MORE contractors linked to anomalous flood control projects will soon be disqualified from government procurement activities as the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) readies to cancel their membership.
The DBM said on Monday that PS-DBM is on “high alert” to cancel the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) memberships of these contractors. These include Wawao Builders and SYMS Construction Trading,
if an official blacklisting order from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will be issued, it said. This comes after DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon declared last week that he will order the blacklisting of the government’s top flood control contractors after witnessing the non-existent or poor-quality flood control projects worth millions of public funds.
According to the DBM, the cancellation of PhilGEPS membership following a blacklisting order is mandated under Republic Act 12009 or the New Government Procurement Act (NGPA) and its implementing rules and regulations.
If blacklisted, the companies’ records from the PhilGEPS registry will be removed and they will be totally prohibited from joining any procurement project of the government.
PS-DBM Executive Director Genmaries Entredicho-Caong told BusinessMirror that a perpetually blacklisted contractor can no longer apply for PhilGEPS membership. But if not, Entredicho-Caong said contractors will remain without PhilGeps membership for as long as the blacklisting order is in effect.
Entredicho-Caong explained that PhilGEPS Platinum Membership, which merchants renew annually, requires companies to
maintain all valid and updated Class A eligibility documents, such as Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) licenses, Department of Trade and Industry or Securities and Exchange Commission registration, Mayor’s permit and tax returns.
“If in the future, they can secure and complete those eligibility documents, which is dependent on the rules of the agencies issuing these licenses and permits, they can be issued PhilGEPS membership, unless they are blacklisted,” Entredicho-Caong said. “If they are blacklisted, PhilGEPS membership is no longer dependent on the presence of those
CEOS STILL UPBEAT ON PHL IN NEXT 12 MOS: POLL
By VG Cabuag
CHIEF
executives in the Philippines remain confident in their industries for the next 12 months, despite corruption issues in the country and geopolitical concerns, according to the results of the CEO Survey 2025 released by the Management Association of the Philippines.
The study, led by accounting firm Isla Lipana and Co./PwC Philippines and MAP, surveyed 175 CEOs in the country during July 22 to August 25, explored how silent disruptions, shifting global dynamics and accelerating change are reshaping how business leaders lead, adapt and grow. According to the survey, 83 percent of the respondents are confident about industry prospects, and 84 percent expect revenue to grow.
By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
WOMEN working in the public sector are better paid compared to those employed in private companies, according to a policy note released by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
male], the results confirm a positive and significant Philippine public sector wage premium for the years 2013–2015 and 2016–2019,” the authors said.
By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla
means one branch of the government will not interfere with the affairs of the other branches.
T“CEOs in the Philippines see both the risks and opportunities that lie ahead, such as the rising digital economy, sustained consumer spending, robust banking system, and lower inflation and interest rates, among others,” Roderick Danao, chairman and senior partner, PwC Philippines, said. “They remain optimistic while at the same time anticipating the headwinds arising from fracturing geopolitics and global trade disruptions, which can trigger inflation,” Danao said.
The PIDS Policy Note, authored by De La Salle University economists Maria Francesca Tomaliwan and Mariel Monica Sauler, contained the results of the study on wage gap between the public and private sectors.
More than half of the respondents, most of whom were MAP members and 67 percent from large businesses, said their companies will not be economically viable beyond 10 years if they continue running on their current paths.
The study, the authors said, examined the Philippine labor market conditions regarding private-public wage differentials before and during the implementation of the Salary Standardization Law IV (SSL 4).
“Based on the estimated log hourly wage difference between the private and public sectors, as seen in Tables 1 [male] and 2 [fe -
“There are two noteworthy observations: (1) female workers have a larger public wage premium than male workers from the 10th to the 60th percentile, and (2) the magnitude of the public wage premium gradually increases across the distribution, especially from the middle to the higher percentiles,” they added.
Given the findings, the authors recommended the adoption of either a more uniform percentage increase across all government salary grades or larger wage adjustment for those with lower salaries.
This can help reduce the private-public wage differentials, particularly at the higher part of the distribution or among those with higher salaries.
HE proposed P27.36-billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) breezed through the House Committee on Appropriations on Monday despite attempts by some lawmakers to scrutinize its provisions amid calls by President Ferdinand Marcos for greater transparency in the deliberations of the proposed national budget next year.
The proposed budget was 72.19 percent higher compared to the approved budget for fiscal year 2025, as the government prepares for its hosting of the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit and related meetings. With a vote of 56-5 in favor of those supporting the termination of the hearing, the House of Committee on Appropriations ended the deliberations on the proposed budget of the OP citing institutional and parliamentary courtesy, which
This despite the strongly worded statement issued by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin during the weekend, where he called on lawmakers to “clean up their house” before they attempt to “shift blame for their corruption and failures” to Malacañang.
Need for transparency SEVERAL lawmakers, namely ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio L. Tinio, Kabataan partylist Representative Renee M. Co, and Sagip Party list Representative Paolo Henry Marcoleta have called on the OP led by Executive Lucas P. Bersamin to waive the said courtesy so they can undergo interpolations. Tinio said the OP needs to clarify provisions of its proposed budget, including its P4.5 billion confidential and intelligence funds (CIF); alleged human rights violations and
GHOST PROJECTS, REAL FLOODS Barangay Meysulao in Calumpit, Bulacan, lies submerged on Monday, September 8, 2025, as floodwaters once again engulf the community. The village, a natural catch basin for waters from the Pampanga River, now suffers deeper woes from land subsidence and rising sea levels from Manila Bay. Local officials lament that an unfinished flood control project—now under Senate scrutiny in the ghost projects probe—could have eased the Pampanga River’s high tide that has left 80 percent of the barangay underwater. NONOY LACZA
The authors also recommended the creation of a tripartite framework on women’s advancement in the private sector.
They said this can increase a social dialogue that addresses issues such as gender bias, stereotyping, and harassment in the workplace, as well as limited career advancement opportunities.
The framework, the authors said, can include good practices that support women’s advancement in the workplace.
“With female government workers earning larger public sector wage premiums, a tripartite framework on women’s advancement in the private sector could be developed among employers, workers, and government agencies,” the authors said.
The study was based on data in the October rounds of the Philippine Labor Force Survey (LFS) between the years 2013–2015 and 2016–2019.
The authors said these were used to analyze the private-public wage differences before and during the SSL 4 implementation.
The authors also said there is a large public wage gap between the 30th and 60th percentiles for males and females. This contradicted “the observed public wage premium compression in developed and developing countries.”
PRESIDENTFerdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday the signing of the three new Philippines-Cambodia agreements will help clamp down on transnational crimes as well as boost tourism and educational exchanges between the two countries.
The chief executive together with Cambodian Prime Minister and Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet witnessed the presentation of new deals in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Monday.
Among the agreements was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Cambodian National Police for combating trans-
When asked about the key threats facing their organizations, 94 percent identified the risk of inflation, while 93 percent pointed to macro -
national crimes such as human trafficking, cybercrime and illicit drugs.
“These dangers affect the safety of our citizens and the stability of our societies,” Marcos said in his joint press briefing with the Cambodian Prime minister.
“It is in this spirit that we agreed to strengthen collaboration among our law enforcement and security institutions so that our collective response
economic volatility.
The chief executives have to adapt to the impact of artificial intelligence and other technologies on
will be swift, coordinated, and effective,” he added.
Also signed was the MOU between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport of the Kingdom of Cambodia on Cooperation in Higher Education for exchanges of training programs, and facilitating cooperation in science, technology and innovation.
The last deal to be finalized was an Air Services Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Cambodia for facilitating passengers and cargo exchanges between the two countries.
Marcos said both agreements will help promote cultural and educational exchanges between the Philippines and Cambodia, which will contribute to the economic development of both countries.
“They are a wonderful bridge
delivering sustained outcomes such as increasing productivity and efficiency, it said.
Digital transformation has thus evolved to be among the most critical boardroom agenda.
Around 68 percent have integrated AI initiatives into strategy and plans, and 60 percent have started implementation.
“AI is transforming the way businesses operate, unlocking opportunities to boost efficiency, elevate customer experiences, improve data accuracy and optimize costs,” Alfredo Panlilio, MAP president, said.
“However, AI adoption must be guided by ethical and re -
between our two countries and cultures. And in turn, we welcome the appreciation of Cambodians for Philippine culture, education, and enterprise,” Marcos said.
“We are excited to see even more exchanges and visits between our two peoples,” he added.
The Philippines is currently eyeing other areas of cooperation with Cambodia on other sectors such as n trade, agriculture, renewable energy, and the digital economy.
Before ending his speech in the joint press briefing, Marcos urged Cambodia to support the Philippines hosting of the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) Summit and its bid for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.
The President is set to end his three-day state visit in Cambodia on Tuesday after he meets with Cambodian business leaders.
sponsible practices. CEOs have a critical duty to uphold privacy and security, safeguard the interests of customers and employees, and actively promote diversity and inclusivity,” Panlilio said.
The survey said a business model reinvention agenda is more relevant. Organizations are reimagining their structures to achieve broad-based and adaptive decision-making. Some 45 percent report shorter timelines and more frequent strategy reviews, 64 percent draw on diverse perspectives from their executives, while 62 percent seek outside views to test assumptions.
illegal arrests committed by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and the utilization of the P7-billion President Social Fund, which he classified as “off-budget;” and the supposed P1trillion budget allocated by the Marcos administration for flood control projects (FCP) in the last three years, which he said was higher compared to the allocations made by the two previous administration on such public works.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has initiated a crackdown on anomalous FCPs, which resulted in revelations of supposed “systemic” corrupt practice in the implementation of public works.
“The parliamentary courtesy that is being extended now is simply a courtesy. This means it can be waived by the Office of the President. They can answer the questions, which I have mentioned,” Tinio said, partly in Filipino.
Co agreed on the issues raised by Tinio and stressed that such interpolation is necessary to better scrutinize the entirety of the proposed 2026 national budget, including the allocations from the OP.
“There is no reason why such courtesy should be extended [to the OP] at a time when spending in the government is undergoing intense public scrutiny and even outrage over the recent discoveries on systemic corruption,” Co said.
For his part, Marcoleta questioned the supposed “selective” application of parliamentary courtesy, which he said was not applied to the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
“For two consecutive years, we have broken that tradition of parliamentary courtesy when we have tremendously scrutinized the OVP budget,” he said.
eligibility documents; their membership will automatically be canceled because the law provides for their ‘exclusion’ once blacklisted,” she added.
Last week, PS-DBM canceled the Platinum Membership of nine companies associated with the Discaya family after the revocation of their PCAB license.
These companies are St. Gerrard Construction Gen. Contractor & Dev’t Corporation, Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Dev’t Corporation, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, Amethyst Horizon Builders And Gen. Contractor & Dev’t Corp., St. Matthew General Contractor & Development Corporation, Great Pacific Builders And General Contractor, Inc., YPR General Contractor And Construction Supply, Inc., Waymaker OPC and Elite General Contractor And Development Corp.
Cezarah Rowena Discaya is
among the personalities involved in the ongoing legislative investigation into anomalous flood-control projects, having participated in multiple bidding opportunities that inevitably influenced the outcome of public bidding.
“The President ordered the blacklisting of contractors involved in anomalous flood control projects. That is clearly stated in our New Government Procurement Act, which authorizes the implementing agency to blacklist its contractors. That is clear, and there is a process for that,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman was quoted in a statement as saying.
“At the PS-DBM, we recognize our responsibility to support other branches and personnel of government in ensuring that there is no corruption, especially in the area of public procurement,” Entredicho-Caong added.
PS-DBM is the primary source of government procurement information and the main channel in the government’s conduct of all its procurement activities.
“There should be fair applications of the rules. If we will give parliamentary courtesy to the President, we should do the same for the OVP otherwise we do not accord both offices. We should not be selective in the application of that tradition,” he added.
Asean preparations UNDER its proposed 2026 budget, the OP requested for P27.36 billion to perform its mandate next year.
Of the said amount, only P75.92 million will be used by the OP for its automatic appropriations, while P27.29 billion will be for its new appropriations, which includes the country’s hosting of the 2026 Asean Summit and related meetings. Bersamin explained that while the budget for the 2026 Asean Summit is lodged with OP, 38 percent of it will be released to other offices for their participation in our country’s hosting.
“We are confident that the Philippine’s chairmanship of the Asean 2026 will further improve our standing as the founding member of the Asean and will strengthen our political and economic ties with the community and its dialogue partners,” he said.
Asked to clarify his statement calling out some members of the House of Representatives in their move to “shift” blame on the disclosed issues in the 2026 NEP—including alleged allocations for completed public works—Bersamin said pronouncement is meant to highlight the institutional separation of the Executive and Legislative branches of the government.
“So we came up with a statement. It was a consensus of the Cabinet. It was more to emphasize our Constitutional position and separation and to elicit cooperation and support from the House of Representatives than any other,” he said. The Palace official said the statement was not intended to “rile up” the tension between the two separate branches of the government.
Garma to testify vs Duterte at ICC
JBy Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573
USTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday confirmed that retired police colonel and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Royina Garma general manager has agreed to testify for the prosecution in connection with the crimes against humanity filed in the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte in connection with the death of 43 individuals during his bloody anti-illegal drug war.
Garma, who arrived in the country on Saturday from Los Angeles, California, left a day after as a tourist for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Remulla said that the denial of Garma’s bid for political asylum in the United States prompted her to agree to become one of the ICC prosecution’s witnesses against Duterte. He explained that Garma was allowed to leave the country following her deportation from the US since she has no hold departure order (HDO) and that because she would be meeting with the ICC people in preparation for her testimony before the ICC against Duterte.
Still, Remulla insisted that the government’s cooperation with the ICC is limited only to providing protection to Garma and other possible witnesses against Duterte.
So far, Remulla said, only four witnesses have sought to be included in the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) in connection with Duterte’s case before the ICC.
Duterte’s camp has maintained that the government has no obligation to cooperate with the ICC since the country is no longer a member of the Rome Statute since 2019.
Remulla pointed to former senator Antonio Trillanes IV as the one who facilitated Garma’s inclusion as a prosecution witness against Duterte, who is currently detained at the ICC headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, awaiting proceedings in connection with his case.
“I think she has agreed to be a witness, according to senator Trillanes. I’ve been working with Trillanes because we have no real official relationship with the ICC except for the fact that we protect the witnesses who are here ,who may be the subject of an ICC request,” Remulla said.
“Because we have to protect our witnesses and these people are the complainants from here, the witnesses are
from here, so it’s just right that the DOJ protects the citizens who may be inclined to testify,” Remulla added while denying that he personally talked to Garma.
Remulla added that there is a possibility that the prosecution would present Garma during the confirmation of charges against Duterte scheduled on September 23.
“That’s what think that’s why the ICC is running after her for the confirmation of charges that she might be among the list of witnesses presented and they’re prepping her for that already,” Remulla noted.
When asked about the importance of her testimony before the ICC, Remulla told reporters: “I think she’s the highest ranking police officer that can be asked to give a narrative about the drug war, the reward system and the other parts of her testimony which she already gave before the [House of Representatives] QuadCom [Quad Committee].”
Remulla, however, assured that the justice department would proceed with the investigation into the murder and frustrated murder filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the National Police (PNP) against Garma and six others in connection with the killing of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020.
“We will not let the Baruyaga case go undone, we will still run after it and we will see how this will play out,” the DOJ secretary said while admitting that they expect Garma to ask for concessions in connection with the case.
Barayuga was gunned down by a motorcycle-riding man shortly while on his way home from the PCSO central office in Mandaluyong City on July 30, 2020.
His driver survived the incident, thus filing of frustrated murder complaint against the respondents.
The ICC pre-trial chamber, which issued the arrest warrant against Duterte last March, maintained that it retains jurisdiction over the crimes which occurred while the Philippines was still a state party to the Rome Statute.
The crimes covered by the arrest warrant took place between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019, according to the chamber.
The arrest warrant covers the killing of 19 alleged drug pushers or thieves by the Davao Death Squad (DDS) in various locations in Davao City during Duterte’s term as mayor of the province and the killing of 24 persons believed to be drug pushers and thieves or drug users during the term of Duterte as President.
Senator seeks more allocation for CICC
THE government’s campaign to protect children from the “dark web” needs funds, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said, and he is batting for an allocation for such.
With the increasing number of cases where children are being exposed to illicit activities online, Gatchalian warned that the dark web has become a haven for transactions involving child pornography, the sale of illegal drugs and arms trade, and online gambling.
As chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Gatchalian said that he will raise the need for funds in the upcoming deliberations of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center’s (CICC) proposed budget. The CICC is an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
Discayas’ bombshell at Blue Ribbon: Solons, DPWH engineers took bribes
By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM & Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz @jonlmayuga
EMBATTLED contractor spouses
Pacifico Discaya and wife Cezarah
Discaya dropped a bombshell at Monday’s resumption of the Senate BlueRibbon committee hearing into flood control corruption, listing names of public works officials and congressmen who allegedly demanded and got bribes in exchange for winning project bids.
Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, chairman of the Senate Blue-Ribbon panel, said the Discayas will be given “provisional immunity” as promised by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
The Discayas, whose multibillion construction empire and mind-boggling wealth had been fodder for news reports and social media the past weeks, had expressed fears for their family’s security after reading into the records their joint sworn statement.
Under questioning by senators, Pacifico Discaya claimed the emissaries of the demands for payouts had also frequently invoked the names of “Speaker Martin Romualdez” and “Rep. Zaldy Co,” the former appropriations committee chairman of the House of Representatives.
Discaya acknowledged that he was sure the parties he named would all deny getting money from him. These people did not sign any documents, he said, but told the panel that they have ledgers in their office to list down the “transactions” for their record.
Hearing this, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, seconded by Sen. Erwin Tulfo, asked Marcoleta to issue subpoena duces tecum for the ledgers from the Discayas so they can study them.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also sought to summon the district engineers named by Discaya as serving as the politicians’ go-between to shed light on the claim of the couple.
‘Exploited’
DISCAYA told senators, “We were repeatedly exploited by those in power under this system, and we could not do anything because if we did not cooperate,
Generals,
they would create problems with the project awarded to us—either through mutual termination or right-of-way issues—both of which would prevent the implementation of the projects.”
“They usually asked for 10 percent to 25 percent to avoid having the contract snagged,” he added.
“After we won the bidding, some officials from the DPWH approached us to ask for and take their share of the project’s value. The percentage they demanded was no less than 10 percent and reached up to 25 percent, which became a condition to prevent delays in the program’s implementation,” he said.
“Most of the DPWH personnel mentioned above repeatedly said that the delivery of money was for Zaldy Co and that it should be at least 25 percent,” Discaya added.
Discaya claimed they were usually left with just 3 to 5 percent of the contract price after making payouts and insisted that they never made substandard projects, because “this would not be approved by the district engineer.” To which Sen. Erwin Tulfo reminded him it was “unbelievable” that they could not get clearance from the DPWH officials since they had already bribed them as well.
According to Sarah Discaya, district engineers, regional directors of the DPWH, and chiefs of staff of lawmakers previously offered projects allegedly funded by congressmen after their companies began winning in government biddings.
“They told us we should accept the reality that we had to pay lawmakers if we wanted to continue securing government projects. Otherwise, they warned that our company would be removed from the list and barred from obtaining any future contracts,” she said.
Opening remarks
IN his opening statement at the panel’s third hearing, Marcoleta said, “Several significant developments have strengthened our case and exposed the depth of corruption in the flood control program.”
President Marcos had reported that from 2022 to 2025, at least P545.6 billion was allocated for 9,855 flood control projects, Marcoleta said. “Of this staggering amount, just 15 contractors, representing 0.7 percent
of all registered contractors, cornered P100 billion, or 20 percent of the entire budget.
“We have received reports of at least 60 ghost projects worth billions of pesos. These are incomplete, substandard projects and those completely nonexistent structures that exist in the minds of the malefactors or only impulsified documents and fraudulent reports. What struck me most during our last hearing was not just the scale of plunder but the sheer arrogance displayed by those who stole from the Filipino people.”
He continued: “It is now very obvious that congressional insertions do not just happen at the bicameral conference. They begin at the district level, where collusions between the bureaucrats and politicians take place.”
He reminded everyone that the committee was still in consideration of the motu proprio inquiry in aid of legislation on the “Philippines Under Water,” including the privilege speech of Sen. Panfilo Lacson titled, “Flooded Gates of Corruption,” delivered in August 2025.
Earlier, he named among those to whom they shelled out money a certain former undersecretary Terence Calatrava.
D iscaya also claimed giving money to emissaries of Rep. Roman Romulo of Pasig, Rep. Jojo Ang of Uswag Ilonggo party-list group, Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas of Quezon City, Rep. Juan Carlos Atayde of Quezon City, Rep. Nicanor Briones of Agap party-list group, Rep. Marcelino Teodoro of Marikina, Rep. Florida Robes of San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona of Romblon, Rep. Benjamin Agarao Jr., Rep. Florencio Gabriel Noel of An-Waray party-list group, Rep. Leody Tarriela, Rep. Reynante Arrogancia of Quezon, Rep. Marvin Rillo of Quezon City, Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. of Aklan, Rep. Antonieta Eudela of Zamboanga Sibugay, Rep. Dean Asistio of Caloocan and Rep. Marivic Co Pillar of Quezon City.
Meanwhile, the DPWH officials allegedly implicated were identified as Regional Director Virgilio Eduarte of DPWH Region V, Director Ramon Arriola III of the Unified Project Management Offices, District Engineer Henry Alcantara of DPWH Bulacan First District, Undersecretary Robert Bernardo, District Engineer Aristotle Ramos of DPWH Metro Manila First District, District
Engineer Edgardo Pingol of DPWH Bulacan Sub-DEO, and District Engineer Michael Rosaria of DPWH Quezon Second DEO. In their testimony, the Discaya couple appealed to Marcos and the Senate BlueRibbon committee, for protection and security for their family.
False, malicious
SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday strongly denied allegations linking him to supposed commissions from government contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya, branding the claims as “false and malicious.”
“I cannot and will not allow lies and name-dropping to pass unchecked,” Romualdez said in a statement in response to the Discayas’ affidavit presented during the Senate hearing. “The claim that my name was used for commissions is false, malicious, and nothing more than name-dropping. Let me be clear: I had no involvement, gave no permission, and never sanctioned such acts.”
The Speaker stressed that Congress has no role in the release of funds or implementation of projects, saying those duties fall solely under the Executive branch and agencies like the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“If anyone invoked my name, they did so without my knowledge and without my consent. If they did it to profit, they are the ones who should be held accountable,” he added.
Romualdez also emphasized his longstanding record of integrity.
“I have never, and I will never, accept a bribe from anybody. No one can bribe me. All House Members know this. I am selfmade, blessed with the trust of the Filipino people, and I will never allow myself to be corrupted,” he said.
He further vowed to hold accountable anyone who abused or profited by invoking his name.
“Whoever used my name to profit must answer for it—whether inside or outside the government. But let us not allow lies and name-dropping to destroy reputations or weaken faith in Congress,” Romualdez declared.
See “Discayas,” A4
clergy join protest against corruption in flood control
projects
“This is about protecting our children. The government should have the technology and the capability to penetrate the dark web and apprehend those who proliferate and purchase illegal and illicit materials,” said Gatchalian.
