Manila Standard - 2025 May 1 - Thursday

Suspect tags Que’s son—PNP

But police cautious; PAOCTF, Fil-Chinese group doubt claim

By Vince Lopez, Joel Zurbano and Michael Wong Ho

THE son of slain

Filipino-Chinese steel magnate Anson Que is considered a “respondent” in the kidnap-murder case after he was implicated by one of the suspects, the Philippine National Police said even as it admitted there was no evidence to support the claim.

The Filipino-Chinese group Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order led by Teresita Ang See, however, said the “word of a notorious criminal” should not be accepted by the PNP as “the sole source.”

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said the suspect, David Tan Liao, made the claim implicating Que’s 42-year-old son, Alvin (Ronxi-

Sara confirms prosecutor’s summons

By Rachelle Tonelada

bor

By Vito Barcelo, Charles Dantes and Ram Superable

THOUSANDS

“Offering

Marcos wants PrimeWater probed

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is ordering an investigation into the operations of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation (PWIC), amid consumers’ complaints over the Villar-owned company’s frequent service disruptions and high rates, Malacañang said yesterday.

“First of all, we said that the lack of service has no place in the administration of

Cardinals Tagle, Parolin on top of Papabili list

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Vince Lopez

MALACAÑANG

SECURITY PARTNERS. President Ferdinand Marcos poses with New Zealand’s Defense Minister Judith Collins (left) and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, both holding documents on the newly-signed Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, which allows the deployment of troops on each other’s territory, following the signing ceremony yesterday at the Malacañang Palace. AFP

24m Pinoys ‘functionally illiterate’

By Joel Zurbano

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian disclosed yesterday that over 24 million Filipinos aged ten to 64 are functionally illiterate, while 5.8 million are basically illiterate.

Gatchalian presented these findings during a Senate Committee on Basic Education hearing using the initial results of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS).

to include higher-level comprehension skills, going beyond basic reading, writing, and numeracy. Critically, the 2019 definition automatically categorizes high school graduates or junior high school completers as functionally literate, while the 2024 definition does not.

new definition, which removes the automatic categorization of high school graduates, this number shrank to 60 million.

PSA’s Adrian Cerezo of the Social Sector Statistics Service validated this, noting that 21% of our senior high school graduates are not functionally literate, based on distilled FLEMMS data.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro told Palace reporters in Filipino.

“The President will order an investigation into this,” she disclosed.

Castro said services offered by any water utility company must not be compromised.

“There are approximately 5.8 million people who are not basically literate. If you look at functionally illiterate, there are 24.8 million who have problems comprehending. This is the gravity of our situation right now, and I support the new definition [of literacy] because now we have a good picture of where we are”, Gatchalian said.

“We ask President Bongbong Marcos to certify as urgent the pending P200 salary increase bill in Congress,” she added.

Thousands of workers from various Philippine trade union centers, labor federations, and workers’ organizations spearheaded by the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Nagkaisa Labor Coalition (NAGKAISA!), and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) will march together in solidarity to Mendiola today under the banner of the National Wage Coalition to send a strong message supporting the P200 wage hike.

In a separate statement, Senator Grace Poe said a wage increase would be a timely and meaningful response to the rising cost of living, as many Filipinos are tightening their belts to stretch their income and meet basic family needs.

“Let us give them the time to breathe and feel the rewards of their hard work,” Poe said.

Poe earlier authored a bill proposing a P100 daily minimum wage hike to provide workers with a more livable income.

“As the backbone of the economy, the Filipino labor force deserves a decent living wage that will give their families a respectable standard of living,” she added.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri also pledged continued support for higher wages and labor reforms.

“I reaffirm my full commitment to push for a daily minimum wage increase -- whether it’s the P100 hike already approved by the Senate, the proposed P200 increase in the House of Representatives, or any reasonable amount in between that brings real relief to our workers,” Zubiri said. He said wage increases are not gifts but rights that must be upheld.

“We cannot speak of economic growth when those who make it possible continue to live paycheck to paycheck. Real progress must be felt at the dining table, in the classrooms where workers send their children, and in the homes they struggle to build,” Zubiri said.

bother with it,” Castro said, warning the public against misinformation and false documents supposedly signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

“Let’s not believe fake documents being spread around. Fake news is trending these days,” she added.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año also denied the authenticity of a separate document circulating on social media, which claims that the United States is pressuring the Philippine government to prioritize the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“That is totally fake news and fabrication. There is no such document in our records or in the Office of the Executive Secretary,” Año told GMA News Online.

The memo allegedly detailed a virtual meeting between Año and U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz, and bore the letterhead of the National Security Council. It claimed the U.S. expressed concern over Vice President Duterte’s strong political standing and advised her impeachment to mitigate “political risks” that could hinder President Marcos’ governance.

Officials from Malacañang and the NSC reiterated that no such meeting or communication took place.

In its latest iteration, the PSA changed the definition of “functional literacy”

an Gou) in a statement following Liao’s voluntary surrender on April 19.

“Apart from his assertion, he (Liao) did not present any evidence. In his statements, he mentioned meeting with the son and even the physical meeting and the calls, but he could not present any evidence,” Fajardo said.

“We cannot discount the possibility that David Tan Liao is misleading the investigation to cover for someone... The PNP is being cautious in accepting hook, line and sinker these allegations by David Tan Liao because we want to make sure that these are backed by other pieces of evidence,” she added.

Alvin reportedly paid the initial P10 million ransom to a cryptocurrency account on March 31, and an additional P3 million to the same account on April 2.

The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, however, was skeptical of Liao’s claim.

PAOCC chief Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz noted some suspects would offer to become witnesses in hopes of avoiding indictment.

“Especially if they are foreigners, as many fear deportation to countries like China. In such cases, they may opt to apply as witnesses. We are open to considering these applications, but there will still be a vetting process to assess their credibility and study it carefully,” Cruz said in an interview with TV Patrol.

The MRPO also lamented the statements of the PNP.

“Why did Alvin Que become a per-

“There are high school and junior high school graduates who did not pass the new definition of functional literacy. In other words, 18 million graduates from the system are not functionally literate,” Gatchalian said.

Using the old definition, PSA found that there are 79 million Filipinos who are functionally literate in 2024. Using the

son of interest only on the word [of] Liao, a known kidnapper and gun-forhire responsible for the deaths of more than a dozen kidnap victims? Anson Que has three grandchildren grieving over the death of their grandfather. Now, they have to contend with such still uninvestigated news about their own father?” the civic group said.

“If there are contradictory preliminary findings and the money trail has not been followed, then the investigation is not finished. Why release the statement about Alvin Que’s involvement then? Again, this just cements the fact that the PNP has failed to do their case build-up before releasing information.”

The MRPO noted the younger Que submitted himself and his mobile phone to the special investigation task group assigned to the case.

“The preliminary investigation revealed no derogatory information. Yes, the result is preliminary, but it already counters and does not support the initial statement made by Liao,” the group added.

Fajardo explained Que’s son was only considered a “respondent” in the case.

“It is prudent on the part of the investigators and the AKG (Anti-Kidnapping Group) to include his name as one of the respondents. They will be given the opportunity to submit controverting evidence,” Fajardo said.

She said Alvin Que was the “focal person” in the negotiations with the kidnappers.

As this developed, Fajardo said the PNP is offering a P5 million bounty for information that will lead to the arrest of a Chinese woman, identified as Kelly Tan Lim, who was linked to the case.

Filipino during an ambush interview in Sogod, Leyte, on Tuesday night.

“And that’s a problem of basic education - because paano sila nag-graduate nang hindi sila functionally literate?... This is where basic education comes in, that 18 million should not happen. No one should graduate in our basic education system that is functionally literate,” he continued.

“We’ve put up a P5 million reward for any information that would lead to the possible location and whereabouts of Kelly,” Fajardo said.

Fajardo said two suspects remained at large -- Wenli Gong,who is also known as Kelly Tan Lim, Bao Wenli, Axin, Huang Yanling; and Jonin Lim.

“This (Kelly) is the woman used as bait to lure the victims into going to the house,” Fajardo said.

The PNP said the two victims, Que and his driver, Armanie Pabillo, arranged to meet with Kelly Tan Lim at a house in a village in Meycauayan, Bulacan.

“We believe, based on the evidence presented to us and the evidence we have, Kelly plays a very important role in Anson Que’s case,” Fajardo said.

“Based on the extrajudicial confession of the two Filipino cohorts, accordingly, the one holding the phone negotiating with the family was Kelly,” she added.

As for Lin’s alleged role in the case, Fajardo said he was also present at the Bulacan house where Que and Pabillo were supposedly kept.

As this developed, the Chinese Embassy in Manila, in partnership with the Filipino-Tsino Magkaibigan Foundation and the Overseas Chinese Service Center, held an Anti-Kidnapping Awareness Forum yesterday at the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) building.

Speaking on behalf of Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian, a representative from the embassy expressed deep concern over the recent kidnap-for-ransom incidents that have caused alarm in the community.

“The human need for clean water and an adequate supply of water should not just be for business. The needs of the people should be taken care of,” she said.

The issue of Prime Water’s supposedly poor services took a serious turn when Bulacan provincial officials urged the House of Representatives to look into the matter.

This prompted reporters to ask Castro if the Palace could still vouch for the competence of Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, given her links to the embattled water firm.

“Well, it depends on how she will perform. If we have this trust in her, well, we have to give it to her, but she should prove that she could perform as a leader,” she said Villar is seeking a Senate seat under the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate.

On Tuesday, House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun also called for a congressional investigation into the “poor service” the water concessionaire provides its customers in his district.

In a strongly worded social media post, he said that despite repeated chances and a long grace period, PrimeWater continues to fail its consumers.

“We have given you enough time to improve your services. During out last meeting, you [PrimeWater] said the pandemic was the reason behind the backlog in your development,” the congressman said in a mixture of Filipino and English.

In Subic, where Khonghun’s constituents have lodged numerous grievances, PrimeWater has been criticized for inconsistent water supply, poor service restoration after outages and failure to deliver promised improvements.

an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if anything were to happen to her.

“Even I received a summons from the Office of the Prosecutor over the case filed against me by the National Bureau of Investigation,” Duterte said in

The Vice President made the confirmation after she was asked to comment on the Department of Justice’s move to file a qualified human trafficking case against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, a known ally of the Duterte camp.

Duterte said she was not surprised by the case filed against Roque, noting his outspoken stance against the current administration.

“He [Roque] is really one of the strong and courageous voices speaking out against the ills of the incumbent administration,” she said.

Meanwhile, Duterte expressed her gratitude to Senator Imee Marcos, supporting the senator’s call to investigate five government officials for their alleged involvement in the arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Alyansa ticket includes former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Senator Pia Cayetano, former Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator Lito Lapid, former Senator Manny Pacquiao, former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, ACTCIS Representative and former DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo, and Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.

Meanwhile, Tiangco recently said that Rep. Villar remains in the Alyansa senatorial slate despite persistent rumors of a falling out with the administration.

The scuttlebutt was further fueled by the Las Piñas solon’s absence at a breakfast organized by the LakasCMD leadership at Malacañang Palace last week.

The increased entitlement means members with higher savings can now access larger loans, the Pag-IBIG Fund said.

The changes also apply to other short-term loan programs, including the Health and Education Loan Programs (HELPS) and the Calamity Loan.

Eligibility has also been relaxed. Members are now qualified to apply after just 12 months of savings contributions, instead of the previous 24-month requirement. Those with existing loans under older terms may apply for additional loans if they qualify under the new guidelines. The improvements take effect on May 16.

The revised MPL also introduces a new one-year repayment option, in addition to the existing two- and three-

year terms, offering members more flexibility in managing their repayments.

Pag-IBIG Fund CEOMarilene C.

Acosta said that amid these enhancements, the loan remains affordable, with a competitive monthly interest rate of only 1.4583%.

Additionally, the majority of the interest earned from MPL repayments is returned to members as dividends, further benefiting them.

Rumors are rife that the arrest and immediate surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court in The Hague caused a falling out between the Marcos administration and the influential Villar clan.

The Quezon sortie follows Alyansa’s well-received campaign stops in other parts of Southern Luzon, including Trece Martires City in Cavite on March 11, Santa Rosa City in Laguna on March 22, and Antipolo City in Rizal on April 4. Alyansa campaign manager and Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco underscored Quezon’s importance.

A favorite among bookmakers however is Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a seasoned diplomat who worked with Pope Francis for 12 years.

The 70-year-old Italian was secretary of state—the Vatican’s effective number two—for almost the entire Francis pontificate, and its most visible exponent on the world stage. With his air of calm and subtle sense of humor, Parolin is the consummate diplomat, a polyglot with experience in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

He played a key role in mediating a thaw between the United States and Cuba, as well as making a key Vatican agreement with China on naming bishops.

Parolin is well known to world leaders and diplomats. Crucially, he also has a fine grasp of the intricacies of the Roman Curia, the Holy See’s central government, and was part of a group of cardinal advisors to Francis.

