ILIPINOS abroad may be forced to tap informal money senders or even consider the “black market” just to send remittances to their families in the Philippines.
This is in light of a new Trump policy that imposes a 5-percent excise tax on remittances flowing out of the United States. The new policy will cover some 40 million people, including green card holders and nonimmigrant visa holders but will exempt US citizens.
Former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Dante B. Canlas told BusinessMirror that Filipinos may try to avoid the higher transaction fees just to send money to their families in the Philippines.
“They can avoid the higher transaction costs arising from new taxes on remittances, for instance, by skirting banks and tapping informal money forwarders,” Canlas told this newspaper.
By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto @reine_alberto
De La Salle University economist Maria Ella Oplas said if Filipinos abroad are pushed to the wall, they may resort to sending money through means that are “risky for Filipinos.”
Oplas also said since remittances account for about 10 percent of the country’s GDP, this would also have a significant impact on the economy’s performance.
“This plan by Trump to impose excise taxes against remittances is definitely bad news for OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and their families. [It can also be bad] for our economic growth that is highly fueled by OFW remittances,” Oplas told BusinessMirror
App-based e-wallets
HOWEVER, a Filipino economist who is currently working in an international think tank, Alvin P. Ang, said this new policy will increase the sending of remittances via app-based e-wallets.
Ang said the pandemic has prompted many
OFWs to use app-based e-wallets to send remittances, favoring them over informal money forwarders and illegal money transfers.
He said this could help OFWs send their remittances while skirting the excise taxes imposed by the US as these money transfers could be considered payments.
“That’ll [new policy of US on remittance] have an impact on the Philippines. But unlike before where the corresponding banks are in the US, fintech now allows for direct remittance. This will increase the use of app based e-wallets,” Ang told BusinessMirror.
“Families will not be much affected as even before the measure takes effect, senders would have found another way [to send remittances],” he also said.
Data and SDGs
ONE unfortunate impact of this behavior of
seeking informal or even illegal means of sending remittances could also skew the remittance data of the Philippines.
“The PSA [Philippine Statistics Authority] or BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] can devise ways to estimate the leaks from remittances. Like forcing all money forwarders to register,” Canlas said.
Apart from avoiding formal channels to send remittances, Filipinos can also consider working in other parts of the world where
By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
is part of that dream to be able to unify the Asean as a destination in terms of the strength of its natural assets, its unparalleled warmth and hospitality as a people, and as a culture. And in terms of the quality of experiences that we are able to offer, is one that is aspirational for us in the Philippines,” said Tourism Secretary Christina
Garcia Frasco at the recent Skift Asia Forum 2025 in Bangkok.
“As a minister of tourism, it is a proposition that I have tried to make at every opportunity. am glad to hear similar interest from our fellow Asean nations, and we are very hopeful that the subject matter will again come up as the Philippines hosts the Asean in 2026,” she added.
The common Asean visa concept, patterned after the European Union’s Schengen visa, was proposed by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin last year as a way to increase inbound tourists in the region, and speed up economic growth. If approved, this means a tourist can visit nine Asean
TBy Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
HE country’s earnings from nickel ore exports jumped by 45 percent in the first quarter despite the slump in the international quotations of its base metal.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the value of nickel ores and concentrates exports surged to $144.81 million in the first three months of the year from $99.83 million in 2024. China was the top market of the Philippines’s outbound shipment of the raw materials in the reference period at $123.87 million, while Indonesia trailed at $20.94 million.
PSA data also showed that the volume of nickel ores and concentrates exports reached 4.51 million metric tons (MMT) in the first quarter, higher than the 4.19 MMT recorded in the previous year.
Export ban
THE Philippines is eyeing the ban on nickel ore exports to spur the development of local downstream industries and enable the Philippines to produce higher-value exports, which will create more jobs.
Senate President Francis Escudero introduced the provision amending Senate Bill 2826, which will take effect after five years if signed into law. Dan Smith, head of research at
celebration opening of the National Museum of Natural History, Anthropology and Fine Arts building to the public. To add to the sensorial feast, the Philippine Youth Symphony Band (PYSB) performed inside the atrium of the Museum of Natural History with the Tree of life as the center of attraction. At the National Museum of Fine Arts, visitors lined up to have their selfie taken in front of the Spoliarium, Juan Luna's finest masterpiece; and appreciated Ang Kiukok’s large murals and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo's painting, “Assassination of Governor Bustamante.” In nearby Pasay City, meanwhile, people were wowed by the 360 Led screen display in a mall that showcased the wondrous biodiversity of the sea. BERNARD TESTA/NONIE REYES
ASP ANGELS WALK 2025 GATHERS 40,000+ ADVOCATES AT
MOA ARENA Held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, the Autism Society Philippines’ Angels
brought together over 40,000 advocates in
nationwide movement for autism appreciation, accommodation, and acceptance. This year’s event also marks a milestone for
Supermalls as it celebrates its 40th Anniversary, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to creating inclusive and accessible spaces for all. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Corporation (PCIC) securing the bulk, P2.250 billion.
Trailing PCIC were the Bases Conversion and Development Authority with P1.939 billion, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority with P975 million, Philippine Children’s Medical Center (P665 million), National Kidney and Transplant Institute (P564 million) and Philippine Heart Center (P552 million).
For March alone, government corporations received a total of P10.630 billion, 54.68 percent higher than the P6.872 billion in the same month last year.
Receiving the biggest subsidy among government corporations during the month is NIA with P3.794 billion, equivalent to 35.69 percent of the total.
NIA is followed by PCIC with P2.250 billion, NHA (P1.346 billion) and the National Privacy Commission (P649 million).
Ateneo de Manila University economist Leonardo A. Lanzona told BusinessMirror that the increase in government subsidies to state-run firms in the first quarter was the result of budget cuts for GOCCs. However, Lanzona said that this is conditioned by the availability of funds, as well as the timing of the other budgeted items.
Last year, subsidies to state-run corporations were reduced to P138.763 billion, the lowest in six years, or the P136.652 billion recorded in 2018.
This was 15.14 percent lower than P163.535 billion in 2023, as GOCCs needed less budgetary support and had better operating income.
This year, subsidies to GOCCs will even be lower at P127.427 billion, based on the state’s budget documents. This went down by 32.30 percent from the P188.229 billion programmed in 2024.
CA affirms: No bail for those who took desap ‘sabungeros’
By Joel R. San Juan
THE Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed its 2024 resolution nullifying the lower court’s grant of bail to the six security personnel charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the disappearance of several cockfighting aficionados or “sabungeros” in 2022.
In a three-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Apolinario Bruselas Jr., the CA’s Third Division held that the respondents failed to raise new arguments that would warrant the reversal of its December 20, 2024 resolution.
“As aptly pointed out by the petitioners, the arguments of the private respondents were squarely discussed and addressed in the Court’s decision,” the CA said in a resolution issued on May 6, 2025. In its December 20, 2024 decision, the CA held that the presiding judge of Manila RTC Branch 40 committed a grave abuse of discretion by granting the accused’s petition for bail. It ruled that the trial court erred in saying that there was no deprivation of liberty committed against the missing cockfighting aficionados merely because they voluntarily went with the respondents. It further held that “the fact that
after the victims were made to board the van, that they could no longer be traced and found even by police authorities, are strong pieces of factual evidence that show that the victims were detained or kidnapped.”
The security personnel criminally charged before the court in connection with the missing “sabungeros” were Julie Patidongan, Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnry Consolacion and Roberto Matillano Jr.
The CA said the “evaluation of the pieces of evidence presented by the petitioner revealed that there was evident proof or presumption [is] great that the private respondents committed the crime charged.”
“The private respondents failed to convince us that we missed an important circumstance or neglected a piece of evidence that would have justified a modification or reversal of our decision,” the CA stressed.
Likewise, the CA lectured Regional Trial Court of Manila Branch 40 presiding judge Rebecca Guillen-Ubaña on the effects of a nullified judgment or order.
The CA told Judge Guillen-Ubaña that “a void judgment or order has no legal or binding effect” and that “all acts performed pursuant to it and all claims emanating from it have no legal effect.”
The CA’s statement stemmed from
the trial court’s denial of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) motion to cancel the bail bond and to re-issue a warrant of arrest against the respondents.
The DOJ filed the motion following the CA’s December 20, 2024 decision nullifying the lower court’s grant of bail for the respondents.
In denying the DOJ’s motion, the trial court held that the CA ruling did not specifically order the cancellation of the bond.
“While indeed such matter was
not specifically stated in the dispositive portion of the Court’s decision, it must be emphasized that the Court nullified altogether and declared void the public respondent’s grant of bail,” the CA said.
“There is thus no need for the Court to enumerate all subsequent actions of the second-level court that emanated from a nullified judgment or order and to have them specifically and individually declared void as well,” it added.
Philippines instead of money. However, this may become expensive for Filipinos.
“Filipinos work there [abroad] so that they have something to send back home. If it gets too expensive for them, they will always try to look for better arrangements to support their efforts to help their family,” Oplas told this newspaper. Apart from the local impact, Institute for Migration and Development Issues (IMDI) Executive Director Jeremaiah M. Opiniano told BusinessMirror that this move by the United States is a threat to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under SDG 10.c.1, by 2030, the world should reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 percent. “I suspect the taxation will be charged on the remittance transaction. That means, remittance service providers will therefore pass on the additional charges to migrants/remitters,” Opiniano told BusinessMirror
“If that tax on remittances happens, it may increase remittance charges and global efforts to reduce remittance charges [part of the SDGs] will be affected,” he added.
projects when revenue collections exceed the resource targets or when additional grants or foreign funds are generated. About P35.662 billion in other automatic appropriations was also distributed, of which
members for 90 days on a single visa.
121M visitor arrivals
OVER 121 million foreign tourists arrived in the Asean last year, showing a strong rebound across the board, although this was still some 15.5 percent less than arrivals in prepandemic 2019. Aside from the Philippines, the Asean also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. While Myanmar is officially an Asean member, the country’s military regime has prohibited participation in any Asean event.
The Philippines received 436,978 tourists from the other nine members of the Asean in 2024, which was 83 percent of the arrivals in 2019. The country will host the Asean summit meetings in Cebu and Manila next year. (See, “PHL to host Asean Tourism Forum 2026,” in the BusinessMirror, Jan. 21, 2025.)
At the Skift Forum, Frasco underscored the lessons learned from the Philippines’s overdependence on Chinese tourists, who reached 1.7 million in 2019. “The lesson that we learned is to really diversify to other markets as well. And so now, we are targeting markets such as the Middle East and the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council], as well as India. And of course, to strengthen further our source markets from South Korea, Japan, the United States, as well as Europe,” she said.
P32.262 billion was put into the Special Account in the General Fund, P3.190 billion as Tax Expenditures Fund/Customs Duties and Taxes, P206.178 million for the AFP Modernization Program and P2.094 million in Grants and Donations.
The DBM has yet to release 10.5 percent or P662.812 billion of the remaining P6.326 trillion total budget allocation for the year.
Due to diplomatic tensions over the West Philippine Sea, as well as rising criminal incidents in the Philipines involving Chinese nationals, Manila has suspended its e-visa program in mainland China. Other Asean economies, however, have allowed visa-free entry to Chinese citizens, which has helped boost their respective tourist arrivals.
Diversifying markets
DATA from the DOT showed 312,222 tourists from China last year, up 18.34 percent from 2023. From the Middle East were 94,219 tourists in 2024, nearly 28 percent higher than the 73,703 who arrived in 2019. There were some 79,000 Indian tourists in the Philippines last year, 41.45 percent less than the 134,963 tourists in 2019. (See, “Safety, costs bug Indian tourists in PHL,” in the BusinessMirror, Feb. 27, 2025.)
The DOT has implemented a revitalized halal program to encourage more Muslim visitors to the Philippines, while the Department of Foreign Affairs has launched an e-visa program in India to entice more Indian nationals to visit. Meanwhile, Frasco underscored the value of collaboration, instead of competition, in Asean, citing the “Two Countries, One Destination” program between the Philippines and Thailand. For its part, Bangkok has hoped for direct flights with more destinations in the Philippines, as well as joint promotions in food, culture, and activities such as scuba diving. (See, “‘Amazing Thailand’ looking to ‘Love the Philippines’ more via increased flights,” in the BusinessMirror, July 4, 2024.)
gress ends on June 30.
there’s nothing to convict on. We are answerable to the Filipino people. How can you convict without evidence? And how can you acquit if the evidence is overwhelming?” Lacson said.
Former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III also held off on taking a stance.
He said several legal and procedural matters must be settled first.
“I don’t want to preempt anything…like when the trial will begin or whether this will carry over [from the 19th to the 20th Congress]. There are a lot of things we need to study first before we buckle down to work on the impeachment,” he said.
PDP-Laban senators weigh in MEANWHILE , some winning senators from PDP-Laban— chaired by former President Duterte—also weighed in.
Reelected Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said the legality of having the 20th Congress handle the trial must first be addressed, since the 19th Con-
“For me, legality is important. Let’s wait for the Senate’s decision on that as a body. Being part of the 19th and soon the 20th Congress, I’m willing to participate,” he said. Go, who topped the senatorial race with 27.12 million votes, said he would only comment once he has reviewed the prosecution’s evidence.
Incoming Senator Rodante Marcoleta said he is “prepared” for the upcoming trial of the younger Duterte.
“I’m really prepared, believe me. I saw how they laid it out. The basis was wrong, the process was flawed...From there, I already knew what I had to do,” he said.
Asked what exactly he would do, Marcoleta said it is still a “secret.”
To date, a total of four impeachment complaints have been filed against the Vice President.
These include allegations of corruption, plotting to assassinate President Marcos, involvement in extrajudicial killings, and incitement to insurrection and public disorder.
In February, the fourth complaint gained the support of 215 lawmakers—enough to trigger the formal impeachment trial.
Backfire
WHILE the Trump administration may believe that this new policy will help the government raise revenues, this could backfire by making the United States less attractive to foreign labor.
“These measures hurt the US by keeping out foreign labor that American production needs but which no Americans are willing to take,” Canlas told this newspaper. One way to ease the legal issues surrounding foreign labor is to create a system of guest workers with time-bound contracts. Unfortunately, Canlas does not expect this kind of policy to be implemented under the Trump administration. This means, Canlas said, American firms will continue to outsource low-cost production processes to countries with a large and cheap labor force. This will be done in lieu of setting up factories in the US.
“Trump is too protectionist. He is making it hell for foreigners to be in their country forgetting that the concept of globalization is also about being able to compete. Too much protectionism can also be bad for them,” Oplas also said, partly in Filipino. Earlier, cash remittances from Filipinos abroad rose slightly to $2.81 billion in March 2025 from last year’s $2.74 billion despite the strengthening of the peso. (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2025/05/15/march-remittances-up-to2-8b-despite-jitters/).
Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed cash remittances sent by Overseas Filipinos reached $8.44 billion in the first quarter of 2025, 2.7 percent higher than the $8.22 billion registered in January to March last year.
Amalgamated Metal Trading Ltd., had told the BusinessMirror the country will be put at a disadvantage if the bid to ban the raw mineral’s exports materializes. The Philippines is one of the world’s major nickel ore producers.
“The proposed ban on nickel ore exports could help to tighten the global market, but [the Philippines] would lose out due to lower export revenues,” Smith said.
Price drop
THE World Bank said global nickel quotations dropped to around $15,500 per metric ton (MT) in the first quarter, the lowest level since 2020, due to booming output and a recent surge in London Metal Exchange warehouse stocks.
Indonesia’s expanding nickel production mainly catapulted the surge in global output of the base metal, bolstered by China-backed smelter investments and government incentives, it added.
“The global glut has driven prices down 35 percent over the past two years, leading to production cuts in other economies,” the international organization said in its latest report. Despite this, the World Bank expects nickel production to ease, owing to cuts in nickel mining quotas of the Southeast Asian nation, which makes up over half of the global output, as part of efforts to boost the slump in prices.
“However, global production growth is expected to slow gradually over the forecast horizon, as Indonesia—now accounting for about 60 percent of global production—introduces mining quotas to stabilize prices.”
“Global nickel demand growth is also expected to moderate, reflecting decelerating demand from the EV battery market, only partially offset by modest growth in stainless steel production.”
Comelec pushes Senate to tackle poll reforms
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
DDRESSING the ele -
Aphant in the room, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has called on the newly proclaimed senators of the 20th Congress to help craft laws that would overhaul outdated election policies and strengthen the integrity of the country’s democratic process.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia on Saturday made a direct appeal to the “Magic 12” during his opening remarks at their proclamation, emphasizing the urgent need for deeper electoral reforms.
“We are hopeful that you, entrusted by the people, will be our partners in advancing stronger reforms in our elections including the review of outdated laws that no longer serve the needs of
a modern electorate,” Garcia said.
One of the reforms Garcia raised was the review of existing policies on pre-election campaigning, which remains unregulated under current laws. At present, no law penalizes individuals who engage in premature campaigning—even after filing their certificates of candidacy (COC).
This legal gap stems from the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Rosalinda A. Penera v Comelec, which held that a person is only considered an official candidate at the start of the campaign period, not at the time of COC filing.
As clarified by the High Court, Section 15 of Republic Act 8436, as amended by Section 13 of RA 9369, provides that “any person who files his certificate of candidacy within [the filing period] shall
only be considered a candidate at the start of the campaign period for which he filed his certificate.”
This ruling allows individuals to freely advertise themselves, appear in political ads, and distribute campaign materials without fear of sanction, since the law does not yet consider them official candidates.
Garcia has repeatedly raised this issue with lawmakers, calling the current system “unfair” and biased in favor of wealthy aspirants who can afford sustained pre-campaign exposure.
“We need new laws concerning the elections. Our predicament started when they filed a COC but were not yet considered candidates... Those candidates with money took advantage of that,” he said in an earlier press briefing.
In addition to regulating early
campaigning, Garcia asked the senators-elect to prioritize legislation that would institutionalize early voting days for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, authorize the use of private facilities as polling precincts, and increase compensation and benefits for teachers and election staff on duty during polls.
“We hope to collaborate in expanding the people’s ability to choose their leaders without fear, coercion, or the exploitation of poverty,” he said.
Garcia underscored that elections are more than procedural— they are essential to the pulse of a functioning democracy.
“Elections are not just a phase in democracy, they are part of its heartbeat. And if we truly care for democracy, we must continue to improve and refine how elections are conducted,” he added.
‘House leadership in 20th Congress settled’
DEPUTY Speaker David “Jay-Jay” Suarez of Quezon on Saturday declared that the question of House leadership in the incoming 20th Congress is settled, affirming that Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez enjoys the support of at least 240 lawmakers or more than two-thirds of 315 elected lawmakers.
“This is already a supermajority,” Suarez, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) treasurer, said, calling it a clear vote of confidence in Romualdez’s leadership and legislative track record. “Taposna. The Speaker has the numbers.”
“As of Saturday afternoon, no less than 240 members have already signed the manifesto of support—and that number keeps climbing,” Suarez said. “This is not just about party politics. It’s about unity, output, and trust in the Speaker’s steady hand and principled leadership.”
According to Suarez, the initiative was
backed by lawmakers from all major blocs— including Lakas-CMD, National Unity Party (NUP), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party (NP), Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), and the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCFI)—a clear sign of the Speaker’s ability to unite a diverse chamber.
“Speaker Romualdez has shown calm yet decisive leadership. He’s open to all, but never unclear in direction,” Suarez added. “He has kept the House focused on performance, not partisanship.”
The overwhelming show of support, Suarez said, demonstrates lawmakers’ desire to continue the legislative gains of the 19th Congress under the same leadership that championed transparency, timely budgets, and critical reforms.
“His record speaks for itself: two national budgets passed on time, responsive legislation
See “House,” A4
See “Lapu Lapu,” A4
Newly elected local officials asked: Support power transmission projects
By Lenie Lectura @llectura
HE NATIONAL Grid Cor -
Tporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is appealing to newly-elected local government officials to support the development of transmission projects.
The grid operator said the timely issuance of permits and assistance on right-of-way (RoW) disputes will help avoid delays in the implementation of critical transmission projects.
“We always work with the view of implementating projects in a
THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said 1,350 local governments (LGUs) have reactivated their Local Price Coordinating Councils (LPCCs) to help monitor the supply and prices of rice and other key commodities.
Field reports show 1,269 local governments are now conducting regular market inspections, 230 have deputized village officials and non-government organizations to monitor price spikes, and 1,201 are coordinating with national agencies to address hoarding and unjustified price increases.
The DILG issued the directive to the LGUs under Memorandum Circular 2025-044 in support of President Marcos’ goal of lowering rice prices nationwide.
The circular was issued also upon the recommendation of the National Price Coordinating Council and aligned with the Department of Agriculture’s “Bantay Presyo” (Price Watch).
The LPCC is chaired by the local chief executive and includes national agency representatives, private sector stakeholders and consumer groups.
The local council’s key functions include market inspection, price monitoring, and analysis of commodity price fluctuations. PNA
timely manner. But having said that, I will renew my call for support for NGCP’s infrastructure projects in terms of right-of-way. Landowners... I hope they will negotiate with us in good faith.
“Because that’s what I promised, that we will negotiate in good faith. We are also talking to all the newly elected local government executives who I hope will support our initiatives, especially in their localities, in terms of the timely issuance of permits,” said NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza.
Another key component to NGCP’s project schedule is the
Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). “And of course, we hope for the continued issuances of the required regulatory approvals,” added Alabanza.
The NGCP could not proceed to fully implement a transmission project without the green light of its proposed capital expenditure (capex) projects.
“What we have noticed is that in the last 24 months or so, they have been issuing a lot of projects ,” Alabanza said, referring to ERC approvals.
“But last time I checked, we still have more than 100 pending ap -
plications. So maybe they are issuing them little by little, but they are issuing them simultaneously… But we really have a lot of projects. There’s a lot of traffic because it’s like a bottleneck. Every year, we have projects that need to be carried out, and not all of them are given timely approval.
“Some of them, five years or so, even more are not approved yet. And then, we can’t say because sometimes the approval is fast, and sometimes it takes a year. But again, we hope for the best in terms of the timely issuance of the approvals, especially for the critical
Buyer of ₧20/kg rice attests cereal of good quality
By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla & Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
AMID the continuous spread of fake news online on the alleged poor quality of the subsidized rice sold by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Malacañang released proof on Sunday disapproving the said claims.
In a statement, the Palace said it was able to get feedback from those who bought the P20-per-kilo rice, which is sold in Kadiwa centers.
Among the beneficiaries of the subsidized rice was Brigida Mesa, 68, who maintained that the rice remains flavorful and high-quality when cooked.
