather than a spoken one. When you notice lingering tension, imagine placing it back where it belongs. This is theirs and I wish them well. Then gently bring your attention back to your breath, your body, or the task in front of you. Repetition matters. Over time your system learns that it does not need to hold everything it encounters.

Protecting yourself from other people’s stress does not mean disengaging from life or becoming indifferent. It means staying present without becoming depleted, and learning to care without taking responsibility for emotions that are not yours to manage. You can listen, support and show compassion, while keeping your inner state steady because calm and empathy can exist at the same time. When you allow stress to pass through instead of settling in, you preserve energy for your work, your relationships and your well-being. This steadiness helps you respond with clarity rather than react from being overwhelmed, and it allows you to offer stability without absorbing chaos.

That ‘spare tire’

midsection puts you at health risk

hat’s there to love about love handles? Nothing, say those cursed with excess fat spilling out from their waistband. Not only do they look absolutely unflattering in a crop top, twopiece swimsuit, or form-fitting dress, but having your Significant Other playfully pinch at your sagging sides during a sweet moment is downright embarrassing.

Why does fat settle there in the first place?

Juancho Alfredo D. Las, MD from the country’s top hospital Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed, www.makatimed.net.ph), attributes love handles (aka “muffin top” and “spare tire”) to a number of factors.

“Fat develops when you accumulate more calories than you burn or use as energy,” explains Dr. Las. “The more fat cells you have, the more visible they are on your body. Age, genetics, body composition, and hormonal changes determine where fat settles, but the most common areas are the upper back, arms, stomach, buttocks, thighs, and abdomen.”

While excess fat is considered unhealthy, belly fat is particularly concerning because of its implications to your health.

“When we talk about abdominal fat, there’s subcutaneous fat, or the fat directly under the skin that you can pinch, then there’s visceral fat, or fat that surrounds the heart, liver and kidneys,” says Dr. Las. “A certain amount of visceral fat is normal, but too much increases your risk for developing heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers.”

Before you get into plank position or start doing crunches, here’s what fitness experts have to say about it: Spot-exercising doesn’t work. In reality, the body burns fat evenly all over, not just in specific areas. Instead, adopt these time-tested, doctorapproved recommendations that not only reduce love handles, but prove beneficial to your overall health and wellbeing. n Favor whole foods. If you live off a diet of

ultra-processed foods, you’re not just setting yourself up for that dreaded spare tire on your waist; you’ll likely develop high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol from food that’s notoriously loaded with sodium, fat, and empty calories. Dr. Las recommends sticking to natural, minimally processed foods like proteinrich chicken and fish; high-fiber leafy green veggies, fruits, oatmeal and beans; and avocado and nuts for their good fats. For whole grains, pick red or brown rice, but if you prefer white, skip that

extra serving! Wash them all down with water, still the healthiest beverage there is.

n Move more. Even if you sit before a computer all day, you can still squeeze in ways to be active. “Use the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. Walk short distances instead of taking the commute. Take walking breaks after sitting for 30-60 minutes at your desk. Enlist the com

pany of a colleague to walk, run, play a sport, or sign up at the gym with you after work so you can motivate each other to stay the course,” suggests Dr. Las. Yes, cardio workouts burn fat, but don’t discount strength-training too. Exercising with weights or resistance bands has been known to burn calories long after your workout is over.

n Tweak your lifestyle. Managing stress reduces the body’s production of cortisol, the hormone that stores fat in the tummy and triggers cravings for sweet and salty food. Sleeping for the recommended 7-8 hours a night also controls cortisol’s release and doesn’t disrupt the appetite hormones leptin (which makes you feel full) and ghrelin (aka the hungry hormone). Nicotine likewise messes with these hormones, so quit smoking immediately.

“Alcohol—especially if you consume a lot in one sitting—contains a lot of calories,” says Dr. Las. “When you take in a lot of alcohol, your liver prioritizes processing it instead of burning fat and carbohydrates. This leads to fat settling in the midsection.”

Quips Dr. Las, “Now you know why it’s called beer belly.”