His role, and his moderate positions on many social issues, would suggest continuity with Francis if he were to become pope. At the same time, sources say he can reconcile the Church’s different factions.

“He’s the best-known cardinal of them all. But the question is whether his profile will help create a consensus around him. It could also work against him,” an ecclesiastical source in Rome, speaking anonymously, said in an interview.

The source noted that Parolin “has never had pastoral responsibilities and has taken few positions on societal issues.” Tagle, on the other hand, was or-

dained as a priest in 1982 and became archbishop of the nation’s capital in 2011, a politically influential post in one of the largest dioceses in Asia, where Catholicism is growing.

He was made cardinal by former pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

A fluent English speaker, Tagle has been mentioned as a possible papal contender since the last conclave in 2013, when Francis was elected, and his name is on everybody’s lips this time around.

Underscoring the close ties between the late Argentine pontiff and Asia’s most prominent bishop, Tagle was appointed in 2019 head of a key Vatican department, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

After Francis reformed the department, he named Tagle “pro-prefect” in 2022, leading the section for “First

Evangelization and New Particular Churches,” with responsibility over new dioceses.

‘Trust God’s knowledge’

As a bishop, Tagle was known for chatting with the faithful after mass and even inviting beggars to dine with him at his residence.

The adjustment to life in Rome and the formalities of the Vatican was not easy—he told theology graduates soon after arriving in 2020 that he “makes the Italians suffer” when he speaks their language.

He also once forgot to wear his clerical collar to a meeting.

An eloquent speaker with a soothing voice, Tagle giggles at his own jokes and injects self-deprecating humor into his homilies.

NZ, PH sign troops deal to bolster regional security

By Rex Espiritu

THE Philippines and New Zealand signed an agreement yesterday allowing the deployment of troops on each other’s territory, a move aimed at bolstering security in a “deteriorating” strategic environment.

The visiting forces pact is the latest in a series Manila has secured in the face of ongoing confrontations with Beijing in the South China Sea. China has deployed navy and coast guard vessels to bar the Philippines from important reefs and islands in the strategic waterway, which Beijing claims nearly in its entirety despite an international ruling its assertions are baseless.

New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins said on Wednesday the deal reflected a commitment based on understanding “the risks to the international rules-based order.”

“As our prime minister has said, New Zealand looks to protect and advance our interests in the Indo-Pacific, and we can only do so alongside

partners,” Collins said.

Both countries had “a real understanding that the strategic environment that we are operating in is deteriorating,” she said.

Philippine defense chief Gilberto Teodoro said: “There are those who follow international law and there are those who want to redefine it.”

He took particular aim at the “nine-dash line” China uses to define its sweeping territorial claims.

“We need to deter this kind of unwanted behavior,” he said, adding that Manila and Wellington would work towards “military-to-military training.”

The Philippines has already signed

visiting forces agreements with the United States, Australia and Japan. Teodoro told the briefing a similar deal with Canada could be expected “very soon.”

Pulling its weight New Zealand, a country of just over five million people, has been criticized over the years for taking a softer line on China and putting its trading relationship ahead of its allies’ security concerns.

However, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon unveiled a major military overhaul this month that will pour billions into missiles, cybersecurity and drones, saying it was time for New Zealand to “pull its weight.”

IN BRIEF

WPS label now missing on Google Maps

THE “West Philippine Sea” label is no longer visible on web mapping platform Google Maps. As of Wednesday, the label appears missing from the western section of the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“West Philippine Sea” now only appears as a Google Map pin when accessing the platform. Only two weeks earlier, a Google spokesperson said the well-received labeling was always there after local media reported its presence.

“The West Philippine Sea has always been labeled on Google Maps. We recently made this label easier to see at additional zoom levels,” the spokesperson said.

Comelec to study petition vs. online voting provider

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will look into a petition seeking for manual vote counting in Bacolod City, which has raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest involving the service provider for this year’s online voting. The Comelec’s move was made after former Bacolod mayor Evelio Leonardia, running for a congressional seat, questioned before the Comelec the alleged conflict-ofinterest involving SMS Global Technologies Incorporated (SMS). In a petition, Leonardia mentioned that corporate records indicate SMS is the owner of Highdata Infra Corporation, a company that bagged a P2.1-billion public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with Bacolod’s city government to create e-governance systems and a centralized command center.

Vito Barcelo

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

IN BRIEF

LTO partners with privacy commission on data workshop

TO boost data protection awareness, the Land Transportation Office–National Capital Region (LTO-NCR) partnered with the National Privacy Commission for a three-part seminar titled “Overview Seminar on Republic Act 10173: Data Privacy Act of 2012.”

LTO-NCR Director Roque Verzosa III said the sessions aimed to guide employees on data privacy, stressing that public servants must safeguard citizens’ personal information in today’s digital landscape.

The seminars were held at the Bulwagang Edu, LTO central office in Quezon City, on April 14, 21, and 28. Participants included office chiefs and case resolvers—staff in charge of social media and official communications.

The initiative reflects LTO-NCR’s commitment to responsible digital communication, transparency, and accountability in handling public data.

Future capacity-building activities are planned to further equip LTO-NCR personnel in managing sensitive information professionally and in line with national standards. Rio N. Araja

DHSUD, PBS-BBS launch weekly radio program

THE Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Presidential Broadcast Service-Bureau of Broadcast Services (PBS-BBS) have launched a new weekly radio program, DHSUD Kapihan sa Radyo, after formalizing their partnership through a memorandum of agreement.

This six-month collaboration aims to boost public awareness of housing and urban development programs, particularly the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) initiative under the Marcos administration.

Following the agreement, the pilot episode aired live on Radyo Pilipinas 1 (738 kHz Manila), broadcasting from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. The launch event took place at the PBS-BBS headquarters and featured key officials from both agencies. The program is hosted by DHSUD’s communications officials and is designed to spotlight major housing initiatives.

DHSUD views the partnership as a strategic move to broaden public access to vital information and strengthen engagement with stakeholders across the country. Rio N. Araja

Leyte campus writers join Green Beat Caravan

AT least 20 campus writers from Leyte will join the Green Beat Caravan, an environmental journalism workshop organized by the Association of Young Environmental Journalists (AYEJ) and Visayas State University’s Development Communication Department (VSUDDC), from May 1 to 3 in Baybay City. The workshop aims to train student journalists on environmental reporting and safety, especially relevant in disaster-prone areas like Leyte. Participants will come from several institutions, including LNU, CCO, PIT, ACC, EVSU, FCIC, and VSU.

Supported by the Government of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives and co-hosted by PACE, the training will cover technical writing, journalist safety, and legal protections.

The initiative underscores the urgency of empowering young storytellers to promote environmental awareness and sustainability through responsible media practices.

AYEJ, a Dumaguete-based nonprofit founded in 2017, leads the project in partnership with groups like DepEd, Internews, and the U.S. Embassy. The Caravan runs in hybrid format across six cities from January to June 2025. Ronald O. Reyes

Garcia defies suspension order

PNP vows justice for slain former Aklan mayor

By Vince Lopez

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday pledged to bring justice to the killing of veteran journalist and former Kalibo, Aklan mayor Juan “Johnny” Dayang.

PNP spokesperson BGen. Jean Fajardo said investigators are backtracking the suspects’ movements before and after the crime and are considering multiple motives, including politics and Dayang’s background in media.

PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil condemned the attack, calling it a grave affront to press freedom and human decency.

He said the PNP is coordinating closely with the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) and other agencies to identify and arrest the perpetrators.

Marbil also announced that regional units and investigative teams, including the PNP Media Vanguards, have been mobilized to fasttrack the case.

The Media Vanguards, trained to engage and assist journalists, are also tasked with strengthening protection mechanisms for media workers nationwide.

Dayang, President Emeritus of the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI), was hailed as a pillar of Philippine journalism whose decades of service left a lasting legacy.

By Minerva Newman

CEBU CITY — Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced on April 30 that she will continue serving as governor despite a six-month preventive suspension order issued by the Ombudsman.

Her legal team has sent a clarificatory query to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla, questioning the legality of enforcing the order during the election period.

Garcia, joined by legal counsel led by lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda, argued that the suspension violates provisions in the Local Government Code and Comelec rules that prohibit such actions within 90 days of an election without prior approval.

Citing Sections 60, 62(c), and 15 of the Local Government Code and COMELEC Resolution No. 11059, lawywr Alex Avisado stressed that Garcia is not defying the Ombudsman but

asserting her rights under the law.

Her legal team advised her to continue her duties until the DILG provides official guidance.

Garcia reiterated her commitment to maintaining order and stability during the campaign season and said her ongoing activities—such as a rice-selling initiative— are non-political and in support of Cebu’s constituents. In her letter to the DILG, Garcia underscored that no complaint has yet been furnished to her and that implementing the suspension now could constitute an election offense.

Her legal team emphasized that any action should wait for the DILG’s interpretation and direction.

Lakas-CMD asks NBI to probe ‘Oplan Horus’ hoax

By Maricel V. Cruz

LAKAS-CHRISTIAN Muslim

Democrats (Lakas-CMD) has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the source and distribution of a fabricated document titled Oplan Horus and file charges against those responsible.

In a letter dated April 23 to NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago, Lakas-CMD Executive Director Anna Capella Velasco expressed concern over the “ma-

licious and falsified” material, which falsely named House Majority Leader Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe as its author and included a forged signature.

The document was published by The Manila Times and widely circulated on social media, causing reputational damage to Dalipe, the House of Representatives, and the party. Velasco stated the document was clearly fraudulent and denied any involvement by the Majority Leader. Lakas-CMD urged the NBI to trace

the origin of the forgery, determine how it was published and spread, and coordinate with digital platforms for forensic analysis. They called for legal action under identity fraud, cyber libel, and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The party emphasized the urgency of the investigation, warning that the spread of such disinformation threatens public trust and democratic stability ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.

Loyzaga confirms the results of

Davao del Norte poll candidate shot, police probes shooting

By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa

A 43-YEAR-OLD Board Member aspirant and executive assistant of outgoing Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez was shot by an unidentified suspect Tuesday night. The incident was reported to police around 11 p.m. in Delfina Village, Barangay Magugpo, Tagum City.

Tagum City Police Chief Col. Wildemar Tiu said an investigation is ongoing to determine the motive behind the attack. The victim, Audrie Perez, a candidate for Board Member in the First District of Davao del Norte, was on his way home when he was shot by the assailant. He

PACT VS. CYBERCRIME. Officials from the Department of Justice (DOJ, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and GCash sign a pact to combat cybercrime.

MANILA BAY ECOSYSTEM. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary, Maria Antonia Yulo

the 2024 cumulative impact assessment conducted by the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation which showed that the ecosystem of Manila Bay remains vibrant. Manny Palmero

DEFIANT. Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, in a press conference, announces that she will continue to serve as Cebu’s governor despite the Ombudsman’s issuance of a 6-month preventive suspension order.

OPINION

Twenty-peso rice, bow!

I HAD written an article for this space last Monday, and it was about my senatorial choices. That can wait for another day.

Sec. Kiko Tiu-Laurel announced with much fanfare that the 20-peso promise would be fulfilled starting May 1, to be launched in Cebu first, and in select Kadiwa stores in NCR as well. The reason advanced for why 20-peso rice would be sold in the Visayas, and not Mindanao or Luzon was that NFA stocks were in the Visayas warehouses, so logistics dictate that it would be cheaper to start in the Visayas.

But most of the NFA inventory is stocked in Occidental Mindoro. There is not much NFA rice in Iloilo, because the private traders are doing very well in Panay Island. After the RTL removed NFA’s retail operations, there was no point stockpiling so much in its Jaro, Iloilo warehouses. Later, DA admitted that its unsold rice inventory would be moved from Mindoro. Now, pray tell, is Mindoro closer to Batangas or Quezon than Cebu? Ask a stupid question. Why Cebu? The answer later adduced is because the now suspended Gov. Gwen Garcia “volunteered” to launch it in Cebu, and was willing to undertake part of the huge subsidy to be able to sell rice at 20 pesos.

Not Panay first, nor Leyte first, nor even Negros. Why not? Because Cebu, the heartland of the Bisaya nation, is Duterte country.

The politics of rice.

VP Inday Sara was not being accurate when she said that NFA rice is of poor quality, unfit for human consumption. If the palay was bought by NFA from local farmers, these should have been bought either in the summer harvest, when DA proudly announced that NFA would buy palay at 23 pesos to make farmers happy. So that could be new, freshly harvested and freshly milled rice, costing NFA about 45 pesos, but was selling at 33 pesos in Kadiwa, and now 20. But NFA claims to have about 370,000 metric tons in its warehouses. Now if you compare that to their buying spree in the summer season, it does not tally. So most of that must be from the main harvest season of September-October 2024. Whichever, it is not bad rice. NFA regularly undertakes food-grade fumigation of its warehouse inventory, unless they have stopped doing so, which I highly doubt.