“The rice has good [quality]. It is only its price which decreased and not its quality,” Mesa was quoted as saying in a news release from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
Mesa was able to buy the subsidized rice at the Kadiwa Store in Mandaluyong Public Market II.
Last month, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the P20 per kilo rice was originally priced at P33 per kilo.
She said the price reduced through subsidies from the DA and the participating local governments (LGU).
DA said qualified beneficiaries of the program will be allowed to buy 10 kilos of its subsidized rice per week, or 40 kilos per month.
The agency has allocated P5 billion for the program, which will last until December this year.
It will make use of the 370,000 metric tons, which are stored in the warehouses of the National Food Authority (NFA), an attached agency of DA.
Ensure quality
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has urged the National Food Authority (NFA)
to ensure the quality of rice sold under the P20 per kilo program.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who also chairs the NFA Council, stressed that the subsidized rice program presents an opportunity to shift the long-standing perception that the grains agency’s rice is of poor quality.
“This is our chance to change how people view NFA rice. We want to show that the rice we provide to those in need is not only affordable, but also tasty, nutritious, and just as good as, if not better than, some imported varieties,” Laurel said in a statement.
To enhance support to local farmers, he also instructed NFA managers to identify areas where traders purchase rice at extremely low prices. This will allow the agency to extend its procurement efforts during the next harvest season and prevent unscrupulous traders from exploiting farmers.
Currently, the NFA has an inventory equivalent to eight million 50-kilo bags of rice, with half of this bought during the first four months of this year.
Acuzar: No more ‘old style’ govt housing
HOUSING projects of the present must no longer look like those from the past—this was the message of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) chief.
Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar emphasized the government’s push to deliver dignified housing for Filipinos, particularly for the marginalized and lowincome earners, through the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program.
“President [Marcos] told me, ‘If you’re going to give housing, don’t let it look like the ones from the past,’” Acuzar said in Filipino at the Palayan City Township Project in Nueva Ecija.
“Give the poor the dignity of owning a home, and let them experience the kind of life that the wealthy enjoy,” he added, quoting Marcos.
While the Marcos administration pushes for a “new standard” in state-led housing, government efforts to provide homes for the underserved trace back decades, with each administration having its own approach to socialized housing.
Since the late 1970s, successive efforts have been made to address this demand, particularly in the country’s urban centers.
However, persistent issues like limited beneficiary reach, delays in support, and the absence of long-term solutions have kept these programs from achieving largescale success, leaving many Filipinos still struggling with inadequate homes.
Regarding housing backlog, recent data showed that around 3.75 million Filipino families live in informal settlements or squatter colonies, with an estimated shortfall
of 6.5 million housing units nationwide.
Progress
DHSUD reported that several 4PH projects are already at various completion stages, with units beginning to be handed over to beneficiaries.
Among the projects with units already turned over are the Palayan City Township Project, Asenso Yuhum Residences in Bacolod City, and People’s Ville in Davao City.
Meanwhile, hundreds of units are ready for turnover at Crystal Peak Estates in San Fernando, Pampanga, and Valley View in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
Ongoing developments also include El Sand Residences in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Bocaue Bulacan Manor in Bocaue; Abuab Towers in San Mateo, Rizal; and projects in Pilar, Bataan; San Miguel, Manila; and Pili, Camarines Sur, with all of these nearing completion. Bless Aubrey Ogerio
Mindoro legislator assails Court ruling on mining
ALAWMAKER expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court (SC) ruling that nullified the ordinance imposing a 25-year mining moratorium in Occidental Mindoro.
Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tarriela stressed that environmental protection should be considered a priority.
“With all due respect to the Supreme Court, environmental protection should be paramount. Also, the will of the people who would be directly and adversely affected, as expressed in the passage of the ordinance imposing moratorium against mining, should be respected,” Tarriela said in a statement.
In 2008, Agusan Petroleum and Mineral Corporation (APMC), a mining company, was granted a contract for large-scale mining activities over 46,000 hectares of land in the Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.
The APMC challenged the validity of the ordinance passed by the provincial government of Occidental Mindoro imposing a
mining moratorium in the province. The SC recently ruled in favor of APMC.
“The claimed balance between commercial exploitation of natural resources, like mining, on the one hand, and environmental protection, on the other, is more imagined than real. Kapag nasimulan na ang pagmimina, ang mga proteksyon na nasabing ilalagay, ay madalas ding nababalewala,” Tarriela said.
“Nakitananatinitosamgaminahansa ibangmgaprobinsya.Napakadamingmga nangyayaring aksidente o kapabayaan, na nagdudulot ng long term at irreversible na damage sa kapaligiran. Tapos ang mga kumpanya na responsable, nawawala at hindi na mahagilap,” he added. Tarriela connected the mining contract with the contracts to dredge the Lumintao River in barangay Malawaan in Rizal town, the Pagbahan River in barangay Talabaan located between the towns of Mamburao and Sta. Cruz, and the Amnay River in Sablayan, all in Occidental Mindoro. Ada Pelonia
projects,” said Alabanza.
The ERC earlier said it has completed the deliberations on NGCP’s fourth Regulatory Period, covering the 2016 to 2022 period. However, the NGCP has yet to receive an official and complete ERC ruling.
“The fifth regulatory period is delayed. It has been filed with the ERC. Perhaps after that regulatory period, for the sixth, perhaps we can start considering it as forwardlooking. But we do plan to make the appropriate filings for the sixth regulatory period which will begin in 2028,” added Alabanza.
DBM approves 16,000 new teaching posts
THE Department of Budget and Management has approved a total of 16,000 new teaching positions in public schools to improve teacher-tostudent ratios and support the sector’s manpower needs.
Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman approved the creation of 16,000 new teaching positions for school year 2025-2026.
Broken down, 15,343 Teacher 1 posts (Salary Grade 11) will form the bulk of the fresh hires across public schools.
The creation of 157 Special Science Teacher positions (Salary Grade 13) and 500 Special Education (SPED) Teacher positions (Salary Grade 14) has also been authorized by the DBM.
Moreover, Senior High School teaching positions will be created at the division level, allowing School Division Superintendents to transfer or reassign the teachers to where they are most needed.
This arrangement was previously approved by DBM in 2016 to prevent duplication and ensure efficient deployment.
“The DBM’s approval of the 16,000 new teaching positions is in adherence to our President’s directive to strengthen our country’s education system. This move is also in support of the Department of Education’s efforts to boost the teaching workforce across Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High School, Senior High School, and the Alternative Learning System,” Pangandaman was quoted in a statement as saying.
The 16,000 new teaching positions represent the initial batch of the 20,000 slots the government intends to establish this year.
Meanwhile, the P4.194 billion budget to fund the new items will be sourced from DepEd’s built-in appropriations under the 2025 General Appropriations Act, which includes allocations specifically earmarked for hiring new school personnel.
The release of appointments and Notices of Organization, Staffing, and Compensation Action (Nosca) will only take effect after the election period, in line with existing policies and the election ban from March 28 to May 11, 2025.
The DBM regional offices will coordinate with the DepEd for the issuance of Noscas and the release of funds, which will only cover teaching positions that have been successfully filled.
“The DBM supports the government’s prioritization of our teachers’ welfare. We want to ensure that every child has a teacher who will guide and help them in their learning. We are serious in our goal to improve the quality of education in the country,” Pangandaman said in Filipino.
According to DepEd, more than 27.012 million students enrolled in elementary and high schools nationwide for the school year 2024-2025, comprising students from public and private schools, as well as those in the Alternative Learning System.
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coincided with International Museum Day and also marked the inauguration of the restored Sentinel of Freedom—the Lapu Lapu Monument, now relocated to a more prominent and public-facing location on Maria Orosa Street.
Former senator and Tourism secretary Richard J. Gordon as the principal guest to the event. It was during his term as Secretary of Tourism in 2005 that he personally secured the support of the Korean Freedom League to erect the P28-million monument as a gift from the Korean people. The Sentinel of Freedom was their tribute to the Filipino soldiers who fought and died beside them during the Korean War—and to the Filipino spirit of courage and sacrifice embodied by Lapu Lapu, the nation’s first recorded hero.
“The French gifted the Statue of Liberty to the Americans, in tribute to the revolution that inspired their own,” Gordon explained. “The Koreans followed that tradition and gifted us with the Sentinel of Freedom—honoring our shared fight for democracy.”
Historical, symbolic significance THE importance of the Lapu Lapu Monument cannot be overstated. Lapu Lapu symbolizes the original Filipino resistance against foreign domination, from his victory over Magellan in 1521, to the martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal in 1896, through the Philippine Revolution, the Philippine-American War, World War II, and the Korean War.
Positioned alongside Rizal in the National Park, Lapu Lapu completes a national tableau. Rizal, the scholar and visionary from Luzon, and Lapu Lapu, the warrior from the Visayas with Mindanao roots, together represent the archipelago’s enduring fight for freedom. Their legacies bookend our national identity.
“The lines of the Philippine National Anthem echo the spirit of our heroes. ‘Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil’—‘Ne’er shall invaders trample thy sacred shores!’— captures the fierce defiance of Lapu Lapu, who first stood against foreign domination in Mactan. Meanwhile, ‘Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo’—‘For us, thy sons to suffer and die’—reflects the martyrdom of Jose Rizal and all Filipinos who gave their lives for the motherland.”
A new home
THE relocation of the monument from the Agripina Circle to a more visible site on Maria Orosa Street has proven to be a meaningful change. “Last year, when Director General Jeremy Barns of the NMP told me they needed to move the monument, had strong reservations,” Gordon admitted. “But now that he stands on Maria Orosa—where Filipinos and tourists pass every day—I see it was the right move. He is visible, commanding, and he stirs the heart of every Filipino who sees him.”
The reopening of the Maria Orosa Street gates of the museum complex will allow public access to the site, enhancing both the visibility of the monument and the museum’s connection to the public.
Strengthening ties
AS the country marks the 75th anniversary of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (Peftok) on September 19 this year, Gordon emphasized that the Lapu Lapu Monument also highlights the enduring bond between the Philippines and South Korea.
“Korea has been a steadfast ally,” he said. “We must nurture this relationship. And what better way to do that than by celebrating Lapu Lapu—our Sentinel of Freedom—standing proud and visible, continuing to inspire generations to rise and defend liberty.”
governance.
with
While no formal public ceremony has been
“This monument reminds us—au naturel, by nature—that we are patriots,” Gordon concluded. “We are ready to fight for our country, and ready to serve.” during
Editor: Angel R. Calso
Israel launches a new military operation in Gaza; Netanyahu tells negotiating team to stay at talks
By Ibrahim Hazboun & Samy Magdy
The Associated Press
JERUSALEM—Israel said Saturday it launched a major military operation in the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a negotiating team to remain in Qatar for indirect talks with the militant group.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Operation Gideon Chariots was being led with “great force.” Netanyahu had vowed to escalate pressure with the aim of destroying the militant group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades.
The military operation in the Palestinian territory came a day after US President Donald Trump concluded his Middle East trip without a visit to Israel. There had been hope that his visit could increase the chances of a ceasefire deal or the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has prevented for more than two months.
An Israel official said that Ne -
tanyahu was in constant contact throughout the day with the negotiating team in Doha, Qatar, and US envoy Steve Witkoff, and instructed the team to remain there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations with the media.
Hamas, which released an Israeli-American hostage as a goodwill gesture before Trump’s trip, insists on a deal that ends the war and leads to the withdrawal of Israeli forces—something Israel said that it won’t agree to.
Israel’s army said on social media it wouldn’t stop until the hos -
tages are returned and the militant group is dismantled. Israel believes as many as 23 hostages in Gaza are still alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of them.
More than 150 people had been killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It said more than 3,000 have been killed since Israel broke a January ceasefire on March 18.
On Saturday afternoon, an Israeli strike killed at least four chil -
Trump to speak with Putin, Zelenskyy in bid to end Ukraine war ‘bloodbath’
By Yehor Konovalov & Joanna Kozlowska
The Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine—US President Donald Trump said he plans to speak by phone Monday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, followed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders of various NATO countries, about ending the war in Ukraine.
Trump said the call with Putin will be about stopping the “bloodbath” in Ukraine.
“Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end,” Trump wrote Saturday in a post on his social networking site Truth Social.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed in comments to Russian media that preparations were underway for Monday’s call.
Trump’s remarks came a day after the first direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years failed to yield a ceasefire. Putin had spurned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer to meet face-to-face in Turkey after he himself proposed direct negotiations—although not at the presidential level—as an alternative to a 30-day ceasefire urged by Ukraine and its Western allies, including the US.
Also on Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a phone call with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. During a visit to Rome, Rubio suggested that the Vatican could be a venue for RussiaUkraine peace talks.
In Ukraine, a northeastern town declared a period of mourning after a Russian drone hit a bus evacuating civilians from front-line areas, killing nine people, Ukrainian officials said. The strike came hours after the Russian and Ukrainian delegations left Istanbul, after agreeing to what would be the biggest prisoner swap to date between the warring parties.
Zelenskyy faces a gamble as talks stall THE talks in Istanbul on Friday broke up after less than two hours
without a ceasefire, although both sides agreed on exchanging 1,000 prisoners of war each, according to the heads of both delegations.
Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said on Ukrainian television Saturday that the exchange could happen as early as next week.
But the Kremlin has pushed back against a proposal by Ukraine and its Western allies for a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement, and the parties remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting.
Since US-brokered talks began in March, Ukraine’s strategy has been to convince the Trump administration that Putin is unreliable, and that Kyiv is serious about peace. Trump has expressed frustration with the stalled talks and threatened to abandon his efforts if results aren’t achieved.
He has also said that no peace would be reached until he held a face-to-face meeting with Putin. On Friday, Trump told reporters after boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from Abu Dhabi that he may call Putin soon.
“He and I will meet, and I think we’ll solve it, or maybe not,” Trump said. “At least we’ll know.”
The political theatrics are underscored by stark realities on the ground in Ukraine. In a war of attrition against Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s position is poised to grow weaker as time goes on, unless powerful sanctions are imposed against Moscow and the US continues arms deliveries.
Zelenskyy said that he had discussed the outcome of the talks with Trump and the leaders of France, Germany, Britain and Poland. In an X post from a European leadership meeting in Albania on Friday, Zelenskyy urged “tough sanctions” against Moscow if it rejects “a full and unconditional ceasefire and an end to killings.” Peskov on Saturday held open the possibility of Putin holding talks with Zelenskyy, providing the agreed prisoner swap goes ahead, and if the Russian and Ukrainian delegations reached unspecified further “agreements.”
Peskov also told reporters that Moscow will present Ukraine with a list of conditions for a ceasefire,
but gave no timeframe, or say what needed to happen before Zelenskyy and Putin can meet.
A town in mourning IN Ukraine, nine civilians were killed and seven others were wounded when a Russian drone struck a bus evacuating people from Bilopillia, a town around 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Russia’s border, according to local Gov. Oleh Hryhorov and Ukraine’s national police. The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Moscow.
Zelenskyy described the attack as “deliberate killing of civilians,” adding in a post on the Telegram messaging app that “Russians could scarcely not realize what kind of vehicle they were hitting.”
The local media outlet Suspilne said that the passengers on the bus were being evacuated from the town when the strike happened. Authorities are working to identify some of the victims, most of them older women.
Local community chief Yurii Zarko called the day “Black Saturday,” and mourning was declared in the town through Monday.
Zelenskyy lamented the missed opportunity from Friday’s peace talks, saying that “Ukraine has long proposed this—a full and unconditional ceasefire in order to save lives.”
Ukraine’s European allies strongly condemned the attack.
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that he was “appalled” by it. “If Putin is serious about peace, Russia must agree to a full and immediate ceasefire, as Ukraine has done,” he wrote on X.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking at a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, condemned Russia for “continuing their attacks today with undiminished ferocity.” He vowed to continue to increase the pressure on Moscow with added sanctions.
Joanna Kozlowska reported from London. Hanna Arhirova in Istanbul, Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania, and Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report.
dren in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north, according to al-Awda Hospital, which received the bodies. Seven others were wounded in the strike, which hit a house. A later strike in Jabaliya killed four, the hospital said.
“This is unacceptable. Until when? Until we all die?” asked a sweating Naji Awaisa as he and others fled Jabaliya with their belongings down streets lined with shattered buildings. Smoke from airstrikes rose in the distance.
Airstrikes around Deir al-Balah in central Gaza killed 14 people, with the
bodies arriving at al-Aqsa hospital. One strike on a house killed eight people, including parents and four children.
A strike hit outside a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, killing four, the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service said.
There was no immediate Israeli comment on the strikes. A separate statement said that the military had killed dozens of fighters while dismantling an “underground route” in northern Gaza.
Hundreds of protesters rallied Saturday night in Tel Aviv, some holding photos of Palestinian children killed in Gaza, with others demanding a deal to end the war and bring all hostages home.
“Let me be crystal clear. All of Israeli society, left, right, secular, religious, stands united in calling for a hostage deal. To miss this moment for a deal would be a betrayal of history, a stain that will never fade,” Dalia KushnirHorn, sister-in-law of hostage Eitan Horn, told the crowd.
Month 3 of Israel’s blockade GAZA is in the third month of an Israeli blockade with no food, water, fuel or other goods entering the territory of more than 2 million people. Food security experts say Gaza will be in famine if the blockade isn’t lifted.
Earlier this week, a new humanitarian organization that has US backing
to take over aid delivery said that it expects to begin operations by the end of the month, after what it described as key agreements with Israeli officials. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation identified several US military veterans, former humanitarian coordinators and security contractors to lead the effort.
Many in the humanitarian community, including the UN, said that they won’t participate, because the system doesn’t align with humanitarian principles and won’t be able to meet the needs of Palestinians in Gaza. Tom Fletcher, the UN humanitarian chief, said Friday that there’s already an aid delivery plan with 160,000 pallets of supplies ready to move: “It is ready to be activated—today—if we are simply allowed to do our jobs.” The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Magdy reported from Cairo. Tia Goldenberg contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Israel.
PROTESTERS hold pictures of Palestinian children killed during Israel’s
Presidents and pilgrims flock to Vatican for Pope Leo XIV’s installation ceremony
By Nicole Winfield
The Associated Press
ATICAN CITY—Tens of thou -
Vsands of people streamed into St. Peter’s Square early Sunday to inaugurate Pope Leo XIV ‘s pontificate, joining presidents and princes in celebrating history’s first American pope with a formal installation ceremony that blends ancient ritual, evocative symbols and a nod to modern-day celebrity.
Starting at dawn, civil protection crews in neon uniforms funneled pilgrims into quadrants in the piazza while priests and patriarchs hurried into St. Peter’s Basilica to get ready for the Mass. US Vice President JD Vance, one of the last foreign officials to see Pope Francis before he died, paid his respects at the Argentine pope’s tomb upon arriving in Rome late Saturday and was heading the US delegation honoring the Chicago-born Leo.
Leo will start the day by taking his first tour through the piazza in the popemobile. The open-topped vehicle has become synonymous with the papacy’s global reach and mediatic draw, used at home and abroad to bring popes close to their flock. It was here that Francis took his last popemobile ride on Easter Sunday, and it was on the back of a popemobile that Francis’ casket was brought across Rome last month to its final resting place.
Leo, a 69-year-old Augustinian missionary elected May 8 after a 24-hour conclave, seems a bit more timid than Francis. But all eyes will be on how he manages the throngs of pilgrims, tourists and curiosity-seekers, and the babies who will inevitably be passed up to him for him to bless.
After the festive public tour in the square, Leo goes into the basilica to begin the solemn ceremony to inaugurate his ministry in a series of rites that emphasize the service that he’s called to perform in leading the Catholic Church. He prays first at the tomb of St. Peter, considered to be the first pope, under the basilica’s main altar and then pro -
cesses out into the piazza for the Mass.
Strict diplomatic protocol dictates the seating arrangements, with both the United States and Peru getting front-row seats thanks to Leo’s dual citizenship. Vance, a Catholic convert who tangled with Francis over the Trump administration’s mass migrant deportation plans, is being joined by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Rome ahead of time to try to advance Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is one of around a dozen heads of state attending, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
US seminarian Ethan Menning, 21, from Omaha, Nebraska, wrapped himself in an American flag, purchased at a truck stop in Iowa, to celebrate.
“Rome always felt like home for a Catholic, but now coming here and seeing one of our own on the throne of Peter ... it almost makes Jesus himself more accessible,” he said.
Kalen Hill, a pilgrim from the US, got to St. Peter’s soon after the gates opened Sunday morning and said he never expected an American would lead the 1.4-billion strong church.
“I would say all the Americans are emotional about it,” he said. “It is re -
ally powerful for American Catholics who sometimes feel separated from the world church to be brought in and included in this community through Pope Leo.”
During the Mass, Leo will receive the two potent symbols of the papacy: the lambswool stole, known as a pallium, and the fisherman’s ring. The pallium, draped across his shoulders, symbolizes the pastor carrying his flock as the pope carries the faithful.
The ring, which becomes Leo’s official seal, harks back to Jesus’ call to the apostle Peter to cast his fishing nets.
The other symbolically important moment of the Mass is the representational rite of obedience to Leo: Whereas in the past all cardinals would vow obedience to the new pope, more recent papal installations involve representatives of cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, nuns, married couples and young people participating in the rite.
Another change from the past is that Sunday’s Mass isn’t a coronation ceremony, which used to involve the pope receiving a tiara, but is merely known as a “Eucharistic Celebration for the start of the Petrine ministry of the Bishop of Rome.”
In the days since his historic elec -
tion, Leo has already sketched out some of his key priorities as pope. In his first foreign policy address, he said the Holy See’s three pillars of diplomacy were peace, justice and truth. In his first major economics address, he emphasized the Catholic Church’s social doctrine and the search for truth. It’s not known if he’ll use his installation homily as a mission statement as some of his predecessors did.
In his October 22, 1978 installation homily, St. John Paul II uttered a phrase that became something of a refrain of his pontificate and the ones that followed: “Be not afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!” Pope Benedict XVI quoted his predecessor during his installation homily, on April 25, 2005, and offered a meditation on the symbols of church unity represented by the pallium and fisherman’s ring. Francis’ installation homily, on March 19, 2013, focused on the need to protect the environment, an early hint of what would become one of the priorities of his pontificate. Leo has vowed all efforts to find peaceful ends to the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere. But as a priority, he has also identified the challenges to humanity posed by artificial intelligence, making the parallel to the challenges to human dignity posed by the industrial revolution that were confronted by his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who was pope from 1878-1903. After the homily and at the end of the Mass, Leo will offer a final blessing and then go into the basilica to greet the heads of the more than 150 official delegations attending. Security was tight, as it was for Francis’ funeral on April 26, which drew an estimated 250,000 people. Rome authorities are planning for another 250,000 on Sunday. The piazza and main boulevard leading to it, and two nearby piazzas were set up with giant television screens, and dozens of portable toilets have been erected in a nearby park.
