BusinessMirror November 29, 2025

STORMS, WEAK

PESO TO IMPACT NOV INFLATION

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

THE impact of inclement weather and weakening of the peso could push up commodity prices in November, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

In its month-ahead inflation forecast, the BSP said it projects that November 2025 inflation will settle within the range of 1.1 to 1.9 percent. If inflation reaches 1.1 percent in November, this would be the slowest in four months since the 0.9 percent recorded in July. If it could hit 1.9 percent, this is the ninth-straight month that inflation remained below the BSP’s 2 to 4 percent inflation target range.

Confidence

undented

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

INVESTORS’ confidence in government securities remains unfazed by the corruption scandal surrounding flood control projects, according to National Treasurer Sharon P. Almanza, even as the economy sputters in the third quarter after a drop in public investments.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of Project Bayani: The Philippines’ Asset Tokenization Opportunity on Thursday, Almanza said the corruption scandal has not spilled over into the bond market yet.

“The government securities [GS] market is actually rallying. While the stock market is down, the GS market remains very robust,” Almanza said.

The Treasury benefited from the recent slump in the local stock market, as investors shifted to safer havens, such as Treasury bonds, in recent weeks.

Almanza said the government-issued bond yield spreads remain very tight compared to US Treasuries, while the country’s credit default swap levels are also at their highest.

“We haven’t seen any major widening of our spread,” the national treasurer added.

Almanza said she expects sentiment to hold as the government’s investigation progresses and those involved in corruption will be held accountable soon. “We’re really hoping that we’ll address some of the concerns of people, of our investors, that the system is working.”

Analysts from Fitch Ratings said that corruption-related protests and prolonged social unrest could affect investor confidence and borrowing costs (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2025/11/27/ unrest-slowdown-to-dampenconfidence/ ).

‘BSP’s cautious approach to AI reflects global stance’

By Dennis D. Estopace

XECUTIVES of an Indian tech-

Enology firm consider the local central bank’s stance on artificial intelligence (AI) as reflective of how many regulators across the world regard the technology.

“Based on our understanding of how regulators are looking at it across the globe, they are fundamentally banking on the key principles of lending rather than very specific guidelines on AI, but it would make a lot of sense to come up with specific guidelines.

DTI relies on tariff exemptions to sustain agri exports to US

By Andrea E. San Juan

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is banking on the tariff exemptions on some agricultural exports to the US to sustain the growth of the Philippines’ outbound shipments for the year.

“Upward price pressures for the month reflect in part the impact of inclement weather as prices of rice, fish, and fruits increased,” the Central Bank said. “Definitely

Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina A. Roque told reporters in an interview on Friday: “Definitely the zero tariff is really a win for the agriculture sector. So we really see this grow leaps and bounds, not just to the US but to other countries as well.”

Roque said this as preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that Philippine exports continued to surge.

Based on PSA data, Philippine exports posted a five-month-high growth rate despite the steeper tariffs imposed by Washington as outbound shipments grew by 19.4 percent in October, adding $7.39 billion to the country’s exports pie this year.

In the January to October

2025 period, exports also grew by 13.8 percent, or amounting to $70.43 billion compared to the $61.90 billion in the 10-month period in 2024.

On November 14,2025, US President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order exempting key agricultural exports from reciprocal tariff.

Products include coconut, coffee, tea, tropical fruits and juices, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, beef and certain fertilizers.

Following this development, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) unveiled the Philippine agricultural exports to the US that will benefit from “more favorable” tariff conditions.

Based on 2024 data, these products include: coconut (copra) oil, both crude and other than crude, which Philexport said is the country’s top agricultural export to the US.

Other Philippine agricultural products are fruit juices; processed pineapples; desiccated coconuts;

prepared or preserved coconuts; bananas, other than pulp; dried guavas, mangoes and mangosteen; frozen tuna fillets; rice wafer products and confectionery products.

Roque explained to reporters in an interview on Friday: “For coconuts, there’s a lot of demand now, not just in the US but in so many other countries. So desiccated coconut, coconut water, coconut oil, and then we have pineapples,

mangoes, there’s a lot. So this is a win.”

Despite this recent win, however, the Philippines’ Trade chief said the government does not intend to slack off.

“Of course, we’re very aggressive in really pushing for exports and really strengthening the business sector. So, we don’t want to be lax,” Roque said.

On Friday, PSA data showed that even prior to the lifting of tariffs on key agricultural products to the US, coconut oil posted a 35.8-percent growth rate in the 10-month period this year.

As for the country’s export destinations, the United States remains to be the Philippines’ top export market, with $11.16 billion. This was followed by Hong Kong, where the Philippines shipped $10 billion in the January to October 2025 period.

Japan was the country’s third export market, as the Philippines was able to ship $9.72 billion worth of goods to this country in the 10-month period.

“I would use the word cautious as we have seen that, globally, AI has become an active conversation” in the banking sector, Intellect Design Arena Ltd. Chief Marketing Officer Mithu Gupta said during a news briefing on Thursday.

Gupta opted to use the word “cautious,” rather than “slow” in describing how regulators approach the use of AI technology in the banking sector.

“Cautiously they [central banks] are advising banks and all key players in the market to take a cautious approach where we are able to guarantee security, feasibility and triangulation of all three perspectives of data, the responsible handling of customer information,” specifically, added Gupta, who is also the head of Intellect Design Arena’s User Experience.

Her colleague, Brajesh Khandelwal, explained that the approach to AI comes with the pace of technological advancement.

“Many times the innovations are faster than the guardrails around these innovations. The technology comes first and the regulators respond,” Khandelwal, Intellect Design Arena’s executive vice president, said. “Until that time, the banks wonder what to do, what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.”

“So, before technology becomes visible, regulatory cannot be expected to come out with the guideline without seeing what is happening, what is working and what is not working.”

He believes the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has set up an audit unit, “which is working with various banks in the region looking at various AI experience.”

The Intellect Design Arena executives flew in to the Philippines three days ago as it hosted a forum among bankers and members of financial institutions operating in the country to promote the company’s “Purple Fabric,” an enterprisegrade Open Business Impact AI platform.

According to Khandelwal, they saw a need for a platform layering to bridge the large language models. Such platform “brings the guardrails and allows banks to create digital exports and take care of enterprise needs.”

According to Gupta, the company has been investing for the last seven years in the PF platform, leading to the creation of the “PFCredit.” PFCredit, Khandelwal said, is used in boosting efficiency and improving how banks handle loans, from origination, sanctions, servicing, operations and collection.

“We see the space [for AI in lending as] expanding as banks start digital exports and start work on AI,” he added.

For now, Gupta said, bankers in the Philippines “are eyeing the low-hanging fruit to start with where they can experience high impact with cautious investment.”

National Treasurer Sharon P. Almanza: “While the stock market is down, the government securities market remains very robust.”

Mithu Gupta, Intellect Design Arena Ltd. Chief Marketing Officer: “Central banks are advising banks and all key players to take a cautious approach where we are able to guarantee security, feasibility and triangulation of all perspectives of data.”

“Another rate cut is being considered in December, as further monetary easing can help boost demand.”—BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr.

DA, Bukidnon ink accord to build ₧1.97-B food hub

By Ada Pelonia

THE Department of Agriculture

(DA) forged an agreement with the provincial government of Bukidnon to build a P1.97- billion food hub as part of efforts to bolster the value chain in Northern Mindanao.

and

co

signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the development of the Bukidnon Food Hub (BFH) in Manolo Fortich.

Located outside Cagayan de Oro City, dubbed Northern Mindanao’s commercial and logistics nerve center, the DA said the BFH will provide farmers and food producers with a direct, more efficient route to domestic and export markets.

“For a long time, Mindanao has been regarded as the land of promise,” Tiu Laurel was quoted in the statement as saying.

“This food hub that we will build in Bukidnon, a rich agricultural center, is a step toward the realization of that promise—not only for Mindanaoans but for the entire nation.”

The DA noted that the BFH

will be developed over the next three years on a 41-hectare site.

The agency said the complex will feature a post-harvest and processing infrastructure, including cold-storage and dry warehouses, dryers and dehydrators, an ice plant, and processing centers for various crops like corn, coffee, cacao, vegetables, and fruits.

It will also host a poultry dressing plant, wholesale foodmarket platforms, transport and handling bays, commercial spaces, water systems, standby power, and waste-treatment facilities.

With this, the DA said the BFH will strengthen market linkages, scale up agribusiness ventures, expand farmers’ access to credit, and raise overall productivity. It will also reduce intermediary layers, give farmers direct access to customers or end buyers, and improve supply-chain efficiency.

The facility will consolidate high-value crops and other key commodities from major producing towns and move them through fast, reliable connections to nearby ports and airport facilities, the DA said.

Cagayan de Oro hosts Laguindingan International Airport and the largest seaport in Southern Philippines, which the agency said makes the region a primary gateway for trade.

Tiu Laurel said the project

Storms, weak peso to impact Nov inflation

“Higher electricity and oil prices, as well as the depreciation of the peso, could also contribute to price pressures. These factors could be partially offset by lower prices of meat and vegetables,” it added.

would help reduce logistics costs, minimize post-harvest losses, stabilize supply chains, open new income streams for farmers, and generate jobs.

“This project is a game changer—a transformative investment that will strengthen Northern Mindanao’s agricultural competitiveness, support national food security goals, and spur privatesector investments,” he added.

Meanwhile, the DA chief also signed a letter of commitment with Misamis Oriental Gov. Juliet Uy to position the Misamis Oriental Provincial Development Complex as a food-processing center.

The DA said this will transform the former multibillion-peso tobacco processing facility into a scaled food-processing and innovation hub.

It added that this will be backed by an initial P500-million investment from the agency for a corn silo system, embryo culture for coconut, cold-storage facilities, and value-adding centers for highvalue crops, including a potatoprocessing line for the region.

Former Socioeconomic and Planning Secretary Dante B. Canlas said that no significant price shocks occurred in November that caused prices of goods and services to surge, except typhoons and the temporary weakening of the peso.

“If the expected modest inflation rate in November is realized, there is room for an interest rate cut in December to support output and job growth,” Canlas told the BusinessMirror Meanwhile, Ateneo de Manila University economist Leonardo A. Lanzona told BusinessMirror that the BSP’s inflation forecast is “relatively high” given that the economy may be experiencing stagflation or stagnation and inflation at the same time.

“This occurs as aggregate supply shifts downward due to the extreme weather conditions and the depreciation, resulting in higher imported inputs,” Lanzona explained.

Lanzona said there is a shift upwards in aggregate, causing the same quantity of goods to be priced higher. This offsets the decline aggregate demand, resulting in higher inflation, he added.

Lanzona said the Monetary Board, the BSP’s highest policymaking body, could deliver a rate

cut in December 11.

“The economy is on a slump. Hence, they will try to revive by decreasing rates, which they expect to increase aggregate demand and increase GDP,” Lanzona added.

“Unfortunately, the aggregate supply continues to shift upwards, this can trigger stagnation.”

The November 2025 inflation data will be released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on December 5, 2025.

BSP Governor and Chairman of the Monetary Board Eli M. Remolona Jr. said another rate cut is being considered in December, as further monetary easing can help boost demand to support the economy.

Asked if the magnitude of the rate cut will likely be small, Remolona said yes, adding that a 50-basis point reduction is unlikely.

Should the Monetary Board cut interest rates by 25 basis points, this will bring down the total number of rate cuts to 200 basis points since the easing cycle began in August 2024.

The key policy rate currently stands at 4.75 percent, after the Monetary Board reduced the policy rate by 25 basis points last October 2025.

“Going forward, the BSP will continue to monitor evolving domestic and international developments affecting the outlook for inflation and growth in line with its data-dependent approach to monetary policy formulation,” the Central Bank said.

An example of this is the Philippines posting a “sharp” economic slowdown in the third quarter due to the decline in public investment, which dropped by 26 percent yearon-year after the Marcos Jr. administration announced a crackdown on corruption in the wake of protests over a corruption scandal involving abuses in flood prevention works. Investor confidence can falter amid political instability, leading to capital outflows, slower remittance inflows and supply-chain disruptions that hit exporters, according to the analysts.

country has a diversified economy with a strong record of high and stable growth. This reflects supportive policy dynamics and an improving investment climate.” — S&P

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings said a slowdown in public infrastructure investment could weigh on the Philippines’ near-term growth prospects. However, S&P said this is “temporary” and economic growth prospects remain strong.

“The country has a diversified economy with a strong record of high and stable growth. This reflects supportive policy dynamics and an improving investment climate,” S&P said.

The country’s medium-term GDP growth is projected at 6.2 percent over 2026 to 2028, driven by strong public and private consumption, coupled with sustained investments.

The government has made it easier for the public to invest in government-backed securities by improving access through digital platforms and lowering the minimum amount of investment.

“Cheap bonds are really revolutionary because those investors that are constrained by that limitation are now able to participate in our RTB and even in our regular auction,” Almanza said. “Access is very important because we are able to reach out to all users.”

Agriculture Secretary Francis-

Tiu Laurel Jr.

Bukidnon Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque

www.businessmirror.com.ph

More potable water now available

By Samuel P. Medenilla

WITH the inauguration of the Tunnel 5 of the Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project last Friday, President Marcos said more consumers in Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces will now have access to fresh water even during times of natural calamities.

Marcos led the inauguration of the project, which will carry over 1.6 billion liters of water every day to the decades-old Umiray–Angat–Ipo–La Mesa system increasing its transport capacity from six billion to almost eight billion liters daily.

The tunnel will augment the capacity of the said water system during times of droughts and other effects of climate change, which can reduce its water capacity.

“The existing tunnels can be repaired because there is a backup that can carry water. Those tunnels that were closed because they needed maintenance, we can now open them again, maybe there is still hope, maybe were can rehab[ilitate them] so we can still use them,” Marcos said in Filipino.

“This means that more families will have a continuous and reliable water supply in their homes,” he added.

During the ceremony held at the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Compound in Norzagaray, Bulacan, the President highlighted the importance the project since 20 million people in Metro Manila, in Bulacan, parts of Cavite and Rizal rely on 90 percent of the water from the dam.

“These numbers show how important it is to keep the Angat system strong, reliable, and futureready,” Marcos said. He lauded the water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water, engineers, and workers, which contributed to the completion of the said initiative.

“This project reminds us that we can accomplish what – when the government and the private sector, and the local goverments are anchored on a shared vision,” Marcos said.

Among those who witnessed the unveiling of the initiative’s project marker at the Bigte Basin in Barangay Bigte, are Secretaries Vivencio Dizon of public works and Raphael Lotilla of environment, MWSS Administrator Leonor Cleofas, Maynilad Water Services Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Ramoncito S. Fernandez, and Manila Water Company Inc. President and CEO Jose Victor Emmanuel A. De Dios.

PlanSmart tool to aid LGUs map safer, risk-aware development

ANEW digital tool that consolidates environmental, demographic, and hazard data for local planning has been introduced through the PlanSmart for Sustainable Human Settlements platform.

The system provides local governments with a single interface to collect, visualize, and analyze information for land-use and urban development planning.

PlanSmart was launched with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the World Bank. “It’s about planning ahead, not just responding to disasters,” Housing secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said.

The platform is built on DOST’s GeoRiskPH system. Moreover, it can assist local governments in the semi-automatic preparation of Comprehensive Land Use Plans, a process that typically takes months for many local government units (LGUs).

The tool’s rollout forms part of reforms backed by the World Bank’s $500-million Disaster Risk Management and Climate Development Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option, approved in November 2023.

For its part, the DENR is set to supply datasets intended to support climate- and disaster-related components of local planning.

Moreover, Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said the platform supports efforts to make the country “geospatiallyenabled,” adding that analyzing “data, time, and location together” can strengthen planning at the local level.

Training has begun with 28 LGUs from Regions II and III during a pilot session in Clark, Pampanga, under the DRREAL-TA Program (Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level-Technical Assistance).

More than 200 LGUs are expected to participate nationwide.

‘₧500 for Noche Buena adequate but not for ostentatious parties’

THE Department of Trade and Industry on Friday said P500 is enough to buy products normally found on the tables of Filipino families during Noche Buena, but pointed out that this is not the ideal allocation for “ostentatious” Christmas celebrations.

“It’s actually basic Noche Buena handa that’s almost complete na rin ,” Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina A. Roque said at a press briefing on Friday, adding, “It’s a celebration that’s actually for those that just want ‘iyong regular na handa. Kasi not everybody wants to celebrate ‘yung ostentatious… ’yung sobra-sobra.”

Roque explained that the budget for Noche Buena would depend on the number of family members who would be joining the Noche

Buena celebration.

For a family of four, she said the P500 pesos is just enough.

“Meron na po itong Christmas ham na P170 and then ‘yung spaghetti which is the spaghetti noodles, P30; spaghetti sauce, P48.50.”

“For the macaroni salad, we have P40.95 for macaroni; the mayonnaise is P55 and the cheese is P56.50,” added Roque.