If NFA bought palay at 19 pesos per kilo in 2024, and 23 pesos per kilo in 2025, the staggering loss between palay buying price, plus milling, storage, administrative cost and logistics would come up to a staggering 7 billion pesos, more or less, although Tiu-Laurel states it is about 4.5 to 5 billion pesos. Who shoulders that subsidy? Government. Who funds government? Taxpayers.

So, as old folks would say, “ginigisa tayo sa sariling mantika.”

To begin with, it was foolish to promise 20 peso rice during the 2022 campaign.

Whoever advised candidate Marcos Jr. that it could be done should be shot.

But that promise stuck in the public mind, and now they are collecting.

Last year, the USDA reported that private traders approved by the BPI-DA, not NFA, amounted to 4.8 million metric tons. These were bought at FOB prices of anywhere from 450 to 520 dollars per ton on the average.

We do not have a shortage, but all the imported rice is in private hands. Government due to RTL only has locallyproduced rice.

Duterte was feared, and till now, he is loved

The wonder of it all is why LGUs and other government agencies have not been buying NFA rice, which they were selling at 33 pesos per kilo, while market prices were from 45-55 per.

LGUs and congressmen have been buying rice for distribution, a.k.a. votebuying, from the privates, not the NFA which is government. So now it has to unload unsold inventory.

Why? Hindi pwede mag-tongpats ang NFA kasi gobyerno.

Now everybody and his mother is blaming the traders for “hoarding” and “profiteering,” which is why prices remain high, even if world prices have gone down to 320 dollars per ton.

Why can’t this government control the hoarding and profiteering, as they blame the traders?

Let’s take a page from recent history.

In 2018, there was a rice price crisis, because NFA’s stocks were low, and there was no RTL yet.

Then Pres. Duterte was warned by us about NFA’s low stock position as early as September 2017, and he was given two pieces of advice: one, call the big rice traders to Malacanang, and “appeal” to them to release more of their stocks to tame prices, should short supply in the market materialize in early 2018; and two, if a real shortage does occur, ask the Vietnamese prime minister to sell rice to us, government-to-government.

What did Duterte do?

When rice prices spiked, he called one of the biggest rice traders in the country thus: “Ikaw, p…..i.. mo, ilabas mo ang bigas, kung hindi…alam ko kung saan ka nakatira…” Appeal became threat, but it worked. Machiavelli once wrote that a leader is better feared than loved. Duterte was feared, and till now, he is loved.

Filling the shoes of the fisherman

WITH the burial of Pope Francis last Sunday, 133 of the 252 cardinals will participate in the conclave that will decide on who will be the next Pope to lead the estimated 1.4 billion strong Roman Catholic Church.

To be able to participate, one has to be less than 80 years of age. 135 cardinals were supposed to be participating but two will not be joining. One is due to health reasons and the other is because of his conviction of financial crimes.

Of those who will attend, a two thirds vote is needed to elect a Pope and the one selected must agree to accept his election, otherwise the process will have to be done again.

It is interesting to note that out of the 135 under 80, 108 were appointed by Pope Francis during his 12-year papacy.

As always, every time there is an election for a new pope, it attracts worldwide attention due to the enormous authority a pope welds on moral, social and spiritual issues.

For us Filipinos, it is doubly significant this time around because we have a cardinal that is among those who are being

touted as a papabile.

As such, even before the passing of Pope Francis, there are those among us Filipinos who have been posting in the social media trying to enhance the election chances of Luis Antonio Tagle as pope.

Filling the shoes of the fisherman can be an unpredictable process and full of surprises

Some have even gone to the extent of saying it is already a done deal. They do not seem to realize that they might just be hurting his chances more than anything else.

We all want a Filipino pope but these people should follow the advice of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and simply keep quiet and just pray for him.

This is an AI-generated cartoon with the prompt: Generate a political cartoon in horizontal format of what looks like a Russian Formalist poster. From the left side of the cartoon, there is a sea of raised clenched left fists rising in a tidal crescendo. Behind the sea of clenched fists is a giant, left-handed fist carrying a red banner with the words ‘Power to the Workers.’ On the right side of the cartoon is a group of demonic figures wearing suits. One giant corpulent demon has the word ‘Exploitation’ written on its body.

Labor Day 2025

AS THE government observes this year’s Labor Day with a flurry of activities, including job fairs organized by the Department of Labor and Employment to offer job opportunities to the unemployed and the underemployed, we can expect trade unions and federations, particularly the militant ones, to be out in the streets to ask for higher wages

In February, the House of Representatives approved a bill raising the daily minimum wage by P200. The House bill, according to Speaker Martin Romualdez, is “a critical step toward achieving inclusive growth and addressing the immediate challenges faced by Filipino families.”

However, as expected, the proposed P200 minimum wage hike has been opposed by at least two big groups of employers, with our workers . unable to cope with difficult economic circumstances.

Meanwhile, the Senate has yet to pass its own bill granting a P150 minimum wage hike.

The unrest among a significant section of the Filipino working class is therefore not surprising.

The ordinary factory worker who

They should remember the old saying that he who enters the conclave as a pope comes out a cardinal. Besides, they also have to bear in mind that the search for someone to fill the shoes of the fisherman is not a popularity contest.

It is a deeply spiritual and secretive process entrusted only to the members of the College of Cardinals composed of learned men from all the corners of the globe.

Today the face of the Catholic Church is changing fast.

The influence of Europe where the past popes have traditionally come from is waning as shown by the growing number of cardinals from outside the continent.

Theirs numbers have grown and this was mainly due to the late Pope Francis who himself was the first Pope elected from outside Europe in 1,300 years.

earns the minimum wage can barely support a family. Workers in public transport threaten strikes because they bring home a paltry amount owing to the continuing surge in oil prices, while workers in both the public and private sectors must invariably contend with higher prices of basic consumer goods.

The militant trade unions and federations are justified in asking for higher wages and more benefits

So, whoever will become the next Vicar of Christ will have to deal with these new realities in addition to the usual ageold differences between the conservatives and progressives within the church leadership structure.

Pope Francis more than any other pope in the past tried to bring the church to the modern world.

Those who disagree, however, are saying it was too fast and too soon.

No wonder, papal observers are asking whether the next pope will continue the same programs that Pope Francis championed or will it be someone who will pause and return to more traditional observance of religious issues.

Whoever will be elected as the new pope, therefore, will give us a glimpse of the direction that the church will be taking. Among the so-called front runners, the current Secretary of State, Cardinal

Thousands of Filipinos leave the country daily to work abroad.

This tells us that the state of the economy leaves much to be desired, despite the billions collected by the government in the form of higher taxes.

The militant trade unions and federations are justified in asking for higher wages and more benefits, and the least the government should do is to allow them to ventilate their grievances.

After all, Labor Day is a day for honoring the working class and recognizing their contributions to building the national economy.

We join the rest of the nation in paying tribute to the Filipino working class for asserting their economic and political rights on Labor Day and keeping the Philippine economy afloat despite less than ideal economic and political circumstances.

The Filipino working class continues to exert efforts to improve their lot.

As Filipino workers find common cause with their counterparts in other parts of the world on May Day, they actually seek to break free from the fetters of poverty and despair, and to reclaim their dignity and pride as human beings as they struggle for a just, fair and equitable society.

Parolin is experienced and is known for his administrative skills. He is also known for being deliberate and careful. Cardinal Tagle’s is admired due to his extensive pastoral work, his connection to the developing world and is known as the Asian Francis. Cardinal Sarah, on the other hand, is a respected figure among conservatives. Others like Cardinal Zuppi, the president of the Italian Bishops Conference, was very close to Pope Francis. But there is really no such thing as a frontrunner.

The next Pope could very well be someone like Pope Francis who was elected in just two days and whose name was never even mentioned before his election.

Filling the shoes of the fisherman can be an unpredictable process and full of surprises.

Kim oversees warship weapons test-fire, eyes nukes for NK navy

SEOUL – North Korean leader Kim

Jong Un ordered navy vessels to be speedily armed with nuclear weapons, state media reported Wednesday, as Pyongyang conducted its first test-firing of a new warship weapons system.

This weekend, Pyongyang had unveiled its new warship, a 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel named Choe Hyon, which some analysts said was likely to be equipped with short-range tactical nuclear missiles.

Kim oversaw the first day of a twoday weapons test of the destroyer, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

He then ordered officials to work on “accelerating the nuclear armament of the navy”, it added.

North Korea has previously said the vessel was equipped with the “most powerful weapons”, and that it would “enter into operation early next year”.

Experts have said that given its size, the warship is believed to carry both ship-to-surface and ship-to-air missiles.

KCNA said Tuesday’s test was of “ship-to-ship tactical guided weapon,

various kinds of ship-based automatic guns and smoke and electronic jamming guns,” involving the newly unveiled vessel.

The news agency said Pyongyang also tested its “supersonic cruise missile, strategic cruise missile, anti-aircraft missile and 127 mm ship-based automatic gun” on Monday.

Kim said the country’s ship-based firepower system was “effectively combined” with the “most powerful strike means including supersonic cruise missile, strategic cruise missile and tactical ballistic missile”.

Seoul’s defence ministry said it was “closely tracking and monitoring the North Korean military’s shipbuilding and development trends,” in cooperation with the United States.

Pyongyang’s announcement came days after it confirmed for the first time it had deployed troops to Russia to support Moscow in its war in Ukraine.

Moscow also said Saturday that North Korean soldiers “provided significant assistance in defeating the group of Ukrainian armed forces”. AFP

US threatens to quit Moscow-Kyiv effort

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time) the United States would give up on mediation unless Russia and Ukraine put forward “concrete proposals,” as US patience wanes on an early priority for Donald Trump.

The US president had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House but, as Trump celebrates 100 days in office, Rubio has suggested the administration could soon turn attention to other issues.

“We are now at a time where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters, in what she said was a message from Rubio.

“If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process.”

She said it would ultimately be up to Trump to decide whether to move ahead on diplomacy.

The president suggested on Tuesday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin still wants to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine.

Asked in an interview with ABC television if Putin wants peace, Trump said: “I think he does.”

Putin recently proposed a three-day

ceasefire around Moscow’s commemorations next week for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

But he has rebuffed a Ukrainianbacked US call for a 30-day ceasefire.

The United States wants “not a threeday moment so you can celebrate something else -- a complete, durable ceasefire and an end to the conflict,” Bruce said.

It remains unclear if Rubio is actually ready to turn the page or is seeking to pressure the two countries.

The United States already put together a framework proposal which Ukrainians feel bows to Russian demands.

Trump has suggested an official recognition of Russia’s takeover in 2014 of Crimea, an annexation rejected by nearly all the world, in addition to land swaps.

“We all want this war to end in a fair way -- with no rewards for Putin, es-

Pakistan says India planning strike as tensions rise

ISLAMABAD

– Pakistan’s information minister said Wednesday that Islamabad had “credible intelligence” that India was planning an imminent military strike and he vowed a “decisive response”, as worries of spiraling conflict grew over a deadly attack in Kashmir.

The statement by Attaullah Tarar came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a closed-door meeting the previous day with army and security chiefs, at which he gave the military “complete operational freedom” to respond to the attack, a senior government source told AFP.

“Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends to launch a military strike within the next 24 to 36 hours using the Pahalgam incident as a false pretext,” Tarar said in a statement.

Pahalgam is a tourist hub in Indian-administered Kashmir where 26 men were killed on April 22, the deadliest attack on civilians in the contested region in years.

India has accused Pakistan of supporting the attack, a claim Islamabad has rejected.

“Any act of aggression will be met

with a decisive response,” said Tarar. “India will be fully responsible for any serious consequences in the region!”

The development comes as nations around the world, from neighboring China to the United States, express deep concerns and urge restraint by the nuclear-armed neighbors.

pecially no land,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told an event in Poland by videoconference on Tuesday. Russia has also not moved on the proposal with many experts believing Moscow now sees an upper hand -- on the battlefield and diplomatically, with Trump eager to reconcile. Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, sought to blame Zelenskyy and said that Russia would keep speaking with the United States. Zelenskyy “is bent on escalating the conflict. He’s recklessly rejecting the United States’ balanced peace proposals,” Nebenzia told a UN Security Council meeting.

US diplomat John Kelley told the session that both sides would benefit from working off the US framework and condemned Russian strikes into Ukraine. AFP

Supreme Court to weigh ban

on public funds for private schools

WSHINGTON, DC – The conservative US Supreme Court will weigh a case on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) challenging the ban on using public money to fund religious charter schools.

Nearly all 50 states already allow charter schools, which are privately managed but publicly funded.

But the Catholic Church in Oklahoma is vying to open the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school, Saint Isidore of Seville.

Named in homage to the patron saint of the internet, a 7th century Spanish bishop, plaintiffs say the school would promote “parental choice, individual liberty, educational diversity, and student achievement.”

“Excluding religious groups from Oklahoma’s charter school program denies these opportunities and causes real harm,” plaintiffs add.

If the Supreme Court sides with the Catholic Church, taxpayer funding for religious education could see a huge uptick.