BAYANG BARRIOS ALTHEA DOMNGAL

FNI bags top global legal honors for governance, corporate social responsibility

Global Ferronickel Holdings, Inc. (PSE: FNI), one of the Philippines’ leading nickel ore exporters, has achieved a major international milestone after securing top honors at the prestigious InHouse Community (IHC) Counsel of the Year Awards 2025. Out of the recordbreaking 200 nominations spanning 11 jurisdictions from leading corporations and legal teams across the region, FNI was granted the Best Practice Management Award for Corporate Social Responsibility and was likewise shortlisted under the highly competitive Industry Awards — Energy and Natural Resources category, underscoring the company’s strong governance, sustainability leadership, and legal excellence.

The IHC Counsel of the Year awards honor excellence, leadership, and innovation in the inhouse legal profession. FNI’s victory in the Corporate Social Responsibility category affirms the Company’s strong governance framework, values-driven culture, and deep commitment to responsible mining, environmental stewardship, and community

development, pillars that underpin its long-term business strategy and investor value proposition. These recognitions place FNI’s legal team among the most respected across Asia, the Middle East, and India

Further strengthening FNI’s international profile, the company’s Senior Vice President for Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Atty. Noel B. Lazaro, was recognized as part of IHC’s Top Tier In-House Counsel List 2025, a global recognition honoring the most outstanding in-house legal and compliance leaders in the industry.

The Top Tier In-House Counsel List celebrates professionals who exemplify innovation, dedication, efficiency, corporate social responsibility, and a commitment to diversity. The initiative aims to elevate the legal profession by recognizing leaders who set the gold standard in in-house practice.

Lazaro’s inclusion reflects his strategic

leadership in strengthening FNI’s legal, regulatory, and governance capabilities amid a dynamic and increasingly complex operating environment.

“In a workplace as nurturing and values-driven as FNI, the unwavering support and encouragement of our employees truly make all the difference. This recognition reflects not only individual effort, but the collective commitment of our entire organization to excellence, integrity, and responsible corporate governance,” said Lazaro.

FNI’s international recognition reinforces the company’s strategic focus on strong corporate governance, regulatory discipline, environmental protection, and social development. As global demand for responsibly sourced minerals continues to grow, FNI remains firmly positioned as a trusted mining partner and industry leader, guided by world-class leadership and a robust ESGdriven operating framework.

Hanabishi’s Kapartner sa Kabuhayan provides karinderya starter kits anew to Project Karinderya beneficiaries

HANABISHI Appliances, through its Kapartner sa Kabuhayan advocacy, continues to champion sustainable livelihood for Filipino families as it once again partnered with K-COOP for Project Karinderya for the last quarter of 2025. The program supports small, community-based eateries while simultaneously addressing food security.

“More than an appliance brand, Hanabishi is a trusted partner of Filipino families. We are one with organizations like K-COOP in looking for ways to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to them, especially to the nanaypreneurs who need assistance in growing their karinderya business,” said Cherish OngChua, VP for Finance and Marketing of Hanabishi Appliances.

Project Karinderya provides assured income for one month to karinderya owners while also feeding community beneficiaries through a ₱60/day meal subsidy for 30 days, which are redeemable at the participating karinderyas. Its beneficiaries include vulnerable groups such as seniors, persons with disabilities, pregnant and lactating mothers, and low-income families.

The future of business is changing and here’s how IBMC helps you adapt

THE International Business Matching Conference (IBMC) 2026 is happening on June 17 to 18, 2026, at Newport World Resorts. Designed for entrepreneurs eager to adapt quickly and embrace new technologies, this premier event will offer practical insights and global networking opportunities to help you accelerate your business growth.

With the theme “ACCELERATE,” IBMC 2026 will focus on AI-powered strategies, global partnerships, and scalable business solutions to help entrepreneurs stay ahead in a competitive marketplace.

IBMC is thrilled to announce Neeraj Shah as the keynote speaker for IBMC 2026. Neeraj is an internationally recognized AI strategist, LinkedIn growth expert, and business mentor, known for helping entrepreneurs save time, streamline their operations, and increase profitability.

With more than 21 years of experience, Neeraj has worked with thousands of business owners globally. His keynote, “Master AI to Save 20+ Hours Per Week & Grow Profits,” will explore practical, easy-to-implement AI strategies that can help entrepreneurs save valuable time while achieving greater efficiency and profitability.

IBMC 2026 is hosted by BNI Philippines, the local chapter of BNI®, the world’s largest and most successful business referral organization. Bringing together global entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and innovators, IBMC 2026 offers: AI strategies to optimize your business processes

Networking opportunities with industry leaders and global partners

Actionable insights on scaling and improving business efficiency

Registration for IBMC 2026 is now open. The conference welcomes entrepreneurs, professionals, and business owners who are looking to expand their networks, explore new markets, and build meaningful business connections.