For fruit salad, Roque said the fruit cocktail costs P61.75 and allpurpose cream is P36.50. As for bread which is also found on the holiday tables of Filipinos, she said 10 pieces of Pinoy Pandesal costs P27.75.

“So this is a total of P526.95,” the Trade chief said.

Saturday, November 29, 2025

DBP sees lower net income in 2025

Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

Bt

STATE-RUN Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) is expecting its net income to be less this year, compared to 2024, as it increases its provisions for non-performing loans (NPLs), according to its top official.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a media event on Thursday night, DBP President and Chief Executive Officer

Michael O. de Jesus said he expects the bank’s net income to be “slightly less” than last year mainly due to the provisioning of its non-performing loans.

“Our objective is to make it 100 percent of our non-performing loan. Right now, we’re at about 95 percent,” De Jesus said.

De Jesus said a handful of borrowers—though limited in number—carry large exposures. NPLs due to delayed repayments could rise by about half a percentage

point, equivalent to around P1 billion to P2 billion, he estimated.

“That will affect the income by a few, maybe P1 billion to P2 billion, [as well],” de Jesus said. “Next year, we will recover. We expect a strong 2026.”

In 2024, DBP posted a 20 percent jump in its net income, which reached P7.1 billion. This is the highest recorded earnings in the past 10 years, driven primarily by its strong net core earnings.

Meanwhile, the scandal surrounding questionable flood control projects is creating delays or problems in government payments to contractors.

De Jesus said loan repayment issues “will have an effect” on the bank’s asset quality.

“Even the good contractors are having problems with their

receivables,” he said. “We expect to see some borrowers affected in terms of loan repayments because of what’s going on.”

With heightened scrutiny of infrastructure projects, de Jesus said DBP has tightened due diligence on its contractor clients.

“We’re very strict now—much stricter than ever,” he said. “We want to make sure there are no ghost projects, no questionable flood control projects.”

About 50 to 60 percent of DBP’s loan book is tied to infrastructure, such as roads, tourism facilities and agricultural infrastructure.

“I guess the whole environment is just in a wait and see… I guess there’s a lot of anxiety so people are waiting and seeing,” de Jesus added.

UP Diliman to build rental housing units inside university

By Bless Aubrey Ogerio

THE University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman will host the first rental housing project to be built inside the state university, with 321 units planned for faculty members, non-teaching personnel and long-time informal settler families on campus.

The project, to rise in Pook Marilag in Quezon City, was formalized on Thursday through a Memorandum of Agreement between UP and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).

Phase 1 covers the construction of three four-story buildings using pre-fabricated residential clusters, with 107 units in each structure.

FL leads Christmas Tree lighting at Baguio Mansion

MBy Marilou Guieb

ALACANANG may be besieged by problems of corruption, destabilization moves and intriguing accusations of former congressman Zaldy Co, the latest of which implicated the First Lady herself, Liza Araneta Marcos, in allegations of corruption.

But in Baguio City, there was a respite, as the laughter of some 160 school children who came running towards the First Lady when she came to greet them at the Mansion, drowned for the evening the noise and despondency in Malacañang and of the nation.

The occasion was the lighting of the Christmas tree at the Mansion, graced by FL Liza Marcos, who arrived after six o clock in the evening of November 27, to brighten up the chilly evening. She didn’t disappoint, as the lighting came with a fantastic display of fireworks, singing of Christmas carols, and a revelry brought on by the Philippine Military Academy marching performances and the University of Baguio choral ensemble.

Liza Marcos was in a festive red dress who delightfully embraced the kids and mingled with Baguio folk. Grades 2 and 3 of Rizal Elementary School and Gibraltar Elementary School were treated to games, prizes and gifts that refreshed the atmosphere with their innocent laughter and squeals of excitement.

The Mansion House, is a historical landmark built in 1908 as the official summer residence of Philippine chief executives. Liza Marcos renovated the Mansion House and opened it to the public as a Presidential Museum on September 8, 2024. It operates as a public museum with guided tours from Tuesdays to Sundays.

The FL was escorted with an entourage of local officials, including Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan and his wife and Mayor Benjamin Magalong and his wife.

Moreover, the full development includes essential utilities, drainage systems, water tanks, designated access routes and 152 parking slots.

For its part, UP’s Office of Design and Planning Initiatives will provide construction management support to align the project with the university’s development standards.

The Marilag Residences Rental Housing Project will be developed through a design-and-build scheme.

DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling said the project adds a rental option to the shelter program’s offerings, noting that some families prefer or require lease-based arrangements.

“May the Pook Marilag housing project, over time, not only be known as a building, but as a home of dreams, successes and new beginnings,” Aliling said in Filipino. Preparatory work for Phase 1 is set to begin following the agreement signing.

Govt expects to recover ₧200-M flood control ‘loot’; freeze air assets of Co

By Samuel P. Medenilla

THE government is expected to recover another P200 million and start freezing aircrafts of former Ako Bicol party-list nominee Elizaldy Co abroad in its ongoing campaign to confiscate assets, which were acquired through flood control project anomalies, President Marcos said.

Citing a report from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Marcos said that former Department of Public Works and Highways

(DPWH) Bulacan engineer Henry Alcantara is expected to return P300 million worth of kickbacks from flood control projects.

“The DOJ confirmed that Henry Alcantara has already returned P110 million to the government, and within two weeks will return another P200 million,” he said in Filipino in a video message posted in his social media account last Friday.

Alcantara returned the amount as he seeks inclusion in the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

Marcos said he also ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to coordinate with officials from Singapore and Malaysia to prevent Co from accessing the aircrafts owned by his company, Misibis Aviation and Development Corporation, which are registered in both countries.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) already issued a

freeze order to P4-billion worth of assets of Co, which he allegedly gained through flood control project anomalies.

“So all movements and dispositions of these aircraft are now especially prohibited,” Marcos said.

Co, who is now a fugitive since he has a pending arrest warrant from the Sandiganbayan in connection to the P289.5-million road dike project mess in Oriental Mindoro, has yet to return to the country.

Marcos has vowed to bring back every “every peso, asset, and person” which are linked to flood control project irregularities.

“You cannot steal from the Filipino people and expect to hide or fly away on your private jets. You may have the money to run, but you cannot outrun the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.

Stronger police contingent to secure Nov. 30 rallies

By Rex Anthony Naval

THE acting National Police (PNP) chief, Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, on Friday, said a more “stronger security contingent” will be deployed to secure  the scheduled anticorruption protests on November 30 to ensure the safety of all the participants.

This is to ensure that all mass actions remain peaceful, orderly, and free from attempts to incite violence or disrupt public safety.

Nartatez said the expanded deployment, which forms part of the 15,000-strong police presence, aims to guarantee quick response

capability rather than to intimidate protesters planning to attend the series of rallies this Sunday.

“The deployment is not about intimidation, it’s about readiness. We expect [a] large number of crowds in multiple activity areas so our personnel on the ground should be quick in responding to emergencies and even any violation of the law,”  he said.

Nartatez also stressed that law enforcement presence does not mean aggressive action. He also added that the order for maximum tolerance still remains.

Around 8,800 police personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office and 6,200

police personnel from the Special Action Force and regional police offices will be deployed for the planned protests on Nov. 30, which includes major groups from organizers of the “Trillion Peso March” and “Baha sa Luneta” movements.

Major deployment areas include Luneta Park, People Power Monument, EDSA Shrine, sites around Malacañang, as well as the House of Representatives, Senate, and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure in Taguig.

Nartatez noted that while no specific or credible threat has been detected so far, proactive measures remain necessary.

The PNP is also gearing up for

possible infiltration attempts by groups seeking to cause unrest, similar to what happened during the Sept. 21 rally in Manila.

“Rest assured, we are coordinating closely with other agencies to prevent any attempt to hijack the peaceful intent of the rally,” Nartatez said.

To bolster transparency and accountability, Nartatez directed police ground commanders to finalize security coordination with protest organizers and partner agencies, require the use of body-worn cameras in all police engagements, and deploy human rights affairs officers across the activity areas.

ICC rules: Duterte to stay in detention

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

THE Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has unanimously upheld the Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision to deny interim release for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, rejecting all three grounds of appeal raised by his defense team.

This means thst Duterte will remain in ICC custody in The Hague while the Pre-Trial Chamber continues to determine if there is sufficient evidence to bring him to trial on allegations of crimes against humanity.

Presiding Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza delivered the judgment in open court Friday at 10:50 a.m. The Hague time (5:50 p.m. Philippine time). The announcement was livestreamed on the ICC’s official website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel.

Is the Ruling Final?

UNDER the Rome Statute, Appeals Chamber decisions are final “unless the Appeals Chamber orders a re-trial before the Trial Chamber.”

However, detention rulings under Article 60(2) are provisional in nature: Periodic Review: The Pre-Trial Chamber must review detention at least every 120 days.

Requests for Review: Detention can be reexamined at any time if requested by the detained person or the prosecutor.

Modification of Ruling: Under Article 60(3) and Rule 118(2), the Pre-Trial Chamber may modify its initial ruling if circumstances change or new factors arise.

Judges’ Reasoning

THE Appeals Chamber dismissed defense claims that the Pre-Trial Chamber relied on hypothetical risks and irrelevant evidence.

Risk Standard: Judges affirmed that the law requires assessing the possibility, not inevitability, of risks such as flight, obstruction, or further crimes.

Evidence Sources: The Chamber upheld the use of open sources— including media reports and NGO publications—in risk assessments.

Support Network: Duterte’s political influence, network of supporters, and recent re-election as mayor of Davao City were cited as relevant factors. Release Conditions: Proposed guarantees and humanitarian grounds were deemed insufficient to mitigate risks.

Case Background

DUTERTE faces allegations of crimes against humanity linked to thousands of killings during his anti-drug campaign. The ICC is still determining whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a full trial.

With Friday’s ruling, Duterte remains in ICC detention in The Hague while proceedings continue.

Malacañang has accepted the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to junk the appeal of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte for his interim release.

“The International Criminal Court has already made its decision, and the Palace respects it,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in statement to Palace reporters last Friday.

The Palace has maintained it will not interfere with the case of Duterte.

The ICC already junked the appeal of the former chief executive's for temporary freedom last October.

Duterte was arrested by the International Criminal Police Organization last March based on the arrest warrant issued by the ICC.

Duterte is currently facing crimes against humanity charges at the ICC for the killings of at least 6,000 drug suspects during his administration.

With Samuel P. Medenilla

Russia claims Ukraine is recruiting Pinoy ‘mercenaries’

THE Russian Foreign Ministry claimed on Thursday that a coordinated campaign is taking place in the Philippines to recruit Filipino citizens for combat duty in Ukraine, allegedly offering a monthly salary of P300,000 (US$5,000).

Maria V. Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the campaign involves representatives from the United States and the diplomatic facilities of Germany.

The German Ambassador to Manila, Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, strongly rejected the claim saying, “We strictly refuse and deny those baseless allegations.”

Pfaffernoschke told the B usiness M irror via text message that the German Embassy issues visas only for travel to Schengenmember countries, not for deployment

to Ukraine.

Ukraine had earlier denied hiring mercenaries, stressing that foreign citizens who joined their ranks are volunteer combatants.

The Ukrainian government said these foreign citizens “serve in Ukraine’s Defense Forces alongside Ukrainian servicemen and have the same rights, obligations, legal status, and pay.”

B usiness M irror is seeking comments from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as the US and Polish embassies in Manila.

“According to incoming reports, US officials have launched a recruitment campaign in the Philippines to recruit local citizens to fight on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“The recruitment process is being

conducted by RMS International, a Floridabased American company specializing in security services,” the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

She offered more details:

TARGETED Applicants: Former employees of Philippine security agencies and retired military personnel.

Compensation: Promised a monthly salary of about US$5,000 (almost P300,000).

Preparation: Combat training allegedly overseen by American instructors at a base in San Fernando, Pampanga, prior to deployment.

The ministry further alleged that recruits are funneled through a visa mechanism facilitated by the German

Embassy in Manila. Successful applicants are said to receive Schengen work visas listing Berlin-based private security companies as employers. From Germany, recruits are reportedly transferred to other European Union countries, including Poland, before being sent onward to Ukraine.

The spokesperson questioned the legitimacy of the visa process, accusing the German Embassy of issuing documents under “false motives and pretexts” based on unreliable information.They contrasted this alleged practice with the difficulties faced by Russian citizens applying for visas for non-political purposes such as tourism, education, or medical treatment.

Malou Talosig-Bartolome

PHL, India militaries conduct 2nd MCA in WPS

THE growing security ties between the Philippines and India was highlighted anew with conduct of the 2nd bilateral maritime cooperative activity (MCA) between naval and air units of the two nations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) last Nov. 26.

In a statement Thursday night, the Armed Forces (AFP) called the training exercise a “milestone” in the growing maritime security partnership of the two nations.

“Conducted in one of the most strategically important maritime zones in the region, the activity aimed to deepen defense cooperation, enhance interoperability, and promote adherence to

Noche Buena. . .

international law and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific,” it added.

For the second bilateral MCA with India, the AFP deployed a formidable lineup of naval and air assets, including the guided missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), Philippine Air Force’ FA-50s, and a W-3A “Sokol” search and rescue helicopter.

The Indian Navy, meanwhile, showcased its capabilities through the participation of the INS Sahyadri (F-49), a modern guided missile frigate equipped with an onboard helicopter.

Throughout the engagement, both forces executed a series of coordinated maritime exercises designed to refine

tactical skills and strengthen joint response capabilities.

The activities covered communication exercises, and flag hoist drills, which honed visual and radio communication procedures between the two navies.

They also conducted officer of the watch maneuvers accompanied by a photo exercise with a fly by or low pass of FA-50s, demonstrating precise and cooperative maritime formation.

The activity was culminated by a steampast or passing exercise, symbolizing unity and shared commitment between the Philippines and India in safeguarding maritime domains.

“The successful conduct of the 2nd MCA

reflects the growing synergy between the AFP and the Indian Navy as both countries continue to expand defense cooperation. It also underscores their mutual commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the region,” it added.

The first MCA between the Philippines and India took place last August.

“As maritime security challenges continue to evolve, both sides affirmed that such cooperative activities will remain a vital platform for strengthening regional defense posture and enhancing the capacity to respond to future contingencies at sea,” the AFP said. Rex Anthony Naval

UNHEARD ALARMS, UNSEEN RISKS: What the Hong Kong blaze revealed about high-rise safety

By David Rising & Chan Ho-Him

The Associated Press

HONG KONG firefighters found dozens more bodies Friday in an intensive apartment-by-apartment search of a high-rise complex where a massive fire engulfed seven buildings. The death toll in one of the city’s deadliest blazes rose to 128, and many remain unaccounted for.

First responders found that

to a renovation project at the complex.

the blaze but were unable to reach in the hours that the fire burned out of control, Derek Armstrong Chan, a deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services, told reporters. It took firefighters some 24 hours to bring the fire under control, and it was not fully extinguished until Friday morning.

Even two days after the fire began, smoke continued to drift out of the charred skeletons of the buildings from the occasional flare-up.

Some 200 people remain unaccounted for, Secretary for Security Chris Tang told reporters. That includes 89 bodies that have not yet been identified. Yet more bodies might be recovered, authorities said, though crews have finished a search for anyone living trapped inside.

More than 2,300 firefighters and medical personnel were involved in the operation, and 12 firefighters were among the 79 people injured, Yeung said. One firefighter was also killed, he had said previously.

Katy Lo, 70, a resident of Wang Fuk Court, was not home when the fire started Wednesday. She rushed back roughly an hour later to see that the blaze had spread to her building.

“That’s my home.… I still can’t really believe what happened,” Lo said on Friday as she registered for government assistance for affected households. “This all still feels like a bad dream.”

The apartment complex of eight, 31-story buildings in Tai Po district, a suburb near Hong Kong’s border with mainland China, was built in the 1980s and had been undergoing a major renovation. It had almost 2,000 apartments and

RESIDENTS rest at a temporary shelter near the fire scene at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong’s New Territories, November 27, 2025. AP/CHAN LONG HEI

SMOKE rises after a fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong’s New Territories on Wednesday, November 26 2025. AP/CHAN LONG HEI

AN aerial view of the burnt buildings after a deadly fire that started Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong’s New Territories, Friday, November 28, 2025. AP/NG HAN GUAN

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

Southeast Asia continues to see steady GMV growth in food delivery, with +14 percent and $22 billion in GMV (gross merchandise value) and +18 A6 Saturday, November 29, 2025

BusinessMirror

Redef ining mobile imaging: OPPO

IT can be daunting to launch a smartphone these days, given the fact that they have pretty much remained the same aesthetically since the launch of such a powerful mobile device in the early 2000s. Be it a value model, a midranger or a flagship, smartphones look alike.

The keyword here, of course, is “look”—because truly the best ones differentiate themselves with the not-so-little, not-so-inconsequentail extras they offer consumers.

Take the OPPO Find X9, the brand’s most advanced and refined flagship device to date that is now available across the Philippines.