The separation between church and state is a bedrock principle of the US government, rooted in the First Amendment of the Constitution. The separation has been upheld in many Supreme Court decisions.

In the case before the court, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the creation of the school violates both US and state constitutions.

that many people suffocated to death.”

The Rituraj Hotel, which had 88 guests when the fire broke out, is located in a congested business district of central Kolkata. About a dozen people suffered burn injuries and were undergoing treatment. Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and a routine disregard for safety regulations.

Last year, six people were killed in a fire at a hotel in Patna in the eastern state of Bihar. AFP

ANTWERP – A police station in the historic sailors’ quarter of the Belgian port of Antwerp is surrounded by sex workers’ neon-lit red-light windows.

The station in the Villa Tinto complex is a symbol of the push to make sex work safer in Belgium, which boasts some of Europe’s most liberal laws -- although there are still widespread abuses and exploitation.

Since December, Belgium’s sex workers can access legal protections and labor rights, such as paid leave, like any other profession. They welcome the changes.

“I’m not a victim, I chose to work here and I like what I’m doing,” said Kiana, 32, as she allowed AFP behind her window to see her workspace: a double bed bathed in a dim red light, with various types of chains and other sado-masochistic accessories. Kiana, who did not wish to give her last name, left her native Romania at the age of 18 and first worked in Germany before arriving in Belgium. She rents one of the 51 display windows in Villa Tinto where she works five days a week. AFP

India’s army on Wednesday said it had repeatedly traded gunfire with Pakistani troops for a sixth night in a row across the Line of Control, the de facto Kashmir border, a heavily fortified zone of highaltitude Himalayan outposts. AFP VATICAN CITY – Whether chomping on local fare such as pasta carbonara

“A ruling for petitioners would eliminate the buffer this Court has long enforced between religious instruction and public schools, including in areas where charter schools are the only or default public school option,” the Oklahoma Attorney General has argued. AFP

‘Poor’ local fare cardinals’ favorites at Vatican

SEOUL – South Korean prosecutors on Wednesday raided the home of the country’s ex-president, Yonhap reported, as part of a probe into a shaman accused of receiving lavish gifts for the former first lady. Former president Yoon Suk Yeol was stripped of all power and privileges earlier this month by the Constitutional Court over his disastrous Dec. 3 martial law

EVASIVE PEACE. U krainian sappers take off from the shore parts of Russian FAB-500 air-dropped bomb, retrieved from the Black Sea, on a shore near Odesa, on Tuesday, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Manila time) suggested his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin still wants to negotiate a peace agreement in his war with Ukraine as ceasefire talks mediated by Washington appear stalled. AFP

BORDER TENSION. An Indian paramilitary trooper stands guard at Hapatnar in Anantnag district south of Kashmir on Tuesday. The development comes as nations around the world, from neighboring China to the United States, express deep concerns and urge restraint by the nuclear-armed neighbors. India’s army on Wednesday said it had repeatedly traded gunfire with Pakistani troops for a sixth night in a row across the Line of Control, the de facto Kashmir border, a heavily fortified zone of high-altitude Himalayan outposts. AFP

Comelec rules out manual vote count; cites lack of time, high cost

By Vito Barcelo

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday ruled out reverting from computerized elections to manual tabulation of the ballots, citing as reasons limited time and huge expenses.

Comelec chairman George Garcia issued the statement in reaction to suggestions to go manual in counting the votes at the precinct level for the 2025 midterm elections.

The Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban)

recommended the old-fashioned way of counting the ballots in the May 12, 2025 midterm polls.

Garcia argued that switching back to manual would require a huge amount of money, which the poll body could not afford.

“If we want a manual counting process, we will require an additional budget. This is necessary as we will need to prepare election returns, set up tally boards, and increase the salaries of teachers who are unwilling to work extra hours without appropriate compensation. It is possible that they may still count the votes two days later,” he explained.

The Comelec chief also dismissed allegations of possible election fraud in the upcoming national and local elections, giving assurance that such fraud is impossible.

Garcia also assured the public that

the elections would be secure and safe, emphasizing that all systems used— including vote counting machines and transmission devices—have undergone thorough testing and certification processes. He said nonetheless, the Comelec will also conduct a random manual audit. We respect their opinions and recommendations. But we regret that they did not present these in Congress sooner, allowing for the possibility of legislative action. However, there is nothing we can change at this time,” he added.

BOC seizes P101-m marijuana shipment from Thailand

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized P101 million worth of dried marijuana leaves shipped from Thailand.

BOC intelligence director Juvymax Uy said they received information regarding the contraband and promptly ordered it to be held upon arrival at the Manila International Container Port on instructions by Commissioner Bienve-

PH, US planes conduct joint patrol over WPS

By Rex Espiritu

FIGHTER and bomber planes from the Philippines and the United States on Tuesday carried out a joint air patrol over the West Philippine Sea. Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo announced the operation in a statement sent to reporters on Tuesday. Castillo said the patrol was part of the ninth Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) being conducted between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). For the mission, the PAF deployed three FA-50PH fighter jets, while PACAF flew a Rockwell B-1B “Lancer” strategic bomber, two F-16 “Viper” jets, and an F-18 multi-role fighter. Specific operational details were withheld for security reasons.

The B-1B “Lancer” is a supersonic strategic bomber capable of speeds up to Mach 1.25, with a crew of four. It boasts a range of 5,100 nautical miles and can carry a combat load of approximately 50,000 pounds.

“This cooperative activity aims to strengthen collaboration and enhance interoperability between the AFP and US forces,” Castillo said.

She added that the patrol underscores the PAF’s commitment to operational readiness, supporting the AFPÂ’s mission to protect the countryÂ’s territory and sovereign rights while contributing to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region.

nidor Rubio.

On Tuesday, a thorough examination of five out of 136 balikbayan boxes was conducted, revealing approximately 72,178 grams of dried marijuana leaves with an estimated street value of P101 million.

“The shipment, consisting of 136 balikbayan boxes, was initially declared to contain personal effects and household goods from Thailand. However, even before it arrived in Manila, the

CEREAL OF LIFE.

Sacks of rice are being unloaded from flatbed trucks parked in front of the National Irrigation Administration headquarters in Quezon City where a government-run Kadiwa store offers the staple at reduced prices. Manny Palmero

BOC had already verified intelligence information it might contain illegal drugs and other suspicious items.

BOC intelligence chief Verne Enciso reported that the five boxes inspected on Tuesday were declared as beauty products, assorted shoes, and dresses.

“Upon inspection, we discovered that all five balikbayan boxes contained several sealed plastic pouches filled with what appeared to be dried leaves. We are currently in the process

of inspecting and inventorying the remaining balikbayan boxes,” Enciso said.

The five balikbayan boxes each held138 heat-sealed transparent plastic bags, weighing an estimated 72,178 grams of suspected “kush” or dried marijuana leaves. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents have taken samples of the suspected marijuana for further testing at their laboratory.

Binay hits improper use of health funds

By Maricel V. Cruz

MAKATI Mayor and senatorial candidate Abigail Binay said the government has available funds to improve healthcare, but the monies have not been properly utilized.

“A closer look would there is money. But the problem is, these funds were not properly used,” Binay said in an interview.

Binay, who is running for the Senate under the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas ticket, cited as examples the budget for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the sin tax revenues

“that have remained underutilized, along with continuing appropriations that are funded annually but are still unspent. “

“These are the things we need to scrutinize in the Senate. Our re -

sources may be limited, but the funds are there. We only need to determine how best to use them to provide better services to the people, including better health care,” she said.

Binay also reiterated her proposal to redirect part of the funds for financial assistance under subsidy programs such as the Assistance to or Individuals in Crisis Situations and the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program for the provision of free maintenance medicines to beneficiaries, instead of plain cash.

“At least we know where the aid goes. The people need medicines more than money,” she noted.

Binay also called for legislative reforms to streamline the Public Private Partnership (PPP) approval process as she cited the success of Makati’s PPP projects, particularly in healthcare.

IN BRIEF

CHR scores new PCO rules for news coverage

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday raised concerns over the new media accreditation guidelines issued by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) that frowns on new journalists who have not enough experience in covering government agencies.

“Although implementation has been pushed back after a meeting with the Malacañang Press Corps Inc., the CHR is hopeful that there will be a more thorough review of the guidelines to ensure that there will be no unintended infringements on press freedom following their implementation,” the agency said in a statement.

With the parameters set by the PCO, such guidelines might pose unintended threats to the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and affirmed by various international human rights frameworks, it added. The new accreditation guidelines require journalists and media outlets to have previous experience in government coverage for at least five years, thereby putting newer and younger reporters at a disadvantage. Rio N. Araja

Gen. Trias enhances city park amenities

GENERAL Trias City in Cavite has significantly enhanced the entertainment amenities of its public park with the addition of four new facilities.

Cavite Rep. Antonio Ferrer, along with Mayor Luis Ferrer IV and Vice Mayor Jonas Labuguen on Monday presided at the opening of the new facilities consisting of an Amphitheatre, a Senior Fitness Park, Skate Park, and Children’s Playground.

The event also saw the ground-breaking for a multipurpose hall, a tennis court, as well as road improvements and lighting system for the park. “Our local government under the leadership of our beloved Mayor Jon-Jon Ferrer in collaboration with our good congressman Ony Ferrer will continue to offer meaningful projects for a more vibrant, safe, and enjoyable sightseeing and gathering of our Gentriseño people,” Labuguen said. Dennis Abrina

Touching of passports now taboo at NAIA

SECURITY personnel at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have been disallowed from touching passengers passports during entry and security checkS to ensure the protection and integrity of private travel documents.

This prohibition was directed by New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) following a viral social media post from a passenger whose relative was denied boarding due to a torn passport.

“Passengers will simply be asked to show their valid ID or travel document by holding it up themselves,” the NNIC stressed.

The incident involving the torn passport took place at an airline check-in counter at NAIA Terminal 3. The NNIC, however, disclaimed any involvement in the incident, saying there have been no reports of mishandling by NAIA security personnel.

Joel E. Zurbano

MARIJUANA HAUL. A Customs intelligence agent stands guard over marijuana leaves valued at P101 million seized upon arrival in Manila from Thailand.

JOINT PH-US AIR PATROL. Security measures at the disputed West Philippine Sea have been literally raised to new heights with the conduct of joint Philippines-United States air part over the territory. PAF photo

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor

RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor

EDGARD HILARIO, Asst. Editor

Rondina-Pons tandem back on sand to lead PH campaign

SISI RONDINA and Bernadeth Pons officially make their comeback to the national beach volleyball team as the country hosts the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour (BPT) Futures Nuvali starting on Thursday in the City of Santa Rosa, Laguna. Gold medalists in the BPT Future Subic Bay in 2022 who went on to become rivals on the domestic indoor professional league, SiPons reunites with sights set on the Southeast Asian Games gold after twice earning bronze in the regional meet. They begin battle at the worldclass Nuvali Sand Courts on Thursday along with four other Alas Pilipinas women’s pairs and four men’s tandems in the event featuring teams from 19 countries, including the US, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Italy. Focus will also be on young stars Khylem Progella and Sofia Pagara of the Universoty of Santo Tomas, who have proven their worth outside the collegiate arena with solid performances in recent international events, as they vie for honors in the tough tournament that also has teams from Czechia, Greece, Lithuania, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Vanuatu, Israel and Japan.

Sunnie Kalani Villapando, who played for Stanford and University of Southern California in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and now among the players looking to compete for the Philippines in the SEA Games, again teams up with Jen Gaviola of the Coast Guard after a promising stint last month in the Songkhla Futures in Thailand where they split their matches.

“We’re going to be competing, training, getting our mind right for the SEA Games,” Villapando said. “This is mental preparation.”

Javiniar grabs another stage win; Joo vows to protect yellow jersey

LABRADOR, Pangasinan—Joseph Javiniar of Excellent Noodles Cycling Team blazed through the 15-kilometer individual time trial course on Wednesday, clocking in at an impressive 17 minutes and 25 seconds to claim victory in the penultimate stage of the MPTC Tour of Luzon.

This time trial, a crucial prelude to the final stage in Baguio City, saw overall leader Joo Dae Yeong of Gapyeong Cycling Team finish second, 38 seconds behind Javiniar.

Mervin Corpuz rounded out the podium, crossing the line 52 sec onds after the stage winner in Stage 7 of the eight-day cycling event pre sented by Duckworld PH and Cig nal.

“Medyo hindi maganda ang gis ing ko kanina. Naka-recover lang

LAUREL, Batangas—Shinichi

Suzuki made a resounding return to the ICTSI Junior PGT Championship, showcasing steely resolve and a calm command under pressure to edge out Zachary Villaroman by three in a wind-blasted final round showdown and seize the Splendido Taal leg title with a 72 here on Wednesday.

Facing gusty winds that turned the challenging course into a true test of nerves and precision, Suzuki overcame an early deficit and relied on consistency and mental grit to emerge victorious in the boys’ 15-18 division of the 54-hole tournament.