The growing evils of the dark web were brought into focus anew last week when the Senate Committee on Women chaired by Sen. Anna Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros opened an inquiry into the alarming rise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for producing deepfakes, which have been used both for scamming and for pornographic content victimizing both adults and children alike.
In that hearing, actor Angel Aquino recounted her ordeal when a deepfake was produced using her image, and it ended up in the dark web. A social media influencer, Queen Hera, narrated to senators how her minor child’s image was used for pornographic material that also landed in the dark web. Butch Fernandez
CICC acting executive director Renato Paraiso said that while the agency can access the dark web, it currently lacks the capacity for 24/7 monitoring owing to budgetary constraints. He noted that an annual subscription for a collaborative database and monitoring mechanism would cost between P150 million and P200 million.
By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga
Justine Xyrah R. Garcia
&
VARIOUS groups and individuals, including retired police and military generals, have joined the call for accountability for the anomalous flood control projects amid ongoing inquiries in the House and the Senate.
In a joint statement signed by different groups and individuals, the proponents expressed outrage at government officials as well as politicians who act as contractors, private sector parties, including their family members and relatives, who flaunt their lavish lifestyles while many Filipinos suffer the consequences of flooding events resulting in loss of lives and damage to millions of pesos worth of private properties.
“We have had enough. We need to escape this vicious cycle. We must reject the system of corruption that kills our fellow Filipinos and erodes our confidence in government,” the statement read.
“We demand that this corrupt system be replaced with a system of transparency,
accountability, and people’s participation that makes it harder to be bad and easier to be good,” it added.
Among those who signed the statement are retired Gen. Renator S. de Villa, a former Armed Forces chief of staff; Maj. Rene C. Valencia, former Social Security System president; Adm. Danilo Abinoja of the Coast Guard, Col. Plaridel M Abaya of the Constabulary; Lt. Gen. Edilberto P Adan, former head of the Visiting Forces Agreement Commission; Col. Guillermo G Cunanan of the Air Force.
Lt. Col. Alejandro T Flores of the National Police; Gen. Victor Ibrado, former AFP chief of staff; Vice Adm. Emilio C Marayag of the Navy; Brig. Gen. Manuel Mariano of the Army, Vice Adm Mateo Mayuga of the Navy, Brig. Gen. Eliseo Rio Jr of the Army; Maj. Gen. Melchor Rosales of the Air Force and baron of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1968; Col. Mariano Santiago former director of the then Bureau of Land Transportation; Gen. Recaredo A Sarmiento II, former National Police chief; Lt. Gen. Raul S Urgello former Army commander;
Opapru chief, former peace negotiators fret over rift in MILF
By Rex Anthony Naval
PRESIDENTIAL Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. on Monday said he welcomes the concern raised by former peace negotiators over the “apparent divisions” within the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
In a statement, the Office of the Presidential Adviser Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) headed by Galvez said the agency shares the “perspective of these former peace negotiators that a fractured MILF leadership would serve no one’s interest.”
“The Bangsamoro peace process has made significant strides, a testament to the strong partnership and unity between the Government and the MILF. The progress achieved, from the negotiation phase to the current peace implementation, is a direct result of this collaboration. Any internal division within the MILF leadership risks undermining the broader aims of this historic peace process,” Galvez said. And as the group finds ways to resolve this internal challenge, Galvez expressed hope that the MILF leadership will be able to take immediate and decisive action to arrest a slide into factionalism.
“The responsibility of maintaining cohesion and order within their ranks lies squarely with them. We also pray that they be able to engage in deep internal reflection to address and settle any outstanding issues between and among themselves,” he added.
Galvez also noted that the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (Biaf) Peace Rally on September 6, which gathered 100,000 combatants and sympathizers, showed the
Gen. Alexander B Yano, former AFP chiefr of staff; Brig. Gen. Rodrigo Diapana; and Rear Adm. Rommel Jason L Galang of the Navy.
The religious leaders include: Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Bishop of Kalookan; Archbishop Socrates B Villegas of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan; Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC, secretary of Education during the Noynoy Arroyo administration; Br. Bernard S. Oca FSC; and Fr Roberto C. Yap SJ.
Former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, former Senate Presidemt Franklin M. Drilon, and former Finance Secretary Ramon del Rosario Jr. also signed the petition along with Mayor Benjie Magalong of Baguio City.
Groups that joined the call include
De La Salle Brothers Philippines, De La Salle Philippines, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), Makati Business Club (MBC), MUP (Military & Uniformed Personnel) 4 United PH; Ateneo de Manila University, Ateneo de Naga University, Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Zamboanga
maturity of the MILF leadership in managing and resolving their internal issues peacefully.
It is unprecedented and very inspiring, he added.
“We call on all those who have accompanied the government and the MILF during the protracted negotiations to exert their moral influence on its leaders in the hope that they may overcome their rift for the sake of the broader interest of peace in the region,” he added.
Galvez also called upon all peace partners to continue shepherding the Bangsamoro peace process.
University, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Xavier School San Juan, Xavier School Nuvali, Loyola College Culion, and the PHINMA Education Group.
Return stolen funds ROMAN Catholic bishops have demanded the return of public funds lost to corruption in flood-control projects, warning that Filipinos will remain exposed to disasters so long as billions of pesos meant for protection end up in private pockets. In a pastoral letter issued over the weekend, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said “justice cannot stop at punishment.” “True justice, however, demands more than punishment. It also calls for restitution: that stolen wealth be returned to the public coffers from which it was taken,” the bishops said. The statement, signed by CBCP president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, came as both chambers of Congress press inquiries into alleged anomalies in flood-control projects.
See “Flood,” A10
Now, more than ever, Galvez said collective efforts are needed to protect this hard-won peace.
“This is our peace, and it is all our duty to safeguard it,” he added.
Also, Galvez said the situation in the BARMM areas is relatively peaceful and will remain peaceful as long as we remain committed to dialogue and peaceful resolution of all major issues with the pure intention and goodwill of fulfilling what we have promised in protecting the great gains of the peace process.
Economy
₧1.029-T climate-tagged govt funds potentially lost to corruption–group
By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga
AS much as P1.029 trillion of the government’s climate-tagged expenditures could have been lost to corruption since 2023, including P560 billion in 2025 alone, environmental group Greenpeace Philippines said.
In a news conference on Monday, Greenpeace Campaigner Jeffereson Chua presented a quick analysis gathered from government data and the alleged impact of corruption in multi-million peso budget projects that went to the pockets of greedy government officials and contractors.
Data from the National Integrated Climate Change Database and Information Exchange System (NICCDIES) website shows that in 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) held the lion’s share of the climate-tagged projects: P800 billion of the P1 trillion of climate-tagged projects fell under its purview, comprising 90 percent, or 24,764 out of 26,874 climate-tagged projects.
Of this, based on estimations, around P560 billion of the P800 billion was potentially lost to corruption, Chua said. DPWH climate-tagged flood-related projects in 2025 alone total P248 billion, of which, by the same estimation, P173 billion is vulnerable to corruption.
“A trillion pesos is a staggering, absurd amount, siphoned by avaricious, self-serving officials and contractor corporations from
Discayas. . .
Continued from A3
The Speaker assured the public that he will protect both his integrity and that of the institution he leads.
“Under my watch, we will clean the system, punish the guilty, and protect the people’s money,” Romualdez said.
Baseless, irresponsible
FORMER Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co of Ako
Bicol has strongly denied allegations made against him during a Senate hearing, calling
projects meant to help people cope with escalating climate impacts,” Chua said.
“This is unacceptable. They’re not just plundering government coffers, they’re also crippling the ability of millions of Filipinos to survive in the face of an escalating climate crisis. Theft of climate funds at such a scale is atrocious, and offenders are akin to climate criminals.”
He added that mitigation and adaptation funds go beyond flood control, which means that taxpayers’ money potentially lost to corruption, could be much bigger.
Greenpeace says that corruption and greed are undermining the ability of millions of Filipinos to cope with climate change.
Every year, millions of Filipinos lose lives, homes, and livelihoods due to more frequent and more intense flooding.
Floods have also caused massive economic losses for local governments as well as the national government.
The flood control projects are meant to protect communities, but the ongoing investigations show that astronomical amounts for these climate adaptation efforts are going to the pockets of greedy government officials and private contractors.
Meanwhile, the government doesn’t have enough money to fund its climate adaptation needs or to cover the costs of climate losses and damages.
The Department of Finance says that costs in losses and damages in the Philippines from 2010 to 2020 amounted to P506.1 billion.
the claims “baseless, irresponsible, and politically motivated.”
“I vehemently deny all the baseless and irresponsible accusations made against me during the Senate hearing held today. These unsubstantiated claims, which attempt to implicate me, are not only hearsay but are also politically motivated [and] designed to mislead the public and deflect accountability,” the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations in the 19th Congress, said.
He underscored that the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) went through the proper legislative process.
“The 2025 GAA was certified and
The government also says that from 2015 to 2022, it spent almost P2 trillion for disaster risk reduction and management. Money to fund adaptation, however, still falls short of what’s needed.
A 2022 World Bank report projected that the Philippines can lose as much as 7.6% of GDP by 2030 and 13.6 percent by 2040 owing to climate change.
“The corruption scandal puts Filipinos in a hopeless situation: not only is our climate financing woefully inadequate to avoid future losses, but also, more than half of what little allocation we have for climate action is potentially being stolen. Filipinos are left with pitiful change from the billions stolen by a few,” said Chua.
He added that the government is applying for loans and grants to address losses and damages from climate disasters.
“Given this filthy track record, what assurance does the Filipino people have that the money for climate adaptation won’t end up in the pockets of the greedy?” he asked.
“Each new loan pushes us deeper into debt, while corruption drains the borrowed money that’s meant to protect us.”
Corruption is a significant roadblock to climate action. The country can never achieve its climate targets if corruption is left to operate unchecked. Additionally, Greenpeace noted that the gargantuan budget for climate-tagged projects under the purview of the DPWH shows the government’s shortsighted overreliance on
approved by both Houses of Congress and signed by the President. As mentioned during the Senate hearing, the President even vetoed some provisions and withheld the release of funds for projects,” he said.
Co noted, however, that the validity of the 2025 GAA is currently being questioned before the Supreme Court and the Office of the Ombudsman. Because of this, he explained, he cannot comment further on the matter in public.
“For this reason, I am unable to comment on the matter to the public but reserve my right to comment on this matter if and when required by the courts where this matter is
gray infrastructure for climate adaptation. The group says that the government must instead put its focus on implementing nature-based and community-led solutions, preserving watersheds, stopping mining and quarrying projects that destroy forests and rivers, putting an end to reclamation, and instituting a national ban on singleuse plastics such as sachets to ease flood problems in major urban areas.
“Massive corruption on flood control projects at a time of climate change, worsened by the continued extraction and operation of fossil fuel companies in the name of profit, is piling one injustice over another onto Filipino communities. Filipinos cannot continue to suffer the double burden of corruption and corporate impunity,” Chua added.
“The government must not be deaf to the outrage of Filipinos and must heed the call to exact accountability both from corrupt officials and contractors, as well as from giant fossil fuel companies that are amassing grotesque illegal wealth from people suffering climate impacts. Moreover, given the huge amount of losses the country is facing, the president will need to source funding that does not place any more burden on Filipinos, such as in the form of reparations from climate polluters.”
He said proper monitoring of adaptation and mitigation projects is necessary and needs the involvement of frontline communities, who are the ones who suffer the consequences of the climate crisis.
pending,” he said.
For his part, Laguna Rep. Benjamin Agarao Jr. has denied allegations that he asked for money from spouses Discaya in exchange for projects in his district.
“I categorically deny the allegations of the spouses Discaya that I asked money from them in exchange for projects in my district in Laguna. That is not true. They do not have any project in my district,” Agarao said in a statement.
The lawmaker described the accusations as false and malicious, stressing that he
See “Discayas,” A10
www.businessmirror.com.ph
Stolen Dreams
By Henry J. Schumacher
LAST week I wrote about “How young people can fight corruption.” Today I would like to continue to continue focusing on the very young kids that need help. I saw an article published by Marko Kasic, the Founder and Managing Director of FundLife.org, who is a friend I have admired for many years about the successful work he is doing for very your people in the Philippines. Allow me to share some of his views:
The world is facing an education crisis with staggering economic consequences. According to the World Bank, learning poverty— defined as the inability to read and understand a simple text by age ten—threatens to cost this generation of children over $21 trillion in lost lifetime earnings. For countries like the Philippines, where nine out of ten children cannot read at grade level, this isn’t just an education emergency. It’s a longterm economic one.
But there’s a second, quieter crisis compounding it: digital exclusion. In communities where families lack internet access or even a basic device, children are locked out of the very tools that now define opportunity. They are not just missing homework. They are being excluded from the future itself.
The Myth of Access FOR years, solutions have been framed as “bridging the digital divide” by distributing laptops or wiring classrooms. But access alone is not enough. Devices don’t teach children—people do. Without mentorship, technology risks reinforcing inequality: students with support thrive, while those without it fall further behind. The true challenge is not access. It is agency. The ability of children to use digital tools with confidence—to research, to create, to collaborate, and to connect to opportunities far beyond their immediate surroundings. And agency does not come from devices. It comes from mentorship.
Why Mentorship Matters
AS artificial intelligence and automation transform the nature of work, digital literacy is no longer a “bonus skill.” It is the foundation of employability, entrepreneurship, and civic participation. But learning how to code, navigate online platforms, or design digitally is not. Access without mentorship risks exclusion. Access with mentorship creates empowerment.
That is why FundLife centers its work not on access alone but on mentorship as cooperation. Through initiatives like the UpLift Education Project, schools are connected to the internet, teachers are trained, and children are guided by mentors who ensure technology becomes a tool for agency, not alienation. In Tacloban and Leyte, where
Marko Kasic is active, eight out of ten children fall below basic literacy levels. He has seen firsthand how mentorship transforms access into confidence. Children learn to search, to design, to collaborate— and in the process, they learn to believe. Teachers integrate digital tools meaningfully into lessons. Communities begin to see education not as a broken promise but as a pathway to possibility.
Cooperation is the Key BUT organizations like FundLife cannot do this alone. If companies like Outland Denim and Someone Somewhere prove anything, it’s that depth-driven, purpose-first ventures can thrive when given oxygen. They succeed not because they chase billion-dollar buyouts, but because they authentically improve the lives of millions. The same must be true in education. Outliers must become the norm. And that requires cooperation.
Governments must treat digital mentorship not as charity but as core infrastructure for the future of work. Corporations must move beyond device donations and invest in ecosystems of mentorship and inclusion.
Investors must recognize that the highest return on investment will come not from unicorn exits, but from the billions of children whose futures hang in the balance.
A New Ambition for Education THE revolution in education is not about rejecting technology. It is about putting people back at the center. It’s about ensuring that as machines become smarter, humans become stronger. That as we design algorithms, we don’t forget the mentors who shape meaning. The real ambition is not to reach a billion devices. It is to empower a billion children with the confidence to cooperate—with each other, with their communities, and with the digital world they are inheriting. Because in the end, devices don’t teach children—people do. And if we want a future that is not only digital but deeply human, we must invest not just in access, but in mentorship, cooperation, and the human spirit that no machine can replace.
As Marko Kasic lives in the Philippines and has fast experience how to move children from ‘Stolen Dreams’ to ‘Fulfilled Dreams’, he can assist you in this process. I suggest you contact him directly or you request me to create the link. Contact me at hjschumacher59@ gmail.com
Tuesday, September 9,
Over
4,000
hectares of sugarcane farms in Visayas are infested with RSSI
By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
OVER 4,000 hectares of sugarcane fields in Visayas have been affected by the infestation of red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) as of September 2, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
Based on the latest SRA data, 4,324 hectares have been infested with RSSI, which is significantly larger than the 87 hectares recorded on May 22 when it was first declared an infestation.
It has also affected 2,377 farmers since its detection in Negros, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the country’s sugar output.
Despite this, SRA data showed that some 291 hectares are already recovering from the infestation as of August 19, noting that farmers have applied insecticides following the de-trashing and burning of infested leaves.
Furthermore, the agency noted that its researchers are undergoing further field trials for the mass production of entomopathogenic fungi against the pest.
It also developed a software application dubbed Open Data Kit (ODK), which will create a dashboard for faster and efficient reporting of validated RSSI cases Planting materials
EARLIER , the SRA issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 9, which stipulates the guidelines for the movement of planting materials amid the continued spread of RSSI.
“Given the present characteristic of RSSI as highly transmissible through infected planting materials, controlled movement of sugarcane plants and planting materials
has become critical to prevent the further spread of pests.”
Under the circular, planters are required to obtain a permit to transport sugarcane plants and materials before movement.
Such a move would ensure that only pest-free and inspected planting materials are allowed to be shipped from one location to another, the SRA said.
However, the agency noted that the circular does not cover sugarcane transport to the mills for milling purposes.
‘Minimal effect’
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona had told the BusinessMirror that their initial sugar production outlook of around 2 million metric tons (MMT) in crop year 2025-2026 has yet to take into account the potential damage of RSSI on yield.
He said the agency is currently working on a Brix and theoretical sugar content comparison to determine the effect on infected canes, as studies suggest that RSSI could slash sugar content by up to 50 percent.
“We’re testing infected and noninfected sugarcane plants on the same field where infestation is partial,” Azcona said in a previous interview. “Once we have the data [and] if there’s a decrease [in content], we’ll use it in our crop estimate for this year.”
Despite this, the SRA chief assured the public that RSSI’s damage on sugar yield would be minimal.
“Based on available data, the infected fields in Negros are at less than 2 percent, and even in the worst-case scenario of 4 percent, [the effect is] not that significant,” Azcona said.
UA&P report: Rising costs, declining workforce, threaten tobacco industry
REGULATORY pressures, volatile input prices, and a declining workforce affect the local tobacco industry’s evolving landscape, according to a unit of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P).
In the latest briefer, UA&P Center for Food and Agribusiness (CFA) Senior Agribusiness Specialist Joy Kristel Orzales noted that several challenges plague the country’s tobacco industry.
For one, she said rising production costs and volatile input prices, particularly for fertilizers, fuel, and labor, are squeezing farm margins.
Climate-related shocks, including unpredictable typhoons and extreme heat, are also affecting leaf yields and quality, according to Orzales.
She added that global supply chain disruptions, such as fluctuating freight costs, port delays, and changing trade policies, further impact exports and raw material sourcing.
“The industry is also facing a declining workforce as farmers age and younger generations choose not to return to farming after college,” Orzales said.
“According to one industry player, when an elderly farmer passes away, the land often becomes idle because no one is left to continue the work.”
She also noted that intensifying health and regulatory pressures, driven by stricter laws and global anti-smoking campaigns, are “limiting marketing activities, increasing taxes, and tightening product standards.”
Orzales said tobacco products remain the “single largest source” of excise tax, providing a significant share of government revenues that bankroll health programs and
Liberal Party pushes for subpoena power for independent flood control probe body
By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla
THE Liberal Party bloc at the House of Representative (HOR) is seeking to empower the new independent commission to be created by President Ferdinand Marcos, which will investigate anomalous flood control projects (FCP) by providing it with subpoena powers.
During the budget hearing of the Office of the President last Monday, Caloocan Rep. Edgar R. Erice announced his plan to file a bill this week, which will provide “coercive and subpoena” powers
to the said Commission.
“We believe that if this commission does not have this power, it will be difficult to investigate properly and thoroughly,” Erice said.
He said the Commission should not limit itself to public works, but also on poor solid waste management by local government units, as well as issues on dump sites, which he said also contribute to persistent flooding in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.
The lawmaker urged Marcos to certify as urgent the bill on the commission.
Mamayang Liberal party-list representative Leila de Lima confirmed she will also support the said piece of legislation from Erice since she believes it should not be the House Infrastructure Committee (Infracom), which should probe the problematic FCPs.
“We feel that a legislated independent commission or an independent commission created by law and not just executive order would have more teeth. And the focus here would be really to inquire into the anomalous in -
CSC launches ₧3.88-B modernization project to
By Justine Xyrah Garcia
HE Civil Service Commis -
Tsion (CSC) has last week launched a P3.88-billion project to digitize human resource and payroll systems in government, a move expected to cut delays in public service delivery.
The CSC said on Monday that the Philippine Civil Service Modernization Project (PCSMP) will run until 2029 and cover 40 pilot agencies.
The project will be implemented with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and supported by a World Bank loan.
Of the project’s total cost, P3.755 billion—or 97 percent— will come from loan proceeds,
while P123.56 million will be funded by the national government.
CSC Chairperson Marilyn B. Yap said the project aims to streamline recruitment, onboarding, payroll, and performance management through automated systems
“The PCSMP is the offspring of our shared vision of a revitalized government in which policy infrastructures, systems, and processes in the delivery of services to the people are managed by highly competent and motivated civil servants enabled by technology,” Yap said.
The commission added that the project will reduce delays in processing, improve payroll accuracy,
other public services.
Citing reports from the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), she noted that excise tax collections quadrupled to P134.5 billion last year, from P32.9 billion in 2012 or the year before the restructuring of the excise tax regime.
However, Orzales noted that illicit trade persists as a concern that affects tax collections and, in turn, the economy.“The industry also faces challenges from illicit trade, as smuggled and counterfeit products reduce the revenues from legally traded tobacco and create unfair competition for manufacturers,” she said.
In particular, the government is losing about P52 billion due to the smuggling of vape and tobacco products, citing a statement from Philippine Tobacco Institute (PTI) President Jericho Nograles.
Despite the challenges, Orzales said the sector continues to hold significant opportunities.
“Strong export performance in premium varieties, especially Broadleaf tobacco, is supported by high demand in specialty and niche markets, which can command better farmgate prices.”
Moreover, she said investments in quality improvement and leaf grading systems can enhance prices in both domestic and export markets.
Diversification into valueadded products, such as cigars, flavored tobacco, and niche blends, also offers potential to reach new customer segments, Orzales said.
“By embracing innovation, quality, and market diversification, the tobacco industry can navigate its evolving landscape and secure a resilient, competitive future.”Ada Pelonia
frastructure projects, especially the flood control projects,” De Lima said.
The embattled contractor Pacifico
“Curlee” Discaya II has linked several lawmakers and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to anomalies in the FCP implementation. During the weekend, President Ferdinand Marcos said he will announce the members of the threeman independent commission in the coming days.
The commission, he said, will be given “considerable power” to probe anyone, including lawmakers as well as his friends and family.
Marcos said the commission will submit its findings before the Department of Justice or the Ombudsman for the filing of charges against the erring contractors as well as government officials or personnel.
digitize HR, payroll systems
and strengthen data for evidencebased planning.
To oversee implementation, a Project Steering Committee has also been created to provide strategic direction and safeguard resources.
Two technical working groups and an internal CSC group will support day-to-day operations.
To recall, the CSC is also asking the 20th Congress to restore P300 million for its digital leadership training program, which was removed from next year’s proposed budget (Related: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2025/08/26/csc-seeks-restoration-of-%E2%82%B1300-million-fund-for-govt-workers-digitaltraining/)
Through the program, the CSC aims to train 50,000 civil servants nationwide in core areas such as digital leadership, datadriven decision-making, and customer-centric innovation or design thinking.
Barua-Yap said the funds are needed to help regional offices and local government personnel acquire the skills to adapt to digitization and ensure reforms take root across the bureaucracy.