The OPPO Find X9 is a most worthy successor to its predecessor, the Find X8, already a superior device in terms of raw specs even now a year after it was launched. That said, there are things the OPPO Find X9 does exceedingly better as it combines an even more exceptional camera system in a more “traditional” aesthetic (yes, some found the circular camera island of the Find X8 divisive), plus intuitive AI-powered tools, and next-level hardware performance. The OPPO Find X9 sets a new benchmark for mobile imaging and intelligent productivity.

DELIVERING A NEW STANDARD IN FLAGSHIP PHOTOGRAPHY

BANNERED by what the brand touts as its most powerful camera system to date, the OPPO Find X9 redefines smartphone photography through its continued partnership with legendary imaging company Hasselblad.

The OPPO Find X9 features the Hasselblad Master Camera System with three 50MP lenses for exceptional clarity, depth and dynamic range. It also debuts the industry’s first ultra-clear 50MP default shooting mode, delivering 8K-level detail across all lenses. With its 120x Super Zoom, the OPPO Find X9 captures distant subjects with clear detail, making it ideal for travel, events and everyday moments.

In plainspeak, that means the OPPO Find X9 allows you to no longer carry the extra weight of a free-standing bulky camera plus a tripod on your next holiday vacation here or in more wintry climes.

The LUMO Image Engine behind the OPPO Find X9’s shooters delivers cleaner detail, better contrast and accurate results in any lighting. Paired with OPPO’s True Color Camera, which interprets two million spectral pixels, the OPPO Find X9 produces photos with natural, lifelike colors.

Beyond its photography capabilities, content creators will no doubt be thrilled that the OPPO Find X9 can record 4K video at 120 FPS through its main

I STILL would rather eat in a restaurant than get food to-go so I guess I am not part of the main target market of the food delivery sector, which has truly grown in the last five years.

In the Southeast Asia Food and Grocery Trends 2023 report published by Grab, 9 out of 10 consumers surveyed said they prefer food and grocery brands with an integrated online-to-offline (O2O) experience. Grab Philippines’ Total Order Volume increased by 3.6x from 2021 to 2023. About 94 percent of Grab users said in the survey that they read reviews on the app while 60 percent pre-purchased vouchers online. More  than half of people surveyed placed their orders digitally at tables in restaurants.

According to the newly released e-Conomy SEA 2025 Report by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, the Philippines outpaced other Southeast Asian countries with fastest-in-region expansion in Transport & Food Delivery (+20 percent).

enabling high-quality

with exceptional stability.

POWERING PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH INTELLIGENT DESIGN

THERE is much more to the OPPO Find X9 than imaging muscles. Equipped with an intelligent suite of AI-powered tools, the device is designed to help users stay organized, productive, and efficient throughout the day.

The groundbreaking AI Mind Space serves as a smart hub for tasks, notes and reminders, making it easy to capture and access information. This is complemented by ColorOS 16, which offers an intuitive interface for smooth, fast app and task switching.

The OPPO Find X9 introduces Gemini Live for real-time help with scheduling, research and content creation. For hybrid users, Apple Connect enables smooth integration with the Apple ecosystem for easier cross-platform work and communication.

Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage, the OPPO Find X9 delivers smooth performance for editing, multitasking, and creative work. Its 7,025mAh silicon-carbon battery, with 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging and 50W AIRVOOC wireless charging, ensures reliable all-day power. Sure, powerbanks these days have become ubiquitous in modern life, but the OPPO Find X9 makes it easy to leave them out of your daily carryall. ELEVATING EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE WITH MODERN CRAFTSMANSHIP

THE OPPO Find X9 showcases OPPO’s commitment to blending technology with artistry. Its ultra-slim 7.99 mm design and premium finish offer a refined look and comfortable grip. Available in Titanium Grey and Space Black, it suits users who value both style and functionality.

The OPPO Find X9 (16GB + 512GB) is now officially available nationwide through OPPO’s official stores, e-commerce platform on Shopee and partner channels.

The OPPO Bundle Offers includes P1,000 off when purchased with the all-new OPPO Enco X3s earbuds. For Shopee users, the offers include: free DJI Osmo Mobile SE, P2000 OPPO product discount voucher, P1500 Shopee platform discount voucher, P200 Product Review GCash cashback, and 0 percent Interest Installment via SPayLater for 3 months.

More information about the OPPO Find X9 can be found at the OPPO Philippines official website (www. oppo.com/ph/ ) or the brand’s official social media pages on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

add-on orders and group orders,” the report added.

Platforms, the report stated, are moving beyond delivery to derive value from in-restaurant dining.

The whole ecosystem benefits from this dining-in expansion.

The e-Conomy SEA 2025 Report said platforms will have more engagement and see increased app usage. They will also see monetization as they enjoy an expanded share of wallet and customer lifetime value, plus additional revenue streams from wallets, ads and commissions. Restaurants, meanwhile, will have growth (more customers and increased foot traffic), profitability (with higher margins in the absence of expensive delivery services), and having more interactive relationships with platforms beyond being logistics partners. For consumers, the benefits will be savings from the absence of delivery fees, convenience, and discovery in the form of curated lists and ratings of restaurants.

PHOTO FROM GOOGLE, TEMASEK, AND BAIN & COMPANY

BusinessMirror

Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026):

For every version of you

SOME mornings begin with a draft on my lap, a coffee that’s already gone cold, and a reminder buzzing on my wrist telling me I’m already 15 minutes late to an event. By noon, I’m answering messages from three different teams while reviewing press notes and trying to scribble ideas in the margins of a physical notebook I keep misplacing. Afternoons belong to the version of me who tries to doodle or color those mandalas whenever anxiety starts to creep in; nights belong to the tired commuter watching videos while waiting for a ride, or for that crowded MRT queue to thin out.

This is the kind of rhythm many professionals, students, freelancers, and creators live with—one that demands flexibility more than brute power. The old habit of switching between a laptop, a phone, a tablet, and a notebook isn’t just inconvenient; it slows the transitions our lives now require. And somewhere along the way, tablets faded into a role that revolved mostly around watching, scrolling, and occasionally reading.

But if 2025 has proven anything, it’s that tablets matter again, because work has changed, learning has changed, and the way we create is now threaded through constant shifts between roles.

It’s been two years since I last reviewed a Huawei device, so I was quite eager to see how much the new Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026) has improved. Huawei has been recognized by the IDC as the No. 1 tablet brand and this update has been framed as a versatile productivity tool that adapts to you rather than the other way around.

SHIFTING INTO WHATEVER YOUR WORKDAY NEEDS

HUAWEI presents the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026) as a 4-in-1 all-round productivity tablet with a complete ecosystem right inside the box. The tablet ships with the Smart Magnetic Keyboard, the all-new M-Pencil Pro, and the Huawei Mouse—everything you need for a full workstation setup without any additional purchase. All accessories pair through NearLink technology, which replaces the usual Bluetooth delays with instant, seamless connections that behave like a native extension of the device.

Attaching the keyboard changes the entire posture of the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026). What used to feel like tablet typing now resembles laptop work, thanks to comfortable key travel, larger keycaps, and over forty shortcut combinations that make long writing sessions smoother. And if you’re like me—someone who never fully got used to trackpads—adding the mouse makes it feel closer to a desktop workflow, where navigating spreadsheets, sliding between tabs, or adjusting layouts during online meetings feels far more precise.

The centerpiece of this transformation, however, is the M-Pencil Pro. This stylus finally behaves like a tool designed for writing, editing, sketching, annotating, and organizing ideas. With 16,384 pressure levels, strokes vary naturally depending on how lightly or firmly you press. Its new gestures change interactions in intuitive ways: pinching the barrel opens a radial menu of tools, rotating the stylus adjusts brush orientation, and double-tapping switches modes without breaking your flow. Precise haptic feedback adds a subtle vibration each time a gesture registers. The new Star Ring button at the end of the stylus also gives quick access to essential tools, letting you launch your preferred apps—most commonly Huawei Notes—with a single press so you can start writing the moment an idea arrives The stylus also comes with specialized tips— calligraphy, 2B, and felt-tip—so writers, students, and artists can choose a texture that fits their style. Even the Star Ring quick button helps speed up daily tasks by launching Huawei Notes instantly with a single press. Everything comes together on the new 3rd Gen Ultra-Clear PaperMatte Display, one of the

upgrades that has long been one of Huawei’s defining strengths. Unlike glossy tablets that reflect light from every direction, the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026) uses nano-scale etching to reduce sparkle by up to 50 percent and eliminate most interference from harsh lighting. Under café lamps, classroom fluorescents, or even direct sun, the display stays matte, readable, and free from glare.

It combines this with a crisp 2800 × 1840 resolution, a smooth 144 Hz refresh rate, P3 color accuracy, and peak brightness up to 1,000 nits.

The surface is also anti-fingerprint and designed for reduced eye fatigue, supported by SGS and TÜV certifications. Paired with the M-Pencil Pro, the screen’s paper-like feel becomes even more noticeable during long writing or sketching sessions.

PRODUCTIVITY ON THE MOVE

THE shift from reader to worker happens the moment WPS Office 3.0 loads. Huawei positions the app as PC-level productivity software, and the interface supports that claim.

The full desktop toolbar, tabbed layout, and view panel create an environment that mirrors traditional office software. It supports forty-two file formats— including LaTeX documents, spreadsheets with formulas, and presentations with editable charts— making it easier to maintain accuracy across platforms. This familiarity is useful for people who switch between a laptop at the office and a tablet while mobile.

Multitasking feels natural because the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026) can run up to three apps at the same time. One window can hold a document, another a research tab, and a third a messaging thread. The built-in app switcher keeps transitions quick, especially during meetings where information moves fast. Copying text or dragging images between apps feels intuitive and eliminates the awkwardness many tablets still struggle with.

During online meetings, the experience stays stable. You can keep your conference window open while using Huawei Notes on the other half of the screen. This is where the M-Pencil Pro shines. Handwriting flows naturally, and AI Handwriting Enhancement keeps your scrawls readable. Notes can also record audio via Note Replay, syncing your writing to specific timestamps—tap a line later and you’re taken to the exact moment that thought was discussed.

Templates, customized covers, and stickers help organize notebooks, while cross-page dragging keeps thoughts flexible when you’re brainstorming.

For someone like me who attends several briefings a week, this combination makes note-taking feel more organized and surprisingly enjoyable.

A STUDY COMPANION

WHILE my school days are long behind me, the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026) is an excellent fit for students. Its 555-gram build and slim 5.9-millimeter frame make it easy to carry across campus. It’s durable enough to survive daily use yet light enough to forget in your bag. The ability to record lectures while jotting synced

notes helps students revisit difficult lessons, while the long battery life supports browsing, note-taking, video playback and research throughout a full school day.

A CANVAS FOR CREATIVES

THOSE in creative fields will immediately appreciate the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026). GoPaint, which comes free with the tablet, serves as a full illustration environment capable of handling quick sketches and complex artwork. The 3D oil brush engine adds realistic texture and depth, making strokes behave more like traditional media.

The tablet’s updated 50-megapixel rear camera helps with document scanning, visual notes, and reference captures. Gestures through the M-Pencil Pro allow smooth shading, blending, and transitions between tools. Video editors will appreciate the pre-installed Filmora app, which includes a complimentary 30-day Pro access trial. Filmora supports stylus annotations, AI-powered editing, and keyboard shortcuts that make adjusting clips on the go much easier. Combined with the tablet’s display and stylus precision, it becomes a practical travel-friendly editing device.

MOMENTS OF REST MATTER TOO

ALL work eventually needs space to breathe, and the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026) becomes a comfortable entertainment screen when you want to slow down. HDR Vivid support improves dynamic range, while the six-speaker Huawei Sound system fills rooms with warm, clear audio.

Watching videos feels immersive, especially on the smooth 144Hz display. The 10,100mAh battery powers through movie marathons, extended browsing, or a mix of streaming and reading. When it finally needs a recharge, the 66W SuperCharge technology brings it back to full in just over an hour.

FINAL WORD

WHAT makes the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026) compelling is how its features combine to support the evolving demands of work, study, creativity, and rest. It behaves like a full workstation during deadlines, a reliable notebook when ideas come fast, a sketchpad for visual thinkers, a compact video editor for creators, and a cinema screen when you want to unwind. It’s for every version of you—whether you’re working, learning, creating, or resting, the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026) offers a balance of power, comfort and thoughtful design that fits the pace of modern life.

The Huawei MatePad 12 X (2026) carries a preorder price of ₱37,999, available from November 27 to December 4, 2025. Early buyers also receive an impressive collection of freebies valued at ₱21,896, giving the full 4-in-1 experience straight out of the box. The bundle includes the Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard (₱9,999), PClevel WPS Office (₱1,999), the Huawei M-Pencil Pro (₱7,999), and the Bluetooth Mouse (₱1,899).

FILIPINOS practically run their entire lives on their phones— checking group chats, booking rides, and juggling a dozen errands in between. But even with everything going digital, paying with your phone can still slow you down—especially with QR codes. Scanning with your phone, waiting for SMS confirmation, or having cashiers take screenshots and double-check a QR payment? Suddenly, your quick stop turns into a waiting game. Touted as the No. 1 Digital Bank in the Philippines, Maya is changing that. As one of the first banks in the country to enable Google Pay for credit cards, Maya is putting next-generation payments directly in your hands. Yup, Android users can now tap and go by simply adding their Maya Credit Card to Google Wallet. Even better? Tap to Pay via the Maya app is coming soon, making paying faster and easier than ever. WHY TAP TO PAY JUST MAKES SENSE Life moves fast—commuting, grabbing coffee, running errands between meetings. And through all of that, your phone is always in your hand. So, it only makes sense for paying to keep up. It’s no wonder most prefer tapping with their credit cards. But there’s an even faster way to pay: Tapping with your phone. With Maya on Google Pay, your phone becomes your wallet. No digging through your bag, no fumbling for a card—just one motion and you’re done. Plus, you still get the rewards you love: Instant Maya Miles with your Maya Black Credit Card; and Cashback with your Landers Cashback

or Mastercard contactless is accepted globally No extra steps. No friction. Just fast, secure, tap-and-go payments—whether you’re buying coffee, catching a ride, or checking out at your favorite stores. To celebrate this new way to pay, Maya and Visa are giving your PickUp

Angel R. Calso

DSWD reports elderly aid, 4Ps gains in 2026 budget review

By Wilnard Bacelonia

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) highlighted significant advancements in social protection programs during the Senate’s review of its proposed 2026 budget on Monday. Notably, the DSWD emphasized the expanded pension support for senior citizens, reflecting a commitment to enhancing the well-being of this vulnerable group.

The department also reported higher graduation rates for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and increased funding for youth rehabilitation centers, underscoring a comprehensive approach to social welfare that prioritizes the needs of senior citizens.

Sen. Pia Cayetano—sponsor of the agency’s budget—said the Senate-approved allocation would allow 663,460 additional seniors to receive pensions, raising total beneficiaries to 4.75 million under a proposed P58billion appropriation.

Cayetano also confirmed that around 1.4 million families have graduated from 4Ps between 2021 and 2025, with 1.8 million more households expected to undergo mandatory exit next year upon completing the seven-year maximum duration.

The transition to livelihood has also shown promising results.

Cayetano reported that 92 percent of Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) beneficiaries are former 4Ps households, demonstrating improved capacity for income generation beyond survival support.

Meanwhile, Sen. Erwin Tulfo com-

mended the Senate for increasing funding for Bahay Pag-asa centers —from P75 million in the House version to P275 million, including P200 million for the construction of five new regional facilities for children in conflict with the law.

On the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), the Senate maintained the P27-billion level in the National Expenditure Program, opting not to adopt the much higher House version.

Cayetano said the decision considered both the need for stronger institutional interventions and concerns over reports of beneficiaries receiving less than the full payout.

Safeguards are being implemented to ensure correct and transparent disbursement.

She added that despite these concerns, the need for direct assistance remains significant, especially after calamities such as Typhoons Tino and Uwan. The Senate is prepared to revisit the budget should crisisrelated needs rise in 2026.

Cayetano presented the full breakdown of the DSWD’s proposed 2026 budget: Office of the Secretary

‘HOY, tanda!” “Amoy lupa!” These words are piercing insults and revilements that every aged person dreads to hear.

That fear is probably one of the major reasons why sales of hair dyes continue to be high among seniors. I’m not just talking about senior women. Around 11 percent of older males, aged 50 to 64 admit that they color their hair on a regular basis— about every six to eight weeks.

And this same trepidation is what drives the ever-rising demand for face lifts among senior men and women, at least among those who can afford the surgical procedure. Many choose to combine a facelift with procedures like eyelid surgery or a brow lift for more complete facial rejuvenation.

Even in our circle of senior acquaintances, I see signs of gerascophobia, a fear of growing old, stemming from various factors, chiefly, negative stereotypes about aging and societal pressure to remain

youthful.