Suzuki closed out with a 219 total, three-over for the tournament, securing a well-earned victory before the Luzon series pauses for the Visayas-Mindanao (Vis-Min) swing, which kicks off Monday (May 5) in Mactan, Cebu. Villaroman, third in the se-

ako sa warm up at maganda ang naging resulta,” said Javiniar, celebrating his second stage win following his Stage 5 victory. Despite finishing second in the stage, Joo maintained his firm grip on the yellow jersey, the symbol of overall leadership, for the seventh consecutive stage.

“I am ready to protect the yellow jersey. I just saved my energy, so I’ll be prepared for it,” said Joo, who has held the coveted jersey since his Stage 1 victory in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Mervin Corpuz, who had surged to second overall after Stage 6, now faces a slightly larger gap as Joo’s

lead extended to two minutes and 10 seconds heading into the final stage of the bikathon supported by Pilipinas Live, Meralco, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Maynilad, Metro Pacific Health, Megaworld, Landco, PLDT and Smart.

Nichol Pareja of Victoria Sports Cycling Team rose to third overall after finishing fourth in the ITT, 3:05 adrift of the South Korean pacesetter and Jan Paul Morales moved a notch up to fourth, 3:09 back.

They dislodged Jeremy Lizardo (3:14 behind) of Standard Insurance and Jonel Carcueva (3:36) of MPT Drivehub, who dropped to fifth and sixth. Jerico

Spotlight on 3 record holders, Olympians as National Open begins

By Peter Atencio

CAPAS, Tarlac—Under expected humid conditions, three record holders are set to stamp their class as the four-day ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships 2025 starts Thursday at the New Clark City Track and Field Stadium.

High jumper Leonard Grospe will back in action after undergoing surgery for a knee as he seeks another great finish in the men’s open category of the athletics’ competition, also known as the National Open.

Grospe holds the national mark of 2.21 meters, which he set in Bangkok in June last year.

Discus thrower Russel Ricaforte, who put his name in the University Athletic Association

ries’ first two legs at Eagle Ridge and Sherwood Hills, improved to second this time with a 222 after a 76. Despite the stumble, he solidified his lead in the points race for the national finals with 32 points, with Suzuki close behind at 27.

Suzuki, a 16-year-old student from St. Francis of Assisi in Biñan, Laguna, showcased superb wedge play to anchor his victory.

He delivered a 50-degree wedge from 140 yards to within four feet for birdie on No. 2, followed by a precise 54-degree wedge from 122 yards that left him just two feet for birdie on the 14th. On No. 16, he leaned again on his trusted 50-degree wedge from 143 yards to set up a tap-in birdie.

“The key was staying patient because this course is pretty difficult – especially the greens,” said Suzuki, who credited his recent stint in Japan for helping him

of the Philippines’ record books, is also around and will seek a place in the national team, along with Mapua’s Ritchie Estampador.

The 24-year-old Ricaforte heaved a stunning 47.80-meter throw during the recent UAAP meet.

This time, Ricaforte will try to hold his ground in the men’s open division, with Ed Delina of the University of the Philippines.

Delina held the long-standing UAAP mark of 47.28 meters un til Ricaforte smashed it. Ricaforte and Delina are hop ing to come near the national mark of Fidel Repizo at 52.10 meters.

Eyes will also be on Estam pador, the current National

adapt to challenging conditions.

“I had a great experience in Japan, where it was much windier,” he said. “That helped me refine my club selection and learn to play with the wind instead of fighting it. I was able to hit a lot of greens and stay consistent.”

Rafa Anciano, on the other hand, clinched her second straight win in dominant fashion, crushing Angelica Bañez by 36 strokes despite a closing 96 for a 54-hole total of 260 in the girls’ 15-18 category of the nationwide junior golf series, launched by ICTSI in 2023 as an elite platform for grooming young talents. Despite a challenging day at the Greg Norman-designed layout, Anciano remained unthreatened. Her front nine included a quadruple bogey on the par-5 No. 2 and a triple on No. 6 plus a slew of backside bogeys, leading to a 24-over final card.

Lucero (4:03) of Go For Gold Cycling Team improved to seventh as well as Mar Francis Sudario at eighth (4:21). ``Maganda naman ang performance ko dito sa time trial. Focus na ako bukas sa mga ahon ng Baguio,’’ said Corpuz, a nephew of three-time Tour champion Santy Barnachea and MPT Drivehub coach. Joo, who assembled an accumulated clocking of 17 hours, 59 minutes and 37 seconds after seven days, is bracing himself for Thursday’s gigantic climb covering 177.54 kilometers from Lingayen to Camp John Hay in Baguio City where the champion will be determined.

Collegiate Athletic Association record holder in the 3000-meter steeplechase with his clocking of 9:12.13 as he tries to get near Hector Begeo’s 8:35.09.

The result of their performances could earn them slots to the national team for the coming Southeast Asian Games and other coming international meets.

“They are all in good shape. And we’ll see how they will do in the national open,” said national coach Sean Guevarra, who is keenly following their

YOUNG, aspiring tennis talents showed no signs of slowing down on Labor Day, as close to 200 participants launch their respective campaigns in the Verde Aces National Juniors Championships today (Thursday, May 1) at the Verde Aces courts in Bacolod City. The Group 2 tournament features intense competition across various age categories, showcasing some of the country’s most promising junior players.

All eyes will be on top seed Izabelle Camcam and the surging Kathryn Bugna, who are set to clash in the girls’ 14- and 16-andunder divisions of the event, part of the nationwide PPS-PEPP circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop through president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Camcam, seeded first in all three categories she’s entered, is also the player to beat in the girls’ 18-and-U draw, which includes strong contenders such as Besper Zapatos, Isobel Aldeguer, Angela Chavez, Claire Fungo, Isobel Alipo-On, Atila Deocampo and Saze Nillama. Bugna, 14, enters the tournament riding a wave of confidence after winning titles across three age divisions in the MACS’ Crankit tournaments held in Pasig, Iloilo and Roxas. However, she faces stiff competition from Camcam, as well as Raine Villamejor, Alipo-On, Besper Zapatos and Theriz Zapatos in her quest for another title. In the boys’ division, Rizzjun Labindao leads the 16-and-U bracket, which boasts a 32-player field featuring Raphael Lamata, Andrian Rodriguez, Fredrick Perlas, Kent Largavista, Marku Zapatos, Phine Billones, and Alwin Cachumbo.

Dae Yeong Joo of Korea Cycling Team

Leonard Gorospe

Shinichi Suzuki ( Manny Marcelo )

WHAT’S INSIDE?

P478.8 billion

PHILIPPINE merchandise exports

rose 5.9 percent in March 2025 to $6.59 billion from $6.23 billion a year earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Wednesday. Imports grew at a faster pace of 11.9 percent in March to $10.72 billion from $9.58 billion a year ago. This resulted in a trade deficit of $4.13 billion for the month, a 23.1 percent increase from March 2024.

Total external trade in goods amounted to $17.31 billion, marking a 9.6 percent annual increase from $15.80 billion in the same period last year. Of the total external trade in March 2025, 61.9 percent were imported goods, while the remaining 38.1 percent were exports. Export sales in March 2025 reached $6.59 billion, a 5.9 percent rise from the $6.23 billion in total export sales in the same month of the previous year. In February 2025, total export sales recorded a 4.8 percent annual increase, while March 2024 saw a 5.9 percent annual decrease.

This brought total exports in the first quarter to $19.27 billion, up by 5.7 percent from $18.23 billion in the same period in 2024. By commodity group, electronic products continued to be the country’s top exports in March 2025, earning $3.64 billion or 55.2 percent of the country’s total exports during the period. Other manufactured goods followed with an export value of $434.41 million (6.6 percent), and other mineral products with $246.56 million (3.7 percent).

The United States contributed the highest to the total export value, amounting to $1.11 billion or 16.8 percent of the country’s total exports in March 2025. Meanwhile, imported goods in March 2025 amounted to $10.72 billion, an 11.9-percent increase from $9.58 billion in the same month last year.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

TIt said that despite the larger deficit in the three-month period, it was still in line with the government’s P1-5 trillion deficit program for the full year,.

The BTr said the government’s revenue collection in the first quarter remained robust, growing by 6.90 percent to reach P998.2 billion. Government spending was on target at P1.5 trillion, or 23.89 percent of the full-year expenditure program and representing a 22.43-percent year-onyear increase.

Karlson enjoy the scenic view of the UNESCO-designated geographic marvel Chocolate Hills as part of her visit to Bohol province. ‘Places like #Bohol Chocolate Hills make me #LoveThePhilippines even more,’ says Carlson. Source: Ambassador Carlson’s Facebook

Total revenue collections in the first three months remained on track due to the strong performance of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which drove tax collections to P931.5 billion, or 13.55 percent higher than in the same period last year.

“The revenue agencies’ sustained growth for the third consecutive month was driven by their ongoing revenue enhancement measures, particularly the intensified campaign

against the use of fake receipts, intensified crackdown on illicit trade, digitalization, and improvements in tax payment facilitation, among other initiatives,” the BTr said. The BOC posted a 5.72-percent increase, amounting to P231.4 billion, due to higher VAT from nonoil imports and excise tax collections from oil and non-oil imports. Meanwhile, non-tax revenues contributed P66.7 billion in the first quarter of the year, appearing lower than last year’s level by 41.21 percent, but largely due to timing as 18 government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) remitted P28.23 billion in early first quarter dividends back in 2024 compared with only three GOCCs with P0.027 billion early dividends for the current year.

FINANCE Secretary Ralph Recto on Wednesday welcomed Fitch Ratings’ reaffirmation of the Philippines’ ‘BBB’ credit rating with a ‘stable’ outlook, citing the country’s strong mediumterm growth amid rising external challenges such as geopolitical and trade tensions.

“Fitch’s reaffirmation of our credit rating is a powerful vote of confidence in the Philippines as a bright spot in a world clouded by global uncertainties,” Recto said.

“It underscores the strength of our economic fundamentals, the credibility of our ongoing reforms, and our resilience in navigating global headwinds—all while maintaining robust growth,” he said.

“We remain committed to sustaining this trajectory through sound fiscal management and an open, investment-friendly environment that invites and welcomes partners from around the globe,” said Recto.

A ‘BBB’ rating, above the minimum investment grade, indicates the

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Wednesday it expects a low inflation rate for April 2025, likely falling within the 1.3 to 2.1 percent range.

“Easing prices of rice, fish, fruits, and vegetables, favorable domestic supply conditions along with lower oil prices and the peso appreciation contributed to the downward price pressures for the month,” BSP said.

“These could be offset in part by the higher electricity rates and LRT-1 fares,” it said.

Inflation eased to 1.8 percent yearon-year in March from 2.1 percent in February.

Average inflation is expected to close at the low end of the

Philippines’ strong creditworthiness, signaling confidence to investors and creditors and potentially resulting in lower interest rates and better returns for Philippine bonds.

Fitch’s recent affirmation positions the Philippines well to maintain its investment-grade status across major regional and international debt rating agencies.

Fitch highlighted the Philippines’ solid, domestically driven growth as a key buffer against external challenges.

government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent at 2.2 percent.

The BSP’s Monetary Board said it would continue to take a measured approach in adjusting the monetary policy stance in line with its price stability objectives conducive to balanced and sustainable growth of the economy and employment.

The Monetary Board on April 10 decided to reduce the BSP’s target reverse repurchase (RRP) rate by 25 basis points to 5.50 percent.

The interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were accordingly adjusted to 5.0 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively. Darwin G. Amojelar

P998.2 billion P1.5 trillion Budget deficit in first quarter Revenue collection in first quarter Gov’t expenditures in first quarter

By Othel V. Campos

renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and public-private partnerships (PPP), food security and manufacturing.

“Renewable energy leads with 159 projects, making up 78.33 percent of the total and 91.86 percent of the project cost at P4.747 trillion. This sector significantly drives foreign investments

to create more than 20,500 jobs. Food security, while contributing only 0.36 percent of total investment value, includes 31 projects focused on community initiatives with ₱18.69 billion in investments and an estimated 7,319 jobs. Manufacturing, with four certified projects worth P36.905 billion, is forecast to generate nearly 4,000 jobs.

BUSINESS

PH stocks surge amid strong investor confidence, US market rally

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) surged by 102.80 points or 1.64 percent on Wednesday to close at 6,354.99, buoyed by strong global cues and renewed investor confidence.

The rally followed a major trade agreement announced in the US, which lifted Wall Street and sparked bargain hunting in local equities.

“Many investors also took opportunity to buy stocks at bargain levels,” Philstocks Financial Inc. research analyst Claire Alviar said. Sentiment was further supported by Fitch Ratings’ affirmation of the Philippines’ “BBB” investment-grade rating with a stable outlook. Sector performance was mixed. The property sector led the advance, gaining 3.55 percent, followed by the financial sector which rose 2.68 per-

cent rise.

On the other hand, the mining and oil sector declined by 1.26 percent.

Value turnover reached P7.83 billion.