AP
Arab leaders call for immediate end to Israeli attacks on Gaza, pledge aid for reconstruction
By Qassim Abdul-Zahra The Associated Press
BAGHDAD—Arab leaders at an annual summit in Baghdad called Saturday for an immediate end to Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip and to allow aid into the Palestinian territories without conditions. They promised to contribute to the reconstruction of the territory once the war stops.
In March, an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo endorsed a plan for Gaza’s reconstruction without displacing its roughly 2 million residents.
Saturday’s summit was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. The Egyptian leader said that even if Israel succeeds in normalizing relations with all Arab states, “a lasting, just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East will remain elusive unless a Palestinian state is established in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.” Egypt was the first Arab country to normalize ties with Israel. Among the guests were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres, who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the besieged territory. He said that the U.N. rejects any “forced displacement” of Palestinians.
Saturday’s summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. “This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,” Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed
Shia al-Sudani said in a speech that called for allowing aid to flow into Gaza. Al-Sudani added that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the reconstruction of the region in which Baghdad will pay $20 million for Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon.
Final statement calls for end to Israeli attacks in Gaza
“WE demand an immediate end to the Israeli aggression on Gaza and an end to hostilities that are increasing the suffering of innocent civilians,” said the final statement issued after the summit that was read by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein. “Humanitarian aid should be allowed into all areas in Palestine without conditions.”
The leaders said they reject any attempt to displace Palestinians in Gaza saying that any such move would be “a crime against humanity and (an act of) ethnic cleansing.” The statement said Arab leaders support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ call for the holding of an international peace conference that leads to a two-state solution.
El-Sissi said that Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the US, is “exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire” in Gaza, adding that the efforts led to the release of Israel-American hostage Edan Alexander. He said that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza “once the aggression stops.”
Abbas calls for Hamas to give up power in Gaza ABBAS , the Palestinian president, called on Hamas to abandon power in Gaza and along with other militant groups to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas’ Western-backed Palestinian Authority in 2007, and reconcili -
ation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed.
The Baghdad meeting was upstaged by US President Donald Trump’s tour in the region earlier in the week. Trump’s visit did not usher in a deal for a new ceasefire in Gaza as many had hoped, but he grabbed headlines by meeting with new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa—who had once fought against US forces in Iraq—and promising to remove US sanctions imposed on Syria.
Al-Sharaa did not attend the summit in Baghdad, where Syria’s delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani.
Iraqi Shiite militias and political factions are wary of al-Sharaa’s past as a Sunni militant and had pushed back against his invitation to the summit.
During Syria’s conflict that began in March 2011, several Iraqi Shiite militias fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, making al-Sharaa today a particularly sensitive figure for them.
Arab leaders back Syrian unity THE statement issued after the summit said Arab leaders back Syria’s unity and reject foreign intervention in the country. They condemned Israel’s airstrikes and land incursions into Syria over the past months. They praised Trump’s plans to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria and the easing of European sanctions recently saying that would “speed up recovery and the reconstruction process” in the war-torn country. An Iraqi official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media, said that Iran’s Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani paid a visit to Baghdad prior to the summit and “conveyed messages of support for the Iranian-American negotiations” to reach a nuclear deal and lifting of crippling sanctions on Iran.
Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
Giovanna dell’Orto and
visual journalist Isaia Monteleone contributed.
the popemobile as he is driven through the crowd during the formal inauguration of his pontificate, celebrated with a Mass in St. Peter’s Square, attended by heads of state, royalty and ordinary faithful, Sunday, May 18, 2025. AP PHOTO/STEFANO COSTANTINO
Computex 2025: Beyond Nvidia, 4 things to know at Asia’s biggest technology show
By Vlad Savov & Jane Lanhee Lee
NVIDIA Corp.’s Jensen Huang headlines the 2025 edition of Asia’s biggest electronics conference, for years a showcase for his company’s cutting-edge AI chips and the companies lining up to buy them. This year, however, the spotlight may well be on another far bigger personality: US President Donald Trump.
Computex kicks off Monday in Taipei, and as in years past will draw industry chieftains from Huang and Qualcomm Inc.’s Cristiano Amon to Young Liu of Foxconn, which makes the bulk of the world’s iPhones and Nvidia servers. But while last year’s event was a celebration of the postChatGPT AI boom, executives this time are likely grappling with the uncertainty of the Trump administration’s effort to reshape the global trade order—disrupting a decadesold model for tech manufacturing. This year’s exhibition will of course feature the hardware required to bring artificial intelligence to life. Apart from Nvidia chips, that includes server racks assembled by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., also known as Foxconn; power components from Delta Electronics Inc.; and datacenter cooling systems from Asia Vital Components Co. But while they tout new products onstage, these companies are also confronting profound questions about the US administration’s
tariff regime.
Here are the key themes to watch out for this week.
The shifting geography of chip manufacturing TRUMP wants manufacturing back home. To that end, the White House has secured major chipmaking commitments, most notably an additional $100 billion investment from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. As TSMC builds out its Arizona operations with more production lines, supply chain players are also joining it in the US—and accelerating those plans because of the new tariffs. Asia’s biggest electronics companies may also find new opportunity in the Middle East. In the week before Computex, a US delegation led by the president—and including tech luminaries Huang, Elon Musk and OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman— visited Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh with lofty promises of new trade deals. Alongside a relaxation of AI chip ex -
port rules, the visit underlines the Middle East’s growing importance as a player in the AI field.
“The new focus on export rules around China and Huawei means more opportunity for Taiwan,” said Taipeibased industry analyst Dan Nystedt.
AI’s questionable payoff FROM Advanced Micro Devices Inc. to Nvidia and Qualcomm, the development of generative artificial intelligence was heralded at Computex last year as comparable to the advent of the internet.
Consumers haven’t responded with the same enthusiasm. Smartphone shipments grew by only 2.4 percent and PCs by an even slimmer 1.8 percent over the holiday quarter, according to industry tracker IDC. The promises from the likes of Samsung Electronics Co. about how transformative AI would be in day-to-day life have not come to pass. Apple Inc. hasn’t even rolled out its full AI suite for iPhones yet. So executives at Computex will face questions about when the payoff is supposed to come.
They’ll also have to address concerns about an AI bubble. Investment from the biggest US internet firms remains elevated. Yet Microsoft Corp. has pulled back on some of its expansion plans, and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Joe Tsai warned against building vast data centers without knowing their purpose.
Intel’s new man in charge
LIP-BU TAN, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Intel Corp., won’t be at Computex in a formal capacity as his company won’t conduct its traditional keynote address. But he’ll likely be doing more meetings than anyone at the show as he continues his survey of partners and customers. He’s said recently that he’s doing countless meetings each day and having two or three business dinners trying to get insight.
Tan is currently weighing options to reform the storied US chipmaker. Intel is still the biggest provider of PC and server processors, though it’s losing market share. He’ll work to persuade customers of TSMC that Intel’s factories are a viable alterna -
tive and that the US manufacturer— historically a rival—can be a trusted partner. The financial strain of predecessor Pat Gelsinger’s spending on a turnaround plan tanked Intel’s shares, particularly because it hasn’t deliver tangible benefits yet. Now, Tan is rebooting everything with a focus on better execution.
“Computex is historically such a PC-focused event, and yet Intel seems to be sitting it out quietly,” said IDC analyst Bryan Ma. “It’s understandable given everything else going on in the organization right now, but their absence is notable given all of their talk about AI PCs last year.”
Tan, who served as CEO of chip-design software maker Cadence Design Systems Inc. for 12 years, has decades of experience investing and making deals in the semiconductor industry. At and around Computex, he’ll work to reassure and recruit partners for the effort to close ground on Nvidia and TSMC.
Foxconn’s debut FOXCONN is making an unusually prominent appearance. Chairman Liu will host a keynote presentation on Tuesday, likely underscoring its growing role as an AI server assembler. In previous iterations of the show, the company has been represented by subsidiaries like Ingrasys Technology Inc. Foxconn is working to diversify its revenue away from assembling smartphones and other consumer electronics. It’s developed an automotive division and hopes to collect bigger orders for electric vehicles. That venture gained a significant customer this month, with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. ordering a made-in-Taiwan EV for Australia and New Zealand. The company is also keen on advancing robotics.
“Of course AI plus robots, AI plus robots,” Liu said about the focus at Computex.
What’s next from Nvidia
“MY first night in Taipei is always dinner with C.C.,” Jensen Huang said on Friday, emerging from a restaurant alongside TSMC CEO and Chairman C.C. Wei. The Nvidia boss remains a larger-than-life personality in Taiwan, with crowds following his every move. Investors will be keen to hear more about the chip designer’s strategy to expand its reach. The company has been forthcoming with plans to upgrade its AI chips on a roughly annual basis, and Huang has also talked about the potential of AI in the robotics industry. Microsoft’s developer event, Build, is taking place the same week over in Seattle, and speculation has grown in recent times about Nvidia joining Qualcomm in building more AI-capable, Armbased chips for PCs.
“I’m keeping my eyes and ears open for whatever Nvidia and MediaTek might confirm around their rumored Windows-on-Arm solution,” said IDC’s Ma. That might further challenge Intel’s traditional stronghold. In the days leading up to Computex, Huang joined a US delegation to the Middle East led by the president, lauding the opening up of trade. The scrapping of Biden-era AI chip rules will help the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia acquire more of Nvidia’s industry-leading technology and expand their capabilities in artificial intelligence.
“With proper forecasting, we would be able to build the necessary technologies for everyone,” Huang said to Bloomberg News on Saturday. With assistance from Ian King/ Bloomberg
Grim economic outlook overtakes solid earnings as tariff disruptions surface
By Esha Dey & Sagarika Jaisinghani
ONE thing is clear as the firstquarter earnings season draws to a close: The uncertain outlook for the global economy
is superseding better-than-feared results even as stocks rally on signs of easing trade tensions.
Corporations across the US, Europe and China are pulling their forecasts for the year or providing grim outlooks, citing rising costs, weak consumer sentiment and a lack of business confidence as a result of President Donald Trump’s worldwide trade offensive.
“This earnings season wasn’t about the numbers, it was about the narrative,” said Scott Ladner, chief investment officer at Horizon Investments LLC. “Nobody cared what you did in the first quarter other than to determine the jumping off place for the new tariff economy.” In the US, a measure that reflects
the proportion of S&P 500 Index members that raised their earnings outlook compared to those that held or reduced, the so-called profit guidance momentum, fell to the lowest level since at least 2010, according to an analysis from Bloomberg Intelligence’s equity strategists Gina Martin Adams and Wendy Soong. That is in spite of S&P 500 companies delivering double the profit growth that was expected in the first quarter, according to BI.
Meanwhile in Europe, analysts’ expectation for 2025 earnings growth has slowed by the sharpest since the Covid pandemic, BI found, even as MSCI Europe constituents posted a 5 percent earnings increase, beating an expected 1.5 percent decline.
Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Kaidi Meng said shares of European firms that issued gloomy outlooks this earnings season tended to trail the broader Stoxx 600 on the day, suggesting the tariff impact hasn’t been fully priced in yet.
And in China, earnings projections for the benchmark CSI 300 Index have fallen 1.7 percent from a peak around the end of March, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Investors were in for a rude awakening as they were expecting outlooks to turn around in the first quarter, but Trump’s tariff blitz complicated the nascent recovery in corporate profits.
“We are in a more wait-and-see mode for China’s earnings picture, especially since domestic inflation is still quite low and suggestive of continued downward pressures on corporate pricing power,” said Homin Lee, senior macro strategist at Lombard Odier.
To be sure, stocks have been on an epic rebound rally, helped largely by a
temporary detente of US-China trade tensions. The S&P 500 has surged 20 percent from a low touched on April 8, the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index has climbed 14 percent over the same period, and the Stoxx 600 Index has risen 17 percent from its own low on April 9.
“Companies are doing what they should—planning for different scenarios under different tariff and economic regimes, and investors are rewarding both prudent managements and companies that have lower exposure to tariffs and have secular earnings growth power,” said Julian Emanuel, chief equity and quantitative strategist at Evercore ISI.
Tariff bite
NO industry has been safe from the looming threat of higher tariffs— from retailers, airlines and travel companies, to industrial manufacturers, medical device firms and chocolate makers.
The world’s largest retailer Walmart Inc. said it may soon need to raise prices, farm equipment company Deere & Co. expects levies to
have a $500 million impact on costs in fiscal 2025, and Expedia Group Inc. said it expects travel demand in the US to be weak. China’s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.—a barometer of the country’s consumer economy—reported feeble revenue growth, and Germany’s Daimler Truck Holding AG lowered its sales and profit guidance for the year, flagging weaker orders in North America and higher parts costs from tariffs.
A Bloomberg analysis of S&P 500 and Stoxx 600 earnings calls shows tariff mentions spiked to a record high this season, and were much higher than Trump’s first trade war in 2018.
The lack of clarity on how the trade situation will shake out, pushed companies to take unusual measures. United Airlines Holdings Inc. issued two profit forecasts, one in case the environment remains stable, and another if there’s a recession. The other two major US carriers—Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc.—withdrew their guidances for the year. Automaker Mercedes-
Benz Group AG also pulled its 2025 outlook, citing tariff uncertainty. Meanwhile, executives at some companies, such as retailer JD Sports Fashion Plc, declined to answer questions on levies.
“Anything we say now will be misleading or could be misleading,” JD Sports Chief Executive Officer Regis Schultz said on a post-earnings conference call with analysts last month.
Resilient tech
STILL , the one bright spot this period was the relatively strong showing from technology companies, especially expensively valued artificial intelligence firms. The Magnificent Seven companies’ results allayed fears of a tariff-induced profit slump. Of the six in the group that have reported so far, four provided revenue forecasts that are either roughly in line or better than analysts’ expectations. Google parent Alphabet Inc. did not provide one, and Nvidia Corp. is scheduled to announce results on May 28. For Aaron Clark, partner at GW&K Investment Management, the biggest takeaway of first-quarter earnings was the resilience of the AI-hyperscalers, which to him is a “risk-on signal.” In Europe, results from the tech behemoths were mixed. Chip-equipment maker ASML Holding NV’s bookings disappointed even as the company said AI-related demand remains strong. On the other hand, German software company SAP SE signaled resilient demand for its cloud-based software despite growing trade uncertainties.
With assistance from Zhu
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang PHOTOGRAPHER: ANNABELLE CHIH/BLOOMBERG)
Portugal holds third election in as many years; faces potential for political gridlock
By Henrique Almeida & Joao Lima
PORTUGAL holds its third election in as many years on Sunday, after Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s minority government lost a confidence vote in parliament in March.
Voting in the nation of about 10.6 million people began at 8 a.m. local time, and exit polls will be released at 8 p.m. in Lisbon.
Montenegro, 52, leads the centerright AD coalition, and his administration has been in a caretaker role for the past two months, delaying measures such as the privatization of state-owned airline TAP SGPS SA.
The Socialist Party, led by Pedro Nuno Santos, 48, is Portugal’s biggest opposition group.
The vote may result in another minority government reliant on the support of other parties, which could in turn look to extract concessions in return for backing key measures such as the budget.
Such arrangements tend to be short-lived: in Portugal’s 50 years of democracy, only two minority governments have lasted a full fouryear term. The Socialists and Montenegro’s Social Democratic Party (PSD), the senior partner in the AD coalition, have dominated politics over those five decades. Now, as new parties emerge, the two main centrist groups have found it harder to win a parliamentary majority.
The far-right Chega party is now the third-largest group in parliament, and more than quadrupled its number of seats in the 2024 election. Centerright and Socialist leaders have ruled out any agreement to get support from Chega, which has a tough antiimmigrant stance.
Portugal’s parliament has 230 seats, with at least 116 needed for an absolute majority. The last time a party won such a mandate was 2022, when the Socialists captured 120 seats after receiving 41% of the vote.
What triggered the early election?
MONTENEGRO called the confidence motion after struggling to put an end to speculation about potential conflicts of interest related to a company owned by his family. He’s continued to face questions on the issue, and has denied any wrongdoing.
The Socialists, who helped Montenegro’s budget pass in November
but always warned they wouldn’t back confidence motions, and Chega both voted against the government in March. Montenegro’s minority administration had to make concessions to obtain backing from the Socialists for the 2025 budget.
What are parties offering?
VOTER concerns include the lack of affordable housing, low wages and a high tax burden. Portugal has an aging population, so pensions have been an important campaign issue as well. Montenegro has reaffirmed a plan to continue gradually lowering the corporate tax rate to 17 percent from the current 20 percent. For small and medium-sized companies the tax rate will drop as low as 15 percent. The premier has also vowed to reduce personal income taxes by as much as €2 billion ($2.2 billion) over the next four years, and increase the minimum wage to €1,100 per month in 2029 from €870 at present. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party has said it would permanently lower the value-added tax rate on certain essential food products to zero if it’s able to form a government. The VAT exemption is part of a set of measures aimed at lowering the cost of living for families. Other Socialist proposals include creating “permanent instruments” for financing construction of public housing.
While the AD coalition and the Socialists both want to increase public housing, the Socialists also plan to introduce more regulation for shortterm rentals, which have been linked to the housing crisis.
Both groups are committed to fiscal discipline and vow to continue cutting Portugal’s debt ratio. They’ve previously planned to privatize stateowned carrier TAP, which has attracted the interest of major European airline groups.
The AD coalition and the Socialists have typically agreed on major longterm foreign policy issues.
Montenegro has said Portugal will bring forward a plan to meet NATO’s defense spending goal, although he hasn’t specified a new date and says he won’t sacrifice fiscal discipline to do so. The government had planned to reach the target set for NATO allies to have defense spending equivalent to 2 percent of gross domestic product in 2029. The country’s defense spending reached an estimated 1.58 percent of GDP in 2024.
Meanwhile, Chega is calling for lower income taxes, more restrictions on immigration, and harsher sentences for crimes of corruption.
The next premier will have to decide on whether to reappoint Bank of Portugal Governor Mario Centeno, a former finance minister in Socialist governments whose term heading the nation’s central bank ends in July.
Who are the main contenders to be prime minister?
MONTENEGRO has been prime minister since April 2024. He’s lowered some taxes, tightened immigration rules, restarted efforts to privatize TAP, and approved the location of a new Lisbon airport.
The lawyer has been PSD party leader since July 2022. Before that, he was parliamentary party leader
from 2011 to 2017, a period that included the years when PSD was in government implementing a bailout program.
Socialist opposition leader Santos is an economist and former infrastructure minister. He’s often linked to the left-most wing of his party, and has been a defender of the state’s role in controlling certain businesses, including TAP. Santos resigned as infrastructure and housing minister at the end of 2022 following criticism about compensation paid to a board member at TAP, which received more than €2 billion of government aid.
As secretary of state for parliamentary affairs from 2015 to 2019, Santos was the link between the minority Socialist government and the far-left parties that backed it. That experience could be useful if the Socialists get to form a government and again need support from those smaller parties.
What’s the state of the economy and government debt?
THE Bank of Portugal in March raised its 2025 economic growth forecast to 2.3 percent from 2.2 percent in December. While the economy has enjoyed a boost from record tourism revenue, it’s struggled to boost wages.
The current government aims to keep posting budget surpluses every year and forecasts a surplus of 0.3 percent of GDP for this year.
Fiscal discipline has been a focus for successive administrations since the euro-area debt crisis, when Portugal needed a bailout. The debt ratio dropped below 100 percent of gross domestic product in 2023 for the first time since 2009, yet it’s still at a high level and memories of the debt crisis are relatively fresh.
Portugal’s 10-year bond yield was at about 3.1 percent on Friday, up from 2.8 percent six months ago, and lower than the rate for Italy or Spain. It peaked at 18 percent in 2012 at the height of the euro region’s debt crisis.
What happens after the election?
THE prime minister will be nominated by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who’ll meet with each party and take into account the election results. In 2024 the new government was sworn in about three weeks after the election.
Parliament can’t be dissolved in the six months after it’s elected.
Bloomberg News
lowing the failure of his coalition’s candidate to advance to the runoff.
BBy Stephen Mcgrath & Justin Spike
The Associated Press
UCHAREST, Romania—Romanians were voting on Sunday in a tense presidential runoff between a hardright nationalist and a pro-Western centrist in a high-stakes election rerun that could determine the geopolitical direction of the European Union and NATO member country.
The race pits front-runner George Simion, the 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, against incumbent Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan. It comes months after the cancelation of the previous election plunged Romania into its worst political crisis in decades.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time and will close at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT). In the first two hours of voting, more than 1.7 million people—or about 9.5 percent of eligible voters—had cast ballots, according to official electoral data. Romanians abroad have been able to vote since Friday at specially set-up polling stations, and more than 750,000 have already voted.
Romania’s political landscape was upended last year when a top court voided the previous election after far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first-round
polls, following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow denied.
Simion appeared alongside Georgescu at a Bucharest polling station on Sunday and told reporters that he voted against the “humiliations to which our sisters and brothers have been subjected.”
“We voted against abuses and against poverty. We voted against those who look down on all of us,” he said. “I voted for our future to be decided only by Romanians, for Romanians and Romania. So help us God!”
What’s going on in Romania?
YEARS of endemic corruption and growing anger toward Romania’s political establishment have fueled a surge in support for anti-establishment and hard-right figures, reflecting a broader pattern across Europe.
Both Simion and Dan have made their political careers railing against Romania’s old political class.
Most recent local surveys indicate the runoff will be tight, after earlier ones showed Simion holding a lead over Dan, a 55-yearold mathematician who rose to prominence as a civic activist fighting against illegal real estate projects.
After voting in his hometown of Fagaras, Dan told reporters that he voted for Roma -
nians “who are quiet, honest, and hardworking, and who have not felt represented for a long time.”
“I voted for a change that brings prosperity, not one that brings instability and discourages investment in Romania,” he said. “I voted for a European direction, and for strong cooperation with our European partners, not for Romania’s isolation. I voted for a society where we can have dialogue, not one where we are destined to be divided.”
Turnout is typically higher in the final round of Romanian presidential elections, and is expected to play a decisive role in the outcome on Sunday. In the first round on May 4, final turnout stood at 9.5 million, or 53 percent of eligible voters, according to official electoral data.