A friend of Aurit, my wife, celebrated her 70th birthday just over a month ago. Indeed, a milestone. A good reason to hold a party, to which we were invited. Much to my embarrassment, the “birthday girl” made a dramatic appearance, dressed as supposedly an 18-yearold debutante once again. That was the idea.

Meanwhile, another friend has been going “TikTok” crazy. She faithfully uploads daily short videos of herself, lip synching songs of bygone days, outfitted and heavily made up like a 19-year-old woman, at times in a dress that shows glimpses of her cleavage. She is 75!

Just this morning, a gaggle of women in their 70s passed by our table where my wife and I were having coffee and some snacks. They were in tight leotards like a bevy of giggly young school girls going to a dance class. They seemed to be still under the euphoric influence of the happy feel-good hormones like

—P224.5 billion; Council for the Welfare of Children—P202.6 million; Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council —P133 million; National Authority for Child Care—P747.5 million; National Commission of Senior Citizens —P3.6 billion; National Council on Disability Affairs—P187.2 million; National Anti-Poverty Commission —P369.4 million; Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor—P248.2 million; and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples—P1.7 billion.

“We just want to emphasize that this is the agency that stands at the forefront of our nation’s response when disasters strike, when families lose their livelihood, and when our most vulnerable citizens need urgent support,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Pangilinan pressed the DSWD to use the 2019 Sagip Saka Act to source part of its 2026 food program requirements directly from farmers and fisherfolk.

During the Senate deliberations, Pangilinan said the law, which he authored, empowers national government agencies and local government units to purchase agricultural and fishery products without public

bidding, ensuring higher income for producers and fresher food for beneficiaries.

With Executive Orders (EO) 101 and 102 and a Government Procurement Policy Board resolution now in place, he said DSWD can make significant direct purchases.

“With the EOs and with the GPPB resolution, I am assuming that the bulk of these purchases —not necessarily 100 percent but a significant amount of your budget for pork, fish, chicken, rice—could be purchased directly from farmers and fisherfolk organizations,” Pangilinan said.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, Pangilinan requested a detailed breakdown of commodities—rice, pork, chicken, vegetables, eggs and others—procured for the agency’s food programs.

Among the programs discussed were the P9.41-billion supplemental feeding budget, P3 billion in quick response funds, around P160 million for the Bangsamoro Umpungan sa Nutrisyon (BangUN), and P1.89 billion for the Walang Gutom Program. PNA

dopamine, oxytocin, endorphins, which could be triggered by physical activities like zumba dancing.

I know wrinkled grandmas who don’t want to be called lolas. Call me “mamu.”

How about that old sprightly grandmother who loves being called “sexy lola.” When someone told her to audition for an underwear ad for senior moms, she took the bait and even expressed willingness to pose for screen test. It turned out to be just a prank, albeit a cruel one.

What’s our term? Nagmumurang kamatis? Pilit na nagpapabata?

Call me killjoy. But these things leave me silently tutting or clicking my tongue to express a mixed sense of dismay, embarrassment and awkwardness. Many times, in frustration, I’ve told a friend who faithfully goes to an expensive barber shop to get his hair tinted jet black, why can’t we just embrace being old?

The gift of age is something earned by a very few. Most of us because of age do not have it yet. But even when it’s already theirs for the taking, some individuals refuse the gift. They don’t want to act their age. So, they keep going back to their youth, mentally dwelling in the self-deceiving illusion that doing so will somehow delay the passage of time.Yes, old age is here but let me feel and act young a little while longer.

DSWD and NCDA denounce negative depiction of PWDs in film ‘Ngongo’

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and its attached agency, the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), strongly condemn the ongoing production of the movie “Ngongo,” citing its use of derogatory and discriminatory language against persons with disabilities (PWDs).

“The DSWD condemns any depiction that disrespects persons with disabilities. Ang anumang uri ng diskriminasyon, sa pelikula man, sa media , o sa komunidad, ay hindi natin dapat pinapalampas (Any type of discrimination, in film, in media, or in the community should not be tolerated),” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a statement on Friday.

The NCDA earlier released a statement expressing its “deep concern and strong condemnation” regarding the film’s title and the promotional materials circulating.

It said such a portrayal violates the principles of dignity, respect, and inclusion that are protected under the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities (Republic Act 7277), its amendment (RA 9442), and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“The NCDA firmly maintains that disability should never be exploited for entertainment value or comedic effect.

Media and creative industries play a crucial role in shaping public attitudes, and it is imperative that portrayals uphold human rights standards and support

As senior citizens, we are called into the exclusive order of eldership. It’s a respectable circle, and mind you very few can meet the criteria for membership. First, you have to be 60 years old at least.

Since I have moved from just being old and have fully embraced eldership, let me share my reflections on it.

Our Tagalog word for elder is “matanda.” The etymological word is “may tanda,” which is short for “may katandaan”.

By tradition, the title “matanda” should command deep respect,

evoke a sense of awe or reverence. Another equivalent term for it is apo,” with the accent on the first syllable, which in Ilocano and Pampango is uttered with utmost respect.

A “matanda” is a person who remembers, or “may natatandaan.”

Because he possesses a wealth of memories, he is rich in priceless knowledge. “Ang may natatandaan, mayroong kaalaman, at mayroong kaunawaan.” He/she knows more, knows better. That’s why we often hear the advice from our parents: “Makinig ka sa matatanda.” The wisdom of a “matanda” is earned only after years of hard and continuous struggle, going through pain and suffering and bucking the odds. Kilroy J. Oldster, a lawyer and author of “Dead Toad Scrolls” writes: “Youth has its merits, but living to a ripe old age is the true statement of value.” For this reason, old folks should not underestimate their value as “wisdom keepers.” Instead, they should take pride in the fact that they’ve earned the right to be respected. White hair and wrinkles should be considered a badge of honor, not something to hide from other people. Seeking superficial things like hair dyeing and face lifts will only make you a miserable elder, because you are only denying or delaying what is inevitable. Because some old folks behave and act in a way that is unworthy or undeserving of respect, young people sneer at us and have even coined mocking colloquial terms for those who are deemed old: “Thunders” or “Jurassic.” “Kagalang galang ” is now “kagulang gulang.” It hurts.

efforts toward a more inclusive Philippines,” the statement read. Echoing the NCDA’s position, Dumlao said the DSWD also denounces any form of media content that demeans or harms persons with disabilities, stressing that media representation is a critical part of the broader advocacy for inclusion.

“We call on the creative industry to recognize that respectful and accurate portrayal is a responsibility.  Mahalaga ang representasyon at malaki ang papel ng media rito. Pero kung gagamitin natin ang kapansanan bilang biro, hindi lamang ito nakasasakit, pinapalakas pa nito ang maling paniniwala at pagtingin ng lipunan (Representation is important and the media has a big role in this. But if we use disabilities as a joke, it is not only offensive, but also reinforces the wrong beliefs and perspective of society),” the DSWD spokesperson said. She said the DSWD affirms its continued support for the NCDA in strengthening public awareness and promoting the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.

Magkatuwang na naninindigan ang DSWD at NCDA na protektahan ang dignidad ng sektor ng ating persons with disabilities. Hindi dapat pinapayagan ang anumang anyo ng diskriminasyon sa anumang plataporma (The DSWD and the NCDA stand as one in protecting the dignity of the PWD sector. Any form of discrimination should not be allowed in any platform),” Dumlao said. PNA

If we want to bring back positive attributes of “matanda” we old folks should earn to deserve it. Only when we all start respecting and embracing our “ katandaan” and start being the wise elderly as we all should be. By the way, “lao” is a Chinese term for old man. It is considered an honorific title.

Let’s strive for something more than just passive eldership. Let’s do generative eldership.

This involves harvesting the wisdom of our life experience, sowing seeds, sharing stories, lessons and insights we’ve picked up along the way to inspire and enrich and empower others, and passing on a legacy to future generations. As generative elders, let’s use our last years to help leave the world a better place than we have found it. By doing so we help re-conceptualize old age positively not only for other seniors but more significantly for young people. Let us show that we are not just meant to be put in nursing homes, or being a dependent, draining valuable family resources. We are wisdom keepers, in the true tribal traditions. By being engaged in advocacies and productive activities, we help transform and revitalize the way other people think about aging.

Now more than ever, our beleaguered country needs the wise and humble guidance of the “matatanda”. We may not be able to lead but we can inspire, influence by getting our voices heard by pen or tongue or showing the way by our actions. Let’s show the young that we are not done yet.

SENATOR Pia Cayetano defends the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development during the plenary deliberation on November 24, 2025, at the Senate. Beside her is DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian. PNA PHOTO BY AVITO DALAN

Editor: Mike Policarpio

US expands Fulbright educ. collaborations in Mindanao

THE Philippine-American Educational Foundation (PAEF)—or the Fulbright Commission—has signed new partnerships that expand educational opportunities, foster cultural exchange, and promote American excellence in higher education across Mindanao.

The linkages are with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU).

PAEF signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MinDA to develop customized Fulbright scholarships for individuals from conflictaffected communities in Mindanao. Under the program, scholars will pursue advanced studies and professional development in the United States focused on energy and agriculture.

The foundation also signed an MoU with ADDU, as the agreement officially designates the latter as the host institution for a new exchange program called the Consortium for Study Abroad in the Philippines (CSAP). It will bring American students and faculty to the Philippines for cultural immersion and six-week academic courses in agriculture, rural development, engineering, and business.

“The Fulbright Program is not just a scholarship program in the Philippines—it is a cornerstone of post-war Philippine intellectual and leadership development, a symbol of the enduring US-Philippine partnership, and still the single most important academic exchange mechanism between the two countries after more than 75 years,” PAEF chair and US Embassy counselor for Public Affairs Jessica Simon said.

“This signing is more than a ceremonial act—it is a bold step toward empowering the people of Mindanao,” MinDA Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said. “Through this MoU, MinDA and the Fulbright Commission reaffirm a shared conviction: that education is the most powerful engine of peace, progress, and prosperity.”

“The CSAP aligns with [our] mission to advance research, innovation, and the formation of graduates committed to service and leadership,” said ADDU vice president for Higher Education Fr. Antonio Basilio SJ. “[We are] proud to support inclusive peace and development in Mindanao through academic excellence and community outreach.”

Established on March 23, 1948, the Philippine-American Educational Foundation is a non-profit, binational organization sponsored by the US

and Philippine governments. It is the oldest continuously active Fulbright commission in the world, and the oldest international scholarship in the Philippines. PAEF has awarded grants to more than 3,000 Filipinos and close to 1,000 Americans to pursue graduate degree study, teaching, and research in both countries.

Future Filipino educators trained RECENTLY, three American experts from the US Department of State’s English Language Fellows program trained 40 pre-service teachers from across the Philippines in ProjectBased Learning or PBL: a teaching method widely adopted in the US where students learn by focusing on real-world problem-solving through hands-on projects.

Organized by the US Embassy in Manila’s Regional English Language Office (RELO) and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) from October 22 to 26 in Batac, Ilocos Norte, the “Moving Ideas to Impact: A ProjectBased Learning Design Workshop” promoted PBL as a student-centered pedagogical approach. It is rooted in the American educational philosophy that education must be active and connected to real life.

By focusing on practical methodologies drawn from American educational standards, the workshop equipped the next generation of Filipino educators with knowledge and tools to shift from traditional, lecture-based instruction to leading innovative, student-centered classrooms that encourage research, analysis, creativity, collaboration, and curiosity at a young age.

“The success of this workshop is a clear demonstration of our nations’ shared dedication to building educational excellence,” said US Embassy RELO Officer Jeff McIlvenna. “By investing in these 40 pre-service teachers, we are strengthening our bilateral ties and ensuring that American innovations in education, like PBL, will multiply across Filipino classrooms and help improve learning among young Filipinos.”

At the end of the workshop, each participant crafted a CommunityConnected PBL Blueprint: a readyto-implement unit plan designed to

address a local challenge or opportunity within their home communities.

“Each participant leaves as a ‘multiplier of knowledge’ who will shape their own institutions, preparing the next generation to be globally competitive and community-engaged citizens,” McIlvenna added. “This focus on immediate, tangible impact ensures the teachers’ newly acquired skills are applied directly to address needs in the Philippine educational system and the local community.”

This initiative reinforces the enduring partnership between the US and the Philippines ahead of the 80th anniversary of the two countries’ bilateral relations, and the 250th anniversary of the former’s independence in 2026. US English language programs emphasize education as a key pillar of cooperation and innovation through the development of English language learning and effective communication skills in the next generation of educators and their students.

Filipino students complete educational trip to Germany

FILIPINO students aspiring to be diplomats, lawmakers, public servants, and catalysts for change recently participated in a two-week study visit in Germany, which cultivated their appreciation for diversity and gave them a new perspective on the essence of diplomacy and governance.

In collaboration with Städtetag Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg Association of Cities), and organized by the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Diplomacy and Governance (SDG), the international immersion aimed to educate the group on the political, economic, and cultural aspects of life in this cosmopolitan country nestled in the heart of Europe.

Benilde’s Consular and Diplomatic Affairs/Diplomacy and International Affairs (CDA/DIA) chair Catherine Dee Samaniego, with faculty adviser Shiela Mae Sabalburo, led the 20-student delegation during their stops in Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, Freiberg am Neckar, Esslingen, Heidelberg, Bietigheim-Bissingen, and Strasbourg in France.

“The program has bridged our understanding of the uniqueness of the Philippines and Germany. It also magnified our collective aspirations for a more peaceful, just, and humane society,” Samaniego noted.

“We hope that our students’ experiences in joining this study visit would encourage others to view ‘travel’ as something more than just another stamp on their passports, but as a pleasant reminder that there is so much more to discover about the world,” she added.

Knowing Germany better

THE participants had a formal encounter with the city administration officials of Ludwigsburg. They learned more on the city’s governance model, urban development priorities, and approaches to citizen engagement and transparency. They likewise immersed themselves in a guided tour of the baroque-style Ludwigsburg Palace.

The team visited the Social Democratic Party’s office where they met Nicolas Fink, a member of parliament who shed light on the relationship between state and municipal governance.

The Baden-Württemberg Association of Cities hosted a workshop, which covered topics such as the fundamentals of Germany’s federal political system, digitalization in

local government, and collaboration among public institutions and their constituents.

A visit to the Stuttgart City Council included an introduction to the structure, function, and key responsibilities of the decision-making body. Lucia Schanbacher, a council member and a communications expert, shared her valuable insights by pitching for dedicated climate-friendly infrastructure and fair access to mobility and housing. In Stuttgart, experts showed the city’s integration of environmental responsibility into urban planning and public infrastructure. Green mobility, energy-efficient architecture, and community engagement were likewise tackled during the tour. The students also dropped by the Stuttgart City Library, University of Public Administration and Finance Ludwigsburg, and Villa Reitzenstein. Heidelberg was another cultural highlight. Surrounded by the city’s rich academic heritage, cobblestone streets, and scenic riverside setting, the team explored the university town’s historic center and idyllic castle complex.

Shaping future leaders THE delegation paid a visit to Esslingen for the Schwörfest. a celebration. This vibrant celebration deeply rooted in local democratic tradition was an authentic experience of community life, volunteerism, and cultural identity in southern Germany. Jan Hambach, mayor of Freiberg am Neckar, welcomed the group with a talk on leadership, community work, and the future of small and mediumsized cities.

On the other hand, the participants’ day trip to the city of Strasbourg in France saw them stopping by the iconic cathedral and strolling around its charming old town, while taking in the unique mix of French and German influences. While in Strasbourg, they toured the European Parliament for an indepth view of the contributions of one of the European Union’s most important institutions.

“Our goal is to keep the knowledge and skills of our students relevant, up-to-date, and in line with our institutional mission-vision,” Samaniego stated. “The best way we can contribute to nation-building is by shaping our future leaders to lead with integrity, empathy, conviction, a strong sense of justice, compassion, and common sense.”

Why digital maturity is the next big leap for Philippine education

By Ryan Lufkin

Vice President of Global Academic Strategy at Instructure

AS the Philippines looks to the future of education and lifelong learning, the major challenge for institutions lies in shifting from technology adoption to digital maturity. Nearly every institution now uses digital tools. What distinguishes the institutions that are leaders from those lagging behind lies in their ability to align these tools with their institutional strategy, effectively integrate them into institutional processes, and prepare themselves to adapt to the future.

Last September, during CanvasCon Philippines, I had the opportunity to speak with university leaders and faculty members navigating this shift. What stood out was the urgency to

create more resilient, responsive, secure, and student-centered systems. So what does it take to become digitally mature?

We’re now in a different phase from when the pandemic forced institutions around the world to react quickly to deploy digital platforms. Today, institutions must build intentional, integrated ecosystems that support personalized, flexible, secure, and future-ready learning and teaching experiences.

Reimagining roles of data, AI

also leveraged to support data-driven decision-making, measure program impact, and personalize learning. And AI isn’t viewed as a replacement for educators, but as a tool that frees up their time, streamlines tasks, and enhances the human connections that define great teaching.

The institutions that are embedding AI into their digital strategies today are already seeing gains in efficiency and engagement.

agents to data and analytics.