Foreign investors were net buyers, registering a net inflow of P986.27 million.

Trading activity was healthy, with total value turnover reaching P7.83 billion.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company was the top index gainer, rising by 6.51 percent to P76.90 per share.

The bank reported first quarter net income of P12.25 billion in the first quarter of the year, up 2.1 percent from P12 billion in the same period last year.

On the other hand, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. was the biggest decliner, falling 2.80 percent to P340.20 each. With AFP

GMA Network declares P2.4b worth of cash dividends

By Darwin G. Amojelar

GMA Network, Inc. has declared a total cash dividends of P2.4 billion, equivalent to P0.50 per share.

The network said the total dividend declaration exceeds the company’s net income after tax for 2024, but remains well within its retained surplus account.

The dividend will be payable on May 20, 2025, to shareholders of record as of April 29, 2025.

The company reported a net income of P2.07 billion in 2024, down by 35 percent from P3.17 billion in 2023.

Raslag, Pampanga electric coop sign supply agreement

RASLAG Corp. and Pampanga I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PELCO I) have signed a 10-year 15 megawatt power Supply Agreement (PSA) that will help ensure a clean, renewable and stable source of power to Pampanga residents.

The parties shall be jointly filing the application for the approval of the PSA as required by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

“The ceremonial signing marks a significant milestone in the parties’ shared commitment to advancing clean and sustainable energy in Pampanga,” Raslag said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

The PSA formalizes Raslag’s role in supplying renewable energy generated from its solar power facilities, specifically 36.646 MW RASLAG-4 solar power plant, to PELCO I, supporting the cooperative’s efforts to provide reliable and environmentally responsible electricity to its consumers. Alena Mae S. Flores

GMA’s total revenues during the period fell 6 percent to P17.56 billion.

“This move underscores the confidence of GMA Network’s board and management in the company’s strong financial fundamentals and its positive outlook for 2025,” the network said.

“The declaration is consistent with the network’s commitment to delivering long-term value to its shareholders while sustaining operational and fiscal resilience,” it said.

Since its listing on the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2007, GMA Network has maintained a strong track

record of high dividend payouts, averaging approximately 90 percent of its net income after tax annually.

GMA Network, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, continues to lead the Philippine broadcast industry, operating 115 television stations and 21 radio stations nationwide.

Based on Nielsen TV Audience Measurement data for Full Year 2024, GMA Network, including GTV and other digital channels, tallied a combined people net reach of 93 percent, equivalent to 67 million TV viewers in Total Philippines.

NETWORK TRANFORMATION. Manila Electric Co. executive vice president and chief operating officer and Meralco Power Academy (MPA) president Ronnie Aperocho emphasizes that artificial intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role in the transformation of its distribution network during the Giga Summit 2025: The Fusion of Power and Intelligence. Among Meralco’s key innovation initiatives are the Wireless Private Network (WPN) meant to enhance the grid automation and security; the Meralco Data Platform (MDP) which uses big data and AI to streamline operations; and the Meralco Interactive Data Assistant or MIDAS, the company’s AI-powered interactive assistant.

MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) prefers to contradict itself when preaching clean energy. Its power generating unit, Meralco PowerGen Corp. or MGen, prides itself with sustainability and climate responsibility goals—but wants an exemption from the government’s coal ban.

MGen displayed its incongruity when it sought clarification from the Department of Energy (DOE) on the latter’s decision to recall the previous grant of exemption from the coal ban. The power company specifically cited the relief earlier received by its porposed 1,200-megawatt Atimonan coal-fired power plant in Quezon province.

“I’m trying to clarify what aspect of the project will be reviewed… I’m hoping that we can still get this review done sooner rather than later …, MGen president Emmanuel Rubio said at the sidelines of a conference last week.

The DOE in 2020 implemented a moratorium on the processing of applications for greenfield coal facilities. The directive, though, is not comprehensive. It excludes existing and operational coal power plants, or those that are already committed.

MGen, meanwhile, is rushing the completion of the Atimonan power plant by late 2029 or early 2030 in time for the baseload capacity auction that the DOE is scheduling in December. MGen has insisted that it met the conditions set by the DOE when it issued the exemption.

AEV’s profit dropped 35%

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ABOITIZ Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV), the portfolio manager of the Aboitiz Group, posted a consolidated net income of P3.2 billion for the first quarter of 2025, a 35 percent decline from the P4.9 billion reported in the first quarter of 2024.

AEV said in a statement Wednesday this marks a temporary decline from the previous year and the group’s strategic investments in renewable energy and infrastructure expansion underscore its long-term vision for growth, resilience, and nation-building.

Power accounted for 62 percent of the total net income contributions from AEV’s strategic business units (SBU) for the first quarter while food and beverage accounted for 35 percent. Net income contributions from the financial services, real estate, and infrastructure SBUs were at 17 percent, -1 percent, and -13 percent, respectively,

“Looking to 2025, we see even more opportunities to create value for our shareholders and contribute to national development,” said AEV president and chief executive Sabin Aboitiz.

“While revenues slightly dipped due to lower power selling prices, this reflects favorable cost trends — particularly in fuel and supply. Our focus remains on the quality of earnings, not just topline growth.”

AEV’s power business, AboitizPower, contributed 62 percent of the group’s net income during the period. AboitizPower’s net income contribution to AEV for the first quarter amounted to P2.5 billion, 39 percent lower than the P4.2 billion recorded in the same period in 2024.

The company advanced its clean energy strategy with the successful energization of new solar projects in Laoag (159 MWpeak), Armenia (45 MWp), and Calatrava (173 MWp). These additions helped offset the impact of scheduled plant outages and market pricing challenges, reinforcing the Group’s commitment to a more diversified and sustainable energy portfolio.

“With more renewable capacity coming online, AEV is shaping a future where clean and reliable energy powers Philippine development,” Aboitiz said. Net income contribution from Union Bank of the Philippines amounted to P702.3 million for the first quarter, 28 percent lower than the P978.3 million recorded in the same period in 2024.

Meralco insists on coal plants before decarbonization

These include the plant’s conversion by 2050 to burn another type of fuel.

“We’re looking at technologies like ammonia co-firing as long as it’s viable... So even in the discussions with our EPCs (engineering, procurement and construction), we already asked them to make sure that the boiler can cofire ammonia,” says Rubio.

The DOE has also exempted another coalfired power plant of MGen. The company is now focusing on developing the 82-MW Toledo coal plant in Cebu after obtaining DOE certification of exemption from the coal ban.

MGen is keen on developing the plant given the need for additional baseload capacity in the Visayas region.

MGen’s success in receiving an exemption from the coal ban belies its corporate philosophy on energy transition. The company has committed to decarbonization as part of its sustainability and climate responsibility goals.

“It means reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and accelerating our shift to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. By 2027, MGen will breach the 1,500 MW renewable energy target three years ahead of schedule―and we are not stopping there,” says Rubio.

The United Nations has called on countries in Asia and the Pacific to speed up the shift from fossil fuels to new, low-carbon development models, in a just and inclusive way.

MGen and mother company Meralco... should focus on reducing electricity rates.

“Moving away from coal and fossil fuels in a region that accounts for 75 percent of global coal-fired generation capacity will not be easy. But it is essential for our common future, and it is financially and technologically possible,” said UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed in 2022.

Expensive power rates

MGen and its mother company Meralco, perhaps, should focus their efforts on reducing the electricity rates in the distributor’s franchise area.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla just last week reminded Meralco that a utility’s performance is measured in its ability to deliver the most affordable power rates to consumers.

“Despite its size and sourcing, [with] nearly half of its power coming from its affiliates, Meralco does not have the cheapest power rates when compared with other DUs [distribution

utilities] and ECs [electric cooperatives],” says Lotilla in a forum last week.

“This is a continuing conversation between government policy makers and regulators and Meralco, and we ought to examine with rigor the trade-offs between consolidation and competition, and whether these benefits as we speak of are realized,” adds Lotilla.

Meralco last month announced a new electricity rate hike, after an increase in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices and adjustments in transmission and other charges.

Residential consumers with an average of 200 kWh will pay an additional P0.7226 per kilowatt-hour, or P145 in their monthly electricity bill.

Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said the overall rate for a typical household rose to P13.0127 per kWh in April from P12.2901 per kWh in March, led by the higher electricity costs from the spot market. The periodic rate increase will not be palatable to consumers. Mr. Lotilla’s admonition on Meralco is a wake-up call. Electricity rates in the Philippines can be lowered and they should not be one of the highest in Asia.

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or extrastory2000@gmail.com

INFRASTRUCTURE

UPGRADE. Construction works for the interconnection point

2 in Brgy Muzon, San Jose Delmonte, Bulacan is ongoing. PrimeWater San Jose del Monte, in partnership with the San Jose del Monte Water District continues to work hard to deliver major infrastructure upgrades to solve supply concerns at the peak of the summer season.

MOVE IT appeals LTFRB’s decision to cut riders’ pool

By Darwin G. Amojelar

MOTORCYCLE taxi firm MOVE IT said Wednesday it is seeking reconsideration of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) order to reduce its rider pool by nearly 14,000 nationwide.

The LTFRB, in an order issued on April 29, directed MOVE IT to immediately cease operations in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro and slash its Metro Manila rider count from 15,000 to 6,836. The order effectively forces the company to delist 3,000 riders in each of the two provinces and nearly 8,000 in the capital.

SMIC declares higher dividends, names director

SM INVESTMENTS Corp., the parent company of the SM group, announced an increase in shareholder dividends to P13 per share for 2025, composed of P11 per share in regular dividends and P2 per share in special dividends – up 44 percent from P9 per share in 2024.

The move underscores the company’s sustained focus on creating and returning value to its shareholders, the company said.

SM Investments’ board of directors approved the increase the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting. Shareholders on record as of May 16, 2025 will receive the dividends on May 29, 2025.

“This marks the fourth straight year of dividend increases,” said Frederic DyBuncio, president and chief executive of SM Investments.

“We remain committed to delivering returns for our shareholders while strengthening the long- term value of the company. We are grateful for their continued trust and confidence, which has been instrumental in driving our growth,” DyBuncio said.

Meanwhile, SM Investments shareholders elected Marife Zamora as an independent director of the board. Zamora’s election ensures that SM Investments’ board continues to maintain a majority of independent directors, exceeding regulatory standards and reinforcing SM’s commitment to good governance, the company said. Zamora joins Lilly Gruba as the second female independent director.

“This is a big blow to our riders’ livelihood, especially on the eve of Labor Day,” said MOVE IT general manager Wayne Jacinto.

“We are filing a motion for reconsideration within the day and are appealing to the Department of Transportation Secretary. We are hoping that our riders will not lose their livelihood,” he said.

Jacinto said the company’s current rider base is aligned with the guidelines issued by the Motorcycle Taxi Technical Working Group in November 2020, which allocated 15,000 riders each for the three pilot operators: MOVE IT, Angkas and JoyRide.

“We have repeatedly said this—we

never went beyond what was stated in the guidelines,” he said, refuting allegations that the company exceeded its allowed allocation.

Despite operating in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro with 3,000 riders each since early 2023, MOVE IT now faces an order from LTFRB claiming the company has no authority to operate in these areas.

Jacinto disputed this, citing the 2020 guidelines which he says allow each pilot player to have 3,000 riders outside Metro Manila.

“We want equal treatment for all players and continuity for our riders’ honest livelihood,” he said.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Net interest income reached P29.4 billion, up by 2.37 percent year-onyear, backed by the sustained expansion of the bank’s lending business.

“Our first-quarter performance keeps us on track in achieving our medium-term growth strategies even as global uncertainties continue to persist. Our strong capitalization and healthy portfolio give us and our clients the assurance on our ability to navigate the changing economic landscape,” said Metrobank president Fabian Dee.

Gross loans rose 16.1 percent yearon-year, with commercial loans up by the same rate due to increased corporate capital expenditures.

Consumer loans also grew 16 percent, driven by a 21.4-percent jump in auto loans and a 17.9-percent rise in gross credit card receivables.

Total deposits stood at P2.2 trillion, of which 64.4 percent came from low-cost

IN BRIEF

MAYA, the Philippines’ leading fintech ecosystem and number one digital bank, said it is redefining credit market in the Philippines with the launch of the Maya Black Credit Card.

Designed for mobile-first consumers and powered by Maya’s proprietary data and AI-driven credit models, Maya Black signals a pivotal shift in the credit card market in the Philippines. The black-tier, premium credit card uses Maya’s tech-driven platform to expand access to credit for more Filipinos—especially those without traditional credit histories.

Marikina inaugurates innovation hub

THE local government of Marikina City inaugurated the Philippine Innovation Hub, a facility established to centralize support services for entrepreneurs.

The new facility, located at the Marikina Enterprise Center, is a joint initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Development Company (NDC), championed by Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo.

It aims to provide centralized support for entrepreneurs and realize the vision of a “Marikina Startup Valley.” Quimbo, a former shoe entrepreneur, pushed for the initiative to address the challenges faced by small businesses and creatives, envisioning a unified space for government, industry and innovation to foster growth.