Seats are limited, and early registration is encouraged. Register now at: https://mygrid.club/ibmc. For media inquiries or partnership opportunities: BNI Philippines PR & Marketing Communications Team Email: marketing@bni.ph Contact Person: Zonito Torrevillas Tamase Phone: +639177982887

Globe redefines quality of connectivity via consistent service, daily network reliability

IN an increasingly digital-first nation, Globe is shifting the connectivity conversation from peak speeds to the true measure of quality: Quality of Experience (QoE) and Quality of Service (QoS). Following a landmark year of investments in infrastructure in 2025, Globe continues to refine its network apart from pure functional connectivity, to one that’s empowering through jobs and livelihood, education and financial services, requiring reliable, always on services, and inclusive access.

While “speed” often dominates headlines, Globe has focused its network strategy on consistency, the ability to deliver stable, high-quality connections during the moments that matter most. This commitment was recently validated on the global stage when Globe received major accolades at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 for network consistency, based on real-world data from user-initiated tests.

remote corners of the archipelago. In 2025, the company successfully reached 100 more Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), pushing its national coverage to approximately 96 percent. To address the remaining four percent, Globe recently finalized a historic partnership with Starlink to deploy Direct-to-Cell (DTC) technology.

A first in Southeast Asia, this allows standard LTE mobile phones to connect directly to satellites, acting as “cell towers in space.” This ensures that even in “dead zones” or during natural disasters when land-based towers might be compromised, essential communication remains active.

Hanabishi began its partnership with K-COOP earlier in the year, providing Karinderya Starter Kits to beneficiaries last August. In the last quarter of the year, the brand helped out more people by providing Karinderya Starter Kits to 30 karinderya owners and helping feed 600 individuals in Rizal and Bulacan for 30 days.

The program provides training and capability-building, allowing participants to learn about food safety, nutrition, and customer service. Health cadets and monitoring teams ensure that they observe food quality, safety, and program compliance.

The Karinderya Starter Kits included a Hanabishi electric fan (HISF180C or HISF180), gas stove (GS4500) or oven toaster (HO10GX), rice cooker (HHRCFS 2.8L) or pressure cooker (HPC 10qt), water dispenser (HTTWD650 with free water) or hand mixer/blender (HHANDBL10-3in1), and either a coffee maker (HCM55SS) or airpot (HPOT399).

“At Hanabishi, we believe that sustainable progress is rooted in dignity. Through our Kapartner sa Kabuhayan advocacy, we express our commitment to supporting livelihood programs that enable people to thrive and build resilience so that they can shape their future with pride,” OngChua said.

Novo Nordisk Philippines’ ‘Truth About Weight’ campaign wins gold at 2025 Anvil Awards

NOVO Nordisk Philippines’ “Truth About Weight” campaign has been awarded a Gold Anvil Award at the 2025 Anvil Awards, conferred by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), recognizing the campaign’s impact in advancing meaningful, science-based public health communication.

The Gold Anvil distinction underscores the campaign’s success in elevating national awareness of obesity as a chronic, complex disease, not merely a matter of personal choice. Launched amid growing public health concern, the “Truth About Weight” campaign responded to data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) showing that four in 10 Filipino adults are living with obesity. Through education and advocacy grounded in more than 25 years of global obesity research, Novo Nordisk Philippines worked to reframe the conversation around obesity, from stigma and blame toward science, understanding, and compassionate care. The campaign helped drive broader recognition of obesity

as a serious and undertreated disease linked to more than 200 conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and certain cancers, while contributing to greater public and policy engagement, including support for local health initiatives like the Quezon City Healthy Q.C. ordinance.

“This Gold Anvil Award affirms Novo Nordisk Philippines’ commitment to responsible, evidence-based communication that prioritizes public health, dignity, and long-term disease prevention, ensuring that conversations about obesity lead to informed action and better health outcomes for Filipinos,” said Wei Sun, general manager of Novo Nordisk Philippines.

“And Truth About Weight was an important starting point as we move into 2026. This work will evolve into NovoCare, strengthening how we support patients beyond awareness,” Sun added.

Widely regarded as the “Oscars of Philippine public relations,” the Anvil Awards of PRSP honor programs that demonstrate excellence in strategy, execution, and social relevance.