Improving operational efficiency by using data to measure program and student performance.

Empowering research with access to the data needed to conduct meaningful studies and enable both local and international collaboration.

Innovating with a long-term vision by building infrastructure that can adapt to the technology landscape of the next decade.

Digital maturity doesn’t mean having more technology. It means using technology in a coordinated way, connecting platforms like learning management systems (LMS), data tools, and artificial intelligence (AI) in ways that enhance learning and simplify operations. This phase is all about ensuring better outcomes for students, freeing time for educators, and helping institutions stay relevant.

Foundations of digital maturity

ONE of the most significant shifts I’ve observed globally is how institutions are redefining the role of data and AI in education. In digitally mature systems, data is used for more than reporting. It’s

ACHIEVING digital maturity requires, among other things, a strong commitment to building an education model grounded in four pillars:

Optimizing the student experience by creating integrated processes and seamless experiences through system consolidation, like a single LMS that can orchestrate everything from AI

Path forward BY 2030, nearly 40 percent of workplace skills will have shifted, according to The Future of Jobs Report 2025 published by the World Economic Forum. While the demand for technical capabilities like AI, data science, and cybersecurity will continue to rise, human skills such as adaptability, empathy, and creativity will remain equally critical. For institutions in the Philippines, the next phase of evolution will require adopting a transformational mindset, led by a strategic roadmap toward digital maturity. It includes centralizing and managing data strategically and securely; leveraging existing resources while implementing change-management programs to support adoption; breaking down silos to align departments and bridge divides between groups, areas, and technologies; and automating repetitive tasks with AI to free up faculty time. As institutions across the Philippines move forward, what will matter most is using technology efficiently and in sync—adapting in real time to technological change and labor market needs, always with security, flexibility, and learner mobility at the core.

UNIVERSITY OF MINDANAO president Dr. Guillermo Torres (from left), MinDA executive director and assistant secretary Janet Lopoz, MinDA secretary Leo Tereso Magno, Philippine-American Educational Foundation chair and US Embassy counselor for Public Affairs Jessica Simon, PAEF executive director Julio Amador III, alongside MinDA deputy executive director and assistant secretary Romeo Montenegro sign the MinDA-PAEF partnership in Davao City.

ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY director of the Ateneo Internationalization for Mindanao Romulo Vince Bueza (from left), ADDU vice president for Higher Education Fr. Antonio Basilio SJ, Simon and Amador III sign the PAEF-ADDU partnership.

A US Department of State English Language fellow facilitates a small group discussion with pre-service teachers.

LUFKIN

THE federal system was explained to the student delegates.

FROM EXPO TO EVERYDAY

A journey through discipline in Osaka

Story

by Joel C. Paredes

ON the final day of Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, I found myself retracing steps I had hoped to take 55 years earlier. My first visit to Japan in 1971 was just after the original Expo—a legendary event that promised a window into the future. This time, was determined not to miss the spectacle.

As the closing fireworks burst overhead, the mood shifted. Thousands of visitors surged toward the train station, eager to make their way home. At first glance, the scene seemed chaotic—an endless stream of people moving with urgency. Yet, what struck me most was the remarkable sense of order that prevailed.

Even elders like myself could move briskly and safely within the crowd. We were seamlessly integrated into the flow, carried along by a collective, disciplined movement.

For the entire ten-minute walk, police and government workers maintained a calm, efficient presence, guiding us precisely to our respective trains.

It was impossible not to compare this experience to similar situations in many developing countries, such as the Philippines, where such a mass exodus might easily devolve into a dangerous stampede. This observation—more than any futuristic exhibit or sleek shinkansen train—revealed the true engine behind Japan’s enduring status as a “First World” power.

My first day in Osaka became more than just a nostalgic revisit. It was a glimpse into how a technologically advanced nation sustains its progress across generations. The secret, I’m convinced, lies not merely in high-tech gadgets, but in a culture that actively shapes  and supports the nation’s evolution.

Cultural Foundations

WHILE the Osaka Expo ‘70 once dazzled with promises of technological progress, today’s international exhibition was shadowed by the realities of climate change and shifting global priorities. The enduring strength of Japan, however, remains constant: its collective character driven by an internal system rooted in traditional cultural philosophies.

Communal responsibility entails adhering to queues, respecting space, and moving predictably—transforming a crowd from a collection of competing egos into a unified, efficient body.  This can be traced to the  Japanese concept of “Wa,” or group harmony, where individuals are taught to prioritize the smooth functioning of the collective over personal conve -

WITH ROOM TO GROW

nience or impulse. The Japanese, I found out, are also trained in the concept of “Gaman,” which emphasizes “enduring difficult or frustrating circumstances with patience and dignity.” Self-restraint prevents small frustrations from escalating into public outbursts or physical disorder.

They have also internalized the need to wait, follow instructions, and maintain their composure. The seamless exit from the Expo was a direct result of this internalization, where every individual understood their passive role in maintaining the security and efficiency of the whole. This discipline was evident throughout the days we spent in the Kansai region. In

Osaka, the smooth exit from the Expo was not just due to police guidance, but the internalization of the rule that every person must contribute to the collective order.

On the streets of nearby Kyoto, the old capital—which has lately been in the news for “overtourism”—there was a powerful sense of responsibility toward one’s community and environment. You can see cleanliness and waste sorting, and locals often volunteer to pick up trash in public areas.

Nurturing a Historic Past

WHILE successfully navigating modernization, Japan’s cultural appeal to both locals and foreign visitors is rooted in the integration of its ancient history, traditional

Clark Global City finds groove as MICE destination

Story

by Justine Xyrah Garcia

CLARK Global City has been many things over the last decade—a redevelopment story, an emerging business district, a weekend alternative to Manila, a work-in-progress skyline.

But in recent years, the 177-hectare estate inside the Clark Freeport Zone has started gaining a different identity, one shaped less by construction cranes and more by conference badges: a rising hub for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), built on access, order, and a tourism ecosystem finally moving in the same direction.

The shift became undeniable when the World Travel Awards named Clark as Asia’s Leading Meetings and Conference Destination this year, the first time a Philippine city earned the title. For Clark Development Corporation (CDC) chairperson Atty. Agnes Devanadera, the win captured what many stakeholders on the ground already sensed: a district maturing through cooperation, not competition.

“What we are really having here is a development of the community. It’s not just a

community of investors, but rather a community of hearts,” she said, emphasizing how locators support one another through shared values.

She added that CDC actively promotes the services of companies operating in the area, finding ways for them to collaborate instead of working in isolation.

The recognition, which she described as “the Oscars of tourism,” highlighted what that collaboration has produced.

Clark Global City sits at the core of this momentum. Once envisioned as the next central business district of North Luzon, the estate now hosts corporate offices, restaurants, event spaces, fitness centers, and hotels—a compact but expanding environment where weekday business traffic meets weekend tourism movement.

Its wide roads and grid-like layout give it an advantage over traditional urban centers; movement here feels lighter, transitions smoother.

Part of Clark Global City’s appeal is structural. You can land at Clark International Airport (CRK) and be in the heart of the estate in as little as 14 minutes. No long transit, no congested roads. For delegates coming from abroad or from across the country, that ease is no

small advantage.

CRK’s new terminal—designed for 8 million passengers a year—handled 2.4 million passengers last year, a 20 percent increase from 2023.

As routes continue to expand, those numbers are expected to rise and Clark Global City is expected to be one of its key beneficiaries.

Growing hospitality landscape THE surrounding hospitality landscape has also grown with the district.

Clark and nearby areas now offer more than 3,000 rooms, a mix of business hotels and leisure properties that serve both weekday corporate travelers and weekend families.

The Freeport’s industries keep demand steady, while the tourism clusters around Clark absorb the spillover.

Among the hotels shaping this movement, Park Inn by Radisson Clark sits at a pivotal point.

The hotel marked its 10th anniversary, a milestone grounded in performance rather than nostalgia. It opened in 2015 with 150 rooms; by 2021, it expanded to 254 rooms, responding to a surge in demand long before the awards and recognition.

religion, and profound respect for nature. Its so-called “tourist” sites harmonize the spiritual, historical, and contemporary aspects of Japan.

A visit to Nara, for instance,  amplifies Shinto-Buddhist principles and the harmony between humans and the divine in nature.

The Sika deer—believed to be protected as divine messengers of the Shinto deities associated with Kasuga Taisha Grand Shrine— reflect traditions dating back over a thousand years, embodying the Shinto belief in “kami,” or spirits residing in nature.

For locals, this represents a continuation of ancient, revered customs and a unique connection to their spiritual past. For visitors, the sight of hundreds of semi-tame

“bowing” deer roaming freely among magnificent Buddhist temples offers a visible, charming, and deeply interactive experience of Japan’s spiritual history. The deer also symbolize the country’s profound respect for the natural world.

Meanwhile, Kinkaku-ji—the “Golden Pavilion” in Kyoto—demonstrates how Japanese aesthetic principles and history create lasting appeal. Originally built in 1397 as a retirement villa for the powerful Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, it was converted into a Zen Buddhist temple upon his death. This transformation embodies the Buddhist theme of impermanence and the cycle of renewal, even though the current structure is a 1955 ‘s reconstruction.

The pavilion’s three floors incorporate distinct architectural styles—Shinden and Samurai—with the upper two tiers covered in gold leaf. This dazzling gold, set against the tranquil Kyōko-chi (mirror pond) and the surrounding Zen garden, represents a harmonious blend of nature, architecture, and luxury.

Westernization and Preservation IN the region, the old city of Kobe became a crucial gateway during the Meiji Restoration, a period of rapid Japanese modernization. Today, its appeal stems not only from its dynamic history as one of the first ports opened to foreign trade after 1868, resulting in a fascinating cultural blend. Despite adopting Western ideas, Kobe has diligently preserved its historical areas.

The Ijinkan district, for instance, features beautifully maintained Western-style mansions that once housed foreign residents.  This has led to a distinctly international character, evident in its cuisine (such as Kobe beef and bakery goods), its foreign settlement area, and its general cosmopolitan atmosphere.

In preserving the old city, Kobe showcases Japan’s ability to embrace change and Western ideas without discarding its past.

The blending of the modern, international port city with the historical preservation of Western-style “old city” structures appeals to locals as a symbol of Japanese resilience and global integration.

Significant portions of the city were destroyed during the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, but when it was rebuilt, Kobe continued to blend historical charm with contemporary development.

The Merchant Spirit PERHAPS the enduring popularity of Osaka’s central shopping districts, such as Shinsaibashi-suji and Dōtonbori, is a direct inheritance of its historical role as “The Nation’s Kitchen” and a dynamic hub of commerce.

During the Edo Period (1603–1868), Osaka was the premier economic center of Japan, far from the political center in Edo (presentday Tokyo). Such autonomy allowed for a robust, energetic merchant culture to flourish, focused on pragmatic commerce and a love for food—“eat until you drop.” Its shopping streets like Shinsaibashi-suji have been continuously operating as retail centers since the mid-18th century.

For locals, these areas represent the city’s proud identity—a culture built by merchants rather than samurai. For foreigners, visiting Osaka’s shopping districts means stepping into a vibrant, pedestrian-only environment that is both a historical shopping arcade and a modern, neon-lit wonderland of food, fashion, and entertainment.

To the casual observer, Japan often evokes an image of order, discipline, and a vibrant cultural  tapestry. Yet, comparing it to the Philippines  feels almost unfair—each nation having charted  its own unique path of development and identity.  What really matters, despite the modest or bustling atmosphere of its streets, is the sense of comfort that stands out to visitors—a feeling that makes even the unfamiliar feel like home.

According to Peggy Angeles, Executive Vice President of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp., occupancy numbers were consistently strong from the beginning.

“If they run 80 percent, that’s already low,” she said, pointing to years when the hotel regularly hit the 90 to 100 percent range. Those numbers, she added, justified the expansion even during the pandemic. Its location next to SMX Clark—the 4,000-square meters convention center beside the hotel—gives the district an advantage no marketing tagline can replicate: everything a delegate needs sits within one walkable loop. Meetings flow into dinners. Events spill onto café-lined streets. A work trip becomes a weekend without having to travel far. Park Inn by Radisson Clark General Manager Lorenzo Tang said the hotel wants to remain “part of the local community,” serving not only as a lodging option but as “one successful model for hospitality establishments within Clark.” After closing its first ten-year chapter, he said the next begins in 2026—a new phase shaped by the district’s broader tourism momentum, rising visitor numbers, and the continued build-up around Clark Global City. It is a transition informed by the same culture the hotel started with. As Tang recalled, guests “come here as guests” and often “leave us as friends,” a sentiment that has helped define Park Inn’s role in Clark’s maturing hospitality scene.

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan

& photos

& photos

CLARK Development Corporation (CDC) President and CEO Atty. Agnes Devanadera

PEGGY ANGELES, Executive Vice President of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp.

THE traditinal kimono remains a fashionable outfit, even for the younger generation.

KINKAKU-JI offers a glimpse of how nature blends in harmony with architecture and the opulence of a by-gone era in Kyoto.

The Philippine Pavillion on the Osaka Expo.

FOR the locals, Sika deer in Nara Park represent their unique connection to their spiritual past.

A RURAL village near the foot of the Higashiyama Mountain

DOTONBURI, historically Osaka's entertainment and theater center, remains a favorite destination known for its vibrant culture.

LOCAL residents in kyoto have managed to preserve their ancient streets leading to the temples, transforming them into a booming area for food and relaxation.

Editor: Angel R. Calso

Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians who appeared to surrender in West Bank

By Megan Janetsky, Bassem Mroue & Julia Frankel The Associated Press

JERUSALEM—Israeli

forces

on Thursday killed a pair of Palestinian men in the occupied West Bank after they appeared to surrender to troops, drawing Palestinian accusations that the men were executed “in cold blood.” The Israeli military said it was investigating.

The killings, captured in videos shown on two Arab TV stations, came as Israel pressed ahead with its latest offensive in the West Bank, where the army has stepped up its activities over the past two years. Israel says it is cracking down on militants, but Palestinians and rights groups accuse Israel of using excessive force and say dozens of unarmed civilians have been killed.

Israel has been fighting on a number of fronts as a shaky ceasefire in Gaza moves forward. On Thursday, Israel carried out another round of airstrikes on suspected Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon. Ongoing conflicts in the region have fueled concerns that unrest could spill over and undermine the fragile truce in Gaza.

A Palestinian-American teenager held in Israeli detention for nine months was also released on Thursday night. The 16-year-old emerged visibly thin and was embraced by his crying family.

Israeli forces accused of executing Palestinian men in West Bank

The Israeli military and national police announced they were opening an investigation into the deaths Thursday of the two men, who were shot by members of the border police, a special unit that often operates alongside the Israeli military.

In a video shown on Palestine TV, which has no sound, the two men come out of a garage holding their hands up and lifting their shirts to show they are not carrying explosives. They are ordered to the ground and kicked by one of the policemen. They are then ordered back to the garage. In a video shown by Egyptian TV station AlGhad, the men are ordered back to the entrance of the garage. As they are on the ground and surrounded by troops, gunshots are heard and the men slump down, apparently lifeless. At least one soldier is seen firing his weapon.

In a statement, the Israeli military said the two men were wanted militants in the northern town of Jenin who had thrown explosives and opened fire at troops.

It said that after the men surrendered and exited a building, “fire was directed toward the suspects.” It said was the incident was “under review” and would be referred “to the relevant professional bodies.”

Palestinians and human rights groups say such investigations yield few results, and Israeli troops are rarely prosecuted.

Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the national police, praised the Israeli forces, saying they had acted “exactly as they are expected to—terrorists must die!”

In Ramallah, the Palestinian prime minister’s office accused Israel of executing the men “in cold blood.” It called the shooting “an outright extrajudicial killing in blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”

Palestinian authorities identified the men as AlMuntasir Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Asasa, 37, and said Israel had taken away their bodies.

The incident was reminiscent of the case of Elor Azaria—a soldier convicted of manslaughter in 2017 for fatally shooting an already wounded Palestinian attacker. That case deeply divided the nation, with nationalistic politicians defending the soldier. Azaria was released early from prison after serving a nine-month sentence. Escalation in the West Bank

THE shooting is part of a larger operation in a northeastern region of the West Bank. Israel’s military has detained more than 100 people since Tuesday in the town of Tubas, according to Abdullah al-Zaghari, spokesman for the advocacy group Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.

The military has said the operation was a response to “attempts to establish terrorist strongholds and construction of terror infrastructures in the area.” On Nov. 19, Palestinian attackers stabbed an Israeli to death and wounded three more at a West Bank intersection before being shot down by troops.

Israel’s military has scaled up military operations in the West Bank since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which triggered the war in Gaza.

The latest operation comes amid a rising tide of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. Israeli leaders have played down the settler attacks as the work of a small minority. But Palestinians say the attacks are frequent, often in close proximity to Israeli troops, and the settlers are rarely punished.

