THEPhilippines could again see double-digit inflation for the first time in nearly two decades as second-round effects from the Middle East conflict continue to spread across the domestic economy, economists from the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) warned.
By Andrea E. San Juan
By Samuel Medenilla
to the exceptional level of trust between our two countries and our common resolve to further deepen cooperation in
based think tank, explaining how the current political environment in the Philippines could also have a hand in monetary policy decisions.
Ruben Carlo Asuncion, chief economist of Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP) told the BusinessMirror in a message: “Rising political uncertainty can weaken fiscal execution and growth, widening the output gap,” adding that these series of events could push the central bank toward a “more cautious stance.”
John Paolo Rivera, a Senior Research Fellow at state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), asserted that the strength of an economy “ultimately reflects the strength of its institutions.”
As such, Rivera pointed out: “Too much political drama is not good for the economy. For monetary policy, this creates a more difficult balanc-
the same view as the Japan-
ing act because tighter rates may help stabilize inflation and the peso, but they may also further slow growth and confidence.”
The state think tank’s senior research fellow explained further that escalating political uncertainty can weaken investor confidence, affect market sentiment and “potentially delay spending and investment decisions.”
“It may also raise concerns about fiscal discipline and policy continuity,” added Rivera.
As a consequence, these analysts said this reinforces the case for a “measured approach” on the part of the central bank—the body that manages inflation with interest rate-setting as one of its tools.
Asuncion interpreted “measured” as gradual and data-dependent—not necessarily capped at 25 basis points.
“While 25bps remains the baseline increment, larger or earlier moves may still be
“It
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
THE House of Representatives moved closer to completing nearly half of the LegislativeExecutive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) priority measures after approving five key bills on second reading during a marathon session late Tuesday. Approved via viva voce vote, the measures cover economic development, social welfare, digital regulation, and government transparency. The session adjourned at 11:59 p.m.
The latest approvals highlight the chamber’s push to sustain its legislative momentum, even as lawmakers prepare for the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte. The five measures are House Bill (HB) No. 9257, which seeks to strengthen the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA); HB 9397, or the Right to Information Act of 2026; HB 9461, or the Child Online Safety and Protection Act of 2026; HB 9465, or the Anti-False Information and Digital Accountability Act; and HB 9466 or the National Nutrition
Program Act. HB 9257 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 7227 by reinforcing the powers of the BCDA to better drive major infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, HB 9397 aims to institutionalize public access to government information while balancing transparency with privacy rights.
It proposes the creation of an independent Right to Information Commission, a centralized request portal, and penalties for non-compliant agencies. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Lordan Suan, chair of the House Committee on Public
Information, underscored the measure’s importance amid ongoing corruption concerns tied to public spending. HB 9465 targets the spread of disinformation by holding digital platforms accountable and promoting media literacy. Lawmakers backing the bill stressed that freedom of expression should not protect deliberate falsehoods. The measure imposes penalties of six to 12 years in prison and fines ranging from P500,000 to P2 million for those proven to have intentionally spread harmful false information.
negative output gap as one of the reasons for the BSP to adopt a wait-and-see stance.
“A negative output gap suggests slack in the economy, which tempers the need for aggressive tightening. This supports Nomura’s view that off-cycle hikes are unlikely as a baseline, especially with the next policy meeting near,” Asuncion noted. Still, the chief economist of Union Bank did not discount the “elevated and persistent” inflation risks. Hence, he said, “Off-cycle action cannot be ruled out.” Rivera, however, pointed out that while inflation remains a concern, “BSP is likely to remain cautious because growth momentum has weakened and much of the inflation pressure is still supply-driven.”
Slightly veering away from Asuncion’s view, Rivera said: “Off-cycle hikes are usually reserved for severe disorderly conditions in inflation expectations or the forex market.”
A negative output gap, as defined by Rivera, means the economy is operating “below its potential capacity.”
“Economic activity is weaker than what the economy could normally produce, which often reflects softer demand, underutilized labor, and cautious investment conditions,” the senior research fellow at PIDS explained further.
As the inflation print for May is scheduled to be released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on June 5—only two weeks away from the scheduled Monetary Board meeting on June 18—BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. said in a recent televised interview: “It’s a toss-up whether we do an off-cycle or just wait for the regular meeting which is not that far anyway.”
While he opened up the possibility of doing another inter-meet policy meeting, the central bank chief kept mum on the size of the interest rate hike to be delivered.
“I think whatever we do, we want to convey the message that we’re trying to be proactive. We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve and that we’re serious about inflation,” added Remolona. (See: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2026/05/23/tightennow-supply-shock-is-spreading/)
By Lenie Lectura @llectura
THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have inspected power facilities to identify the causes of outages and ensure immediate power restoration.
The commission said on Wednesday that it conducted spot inspections on the generating units of Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI) in Toledo City, Cebu, on May 20, 2026 and on Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) Unit 3 in La Paz, Iloilo City, Iloilo, on May 21,2026, following the forced outages of these facilities that contributed to the Yellow and Red Alerts in the Visayas grid beginning May 12, 2026. The ERC and DOE likewise sought to assess compliance with applicable operational and reliability standards and to monitor the progress of corrective actions being undertaken by the generation companies.
Based on public advisories issued during the period, the unavailability of TVI Units 1 and 2 in Toledo City,
Cebu and PEDC Unit 3 in La Paz, Iloilo City, Iloilo, significantly reduced available capacity in the Visayas grid.
On May 12, 2026, the Visayas grid was placed under Yellow Alert, while Red and Yellow Alerts were raised on May 13, 2026 as reserves tightened further.
During the Red Alert period, manual load dropping or rotational power interruptions were implemented in affected areas to maintain the integrity of the power system and prevent wider grid instability.
In the succeeding days, recurring Yellow Alerts continued to be declared as the affected units remained on forced outage, alongside other unavailable and derated generating facilities in the region.
The spot inspections, officials said, underscore the commitment of the ERC and DOE to protect consumers, promote accountability among regulated entities, and support measures that will help restore system reliability in the Visayas. Through these inspections, the agencies are able to directly validate plant conditions on site, engage with plant officials and technical personnel, and gather information necessary for further regulatory and operational assessment.
The ERC said it will continue to closely coordinate with the DOE, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), and concerned generation companies to monitor the status of the affected facilities and pursue appropriate actions to help ensure the timely restoration of available capacity to the grid.
“The Commission remains committed to advancing a reliable, secure, and responsive power system for consumers in the Visayas,” it said.
Continued from A1
“possibility of double-digit inflation rates due to base and second-round effects creeping into succeeding inflation readings.”
Should this materialize, it would be the first time monthly inflation could hit double digits since September 2008, when inflation reached 10.1 percent during the Arroyo administration.
UA&P said April’s 7.2-percent inflation print already showed that price pressures are no longer confined to fuel and other oil-sensitive commodities, but are now beginning to ripple across broader segments of the economy.
The report noted that inflation accelerated in sectors such as transportation, which surged 21.4 percent, restaurants and accommodation services at 6 percent, recreational services at 4.9 percent, as well as rentals and healthcare services, both at 3.8 percent.
“This suggests that upward price revisions are spilling over into parts of the economy not directly dealing with commodities,” the report stated.
UA&P attributed the elevated inflation environment to the unresolved Middle East conflict, which has kept global oil prices high and disrupted supply chains, eventually feeding into transport, food, and service costs.
Still, the report said inflation pressures could eventually ease once geopolitical tensions subside.
“[Inflation] will continually trek downwards after a peace deal gets signed, and growth will return when infrastructure spending resumes along with consumer and business confidence,” it said.
On the growth front, UA&P
said the Philippine economy may recover to around 5 percent in the second half of 2026 as the government resumes its infrastructure spending. If realized, this would mark the first return to the 5-percent growth territory since the second quarter of 2025, when the economy expanded by 5.4 percent. It may be recalled that economic growth began slowing in the third quarter of 2025, when GDP decelerated to 3.9 percent amid the onset of the multibillion-peso flood control corruption investigation involving several government officials and public contractors. Growth further eased to 3 percent in the fourth quarter before slipping to 2.8 percent in the first quarter of 2026 as the Middle East conflict created fresh economic headwinds.
“Growth prospects are likely to improve in the second half as infrastructure spending accelerates, supporting construction activity, job creation, and broader domestic demand,” the report added.
Despite elevated inflation and slowing growth, UA&P maintained that the Philippines is unlikely to fall into stagflation, or a prolonged period of weak growth coupled with high inflation and unemployment.
The report said weakening business sentiment and scaled-down expansion plans may weigh on job creation as oil prices remain elevated, although targeted subsidies and existing employment conditions could cushion the impact.
“We do not expect full-blown stagflation, with jobs staying resilient and growth remaining positive in H2,” it added.
House okays 5 bills under Ledac list
Continued
On health and social welfare, HB 9466 expands the government’s feeding program into a broader national nutrition initiative. It seeks to address early childhood malnutrition, increase feeding days from 120 to 200 per school year, and extend coverage to other vulnerable sectors. The bill is principally authored by Speaker Dy and Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, with broad support from House members.
HB 9461, on the other hand, strengthens protections against online child exploitation. It seeks
addressing the challenges and the opportunities that await us,” he said.
Under such an arrangement, the President hopes to expand the country’s existing cooperation partnerships with Japan, such as in defense and economy, to “emerging fields” such as clean energy, digital transformation, critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), and space cooperation.
Common concern
CURRENTLY, the defense-related partnership of Manila and Tokyo includes the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) and the Acquisition and CrossServicing Agreement (ACSA).
The country is also a recipient of Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) program for the third consecutive year.
Marcos said both the Philippines and Japan share a common goal of strengthening defense and security cooperation to maintain freedom of navigation in crucial international waterways such as the South China Sea Beijing continues to increase its presence in the South China Sea, which it still considers as part of its territory despite a 2016 Arbitral Ruling that rejected its all-encompassing claims.
“Like Japan, the Philippines believes that maritime security is an essential pillar of a free, open, and inclusive region,” Marcos said.
“As recent developments have shown, the world cannot afford to have our waterways disrupted or placed at risk, given their vital role in sustaining global trade, energy flows, and economic stability,” he added.
Important economic partner MANILA and Tokyo have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement, which will mark its 20th anniversary in September, as well as the JapanPhilippines Economic Partnership Agreement. Japan remains to be the country’s biggest source of overseas Development Assistance (ODA) loan and grant commitments, pegged at US$13.96 billion as of December 2025, according to the Department of Finance.
“No other country has matched Japan in the scale and quality of its development assistance to the Philippines, including the long-term investments in human security in Mindanao and across our islands,” Marcos said. Last year, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported Japanese firms have committed P51 billion worth of investments. On Wednesday, he led a high-level Roundtable Meeting with executives of Japanese firms, which deal with semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, digital services, renewable energy, and tourism. It was reported that some Japanese firms may be cautious in making more investments due to the multibillion-peso flood control project anomalies revealed last year.
However, Malacañang is confident the country will secure several investment commitments in Japan, as it has taken steps to combat corruption.
“We will see the outcome of the President and the administration’s fight against corruption in the country and the launching of processes that will make it easier for investors--positive actions to further boost investor confidence,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said. Marcos hopes Japan will back the country’s prospective accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). One of the world’s largest free-trade areas, the CPTPP covers 12 countries, including Japan. DTI said Manila has formally applied to become part of the free trade agreement last year.
Regional role
BEYOND the bilateral partnership with Tokyo, Marcos also commended Japan’s growing role in maintaining regional stability by providing support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which he currently chairs. Japan launched is “Partnership On Wide Energy and Resources Resilience (POWERR Asia) initiative in April, which aims to mitigate the impact of the Middle East crisis on the regional bloc by providing it access to a US$10-billion fund for the procurement of petroleum products, supply chain maintenance, and for crude oil stockpiling capacity augmentation.
“We are most appreciative and encouraged by Japan’s active participation in deepening regional cooperation, particularly through its Dialogue Partnership with Asean,” Marcos said.
to update existing laws to address emerging threats involving digital platforms and artificial intelligence. The measure criminalizes acts such as sexual extortion, grooming, livestreamed abuse, and image-based exploitation. Sultan Kudarat Rep. Bella Vanessa Suansing said the bill enhances reporting, investigation, and prevention mechanisms.
The approvals follow last week’s passage on second reading of HB 8389, the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act—the first of its kind to reach that stage in Congress.
Strengthened partnership MARCOS hopes to further boost cooperation with Japan during his bilateral talk with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Marcos initially met with the Filipino community in Japan when he landed in Tokyo on Tuesday. Then he and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos made a state call on Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Marcos was bestowed the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, one of Japan’s highest and most prestigious honors, while the First Lady received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown. It was the highlight of the President’s state visit to Japan. He then met with members of the Japan-Philippines Parliamentary Friendship League (JPPFL) and is scheduled to address a joint session of the National Diet on Thursday.
‘Senator-judges must be physically present during impeachment trial’
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
ALAWMAKER on Wednesday said senator-judges must be physically present during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, especially when casting their votes.
Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre of Tingog, House Committee on Higher and Technical Education chairman, stressed that impeachment is a serious constitutional duty and requires full attention inside the Senate impeachment court. He said senators should personally see and hear the witnesses and observe their behavior, which could be important in evaluating testimony.
“The more critical level of participation is voting. Even in the House, voting online is not encouraged,” Acidre said.
The House voted 257-25-9 to impeach Duterte and send the case to the Senate, where the senators will sit as judges in a trial that could determine whether she remains eligible to hold public office.
His statement came amid discussions in the Senate on whether remote or online participation should be allowed in plenary sessions. The debate also gained attention following reports related to Sen. Ronald dela Rosa and an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant linked to the previous administration’s drug war.
Acidre said physical presence is especially important in impeachment cases.
“You have to be physically present…much more for the impeachment of the Vice President,” he said.
He added that senators acting as judges must carefully observe witnesses, including their tone and demeanor, which cannot be fully captured through online participation.
“If you’re a judge, you have to observe the demeanor of witnesses…I think that would be impeded if one were to participate only online,” he said.
Acidre also noted that while technology has modernized government work, impeachment is different because it is a constitutional trial, not an ordinary legislative vote.
He said the House will not interfere with how the Senate handles the trial.
“Ours is to prosecute the case and defend the Articles of Impeachment,” he said.
Avoid theatrics
HOUSE prosecution spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong said the prosecution team is preparing to present evidence in the impeachment trial in a clear and simple way so ordinary Filipinos can understand it.
Adiong said the team is focusing on making the presentation of evidence straightforward and free from political drama.
“What strategies and approaches would we utilize so that not only the senatorjudges but also the general public can clearly understand and easily digest the evidence being presented,” Adiong said.
He added that prosecutors will focus on facts and avoid theatrics.
“We will deal only with the actual allegations and present them through evidence and testimonies without much theatrics,” Adiong said.
Duterte is facing impeachment complaints involving alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth, corruption claims, and alleged threats against top officials.
The Senate has already convened as an Impeachment Court and ordered Duterte to respond to the Articles of Impeachment.
Demolition job
ACIDRE also warned of what he described as attempts to undermine the House prosecution team and weaken public confidence in the impeachment process.
He said there appears to be a pattern of attacks on social media and public statements aimed at discrediting prosecutors.
“I can see a pattern of efforts to undermine the House prosecutors,” Acidre said, while stressing he was speaking only from his own observation.
He clarified that he does not speak for the entire institution.
The impeachment case has been surrounded by political debate, including issues on remote participation and other Senate procedural discussions.
Despite this, Acidre said the House prosecutors remain ready and focused on presenting their case.
Task force hits human-rights group’s ‘distortion of reality’
THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFElcac) on Wednesday dismissed claims of human-rights group Karapatan, calling it the “biggest NPA [New People’s Army] recruiter” in the country.
In a statement, the NTF-Elcac executive director, Undersecretary Ernesto Torres, Jr., said this “latest propaganda piece” is an attempt by the militant group to distort reality and evade accountability for the tragic fate of individuals who ultimately entered the underground movement and armed struggle.
“This latest statement bears the unmistakable trademark of the CPP-NPA-NDF [Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front] ecosystem: deny responsibility, romanticize death, rewrite narratives, weaponize grief, and convert every tragedy into propaganda,” he added.
Torres also said the allegation is not just false but also a breathtaking exercise in hypocrisy from an organization that projects itself as a defender of human rights while repeatedly displaying a deeply selective and distorted sense of morality.
He said the militant group often speaks loudly for personalities aligned with communist causes, yet has often been accused by critics of maintaining deafening silence over the suffering inflicted by the CPP-NPA-NDF on countless civilians, indigenous peoples, barangay officials, former rebels, soldiers, police personnel, and ordinary Filipinos who endured decades of violence, extortion, intimidation, internal purges, and executions.
Torres said this is the reason why many Filipinos are now asking whether Karapatan truly defends human rights universally—or only when the victims fit the ideological preferences of its comrades.
TBy Butch Fernandez @butchfBM
HE “tyranny of the majority” if unchecked will destroy the Senate as a pillar of democracy, and the minority bloc was right in walking out of Tuesday’s (May 26) Senate session to prevent a vote that would force an amendment of the Senate Rules via a mode that violates the Rules itself.
Former Senate President Franklin M. Drilon on Wednesday warned about this, after the Senate majority bloc tried to ram through amendments allowing senators to vote remotely, saying the move is directly connected to the coming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and threatens the credibility and independence of the Senate.
“It is now connected to the impeachment trial,” Drilon asserted in a statement on Wednesday.
Drilon said the amendment could affect crucial rulings during the impeachment proceedings if senators in detention or hiding from arrest were still allowed to vote remotely.
He cited as an example a possible subpoena involving the bank records of the Vice President.
“For example, the bank record of the Vice President. If the prosecution seeks a subpoena and the presiding officer does not issue one and it is appealed to the impeachment court, the party seeking it must get the support of the majority; this is very crucial and that’s why it is being rushed,” Drilon said, partly in Filipino.
He said that Sen. Erwin Tulfo is correct in calling a spade a spade when he pointed out that the amendment is meant to accommodate senators who may soon face detention over alleged plunder cases.
Besides those facing potential plunder cases, the most immediate senator who could benefit from a loosening of the face-to-face requirement for voting is fugitive Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who showed up, after five months of absence, on May 11 at the Senate for a crucial vote in a Senate coup that installed Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President. Dela Rosa then escaped from the premises under cover of darkness at dawn of May 14 despite having been given “protective custody” by majority senators as he evaded service of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“This is ugly,” Drilon said, referring to the events of late Tuesday. “I have never seen this kind of bastusanin the history of the Senate,” Drilon said.”“This is malicious and grave abuse of discretion I have never seen in the history of the Senate. It must be condemned.”
Drilon declared, “Pataynaangmalayang diskurso sa Senado [Free discourse in the Senate is dead.”
Drilon detailed how the controversial amendment was allegedly railroaded in the Senate.
According to him, the proposed amendment was first presented on May 11, but Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri objected, prompting the Senate President to say that the matter would first be studied by the Committee on Rules.
However, Drilon said that during Tuesday’s session, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta moved to have the amendment approved despite the Rules Committee not yet being formally constituted.
Lacson and fellow minority senators questioned the majority bloc’s move to tackle and vote in plenary the Marcoleta motion allowing online participation in Senate proceedings.
Lacson pointed out that since Marcoleta’s May 11 motion was already referred to the Committee on Rules, Rule 24 - and not Rule 136 - of the Rules of the Senate, where “the committees shall hold meetings to discuss, decide and submit a report on all matters transmitted to them” applies.
He added that while the said motion was referred to the Committee on Rules, the committee has no chairman or members as all positions in the Senate were deemed vacant in the wake of the May 11 leadership change.
The minority bloc staged a walkout after the majority insisted on pushing through with the motion.
Minority bloc: Rules on our side
LACSON said on Wednesday that by staging a walkout, the Senate’s “Solid Bloc 11” minority showed that retreat can mean victory, “especially when the rules are on our side.”
“Senate minority walkout: we demonstrated how to score a victory by retreating. They may have superior numbers but we have the rules on our side,” he said on X.
“When they in the majority play dirty, we in the minority will play it smart,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lacson scored Marcoleta for taking issue with Sen. Anna Theresia Hontiveros’ supposed lack of legal background, when the issue at hand had to do with the Senate’s rules, as Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III pointed out to Marcoleta.
“In a condescending tone, a colleague, who is a lawyer, took issue with Sen Hontiveros’ lack of ‘legal background.‘’ I have a simple message – it’s the RULES, stupid!” Lacson said. Meanwhile, Hontiveros said the “videoconferencing” pushed by the Senate majority cannot be compared to the 2021 appeal of some senators to allow detained Sen. Leila de Lima to attend session and committee hearings.
“First, there was a pandemic then and the Senate, like most institutions, was being run via videoconferencing. The Senate Rules only allow video conferencing due to force majeure or occurrence of national emergency. There is no pandemic today,” who said. Hontiveros stressed, echoing the remarks of Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who made an impassioned denunciation on the floor late Tuesday of the majority attempt to change the Rules. Second and more important, added Hontiveros, “Senator Leila then surrendered, was detained and respected the rule of law.” She continued: “Then and now, there should be respect for legal authority. The Senate should not pave the way for a member to continue to vote, influence policies and receive institutional benefits of office—despite refusing to submit to lawful arrest or judicial authority.”
THE National Police—Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) said Wednesday it will refer a complaint for obstruction of justice before the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice against Sen. Robinhood Padilla and several others who allegedly facilitated the escape of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa from the Senate premises at dawn of May 14.
Moral issue
“THE central moral issue that Karapatan desperately wants buried is simple: people do not suddenly wake up one morning and become armed insurgents. There is a process. There is a pipeline. There is recruitment. There is ideological conditioning. There is radicalization. There is underground work. There is eventual absorption into armed structures. Former rebels and surrendered cadres have repeatedly narrated how this process unfolds—beginning with seemingly legitimate advocacy spaces and ending in underground operations and armed struggle,” he added.
While the group may continue to dismiss the concerns raised against it, Torres said that publicly accessible records, media reports, and open-source accounts continue to raise difficult questions that cannot be brushed aside through rhetoric alone.
Torres cited as example in 2021, Alexandrea “Alexa” Pacalda of Quezon and Glendhyl Malabanan of Palawan were identified as Karapatan members who authorities later found participating in armed NPA activities, including appearing in a captured training video.
In the same year, Honey Mae Suazo, former secretary-general of Karapatan–Southern Mindanao, posted bail for Zaldy Canete alias “Ka Jinggoy,” identified by authorities as the leader of the NPA’s 1st Pulang Bagani Command.
Media reports likewise cited former Karapatan-Negros secretary-general Fred Caña in relation to fundraising efforts for the cash bonds of Romeo Nanta, identified as head of the NPA Regional Operations Command–Negros Island; Hernando Llorente alias “Ka Adoy,” identified as commander of the Northern Negros Front; and Faith Roseen Basergo alias “Ka Bea,” identified in reports as an NPA political instructress.
In a statement, the CIDG said thorough a investigation concluded that the transport of dela Rosa was not a mere hitch ride on Padilla’s car, but a “highly coordinated, pre-planned logistical maneuver” specifically executed to avoid detection while escaping.
The investigation further showed that there was another vehicle that tailed Padilla’s car, which served as a security escort and backup car during the maneuver.
“When individuals actively interfere in the arrest or assist in the evasion of criminal offenders to avoid prosecution, it undermines the justice system and compromises public order,” the CIDG said.
Dela Rosa, who served as PNP chief from 2016 to 2018 under former President Rodrigo Duterte, was in Senate protective custody until he left the Senate premises at about 2:30 a.m. on May 14 aboard a white Toyota Fortuner allegedly owned by Padilla. Padilla has maintained that dela Rosa merely “hitched” a ride aboard his car and that he dropped him off in Makati City without asking where he was going. Padilla also disputed that he and Dela Rosa had “escaped” the Senate, citing that there were many law enforcers in the area at the time. PNA
By Ashley J. Manabat
ANGELES CITY—National and local government agencies, as well, as private organizations continue to extend assistance to ongoing retrieval and clearing operations at the site of the collapsed nine-story condominium hotel under construction in arangay Balibago, where at least four people were killed and 16 others remain missing.
The Bureau of Fire Protection, which serves as the lead agency in the search, rescue, retrieval and clearing operations continue to coordinate efforts under the Unified Command System following the collapse before dawn Sunday.
The BFP Region 3 spokesperson, Supt. Mariah Leah Sajili, said retrieval operations remained delicate owing to the unstable condition of the debris and interconnected steel structures inside the collapsed building.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II with the city government agencies including City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office immediately deployed responders following reports of the collapse. Rescue teams from the National Police (PNP) and other emergency units also responded to the scene.
Lazatin also urged the contractor and owner of the collapsed building to cooperate with authorities investigating the incident.
“The families of the victims deserve answers. The authorities deserve cooperation. The public deserves accountability and accountability begins with showing up,” Lazatin said.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority deployed specialized urban search and rescue equipment, including vibraphones, life locators and a long-range
the rubble.
The Pasig City local government also
By Samuel P. Medenilla
D@sam_medenilla
ESPITE the government’s enhanced reintegration services for repatriated Filipinos from the conflict-hit Middle East, most or 70 percent of them still prefer to seek new employment opportunities abroad, according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa).
A survey conducted by Owwa showed only 30 percent of the surveyed repatriated Filipinos intend to find work or start a business in the country.
“Admittedly, among those we have surveyed, which is almost 90
percent of the citizens we repatriated, close to 70 percent were still looking for employment abroad,”
Owwa Administrator Patricia Yvonne M. Caunan said in Filipino in a recent television interview.
OFWs usually cite higher pay abroad and lack of suitable local job opportunities as their main reasons for seeking new overseas jobs.
Caunan said they are partnering with other government agencies to enhance their reintegration services to make it a more attractive option for OFWs. These include skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda),
and a P2-billion micro loan fund from the Department of Trade and Industry’s Small Business Corporation.
She said they are also working with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to make the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (Eteeap) available to OFWs, making it easier to obtain degrees related to chosen fields by crediting their job experience.