Globe has maintained its leadership in network consistency for nine consecutive quarters with Ookla, reflecting a disciplined investment in “everyday reliability.” This focus is personal for the brand, ensuring that whether a student is in a virtual classroom or a small business that’s processing a digital payment, the connection holds. This recognition also places Globe among the top selected Mobile and Fixed Operators in Southeast Asia to achieve national-level consistency awards across both fixed broadband and mobile networks.

“What matters is how consistently our customers stay connected in their daily lives, even if they are at work, at home, and on the move. Our focus remains on building a network that is resilient and designed around real experiences,” said Carl Cruz, Globe President and CEO.

Globe’s pursuit of quality extends to the most

Speaking at the DICT Kapihan Session on January 21, 2026, Department of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Secretary Henry Aguda lauded these advancements: “The entry of new technologies like direct-to-cell service is a gamechanger for our digital economy. It ensures that no Filipino is left offline, regardless of their location. This is the kind of meaningful connectivity that spurs growth in the countryside and brings government services closer to every citizen.”

Globe saw mobile data traffic grow to over 3,100 petabytes, a testament to the heavy reliance Filipinos place on the network. To support this, Globe has deployed AI-ready, all-optical network infrastructure to improve energy efficiency while maintaining service quality. By moving beyond the “speed” race and focusing on the quality of experience and service, Globe is ensuring that its use of advanced technology supports real life needs that is sustainable, dependable connectivity for every Filipino. For more information about Globe, visit www. globe.com.ph.

The FNI legal team led by Atty. Noel B. Lazaro (2nd from left) presenting the Best Practice Management Award for Corporate Social Responsibility to FNI President Dante R. Bravo. (3rd from left). Other members of the legal team are, from left, Atty. Reeno E. Febrero, Legal Officer; Atty. Eveart Grace Claro, Corporate Secretary; Atty. Mary Louisse S. Inguillo, Legal Officer; Keziah Sy, Research Assistant/Paralegal; and Gian Paolo Comia, Research Assistant/Paralegal.

In the photo are, from left, Mikey de Quiros, APR, PRSP Internal Auditor and Full Circle Comms. president; Jeremy Jabines, Novo Nordisk Philippines head of marketing and communications; Jacqui Del Castillo, Novo Nordisk Philippines Communications and OCM manager; Wei Sun, Novo Nordisk Philippines general manager; Julio Araneta, Novo Nordisk Philippines product manager; Lucelle Pujol, Novo Nordisk Philippines lead product manager; Abi Matsuzawa, Full Circle Comms. media relations manager; Karla de Quiros, Full Circle Comms. accounts director; and Norman Agatep, APR, PRSP Vice President External Affairs.

Editor: Tet Andolong

BusinessMirror

INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BE A GAME CHANGER, BUT GOV’T MUST ADDRESS THE GAP

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

DEVELOPMENT of the nation’s infrastructure projects will be the catalyst to further drive growth in the property sector.

“The projects are going to be the game changers to boost the property values,” says Savills Philippines chief operating officer Cha Carbonell in the company’s recent 2026 Panorama Philippine Real Estate Overview held at the Bonifacio Global City.

‘Game Changers:’ Infrastructure in focus IN the open forum, Carbonell explains the ultimate test of success the mass transport systems such as the Metro Manila Subway project will be whether people actually choose to ride it over using their cars. “If everyone here treats it like they would a worldclass transit system in any other city, then we’ll know it’s a success,” says Carbonell.

“Looking from above, you can see the work is well underway, though there are still plenty of holes in the ground,” adds Carbonell.

She points out that the subway project will be a game-changer for Metro Manila, stressing that the multiple stations will significantly increase real estate value in those areas. “Beyond the subway, the various train projects—like the Metro Rail

Transport and Light Rail Transit (LRT) extensions—will be transformative. At the end of the day, the city needs more than just more roads,” Carbonell explains.

According to Carbonell, developing a subway system and expanding rail lines does more than just move people; it transports a high volume of the workforce at a significantly faster pace. By mitigating Metro Manila’s notorious traffic, she says the project directly addresses the massive productivity losses the city currently faces. In economic terms, these transit corridors also create a powerful ripple effect for real estate: residential, office, and retail developments along these lines become high-value assets.

“Landlords can command premium office rents, and malls become easily accessible without the friction of car traffic and parking,” she says.