“We need to enable our office heads to enter the stream of digitalization. That is why digitalization has not taken root in many of our offices because even many of our leaders in the field still see the computer as nothing more than a typewriter,” she explained.
PPA terminates Zamboanga Port contractor MAC Builders due to delays, design issues
By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan
THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said on Monday it has terminated its contract with MAC Builders, the contractor behind the Zamboanga Port Passenger Terminal Building (PTB), citing prolonged delays, design misalignment, and project extensions that failed to meet operational requirements.
PPA Assistant General Manager for Engineering James Ganta -
lao said the termination follows repeated notices and warnings to the contractor to accelerate work on the project, which began in 2021.
“Unfortunately, we had to terminate the contract because what we envisioned back in 2021 when the project was started no longer met current operational requirements,” said Gantalao.
He also stressed that inclement weather, location-specific challenges, and evolving design considerations made it necessary
to halt the project under the existing arrangement especially since Zamboanga is one of the busiest and most strategic gateways in Mindanao.
The project, originally designed to accommodate 3,500 passengers at any given time, was intended to be one of the largest and most modern passenger terminals in Mindanao.
However, as of termination, the contractor had accomplished only 56 percent of the work and collected 18 percent of the contract price. Gantalao assured the public that no downpayment or mobilization fees had been released, ensuring sufficient funds remain to reset and complete the project.
The Zamboanga Port serves as a major hub for domestic and international trade, linking the Zamboanga Peninsula with Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and neighboring Asean countries. It plays a critical role in moving passengers, as well as goods such as sardines, coconut, rubber, and aquaculture products.
Sandiganbayan Justice Gomez-Estoesta appointed as New Court Administrator
THE Supreme Court En Banc has appointed Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta as the new Court Administrator, effective September 1, 2025. She replaces former Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva, who is now an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Justice Gomez-Estoesta has served the government for 34 years. She began her career as a Solicitor at the Office of the Solicitor General from 1991 to 2002. She joined the Judiciary in 2002 as Presiding Judge of Branch 6, Metropolitan Trial Court, Manila. In 2006, she was promoted as Presiding Judge of Branch 7 of the Manila Regional Trial Court.
She held this position until 2014, when she was appointed to the anti-graft court. At the Sandiganbayan, she served as Chairperson of the Seventh Division. Court Administrator Gomez-Estoesta was a multiawarded judge, winning the prestigious Judicial Excellence Awards multiple times. In 2005, she received the Most Outstanding Judge for First-Level Courts and Best Decision in Criminal Cases Awards. In 2012, she was honored with the Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Award as Most Outstanding Judge for Second-Level Courts. She is also active in legal education. Since 2015, she has been teaching at the
Ateneo de Manila School of Law and is a Professorial Lecturer at the Philippine Judicial Academy. She also served as Bar Examiner for Remedial Law and Legal Ethics in the 2024 Bar Examinations.
She earned her law degree from the Ateneo and passed the Bar in 1991. She also holds a Political Science degree from the De La Salle University, where she graduated cum laude and received the Gold Medal for Excellence in Political Science. The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) was created under Presidential Decree No. (PD) 828, as amended by PD 842, to help the Supreme Court manage and supervise all courts nationwide.
As part of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), the OCA is currently undergoing modernization to make it more responsive, servicefocused, and better supported across regions. A Central OCA Leadership Team, headed by the Court Administrator, will take the lead in setting overall strategy, policy direction, and innovation initiatives for the trial courts. At the same time, court administrative functions are being decentralized to the newly established Office of the Regional Court Manager (ORCM) across all judicial regions. Six interim ORCMs were launched in 2024 as part of this ongoing reform.
Editor: Angel R. Calso
Houthi drone breaches Israeli air defenses, strikes Ramon Airport as conflict escalates
By Melanie Lidman & Samy Magdy
The Associated Press
TEL AVIV, Israel—A drone fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels breached Israel’s multilayered air defenses on Sunday and slammed into the country’s southern airport, the Israeli military said, blowing out glass windows, wounding one person and briefly shutting down commercial airspace.
The damage to Ramon Airport appeared limited and flights resumed within hours. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike.
The attack follows Israeli strikes on Yemen’s rebel-held capital that killed the Houthi prime minister and other top officials in a major escalation of the nearly 2-year-old conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group in Yemen.
In Gaza City, the Israeli military on Sunday leveled another highrise tower that housed hundreds of displaced Palestinians and urged people to move south as it intensified its offensive on the city.
Meanwhile, a breakthrough Israeli Supreme Court decision ruled that Israel was not providing Palestinian detainees in its custody with enough food to ensure basic sustenance. It ordered the state to “guarantee basic living conditions in accordance with the law” for the thousands of Palestinians in its detention facilities.
Sunday’s ruling, made in response to a petition by Israeli human rights groups alleging starvation among Palestinians in the country’s prisons, marked a rare instance of Israeli legal restraint on its own war policies that have drawn indignation and outrage abroad.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels escalate attacks on Israel
AFTER Israel’s killing of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi last Thursday, the militants vowed to escalate their attacks targeting Israel and merchant ships navigating the vital Red Sea trade route.
One of several Houthi drones launched from Yemen on Sunday slipped through Israel’s sophisticated defense system and crashed into the passenger terminal at the Ramon International Airport near the resort city of Eilat, the Israeli Airports Authority said, diverting flights over southern Israel and inflicting light shrapnel wounds on a 63-year-old man.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group had fired eight drones at Israel to signal that the rebels “will
escalate their military operations and not back down from their support for Gaza.” He warned that Israeli airports “are unsafe and will be continuously targeted.”
The Israeli military said it intercepted three Houthi drones near Israel’s border with Egypt and was investigating why it failed to identify the fourth drone that struck Ramon Airport as a threat.
The Houthis have stepped up their aerial attacks on Israel in recent months, including by deploying warheads with cluster munitions that scatter smaller bomblets over a large area and can evade Israeli air defenses.
Saying that they were acting in solidarity with the Palestinians, the Houthis began firing missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel ignited the Israeli military’s devastating campaign in Gaza. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted over 250 in their assault on southern Israel.
While frequent, the aerial attacks from Yemen have not caused significant damage in Israel.
Before Sunday’s assault, the most damaging Houthi attack was in May, when a Houthi missile struck near Israel’s main Ben Gurion Airport, prompting international airlines to cancel flights to Tel Aviv for months.
Israel destroys another highrise in Gaza City
THE Israeli military said it destroyed another high-rise building in Gaza City on Sunday, shortly after military spokesperson Avichay Adraee ordered the evacuation of people from a seven-story building in a southern Gaza City neighborhood and nearby tents. Al-Ra’iya Tower crumbled in a flash, its facade cascading down into a heap of rubble and sending people scrambling for cover.
Israel said the building targeted on Sunday had been used by Hamas for intelligence-gathering activities. Hamas denied the accusation. It was unclear how many people had been killed or wounded in the attack.
It’s the third Gaza City high-rise
leveled in as many days as Israel ramps up its offensive to take control of what it portrays as Hamas’ last remaining stronghold, urging Palestinians to flee parts of Gaza City for a designated humanitarian zone in the territory’s south.
Many Palestinians, exhausted from being displaced multiple time during the war, have opted to stay put rather than uproot themselves for jam-packed, increasingly unsanitary tent encampments that are unprepared to handle the influx. Others reluctantly fled even as past Israeli attacks on humanitarian zones have reinforced the feeling that nowhere is safe in the enclave.
“Every time we move to a place, we get displaced from it,” said Shireen Al-Lada’, who fled south from eastern Gaza City after her house in the once-bustling urban neighborhood of Zeitoun was destroyed.
Officials at Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital reported that Israeli strikes on a school-turned-shelter and on tents and apartment buildings killed at least 13 Palestinians, including six children and three women.
The Israeli military said it was targeting militants near the school and had warned civilians to evacuate.
In central Gaza, Al-Awda Hospital said it had received five dead bodies, including that of a young girl, after Israel struck a gathering in the UN-administered Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strike.
Over 64,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says that more than half the casualties are women and children.
Trump claims Israel accepted his ceasefire terms; Israel is silent US President Donald Trump claimed on social media on Sunday that Israel accepted his terms for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to do the same. It was not clear precisely what those terms were.
“I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting,” Trump wrote. “This is my last warning, there will not be another one!” Trump has previously issued similar such ultimatums to Hamas.
There was no immediate Israeli confirmation of his claim, which came as preparations for the Israeli military’s advance on Gaza City move ahead and negotiations remain at an impasse. The Israeli prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Hamas confirmed it “received through intermediaries some ideas from the US” and said it “welcomed any initiative” to end the war that involved the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. But the group said it had not dropped its insistence on a fullscale Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and formation of an independent Palestinian committee to administer Gaza’s civil affairs—conditions that Israel has rejected in the past. It also gave no indication it would disband its armed wing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on Hamas’ full disarmament as a condition for a comprehensive ceasefire.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing many families of hostages, called on the Israeli government to “declare its unequivocal support for the emerging agreement.”
Netanyahu’s plan to take control of Gaza City has outraged families of hostages and their supporters, who fear the ground offensive will further imperil the 20 out of 48 hostages in Gaza still thought to be alive.
Defying criticism at home and abroad, Netanyahu vowed at his Cabinet meeting earlier Sunday to press ahead with the assault, saying he’d rather “a victory over our enemies” than one “over antiIsrael propaganda.”
Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Sally Abou Aljoud in Beirut, Natalie Melzer in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Isabel DeBre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.
In rare ruling, Israeli Supreme Court says Israel deprives Palestinian prisoners of food
By Natalie Melzer The Associated Press
TEL AVIV, Israel—In a highly rare exercise of wartime legal restraint, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled Sunday that the Israeli government has deprived Palestinian detainees of even a minimum subsistence diet and ordered authorities to increase the amount and improve the quality of food served to deprived Palestinian inmates. Although it’s the job of the Supreme Court to advise the government of the legality of its policies, the Israeli judiciary has seldom taken issue with its actions in
the 23-month Israel-Hamas war.
Since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, Israel has largely rejected growing international criticism of its conduct by arguing that it was doing what was necessary to defeat Hamas.
The Israeli army has detained large numbers of Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank on suspicion of militant ties. Thousands have been released from months of detention in camps and jails without charge to tell of brutal conditions, including overcrowding, scant food supplies, inadequate medical attention and scabies outbreaks.
As Israel’s highest tier of accountability, the Supreme Court hears complaints from individuals and organizations against Israeli government actions, such as its practice of restricting food and medical supplies to Gaza or, in this case, what two Israeli human rights groups described in their complaint as the security establishment’s “systemic policy” of depriving Palestinian prisoners of food.
The three-judge panel ruled unanimously that the Israeli government had a legal duty to provide Palestinian prisoners with three meals a day to ensure “a basic level of existence” and ordered authorities to fulfill that obligation.
In an unexpected 2-1 decision, the court furthermore accepted the petition filed last year by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, or ACRI, and the Israeli rights group Gisha, siding with their allegations that the government’s deliberate restriction of prisoners’ food in Israeli detention facilities has caused Palestinians to suffer malnutrition and starvation during the Israel-Hamas war.
“We are not speaking here of comfortable living or luxury, but of the basic conditions of survival as required by law,” the ruling said. “Let us not share in the ways of our worst enemies.”
DISPLACED Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza at night carry their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza, Saturday, September 6, 2025. AP/JEHAD ALSHRAFI
South Korea will bring home 300 workers detained in Hyundai plant raid in Georgia
By Hyung-Jin Kim The Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea—More than 300 South Korean workers detained following a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia will be released and brought home, the South Korean government announced Sunday.
allowing all the detained workers to return on a voluntary basis. It said Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is to leave for the US on Monday afternoon for talks related to the workers’ releases.
US immigration authorities said Friday they detained 475 people, most of them South Korean nationals, when hundreds of federal agents raided Hyundai’s sprawling manufacturing site in Georgia where the Korean automaker makes electric vehicles.
Agents focused on a plant that is still under construction at which Hyundai has partnered with LG Energy Solution to produce batteries that power EVs.
economic development project. The raid stunned many in South Korea because the country is a key US ally. It agreed in July to purchase $100 billion in US energy and make a $350 billion investment in the US in return for the US lowering tariff rates. About two weeks ago, US President Donald Trump and Lee held their first meeting in Washington.
Trump said perhaps the US could work out an arrangement with South Korean workers who would train US citizens to do work such as battery and computer manufacturing.
Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff for President Lee Jae Myung, said South Korea and the US had finalized negotiations on the workers’ release. He said South Korea plans to send a charter plane to bring the workers home as soon as remaining administrative steps are completed.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said that Seoul and Washington are discussing details on
Cho said that more than 300 South Koreans were among the detained.
The operation was the lat -
est in a long line of workplace raids conducted as part of the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda. But the one
Thursday is especially distinct because of its large size and because the targeted site has been touted as Georgia’s largest
“If you don’t have people in this country right now that know about batteries, maybe we should help them along and let some people
SOUTH Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun listens to lawmaker’s question during a session of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, September 8, 2025. AP/LEE JIN-MAN
South Korea. . .
come in and train our people,” Trump said Sunday night at Andrews Air Force Base. He added that “the way you train people is bring people in that know what they’re doing, let them stay for a little while and help.”
Lee said the rights of South Korean nationals and economic activities of South Korean companies must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement procedures. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry separately issued a statement to express “concern and regret” over the case and sent diplomats to the site.
Video released by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday showed a caravan of vehicles driving up to the site and then federal agents directing workers to line up outside. Some detainees were ordered to put their hands up against a bus as they were frisked and then shackled around their hands, ankles and waist.
Most of the people detained were taken to an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, near the Florida state line. None has been charged with any crimes yet, Steven Schrank, the lead Georgia agent of Homeland Security Investigations, said during a news conference Friday, adding that the investigation was ongoing.
He said that some of the detained workers had illegally crossed the US border, while others had entered the country legally but had expired visas or had entered on a visa waiver that prohibited them from working.
Kang, the South Korean presidential chief of staff, said that South Korea will push to review and improve visa systems for those traveling to the US on business trips for investment projects.
The Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.
Chicago churches
By Sophia Tareen The Associated Press
HICAGO—The Rev. Marshall Hatch
Curged congregants of a prominent Black church on Chicago’s West Side to carry identification, stay connected to family and protest as the city readied for an expected federal intervention.
“You need to start telling people about your whereabouts, so you don’t disappear,”
Australian woman sentenced to life in prison for mushroom poisonings
By Rod Mcguirk The Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia—An
Australian judge on Monday sentenced triple-murderer
Erin Patterson to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years for poisoning four of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms.
Justice Christopher Beale told the Victoria state Supreme Court that Patterson’s crimes involved an enormous betrayal of trust.
Patterson was convicted in July of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, with a lunch of beef Wellington pastries laced with foraged death cap mushrooms.
Patterson was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather’s husband Ian Wilkinson, who spent weeks in a hospital.
Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, was invited but did not attend the July 2023 lunch served to her parents-in-law and her estranged husband’s aunt and uncle at her home.
Murderer robbed her children of their grandparents YOUR victims were all your relatives by marriage. More than that, they had all been good to you and your children over many years, as you acknowledged in your testimony,” Beale said.
“Not only did you cut short three lives and cause lasting
damage to Ian Wilkinson’s health, thereby devastating extended Patterson and Wilkinson families, you inflicted untold suffering on your own children, whom you robbed of their beloved grandparents,” he added.
Both prosecution and defense lawyers had agreed that a life sentence was an appropriate punishment for the 50-year-old on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
But defense lawyers had asked for Patterson to become eligible for parole after serving 30 years. Prosecutors had argued she should never be considered for parole because she did not deserve the court’s mercy.
Survivor calls for kindness IAN WILKINSON did not comment on the sentence but thanked police, prosecutors and health services he’d encountered since the poisonings.
“We’re thankful that when things go wrong, there are good people and services and systems available to help us recover,” he
told reporters outside court.
“Our lives and the life of our community depends on the kindness of others. I’d like to encourage everybody to be kind to each other. Finally, I want to say thank you to the many people from across Australia and around the world who through their prayers and messages of support have encouraged us,” he added.
Beale said Patterson had also intended to kill her husband if he had accepted his invitation to lunch.
She had pretended to have been diagnosed with cancer as a reason to bring them together. She claimed to have wanted advice on how to break the news to her two children, who were not present at the lunch.
Beale accepted Ian Wilkinson’s account that the guests were served grey plates while Patterson ate from an orange-tan plate. This was to ensure she didn’t accidentally eat a poisoned meal, Beale said.
urge calm resistance ahead of expected federal intervention
Hatch said during Sunday services at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church.
“We’re not going to despair. We’re not going to feel threatened. We’re not going to give up and give in to fascism and authoritarianism.”
As Chicago braced for an immigration enforcement crackdown and a possible National Guard deployment, churches across the city turned up their response from the pulpit. Some worked to quell fears about detention and deportation while others addressed the
looming possibility of more law enforcement on the streets of the nation’s third-largest city.
President Donald Trump has threatened federal intervention in Democratic strongholds, most recently warning apocalyptic force could be used in Chicago to fight crime and step up deportations. He’s repeatedly cited the expected plans over fierce objections from local leaders and many residents who call it unnecessary and unwanted.
While fears have been high in immigrant
circles since Trump took office the second time, the threat of more federal agencies and troops has also inflamed tensions, particularly in Black and Latino communities where trust in police is fragile.
Among the church attendees was Lester Burks, a 74-year-old US Army veteran who said a military presence in Chicago would be threatening.
Only triple-killer knows her motivation
“ONLY you know why you committed them (the crimes). I will not be speculating about that matter,” the judge told Patterson.
Patterson showed little emotion during the sentencing hearing, which took less than an hour. She kept her eyes closed for much or it or stared directly ahead.
Patterson maintained at her trial that she had added foraged mushrooms to the meals by accident.
But she had initially denied to authorities that she fed her guests foraged mushrooms. A drug that is a specific antidote for death cap mushroom poisoning was not initially administered to her dying victims.
Beale told Patterson he inferred “from your pitiless behavior that your intention to kill was ongoing.”
Patterson has been in custody since she was charged on November 2, 2023. Her sentence is backdated until then. She has 28 days from her sentencing to appeal against her convictions and the severity of her sentence.
Patterson, who turns 51 on Sept. 30, will be 82 years old when she becomes eligible for parole in November 2056. The case has attracted enormous public interest in Victoria, nationally and internationally. Because of this, the Victorian Supreme Court allowed for the first time a sentencing hearing to be broadcast live on television.
Beale accepted that because Patterson was classified as a “notorious” prisoner who had to be kept separate from other inmates for her own safety, her conditions were harsher than those of a mainstream prisoner.
Patterson spends at least 22 hours a day in her cell and has never spoken to the only inmate she’s allowed to. That inmate, who has an adjoining exercise yard that shares a mesh wire fence, has been convicted of terrorism offenses and has attacked other prisoners.
“I infer that, given the unprecedented media coverage of your case, and the books, documentaries and TV series about you which are all in the pipeline, you are likely to remain a notorious prisoner for many years to come, and, as such, remain at significant risk from other prisoners,” Beale said.
Beale noted that no psychiatric or psychological reports had been provided in her sentencing hearing. He said he had no doubt she had instructed her lawyers not to provide such evidence.
CONVICTED triple murderer Erin Patterson leaves the Supreme Court of Victoria following her sentencing in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, September 8, 2025. JOEL CARRETT/AAP IMAGE VIA AP
Marcos creates migrant workers office in Cambodia for protection of OFWs
By Samuel P. Medenilla
RECOGNIZING the valuable contributions and sacrifices of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Cambodia, President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to establish a new Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in the Southeast Asian country.
The new facility in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh will provide 7,500 OFWs in Cambodia better access to DMW services, including legal support, welfare aid, reintegration efforts, and
BARMM parliament’s
DAVAO CITY—The Bangsamoro Parliament’s Blue Ribbon probe into questionable education expenses aims to reconcile its figures with those of the Commission on Audit (COA), which is investigating a higher amount. However, the committee chairman expressed doubts about having sufficient time to complete this before the Parliament election next month.
skills training programs.
“This will be done [by DMW] as soon as possible in partnership with our Embassy to advance your welfare and defend your rights,” Marcos said in Filipino in his meeting with the 500 members of the Filipino community in Cambodia last Sunday.
He said OFWs continue to play an important role in the country’s economic growth through their cash remittances to their loved ones.
“You may not know it, but we are truly grateful for everything you do, not just for yourself, not just for your family, but for the entire Philippines,” Marcos said. It was his second meeting with
Filipinos in Cambodia since he was elected as President. The first was when he attended the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits.
In a social media post last Monday, DMW Secretary Hans J. Cacdac said they are now coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to establish the MWO.
“We shall immediately comply with the directive of the President to establish a Migrant Workers’ Office in Cambodia, through full coordination with DFA Secretary Tess Lazaro and Ambassador Flerida Mayo,” Cacdac said.
As of 1 August 2025, DMW has 41 MWOs in 33 countries and
territories nationwide. There are currently no MWO in Cambodia. The nearest MWOs in the said country are located in Bangkok in Thailand; Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and in Singapore.
In a Viber message, DMW Undersecretary Dominique RubiaTutay told the BusinessMirror they still have sufficient budget to establish three new MWOs this year.
“[Our budget] is anywhere between P15 million to P30 million depending on the location [of the new MWOs],” Tutay said.
She said the announced MWO in Cambodia is now part of the three MWOs, which will be accommodated within the 2025 budget.
probe of education expenses faces time crunch before elections
www.businessmirror.com.ph
But the bishops cast doubt on the credibility of these hearings, noting that the same lawmakers leading them had a hand in inserting “pork” projects into the national budget.
Citing testimonies from officials and previous exposés, the CBCP said as much as 60 percent of project funds are swallowed by a “multi-layered system of commissions,” leaving only scraps for actual construction.
The outcome, it added, is a string of substandard projects that repeatedly collapse and require repair.
The bishops demanded the creation of an independent committee to investigate corruption in flood-control programs and other budget insertions, stressing that accountability must reach legislators, engineers, auditors, contractors, and financiers who enable the racket.
“[Accountability] must apply to both public officials and private contractors.
Blacklisting is not enough; collusion in corruption is a crime and must be punished,” the statement said. They also urged Filipinos to reject patronage politics and push for transparency from leaders, while calling on the youth to use their digital platforms for vigilance.
Mitmug said its motu propio investigation was handling the alleged anomaly in the fund disbursement of P1.77 billion in one day on March 7 this year. He said he has Minister Mohagher Iqbal to take a leave of absence while the committee was investigation it. Mitmug said Iqbal, who is also a member of the committee, has said “I’ll think about it” when Mitmug sent Iqbal a mobile text about the indefinite leave.
“Although there’s no inhibition
Member of Parliament Rasol Mitmug, chairman of the committee told the BusinessMirror on Sunday that it wanted to reconcile the P1.77 billion fund it was investigating on the expenditure by the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), compared to the P2.219 billion that the central office of the Commission on Audit was looking at the MBHTE expenses.
rules in the Blue Ribbon but there is no problem because Iqbal said he will cooperate in the interest of Moral Governance,” he said. Moral Governance was the central theme of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman, Ahod Ebrahim, when he was then designated chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. His successor, Abduraof Macacua, maintained the theme of his governance.
The COA, however, was investigation a bigger amount, which has included the payment of P449 million allegedly to a single supplier which the COA labeled as under “questionable circumstances.”
