Marcos staying out of VP’s looming impeachment trial
By Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he will not interfere with the Senate’s upcoming impeachment trial of
Vice President Sara Duterte, stressing the importance of letting the constitutional process unfold independently.
“Impeachment is already in the Senate,” Mr. Marcos said in a podcast
PBBM wants to make peace with Dutertes
Says he needs a friend, not more enemies
By Charles Dantes
PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he is open to reconciling with the Duterte family, saying he prefers peace and unity over political conflict.
In a podcast interview aired Monday, Mr. Marcos was asked directly if he still wished to make peace with the Dutertes despite recent political tensions.
“Do I still want to reconcile with the Dutertes? Yes,” the President said. “Me, I don’t like trouble. I want to get along with everyone. It’s better that way.”
“I already have many enemies, and I don’t need more. I need a friend,” he added.
Manila Standard tried to get a reaction from the camp of Vice President
Sara Duterte but it has yet to issue a statement as of press time.
President Marcos said fostering stability and peace is essential for effective governance.
“As much as possible, what I’m after is stability, peace, so we can do our job,” he said.
“I’m always open to any approach. Let’s help each other, right? Even if we don’t agree on policy… Do your job, but let’s not cause trouble,” he added.
Duterte Youth, BH proclamation suspended
By Vito Barcelo
By Charles Dantes
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his administration has begun conducting a performance review of Cabinet members, signaling potential changes ahead based on the results of the evaluation. In the premiere episode of his “BBM Podcast” aired Monday, Mr. Marcos said the review is part of a continuing effort to assess government performance and root out inefficiency and corruption, particularly as his admin-
istration enters its second half.
“The government is running well, but we’re doing a performance review,” he said.
“We’ll examine why delivery of service is slow at times. What should we do to make it faster? That’s what’s important,” he added. Asked whether there are Cabinet officials at risk of being removed, Marcos said the ongoing review could lead to firings or legal action, depending on the findings.
By Rachelle Tonelada and Charles Dantes
OLIVE BRANCH. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., during a podcast interview, says he is open to reconciling with the Dutertes amid recent political tensions. Screengrab from PBBM’s FB page
Hunt on for Que ransom money
By Vince Lopez
THE Philippine National Police said it considers the murder of Filipino-Chinese steel magnate Congyuan Guo, also known as Anson Tan or Anson Que, as solved with the arrest of two additional suspects, even as authorities continue efforts to recover the ransom money paid by his family.
In a press briefing yesterday, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo confirmed that Gong Wen Li, also known as Kelly Tan Lim, and her hairdresser, Wu Jiabing, were arrested in a hotel at Boracay last Saturday by Criminal Investigation and Detection Group
(CIDG) operatives.
Kelly allegedly played a central role in the crime, luring Que to the location where he was abducted and using the victim’s phone to negotiate a ransom with the family, according to reports. Later, the suspect allegedly used the
personal phone of Que to negotiate ransom payment with his family while holding him captive in a building at Martha Street in Meycauayan, Bulacan.
According to the police, the suspect also knew how the ransom money was transferred through an e-wallet platform and converted to cryptocurrency.
“Our objective is to recover this huge amount of money the family paid,” Fajardo said.
It was disclosed the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of P20 million, but Que’s family ended up paying P200 million in cryptocurrency through multiple transactions.
The police spokesperson said junket operators 9 Dynasty Group and White
Horse Group were used to “launder illegal money,” adding they are now looking for possible means and solutions to address the loopholes in the said law that enable such illegal transactions.
She noted that the Anti-Money Laundering Council has jurisdiction over casinos but not junket operators.
“The casino’s threshold should be half a million pesos -- they are required to report when there is a transaction of half a million,” Fajardo said.
“But when it comes to junket operators, the one who has responsibility in terms of reportorial requirements, it should be the casino. AMLC’s fangs do not extend to junket operators,” she added.
Lav Diaz’s ‘Magellan’ premieres at Cannes
MEXICAN actor Gael Garcia Bernal stars in a new film which reexamines the discovery of the Philippines by European explorers and questions the existence of a national resistance hero.
“Magellan,” which premiered at the Cannes film festival on Sunday, is the latest feature from Filipino director Lav Diaz, who acknowledges he is tackling sensitive issues.
The film takes its title from Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, played by Bernal, who set sail in the early 1500s across the Atlantic in search of Far East riches.
“Let them handle it. There’s a process. Let’s allow the process to take its course,” he added.
The President added that he prefers to move past political wrangling and focus on governance.