“This is why these infrastructure projects are the true catalysts for the city’s economic future,” she adds.

ture growth, according to

A laggard in ASEAN

er nations in the region. Among the eight ASEAN nations, the Philippines ranks at the bottom in infrastructure adequacy, signaling an urgent need for reforms and increased investment.

Francisco notes a key finding of the study points out to the inefficiency of the country’s air transport systems.

Carbonnel is bullish in air travel. On the hospitality side, she is interested to see what's going to happen with the move of the propeller planes to Clark International Airport. She thinks it will bring a negative impact to hurt in the short term. “Now that takeover is looking pretty successful, I would say, so far it seems to be going well,” she says.

DESPITE the massive infrastructure development projects being pursued by the government, government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) points out in a study that the country continues to lag behind its Southeast Asian neighbors in transport infrastructure development, raising serious concerns about its capacity to sustain economic growth and enhance regional competitiveness.

While the subway transforms internal city movement, the San Miguel International Airport will lead to a massive surge in travel and commerce, creating a dual-threat of infrastruc -

Filinvest Group earns multiple awards in 2025, shaped by 70 years of enabling dreams

FROM boardrooms to communities, from the spaces people live and work in, to the services they rely on every day, the Filinvest Group’s work continues to be recognized—reflecting the collective strength of its businesses and the shared values that guide them. With businesses spanning real estate, banking, power and utilities, hospitality, sugar milling and infrastructure, the Group pursues sustainable growth across its portfolio while creating long-term value for stakeholders.

Over the past year, the Filinvest Group earned over a hundred local and international awards for good corporate governance, sustainability, and excellence in people, products, and services.

“At the heart of every recognition is a shared commitment to creating opportunities that matter to Filipinos and make a meaningful difference in their lives,” said Rhoda A. Huang, President and CEO of Filinvest Development Corporation. “These awards reflect the work of our people, and we are grateful for their sense of purpose, which guides how we serve our customers and communities across generations.”

Among the awards were those that underscore Filinvest’s continued investment in building strong leaders and inclusive, value-driven workplaces.

The Group’s focus on leadership and people development was reflected in multiple recognitions received by Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC) from the likes of HR Excellence Awards, HR Asia Awards, and topped with Stevie® Awards for Great Employers.

All four of the Group’s publicly listed companies—FDC, EastWest Bank (EWB), Filinvest REIT Corp. (FILT), and Filinvest Land, Inc. (FLI)—were among the award recipients, including the Golden Arrow Awards from the In -

ence through accessible, technologydriven solutions.

In real estate, Filinvest Land, Inc. (FLI) earned Developer of the Year from the FIABCI Philippines Property and Real Estate Excellence Awards, underscoring its leadership and consistency in the industry. FLI was also named Best Developer Visayas and Best Developer Mindanao by Dot Property Philippines, reflecting its strong regional presence and performance.

Filinvest Alabang, Inc. (FAI) won Best Residential Renovation at the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2025 for Fortune Hill (5-stars). FAI’s Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel was also recognized at the prestigious 2025 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Asia Pacific Awards for Excellence, earning the distinction of being the sole Philippine winner. Additionally, FAI received Gold Awards from the FIABCI Philippines Property and Real Estate Excellence Awards for the Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel (Purpose-Built Category) and Filinvest City (Master Plan Category), highlighting Filinvest’s focus on thoughtful, people-centered design.

stitute of Corporate Directors (ICD), affirming the Group’s continued focus on transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership. In the power sector, FDC Misamis Power Corporation (FDC MPC) was recognized for its strong partnership with host communities and industry stakeholders, earning multiple commendations from the PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority, local schools, and civic institutions.

Wins from banking and real estate AMONG its multiple awards, EastWest Bank was recognized for its focus on digital and consumer banking, earning Best Digital Ecosystem and Platform from The Asian Banker Philippine Awards—highlighting the Bank’s efforts to enhance customer experi -

Service excellence across hospitality

FILINVEST’S hospitality portfolio took the global stage this past year, with Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan earning distinctions from the Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence 2025 and inclusion in the Michelin Guide–Hotels, while Enye by Chef Chele Gonzales, located within the resort, was named a MichelinSelected Restaurant—affirming the Group’s commitment to world-class hospitality and dining experiences. Together, these recognitions reflect a shared standard across the Filinvest Group—principled leadership, thoughtful innovation, and a commitment to create lasting value— made possible by the people behind the work, every day.