Dan founded the reformist Save Romania Union party in 2016 but later left, and is running independently on a pro-European Union ticket reaffirming Western ties, support for Ukraine and fiscal reform.
What’s ahead?
THE president is elected for a five-year term and has significant decision-making powers in matters of national security and foreign policy. The winner of Sunday’s race will be charged with nominating a new prime minister after Marcel Ciolacu stepped down fol -
Madrid Airport becomes shelter for Spain’s homeless population as housing crisis grows
By Suman Naishadham The Associated Press
MADRID—Every morning at 6 a.m., Teresa sets out in search of work, a shower and a bit of exercise before she returns home. For the past six months, that has been Terminal 4 of Madrid’s international airport.
Teresa, 54, who didn’t want her full name to be used because of safety concerns, is one of the estimated hundreds of homeless people sleeping in the Spanish capital’s airport amid a growing housing crisis in Spain, where rental costs have risen especially fast in cities like Madrid, the country’s capital, and Barcelona.
She and others sleeping at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport— the third-busiest airport in Europe in 2023, according to Eurostat—described a situation where for months, authorities have neither helped them find other living arrangements nor have they kicked them out from the corners of the airport that they have occupied with sleeping bags unfurled on the floor as well as blankets, luggage carts and bags.
Soon, things could change.
Limits on entry
SPAIN’s airport operator AENA this week said that it would start limiting who can enter Madrid’s airport during low-travel hours by asking visitors to show their boarding passes. AENA said that the policy would take effect in the next few days, but didn’t specify exactly when. It said that exceptions would be made for airport workers and anyone accompanying a traveler.
Teresa, a Spanish-Ecuadorian who said she has lived in Spain for a quarter-century, told The Associated Press on Thursday that she hadn’t heard of the new policy. She and her husband would be forced to sleep outside on park benches and other public spaces if they aren’t allowed back in.
After coming fourth in last year’s canceled race, Simion backed Georgescu who was banned in March from running in the election redo. Simion then surged to frontrunner in the May 4 first round after becoming the standard-bearer for the hard right.
A former activist who campaigned for reunification with neighboring Moldova, Simion says he would focus on reforms: slashing red tape, reducing bureaucracy and taxes. Still, he insists that restoring democracy is his priority, returning “the will of the people.”
His AUR party says it stands for “family, nation, faith, and freedom” and rose to prominence in a 2020 parliamentary election. It has since grown to become the secondlargest party in the Romanian legislature. A stark choice: Russia or the EU?
HIS critics say Simion is a pro-Russian extremist who threatens Romania’s longstanding alliances in the EU and NATO.
In an Associated Press interview, he rejected the accusations, saying Russia is his country’s biggest threat and that he wants Romania to be treated as “equal partners” in Brussels.
“I don’t think he is a pro-Russian candidate, I also don’t think that he’s an antiRussian candidate,” said Claudiu Tufis, an associate professor of political science at the University of Bucharest. “I think what is driving him is…his focus on what I call identity politics.”
“We can’t make demands. We’re squatters,” Teresa said, using a controversial term common in Spain.
“Squatters in what is private property. We are aware of that. We want help from authorities, but not a single one has come here.”
Political blame game
FOR months, a political blame game between officials at different levels of government has meant that the homeless encampments in the airport have largely gone unaddressed.
In recent weeks, videos on social media and news reports of the airport’s homeless population put a spotlight on the issue.
Madrid’s city council on Thursday said that it had asked Spain’s national government to take charge and come up with a plan to rehabilitate every homeless individual sleeping in the airport. Spanish airports are overseen by AENA, a state-owned publicly listed company. A city council spokesperson said that Madrid’s city government had recently called for a meeting with officials from AENA, the regional government of Madrid and several national ministries that declined.
A day earlier, AENA accused Madrid’s city authorities of providing inadequate help and said that the city government’s statements about the unfolding situation confirmed its “dereliction of duty” and abandonment of the airport’s homeless individuals.
“It’s like a dog chasing its tail,” said Marta Cecilia Cárdenas of the long list of authorities she was told could help her. Cárdenas, a 58-year-old homeless woman originally from Colombia, said that she had spent several months sleeping in Madrid’s airport.
Exact numbers are unknown
It’s not known how many people are sleeping in Madrid’s airport, through which 66 million travelers transited last year. Spain’s El País newspaper reported that a recent count taken by a charity group identified roughly 400 homeless people in the airport, many of whom, like Teresa, had previously lived in Madrid and were employed in some capacity. AP wasn’t able to confirm that number. Madrid city council officials, meanwhile, said that the Spanish capital’s social service teams had helped 94 individuals in April with ties to the city, 12 of whom were rehabilitated into municipal shelters, addiction treatment centers or independent living.
Word of mouth
TERESA said she had heard about sleeping in the airport by word of mouth. Before she lost her job, she s aid she lived in an apartment in Madrid’s Leganés neighborhood, earning a living taking care of older people. She currently earns 400 euros ($450) per month, working under the table caring for an older woman. With the earnings, Teresa said she maintains a storage unit in the neighborhood that she used to live in. Though the work is sporadic, she said it was still enough to also cover fees for the gym in which she showers daily, pay for transportation, and purchase food. Over the last decade, the average rent in Spain has almost doubled, according to real estate website Idealista, with steeper increases in Madrid and Barcelona. Spain also has a smaller public housing stock than many other European Union countries.
Hope for the future
TERESA said that she hopes to find a job soon and leave the airport, whatever authorities may force her to do in the coming days and weeks. She and her husband keep to themselves, avoiding others sleeping in the brightly-lit hallway dotted with sleeping bags who were battling mental health problems, addiction and other issues, she said.
“You end up adjusting to it a bit, accepting it even, but never getting used to it,” Teresa said over the constant din of airline announcements.
“I hope to God that it gets better, because this is not life.”
“Without them, there is no possible solution,” said Lucía Martín, a spokesperson for Madrid’s city council division of social policies, family and equality. She said that the national ministries of transport, interior, inclusion, social rights and health declined to participate in a working group.
INCUMBENT Prime Minister and leader of the center-right Social Democratic Party Luis Montenegro gestures to supporters during an election campaign action in downtown Lisbon, Friday, May 16, 2025, ahead of the May 18 general election. AP PHOTO/ANA BRIGIDA
Deadly storms sweep Midwest and South, claiming 27 lives including 18 in Kentucky
By Dylan Lovan | The Associated Press
LONDON, Ky.—Storms that swept across part of the Midwest and South killed least 27 people including 18 in Kentucky, where another 10 were hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.
A devastating tornado in Kentucky damaged homes, tossed vehicles and left many people homeless. Seventeen of the deaths were in Laurel County, located in the state’s southeast, and one was in Pulaski County: Fire Department Maj. Roger Leslie Leatherman, a 39-year veteran who was fatally injured while responding to the deadly weather.
Parts of two dozen state roads were closed, and some could take days to reopen, according to Gov. Andy Beshear, who announced the toll of dead and critically injured on Saturday. He also said the death toll could still rise.
“We need the whole world right now to be really good neighbors to this region,” the governor said.
State Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson said hundreds of homes were damaged.
Kayla Patterson, her husband and their five children huddled in a tub in their basement in London, the county seat, as the tornado raged around them.
“You could literally hear just things ripping in the distance, glass shattering everywhere, just roaring like a freight train,” she recalled Saturday. “It was terrible.”
The family eventually emerged to the sounds of sirens and panicked neighbors.
While the family’s own home was spared, others right behind it were demolished, Patterson said.
Rescuers searched for survivors all night and into the morning, the sheriff’s office said. An emergency shelter was set up at a high school and donations of food and other necessities were arriving.
Resident Chris Cromer said he got the first of two alerts on his phone around 11:30 p.m., about a half-hour before the tornado struck.
He and his wife grabbed their dog, jumped in their car and sought shelter in the crawlspace at a relative’s nearby home because their own crawlspace is small.
“We could hear and feel the vibration of the tornado coming through,” said Cromer, 46. A piece of his roof was ripped off, and windows were broken, but homes around his were destroyed.
“It’s one of those things that you see on the news in other areas, and you feel bad for people—then, when it happens, it’s just surreal,” he said. “It makes you be thankful to be alive, really.”
The storm was the latest severe weather to cause deaths and widespread damage in Kentucky. Two months ago, at least 24 people died in a round of storms that swelled creeks and submerged roads.
Missouri pounded by storms, with deaths confirmed in St. Louis ABOUT 1,200 tornadoes strike the US annually, and they have been reported in all 50
states over the years. Researchers found in 2018 that deadly tornadoes were happening less frequently in the traditional “Tornado Alley” of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas and more frequently in parts of the more densely populated and tree-filled mid-South area.
The latest Kentucky storms were part of a weather system Friday that killed seven in Missouri and two in northern Virginia, authorities said. The system also spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, brought punishing heat to Texas and temporarily enveloped parts of Illinois—including Chicago—in a pall of dust on an otherwise sunny day.
In St. Louis, Mayor Cara Spencer said five people died, 38 were injured and more than 5,000 homes were affected.
“The devastation is truly heartbreaking,” she said at a news conference Saturday. An overnight curfew was to continue in the most damaged neighborhoods.
Weather service radar indicated a likely tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m.
FBI probes Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing as act of terrorism
By Eric Tucker, Gene Johnson & Alanna Durkin Richer
The Associated Press
THE person believed responsible for an attack targeting a Southern California fertility clinic Saturday posted rambling online writings before an explosion that investigators are treating as an act of terrorism, according to a law enforcement official.
The suspect, who died in the explosion that tore through the clinic and rattled the upscale California city of Palm Springs, also attempted to record video or stream the attack, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss details of the attack and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
“Make no mistake: This is an intentional act of terrorism,” Akil Davis, the head of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, told an evening news conference.
Authorities were still working to piece together a motive and build a chronology of events leading up to the attack. Though the FBI did not say how it had determined the explosion was terrorism, the writings left behind, in which the suspect communicated a belief that the world should not be populated, appear to shed light on the person’s state of mind and help explain investigators’ thesis that the attack was targeted and intentional.
Authorities have not released the identity of the person thought to be responsible but believe the individual died in a car explosion. Davis said investigators weren’t looking for anyone else.
Four others were injured but details of the severity of their injuries weren’t shared.
A burned-out vehicle was seen in the parking lot behind the clinic after the blast, which caved in the building’s roof, sprayed debris across a five-lane road and shattered windows in businesses blocks away. The clinic was closed for the weekend, and the doctor who leads it told the AP its staffers were safe.
The blast gutted the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic, housed in a singlestory building along a five-lane street lined with palm trees.
Dr. Maher Abdallah, who leads the clinic, told the AP in a phone interview that the ex -
plosion damaged the practice’s office space, where it conducts consultations with patients.
The clinic’s IVF lab and stored embryos are offsite and were not damaged.
“Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients,” Abdallah said.
Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto called the clinic “a place of hope.”
“This is a building that people go to to start or expand their families,” she said. “We acknowledge their pain and concern across the community for the patients and staff.”
Rhino Williams, 47, said he was chatting with customers at a hotel restaurant he helps manage just over a block away when he heard a huge boom. Everything rattled, Williams said, and he sprinted to the scene to see if anyone needed help.
Williams covered his nose with his shirt as he smelled burning plastic and rubber. He said he saw a building had “blown out” into the street, with bricks and debris scattered everywhere, and he spotted a car’s front axle on fire in the parking lot.
It was the only car in the lot, said Williams, who ran into the building, calling out and peering behind the counter to see if anyone was inside. He did not hear a response and did not see anyone behind the counter. Williams then ran around checking on
other buildings. Multiple windows of the neighboring liquor store also were blown out. Once he saw authorities arrive, Williams headed back to the hotel, he said.
Steven Michael Chacon was in his car preparing to turn into a hospital across the street from the clinic when felt and heard a massive boom as the building was torn apart, sending a massive plume of black smoke into the air. Not knowing what happened, he exited his car to flee the scene. Glass was all over the ground, and he saw what appeared to be a body part.
“I got out of my car and then people started screaming, there were people bloody, there was glass everywhere,” he said.
Palm Springs, about a two-hour drive east of Los Angeles, is known for upscale resorts, golf courses and a history of celebrity residents.
The Trump administration condemned the attack.
“The Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the heartbeat of America,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable.”
Associated Press journalists Sejal Govindarao and Kathleen Ronayne contributed.
Forecasters say severe weather could batter parts of the Plains THE weather service said that supercells are likely to develop across parts of Texas and Oklahoma Saturday afternoon before becoming a line of storms in southwest Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Saturday night.
The biggest risks include large to very large hail that could be up to 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) in size, damaging wind gusts and a
These
National Weather Service offices lost staff THE storms hit after the Trump adminis
and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the area of Forest Park, which is home to the St. Louis Zoo and formerly hosted both the 1904 World’s Fair and the Olympic Games in 1904.
Three people needed aid after part of the Centennial Christian Church crumbled, according to St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief William Pollihan.
Stacy Clark said his mother-in-law, Patricia Penelton, died in the church. He described her as a very active church volunteer who had many roles, including being part of the choir.
At the zoo, falling trees severely damaged the roof of a butterfly facility. Staffers quickly corralled most of the butterflies, the zoo said on social media, and a conservatory in suburban Chesterfield was caring for the displaced creatures.
A tornado struck in Scott County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of St. Louis, killing two people, injuring several others and destroying multiple homes, Sheriff Derick Wheetley wrote on social media.
Experts
Contributing
Iran says it will continue nuclear talks with US, shrugging off Trump’s threats
TEHRAN, Iran—Iran’s president said his country will continue talks with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program but will not withdraw from its rights because of US threats.
“We are negotiating, and we will negotiate. We are not after war but we do not fear any threat,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a speech to navy officials broadcast by state television Saturday.
“It is not like if they threaten us, we will give up our human right and definite rights,” Pezeshkian said. “We will not withdraw, we will not easily lose honorable achievements in military, scientific and nuclear” fields and other areas.
The negotiations have reached the “expert” level, meaning the sides are trying to reach agreement on the details of a possible deal. But a major sticking point remains Iran’s enrichment of uranium, which Tehran insists it must be allowed to do and the Trump administration increasingly insists the Islamic Republic must give up.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Earlier on Friday, Trump said Iran received a proposal during the talks, though he did not elaborate.
During his trip to region this week, Trump at nearly every event insisted Iran could not
be allowed to obtain a nuclear bomb, something US intelligence agencies assess Tehran is not actively pursuing, though its program is on the cusp of being able to weaponize nuclear material.
Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s atomic organization, stressed the peaceful nature of the program, saying it is under “continuous” monitoring by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, state TV reported Saturday.
“No country is monitored by the agency like us,” Eslami said, adding that the agency inspected the country’s nuclear facilities more than 450 time in 2024. “Something about 25% of all the agency inspections” in the year. Meanwhile, Israel routinely has threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities if it feels threatened, further complicating tensions in the Mideast already spiked by the IsraelHamas war in Gaza.
In his first reaction to Trump’s regional visit, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Trump wasn’t truthful when he made claims about creating peace through power.
“Trump said that he wanted to use power for peace, he lied. He and the US administration used power for massacre in Gaza, for waging wars in any place they could,” Khamenei said Saturday during a meeting with teachers broadcast on state television.
The US has provided Israel with 10-ton bombs to “drop on Gaza children, hospitals, houses of people in Lebanon and anywhere else when they can,” Khamenei said. Khamenei, who has the final say on all Iranian state matters, reiterated his traditional stance against Israel.
“Definitely, the Zionist regime is the spot of corruption, war, rifts. The Zionist regime that is lethal, dangerous, cancerous tumor should be certainly eradicated, and it will be,” he said, adding that the US has imposed a pattern on Arab nations under which they cannot endeavor without US support.
“Surely this model has failed. With efforts of the regional nations, the US should leave the region, and it will leave,” Khamenei said. Iran has long considered the US military presence in the region as a threat on its doorstep, especially after Trump pulled the US out of a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions. AP
IN this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks to navy officials, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday,
Raw sugar output overshoots SRA forecast
TBy Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
HE country’s raw sugar production reached 1.82 million metric tons (MMT) as of May 4, breaching the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) outlook for the current crop year.
The agency earlier projected that sugar production would settle at 1.78 MMT for crop year 2024-2025, which will end on August 31, considering the devastation suffered by sugarcane plan -
tations due to El Niño in 2024.
Despite this, SRA data showed that the current raw sugar output was 5.4 percent lower than the 1.92 MMT recorded in the same period last year.
Watershed project hikes farmers’ income by 30%–DAR
By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga
THE National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development (NCISRD) in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte has resulted in a 30-percent increase in income through improved farming practices, diversified crops, better access to punts, and environmental stewardship, according to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
DAR said farmers in Sitio Lituban are now reaping the benefits of the initiative it undertook with the Departments of Agriculture (DA), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Launched in November 2022, the convergence area is part of the NCI-SRD, a national strategy that promotes sustainable farming, agroforestry, and ecotourism while protecting the Siocon-Lituban Watershed, a vital irrigation source for rice farmers in the area.
Recent field validation by DAR confirms that over 270 ARBs have seen an increase in income, the agency said in a statement.
The Jolipaman Irrigators Association (IA), with 270 members managing 430 hectares of farmland, stands as a model for success, the agency scaid. With support from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), DAR, and local government, the group benefits from a seven-kilometer irrigation canal that ensures a yearround water supply--enabling two
rice cropping cycles annually, even during dry months.
“Even in the dry season, we’re able to plant and harvest rice thanks to the consistent water flow from the watershed,” said Josephine Dumencil, President of the Jolipaman IA. “This project sustains our fields and our families.”
Support from DAR’s ClimateResilient Farm Productivity Support Program has also included a farm tractor, along with training in organic and diversified farming. ARBs now grow rice alongside coconut, vegetables, and fruit trees—enhancing income and strengthening soil and water conservation.
The association received a farm tractor from DAR under the Climate-Resilient Farm Productivity Support Program (CRFPSP), transforming their traditional farming methods by increasing efficiency, reducing labor costs, and improving crop yields.
The farmers have also benefited from training in organic farming. ARBs shared how the training in agroforestry, organic agriculture, and enterprise development, along with the distribution of farm equipment, has helped them become more self-sustaining.
“Aside from rice, we also have coconut trees and vegetables. Now, these fruit trees provide extra income and protect our soil and water sources,” said Eduardo Romina, an ARB and member of Jolipaman IA in Lituban, Siocon, Zamboanga Del Norte.
Calauan celebrates Pinya Festival
CALAUAN , Laguna—The local government opened the annual Pinya Festival 2025 with a colorful civic parade attended by hundreds of local government employees, civic groups and students on the eve of the feast of their patron, San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of the farmers last May 14 in Barangay Poblacion.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “PinyaSayang Pagdiriwang ng Pista ng Pinya, PinyaYabong na Bagong Calauan para sa Bawat Isa.” Malacañang declared May 15
a special non-working holiday in the locality in celebration of the Pinya Festival by virtue of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Proclamation 864 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
During the said celebration, Mayor Roseller Caratihan and Vice Mayor Dong Sanchez opened the Trade Fair at the municipal grounds for entries from its 17 Villages.
The United States Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS Manila) had projected that raw sugar production to reach 1.85 MMT in marketing year (MY) 2025 on the back of improved weather conditions that would allow the expansion in harvest area.
“Improvement in weather conditions from the previous El Niño is expected to provide better production in MY 2025,” it said.
It also estimated MY 2025 sugarcane area at 389,500 hectares (ha) due to an increase in area planted, particularly in Mindanao.
“The loss of area in Luzon due to land conversion to residential and commercial purposes will only partly offset area expansion
in Mindanao,” the report read.
“The prevailing high prices will continue to encourage farmers to plant sugarcane instead of shifting to other crops like, corn, cassava, and banana,” it added, noting that about 85 percent of sugarcane areas are small farms.
However, the USDA-FAS Manila projected that raw sugar output will remain flat at 1.85 MMT in MY 2026, while planted areas will also remain relatively the same due to land conversion.
“Farmers will continue to plant sugarcane despite the downward trend of mill site prices in MY 2025 in anticipation of increases in MY 2026,” the agency said.
“Post forecasts sugarcane area to remain flat in MY 2026. There
are limited areas for expansion that can replace the continuous conversion of agricultural land to residential and industrial uses.”
The millgate price of raw sugar stood at P2,671.92 per 50-kilo bag as of May 4. The average millgate price in April was P2,635.62 per bag.
Alternatives
THE USDA-FAS Manila expects the country’s consumption of sugar alternatives to surge by 47 percent this current MY, or half of the projected 2.2 MMT raw sugar consumption.
The agency projects that consumption of alternative sweeteners converted into raw sugar equivalent will reach 1.14 MMT this MY 2025.
This expected figure is higher
than the 774,000 metric tons (MT) consumed in the previous year. The alternative sweeteners are aspartame, acesulfame, sucralose, saccharin, and stevia.
“Some bakeries and beverages manufacturers have shifted to alternative sweeteners due to high sugar prices,” the international agency said in its report.
“Demand will continue to increase among health-conscious consumers moving towards sugar alternatives.”
The USDA-FAS Manila said the consumption of sugar alternatives has been increasing over the past years, with the doubledigit growth recorded in MY 2024 “causing an alarm among sugar producers.”
PFDA: ‘Amihan’ season cuts fish unloading volume in Q1
FISH unloaded in the country’s regional ports shrank by 12 percent year-on-year in the first quarter due to the prolonged “amihan” season or northeast monsoon, according to the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA).
In its quarterly bulletin, the agency said regional fish ports (RFPs) delivered 119,063.77 metric tons (MT) to consumers in January to March. This was lower than the 134,746.84 MT recorded in the same period of 2024.
“The decline in the fish unloading volume...can be attributed to weather conditions, such as the extended northeast monsoon season,” the PFDA told the BusinessMirror via email.
The PFDA said the landed catch during the reference period was equivalent to an average daily unloading of 1,322.93 MT.
On a quarterly basis, the agency said the first quarter’s volume was 6.18 percent lower than the 126,903.94 MT posted in October to December 2024.
The PFDA also said the ports opened their doors to 20,496
SAO Paulo – Mexico, Chile and Uruguay have halted poultry imports from Brazil after the country confirmed its first bird flu outbreak on a commercial farm, authorities said Saturday.
On Friday, Brazil’s Agriculture and Livestock ministry said China and the European Union had halted poultry imports from Brazil.
Aside from highlighting the main product of the town, Caratihan said the festival is also a way of thanking God for a good harvest.
“Our program right now is to make fiber from pineapple, banana tree skins to make bags to be a livelihood for women here in Calauan Town” Caratihan said.