Thus, the COA is looking at P2.219 billion fund controversy by the MBHTE under Iqbal’s stewardship.
Mitmug said his committee wanted to reconcile the two amounts, the Blue Ribbon’s P1.77 billion and COA’s P2.219 billion, but told the BusinessMirror he doubted if the committee has still the time before October 13, the election day to choose the members of Parliament of the Bangsamoro government.
He said the Blue Ribbon has given Iqbal between now and September 15 to submit the documents to the contrary of the allegations of questionable expenditures.
‘Citizenship issue beyond regulatory authority and powers of MGB’
THE citizenship issue hounding a mining company official is beyond the regulatory authority or power of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
This was stressed by Michael V. Cabalda, MGB Director of the MGB saying the controversial case involving Mr. Joseph C. Sy, chairman of the Chairman of Global Ferronickel Holdings, Inc. (FNI), a member of the Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA), saying it will let the proper authorities resolve the case.
Mr. Sy was arrested and detained by Immigration agents on August 25, insisting that he is not a Filipino
flood control projects that are supposed to protect the lives, livelihood and properties of our countrymen, the dilapidated classrooms for our students, and the lack of quality farm-to-market roads to aid our farmers, all are engulfed in corruption, hindering the progress of the nation as a whole.”
citizen, but a Chinese citizen. Until now, he remains under the custody of the Bureau of Immigration, even as a Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) had already ruled that Sy is a Filipino citizen. The BI, last week, filed a motion for reconsideration before the Taguig RTC.
“It’s a citizenship issue, not a mining issue. Since it’s a citizenship issue, we’ll let the BI [Bureau of Immigration] and the court sort this out,” he said.
Cabalda said his being a member or official of a private-led initiative of the mining industry is also beyond the regulatory powers or
He recalled how, when he was Senate President in 2018, under his leadership, the Senate “firmly stood its ground, in opposing the unconstitutional realignments made in the 2019 budget AFTER the Bicameral Conference Committee Report was ratified. These realignments, amounting to P75 billion, were vetoed by the President in accordance [with] the Senate’s appeal and findings.”
The funding of the Free Tertiary Education, he noted, “is the result of the strict scrutiny of the budget by Senator
claims of her supposed involvement, warning those who misuse her name.
will not allow his name and reputation to be destroyed.
“I am consulting my lawyers. I will sue them for libel and perjury. I will not allow them to tarnish the name and reputation that I have carefully protected for a long time,” he added. Other lawmakers have issued strong denials following the testimonies of Discaya, which linked them to alleged anomalies in flood control projects. San Jose del Monte City Mayor and former lawmaker Florida P. Robes dismissed
“Whoever is using my name, you should be ashamed!” Robes said in an official statement. She emphasized that the city has undergone visible development under her leadership.
“It is clear to many how much San Jose del Monte has improved. There are no ghost projects here, and our infrastructure is worldclass,” she added. Robes also announced plans to file a libel case against Discaya. Tarriela, likewise, denied the accusations, stressing he never accepted money or favors from the contractors.
“We strongly refute the statements made by Mr. Pacifico Discaya... I have
authority of the MGB.
Defending the integrity of the Philippine mining industry as a “Filipino citizen,” Cabalda said it even came as a big surprise to mining stakeholders when the BI suddenly arrested and detained Mr. Sy.
Asked whether he knows of other mining company officials with questionable citizenship, Cabalda said he is certain no other mining company execs operating in the Philippines are being questioned for their citizenship.
“Wala naman iba. Nagulat nga ako sa balita about Mr. Josephy Sy,” he said.
Last week, the Taguig City Re -
Panfilo Lacson, where he found some floating budget amounting to P8.3 billion in 2017.
Quick transition
AT the start of the 17th session of the 20th Senate, Zubiri moved to declare the position of Senate President as vacant, a motion approved by Senate President Escudero, who was presiding.
He then asked his Senate President Pro Tempore Estrada to take over in presiding,
not received any money or favor from Mr. Discaya,” Tarriela said.
He explained that infrastructure projects such as flood control are solely under the mandate of the DPWH, while lawmakers are limited to proposing local projects for inclusion in the national budget. Madrona also issued a categorical denial.
“I strongly deny Discaya’s statement. To my recollection, had no project with him, so what is the basis of his claim that he gave me anything? heard he bid on projects under our budget in Romblon, but have no hand in and no knowledge of how he dealt with those involved,” Madrona said in a statement.
gional Trial Court, Branch 271, ruled that Sy is a Filipino citizen, and his detention by the BI has no legal basis.
The Taguig RTC granted the petition for a writ of habeas corpus, ruling that the BI has no jurisdiction to detain or deport a Filipino.
The Court also cited Republic v. Harp, which held that once the BI and the DOJ have recognized a person as a Filipino, he must be protected from deportation. The RTC confirmed that Mr. Sy’s case falls squarely within this principle, and the BI must be bound by its two previous rulings confirming Mr. Sy’s Filipino citizenship.
and the session was briefly suspended. Subsequently, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva moved to proceed with the nomination of new Senate President. Zubiri nominated Sotto, noting his sterling record as Queon City Vice Mayor, and as minority and later majority leader in the Senate.
Zubiri hailed Sotto’s “fearless leadership and work ethic,” adding he is “nothing short of a reliable and trustworthy Senate leader.” Legarda seconded Zubiri’s nomination
Teodoro also strongly denied allegations linking him to Discaya, branding the claims as baseless and malicious.
Teodoro said the accusations were nothing more than a “demolition job” meant to divert public attention from corruption and anomalies in the DPWH flood control projects.
The lawmaker clarified that he was not yet a congressman when the Discayas were awarded contracts, stressing that these projects dated back to 2020 or 2021 under the term of the late Rep. Bayani Fernando.
Teodoro said he is ready to cooperate in any fair and transparent investigation to clear his name. The lawmaker added that he is preparing to file legal action in
He said it would also take time to get the documents about the P449 million single payment to the lone supplier, saying that in the case of the bigger P1.77 billion fund alone, the committee was yet to get to the documents too “because we acted motu propio because it was not good for moral governance if there is no accountability mechanism.”
He said the COA office in Manila has already requested the cooperation of BARMM officials for the special audit into the alleged irregularities.
Mitmug has also asked Macacua to ask Iqbal to step down from his post. Manuel T. Cayon
The Taguig RTC declared the BI’s proceedings illegal and ordered Mr. Sy’s immediate release.
The PNIA and the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) have both aired their support for Sy and called for his immediate release from detention.
“This ruling is more than a personal vindication for Mr. Sy. It is a resounding reminder that Filipino citizenship cannot be stripped away by speculation, recycled cases, or administrative overreach. The BI must now heed the Court’s order with dispatch and ensure that Mr. Sy is not held for a moment longer.” Jonathan L. Mayuga
of Sotto.
Estrada declared nominations closed and declared that, “There being no other nominees, Vicente Sotto III, the only nominee for Senate President, is hereby declared the Senate President.”
Escudero made a short speech, thanking the senators who “trusted me” in the 19th and 20th Congress. He also thanked Senate employees.
Saying “I serve at the pleasure of the majority...understand and respect their
response to the accusations. Atayde vowed to pursue all legal remedies to clear his name and hold accountable those behind what he described as baseless accusations.
“I categorically deny the allegation that I benefited from any contractor. I have never dealt with them,” Atayde said. “These accusations are not true. I have never used my position for personal gain, and I never will.” Romulo echoed similar sentiments, rejecting the claim that he received kickbacks from flood control projects in 2022. “Not true,” Romulo said. Rep. Co Pilar said, “I don’t know the Discayas, and I have no dealings with them. I am very sure they have never met me. It’s
“If floodwaters rise because public funds are stolen, the greater flood is corruption itself, drowning our nation’s future,” the bishops warned.
CMSP joins call SIMILAR sentiments were echoed by the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP), which said religious leaders cannot stay silent while corruption continues to bleed the country dry.
“To keep silent in the face of corruption is to become complicit. We stand with the poor, whose cry for justice unmasks the rot of corruption,” the CMSP said in a statement from its 45th biennial convention.
The group called for transparency in public contracts, particularly in mining, taxation, and infrastructure, saying independent investigations must be carried out to stop the misuse of public funds.
It also w arned against “dole-out politics” that traps the poor in a cycle of dependence, urging instead for reforms that dismantle patronage.
Beyond government action, the CMSP pressed for stronger civic engagement—through local Freedom of Information ordinances, open legislative processes, and citizen oversight—as safeguards against systemic abuse.
Constitutional changes, it said, cannot serve as a “smokescreen” for institutional failure.
“True reform begins not with changing the rules of the game but with the conversion of hearts and the integrity of leaders,” the group stressed.
decision,” Escudero stressed he held no grudges and congratulated Sotto on his election and wished him well. He expressed hope that the ongoing investigations into failed and/or ghost flood-control projects would be resolved justly and with due process. The outgoing Senate President Pro Tempore Estrada also exited “with a heart full of gratitude” for having been elected to serve in that post twice, in the 19th and 20th Congress.
a blatant lie!” Caloocan City Rep. Dean Asistio from the Discaya couple, calling the claims "malicious and baseless."
“I strongly deny the allegation that I accepted any amount of money from the Discaya couple. There are no ghost projects in the district I serve,” Asistio said. Citing data from the DPWH, the lawmaker emphasized that projects associated with the couple were indeed implemented in his district. He clarified, however, that the execution, assessment, and awarding of such projects are solely managed by the
Jury selection begins in trial of man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump in Florida
By David Fischer The Associated Press
FORT PIERCE, Fla.—Jury se -
lection is set to begin Monday in the trial of a man charged with trying to assassinate Donald Trump while he played golf last year in South Florida.
The court has blocked off four weeks for the trial of Ryan Routh, but attorneys are expecting they’ll need less time.
Jury selection is expected to take three days, with attorneys questioning three sets of 60 prospective jurors. They’re trying to find 12 jurors and four alternates. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Thursday, and prosecutors will begin their case immediately after that.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off in July on Routh’s
request to represent himself but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel. Cannon confirmed during a hearing last week that Routh would be dressed in professional business attire for the trial. She also explained to Routh that he would be allowed to use a podium while speaking to the jury or questioning witnesses, but he would not have free rein of the courtroom.
The trial will begin nearly a year after prosecutors say a US Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot the Republican presidential nominee. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
Just nine weeks earlier, Trump
had survived another attempt on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear, before being shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on September 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.
Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The wit -
ness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.
The judge last week unsealed the prosecutor’s 33-page list of exhibits that could be introduced as evidence at the trial. It says prosecutors have photos of Routh holding the same model of semi-automatic rifle found at Trump’s club.
Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii.
A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.
In the early days of the war in Ukraine, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he was arrested in 2002 for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch fuse. In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence. In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
Macron’s govt faces crisis as French PM tries to survive confidence vote
PBy John Leicester The Associated Press
ARIS—France risks losing its third prime minister in 12 months on Monday, with incumbent François Bayrou facing a parliamentary confidence vote that he called but is widely expected to lose, heralding more instability for the European Union’s second-largest economy.
A key vote
THE National Assembly of 577 lawmakers is interrupting its summer recess for the extraordinary session that Bayrou requested, starting at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT; 0900 EDT) Monday.
After Bayrou delivers a speech that is expected to argue that belt-tightening is in the national interest, lawmakers will have their say before they vote either for or against his government—likely in the late afternoon or early evening. Lawmakers can also abstain.
Bayrou needs a majority of “for” votes to survive. If a majority votes against,
The 74-year-old centrist prime minister, appointed by President Emmanuel Macron just under nine months ago, is gambling that the vote will unite lawmakers in the sharply divided National Assembly behind proposed public spending cuts that Bayrou argues are needed to rein in France’s spiraling state deficit and debts. But opposition lawmakers are vowing to instead use the opportunity to topple Bayrou and his minority government of centrist and right-wing ministers, an upheaval that would force Macron to begin what could be another arduous hunt for a replacement.
Continued from A9
“I don’t want soldiers here,” he said. “They are trained to fight.”
Sanctuary cities targeted
DETAILS on the expected intervention have been sparse, including its focus and when it’s expected to begin. Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that federal law enforcement action will come to Chicago this week. He also promised more worksite enforcement operations like the massive one at a Hyundai plant in Georgia.
“You can expect action in most sanctuary cities across the country,” he said.
The Trump administration has repeatedly targeted, and unsuccessfully sued, over Chicago’s sanctuary laws, which are among the strongest in the nation. His administration launched a nationwide immigration enforcement operation in the city in January.
There is no official definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities. The terms generally describe limits on local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE enforces US immigration laws nationwide but sometimes seeks state and local help.
This time, the Department of Homeland Security plans to use a military base north of the city and has alerted leaders of another suburb that they’ll use a federal immigration processing center there for an operation that’ll potentially last 45 days. Meanwhile, Trump has said he might send National Guard troops to New Orleans before Chicago.
Trump has already deployed the National Guard into Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., where he’s also federalized the police force. A federal judge has ruled the Los Angeles deployment is illegal.
France’s constitution decrees that Bayrou would have to submit his government’s resignation to Macron, plunging France into renewed crisis.
Musical chairs
THE 47-year-old president is paying a steep price for his stunning decision to dissolve the National Assembly in June 2024, triggering legislative elections that the French leader hoped would strengthen the hand of his pro-European centrist alliance in parliament’s lower house. But the gamble backfired, producing a splintered legislature with no dominant political bloc in power for the first time in France’s modern republic.
The political uncertainty has largely hobbled Macron’s domestic ambitions in his second and last presidential term that ends
in 2027. Shorn of a workable majority in parliament for his centrist alliance, Macron has since rotated through three prime ministers, attempting to build consensus and stave off government collapse.
Macron’s protégé Gabriel Attal departed in September 2024, after the Paris Olympics and just eight months in the job. Attal was briefly followed by former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, a conservative who became the shortest-serving prime minister in France’s modern republic when he was toppled by a no-confidence vote in December.
Macron then tapped his centrist ally Bayrou, a wily political veteran who, despite his experience, is now up against the same wall of unfavorable parliamentary mathematics in the National Assembly— where no single political grouping has sufficient seats to govern alone but can still
pull the rug from under the government if they team up, targeting Bayrou together despite their sharp political differences.
Bayrou’s frustration
FAR-RIGHT and left-wing lawmakers who say they’ll vote against Bayrou’s government hold over 320 seats while centrists and allied conservatives have 210, making it seemingly impossible for the prime minister to survive. Bayrou expressed frustration Sunday that bitter rivals on the opposite ends of the political spectrum in the National Assembly are ganging up against him.
“What’s the point of bringing down the government? These are political groups that not only don’t agree on anything but, far worse than that, are waging open civil war against each other,” he said in an interview with online media outlet Brut.
Pressing problems for France IF Bayrou loses, Macron will again be forced to find a successor who’ll operate in the same precarious environment and face the same pressing budget problems that have dogged Bayrou and his predecessors. Macron himself has vowed to stay in office until the end of his term but risks becoming a lame duck domestically if political paralysis continues. Under the French political system, the prime minister is appointed by the president, accountable to the parliament and is in charge of implementing domestic policy, notably economic measures. The president holds substantial powers over foreign policy and European affairs and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
“We don’t need another level of law enforcement and their presence to pretend they’re going to solve problems related to violence,” US Rep. Danny Davis, a Democrat,
said at a Sunday news conference with other Black elected leaders on the city’s West Side.
Most of Chicago’s nearly 3 million people are Black or Latino. New Mount Pilgrim is located in the city’s West Garfield Park neighborhood, a largely Black neighborhood which has faced persistent crime and years of disinvestment, including five schools near the church that closed in 2013 as part of the largest mass public closure in US history.
The church has often called for action against street violence even as Chicago’s rates of violent crime have dropped substantially in recent years as part of a national trend. Its large stained glass art installations depict the lives of slaves and memorialize Black people killed by violence. On Sunday, the church celebrated the groundbreaking of a nearby arts and activism center it said was part of the solution.
“We’re not calling for military, we’re calling for resources,” Hatch told congregants. “We know that there is a correlation between resources and violence.”
Chicago on edge ELSEWHERE in the city, other churches worked to remind people of their rights when it comes to interactions with immigration agents, urging them to carry necessary documents.
The feeling of being on edge was familiar to many in Chicago, and the expected operation put a damper on the city’s usually festive Mexican Independence Day celebrations.
Church leaders said the January immigration operation in Chicago had a chilling effect on attendance at immigrant-heavy and Latino churches as people stayed home.
Clergy said they were preparing for the same in the weeks ahead.
“It feels like anything can happen at any moment,” said the Rev. Paco Amador of New Life Community Church in the predominantly Mexican Little Village neighborhood. “It would be irresponsible not to talk about this.”
The Associated Press writer Calvin Woodward contributed to this report from Washington. Churches. . .
IN this imaged released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement officers arrest Ryan Routh, the man suspected in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, Sunday, September 15, 2024.
Local health services lag despite increased LGU budgets: UCHP study exposes gaps
ARECENT study commissioned by the Unilab Center for Health Policy (UCHP) sheds light on a critical issue in the country’s journey towards universal health care: the effective utilization of local health budgets by local government units. While LGUs are allocating significant funds to devolved health programs, the study reveals that they need clearer guidance, technical assistance, and stronger intergovernmental coordination from national agencies to maximize the impact of these investments. (Read the BusinessMirror story: “More money for health, but services fall short,” September 7, 2025).
The study, conducted by the Ateneo School of Government, examined the budget practices of several LGUs, highlighting both progress and persistent challenges. On the one hand, LGU health spending is on the rise, with budgets increasing by as much as 5 percent. This demonstrates a commitment to prioritizing health at the local level. However, the study also reveals that municipalities remain heavily reliant on the National Tax Allocation (NTA), with limited resources available for actual health operations and programs after covering personnel costs.
Dr. Maria Eufemia C. Yap, the Senior Research Fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center who spearheaded the research, explains that a disconnect between national guidelines and local realities often results in plans that fail to address emerging health needs. Weak monitoring and local council dynamics further complicate budget approvals and accountability. To address these challenges, it is crucial for the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and other relevant agencies to enhance LGUs’ Public Financial Management competency. Promoting financial accountability and aligning national and local priorities will ensure that health resources are spent effectively and benefit the people.
John Basa, UCHP Program Director, rightly emphasizes the urgent need for stronger technical support and policy guidance from government agencies such as the DBM, the Department of Finance’s Bureau of Local Government Finance, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Health. Furthermore, Congress should examine whether current legislation truly encourages genuine and sustainable spending on health at the LGU level.
The UCHP study assists policymakers in effectively managing local health budgets. It’s commendable that a private sector initiative supports our goals for universal healthcare. In addition to improving LGU health spending, the UCHP has also commissioned a study on expanding PhilHealth’s services to include supplemental insurance coverage. This is a welcome initiative, as it aligns with the Universal Health Care Act’s mandate to provide comprehensive healthcare protection to all Filipinos. By learning from the experiences of other countries and developing a clear framework for optional supplemental benefits, PhilHealth can ensure that its future packages address the most urgent health needs while maintaining financial sustainability.
The UCHP’s 2025 policy agenda rightly focuses on addressing the persistent issue of high out-of-pocket payments for healthcare. Atty. Jose Maria A. Ochave, executive director of the Unilab Foundation, highlighted a troubling reality: “Filipino families spend half a trillion pesos on health care, yet local government health expenditures still fall behind. If these gaps are not resolved, universal health care will remain just a promise—something pleasant to hear but largely unfelt by most.”
The health of our citizens is the true wealth of our nation. It would be beneficial for the DBM, DOH, and other relevant agencies to enhance collaborations with private sector partners like the UCHP to collectively address policy gaps that impede our universal healthcare goals. A healthy population is the foundation of a strong nation, and every Filipino has a responsibility to contribute to this shared objective.
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Opinion
Demographics shape PHL’s future
MOUTSIDE
THE BOX
ANILA’S streets teem with youth. Classrooms in Iloilo buzz with energy. Call centers in Cebu hum with ambition. At first glance, the Philippines looks nothing like the aging societies of Europe or Japan. But beneath the surface, a quiet demographic shift is underway—one that could shape the nation’s future more than any election or economic plan.
The West once lectured us about overpopulation, as if our children were a threat to the planet. Now, Germany offers bonuses for babies. Japan has robots to care for its elderly. South Korea recorded a fertility rate of 0.72 in 2023, the lowest in the world. Meanwhile, the Philippines still has over 30 percent of its population under 15. The irony is unmistakable.
Yet the numbers are shifting. The Philippines’ fertility has declined from more than six children per woman in the 1960s to 2.7 in 2023. In Metro Manila and Cebu, it is even lower. We are not facing a population “collapse.” But we are witnessing transformation.
The drop in the country’s fertility is a testament to progress: to women stepping into classrooms and boardrooms, to reproductive rights becoming reality, to aspirations ris-
ing beyond survival. But progress has momentum—and momentum, once unleashed, does not pause for policy.
Yes, the population will grow for decades. But how it grows—and who it becomes—depends on decisions made today.
The United Nations projects the Philippine population will grow from 115 million today to between 134 million and 155 million by 2050. That range depends on a mere 0.3 difference in fertility per woman. Such sensitivity reveals how much demographics hinge not on grand forces, but on quiet, personal decisions—delayed marriage, career focus, and the cost of raising a child.
By 2050, Filipinos aged 65 and over are expected to rise from 5.3 percent today to around 11 percent. Modest by global standards, but in a country where only about 20 percent
of workers contribute to any form of retirement pension, even this shift strains the social fabric. Multigenerational homes still function, for now. Grandparents raise the kids. But urbanization and migration are fraying these bonds. Rural towns see fewer youth at fiestas, fewer hands for community projects. Vitality is draining, town by town. Migration sustains the economy—over 1.7 million overseas Filipino workers deployed in 2023, remitting $37.2 billion. But this is not strength. It is compensation. When nurses from Manila staff London hospitals or caregivers from Iloilo support Tokyo’s elderly, it is not just labor mobility—it is the export of our demographic advantage at significant social and emotional cost, while we still “import” the burdens of aging societies. The OECD reports an average fertility rate of 1.6 among its members in 2022. Canada admits over 400,000 immigrants annually to offset labor shortages. Yet even with open immigration policies, economies stagnate under the weight of aging populations. France, often held as a “sustainable” population model, remains below replacement level at 1.66. A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that 47 percent of childless Americans under 50 do not intend to have children. No amount of baby bonuses can overcome housing costs, job insecurity, or lifestyle desires. So what is the lesson? The Philip -
pines should not be necessarily concerned about population decline. But it must prepare for structural change. We are not Japan yet, but we are on a path that, without intervention, could lead to similar pressures with far fewer resources. Investment in education must obviously go beyond enrollment. It must ensure relevance—skills aligned with a digital, aging, world. Rural development cannot be an afterthought. Without local opportunities, youth migration will continue, hollowing out communities and overburdening cities. Social protection must expand to include informal workers, who make up 37 percent of the labor force. Pensions, healthcare, and eldercare cannot remain privileges of the formal sector. The West once feared our numbers; now they fear their own emptiness. The Philippines has time—but not infinite time—to prepare for the society it will become. Smaller Filipino families are not a threat; they are progress. Yet falling fertility means that the same aging dilemma now haunting the West is quietly approaching. Demographics is not destiny—but without deliberate action, demographic momentum, with fewer workers and more elderly, will shape our future whether we plan for it or not.