“What if we could bring government, industry, and innovation under one roof?” she said during the launch,

envisioning a space where ideas can thrive and scale.

Located in a city once known primarily for shoemaking, the innovation hub offers integrated services including technical assistance, startup incubation, streamlined regulations, digital onboarding and investor matching—all in one place. The goal is to help Filipino businesses formalize, innovate and compete globally without leaving Marikina.

Apart from DTI and NDC, the initiative is backed by agencies such like Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) , and Social Security System (SSS), and private sector partners. The launch drew support from Senator Koko Pimentel, national agency heads, local leaders and business groups. Darwin G. Amojelar

Available through the Maya app, it offers fast approval, instant virtual card issuance with the sleek physical card delivered soon after, and full in-app control—challenging the idea that black-tier credit should be limited to high earners with long credit records.

“Credit cards have long symbolized financial freedom and status—but for most Filipinos, they’ve remained out of reach. With Maya Black, we’re making the most desirable card in the market—and democratizing access to it,” said Shailesh Baidwan, Maya Group president and Maya Bank cofounder.

“This is a bold step in reshaping credit access—and a major leap in Maya’s journey as the leading provider of full suite of financial products,” he said.

Maya Black offers a fundamentally different approach. Leveraging Maya’s proprietary transactional data and other alternative data sources, Maya’s AI-driven credit scoring model can assess and approve users whom traditional banks often overlook. Applicants without credit history can also opt into a secured card pathway— fully integrated into the app, with no paperwork or reapplication. Darwin G. Amojelar

DAVAO PROJECT. Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya and Japan Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Nakano Hiromasa join Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan in Davao City to celebrate the successful connection of the north and south portals of one of the twin tunnels of the Davao City Bypass Construction Project. The 2.3-kilometer tunnel now stands as the longest mountain tunnel in the Philippines, marking a significant milestone in the country’s road infrastructure.

CAMARINES NORTE HOUSING. The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the local government unit of Labo, Camarines Norte break ground for a housing project under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program on April 29, 2025. The project will rise on a 50,438-square-meter site and will feature 17 buildings, each with five floors and 24 residential units per floor, for a total of 2,040 housing units. Source: DHSUD’s

Young entrepreneurs promote PH-Vietnam ties

By Michael Wong Ho

A20-MEMBER delegation from the Chinese Filipino Business Club Inc. (CFBCI) Young Entrepreneurs’ Committee (YEC) held a weeklong business and cultural study tour in Vietnam from March 29 to April 4, 2025.

The delegation, led by vice president Jocelyn Johanna See (committee adviser) and director William Rogando (committee chairman), aimed to promote trade collaboration and cultural exchange between young entrepreneurs from the Philippines and Vietnam.

One of the key highlights of the trip was participation in Vietnam Expo 2025 at the Hanoi International Exhibition Center. Organized by VINEXAD JSC under the direction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, the annual trade fair has been a key platform for business promotion since its establishment in 1991.

The group also visited several industrial and manufacturing sites including Amber An Quang Industrial Park in Hoa Binh Province and Bao Minh Bakery & Confectionery Joint

PH Lun Hong Association celebrates 85 years of unity

By Julie Ann Lope

THE Philippine Lun Hong Association celebrated its 85th founding anniversary and the induction of its 80th to 81st batch of officers at the East Ocean Palace Restaurant in Parañaque City on April 27, 2025.

Honorary president Cai Qinghe, who served as the chairman of the assembly, thanked the group leaders and fellow villagers for their strong support and help, which allowed him to successfully complete his work during his three-year term. He said he believes that with new leadership and the teamwork of the new board, the Philippine Lun Hong Association will continue its good work, keep up with the times, and achieve even greater success. Cai Shaorong was elected as the new president of the association.

Cai thanked all the fellow villagers for their support and for electing him as president.

He said that with the help and guidance of past leaders, and the teamwork of the new officers, the spirit of unity, cooperation and hard work will continue. He is confident that the Philippine Lun Hong Association will achieve new success and begin a new chapter for the group.

Philippine Qingyang Yanpai Chua Family Association president Chi Jianli acted as the inducting officer. He officiated the ceremonial turnover of the association’s official seal and delivered a congratulatory message to the new set of officers.

The event was also attended by notable guests, including Cai Bairong of the Shishi Municipal People’s Government Fengi Sub-district Office; Cai Jiayu, secretary of the Fengsi Sub-district Community

Residents Committee; Cai Jhua, founding president of the Qinyang Cai Cian World Association; Cai Wenxian, president of the Fujian Jiyang Ke Cai Clan Association; Cai Shaoxiong, president of the Shishi Dalun Hong Kong and Macao Hometown Association.

Also gracing the event were Dante Chua, chairman of the FFCAP; Arian Hao, president of the PCCCII; Ke Wenwei, executive vice president of the Che Yong Cua Chua Association; Olando Bongat, president of the Filipino Chinese Shishi Townmate Association; and Cai Xiaoqiang, chairman of the Fujian Jiyang Ke Cai Clan Association Youth and Young Adult Committee.

Each guest delivered messages of support and encouragement, commending the association for its continued service to the FilipinoChinese community and dedication to preserving cultural heritage.

DLSU, FFCAAI host free digital literacy seminar

MORE than 100 students and professionals participated in “Empowering Communities Through Technology: A Seminar and Training Series by Future IT Leaders –Season 2” at De La Salle University-Manila on April 5, 2025. The event was jointly organized by the De La Salle University College of Computer Studies (DLSU CCS) and the Federation of Filipino Chinese Alumni

Associations Inc. (FFCAAI).

It offered two types of sessions: a seminar for students about online safety and using technology responsibly, and hands-on workshops on graphic design using Canva, office tools with Google Workspace, and AI chatbots like Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

The seminar, called “Digital Literacy for Students,” included four interactive talks about cybersecurity awareness, safe social media practices, managing digital footprints and online privacy and using AI for better study habits.

The hands-on workshops, called “Practical Tech Skills for the Workplace,” were held in computer labs and focused on using tools like Canva, Google Workspace and AI chatbots in a work or office setting.

About 24 freshmen from seven sections taught the courses as part of their College of Computer Studies’ Introduction to Computing (CCICOMP) requirement.

“This seminar series reflects DLSU’s commitment to forming future IT leaders who not only understand technology but also use it to create inclusive impact,” said De La Salle University Professor Jocelynn Cu, who was also the faculty project head for the activity.

“Through the guidance of faculty and in partnership with FFCAAI, the event showcases how student-led projects can become meaningful platforms for public service, advocacy, and learning,” she said.

FFCAAI president Golden David expressed the organization’s continued dedication to education and community upliftment.

“The FFCAAI, which is an umbrella organization that comprises 27 alumni associations of the country’s leading local Chinese educational institutions, remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting programs and initiatives that benefit the alumni of our member associations and the broader community,” David said.Julie Ann Lope

Stock Company, a leading Vietnamese food manufacturer. The visits provided insights into local industry practices and investment opportunities.

The delegation also engaged in cultural activities to better understand Vietnam’s heritage. Sites visited included the Temple of Literature, a historic Confucian temple and former national university, and St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi’s oldest church that has withstood multiple wars.

The group also explored Thien Giang Cave in Halong Bay, known

for its unique limestone formations.

In Ninh Binh province, the delegates experienced a traditional sampan boat ride along the Ngo Dong River, witnessing the unique “leg rowing” technique used by local boatmen and observing the scenic landscape of rice paddies, limestone hills and village life. Culinary experiences were also part of the itinerary. The group sampled well-known Vietnamese dishes such as Pho, Bánh mì, and Egg Coffee, providing a deeper appreciation of the country’s food culture.

of

and

Dehua County holds investors meeting in Manila

THE De Hua County Investment Promotion Meeting was held at Diamond Hotel Manila on April 23, 2025.

Organized by the People’s Government of Dehua County and Fujian Hui Yuan Cultural Development Group, the meeting aimed to strengthen economic and cultural ties, highlighting Dehua’s rich heritage and growing investment opportunities.]

Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) president Victor Lim attended the event.

Lim noted that Dehua, part of Quanzhou City and one of southern Fujian’s seven historic counties, is the ancestral home of many FilipinoChinese families.

Globally recognized as one of China’s three ancient porcelain capitals, Dehua boasts of over a thousand years of porcelain-making history and is a celebrated cradle of Chinese ceramic culture.

Under the leadership and careful management of people’s government, De Hua County makes great achievements in economic development and social progress. Industry, agricultural and tourism areas are developing rapidly, with huge potential for investment.

Victor said that using porcelain as the focus of the conference was a smart idea. The Philippines gets most of its porcelain from China, and it is one of the most commonly used materials in construction. He said that the Philippine porcelain market is expected to grow to $5.26 million by 2029, with a yearly growth rate of 6.26 percent from 2024 to 2029. Lim said the conference is a good platform to promote business cooperation.

He also said that the FFCCCII continues to act as a bridge, helping strengthen economic, trade and cultural ties between the Philippines and China. Michael Wong Ho

Members of the Chinese Filipino Business Club Inc. (CFBCI) Young Entrepreneurs’ Committee (YEC) tour Vietnam from March 29 to April 4, 2025.

More than 100 students and professionals join a free digital lieracy seminar at De La Salle University-Manila on April 5, 2025.

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

Editor

NICKIE WANG,

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA,

JASPER VALDEZ,

Writer

Writer

P-POP group 1621 has entered Spotify Philippines’ Viral Songs chart with their single Bababa, which recently peaked at No. 26.

The track, taken from their latest EP Sapulso, has surpassed 300,000 streams and sparked a dance trend on social media, with personalities like AC Bonifacio, BGYO, SB19, and Pinoy Big Brother Gen 11’s Kolette Madelo joining in.

The six-member group—JM, JC, Pan, Win, Migz, and DJ—said the success of Bababa marks a turning point in their music. In an interview with entertainment site Push, member JM shared how audience feedback

1621’s ‘Bababa’ goes viral, lands on Spotify PH chart

helped them realize the song suited their identity as a group

“We noticed how people responded to this kind of sound—it felt more natural when we performed it. We were more confident and comfortable,” JM said.

The single has been featured in several Spotify editorial playlists, including OPM Rising, PPop On The Rise, Viral Hits PH, and New Music Friday PH.

Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong

join women-majority jury at Cannes f ilm festival

AMERICAN actor Halle Berry and Succession

star Jeremy Strong are set to serve on the jury at the Cannes Film Festival this year, which will be headed by French actress Juliette Binoche Berry and Strong will be joined by best-selling Franco-Moroccan writer Leila Slimani, Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, and Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher on what will be a women-majority judging panel.

The jury will also include South Korean filmmaker Hong Sangsoo , Mexican director Carlos Reygadas , and Democratic Republic of Congo documentary maker Dieudo Hamadi They will be responsible for watching the 21 films in competition this year and awarding the prestigious Palme d’Or at the end of the 78th edition of the festival, which takes place from May 13 to 24.

The women-majority jury is significant because organizers are under pressure to give a greater platform to women filmmakers and show they are serious about tackling gender inequality and sexual harassment.

President Iris Knobloch has promised that the festival will be “attentive” to the recommendations of a hard-hitting parliamentary inquiry into #MeToo abuses in the film industry, which reported its findings earlier this month.

Only seven of the films in the main competition have been made by women directors, the joint highest total.

Australian actor Nicole Kidman is set to receive the 10th Women in Motion Award at this year’s festival, which honors individuals who “advance the role of women in cinema and in society,” organizers also announced Monday. A little-known French woman director, Bonnin the honor of opening the festival on May 13 with her debut feature, Leave One Day which is the first time a debut film will start the world’s most prestigious film festival.

Last year, the festival’s jury was chaired by American filmmaker Greta Gerwig ( Barbie and included French actor Omar Sy Japanese director Hirokazu

1621 performed Bababa live at the Pinoy Media Congress 2025, a conference for communications students held at the University of Makati and organized by ABS-CBN and the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE).

Earlier this year, they also took the stage during the halftime show at the PBA Finals Game and performed at the pre-show of the BINIverse World Tour 2025 at the Philippine Arena.

Martin Nievera to perform in California’s

PH Freedom Day celebration

THE Filipino-American community, needless to say, puts a high premium on the presence of famous Filipino artists at their events. The combination of a celebration to mark the Philippines’ independence from colonial rule and featuring Concert King as headliner promises to be a remarkable occasion to put in one’s calendar.

For one, the guy is not just some famous voice in the Philippine music scene. He is a household name with multiple hits under his belt and an act generations of singers have looked up to.

The stage is set for Martin come June 7 at the Veterans Park in the City of Carson in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Made possible by the said city in collaboration with the Philippine Independence Day Foundation, the whole-day event, scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., is expected to be a fun-filled show to celebrate the 127th Philippine

“I’m here. We’ll see you there,” exclaimed one of the most familiar faces in Philippine showbiz in a video clip showing him promoting the Martin, for all his reputation as a man who’s great at talking, doesn’t need much to say. His facial expression showed the excitement that’s within him, and that makes much sense, knowing he’s a key figure of The feeling is mutual: Fil-Ams love to see stars in the flesh and fresh from the Philippines. Those stars, as always, feel honored to perform in, as often described, the land of milk and honey.