Strikes on Lebanon ahead of the pope’s visit ISRAEL’S air force carried out another series of strikes in parts of southern Lebanon on Thursday. Israel says its ongoing strikes are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding after a devastating war last year.

But the United Nations on Tuesday said Israel had killed at least 127 civilians, including children, in its strikes on Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect one year ago. Things escalated earlier this week with a rare strike in Lebanon’s capital of Beirut, killing Hezbollah’s chief of staff.

On Thursday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized Hezbollah for not disarming in a rare rebuke of the group, saying the Iran-backed militants have failed to deter Israeli airstrikes,

protect the Lebanese people or even safeguard the lives of its own leaders.

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit the country on Sunday, when he will meet the crisis-hit nation’s political and religious leaders.

American teen released from Israeli jail MOHAMMED IBRAHIM , an American teenager held in Israeli custody for nine months, was released Thursday evening and immediately checked into a hospital, his uncle told the AP.

Visibly thin, head shaven and still in a grey jumpsuit, Ibrahim wiped tears away as he was embraced by family members shortly after his release in videos taken by the family. His father, Zaher Ibrahim, kissed his son and began to cry.

“He’s skinny and pale, his eyes are sunken in and he still has signs of scabies,” said Zeyad Kadur, the uncle.

The teen was visiting family in the West Bank with his parents when he was arrested at his family’s home at night for allegedly throwing rocks at Israeli settlers in the West Bank, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations and several members of Congress. In an affidavit, Mohammed said he only confessed to stone-throwing after he was threatened by interrogators with a beating.

His family and lawyers said he was held in poor conditions, suffered a scabies infection and lost weight in jail.

Janetsky and Frankel reported from Jerusalem.

Pope Leo XIV encourages Turkey to be a force for peace on his first foreign trip

By Nicole Winfield, Suzan Fraser, Serra Yedikardes & Andrew Wilks The Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey—Pope Leo

XIV encouraged Turkey to be a source of stability and dialogue in a world riven by conflict, as he opened his first foreign trip as pope on Thursday with a plea for peace amid efforts to end wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

The American pope emphasized a message of peace as he arrived in Ankara, welcomed on the tarmac by a military guard of honor and at the presidential palace by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Speaking to Erdogan and the country’s diplomatic corps at a library in the palace complex, Leo praised Turkey’s historic role as a bridge between East and West, at the crossroads of religions and cultures.

“May Turkey be a source of stability and rapprochement between peoples, in service of a just and lasting peace,” he said, speaking in front of a giant globe. “Today, more than ever, we need people who will promote dialogue and practice it with firm will and patient resolve.”

Leo’s visit comes as Turkey, a country of more than 85 million people of predominantly Sunni Muslims, has cast itself as a key intermediary in efforts to end the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

Ankara has hosted rounds of talks with Russia and with Ukraine

and offered to take part in the stabilization force in Gaza to help oversee a fragile ceasefire. Israel, which has had rocky relations with Turkey for years, accuses Ankara of supporting Hamas and has ruled out any role for Turkish troops in a stabilization force.

Leo didn’t cite the conflicts specifically, but he quoted his predecessor, Pope Francis, in lamenting that the wars ravaging the world today amount to a “third world war fought piecemeal,” with resources spent on armaments instead of fighting hunger and poverty and protecting creation.

After two world wars, “we are now experiencing a phase marked by a heightened level of conflict on the global level,” he said. “We must not give into this! The future of humanity is at stake.”

In his address, Erdogan said the Palestinian issue is central to achieving peace in the region and praised what he described as the Vatican’s “steadfast stance” on it.

Erdogan said immediate steps must be taken to strengthen the ceasefire reached in Gaza, protect

civilians and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid.

A word about valuing women

THE speech was closely watched, since the first speech of any pope trip sets the tone for his visit. That’s all the more true for this first trip abroad for the first American pope, who will be delivering all his remarks in Turkey in English in a departure for the Italian-centric Vatican. It was thus significant that Leo also commented on the plight of women in Turkey.

“Women, in particular, through their studies and active participation in professional, cultural and political life, are increasingly placing themselves at the service of your community and its positive influence on the international scene,” Leo said.

“We must greatly value then the important initiatives in this regard, which support the family and the contribution that women make toward the full flowering of social life.”

Women’s rights activists continue to denounce Erdogan’s 2021 withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, a landmark European treaty signed in Istanbul in 2011 to protect women from violence. Critics say the move weakened safeguards.

According to the advocacy group We Will Stop Femicide, 237 women have been killed in Turkey so far in 2025, most by husbands, partners, or relatives, while another 247 women were found dead under suspicious circumstances.

This week, Erdogan unveiled a new five-point plan to combat violence against women, including promoting a culture of respect, strengthening legal protections,

and rehabilitating perpetrators.

After Ankara, Leo heads to Istanbul for the meetings and prayers with Orthodox Christian leaders as well as representatives of Turkey’s majority Muslim community. He then travels to Lebanon on Sunday.

Historic anniversary

THE main impetus for Leo to travel to Turkey is to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, an unprecedented gathering of at least 250 bishops from around the Roman Empire. It happened at a time when the Eastern and Western churches were still united. They split in the Great Schism of 1054, a divide precipitated largely by disagreements over the primacy of the pope.

The visit will also allow Leo to reinforce the church’s relations with Muslims. Leo is due to visit the Blue Mosque and preside over an interfaith meeting in Istanbul.

Asgın Tunca, a Blue Mosque imam who will be receiving the pope, said the visit would help advance Christian-Muslim ties and dispel popular prejudices about Islam.

“We want to reflect that image by showing the beauty of our religion through our hospitality—that is God’s command,” Tunca said.

Speaking to reporters on board his plane, Leo acknowledged the historic nature of his first foreign trip and said he has been looking forward to it because of what it means for Christians and for promoting peace in the world.

“And to invite all people to come together to search for greater unity, greater harmony, and to look for the ways that all men and women can truly be brothers and sisters in spite of differences, in spite of different religions, in spite of different beliefs.”

Leo also shared some more

light-hearted moments with reporters, noting that Thursday was Thanksgiving in the United States.

“To the Americans here, Happy Thanksgiving!” he said to the 80 or so reporters who are travelling aboard the papal plane. “It’s a wonderful day to celebrate.”

At least two journalists presented Leo with pumpkin pies. He was also gifted a baseball bat once owned by legendary White Sox player Nellie Fox, and a pair of White Sox-branded slippers and socks.

The latter gift was a reference to Leo’s quip last week that he only wears white socks, a play on words about his beloved Chicago baseball team.

Reaction in Turkey THOUGH support for Palestinians and for an end to the war in Ukraine is widespread in Turkey, for many, international politics is a secondary concern, as they face an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, owing to market turmoil induced by shake-ups in domestic politics. That could explain why Leo’s visit has largely escaped the attention of many in the country, at least outside the country’s small Christian community.

Fatma Cicek Geyik, a 57-yearold artist, said the visit would bring some joy but should not be exaggerated. She said Turkey is a land with a powerful history and she didn’t see the need to “elevate” others’ presence.

“He’s welcome, his visit will bring joy. But I don’t see it as something to exaggerate too much,” she said. “They will leave just as they came.”

Wilks and Yedikardes contributed from Istanbul.

Pope Leo XIV to call for Christian unity at historic location of the Nicene Creed

By The Associated Press

POPE Leo XIV marks a high point of his first foreign trip to Turkey with a pilgrimage to the site where early Christian church leaders met 1,700 years ago under the auspices of the Roman Emperor Constantine to host the Council of Nicaea. Leo will pray with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, at the site of the 325 AD gathering, now the town of Iznik, and sign a joint declaration in a show of Christian unity.

The unprecedented gathering of at least 250 bishops from around the Roman Empire during the first council established the first version of the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith that millions of Christians still

recite each Sunday. Eastern and Western churches were united until the Great Schism of 1054, a divide precipitated largely by disagreements over the primacy of the pope.

The American pope has emphasized a message of peace and a plea to help end wars in Ukraine and Gaza during his Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 trip to Turkey and Lebanon. On Thursday he met in the capital Ankara with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and encouraged Turkey to be a source of stability and dialogue in a world riven by conflict.

Leo then travelled to Istanbul to carry not only his message of unity among Christians at Iznink, located southeast of the city, but also to reinforce the church’s relations with Muslims.

Leo also is due to visit the Blue Mosque

and preside over an interfaith meeting in Istanbul.

Here’s the latest:

Spanish couple try to draw pope’s attention A COUPLE from Spain arrived in Iznik early Friday morning and drew a large cross in the sand on the shores of Lake Iznik, hoping Pope

Leo XIV would spot it from his helicopter as he flew in for the commemoration marking 1,700 years since the first Council of Nicaea.

The symbolic act was short-lived, however, as security officials removed the couple and journalists from the area.

Irati Aguirre, 26, and Thomas Libeau, 32, traveled to Iznik to witness the pope’s historic visit to the town where he will join

Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew for prayers.

Iznik residents differ on papal visit

IZNIK resident Suleyman Bulut, 35, acknowledged his town’s deep historical and spiritual significance for Christians and said he had no issue with them coming to honor their heritage.

“Muslims (too) should go and visit places that belong to us in the rest of the world, in Europe,” he said.

But Hasan Maral, a 41-year-old shopkeeper, said he felt uncomfortable with Leo’s visit to the area Friday.

“The pope coming here feels contradictory to my faith,” he said.

Pope encourages Catholics in Turkey

POPE Leo XIV is encouraging Turkey’s Catholics to look to the future with hope despite their tiny numbers.

There are around 33,000 Catholics in Turkey, a nation of more than 85 million people, most of whom are Sunni Muslim.

Many of the Catholics are foreigners, including migrants, according to Vatican statistics.

Leo sought to bolster them in his remarks at Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, saying the “logic of littleness is the church’s true strength.”

“It does not lie in her resources or structures, nor do the fruits of her mission depend on numbers, economic power or social influence,” he said.

Cheers and applause greet pope at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

EXCITEMENT filled the exterior and interior of Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit as Pope Leo XIV arrived Friday. Worshippers applauded and cheered while the pontiff made his way down the aisle

“I am so excited, so happy to see the pope. This is the first time like I can say to have this opportunity, in Turkey of course, so, no words. With all my heart I am so happy,” said Debora Martina Da Silva, a political science student from Guinea Bissau who is studying in Turkey.

Elias Bogane, a 53-year-old tourist from Luxembourg, said he felt “blessed”

See “Pope,” A13

POPE Leo XIV, right, talks to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting with authorities, members of the civil society and diplomats in the Presidential Palace’s national library, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. YAVUZ OZDEN/DIA PHOTO VIA AP

Hong Kong apartment fire death toll soars to 128, search continues

By David Rising & Chan Ho-Him The Associated Press

HONG KONG—The

death toll from a fire in a Hong Kong residential complex has risen to 128 after more bodies were found in the blackened towers, authorities said.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang told reporters at the scene Friday that the search for victims was continuing and the numbers could still rise.

The fire at the Wang Fuk Court complex started Wednesday afternoon and was only fully extinguished Friday morning.

Dozens of people including firefighters were injured in the blaze.

Hong Kong firefighters combed through a high-rise apartment complex apartment-by-apartment Friday in a final attempt to find anyone alive after a massive fire engulfed seven of eight towers in one of the city’s deadliest blazes.

Crews were prioritizing apartments from which they received more than two dozen calls for assistance during the blaze but were unable to reach, Derek Armstrong Chan, a deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services told reporters early Friday morning.

“Our firefighting operation is almost complete,” he said. The fire started midafternoon Wednesday in one of the Wang Fuk Court complex’s eight towers, jumping rapidly from one to the next as bamboo scaffolding covered in netting in place for renovations caught ablaze until seven buildings were engulfed.

It took more than 1,000 firefighters some 24 hours to bring the five-alarm blaze under control, and even nearly two days later, smoke continued to drift out of the charred skeletons of the buildings from the occasional flare-up.

The final search of the buildings was expected to be completed later Friday at which point officials have said they will officially end the rescue phase of their operation at the complex in Tai Po district, a northern suburb near Hong Kong’s border with mainland China. It was unclear how many people could possibly be inside the buildings, which had almost 2,000 apartments and some 4,800 residents. Hong Kong leader John Lee said early Thursday morning that officials had not been able to make contact with 279 residents.

“We will endeavor to force entry into all the units of the seven blocks concerned so as to ensure that there is no other possible casualties,” Chan said.

He said an updated figure on the number of missing people cannot be calculated until the search and rescue operation is complete.

The apartments from which a total of 25 unanswered

Continued from A12

to be visiting Turkey at the same time as the pope.

“It’s the first time I come here. For me it was something so special,” Bogane said.

Mateusz Zajdecki, a 21-year-old from Szczecin, Poland, said he regarded the pope’s visit as a chance for unity, prayer and spiritual reflection.

“I think his is very much important, even nowadays to just reflect on our faith, reflect on our spirituality, and just maybe get some results from it,” Zajdecki said.

Father Giuseppe Spoto from Matera, Italy, said the Christian community in Turkey is very small and can feel insignificant, but he believes the pope’s presence can encourage them to keep moving forward in their faith.

“Pope Leo can encourage Christianity and the small community that is here to go ahead, to walk in faith and to one day see the fruit that the lord can bring to this land,” he said.

Pope will open day at cathedral and nursing home

POPE Leo XIV is to start the second day of his tour of Turkey and Lebanon meeting bishops and other church officials at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, a 19th-century Baroque church in Istanbul’s Sisli district. He then is scheduled to visit a nearby nursing home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order founded in France in the 1840s to care for poverty-stricken older people.

Leo to visit Council of Nicaea site

AFTER his stops at the cathedral and nursing home, the pope is set to take a short helicopter ride to Iznik, a town south of Istanbul known in Roman times as Nicaea. It was here that the Council of Nicaea was held in 325 AD to produce the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith that millions of Christians still recite each Sunday.

Leo will pray with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, at the site of the gathering, which is today marked by the ruins of the Basilica of Saint Neophytos, built some 50 years after the council.

After returning to Istanbul, he will hold a private meeting with bishops at the Apostolic Delegation, which serves as the Vatican’s consulate in the city.

rescue calls were received, which are being prioritized, were primarily on higher floors, where the fire was last to be extinguished, he said.

More than 70 people were injured in the blaze, including 11 firefighters, and about 900 people were housed in temporary shelters.

Most of the casualties were in the first two buildings to catch fire, Chan said.

The apartment complex housed many older people. It was built in the 1980s and had been undergoing a major renovation. Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency said on Thursday it was investigating possible corruption relating to the renovation project.

Three men, the directors and an engineering

consultant of a construction company, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, and police said company leaders were suspected of gross negligence.

Police have not identified the company where the suspects worked, but The Associated Press confirmed Prestige Construction & Engineering Company was in charge of renovations in the tower complex. Police have seized boxes of documents from the company, where phones rang unanswered Thursday.

Authorities suspected some materials on the exterior walls of the high-rise buildings did not meet fire resistance standards, allowing the unusually fast spread of the fire.

Police also said they found plastic foam

panels—which are highly flammable—attached to the windows on each floor near the elevator lobby of the one unaffected tower. The panels were believed to have been installed by the construction company but the purpose was not clear.

Authorities planned immediate inspections of housing estates undergoing major renovations to ensure scaffolding and construction materials meet safety standards.

The fire was the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades. A 1996 fire in a commercial building in Kowloon killed 41 people.

Researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing contributed to this report.

Trump says one of the two National Guard members shot by Afghan national has died

By Josh Boak, Ben Finley, Anthony Izaguirre

& Alanna Durkin Richer

Thr Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida—President

Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the

suspect, who had worked with the CIA in his native country, a “savage monster.”

As part of a Thanksgiving call with US troops, Trump announced that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life.”

“She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us. She’s

looking down at us right now. Her parents are with her.”

The president called Beckstrom an “incredible person, outstanding in every single way.” The White House said he spoke to her parents after his remarks.

Trump used the announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with US forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the US. The president has deployed National Guard members in part to assist in his administration’s mass deportation efforts.

Trump brandished a print-out of a news photo of Afghan evacuees sitting on the floor of a military plane during the chaotic evacuation from Kabul in 2021 during his remarks. He suggested that the shooter was mentally unstable after the war and departure from Afghanistan.

“He went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts,” the president said. “It happens too often with these people.”

The shooter worked with US forces in Afghanistan

THE suspect charged with the shooting is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29. The suspect had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan, according to two sources who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, and #AfghanEvac, a group that helps resettle Afghans who assisted the US during the two-decade war.

Trump blamed the asylum process in which Afghans who worked with US forces arrived by plane for being ineffective and failing to ensure people were properly vetted.

“We have no greater national security priority than ensuring that we have full control over the people that enter and remain in our country,” Trump said. “For the

most part, we don’t want them.”

Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon’s brazen act of violence which occurred just blocks from the White House. The presence of troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint.

Pirro said that the suspect launched an “ambush-style” attack with a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver. As of Thursday morning, the suspect faced charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, but Pirro suggested the charges would be upgraded if one of the National Guard members died, as happened later on Thursday.