Owwa also has similar partnerships with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for OFWs, who want to start their agri-business or enhance their
businesses with new technology, respectively.
To make such services accessible to OFWs, OWWA and the concerned government agencies have joined the National Reintegration Network Caravan of the Department of Migrant Workers.
The OWWA survey covered 90 percent of the 10,129 Filipinos repatriated by the Department of Migrant Workers and OWWA as of May 24, 2026.
The bulk or 7,988 of those repatriated were overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), while the rest were their dependents (1,779) and tourists/overseas Filipinos (362).
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @joveemarie
THE House of Representatives is set to conduct a comprehensive review of existing energy policies, signaling its intent to reassess regulatory frameworks that may be contributing to persistent power supply challenges, rising electricity costs, and critical mismatches in infrastructure development.
During a joint hearing of the House Committees on Energy and on Legislative Franchises, lawmakers emphasized the need to reexamine the policies of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), particularly those governing electricity pricing, ancillary services, and overall market design.
The House Committee on Energy chairman, Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez, said the chamber must go beyond surface-level assessments and scrutinize the broader regulatory and market structures shaping the country’s power sector.
“The recent disturbances we are experiencing should not be viewed in isolation,” Alvarez said, noting that these issues are
rooted in deeper policy and planning gaps. His remarks echoed concerns raised by Party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc of Apec, who underscored the urgency of reassessing existing policies that may be inadvertently driving up electricity costs.
Dagooc pointed out that the country’s energy challenges stem from a complex interplay of generation capacity, transmission readiness, and regulatory decisions. He stressed that inefficiencies across these areas ultimately translate into higher costs for consumers.
Following Dagooc’s presentation, Alvarez cautioned against placing sole blame on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), emphasizing that systemic issues must be addressed.
Dagooc explained that mismatches in infrastructure development are a key concern. “If there is a power plant but the transmission is not ready, that’s a problem. If there is transmission but there are not enough power plants, that’s also a problem,” he said.
He urged both the DOE and ERC to revisit policies related to plant siting, transmission investments, and reserve procurement,
warning that poor planning decisions could worsen supply constraints and inflate electricity prices.
In particular, Dagooc cautioned against uncoordinated power plant development, saying that improper siting leads to the need for additional transmission infrastructure—costs that are ultimately passed on to consumers.
“Power plants should not be built like mushrooms popping up everywhere. If the location is wrong, additional transmission facilities are needed, and these are also passed on to consumers,” he said.
He also flagged the continued burden of transmission congestion charges, noting that consumers shoulder additional costs ranging from P5 to P7 during such events.
Another major concern raised during the hearing was the sharp increase in ancillary service costs, which are payments made to power plants to ensure reserve capacity.
Dagooc said that following the implementation of the Reserve Market, these costs surged significantly—from around P7.9 billion under Ancillary Service Procurement Agreements (Aspa) to as high as P20.05 billion in recent years.
From 2023 to 2026 alone, combined Aspa and Reserve Market payments have reached approximately P63.5 billion, accounting for about 53 percent of charges collected through NGCP.
“Generation remains the biggest component of the electric bill at around 55 to 60 percent. A large portion of ancillary service payments goes to power plants providing reserve capacity,” Dagooc said.
He called on regulators to review existing circulars and market rules, warning that some policies may be unintentionally inflating costs while diverting attention from more fundamental issues in supply planning and system efficiency.
For his part, Alvarez said the discussions highlight the need for Congress to determine whether current policies are still responsive to the country’s energy needs, particularly in ensuring supply sufficiency, efficient transmission planning, and adequate consumer protection.
The hearing was conducted in connection with House Resolution 1024, which seeks a congressional investigation, in aid of legislation, into the widespread power disruptions that occurred on May 13.
CEBU CITY—Cebu province is ramping up preparations for its participation in the 23rd ChinaAsean Expo, where it will take center stage as the Philippines’ designated “Province of Charm” during the international gathering set for September this year. The provincial government is intensifying efforts to position Cebu as a prime hub for investment, tourism, trade and business as it prepares to represent the country at one of the region’s biggest economic and diplomatic events.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro recently met with officials from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to discuss Cebu’s role and planned activities for the expo, which
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is expected to attract major businesses and investors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China.
The meeting was led by Leah Ocampo, executive director of the DTI’s Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem), together with DTI-7 Officerin-Charge Esperanza Melgar and DTI Cebu Provincial Director Marivic Aguilar. During the briefing, Ocampo said Baricuatro is expected to join speaking engagements at the Investment Promotion Conference, where Cebu will present its economic strengths and investment opportunities to potential foreign partners. Cebu-based companies are also
In addition to this, Genelyn “Gemma” Dichoso, former secretary-general of Karapatan-Quezon, later surrendered and
expected to participate in business-tobusiness meetings aimed at forging partnerships and expanding market access.
As part of its showcase, Cebu will occupy a 54-square-meter exhibit area at the National Pavilion, featuring the province’s top tourist attractions, local products and services.
The province will also take part in the Investment Promotion Conference and mount at least 10 booths at the Commodity Trade Hall, giving Cebuano enterprises an opportunity to connect with international buyers and investors.
To add a cultural dimension to the province’s presentation, Cebuano performers are likewise expected to participate
was presented by authorities as having left the movement.
“It reveals a painful and uncomfortable reality: critics of the movement have long argued that behind slogans of activism and rights advocacy lies a machinery that gradually pulls vulnerable young people into a cycle ending not in empowerment—but in funerals. Not scholarships, but rifles. Not communities, but armed encounters. Not a future—but graves,” Torres stressed. Spy-tagging, killings
TORRES at the same time called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to look into the NPA‘s “spy-tagging” and killing of noncombatants in Negros.
“The CHR must no longer remain selectively vocal on these civilian killings perpetrated by the remnants of the NPA,” he added.
Torres said the CHR must act with dispatch, fulfill its universal mandate, and
in the expo’s activities, highlighting the province’s rich heritage and artistic talent on the international stage.
The China-Asean Expo is considered a major platform for economic cooperation and diplomatic engagement between China and Asean member countries.
It also provides opportunities for Philippine micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as larger corporations, to promote their products, expand into the Chinese market and strengthen regional business ties.
The expo is scheduled from Sept. 17 to 21, 2026, with the Philippines set to serve as the event’s “Country of Honor.” Carmel Pedroza
demonstrate equal resolve in condemning and investigating these executions.
“Human rights are not exclusive to armed rebels, activists, or ideological allies. Human rights belong equally to poor farmers, church workers, tricycle drivers, laborers, former rebels, barangay officials, and ordinary civilians murdered in remote communities,” the NTF-Elcac official noted.
Torres also urged the CHR to demand accountability and stand with the victims and their grieving families.
Earlier, Torres said that from 2021 to May 2026 alone, at least 59 documented spytagging killings and summary executions perpetrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF have been recorded all over the country.
Of these, an overwhelming 51 victims were killed in the Negros Island Region—41 in Negros Occidental and 10 in Negros Oriental. Rex Anthony Naval with PNA
www.businessmirror.com.ph
By Bless Aubrey Ogerio
THE summer construction season has failed to provide enough momentum for the local cement industry as bigger factors are weighing more heavily on the industry, the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (Cemap) said.
Cemap president John Reinier Dizon pointed to delayed government spending, inflationary pressures and global tensions, which limit the activity in one of the infrastructure sector’s biggest demand drivers.
“[The government] still hasn’t started spending. DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] still hasn’t started spending,” Dizon told reporters partly in Filipino on the sidelines of the Tatak Pinoy Expo in Pasay City.
“Government spending is slow, and there are also inflationary effects. The US-Iran war is contributing to the slowdown. Everyone is in a wait-and-see mode,” he added.
Dizon said government projects account for roughly 40 percent of cement and construction materials demand in the country.
Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed construction material prices continued to rise in April. The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index in Metro Manila accelerated to 1.9 percent in April 2026 from 1.1 percent in March and 0.3 percent in the same month last year.
Within this category, PSA data showed cement prices recorded a slower annual decline of 0.6 percent in April from the 1.5-percent drop seen earlier.
At the retail level, the Construction Materials Retail Price Index in the National Capital Region also quickened to 1.7 percent from 1.3 percent in March and 1 percent in April 2025.
Among construction materials, masonry products, which include cement, posted faster annual price growth of 1.9 percent from 1.5 percent previously.
On the other hand, data from the Department of Budget and Management showed government infrastructure spending fell 14.3
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Monday night and transitioned to retrieval operations.
The Pampanga provincial government augmented operations by deploying additional heavy equipment, medical teams and disaster responders to assist personnel on the ground.
Mabalacat City Mayor Geld Aquino earlier ordered the city’s responders to assist in rescue operations, while also directing the City Engineer’s Office to intensify inspections of construction sites in Mabalacat following the incident.
The Porac local government, led by acting Mayor Jen Capil, also deployed Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office personnel to assist in recovery operations at the collapse site.
Social Welfare Secretary Rexor Gatchalian said the Department of Social Welfare and Development would provide P10,000 in cash assistance and livelihood support to affected workers and families displaced by the collapse.
Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda and Pampanga First District Rep. Carmelo Lazatin Jr. visited affected families and assured them of continued government assistance, including psychosocial support and aid for displaced workers and relatives of the missing.
Congressman Lazatin earlier requested
percent to P1.324 trillion in 2025, partly due to delays linked to tighter project scrutiny and the fallout from controversies surrounding flood control projects.
Support local PRIORITIZE locally manufactured construction materials as domestic producers comply with Philippine standards and provide accountability that imported products may lack, Dizon told the government and consumers.
“Of course, we’re not going to lie, it’s discouraging if your own government buys imported,” he said in Filipino. “I think almost all local companies are [compliant]. We are monitored by the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry]. If you buy local, you can be sure we follow the Philippine National Standards.”
“And if there’s a problem with cement or steel, you can go to the manufacturer here. But if it’s imported, you have to complain there. That’s difficult,” he added. Asked whether cement manufacturers have raised prices, Dizon said companies continue to price products “correctly” amid prevailing market conditions.
The industry also remains under DTI safeguard measures imposing duties on imported cement, with rates set at P14 per bag or P349 per metric ton during the first year.
Flat growth for 2026 DIZON said that the sector is now expecting flat to slightly negative growth this year.
“We’re still trying to quantify, but what we can say is there’s no increase this year,” he said. “I think likely it’s a decline. We cannot say how much yet. It’s within a single digit.”
Still, he expressed hope that infrastructure spending could begin picking up toward the latter part of the second quarter or early third quarter.
“Hopefully, starting towards the end of Q2, beginning of Q3, they’ll start spending already,” he said, noting that government agencies have also become stricter in project implementation and budget releases.
additional support from the Department of Public Works and Highways for equipment deployment and from the Department of Transportation for K9 units to augment rescue efforts. Barangay Balibago officials also provided temporary shelter and assistance to displaced workers and families affected by the collapse. Barangay Captain Joseph Ponce said local officials were accounting for additional affected residents while coordinating aid distribution. Private organizations and civic groups likewise extended support to frontliners and responders.
The Red Pillars Foundation, in partnership with the office of Congressman Lazatin, deployed a mobile kitchen at the collapse site to provide hot meals for rescuers, volunteers and emergency personnel working long hours during retrieval operations. JDN Realty, through its corporate social responsibility arm Juan HEART, distributed bottled water to rescue teams stationed at the site. Meanwhile, workplace safety advocacy group Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development called for comprehensive medical, psychological and financial assistance for affected workers and their families, while urging authorities to ensure a transparent investigation into the collapse. Authorities continue to investigate in an effort to determine the cause of the incident including possible structural and occupational safety violations.
DILG reiterates call for LGUs to fast-track RE project approvals
By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga
THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday reiterated its call to local government units to streamline and accelerate the approval process for the establishment of renewable energy (RE) projects across the country. RE projects include the development of infrastructures such as energy storage systems, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass, and other renewable sources, which produce clean energy.
Luzon and Visayas grids have been intermittently on yellow and red alerts primarily because of the simultaneous tripping of two major 500-kV transmission lines, widespread forced power plant outages, and a massive surge in electricity demand due to extreme summer heat. Rotational brownouts were scheduled in many areas because of these. Through a memorandum circular, the DILG earlier laid down more optimized guidelines for securing vital documentary requirements, providing clearer procedures for applicants seeking approval of RE projects at the local level.
The DILG said the measure seeks to reduce unnecessary delays, eliminate redundant documentary requirements, and improve coordination between national government agencies and LGUs in support of the country’s RE goals. Under the directive, LGUs are required to issue a standardized Resolution of No Objection (RONO) through the Sangguniang Panlungsod or Sangguniang Bayan, replacing the Letter of No Objection (LONO) issued by local chief executives. The RONO formally greenlights the LGU’s support for the proposed RE project.
To simplify government transactions, the Department underscored that there should only be a maximum of three steps from the perspective of an applicant, namely submission of application forms and documentary requirements; receipt of order of payment; and payment of fees along with the receipt of the RONO.
LGUs must also act on RE applications within 45 working days from receipt of complete requirements. In cases of disapproval, LGUs must provide a written justification and specify remedial measures that applicants may undertake.
The directive supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s push for energy security, conservation, and faster public service delivery following the issuance of Executive Order No. 110, which declared a national energy emergency and strengthened the government’s commitment to clean and sustainable energy.
Family of ambush-slay victim pleads to DOJ to affirm its decision to file murder charges against perpetrators
THE family of ambush-slay victim
Enrique Manas Sr. has urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to affirm its decision to file murder charges against those responsible for his death in 2017. The appeal came following reports that the camp of Emilio Zosa, one of the respondents in the case filed before the the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Samar, had filed a motion for reconsideration of the DOJ’s resolution that ordered their indictment.
Manas was gunned down in Barangay Bahay in Sta. Margarita town in 2017.
The Manas family pointed to the recent ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines upholding DOJ Circular No. 20, which raised the evidentiary threshold in preliminary investigations from probable cause to prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction before criminal cases may be filed in court.
The ruling, according to the victim’s family, further strengthens the legal basis of the DOJ’s recent decision to file criminal charges in the Manas case under the same evidentiary standard.
Last April 6, the DOJ announced that the criminal information against Emilio Zosa, Arturo Deborborn, Ricky Calagos, Reymart Antivo and Sofronio Medoranda had already been received by the court on March 19, 2026. Joel R. San Juan
TBy Lenie Lectura @llectura
HE Department of Energy (DOE), the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) and Aboitiz Power Corporation proposed to evaluate potential nuclear power plant sites in the country, including the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).
The parties are discussing a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a comprehensive feasibility study on potential
nuclear power plant sites in the Philippines.
“The proposed cooperation aims to strengthen evidencebased and internationally aligned approaches to nuclear energy development by assessing site suitability, safety, security, regulatory readiness, and infrastructure requirements in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] standards,” the DOE said.
When sought for further comment, DOE director of the Energy
Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB) Patrick Aquino said it was AboitizPower that formally wrote the DOE and the NPC on the proposed MOU last year.
“Given the direction of the DOE to support nuclear, we saw value in having the MOU. It is not an exclusive MOU. The DOE can enter into similar MOU with other interested parties,” he said.
When asked if AboitizPower has informed the agency of any plans to put up a nuclear power facility, Aquino said the power firm
By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla
RESIDENT Ferdinand Mar -
Pcos Jr. has directed newly appointed Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
Acting Secretary Francis N. Tolentino to utilize the agency’s emergency employment program, Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), in order to enhance the country’s job generation initiatives and support preparations for the upcoming school year.
Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto said he relayed the directive to Tolentino during their meeting last Tuesday together with De -
partment of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Fatima Lipp D. Panontongan.
DOLE will now coordinate with DepEd for the “strategic rollout” of TUPAD.
TUPAD is the emergency employment program of DOLE, which provides its beneficiaries with 10 to 90 days of light work, such as street sweeping and cleaning of public facilities or agro-forestry projects such as tree planting.
“This is in line with the President’s directive to accelerate initiatives that will generate more job opportunities for Filipinos,” the Office of the Executive Secretary said in a statement.
is treating nuclear like any other energy resource. “When the conditions for the investment decision matrix are met, yes,” said Aquino.
“But since nuclear is heavily regulated, they are threading carefully.
Hence, the MOU.”
Anchored on the country’s Nuclear Energy Plan and Roadmap, the initiative reflects the Philippines’ continuing efforts to explore safe, secure, and sustainable nuclear energy options.
The DOE is actively advancing its nuclear energy initiatives, with
a firm target to integrate nuclear power into the national mix by 2032, aiming for at least 1,200 megawatts (MW) of capacity by that year and 4,800 MW by 2050. The strategy includes exploring Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and potentially rehabilitating the existing BNPP. Through strategic collaboration among government and private sector stakeholders, the DOE continues to advance long-term energy security, energy resiliency, and clean energy development.
By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
Under the said arrangement, TUPAD beneficiaries will help in the maintenance, repair, and beautification of public schools nationwide in time for the opening of classes next month.
DOLE was allocated over P22.4 billion in the 2026 General Appropriations Act for the implementation of TUPAD and its Government Internship Program.
It has allocated P1.2 billion of its TUPAD funds this year to help workers, who are vulnerable from the economic impact of the Middle East crisis under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) of the Marcos administration.
By Ashley J. Manabat
ANGELES CITY— A joint team from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided a residence in Barangay Balibago on Wednesday in a widening manhunt for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who was not found at the site, authorities said.
The operation targeted a house inside Diamond Subdivision after intelligence reports flagged it as a possible location linked to movements involving the former
national police chief. Authorities said the raid was tied to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged crimes against humanity in connection with the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
CIDG and local officials said the pickup vehicle and the raided property were allegedly owned by Lakay Cariño, the maternal uncle of Sen. Robinhood “Robin” Padilla’s mother, Eva Cariño. Barangay officials said the house is rented to other occupants.
Barangay Captain Ponce said officials were informed shortly before the operation. He said investigators later identified the
DAVAO CITY – The European Union (EU) has financed and turned over this week the facility for the non-Moro tribal communities to establish their “school of living tradition.”
The facility is a two-story School of Living Traditions (SLT) building in Barangay Nuro, Upi, Maguindanao del Norte, to serve as a center for cultural preservation, community learning, and traditional governance, the EU-Support to the Bangsamoro Transition (EUSubatra) said.
The SLT is one of six infrastructure projects under the EU- Subatra program to serve as a tribal hub for cultural activities and traditional conflict-resolution.
The fund was coursed through its Subatra program, the fiveyear EU-funded program and cofinanced by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), through an agreement with the Philippine government.
The EU said the project “contributes to a smooth and
timely undertaking of the transition through capacity building of the three branches of the Bangsamoro government, executive, legislative and judicial, and civil society organizations.”
EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro said the facility “represents more than just a physical structure, but a space for cultural preservation and empowerment.”
“For indigenous peoples, this is not just a building; it is a living testament to the promotion of IP culture and heritage, a place for important events and a place of empowerment,” Santoro said.
“You make the best use of this building, taking good care of it, maintaining its standard so that generations to come will benefit from it,” he added.
The municipality of Upi hosts to three non-Moro tribes, the Tedurays, who are often considered the native inhabitants and original settlers of the Upi, the Lambangians, who share ancestral domains and cultural ties with the Tedurays, and the Dulangan Manobos, who inhabit
target of the search.
Ponce added that a pickup vehicle allegedly linked to convoy movements was among the leads.
He said authorities also found multiple vehicles inside the compound.
“The CIDG ininform ang Brgy. Balibag. Ordinary na pang karaniwan na tawag lang,” he said.
“ Nalaman namin na si Sen. Bato pala ang hinahanap,” he said. Madami palang vehicles doon sa compound, mga 16,” he said.
Ponce said he has never seen Dela Rosa in the area.
“In 10 years… hindi ko pa siya nakita or nabalitaan na pumunta dito,” he said.
of living tradition’
the mountain areas of Upi.
The Spanish Ambassador Miguel Utray Delgado also witnessed the turnover of the building, along with Subatra Programme Director Mohajirin Ali, and Upi Mayor Ma. Rona Cristina Piang-Flores.
“This facility was developed not only as a physical infrastructure project but as part of a broader institutional support approach that recognizes the importance of indigenous knowledge, heritage preservation, and culturally responsive governance within the Bangsamoro,” Ali said.
In his acceptance speech, Indigenous Peoples Affairs Minister Guiamal Abdulrauf expressed gratitude for the project, saying it will serve as a home for culture, traditions, and identity.
“This is an important project that will serve as our home for culture, traditions, and identity as an indigenous community,” he said.
Construction of the facility was implemented through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Manuel T. Cayon
ACIVILIAN‑led Truth Commission was formally launched on Wednesday to investigate and document extrajudicial killings linked to the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs,” nearly a decade after the violence escalated nationwide.
The establishment of a national truth- seeking body comes against a historic backdrop: the International Criminal Court (ICC) is prosecuting former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the first Asian head of state committed to trial at The Hague.
Observers note that the coexistence of a national Truth Commission and an ICC prosecution reflects a dual approach to justice seen in other countries such as Kenya, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. In this framework, the commission complements judicial proceedings by building a verified public record.
“The Truth Commission was created to ensure that the stories of victims, survivors, and families are heard, verified, and preserved. This is not about replacing the courts or assigning guilt. It is about building a credible truth record that can guide accountability, healing, reform, and the prevention of future violence,” said Atty. Raul Pangalangan, former ICC judge and now Commissioner for Legal Affairs and Due Process.
The commission is structured to
ACATASTROPHIC fish kill and severe red tide outbreak across Panguil Bay have left local artisanal fisherfolk in extreme economic distress, and Panguil Bay in environmental shock, environmental and climate justice advocates said, prompting calls for emergency relief and a thorough investigation.
In a statement, the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) reported that the disaster escalated on May 13, 2026, when the local government unit of Tubod, Lanao del Norte, convened an emergency meeting to address widespread water discoloration and mass fish mortality.
On May 16, 2026, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) officially raised a red tide alert for the entire bay after laboratory tests verified heavy blooms of toxic marine plankton, specifically Gymnodinium and Pleurosigma species.
Reports said the shellfish from Tangub City, Misamis Occidental, tested positive for dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish toxin. PMCJ asserts that while the algal bloom may result from warmer water temperatures exacerbated by the climate crisis, its sheer severity is intensified by localized, unregulated corporate economic activities. High concentrations of industrial and agricultural nutrient runoffs into the bay act as fertilizers for these
operate independently of government. Cardinal Pablo “Ambo” David serves as Adviser, tasked with safeguarding moral authority, survivor protection, and public trust.
Its leadership includes specialized commissioners:
n Dr. Raquel Fortun — Forensic Sciences and Independent Investigation nDr. Al Fuertes — Psychosocial Support and Trauma Healing nFr. Daniel Pilario — Church and Education, Truth Literacy, Institutional Reform nCarlos Conde — Public Documentation, Transparency, Democratic Accountability; also Executive Director
A central mechanism will be Public Truth Hearings, conducted under non-adversarial rules to ensure dignity and safety. Hearings may be public, semi- public, closed, anonymized, or representative, depending on risks and consent.
Participants are expected to include victims, families, former perpetrators, officials, academics, and faith leaders.
The commission aims to produce evidence -based recommendations and “referral-ready packages” for lawful institutions such as the Commission on Human Rights, Department of Justice, Napolcom, and the National Bureau of Investigation to support reform and long-term accountability.
lethal plankton blooms.
“Our fisherfolk are trapped in a net of climate vulnerability and environmental neglect,” said Tresito “Tito” Fiel, PMCJ Iligan City, Lanao del Norte team leader. “Fisherfolk depend on the number of fish they catch, which in turn is directly affected by the effects brought upon by the climate crisis, and the potential increased pollution and disruption of marine ecosystems.”
“The warming seas are triggering these red tides, but corporate polluters dumping waste into Panguil Bay are fueling the fire. We cannot allow the government just to wait out the algae bloom while coastal families starve. We need accountability and systemic relief now,” Fiel asserted.
The group said the impacts now span multiple coastal towns across Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental, affecting seafood trade and stripping thousands of families of their primary food source and daily income.
“We are past the point of issuing simple warnings. If the BFAR, provincial local government units, and waste management sectors do not immediately enforce strict pollution controls and deploy emergency economic subsidies, Panguil Bay’s
A6 Thursday, May 28, 2026
Editor: Angel R. Calso
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent US strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war, and the Islamic Republic began restoring internet access after one of the longest nationwide shutdowns ever.
The US military characterized Monday’s strikes in southern Iran as defensive, with targets that included missile launch sites and minelaying boats, and said the US acted with “restraint” in light of the weekslong ceasefire.
Iran’s foreign ministry called the strikes a ceasefire violation and warned that Washington would bear responsibility for “all consequences,” without elaborating.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will leave no act of aggression unanswered,” it added in a statement.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Tuesday that it shot down at least one drone and deterred another drone and a fighter jet that entered its airspace, according to Iran’s official Mizan news agency. It didn’t specify when the incidents occurred.
Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, used a statement about Islam’s annual Hajj pilgrimage to address his country’s confrontation with the US and Israel, declaring that other Mideast nations “will no longer serve as a shield” for US military bases. Iran has previously complained about US military facilities in the region and targeted them. It was not immediately clear what the developments would mean for negotiations.
Iranian state TV reported Tuesday that Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Qatar, where talks had been taking place. The report did not elaborate or point to any next steps.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio projected that talks on extending the ceasefire and reopen -
ing the crucial Strait of Hormuz will “take a few days.”
Iranians get back online, to some extent
MEANWHILE , Iranian authorities eased a monthslong internet shutdown that they cast as a wartime necessity, but that has cost the country’s economy an estimated $30 million to $40 million a day. Internet users reported that access was gradually being restored, at least in some places. State media said fixed broadband service was back. It was unclear when mobile internet would be widely restored.
Iran has long enforced filters and policed content on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. But before the war, Iranians could bypass restrictions with cheap virtual private networks, known as VPNs, and other easy workarounds.
Authorities cut off internet access in January during massive anti-government demonstrations and later began to relax those restrictions before imposing a complete internet blackout after the US and Israel attacked on Feb. 28.