“For me, the election is over — it’s time to get back to work,” he said. Duterte is facing impeachment over allegations of grave abuse of power, misuse of confidential and intelligence funds during her time as education chief, and violation of ethical standards for public officials.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte after 215 lawmakers endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint, expediting its approval and sending it to the Senate for trial.
Critics said the use of P125 million in confidential and intelligence funds by the Department of Education under Duterte in 2022 lacked transparency and legal basis.
Duterte has denied any wrongdoing, saying the funds were used legally and for “lawful and urgent” operations.
Malacañang earlier described Duterte’s recent remark about wanting a “bloodbath” in her possible impeachment trial as “somewhat violent,” expressing hope that the comment was not to be taken literally.
“The response of our Vice President was somewhat violent. We hope it’s just a figure of speech,” said Palace Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro during a press briefing.
Abono, Ang Probinsyano, and Murang Kuryente.
Three leading groups — Akbayan, Duterte Youth, and Tingog -- have enough votes for three seats each, with 4Ps, ACT-CIS, and Ako Bicol each securing two seats.
but to the Dutertes. Time and time again, it swoops in only to defend and forward the interests of the family they worship–namely Rodrigo Duterte and his ilk,” Anakbayan national chairperson Mhing Gomez said in a statement.
“Their whole platform and advocacy rest on red-tagging, terror-tagging, and ignorance of the roots of armed conflict. Like Duterte, they prefer to silence the youth rather than listen to their demands,” she added.
“I will always push for the amendment of the law. The party-list law needs to be amended,” Comelec chairperson George Garcia said in a press briefing, referring to Republic Act No. 7491 or the Party-list System law.
He said amending RA No. 7491 is an “ongoing call” of the poll body.
“He is the first European to be able to set foot in the Philippines. And at the same time, the conversion (to Christianity) of the Filipinos started with him,” Diaz told AFP.
“And, of course, colonization eventually.”
Magellan, who was sponsored by the Spanish crown, died at the Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521, killed in combat by warriors said to be led by Lapulapu.
Diaz puts forward a theory in his film that Lapulapu, who is now revered for his resistance, was in fact an invention of Humabon, the monarch of a neighboring island.
The Battle of Mactan “was a trap” for the explorer, who was told that people on Mactan island were resisting the arrival of Christianity.
“No-one ever saw Lapulapu,” Diaz says, adding that his conclusions are based on “years of research” into this key episode in Philippine history. Evidence for him is only found in the writings of Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian who accompanied Magellan and whose testimony Diaz considers unreliable.
“There will be people who accuse me of revisionism,” added the Filipino filmmaker, who won the Golden Lion top prize in Venice in 2016 for “The Woman Who Left.”
For its part, progressive youth group Anakbayan said it believes that disqualifying Duterte Youth is long overdue.
RA 7941 aims to promote proportional representation in the House of Representatives through a party-list system of registered parties or organizations of yesterday.
Duterte made the comment over the weekend while addressing mounting political tensions surrounding calls for her impeachment. Her statement has since drawn scrutiny, with critics calling it inflammatory.
As this developed, House Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor, a key member of the House prosecution panel, rejected the Vice President’s description of the impending impeachment trial as a “bloodbath,” saying the proceeding is not about spectacle or animosity, but about truth and accountability.
Defensor said both sides—the prosecution and the defense—should be fully prepared to present their case before the Senate, which will convene as an impeachment court once the 20th Congress opens.
“Maybe it would be better to say that this impeachment trial is ‘winner takes it all.’ It doesn’t have to be a bloodbath. We want the evidence of the prosecution and the defense teams to be laid out clearly,” he opined.
“The Duterte Youth has repeatedly revealed that its loyalty is not to the youth,
Meanwhile, the Comelec is stepping up its call for amendments to the party-list law to allow only legitimate groups that represent the marginalized sectors to take part.
“I believe even party-list organizations will always aspire to a new law to reflect the true sentiments of marginalized and underrepresented sectors,” he said.
The President’s remarks come amid increasing political friction between allies of the administration and supporters of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Marcos and Duterte ran and won under the UniTeam Coalition in the 2022 elections.
The relationship between the two parties started to go south following
allegations of misuse of state funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education which Duterte previously headed.
Mr. Marcos said as evidenced by the result of the recently-concluded midterm polls, Filipinos have grown tired of politicking.
“I have two conclusions from this election – First, Filipinos have become tired of politicking. Truly tired of politics. The message to us – not just to me but to all of us – is to stop politicking and attend to our needs,” he said.
thority (NFA).
DA and local governments. It is being rolled out across key areas in Metro Manila and Luzon, with expansion plans underway.