Martin’s involvement in the upcoming celebration was revealed at a press conference organized by Ted Benito of LXV Enterprises and attended by City of Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes, along with Arleen Rojas and Council Member Jim

“Everyone present was thrilled when it was revealed and announced that the legendary Martin Nievera will grace the event as both the headliner performer and the esteemed Grand Marshal,” noted Adrian Lecaros, current president of the Filipino-American Press Club of The Concert King acknowledged FAPCCA by saying, “(For) all your years of service, great job! We all appreciate that. God bless you and The Philippine Consul General Adelio Cruz is said to have asked the music icon to campaign for more Filipinos who have immigrated to the United States to also re-acquire Philippine dual citizenship.

Martin’s career has spanned four decades, where his albums have garnered 18 platinum, five double platinum, three triple platinum, and one quadruple platinum awards, easily listing him among the highest-selling Filipino recording artists of all time. Some of his hits include “Ikaw Ang Lahat

Sa Akin,” “Say That You Love Me,” “Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin,” “Christmas Won’t Be the Same Without You,” “You Are My Song,” and “Be My Lady.” Being designated as the Grand Marshal means that the Concert King will “lead the festivities, symbolizing the unity and pride of the Filipino-American community.”

The event is free to the public and will feature a day filled with cultural performances, traditional Filipino food vendors, community booths, and family-friendly activities.

Veterans Park is located at 22400 Moneta Avenue, Carson, California. I recall Martin Nievera saying that when he released a rock album that did not sell well, he realized he should be a balladeer. True enough, his voice became the interpreter of some of OPM’s best love songs. How he became the recipient of the moniker Concert King only proved his worth. His witty humor is also a reason he is so wellloved. Back in the Philippines, when I was covering a concert of his, he responded to someone in the crowd yelling that he should sing “Be My Lady.” He shot back with a grin, “Move on!”

Well, he does have scored numerous hits after that Vehnee Saturnopenned classic, which was originally a Metropop finalist performed by one named Pedrito Montaire. Of course, Martin’s recording of the song is the one that made it into a classic as we know it.

Naturally, Fil-Ams are expressively patriotic, being a bunch of people who made it in life away from their motherland. So having Martin Nievera to celebrate Freedom Day is certainly extra fun and

Halle Berry stuns on the red carpet at this year’s Oscars

P-pop group 1621 rides the success of viral hit ‘Bababa’ with a Spotify chart debut and growing fanbase

Martin Nievera (right) joins Filipino-American Press Club of California president Adrian Lecaros ahead of his Freedom Day headlining performance

Martin Nievera shares his excitement about leading the Philippine Independence Day celebration in California as Grand Marshal and headliner

Touchbass

Yugel Losorata

LIFE & SHOWBIZ

Barbie Forteza fronts drama on beauty through Filipino lens

BARBIE Forteza has taken on a series of changes this year, debuting a new haircut, a new hobby, and a lead role in GMA Public Affairs’ revenge drama Beauty Empire

The Kapuso actress, known as GMA’s Primetime Princess, plays a central character in the series produced by GMA Public Affairs and based on an original concept by CreaZion Studios. The Viu Original aims to challenge conventional beauty standards through a Filipino lens.

To mark the shift, Forteza revealed a short hairstyle on Instagram with the caption “She’s ready,” signaling not only a transformation for her character but also a personal shift in mindset.

Off-screen, she has taken interest in cafe hopping and running. She first posted about jogging in February with fellow Sparkle artists Alden Richards and Kristoffer Martin, calling it her “runner era.” Running has since become a regular part of

Skincare line introduces eco-friendly upgrade

By Jasper Valdez

NATURALS by Watsons has long been known for its commitment to delivering high-quality beauty products infused with natural ingredients.

Now, the beloved brand is taking sustainability to the next level with a refresh that combines nature, science, and a strong focus on the environment.

Launched on April 25 at Electric Garden in Bonifacio Global City, the updated Naturals by Watsons line not only features more effective formulations but also addresses the growing concern over plastic waste.

The revamped collection now uses 100 percent ocean-bound plastic for its packaging, repurposing materials that would otherwise pollute the oceans. This shift highlights the brand’s dedication to both beauty and sustainability.

“We believe that beauty can be found in nature, and it doesn’t have to be complicated,” said Watsons Philippines Group Senior Brand Manager Mich Mose. “With the right products and self-love, everyone can bring out their natural beauty. But just like nature, we evolve to make something better for our customers while staying true to our vision.”

At the heart of this refresh is an exciting blend of skinloving ingredients and advanced science-backed actives. Iconic favorites have been enhanced with aloe for its soothing properties, argan for nourishment, and coffee for controlling hair fall, while lavender offers relaxation, rosemary adds volume, olive deeply moisturizes, coconut hydrates, and prestige rose protects color.

These ingredients now work alongside niacinamide for brightening, retinol to stimulate collagen, and hyaluronic acid for moisture retention. Ceramides enhance hydration, and peptides improve elasticity.

“We’re combining nature’s best with powerful, sciencebacked actives,” said Watsons PH Marketing Manager Cha Maglalang-Arañas . “This refresh isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about delivering real results while staying true to our ecoconscious roots.” Over 95 percent of the line’s ingredients come from natural origins.

The brand continues to innovate by blending nature and science to create products that are as effective as they are eco-friendly.

New variants like tea tree, ginger, and sakura join signature offerings, ensuring that Naturals by Watsons remains a treat for the senses and a step forward for the planet.

her routine. In April, the 27-year-old actress joined her first organized run, completing a 10K to raise funds for children with cancer under Save the Children Philippines. She has also participated in advocacy events supporting violence prevention against women. While continuing to pursue acting, Forteza said she is now more focused on balance and purpose, embracing a slower pace while remaining active in her career.

How Ashley Ortega moves forward after early ‘PBB’ departure

By Nickie Wang

A

SHLEY Ortega has become the first among her Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition batchmates to sign an endorsement deal, joining Luxe Slim as its newest face.

The Kapuso actress was introduced during a contract signing held April 24 in Quezon City, alongside Luxe Beauty and Wellness Ventures Corp. founder and CEO Anna Magkawas Executives from Sparkle GMA Artist Center, including vice president Joy Marcelo and talent manager Jan Navarro , were also present.

Ortega said she didn’t expect to be tapped for a brand project so soon, especially after being the first to leave the reality show. “I’m honored to be part of the Luxe Slim family,” she said. “This is something I’ll really take care of.”

She had mentioned her use of the brand during her stay inside the Pinoy Big Brother house, which Magkawas said made her stand out. “As a brand owner, it’s not easy to find someone who can represent what you stand for. But with Ashley, the decision was simple,” Magkawas told Manila Standard Lifestyle

Dubbed the “Independent Tis-Ice of San Juan” during her stint on the show, Ortega said the partnership matches her own views on health and wellness.

“I’ve always believed in taking care of myself—not for anyone else, but for my own well-being,” she said.

Luxe Slim, a sponsor of the current PBB season , said Ortega reflects the kind of transformation and determination the brand supports. Under Magkawas’ leadership, Luxe Slim has focused on encouraging Filipinos to feel good from the inside out.

With Ortega on board, the brand is looking to connect with a younger generation interested in practical and personal approaches to beauty and wellness.

CEO Anna Magkawas (left) welcomes Ashley Ortega as the newest face of Luxe Slim

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

NICKIE

WANG, Editor

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

JASPER

VALDEZ, Writer

97% natural ingredients and Vegan Society-certified

Limited-edition shea butter line launched for the season

THE Body Shop has introduced a limitededition summer collection in the Philippines, featuring a new twist on its shea butter line. Branded as Shea with a Twist: Goldenberry & Saffron, the seasonal release offers two scent variants that highlight fruit and spiceinfused body care.

The new range includes body butters and hand balms, each formulated with high concentrations of natural-origin ingredients and certified by The Vegan Society. The company said the products aim to deliver long-lasting hydration while maintaining environmentally conscious practices.

The Shea & Goldenberry variant combines Community Fair Trade shea butter from Ghana with babassu oil from Brazil. The body butter in this line is designed to melt into the skin, offering up to 96 hours of moisture. It is scented with goldenberry, cedarwood, and mandarin and is formulated to provide a fruity, uplifting fragrance for summer.

The accompanying hand balm is made with 97 percent natural-origin ingredients and is also Vegan Society-certified. It is designed for daily use and absorbs quickly, leaving hands and cuticles soft without a sticky finish.

Meanwhile, the Shea & Saffron variant offers a creamier and warmer experience. Its body butter provides 96-hour hydration and includes notes of golden saffron, white amber, and tonka blossom. Like the other products, it is made with 97 percent ingredients of natural origin.

The Shea & Saffron hand balm is formulated with Community Fair Trade shea butter from Ghana and is designed for onthe-go use. The balm is vegan-certified and quickly absorbs into the skin while providing deep moisture to hands and cuticles.

Founded in 1976 by Dame Anita Roddick in Littlehampton, England, The Body Shop has been known for its ethical stance in the cosmetics industry. The brand promotes five core values: opposing animal testing, supporting Community Fair Trade, activating self-esteem, defending human rights, and protecting the planet.

All items in the collection are available for a limited time at The Body Shop stores nationwide and online at www. thebodyshop.com.ph.

Summer is harsh, but oat-based skincare keeps it simple

By Nickie Wang

SUMMER always brings the usual

SPINE health is key to overall well-being, supporting movement, balance, and posture. Experts say good habits like proper posture and regular exercise help prevent pain and long-term issues.

According to Dr. Angelo Phillip Ong from MakatiMed’s Department of Orthopedics, posture affects various aspects of health, including breathing, mood, and muscle function.

“The way you sit or stand doesn’t just impact your spine— it affects many aspects of your health,” Dr. Ong said.

Proper alignment allows the musculoskeletal system to function efficiently, relieving tension in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. It also helps expand the lungs and diaphragm, supports better breathing, and engages core muscles that promote balance and stability. Instead of forcing a rigid, straight-backed position, Dr. Ong recommends following the spine’s natural curves: inward at the lower back, outward at the upper back, and inward again at the neck. When standing, he advises keeping feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders relaxed, knees slightly bent, and ears aligned above the shoulders. Sitting posture should include flat feet on the

level with or slightly lower than the hips,

wash does more than clean—it helps retain moisture for 24 hours, which is significant for those dealing with dry, itchy skin. The accompanying lotion claims relief in just 20 seconds and maintains hydration for up to 72 hours. While those numbers may raise an eyebrow, the formulation— with its oat oil, extract, and flour—is rooted in ingredient combinations that dermatologists continue to recommend for barrier support.

Then there’s the Aveeno Calm + Restore line, aimed at facial care. With prebiotic oat and feverfew as its core ingredients, this range reflects a shift in the industry toward microbiomeconscious skincare. Feverfew, for example, is said to be ten times more effective than Vitamin C at addressing inflammation.

Whether or not you’re swayed by that claim, the real draw here is that the regimen—cleanser, serum, moisturizers with SPF, and night cream—caters to those with hypersensitive skin without resorting to heavily active ingredients that often backfire in the heat.

It’s easy to overlook legacy brands in a market crowded with trendy upstarts, but Aveeno’s consistency may be its greatest strength. While it’s available in nearly every supermarket and online platform, the point isn’t its accessibility—it’s that the product works for people who need something that simply does what it claims.

In a season where skincare routines often get stripped down or tossed aside, Aveeno makes a quiet case for staying consistent, especially when your skin needs support the most.

Aveeno Calm + Restore and Aveeno Skin Relief are available at leading supermarkets and drugstores nationwide and via Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop.

Five tips for better posture and spine health

and carrying flats for backup,

Make sure you stretch and walk around every half hour after spending hours in front of your computer forearms parallel to the floor, and the back supported by the chair. To further support good posture, MakatiMed recommends five practices. First, regular exercise— at least 30 minutes of moderate activity daily—strengthens core, back, and leg muscles, improves flexibility, and can help prevent obesity, a factor that contributes to poor posture and degenerative disc disease. Second, limiting the use of high heels can reduce strain on the feet, knees, and lower back. Dr. Ong suggests using

from home, can improve sitting posture. Ergonomic chairs provide back and head support and adjust to the body’s natural

curves. Dr. Ong also recommends raising laptop screens to eye level to avoid slouching.

Lastly, developing selfawareness can help correct posture habits. Dr. Ong shares mental cues like imagining a string pulling the head upwards or pretending to showcase a necklace to encourage better posture. He notes that posture problems caused by slouching or phone use may take months to correct, but good posture can become a lasting habit with consistent effort.

floor, knees

The hand balm is made with

The Body Shop’s limited-edition summer collection introduces a new twist on its shea butter line

Aveeno’s Skin Relief line provides 24hour moisture retention for dry, itchy skin