The internet outage made it difficult for Iranians outside the country to maintain contact with loved ones, and the lack of connectivity devastated the country’s relatively vibrant online businesses, putting further pressure on an already battered economy.
An execution in Iran
IN other developments, Iran hanged a man it convicted of spying for Israel, the latest of more than two dozen allegedly espionage- and security-related executions since the war intensified a crackdown on dissent.
The Iranian judiciary’s news outlet, Mizanonline, identified the man as Gholamreza Khani Shakarab, calling him “a ringleader” for operations for Israel’s intelligence agency, the Mossad, and accusing him of recruiting members inside and outside Iran to work against the nation’s security. He was involved in sports and traveled to neighboring countries, according to the news agency.
Activists and rights groups say
Trump assembles Cabinet as he moves to strike a deal aimed at ending the war
By Aamer Madhani The Associated Press
ASHINGTON—President
WDonald Trump will meet with his Cabinet on Wednesday at a precarious moment for talks aimed at ending the war with Iran, just days after insisting that his administration and Tehran had “largely negotiated” a settlement but with the negotiations still in a state of flux.
As he prepares to huddle with his top aides, Trump is projecting confidence that he’s closing in on a deal that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him a credible argument that Iran’s nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory, winding down a conflict that’s been politically unpopular for Republicans. But as things stand, Trump also risks finding closure to his war of choice comes with an unsatisfactory ending.
The emerging deal puts off many critical issues to be resolved later and has already exposed the president to fierce criticism—even from some of his own supporters—that Iran’s hardline leaders will emerge from the conflict battered but emboldened. It all comes to a head just as the midterm elections to determine control of Congress come into focus and as Republicans worry that rising costs and fuel prices are darkening the American electorate’s mood.
Talks were further complicated after US forces carried out what the Pentagon called “defensive” strikes on missile launch sites and mine-laying boats in southern Iran on Monday. The US said it acted with “restraint” in light of the weekslong ceasefire, while Iran decried the action as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that talks with Iran on reopening the strait and extending the ceasefire—a period that the administration says could be used to hash out the finer details of a nuclear agreement—will take several more days. “He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” Rubio told reporters.
Trump for his part took to social media on Tuesday to grumble that even if Tehran were to offer a complete surrender, the media
would paint the end of the conflict as Iran scoring “a Masterful and Brilliant Victory.”
Some Trump backers are skeptical WHILE Trump insists a deal is within reach, there appears to be daylight between the US and Iran on several key issues. The president is also facing scrutiny from Republican allies, including Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ted Cruz of Texas, who have said the terms seem too favorable to Tehran.
They’re balking at aspects of the deal that have emerged publicly that they say too closely resemble the nuclear agreement reached with Iran by former President Barack Obama, which Trump scrapped during his first term.
Under the potential deal, Tehran would agree to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium—a key Trump demand—in return for sanctions relief.
That’s according to two regional officials and one senior Trump administration official, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations.
One regional official, with direct knowledge of the negotiations, said how Iran would give up the uranium would be
subject to further talks during a 60-day period. Some would likely be diluted, while the rest would be transferred to a third country, the official said.
Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran has not publicly committed to giving up its uranium.
Trump on Monday said in a Truth Social post that the uranium, which is believed to be buried under nuclear sites battered by US air strikes last year, would either be turned over to the US or “destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event.” The comment signals a softening of Trump’s previous insistence that the US take control of Iran’s uranium stockpile.
How Trump’s plan affects Israel’s war in Lebanon ANOTHER key issue unresolved is whether the ceasefire will also cover Israel’s operations against Hezbollah, the Iranianbacked militant group in Lebanon. Iran has insisted that Lebanon must be covered by any ceasefire agreement negotiated with the United States.
The administration appears to leave some wiggle room on the Lebanon question. The emerging memorandum of understanding calls for a ceasefire between the US and its allies against Iran and its proxies, such as Hezbollah, but also underscores Israel’s right to act against imminent threats and in self-defense.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday announced that the Israeli military is “deepening its operation” in Lebanon.
Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said Israel expects that Iran would quickly move to direct any sanctions relief to restore its military capability and boost proxy groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza.
“We’re not done fighting, because the Iranian regime isn’t done,” said Conricus, who is a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank.
‘Stunned silence’ as Trump ties Abraham Accords to Iran deal TRUMP on Monday said any agreement to end the Iran war should include a requirement for several additional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan, to join the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered agreements from Trump’s first term aimed at normalizing diplomatic and economic relations with Israel.
Trump’s optimism that the other Middle Eastern and majority Muslim countries could soon sign on to the accords might be overly ambitious.
For example, Saudi Arabia, the most significant power in the Arab world and long seen as the biggest prize for the normalization effort, has insisted that establishing a guaranteed path to a Palestinian state remains a precondition. It’s something that Israel vehemently opposes.
Trump made the Abraham Accords push during a call with leaders of Mideast allies over the weekend.
Barbara Leaf, a retired US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and senior
Iran routinely holds closed-door trials in which defendants are unable to challenge accusations and often are forced to confess.
The official judiciary agency said the country’s Supreme Court had upheld Shakarab’s death sentence.
Global food official concerned about strait closure
THE US strikes were the latest flare-up in the fragile ceasefire that began April 7 and has largely held.
Negotiations center in part on the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway off southern Iran through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and natural gas passed before the war began. Once the fighting
In
started, Tehran retaliated by effectively closing the strait, stranding hundreds of ships, shocking the global economy, disrupting energy markets and squeezing fertilizer supplies worldwide.
Iran has let a limited number of ships pass and has charged tolls.
The Revolutionary Guard navy said Tuesday that 25 oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels were allowed to pass in the previous 24 hours, according to state broadcaster IRIB. Before the war, over 100 ships a day went through the strait.
The full effect of the fertilizer crunch might not become clear until harvests that are months away. U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu warned Tuesday at an event in Rome that “the decisions we make now will determine whether this remains a manageable shock or evolves into a deeper global food security crisis in 2026 and 2027 and beyond.”
The strait has become a powerful lever for Tehran in talks, joining the long-running issue of Iran’s nuclear program and its highly enriched uranium. Iran wants the US to lift its military blockade of Iranian ports that began on April 17.
In the nearby Gulf of Oman, an explosion was reported Tuesday aboard a tanker, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center. No one was injured, and there was no immediate information on the cause. AP
Congo displacement camp, fighting Ebola with sand, oatmeal and one thermometer but no water
By Justin Kabumba & Monika Pronczuk The Associated Press
BUNIA, Congo—There is one handwashing station and one infrared thermometer to fight the Ebola epidemic in a camp for 10,000 displaced people in Bunia, a city at the heart of the outbreak in eastern Congo.
Camp leaders say they tell residents to wash their hands before eating—with soap for the lucky ones who have it. For the rest, the advice is to use oatmeal or sand.
“My fear is that we are here with nothing to protect ourselves. We have no protection, no water or soap, and we live near garbage,” Francine Leve Janguzi, a resident of the so-called ISP camp told The Associated Press, as she opened an empty tap in a sea of tarpaulin roofs.
Supplies are being rushed to Ituri province as aid groups and healthcare workers try to stem an outbreak of the infectious disease that has been declared a global health emergency.
“Eastern DRC’s years of conflict and displacement have left health systems on their knees, and that makes containing this outbreak all the harder,” said Heather Kerr, Congo director with the International Rescue Committee.
Almost a million people have been displaced from their homes by conflict in Ituri, according to the U.N.
That means this Ebola outbreak is “unfolding in communities already facing insecurity, displacement and fragile healthcare systems,” said Gabriela Arenas, a regional coordinator at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The majority of residents of the ISP camp—which owes its name to its proximity to the Higher Pedagogical Institute, or Institut Superieur Pedagogique in French—were forced to leave their villages in the Djugu territory following attacks by CODECO, one of the multiple armed groups which operate in the region.
“I’ve been here for eight and a half years. Now we’re hearing about Ebola,”
But frontline responders are concerned the disease might spread to the large displacement camps located near Bunia, where thousands of people are crammed into limited space, without access to basic hygiene.
By Stan Choe AP Business Writer
NEW YORK—The US stock market rose to records Tuesday as it caught up with climbs for others around the world from the day before, when President Donald Trump said negotiations were “proceeding nicely” with Iran on ending their war.
The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% after trading resumed following Monday’s holiday and set an alltime high. The Nasdaq composite rallied 1.2% to set its own record, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 118 points, or 0.2%, from its all-time high. Stock markets in much of the rest of the world pulled back from their gains the day before, as fighting continued in the region and the US military said it carried out “selfdefense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines. Markets have rallied in the past on hopes for a coming end to the war with Iran,
only to see the conflict drag on.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, rose 3.5% to $96.67, but that reclaimed only some of its plunge from Monday. The price for a barrel of US crude oil, meanwhile, fell 2.8% to settle at $93.89.
Oil prices have been at the center of financial markets’ action since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February. The ensuing war has closed the Strait of Hormuz and kept oil tankers pent up in the Persian Gulf instead of delivering crude to customers worldwide. That in turn has driven up oil’s price and sent
By Echo Wong
INDONESIA’S first sovereign wealth fund is investing in a mix of funds and private companies as it bets on infrastructure around artificial intelligence, part of a global investment boom in the sector.
The Indonesia Investment Authority and its co-investors have deployed around 74.5 trillion rupiah ($4.2 billion) so far, and about 30% of that has gone into digital infrastructure, Chief Investment Officer Christopher Ganis said in an interview. INA, which manages more than $8 billion, has closed a handful of digital infrastructure deals, he said, including participating in a funding round for DayOne Data Centres Ltd., a spinoff of Chinese company GDS Holdings Ltd.
The fund’s commitment to AI infrastructure underscores a global rush to invest in data centers and other beneficiaries of the machine-learning revolution. At least $3 trillion is set to flow into data centerrelated investments over the next five years, according to Moody’s Ratings, creating huge opportunities for funds like INA. Digital is one of five focus areas for the five-year-old fund, which will earmark as much as 30% of its annual allocations to the sector, Ganis said. While “a lot of these AI developments are coming outside of Indonesia, it does not mean that’s a trend that we will just skip,” he said.
INA e xpects the AI boom to benefit Indonesia as companies bring training and research centers to the country, which has one of the youngest populations in Asia. Its investment portfolio includes data centers
State Department official during the Biden administration, said officials from Gulf countries who were on the call told her that Trump’s pitch was greeted by “stunned silence.” A person familiar with the call disputed that characterization and that some regional allies responded positively
with 72 megawatts of planned capacity and a 100% committed occupancy rate, according to its website.
A t a time when the US and China are competing over AI, Ganis said INA will take a “non-bloc” approach to work with a variety of partners.
AI is a sec tor in a “multi-polar world” where countries will push to create national or regional champions, Ganis said. But companies will see Indonesia as a market where they can boost their productivity and expansion, he added.
While the Middle East conflict is putting pressure on net oil importers like Indonesia, Ganis said the country’s existing data centers are operating in industrial zones with secure power supplies. Still, he’s cautious about a further potential surge in oil prices.
“I don’t think you can make a broadstroke statement on the impact,” Ganis said, adding that the fund would have to assess factors including future power contracts to see the effect.
T he sovereign fund, which was established in December 2020, has experienced a series of leadership reshuffles recently. Its peer Danantara, with a much larger mandate, is also looking to invest in data centers.
INA started with a focus on investing in private equity with minority shareholding structures, and has since expanded into private credit and real estate. The vehicle was funded initially with government equity holdings and cash and relied on stock dividends and interest for most of its income. Ganis expects the portion to gradually tail off as investment income makes up a bigger share. Bloomberg News
Still, they have been supportive of Trump pursuing an end to the conflict. “They see no other way out,” Leaf said of American allies in the region. “And they see no other way out because of many of these early mistakes that the president and the administration made in conducting the war.”
and
a wave of painful inflation around the world.
Hopes for a deal to improve the flow of oil helped lift stocks of companies with big fuel bills. United Airlines rose 6%, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings steamed 4.9% higher.
Big technology stocks also continued their big runs. Micron Technology’s stock leaped 19.3% to top $895.88 and was the strongest force lifting the S&P 500 after analysts at UBS led by Timothy Arcuri raised their 12-month price target for the stock to $1,625 from $535.
The analysts are forecasting continued strength in demand for computer memory, and Micron’s stock has already more than tripled so far this year. It’s the latest Big Tech company to top an overall value of $1 trillion and joined such behemoths as Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft, which have each blown past $3 trillion.
On the losing side of Wall Street was AutoZone, which dropped 9% after reporting slightly weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Phil Daniele said performance for the retailer’s stores in Brazil and Mexico was below its plan, though its overall profit topped analysts’
expectations.
All told, the S&P 500 rose 45.65 points to 7,519.12. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 118.02 to 50,461.68, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 312.21 to 26,656.18.
Lower oil prices helped pull yields down in the US bond market, which eased the pressure on Wall Street. The yield on the 10year Treasury fell to 4.49% from 4.56% late Friday.
It’s a respite following recent
gains for yields in bond markets worldwide, which threatened to slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and all kinds of other investments. High yields have already forced the average long-term US mortgage rate to its most expensive level since last summer, and they could curtail companies’ borrowing to build the artificial-intelligence data centers that have supported the US economy’s growth recently.
Most big US companies have
been reporting both profit and revenue for the start of 2026 above what analysts expected. The strong performances have helped vault US stocks to records, even with all the uncertainty around oil prices and the war with Iran. US households have been feeling discouraged about the economy because of accelerating inflation, and a report on Tuesday said consumer confidence edged downward in May, though the number was not as bad as economists expected. It followed a report on Friday that said sentiment among US consumers hit its lowest level on record.
In stock markets abroad, many indexes slipped, including a 0.2% dip for Japan’s Nikkei 225 from its all-time high set the day before. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.5% as it caught up with other markets following its closure on Monday for a holiday. London’s FTSE 100 added 0.2% even though British petroleum giant BP fell 4% there. BP ousted its chairman over what it called serious concerns related to “important governance standards, oversight and conduct.”
AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.
‘Dangerous for our economy’: Swiss CEOs battle population cap ahead of June vote
By Bastian Benrath-Wright, Levin Stamm & Allegra Catelli
AT its headquarters in Basel, Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG employs workers from more than 100 countries. In less than a month, the access to international talent that it’s long enjoyed could come under serious threat.
On June 14, Switzerland will vote on a plan to cap the population at 10 million, requiring a severe reduction in immigration. That would affect businesses from manufacturers to banks to tech firms, who have in recent decades brought hundreds of thousands of people into the country to fill jobs. Roche’s chairman, Severin Schwan, has called it “dangerous for our society and for the economy.”
“Switzerland cannot meet the need for bright minds on its own,” he told shareholders earlier this year. “It’s vital to keep the borders open for top talent.”
Roche’s international workforce is a story repeated across the country. In Zurich, Google employs more than 5,000 people from 85 countries. On the shores of Lake Geneva, Logitech International SA boss Hanneke Faber stresses the importance of international talent from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, which she calls the “MIT of Europe.”
But as Switzerland’s high wages and quality of life make it attractive for foreign workers, the population has surged above 9.1 million people. Right-wing campaigners say the situation is out of control, and voters are getting on board. Polls show the electorate split down the middle, giving the proposal a realistic chance of passing.
Unlike anti-immigration campaigns seen in other European countries, the Swiss push doesn’t just target asylum seekers and
camp resident Janguzi said. “Look at the state of where we’re sleeping. We don’t have any help whatsoever. We don’t have soap or water, yet we’re told to wash our hands regularly and be clean.”
There is no vaccine or treatment for the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola, which has been spreading undetected for weeks in eastern Congo. Standard tests struggle to detect the Bundibugyo. Over 1,000 suspected cases and at least
refugees. It would also, if needed, bar highearning bankers, scientists and engineers from entering the country.
The extreme idea has alarmed executives in Switzerland’s impressive roster of blue-chip firms. Novartis AG says reliable access to international talent is critical for businesses. For Nestle SA, the “free movement of skilled professionals from diverse backgrounds helps ensure that the country remains innovative and prosperous.”
The danger is not only a smaller labor pool but a rupture with the European Union, Switzerland’s biggest export market. The bloc’s principle of free movement underpins wider economic accords that ensure Swiss firms’ access to a $21 trillion economy and its 450 million consumers. Under the population proposal, Switzerland could ultimately have to terminate free movement agreements.
However, warnings about long-term economic fallout appear to be struggling to get through to voters who see long lines at apartment viewings, expensive rents and crowded trains that are affecting them right
now. The cap appears to offer an easy fix, with a message that there’s just no more space for newcomers.
It’s even got traction among those who work for companies which benefit from foreign talent. In private conversations, executives at international banks say they can see some merit in the idea as a response to strains in areas like housing.
The so-called “Sustainability Initiative” is championed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, or SVP. Thomas Matter, a Zurich lawmaker leading the campaign, said the problem is immigrants who in his view don’t contribute to the economy.
With a limit on arrivals, “there will be competition” over who gets to bring in people, Matter said in an interview. “Companies will push to ensure that these are actually workers — who will benefit Switzerland — and not asylum abusers.”
His argument is resonating in a country where keeping the gates shut has long been popular. Switzerland’s national identity is tied to neutrality and having no limits on its sovereignty. The country never joined the
220 deaths had already been recorded as of Tuesday, including seven confirmed cases in Uganda. But the World Health Organization and aid groups on the ground say the outbreak is much larger.
Ebola is a highly contagious virus and can be contracted from bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is rare but severe and often fatal. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and unexplained bleeding or bruising.
Eastern Congo has for years seen attacks by dozens of separate rebel and militant groups, some of them with links
to foreign countries or the extremist Islamic State group. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are in control of parts of the region. While the Congolese government still largely controls the northeastern Ituri Province, the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, that control is tenuous. The Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan Islamist group linked to IS, is one of the dominant rebel groups there and responsible for violent attacks against civilian targets.
Before the outbreak, humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders said in an assessment that the insecurity in Ituri had
EU, for example, despite being surrounded by the bloc.
And becoming a citizen isn’t simple either. The process—if not married to a Swiss citizen—only starts after living in Switzerland for 10 years and can then take an additional number of years to complete. It involves language proficiency and tests on history and politics, as well as proving to local and national officials that you are “successfully integrated and are familiar with the Swiss way of life.” Many people take citizenship preparation courses. The proposal on the ballot says that the population can’t exceed 10 million before 2050. Calculations based on demographic trends suggest that would mean net migration can’t exceed about 30,000 per year. That’s less than half the average over the past decade.
Under the plan, the government would need to start limiting immigration once the population reaches 9.5 million, which could happen in just four years.
Voter approval would mark another step forward for right-wing causes in Europe after the recent success of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party in local elections there. In Germany, polls suggest the nationalist Alternative for Germany is on track to take over its first state government later this year.
For Switzerland’s SVP, whose ascent began in the early 1990s with derailing the government’s bid to join the European Economic Area, it would be a milestone moment in two long-running priorities: limiting ties with the EU and tightening immigration controls.
The decisive question is whether Swiss voters will be swayed by the risk of a long-term fallout for the economy. With assistance from Fabienne Kinzelmann/ Bloomberg
worsened recently, causing doctors and nurses to flee and leaving overwhelmed health facilities and in some parts, “catastrophic conditions.”
Gérard Maki, a community leader in the camp, told AP the disease is very frightening. “I’ve learned that there’s no cure, which is why it scares me.... Our government should also do everything possible to find a solution to this disease.”
Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Jean-Yves Kamale contributed to this report from Kinshasa.
THE Philippines is facing a choice that will define its economic future. And according to Rep. Brian Poe, that choice is deceptively simple: protect the country’s marine biodiversity, or watch a trillionpeso industry collapse. (Read the BusinessMirror story: “Blue economy is a P1T economic engine PHL cannot afford to lose—solon,” May 19, 2026).
In a recent privilege speech marking National Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month, Poe delivered a message that deserves far more attention than it has received. Marine conservation, he argued, is not an environmental luxury—it is an economic imperative. And the numbers back him up.
In 2024, the Philippine ocean economy generated P1.01 trillion, accounting for 3.8 percent of GDP and supporting 2.39 million jobs. Ocean fishing alone represents nearly a quarter of that output. These are not trivial figures. They represent real families, real communities, and a real source of national resilience.
Yet this engine of prosperity is being sabotaged from within. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing drains an estimated P41.8 billion to P62.6 billion from the economy every year. That is not a rounding error—it is several times larger than the P11.16 billion budget of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for 2026. That is money that could have built patrol vessels, cold storage facilities, and livelihood programs. Instead, it vanishes into the hands of those who pillage a shared national treasure.
Meanwhile, the human toll is stark. Small-scale fisherfolk in Pangasinan, Bataan, and Tarlac now routinely spend more on fuel and gear than they earn from their catch. Marine municipal fisheries output fell by 6.7 percent in 2025. The trend is clear: the little guy is being squeezed out while industrial fishing expands.
Poe is right to reject the easy temptation of imports. In 2023, the Philippines imported over 300,000 metric tons of tuna, mackerel, and galunggong—much of it from China. A maritime nation surrounded by some of the richest waters on Earth should not be begging for fish from abroad. Doing so surrenders food security to global supply shocks and geopolitical whims.
The Coral Triangle—often called the “Amazon of the Seas”—lies at our doorstep. The Philippines hosts over 500 coral species and more than 2,400 marine fish species. This is natural capital in its purest form. Tuna from General Santos, whale sharks from Donsol, humpback whales near Batanes—these are not just wonders to behold. They are economic assets.
What is required now is not a choice between conservation and growth. That is a false dichotomy. What is required is recognition that conservation is growth—sustainable, long-term, resilient growth. Strengthening marine protected areas, rehabilitating mangroves, and enforcing science-based fisheries management are not costs. They are high-return investments.
With 36,000 kilometers of coastline and only 40 patrol vessels for fisheries protection, the Philippines remains dangerously underfunded in enforcement. Every peso spent on closing that gap protects jobs, preserves food supply, and safeguards a trillion-peso industry.
The message from Congress should be clear: protecting our seas is protecting our sovereignty, our dinner, and our survival. If we fail to act, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
TJohn Mangun
HE Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative says there are 11 billion barrels of oil beneath the South China Sea. The USGS said 12 billion in 2012. Older Chinese estimates from CNOOC cited up to 213 billion. An April Fool’s Day Facebook post announced that a joint Philippine-China exploration had discovered reserves of 1 trillion barrels.
According to Rystad Energy, one of the most respected independent energy data firms in the world, the South China Sea holds 3.6 billion barrels in proven and probable reserves. Saudi Arabia holds 267 billion. If Beijing’s ambition in these waters were purely about what lies underneath them, it would be among the worst high- cost, low- success return-oninvestment calculations any government has made since the building of the Great Wall.
And yet Manila keeps making the wrong argument.
Every Philippine administration for 20 years has treated this as a resource dispute—service contracts, gas yields, who owns which rocky outcropping. That framing has led the Philippines to negotiate the wrong deal, with the wrong counterparty, over the wrong thing. It is because China does not want the oil under the South China Sea. China
wants the oil moving across it.
The reserve numbers make the case clearly. At China’s consumption rate of roughly 16 million barrels a day, Rystad’s 3.6 billion barrels would last about seven months. But that is oil in place, not what anyone can actually pull out. The South China Sea’s geology is fractured, the water is deep, the typhoons are regular, and the infrastructure is thin. Realistic recovery rates run between 10 and 30 percent. Do the arithmetic and you get somewhere between three weeks and two months of meeting Chinese demand. Beijing has spent tens of billions militarizing atolls and absorbing sustained international condemnation for access to, at best, two months of oil. That is not an energy strategy.
The confirmed reserves, such as they are, sit mostly in shallow water close to uncontested shorelines, inside the existing economic zones
of Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The deep water under the disputed islands, the area China has turned into a construction site, holds the least-explored and geologically least-promising acreage in the entire sea. If oil were the point, China would be in the wrong place.
What China drew the nine-dash line around was something else entirely.
Nearly all of China’s seaborne oil imports thread through the Strait of Malacca and north across these waters. The South China Sea is not Beijing’s prospective oil field. It is the exposed artery through which the fuel of the world’s second-largest economy travels, unprotected, every hour of every day. All their artificial islands planted on submerged reefs and atolls, every coast guard vessel parked near Scarborough Shoal, every warship trailing a Philippine survey boat is not China fishing for gas royalties. It is China building a fence around its own oil supply line and calling the fence a sovereign boundary.
Manila has been filing legal briefs about the seabed while Beijing has been fortifying the waterway above it.
The joint development frameworks that every Philippine administration has so desperately wanted looks different once you see the real game. Sharing drilling rights with CNOOC is a commercial arrangement. Letting China embed itself into the SCS is something the country’s energy bills will confirm soon enough.
Malampaya is running out. The LNG that will replace it arrives by the same sea lanes that are now effectively under Chinese control. The 2016 arbitral ruling did not change Chinese behavior because Beijing was never primarily interested in the legal status of the seabed. The ruling addressed the wrong argument. China acknowledged it, filed it away, and continued building the islands that are not oil drilling platforms. They are military watchtowers. Reed Bank should be drilled. Not because the gas there will make the Philippines energy-independent— it will not—but because sovereign rights unexercised tend to disappear quietly, and the Philippines has a ruling that says those rights exist.
The South China Sea dispute was never about what is underneath it. It was always about what moves across it. China understood that first. So does the United States—which is precisely why American naval vessels keep sailing through waters Beijing wants treated as Chinese territory.
If this were genuinely an oil dispute, every major energy company on earth would be camped outside Xi Jinping’s office offering the sun, the moon, and the stars to get a piece of the action. The way they once did in Venezuela.
E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.
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By Brian Platt
CANADA has reached a deal to supply Germany with liquefied natural gas from a planned facility on the west coast, a boost for Prime Minister Mark Carney, who wants to double the country’s exports to non-US markets.