Tiu Laurel assured the public that improvements are being made to enhance the experience at Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) stalls, such as providing shelter and ventilation amid high summer temperatures.
“And they are correct. Public service is what we should really be doing. So, I am glad the election is not over. Let us now work.”
“The second one: people are disappointed with the service that the government provides. They do not feel the benefit of our programs as much as we want them to, and they feel the implementation of our projects has been too slow…The problem with big-ticket infrastructure projects, for example, is the slow implementation,” he said. With Rachelle Tonelada
inces in the Visayas and Mindoro.
Phase 2 in July will target high-poverty areas like Zamboanga del Norte and parts of Mindanao and Bicol, followed by Phase 3 covering Sultan Kudarat, Catanduanes, and other island provinces.
Diaz is part of the “slow cinema” movement, which has a contemplative and minimalist style. He has described his film-making as a way for his fellow citizens to find their national identity after centuries of colonization by Spain and the United States.
Known for his lengthy works – he once said his movies were so long no-one would buy them – this latest feature is a relatively brisk two hours and 40 minutes.
“I’m just an observer. I don’t like being an intruder,” he said of his directing style.
His longest film runs to 11 hours and his 2016 entry for the Berlin film festival “A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” was eight.
Diaz’s filmmaking is strongly influenced by his tumultuous childhood, growing up in the conflict-plagued southern town of D atu Paglas.
His parents, both state school teachers, uprooted themselves from the peaceful north to teach children in war zones how to read and write. AFP
“That might happen. It’s part of this performance review we’re conducting. That’s my warning to them,” he said.
“In the past two to three years, as long as we have a validated report, they’re removed. We don’t announce it, but they’re removed. That’s the usual process.”
“You’re the ones running the government, so fix it. Don’t report the problems to us — just get it done… Enough already with the explanations, good statistics, and those fancy presentations. Just get it done,” President Marcos added.
Launched this May, the program aims to improve rice affordability for vulnerable sectors while also managing aging rice stocks from the National Food Au-
Long queues remain a challenge, but the DA said public reception has been positive.
A three-phase nationwide rollout is planned for 2024, starting with prov-
By June, the DA aims to offer P20 rice in at least 55 KNP outlets.
replacement of former OWWA administrator Arnell Ignacio.
The purchase, intended for a dormitory for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), allegedly bypassed the
OWWA Board of Trustees in at least six instances, raising legal and transparency concerns. Cacdac said the board was sidelined in favor of a separate internal committee that made decisions without proper consultation.
Presidential Communications Office
Undersecretary Claire Castro said no
other officials have been formally sanctioned so far, but disciplinary actions may follow pending the results of the ongoing probe. She added that the OWWA trust fund appears unaffected by the deal, though financial sources are still under review.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ear-
Tiu Laurel said 32 areas are currently under review, with specific traders being identified and monitored for possible sanctions.
The twin moves—expanding rice subsidies while cracking down on exploitative buying practices—are part of the DA’s broader effort to stabilize rice prices, protect farmers’ livelihoods, and ensure food security nationwide.
In a related development, the DA has begun investigating traders in Luzon accused of buying rice from farmers at unfairly low prices—between P13 and P15 per kilo.
lier appointed Migrant Workers Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan as the new OWWA administrator. Both the DMW and the Palace assured the public that the transaction is being thoroughly reviewed for any administrative and legal violations, with accountability measures to follow as warranted.
BACK IN CONGRESS. Former senator and now congresswoman-elect Leila de Lima (right) of Mamamayang Liberal party-list talks to progressive legislators outgoing congresswoman France Castro (left) and incoming congressman Antonio Tinio (2nd from left) of the ACT Teachers party-list during the proclamation of winning legislators from party-list groups on Monday, May 19, 2025. AFP
PH to impose poultry ban on Brazil amid bird flu outbreak
By Charles Dantes
AGRICULTURE
Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
on Monday said the Philippines will impose a nationwide ban on poultry imports from Brazil following a confirmed outbreak of avian influenza in the South American country.
In a Palace briefing, Tiu Laurel confirmed the Department of Agriculture will prohibit all poultry shipments from Brazil due to the absence of a regionalization agreement that would otherwise allow imports from unaf-
fected areas.
“Basically, they were hit with bird flu, and as of the moment, we don’t have a regionalization agreement with Brazil. So, yes, we will have to ban the whole country from exporting chicken
to us,” he said. Brazil is the Philippines’ top supplier of poultry meat, particularly frozen chicken, due to its competitive pricing.
The ban is expected to cause a slight increase in costs for importers and processors, who will now need to source from alternative countries.