The study titled, “Transport Infrastructure in the Philippines: From Plans to Actual Allocation,”authored by PIDS Senior Research Fellow Dr. Kris Francisco, reveals significant gaps in the country’s transport systems, particularly in railways, ports, and airport efficiency, compared to the well-developed networks of oth -

“The Ninoy Aquino International Airport [NAIA], the Philippines’ main air gateway, was listed as the fourth worst airport in Asia in 2024, with a score of 2.78 out of 10,” Francisco noted, citing ongoing challenges in passenger capacity and operational efficiency.

In 2016, NAIA exceeded its maximum capacity by 4.6 million passengers, surpassing its 35-million-passenger limit, highlighting the urgent need for upgrades.

The infrastructure gap is also felt in the railway sector with a railway density of just 1.52 km/sq. km, making the country the cellar dweller in

Asean. However, this could also be an opportunity for the country to achieve transformative growth. The numerous projects now in the pipeline are not just “work remaining”—they are the blueprint for a modernized, connected Philippines that will finally catch up to and compete with the rest of the region.

On a positive note, she says the Philippines boasts the highest number of ports in ASEAN, attributed to its archipelagic geography. However, the quality of ports remains a concern. “Several studies have revealed the weaknesses of Philippine ports, raising issues such as the lack of port facilities, lesser capacity, as well as the unfortunate combination of high prices for port services albeit underdeveloped ports,” Francisco explains. These factors make the country’s ports less competitive compared to regional counterparts.

Aboitiz Land’s Seafront Residences awarded Asia’s Best Waterfront

ABOITIZ Land continues to elevate Philippine residential real estate as Seafront Residences, its premier beachfront community in San Juan, Batangas, was named Best Waterfront Housing Development at the 20th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards.

The recognition complements

Aboitiz Economic Estates’ LIMA Estate being crowned as the Best Industrial Development in Asia, underscoring the strength of Aboitiz Land and Aboitiz Economic Estates’ integrated real estate strategy. Together, these honors validate a development model that brings together world-class industrial estates and thoughtfullyplanned residential communities, positioning the Aboitiz Group as a regional real estate powerhouse delivering end-to-end solutions for businesses, workers, and families.

Housing Development

refined beachfront lifestyle. Designed as an affordable luxury leisure community, the development prioritizes low-density living, generous open spaces, and carefully curated premium amenities that balance quality design with everyday livability. Unlike many beach developments that focus primarily on land ownership, Seafront Residences stands out as a house-and-lot community shaped by strong placemaking principles, allowing a vibrant neighborhood to take root early on.

“Seafront Residences demonstrates that thoughtful placemaking and disciplined design can unlock value across different residential formats—from affordable-luxury leisure communities to housing that supports our economic estates,” said Rafael Fernandez de Mesa, President and CEO of Aboitiz Economic Estates and Aboitiz Land. “As our industrial and commercial hubs expand, Aboitiz Land’s role is to translate these principles into scalable housing solutions that serve the workforce, families, and communities that grow around them.”

Situated along the coast of San Juan, Batangas, Seafront Residences offers a master-planned environment that enables residents to embrace a

Planned by globally-respected town planning firm DPZ and homes designed by Budji+Royal Architecture, the community reflects Aboitiz Land’s commitment to thoughtful design that is both global in quality yet grounded locally. Sustainability, resilience, and long-term stewardship were embedded from the outset, ensuring that the seaside development remains adaptive, livable, and valuable over time. The award also signals the project’s strong growth potential. With the upcoming Town Center at Seafront Residences, the development is poised to evolve into one of the most sought-after lifestyle and tourist destinations in San Juan, Batangas, further enhancing the area’s appeal while supporting local economic activity. The recognition comes as Aboitiz Land continues to sharpen its role as the residential solutions provider within and around the Aboitiz Economic Estates projects—aligning homes with broader economic ecosystems while continuing to develop standalone lifestyle-led communities in strategic locations.

With its win at the PropertyGuru

Carbonnel.

Yulo looks beyond LA28 to Brisbane ’32

Built by runners: Getting an extra edge on race days

HOKA is doubling down on its “built by runners, for runners” philosophy—putting the people who log the miles at the center of product innovation.

The brand’s latest campaign, Speed of Light, focuses on team members and Olympic Trials qualifiers Ari HendrixRoach and Brandon Johnson, whose firsthand racing insight helped shape the company’s newest race-day design.