The gas would come from the Ksi Lisims LNG project, a proposed C$10 billion ($7.2 billion) export plant in northwestern British Columbia, near the Alaska panhandle. Under the terms, Germany will agree to buy as much as 1 million metric tons a year of LNG from Canada. That’s the equivalent of the energy needed to provide electricity to New York City for more than a month.
The deal will be announced Wednesday by Canadian Energy Minister Tim Hodgson, according to people familiar with the matter, speaking on condition they not be identified because the matter is still private.
It’s a step forward for the leaders of both countries, who have talked about energy deals but have been
hamstrung by Canada’s failure to build the necessary infrastructure for LNG. Canada has enormous natural gas reserves, especially in the western provinces, but sends most of its production to the US through pipelines. The country didn’t have an LNG export facility on the west coast until about a year ago, with the startup of the first phase of LNG Canada, which is backed by Shell Plc and other energy companies. Germany, as Europe’s largest economy and its industrial powerhouse, has been buffeted by a series of energy crises—first with Russia’s assault on Ukraine and more recently by the war in the Middle East. The buyer of the gas would be SEFE, the former Gazprom PJSC unit nation-
It’s a step forward for the leaders of both countries, who have talked about energy deals but have been hamstrung by Canada’s failure to build the necessary infrastructure for LNG.
alized by the German government after the invasion of Ukraine.
The group behind Ksi Lisims hasn’t yet reached a final investment decision to start construction. But the project has already received regulatory approval, and its investors want to build a facility capable of producing 12 million metric tons a year of LNG.
Ksi Lisims LNG is backed by Blackstone Inc.-funded Western LNG, as well as Rockies LNG Partners and the Nisga’a Nation, an Indigenous group that owns the development land.
Officials with SEFE, Western LNG and the Canadian government declined to comment. Representatives for Rockies LNG Partners and the Nisga’a Nation didn’t respond to
requests for comment. Hodgson, speaking in a recent interview with Bloomberg News, said European nations are actively looking for a reliable supply of gas to replace flows from Russia and the Middle East, which have been disrupted by war.
Asked whether west coast LNG could be shipped from Canada to Europe through the Panama Canal, Hodgson said there are multiple options.
“Some ships will go through Panama, some will go around, some they’ll just trade” to other buyers, in return for LNG cargoes that are closer to Europe, he said.
European countries don’t want to become overly reliant on American gas, the minister said—partly because of trade tensions with the Trump administration but also because they want the security that comes with having a range of suppliers.
“We can be that alternative,” See “Germany,” A9
China’s industrial profits soar at fastest in over two years
CHINA’S industrial companies saw their profits soar at the fastest in more than two years, lifted higher by demand for artificial intelligence-related goods and a surge in oil prices stemming from the Iran war.
Profits soared 24.7 percent in April from a year ago, accelerating from a 15.8 percent jump in the previous month, according to data released on Wednesday by the National Bureau of Statistics. For the first four months, they increased more than 18 percent.
Bloomberg Economics had expected a gain of about 19 percent year on year in April.
“The rebound in industrial product prices led to faster growth in profits among industrial companies, with new sectors like equipment and high-tech manufacturing leading them,” Yu Weining, a statistician at the NBS, said in a statement accompanying the release.
The yuan extended gains to trade 0.1 percent higher at 6.7816 against the dollar in the offshore market following the data. China’s 10-year government bond yield remained steady at 1.74 percent.
“China’s faster April profit growth shows the energy shock has largely been positive, so far—with faster rises in factory-gate prices boosting earnings. The hit to global demand for Chinese manufacturers appears contained for now, based on robust exports in the month,” said Bloomberg economist Eric Zhu.
A global energy crisis triggered by the war in Iran pushed factory inflation in April to the highest level since July 2022, improving the earnings of upstream producers such as oil and gas companies. In addition, booming investment in artificial intelligence has led to soaring demand for Chinese electronics from chips to printed circuit boards.
But few economists see a strong pickup of consumer inflation because of soft household spending and private investment, even though China is set to exit economy-wide deflation this quarter. That means consumer-facing factories will likely struggle to pass on higher raw material costs to clients, resulting in a squeeze on profits.
The divergence in profit growth between upstream and downstream sectors is widening, revealing a split between those industries benefiting from higher oil prices and the AI boom and others like makers of apparel, shoes and furniture.
continued from A8
Profits soared 24.7 percent in April from a year ago, accelerating from a 15.8 percent jump in the previous month, according to data released on Wednesday by the National Bureau of Statistics. For the first four months, they increased more than 18 percent.
Earnings by the oil and gas extraction industry expanded 8% in the first four months of 2026 from a year ago, reversing from a decline of 19 percent for the whole of 2025.
Other raw material producers that rely on oil also benefited from higher prices. The chemicals sector, for example, had profits soar over 70 percent in the first four months this year.
The electronics industry, buoyed by higher AI demand and surging chip prices, saw profits climb 108 percent in the first four months. It contributed to nearly half of the overall expansion in industrial profit during the period, according to the NBS.
As a result of the chip boom, profits among producers of specialized electronic materials and optical fibers soared over 600 percent and 340 percent, respectively, according to the statistics service. Non-ferrous metals such as aluminum and copper also saw greater demand because of the global AI buildout, driving higher profits for companies that process such metals.
In contrast, a slew of downstream sectors suffered from double-digit declines in profits that are only getting worse. Furniture makers saw their earnings plunge 54 percent in the first four months, accelerating from the first quarter’s drop of 45 percent. Textile and apparel firms recorded a 14 percent decrease in profits in the first four months.
Years of weak demand and excessive supply resulted in intense price competition among Chinese industrial firms, driving their profit margin to 5.3 percent at the end of last year, the lowest in data dating back to 2014. Their profits have fallen or stagnated for four straight years, before rebounding strongly from early this year. With assistance from Iris Ouyang/Bloomberg
Trump wraps up 3-hour medical visit to Walter Reed and declares ‘Everything checked out PERFECTLY’
By Collin Binkley | The Associated Press
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump had another medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed public scrutiny after he has worked to dismiss concerns over his age and stamina.
The 79-year-old president spent more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House described as preventive medical and dental checkups. It was Trump’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to office for a second term, and it comes as he tries to project strength ahead of midterm elections that will test his sway with voters.
In a social media post after the visit, Trump said that he had just finished his “6 month physical” and that “Everything checked out PERFECTLY.”
The White House did not immediately release a written report from Trump’s doctors.
For decades, administrations have released selected results from presidential physicals, offering the public a glimpse at the commanderin-chief’s health. But the results are filtered through the White House and must be approved by the president, raising questions about what the public does and doesn’t get to see.
Trump, a Republican, turns 80 next month and was the oldest person elected US president. His immediate predecessor, President Joe Biden, a Democrat, was 82 when he left office, dropping out of the 2024 presidential race because of widespread concerns he was too old for the job.
A Washington Post/ABC News/ Ipsos poll conducted in April found that less than half of US adults think Trump has the mental sharpness or physical health to serve effectively as president.
“I think concern for the president’s physical health is probably at an all-time high, and I think advanced physical age is the No. 1
concern,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, who served as a White House physician for more than a decade under Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
For a president of Trump’s age, a complete physical would be expected to include advanced heart testing, screening for common cancers and a cognitive assessment, along with basics like height, weight and blood pressure, Kuhlman said.
The White House has not disclosed what the visit entailed but expressed confidence in what it will show.
“President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises, and he remains in excellent health,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement.
No law requiring presidents to disclose their medical records IN the weeks leading up to his visit, Trump has been saying he feels as good as he did five decades ago— even as he jokes about his fondness for fast food and his minimal exercise regimen. Yet he’s also sensitive to perceptions about his age, noting that he takes extra caution descending the steps from Air Force One to avoid headlines about a stumble.
There is no law requiring presidents to publicize their health records, and the degree of transparency has varied by administration. Trump’s past reports have been criticized for offering scant detail and for providing statistics that some medical experts have viewed with skepticism.
At public appearances, Trump is
Last month, a statement from more than 30 neurologists, psychiatrists and other medical experts—who acknowledged they’ve never examined him— said Trump was mentally unfit to serve and warned of an “increasingly dangerous decline” in his behavior based on what they called “objectively observable signs of serious medical concern.”
often seen wearing makeup to conceal bruising on his hands, which the White House attributes to handshaking and regular aspirin use. He has sometimes appeared drowsy during meetings and closed his eyes for long stretches, though he denies having fallen asleep.
Trump often boasts of having “aced” cognitive tests while frequently deriding Biden, who faced questions about his mental acuity.
Biden and his aides pushed back aggressively against doubts raised about his fitness for office.
Some of Trump’s previous physicals have included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, used to screen for dementia and cognitive impairment. Trump’s physicians reported a score of 30 out of 30 for him at his 2018 and 2025 checkups.
Yet critics have pointed to Trump’s meandering speeches and sometimes bellicose rhetoric as evidence of cognitive decline.
Last month, a statement from more than 30 neurologists, psychiatrists and other medical experts— who acknowledged they’ve never examined him—said Trump was mentally unfit to serve and warned of an “increasingly dangerous decline” in his behavior based on what they called “objectively observable signs of serious medical concern.”
“Any so-called medical professionals engaging in armchair diagnosis or false speculation for political purposes are clearly breaking the Hippocratic Oath they’ve sworn to,”
Ingle said.
Just like any other patient, presidents get to choose what’s disclosed about their health, said Sara Rosenthal, a bioethicist at the University of Kentucky who studies presidential health. Questions about transparency have become more acute as America elects aging presidents like Trump and Biden, she said.
“I think we can expect very little disclosure about the true health status of any president unless they’re in perfect health,” said Rosenthal, who has suggested an independent medical organization to review and report on the health of the president and those in the line of succession.
‘Nothing should be hidden’ TRUMP’S first medical report in his second term was released last April. In July, he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins. Photographs have shown the president with swollen feet, ankles and calves, described by the White House as a symptom of chronic venous insufficiency leading to “mild swelling” in his lower legs.
Following his last publicly disclosed exam, described as a routine follow-up last October, Trump’s physician issued a one-page summary saying the president was in “exceptional health” without divulging many specific results.
The frequency of Trump’s medical checkups is not uncommon for someone his age, according to S. Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois-Chicago, who has studied the health of past presidents. It’s part of a strategy to catch problems while they’re still treatable, Olshansky said.
Olshansky says the public deserves to see more than White House medical summaries that “may be subject to editorial discretion.” Full, unredacted medical records should be made public, he said: “Nothing should be hidden.”
EUROPEAN firms in China are turning more upbeat about their business outlook, a new survey found, just as Brussels appears poised to take action against a swelling trade imbalance with Beijing.
the members of the chamber are getting slightly used to it.”
The recovery in sentiment stands out against the backdrop of worsening tensions between Beijing and Brussels.
Hodgson said. “We can be that reliable supplier who will not use energy for coercion.” That could eventually take the form of LNG being shipped via Canada’s east coast or through Hudson Bay in the north, but in the near term, “we have huge increases in supply coming off the west coast, which are music to their ears.” Ultimately, it makes sense for Canada and Europe to become closer energy partners at a time when global superpowers are looking to use trade as a tool of geopolitical coercion, Hodgson said.
By Eamon Akil Farhat & Tom Rees
“They’re looking around and saying, how do we create energy security?” he said. “Where can we find a supplier who shares our values? And they look around and they don’t see a lot of choices.”
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, British Columbia Premier David Eby said the deal “is about how we can work together to deepen those trading relationships around the world—in this case with Germany. And it really reflects what is possible when we work together and the role that British Columbia is going to play in building this economy.”
With assistance from Priscila Azevedo Rocha, Petra Sorge, Thomas Seal, Ruth Liao, Robert Tuttle, Laura Dhillon Kane, Iain Boekhoff and Derek Wallbank/Bloomberg Germany. . .
About 35 percent of respondents reported being optimistic about their industry growing in China over the next two years, up from a record low of 29 percent in 2025. The annual poll, published on Wednesday by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, also showed that 47 percent of companies said the local business environment had become more politicized in the last year, the lowest share since at least 2023.
Part of the improvement in sentiment can be attributed to “crisis fatigue,” said Denis Depoux, global managing director at Germany’s Roland Berger, a consultancy that helped carry out the survey. It was conducted between January and February and covered 549 respondents. European firms have “adjusted in many different ways, they got used to the situation, and expectations of headquarters have adjusted as well,” said Depoux. “This is still pretty low business confidence, but
EU officials are preparing the ground for possible new tools to counter China’s export surge, which they partly blame on insufficient domestic demand, an undervalued currency and generous subsidies.
The European Commission is expected to have an internal debate on tougher trade measures against China on Friday, Bloomberg reported earlier.
The commerce ministry in Beijing has already pledged countermeasures if the EU presses ahead with new restrictions on Chinese imports.
Last year, European firms were most pessimistic about growth prospects since 2011, when the question was first posed, citing China’s economic slowdown, US-China tensions
EU officials are preparing the ground for possible new tools to counter China’s export surge, which they partly blame on insufficient domestic demand, an undervalued currency and generous subsidies. The European Commission is expected to have an internal debate on tougher trade measures against China on Friday, Bloomberg reported earlier.
and geopolitical risks.
Despite signs of a turnaround in the latest survey, business confidence remains near historic lows by many metrics, such as ease of doing business and the outlook on profitability.
About 68 percent of respondents said business had become more difficult in their industry over the past year, the second-highest proportion over at least the last decade. Less than a fifth of companies were optimistic about their profitability outlook over the next two years, the third-lowest level since at least 2013.
The business chamber, whose
members include companies from Volkswagen AG to Unilever Plc., is recognized by local authorities and the EU’s executive arm “as the official voice of European business in China,” according to its website.
Chinese officials have expressed their discontent with recent initiatives by Brussels to favor domestic producers in public procurement while curbing some foreign investments in the bloc. European companies operating in the country have also warned that new regulations on supply chains and other measures are raising the risks of doing business in China.
Several EU leaders have visited China in recent months, including France’s Emmanuel Macron in December, Germany’s Friedrich Merz in February and Spain’s Pedro Sanchez in April. German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche is in China this week.
Forging a common stance on China has proved difficult in the past. Internal divisions also caused delays to the EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act, which aims to prop up European manufacturers but has enraged Beijing. Bloomberg
Thursday, May 28, 2026
By Samuel P. Medenilla
RESIDENT Ferdinand
PMarcos Jr. will be seeking better trade and investment, food security, as well as defense and maritime cooperation in his bilateral talk with General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Tô Lâm, who will start his two-day visit in Manila this weekend.
Malacañang announced Lâm will be on a historic State Visit in the country on May 31, 2026, to June 1, 2026—the first ever such visit made by Vietnam’s party leader to the Philippines.
It comes as both countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in July and after the 10th year of their Strategic Partnership agreement last year.
During their scheduled bilateral talks, Marcos and Lâm will discuss how to further reinforce collaboration on several priority sectors, including trade and investment as well as food security.
“At the bilateral meeting, it is expected that the discussions of the two leaders will reflect on the five decades of robust cooperation between the Philippines and Vietnam,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Viet Nam remains as the Philippines’s sole Strategic Partner in Southeast Asia, founded on the longstanding and productive engagements among officials, the private sector and at the grassroots level,” it added.
Based on the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Vietnam is the country’s top supplier for agricultural products, including rice.
Last year, Vietnam contributed US$2.22 billion from the country’s US$7.78 billion worth of imports from last year.
PCO also said Marcos and Lâm will discuss defense and maritime cooperation. Like the Philippines, Vietnam also has disputes with China over maritime territories.
During the President’s state visit in Vietnam in 2024, Marcos discussed rice trade cooperation and how to prevent incidents in the South China Sea with then Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chính.
Other matters to be tackled by Marcos and Lâm in their meeting are education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is set to open a Philippine Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh this year to help accommodate the concerns of the more than 7,000 Filipinos in Vietnam.
By Lenie Lectura
FOLLOWING the rotating brownouts in several provinces and Metro Manila, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is planning to update the country’s power reserve requirements.
“The other week, the lights went out in parts of Luzon and the Visayas. The reasons are not mysterious. Our margin was too thin; once the sun set, our flexibility was too narrow to bridge the gap between solar’s daytime peak and the evening load, and our Visayas and Luzon grids happened to fail at exactly the moment they needed each other most,” said ERC chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan during the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (Ejap) energy forum.
“We owe the Filipino consumer the truth about that—and a credible plan to make sure the next El Niño does not write the same headline. The way forward is to revisit the existing re-
serve requirements, possibly moving form static reserve margins to dynamic, weather-indexed targets,” he said. “In this way, If a heat advisory indicates the afternoon peak will be five percent higher than normal, then there should be enough reserves to handle it,” he added.
At the same forum, ERC Market Operations Service director Sharon Montañer said the commission is evaluating this approach in light of the rising temperatures that affect the performance of some power plants.
“We’re trying to revisit that now in light of all these weather disturbances . . . Maybe, we can take a look at a moving requirement and a fixed one or a weather-triggering reserve
requirement because we have been experiencing this.
The worst, she said, was in 2024
“when we experienced a very high index and the ERC had to suspend the market. We are experiencing this, but not as much as what happened in 2024 and we’re bracing to experience another next year. So, it’s very timely to talk about the reserve requirement.”
The ERC vowed to accelerate any regulatory action needed in the procurement of ancillary services and fast-ramping capacity. To do this, the commission will coordinate with the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), and the power generators.
“The fact that all six manual load dropping events were caused by generation deficiency—not by transmission failure, not by fuel shortage—tells us we did not have enough reserves on the right side of the dispatch curve.
“We will work with the DOE, NGCP and the generators to shorten the procurement cycle and to open ancillary services to more battery storage, aggregated demand response, and hybrid renewable projects,” said Juan.
The ERC may also craft a regulatory and market framework that allows
Pax
By Bless Aubrey Ogerio
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has reiterated that a proposed requirement for government clearance on advertisements will not be implemented, with Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque firmly ruling out the measure. The statement comes as the department moved to clarify a previously circulated draft proposal that would have required businesses to secure an Advertisement Permit before publishing marketing materials. “Wala na. That’s totally no. Scrap—actually no. That will not be implemented at all,” Roque told reporters on Monday on the sidelines of the Tatak Pinoy Expo in Pasay City. Under the draft Department Administrative Order (DAO), compa-
nies would have been required to apply through the DTI One portal at least 30 working days prior to releasing advertisements. The proposed coverage included television commercials, online videos, GIFs, vlogs, sponsored social media posts, and electronic or LED billboards.
It also outlined detailed submission requirements, including scripts, musical cues, and frameby-frame storyboards for advertisements flagged as potentially questionable.
A fee structure was also indicated in the draft, ranging from P975 for static ads such as social media posts and print materials, P975 to P4,650 for audio advertisements like radio and podcasts, P1,860 for short video content, and up to P9,295 for longer video ads. Amendments to approved applications would have cost an addi-
tional P300.
On May 22, Sen. Bam Aquino
strongly denounced the proposal and urged the DTI to recall it. He warned that it could further burden micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and online sellers already reeling from the oil crisis and the resulting high operational expenses, Aquino said.
https://businessmirror.com. ph/2026/05/22/bam-dti-planto-mandate-permits-for-allbusiness-ads-to-hurt-msmes/
Just a draft, won’t be enforced
IN a social media post on Saturday, the DTI has since clarified that the draft does not reflect official policy and will not be enforced.
“We remain a committed partner in economic growth, ensuring consumer protection is balanced with innovation and competitive business environment,” it said.
For her part, Roque said such drafts are part of internal consultations and should not be interpreted as final policy direction. “Because actually those things, usually we send those drafts out for public consultation. But that’s not the rule. It’s just a consultation,” she said.
So far, existing rules under Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, remain in place for regulating misleading or deceptive advertising.
On Trustmark ROQUE also addressed questions on the Trustmark initiative, saying its implementation remains voluntary and not mandatory for businesses at this stage.
The Trustmark, previously discussed by DTI officials, is intended to help identify merchants selling unlicensed or substandard products.
“We’re pro-MSMEs [micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises],” Roque said, citing government efforts to support small businesses through financing assistance and easing measures.”
commercial and industrial consumers to be paid for the megawatts they choose not to consume during the critical hours between the taper of solar generation and the peak of evening household demand.“This is the cheapest megawatt on the grid, and we have under-used it for too long,” Juan added.
Other proposals raised by the ERC include revisiting the secondary price cap, strengthening interconnection, and improved information dissemination.
“We need to ask whether the cap is sending the investment signal we want, or whether it is muting the very signal that would attract the peaking capacity we lack,” Juan said. “We will work with our partners to publish a public-facing alert and price dashboard, in plain Filipino and English, refreshed in near real time.”
Earlier, the yellow and red alerts were raised in Luzon and the Visayas. Manual Load Dropping was implemented six times. Wholesale spot prices repeatedly touched the P32,000 per megawatt-hour ceiling.
DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella, meanwhile, acknowledged that there is more work to be done. “We have to accelerate. We have to do more,” he remarked.
By Bless Aubrey Ogerio
THE Philippines risks becoming a mere outpost in global economic and strategic competition as concerns mount over its participation in the United States (US)-linked Pax Silica initiative, a labor research group warned.
The Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER) raised concerns that while Pax Silica is being positioned as a pathway for semiconductor expansion and high-tech manufacturing, it may ultimately serve broader geopolitical efforts to secure critical minerals and “trusted” supply chains amid intensifying global economic competition.
“The government presents Pax Silica as modernization, but Filipino workers have heard these promises before,” said EILER executive director Rochelle Porras.
“What we are seeing is another export-oriented development model where the Philippines supplies cheap labor, strategic minerals, and investment incentives while foreign companies reap the largest benefits,” she added.
EILER argued that despite decades of foreign investment in electronics and semiconductor industries, structural labor issues remain unresolved, including contractual work arrangements, low wages, limited union representation, and workplace safety concerns.
“Without genuine national industrialization and strong labor protections, Pax Silica will only reproduce the same exploitative conditions under a new geopolitical framework,” Porras said.
The group said the country should instead prioritize policies that strengthen domestic industry, improve labor standards, and ensure that science and technology development translates into higher-quality jobs and greater national control over resources.
Industry, stakeholders push back SEMICONDUCTOR and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foun-
dation Inc. (Seipi) President Danilo Lachica said foreign direct investments in high-technology sectors continue to support employment and economic growth, adding that firms in the sector comply with labor regulations.
“Semiconductor & electronics companies all comply with DOLE policies,” Lachica told the BusinessMirror in a message on Tuesday morning.
Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed net foreign direct investments declined by 34.8 percent to $1.03 billion in January to February 2026, from $1.58 billion in the same period last year, reflecting softer capital inflows at the start of the year.
During the unveiling of the marker for the planned AI hub inside New Clark City on May 18, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president and chief executive officer Joshua Bingcang clarified that the government rejected proposals that would have placed parts of the project outside Philippine jurisdiction.
“That’s their request, but we did not agree to that,” Bingcang told reporters, referring to reports that the project could operate under US law or include diplomatic immunity provisions.
On the other hand, the US maintained that recent diplomatic developments between Washington and Beijing will not alter their economic engagement strategy in the country, including support for supply chain security programs such as Pax Silica.
“Our policies before and after this summit have not changed,” US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg told reporters during the same event. “We want supply chain security. We continue to stand for fair competition and reciprocal trade.” Helberg added that the Philippines remains a key partner in Washington’s efforts to build more resilient supply chains, describing the country as a long-standing ally in Asia and a viable base for industrial cooperation under the initiative.
Editor: Jennifer A. Ng
TBy VG Cabuag @villygc
HE Ayala Group said it sealed a memorandum of cooperation with CP Axtra to explore a partnership to enhance Makro malls in Bangkok, Thailand.
The collaboration combines Ayala’s mall development, leasing and asset management expertise with CP Axtra’s retail platform.
The deal was signed by ACX Holdings Corp., the retail and consumer arm of Ayala Corp., Ayala Land Malls and CP Axtra Public Co. Ltd., a major retail and wholesale subsidiary of Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, operating the Makro and Lotus’s brands.
By Lenie Lectura @llectura
MERALCO PowerGen Corp. (MGen), the power generation arm of power distribution firm Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), is exploring wind power as part of its strategy to grow its renewables portfolio.
“For new ventures, we’re not going to stick to the technologies we have now which is battery and solar. We’re certainly interested; we’re looking at
The company is actively expanding its presence in the Philippine retail sector by partnering with international brands to launch new grocery and warehouse concepts across Metro Manila.
Ayala in September made a deal with Thai firm CP Axtra to form a joint venture with ACX Holdings for the creation of M&Co Corp.—the entity that will operate Makro stores in the Philippines.
Ayala’s ACX will own a minority interest in M&Co at 49.9 percent while Makro ROH will have the majority or 50.1 percent.
M&Co will focus on operating Makro stores in the Philippines, offering a modern shopping experience with a wide range of food and nonfood products at accessible prices for both consumers and small business operators.
“This new partnership aligns with CP Axtra’s strategy to expand our regional footprint, while positioning the company for sustainable long-term growth and value creation,” Tanit Chearavanont, group chief wholesale business officer of CP Axtra, said.
Ayala said this partnership marks another significant step in its continued expansion into the country’s consumer sector.
“It also underscores Ayala’s ability to attract leading global partners
to invest in the Philippines and help build business that enable people to thrive.”
Makro stores were already in the Philippines in the 1990s, opening its first store in Cainta, Rizal in 1996. It was operated by Pilipinas Makro Inc., a partnership between Dutch firm SHV Holdings and the Sy family’s SM Investments Corp., with each owning 36 percent, and the Ayalas through Ayala Land Inc., owning the remaining 28 percent.
In 2004, Ayala sold its shares in Pilipinas Makro to its venture partners, saying the business was not among its core competencies.
The SM Group slowly took control of the company, first increasing its stake to 60 percent, and then buying out its Dutch partner. All of the Makro stores were converted into SM hypermarkets which combine a grocery and a department store.
opportunity in wind. We don’t have something complete yet, but I think it will be wrong for us to totally not look into onshore wind at least.