“The only advantage of Brazil, why they’re strong, is because they’re the cheapest. So, we might just buy from the importers or processors, which are a little more expensive, but I think the price difference is just a few percentage points,” Tiu Laurel said.
Despite the ban, the agriculture chief assured the public that the overall sup-
ply of chicken and processed meat products will remain stable even as he acknowledged the possibility of a shortterm supply adjustment period.
“Maybe there’s just a brief supply gap of maybe one or two weeks, because they have to change origins. But in general, I don’t see any issue,” Tiu Laurel said, citing a healthy domestic poultry production sector.
“Even our local poultry industry has pretty good production,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department is coordinating with importers to identify alternative sources and ensure continued supply in the local market.
IN BRIEF
Jan. to May COVID-19 cases lower than 2024 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines for the first five months of the year remained low, but the Department of Health continues to monitor regional increases closely, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said Monday.
“We are monitoring this at the Department of Health, and accurate information will be provided to you through the DOH platform,” he said. According to Herbosa, from January to May this year, the country recorded 1,774 COVID-19 cases— an 87 percent drop compared to the same period last year.
The number of new cases in the past three to four weeks also declined, falling from 71 to 65. Ram Superable
Senate panel seeks hike in vape, tobacco taxes
SMUGGLING and rising vape use among adolescents prompted the Senate to press for higher excise taxes on tobacco and vapor products, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Monday as he led a hearing on House Bill 11360.
“The reason for that is that we don’t believe the solution to curbing illicit trade will come from reducing taxes,” said Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.
“What is very prevalent right now is the smuggling of vaping products, and that’s already filtering down to our adolescent population,” he added.
The measure, which seeks to amend the National Internal Revenue Code, sets a P41 initial tax per pack of heated tobacco (20 units) and P66.15 per milliliter of vapor products and cigarettes. Rates will automatically rise by 2 percent every even-numbered year starting 2026 and 4 percent every odd-numbered year until 2035.
IN BRIEF
Fewer typhoons expected this year, says PAGASA
THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Sunday that the country is likely to experience a below to near-average number of typhoons in 2025, with none recorded so far this year.
Ana Liza Solis, chief of PAGASA’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section, clarified that the rainy season has not yet begun despite recent rain showers in Metro Manila and parts of Luzon.
For the rainy season to be officially declared, there must be a five-day period with at least 25 mm of accumulated rainfall, including three consecutive days with at least 1 mm of rain, recorded in over half of PAGASA’s monitoring stations.
Rio N. Araja
Gov’t agencies unite to protect Muleta watershed
THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is spearheading a multi-agency initiative to protect and sustainably manage the 21,630-hectare Muleta watershed in Bukidnon, a key natural resource vital to local agriculture and ecology.
DAR provincial officer Jammal Pangandaman said the project aims to empower farmers as stewards of the environment, blending agricultural productivity with ecological responsibility.
The initiative forms part of the National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development (NCI-SRD), which includes the DAR, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Rio N. Araja
Lacson eyes streamlined aid, budget system
SENATOR Panfilo Lacson announced plans to consolidate various government assistance programs under an expanded 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) for better efficiency and transparency.
He said his legislative team is preparing amendments to Republic Act 11310 to integrate overlapping aid programs like TUPAD, AKAP, AICS, and MAIP, which have been prone to duplication and political misuse.
Lacson emphasized that 4Ps is based on a verified list of beneficiaries and supported by studies from key agencies such as the DSWD and DOLE, unlike other indiscriminate cash aid programs.
Joel E. Zurbano
By Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz
MALACAÑANG on Monday assured the public of swift government action to address the ongoing disruptions caused by the rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge, a critical infrastructure link between Samar and Leyte. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed relevant agencies to implement measures that will minimize the impact on local residents and businesses. The San Juanico Bridge,
Marcos admin approves 16,000 new teaching posts for next school year
By Charles Dantes and Maricel Cruz
THE Marcos administration has approved the creation of 16,000 new teaching positions for the upcoming school year—up from the 10,000 annually created under the leadership of former Education Secretary Sara Duterte.
Presidential Communications Office
Undersecretary Claire Castro said the move aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen the education system and address the shortage of public school teachers.
“This is the President’s way of ensuring every student gets the attention they
RIDERS IN EDSA. A group of motorcycle riders traveling along EDSA Highway in Mandaluyong City. On May 9, President Marcos signed a law amending the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, requiring new owners to transfer motorcycle ownership within 20 working days. Manny Palmero
need to improve their education. The goal is to reduce class sizes and ease the workload of current teachers,” Castro said in a Palace briefing Monday.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has allocated P4.19 billion from its proposed 2025 budget to fund the initiative. Of the 16,000 new po-
sitions, 15,343 are for Teacher I (Salary Grade 11), 157 for Special Science Teachers (SG 13), and 500 for Special Education Teachers (SG 14), according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The new teachers are expected to be in place by the start of the 2025–2026 school year, although no specific timeline for hiring has been announced.