That runner-led approach comes to life in the Cielo X1 3.0, the company’s lightest super shoe to date. Engi neered to minimize weight and maximize propulsion, the raceday model is precision-tuned to help athletes chase personal bests and podium finishes.

Driven by insights from elite athletes, the Cielo X1 3.0 sheds significant weight from its predecessor while integrating a propulsive carbon fiber plate, responsive PEBA foam and a lightweight, grippy outsole. An ultrabreathable Leno weave upper locks the foot in place, while asymmetrical lacing reduces pressure points for a secure, efficient ride at speed.

“The Cielo X1 3.0 delivers the lightest, most propulsive ride in the HOKA lineup, built to help pacepushing runners perform at their best,” Colin Ingram, Vice President of Global Product at Hoka, said.

“We’re constantly evolving our raceday offering to give athletes every advantage in speed and efficiency.”

By Josef T. Ramos

THREE-TIME World Champion and double Olympics gold winner

Carlos Yulo hopes to stay in top form for longer as he seeks to extend his journey up to the 2032 Brisbane Summer Olympic Games.

After receiving his second straight Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Athlete of the Year award at the Diamond Hotel on Monday, the 4-foot-11 Yulo told reporters he hopes to extend his reign in the next two Olympics.

“I feel blessed to experience this kind of journey as an athlete and I am praying and hoping my journey does not end there.

A lot of things may happen not just the Los Angeles

2028 Olympics, but I want to go to the 2032 Olympics as well,” Yulo, who turned 26 on Monday, said.

“I am praying and hoping to be safe and healthy.”

Yulo, awarded co-Athlete of the Year with rising tennis star Alex Eala, expressed his gratitude to the country’s sportswriters’ association for continuously inspiring the Filipino athletes to excel in the global stage.

Just a year after grabbing the men’s floor exercise and vault gold medals in Paris games, Yulo rested for a few months before his return to active training early last year, successfully earning his third gold medal in the World Championships in October in Jakarta. He also bagged the bronze medal in the men’s floor exercise.

Yulo retained the men’s floor exercise gold medal in the 2025 Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships last June in

Jecheon, South Korea on top of three bronze medals—individual all-around, vault, and parallel bars.

“I just really need to work extremely hard to achieve my goals and continue my Olympic journey,” he added. “It will not be easy, but I must do it. I am very thankful to the PSA for recognizing and inspiring us to pursue our dreams as an athlete.”

For this year, Yulo will compete in the 2026 World Cup series from April 3 to 6 in Egypt; France on April 4 and Croatia from April 9 to 12. He will also see action in the 13th Asian Senior Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships from June 18 to 21 in Guizhou in China.

Also on his schedule are the 20th Asian Games from September 19 to October 4 in Nagoya and the 2026 World FIG Artistic Gymnastics Championships from October 17 to 25 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

NATIONAL University and Adamson University clash for the early lead in an explosive University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 88 women’s volleyball showdown on Wednesday at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena in Manila. It promises to be an epic midweek duel between newcomer Sam Cantada and last season’s top rookie Shai Nitura, as the league holds its first college volleyball outing on España at 11 a.m. Far Eastern University and University of the East aim to bounce back from season-opening defeats in an all-UBelt clash to cap the QPav quadrupleheader at 5 p.m.

In the men’s division, “six-peat”-seeking Bulldogs take on the dangerous Soaring Falcons at 9 a.m., while last season’s runnerup Tamaraws face the Red Warriors at 3 p.m. Tickets for the Adamson-NU and UE-FEU doubleheaders are sold separately.

The Lady Bulldogs showed promise in their first match in the post-Bella Belen era. Cantada shone in front of 15,215

fans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena last Sunday, posting 21 points and 14 receptions in NU’s 25-25, 25-19, 23-25, 26-24 win over University of Santo Tomas.

Tigresses got within two of set point, but Cantada delivered a masterclass in the service area, firing three aces in the Lady Bulldogs’ 7-1 finishing run.

Cantada will be tested by the Lady Falcons, who boast a solid offensive core led by Nitura, Nigerian reinforcement Frances Mordi and rookie Abby Segui, along with crafty playmaker Fhei Sagaysay.

Incidentally, Cantada played for Adamson’s high school team in Season 87 and emerged as the girls’ MVP before transferring to Jhocson.

“Of course, they will never give in. I know them, their attitude, but of course we will not give in either. We will always do our best,” Cantada said.