The first day of the festival also introduced the participants in “That’s My Lolo at Lola 2025,” Pinyakamagandang Manika contest and Mayor’s Night in the evening at the municipal covered court.
A car, motor and strike show, MSME trade fair as well as a fun run and a cooking contest and a gay beauty contest are some of the activities that were lined up to celebrate the festival.
A fun run as well as a palarong pinoy, street dancing competition, and a float parade competition were also organized. Dennis Abrina
Mexico’s National Service for Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety and Quality said in a statement Saturday that it suspended temporarily the import of chicken meat, fertile eggs, live birds and other poultry products from Brazil as a precautionary measure.
vessels and serviced 9,986 clients and port users throughout the reference period. The RFPs recorded ice production of 9,523 MT from January to March.
The agency noted that the utilization rate of piers and quays reached 238 percent in the first quarter.
“This high utilization rate will eventually improve as rehabilitation projects inch closer to completion,” the PFDA added.
Output
MEANWHILE , figures from the
Chile and Uruguay have also halted poultry imports, Luis Rua, secretary of international trade at Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, told local news service Broadcast Agro.
Brazil is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of poultry, accounting for 14 percent of global chicken meat production, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
An egg shortage in the United States following a bird flu outbreak there boosted Brazilian egg exports to the US, rising by more than 1,000 percent between January and April 2025, compared to the same period the previous year,
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recently showed that the country’s fisheries output hit a six-year high in the first quarter.
PSA data indicated that the volume of fisheries production in January to March reached 1.01 million metric tons (MMT), higher than the 990,713 MT recorded in the previous year.
The first-quarter volume was the highest since the 1.01 MMT recorded in the same period of 2019.
Two out of the four subsectors
according to trade data from the Brazilian government.
Brazilian authorities said Friday the virus was found at a facility in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, adding that a contingency plan has been implemented “not only to eliminate the disease but also to maintain the sector’s productive capacity, ensuring supply and, consequently, food security for the population.”
Depending on the type of disease, some deals apply to the whole country while others involve limits on where products can come from—for example, a specific state, city or just the area of the outbreak.
registered increments in the reference period, with the commercial and marine municipal fisheries subsectors contracting on an annual basis.
Harvests from aquaculture farms, which contributed over half of the total fisheries output, rose by 4.9 percent to 573,282 MT in the first quarter from 546,759 MT in the previous year.
Inland municipal fisheries surged by 30.7 percent to 52,629 MT year-on-year from 40,253 MT. It accounted for 5.2 percent of the total output.
For marine municipal fisheries, the output shrank by 6.5 percent to 196,120 MT in the first quarter from 209,832 MT recorded in the previous year. The subsector constituted 19.5 percent of the total fisheries production, based on PSA data.
The state statistics agency said commercial fisheries production in the first three months of the year dropped by 5.4 percent to 183,347 MT from 193,867 MT. The subsector’s share accounted for 18.2 percent of the total output. Ada Pelonia
Brazilian chicken exports have previously faced resistance over sanitary concerns. In 2018, the European Union temporarily banned imports of chicken from 20 Brazilian plants due to concerns about salmonella. Brazil brought the case to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Brazil, one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of poultry, confirmed Friday the country’s first bird flu outbreak on a commercial farm.
The virus was found at a facility in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, the country’s agriculture ministry said in a statement. It said a contingency plan has been implemented “not only to eliminate the disease but also to maintain the sector’s productive capacity, ensuring supply and, consequently, food security for the population.”
Restriction on poultry exports follows rules agreed on with each importing country, based on international health certificate requirements, the Agriculture and Livestock ministry added. Depending on the type of the disease, some deals apply to the whole country while others involve limits on where products can come from—for example, a specific state, city or just the area of the outbreak.
“Countries like Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Philippines have already accepted this regional approach,” the ministry said.
Mexico, Chile and Uruguay halt poultry imports from Brazil after bird flu outbreak
PHOTO FROM WWW.PFDA.GOV.PH
RA 12199: Elevating the country’s early childhood education
THE recent signing of Republic Act 12199 by President Marcos marks a significant advancement in the professionalization of early childhood education in the Philippines. By setting clear qualifications, standards, and incentives for child development teachers (CDTs) and child development workers (CDWs), the government is taking a crucial step toward enhancing the quality of care and education for the nation’s youngest learners. (Read the BusinessMirror story: “PBBM signs law strengthening Early Childhood Care and Development System in PHL,” May 14, 2025).
The new law’s rigorous requirements for CDTs and CDWs—such as passing licensure exams and competency assessments, as well as mandatory reskilling and upskilling—reflect a commitment to elevating the professionalism of those entrusted with early childhood development. This is a welcome move, as early childhood is a critical period that shapes a child’s future cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Ensuring that educators in this field are welltrained and competent is fundamental to achieving long-term educational and developmental outcomes.
Moreover, the law’s provision for minimum salary grades (SG 10 for associate degree holders and SG 8 for others) is a positive recognition of the value of these frontline workers. Fair compensation is essential to attract and retain qualified professionals in early childhood education, a sector often undervalued and underpaid.
RA 12199 also wisely incorporates moral and ethical standards by prohibiting individuals with convictions related to moral turpitude or sexual abuse from qualifying as CDTs or CDWs. This safeguard protects the welfare of children, who are among the most vulnerable members of society.
The collaboration mandated between the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to offer scholarships and facilitate continuing education is another forwardthinking aspect of the law. By enabling CDWs to pursue bachelor’s degrees and ultimately qualify as CDTs, the law creates opportunities for career advancement and professional growth, which benefits the entire early childhood education ecosystem.
Importantly, RA 12199 recognizes the vital role of the private sector by offering incentives to companies that support child development centers (CDCs). This public-private partnership approach encourages broader investment in early education infrastructure, materials, and services, fostering a communitywide responsibility for nurturing young children.
However, the success of RA 12199 will depend heavily on effective implementation, adequate funding, and continuous monitoring. The government must ensure that training programs are accessible, that salaries are properly enforced, and that private sector incentives translate into tangible improvements in CDCs nationwide. Additionally, public awareness campaigns are needed to highlight the importance of early childhood development and the role of professional educators in this field.
RA 12199 is a landmark law that promises to uplift the standards and stature of early childhood education in the country. By professionalizing child development workers and fostering partnerships with the private sector, it lays a strong foundation for nurturing our future generations. It is now incumbent upon all stakeholders—government, educators, private companies, and communities—to work together to realize the full potential of this new law for the benefit of Filipino children.
Tackling plastic pollution
TRISING SUN
HE National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) Philippines, led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and supported by international partners, has recently launched a Working Group on Flexible Plastic Waste Recycling to tackle the country’s pressing plastic pollution problem.
Flexible plastics, like sachets, are used extensively in the Philippines, but low recycling rates and inadequate waste management infrastructure have led to significant economic losses. This new working group, co-led by DENR and Nestlé Philippines, brings together government, business, and civil society to develop innovative recycling solutions and promote a circular economy for flexible plastics.
Building on the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law and previous multisectoral forums, the initiative emphasizes the need for measurable outcomes and strong cross-sector collaboration. The goal is to create a sustainable model for
plastic waste management that can be adapted by other countries, while also highlighting the importance of integrated policies, active public participation, and long-term commitment to reducing plastic pollution. For any effort to make a real difference in tackling plastic pollution, it’s essential to set clear, transparent, and measurable goals. Metrics such as recycling rates, reductions in plastic leakage into the environment, and the amount of waste diverted from landfills provide concrete ways to track progress. Without reliable data, it’s hard to know whether interventions are truly effective or just symbolic.
International programs like the Plastic Waste Reduction Standard
in the Philippines
For any effort to make a real difference in tackling plastic pollution, it’s essential to set clear, transparent, and measurable goals. Metrics such as recycling rates, reductions in plastic leakage into the environment, and the amount of waste diverted from landfills provide concrete ways to track progress. Without reliable data, it’s hard to know whether interventions are truly effective or just symbolic.
show how independent auditing and crediting systems can track the amount of plastic collected and recycled, giving investors and regulators confidence to support and expand successful projects. Likewise, pilot programs and community-based monitoring can help document real reductions in plastic pollution, better recycling rates, and greater public engagement—all of which are key for learning and continuous improvement.
If the Philippines’ approach to flexible plastic waste recycling proves successful, it could inspire other countries facing similar challenges. Examples from around the world, such as India’s Material Re-
Is the justice system in crisis?
TLITO GAGNI
HE Philippine justice system stands at a crossroads. Troubling flaws are beginning to shake the business community’s confidence, and the broader population is increasingly wary. These flaws, if left unchecked, could hamper the country’s march towards sustainable economic growth—an aspiration every administration holds dear, as growth translates to more jobs and reduced poverty.
It is alarming when judges overlook undeniable facts—such as the death or incapacitation of individuals—yet rush to issue decisions that defy evidence. There have been instances where clear video recordings, eyewitness accounts, and physical demonstrations are dismissed, resulting in verdicts that mock the very essence of justice.
covery Facilities and digital waste management platforms, show that innovative models can be adapted and scaled to fit different contexts. The key to successful replication is developing flexible, standardized solutions that can be quickly deployed and tailored to local needs.
Strong partnerships among governments, businesses, NGOs, and communities are crucial for expanding impact and ensuring that solutions are both inclusive and sustainable. Events like PolyNext—a global conference and awards initiative organized by Next Business Media— help accelerate progress by sharing best practices and providing independent verification and funding. The success of the Philippines’ flexible plastic recycling initiative will depend on its capacity to establish and monitor clear, measurable results; embed recycling efforts within a comprehensive policy framework; and offer a model that other countries can adopt. Making a real difference also depends on active stakeholder involvement and a willingness to adapt strategies based on what works in practice. Taking these factors into account is crucial for transforming good intentions into lasting, large-scale progress in the fight against plastic pollution.
Whispers in boardrooms hint at a disturbing pattern: the justice system, it seems, can be gamed. There is a growing perception that court cases can be fixed, eroding trust in the impartiality of judicial proceedings. Inconsistencies in interpreting facts, evidence, and the law have tarnished Lady Justice’s image, her scales tipped and her blindfold seemingly lifted. It is alarming when judges overlook undeniable facts—such as the death or incapacitation of individuals—yet rush to issue decisions that defy evidence. There have been instances where clear video recordings, eyewitness accounts, and physical demonstrations are dismissed, resulting in verdicts that mock the very essence of justice.
For the ordinary Filipino, the pur-
suit of justice often proves arduous— drawn-out, costly, and overwhelmingly biased towards the affluent. The perception that justice is accessible only to those with deep pockets has sadly become the norm. In this landscape, the rich possess greater leeway in securing favorable rulings, often resorting to forum shopping when one court’s decision does not suit them. This legal maneuvering has become so commonplace that it barely raises an eyebrow.
The business community, too, finds itself entangled in judicial inefficiencies. In a country striving for economic progress, it is baffling to see courts intervening in purely business decisions—even meddling with site locations of major investments. This judicial overreach, spurred by
the fear of competition or influence from moneyed interests, jeopardizes billion-peso ventures and stains the country’s investment reputation.
The excessive delays in resolving straightforward cases have become an insidious blight on the Philippine justice system, often rooted in a labyrinth of procedural technicalities that stretch the legal process to the point of absurdity. Justice delayed, as the saying goes, is justice denied— a timeless truth that has become an agonizing reality for countless Filipinos. For every day that justice is deferred, hope withers, faith in the system wanes, and the wounds inflicted by injustice deepen.
Consider the plight of the ordinary Filipino who, after enduring countless hearings and procedural hurdles, finds that justice remains a distant, elusive promise. These delays are not mere inconveniences; they are pro-
found betrayals of the very essence of justice. The endless postponements, the tactical motions meant to exploit legal loopholes, and the never-ending appeals sap the spirit and consume the lives of those who dare to seek redress. It is not just time that is lost—it is dignity, it is trust, it is the very belief that justice is attainable. It is within this quagmire of legal sluggishness that we find an urgent need for systemic change. We cannot allow the interpretation of the law to be shackled by procedural formalities that overlook the fundamental right to swift and fair resolution. Greater accountability for flawed judicial decisions must be institutionalized. Judges must be held to a higher standard, one that demands not only adherence to the letter of the law but also to its spirit—the spirit that seeks to balance justice and efficiency, compassion and resolution. If we do not act now, we risk fostering a culture where justice becomes a privilege reserved for those with the patience, the money, and the connections to withstand the system’s grueling pace. We must champion reforms that prioritize the swift dispensation of justice without compromising its integrity, ensuring that errors and biases are addressed with urgency. Only then can we restore public trust and reinvigorate our collective faith in a justice system that serves all, not
Antonio L. Cabangon Chua
2005
Atty. Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II
The
cola wars between Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola
AAmicus Curiae
TLANTA, Georgia—It was May last year when I had the chance to visit the Coca Cola museum in Atlanta while attending the International Trademark Association (INTA) conference.
Coincidentally, the first glass of Coca-Cola was served on May 8, 1886 at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in Atlanta for five cents a glass as a soda fountain drink, marking its official beginning.
A pharmacist, Dr. John Pemberton, developed the syrup for CocaCola in 1886 with the intention to medically replace morphine and as a “cure all” elixir, specifically targeting impotence, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headaches, and to help those who were struggling with an addiction to morphine. Coca-Cola has transformed over the years from a health stimulant to a refreshing beverage.
Coca-Cola’s trademark was constructed by Mr. Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Robinson. The syrup’s formula consisted of coca leaf extract and caffeine from the kola nut. Mr. Robinson thought that by having two Cs in the name it would enhance the advertising.
Kola became Cola, and the brand name Coca Cola was born.
On January 31, 1893, the first scripted “Coca-Cola” logo was registered as trademark with the US Patent Office using Mr. Robinson’s own penmanship, flowing in Spencerian script lettering with fanciful curls of the “Cs.”
While the logo has morphed into various iterations since 1893, it still remains similar to the original trademark.
Trademarks perform four functions: (1) they identify one’s products and distinguish them from those of others; (2) they indicate that products bearing that trademark come from a specific source; (3) they signify that products bearing that trademark have the same quality level; and (4) they make a major contribution to the advertising and selling of these products.
Coca-Cola’s contour (also called hobbleskirt) bottle is one of the most recognizable packaging designs in the world. It was patented in 1915 by the Root Glass Company in Terre Haute, Indiana. Its distinctive curves and fluted shape were specifically created to set Coca-Cola apart from “copycat” brands and makes it sturdier and easier to grip.
The Cola wars are the long-time rivalry between soft drink producers Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCola Company, who have engaged in mutually-targeted marketing campaigns for the direct competition between each company’s product lines, especially their flagship colas, Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
In 1898 in New Bern, North Carolina, Caleb Bradham renamed his “Brad’s Drink” to “Pepsi-Cola,” and
Gagni.
. . Continued from A12
just the fortunate few. What we need is not just a reform but a seismic shift in how justice is pursued—focusing on substantive justice rather than procedural pitfalls. Technicalities must not serve as escape routes for the guilty or as tools for the powerful to bend the system to their will. If the judiciary fails to address these glaring weaknesses, public faith will continue to erode, and the nation will risk becoming an economic outcast—particularly at a time when geopolitical shifts present opportunities for growth. Rent-seeking practices must be condemned—cast out, rooted out, and eradicated—lest we doom ourselves to become a banana republic,
Implications of the Supreme Court decision on electricity cost
Pfounded the PepsiCo. in 1902.
The cola wars extend to the legal front.
Hoarding a competitor’s bottles does not constitute unfair competition as defined by the Intellectual Property Code ( IP Code), the Supreme Court ruled in the 2008 case of Coca-Cola Bottlers, Phils., Inc. v. Gomez (GR 154491, November 14, 2008).
The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Naga City Regional Trial Court declaring void a search warrant used in seizing 2,500 CocaCola Litro (1.5 and 2 litre bottles) and 3,000 eight- and 12-ounce empty Coke bottles from Pepsi’s Naga manufacturing facility.
The warrant was issued based on Pepsi’s alleged violation of Section 168.3 (Unfair Competition) of the IP Code, which Coca Cola argued may include “other acts contrary to good faith of a nature calculated to discredit the goods, business or services of another.”
Coca-Cola said the hoarding of its empty bottles had been characterized by bad faith, adding that its bottling operations in Naga had been affected. The empty bottles are collected so that they can be withdrawn from circulation and thus impede the circulation of its bottled products.
The Supreme Court ruled in the negative as it stressed that “hoarding” does not relate to any patent, trademark, trade name or service mark that Pepsi invaded, intruded into or used without proper authority from the Coca-Cola. It noted that Pepsi is not alleged (a) to be fraudulently “passing off” their products or services as those of Coca Cola and (b) to be undertaking any representation or misrepresentation that would confuse or tend to confuse the goods of the Coca Cola with those of Pepsi, or vice versa.
What in fact Coca Cola alleges is an act foreign to the IP Code, to the concepts it embodies and to the acts it regulates; as alleged, hoarding inflicts unfairness by seeking to limit the opposition’s sales by depriving it of the bottles it can use for these sales.
The SC held that RA 623 should have been the law used, specifically under Sections 1 and 2, which state that “it is unlawful for any person to fill, destroy, or use beverage bottles or other similar containers that are stamped or marked with a registered mark, for any other purpose than that registered by the manufacturer, bottler, or seller.”
Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho is a Junior Partner of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0908-8665786.
mired in the quicksand of poverty while the world races ahead. Judicial failures, whether born of corruption or bias, do not just erode public trust; they ignite unrest, tear at the fabric of social stability, and poison the very soul of democracy. The courts must stand as the unyielding bastion of justice—not as battlegrounds for the wealthy and well-connected, but as sanctuaries of truth, equity, and integrity. Let us summon the collective will to restore faith in the justice system, to rekindle hope that no Filipino— rich or poor, powerful or powerless— stands above the law. For it is only by upholding justice that we shall build a nation resilient, a nation prosperous, a nation that dares to dream and dares to rise. Let this be our battle cry: Justice for all, progress for all, dignity for all!
DEBIT CREDIT
RIVATE distribution utilities (PDUs) are allowed to charge their consumers rates that allow them to fully recover the cost of providing the distribution service and a reasonable return on their investment. However, our study shows that it is highly probable that PDUs are charging excessive rates due to inflated revenue requirements, which is affected by two particular issues:
1. Violation of the Regulatory Asset Base (RAB)-Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) Relationship, and
2. The Averch-Johnson Effect.
The regulator must be vigilant to ensure that the Averch-Johnson Effect, where regulated entities overinvest in capital assets to ensure a high regulatory asset base and consequently, higher profit, thereby sacrificing efficiency.
A concern lies in the use of the Optimized Depreciated Replacement Cost (ODRC) method for valuing the Regulatory Asset Base (RAB). ODRC reflects replacement costs adjusted for optimization and inflation, unlike historical cost, which does not factor
in inflation. Under regulatory principles and the so-called “Regulatory Compact,” utilities are allowed full recovery of approved investments, typically through periodic revaluation or indexing to inflation. This ensures full capital return, with profits calculated using an agreed WACC applied to the depreciated RAB. However, to avoid double-counting of inflation, the following must be strictly observed: If RAB is valued using ODRC (inflation-adjusted), Real WACC (excluding inflation) must be applied. If RAB is based on historical cost (non-inflationary),Nominal WACC (including inflation) should be used. Applying both ODRC and Nomi-
Applying both ODRC and Nominal WACC results in over-recovery and overbilling, leading to unjustified consumer charges. In past rate-setting exercises, this mismatch appears to have occurred—whether inadvertently or by design—allowing DUs to use ODRC while applying a Nominal WACC.
nal WACC results in over-recovery and overbilling, leading to unjustified consumer charges. In past ratesetting exercises, this mismatch appears to have occurred—whether inadvertently or by design—allowing DUs to use ODRC while applying a Nominal WACC.
This issue was resolved by the Supreme Court in its Decision of October 2019 in the National Association of Electricity Consumer for Reform vs. Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Meralco and COA, which voided the use of ODRC as a valuation method for the RAB. The Court’s decision effectively halted the flawed practice that had allowed PDUs to overstate their revenue requirements. It must be mentioned, however, that Meralco has made public pronouncements that the said decision will only affect a subset of
Trump’s deals cast China both as foe and prize, blurring signals
By Alberto Nardelli & Josh Wingrove
PICK through the details of recent US trade negotiations and an outline of Donald Trump’s vision for the global economy starts to come into focus. As do its contradictions.
By his telling, the president
wants a world with suppliers locked in and ring-fenced from China to guarantee access to the technology and raw materials that US companies need. Trump has said he’s seeking to use US power to extract maximum leverage for its citizens, enacting a virtual membership fee for access to the US economy and the benevolence of its military might.
But his main threat for accomplishing that goal—freezing other nations out through crippling tariffs and export controls—carries real risks that trading partners decide that doing business with the US is ultimately too costly, exposing them even more to Beijing.
Further complicating matters, the concessions he’s won so far are modest, and negotiations loom with nations for whom the stark framing of a bipolar world is far from clear-cut. At the same time, domestic pressure is building, along with a sense that Trump’s appetite for escalation has its limits.
The result is a trade policy—and approach to China—that is blurring. He’s seeking both to isolate China and to win greater access to its markets—and asking close trade partners to risk Beijing’s ire when the ultimate US policy is itself unclear.
“I don’t see a well-defined strategy, I don’t see a clear goal or set of goals,” said Michael Strain, Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. “I see a desire to import fewer products from China.”
Early test cases have offered little clarity for trading partners seeking to navigate Trump’s trade policy.
The UK rushed to strike a deal, and was rewarded with a framework agreement that reduced tariffs with modest concessions. China played hardball, ratcheting up counter-tariffs despite Trump’s warnings—only to ultimately reach a 90-day truce that heavily eases the tariff burden.
The lesson European leaders took from the machinations: Trump was more interested in announcing a deal than offering a
template for other talks, people familiar with the matter said. Europe also believes the dual “deals” demonstrated Trump’s desire to avoid escalation, the people said.
At the same time, the contours of the UK deal did underscore efforts to reshape other nation’s relationships with China. The UK agreement eased steel and aluminum tariffs as a condition of freezing out China, angering Beijing. The US is trying to get the UK to accept certain rules of origin in exchange for favorable tariff quotas, as well as criteria on ownership focused on eradicating China from its supply chains, which will likely invite Beijing’s pressure on London, according to a European assessment of the deal.
The US is clearly seeking to permanently tilt global trade relations in its favor with higher tariffs and security requirements to partners purging China from their supply chains, one EU official said.