Meanwhile, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez urged Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara and DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman to allocate at least half of the new positions to Mindanao to help close regional edu-
Gov’t, lawmakers move to ease San Juanico rehab impacts
which connects the islands of Leyte and Samar, plays a vital role in regional connectivity and commerce in Eastern Visayas.
“This is a necessary rehabilitation to prevent potential accidents if left unaddressed,” Castro said.
She added that a blue alert status has been raised, placing concerned agencies on heightened readiness.
A multi-agency task force has been activated, and public assistance desks will be set up on both ends of the bridge.
Only light vehicles are currently allowed to cross the bridge for safety reasons. To ease transport dis-
By Rex Espiritu
THE Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the United States Marine Corps are set to participate in this year’s iteration of the annual “Kamandag” exercises, scheduled from May 26 to June 6. The drills aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation and improve interoperability between the two forces. First launched in 2016, “Kamandag”—short for Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma mula sa Dagat—is a yearly joint military exercise designed to enhance multinational readiness and regional
ruptions, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has deployed 13 shuttle buses operating 24/7. A vehicle weighing station and 24-hour patrol units will also be established to regulate traffic and monitor safety.
Coordination is ongoing with local government units and the Philippine Ports Authority to provide ferry services as needed for affected passengers. Meanwhile, TINGOG Party-list and the Office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez have taken a lead role in organizing a coordinated government response. On May 17, they
defense capabilities.
According to an advisory from the PMC, the opening ceremony will be held on May 26 at Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, which will also host the closing ceremony on June 6.
As of this writing, no specific details have been released regarding the number of participating troops or military assets. Key activities scheduled for this year’s exercise include: CBRNE Training (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive): May 27 to June 5 at
convened a multi-agency consultative meeting involving over 30 national agencies, including the DPWH, MARINA, PPA, LTFRB, DSWD, and the Office of Civil Defense.
TINGOG Party-list emphasized its continued commitment to mitigating the effects of the bridge closure, prioritizing public safety, supporting affected businesses and commuters, and expediting full restoration of transport connectivity.
Malacañang called for public patience, stressing that the rehabilitation is being carried out with longterm safety and regional development in mind.
Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown, Fort Bonifacio. Maritime and Special Operations Training: May 27 to June 4 at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui in San Antonio, Zambales, and BTPI Firing Range in Morong, Bataan. Live-Fire Integration Exercises: May 29 at Col. Ernesto Rabina Air Base in Capas, Tarlac. Maritime Strike Exercise: May 29 in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Counter-Landing/Defensive Retrograde Operations: May 29 at Camp Bojeador in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, and Paredes Air Station in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.
cation gaps.
“Mindanao needs 8,000 of these teaching positions to catch up with Luzon and the Visayas in terms of literacy,” Rodriguez said, citing a Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) report indicating high rates of functional illiteracy in the region.
The PSA report found that 18.9 million Filipinos who completed secondary education between 2019 and 2024 could read and write but struggled with comprehension. Eight of the 10 provinces with the highest basic illiteracy rates are in Mindanao, with Tawi-Tawi leading at 36 percent.
Over 800 schools to pilot revised senior high plan
MORE than 800 schools across the country will participate in the pilot run of the revised Senior High School (SHS) curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 starting School Year 2025–2026, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced Monday.
Education Undersecretary Wilfredo Cabral, speaking at a House Committee on Basic Education and Culture briefing, said the DepEd initially identified 727 schools as “highly ready” to implement the strengthened SHS program. Following feedback from the Senate Committee on Basic Education, the list was expanded to include “moderately ready” private and rural schools, raising the total to 841. Cabral said the expansion allows a broader sample of schools from both urban and rural areas to help address a wider range of implementation challenges during the pilot phase.
The 841 participating schools represent 6.6% of the country’s 12,739 SHS institutions. Of these, 580 are public and 261 are private.
A majority—806—are located in urban areas, while 35 are in rural communities.
Selection criteria included school size, geographic location, type of management (public or private), and whether the school operates independently or is integrated with other educational levels.
DepEd will monitor the pilot implementation across various governance levels and is working with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the program.
Teacher training for participating schools will take place from May 25 to June 7. The training will cover core subjects as well as specialized tracks such as Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (Tech-Voc), agriculture, fisheries, and the arts. School heads will also undergo training to prepare for the rollout.