E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis provided by AAA Southeast Equities Inc.
Starmer strategist leaves Downing Street after two weeks
By Ailbhe Rea
AFORMER think-tank boss recruited to work on Keir Starmer’s reset of the UK government agenda has left his role after only two weeks.
Tom Kibasi was seconded to bolster the UK prime minister’s top team in Downing Street after a difficult first year in office, Bloomberg reported in August. Several people across government raised concerns about his appointment according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified while sharing internal discussions. Kibasi—who helped Starmer win the Labour Party leadership in 2020—left Downing Street at the end of August despite initially being expected to be there for several months.
A Bloomberg News investigation has found that while director of the Institute for Public Policy Research, Kibasi was accused in an internal report of displaying an “often aggressive communication style,” and he was criticized by the IPPR’s senior management team and the union representing staff over his alleged role in a previously unreported cash crisis at one of the country’s foremost progressive think-tanks.
In a statement to Bloomberg on Aug. 28, Kibasi said he was returning to NHS England—which manages the country’s health service—where he was named executive director for strategy in May. Kibasi said his tenure as director of the IPPR had been subject to unfair allegations, which he said he had reported to police.
Kibasi worked on a short-term project at Number 10 which has finished, a Downing Street official said.
The 43-year-old was brought in last month to work with Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, on an unnamed strategy project, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg when he was seconded. It was seen at the time as part of the preparations for a widely anticipated reset, with the prime minister attempting to reverse a stubborn drag in polling figures and sketch out a new vision for his ailing premiership.
That reset began in earnest with a raft of changes to the Downing Street
team last week, designed to increase the economic heft of Starmer’s office and boost delivery of policy promises. But the reboot was overshadowed by the investigation into the tax affairs of the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, which led to her resignation and forced a cabinet reshuffle on Friday.
Still, several people from across the Labour Party and government have questioned the judgement involved in bringing Kibasi into Downing Street just as Starmer and his team were seeking to restore confidence in their operations. Downing Street didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Under scrutiny
KIBASI took over at the IPPR in April 2016 having previously been a partner in the healthcare division at McKinsey & Co Inc. Less than a year into his role as director, a report, sent to Kibasi, by a group representing women in the IPPR referred to his “confrontational, often aggressive communication style” and referenced an instance of him being “physically angry.” It also referred to “gender issues” and “the Director’s aggressive and dismissive tone with women.”
Lawyers for Kibasi told Bloomberg that a 2017 investigation by the charity’s trustees found that his “commu-
nication style was an area for improvement, but it was categorically found that there were no grounds for concern about our client’s conduct.” They also stated that during Kibasi’s time at the IPPR “more women were appointed, promoted and received merit payments than men” and the charity’s gender pay gap “turned positive” for the first time. In May 2017, staff discovered a cashflow projection, seen by Bloomberg, which stated that the IPPR needed to make savings of £600,000 ($810,000), projecting cuts of £75,000 a month. “IPPR is in serious breach of its reserve policy, such that the present cash balance presents a serious risk to the Institute’s viability,” the staff union said in a statement to trustees in May 2017. “We understand that significant in-year savings will need to be made.”
“The external fundraising challenge is insufficient to fully explain the recent and rapid deterioration in IPPR’s cash position,” the statement added, expressing concern that Kibasi had “not taken due care to understand IPPR’s finances” and described him as “ignoring warnings and advice” around the organization’s deteriorating financial position.
John Mangun
Copyright of paintings in ‘Beyond the Bar’
VDennis Gorecho
Kuwentong Peyups
INCENT VAN GOGH once said: “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”
In the Philippines, the Intellectual Property Code (IP Code) states that copyright for paintings is protected for the author’s lifetime plus 50 years, starting automatically from the moment of creation without registration, after which they enter the public domain.
Artists have exclusive economic rights to reproduce, authorize, or prevent use of their work.
Copyright infringement of a painting is the unauthorized reproduction or use of the work, and it is punishable by imprisonment and significant fines, with penalties increasing for subsequent offenses.
Episode 5 of the Netflix series “Beyond the Bar” touched upon the issue of copyright in relation to the works of two artists—Ryu Gwanmo for “Fiesta” and Jeong-hye for “Amusement Park.”
Both artists’ work look very similar and are almost spitting images of one another, but the crux of the case rests on whether one is a derivative work of the other or not.
Gwan-mo’s “Fiesta” was sold for 300 million won while Joeng-hye’s Amusement Park was bought six months earlier in a flea market for only 1/3 of the price.
Neophyte lawyer Kang Hyo-min (Jung Chae-yeon) of Yullim law firm must prove that her client, Jeong-hye, is the original artist.
When Gwan-mo took the stand, he confidently talks about Fiesta, its influences and the drip and matiere techniques used to create this work.
It was when Hyo-Min was presenting Jeong Hye that the latter’s intellectual disability surfaced, that her brain is that of a 13-year-old, but her body is that of a 22-year-old.
Hyo Min discovered that Jeong Hye is tetrachromatic, which means she can see more colors than the average person, so she can paint with those colors without needing darkness around her.
Jeong-Hye had a hidden message in her paintings in fluorescent colors, one that nobody could see with the naked eye. Her father’s images were hidden in all her paintings because her mother didn’t want her to talk about her father after he abandoned them when she was age 12.
Hyo-Min asks Ryu if he had something hidden in his painting, and he says no.
Hyo-Min makes the room dark and shows everyone the hidden drawing of Hyo-Min’s father in both paintings.
Despite his admission being a fraud and copying her painting, Ryu refuses to apologize to Jeong Hye because of his big ego.
Episode 5 highlights intellectual disability, how it doesn’t hamper creativity, and how people can take advantage of it.
Art has always been a weapon of expression on different struggles.
“When the truth is under siege,
The charity made several redundancies following the discovery of the cash shortfall. Kibasi’s response to concerns was “excessively defensive, and at times aggressive,” the statement added, saying that women employees in particular were concerned about his communication style.
The IPPR’s union committee subsequently organized a vote of noconfidence in Kibasi in May 2017, in which 44 members of staff took part. Records show the charity had 46 permanent staff members in March 2017. Kibasi lost the vote after 70.45 percent of staff supported the motion.
The think-tank’s senior man -
Opinion
Deductibility of ordinary and necessary expenses
Uthe arts become our second line of defense because it is so difficult for the fabricators of lies and revisionism to twist artistic expression,” according to visual artist Toym Imao in an interview. He is now the Dean of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines and my contemporary during college days as part of the UP SAMASA.
Imao said he only moves within the confines of what he can do as an artist, using his art as a weapon against lies, deception and suppression. But he does not do it alone, as he collaborates and allies himself with other artists who also share the same convictions.
“You can suppress expression, but eventually, like water, it will find a path and it will flow no matter what,” Imao said.
Imao said that artworks like paintings can trigger discourse, or “it can just prick at the emotions.”
“My works are just my simple and humble contribution. It depends on how it would register on people. If they will move, good. If not we’ll try harder and we’ll try to convince the next day and the next day after that,” Imao said.
Episode 5 of Beyond the Bar could have also touched upon the issue of royalties of an artist in the sale and resale of their works.
Section 200 of the IP Code mandates that “in every sale or lease of an original work of painting or sculpture or of the original manuscript of a writer or composer, subsequent to the first disposition thereof by the author, the author or his heirs shall have an inalienable right to participate in the gross proceeds of the sale or lease to the extent of five percent. This right shall exist during the lifetime of the author and for 50 years after his death.”
Resale Rights shall apply to the sale or lease of an author’s original works of painting, sculpture or manuscript subsequent to the first disposition thereof by the author.
However, resale rights will not apply to: (1) prints, etchings, engravings, works of applied art, and works of a similar kind wherein the author primarily derives gain from the proceeds of reproductions; and (2) subsequent sales made between private individuals without the participation of an art market professional and those which are made by individuals to public museums.
Peyups is the moniker of the University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@ sapalovelez.com or call 0917-502580.
agement team formally registered no-confidence in Kibasi as director. Writing to the trustees, they said they saw “significant risk to the organization should the director remain in his current role,” referring to issues with staff morale and retention, as well as “wider leadership, organizational and stakeholder management issues.”
Yet Kibasi remained at the IPPR. Ara Darzi—then a Labour member of the House of Lords, who conducted a report into the NHS for Wes Streeting, the health secretary, last year—offered a £48,000 donation to the IPPR on condition that Kibasi kept his position, according to an unsigned and undated copy of the funding agreement, seen by Bloomberg. It said: “this donation shall be repayable in full in the
Atty. Rodel C. Unciano
TAX LAW FOR BUSINESS
NDER the Tax Code, for the purpose of determining the taxable income subject to tax, there shall be allowed as deduction from gross income all the ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred in the development, management, operation and/or conduct of the trade, business or exercise of a profession of a taxpayer such as reasonable allowance for salaries and wages and other forms of compensation for personal services, reasonable allowance for travel expenses, reasonable allowance for entertainment and recreation expenses, and reasonable allowance for rentals and other payments that are required for the continued use or possession of the trade, business or profession of the taxpayer.
In Revenue Memorandum Circu-
lar 81-2025, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), citing existing court decisions, laid down the conditions for the deductibility of business expenses from gross income, as follows: 1) the expense must be ordinary and necessary; 2) the expense must be paid or incurred within the taxable year; 3) the expense must have been paid or incurred in carrying on or which are directly attributable to the development, management, operation and/or conduct of the trade, business or exercise of a profession; and 4) the expense must be supported by invoices, records or other pertinent papers. Therefore, for an expense to be deductible, the same should be ordinary and necessary. And it must be reasonable, among other requirements. Except for a few items, there has been no exact formula under the Tax Code on what constitutes ordi-
nary and necessary as well as what is considered reasonable as the operational needs of a particular business are heavily dependent upon the circumstances and the nature of the trade, business, or profession of the taxpayer.
So, what constitutes an ordinary expense? As defined in the circular, an “ordinary expense” is one that is normal, usual and customary in the type of business conducted by the taxpayer. It does not need to be habitual or recurring but should be common in the context of the business. Further, the expense must be typical and usual in relation to the business activities.
Citing existing court decisions on the matter, the circular further clarified that in determining whether a particular expense is ordinary, the size and relative proportion of expenses must be considered and should meet the further test of rea-
Except for a few items, there has been no exact formula under the Tax Code on what constitutes ordinary and necessary as well as what is considered reasonable as the operational needs of a particular business are heavily dependent upon the circumstances and the nature of the trade, business, or profession of the taxpayer.
sonableness in amount. Thus, an expense that is inordinately large cannot be considered as an ordinary expense even if it is necessary. And if an expense nearly equaled half of the total claimed expenses, it may be considered as inordinately large and, thus, could not be considered “ordinary,” even if it might be “necessary” for the taxpayer’s marketing strategy.
On the other hand, a “necessary expense” is one that is appropriate and helpful for the development of the taxpayer’s business. The expense should be directly connected and proximately resulting from carrying on the business and must contribute to the generation of income or profit or minimizing a loss. Thus, expenditures not directly related to the earnings of the business within the Philippines are not deductible. The expense must be necessary or integral to the income-generating activities of the business.
So, therefore, a luxury service vehicle may not be ordinary and necessary for a certain type of business, say a construction company, but may be ordinary and necessary for another type of business, say, a travel agency catering to high-end tourists.
So also, bribes, kickbacks, and other similar payments may be necessary to accomplish a business purpose, but the same is not ordinary. So, it cannot be claimed as deduction for tax purposes even if the same was actually incurred in carrying out the taxpayer’s business. Incidentally, by express provisions of the Tax Code, no deduction from gross income shall be allowed for any payment made, directly or indirectly, to an official or employee of the national government, any local government unit, government-owned or controlled corporation, representative of a foreign government, or to a private corporation, general professional partnership, or a similar entity, if the payment constitutes a bribe or kickback. I hope the provisions of the circular would be implemented with caution and in accordance with the spirit of the cited court decisions. The decisions are anchored on the specific facts surrounding the case and therefore should only serve as mere guidelines and will not serve as absolute formula in the determination of what is considered ordinary and necessary as the need of a particular business is necessarily different from the need of the others.
The author is a partner of Du-Baladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law) (www.bdblaw. com.ph).
The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal, or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported, therefore, by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at rodel.unciano@ bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 local 380.
New Thai PM’s seasoned cabinet picks may reassure investors
By Suttinee Yuvejwattana
NEW Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s key cabinet choices may be seen as a reassuring signal by investors who have long been frustrated by the nation’s frequent bouts of political turmoil.
Anutin, who announced key posts even before he received the customary royal endorsement, said he took swift action because his commitment to call a fresh election within four months means there’s little time to waste. That may help turn things around in Thailand, where the benchmark stock index is Asia’s worst performer this year—it’s down almost 10 percent, while MSCI’s Asia-Pacific gauge is up 18 percent—and foreign investors have pulled out a net $2.5 billion.
The Thai baht has gained about 6 percent this year, helped by broad dollar weakness and a rally in gold.
The currency rose 0.1 percent to 32.04 to a dollar on Monday.
“The Thai stock market could take the news positively since the list of incoming ministers are all outsiders with real experience and ability,” said Poon Panichpibool, a market strategist at Krung Thai Bank Pcl in Bangkok. “But I don’t think we’ll see a big rally until there’s clarity on the full cabinet lineup and the new government’s policies, especially on the economy.”
Anutin moved quickly to stitch together an unlikely alliance of pro-es-
event that the employment of IPPR’s director Tom Kibasi ends before 30th September 2018.” Darzi didn’t respond to a request for comment. The IPPR confirmed the donation, but denied that it was linked to Kibasi’s continued employment at the charity.
The IPPR said its trustees had “conducted a thorough investigation” into the complaints against Kibasi and found that while he “had a tendency to brusqueness in his communication style that this was not gendered in any way and found no grounds for concern about his conduct.”
It added that during Kibasi’s time in charge the “IPPR’s financial position greatly improved.”
“I have been subject to a very distressing campaign of harassment
tablishment parties and the biggest pro-democracy group to claim power.
The conservative politician with royalist credentials tapped seasoned bureaucrat Ekniti Nitithanprapas as finance minister and Auttapol Rerkpiboon, a former chief executive of energy giant PTT Pcl, to run the energy ministry. He also nominated veteran diplomat Sihasak Phuangketkeow as foreign minister.
The choice of Ekniti as finance minister will “ensure continuity during the government’s short tenure, rather than bringing in someone new to the role,” according to Burin Adulwattana, managing director and chief economist of Kasikorn Research Center Co.
Anutin swept to power after a political drama that followed the court dismissal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra for ethical misconduct. The turmoil was the latest headwind for an economy already buffeted by the highest household debt in Southeast Asia, a downturn in its vital tourism sector and the blow from US tariffs. Thailand’s economy is projected to grow about 2 percent this year—less than half the pace forecast for regional peers
where false and malicious rumors are spread to journalists and to others that claim I was accused of serious misconduct at the IPPR,” Kibasi said in the August 28 statement, adding that trustees had found the claims to be “wholly false.”
Lawyers working for Kibasi subsequently told Bloomberg that he had been misled as to the IPPR’s financial situation by a senior colleague, as had the senior management team and staff. Kibasi left the IPPR in December 2019. Two months later, the chair of the charity’s trustees sent him a letter which “confirms that the Trustees had full confidence in our client and highlights his many achievements as director of the Institute,” according to Kibasi’s lawyer.
The IPPR and Kibasi’s lawyer both
Anutin moved quickly to stitch together an unlikely alliance of pro-establishment parties and the biggest pro-democracy group to claim power.
like Indonesia and the Philippines.
Citigroup Inc. analyst Kaseedit Choonnawat said the “market will likely react positively to new prime minister and key ministers,” while reiterating the bank’s preference for shares of “domestic tilted” companies such as CP All Pcl and Minor International Pcl.
Korn Chatikavanij, a former finance minister, lauded Ekniti’s nomination, saying on Facebook that “he’s a very good choice: clean-handed, knows the job, and a true insider at the Finance Ministry.” But “with such limited time, no one can solve every problem,” he said.
Krung Thai Bank’s Poon expects the ministries of commerce and finance, along with the Bank of Thailand, to “work hand-in-hand to fix the current pressing economic problems by coordinating fiscal and monetary policies.”
Vitai Ratanakorn, a seasoned banker, is set to take over as BOT governor next month.
Still, outgoing BOT governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput said last week that monetary policy is constrained with rates at multiyear lows. He also warned that Thailand’s
refused to share the letter from the chair of trustees with Bloomberg.
Starmer’s ‘architect’
KIBASI, has said that he was “one of the strategic architects of Starmer’s successful leadership campaign” in 2020. He and Starmer discussed plans for how best to position the politician to replace Jeremy Corbyn, and was also part of the so-called “Arlington Group”, which plotted Starmer’s leadership bid, according to Get In, a book by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund. He was not, however, given a permanent role with the party following Starmer’s victory in 2020. A senior Labour official told colleagues that he wasn’t given a job due to concerns around his style, according to two people familiar with the matter.
credit rating faces risks without fiscal consolidation and reduced political uncertainty. The BOT has cut the benchmark interest rate by a cumulative 100 basis points since last October to 1.5 percent. Economists largely forecast one quarter-point BOT rate cut by year-end, with some predicting more, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Anutin’s ability to focus on economic policy is likely to be constrained by both limited time and his party’s minority status in parliament, said Tim Leelahaphan, a Bangkok-based economist at Standard Chartered Plc. He expects the economic agenda to be driven primarily by monetary policy, rather than fiscal initiatives, and forecasts a non-consensus call for a 50 basis point rate cut in October.
The baht will continue to be influenced by more global factors, according to Poon and Malayan Banking Bhd.
“We do not expect a sustained impact on the currency from the political situation,” said Alan Lau, a strategist at Maybank in Singapore. “The budget has already been passed, giving some clarity for the economic outlook. The baht is looking to be more driven by broad dollar and gold price movements.” With assistance from Patpicha Tanakasempipat, Thomas Kutty Abraham, Matthew Burgess and Eduard Gismatullin/Bloomberg
A year after Starmer took control of Labour, Kibasi wrote in The Guardian newspaper that: “If Starmer were to depart as leader tomorrow, he would not leave a trace of a meaningful political project in his wake. “Our client neither applied nor put himself forward for consideration for any Labour Party role,” Kibasi’s lawyer said. After leaving the IPPR, Kibasi worked in NHS Trusts, until being appointed by Streeting to help write a 10year plan for the NHS—which among other things calls for restoration of “rigorous financial discipline”—in February. He stepped back as lead author after some in government were underwhelmed by the first draft, according to the Financial Times. Bloomberg
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Chiz out, Sotto returns amid fallout from floods scandal
SENATE
By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM
Minority Leader Vicente C.
Sotto III was installed Monday as the new Senate President, returning to the position he had held remarkably well during the difficult days of the pandemic.
He replaced Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who had come under fire after his name was linked to one of the high-profile contractors widely denounced amid the scandal of substandard and ghost flood-control projects amid massive flooding.
All 24 senators were present when Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada—who was presiding after the post of Senate President was declared vacant—announced Sotto as the new chief of the chamber, there being no other nominations.
The senators also picked Sotto’s close political comrade and reputed budget sleuth Panfilo “Ping” Lacson as the new Senate President Pro Tempore. He replaced Estrada. Sotto had run as Lacson’s run-
ning mate when the latter ran for President in the 2025 elections. Both lost.
Sen. Loren Legarda called Lacson “incorruptible” as she seconded the motion to nominate Lacson. No other nominees were named.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri was also selected as the new majority leader, replacing Sen. Joel Villanueva.
Sotto’s vow IN his acceptance speech, Sotto vowed to “do everything in my capacity to ensure that this Senate will remain cooperative but independent, balanced, transparent and sincere.”
He noted that, “Corruption is now perceived by our people to be in
the whole of government. But with the political will of those in position and together with the vigilance and clamor from the public, we can fight this and bring transparency and true accountability that our nation deserves.”
He thanked Escudero and his “colleagues, who reposed their trust
and confidence in me and in my capability to again lead this august chamber at this crucial and challenging time.”
The people, he noted, are “enraged” by the “corruption that is now seen, heard and felt by the Filipinos more than ever. The failed
FISH UNLOADING VOLUME UP 10% IN JULY, HALF IN GENSAN
By Ada Pelonia @adapelonia
THE country’s fish unloading volume grew by 10 percent in July, according to the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA).
In its latest briefer, the PFDA said the fish unloading volume in the reference month rose to 56,008 metric tons (MT) from the 50,862 MT posted in the same period last year.
The General Santos Fish Port Complex accounted for over half of the total unloading record delivered to consumers in July at 32,812 MT. This was higher than the 25,205 MT recorded in the previous year.
PFDA noted that the Navotas Fish Port Complex, the largest RFP in the country, trailed behind as it unloaded 17,482 MT of fish. However, this was lower than the 17,765 MT of fish products delivered to consumers in the same period last year. For its Luzon ports, the agency said the Lucena Fish Port Complex unloaded 1,086 MT of fish products in July, which was lower than the previous year’s 1,793.07 MT due to the inclement weather.
The Bulan Fish Port Complex delivered 1,050 MT of fish, according to the agency. It delivered 1,785 MT of fish products in the same period last year.
The PFDA said the sole port in the Visayas—Iloilo Fish Port Complex— managed to supply 2,797 MT of fish to consumers in July, albeit lower than the
3,053 MT last year due to the Hagabat or southwest monsoon.
Meanwhile, the country’s Mindanao ports—Zamboanga Fish Port Complex and Davao Fish Port Complex—supplied 613 MT and 149 MT of fish, respectively.
The agency also said the Sual Fish Port delivered 16 MT of fish products in the reference month.
Earlier, the Department of Agriculture (DA) issued Memorandum Orders (MO) that allowed the Philippines to import fish and aquatic products, aimed at ensuring a stable supply amid successive typhoons and the upcoming closed fishing season. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed
lated the guidelines on the implementation of the certificate of necessity to import (CNI) 55,000 MT of frozen
By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie
CLAIMING that “this is not a clash of institutions,” the House of Representatives on Monday affirmed that its primary responsibility in tackling the proposed 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) is to safeguard transparency and accountability in public spending, not to pass blame over alleged budget irregularities.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez issued the statement after some party leaders earlier pushed for the return of the NEP to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), citing errors and questionable allocations. The chamber’s leadership, however, has since decided to continue deliberations instead of sending the budget proposal back to the executive branch.
“On behalf of the House of Representatives, I thank President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his understanding and his call for calm. We also acknowledge the dedicated work of the Cabinet in preparing the National Expenditure Program,” Romualdez said.
“If our deliberations have caused any discomfort, we ask for understanding. The House’s duty is not to cast blame but to ensure that every peso in the budget is transparent, accountable, and truly for the people,” he added. Romualdez stressed that lawmakers are also subject to scrutiny and must begin by “putting our own House in order.”
“ Walang exempted— kasama kami diyan [we are included there]. At the same time, we stand firm in our partnership with the Executive, under the leadership of the President, to strengthen the budget process and to make sure that government resources are used wisely and well,” he said.
The Speaker emphasized that the ongoing debates should not be seen as a conflict between
branches of government. “This is not a clash of institutions. It is a partnership in accountability and service,” he noted, adding that the House remains united with the President and his Cabinet in restoring public trust and producing a “credible, acceptable, and beneficial” national budget.