Offshore, we are assessing our position on that,” said MGen Renewables Energy Inc. (MGreen) President Dennis Jordan on the sidelines of the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) Energy Forum 2026 last Tuesday in Makati City.
MGreen is the renewable energy unit of MGen.
MGen and its subsidiaries—with a total net sellable capacity of 5,068 megawatts (MW)—utilize coal, liquefied natural gas (LNG), diesel, and solar technologies. Jordan said 67 percent of the mix is LNG. The company target is to increase total capacity portfolio to 10,000MW by looking at joint ventures and internally generated opportunities.
“So, it will come from different areas. For our coal, we’re looking at another 1,200 megawatts. If we proceed with the Atimonan project,
THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a cease-and-desist order against BG Wealth Sharing Ltd. and its owner, Stephen Beard, for operating an investment scam that targets mainly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
that is beyond my purview, but that is part of the plan that we have communicated. So, that will bring (raise) our capacity. It could be almost steady in terms of the overall portfolio at 25 percent,” he said.
“We’re looking at that LNG portfolio to grow another 1,000 MW but its overall contribution, from 67 percent, will go down to 43 percent because our renewables will grow to around 3,400 megawatts. It’s a big jump, including some of the growth that we’re envisioning up to 2030.”
ByteDance weighs capex of as much as $70B in AI push
BYTEDANCE Ltd., the developer of TikTok and a leading force in artificial intelligence, is planning to sharply increase its capital spending this year and next in a bid to lead the Chinese AI market and challenge the top US players abroad.
The Beijing-based social media leader is discussing expenditures of as much as $70 billion this year as it builds out data centers and other AI infrastructure, according to people familiar with the matter. The company will underwrite much of that spending through the roughly $50 billion of profit it earned in 2025, said the people, asking not to be identified because the company’s financial details are confidential.
The expenditure figures are preliminary and subject to adjustment at least every quarter, the people said, so the ultimate spending could be very different. Capital expenditures for this year could be 400 billion yuan ($59 billion) to 500 billion yuan, one of the people said.
ByteDance has discussed boosting its capital spending to roughly $100 billion next year if economic and business conditions are favorable, said the people. Its capital expenditures last year were about $25 billion, the people said.
ByteDance’s strategic discussions highlight a yawning gap between the US and China in their approach to artificial intelligence. Four US hyperscalers—Amazon. com Inc., Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Meta Platforms Inc.— have said they plan as much as $725 billion in capital spending this year, as they build out AI data centers and develop new models. That’s about $181 billion each on average.
China’s internet leaders, including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., have been far more tentative in their spending. Tencent said its capital expenditures for 2025 were 79.2 billion yuan, while Alibaba said its capex was 126 billion yuan for the fiscal year ended in March.
ByteDance’s spending would mark a new, much more aggressive push to cement its early lead in key segments like chatbots and video, and expand its influence overseas. It could benefit from the fact that data center costs in China are much lower so ByteDance may be able to build equivalent capacity with far lower spending than its
US counterparts. The company recently struck a deal to buy millions of Qualcomm Inc. chips to support its agentic AI services, Bloomberg News reported this week.
“ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba are all converging on the view that AI infrastructure is now a strategic asset rather than a discretionary line item,” said Ke Yan, a Singapore-based tech analyst with DZT Research. “The spending gap between China’s tech champions and US peers like Microsoft, Amazon and Meta is narrower than headline figures suggest once adjusted for local cost structures—and the divide in raw ambition is narrower still.”
ByteDance’s Doubao chatbot is the country’s most popular, amassing over 300 million monthly users—so much so that the company is preparing to charge subscription fees, which for now remain rare in a country where users dislike paying for online services. Its underlying text and video models — such as Seedance — power a plethora of products from video editors to coding tools and automated agents. Part of that success stems from TikTok’s Chinese sibling Douyin, the ubiquitous short-video hub that the company leverages to market newer products.
These OFWs reportedly introduced and promoted BG Wealth’s trading business in the Philippines, asserting that it is being established in the country and persuading Filipino investors that the business has been operating abroad since 2022.
“They further use this claim to imply that allegations of fraudulent or scam investment activities are unfounded, while continuing to promise investors unusually high-yield returns while operating without registration,” the SEC said.
The SEC, however said, BG Wealth, using DSJ Exchange trading platform, entices the public by offering investments in the guise of a copy trading of crypto currency that will earn at the rate of 1.3 percent interest daily, compounded with a minimum investment of $500 or equivalent to P30,000
In January, the SEC issued an advisory warning the public against investing in any schemes offered by BG Wealth.
Despite its warning, BG Wealth continues to entice the public to invest by promoting its investment scheme through Facebook.
SEC said the company is not registered with the agency either as a corporation or as a partnership and has not secured any license to sell securities.
“The EIPD (the SEC’s Enforcement
and Investor Protection department) finds that the investment scheme of BG Wealth Sharing Ltd., where investments received from the public earns guaranteed profits, constitutes an offer/sale of unregistered securities in the form of an investment contract,” the commission said in its order.
“The act of BG Wealth in carrying out its unauthorized investmenttaking activities through social media, promoting its unauthorized investment schemes constitute as public offering.” It added that the unauthorized investment scheme of BG Wealth constitutes financial fraud, or any form of deceptive solicitation of investments from the public, which includes Ponzi schemes and such other schemes involving the promise or offer of profits or returns sourced from the investments or contributions made by the investors themselves, and the offering or selling of investment schemes to the public without a license.
“The act of selling unregistered securities would necessarily operate as a fraud on investors as it deceives the investing public by making it appear that respondents have authority to deal on such securities.” The agency directed BG Wealth, their respective officers, directors, representatives, salesmen, agents, brokers, dealers, promoters, recruiters, uplines, influencers, endorsers, abettors, and enablers and any and all persons claiming and/ or acting for and in their behalf, to immediately stop their operations, including the shutdown of their presence online. VG Cabuag
YPER what?!
HNot too long ago, I stumbled upon the intriguing term “hyper personalization,” and it instantly piqued my interest, given its substantial relevance to my profession. Initially, I misinterpreted the word, assuming it described a facet of my personality—specifically, my hyperactive nature (Judith, “hyper na tao”).
Those who know me well, like Eric Montelibano, would certainly attest to my tendency to become quite energized, especially when I’m juggling numerous tasks and racing against deadlines. The fast-paced whirlwind of my work often brings out a hyper side of me, making this concept all the more intriguing!
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, where attention spans are shorter than ever, hyper personalization is emerging as a game-changer for brands. Imagine receiving recommendations so tailored to your preferences that they feel almost intuitive. This isn’t just a stroke of good fortune; it’s the result of brands harnessing the power of data to create experiences that resonate on a personal level.
But what fuels this level of personalization? Enter social listening.
Social listening isn’t just about being chismosa, an eavesdropper, or nosy—it’s a savvy, tech-driven approach to understanding what people are saying. Think of it as tuning into the digital conversations that matter, but with a little more finesse!
By closely monitoring conversations and sentiments across social media platforms, brands can tap into the voices of their audience in real-time. This means they aren’t just waiting for feedback through formal channels; they’re actively engaging with their customers’ thoughts, needs, and emotions as they evolve.
Together, hyper personalization and social listening create a feedback loop where brands can not only anticipate their customers’ desires but also shape their offerings accordingly. It’s about understanding not
Djust what people want but why they want it. This deep level of connection fosters loyalty and trust, transforming casual consumers into passionate advocates.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) identifies hyper personalization as a critical application of artificial intelligence (AI) within the financial sector. This advancement empowers banks and financial institutions to provide customized services, enhance customer insights, and improve operational efficiency. It underscores the growing role of hyper personalization, emphasizing its potential to transform customer experience while ensuring consumer protection and regulatory compliance.
Hyper personalization, powered by AI, enables banks and financial institutions to deliver tailored products, services, and communication based on individual customer profiles. The BSP noted that this innovation is reshaping digital finance in the Philippines, particularly with the rise of mobile banking and e-wallet adoption.
As we move forward, the integration of these strategies will define what it means to connect with consumers. The brands that leverage hyper personalization and social listening effectively are poised to lead the charge in a more engaged and personalized marketplace. The future isn’t just about selling; it’s about creating meaningful relationships that resonate on a personal level. So, the next time you receive a perfectly tailored recommendation, remember: it’s the result of brands truly listening and understanding your unique preferences. For more information, visit www. bmap.org.ph or https://facebook.com/ BankMarketingAssociationPH
Judith C. Songlingco is the head of corporate affairs and brand marketing at Philippine Business Bank and the Secretary of the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines. She can be reached via judith.songlingco@yahoo.com. The writer’s views and her written piece do not necessarily reflect those of the BusinessMirror the PBB and the BMAP.
By Andrea Louise San Juan
EPOSITS in digital banks continued to grow at a more aggressive pace compared to money placed by account holders in traditional banks, latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.
Latest figures from the central bank unveiled that deposits held by digital banks grew to P152.96 billion as of the end of the first quarter of 2026, up 49.5 percent from the P102.31 billion recorded as of the same period last year.
GAMING operators must deduct and remit the final withholding tax on jackpot prizes, or face penalties and possible criminal liability, after the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) clarified that such winnings are taxable under the law.
In a circular issued by Internal Revenue Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza, the BIR said jackpot prizes from casinos and other gambling activities are considered “winnings” and subject to a 20-percent final withholding tax.
Specifically, the final withholding tax for Filipino citizens and resident foreigners is set at 20 percent, while winnings of non-resident
By Carmel Loise Pedroza
CEBU CITY—The Philippine banking industry remains
“very stable,” supported by strong liquidity, manageable nonperforming loans, and sustained credit growth, a bank executive asserted here.
“The banking industry is very stable,” BDO Unibank Inc. Senior Vice President Federico Rafael D. Ocampo said in an interview citing that non-performing loans (NPLs) across the banking sector remain below three percent.
This means less than three percent of total industry lending is considered not current, reflecting
CASH utilization by government agencies slightly eased as of end-April compared to a year ago, latest data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed. The data showed that the utilization rate of cash allocations released to line departments, state-run corporations and local governments slipped to 91.3 percent as of end-April from 92 percent in the same period last year. This means government agencies utilized P1.625 trillion worth of notices of cash allocation (NCAs) out of the P1.780 trillion released by the DBM as of end-April. Still, total NCAs released during the four-month period rose by 9.47 percent from P1.626 trillion a year ago.
Line departments posted an 86.5-percent NCA utilization rate after using P980.529 billion of the P1.133 trillion in NCAs released to them as of end-April.
The Department of Foreign Affairs recorded the highest utilization rate at 99.3 percent, followed
by the Department of Energy and the Office of the Vice President at 98.7 percent. On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture posted the lowest utilization rate at 44.2 percent, followed by the Commission on Elections at 51 percent. In terms of allocations, the Department of Education (DepEd) received the largest amount of NCAs at P263.499 billion, followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with P158.721 billion. DepEd posted a 91.2-percent utilization rate, while DPWH recorded 86.7 percent. Meanwhile, NCAs released as budgetary support to governmentowned and -controlled corporations amounted to P155.054 billion, of which P153.790 billion was utilized, translating to a 99.2-percent utilization rate. Local government units utilized P490.818 billion of the P491.666 billion in NCAs released to them, posting a spending rate of 99.8 percent. Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
Similarly, the number of deposit accounts held by digital banks grew at a quicker pace, with these deposits scattered across 37.97 million accounts, 59.2-percent higher than the 23.85 million accounts as of endMarch 2025.
foreigners not engaged in trade or business in the Philippines will be subject to a 25-percent final withholding tax.
Even winnings from unlicensed or unauthorized gaming operators are taxable since these are income “from any source” and is subject to tax.
The tax is based on the gross amount of the prize, without deduction for service charges, commissions, administrative fees or similar charges, the BIR said.
For their part, gaming operators and withholding agents that fail to withhold and remit the correct amount of final tax may face surcharges, interest, compromise penalties and possible criminal liability
the strong quality of banks’ loan portfolios, Ocampo explained. “So that’s very good.”
He also emphasized the banking sector’s ample liquidity position, saying banks continue to have significant excess funds parked in short-term central bank securities.
“There’s P1.8 trillion that’s just parked with the BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] bills,” Ocampo said. “Meaning, the unneeded money of the banks is just placed in the BSP bills for 26 days.”
He emphasized that the liquidity in the system indicates that banks are not facing cash shortages and remain capable of supporting lend-
AS the number of players who are banned from gambling increased tenfold in the first quarter, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) launched a 24/7 helpline offering psychological support to gamblers and their families.
The state gaming regulator announced last Wednesday of having rolled out a “national problem gambling helpline” in partnership with Seagulls Flock Organization Inc. (SFO).
The helpline will directly connect trained counselors to those with gambling-related problems for confidential support and counseling.
Para-counselors and mental health professionals will provide immediate assistance, psychological support and referrals to individuals struggling with gambling-related problems, as well as for their families, Pagcor said.
under the Tax Code, the BIR stressed.
“The circular was issued because the BIR received several inquiries on whether jackpot prizes fall within the term ‘winnings,’ especially with the growth of casinos, electronic gaming machines, bingo, and similar gaming platforms,” Mendoza told reporters in a Viber message.
“The purpose is to ensure uniform application of the law, proper withholding by gaming operators, and protection of government revenues,” he added.
Mendoza said the BIR cannot provide a speculative amount as to how much taxes the government is unable to collect without verified audit or compliance data.
ing activities.
Despite signs of slower economic growth, Ocampo said banks continue to post positive loan expansion.
During the first-quarter earnings season, the country’s three largest banks recorded loan growth ranging from nine percent to 13 percent.
“Although the economy is slowing down, loans didn’t accelerate to 15 percent, but there’s still positive loan growth,” he said.
“What we can say is that the circular addresses possible confusion in coverage and strengthens compliance moving forward,” Mendoza said.
The Philippine gaming and gambling industry has experienced “significant” growth, resulting in more high-value jackpot prizes for players, the BIR said.
In light of these developments, the BIR said there is a “compelling need” to clarify the tax treatment of jackpot prizes to ensure consistent application of existing laws, promote equity and uniformity in taxation, and safeguard government revenue without expanding or modifying the law.
Reine
Juvierre S. Alberto
“All of the banks were very careful in extending loans, even to the property sector when the economy was growing for 21 consecutive years,” he said. Ocampo has warned that all the “growth cylinders” of the economy has weakened—household consumption, government spending, investments—prompting the lender to downgrade its forecast for this year to between 3 percent and 3.7 percent from 4.5 percent.
(See https://businessmirror.com. ph/2026/05/27/all-growth-cylinders-down-warns-bdo-exec/)
Ocampo, who is also department head of investment management under BDO Unibank’s Trust and Investments Group, attributed the resilience of the banking sector to prudent lending practices maintained by banks over the years, including during the prolonged expansion of the property sector.
The helpline will also focus on guidance, triage and long-term support in accordance with proper referral protocols for crises.
What we are launching today reflects our commitment to ensure that the gaming industry remains productive, well- governed, humane, and accountable, Pagcor Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco was quoted in a statement as saying.
“Pagcor is aware that for many, gaming is just a form of leisure and recreation,” Tengco said. “But for some, what may start as entertainment can gradually lead to financial strain and ruin, emotional distress, damaged relationships, and isolation.”
Latest data from Pagcor showed that 3,101 players were excluded from gambling activities as of the first quarter. This is significantly higher by 907 percent compared to the 308 excluded players recorded in
the same period last year. Of the total, 3,046 players voluntarily excluded themselves from gambling, while 51 were banned upon the request of family members and four were excluded through licensee-initiated actions. Applicants may request an exclusion period of six months, one year and three years, after which the exclusion order will be automatically lifted. The exclusion order will ban players across all gaming sites licensed and operated by Pagcor. The response to gambling problems, Tengco said, should be rooted in regulation and compassion.
Meanwhile, SFO Chairman Teresita C. Castillo said NGPH is the first round-the-clock hotline that is dedicated to addressing gambling problems.
There are currently a dozen paracounselors who will work in three shifts per day, Castillo said. Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
B4
May 28, 2026
TBy Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
HE government has approved the commercial propagation of a rice variety with higher iron and zinc content in its bid to minimize deficiency-linked diseases among Filipinos.
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) issued a biosafety permit for the commercial propagation of HIZ039 rice, which is owned and licensed by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
undergone biosafety assessment for commercial propagation.”
“The permit holder has satisfactorily complied with all requirements for the issuance of the biosafety permit for commercial propagation.”
The permit is subject to compliance with other relevant regulations of government agencies.
BPI, however, stipulated several conditions that the permit holder must comply with, including the regular submission of seed sales reports.
The rice variety is expected to supply 30 to 50 percent of the estimated average requirement for iron and zinc for preschool-aged children and pregnant or lactating mothers.
In a document, BPI said the HIZ039 rice “has satisfactorily
PhilRice said the HIZ039 rice was developed to complement existing efforts to control iron and zinc deficiency, such as food fortification, supplementation, and dietary diversification.
BRAZILIAN prosecutors are suing health agency Anvisa and the federal government to ban the use of top-selling weed killer glyphosate, dealing a potential blow to chemical companies in Latin America’s largest economy.
A special division of the prosecutor’s office tasked with protecting workers’ rights filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to ban the registration of products containing glyphosate and its derivatives. The suit also seeks to prohibit authorization for the production, export, import, sale and use of the active ingredient and its compounds, citing risks to human life, occupational health and the workplace environment.
An effective cancellation of glyphosate‘s registration in Brazil would hit companies such as Germany’s Bayer AG and others that have used the active ingredient in some formulations since its patent expired 2000.
Bayer said in a written statement that scientists from regulatory authorities worldwide have repeatedly concluded that glyphosate can be used safely and is not carcinogenic, adding that it is confident that “the scientific facts will prevail during the proceedings.”
Anvisa reevaluated potential risks associated with glyphosate and in 2020 maintained registration of the active ingredient in Brazil, with restrictions on its use, the regulator said Monday in an emailed statement.
The Brazilian Attorney General’s Office, which represents the federal government in courts, didn’t reply to a request for comment.
The Brazilian lawsuit comes months after the Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology journal retracted a decades-old paper that said the use of glyphosate didn’t pose health risks after “potential conflicts of interest of the authors” became clear. The report specifically referenced Bayer’s Roundup, which is typically used in largescale agriculture and until recently in lawn and gardening products in the US.
The Brazilian prosecutors said the now-retracted study was used by regulatory agencies worldwide as a reference to allow registration and sale of glyphosate. The lawsuit also cites studies showing residues of the substance in drinking water as posing a threat to human health.
Anvisa said in its statement that the now-withdrawn article “did not play a central role in the reevaluation of glyphosate.” Bayer said that the paper in
question is “a review article of properly conducted studies” with no original data. It added that the European Union didn’t consider it in its most recent approval process while US and Canadian authorities have stated that the retraction has no impact on their assessment.
In March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
“It is a matter of public health,” Brazilian prosecutor Leomar Daroncho said in a statement. “The competent authority must take steps to reassess the risks when there is an alert or warning against the use of pesticides from international organizations responsible for health.”
MAHA backlash
THE widely used weed killer has also emerged as a flash point in US politics, riling supporters of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement who are frustrated that Trump administration lawyers are asking the Supreme Court to shield Bayer from liability for a “failure to warn” about glyphosate’s harmful effects.
A large number of lawsuits have been filed in the US alleging that the use of glyphosate, including in Roundup-branded herbicide products manufactured by Bayer, can cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer and multiple myeloma.
The German company is counting on the Supreme Court to pare down those lawsuits and help corral the decade-long litigation that has cost the company more than $10 billion. As of end-2025, Bayer’s provision and liabilities for glyphosate litigation totaled $11.3 billion.
In public disclosures, Bayer says there is no reason for safety concerns in connection with glyphosate products.
In 2016, Bayer agreed to acquire US-based Monsanto, the company that popularized the use of glyphosate in the 1970s. Eventually, the active ingredient became the world‘s most widely used substance for weed control. In 1996, Monsanto launched a genetically modified soy designed to thrive even when sprayed with the herbicide. Subsequently corn, cotton and canola seeds were engineered with the technology.
In 2023, Brazilian labor prosecutors requested a court order to ban the use of pesticide ingredient atrazine, but no final decision was made. Bloomberg News
Should new information indicating that the variety would pose greater risks to human health and the environment compared to its conventional counterpart become available, the permit holder should immediately notify the BPI.
If new information becomes available, the agency stressed that “the permit holder shall, on its
own, immediately take measures necessary to protect human health and the environment.”
PhilRice, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, said the HIZ039 rice functions the same as regular rice in the
field and that its higher iron and zinc content will not affect how it grows, reproduces, or interacts with the environment.
“HIZ039 rice differs from regular rice only by the presence of three additional proteins-NAS2,
FER, and APH4. These proteins are not similar to any known toxins or allergens, and tests confirm they are easily digested and not heat-stable, indicating no risk of toxicity or allergenicity,” it said.
“NAS2 and FER are naturally found in plants and are involved in storing and transporting iron and zinc, while APH4 has a long record of safe use in other genetically modified crops.” It added that the Philippines is the intended country of the variety’s cultivation and the country of origin.
“The availability of HIZ039 rice varieties will provide communities with access to a more nutritious form of rice that will help alleviate the burden of preventable childhood anemia, poor brain development, stunting, and susceptibility to disease,” PhilRice said.
TOBACCO traders will purchase all Virginia tobacco this season amid concerns over a potential “stop-buying” situation due to a supply glut, according to the National Tobacco Administration (NTA).
NTA Administrator Belinda Sanchez said tobacco traders have committed to buy all locally produced flue-cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco leaves at “reasonable prices” using the approved floor prices as basis.
This comes after NTA officials met with tobacco traders and cigarette manufacturers as early as March to address concerns over a possible tobacco “stop-buying” situation due to oversupply of locally produced tobacco leaves.
The agency attributed the projected 5,000 metric tons (MT)
overproduction to the increasing number of non-contracted tobacco farmers cultivating traditional Virginia tobacco varieties with strong support from the local government units (LGUs), encouraging them to expand their area due to strong market demand in the past two trading seasons.
The projected figure is roughly 27 percent more than the 18,050 MT purchase commitment by trading companies and cigarette manufacturers for this season, according to the agency attached to the Department of Agriculture.
“The tobacco supply was short in the last two years, resulting in strong demand and unexpectedly high prices,” NTA Deputy Administrator Nestor Casela said.
“However, this trading season, prices declined due to overproduction, consistent with the law of supply and demand.”
He noted that poor-quality tobacco leaves were observed this season due to limited irrigation water supply and unfavorable agro-climatic conditions propelled by extreme heat.
For the 2026 trading season, the approved floor prices for FCV tobacco range from P98 per kilo for Class AA leaves to P62 per kilo for reject-quality leaves. To address concerns on oversupply and declining leaf quality, Sanchez and Casela recently met with mayors and municipal agriculturists from Virginia tobaccoproducing LGUs. They urged them to encourage farmers to participate in the To -
bacco Contract Growing System (TCGS). Under the TCGS, NTA said authorized tobacco companies commit to purchase the produce of contracted farmers under agreed terms and conditions, providing farmers with assured markets and more stable income. Contract growers are also given access to production inputs, technical assistance, and financial support from tobacco companies to help improve the quality and volume of their harvests. Currently, NTA said only around 10,000 of the country’s 45,000 registered tobacco farmers are enrolled in the agency’s TCGS program. Of the total registered tobacco farmers, about 25,000 are contracted by private sector companies. Ada Pelonia
THE government will set up a chicken layer project across Calabarzon provinces to boost local egg production which will also provide sustainable livelihood options for farming communities, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
BAI recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office Calabarzon (DA-RFO 4-A), local government units (LGUs), and target beneficiaries to establish the Livelihood Opportunities and Viable Enterprise (LOVE) for Agricultural Farming Communities: Chicken Layer Project.
The MOA covers 11 beneficiaries per province of Calabarzon who will receive layer chickens with cages complete with feeders and nipple drinkers, vitamins, medications, disinfectants, and
feeds.
BAI Director Christian Daquigan said the initiative would strengthen the local poultry industry and improve the everyday lives of Filipino families.
“By helping our farmers increase productivity and establish sustainable livelihoods, we are also ensuring that communities have greater access to affordable and nutritious food for their families,” Daquigan added.
The project will be implemented by the RFO in cooperation with the BAI, LGUs, National Livestock Program (NLP), and Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).
“With the continuous support of partner agencies and beneficiaries, the project is expected to create a positive impact on rural communities by improving household income, encouraging entrepreneurship, and ensuring a stable
supply of affordable and nutritious eggs for Filipino families.”
In 2025, the DA issued Memorandum Order (MO) 2, outlining guidelines to establish the LOVE for agricultural farming communities: chicken layer project, given eggs’ role as the “most affordable and accessible source of protein.”
“This project will provide an immediate source of food and livelihood and immediate return on investment, which will redound to food security,” the DA said.
The government’s initiative comes at a time when local layer industry players are culling their flock due to a glut in the supply of small-sized eggs to minimize losses as farmgate prices fell despite soaring input costs due to geopolitical tensions (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/05/11/ egg-glut-prompts-raisers-to-cull-
layers-peba/).
Philippine Egg Board Association (PEBA) President Francis Uyehara told the BusinessMirror that the global oil crisis jacked up prices of animal feeds and other products required by raisers for their operations.
Heat stress and lackluster demand created a surplus of smallersized eggs or those that belong in the extra small, small, and medium categories, he added.
“We have an oversupply of ‘smaller-sized’ eggs. The (dry) season means chickens have low appetite, resulting in smallersized production of eggs and an imbalanced distribution of egg sizes,” Uyehara told this newspaper.
“The global fuel crisis and lower consumer demand due to nationwide school vacation (also contributed to the egg surplus).” Ada Pelonia
THE National Food Authority (NFA) contracted six rice millers in the Bicol Region under the emergency procurement program to free up warehouse space and boost buffer stocks. The NFA said the millers from Albay and Sorsogon will process 5,737 metric tons (MT) or 114,743 50-kilo bags of palay, equivalent to about 3,729 MT or 74,580 bags of rice. The milling contracts were valued at P19.1 million.