The iconic Bangui windmills stand tall along the coast of Ilocos Norte, harnessing wind energy to surrounding communities. Edd Castro
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
OPINION
I have been accused of libel seven times and have been threatened to be sued 17 times.
I apologized for some of them because of my recklessness and carelessness and went to court for some of them and I was acquitted. But the most dangerous peril of a journalist is when he is threatened to be shot and this often happens when a journalist fights for a cause or writes for the truth.
I am sure my bosom friend, Johnny Dayang, who was shot at his house at Kalibo, Aklan was fighting for a cause, Santa Banana!
That’s the usual risk and peril for a journalist. I had received in my seven decades as a journalist threats to my life but thank heavens despite my exposes and efforts to write the truth I have never been shot at.
But I must recall the time when I was kidnapped because I had exposed graft and corruption in an institution, the Central Bank of the Philippines Monetary Board.
Santa Banana, I exposed three members of the Monetary Board, not only for securing quota allocations to benefit their favored, and even their own businesses, but also for playing the stock market, a clear conflict of interest before insider trading became a crime.
This led to a congressional investigation for them and death threats for me. I did not tell my wife about the threats. I just dismissed them because I believed people who really meant to terminate journalists would not go around announcing their intentions beforehand.
Then one night, just as I was emerging from the Herald office to head for home, two burly men appeared on either side of me, poked gun barrels into both sides of my torso, and ordered me to board a waiting car. I obeyed, and the car sped off.
It all happened so fast that our office security guard, who I had walked past only seconds before the gunmen flanked me, didn’t notice a thing.
I was taken to a suite on the top floor of the old Hotel Filipinas, at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and Padre Faura. There, a fat man sat waiting, smoking a cigar. I thought that he looked familiar, but I kept my mouth shut.
The fat man, in contrast, had no such reticence. “You are still a young man, “ he told me, in the vernacular, “and I would hate it if something happened to you.”
“I would hate that, too.” I thought, but
did not say it out loud.
“My friend (he identified the person)” he continued, naming one of the Monetary Board members I had exposed, “does not know that I am doing this, but I would just like you to write his side.”
Well. that restored my vocal chords somewhat, since I had undergone such a situation before, at the beginning of my career in Cotabato.
I had not only survived that, but I felt, learned and grown a lot from the experience. So I was able to respond, “Yes, sir, of course I will.”
A journalist must risk his life for a cause and the truth
The man left the room, telling me to wait, which I did , for what turned out to be hours. The men watching over me fed me and told me to get some sleep.
I tried, but I could not.
First, I was too anxious about my poor wife, who must have been so worried, since it was past midnight, with no word from me.
Second, I was still quite scared for myself, as I had recognized the fat man as a mobster from Cavite, who was said to have killed someone.
But at six in the morning, there was a knock on the door, and I was handed an envelope, which contained a press release for the Monetary Board member in question. I was then released and hurried home.
I called my brother Willie and told him what happened. He took me to see then President Ramon Magsaysay.
Once I had explained everything to the President, he asked me if I could name three individuals who could replace the three Monetary Board members I had exposed.
I recommended Col. Jaime Velasquez, UP Professor Vicente Sinco, and Agriculture Secretary Amado Dalisay, all known for their independence of mind, probity and integrity.
Then President Magsaysay summoned his secretary to have those men appointed to the Monetary Board immediately.
My kidnapping was a big lesson for me as a journalist, knowing that a journalist must risk his life for a cause and the truth, Santa Banana!
In the end, I guess it was worth it, because I did win the Stanvac Journalism Award, which hangs on the wall in my den.
Tiangco’s denial: Alyansa’s 2025 flop
IN THE pressure cooker of Philippine politics, the 2025 midterm elections have exposed a bitter truth: the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte was not the sole wrecking ball that demolished the Marcos-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.
Campaign manager Toby Tiangco insists the impeachment sank his senatorial slate, especially in Mindanao, but the numbers paint a different picture—one of strategic blunders, fractured unity, and the unyielding grip of the Duterte dynasty.
Tiangco’s narrative is a flimsy shield for a campaign’s self-inflicted wounds, sidestepping accountability in a nation wrestling with dynastic power and democratic ideals.
Impeachment: Did it really doom Alyansa?
Tiangco pins Alyansa’s poor showing on the Feb. 2025 impeachment of Sara Duterte, claiming it turned Mindanao voters against his candidates. He cites internal surveys from late 2024 showing a shift toward candidates opposing the impeachment, calling the loss “self-inflicted” by its initiators. Yet, the data undercuts his case. Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre notes that 100 of 115 pro-impeachment district lawmakers were reelected—an 86 percent success rate—with 81 percent in Mindanao securing fresh mandates.