Earlier, Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin admonished lawmakers to “clean their own house first” instead of shifting blame to Malacañang regarding alleged anomalies in the Department of Public Works and Highways’ flood control project allocations under the NEP. Bersamin warned that investigations would be meaningless if lawmakers failed to address corruption from within and urged Congress to heed the public’s call for full accountability.
In pushing to return the proposed 2026 NEP to the DBM, Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno of Antipolo branded the budget plan as “poorly made,” citing allocations for infrastructure projects that were already completed.
House Appropriations Committee chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing recently clarified that the lower chamber will not return the NEP to the DBM, despite earlier calls from some party leaders. “The matter has already been settled,” Suansing said, stressing that the House would continue its scrutiny to ensure that every allocation is justified.
By Lorenz S. Marasigan
THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) have forged closer ties with social media and e-commerce platforms to curb what officials described as the “ill effects” of the digital space, including scams, counterfeit sales, child exploitation, and deepfakes.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the move came after a series of escalations involving online harms, which prompted engagements with platforms and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
“The president instructed us to eliminate or minimize the social harm that is brought
about by the use of social media,” Aguda said in a press briefing on Monday. “In order for us to have a more vibrant and safe digital environment, we need to remove these online harms.”
Aguda noted that the DICT, through the CICC, has already been exercising its takedown authority over illicit sites, particularly illegal gambling operations.
“Fifty-three thousand e-sabong sites have already been taken down,” he said, referring to the online cockfighting platforms that proliferated during the pandemic. “This is the take-down powers of DICT-CICC. When we see stuff like that, we can already take down the URL.”
Online sabong, or cockfighting, was banned by President Marcos in 2022 after public outcry
over its social costs, including reports of addiction, indebtedness, and cases of criminality linked to operators.
Despite the ban, many sites continued to operate illegally, prompting regulators to ramp up enforcement.
Aguda said the takedown of these platforms illustrates the scale of the government’s fight against online harms. CICC Executive Director Aboy Paraiso said the government has adopted a “zero tolerance policy” in coordination with digital platforms. “This is a collaboration [against] all forms of social media harms. Whether scams or illegal marketing, child
Tulfo,
Tulfo,
Dela
and Sherwin Gatchalian.
present were
Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, former Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara, and former Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, who was later cited in contempt for evasive answers
DOMINGO
TIDE TURNS IN SENATE Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III takes his oath as the new Senate President during the session at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on September 8, 2025. Outgoing Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who administered the oath, lost his post amid controversies, including his alleged links to contractors involved in the government’s flood-control projects. ROY DOMINGO
See “Chiz,” A10
SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez
Editor: Jennifer A. Ng
Companies
BusinessMirror
B1 Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Calax project, hotel in Pasig expand EEI portfolio—exec
By VG Cabuag @villygc
CONSTRUCTION company EEI
Corp. on Monday said its total project wins in the third quarter alone reached P19.1 billion after it bagged new contracts.
The company said it has been awarded the construction of CaviteLaguna Expressway (Calax) Subsection 1 in Kawit, Cavite and Megaworld Corp.’s Arcovia Hotel in Pasig. The company’s total backlog or unworked portion of existing contracts as of end-August is at P39.24 billion.
MPCALA Holdings Inc. recently awarded to EEI the construction of selected sections of Calax Subsection 1 in Kawit, Cavite. It is a P2.7-billion project which covers the construction of the roadway, drainage systems and related structures.
Once completed, Calax is expected to significantly improve connectivity between Cavite and Laguna, easing traffic congestion and supporting regional economic growth.
“These new project wins mark a significant turnaround for EEI, reflecting our resilience, competitiveness in the industry, and renewed growth momentum. More than expanding our portfolio, this infrastructure and building projects reaffirm our commitment to nationbuilding by helping drive economic growth, enabling connectivity, and
delivering facilities that uplift the lives of our people and our communities,” said EEI Senior Vice President and head of commercial and operations Anna Payawal-Figuera.
In the hospitality sector, EEI secured a contract with Megaworld for the construction of Arcovia Hotel.
The scope of work includes civil, structural, and architectural finishing including painting and waterproofing works.
“Backed by a healthy pipeline of projects, EEI looks forward to sustaining its growth trajectory and further contributing to the country’s development and economic growth.”
The company regained its momentum this year after incurring a significant loss at the end of 2024, which were significantly brought about by provisions for claims associated with the prolonged lockdowns during the pandemic.
During these periods, EEI prioritized the safety and well-being of its people above all else and continued
to pay full wages, food and lodging to active employees despite the prolonged work stoppages.
Its financial statement indicated that it closed 2024 with a consolidated net loss of P4.41 billion.
“In 2024, EEI undertook its second year of process restructuring and transformation agenda. The year proved to be most challenging as reflected in the financial results that show the impact of problematic legacy projects that were obtained and started in previous years. This is most evident in its overseas joint venture, Al Rushaid Construction Co. Ltd.”
For 2024, the consolidated revenues of the group reached P13.63 billion, 28 percent lower than the P18.75 billion generated in 2023.
“Meanwhile, overall cost of sales totaled P13.26 billion, which is 9 percent lower than the P14.52 billion in 2023. This resulted in a 92-percent reduction in overall gross profits, from P4.23 billion in 2023 to P367 million in 2024.”
Aboitiz, JERA open training facility
ABy Lenie Lectura @llectura
BOITIZ Power Corp. and JERA Co. Inc. are expanding their partnership by setting up a training facility in Batangas that will serve as a hub for developing world-class technical talent across both companies to support the broader power generation industry. They launched on Monday the Global Technical Center of Excellence (GTCOE), a training facility located at the LIMA Commercial Center, LIMA Estate in Batangas.
The center will provide operation and management (O&M) education and hands-on training at AboitizPower-affiliated facilities GNPower Mariveles Energy Center and GNPower Dinginin.
The GTCOE will function as a platform for technical training and knowledge-sharing, developing well-rounded professionals with strong technical expertise, leadership, adaptability, and interpersonal skills. To broaden its reach
Maynilad inks supply deal with MPower
EST Zone concessionaire
WMaynilad Water Services, Inc. has signed a new agreement with Manila Electric Co.’s (Meralco) local retail electricity supplier, MPower, to deliver power to its Poblacion Water Treatment Plant in Muntinlupa City and 54 other water and wastewater facilities. Under the agreement, Poblacion WTP—Maynilad’s newest water treatment facility—has been enrolled in the Retail Electricity Supply (RES) program, where MPower will provide an energy mix of 90 percent non-renewable and 10 percent renewable power. MPower will also work with Maynilad to manage the plant’s energy use in preparation for a future increase in renewable share. In addition, 54 Maynilad facilities—including pump stations, reservoirs, and wastewater treatment plants—are now part of MPower’s Retail Aggregation Program (RAP), which enables the bulk purchase of electricity and consolidation of accounts for greater operational efficiency.
and impact, the GTCOE plans to onboard and foster partnerships with academia, industry groups, government, and international organizations.
“The first batch actually will be starting next week, 15th of September. We’ll be roughly 12 from JERA and six coming from AP [AboitizPower]. We have another batch that will be coming in November. That will be a bigger batch, more or less around 32 students and that will be distributed almost equally between JERA and AP.
The intention is to host a number of training programs across the year and what we will do is as we mature this facility we will expand the offer across the industry,” said AboitizPower Chief Engineering and Projects Officer Don Paulino.
He said the training period varies from a couple of weeks to a few months. Local and global certifications will also be handed out. The long-term objective of the GTCOE is to “build strong professional networks, and strengthen long-term
collaboration and a trustworthy relationship between the Philippines and Japan through technical cooperation and mutual technical talent development initiatives.”
“For us, what we want to do is to make it sustainable and also make the people that will be joining Aboitiz and JERA more diverse and sustainable across the regions but also across the timeline that will be working,” added Paulino.
The partnership between the two firms began in December 2021 when JERA Asia, a subsidiary of JERA, acquired a 27-percent equity in AboitizPower.
Paulino said Monday that both firms are “doing a number of collaboration not just training but also developing other projects within the Philippines but also outside the Philippines.”
When asked to elaborate, Paulino said it is too early to discuss future collaboration between the two. “I think it’s difficult to be definitive at this point. For me, as a company, what Aboitiz is looking at is really
looking into a much broader perspective on this business.
As you know, Philippines is a major part of Aboitiz Power, but if you want to continue to expand and grow, it’s really to also grow internationally. And that’s why JERA continues to be a big part of that ecosystem where we partner.”
AboitizPower and JERA are also collaborating on initiatives to jointly explore fuel ammonia substitution in coal-fired power plants and the development of hydrogen and ammonia supply chains in the Philippines.
“JERA and AboitizPower have built a strong trusted partnership grounded in shared values and a common commitment to the future of energy in the region. The GTCOE represents a natural extension of this collaboration, focused on exchanging knowledge, developing energy talent, and creating lasting value for the broader energy ecosystem,” said JERA Corporate Vice President and Chief O&M Engineering Officer Tetsuya Watabe.
Court fines JRL Kwarta employees
THE regional trial court in Pangasinan has penalized five employees of JRL Kwarta Trading Co. for their engagement in unauthorized solicitation of investments from the public, following a case build-up led by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In a judgement promulgated last August 26, the Branch 56 of the Regional Trial Court of San Carlos City, Pangasinan found employees of JRL Kwarta Trading Co.’s Maritonie Dela Cruz Padlan, Maria Lyka Resuello Caguioa, Cindy Favia Muñoz, Jericho Caguioa Mateo and Nelson De Guzman Pagdanganan, guilty for violation of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC). The court directed the employees to pay a fine of P150,000 each, or a P50,000 fine for each violation, with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency. The SRC prohibits the offering and selling of securities without a registration statement filed with and approved by the SEC.
According to the lower court, the employees have individually entered a guilty plea to all charges, adding that they have understood the nature of the charges against them, as well as their consequences.
“Considering the spontaneous and voluntary plea of guilt of the five accused to all charges, the court finds no legal impediment to rendering judgement based thereon,” it said.
The case stemmed from an investigation led by the SEC’s En -
forcement and Investor Protection Department following a post made by JRL Kwarta Trading, a company owned and operated by Joshua Lacayan.
The post contained an advertisement of the company’s supposed “profit schedule adjustment” related to its payout schemes, allegedly to entice the public to invest in the program.
Upon further investigation, the SEC found that the company offers a crypto investment scheme that requires a minimum investment of P30,000, promising investors with monthly release of profits, without the necessary license from the SEC. JRL Kwarta Trading claims that the funds collected from investors will be used in cryptocurrency trading.
The SEC said coordinated with the Philippine National PoliceAnti-Cybercrime Group for further investigation and the conduct of an entrapment operation on May 13, resulting in the arrest of the five employees. VG Cabuag
STEELASIA Manufacturing Corp. said it aims to reduce its reliance on imported raw materials and tap local sources by 2028, a move that could help the country’s steel industry generate some 18,000 jobs, according to one of its senior executives.
Rafael Hidalgo, the company’s chief operating officer, told reporters on the sidelines of Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) factory visit last Thursday in Meycauayan that the steel maker is currently importing 80 percent of its materials while the rest comes from local sources.
“Today, we mostly import raw materials from China. Equipment is mostly from Europe. Because of that move, 80 percent imported, 20 percent domestic kami ngayon. We’re going to reverse this. We’re going to do 80 percent we make our own, 20 percent imported. That’s the plan, by 2028.”
The SteelAsia official said this is possible given that the ongoing expansions across its six mills nationwide are on track to be completed by 2028 or by the end of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
According to Hidalgo, the steel maker’s P10-billion Compostela mill in Cebu started operations last year while the P20-billion Lemery plant in Batangas is set to begin its operations next year.
SteelAsia’s P30-billion facility in Candelaria, Quezon is expected to commence its operations in late 2027 or early 2028. A year after, the Concepcion mill which costs around P17 billion, will also start operations.
For his part, Benjamin O. Yao, CEO of SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp., said the Philippine steel sector has a long way to go before it is fully developed.
“As I kept on repeating, we still don’t have the steel industry. What we have is just rebar industry.” In the firm’s pursuit to reduce its dependence on imported products, Hildalgo said SteelAsia will try try to cover the long products or the products used in construction.
“So these are H-beams, Ibeams, large angles, large channels, wire rod. We’ll try to cover that. We’ll also try to integrate backwards into steelmaking from scrap, recycling,” he told reporters in an interview. Andrea E. San Juan
More Than 25,000 Sign Up for Socialized Housing Units Under Expanded 4PH
OVER 25,000 Filipino workers have signed up to express interest in purchasing socialized housing units through the Pag-IBIG Housing Loan under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, just three months after Pag-IBIG Fund rolled out its 4PH Online Registration system in June 2025, officials announced Friday, Sept. 5. This early success reflects strong demand and high interest among Filipino workers in securing affordable homeownership through the Marcos administration’s flagship housing initiative.
The Expanded 4PH Program, which now includes house-and-lot units in subdivision developments in addition to previously available vertical condominium projects, currently features socialized housing developments in key areas such as Caloocan City, Cavite, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Pampanga, Ilocos Norte, Bacolod, Zamboanga, and Davao. With more projects underway, even more Filipino workers are expected to benefit in the coming months.
“The high number of registrants in such a short span of time clearly reflects the need of Filipino workers and their families for affordable homeownership,” said Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling, who also chairs the PagIBIG Fund Board of Trustees.
“This user-friendly, transparent, and corruption-free digital solution under the Expanded 4PH Program allows us to bring homeownership within reach. The tool also helps us match the growing demand with the available housing inventory, and eventually with the more than 251,000 socialized housing units committed by the private sector. This forms part of our many efforts to move us closer in fulfilling President Marcos’ vision of providing Filipino families with safe, decent, and secure homes under a Bagong Pilipinas,” Aliling said.
Pag-IBIG Fund’s Expanded 4PH Online Sign-Up Facility is a mobileoptimized platform that allows members to browse available socialized housing projects, view unit photos, compute estimated monthly
payments, and monitor their registration status in real time. Once a member registers through the system, Pag-IBIG Fund conducts a preliminary assessment based on membership status, income, and other eligibility criteria. The registrant’s information is then transmitted to the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) for further validation. After completing eligibility checks, the potential homebuyer's details are endorsed to the partner developer of the selected project to facilitate the housing loan and home purchase process.
“We developed this online registration system with our members' convenience in mind. It now allows them to easily explore housing options and indicate their interest, so we can reach out and assist them in completing their application. This further supports Secretary Aliling's push for full digitalization in the housing sector, a key component of his 8-Point Agenda,” said PagIBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene C. Acosta. “At Pag-IBIG Fund, we have always embraced digital transformation as a means of making our services better and more responsive to our members’ needs. Through this facility, first-time homebuyers can now begin their journey to homeownership with just a few clicks.” Acosta also urged eligible members to take advantage of Pag-IBIG Fund’s ongoing Early Bird Promo, which offers a special 3% subsidized housing loan rate fixed for 10 years for the first 30,000 qualified borrowers under the Pag-IBIG Housing Loan for the Expanded 4PH. Under the Pag-IBIG Housing Loan for the
Banking&Finance
Govt take from tax on vape products at YoY high
By Reine Juvierre Alberto @reine_alberto
EXCISE taxes collected from vape products soared by more than sevenfold year-on-year as of endJuly, on the back of intensified enforcement against illicit trade and the rollout of the tax stamp system.
Data obtained by the BusinessMirror showed that from January to July, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) amassed P1.729 billion in ex-
cise taxes from vape products. The collection surged by 712.04 percent from only P212.922 million the BIR raked in in the same period last year.
Strong demand marks govt debt papers’ sale
DESPITE yields of Treasury bills (T-bills) dropping for the tenth straight week last Monday, strong demand for the government securities remained strong as investors sought to park their funds before key policy rates declined further.
The auction was 6.5 times oversubscribed the P25 billion worth of debt papers up for sale, as tenders hit P156.428 billion.
Given the strong demand, the Bureau of the Treasury’s (BTr) auction committee successfully raised the full P25 billion for the national government.
For the 91-day T-bills, investors’ average yield stood at 5.046 percent, 12.7 basis points lower than the previous tender’s 5.173 percent. Yields for the promissory notes ranged from 5.000 percent to 5.104 percent.
Bids for the T-bills reached P37.225 billion, 4.3 times oversubscribed the P8.5 billion on offer, which was fully awarded. Meanwhile, tenders for the 182day T-bills averaged 5.222 percent, down by 10.1 basis points from last week’s 5.323 percent. The T-bills had rates ranging from 5.185 percent to 5.248 percent.
Demand for the 182-day tenor soared to P63.072 billion, 7.4 times oversubscribed the P8.5 billion offering that was awarded in full. Lastly, the 364-day T-bills fetched an average yield of 5.376 percent, an 8.1-percent decline from the 5.457 percent yield in the Treasury’s previous tender last September 1. Yields ranged from a high of 5.383 percent to a low of 5.373 percent.
Tenders hit P56.131 billion, 7 times the P8 billion worth of T-bills up for sale, which was raised completely. Investors’ average asking yields across all the debt papers were below the prevailing secondary market benchmark level.
The Philippine Bloomberg Valuation (PHP BVAL) rates are 5.176 percent for the three-month tenor, 5.313 percent for the six-month debt paper and 5.469 percent for the oneyear tenor as of September 8.
‘Continuing effect’
RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort attributed the decline in T-bill yields to the “continuing effect” of the widely-expected 25-basis points reduction in the local key policy rate last August 28. Ricafort further explained he sees more investors locking in yields before these go down further in the coming months. The expectations are based on signals from local monetary officials, including Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. and Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, who said another rate cut by the end of the year is possible.
In addition, there is a large P288 billion in Treasury bonds (T-bonds) maturing on September 9 that, according to Ricafort, prompted investors to reinvest their money at the current much-higher yield.
The Treasury has earlier announced dropping plans of large issuances of government securities for the rest of the year and stick with auctioning off regular T-bills and Tbonds to raise funds.
“There are also talks about possible inclusion of Philippine bonds in the JPMorgan Global Emerging Market Bond Index as early as September or October 2025,” Ricafort said, which could lead to some buying by foreign investors of some local government securities in search of higher returns.
Borrowing tack
THIS month, the Treasury will offer P25 billion in T-bills every Monday to borrow a total of P100 billion.
The government has borrowed P1.757 trillion as of the end of July, of which P1.341 trillion was sourced locally, while the remaining P415.918 billion came from foreign creditors.
The government’s outstanding debt hit a new record-high of P17.563 trillion as of end-July. This jumped by 11.9 percent from P15.689 trillion in the same period a year ago. Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
The billions in excise tax were collected from a total of 194.044 million milliliters of vape liquids, affixed with tax stamps, which were removed from the place of production or place of storage and legally entered the market. The volume of removals also rose by twelvefold year-on-year from merely 14.594 million milliliters of vape liquids.
“The increase in removals was due to the massive increase in enforcement activities against the illicit tobacco trade, cascaded to a wholeof-government approach,” BIR Assistant Commissioner Jethro M. Sabariaga told the BusinessMirror.
The BIR has filed in April P8.7-billion worth of tax evasion cases against multiple large-scale illicit vape busi-
THE top official of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) raised the “revenue-loss” flag by saying the government would be deprived of “much-needed” revenues if an outright ban on online gambling were to be imposed in the country.
A statement the Pagcor issued last Monday quoted Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco as saying he and other officials oppose a total ban on online gambling.
“We support stricter regulations to protect our people; but we are against a
By VG Cabuag @villygc
THE Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corp. (MCBL) announced it has launched a peso-denominated variable unit-linked insurance plan that gives customers to build their desired future with additional benefits including flexible payment options and investment choices.
According to the company, it developed the product, which it calls “Manulife GoalReady,” based on the findings from a sister firm’s study.
The study, titled “Manulife Asia Care Survey,” revealed that while people in the Philippines maintain an optimistic outlook on life, many lack confidence in their ability to achieve their goals.
The survey uncovered a signifi-
nesses, including those carrying the brands “Flava,” “Denkat” and “Flare.”
The BIR also filed just last month a total of 75 criminal complaints against various individuals and businesses involved in the illicit trade of vape products with a total tax liability of P711.3 million.
Sabariaga said the BIR’s enforcement activities have resulted in less market visibility and accessibility among consumers, which translates to better consumption and removals of tax-paid products.
The implementation of the tax stamp system for vape products also strengthened regulation and encouraged compliance, Sabariaga added.
The BIR has mandated that all
total ban, which will only drive players to illegal operators and result in loss of revenues and jobs,” Tengco reportedly said before industry stakeholders at the Light & Wonder iGaming Symposium on September 8.
The statement read that he also called on industry players to practice “compliance by design.” The latter includes strictly following anti-money laundering regulations, strengthening know your customer (KYC) guidelines and fully supporting Pagcor’s “responsible gaming” initiatives.
Moreover, Tengco said that Pag-
cant gap between the future wellbeing they aspire to and what they realistically expect to attain, especially in the areas of financial security, physical health and mental wellness.
“At Manulife, we are committed to helping our customers achieve their life goals confidently. Our new Manulife GoalReady plan empowers customers in the Philippines to take control of their financial future—by making their money work harder through smart diversification and consistent investing. Amid global economic and socio-political shifts, our Filipino customers can navigate financial uncertainties with a plan that can help them secure their future while maximizing investment potential,” Rahul Hora, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.) Inc., said.
vape products sold in the local market must bear internal revenue stamps by June 1, 2024, otherwise, they will be presumed to have not paid the required excise tax.
Those who violate the BIR’s order, including businessmen and possessors of illicit vape products, face criminal charges and seizure of the items.
Since then, the BIR’s excise tax take from vape products increased to P942 million from June to December 2024, after taxing 130 million milliliters of vape liquids.
“The increase in the number of removals and collections is surprising - but [we have] already predicted [this] when we prescribed the stamp system and tightened the regulatory
cor’s reforms, such as the reduction in license fee rates by up to 10 percent, have already spurred “robust growth” in the electronic-gaming sector. He said the move resulted in a 165-percent surge in gross gaming revenues (GGR) from electronic games, which climbed to P154.51 billion in 2024 from only P58.16 billion in 2023, Tengco said. In the first half of 2025 alone, the electronic games sector generated P114.83 billion in GGR. The amount exceeded revenues from land-based operations worth P93.36 billion;
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Recently, a new term was coined to describe the feeling of not having enough money: money dysmorphia.
A person suffering from money dysmorphia has a distorted view of their finances. According to a US report, nearly a third, or 29 percent, of Americans shared experiencing this. Body dysmorphia is when you look in the mirror and feel unhappy with what you see, even if you look fine. Money dysmorphia is similar, but instead of your body, it’s your wallet you’re not happy with. You could earn a decent paycheck but still feel like you’re barely scraping by. Or maybe you’ve got some sav-
ings tucked away; but you’re always worried about the future. Causes of money dysmorphia THERE are several reasons for experiencing money dysmorphia: Comparison trap. Social media can make money dysmorphia worse. Ever scroll through Instagram and see your friends posting pics of their fancy vacations or new gadgets? It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind, even if you’re doing just fine.
boosting Pagcor’s total revenues to P59 billion. Meanwhile, Tengco highlighted Pagcor’s ongoing reforms, including the agency’s separation of its regulatory and operational functions, stronger responsible gaming safeguards and stricter advertising standards.