NFA recently completed a similar procurement of milling services in Soccsksargen, noting that additional milling contracts are expected to be completed soon in other regions.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who also chairs the NFA Council, said the move will increase the grains agency’s capacity to purchase more palay from local farmers.
“This initiative allows us to simultaneously expand warehouse capacity, build stronger emergency rice reserves, and sustain the government’s affordable rice program at a time when inflationary risks are intensifying,” he said.
“With global oil prices rising because of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, protecting Filipino consumers from food price shocks has become even more critical.”
For his part, NFA Administrator Larry
Lacson said converting stored palay into milled rice would improve inventory management and boost the agency’s ability to respond to emergencies.
“By accelerating the milling of these stocks, we are not only boosting disasterready rice reserves but also creating room to procure more palay directly from farmers during the harvest season,” Lacson said.
“This gives the government greater flexibility in supporting the President’s P20-per-kilo rice initiative and stabilizing supply in vulnerable markets.” Rice is still one of the most inflation-
GOVERNMENTS of the Philippines, United States, and Japan have announced the expansion of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) partnership to include Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Announced in April 2024 as the first “Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment [PGI] corridor in the Indo-Pacific,” the Luzon Economic Corridor enhances connectivity between Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas. Through coordinated investments in transport infrastructure, energy systems, digital connectivity, and advanced manufacturing supply chains, the LEC will create thousands of highquality jobs and transform Luzon into a more prosperous and interconnected region.
“The expansion of the LEC partnership demonstrates the power of collaboration among like-minded nations committed to transpar -
ency and shared prosperity,” said Philippine Secretary of Finance Frederick D. Go, Co-Chair of the LEC Steering Committee. “Together, we are building infrastructure that will improve the daily life for millions of Filipinos and create new opportunities for businesses, industries, and communities in our partner countries and across the region.”
LEC partners share a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, with a pledge to promote fair and transparent economic development. Partners will contribute through technical assistance, financing, and facilitation of private sector investments, while actively
participating in working groups focused on transport, energy, and digital infrastructure.
Countries’ contributions
AUSTRALIA is mobilizing investment in the LEC through “Australia’s Manila Deal Team,” reinforced by technical assistance under the “Partnerships for Infrastructure” program and a new P1.9-billion ($32.6-million) partnership with the Philippines on inclusive economic growth.
Denmark is contributing to the LEC by revitalizing Philippine
velopment of quality, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure by hiking its public financial aid to facilitate private sector investment from Italian firms in the transport, semiconductors, and manufacturing sectors.
shipbuilding, advancing green maritime innovation, and fostering investments, jobs, and sustainable industrial development. Working with the government and the private sector, the Scandinavian country’s shipbuilding initiative aims to create 10,000 jobs.
France is strengthening connectivity in the LEC by financing 100 bridges through official development assistance, and industrial capacity building through a foreign direct investment project in the aeronautics sector.
Italy is contributing to the de -
By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
THE Philippines and Myanmar held their fifth Foreign Policy Consultations (FPC) in Manila—the first one since 2021— which coincides with the 70th year of diplomatic ties between the two Southeast Asian nations.
The talks on May 18 were cochaired by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo M. Herrera-Lim and Deputy Foreign Minister Ko Ko Kyaw of Myanmar.
Relations between Manila and Naypyidaw have yet to normalize since the 2020 coup, with the Philippines still to designate an ambassador to Myanmar, as it maintains only a chargé d’affaires to head its mission.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, discussions focused on joint efforts against transnational crime, with both sides committing to strengthen coordination and information exchange.
Delegates also agreed to expand cooperation between their diplomatic academies, aimed at building institutional capacity and fostering professional ties.
Beyond security, the consultations explored ways to revitalize trade and investment, boost agricultural productivity, as well as deepen educational and consular cooperation.
Both delegations also exchanged views on domestic developments and issues involving the region.
THE Quezon Memorial Shrine was illuminated in green and gold on the evening of May 22 to mark this year’s PhilippinesAustralia Friendship Day and the two countries’ 80th anniversary of bilateral relations.
A groundbreaking ceremony was also held for a historical marker commissioned by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), commemorating Australia’s support for President Manuel L. Quezon and his government during the Second World War.
Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown said Quezon City was a fitting venue for the occasion, with its most recognizable landmark lit in Australia’s national colors.
“In 1942, Australia welcomed [former president] Manuel L. Quezon and his government during one of the darkest chapters in Philippine history,” Innes-Brown shared. “That spirit of friendship endures today in our Strategic Partnership, our extensive cooperation, and in the more than 400,000 Filipinos who call Australia home.” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Leo Herrera-Lim, NHCP Executive Director Carminda Arevalo, and Quezon City Mayor Ma. Josefina “Joy” Belmonte attended both ceremonies.
In early 1942, Quezon and his government fled the besieged island of Corregidor to continue the struggle for Philippine liberation during World War II. Their journey took them by submarine to Panay, by steamer and patrol torpedo boat through perilous waters in the Visayas, before boarding B-17 bombers from Mindanao. They arrived in Darwin, Northern Australia on March 27, 1942, before
continuing to Melbourne, where they were received by the Australian government and General Douglas MacArthur.
The former president and his government remained in Australia for nearly a month before departing for the United States. Formal diplomatic relations were established on May 22, 80 years ago, with the opening of the Australian
day in 1946.
According to the embassy, Australia remains committed to working alongside the Philippines as a trusted friend and partner, advancing shared priorities in key areas such as defense and maritime cooperation, trade and investment, education, development cooperation, as well as people-topeople links.
The Republic of Korea is contributing to enhanced transport and digital connectivity, and sustained economic growth along the LEC, through its official development assistance and public-private partnership initiatives—including a P1.5-billion ($25.6 million) grant to establish the National Cyber Security Center and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport modernization PPP Project.
Sweden is contributing to Luzon’s Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas freight railway through a P74-million ($1.2 million) grant to fund a feasibility study on signaling systems and operational models.
The United Kingdom is deploying its full “Growth and Investment Partnerships” or “GIP+” toolkit in the LEC, providing technical assistance, P411 billion ($6.8 billion) in export finance, and mobilizing capital towards infrastructure and energy projects.
‘Real opportunities’
“THE expansion of the LEC partnership shows what we can accomplish when like-minded nations unite around strategic infrastructure and shared prosperity,” said US Senior Advisor for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Ambassador Heather Variava. “This initiative is creating real opportunities for US business, our Philippine partners, and investors across the Indo-Pacific while countering exploitative infrastructure practices with a better alternative.”
“This expanded partnership reflects our shared vision for quality infrastructure development that respects transparency, sustainability, and the rule of law,” said Ambassador Kazuya Endo of Japan. “Together, we are building connectivity that will benefit generations of Filipinos and strengthen economic ties across the Indo-Pacific.” The LEC initiative represents unparalleled opportunities for domestic and international investors to participate in transformative projects that strengthen supply chains and enhance regional connectivity.
BCCP, biz groups urge prioritization of key legislation amid headwinds
POLITICAL developments in the Senate could affect the pace of economic reforms and legislation needed to sustain investor confidence in the Philippines, according to Executive Vice Chairman Chris Nelson of the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (BCCP).
Nelson said ongoing political tensions and impeachment proceedings come at a challenging period for the Philippine economy amid inflationary pressures, slowing growth, and geopolitical uncertainties linked to the Middle East conflict.
“We need to get our act together; we need to get this cleared out,” he said in a recent interview. “As a business chamber, we’re constantly pushing to see legislation passed, which we think will drive up business and open up the economy.”
Nelson said the chamber remains concerned that political developments could delay the passage of priority economic legislation.
Among the measures it highlighted were the Cybersecurity Act, the Digital Payments Act, and the Blue Economy Act.
BCCP noted that the Philippines’ digital economy continued to expand significantly, accounting for 9.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2025, which is equivalent to around P2.73 trillion in gross value added and supporting over 10.39 million jobs nationwide.
Nelson said measures strengthening cybersecurity and digital payments infrastructure would be crucial, as the Philippines positions itself as a growing digital and fintech hub in Southeast Asia.
BCCP also noted recent regional developments that reinforce the importance of legislative support for broader economic and strategic initiatives—including the proposal at the Asean Summit for the establishment of a maritime center in the Philippines, alongside continued calls for a legally binding South China Sea Code of Conduct and enhanced maritime cooperation among the region’s member states.
The chamber also welcomed ongoing reforms under the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), as it cited the Philippines’ improving stand -
ing in the World Bank’s Business Ready (B-READY) rankings.
The country ranked 53rd out of 101 economies in the 2025 BREADY report. ARTA is confident that the country could enter the top 20 percent globally by 2028 through further streamlining of registration and licensing processes.
“[BCCP is] an ARTA champion. We work very closely with [Director General] Ernesto Perez,” Nelson said. “What we see is further red tape cut. That’s why it’s improving in those rankings.”
PHL as Asean Chair THE chamber’s executive director also stressed that United Kingdom companies continue to view the Philippines as a strategic gateway to Southeast Asia, particularly as the country chairs the Asean this year.
“We also know that the Philippines wants to join [the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or] CPTPP, which the UK is already a member of. And we hope that the application will progress quickly and smoothly,” Nelson said. “Finally, of course, let’s not forget, the Philippines is now the chair of Asean. This is a great opportunity.”
During a recent courtesy visit to Ambassador Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. in London, Nelson said discussions focused on food security, regional resilience and expanding bilateral trade cooperation amid global supply chain disruptions and energy concerns. At the 48th Asean Summit, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. identified food and energy security among the key priorities of the Philippines’ chairship. The BCCP official also welcomed the strengthening of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee or Jetco between the UK and the Philippines, noting that similar frameworks have already been established with other Asean economies.
As total two-way trade in goods and services reached £3.2 billion by the fourth quarter of 2025, Nelson said that “the UK sees the Philippines as a very strategic partner. [But the more important things to ask:] Is legislation improving? Are we opening up the economy? And what are the opportunities?”
Two of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation’s (SMHCC) premier properties, Taal Vista Hotel and Pico Sands Hotel, have earned multiple distinctions at the prestigious Haute Grandeur Global Awards 2026, reaffirming their excellence in hospitality both locally and across Asia.
Taal Vista Hotel, a cherished heritage landmark in Tagaytay, received four distinguished awards: Best Historical Hotel in Asia, Best Classic Hotel in the Philippines, Best Destination Hotel in the Philippines, and Best Destination Wedding Hotel in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Pico Sands Hotel, nestled within the coastal sanctuary of Pico de Loro Cove, was honored with the following accolades: Best Scenic Environment Hotel in Asia, Best All-Inclusive Family Resort in the Philippines, Best All-Inclusive Family Hotel in the Philippines, and Best Coastal Hotel in the Philippines.
The Haute Grandeur Global Awards is a globally trusted initiative that recognizes outstanding hotel experiences based on guest feedback, rewarding properties that consistently deliver excellence across service, facilities, and overall guest satisfaction.
“These recognitions are a testament to the passion and dedication of our teams who continue to elevate the guest experience while staying true to the
identity of each property,” said Ramon Makilan, General Manager of Taal Vista Hotel. “For Taal Vista, it is especially meaningful as we continue to honor our heritage while evolving to meet the expectations of today’s travelers.”
At Pico Sands Hotel, the awards reflect its growing reputation as a premier leisure destination for families and natureseekers alike. “We are truly honored to be recognized on both the national and regional stage,” said Maxi Gavino, General Manager of Pico Sands Hotel. “These awards inspire us to further enhance our
PUEBLO de Oro Development Corporation (PDO) is strengthening its sales capabilities through a nationwide training program designed to support continued growth by further leveraging on digital marketing adapting to shifting buyer behavior.
Conducted through regular monthly sessions, the PDO National Sales Training series brings together in-house sellers and broker partners, covering buyer profiling, digital marketing, and mental resilience. The program reflects the company’s focus on sharpening execution and deepening engagement across its sales network in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, inviting industry-known subject matter experts in sales, marketing, and wellness management.
“Our focus is not just on growing sales, but on improving how we connect with buyers and developing the skills of our sales partners,” said John Vincent Rapiz, Vice President for Sales and Marketing of Pueblo de Oro. “Through targeted training and closer collaboration with our sales networks, we are strengthening our ability to respond to changing customer needs and deliver a more seamless buying experience.”
offerings and create even more meaningful and memorable stays for our guests.”
SMHCC Executive Vice President Peggy Angeles shares that these achievements underscore the group’s unwavering commitment to delivering diverse yet equally exceptional hospitality experiences. “Whether through the timeless elegance of Taal Vista Hotel or the vibrant, nature-focused escape of Pico Sands Hotel, these accolades serve as vital milestones in a shared journey defined by innovation and heartfelt Filipino hospitality,” she added.
Sessions on buyer profiling focus on understanding customer segments to better align offerings with specific needs. Digital marketing workshops highlight the continued relevance of platforms such as Facebook in reaching target audiences, while equipping participants with practical tools to improve lead conversion. These are complemented by sessions on mental health and emotional intelligence, aimed at strengthening resilience in a competitive sales environment.
The initiative builds on PDO’s strong 2025 performance, driven by refined sales execution, expanded digital engagement, and the strength of its broker-led network. As homebuying behavior continues to shift toward online channels, referrals, and relationship-based selling, the company is placing greater emphasis on capability-building.
“Broker partnerships and sales network expansion both local and abroad remain central to our growth,” Rapiz added. “By equipping our partners with the right tools and insights, we are able to extend our reach and maintain meaningful engagement with buyers across markets, including overseas Filipinos seeking long-term investments.”
it as it unfolds all over the metro: • Medusa at The Palace, BGC – June 13, Saturday • The Spirits Library, Makati – May 30 and June 6, 13, 20, 27 • Grasshopper Bar, Makati – June 17 • Bar 10-4, Makati –
the month. Follow @johnniewalkerph for updates on more stops and upcoming Johnnie Walker Ruby Nights.
AS housing affordability and urban living costs continue to shape consumer behavior, more young Filipinos are rethinking what homeownership means in the early stages of adulthood.
Rather than waiting to acquire a large “dream home,” many first-time buyers are now entering the property market through smaller, more practical residences commonly referred to as “starter homes.”
Industry observers note that this reflects a broader generational shift in financial priorities. Younger professionals today are increasingly balancing long-term goals with present-day economic realities, including rising rental rates, transportation expenses, and the challenge of saving amid inflationary pressures.
For many aspiring homeowners, the emphasis has shifted from owning a permanent residence immediately to securing an attainable first property that provides stability, accessibility, and financial foothold.
Starter homes, typically compact residential units located near business districts or transport corridors, have become attractive options for young urban professionals seeking to reduce commute times and gain greater independence while remaining within manageable budgets.
This trend is also influencing how residential developments are positioned
in Metro Manila. Developers are placing greater focus on projects that emphasize connectivity, functionality, and everyday convenience rather than purely aspirational luxury.
Property developers such as Empire East continue to cater to this segment by offering residential communities designed to serve as accessible entry points for first time buyers navigating urban living conditions.
Market analysts suggest the growing acceptance of starter homes indicates changing attitudes toward property ownership among younger generations. Instead of viewing homeownership as a one-time milestone achieved later in life, many buyers now see it as a gradual process that begins with a practical and sustainable first investment.
The shift may also signal evolving demand patterns within the residential sector, particularly in the mid-income market where affordability and location remain key considerations for end-users. As economic conditions and lifestyle preferences continue to evolve, the starter-home approach is increasingly becoming part of how younger Filipinos define financial progress—prioritizing mobility, flexibility, and early assetbuilding over waiting for an idealized “forever home.”
WOODEN laptop table
WITH the new school year just around the corner, preparing your child’s essentials early helps ensure a smooth and stress-free start. MUJI (www.mujiph.com) is the perfect destination for back-to-school needs, offering a wide range of well-designed stationery at good value and quality. From file boxes, acrylic storage units, acrylic frames and office supplies, to pens, refills, highlighters, notebooks, binders, art materials, planners, and calendars, MUJI provides everything a student needs in one place.
Known for its Japanese quality, MUJI products are designed for simplicity, durability, and ease-of-use. Their pens are made for smooth, smudge-free writing, while their paper products help prevent ink bleeding, making studying and note-taking more efficient and comfortable. Whether for school or personal use, MUJI serves as a true one-stop shop for versatile essentials that help you stay organized and productive in everyday life.
From May 22 to 31, 2026, MUJI is offering a Back-to-School special promotion on a wide range of school essentials featuring items such as shirts, pens, notebooks, bags, pants, clocks, water bottles, pillows, organizers, fans, sofas, laptop tables, and more. Another layer to this offer is their Gift with Purchase offer exclusive for students from May 29 to 31, 2026. The first 50 students per day with a minimum single receipt worth P500 can get a chance to win a pen, notebook, water bottler or a PP Cable case via a raffle draw. They need to present a school ID to be eligible for the promo.
Visit physical MUJI stores or shop online to enjoy these limited-time offers. It’s the best time to stock up on school essentials. Whether you are a student, parent, or teacher, MUJI has everything you need to start the school year well-prepared and organized.
AS parents, we celebrate every visible sign of growth—an extra inch on the height chart, heavier footsteps on the bathroom scale, or a shirt that suddenly seems too small. These are the milestones we proudly announce to grandparents, snap photos of, and quietly measure to reassure ourselves that our children are growing well.
We also worry about the visible things: when kids refuse a meal, leave their baon untouched, or seem smaller than classmates.
But while these physical changes are important, they tell only part of the story. The kind of growth that is also worth giving attention to is our child’s development of focus, thinking and learning. This does not show up in a clear form like using a tape measure for height. Many families unintentionally overlook what experts call the “invisible growth gap”: the difference between how much a child grows physically and how much the brain develops during the early years.
The truth is that while our children’s bodies will continue growing into adolescence, their brains operate on a much tighter timeline. By age five, 90 percent of a child’s foundational brain structure is already formed. Yet because these milestones are not as obvious as height or weight, parents may miss early signs of cognitive development or delay supporting them until school begins. More often that not, the most important window of our child’s brain development has already passed.
We see the effects all around us. A significant number of Filipino children start school without the cognitive readiness they need. National reports show that millions of Filipinos can read and write basic text but struggle with comprehension and applying information in reallife settings. At home, many families also lack early learning materials, making mental stimulation harder to support consistently. When early learning needs are not addressed, children may fall behind academically and carry these challenges into adolescence and even adulthood.
The encouraging news is that parents have the power to nurture early brain development every day—and it doesn’t require expensive toys or complicated routines. Enfagrow A+ Four introduces “The Brilliant Hour,” a simple commitment to spend one intentional hour each day interacting
with your child through brainbuilding activities. Reading together, storytelling, roleplaying, puzzles, asking questions, and imaginative play all strengthen curiosity and focus. Even daily household routines—like cooking, fixing toys, sorting clothes, or setting the table—can teach sequencing, logic, and problemsolving. There is also a simple Age-by-Age Play guide from ages 0-8 (linktr.ee/ogalalaplayguide) that I often recommend to parents in buying toys that specializes in the developmental milestones your child needs at each stage.
Alongside stimulation, proper nutrition plays a major role. Enfagrow A+ Four supports early brain development with its 2X Power combination of MFGM and DHA—components that help strengthen brain connections, support cognitive skills, and enhance focus, learning, and thinking abilities (versus formula without MFGM, with proper nutrition and stimulation). Early brain development is sensitive, and the right nutrients can help children build a strong foundation for future learning.
But beyond nutrition and structured activities, the everyday parenting experience also matters. Here are a few of my tips that make The Brilliant Hour even more meaningful:
n Follow your child’s curiosity. The best learning moments often begin with a simple “Why?” Lean into those questions.
n Create learning moments in ordinary routines. Let kids measure rice, match socks, read
labels, or help prepare snacks. Real life is the best classroom.
n Narrate your day. Even casual conversations about what you’re doing or thinking strengthen language and reasoning skills.
n Celebrate effort, not just outcomes. Applaud attempts—whether it’s solving a puzzle or helping with chores. Confidence fuels learning.
n Limit overstimulation. One focused activity beats five rushed ones. Presence is more powerful than perfection.
n Avoid comparing children. Kids grow at their own pace. What matters most is giving them the tools to thrive.
Children develop three crucial cognitive skills— Focus, Learning, and Thinking—each one helping them adapt, plan, solve problems, and engage meaningfully with the world. When we invest in these skills early, we give our children not just intelligence, but confidence, independence and resilience.
Physical growth is easy to see. But the quiet, steady work of building a child’s mind is just as important. Through intentional time, proper nutrition, and engaged parenting, every home can become a place where young minds grow brilliantly—one hour, one moment, one story at a time.
Make every hour a Brilliant Hour. Follow Enfagrow A+ Four on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ EnfaPhilippines) and Instagram (@enfagrowph) for daily brainbuilding activity ideas.
YOU SHOULD BE DANCING, YEAH. MOVING TO MUSIC OFFERS ALL KINDS OF BENEFITS AS YOU AGE
By Anita Snow The Associated Press
TUCSON, Arizona—Carol Ross can’t stop smiling at dance practice as she shouts out the steps of a routine to members of her tap and jazz troupe for women age 50 and older.
“I’ve been dancing my whole life, it’s the best,” said Ross, who founded the Rodeo City Wreckettes group 23 years ago at an age when many people are getting ready for retirement. Now 87, Ross and her husband and lifelong dance partner John, also 87, have long known what more older adults are now discovering: Moving to music is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Medical professionals say it doesn’t matter if it’s Western line dancing, ballroom steps, salsa, tap, Zumba at the gym, or with a group like the Wreckettes.
“Dancing is one of the most powerful activities for older people,” said Julio Loya, a nurse and geriatric program coordinator at the Tucson Medical Center.
WHY DANCING HELPS BALANCE, STRENGTH AND MORE
DANCE, like other exercise, can help people lose weight, get stronger, reduce fall risk, increase mobility and flexibility, and even improve brain health.
“It engages their brain, it changes their mood, and it connects them socially while getting them moving,” said Loya. “And it’s fun. Everybody has a good time.”
Dr. Thomas Johnson, a geriatrician at the UCHealth Seniors Clinic in Aurora, Colorado, said he remembers one man in particular whose passion for dance was so strong that he willed himself to attend one last class before he died in his late 1980s.
Johnson said dance can improve the balance of his patients at the clinic, which serves about 2,500 people 75 and older a year.
He said older patients can benefit from adding two to three dance sessions to the 150 minutes of aerobic exercise he recommends for them each week, because dancing often involves movements that help with balance, such as walking backward or standing on one foot.
MEETING PEOPLE BY DANCING TOGETHER
THE Wreckettes practice their routines during twohour sessions at least twice a week in a rented dance studio.
After studying ballet as a girl, then moving on to everything from ballroom to tap as an adult, Ross said it made sense to keep dancing when she and her husband moved from Philadelphia to retire in Tucson.
Wreckettes member Cindy Soffrin said that watching her mother suffer as she aged convinced her to stay active as she got older.
“My mom was sedentary the last 20 years of her life. It was pretty rough,” said Soffrin, 74.
THE FUN OF PERFORMING
THE Wreckettes perform throughout the year, from
holiday events to rodeo shows, dressing up in a series of matching sparkly costumes.
But they all said what they love the most is being hired by retirement homes to perform for memory care patients.
Wreckette members take turns picking a favorite charity to donate their earnings.
“When we first arrive, people will be distracted or sleeping,” said Soffrin. “But once the music comes on, they perk up right away.”
HOW TO BEGIN DANCING WHEN YOU’RE OLDER
If you want to start moving to music, here are some tips from health professionals and dance instructors:
n Before starting: Check with your health provider before starting a dance or any exercise program. Choose something simple to start, like line dancing rather than intricate tango steps.
n Find a class: Check with a YMCA, parks and recreation department, or senior or community center. Community colleges often have dance classes, sometimes tailored for older people.
Local dance studios and YouTube videos are other options. If you have Medicare Advantage insurance with the Silver Sneakers benefit, find out if your local gym has Zumba or other dance classes you can attend for free.
n Before the session: Dress comfortably for easy movement, and warm-up and stretch before class.
n Most importantly: Have fun! You are doing great things for your mind and body.
B8 Thursday, May 28, 2026
PARIS—Tennis players at the French Open say they haven’t experienced conditions this hot at Roland Garros since the Paris Olympics. And the 2024 Olympics were held in July and August. Temperatures for the opening two days of the clay-court Grand Slam have soared to 33 degrees C (91 F)—far beyond normal for late May in the French capital.
A nd it’s forecast to stay that way for the entire first week.
B esides making it uncomfortable for fans and players alike, the sultry conditions have also created faster conditions on court—changing the pace of the game.
“ It is much different. Maybe it was that hot in the Olympics but the balls were different, so I wouldn’t treat it as the same tournament,”
Junior golf series move to Visayas at Bacolod layout
HE
Ttwo legs of the Junior Philippine Golf Tour (JPGT) Visayas-Mindanao Series moves to the Visayas for its conclusion at the tight and unforgiving Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Murcia from June 3 to 5. Action then shifts to the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Bacolod City from June 8 to 10 with the final two legs of the six-stage regional series expected to produce the fiercest battles yet across all age-group categories.
At stake is not just individual glory, but a spot on the South team, which is gearing up to battle the North side in the Ryder-style grand finals from August 17 to 20 at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro.
Having lost the inaugural North versus South duel at The Country Club last year, the Southerners are fueled by a no-nonsense determination to exact payback on home turf.
To build the strongest possible squad, the selection process is strict— only a player’s best three results across six tournaments, (with a minimum of three participations) will count toward the final rankings.
W ith slots in the top four in each category still up for grabs, the fight for ranking points is wide open.
I n the girls’ 7 to 10 category, Vanya Go leads the pack with 39 points, followed by Soleil Molde (30).
W hile Akeisha Yocte (23) and Zoey Mascariñas (22) currently hold the remaining qualifying spots, a logjam threatens to upend the standings— Camila Alvarez, Maxine Cabang and Faith Frayco sit dangerously close with 14 points each and Jayenne Mesina (12), Ana Marie Aguilar (10), Adrielle Avila (10) and Jia Ho (10) could all crash the top four party with a sweep of the Bacolod legs.