If the impeachment was electoral poison, why did its supporters thrive locally?
In the senatorial race, Alyansa’s Erwin Tulfo fell from a poll-leading 45 percent
to fourth place, while Lito Lapid, Abby Binay, and Ramon Revilla slipped out of the Magic 12. Meanwhile, Duterte-backed senators Bong Go and Ronald dela Rosa topped the tally.
The impeachment may have rallied Duterte loyalists, but Tiangco’s singular focus ignores deeper campaign failures. Campaign chaos: Alyansa’s selfdestruction
Alyansa’s rout wasn’t just about external shocks—it was a masterclass in unforced errors. Internal fractures crippled the coalition, with Senator Imee Marcos’s April 2025 exit and Rodrigo Duterte’s March arrest exposing rifts.
The campaign’s biggest misstep was failing to counter the Duterte dynasty’s influence
Tiangco failed to mend these, leaving Alyansa fragmented. His “clean campaign” of platforms and track records misread Mindanao’s emotional loyalty to the Dutertes.
Overreliance on pre-election polls, like OCTA’s May 9 survey showing 10 of 11 Alyansa candidates winning, bred complacency. When only six made the Magic 12, Tiangco had no fallback.
The campaign’s biggest misstep was
EDITORIAL
Surge in COVID-19 cases
SOME trigger for anxiety for the ordinary Filipinos on the streets: the reported quiet surge in coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 in some Southeast Asian countries and Hong Kong, which whacked the Philippines from mid March 2020 to 2023.
But there is an encouraging bulletin board from the Department of Health that gives assurance there is “no cause for alarm” despite the chilling reports from overseas.
“We are actively coordinating through established mechanisms like the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Nations). This gives us verified information, boosting readiness even as we see no cause for alarm,” it said in a weekend statement.
Reports from overseas suggest COVID-19 is making a muted comeback in Asia, with fresh waves of infection reported in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand, when new data show it is still very much active – even when respiratory illnesses usually slow down.
Local authorities have said the use of face masks remains optional but is nevertheless recommended by health professionals. The public is once again reminded of proper coughing etiquette and is encouraged to stay home if feeling unwell.
In Singapore, the latest data showed the estimated number of COVID-19
failing to counter the Duterte dynasty’s influence. Despite Sara’s impeachment, Rodrigo won Davao City’s mayoral race from an ICC cell, and Sebastian claimed the vice mayoralty.
Five Duterte-backed senators led nationally. Alyansa was outmaneuvered by a family that turned adversity into electoral gold.
Vendetta or accountability?
Was the impeachment a pursuit of justice or a Marcos power play?
Charges of fund misuse and alleged assassination threats, backed by reelected lawmakers like Joel Chua, suggest a strong case.
The House’s 240-vote approval underscores its weight.
Yet, Tiangco’s claims of coerced signatures—tied to fears of budget cuts—fuel suspicions of a vendetta to sideline Sara, a potential 2028 rival.
The UniTeam’s 2022 collapse adds credence to this. Voters split: Mindanao
cases in the week ending May 3 increased to 14,000 from 11,100 in the comparative week, with health officials saying there is no indication the variants circulating are more transmissible or cause more severe disease.
The DOH encourages everyone to continue practicing the same preventive measures that protect from other diseases
Hong Kong itself said its “major surveillance indicators” of COVID-19 reached a one-year high, likely due to “changes in predominant circulating strains and declining herd.” Its health agency did not provide the total number of cases but said it recorded 81 severe cases among adults,
saw the impeachment as an attack on a native daughter, while the 86 percent reelection rate of pro-impeachment lawmakers suggests national support for accountability.
Duterte’s unbroken grip
The Dutertes’ Mindanao dominance—Rodrigo’s mayoral win, Sebastian’s vice mayoralty, and their senators’ sweep—proves their resilience.
Sara’s Supreme Court challenge and fiery rhetoric cast her as a martyr.
The July 2025 Senate trial, with Duterte-friendly senators like Go, may end in acquittal, cementing her 2028 prospects. Alyansa’s failure to pierce this dynastic armor highlights Tiangco’s strategic blindness.
Democracy’s fragile edge
The impeachment tests Philippine democracy. It showcases checks and balances, yet coercion allegations and the Marcos-Du-
including 30 “fatal cases” in the past four weeks.
In the Philippines as of May 3, the DOH said it recorded 1,774 COVID-19 this year, about 87 percent down from 14,074 recorded in the comparative period.