The rare shooting of National Guard members on American soil comes amid court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.

Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the D.C. police force and sent in National Guard troops. The order expired a month later. But the troops have remained in the city, where nearly 2,200 troops currently are assigned, according to the government’s latest update.

The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events. The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington following Wednesday’s shooting.

The suspect also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on

condition of anonymity.

Shooting raises questions about legacy of Afghanistan War

A RESIDENT of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that he and his brother had worked in a special Afghan Army unit known as Zero Units in the southern province of Kandahar. A former official from the unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Lakanwal was a team leader and his brother was a platoon leader.

The cousin spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said Lakanwal had started out working as a security guard for the unit in 2012, and was later promoted to become a team leader and a GPS specialist. Kandahar is in the Taliban heartland of the country. It saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the US-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaida attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.

Zero Units were paramilitary units manned by Afghans but backed by the CIA and also served in front-line fighting with CIA paramilitary officers. Activists had attributed abuses to the units. They played a key role in the chaotic US withdrawal from the country, providing security around Kabul International Airport as the Americans and withdrew from the country.

Lakanwal has been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles (127 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.

On Wednesday night, Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration. The director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services Joseph Edlow said in a statement that the agency would take additional steps to screen people from 19 “highrisk” countries “to the maximum degree possible.”

Edlow didn’t name the countries. But in June, the administration banned travel to the US by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.

The Associated Press journalists Siddiqullah Alizai, Elena Becatoros, Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Gary Fields, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedayn, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren, John Raby, Hallie Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said in a statement that Lakanwal’s relationship with the US government “ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation” of US servicemembers from Afghanistan. Lakanwal entered the US in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the US withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement. The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the US, many of whom had worked alongside US troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of gaps in the vetting process, even as advocates say there was extensive vetting and the program offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.

Trump slams program for Afghan refugees who battled the Taliban

By Jeffrey Collins The Associated Press

THE man accused of shooting two

National Guard members in Washington is one of about 76,000 Afghans brought to the United States after the chaotic withdrawal of the US from their country as the Taliban took over, authorities said.

The program, called Operation Allies Welcome, was created after the 2021 decision to leave Afghanistan following 20 years of American intervention and billions of dollars of aid.

Democratic President Joe Biden, who oversaw the withdrawal started by his predecessor—Republican President Donald Trump—said the US owed it to the interpreters and translators, the fighters and drivers and others who opposed the Taliban to give them a safe place outside of Afghanistan.

But others—including Trump and many Republicans—said the refugees were not properly vetted in a resettlement process they said was as chaotic and poorly planned as leaving the country to the Taliban.

“This individual—and so many others— should have never been allowed to come here. Our citizens and servicemembers deserve far better than to endure the ongoing fallout from the Biden Administration’s catastrophic failures,” CIA Director John Ratcliffe said.

Accused shooter worked with CIA before coming to US as refugee THE accused shooter, identified by law

enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, worked with the CIA “as a member of a partner force in Kandahar,” Ratcliffe said in a statement Thursday. It didn’t specify what Lakanwal did for America’s spy agency.

The Kandahar region in southern Afghanistan was in the Taliban heartland of the country and saw fierce fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces after the US-led invasion in 2001 following the al-Qaida attacks on Sept. 11. The CIA relied on Afghan staff for translation, administrative and front-line fighting with their own paramilitary officers in the war.

Little is known about Lakanwal’s four years in the US or why he drove across the country from his home in Bellingham, Washington, where a former landlord said he lived with his wife and five children.

Lakanwal was granted asylum in April under the Trump administration, according to #AfghanEvac, a group of veterans and others working to get Afghans who helped the US out of the country in exchange for their help.

Like all asylum seekers, he would have had to undergo fingerprinting and iris scans, a full background check and interview and a risk assessment, the organization said.

Operation Allies Welcome brought tens of thousands of Afghans to the US GROUPS that help resettle Afghans said the actions of one man shouldn’t reflect negatively on the tens of thousands who

have gone through the various legal pathways to resettling in the US and the others who find themselves in limbo after Trump suspended almost all resettlement programs for nations across the world when he took office in January.

“I don’t want people to leverage this tragedy into a political ploy,” said Shawn VanDiver, president of #AfghanEvac.

After leaving Afghanistan, tens of thousands of those seeking resettlement ended up in sprawling air-conditioned tent villages at military bases like Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in central New Jersey, Fort McCoy in Wisconsin or at Fort Bliss in Texas.

After months of health screenings and background checks many were resettled in established Afghan communities in northern Virginia and the surrounding Washington area, as well as Northern California and Texas. States where between 1,000 and 3,000 have settled include Arizona, New York, Florida, Georgia, Colorado, Nebraska and Pennsylvania, according to State Department data.

Trump stops aid for resettlement after taking office

TRUMP’S executive order shortly after taking office in January suspending federal funding for resettlement agencies made it tougher to help refugees with basic necessities like food and rent, handcuffing the mostly religious groups that help them.

The president, who has described

Afghanistan as “a hellhole on earth,” already planned to review every Afghan who entered the country under Operation Allies Welcome and reiterated that goal after Wednesday’s shooting.

“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” Trump said in a message released on social media, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”

Trump administration wants to shut the door to most refugees TRUMP also used his message to attack refugees from Somalia who have settled in Minnesota, saying they are “ripping apart that once-great state.”

It’s part of this administration’s goal both to deport people in the country illegally and close the country to most refugees. Trump said he wants to remove anyone “who does not belong here or does not add benefit to our country.”

One of the Afghans who made it to the US was Mohammad Saboor, a father of seven children, worked as an electrician and A/C technician with international and US forces for 17 years. He resettled earlier this year in California and told The Associated Press he looked forward to sending his kids to school and giving back to the country that took his family in.

“I believe that now we can live in a 100% peaceful environment,” Saboor said. The Associated Press journalists Eric Tucker and Martha Bellisle contributed.

Human safari: Civilians in Kherson targeted by Russian drone attacks

By Hanna Arhirova The Associated Press

KHERSON, Ukraine—When Olena Horlova leaves home or drives through town outside the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, she fears that she’s a target. She believes that Russian drones could be waiting on a rooftop, along the road or aiming for her car.

To protect herself and her two daughters, the girls stay indoors, and she stays alert—sometimes returning home at night along dark roads without headlights so as not to be seen.

After living through the occupation, refusing to cooperate with Russian forces and hiding from them, Horlova, like so many other residents, found that even after her town was liberated in 2022, the ordeal didn’t end.

Kherson was among the first places where Russian forces began using short-range, first-person view, or FPV, drones against civilians. The drones are equipped with livestreaming cameras that let operators see and select their targets in real time. The tactic later spread more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) along the right bank of the Dnipro River, across the Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

The United Nations’ Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine says the attacks leave little doubt about their intent. In an October report, the commission said that the attacks have repeatedly killed and wounded civilians, destroyed homes and forced thousands to flee, concluding that they amount to the crimes against humanity of murder and forcible transfer.

“We live with the hope that one day this will finally end,” Horlova said, her voice trembling. “What matters for us is a cease-fire, or for the front line to be pushed further away. Then it would be easier for us.”

Hunting those who survived

HORLOVA lives in Komyshany, a village just outside Kherson and only 4 kilometers (2½ miles) from the Dnipro River, where the level of intense attacks has remained the same, despite Ukrainian forces retaking the city from Russian occupation in November 2022— about nine months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 of that year.

But the war didn’t end there. Instead, it shifted into a phase in which the area has effectively become what locals and the military term a “human safari,” describing it as a testing ground where people are often the target of drone attacks.

Horlova says that FPVs often land on rooftops when their batteries run low and then wait out.

“When people, cars or even a cyclist appear, the drone suddenly lifts off and drops the explosive,” she said. “It’s gotten to the point where they even drop them on animals—cows, goats.”

She believes that civilians are hunted as “revenge” for the celebrations that broke out when Kherson was liberated.

The report from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine says the attacks have spread terror among civilians and violated their right to life and other fundamental human rights. Investigators found that Russian units on the occupied left bank of the Dnipro carried out the strikes and identified specific drone units, operators and commanders involved. They also noted that Russian Telegram channels routinely share videos of the attacks, often with mocking captions and threats of more.

The U.N. commission said that it examined Russian claims that Ukrainian forces had launched drone attacks on civilians in occupied areas, unable to conclude its investigation because it lacked access to the territory, couldn’t ensure witness safety and didn’t receive answers from Russian authorities.

Invisible dome

INTERCEPTIONS obtained by The Associated Press from the 310th Separate Marine Electronic Warfare Battalion show Russian FPV drones that appear to be hunting for vehicles. The videos capture drones flying low over roads and locking onto moving or parked cars—often pickups, supply vehicles, sedans and even clearly marked ambulances—before diving for a strike.

The commander of the 310th Battalion, which protects the skies over 470 kilometers (nearly 300 miles) of southern Ukraine, including Kherson, says at least 300 drones fly toward the city every day. In October alone, the number of drones that flew over Kherson was 9,000.

“This area is like a training ground,” said the battalion’s commander, Dmytro Liashok, a 16-year military veteran and one of Ukraine’s early pioneers in electronic warfare. “They bring new Russian crews here to gain experience before sending them elsewhere.” The AP couldn’t independently verify the claim.

Despite the sheer volume of drones—a figure that excludes other types of weapons like artillery and glide bombs—his forces manage to neutralize more than 90%, he said.

According to the U.N. human rights office, shortrange drone attacks have become the leading cause of civilian casualties near the front line. Local authorities say that since July 2024, more than 200 civilians have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded in three southern regions, with most victims being men. Nearly 3,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed.

During a surprise visit to Kherson in November,

Angelina Jolie described the constant overhead threat as “a heavy presence.”

“There was a moment when we had to pause and wait while a drone flew overhead,” she wrote on Instagram. “I was in protective gear, and for me it was just a couple of days. The families here live with this every single day.”

Human hunting

AT one of Kherson’s main hospitals treating drone victims, 70-year-old Nataliia Naumova is recovering after a strike by a Shahed drone, which carries a heavier explosive than FPV drones, left her with a blast injury to her left leg on Oct. 20.

She says the strike hit during the night as she waited at a school in the village of Inzhenerne,

where she had been temporarily sheltered, for an evacuation bus that was due to arrive the next morning.

“There were so many drones flying over us,” she said, adding that she rarely left home even after its windows were shattered and boarded up. “People there survive, not live. I never thought such a tragedy would happen to me.”

Dr. Yevhen Haran, the hospital’s deputy medical chief, says the injuries from drone strikes range from amputations to fatal wounds.

“It’s simply hunting for people. There’s no other name for it,” he said.

He says patients wounded in Russian attacks, including drone strikes, arrive at the hospital every day. Last month alone, it treated 85 inpatients and

105 outpatients with blast injuries, all from shelling and drone strikes. It’s also the only hospital in the area equipped to handle the most serious cases. Haran himself came under FPV drone fire on Aug. 26 while driving from nearby Mykolaiv with his wife. Rescuers stopped their car on the highway, warning that a drone was overhead.

“I pulled in behind them. The drone circled and, on the next pass, flew straight into their vehicle—the driver’s door,” he recalled. Shrapnel tore through the front car, while his, parked behind, shielded him.

He reached the hospital with a hypertensive crisis and was later treated for a concussion.

“Sometimes I still lose words and feel unsteady,” he said. “It all happened in less than 10 minutes.”

Putin sees US peace plan as starting point as he warns Ukraine’s army to withdraw

By Katie Marie Davies The Associated Press

UNITED STATES proposals to end the war between Russia and Ukraine offer a starting point for talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, as he told Ukrainian forces to pull back or be overrun by Russia’s bigger army.

“We need to sit down and discuss this seriously,” Putin told reporters at the end of a three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan. “Every word matters.”

He described US President Donald Trump’s plan as “a set of issues put forward for discussion” rather than a draft agreement.

“If Ukrainian troops withdraw from the territories they occupy, hostilities will cease. If they don’t withdraw, we will achieve this by force,” the Russian leader said.

Kremlin officials have had little to say so far about the peace plan put forward last week by Trump. Since Russia’s invasion

of its neighbor, Putin has shown no willingness to budge from his goals in Ukraine despite Trump’s push for a settlement.

Putin has previously demanded that Ukraine completely withdraw from the entirety of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions before Russia considers any sort of “peace negotiations”—notably including areas of each of those oblasts that Russia does not occupy. He also wants to keep Ukraine from joining NATO and hosting any Western troops, allowing Moscow to gradually pull the country back into its orbit.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Moscow next week, the Kremlin says, while US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who in recent weeks has played a highprofile role in the peace efforts, may be heading to Kyiv.

The initial US peace proposals appeared heavily skewed toward Russian demands, but an amended version emerged from talks in Geneva on Sunday between American and Ukrainian officials. Sidelined European leaders, fearing for their own security amid Russian aggression, are angling for deeper involvement in the process.

Putin looks to outlast the West’s commitment, analysts say ANALYSTS say Putin is attempting to outwait the commitment of Western countries to supporting Ukraine’s war effort. Trump has previously signaled he could walk away from efforts to stop the fighting if there is no progress. European officials say Putin is stalling because Russia wants to grab more of Ukraine before accepting any deal.

Russian officials have claimed they have battlefield momentum in Ukraine, even though their slow progress has been costly in terms

of casualties and armor.

The Institute for the Study of War on Wednesday cast doubt on Russian claims that its invasion is unstoppable as it is still struggling to capture cities in the eastern Donetsk region.

“Data on Russian forces’ rate of advance indicates that a Russian military victory in Ukraine is not inevitable, and a rapid Russian seizure of the rest of Donetsk Oblast (region) is not imminent,” the Washington-based think tank said. “Recent Russian advances elsewhere on the front line have largely been opportunistic and exploited seasonal weather conditions.”

In the latest example of tension between Moscow and European

countries, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that it had ordered the closure of Poland’s Consulate General in the eastern city of Irkutsk.

The tit-for-tat move follows the closure of Russia’s Consulate General in the Polish city of Gdansk in November. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow would not “allow such actions to go unanswered.”

Poland announced the closure of the Gdansk consulate after a railway line close to Warsaw was sabotaged in mid-November. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk later said that two Ukrainian citizens working for Russia were suspected of carrying out the attack.

Long-range attacks continue THE diplomatic developments have come against a backdrop of continued fighting.

A 53-year-old man was killed in a Russian drone attack in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, officials said Friday. Also, Russia attacked Ukraine’s Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions early Thursday, injuring three people and starting fires, local authorities said. Russia launched 142 drones at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine’s air force.

Meanwhile, Russian air defenses downed 118 Ukrainian drones overnight above various Russian regions and the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Ukraine’s army isn’t only under pressure on the battlefield.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government is mired in a major corruption scandal and is short of money.

In a development offering some relief, Ukraine reached an agreement for the International Monetary Fund to provide $8.1 billion over four years, according to a statement by the institution. The money comes from a fund that helps countries facing mediumterm payment difficulties. But Ukraine’s state budget and military needs for 2026 and 2027 are estimated at $153 billion.

Sam McNeil contributed to this report from Brussels.

Deposed Guinea-Bissau President Embaló lands in Senegal as soldiers name junta head

By Chinedu Asadu & Assana Sambu The Associated Press

BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau—Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau on Thursday announced a new junta leader, cementing a forceful takeover of power that began after this week’s disputed presidential election and led to deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló departing for neighboring Senegal.

The military high command in the West African nation inaugurated Gen. Horta Inta-a as the head of the military government, which will oversee a one-year transition period, according to a declaration broadcast on state television.

Embaló, meanwhile, arrived in Senegal with a flight chartered by the Senegalese government which has been “in direct communication with all concerned Guinea-Bissau actors,” Senegal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, as the country promised to work with partners to restore democracy in Guinea-Bissau.

Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, has been dogged by coups and attempted coups since its independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago, including a coup attempt in October. The country of 2.2 million people is known as a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a trend that experts say has fueled its political crises.

Opposition calls for protests against coup HOURS after the opposition called for protests against the coup and to demand the publication of election results earlier scheduled for Thursday, the military authorities issued a statement banning

public protests and “all disturbing actions of peace and stability in the country.”

In an earlier statement, Inta-a, who was the army chief of staff until the coup and a close ally of the deposed president, said: “The inability of political actors to stem the deterioration of the political climate ultimately prompted the intervention of the armed forces.”

The military authorities earlier said Embaló and other prominent people arrested during the coup were in good health and would remain in custody. It was not immediately clear the terms of Embaló’s departure to Senegal.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf condemned the coup, calling for unconditional release of Embal ó and other detained officials and for the respect of the electoral process.

West Africa’s regional bloc known as ECOWAS also held a virtual meeting of heads of state where it condemned the coup and Embalo’s “unlawful detention.”

“Our response will be firm, principled, and consistent with our history,” said Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, who serves as ECOWAS chairman.