He added that Pagcor is preparing to launch a 24/7 helpline, as well as adopting new digital tools such as the Pagcor Guarantee portal and artificial intelligence-driven monitoring systems. Reine Juvierre S. Alberto
“With life insurance coverage and flexible payment terms, Manulife GoalReady can enable customers to proactively plan toward their desired future, whether it’s preparing for early retirement, funding their children’s education, or building their dream business,” Hora added. The product offers life insurance coverage until age 99 and optional health and protection riders, ensuring comprehensive protection even in the face of disability or hospitalization. Customers can select from a range of global and local investment fund options designed to match their goals and risk profiles. Among these top-performing funds, managed by Manulife Investment Management, are Global Multi-Asset Income Fund, for income generation, and Global Market Leaders Fund, for growth and protection. Both funds have historical returns demonstrating solid track records across different risk profiles. Customers can receive a 1.75 percent bonus on their fund value from years six through 10, with continued bonuses from year 11 onwards, significantly enhancing their potential fund value growth over time. The product also offers two payment options to match customers financial capacity. Regular pay with a minimum premium of P24,000 annually, or P2,000 monthly, and 5-Pay with a minimum of P60,000 annually or P5,000 monthly.
“Through Manulife GoalReady, we aim to be Filipinos’ trusted partner in building a resilient financial future by helping them take meaningful action today,” Hora said.
Lender integrates mobile tap-to-pay feature on app
TBy Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio
HE Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP) announced having integrated a mobile tap-to-pay feature on its online application.
According to UBP Chief Marketing and Experience Officer Albert C. Cuadrante, the feature is “designed for speed, simplicity and security.”
Upon activation on the bank’s online app, the new feature enables customers to make contactless pay-
Instant gratification. We live in a world of instant everything—from fast food to one-click shopping. This can make it hard to save money because we’re always tempted to spend it now rather than wait for the future. Fear of missing out. The fear of missing out, or “FOMO,” isn’t just about missing out on parties or events; it can also apply to money. You might feel like you’re missing out on life if you’re not constantly spending money on experiences or things. Hidden costs. Ever notice how the actual cost of something is often more than just the price tag? Whether it’s interest on a loan, maintenance fees for a car, or subscription costs for streaming services, expenses can add up fast, and these feed on your fear that you might not have enough
ments using any NFC-enabled Android device linked to their UBP visa debit or credit card, read a statement issued by the lender. By tapping their phone at any Visa contactless terminal worldwide, users can complete transactions—no physical card needed, no extra steps required, it added.
We are “elevating the everyday payment experience for Filipinos,” Cuadrante was quoted as saying in the statement.
“This isn’t just a new feature— it’s a customer-first innovation that
money in the future. Mindset matters. Your mindset plays a significant role in how you handle money. If you constantly think you’ll never have enough, you might sabotage your financial success.
How to cure money dysmorphia HERE are some steps you can take to address money dysmorphia. Track your spending. Knowledge is power. Start by keeping track of where your money goes each month. This will give you a more accurate answer if you spend more than what you earn each month. If not, then that can ease some of the financial anxiety. Budget wisely. Creating a budget doesn’t mean you have to stop spending money altogether. It’s about pri-
brings security, speed, and simplicity of making payments directly via our mobile app. By making digital payments as effortless as a tap without the need to bring out the physical debit or credit card, we’re empowering our customers to move through their day with confidence and ease,” he added.
Once activated, Cuadrante said the feature can be launched directly from the app’s login screen, giving customers access within seconds through biometric authentication. Combining speed and convenience
oritizing your spending so you can enjoy the things that matter most to you while saving for the future. Set realistic goals. Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on your own financial goals. Whether it’s paying off debt, saving for a vacation, or investing for retirement, set goals that are meaningful to you.
Practice gratitude. Please take a moment each day to appreciate what you have, whether it’s a roof over your head, food on the table, or a supportive network of friends and family. Gratitude can help shift your perspective from scarcity to abundance. Seek support. If money dysmorphia affects your life, don’t be afraid to seek help. Whether confiding to a trusted friend, seeking out a
cial advisor, or talking to a mental
into a single tap, he said the UBP’s online app allows users to link or unlink their preferred debit or credit card—empowering them to tailor their payment options to their financial lifestyle.
“But it’s not just about ease of use; it’s about security, too. Each transaction is protected by Visa’s tokenization technology, which replaces sensitive card details with a unique, encrypted code. This ensures critical information remains secure and is never stored or shared with merchants,” Cuadrante said.
health professional, resources are available to help you improve your financial mindset.
Final words REMEMBER, managing your money is a journey, not a destination. It’s okay to make mistakes along the way—the important thing is to keep moving forward. It all starts with curbing money dysmorphia and building a healthier relationship with your finances.
Fitz
Art BusinessMirror
early on to pursue a behind-the-scenes career in the industry. She was more interested in curating shows, rather than headlining them. For years, Mercado did just that with Qube Gallery, promoting Cebuano artists to the country and the world.
In 2022, the first domino that led to her becoming an artist herself fell after joining IMAGES Camera Club, a prestigious photography organization in Cebu. Photography always appealed to Mercado, but she never got the chance to explore the craft outside of a few classes in college.
“When I joined the club, we explored different types of photography,” she said. “What really got me interested was that every month, we had a theme for our subjects, and ‘nature’s abstract’ was one that really stood out.”
Mercado finds joy in flowers, from its appearance to what it represents. As a self-confessed competitive person, she wanted to go outside the box with her flower photographs, saying that, “otherwise, might as well Google them, right?”
Her quest for innovation landed at an approach that was ambitious as it was imaginative: landscaping flowers in a filled-up aquarium set up in a dark room. She would do everything herself, from setting up the lighting to clicking the shutter button.
To amplify the drama of her scenes, she would carefully incorporate paint into the underwater setting, letting it float and sway along with her floral
Seasoned gallerist Pia Mercado debuts as visual artist: ‘For once, it’s my show’
PIA MERCADO spent close to a decade working as a gallerist, curating exhibits, managing artists, expanding clientele. This time around, the Cebuana steps from behind the curtains and onto the stage, basking in the spotlight of her debut solo exhibition.
In Mist and Murmurs, Mercado presents herself as
The art of the cocktail
WHAT happens when the worlds of painting and mixology collide? The answer is in When Cocktails Imitate Art, a special collaboration between Fundacion Sansó and The Spirits Library. Renowned modernist painter Juvenal Sansó’s exuberant floral works and Brittany seascapes are featured in this ultimate combination of fine art and bespoke drinks by the mixology experts of The Spirits Library, one of the hottest bars in Makati.
In this collaboration, the mixologists of The Spirits Library custom-crafted special cocktails, each one inspired by the essence and feel of
the featured visual artist for the first time, showcasing her creative expression through fine-art photography, focusing on flowers as subjects. The show, mounted at Rojo Galerie in Pasig City, opened on September 2, with an artist reception held on September 6. It closes on September 14.
“When Pia reached out and asked for our exhibition schedule, I asked her for which artist, and she said, ‘Myself,’” recalled Rey Castillo, owner of Rojo Galerie. “I instantly called my team and told them that we had to do her debut exhibit.”
“For once,” Mercado added during the exhibit opening, “it’s my show. I’ve been working with artists for a long time, but now I fully understand why artists make art.” Mercado’s maiden solo wasn’t exactly the realization of a life-long dream, but a result of things falling into place. She graduated with degree in Fine Arts from the University of Santo Tomas and decided
five different Juvenal Sansó paintings.
These artistic drinks will be offered to the public at their bar from September 4 to 19 only.
The En Vase Floral With Grandiosity and Splendor is interpreted in a flamboyant mélange of Martinique Rhum, Chamomile and Cherry Cordial, and egg white. Meanwhile, the dreamy, turquoise-toned 1960s Sansó work A Universe of Things comes alive in a refreshing cocktail of Beefeater Gin, Génépi Liquer, and Blue Curacao with Kinchay Flowers.
There’s also the breathtaking painting Stars of the Earth, reimagined as a mysterious blend of smoky and
subjects. Mercado would then pick her spots and capture the perfect moment on camera, producing a truly inimitable image. These works of fine-art photography comprise the series featured in her first solo exhibition as a visual artist. What makes Mercado’s impressive stills even more special is her intricate and thought-out choice of material: metal sheets. Rather than simply printing photos on paper, she sought for a glossy effect that would do justice to the sublime colors of her shots. Her artworks were then framed in such a way that her photographs appear as paintings, equally stunning, if not more arduous. After all, paint does form a huge part of her process’ equation. By applying it using water and freedom in place of a paintbrush and control, the material comes alive freely and painterly, albeit in an unorthodox manner.
SEE “MERCADO,” B5
earthy spirits such as luxe Codico Blanco, Martel VS Cognac, Mezcal, Braulio, Bénédictine, and Osmanthus Tea.
As part of Sansó’s classic Brittany Series, Exalted in Surf and Rocks is embodied in a sparkling flute of Elderflower Cordial, Kombu-infused Beefeater, Peach, and Prosecco topped with the dramatic addition of chocolate rocks that instantly transform its flavors. Lastly, the soothing atmosphere of Calm Sea Spray breezes in a refreshing mix of Havana Club, Pineapple Aloe Cordial, Olive Brine, and Jasmine Tea. While you’re enjoying your Sansó
cocktail, revel in the art itself, as each of these five Sansó artworks will be exhibited within the cozy corners of The Spirits Library until the end of September.
Alongside this show of Sansó’s art are limited-edition glass merchandise on offer that are hand-painted by talented artist-friends.
When Cocktails Imitate Art runs from September 4 to 19, 2025 at The Spirits Library, 4963 Guerrero, Makati City. Fundacion Sansó and its museum is located at 32 V. Cruz Street, Brgy. Sta. Lucia, San Juan.
More information is available at www.facebook.com/fundacionsanso
reasonable attitude will help you keep things in perspective and stop anyone who is asking for too much from you. Protect yourself from scammers and those making false claims or offers that sound too good to be true. ★★
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Keep the information flowing and your finger on the pulse of what’s hot and what’s not. Knowing how to play fair and smart will help you navigate your way to positive change and connections. An energetic approach to whatever you do will attract interest and potential partnerships that can have a beneficial impact on the outcome.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Expand your reach by communicating with experts and broadening your scope and long-term plans. When one door closes, don’t hesitate to open another and move forward with confidence boldly. Know your worth, and don’t hesitate to take control and initiate what you want, even if it means moving forward alone. ★★★
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Focus on what’s meaningful, and use your energy innovatively. Getting along with those you live or work alongside is essential if you want to bring about change and understand what motivates others. Your attention to detail will be the difference between success and failure. ★★★
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Discipline will be your saving grace. Consider what’s vital to achieving your goals and act accordingly. Learn as you go, expand your circle and objectives, and utilize your ability to articulate what you require from contributors to achieve your objectives. ★★★
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A lifestyle change will give you a chance to rediscover what you want out of life. Design your future by intertwining your dreams and reality to create a plan that meets your needs. Let your emotions guide you and your physical ability carry you to your destination.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Refuse to let outside influences push you in the wrong direction. Stick to your plans and budget, and show discipline when
Show
Barbie Forteza and Kyline Alcantara: In full control
MULTI-PLATFORM DOMINANCE: GMA NETWORK LEADS ACROSS TV, RADIO AND ONLINE FOR JANUARY-JULY 2025
MEDIA behemoth GMA Network reaffirmed its dominance in the Philippine broadcast media, leading across television, radio and online platforms from January to July 2025. With a total of 115 TV stations and 21 radio stations, GMA Network continues to have the widest reach in the country.
TV AND PROGRAMMING SUPREMACY
ACCORDING to Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (TAM), GMA Network, together with GTV and its digital channels I Heart Movies and Heart of Asia, tallied a combined people net reach of 85.2 percent or more than 61 million viewers in Total Philippines.
GMA alone reached 83.8 percent of viewers nationwide, or 60 million Filipinos. It was also the top channel in Total Philippines, capturing an audience share of 40.8 percent. The network secured 27 out of the top 30 programs in Total Philippines for the period, led by Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, 24 Oras, and Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre. Other GMA programs in the list include Tolome! Walang Matigas na Pulis sa Matinik na Misis, Lolong: Bayani ng Bayan/Pangil ng Maynila, Stars on the Floor, Pepito Manaloto: Tuloy Ang Kuwento, The Clash 2025, and Magpakailanman
LEADING IN DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT
AS a content powerhouse, GMA Network has consistently delivered strong performance across the digital space.
For July 2025, the network secured the No. 20 spot in Tubular Labs’ Leadership Worldwide ranking, making GMA Network the highest-ranking media company in the Entertainment and Media category in Southeast Asia.
For the period, GMA Network’s social media properties garnered a combined total of 5.6 billion video views: 2.9 billion on Facebook, 1.5 billion on TikTok, 1.0 billion on YouTube, and 198 million on Instagram. Year-to-date data also shows GMA Network leading with over 20 billion video views across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, surpassing ABSCBN’s 16 billion video views.
Meanwhile, GMA Network’s flagship radio stations Super Radyo DZBB 594 kHz and Barangay LS 97.1 retained their dominance of Mega Manila airwaves, according to July 2025 data from Nielsen Radio Audience Measurement (RAM).
As it marks its 75th anniversary, GMA Network further strengthens its commitment to innovation by producing compelling narratives and creating content that entertains, informs and resonates with audiences in the Philippines and beyond.
Continued from B4
In Razzmatazz, a cloud of pink mist elegantly dances behind the equally vibrant flower. We see more of the same in the exhibit’s namesake painting, Mist and Murmur, where the palette expands to a dazzling combination of orange and purple. When asked about her unique practice, Mercado maintains that she’s not a “technical photographer,” nor the “best painter.” Yet, in pursuing something innovative, something truly hers, she has become much more of both: an artist able to capture her own identity.
More information about Mercado’s Mist and Murmurs is available on Rojo Galerie’s social media pages (@rojogalerieph) and Viber account (0927-9400722).
OTH reliable and wonderful actors Barbie
BForteza and Kyline Alcantara turned a year older recently and they are still in awe with the success of their limited TV series Beauty Empire, which had its finale just a few weeks ago.
Turning 23, Alcantara says she’s taking everything in stride, and embracing all the possibilities that are coming into her life.
“I just came back from travel, and these trips overseas are constant reminders of how fortunate I am to be able to visit places I could only dream of before. And since most of these trips are workrelated, I am doubly fortunate that I’m serving as an instrument to bring cheers to our kababayans who miss the Philippines so much.”
Alcantara continues to be assigned wonderful roles for her television projects by both GMA Network and Sparkle, and those who followed Beauty Empire are witnesses to the kind of actor she has grown so comfortably into.
“Production work ended a month or so ago, and we just had our exciting finale. I have so much respect and admiration for the actors I worked with in this mini-series. Sid Lucero is one-of-a-kind. When you get to work with him, you’d know that he is in a league of his own. Ms. Ruffa [Gutierrez] is so fun to work with, her energy is amazing. I also admire the the other top caliber actors, like Ms. Gloria Diaz and Chai Fonacier. Of course, there’s Barbie [Forteza] whom I adore, because she is the real heart of the series,” she said. When asked what she is thankful for now that she has added another year to her young, colorful and sometimes controversial existence, Alcantara took a deep breath and replied, “I have learned to pause and take it slow when life takes me to the fast lane. For my birthday, I paused so I can celebrate this life that has taught me priceless lessons on courage, faith, love and people.”
She added, “This new year is also a celebration of independence, the freedom I have always silently wished for—the freedom to grow, to continue to chase my dreams, and to face the coming months and years with a renewed faith and with the same gratitude that kept me blessed all these years.”
For Barbie Forteza, everything seems to be falling
into place at this time.
“Life has been generally good to me, and I have a lot to be thankful for,” she said, adding, “Like everyone, there are good and not-so-good days, but I choose to always see the good in every experience. I’m aware that it is important to acknowledge my feelings and emotions, but as I grow older I have learned to not get stuck in these emotions, especially the not-so-good ones.” She topbilled the horror movie P77 that was shown recently but cinema audiences were perhaps just reeling off from the many typhoons that hit the metropolis, that’s why the movie did not get the support it needed to make it a success.
What Forteza is most excited about these days is the upcoming movie exclusively for Netflix, titled Kontrabida Academy, where she shares stellar billing with ace actor Eugene Domingo.
“I play a young lady named Gigi who enrols in an institution that teaches its students to master the art of being a villain. I’m taken under the wings of the academy’s top mentor Mauricia, who is played by Eugene Domingo. The movie will be available for
Netflix subscribers starting September 11.”
Written and directed by the award-winning Chris Martinez, Kontrabida Academy also stars Carmina Villaroel, Yasser Mata, Ysabel Ortega and Forteza’s rumored beau, Jameson Blake.
Despite being photographed in a few instances with some form of public display of affection, both Forteza and Blake are mum about this blooming relationship, and we cannot blame them, because something beautiful need not be rushed and announced right away. Remember that Forteza also just came from a heartbreaking seven-year relationship with another Sparkle actor, Jak Roberto, and we’re not even sure if she has healed and completely moved on from that.
But she looks truly happy and that’s what is important. When we saw her recently and told her that she is indeed blooming, she just let out a big, big smile and allowed the sparkle in her eyes to affirm what she needed to say. We wish both Barbie Forteza and Kyline Alcantara an amazing year ahead.
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ ends franchise with mix of scares and sentiment
By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press
THERE are four words in the title of the latest entry in the Conjuring universe, but only one sounds good. It’s the word “last.”
The Conjuring: Last Rites seems to finally nail the coffin shut on this part of the franchise, saying goodbye to a series that revels in timeless scary stuff—swing sets that mysteriously move, creaky floors, battery toys that suddenly turn on and doorknobs that rattle. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, guys.
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reunite to play renowned, real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, facing an “evil unlike anything they’ve ever encountered.” That evil? It lives in the Pennsylvania suburbs of 1986, of course.
Last Rights—part of a universe that includes The Nun and Annabelle franchises—is a decent enough final cinematic prayer for this franchise, combining the personal story of the Warrens and their daughter, Judy, with a new paranormal possession that’s created a freaked-out family. It culminates in hope, love and a wedding. But first, demons and projectile vomiting.
Returning screenwriter David Leslie JohnsonMcGoldrick—aided by The Nun II scribes Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing—have crafted, with returning director Michael Chaves, the franchise’s signature alchemy: saccharine family hugging and laughter combined with ankle-level blood pools.
The evil thing this time is a full-length woodenframed mirror with carvings of three children. It’s given as a gift to a girl’s confirmation—a mirror, really?—and soon makes family members levitate, yanks telephone cords (the movie’s younger viewers might laugh at a time when phones had cords) and turns dolls creepy.
The time period gives the filmmakers great songs—Howard Jones’ “Things Can Only Get Better,”
possessed darn mirror again—but excuse themselves when a pregnant Lorraine Warren’s water breaks and Judy is born.
Fast-forward to the 1980s and the couple have sworn off investigating any more paranormal activities on account of Ed’s iffy heart. Plus, Judy (a nifty Mia Tomlinson), who seems to have inherited her parents’ ability to sense evil, has a boyfriend. “Our family is not like other families,” dad warns her potential suitor.
This gives the moviemakers a chance to make a wedding dress shopping experience a truly frightening experience—if it wasn’t already—and a garbage disposal explodes in blood. The Conjuring has always taken pedestrian things and tried to turn them
quick cuts of grinning monsters, a slow buildup to the climactic final battle that drags in parts—how many delicate moving music boxes can we enjoy watching?—and Ed Warren should probably by now have committed to memory the correct Catholic prayer passages to banish a demon (Ed, man, get off book). But you’d be a demon to not give Ed and Lorraine Warren their victory lap. At a time in horror when movies combine race commentary, explore politics or go full-out stabby-stabby, they were the ones who celebrated creaking floorboards and ticking grandfather clocks. It’s time to go but it’s also time to cheer this husband-and-wife team with the creepiest basement in the world.
BARBIE FORTEZA (left) and Kyline Alcantara
PATRICK WILSON and Vera Farmiga in The Conjuring: Last Rites.
Wells Fargo, JA Philippines Earn Award for Financial Literacy
The JA Personal Finance program, a collaboration between JA Philippines and Wells Fargo Philippines, has earned a Bronze at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. This recognition highlights the program’s innovative, communitydriven approach to financial literacy education.
Now in its third year, the initiative equips Senior High School students with vital financial skills, including budgeting, saving, and responsible credit use. This school year alone, it reached over 32,000 students and 1,200 teachers across 324 public schools in Metro Manila. Students apply learnings through business simulations, with examples including a successful milk tea venture and a financial roadmap for a community bakery.
“This recognition is a powerful reminder of what can happen when education and real-world experience come together,” said Krishna Alejandrino, Executive Director of JA Philippines. “Financial literacy gives young people a sense of control over their future. Through partners like Wells Fargo Philippines, we are helping them take those first steps with purpose.”
The program also received a Regional Partnership Award from the
Department of Education, recognizing its contribution to strengthening financial education in public schools.
Central to the JA Personal Finance program’s impact are Wells Fargo employee volunteers. Over the past year, 46 Wells Fargo employees served as classroom mentors and speakers, directly engaging students.
“This program reflects something we believe strongly at Wells Fargo: that giving back creates real, lasting value not just for communities, but for our people
at the Grand Ballroom, featuring Korean stars Hyolyn and Lyn with Filipino powerhouses Morissette and Angeline, exclusive to Reward Circle members.
Dining plays a central role in the MidAutumn celebration, with Red Spice and Yu Lei offering artisanal mooncakes (P3,888 nett) and limited-time festival menus. At Yu Lei, Chef Mikiya Imagawa presents a six-course MidAutumn journey (P6,800 nett per person, until September 30). At Red Spice, Chef Dicky Suen introduces set menus starting at PHP 2,388 per person, available until October 6. These seasonal offerings are designed for sharing with loved ones and celebrating the flavors of the harvest.
Guests seeking a holiday escape can book Bespoke Celebrations by the Bay, designed for milestone moments with personalized stays and elegant spaces, or the Stay and Dine package, which offers up to 20 percent off room rates plus daily P2,500 dining credits until October 31. Both packages combine the comfort of Okada Manila’s suites with rewarding inclusions that make every stay festive.
Wellness takes the spotlight through MidAutumn Moments of Calm at The Retreat Spa, where guests enjoy 25 percent more treatment time on face or body sessions booked from 12 pm to 4 pm. The Beauty Salon’s Mid-Autumn Elegance rewards those who spend P6,000 on services with a complimentary hair treatment worth P3,888. Gentlemen can enjoy the Barbershop’s Gentleman’s Glow, pairing a full barber session (P1,988 nett) with free nail
as well,” said Mike Whyte, Country Head of Wells Fargo Philippines. “We are proud to support this initiative, and even prouder that so many of our team members stepped forward to be part of it.”
This collaboration helps bridge the urgent financial literacy gap in the Philippines, where only 25% of Filipinos are considered financially literate. JA Philippines and Wells Fargo continue to empower students, one classroom, one student, one volunteer at a time.
care. At the Nail Art Salon, weekday guests can indulge in a Gel Manicure Happy Hour (P1,888 from a regular price of P3,500). The Sole Retreat offers a Trio Treatment, where weekday bookings for two guests include a complimentary third treatment.