Meanwhile, China has stepped up diplomacy across the world, urging nations to resist “bullying” from the US and keep supply chains open. President Xi Jinping visited Southeast Asian nations immediately after Trump’s imposition of tariffs, and his government invited leaders from Latin America to Beijing last week. Plans are afoot for China to also host leaders from Europe and conduct further outreach to Africa later this year.
“Let me stress that cooperation between countries should not target or harm any third party,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing last week, referring to the UK deal. China was more blunt last month, warning nations that it “opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China’s interests” and would “resolutely take reciprocal countermeasures” if necessary.
China is watching which countries inch closer to the US. “Cooperation between states should not be conducted against or to the detriment of the interests of third parties,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement to the Financial Times, about the UK deal. Additional tariffs TARIFFS still remain high, with 10
its regulatory years, contrary to the spirit of the decision, which calls for the ERC to undertake a full review of the valuations made and consequently, its rate impact. In its March 2022 ruling revisiting the 3rd Regulatory Period Shareholder-Based Agreement of Meralco, the ERC acknowledged that while utilities must be compensated for inflation, this can only be done once—either by using a Nominal WACC or by revaluing the RAB, not both. However, not all past errors have been corrected. Though in theory, using a Real WACC with ODRC could negate excess valuation, historical cost valuation remains preferable due to its verifiability using actual data, lower cost, and reduced risk of inflationbased overstatement. This preference aligns with international regulatory practices and the Supreme Court’s stance. Abandoning ODRC strengthens consumer protection by eliminating the risk of PDU overcompensation and supports the Electric Power Industry Reform Act’s mandate of ensuring least cost of electricity to the consumer.
The US is clearly seeking to permanently tilt global trade relations in its favor with higher tariffs and security requirements to partners purging China from their supply chains, one EU official said. Meanwhile, China has stepped up diplomacy across the world, urging nations to resist “bullying” from the US and keep supply chains open.
percent baselines—Trump has said that is very likely as low as he’ll go—and a combined 30 percent rate on China that’s modest only in comparison to the previous level of 145 percent, European Union economy commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said.
“So obviously, this is a concern because we don’t see this kind of tariffs as justified and we see them also as economically harmful, both for EU economy, even more so for US economy itself and well, at the end of the day for the global economy,” Dombrovskis said.
The EU commissioner added that one lesson of the war in Ukraine was that Europe needs to be fully in charge of its defense and have closed the gap with the US and China on advanced technologies.
“It’s clearly an area where the EU needs more strategic autonomy,” he said.
Even as European leaders express consternation, markets have surged on the détente—even with Trump’s tariffs poised to rise again. He’s still pledging a flurry of additional sectoral tariffs, and has said it’s a matter of how much, not if, his “reciprocal” tariffs rise again after a pause runs out in July.
Trump’s Middle East trip this week further blurred the picture on China, with a flurry of deals on chips and artificial intelligence that China hawks within Trump’s own administration worry don’t have enough safeguards.
Yet while there’s been some progress—a deal with India appears close—the chaotic nature of the tariffs muddies the water.
On China, Trump has said he both want to wean the US off Chinese imports and knock down barriers for US businesses in the country.
“On certain products like steel, it’s clear they’re trying to isolate China and limit the import of Chinese materials into the United
States via third countries,” said Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute. “I don’t think they’re trying to do that overall, for both practical and policy reasons.”
Trump has also drawn a direct connection to national security, seeing trade talks as a chance to address his longstanding belief that Europe, Japan, South Korea and others aren’t sufficiently compensating the US. “President Trump and his economic team have repeatedly made it clear that the administration is focused on ending our country’s historic and persistent trade deficits by negotiating the removal of unfair tariff and non-monetary trade barriers by other countries that have decimated American industries and undermined American workers,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai. The US approach spills well beyond its security arrangements and tariff talks. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described a similar plan that would see allies agree to invest in US semiconductor manufacturing in exchange for privileged access to those chip supplies. He called for 50 percent of advanced chips to be made in the US.
The Commerce Department issued guidance last week stating that the use of Huawei Technologies Co.’s Ascend artificial intelligence chips “anywhere in the world” violates the government’s export controls, prompting an angry rebuke from China. The US move “fully exposes its unilateral protectionist nature,” He Yongqian, a spokeswoman for China’s Commerce Ministry, said on Thursday.
Similarly, the Trump administration wants preferential access to European procurement and for key pillars of the pharmaceutical supply chain to move to the US. The scattershot demands mean his list of willing partners could dwindle. Only a handful of other major economies are entwined enough with America that they might entertain realigning more to the US and away from China. “Other governments are surely aware of the pressures on the trump administration to make deals and avert market turmoil,” Lincicome said. “And so they’re inevitably going to be driving a very hard bargain.” Bloomberg
Dennis Gorecho
Alfredo J. Non
Monday, May 19, 2025
BusinessMirror
90% of ’25 budget already disbursed by DBM by April
By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto @reine_alberto
ABOUT90 percent of this year’s national budget was disbursed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as of the end of April.
Latest status of allotment releas-
es showed 89.5 percent or P5.663 trillion of the P6.326-trillion overall budget for 2025 was released from January to April.
This marks an increase from the P4.958 trillion, or 86 percent, of last year’s P5.767-trillion budget released as of the same period.
Despite the early release of this year’s national budget, Reyes Tacandong & Co. senior adviser Jonathan Ravelas expressed cautious optimism about its actual impact on economic growth in the first half of the year.
Ravelas said the 18.7-percent growth of the Government Final Consumption Expenditure (GFCE) in the first quarter of the year,
propelled by the national budget, “failed to lift the GDP.”
The country’s gross domestic product, or the total value of all goods and services produced within a country, grew by 5.4 percent in the first quarter of the year. (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2025/05/08/phl-economysteadies-at-5-4-in-q1-2025/).
This was weaker than the 5.9-percent expansion in the same period last year, but slightly quicker than the 5.3 percent in the final quarter of 2024.
“It is more of the lifting of the tariff uncertainty and outcome of elections,” Ravelas said, referring to what would actually stimulate GDP growth in the first half.
DBM data further showed 88.1 percent, or P3.718 trillion of the P4.221 trillion adjusted program, of the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) was released.
Of the amount, allotment releases to the line departments amounted to P3.439 trillion. These include funds allocated for agencies in the Executive branch, Congress, the Judiciary and other constitutional offices.
Releases from P529.595 billion worth of Special Purpose Funds (SPFs) also reached P278.317 billion. These are allocated for specific socioeconomic purposes such as Budgetary Support to Government Corporations, Allocation to Local Government Units, Contingent Fund, Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund and Pension and Gratuity Fund.
Meanwhile, releases for automatic appropriations increased to P1.893 trillion, corresponding to 89.9 percent of the P2.105-trillion allotment.
These include 100 percent of the National Tax Allotment, Block
Grant, Pension of Ex-President/ExPresident Widows, Special Account in the General Fund and Tax Expenditures Fund/Customs Duties and Taxes.
Some 75 percent or P21.525 billion in Net Lending and P636.023 billion in Interest Payments were freed up by the DBM.
Further, the DBM has released P52.182 billion from last year’s continuing appropriations. These are appropriations available to support obligations for a specified purpose or project, such as multiyear construction projects that require the incurrence of obligations beyond one fiscal year.
As for unprogrammed appropriations, P7.676 billion was issued, with P6.269 billion going to the National Food Authority as budgetary support and a total of P1.407 billion to the Departments of Health and Transportation, Philippine Competition Commission and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Unprogrammed appropriations are standby appropriations that authorize additional agency expenditures for priority programs and
See “90%” A2
www.businessmirror.com.ph
APEC’S VOW: WTO TO BE MORE RELEVANT AMID TRADE ISSUES
THE 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec),which includes the Philippines, have committed to make the World Trade Organization (WTO) more relevant in the face of “contemporary” trade issues.
In a statement issued by the Apec Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) over the weekend, the Apec member states said: “We recognize the importance of the WTO to advance trade issues, and acknowledge the agreed upon rules in the WTO as an integral part of the global trading system.”
The Apec ministers recognized that the WTO, the only global international organization that regulates trade between nations, is currently facing challenges.
The ministers underscored the need for the WTO to undergo “meaningful, necessary, and comprehensive reform to improve all its functions, through innovative approaches, to be more relevant and responsive in light of today’s realities.”
“We commend the efforts to deepen discussions in the WTO on contemporary trade issues,” the joint statement of the Apec ministers noted. Moving forward, the ministers said they intend to “work collaboratively” through Apec’s role as an “incubator of ideas” and support members working together to deliver a successful Fourteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in March 2026 in Cameroon.
The Apec ministers also highlighted the “positive” role of plurilateral negotiations at the WTO, including the Joint Statement Initiatives (JSIs), for advancing issues of interest to members and to make the WTO more relevant.
“We welcome the progress made and emphasize their roles to address contemporary trade issues, foster new ideas, facilitate economic growth, and build momentum toward multilateral out-
comes,” the ministers’ joint statement read. As the WTO is set to hold its 14th Ministerial Conference in March 2026 in Cameroon, the Apec ministers welcomed the acceptance by 16 Apec economies of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and the call on remaining economies to complete their “domestic procedures” and encourage all WTO Members to conclude negotiations on additional disciplines as soon as possible. Moreover, the Apec ministers cited a need for a “constructive engagement” on agriculture at the WTO.
“We also note the extension of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions as decided at MC13. We note the importance of enhancing predictability for the development of the digital economy,” the APEC ministers said in their joint statement. For the Philippines’s part, Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina A. Roque emphasized the need for “deeper collaboration between Apec and Asean to shape responsive and future-ready economic policies.” According to the Department of Trade and Industry, Roque participated in the Apec-Asean Ministerial Caucus where economic ministers discussed the latest developments in global trade. “The meeting focused on shared challenges such as inflation, supply chain shifts, and the accelerating pace of digitalization,” DTI said in a social media post. The Philippines’s Trade chief “reaffirmed” the country’s commitment to open trade, regional stability, and economic resilience through strong multilateral cooperation, DTI also noted. The Apec Ministers Reponsible for Trade met in Jeju, Republic of Korea, on May 15 and 16, under the chairmanship of H.E. Inkyo Cheong, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Korea. Andrea E. San Juan
Incoming senators on VP Sara’s trial: Let us see the evidence first
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
WITH the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte fast approaching, most of the incoming senators of the 20th Congress are choosing to keep their positions close to their chest—at least for now.
In separate interviews on Saturday at The Manila Hotel, several senators-elect said they have yet to form a position on the matter, emphasizing the need to first wait for the presentation of evidence.
As part of the 20th Congress, the top 12 senators proclaimed from the May 12 elections will sit as judges in the impeachment trial expected to start in July.
For Senator Imee Marcos, who is known as a close friend of the vice president, “We will rely on the evidence presented. I believe evidence should reign above all... There’s no trial yet, and I haven’t seen any evidence. It’s all speculation and hearsay at this point,” she said.
Imee, who was initially part of
the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, withdrew from her brother President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Senate slate in March.
This, as she led the Senate foreign relations panel that she chairs in holding hearings on the arrest, detention and transfer to The Netherland of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
She was later endorsed by the vice president, despite the Dutertes’ strained political relationship with the Chief Executive.
ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo, the highest-ranking candidate under Alyansa, echoed similar sentiments.
Tulfo was among the lawmakers who did not sign the impeachment complaint against Sara filed in the House of Representatives in February.
He said on Saturday it is “difficult” to talk about it when no evidence has been presented yet.
“What we’ve heard so far is just from the prosecution. We haven’t heard the defense. This time in the Senate, I’ll get to hear both sides...
We’ll decide collectively. Was there wrongdoing or not? That’s all there is to it,” Tufo added. Tulfo said the winning administration-backed senators are open to working with all political groups to help move the country forward.
“We have to work together. That’s the only way we can reach our goal of progress. If we’re divided—left, right, or center—we’ll not go anywhere,” he said.
Other Alyansa senators also chose to keep their opinions private for now.
Returning Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said the House prosecution panel must present strong and credible evidence to persuade senators, who will act as impeachment judges. Senators have been reminded by Senate President Chiz Escudero of the need to stay impartial as they serve as judges in the impeachment court. At least 16 out of 24 senators must vote to convict.
“If the evidence is lacking, then
See “Incoming,” A2
‘Ignacio was given due process’
MALACAÑANG said embattled former Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Arnaldo “Arnel” A. Ignacio was given due process before he was removed from office after he was linked to the controversial P1.4-billion land acquisition deal. Palace Press Office Claire Castro made the announcement after Ignacio was replaced by Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne M. Caunan as the new head of OWWA during the weekend. She confirmed that the complaint against Ignacio stemmed from a letter sent by “concerned OWWA employees” on 31 March 2025.
“Such a complaint was received by the Office of the President. Ignacio was even asked by Desla [Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal
Affairs] to explain on the matter. It became the reason for his immediate removal from the office,” Castro said in a Viber message to Palace reporters last Sunday. In the two-page letter dated 31 March 2025 and addressed to the President Ferdinand Marcos, Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, DMW Secretary Hans J. Cacdac, Office of the Ombudsman, and the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue, the complainants accused of Ignacio and OWWA Deputy Administrator Emma Sinclair of plunder. They claimed both OWWA officials deliberately hid the transaction from the OWWA Board and signed a supplemental contract, which refunded P36 million to the seller of the land owned by a corporation, a “Mr. Medina.” The complainants also questioned why the seller of the land
did not shoulder the value added tax and expenses for the removal of informal settlers in the property sold late last year to OWWA. The land was planned to be used for its halfway house for overseas Filipino workers (OFW). Ignacio, Sinclair, some OWWA lawyers, and the seller of the land supposedly pocketed P84 million from the irregular transaction. In a media forum during the weekend, Caunan said they will be conducting an audit on the said transaction and seek the legal opinion of the Department of Justice on the matter. She said the deal has been suspended and that the fund used from the anomalous transaction may have been sourced from OWWA’s source from its 2025
and not the
Fund. Samuel P. Medenilla
Editor: Jennifer A. Ng
MPTC to resume talks with SMC
By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan
METRO Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) is preparing to reengage San Miguel Corp. (SMC) on the proposed merger of their toll road businesses, with MPTC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan signaling readiness to move forward “as expeditiously as possible” now that both firms have reported their first-quarter results.
“We’d like to engage them,” Pangilinan told reporters last week.
“Everybody’s reported their firstquarter results. So, now we can go back to work. If we’re going to do it, we might as well do it as expeditiously as possible.”
MPTC operates key northern and central expressways, including the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (Sctex), Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax), and Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (Cclex).
Meanwhile, SMC oversees major southern toll roads such as the South Luzon Expressway (Slex), TarlacPangasinan-La Union Expressway (Tplex), and the Skyway system.
Should both parties proceed, they will have to consolidate multiple franchises under one unified framework—a task SMC President Ramon S. Ang has previously described as “easy.”
toll rate increases in all markets and traffic growth in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, San Miguel reported that its first-quarter earnings surged more than fourfold to P43.4 billion from the previous year’s P8.9 billion, mainly due to a one-time gain from the partial sale of power assets and foreign exchange gains.
Core net income, excluding nonrecurring items, grew 31 percent to P19 billion, the company said.
Last March, Pangilinan said the company had temporarily halted discussions with San Miguel Corp. regarding the potential merger of their tollway operations, as the company focuses on raising funds to reduce its debt.
“We just have to sit down and really try to thresh out. They’re doing very well,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan had previously said the pause was necessary to focus on strengthening MPTC’s financial position.
The potential merger, first floated in November 2023, would result in a unified toll network across Luzon and parts of the Visayas.
The talks, which were temporarily paused earlier this year, are expected to resume soon following the completion of MPTC’s capital-raising program, which aims to secure up to P40 billion in equity to pay down its debts.
FIRST Gen Corp. (FGen) will receive its eight liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo delivery this week.
First Gen: LNG cargo to arrive this week PLDT
“It’s actually coming soon. It’s May 18th. May 20 is the docking of the
MPTC reported that its net income declined to P1.5 billion in the first quarter as the prior year benefited from the reversal of contingent considerations related to the Japex acquisition.
Toll revenues rose 16 percent to P8.7 billion due to a combination of
vessel,” First Gen President Francis Giles Puno said last week. This will be the company’s eight LNG cargo delivery from the 10th tender. “It’s about 130,000 cubic meters. This is coming from Middle
He said the company is in the process of securing between P30 billion and P40 billion in equity to strengthen its financial position.
“We’ve deferred discussion with them because MPTC is raising equity money to reduce debts. We have significant debts kasi. So, once we’ve achieved that, which will take the next two to three months, then we can resume discussion.”
East and Asia.” The LNG cargo will be loaded into the storage tanks of the BW Batangas floating storage and regasification unit, a specialized vessel used to import, store and regasify LNG. Lenie Lectura
shelves plan to sell part of data center
PLDT Inc. has suspended its plan to sell part of its data center business—previously valued at around $1 billion—as the telco giant shifts focus to building up operations at its newly launched hyperscale facility in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Manuel V. Pangilinan, who chairs the telco, said in a chance interview the company has halted the sale process pending the performance of its Vitro Sta. Rosa (VSR) site, whose full commercial operations started just a few weeks ago.
“There have been efforts recently to do that,” Pangilinan said, referring to the sale. “But I think it’s best to try to build the business. We just launched our data center in Santa Rosa. There are actual locators there already, more foreign than local, but we still have quite a bit of space to fill up.”
“Until we are able to prove that it will succeed, I think it might be a little early to try to sell down at this stage. So, yes, we’ve stopped the process because it’s probably too early.”
PLDT was previously in talks with an unnamed foreign investor for the partial divestment of the data center business, after negotiations with Japanese telco NTT fell through due to disagreements over majority ownership.
Pangilinan had insisted on retaining control of what he considers a critical part of PLDT’s long-term digital infrastructure.
VSR, developed by Vitro Inc., is the Philippines’ first hyperscale data center built specifically to support artificial intelligence (AI) workloads. It integrates NVIDIA-powered GPU-asa-Service (GPUaaS) capabilities and connects directly to PLDT’s domestic fiber and international submarine cable systems.
The 50-MW facility features 18 data halls, each delivering 2 MW of power, and is expected to become a major AI and cloud hub in Southeast Asia.
Pangilinan said the company’s strategy now is to fill up capacity at Sta. Rosa and build out additional hyperscale sites.
“We should lead the way in the hyperscale space, because I hear Malaysia is planning to build significant capacity.”
He noted that Metro Pacific Investments Inc., the sister company of PLDT, has a 20-hectare property in General Trias, Cavite, where PLDT is eyeing a second AI-enabled facility, using about five to 10 hectares of the site.
For PLDT to revisit the sale, Pangilinan said the ideal scale would be once VSR has leased or sold at least “50 percent” of its capacity.
In the first quarter, PLDT posted P53.4 billion in gross service revenues, up 2 percent, and P8.8 billion in telco core income, down 6 percent year-on-year.
Reported income for the period stood at P9 billion, down by 8 percent mainly due to foreign exchange losses. Lorenz S. Marasigan
Venture Pulse 1st Qrtr 2025
AGAINST a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and renewed concerns over tariffs and trade tensions, global Venture Capital (VC) investment rose from $118 billion in the fourth quarter of last year to $126 billion in the first quarter of 2025, fueled by a wave of megadeals—including eight $1 billion+ transactions and a standout $40 billion raise by OpenAI Inc.
Despite the uptick in investment value, deal volume declined quarter over-quarter as many VC investors paused to evaluate whether market shifts were temporary and to preserve capital in light of ongoing IPO exit delays. Deal-making also slowed as firms adapted to evolving investment considerations.
Both venture capital investment and deal volume declined in Asia during the first quarter 2025, with the region raising just $12.9 billion across 2,149 deals—reflecting continued softness in the market. The downturn was largely driven by persistent challenges in China, including economic uncertainty and ongoing real estate sector issues, as well as heightened investor caution in India, amid broader geopolitical tensions. Singapore was the lone bright spot, bucking the regional trend thanks to a $1.2 billion raise by data center company DayOne Data Centers Singapore Pte. Ltd., which significantly boosted the country’s quarterly totals
The AI space in Asia attracted a significant amount of attention in Q1’25, driven by the launch of China-based DeepSeek’s R1 model. This was seen as a major win for China’s AI sector, given the expectation that access to DeepSeek’s open source model will help a lot of AI application companies further advance their own models and AI-driven solutions. During the quarter, two Chinese tech giants also launched major AI offerings—including Tencent Holdings Ltd., which launched the T1 reasoning model, and Alibaba Cloud Computing Co. Ltd., which released the Qwen 2.5 artificial intelligence model. This feverish level of activity highlights the highly competitive nature of the space and the quest for dominant market position.
Heading into the second quarter, VC investment in Asia is expected to remain subdued,
particularly giving geopolitical uncertainties. If China’s central government moves to support the development of the private sector, it could spark improved confidence among VC investors and potentially drive an uptick in investment in China. VC investment in India could remain somewhat soft in the second quarter, although the long-term outlook remains positive given the country’s strong macros. In Japan, corporate investment will be one area to watch in Q2’25, both in terms of direct VC investment and mergers and acquisitions activity.
A Philippine perspective ON the Philippine end, the VC landscape is also experiencing growth. About $1.12 billion in deals in 2024 were recorded in the Philippines, signaling a shift in balance in the region. Fintech leads the way as the most active sector for deals in 2024 with direct-to-consumer and cleantech on the rise as well.
“We can see that this is not a trend and is part of the evolution of the Philippine market,” said R.G. Manabat & Co. (KPMG in the Philippines) Head of Private Enterprise and Deal Advisory Principal Jerome Andrew H. Garcia. “This involves a complex set of changes, including the rise of the Philippine middle class. Our biggest sectors are fintech—which has become essential to our economy—and clean tech, which highlights how the Philippines is not only a growing player but also an innovative one.”
Overall, the future is looking bright for the Philippines as startups continue to pop up. With fintech, clean tech, and more growing in the country we may see even more growth in the VC space in the future.
This excerpt was taken from the KPMG Thought Leadership publication “Venture Pulse Q1 2025.”
Banks’ nonperforming loans ratio at lowest rate in 4 mos
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
THE bad loans ratio of banks posted its lowest rate in four months, according to the latest data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The data showed net non-performing loans (NPLs) as of March averaged 1.28 percent, the lowest since the 1.27 percent posted in December last year.
Data showed the net NPL ratio of universal banks was the lowest since December 2024 at 1.02 percent while commercial banks’ NPL ratio was
the lowest since November 2022 at 2.41 percent.