I n the 11-14 division, Brittany Tamayo (40), Rafella Batican (34), Marqaela Dy (30) and Zuri Bagaloyos (24) currently hold the inside track, but Isabella Espina is breathing down their necks with 22 points, while Eliana Dumalaog and Kimberly Barroquillo are lurking just behind with 20 points, ready to strike.
four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek said after routing Emerson Jones, 6-1, 6-2, in the first round on Monday.
Players have been putting bags of ice around their necks on changeovers to stay cool, while fans refreshed themselves under sprinklers.
W hen workers water the clay courts between sets, they have taken to directing their hoses at spectators begging to be doused, too.
“ I don’t remember the last time it was so hot at Roland Garros,” Russianborn Australian player Daria Kasatkina said after beating Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-4. “Maybe one day. But we’re going to have it for the whole week.”
K asatkina said the energy-sapping temperatures made for more up-anddown matches.
“ You can suddenly just get out of the bench and feel that your focus dropped,” she said. “So this is a battle which you have to also win.… Whoever adapts better to today’s conditions gets it.”
Retirement, medical timeout
CANADIAN player Gabriel Diallo said the heat was the main reason why he retired midway through his match against James Duckworth on Sunday.
B oth Andrey Rublev and opponent
Ignacio Buse called for the trainer on separate occasions during the second set of their 3-hour, 39-minute match on Monday, which Rublev won in four sets.
Buse took a medical timeout and had salts and minerals added to his water bottle as a stethoscope was placed on his chest. Rublev received treatment a few games later.
A lso during the same match, a weary looking ball girl had to be helped off the court and received medical attention.
second and third sets for women’s matches and between the third and fourth sets for men’s matches. I f the WBGT hits 32.2 C (90 F), play is suspended. It would require an air temperature of about 38 C (100 F) for play to be suspended.
Fast-court players like the heat SOME players were embracing the hotter air.
“I’ve
important to look good,” she says. AP
An extreme weather policy THE French Open is usually cool compared to the heat at the Australian Open and US Open. But like in Australia and New York, the French Open has adopted an extreme weather policy.
I f the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)—which takes into account temperature, humidity, sun, wind and other factors—reaches 30.1 degrees C (86 F) or higher, 10-minute cooling breaks can be installed between the
ticket to the
By Josef Ramos
CB oneo, 12 and swimming out of Imus City for traditional swimming powerhouse CALABARZON, dazzled to a record-breaking 27.77 seconds in the boys’ elementary 50-meter butterfly for his second straight gold in the school-based multi-sport showcase supported by the
H
in
in
by
Guiriba for National
Pana-ad
B oneo won on Tuesday the 400-m freestyle gold medal. I locos Region’s Anton Paulo Dominick Della joined the growing list of record breakers with his victory in the 200-meter individual medley he achieved in 2:09.97, smashing CALABARZON’s Peter Cyrus Dean’s
of global multisport racing—the 2026 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France—is on the line as the country’s triathlon capital prepares for a historic double-header in the 10th edition of the Century Tuna Ironman 70.3 Subic Bay on June 7. O rganized by Sunrise Events Inc., the premier middle-distance race has
already drawn a stellar international field representing at least 45 countries with more expected to register before the starting gun fires. W hile the international elite will fiercely contest the overall titles, the Filipino age-groupers get a once-in-
wandering in the desert, right at the doorstep of claiming their third NBA championship. NBA Finals-wise, the Knicks have been there more often. They were there in 1951 (but lost to the Rochester Royals), 1952 and 1953 (lost both to the Minneapolis Lakers), 1970 (won the
a-lifetime opportunity to claim one of 45 qualifying slots for the world championship set September 12 and 13 in the breathtaking coastal city of Nice. To ensure fair opportunity, the slots will be distributed evenly across the male and female age-group divisions and automatic entries will be awarded to top division finishers,
title against the Lakers), 1972 (lost to the Lakers), 1973 (became champs at the expense of the Lakers), 1994 (lost to the Houston Rockets), 1999 (lost to the San Antonio Spurs) and 2026 (waiting for the outcome of the Western Conference finals between the Oklahoma Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. Th is year they’re coming into the Finals with sheer dominance. This is a top-of-the-heap New York team that’s spreading terror by their sheer playoffs reputation. Gone are the heartbreak years of Knicks fans who were disappointed with Stephen Marbury and let down by Amar’e Stoudemire’s injuries. Even Carmelo Anthony failed to bag a shiny trophy for New York during his best season in 2012-13. Neither did Patrick Ewing during his 15 seasons there (1985-2000).
But now, wow. The Blue and Orange is looking good with 6’2 star guard Jalen Brunson who was recently crowned Eastern Conference Finals MVP. It has Mikal Bridges, the two-way wing known for his crippling perimeter defense and elite three-point shooting who also recently made NBA history by appearing in two separate Finals, playing 709 consecutive games, no absences at all. There’s also Karl-Anthony Towns, who grew up a Knicks fan. He is living his dream.
It means the world,” KAT said, emotionally, after they steamrollered the Cavs to reach the NBA Finals.
The Knicks universe actually revolves around Jalen
Brunson. The trade of five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges, the acquisition of Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns in separate timelines were all meant to maximize Brunson’s strengths and minimize his weaknesses. Now as they await the winner of the WCF, NBC
Editor: Anne Ruth Dela Cruz
By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz
EXECUTIVE health checkups
are often associated with physical tests such as bloodwork, scans, health screenings, and diagnostic procedures designed to detect illness before symptoms appear.
Today, however, healthcare experts recognize that true wellness goes beyond physical health. Mental and emotional well-being are equally important, influencing everything from productivity and sleep quality to overall health and recovery.
Recognizing the need for a more holistic approach to preventive care, Makati Medical Center has integrated mental wellness services into its executive health checkup experience through the MakatiMed WellnessHub, a full-service outpatient facility designed to make healthcare more convenient, comfortable, and comprehensive.
What sets the MakatiMed WellnessHub apart is its holistic approach to preventive care. Alongside advanced diagnostic screening for the heart, bones, liver, kidneys, breast health, thyroid, and reproductive health, the facility also offers individualized psychological assessment services, counseling, and therapy sessions as part of its mental wellness program. Referrals to NeuroPsychiatry specialists are likewise made more accessible through the center.
“The ease of accessibility of a mental wellness program, not mental illness, should somehow destigmatize this notion that when you see a doctor for your mental issues, something’s wrong,” said Dr. Saturnino P. Javier, Interim Co-President and CEO and Medical Director of Makati Medical Center. “This is mental wellness. You want to stay well mentally and that should be the focus of that program.”
The growing demand for mental wellness services reflects a broader recognition of the importance of emotional and psychological well-being.
By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes Contributor
ANEW breed of University of the Philippines-Manila researchers is bridging the gap between high-tech laboratory discovery and the gritty, real-world needs of the local healthcare system.
During the recent “Inoblasyon: The UP Innovation Summit 2026” held in Taguig City, four leading medical innovators shared a glimpse into a future where medical devices are not just imported from the West, but are “made by Filipinos, for Filipinos.”
Dr. Ailyn Manglicmot-Yabes, vice chairperson for research, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of the Philippines, is tackling a growing crisis: the rise of new psychoactive substances and pharmaceutical poisoning. Currently, 35 percent of poisoning cases referred to the center involve pharmaceuticals like paracetamol and benzodiazepines. Traditional testing is laboratorybased, expensive, and often fails to detect modern synthetic drugs. Furthermore, Yabes’ team has de -
By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
THE Philippines and Singapore have collaborated to strengthen strategic areas of cooperation, as the bilateral
According to Dr. Javier, the need cuts across age groups, including adolescents who continue to navigate challenges brought about by the pandemic and changes in their home and social environments.
“We have a lot of patients who are adolescents because there are a lot of things going on in their lives that we don’t know about,” he said. “They went through all these things at home during COVID-19. So when they’re brought there at the WellnessHub, people just think they have a checkup. Our rooms are just labelled as consultation rooms.”
Located on the seventh floor of Ayala North Exchange’s Tower 1,
veloped E-Tox, a 3D-printed microfluidic point-of-care device. According to Yabes, the device allows for rapid, bedside analytical diagnostics. By moving testing from the lab to the patient’s side, Yabes said doctors can provide life-saving treatment in minutes rather than days.
Hearing test device
DR . Charlotte Chiong, Dean of the UP College of Medicine, said the mission is personal. Having performed the first cochlear implant in the Philippines in 1997, she realized that surgery alone wasn’t enough; early detection was the missing link.
While foreign hearing screening technology exists, it is prohibitively expensive, costing up to P2 million. In response, Chiong is currently developing HeLe, an automated, Philippinemade screening device. Chiong said they aim to bring the cost down to P150,000, making it accessible for birthing facilities in even the most disadvantaged areas.
She said early detection allows children to develop language and cognition, potentially saving the govern -
just a short walk from the hospital, the MakatiMed WellnessHub offers hospital-grade executive health checkups in a calming environment that feels more like a boutique hotel or wellness spa than a medical facility.
Each patient is assisted by a dedicated Executive Liaison Officer to ensure a smooth and stress-free experience.
“The biggest difference here is you’re dealing with Makati Medical Center. It already has the reputation and the track record,” Dr. Javier said.
“This is a program of MakatiMed that provides holistic and compassionate care with a lot of premium on comfort and convenience.”
“We’re a one-stop shop at a higher
ment billions in long-term disability support.
Bone fractures
MEANWHILE, Dr. Manuel Estrella, an orthopedic surgeon, is addressing the high cost of treating bone fractures, often the result of road accidents or sports injuries. Estrella and his team are developing the iFIX, a portable external fixator used to stabilize broken bones.
He said most proprietary fixators are expensive and difficult to procure. In response, Dr. Estrella’s team is moving toward clinical validation, offering a homegrown, affordable alternative that ensures quality surgical care isn’t reserved only for the wealthy.
Dental restoration
THE Philippines has one of the highest rates of tooth loss globally, yet dental restoration remains a luxury for many.
Dr. Armando Rivera, an orthodontist and researcher, is leveraging the “SMILES” project to change this.
Rivera said the SMILES project is using 3D printing and homegrown antimicrobial materials to fabricate
level,” added Arlyn Songco, Senior Vice President and Division Head of MakatiMed’s Creative, Communication, and Sales Department. “For people who don’t like going to hospitals because they’re not sick, this addresses their need to get a wellness check.”
Beyond its mental wellness services, the MakatiMed WellnessHub provides access to some of the most advanced diagnostic technologies available today.
According to Dr. Ryan Raymond Bautista, Head of MakatiMed WellnessHub, these include the Siemens Mammomat and GE Senographe Pristina for high-quality breast imaging, the Siemens Acuson Sequoia Crown breast ultrasound system, and the GE LOGIQ S8XDCLEAR for abdominal, thyroid, prostate, vascular, and musculoskeletal imaging. The facility also houses the FIBROSCAN 630 EXPERT for liver assessment and the GE IDXA enCORE v18 SP5, which can evaluate bone density, body fat, visceral fat, and lean muscle mass.
The WellnessHub also houses a Skin & Laser Hub featuring advanced aesthetic and dermatologic technologies, including the DermaGrafix Body Mapping Solution, which can detect potentially cancerous skin lesions from head to toe.
For tests requiring extended observation or specialized procedures, patients may also be admitted to the MakatiMed WellnessHub Premier at Makati Medical Center’s main hospital tower, where private rooms offer a comfortable and convenient stay for procedures such as colonoscopy, invasive diagnostics, and sleep or cardiac monitoring.
As awareness of mental health continues to grow, MakatiMed WellnessHub is redefining preventive healthcare by recognizing that wellness is not only about detecting physical illness. It is also about caring for the mind, helping individuals of all ages achieve better overall health through a more holistic approach to care.
dentures and dental bases. He said the technology shifts away from slow, manual manufacturing toward rapid, precise digital production. “Our goal is to lower the cost of materials so that regular Filipinos can afford to restore their smiles and their selfesteem,” he said.
While the “innovation ecosystem” in the Philippines is booming compared to a decade ago, significant hurdles remain. The panelists highlighted a “major gap” in the transition from research to the marketplace. They said complex government regulations often delay the purchase of vital safety equipment and facilities.
“Innovation should be looked at as an investment, not an expense,” noted Dr. Chiong.
“Every peso put into early screening yields a hundredfold return.”
The panelists agreed that the Philippines can no longer settle for what is easy to import. By fostering a “knowledge economy,” Filipino scientists are proving that the best solutions to the country’s unique health problems are the ones developed right here at home.
By Candy P. Dalizon Contributor
HEALTH experts underscore that early detection of Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) signs and symptoms is essential for proper patient management and timely specialist referrals. Subsequent monitoring is equally vital to proactively identify and treat potential complications.
Dr. Loudella V. Calotes-Castillo, Pediatric Neurologist, said that while formal standards of care exist in other countries, the Philippines does not yet have an established national protocol. Instead, local clinicians rely on comprehensive, highly individualized physical examinations. She explained that because NF1 manifests uniquely in every patient, diagnostic and laboratory tests are not uniform; they are selectively requested based on what is clinically observed at specific stages of the patient’s development.
NF1 is a rare genetic disorder that affects roughly 1 in 3,000 individuals globally. The condition triggers tumor growth along the nervous system and can manifest in wide-ranging complications across the skin, skeletal system, eyes, and brain. Because the disease is highly unpredictable, no two patients experience identical symptoms and manifestations range from mild, allowing individuals to live fully independent lives, to severe cases requiring lifelong care and support.
Monitoring is structured around agedependent milestones to proactively catch potential complications. Dr. Castillo said that for newborns and infants, clinical evaluation begins with a detailed family history and a thorough examination of the skin to check for early cutaneous signs, such as café-au-lait macules, which are flat, light brown spots.
BY the time the patient reaches one year old, the focus shifts to tracking physical growth, assessing overall development, and evaluating skeletal integrity to check for any bone abnormalities. These early findings serve as the baseline for longterm monitoring and dictate whether further diagnostic imaging is required.
During mid-childhood, clinicians closely check for localized skin changes, specifically looking for distinct skin fold freckling in the axilla (underarms) or inguinal (groin) regions.
From a child neurology perspective, this mid-childhood window is also a critical time to monitor for cognitive and behavioral developments. Children with NF1 have a documented predisposition to learning difficulties and developmental concerns, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
“As a child neurologist, I also check if there are developmental concerns. Is there ADHD? Because there is a tendency for patients with NF1 to develop developmental or learning concerns,” said Dr. Castillo.
Evaluating these factors early ensures that patients receive the necessary neurodevelopmental and academic interventions.
Dr. Castillo also mentioned that in Europe, asymptomatic NF1 patients are advised to undergo a Whole-Body MRI (WB-MRI) at the transition from adolescence to adulthood to evaluate internal tumor burden.
“But that’s something difficult for us to really do routinely because MRI is expensive. What is the basis of that recommendation? Because they can’t see the internal growth,” said Dr. Castillo.
Dr. Castillo, likewise, emphasized the importance of monitoring. “Regular monitoring is essential, even if you feel completely fine. During these routine visits, your primary care doctor or specialists can often see something that you might not notice, allowing them to order further testing or imaging.”
A treatment milestone
DR. CASTILLO was among the featured speakers at “A New Way Forward: Together Through Every Step,” an event spearheaded by AstraZeneca Philippines. Convened on World Neurofibromatosis Day, the gathering brought together healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and caregivers to discuss the unique challenges facing Filipinos living with NF1. The event also marked a significant development in Philippine rare disease care:
A Filipino patient recently became the first in the country to receive an approved targeted therapy for NF1-Plexiform Neurofibromas (NF1-PN).
Plexiform Neurofibromas (PN) are a common manifestation of NF1, in which tumors arise from tissues that cover and protect the nerves and can appear anywhere inside or outside the body. Although surgery may be done to remove some PN, most PN are inoperable, which can cause pain, physical impairment, and other complications.
This milestone represents a new chapter for NF1-PN patients in the Philippines, as they now have an approved targeted therapy option within reach.
“When we learned that a treatment option was available for my son, we felt a mix of emotions—joy, hope, and relief,” said Carol Tendero, mother and caregiver of a five-year-old NF1 patient.
“We are very grateful for the medical advancements that made this possible, as well as the healthcare professionals who have supported us throughout our journey,” she added.
A call for awareness and collective action ADVOCATES emphasized that the path to diagnosis remains one of the most painful parts of the NF1 journey, often requiring patients to consult multiple specialists over several years. This delay postpones critical treatment and access to support systems. Beyond diagnosis, widespread education is vital to improving patient outcomes, especially for children.
“I remember when I was diagnosed and seeing how difficult it was for my family, especially my mother,” said Araceli Lanorio, NF1 patient and advocate.
“Many parents spend years looking for answers, treatment options, and support. Through awareness and education, we hope families realize they are not alone and that people are willing to help them navigate this journey,” she continued.
“Awareness is important because when families, schools, and communities understand the condition better, children are given a greater opportunity to thrive,” said Dr. Amparo Itto Agrava, Pediatric Neurologist and Neurosonologist. “Support starts with the family. The way parents accept and support their child influences how that child sees themselves.”
While NF1 is a lifelong condition, healthcare experts stressed that multidisciplinary care and continued research can meaningfully improve outcomes. To support this, advocates called on policymakers to invest in rare disease centers and establish clearer referral pathways.
Concurrently, AstraZeneca reaffirmed its commitment to supporting patients living with NF1-PN by delivering life-changing innovations and fostering deep collabor ation across the rare disease community.
“At AstraZeneca, we believe that every patient living with rare diseases deserves access to innovation, dignity and a healthcare system that sees them,” said Dr. Cyril Tolosa, Medical Affairs Director for Biopharmaceuticals and Rare Disease, AstraZeneca Philippines. Dr. Tolosa shared their ultimate objective which is to enable patients to lead fulfilling lives and actively engage with society. Achieving this demands a unified effort from patients, families, medical professionals, advocacy groups, the government, and the healthcare industry.
Thursday, May 28, 2026
By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz
FOR many Filipinos, the cancer journey begins only after symptoms become impossible to ignore. By then, fear and uncertainty have often already set in, leaving patients and their families struggling to navigate a complex healthcare system while making life-changing decisions. Healthway Cancer Care Hospital (HCCH) wants to change that.
The challenge is significant. Approximately 168,000 Filipinos are diagnosed with cancer every year, underscoring the need for earlier detection, timely intervention, and more coordinated care.
Through its Stronger Life Movement, the country’s first dedicated cancer specialty hospital is championing a new standard of cancer care, one that places prevention, early detection, coordinated treatment, and quality of life at the center of the patient experience.
“Stronger starts with knowing,” said Dr. Kaye Recto, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of HCCH. “Knowing your body, knowing your risks, and knowing when to get screened. Knowing that there is a place built specifically to guide you through the cancer journey with more clarity, expertise, and deeper compassion.”
Health and wellness event
THE advocacy was brought to life through The Stronger Life Community, a threeday health and wellness event held from May 15 to 17, 2026, at the BGC Amphitheater. Hundreds of Filipinos participated in complimentary screenings, wellness activities, and expert consultations aimed at encouraging people to take a more proactive approach to their health.
According to HCCH Chief Operating Officer Dr. Manuel Francisco Roxas, the hospital is helping redefine cancer care by shifting the focus from reactive treatment to proactive health management.
“HCCH is transforming the healthcare landscape by introducing a new model of cancer care, one that is fundamentally
ACROSS generations, Filipinas have been the quiet strength holding families and communities together. They are the mothers who rise before dawn for their families, the daughters caring for aging parents, and the professionals balancing demanding careers with life at home. In every role, Filipinas show resilience, constantly enduring, giving, and caring. Yet one essential form of strength often goes unnoticed: muscle health, the physical foundation that allows women to move freely, stay independent, and live life fully. As women enter menopause, this foundation is quietly challenged. Understanding how menopause affects muscle health can empower women to take intentional, proactive steps to remain strong through midlife and beyond.
Understanding the change MENOPAUSE marks a significant life transition for women. It is a natural biological process signaling the end of menstrual cycles and typically unfolds in three stages: perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause. Each woman’s experience is unique, influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and overall health.
This transition is primarily driven by a natural decline in estrogen, a hormone that affects many systems in the body, including muscles. Estrogen helps maintain muscle mass and strength by supporting tendons, ligaments, and the repair of muscle tissue. When estrogen levels drop, women may notice:
ICare has officially risen to the number three position among health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in the Philippines. This milestone follows a comprehensive transformation initiative led by Singapore-based Value-Based Healthcare, which acquired majority ownership of the company in 2023. The new ranking is highlighted in the Insurance Commission’s latest report, “Performance of the HMO Industry as of 31 March 2026”, released this May. Founded in 1991, iCare’s rapid ascent is an -
proactive,” said Roxas. “The Stronger Life Community demonstrates how HCCH is redefining wellness and integrating preventive health into the lives of Filipinos through our multidisciplinary expertise and whole-person approach.”
Long-held vision THE vision behind HCCH has been years in the making. Though only two years old, the hospital represents a long-held vision among healthcare leaders, cancer advocates, and medical specialists to create a facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of cancer patients. That vision led to the creation of a hospital built around the entire cancer journey—from screening and early detection to diagnosis, treatment planning, treatment, recovery, survivorship, and quality of life.
“Cancer care should never begin with confusion,” Recto said. “It should not feel fragmented for anybody, and patients should not have the burden of piecing everything together or finding the answers on their own.”
Seamless, coordinate experience
UNLIKE traditional models where patients often move between multiple facilities and specialists, HCCH was designed to provide a more seamless and coordinated experience.
n Reduced muscle mass and strength
n Slower recovery after activity n Lower energy levels, and n Increased risks for osteoporosis and cardiovascular conditions.
“While these changes are normal, they do not have to limit a woman’s quality of life. Midlife is a critical window for women to prioritize their muscle health. By intentionally building and maintaining strength during this stage, women can protect their independence, mobility, and overall quality of life. Strength-building remains valuable at every stage, even long after the reproductive years,” said Dr. Rowena Auxillos, former President of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society.
Building strength through daily habits
WOMEN typically reach menopause at an average age of 48, often accompanied by symptoms such as headaches, mood changes, sleep disturbances, and joint discomfort. While these symptoms can feel overwhelming, these are also gentle reminders to invest in one’s health. Here are practical habits every woman can adopt:
Daily movement. Because metabolism naturally slows during menopause, staying active is crucial. Simple exercises like walking, morning s tretches, or dancing can offer meaningful ben -
chored on a unique corporate DNA that blends Singaporean operational efficiency with compassionate Filipino service. Since the acquisition, extensive investments in technology, data-driven systems, and talent have propelled the company forward.
“Our leap to the top three is a testament to
Central to this approach is its Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) model, where oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, and supportive care specialists work together to review each patient’s case and develop a personalized treatment plan. The hospital also organizes expertise through specialized Centers of Excellence, enabling highly targeted diagnostics and treatment strategies for different types of cancer.
The hospital’s capabilities span advanced diagnostics, precision medicine, radiation oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, rehabilitation, palliative care, and survivorship services—all integrated within a single patient-centered system.
“We are not simply offering cancer services inside a hospital,” Recto explained.
“We are building a more coordinated, more specialized, and more human way of caring for people facing cancer. That is the new standard we are here to champion.”
Whole-person oncology approach
BEYOND medical treatment, HCCH embraces a Whole-Person Oncology Approach that recognizes patients as more than their diagnosis. The model includes nutritional counseling, rehabilitation, emotional support, palliative care, and survivorship programs designed to help patients maintain their quality of life
efits for muscle maintenance and mood.
Resistance training. Resistance or strength training is the most effective way to rebuild and protect muscle mass. This can include using free weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups. Just two to three sessions a week can make a noticeable difference.
A nutritious diet. Protein-rich foods help repair and build muscles. Aim for 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Great options include eggs, lean meats, and dairy like milk, yoghurt and cheese. Plant-based foods such as edamame, dried fruits, tofu or sesame and flax seeds are high in phytoestrogens, which help ease menopausal symptoms by mimicking estrogen’s effects. Additionally, foods rich in calcium and vitamin D—like sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna, and leafy greens—also support bone health, which becomes increasingly important during this life stage.
Supportive supplements. Incorporating clinically proven nutrients into daily diet can improve muscle mass and overall resilience. For example, Ensure Gold contains CaHMB (Calcium β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate) which supports muscle repair and maintains muscle mass, and YBG (Yeast Beta Glucan) which helps strengthen immunity within four weeks, when
during and after treatment.
“A standard where patients are not seen just as cases or as a diagnosis, but as whole people—with families, fears, goals, responsibilities, and lives they want to keep living fully,” Recto said.
During a media briefing held ahead of The Stronger Life Community, HCCH’s medical leaders shared insights on the evolving landscape of cancer care in the Philippines.
Joining Dr. Roxas were Dr. Michael Agustin, Head of the Lung Nodule Clinic and Active Consultant for Pulmonology; Dr. Joseph Roy Fuentes, Chairperson of the Colorectal Center of Excellence; Dr. Gerardo Cornelio, Chairperson of the Lung Center of Excellence; Dr. Aldine Astrid Basa, Chairperson of the Breast Center of Excellence and Section Chief for Breast Surgery; Dr. Conrad Gabriel “Gary” Lorenzo III, Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board; and Dr. Mari Joanne “Joey” Joson, Head of the Department of Quality of Life and Survivorship and Chief of the Section of Palliative Care.
The gathering highlighted HCCH’s commitment to providing specialized expertise across every stage of the cancer journey—from prevention and early detection to treatment, survivorship, and end-of-life care.
Patient needs WHILE HCCH has already established itself as the country’s first dedicated cancer specialty hospital, Roxas acknowledged that the institution continues to evolve in response to patient needs.
“HCCH has been around for two and a half years. We are still learning. We’re still growing. We understand more and more the pain points. They become clearer. But we’re also working hard to make sure that those pain points are addressed,” he said.