Shopping at The Promenade comes with added excitement through the Moonlit Indulgence raffle. Guests earn one raffle entry for every P7,000 single-receipt purchase, while Reward Circle members qualify at P5,000. Additional entries can be earned with purchases from The Gift Boutique or PLAY Store (P1,500). Eighteen winners will each receive a 30 mL Jo Malone London fragrance, with the draw taking place on October 6. Families can also create festival memories through interactive activities. PLAY Kids’ Club hosts weekend Lanterns of Joy workshops (P699 child pass, P299 adult pass), while Thrillscape’s Lunar Rush offers discounted escape challenges (P799 Full Moon Package, P599 Jade Rabbit Package) complete with games, glowing moons, and Mid-Autumn prizes. Guests can also enjoy lantern installations and themed décor across the property, along with special Fountain light displays that capture the beauty of the season. For more details on Okada Manila’s Mid-Autumn offerings, contact RestaurantReservation@okadamanila.com or +632 8888 0777. Visit https://okadamanila. com/deals/a-journey-through-moonlightand-tradition/ for full information.
THE Department of Science and Technology Region VIII (DOST VIII) continued its celebration of the 2025 Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) with a series of engaging activities on its second day, highlighting the theme of “Agham na Ramdam”, science that is felt through youth engagement, local enterprise support, and strengthened innovation spaces across Leyte.
One of the key highlights was STEM Connect: Students Meet the Secretary, held at the Philippine Science High School – Eastern Visayas Campus (PSHS-EVC). Students from different schools across Leyte had the rare opportunity to meet DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr., a geologist, former PHIVOLCS Director, and now the country’s “faultfinder.”
Hosted by PSHS-EVC Campus Director Yvonne M. Esperas, the event featured interactive STEM-focused activities such as the DOST-Science Education Institute’s NuLab: STEM in Motion and the Indie Siyensya Film Festival. In his message, Solidum encouraged young learners to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to help build a smarter, safer, and more sustainable future.
The Department of Education Regional Office VIII (DepEd VIII), represented by Dr. Gertrudes C. Mabutin, expressed its commitment to work with DOST VIII in further strengthening STEM education and nurturing the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators.
Solidum also led a project visit to the Ice Cream Making Facility at the Palo Livelihood Center, a DOST-assisted initiative
that uses science-based food processing technologies to help local producers improve product quality, expand operations, and create sustainable livelihoods. Palo Mayor Remedios Matin Petilla thanked DOST for its continued support and expressed interest in acquiring additional technologies for the municipality.
Commending Palo’s proactive approach, Solidum emphasized, “The Local Government Units that are interested and willing to partner with DOST can truly benefit from our assistance. We want leaders who want science and technology.”
Capping the day’s events, the Provincial Science and Technology Office (PSTO) Leyte inaugurated its newly renovated office building and Innovation Hub (iHub) at the DOST Compound, Government Center, Brgy. Candahug, Palo, Leyte. The iHub is a dedicated collaborative space where students, researchers, startups, industries, and communities
5 Smart Tips to Tackle Rainy-Season Laundry with LG Washing Machines
Wells Fargo Philippines Country Head Mike Whyte and AJ Tapia, Vice President of Philanthropy & Community Impact, proudly hold JA Philippines and Wells Fargo’s Bronze Award from the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.
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Unlikely heroes: Trained rats in Tanzania assist in earthquake rescue, TB detection
By Jack Denton The Associated Press
MOROGORO, Tanzania—A man lies unmoving, slumped in the rubble of a simulated earthquake, as an unlikely rescuer approaches: a rat with a backpack. Whiskers waving, the rat breezes past garbage, toppled furniture and scattered clothes to find him and pull a trigger on its pack, alerting searchers above.
Then a resounding click. A survivor has been found. The search in Morogoro in Tanzania’s Uluguru Mountains is over and the rat scurries out of the abandoned building to be rewarded with a banana. A successful mission is complete for this African giant pouched rat being trained for search and rescue operations.
“Their sense of smell is incredible,” said Fabrizio Dell’Anna, an animal behaviorist at APOPO, a Tanzania-based nongovernmental organization that trains the rats for lifesaving applications. “These rats are able to detect explosives, tuberculosis—even tiny amounts of the bacteria—and in this project, they are able to correctly identify and indicate humans.”
In a field nearby, more rats walk on leashes held between handlers, pacing a grid filled with land mines as part of an initiative by APOPO, which works alongside Sokoine University of Agriculture. When they pause, it indicates that explosives are beneath. These rats
are readying for their next deployment, perhaps Angola or Cambodia, where APOPO has helped clear more than 50,000 land mines since 2014.
From detecting land mines to sniffing out tuberculosis, these “hero rats” have become unlikely, and sometimes unrecognized, front-line responders in Tanzania and beyond.
Trained ‘hero rats’ with sensitive noses FOR decades APOPO has trained these “hero rats,” which have one of the most sensitive noses in the animal kingdom. Since 2003, the rats have been finding land mines and, more recently, have been turned on to trafficked wildlife and earthquake survivors.
The rats begin training shortly after birth for specific missions and, with a longer-than-average rodent life span of almost a decade, can spend years carrying out their work. The cost of training each rat runs around 6,000 euros ($6,990).
It is all done with classical conditioning and positive reinforcement, explained Dell’Anna, who oversees the search and rescue program. The first cohort of this group of specialized rats are already in Turkey with a partner search and rescue organization.
Helping the global fight against TB
WHILE the rats focused on explosives or survivors buried in rubble get all the glory, it is a group of rats inside a lab that are arguably the most impactful lifesavers. These are not typical lab rats, but rather, as their proponents would argue, one of the world’s most effective detectors of tuberculosis.
“Every day as many people die from TB as from land mines in a whole year,” said Christophe Cox, the CEO of APOPO. “It’s more spectacular to be on the minefield … but for TB … in terms of social impact, it’s tremendous.”
Tuberculosis is an ancient respiratory disease that continues to run rampant despite centuries of research and treatment. The World Health Organization said last October in its most recent TB report that the disease had resurged as the top infectious disease killer, with 1.25 million deaths and a record 8.2 million infections in 2023.
In sub-Saharan Africa, only about half of TB patients receive a diagnosis, according to a study by researchers in the UK and Gambia published in the National Library of Medicine, and this leaves them liable to spread the disease. Tanzania struggles with one of the highest global TB burdens, according to the WHO.
APOPO expanded into TB detection in 2007 and its rats have been deployed in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Mozambique. The group
works with 80 hospitals in Tanzania, collecting samples daily and bringing them to the lab rats.
With their sensitive noses, the rats sniff out samples of sputum from patients, looking for positive TB cases that had been marked as negative. Research suggests the rats are picking up on six unique volatile organic compounds in positive TB samples, said Cox.
False negatives remain a persistent issue in TB detection and suppression because each infected person can spread the disease to 10 to 15 more people each year.
“The benefits of using rats are significant,” said Felista Stanesloaus, a doctor at a TB clinic in Morogoro. “They help us detect cases that might otherwise be missed, which prevents people from unknowingly spreading infections.”
Making TB detection accessible TB detection has made significant advances in recent years, including using artificial intelligence tools in conjunction with lung scans. However, many areas that are burdened most by TB, such as
rural villages or low-income urban communities, do not have access to these tools.
While the use of molecular detection devices, such as one called GeneXpert, have become more widespread, a clinic may only have one of these devices and it can take two hours to process a sample.
Overburdened clinics turn to the centuries-old technique of microscopy, or investigation of sputum under a microscope, which is both fallible and time-consuming.
“Human error may result in a person being told they are disease-free when they are not,” said Stanesloaus. “Using rats is a very effective initiative.”
APOPO’s rats can scan 100 samples in 20 minutes, and since the program’s inception, the rats have been able to identify more than 30,000 patients who had been sent home with a clean bill of health but were actually carrying TB, said Cox. The NGO is able to do with one lab what 55 hospitals do in a day, he adds.
Yet using live animals in the place of medical devices poses
challenges, especially when it comes to scale. Samples have to be brought directly to a lab with enough trained rats to conduct the detection, with some samples brought to Morogoro by motorbike each day. Operations are most effective in dense urban centers, like Dar es Salaam, Cox said.
Meeting WHO standards
TH e more existential challenge for these “hero rats” comes from regulators and a wider health community who doubt this unconventional method of disease detection.
APOPO’s rats are not classified as primary diagnostic tools by the WHO. Instead, they are a second line of defense. Any positive samples detected by the rats must be confirmed with human microscopy in APOPO’s labs before treatment can be administered.
“It’s a big challenge,” said Cox. “Not being recognized by the WHO means that the mainstream funding for TB … never reaches us.” Cox has given up on the prospect of getting approval from the WHO, though APOPO has faced pressure from donors to go through this process, which would be extensive and rigorous with no guarantee of success.
Regulators may also challenge APOPO’s method of focusing on finding every single positive case possible at the cost of more potential false positives.
APOPO relies on the indication of just one rat to proceed with further investigation into a possible positive case, while higher specificity standards may need multiple rats to flag a sample.
Cox defends this approach.
“Our choice was to go for that last patient out there—to go for the social impact,” said Cox.
Villagers offer harrowing accounts of one of the deadliest attacks in Sudan’s civil war
CBy Samy Magdy The Associated Press
AIRO—When Ahlam Saeed awoke last month to the sound of gunfire and roaring vehicle motors, the 43-year-old widow rushed outside her home in war-torn Sudan to find a line of at least two dozen vehicles, many of them motorcycles carrying armed fighters.
“They were firing at everything and in every direction,” the mother of four said. “In an instant, all of us in the village were fleeing for safety.” Many people were gunned down in their houses or while trying to flee. At least 200 people were killed, including many women and children, in the community of straw homes, according to a rights group tracking Sudan’s civil war. Saeed and her children—ages 9 to 15—were among those who survived after rebel fighters rampaged through Shag al-Num, the small farming village of several thousand people in Sudan’s Kordofan region. In interviews with The Associated Press, Saeed and four other villagers described the July 12 attack, one of the deadliest assaults since the war began more than two years ago over a power struggle between commanders of the military and the rival paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF.
The villagers’ accounts add to the devastating toll of the conflict, which started in April 2023 and has wrecked the country in northeastern African. The fight -
ing has killed more than 40,000 people, displaced as many as 14 million, caused disease outbreaks and pushed many places to the brink of famine.
Atrocities, including mass killings of civilians and mass rape, have also been reported, particularly in Darfur, triggering an investigation by the International Criminal Court into potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.
‘Hell’s door was opened’ THE villagers from Shag al-Num said RSF fighters and their allied Janjaweed militias stormed into the community, looting houses and robbing residents, especially of women’s gold. Some victims were held at gunpoint.
Some young villagers attempted to fight back by taking up rifles to defend their homes. The RSF fighters knocked them down and continued their rampage, witnesses said.
“It was as if the hell’s door was opened,” Saeed said, sobbing. Her straw house and neighboring homes were burned down, and one RSF fighter seized her necklace.
“We were dying of fear,” she said. The villagers said the fighters also sexually abused or raped many women. One of the women said she saw three fighters wearing RSF uniforms dragging a young woman into an abandoned house. She said she later met the woman, who said she was raped.
Satellite imagery from July 13 and 14 showed “intentional arson attacks” and “a large smoke point”
over the village as well as “razed and smoldering” buildings, the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health reported.
In the two-day RSF attack in Shaq al-Noum and surrounding areas, more than 450 civilians, including 35 children and two pregnant women, were killed, according to UNICEF.
After the assault, many of the survivors fled, leaving behind a mostly deserted village.
The RSF did not respond to questions about the attack from the AP.
Both sides seek control of oilrich Kordofan region
BEYOND the village, the oil-rich Kordofan region has emerged as a major front line following the military’s recapture of Khartoum earlier this year. The warring parties have raced for control of the three-province region stretching across southern and central Sudan because it controls vital supply lines.
“Kordofan has become the most strategic area of the country,” said Cameron Hudson, an Africa expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The fighting has exacerbated the already dire conditions in the region.
In Kadugli, the provincial capital city of South Kordofan province, “roads have been cut off, supply lines have collapsed and residents are walking miles just to search for salt or matches,” said Kadry Furany, country director for
Sudan at Mercy Corps aid group.
A mental health therapist in Obeid, the provincial capital of North Kordofan province, said the city received waves of displaced people in recent weeks, all from areas recently ambushed by the RSF.
The therapist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of concerns about her safety, said she supported 10 women and girls who endured sexual abuse, including rape, in RSF-seized areas in July alone. Among the victims were two women from Shag al-Num village, she said.
“The conditions are tragic,” she said.
Another epicenter of starvation and disease
TO the west of the Kordofan region is el-Fasher, the military’s last stronghold in the
five-province Darfur region.
The city—which has been under constant RSF bombardment for over a year—is one of the hardest hit by hunger and disease outbreaks, according to the UN.
The World Food Program has been unable to deliver aid by land.
It warned this month that 300,000 people, who are “trapped, hungry and running out of time,” are at risk of starvation.
“Everyone in el-Fasher is facing a daily struggle to survive,” said Eric Perdison, the food program’s director for eastern and southern Africa. “Without immediate and sustained access, lives will be lost.”
The paramilitaries and their Janjaweed allies imposed a total blockade of el-Fasher, leaving no route out of the city that the RSF does not control, according to satellite imagery recently analyzed
by the humanitarian lab at Yale.
The blockade caused food prices to spike up to 460% higher than in the rest of Sudan, according to the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies. Most staples are scarce or no longer available. Civilians who want to leave the city are required to pass through a single RSF-controlled point, where they have been robbed, forced to pay bribes or killed, according to the Yale lab, aid workers and residents.
On August 2, a group of people, including women and children, attempted to flee the city. When they reached Garni, a village on a crucial supply route just northwest of the city, RSF fighters ambushed the area, residents said.
“They tell you to leave, then they kill you,” said al-Amin Ammar, a 63-year-old who said he escaped because he is old. “It’s a death trap.”
At least 14 people were killed, and dozens of others were wounded in the village, said the Emergency Lawyers rights group said. Aside from fighting, the region has been ravaged by lack of food and a cholera outbreak, said Adam Regal, a spokesman for a local aid group known as General Coordination. Many people have nothing to eat and resorted to cattle fodder to survive, he said. Some have not found even fodder, he said. He shared images of emaciated children with their exhausted, malnourished mothers on the outskirts of el-Fasher or the nearby
A RAT trained in search and rescue operations emerges from simulated earthquake rubble at APOPO’s facility in Morogoro, Tanzania, Tuesday, July 29, 2025. AP/JACK DENTON
town of Tawila.
IN this photo released by the NGO Mercy Corps, Sudanese families displaced by RSF attacks in Kordofan take shelter in a football stadium in Kadugli, South Kordofan province, Sudan, May 27, 2025. MERCY
Alcaraz back as US Open champ, regains No. 1 spot
Open championships.
ive lots of credit to him, because he handled the situation better than I did,” said Sinner, who lamented that his own play was too predictable. “He raised his level when he had to.”
delayed for about a half-hour while thousands of fans were
Stadium going through extra security because President Donald Trump sat in a sponsor’s suite.
NThey are the first two men in the sport’s history to face each other in three consecutive Grand Slam finals within a single season.
“I’m seeing you more than my family,” Alcaraz joked during the trophy ceremony, eliciting a grin from Sinner. “It’s great to share the court, to share the locker rooms, everything.”
This 2-hour, 42-minute win gave Alcaraz, a 22-year-old from Spain, leads over Sinner, a 24-year-old from Italy, of 10-5 in their head-to-head series, 6-4 in total Grand Slam trophies, and 2-1 in US
Perhaps the extra wait got to Sinner, although he insisted afterward it did not. Right from the beginning, under a closed roof because of rain earlier in the day, he was outplayed by Alcaraz.
You were better than me,”
Sinner said. “I tried my best today. I couldn’t do more.”
This hard-court matchup followed Alcaraz’s victory over Sinner across 5 1/2 hours after erasing a trio of match points on the red clay at Roland-Garros in June, and Sinner’s victory over twotime reigning champ Alcaraz on the grass at the All England Club in July.
“The things...I did well in London,” Sinner said. “He did better today.”
These guys are so, so much better than the rest of men’s tennis at the moment. Their traits are unique, their strengths multiple, their games untouchable.
They have combined to collect the past eight Slam trophies—four each— and 10 of 13. Novak Djokovic, the 24time major champ eliminated by Alcaraz on Friday, took the other three.
Both Sinner, who had won his past 27 hard-court matches at majors, and Alcaraz offered glimpses Sunday of why they are so good, although it was rare that both were at a peak simultaneously.
Alcaraz, who ended up with twice as many winners, 42-21, was superb in the first, third and fourth sets; Sinner’s top efforts arrived in the second. During his defeat at Wimbledon,
Jahns goes for triple as Que leads challengers in PGT Negros Classic
AWEEK ago, before teeing off at Binitin, Keanu Jahns was cautiously optimistic.
He enters the competition at Marapara feeling more in control.
Eyes will be on the 29-year-old Jahns when the International Container Terminal Services Inc. Negros Occidental Classic gets going on Tuesday as he seeks his third consecutive Philippine Golf Tour title and second straight in Bacolod. With the way I’m playing, I’m very confident with my game,” said Jahns.
“I hope I could do it again,” he added. Winner of the Caliraya Springs Championship in Laguna last month and the Bacolod Golf Challenge last week, Jahns faces 68 other pros looking to end his streak as action shifts to the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club. Angelo Que isn’t just playing for pride. He’s out to reassert his standing after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Jahns. Fidel Concepcion, Tony Lascuña and Dutchman Guido van der Valk—each with a proven ability to score and grind—are likewise coming into the event brimming with confidence.
K oreans Tae Won Ha and Tae Soo Kim bring consistency and international experience, while rising Filipino stars like Aidric Chan, Russell Bautista, Carl Corpus and John Michael Uy are eager to announce their arrival by taking down the Tour’s new star. Then there’s Justin Quiban, who brings with him battle scars from the Asian Tour and the Asian Development Tour. Though briefly returning to local soil, his overseas experience could prove
vital if conditions toughen up, especially if Marapara’s notoriously unpredictable winds come into play.
S till, to beat Jahns right now may require more than skill—it may require a perfect storm.
Observers are hoping for
Alcaraz was caught by a camera telling his team in Spanish: “From the back of the court, he’s much better than me.”
Perhaps that’s why Alcaraz was aggressive Sunday with his sledgehammer of a forehand. Whenever the smallest opening presented itself, Alcaraz barged through with that shot, going big early in points, which often worked.
Sinner had dropped a total of one service game in his preceding three matches, but Alcaraz broke right away Sunday and five times in all.
S inner made a tactical switch in the second set, going after Alcaraz’s backhand when possible.
Paid off. Briefly.
An hour and 20 minutes in, it was a set apiece, after Alcaraz ceded one for the first time all tournament, allowing Neale Fraser to retain his distinction as the most recent man to win every set he played at the event—in 1960.
A s Sinner worked his way into things, he would celebrate points by pumping a fist toward his guest box, which included Olympic champion ski racer Lindsey Vonn.
Ah, but it was Alcaraz who appeared to have more ticket-buyers on his side.
They regaled him with standing ovations. For one particularly magical volley at a hard-to-believe angle struck just before the ball hit the court—even Alcaraz himself liked that one, saying “Wow!” and breaking into a wide grin. For one special overhead smash to a corner with the tailing movement of a firefly.
And so on.
Sinner, needless to say, wasn’t as pleased by those sorts of strokes.
H e bounced his racket off the ground and caught it after one lost point. He exhaled and shook his head after another.
Sinner simply doesn’t see that sort of stuff from anyone else.
And these numbers say as much about Alcaraz as they do Sinner: Over the last two seasons, Sinner is 1-7 against Alcaraz—and 109-4 against everyone else. AP
Jones Jr.’s closure
Alas Pilipinas primed for FIVB World Championship
IT’S all systems go for Alas Pilipinas in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championships firing off from September 12 to 28 at the Mall of Asia Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum. “ We are ready to make history,” said Philippine National Volleyball Federation Ramon “Tats” Suzara during the team’s media day on at the National Museum of Natural History in Manila. Symbolic of the Alas’ quest for glory and history, the entire national team players and coaches looked back first to their roots for some sort of motivation at the National Museum with four days to go before duking it out against the world volleyball titans in the country’s monumental hosting of the 32-team spectacle for the first time ever.
Beginning on Friday against 11-time
African champion Tunisia, Alas will attempt for more glory with more than 10,000 fans expected to be witnesses. We are days away from history. Let’s make this happen and show the world that the Filipinos are one of the best fans in the world,” added Suzara, who also served as president of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) and executive vice president of the FIVB. Suzara also leads heads the world championship’s Local Organizing Committee co-chaired by Presidential son William Vincent “Vinny” Araneta Marcos, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco. Alas, led by team captain Bryan Bagunas and veteran ace Marck Espejo, roamed the museum for over an hour, exploring the 12 permanent galleries
Pauline eyes twin wins; Princess returns to action
PAULINE DEL ROSARIO eyes backto-back titles, Princess Superal returns to action seeking to reclaim e top spot, while other top female professionals try to seize the spotlight as the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s P1million Negros Occidental Golf Classic unfolds on Tuesday in Bacolod.
Pauline del Rosario, fresh off a confidence-boosting win in the Bacolod Golf d Country Club last Thursday, enters the tournament as the marked player after a dramatic final-round 66 at Binitin that edged out Seo Yun Kim by one stroke.
A s the sixth leg of this year’s Ladies Philippine Golf Tour gets underway, every stroke at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club carries weight, and every decision could tilt the balance. Among those eager to challenge her is Superal, returning in fighting form after winning in sudden death over Sarah Ababa at Caliraya Springs last month. She is keen to build on her comeback and add another title to her growing résumé after missing the Bacolod Golf Challenge.
C hanelle Avaricio, meanwhile, enters rested, focused and brimming with
confidence. Her six-shot romp at Forest Hills in June was a statement win, but it’s her unforgettable eight-shot rally at Marapara in 2023—where she nipped Ababa by one—that looms large as she returns to the very course where she pulled off that stunning feat. Kim is also back for redemption.
After dominating the first two rounds in Bacolod, she saw a potential breakthrough win slip away with a final-round 73. Now more experienced and even more determined, the 21-year-old seeks to turn lessons into victory.
“During our long time together in Europe, we got to know each other better. We are ready to play for the country. We promise to do our best, not just to get a touch or a set, but to win games,” Espejo added. Alas, which refined its bearings against Romania, Morroco and Portugal, takes on Tunisia on September 12 in the opening match of the 32-team tourney, the biggest edition in history with support from Rebisco, SM, PLDT, SMART, Metro Pacific Investment, Honda Philippines, Meralco, Sony, Lenovo, LRT Line 2, officially sanctioned by the FIVB, partnered with Volleyball World, Mikasa, the official ball, Mizuno, Gerflor and Senoh Corporation. An explosive opening ceremony to be headlined by K-POP group BOYNEXTDOOR is also slated to spice up the world competition.
PHILIPPINE National Volleyball Federation (PNF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara (center) joins Alas Pilipinas team members, coach Angiolino Frigoni (seventh from left), and members of the local organizing committee during the Philippine team media day. NONIE REYES
WINNER at Flushing Meadows in 2022, Carloz Alcaraz earns his second US Open crown and sixth Grand Slam title overall. AP
KEANU JAHNS eyes his fourth career PGT title. PGT
PAULINE DEL ROSARIO goes for back-to-back titles in Negros Occidental. LPGT