First-year coach Regine Diego says NU won’t rely solely on Cantada, as last season’s co-Finals MVP Vange Alinsug and Arah Panique are ready to step up offensively. Veteran setter Lams Lamina provides calm leadership with Abe Pono.

“We just have to prepare, scout them, and we do that each match. We need to always review before matches so that we can adjust and clean up our plays,” Diego said.

Coming off a solid off-season, the Lady Falcons are determined to make a strong push. Coach JP Yude knows his team needs a collective effort to beat the Lady Bulldogs, whom they defeated in four sets in the second round last year.

“So we need always to help each other, we know NU has a strong team but we’ll do our best. The key is to prepare well,” Yude said.

THE National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) has tapped the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) to conduct the qualifiers for this year’s Uswing Mojing Junior World Championships in San Diego, California.

The qualifying tournament is set March 15 to 17 for the boys division, while the girls category will be held on March 27-20 at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac City.

The Uswing Mojing Junior World

WITH Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio as chief enabler and pro coach and former lawmaker Joseller “Yeng” Guiao providing the key to more funds, both heartily agreed that things are looking brighter for local sports and athletes during the San Miguel Corp.-Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards held last Monday night.

In front of a packed and starstudded audience, including co-PSA Athlete of the year Carlos Edriel Yulo at the Diamond Hotel Manila grand ballroom, Gregorio, the PSA Executive of the Year, and Guiao, recipient of the PSA President’s Award, shared similar sentiments after being cited by the country’s oldest media organization during the celebration co-presented by the PSC and ArenaPlus.

“The PSC and its staff are enablers, not gatekeepers, not disciplinarians. The PSC’s success is not just about single authorship. We let all sectors participate in what we want to do, and that is our secret,” Gregorio stressed in getting things done in record time.

The dynamic PSC head said that when he took over the government sports agency in July 2024 “I already had a plan.

Alam ko na kung ano ang aking gagawin, paano gagawin at gagawin ng mabilis.

“I have been committed and focused on three things since that day: athletes’ welfare, strategic infrastructure development and sports tourism.”

Being a former athlete himself and sports executive in various capacities, Gregorio was keen on creating “an enabling environment that creates opportunities for athletes. Let the athletes be in the limelight. They are our compass. For when our athletes

succeed, we know we have succeeded.”

The PSC now has more than ample resources to fulfill these lofty goals, thanks to Guiao, whose uphill legal battle in the Supreme Court that began a decade ago finally resulted in an SC ruling restoring the full five percent of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s income and other remittances as mandated by the law.

“I would like to thank chairman Pato. I don’t know of any other person with his dynamic leadership who is deserving to manage the funds that we got from our Supreme Court victory,” the Rain or Shine coach noted in the gala event backed by major supporters Philippine Olympic Committee, Milo, Cignal, Premier Volleyball League, Philippine Basketball Association, Akari, Rain or Shine, Capital1 Solar Energy, and Acrocity.

“So don’t [Gregorio] think about moving to another position. Stay in PSC. That is giving you a signal guys to make a difference for Philippine sports,” said the former Pampanga congressman, who who filed the petition in 2016 demanding that PAGCOR and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office comply with Republic Act 6847 of 1990 that created the PSC.    Guiao shared the center stage with Atty. Jun Guzman and Mon Navarro, his executive assistant while he was Pampanga 1st District Representative, who were pivotal to the success of the case.

“To take away billions of funds from the Office of the President was political suicide. But maybe somebody has to commit political suicide so that Philippine sports can breathe some fresh air,” Guiao recalled of the often lonely ordeal in the quest of uplifting the welfare of local sports and athletes.

Championships will be played from July 4 to 9. The partnership was recently approved following talks between top officials of the two organizations.

“The National Golf Association of the Philippines is pleased to partner with the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines in staging the qualifiers for the Junior World Championships in San Diego, California,” said NGAP president Martin Lorenzo and NGAP chairman Al Panlilio during the Pro-Am meet of the Asian Tour.

“This collaboration highlights our

shared commitment to grassroots and junior golf development, and to providing young Filipino golfers the opportunity to compete and excel on the international stage.” Panlilio, a former president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) was one of the amateur players that competed at the Pro-Am, as well as JGFP president Oliver Gan and junior golf benefactor, former congressman Mikey Arroyo.

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio hopes to inspire not only athletes but other sports officials to do better. PSA