Several other countries including France condemned the coup and called for respect for the constitutional order.

The opposition, meanwhile, purported that Embaló had “fabricated” the coup to avoid an election defeat in Sunday’s closely contested presidential vote. The military takeover and the reported arrest of Embaló were manufactured to disrupt election results, according to his rival Fernando Dias, who, like Embaló, claimed to have won the vote.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims by Dias, a member of the Social Renewal Party.

Activities returned to normal in the capital Bissau on Thursday, with businesses and public transport gradually picking up.

The latest in a string of coups THE coup is the latest in a surge of military takeovers in West Africa, where democracy recently has been challenged by disputed elections that analysts say could embolden militaries.

It followed presidential and legislative elections which were held at a critical time for the African country as Embaló, a 53-year-old former army general, faced a legitimacy crisis. The opposition said his tenure had long expired and refused to recognize him as president.

The coup and past ones in Guinea-Bissau are tied to “how much (state) institutions have been undermined and weakened,” said Beverly Ochieng, a senior security analyst at the consultancy Control Risks. Under Embaló, she said, “the legislature was dissolved unilaterally, the judiciary was operating under capacity, and there were deep-seated sentiments around political influence.”

Gunshots rang out in the main city of Bissau on Wednesday just days after the tense presidential election, which Embaló and Dias both claimed to have won.

In a scene that has become familiar in the region, military officers appeared on state television and claimed they had seized power while the election commission’s office was sealed.

Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria.

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin attends the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) at the Administrative complex Yntymak-Manas Ordo, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. ALEXANDER KAZAKOV, SPUTNIK, KREMLIN POOL

Tehran through new eyes: An AP journalist observes a transforming and troubled Iran

By Jon Gambrell The Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran—As you enter Iran’s capital, it starts with only occasional glimpses—a passenger in a car speeding by or a pedestrian trying to leapfrog through Tehran’s notorious traffic. But as you reach the cooler heights of Tehran’s northern neighborhoods along the city’s sycamore-lined Vali-e Asr Street, they are almost everywhere, women with their brown, black, blonde and gray locks.

More and more, Iranian women choose to forgo the country’s mandatory headscarf, or hijab.

It was something unthinkable just a few years earlier in the Islamic Republic, whose conservative Shiite clerics and hardline politicians long pushed for strict enforcement of laws requiring women to cover their hair. But the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and the nationwide protests that followed enraged women of all ages and views in a way few other issues have since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“When I moved to Iran in 1999, letting a single strand of hair show would immediately prompt someone to tell me to tuck it back under my headscarf out of fear of the morality police taking me away,” said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “To see where Iran is today feels unimaginable: Women and girls openly defying mandatory hijab.”

“Authorities are overwhelmed by the sheer numbers across the country and worry that if they crack down— at a delicate time marked by power blackouts, water shortages, and a rotten economy—they could spur Iranians to return to the streets.”

First trip to Iran in years

I RECEIVED a three-day visa from the government to attend a summit addressed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as tensions remain high over Tehran’s nuclear program. Access to reporting beyond the summit was limited, but the trip gave me my first look on the ground in Iran since my last visits in 2018 and 2019.

In those intervening years, I had watched from abroad in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in my role overseeing the Associated Press’ coverage of Iran and the Gulf Arab states as Iran was roiled by protests over the economy and Amini’s death, the coronavirus pandemic and a 12-day war with Israel.

For the past 46 years, Iran’s rulers have imposed the hijab rule. At the strictest times, the police and the Basijis, the all-volunteer force of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, kept a close eye on women in the streets to ensure compliance.

Whenever the atmosphere felt laxer, many women pushed their scarves further and further back on their head—small challenges to the government on how much hair can you get away with showing. But they rarely dared to remove it.

More women choosing to go without the hijab WORKING remotely with my AP colleagues in Iran, I knew from their reporting, photographs and video footage from the streets on even unrelated assignments that women had begun to drop the hijab completely. But I didn’t fully understand the scale of that refusal until I saw it myself. Around Tajrish Square, at the foot of Tehran’s Alborz Mountains, one group of young girls who are required to wear the hijab to school immediately removed them after leaving in the afternoon. They darted between cars idling through traffic, laughing and carrying art projects. Women of all ages went uncovered at the Tajrish Bazaar and walking past the blue-tile domes of the Imamzadeh Saleh shrine. Two police officers on the street talked among themselves as the women past by unremarked.

At the luxury Espinas Palace Hotel, multiple women with their uncovered walked past the signs reading, “Please observe the Islamic hijab” with the black-andwhite outline of a woman in hijab.

A foreign diplomat’s wife attended a dinner for the summit without one. An Iranian woman in attendance briefly put one over her head while in discussion with a hotel staff member, then let it fall fully to her shoulders a moment later.

Those sites were in northern Tehran, an affluent area that is generally more liberal. But even in a more conservative southern district, an uncovered woman walked quickly down the street among others in the allencompassing black chador.

“All of my life I had to wear hijab, at school, at university, everywhere in public,” one Iranian woman who recently emigrated to Canada told me after I returned to Dubai, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

“I always tried to follow the rules but it made me feel a lack of confidence … because I wore the hijab and I didn’t believe in that.”

Signs of the war could be seen too. I saw one apartment building, its top-floor apartment still in ruins from an Israeli strike as well.

Dissatisfaction simmers under the surface HARD-LINERS within Iran’s theocracy repeatedly have called for increased enforcement of the hijab laws. Iran’s

reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has pushed to halt that, saying in September in an interview with NBC News that “human beings have a right to choose.”

Iran’s top authority, 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has so far left the hijab issue alone after this year’s war with Israel, which also saw the United States bomb Iranian nuclear enrichment sites. Also on hold is any change to Iran’s government-subsidized gasoline

prices, among the cheapest in the world, despite increasing economic pressure on the country as its rial currency trades at over 1 million to $1.

The reason likely rests in the widespread dissatisfaction of Iran’s people with its theocracy at the moment. Previous government actions on both issues led to nationwide protests and security force crackdowns that killed hundreds and saw thousands detained.

In recent days, Pezeshkian’s social affairs

adviser Mohammad-Javad Javadi-Yeganeh acknowledged data from an unpublished survey by the state-linked Iranian Students Polling Agency. The polling reportedly suggested widespread discontent with the government, something not previously acknowledged by officials who have repeatedly contended that the country came together during the 12-day war. Fear of another war breaking out permeates conversations across Tehran.

A18 | SAturdAy, November 29, 2025

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Editor: Jun Lomibao

Senator Bong Go pushes for NAS expansion in Visayas, Mindanao

ENATOR Christopher “Bong”

SGo—as vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee and sponsor of the proposed budget of Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)—reiterated his call that he has steadily advanced in recent years that the National Academy of Sports (NAS) must not remain only in Luzon.

Go stressed that grassroots sports development will stagnate if the system stays centralized, especially when local governments outside Luzon are prepared to host NAS branches using existing facilities.

Go began by referring to the legislative proposal he recently filed to decentralize the academy in accordance with the spirit of the law creating the academy.

“I filed a bill to regionalize the NAS,” he said.

He explained that while NAS is fully funded for its operations in their campus located in New Clark City in Pampanga, efforts must be made to expand its reach to promising student athletes from other provinces.

“In fact, there are additional finds for NAS operations of P294 million in the committee report and that includes a dormitory,” he said.

Go emphasized that regionalization does not require building entirely new structures, instead, existing facilities can be used to establish NAS programs beyond Luzon.

“I hope that my fellow senators would agree with me to bring the NAS to the Visayas and Mindanao,” he said.

To support this, Go cited the willingness expressed by local

governments in Mindanao

host equivalent NAS setups. May mga eskwelahan naman po ang LGUs sa Mindanao na willing na maglagay rin ng katulad ng sa NAS.”

During the deliberations, Senator Alan Cayetano responded by discussing the need for continuity in national sports programs. He stated that sectors such as the economy, infrastructure, and agriculture require sustained multi-year planning, and that sports development must be no different. Programs will not reach maturity if they are judged year by year or halted prematurely, the minority leader explained. Cayetano also brought up international hosting timelines, noting the importance of integrating the country’s sports development planning with upcoming events. He raised the question of when the Philippines would next host the Southeast Asian Games and pointed to the need to plan ahead in coordination with the Department of Education and the PSC, Go agreed. Go has long championed the welfare of Filipino athletes through a comprehensive, inclusive, and grassroots-oriented approach to sports development.

At the heart of this advocacy is the NAS, established under Republic Act No. 11470, which Go authored and cosponsored. Located in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac, NAS offers a unique dualtrack system combining quality secondary education with a specialized sports curriculum, allowing young studentathletes to pursue academic excellence while developing their athletic talents.

To expand access to this model, Go filed Senate Bill No. 171, or the proposed National Academy of Sports Regional Expansion Act of 2025, seeking to establish regional NAS campuses nationwide, with particular focus on Visayas and Mindanao. These campuses will provide full scholarships and maintain the academic and athletic standards of the main campus to ensure equitable development of sports talent across the country.

Saint Benilde boots out Mapua; Letran in semifinals of NCAA 101

OLLEGE of St. Benilde edged out

Cdefending champion Mapua, 7472, at San Juan Arena on Friday, ending the Cardinals’ bid for baxk-toback titles in the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball.

The Blazers led the Cardinals by as many as 18 points but the defending champions fought till the end.

“That looked like a game that we almost let slip away. Beating Mapua’s really something,” coach Charles Tiu said.

“Everybody was counting us out, there were naysayers from within and the fans. Nobody believed in our team so I told them, we have something to prove. The job’s not done.” St. Benilde held a 62-54 lead early in the fourth quarter before the Cardinals unloaded a 9-0 run capped off by a Cyrus Cuenco triple at the 5:51 mark of the fourth to take a 63-62 lead.

The Blazers regained control with a 10-1 rally coapped by a Shawn Umali triple to put Benilde up, 72-64, with 2:08 to go. With the Blazers up, 74-72, Mapua’s JC Recto had a chance to send the game to five extra minutes when he was fouled by Justine Sanchez with 5.5 to go, but he missed both freebies.

Raffy Celis led St. Benilde in scoring with 18 points and five rebounds, Ian Torres scored 12 and Tony Ynot added 11 points.

Recto finished with 18 markers and five boards.

Graduating guard and former Finals MVP Clint Escamis tallied three points and five boards before getting ejected in the third quarter due to a disqualifying foul.

Up next for the Blazers are the San Beda Red Lions in a best-of-three semifinals starting Tuesday.

Keanu-Mafy show at TCC

Jahns

Kconquers

EANU JAHNS validated his fast-rising status as the next big force in Philippine golf, overpowering seasoned campaigner Guido van der Valk with a commanding 3&2 victory to capture the International Container Terminal Services Inc. The Country Club Match Play Invitational title at TCC on Friday.

The win not only netted Jahns P280,000 but also underscored his status as the

Match Play, caps breakthrough season

dictated the early rhythm, the Dutch veteran soon discovered how daunting the task was against one of the tour’s longest and most explosive players.

Once Jahns settled in, the tide turned swiftly and decisively. Relying on his trademark power off the tee and a noticeably sharper putting stroke, the Fil-German birdied the par-5 second from 12 feet to square

winningest player at the close of the 10-stage Philippine Golf Tour, completing a remarkable end-season surge that included backto-back triumphs in Caliraya Springs and Bacolod last August.

Fresh from a lopsided 6&4 demolition of Reymon Jaraula in the semifinals, Jahns absorbed an early setback at the final—finding the water on the first hole—but quickly erased any doubts that the shaky start would derail him.

While van der Valk, himself coming off a confident 3&2 semis victory over Clyde Mondilla, briefly

the match, then seized the lead on No. 6—an advantage he guarded relentlessly.

At the turn, he held a tenuous 1-up edge, often too fragile for match play, yet it was clear he was tightening his grip on the duel.

Jahns opened the back nine with renewed aggression, capturing two of the first five holes to erect a threehole cushion, a margin he protected with the poise and patience of a player maturing rapidly into elite form. By the 16th green, the outcome was sealed, and the would-be champion finally dispatched a rival known for his consistency and familiarity with the demanding TCC layout.

said. “My putting was better—I read the greens well and holed more putts. I drove it great, and my irons were solid except for that first hole. After that, everything was okay.”

Jahns’s triumph also capped a breakthrough campaign highlighted by victories in Caliraya and Binitin, a season strong enough to challenge, albeit just short of toppling, Angelo Que for the coveted Order of Merit crown.

“Of course, this win means a lot,” he added. “I’m happy to finish the year with a

Hopefully I

into next

Van der Valk

for P200,000, while Mondilla claimed third place and P150,000 after a 5&4 rout of Reymon Jaraula in stroke-play scoring. Jaraula earned P120,000 for fourth. With three victories and a deepening mastery of both stroke play and match play, the powerhitting Jahns sees this as only the beginning. Even with his dominant season, he remains driven to become a more complete and more dangerous force in 2026.

“There’s still a lot

“They’ve beaten us twice already so I hope this time, kami naman... We have to look forward to San Beda, they’re a great team,” Tiu said.

Letran gains semis LETRAN snagged the last ticket to the Final four, defeating Arellano, 77-69.

The Knights overcame the Chiefs’ twice-to-beat advantage, setting up a best-of-three semifinal series against Group A topnotcher Perpetual Help.

“We struggled a little bit. Same mistakes na naman, we got outrebounded kaya di kami makabuwelo pero despite that, na-adjust namin

’yung dapat namin i-adjust.”

Jimboy Estrada top scored for Letran with 19 points, including three triples.

Kevin Santos had 15 points and eight rebounds. Jonathan Manalili came up with just three points but dished out 12 assists.

T-Mc Ongotan had a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds with four steals and three assists but to no avail. Anjord Cabotaje also scattered 18 points but to no avail.

The clash between Letran and the Altas begins on Tuesday at Araneta Coliseum.

BRACING for what she thought would be a grindit-out match, Mafy Singson walked away from the International Container Terminal Services Inc. The Country Club Match Play Invitational Final with a dominant 6&5 triumph over Martina Miñoza on Friday.

No one, including Singson herself, saw the outcome coming.

Struggling with her putting touch all week, Singson finally found her rhythm the moment she stepped onto the green—her first putt of the day was smooth, confident and dead-center as she set the tone.

From there, the cup seemed to widen for her, each putt falling with a kind of inevitability that slowly drained any hopes of a Miñoza comeback.

After birdieing the opening hole, Singson seized control by taking the fourth, sixth and the two holes that followed, storming to a commanding five-hole advantage at the turn.

Miñoza, known for her steadiness and resilience, kept searching for a spark but never found the momentum she needed and yielded the match after just 13 holes.

“I honestly thought we’d go the full 18,” said Singson, acknowledging her opponent’s normally sharp iron play and composed short game. “I didn’t

“Everything clicked today,” Jahns

Singson rolls to lopsided victory against Miñoza

expect to win by this margin, but my putts just kept going in.”

A stark contrast from the pressurefilled semifinal against Daniella Uy, where Singson had to dig deep for a nerve-wracking 1-up victory.

But despite the lopsided score in the final, Singson, who banked P280,000, refused to call it easy.

“It really wasn’t. But I was striking the ball well, and I felt good with my putting. The confidence was there right from the first hole,” she said.

That confidence, however, came with emotion simmering beneath the surface.

This win meant more to Singson than just another title. It was a victory she dedicated to her beloved grandfather, who passed away 40 days earlier. As soon as she closed out the match on the 13th, rain began to fall over the TCC course.

“As soon as I won, it rained,” she said, her voice cracking as she wiped away tears.

“I think it was him…showering me.”

Singson admitted she had been frustrated the previous month when she failed to win at Apo Golf—her home turf—where she had hoped to honor her grandfather. This time, she felt she made him proud.

Rock ‘N Roll run hits road from Km 0 past midnight

Lanticipated running spectacles, a testament to how deeply this fusion of sports, entertainment and culture resonates with the local community. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, featuring four race categories (5km,

Her victory at TCC also capped a two-win season, adding to her playoff triumph over Florence Bisera earlier at Eagle Ridge. For Singson, conquering the formidable TCC layout—something she had long struggled with—made the moment even sweeter.

“Winning here at TCC isn’t something everyone can say. So this really means a lot,” she said. Miñoza, meanwhile, looked forward to building on her performance after defeating last year’s Order of Merit champion Harmie Constantino in the semifinals.

But on this day, Singson was simply untouchable—overpowering with her long game, precise with her irons, and deadly with the putter. Miñoza received P200,000.

Constantino salvaged a measure of pride by stamping her class in the battle for third, routing Uy with a decisive 4&3 victory. Regaining her rhythm after a tough semis exit, Constantino controlled the match from the early holes and never allowed Uy to mount a serious charge. With the win, Constantino pocketed P150,000, while Uy settled for P120,000 after a gritty but challenging week.

MAFY SINGSON finds her rhythm the moment she stepped onto the green—her first putt of the day was smooth, confident and dead-center

SENATOR christopher “Bong”

the academy.