The BSP data also showed the net NPL ratio of state banks averaged 2.88 percent, the lowest since December 2023 while foreign banks’ net NPL ratio was at 0.28 percent, the lowest since August 2024.
The data also showed total net
percent of the total net NPLs of the industry during the period. The BSP figures showed the net NPLs of state banks at an 11.61-percent contraction from the P70.893 billion recorded as of March 2024. Meanwhile, foreign banks’ net NPLs as of March reached P1.872 billion, which accounted for 1.01 percent of the total net NPLs during the period.
The net NPLs of foreign banks posted a 2.69-percent increase from the P1.823 billion recorded as of March 2024.
NPLs refer to loan accounts whose principal and/or interest remain unpaid for 30 days or more after the due date or after they have become past due according to existing rules and regulations.
MB disqualifies money changers for violations
THE Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has disqualified four money changers based in the City of Manila for violating provisions of the Manual of Regulations for NonBank Financial Institutions (NBFIs).
Based on a statement from the BSP, the four establishments are: “Hanie Money Changing Services” based in Ermita, Manila; “Jonathan Sanoy Money Changer” in Tondo, Manila; “Czasha Money Changer” in Malate, Manila; and, the “Rajahs Money Changer” in Binondo, Manila.
The BSP also said the disqualifications are part of its efforts to address the proliferation of entities operating unauthorized money service businesses.
According to the central bank, the
MB has disqualified four entities and any sole proprietorship owned and/ or controlled by their respective owners/operators from registering with the BSP, and/or obtaining a license with the BSP to engage in any activity that is authorized or supervised by the BSP, for operating as an MSB without prior BSP registration.
Under the provisions of the manual of regulations for NBFIs, all remittance and transfer companies, money changers and foreign exchange dealers should register with the central bank before they can operate.
These companies must also obtain prior approval from the BSP for any change in: ownership of a sole proprietorship or partnership; or, control of a corporation as well as submit reports.
These reports include a semestral report of operating and closed/delisted offices which shall be submitted within 10 business days from the end of the reference semester; their audited financial statements; and quarterly reports on total value of money changing/foreign exchange and foreign and domestic remittance transactions.
These entities are also required to electronically submit a report on crimes/losses within 10 calendar days from knowledge of the crime or incident.
In terms of the deed of undertaking, the notarized document should be submitted by entities to the BSP as part of the two-stage process of registering with the BSP.
The first stage involves the sub -
mission of an application letter; business plan including target markets; and a list of owners and controlling shareholders, directors, and principal officers, as applicable. The second stage involves the submission of the Deed of Undertaking together with the personal data of partners, proprietors, directors, etc. as well as their NBI clearance or foreign equivalent of the document and proof of attendance to the mandatory training on anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism.
The BSP also requires the submission of the company’s Business license/permit for the current period and Proof of provisional registration with the Anti-Money Laundering Council Secretariat. Cai U. Ordinario
Group urges Gatchalian to reject sin tax sabotage bill
By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM
AMAJOR coalition of causeoriented groups strongly urged Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian to reject in its entirety a House bill reducing excise tax rates on tobacco, which the lawmaker scheduled to discuss on May 19.
Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate Ways and Means committee, has scheduled a hearing this Monday. However, the Sin Tax Coalition expressed concern over that move even while the Senate is still in recess.
According to the coalition, Gatchalian’s move signals that champions of the bill will expedite the flow of House Bill (HB) 11360 (proposed Sin Tax Sabotage law) through the Senate, despite the limited 2-week window of the chamber before adjourn-
ing to give way to the 20th Senate.
The group recalls that HB 11360 was railroaded in the House in January.
According to Gatchalian, he is only interested in the bill’s provisions on the tax rates of vape products. The chairman of the Senate Ways and Means committee has scheduled a hearing this Monday.
The coalition said, however, that if that were so, and Gatchalian wants to protect the health of Filipinos, he should simply file a separate bill that focuses only on increasing the tax rates for vape and heated tobacco products.
By calling for a hearing on HB 11360, Gatchalian “is providing a platform” for a bill that will certainly derail the hard campaign to promote public health by curbing tobacco use and the number of smokers.
The tobacco industry, the coalition said, will be given a chance to “hijack the process of lawmaking and insert provisions that favor their business.”
If Gatchalian truly wants to be true to his promise to remove the provision reducing the tax on cigarettes, he should move in a way that inspires confidence in his pledge, the alliance added.
“First, as chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Gatchalian should issue a statement to clarify on whose side he is inclined—public health or the tobacco industry,” according to the group. It statement noted that Gatchalian should categorically state that the Senate will reject the bill’s House version and will remove the provision slashing the tax rates for tobacco.
Anything less than this will
United Kingdom replaces China as 2nd-largest overseas owner of
By Liz Capo McCormick Bloomberg
CHINA shrank its holdings of US Treasuries in March, with the UK replacing it as the No. 2 overseas owner. The month, which preceded the April turmoil in the Treasuries market, saw a second straight jump in foreign purchases, to a fresh record high. Total overseas holdings rose $233.1 billion, to $9.05 trillion, Treasury Department figures showed Friday. China was the top holder of Treasuries as recently as 2019, when Japan overtook it. The latest data show the UK surpassed China for the first time in more than two decades, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
More broadly, Friday’s re -
lease showed that, at least as of March, there was no revolt against American government securities.
Foreign demand has been a point of discussion in the bond market since President Donald Trump mounted an aggressive tariff-hiking campaign and repeatedly accused US economic partners of having “ripped off” the nation. His April 2 “Liberation Day” levies stoked a selloff in Treasuries, the dollar and stocks at times during that month.
Brad Setser, a former US Treasury official now at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote on X that he viewed China’s shift as “a move to reduce duration than any real move out of the dollar.”
“I do see good evidence that China is shortening the maturi -
ty of its portfolio,” he wrote.
As for March, Japan, the UK, Canada and Belgium were among the countries whose Treasuries holdings rose. The UK, saw its stockpile rise to $779.3 billion, putting it above China’s $765.4 billion. The Chinese holdings reflected, in part, net sales of $27.6 billion of long-term Treasuries.
Japan, Canada JAPAN’S holdings rose for a third straight month, to $1.13 trillion. Canada’s stockpile rose by $20.1 billion, to $426.2 billion, the data showed. Belgium, whose holdings include Chinese custodial accounts according to market analysts, rose by $7.4 billion to $402.1 billion of Treasuries in March. Holdings of the Cayman Is -
lands—viewed as a popular domicile for leveraged investors such as hedge funds—rose by $37.5 billion, to $455.3 billion. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index dropped 1.8 percent in March, ahead of the near 4 percent slide the following month amid the volatility sparked by Trump’s tariff threats. Tenyear Treasury yields were little changed in March, before careening from as low as 3.86 percent to as high as 4.59 percent during the April turmoil. Trade-war fears have diminished more recently, after a meeting of US and Chinese officials last weekend led to a lower set of levies between those nations. Earlier this month, the Trump adminstration announced a trade deal with the UK.
signal that there is an unholy alliance between the House, Senate and the tobacco industry, the alliance added.
“Our lawmakers have the burden of proving that there is no conspiracy to swell the income of the tobacco industry to the detriment of ordinary citizens,” the group said through a statement.
“ Dapat magawa ng Senado ang kanilang parte sa pagtiyak na walang nakakasamang panukala ukol sa pagbaba ng buwis sa sigarilyo ang makakarating sa bicameral committee. At kung sakali mang magkaroon ng bicameral conference, kailangang mangako ang mga miyembro ng Senado na walang kompromisong haharangin nila ang anumang pagtatangka na ilusot ang mga probisyon ukol sa pagbaba ng buwis sa sigarilyo at pagtanggal ng indexation inflation.”
EASILY DISTRACTED? How to improve your attention span
By Devi Shastri & Laura Bargfeld The Associated Press
FEEL like you can’t focus? Like you’ll never finish a book again? Like the only way to keep your mind and hands busy is to scroll on social media for hours?
You’re far from alone. One body of decades-long research found the average person’s attention span for a single screen is 47 seconds, down from 2.5 minutes in 2004. The 24/7 news cycle, uncertainty about the state of the world and countless hours of screen time don’t help, experts say.
“When my patients talk to me about this stuff there is often a feeling of helplessness or powerlessness,” said Dr. Michael Ziffra, a psychiatrist at North -
western Medicine. “But you can change these behaviors. You can improve your attention span.” Here are ways to start that process. As you read, challenge yourself to set a 2.5 minute timer and stay on this article without looking at another device or clicking away.
How did we lose focus?
A SHIFTING attention is an evolutionary feature, not a bug. Our brains are hardwired to quickly filter information and
hone in on potential threats or changes in what’s happening around us.
What’s grabbing our attentions has changed. For our ancestors, it might have been a rustle in the bushes putting us on guard for a lurking tiger. Today, it could be a rash of breaking news alerts and phone notifications.
The Covid-19 pandemic warped many people’s sense of time and increased their screen usage like never before, said Stacey Nye, a clinical psychologist at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee.
Technology isn’t the only thing that influences our attention, experts say, but the effects of those pinging notifications or hours scrolling through 30-second long videos can build up over time.
“Our attention span has really been trained to only focus in those little, small blips and it interrupts our natural focus
cycles,” she said. Give your wandering mind ‘active breaks’ EXPERTS say “active” breaks are among the best way to retrain your mind and your attention. They only take about 30 minutes, Nye said, and can be as simple as taking a walk while noticing things around you or moving to another room for lunch.
Don’t be afraid to get creative. Develop a list of alternative activities or randomly choose ideas out of a fish bowl. Try craft projects, a short meditation, fixing a quick meal or talking a walk outside. All the better if you can involve a friend as well.
The break needs to be a physical or mental activity—no passive phone-scrolling. When the brain is understimulated and looking for change, it’ll usually grab onto the first thing it sees. The smartphone, an “ever-producing change ma -
chine,” is an enticing option, said Cindy Lustig, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Michigan. Turn off unnecessary notifications and put that “do not disturb” mode to good use, especially before bedtime. Better yet, put your phone in a whole different room, Lustig said.
Say no to multitasking MULTITASKING may make you feel like you’re getting more done, but brain experts recommend against it.
“Be a single tasker,” Nye said. “Work on one thing at a time, for a specified period of time and begin to work your way up.”
Lustig is a big fan of the “Pomodoro technique,” in which you set a timer and work on something for 25 or 30 minutes before taking a five-minute break.
She tells herself: “I can do anything for this amount of time,” and the world will still be waiting for her at the end.
Start with something you actually like and set a goal IT’S not enough to just have a hobby, Lustig said. It helps to choose hobbies that include deliberate practice and a goal to strive toward, whether it’s playing guitar for an audience or improving in a sport.
It helps to pick something that you enjoy as well.
“You don’t want to start with the heavy nonfiction or like ‘War and Peace,’” Lustig said. “If you need to start with the romance novel, then start with the romance novel. You can work your way up.” It’s also important to be kind to yourself. Everyone has good and bad days, and attention needs are different—and even vary from task to task. The key is to make an intentional effort, experts say.
“It is in many ways similar to a muscle in the sense that we can build it up with practice and exercises,” Ziffra said. “Conversely, it can weaken if we’re not exercising it.”
CAPPING THE PARIS FASHION SEASON, SAINT LAURENT TOUTS THE ART OF POWERFUL SHOULDERS
PARIS—Saint Laurent closed Paris Fashion Week in dramatic fashion, with the Eiffel Tower glowing against the night sky and a vast black onyx stage polished to a mirror-like sheen.
Designer Anthony Vaccarello ’s fall collection refined the house’s codes into pure, striking silhouettes—where sharp tailoring and commanding shoulders set the tone. Models moved with quiet authority across the onyx stage, their looks defined by bold proportions, rich textures, and a stripped-back sense of power.
“Chanel gave women freedom. Yves Saint Laurent gave them power.” The famous words of Saint Laurent’s partner Pierre Bergé, echoed in every cut and contour. Vaccarello’s vision was one of strength without excess—structured blazers worn as dresses, crisp pencil skirts, and bomber jackets exuding effortless cool. These weren’t clothes that followed trends; they commanded attention.
n The shoulder first silhouette Vaccarello has always understood the language of power dressing, and this season was no exception. Shoulder lines were bold and deliberate, defining the collection’s structured blazers, high-collared frocks, and sleek outerwear. Models cut through the dimly lit stage in rich, saturated hues—tangerine, fuchsia, and deep grass green—bringing depth to an otherwise restrained aesthetic. Experimental fabrics elevated the collection: silicone-coated floral and animal prints, stretch materials paired with guipure lace, and distressed couture textiles. The closing looks, with voluminous skirts and sculptural hip inserts, added a hypnotic, fluid movement to the show.
n Precision, power and proportions Saint Laurent has always walked the line between masculine and feminine, and Vaccarello honed in on that tension with precise tailoring and calculated volume. Jackets skimmed the body like armor, while floor-length skirts billowed with an air of controlled drama. Leather jackets thrown over structured gowns toughened up the elegance, a reminder that power dressing doesn’t mean compromise, it means control.
n The talk of the night: Linda, lace and luxury. Linda Evangelista’s arrival in a Saint Laurent business-meets-mobster suit was a moment in itself—a reminder of the brand’s enduring appeal across generations. Meanwhile, industry insiders buzzed about the closing gowns, their sheer volume paired with toughened-up leather and chunky rock crystal jewelry, a nod to Yves Saint Laurent’s lucky stone.
n What the designer says “Instead of speaking through ornament or padding, fabrics and precise construction shape the garments,” read the show notes. “Pure forms and volumes are derived from construction and cut.”
With razor-sharp execution and a venue that reinforced its impact, Saint Laurent fall showed that power, precision, and control were at its core, proving that some legacies don’t fade. They evolve. AP
CARELINE LAUNCHES
ULTIMATE MAKEUP HAUL
THIS summer, cosmetics brand Careline dares beauty junkies to go big, bold, and fully loaded with its newest in-store activation: the Careline Beauty Tank—a pop-up shopping experience where you “Fill to the Max.” Whether you’re a certified Careline stan or simply in need of a major makeup restock, the Beauty Tank is your chance to get your hands on as many products as you can squeeze into your chosen pouch—and, yes, that includes bestsellers, viral faves, Careline’s limited-edition SpongeBob collab items, and TikTok must-haves.
Shoppers start by choosing their pouch: the P999 XL Pouch or the P1,499 XL Expandable Pouch—perfect for those who are up for the ultimate packing challenge. Fill the pouch to the brim with Careline makeup products. Stack it, squeeze it, arrange it—however you do it, just make sure that the ziplock seals shut. No peeking zippers or overstuffed fails—only sealed deals make it to the checkout.
“The Beauty Tank is all about fun, freedom, and selfexpression,” shares Careline brand manager Mikee Torralba.
“We want our customers to explore the full range of Careline products and feel empowered to build their own makeup kits their way—no limits, no rules, just a full-on beauty haul!”
The Careline Beauty Tank pop-up can be found at SM Beauty Sta. Rosa Department Store, Gaisano Metro Department Store Market! Market!, and LCC Tabaco Department Store. The activations run until May 31, 2025.
Style
Fil-Am Designer Alexis Monsanto marches with the Terracotta Warriors
FROM the genteel countryside of Misamis Occidental, Alexis Monsanto followed his dreams to the dazzling lights of Hollywood.
“I was born in Ozamis City and grew up in Jimenez. I graduated with a degree in medical technology at Velez College in Cebu City,” the “Gen X baby” shared. “I went to fashion school in Los Angeles, where my family relocated in 1993, at Otis College of Art and Design and finished my master’s of fine arts in 1997.” Monsanto showed his mettle—and rose from the ranks—in the fashion business by working for ready-towear manufacturers in Los Angeles starting from being a backroom coordinator to being a cutter until he became a head designer. Retail giants such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus carry his capsule collections.
In 2022, he was among the recipients of the President Biden Lifetime Achievement Award at the 12th Annual The Outstanding Filipino Awards. In 2023, he partnered with Michael Cinco for a show during New York Fashion Week. He recently presented at LA Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2025.
On May 22, Monsanto will be the featured designer for a fundraising gala to open the exhibit, called World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century, which will be on view at the Bowers Museum Orange County in Santa Ana, California, from May 24 to October 19, 2025.
DESIGN ORIGINS
IT was in the summer of 1979 on a vacation in Manila that an impressionable Monsanto saw a fashion show by Rudy Fuentes at the Harrison Plaza: “I said to myself then, I can do something like that in the future—like styling and designing.”
Growing up being creative and being a leader, a tendency towards the arts seemed inevitable. “I won several postermaking contests in school and in our entire province. I directed school plays and created events in our campus. I designed the Corps of Sponsors and the school band uniform, as well as set and stage decorations,” shared Monsanto via e-mail.
He started designing in Cebu in 1988, assisting established fashion designers Philip Rodriguez and Leonardo Igloria: “I learned direct client contact and interaction as well as polishing my taste level at Philip Rodriguez.”
He specializes in luxury casuals, eveningwear and special occasion dresses: “It’s all about the fit, design and styling.”
“I am inspired by architecture, art and music. I love the works of Surrealist artists like Dali, Kahlo and Delvaux,” he shared, adding that her admires the works of Valentino, Dior and Versace.”
“My target market and my clients who come to the atelier have disposable income of $75,000 to $100,000 per year.”
HOLLYWOOD UNLOCKED
MONSATO has dressed up Karol G, Kate Beckinsale, Felicity Huffman, Emily Van Camp, Simone Biles, and Nadia Comaneci, to name a few. A dream client is Jennifer Lopez.
“I always love designing evening formals, after-six and bridalwear. I have worked for several manufacturers in Los Angeles. When I’m in a job site, I design what sells. I study the market and forecasting, and take directions from sales managers and store merchandisers,” he shared.
Monsanto teaches at the Los Angeles Street Technical College and serves on the advisory board of the Fullerton
Community College.
“I balance designing and teaching well. It’s just a matter of developing a system and time management. I love to mentor students and interns. It’s time in my career to impart learning to aspiring designers who are hungry for knowledge,” he said.
WALTZING WITH WARRIORS
THE Bowers Museum, a nonprofit, is built on the land donated by Ada Elvira Bowers and her husband, Charles W. Bowers, a late 19th-century Orange County citrus grower and land developer. The “World of the Terracotta Warriors” features 110 newly discovered archaeological treasures from Shaanxi, including Terracotta Warriors, bronze vessels, chariot regalia, and other jade and gold artifacts.
These artifacts, some commissioned by the Qin emperor and completed after his death in 210 BCE, are making their North American debut, offering audiences unprecedented glimpses into China before and during the Qin dynasty. These are the sources of inspiration for Monsanto’s special collection. The silhouettes are varied. Some are long and lean, and there are iconic pieces that are voluminous. The fabrics used are silk chiffon, silk crepe back satin, silk charmeuse, silk velvet, Mikado, silk sateen face organza.
WORLD CLASS EVEN with the dizzying dose of red-carpet eleganza during Oscars and Golden Globes season on the other side of the world, Monsanto admits that he misses his idyllic hometown.
“What I miss most from Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, are the fresh catch of each day, the fresh air and the laidback life in the rural area as well as the warm smiles of my paisanos,” the promdi in Hollywood said. So, what would it take for a Filipino to become a worldclass fashion designer?
Dennis Trillo is here to prove sunscreen is not just for women
LIKE many men, Dennis Trillo was a soap-and-water guy when it came to taking care of his skin.
To be fair, he always made sure that his face was clean and even double cleanses when he comes home after a taping but that was it.
But as he grew older, Dennis was introduced by his wife Jennilyn Mercado to skin care. It was also Jennilyn who urged him to stick to a routine consistently.
“I saw Jen doing her skincare and I became curious. I tried and I saw results, which made me happy. So that’s how I started on doing skincare regularly.”
Thus, when Dennis got the offer to be a brand ambassador for Beautéderm Corp.’s Belle Dolls Zero Filter Sunscreen, he said yes. Jennilyn also endorses Beautéderm and that is how he met the brand’s CEO Rhea Anicoche Tan.
“Many men still use the same soap for their face, body and everything else. I want to push for more men to use skincare. Dennis is in so many series and films, and he also does so many outdoor activities. We forget that the best anti-aging secret is sunscreen,” said Tan. Dennis only has nice words for the product he is endorsing.
“It really works. It keeps skin from drying out or getting damaged when I’m outside,” he said. Belle Dolls Zero Filter
is suitable for men and women.
PhilDev Foundation helps deliver dreams
For over a decade, the Philippine Development S&T Foundation Inc. (PhilDev) has been empowering and inspiring Filipinos to excel in science and technology (S&T) through education, innovation and technopreneurship. It aims to create a future where Filipino talent excels in S&T and shapes worldwide progress. Science and technology have helped people improve their lives and lay the foundation for social progress.
From the remote mountains of Bukidnon, where opportunities are as scarce as dreams abound, Jession Diwangan of the Umajamnon community defied limitations with his own powerful vision. Through the PhilDev Science and Engineering Scholarship (PSES) program offered by the Philippine Development S&T Foundation Inc. (PhilDev), Jession was able to attend Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, where he became the first engineering graduate from his tribe, earning cum laude honors.
The grants available through the PSES support students from partner universities across the Philippines, providing financial assistance, mentorship, and learning events to help them excel academically and professionally. PhilDev also offers the SHE++ Empowerment Program for Women in Tech, in partnership with Wells Fargo Philippines, which aims to bridge skills and opportunities gaps for female university students in technology-based courses.
PhilDev is a nonprofit organization that operates at the intersection of education, innovation, and entrepreneurship dedicated to fostering long-term economic growth and development in the Philippines through science and technology. Inspired by the life and work of Dado Banatao, a FilipinoAmerican tech entrepreneur, PhilDev focuses on creating an ecosystem that supports education, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. PhilDev aspires to drive sustainable social and economic growth by empowering the next generation of leaders and innovators.
Today, Jession is a thriving test engineer at Analog Devices, and he understands the transformative power of support. He is now paying it forward, nominating PhilDev’s PSES program for a grant to open doors for future STEM scholars, just as others once did for him.
“Every step is a tribute to my roots and the belief of those who invested in me,” Jession affirms. “My life proves that support turns dreams into reality.”
Since 2011, PhilDev has been working across several interconnected areas to achieve
its mission, namely, education, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The education rubric, which recognizes that a strong foundation in STEM is crucial, provides scholarships and learning opportunities for talented but financially constrained Filipino students pursuing degrees in STEM.
Jession’s story highlights a crucial point: Filipino talent in STEM is abundant but often underrepresented. In the Philippines, only 21 percent of STEM students graduate. In the United States, Filipinos make up just 1.2 percent of the STEM workforce despite their significant population. This gap stifles innovation and limits the potential of countless young people.