As it continues to expand its advocacy efforts, HCCH hopes to encourage more Filipinos to take the first step toward understanding their health risks and seeking screening before symptoms appear.
combined with proper diet and exercise.
Quality sleep. A study has shown that 40 percent of women in their late 40s and early 50s experience sleep difficulties. To improve sleep quality, avoid caffeine and alcohol near bedtime and focus on establishing a regular nighttime schedule. Good sleep supports both muscle recovery and emotional balance.
“From a medical nutrition perspective, muscle health cannot be supported by physical activity alone—particularly during and after menopause. During this transition, women’s nutritional needs increase at a time when appetite and nutrient absorption may decline. Without adequate intake of high - q uality protein and essential micronutrients, muscle loss can accelerate. Clinically formulated nutritional supplements such as Ensure Gold are designed to help address these nutritional gaps, supporting muscle mass and functional strength as women age,” said Dr. Gamaliel Tayao, Abbott’s head of medical affairs in the Philippines.
Midlife is not about slowing down; it is an opportunity to refocus on strength that supports everyday living. When women are informed and proactive about muscle health, they are better equipped to grow into stronger, healthier versions of themselves.
For more guidance on how to reclaim your strength, vitality, and confidence, visit ensure. com.ph
S the world marks World Blood Cancer Day this May, health experts are urging greater awareness of persistent fatigue, frequent infections and other symptoms that are too often dismissed as normal signs of aging. These overlooked warning signs can point to Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), now more accurately known as Myelodysplastic Neoplasms, a form of blood cancer where the bone marrow produces abnormal, cancer-like cells. Despite advances in medical understanding, MDS remains largely under-recognized, delaying diagnosis and treatment for many patients.
While the condition is serious, local data indicates it is frequently missed. A landmark 10-year study at Makati Medical Center, which followed 240 patients, revealed that MDS remains “underestimated, underreported, and underdiagnosed” in the Philippines.
The study highlighted a significant hurdle in the patient journey: out of those 240 individuals, only 15 percent were able to receive advanced laboratory tests like cytogenetic testing. This means that roughly 85 percent of patients did not receive a full diagnostic evaluation. Without access to these specialized examinations, many Filipinos may be living with the disease undetected. This means they miss the window for early treatment that can help slow the disease’s progression and improve their daily quality of life.
To bridge this gap, healthcare leaders and specialists are uniting to address the critical need for early diagnosis, specialized treatment, and robust industry collaboration. This collective effort is a continuous, vital mission to protect patient health, with World Blood Cancer Day serving as a powerful global spotlight on our daily responsibility to stay vigilant against silent symptoms and advocate for better blood health.
Understanding the “silent” blood disorder
MDS occurs when the bone marrow, the body’s “blood factory,” starts producing “defective” instead of healthy blood cells. In a functional factory, young cells mature and enter the bloodstream to keep us healthy. In MDS, these cells fail to develop properly and die too early, causing a critical shortage of vital blood components. This “factory failure” leads to conditions such as anemia (low red blood cells), leukopenia (low white blood cells), and thrombocytopenia (low platelets). Without enough of these healthy cells to provide energy, fight infections, and stop bleeding, patients often experience the persistent fatigue and easy bruising that characterize the disease.
While MDS can affect individuals of any age, it is most common in adults over 60. The condition typically manifests as prolonged exhaustion and shortness of breath, frequent infections and petechiae (tiny purple or red spots under the skin). Because these signs are subtle, many Filipinos dismiss them as a normal part of aging and delay seeking medical help.
Early consultation and detection is key
DETECTING MDS early is vital for improving long-term health outcomes and preventing the disease from progressing unnoticed. A Complete Blood Count (CBC) can reveal hidden abnormalities that warrant further examination. If irregularities are found, primary care physicians typically refer patients to a Hematologist, a specialist in blood disorders who can perform more detailed diagnostic tests, such as a bone marrow aspiration. “A good doctor must start by reviewing a patient’s full history and conducting a physical exam, because fatigue is very non-specific and can hide many things,” says Dr. Rosalio Torres, founding president of the Philippine College of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (PCHTM). “Our blood cells have critical functions: red cells carry oxygen, white cells fight infections, and platelets stop us from bleeding. When these are damaged in MDS, patients suffer from shortness of breath, lack of energy, recurrent infections, and easy bruising or bleeding.”
Dr. Torres emphasizes that while the journey can be challenging, there is a path forward. “We now have management and supportive care options available in the Philippines. While these treatments are often long-term and can be resource-intensive, catching the disease early helps us manage costs and care more effectively.”
WHILE the path through MDS looks different for every individual, the journey of one of Dr. Torres’ current patients, a Manila-based businessman in his late 70s, offers a look at what is possible with tailored, modern management.
His journey began like many others: months of dealing with vague, exhausting weakness that standard treatments failed to fix, eventually leading him to a hematologist for a confirmatory bone marrow evaluation. Over the years, his battle with MDS was a rollercoaster that spanned standard supportive therapies, a taxing period of escalating blood transfusions, and even an overseas trip for a medical treatment that ultimately left him disappointed. Because of his age, a stem cell transplant was out of the question.
The turning point came when his care team shifted strategy to a targeted management approach to help improve his red blood cell levels. After structured cycles of therapy, his body responded and his reliance on frequent blood transfusions dropped to zero.
Today, managing his condition requires only routine maintenance visits and ongoing therapy to keep his iron levels balanced. Far from being confined to a hospital room, he is actively running his businesses and enjoying his retirement. More than anything, he is thriving in his favorite role yet—spending purposeful days with his first granddaughter.
His story is a reminder that while MDS is a complex, long-term challenge, a diagnosis is not a dead end. While outcomes may vary between patients, with early specialist intervention, a precise look at the disease markers, and access to medical advancements, there is a tangible path to reclaiming a normal life.
A hopeful outlook
THE journey toward better care for MDS in the Philippines rests on three essential pillars: heightened public awareness, early consultation, and a strong collaboration between the government, medical societies, and industry partners. While the diagnostic gap remains a challenge, the landscape is changing, and the most powerful tool we have is vigilance. By monitoring changes in your health and consulting a healthcare professional, individuals take the first proactive step toward a healthier future. As we observe World Blood Cancer Day this May, let us remember that symptoms are the body’s way of asking for help.
For those who wish to understand the condition more deeply, trusted resources like the MDS Foundation offer comprehensive information and support for patients and caregivers alike. Early detection remains the most effective way to identify the disease and secure the specialized care required to help you, or your loved ones, get back to a life full of energy and purpose. This information is intended for public education only and should not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.
ASAsian Hospital and Medical Center celebrates its 24th anniversary, the institution continues to strengthen its legacy of excellence through innovation, collaboration, compassion, and patientcentered care.
From honoring the dedication of its healthcare professionals and expanding community outreach programs to forging strategic partnerships in specialized and digital healthcare, the hospital’s anniversary celebration reflects its continuing commitment to transforming lives and shaping the future of healthcare in the Philippines.
Celebrating the Dedication and Compassion of Our Nurses During Nurses Week
AS part of the hospital’s 24th Anniversary Week celebration, Nurses Week paid tribute to the hardworking and compassionate nurses who continue to provide quality care and comfort to patients every day. The celebration recognized their dedication, resilience, and commitment as frontliners and true partners in healing.
The event opened with welcome remarks from Leslie Batan, MAN, RN, Department Head of Nursing Quality, Professional Practice and Development, followed by an inspiring message from Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carmen Nievera. Marissa Nero, MAN, RN, Unit Head for Nursing Staff Engagement, also delivered the closing remarks, expressing gratitude to all nurses for their invaluable service and sacrifices.
“Nursing is not only about saving lives; it is also about building friendships, uplifting one another, and celebrating the joy behind the profession.
This celebration honors the heart of nursing — resilient professionals who serve with excellence while embracing creativity, camaraderie, and joy.” Ms. Leslie Batan, MAN, RN, Department Head of Nursing Quality, Professional Practice and Develop-ment.
To make the celebration more meaningful and enjoyable, interactive games and activities were prepared for the nurses, along with a Fun Fair at the Main Lobby where staff members gathered to relax, bond, and celebrate together. The event brought smiles, excitement, and a sense of camaraderie among the nursing community.
More activities were also lined up throughout the week as part of the continued celebration and recognition of the nurses’ important role in caring for patients and making every life matter.
Patient Experience Celebration
IN celebration of the 24th Anniversary of Asian Hospital and Medical Center, the Patient Experience Celebration was held as a meaningful event honoring excellence, compassion, and continuous innovation in healthcare delivery. The gathering brought together leaders and teams to reflect on the hospital’s commitment to putting patients at the center of care.
The program opened with inspiring remarks from Asian Hospital President and CEO Dr. Beaver Tamesis, who emphasized the importance of delivering safe, high-quality, and compassionate healthcare experiences. This was followed by a sit-down discussion highlighting key insights on patient-centered care, service excellence, and the evolving expectations in healthcare delivery.
A major highlight of the celebration was the recognition of the Wound and Stoma Clinic as the Top Unit Performer for Quarter 1, in recognition of its outstanding dedication to patient care, clinical excellence, and teamwork. The awarding of winners for the BOT MD Logo Contest also showcased the creativity, talent, and collaboration of participants across the organization.
The event served as a reminder of the hospital’s continued pursuit of excellence and its commitment to strengthening patient experience through innovation, compassion, and service that truly makes a difference in every life it touches.
Asian Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center Forge Partnership to Strengthen Pediatric and Cancer Care ASIAN Hospital and Medical Cen -
ter officially strengthened its commitment to collaborative healthcare through a HEAL (Hospital Engagement and Alliance Linkage) Program partnership with Philippine Children’s Medical Center.
The partnership aims to strengthen referral networks and advance specialized pediatric and cancer care through meaningful collaboration between the two institutions.
Representing Philippine Children’s Medical Center were Dr. Priscilla May Cero, Consultant, Cancer and Hematology Division; Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, Consultant, Cancer and Hematology Division and AHMC Pediatric Oncologist; Dr. Diana Debbie L. Liu, Chief Fellow, Cancer and Hematology Division; Dr. Conchitina Mendoza, Radiation Oncologist; and Marr R. Lopez, Administrative Assistant, Cancer and Hematology Division.
Leading the delegation from Asian Hospital and Medical Center were Dr. Beaver Tamesis, President and CEO; Dr. Carmen Nievera, Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Corazon Ngelangel, Director of the Asian Cancer Institute; and Hennesy Lou Miranda, Director for Marketing and Patient Experience.
Both institutions continue to build stronger healthcare partnerships dedicated to delivering acces -
sible, compassionate, and world-class patient care.
Asian Hospital Takes Part in 3rd International Health & Wellness Tourism Congress 2026
ASIAN Hospital partnered with the Department of Tourism and the Agora Group for the 3rd International Health & Wellness Tourism Congress 2026, held at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila.
Dr. Beaver Tamesis, President and CEO of Asian Hospital, delivered the opening presentation and participated in a panel discussion on the Philippines’ growing role in global medical and wellness tourism.
The congress gathered international leaders from the healthcare, government, and private sectors to discuss developments and opportunities in the medical and wellness tourism industry. Asian Hospital reaffirmed its commitment to advancing world-class healthcare and strengthening the Philippines’ position as a premier global healthcare destination.
Asian Hospital, Maxicare Seal Partnership for Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Program
ASIAN Hospital and Medical Center
and Maxicare Healthcare Corporation officially strengthened their partnership through the ceremonial signing of the Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Program.
The initiative aims to advance integrated and high-quality diabetes care through early detection, improved health outcomes, enhanced quality of life, and a more patient-centered approach to healthcare.
The signing ceremony was led by Beaver Tamesis, President and CEO of Asian Hospital, together with Christian Argos, President and CEO of Maxicare Healthcare Corporation.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening accessible, preventive, and quality healthcare services for patients.
This collaboration marks a significant step toward more innovative and proactive healthcare solutions that aim to benefit the wider community.
Asian Hospital and mWell
Strengthen Digital Healthcare Through MOA Signing Partnership
ASIAN Hospital and Medical Center continues to advance digital healthcare through its partnership with mWell by Metro Pacific Health Tech Corporation through the ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Agreement aimed at strengthening seamless and patient-centered care through innovation.
Present during the signing were Asian Hospital and Medical Center President and CEO, Dr. Beaver Tamesis, and mWell by Metro Pacific Health Tech Corporation President and CEO, Ms. Chaye Cabal-Revilla.
Dr. Tamesis shared that, “This is a great new channel through which our patients can connect with us, we can connect with them, and our doctors will be able to render services
anytime they feel that their patients truly need them.”
Ms. Cabal-Revilla emphasized the value of digital integration, saying, “All of our mWell solutions are for you to use and to actually get insights from and for your data mining, so that you, your doctors, and your patients will be happier and, jointly, you will be able to really push for health and wellness for the company.”
Through this partnership, mWell will support patient referrals to Asian Hospital, expanding access to quality care through digital innovation. The program concluded with closing remarks from Ms. Hennesy Lou Miranda, Director of Marketing and Patient Experience, highlighting the importance of collaboration in transforming healthcare delivery.
This collaboration advances better health outcomes through innovation, collaboration, and compassionate care—delivering meaningful, seamless, and patient-centered experiences that fulfill the promise of Alagang Deserve, Alagang Sulit in every journey of care.
Asian Hospital Holds Annual Tuli Mission for Community Health ASIAN Hospital and Medical Center Charities Inc., the hospital’s official charity arm, together with the Departments of Surgery and Pediatrics, successfully conducted its Annual Tuli Mission at the Outpatient Health Services, Lower Ground Floor, Tower 1. The initiative formed part of the hospital’s continuing efforts to bring accessible and preventive healthcare services to the community.
The activity was led by Dr. Rodolfo Tuazon, Division Head of Pediatric Surgery, who also provided medical education on circumcision, including proper guidance on safe procedure, post-care, and recovery. Patients and families were likewise given important health information to ensure safe and informed decision-making.
The mission highlighted the importance of community outreach programs in promoting men’s health and overall wellness, while reinforcing the hospital’s advocacy for safe, compassionate, and quality healthcare for all.
Through this annual initiative, Asian Hospital reaffirms its commitment to extending healthcare beyond hospital walls and supporting communities through meaningful and life-impacting medical services.
By Anne Ruth Dela Cruz
many patients across Asia, a cancer diagnosis often begins a difficult search, not only for treatment, but for hope, precision, and reassurance.
Increasingly, that search is leading patients to Singapore, particularly to Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, which have emerged as regional centers for advanced cancer care. Their capabilities recently gained renewed public attention after Cebu-based actress and Kaye Abad revealed that she sought treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital following her breast cancer diagnosis.
But beyond the headlines lies a broader story: one about how cancer care is evolving through technology, early detection, and highly targeted treatment approaches.
At the center of this transformation is Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital’s Proton Therapy Centre, one of the few facilities in Southeast Asia offering one of the world’s most advanced forms of radiation therapy. Alongside it are innovations in genetic testing and liquid biopsy technologies that aim to detect cancer even before symptoms appear.
Complex cancer care
ACCORDING to Yoh Yih Ming, Chief Operating Officer of IHH Healthcare Singapore and Chief Executive Officer of Mount Elizabeth Hospital, the demand for complex cancer care has
steadily increased over the years.
“In the last five years, certainly the kind of complex cases like cancer cases, cardiothoracic cases, heart cases, definitely there’s an increase,” he shared, noting a 10 to 15 percent rise in such cases.
He added that Filipino patients seek a wide spectrum of services at Mount Elizabeth—from executive wellness and health screening to highly specialized cancer treatment and transplant procedures.
“We see Filipinos coming for everything from wellness up to treatment,” he said. “But increasingly, they also come for very complex cases, particularly cancer treatments and neurosurgery.”
Genetic testing
ONE of the hospital’s newer services is its Genome Center, which offers genetic testing designed to assess an individual’s inherited risk for diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular conditions, and neurological disorders.
Koh Kee Chow, Assistant Vice President of Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, explained that the service caters to two major groups: cancer patients who need more personalized treatment planning, and healthy indi -
viduals with a strong family history of cancer.
For cancer patients, genetic testing helps doctors determine how the body may respond to chemotherapy drugs, allowing oncologists to tailor treatment more effectively. For others, the tests may help identify long-term risks years before cancer develops.
“It is not a yes-or-no result,” Koh clarified. “It is a probability — whether your genes place you in a high-risk situation where you may develop that disease or condition later on.”
Health Assembly adopts updated Global Action Plan against antimicrobial resistance
By Patrick Villanueva
EMBER states at the 79th
MWorld Health Assembly (WHA) have adopted an updated Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), strengthening efforts to address the inappropriate use of antimicrobials across human, animal, agricultural, and environmental sectors.
The move comes amid growing concern over the impact of AMR, which could reduce global life expectancy by up to 1.8 years within the decade and contribute to an estimated 39 million deaths by 2050 if left unchecked. In 2021 alone, an estimated 1.14 million deaths were directly attributable to AMR, while another 4.71 million deaths were associated with antimicrobial-resistant infections, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The updated action plan was developed through the Quadripartite partnership composed of the WHO, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in consultation with member states and stakeholders.
Drivers and Impact of AMR
IN its resolution, the WHA identified inadequate financing, weak accountability, and the limited integration of AMR into national and international development agendas as major barriers to addressing antimicrobial resistance.
The assembly also cited insufficient attention to environmental factors, as well as socioeconomic and behavioral challenges exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as key issues affecting the global response to AMR. Further driving what many experts describe as a “silent pandemic” are the inappropriate use of antimicrobials, weak infection prevention and control measures, and low vaccination coverage. Environmental discharges from
pharmaceutical, healthcare, agrifood, and household sources also contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Beyond its impact on health, AMR poses a significant threat to the global economy. By 2035, global treatment costs and productivity losses could reach US$412 billion and US$443 billion, respectively. In the livestock sector, losses could amount to US$575 billion by 2050, while broader global welfare losses could exceed US$1 trillion.
Goals and Strategies
THROUGH the updated action plan, WHO aims to achieve a 10 percent reduction in bacterial AMR-associated human deaths, reduce antimicrobial use in agrifood systems, and minimize environmental contamination from antimicrobial-resistant microbes and antimicrobial residues by 2030. These targets align with commitments made under the 2024 United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on AMR. Among the plan’s key priorities is strengthening public awareness and promoting behavioral change to reduce the risks associated with antimicrobial resistance. Through education, training, and stakeholder engagement, the WHO seeks to integrate culturally relevant messaging, contextsensitive curricula, and professional training programs worldwide.
The organization also aims to reinforce surveillance systems and intensify infection prevention and control efforts across sectors. Surveillance programs are expected to expand beyond bacterial resistance to include fungal, parasitic, and viral resistance, as well as antimicrobial residues in the environment. Establishing qualityassured laboratory networks will also play a critical role in monitoring and combating AMR.
Preventing infections remains a major objective, as reducing disease transmission can lessen the need for antimicrobial use. The action plan likewise calls for
the safe disposal of unused antimicrobials, stronger national regulatory frameworks, expanded access to quality diagnostics and laboratory services, and more equitable access to healthcare and veterinary services.
This includes strengthening supply chains, improving forecasting and resilience measures, and supporting universal health coverage and agrifood systems. Particular attention will be given to smallholder farmers, conflict-affected settings, community-based case management, and stakeholder coordination to promote responsible antimicrobial use and safe disposal practices.
Accelerating research and innovation is another priority. According to WHO, AMR research should encompass basic science, clinical and epidemiological studies, operational and implementation research, and One Health approaches that address sector-specific needs.
The action plan also emphasizes the importance of inclusive governance and multisectoral coordination. WHO is encouraging countries to establish strong AMR governance mechanisms at national and subnational levels, supported by clear mandates, sustainable financing, and accountability measures.
Recognizing that countries face varying challenges and capacities, the updated action plan adopts a phased approach. Short-term priorities are set for 2030, while medium- and longterm goals extend beyond that date.
The Quadripartite organizations, together with international and national partners, are expected to provide technical support, foster partnerships, coordinate global and regional initiatives, and strengthen national systems to accelerate progress in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
As global leaders intensify efforts to address AMR, the updated action plan underscores a growing consensus: antimicrobial resistance is no longer a future threat but a presentday challenge requiring urgent, coordinated, and sustained action.
Director of Lucence, said the innovation was born from years of seeing patients diagnosed too late.
“The desire was to enable earlier detection and intervention,” he explained, noting that early-stage cancers are significantly more treatable and less costly to manage.
Still, perhaps the most groundbreaking development remains proton therapy.
Precise treatment
AT Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital’s Proton Therapy Centre, cancer treatment is delivered with remarkable precision. Unlike conventional radiation, which passes through the body and can affect healthy tissue beyond the tumor, proton beams stop precisely at the targeted depth, minimizing unnecessary radiation exposure.
Fu Jin Feng, Head of Radiation Oncology, explained that this is especially beneficial for children and younger patients whose bodies are still developing.
“When the radiation stops at that depth, there is no further travel,” he said. “This allows us to treat the tumor while preserving the function of normal tissues.”
Liquid biopsy blood test
COMPLEMENTING this approach
is Lucence, a Singapore-based biotechnology company that developed a liquid biopsy blood test capable of detecting signals from up to 50 different cancers through DNA and RNA mutations found in blood samples. Unlike traditional diagnostic methods that often detect cancer after symptoms appear, the test aims to identify cancers at much earlier and potentially more treatable stages.
Dr. Min-Han Tan, CEO and Medical
The center has treated patients as young as under two years old, including pediatric tumors where surgery may not be viable. Pediatric patients, brain tumors, head and neck cancers, and prostate cancer are among the groups that benefit most from the technology.
Yet despite its promise, proton therapy is not used indiscriminately.
Approved indications
SINGAPORE’S Ministry of Health tightly regulates the approved indica -
tions for Proton Beam Therapy (PBT), ensuring that the technology is used only when it offers meaningful clinical benefit.
Among the conditions approved for proton therapy are specific brain tumors, skull-base cancers, advanced head and neck cancers, prostate cancer, sarcomas, and several pediatric malignancies. The government also requires that treatment be given with curative intent and only to patients with good long-term prognosis. PBT is not approved for palliative care. Fu emphasized that proton therapy is not intended to replace conventional radiation therapy altogether.
“It supplements,” he said. “The patient groups who benefit the most are young patients, patients with large tumors, and tumors located deep inside the body.” The technology also remains costly. Internationally, proton therapy can reportedly reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. But Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital chose to structure its pricing differently, capping packages between SGD 60,000 to 70,000 inclusive of necessary adjustments during treatment.
Beyond the machinery and innovation, however, the broader philosophy emerging from Singapore’s cancer ecosystem is one centered on precision, prevention, and personalization.
From genetic risk assessment to blood-based early detection and highly targeted radiation therapy, the goal is increasingly not just to treat cancer—but to detect it earlier, treat it smarter, and preserve quality of life long after treatment ends. And for many patients across the region, that shift may prove just as important as the cure itself.
One Nadela Medical Group brings a more thoughtful approach to aesthetic medicine
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
THERE was a time when aesthetic trends felt almost impossible to keep up with.
One month it was ultra-sculpted cheeks. The next, glass skin. Then suddenly everyone wanted the same nose, the same jawline, the same “natural” look that somehow still required an entire treatment package to achieve.
Lately, though, the mood around beauty seems to be shifting. More people are becoming less interested in dramatic transformations and more drawn to treatments that simply make them look healthier, well-rested, and more comfortable in their own skin.
That quieter approach is part of what has helped One Nadela Medical Group build a loyal following in Manila through its Bonifacio Global City clinic, with renewed attention recently surrounding the relaunch of its Makati branch.
Family-led practice
ORIGINALLY founded in Cebu, the family-led aesthetic practice became known for procedures that leaned toward subtlety rather than obvious change.
Instead of heavily altered results, the focus has always been on facial harmony—enhancing features in a way that still looks balanced and familiar to the person in the mirror.
For Dr. Vinizza “Niña” Nadela-Kong, that philosophy was intentional from the very beginning.
“We didn’t build this brand around trends or volume,” she said during the branch’s relaunch last week.
“We built it slowly through trust, relationship, and the belief that patient experience should always come first. As a family of doctors, medicine and aesthetics have always been approached with responsibility, intention, and heart.”
Word of mouth
DR. NADELA-KONG founded the clinic alongside her husband, Dr. Jule Yasser Kong, and sister, Dr. Pallas Athena Nadela-Digamon, eventually growing the practice through word of mouth and patients who gravitated toward results that looked refined instead of exaggerated.
That philosophy feels increasingly aligned with how many people now approach beauty and self-care.
Rather than chasing perfection, aesthetic treatments today are often less about reinvention and more about maintenance. It is about addressing acne scars that never quite faded; brightening tired-looking skin after years of stress and sleepless nights; and softening features that make someone look permanently exhausted even when they are not.
The appeal lies in looking refreshed, not unrecognizable.
Natural results
That mindset also explains why restraint has quietly become part of the clinic’s identity.
While One Nadela offers rhinoplasty, laser therapies, skin treatments, dermal fillers, non-surgical contouring, and other aesthetic procedures, the emphasis is less about dramatic correction and more about balance. Its rhinoplasty procedures, in particular, have drawn much attention for results that appear polished without looking overly done, the kind where people notice someone looks good without immediately identifying why.
Prioritizing subtlety AS BEAUTY culture slowly moves away from hyper-filtered perfection, clinics that prioritize subtlety seem to be resonating more strongly with patients looking for treatments that can naturally fit into everyday life.
For Dr. Nadela-Kong, maintaining that sense of warmth and sincerity remained essential even as the clinic continued expanding its presence in Manila.
“As we expanded from Cebu to Manila, one thing remained non-negotiable for us— keeping the warmth, sincerity, and the personal care that shaped One Nadela from the very beginning,” she said.
“Growth for us has never been about becoming bigger just for the sake of it. It has always been about becoming
“WE believe that the most beautiful results are the ones that still feel natural,” Dr. Nadela-Kong said. “The kind of confidence that doesn’t change who you are but allows you to feel more comfortable and empowered in your own skin.”