“PhilDev exists to bridge this gap, champion stories like Jession’s, and empower Filipinos to lead and innovate in STEM worldwide,” says Paco Sandejas, PhilDev Board of Trustees chairman. “Jession’s journey is a testament to PhilDev’s impact.”
PhilDev has supported hundreds of scholars in STEM fields since its inception, helping them access quality education and mentorship. The SHE++ program specifically addresses gender gaps in the technology sector, empowering female students with the skills and opportunities to succeed.
Complementing this academic support is the Mentoring and Uplifting Leaders & Aspiring Trailblazers (MULAT) Program, a testament to the power of human connection and guidance. This volunteer-driven initiative acts as a compass for young scholars, pairing them with professionals from diverse fields.
These aren’t just formal meetings; they are dynamic exchanges where leadership qualities are honed, communication skills are polished, and personal well-being is nurtured. Through these conversations, the scholars gain not only career advice but also the soft skills essential for navigating the complexities of the professional world, transforming them into well-rounded individuals ready to lead with confidence and empathy.
Recognizing that innovation stems from a distinct mindset, PhilDev champions the integration of entrepreneurial thinking into the very fabric of education through
its Technopreneurship Education and Training (TechED) program. TechED focuses on empowering the educators themselves, equipping faculty with the tools and methodologies to embed technopreneurship within their curriculums. The vision is clear: to cultivate a generation of Filipinos who aren’t just problem identifiers but active problem solvers and builders. By fostering an entrepreneurial mindset early on, TechED aims to unleash a wave of future leaders ready to tackle the nation’s challenges with innovative solutions.
For young individuals with innovative ideas and the ambition to create, the Young Banatao Learning Lab (YBLL) offers a rich environment for development. This dynamic program cultivates technopreneurial skills in STEM students through interactive workshops, expert mentoring, and practical project work. It empowers young minds to collaborate, identify key community problems, and develop technological solutions. YBLL supports the full entrepreneurial cycle, from identifying a need to scaling a tech solution into a successful business.
Engr. Ivan Nara is a shining example of how PhilDev’s support for young Filipino talents can lead to groundbreaking innovation with real-world impact. A PSES alumnus scholar and Magna Cum Laude graduate in Industrial Engineering from Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan and now pursuing his Master’s in Electrical Engineering at the University of the Philippines–Diliman, Ivan’s academic achievements are matched by his passion for solving urgent social challenges.
Together with fellow PhilDev alumni Engr. Kenneth Postrero and Engr. Leo Villalba, he co-founded Kool Gear, a patented wearable cooling technology designed to address heat stress—a growing concern in the Philippines due to climate change. Kool Gear is more than a mere invention: It shows how purpose-driven engineering, shaped by leadership, collaboration, and a commitment to community, can offer both local and global relevance.
(www.meralco.com.ph) or its social media accounts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meralco) and X (@meralco).
Holcim’s Circular Economy Initiative Leads to DepEd, ASSIST Partnership
HOLCIM , in partnership with One Earth One Ocean through its Circular Explorer project, has led the Department of Education (DEPED) and the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) to sign a Memorandum of Agreement. This MOA aims to support the Circular Explorer’s initiative to instill sustainability concepts among young learners in public schools starting with pilot schools in Metro Manila through the introduction of circularity modules in their curriculums.
The initiative seeks to instill concepts and transition to circular economy from a linear economy through the use of a toolkit that includes teachers’ manual, a comic book and a high school workbook. Christine Bellen, Project Manager of Circular Explorer, reinforces how the program compliments the initiatives from DepEd, “This partnership with ASSIST and the Circular Explorer Project aligns with DepEd’s commitment to integrating sustainability education into our schools. By fostering environmental consciousness among our learners, we are equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to champion a circular economy.”
In a previously published Message of Support, Department of Education, Undersecretary for Curriculum and Teaching, Gina Gonong gives credit to Holcim Philippines Circular Explorer saying “I commend the Circular Explorer project for its efforts in developing a comprehensive array of educational resources, ranging from comic books and teacher’s manuals to activity workbooks and posters. These materials align with the DepEd’s vision of fostering a resilient and child-centered nation as outlined in the Basic Education MATATAG Agenda. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to making significant strides in addressing the challenges facing basic education.”
The partnership with DepEd was further cemented with a whole-day Training of Teachers (TOT) sessions for teachers from select schools. The sessions were led by Kendrick Faronilo, MSc, President & Founder of Philippine Association of Environmental Science students. As part of the implementation phase, 3,000 students, teachers, and nonteaching personnel from Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, and Las Piñas are expected to participate in the roll out.
LRT-1 KasamBiyahe: A Journey Shared with Pinoys
FOR more than four decades, the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) has been connecting places, people, and possibilities within Metro Manila. It has forged a community through the collective stories and experiences of countless passengers and employees who have stepped into its stations through the years.
The LRT-1 is a pioneering initiative not just in the Philippines but in Southeast Asia as the first urban railway in the region. Today, with Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) as the private operator, it serves about 400,000 passengers daily, traversing a total distance of 26 kilometers across 25 stations with the recent opening of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Phase 1 that connects major cities including Quezon City, Caloocan, Manila, Pasay, and Paranaque. Every day, workers, students, parents, barkadas, partners, families, and even tourists use the LRT-1 to get to their destinations or return back home. Thousands upon thousands of people board and alight the trains carrying with them their personal victories and burdens, their stories for the day, and their hopes for tomorrow.
“The LRT-1 has been a constant part of my adult life, particularly when I started working in Makati. It was the quickest and easiest way to get to my workplace,” shared Jenny Diones, an office employee who takes the LRT-1 from 5th Avenue Station to Gil Puyat Station and vice versa. “On my way home, I like looking at the scenery outside because it relaxes my
mind somehow.”
More than just a mode of transportation, the LRT-1 serves as a reliable companion for passengers in their everyday journeys, enabling them to reach their destinations safely, comfortably, and on time. Recent developments in the railway line, such as the addition of five new stations in the South under the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Phase 1 project and the integration of the brand new 4th Generation train sets, aim to further improve the delivery of service and make every commute a pleasant experience for everyone. Samuel Booc, a student from Paranaque, started using the LRT-1 when Phase 1 of the Cavite Extension became operational. His usual route is from Dr. Santos Station to Vito Cruz Station to reach his school, and vice versa. “I prefer using the LRT-1 over other modes of transportation because of its efficiency and affordability. I have tried other modes of transportation like jeeps and buses, but they really take up a lot of my time and are more of a hassle for me,” he said. “Familiarity with my LRT-1 route has made my commute feel completely comfortable. I now have more time for myself and for my family.” Apart from the passengers, the LRT-1 is also built upon the hard work of its employees. They are the ones who ensure that only the best service is provided to passengers, may it be at the stations or on the trains.
PhilDev Foundation scholars
RHUS REHABILITATED BY BDO FOUNDATION. Many of the more than 210 health facilities across the country rehabilitated by BDO Foundation house birthing clinics that address the needs of pregnant mothers. One such facility is CHO Panganakan ng San Jose in Nueva Ecija, which was recently renovated by the foundation as part of continuing efforts to help improve the healthcare delivery system in the country. The corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank improved the structure’s interiors and exteriors, making sure that spaces are comfortable and safe for moms and babies. BDO Foundation’s advocacy to rehabilitate health centers is supported by BDO and BDO Network bank branches nationwide.
Participants of Training of Teachers including the following representatives seated in front, from left, Mc Lawrence Bensa, Public Affairs Manager Holcim Philippines, Inc., Caroline Labrague, Project Development Officer II External Partnership Service DepEd-Central, Nathalie Inductivo, Project Coordinator - Circular Explorer Holcim, Franz Rana Partnerships and Business Development Lead ASSIST)
PR INSIGHTS FROM MOMS
Susan Pandes-Veloro, Henrietta Pandes-Yu, Alice Pandes-Bonoan, Josephine Pandes-Sabido,
the photo are aunties Aida Pandes-Yulo, Cecile Pandes, and Rorie Pandes.
MAY is the month we honor our mothers for nurturing and shaping us to be the public relations professionals that we are and continue to be.
Some of us PRs have become working moms, too, and are now experiencing firsthand the joy and dimensions of motherhood.
I look back to Moms for raising us, helping us journey through both raising a family and fulfilling our PR duties of its many colors of diversity, its ups and downs.
It’s fine when our day runs smoothly and our programs and interactions go as planned, but when adversity strikes, which PRs are expected to address, what we are, kicks in.
“...we like to believe we’ll rise to our training—to our values, our beliefs. But the truth is, we don’t rise. We revert to our instincts and core wiring. That’s why understanding your Attributes, Identity, and Objectives is vital… In uncertainty, the person you are matters far more than the roles you play.” (Diviney, 2025, para. 14)
I’m taking this opportunity to thank my Mom and my aunties (her sisters) for being role models. My Mom, a former teacher, chose to be a homemaker to raise my lawyer-brother and me, and manage our home as my Dad, a military officer with the Medical Administrative Corps, was usually on assignment or on call 24/7 in service to the nation.
Nature has a way of balancing generations. My Mom’s generation was more of sisters and my generation of cousins is predominantly male. As the eldest, she is the go-to older sister to her siblings. My brother and I look back to our childhood days
growing up with uncles, aunties, cousins, spending summers with them, Christmases, Sundays, and other family occasions. Looking back, those already were early lessons in relationship building.
My Mom and most of my aunties became teachers, just like my grandfather who taught statistics and math, and my grandmother who taught chemistry. In fact, my choice to pursue a degree and a profession in communication and PR was fueled by one thick book on mass communication that was among my auntie’s books for her masters program. Curious, I asked my auntie what it meant, not knowing that it would be imprinted in me as the road I was to take.
PR lessons from moms SO, what are some valuable lessons our mothers have taught us that we need in our profession?
1. A sense of duty and responsibility with positivity and humility—Their role never ends. It’s a 24/7 lifelong commitment that they embrace. I remember, after a tough day, when my Mom would reassure me with the reminder that “Tomorrow’s another day.” Since then, I’ve always looked forward to each sunrise.
2. People skills especially compassion and care for others— Moms care. This is a most essential attribute that we need today as our world changes. Courtesy, respect, manners are the outcomes that mothers would like to see in our behaviors and attitudes.
3. Multi-tasking and time management— Moms need to be organized. Working moms continually tread between
home and work. I remember my teacher Mom encouraging us to balance activities even during summers. Later, I read that offering a balance of free time and routines helps a child’s development, giving a sense of security and increasing self-confidence with its predictability.
4. Environmental scanning— Moms seem to be naturally blessed with a God-sent ability to sense danger and proactively raise alarms and prevent accidents such as with toddlers who are beginning to explore their surroundings. It’s a skill that PRs need in planning pre-crisis communication and in risk assessment, prioritization, and management.
5. Issue management— We know that issues can be resolved by accurate and timely information, agilely done. Moms are challenged to manage and resolve misunderstandings and soothe ruffled feathers before it blows up. This is the stage of potential problems that PRs would rather have instead of a crisis.
6. Crisis management— But, crises can still happen. Moms find themselves as crucial fulcrums when crises like grave or protracted illness strains family resources and morale. They have to be strong as they care for the ill family member while still making sure that life has to go on with hope. I remember, after a full day at work, having to shuttle back and forth from child to child as my three kids were sick at the same time with different medicines, dosages, and dosage times. Fevers, coughs and colds, allergies, bruises and childhood illnesses are but some of the health situations. Or, when my husband was very ill, shuttling from home to office, back to home to make dinner and check homework then off to the hospital, then back home for the cycle to begin again the next day.
7. Sustainability and good citizenship— We learn firsthand how we can truly be authentic earth warriors, citizens who go out and vote, and just how integrity can be really lived in real life. I wish that our urban-based children will still have the chance to immerse
themselves in nature and observe and read its signs. For example, we used to see a flock of birds flying together with an urgency, and know that they were telling us that it would rain. And rain, it did. Or to hear the crickets or the roosters crowing to know that the typhoon has ended. On citizenship, my children would be amused at my persistence of herding everyone to vote during elections. And today, talks are afoot on the reality of the youth vote that is said to have determined the midterm election results.
Moms as leaders BY living their life with such selflessness, Moms are leaders who continue to shape generations and leaders, the wind beneath our wings, the hands that rock the cradle. By instilling values, watching our behaviors and teaching manners and courtesy especially in our formative years, they guide and prepare us for what lies ahead as professionals.
The book, The Leadership Challenge, by Jim Kouzes and Barry Pozner cites five practices of exemplary leadership:
1. Model the Way— Clarify values by finding your voice and affirming shared ideas. Set the example by aligning actions and shared values.
2. Inspire a Shared Vision— Envision the future by imaging exciting possibilities. Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations.
3. Challenge the Process— Search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and by looking outward for innovative ways to improve. Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from experience.
4. Enable Others to Act— Foster collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships.Strengthen others by increasing self-determination and developing competence.
PR’S social relevance IN our PR profession, we aim for the outcomes, the more permanent result because of our agile and astute mix of tools/outputs (ex: number of media releases). Ultimately, PR aims to create positive and sustained relationships based on trust and truth so that messages from that person or organization are deemed credible, understood, and accepted. There are many definitions of PR that express its many valuable aspects. In 2012, the World PR Forum of 2012 held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, asked 800 delegates onsite and crowdsourced a year earlier from countless other professionals and academics from different countries, what PR means. At the closing session, the responses were curated and presented: “The mandate of PR is to build and sustain strong relationships between an organization and its publics, and in so doing contribute to society.” In our AI age, the person and each one’s humanity becomes even more important. How we manifest that humanity to make a positive influence in our own circles and ultimately to the whole ecosystem of PR, matters. Technology will always move on, explore, and create. But I believe it will be the human touch to reach out and understand the other; the honest recognition of who we are, what makes us tick, what makes us break, what makes us rise to adversity and thrive in diversity, that will see us through. This is the humanity in us that Moms help nurture and build in us.
Thank you very much, mom! THE foresight and critical thinking as we PRs assess situations, the choices of words and actions we do, the moral compass that drives us to decide, the strength to go through ups and downs: I believe that these comprise the valuable core of grit that is formed and embedded in us, growing up under the care of our mothers.
Thank you very much to all mothers, for raising and shaping us! PRs like me owe you a lot. We aim to do you proud!
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of IPRA Philippines, the local chapter of the United Kingdom-based International Public Relations Association, the world’s premier association for senior communication professionals around the world. Ritzi Villarico-Ronquillo, APR, IABC Fellow is an Adjunct Faculty for Leadership and Human Capital Management at the Asian Institute of Management’s School of Executive Education and Lifelong Learning for its Communication and Public Relations Programs; Consultant, Professional Lecturer, Association Executive, Mentor, and Speaker, whose awards and 45 years of experience span diverse demographics and sectors including corporate, community, associations, advocacy, and academia.
5. Encourage the Heart— Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence. Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community.” (“Kouzes and Posner’s 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership and 10 Commitments of Leadership,” n.d.)
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.
THE WIND BENEATH OUR WINGS. Our first generation Pandes family moms, a mix of homemakers and working moms. My Mom, Betty Pandes-Villarico (fifth from left); and her sisters (my aunties):
my Mom Betty, Linda Pandes-Jacob (upper right), and Chichi Pandes-Gordoncillo. (Lower right). Not in
Italians are reaping: On clay and on road
ROME—Jasmine Paoloni got the party started at the Foro Italico. And now the stage is set for Jannik
Sinner to cap it off.
Paolini took advantage of the crowd’s support and beat Coco Gauff, 6-4, 6-2, to become the first home player to win the Italian Open in 40 years on Saturday.
With the top-ranked Sinner to play
Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s final on Sunday, Italy could earn its first sweep of the Rome singles titles.
stage pretty early,” Plapp said. “I just thought I’d give it a crack and, to be honest, just wanted a bit of a head start on the descent as well.
“So, to stay away all the way to the finish is definitely not what I expected.” Plapp had plenty of time to celebrate, sitting up and lifting his arms out as he crossed the line 38 seconds ahead of Wilco Kelderman and Ulissi at the end of the tricky 97-kilometer route from Giulianova to Castelraimondo.
The last Italian woman to win the open was Raffaella Reggi in 1985 in Taranto. The last local man to raise the trophy was Adriano Panatta in 1976.
W hen Paolini hit a big serve down the T on her second championship point and Gauff couldn’t get it back, she celebrated with a big smile and raised her arms as she spun around in joy.
“I t doesn’t seem real to me,” Paolini said. “I came here as a kid to see this tournament but winning it and holding up this trophy wasn’t even in my dreams.”
Before the trophy ceremony, the crowd chanted “Ole, ole, ole, Jas-mine, Jas-mine,” and Paolini responded by forming her hands into a heart shape.
“ The crowd has been incredible,” she said.
“I feel like it’s been a long time coming,” Plapp said. “Last year I got so close at the Giro so many times, and for today to happen is so, so special. We marked it as a stage [to win] for a few weeks now and then this morning on the bus we were really really excited. So to make it happen is a dream come true.”
U lissi faced an anxious wait to see whether he’d done enough to take the pink jersey from pre-race favorite Primoz Roglic and become the first Italian to lead the race since 2021. He let out a loud yell of joy when it was confirmed, after Roglic and most of the rest of the peleton finished nearly five minutes off the pace.
Senator Go: Philippine
SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go emphasized the need for a larger share of the national budget to be allocated to Philippine sports as he argued that the honor athletes bring to the country is incomparable to the relatively small funding the sector receives. During his proclamation speech at a ceremony held at The Tent in Manila Hotel on Saturday, Go, a longtime sports advocate, also highlighted the role of sports in nation-building and youth development.
sports need bigger budget
We should also further advance sports development in the country especially in the grassroots so that aspiring young athletes can be given the opportunity to improve their skills and hopefully eventually produce more Olympic medalists who will bring honor to our country,” he said. He emphasized the connection between sports and drug prevention. “That is why I keep encouraging fellow Filipinos, especially the youth, to get into sports, stay away from drugs and keep them healthy and fit,” he said. Go also told a radio interview on TRUE FM’s Power and Play with Atty. Noli Eala that as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sports, he will defend and push for additional funding for the Philippine Sports Commission, articulating a more comprehensive vision for long-term sports development starting at the grassroots level.
Supreme Court clears ‘Chair Butch’
TBy Josef Ramos
HE Supreme Court (SC) junked the graft charges filed against former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) chairman Efraim Genuino in connection with controversies that hounded the national swimming team to the 2005 Southeast Asian Games that the country hosted. The High Court’s Second Division last March 20 reversed the June 2023 verdict of Sandiganbayan when it affirmed the conviction of Genuino, ex-PAGCOR president Rafael Francisco and Ramirez over the alleged illegal transfer of P37 million public funds to the national swimming association
Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (PASA) then headed by the late Mark Joseph—he died in England in March 2019.
According to the SC’s final resolution a copy of which was secured by the BusinessMirror, the funds directly released to PASA was “a unilateral action of Pagcor” authorized by its board and that Ramirez did not give any unwarranted benefit or advantage to PASA at the expense of other athletes or national
Go noted that despite the country’s limited resources, Filipino athletes have delivered historic victories, including the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2020 through weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz and two more in the 2024 Paris Games via gymnast Carlos Yulo.
He stressed that these achievements demand corresponding investment and support to be sustained.
“The PSC gets only a small portion of the pie,” he said, adding “from the big budget that the government has every year.
He reiterated that as vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee and sponsor of the proposed national sports budget, he actively pushes for budget increases for the sports sector.
sports associations (NSAs).
The High Court also said that “in any event, the funds deducted from PSC’s 5 percent share from the income of Pagcor was returned through offsetting that cleared Ramirez of any wrongdoing.”
R amirez, who celebrated his 74th birthday on Sunday, preferred to keep mum but welcomed the SC’s decision.
He appealed his case before the high tribunal, which trashed the charges because “of the failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.”
The graft case was filed by the group of former senator Nikki Coseteng and a swimming association in 2011 before the Office of Ombudsman, which filed the same case against Ramirez and Genuino in the Sandiganbayan in June 2016.
Paolini and partner Sara Errani are also in the women’s doubles final and will play Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens for that trophy, too, on Sunday.
“It’s been two incredible weeks and it’s not finished yet,” Paolini said.
Diego Ulissi becomes first Italian to wear pink in Giro in four years IN Castelraimondo, Luke Plapp soloed to victory in the eighth stage of the Giro d’Italia for the biggest win of his career while Italian veteran Diego Ulissi moved into the overall lead on Saturday. Crazy, crazy,” Plapp said with a smile immediately after his first victory in a Grand Tour.
P lapp attacked from a breakaway with about 45 kilometers remaining and had about a minute’s advantage on the final climb. The Australian rider then used his time trialling skills to hold off his chasers.
“I knew I couldn’t beat any of them in a sprint, so I knew I had to go at some
U lissi, who had never previously led the Giro, has a 12-second advantage over compatriot Lorenzo Fortunato and was 17 seconds ahead of Roglic. Just before putting it on [the leader’s jersey], I was really thinking about the afternoons I spent with my grandparents when I was a kid and watching the Giro and dreaming,” Ulissi said.
“I had already realized the dream of winning stages, I came very close to wearing the pink jersey. Now, living this dream at the end of my career— because I’m not getting any younger—is everything, truly a great joy.” Even more special is that Ulissi will be in pink as his home race heads into his home region of Tuscany. “I’m thinking of sleeping with the maglia rosa on tonight,” Ulissi said with a laugh. “But the thought of going through my Tuscany with the maglia rosa is truly a great emotion.” Sunday’s ninth stage includes a mini Strade Bianche on the white, gravel roads on the 181-kilometer route from Gubbio to Siena. The Giro ends in Rome on June 1. AP
Singson want rematch vs Navarrete
Collantes stopped in eighth of a scheduled 12-rounder as Navarrete bled profusely from a cut in his right eyebrow.
That cut was the root of the controversy—Collantes declared it as sourced from a head butt but videos clearly showed otherwise.
“I h ope there will be a rematch, I hope they make it happen,” said Suarez, 36, who turned pro in 2019 after an illustrious amateur career with the national team in the Asian and Southeast Asian Games.
That’s exactly a punch and not a head butt,” Singson said. “Everybody knows it that it was a punch, even the Mexican themselves and Top Rank [promoter]. And there are reports that the fight will be declared as a no-contest because they do not like to stain Navarrete’s record when he goes up to 135 [lbs].” Singson added: “They were trying to contact me after the fight, but they knew I was mad. I did not answer them.”