The case fatality rate is 1.13 percent and recent trends also indicate a “slight decrease” in reported cases over the past three to four weeks.
From 71 cases from March 23 to April 5 this year, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country decreased to 65 cases from April 6 to 19.
Infections in the Philippines, according to Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, continues to be at a low level with 1,774 cases from January to May 3 or 87 percent lower (14,074) in the comparative period last year.
COVID, which affected 4.14 million people in over three years from March 2020, allowed 4.06 million to recover, official figures show.
But it killed 694,821 in 2023, reflecting a 2.2 percent increase from 679,766 deaths registered in 2022, which corresponds to a crude death rate 1 of 6.2 or six deaths per 1,000 population.
The DOH bulletin board says, “We are committed to keeping the public informed and will provide timely updates should the situation evolve.
“We encourage everyone to stay informed through official DOH channels, and continue practicing the same preventive measures that protect from other diseases.”
terte feud erode trust.
A Senate acquittal could embolden dynasties; a conviction might deepen polarization.
The stakes for institutional integrity are immense.
Reforms for resilience
To restore trust, the Philippines needs: transparent campaign audits to expose strategic failures; a bipartisan panel to depoliticize impeachments; stronger anti-dynasty laws; and civic education to prioritize policy over personality.
Tiangco’s impeachment excuse masks Alyansa’s implosion—fractured unity, misfired messaging, and a failure to counter the Dutertes’ sway.
The 86 percent reelection of proimpeachment lawmakers and Duterte’s sweep reveal a campaign’s collapse, not a trial’s fallout.
As the Senate trial looms, the Philippines must choose: dynastic loyalty or democratic accountability.
This is an AI-generated cartoon with the prompt: Generate a political cartoon in horizontal format of several of this red robes hovering above a bed. On the bed is a cowering figure. She brings the blanket to her face. Her upper face is that of a pair of big eyes with a furrowed brow with eyebrows slanting downwards to the nose. She has a pug nose. Her hair is chin length parted at the middle. The blanket is filled with patterns of Philippine Peso sign.
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025
Trump to call up Putin for Kyiv truce
IN BRIEF
Joe Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer
WASHINGTON, DC – Former US presi-
dent Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, and is reviewing treatment options, his office said Sunday.
On Friday, the 82-year-old Democrat -- whose son Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015 -- was diagnosed with the disease after he experienced urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule was found, a statement from his office said.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” it continued.
US President Donald Trump, who has long derided political rival Biden over his cognitive abilities, said he was “saddened” by the news.
“We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” Republican Trump said on Truth Social, referring to Biden’s wife, Jill Biden. AFP
Indonesia volcano erupts with km-high ash cloud
JAKARTA — A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted Monday, spewing an ash cloud more than a kilometer high after authorities raised the country’s highest alert level.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the tourist island of Flores erupted shortly after midnight, sending an ash cloud 1.2 kilometers above its peak, Indonesia’s volcanology agency reported. The volcano erupted once more at 09:36 am, the agency said. The latest rumblings follow authorities on Sunday evening raising the alert level of the 1,584-meter twin-peaked volcano to the highest in the country’s four-tiered system.
“Lewotobi Laki-Laki’s activities are still high,” Indonesia’s geological agency head Muhammad Wafid warned Sunday.
“The potential for a larger eruption than before can occur,” he said in a statement.
A series of eruptions on Sunday spewed ash as high as six kilometres above LakiLaki’s peak, according to the volcanology agency. AFP
Polar bear biopsies to shed light on pollutants
NORWAY — With one foot braced on the helicopter’s landing skid, a veterinarian lifted his air rifle, took aim and fired a tranquilizer dart at a polar bear.
The predator bolted but soon slumped into the snowdrifts, its broad frame motionless beneath the Arctic sky.
The dramatic pursuit formed part of a pioneering research mission in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, where scientists, for the first time, took fat tissue biopsies from polar bears to study the impact of pollutants on their health.
The expedition came at a time when the Arctic region was warming at four times the global average, putting mounting pressure on the iconic predators as their sea-ice habitat shrank.
“The idea is to show as accurately as possible how the bears live in the wild -but in a lab,” Laura Pirard, a Belgian toxicologist, told AFP.
“To do this, we take their (fatty) tissue, cut it in very thin slices and expose it to the stresses they face, in other words pollutants and stress hormones,” said Pirard, who developed the method. AFP
Starmer to host first UK-EU summit since Brexit
LONDON-- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts European Union chiefs on Monday for a landmark summit designed to usher in a closer relationship between Britain and the bloc, five years after Brexit. The meeting in London is expected to deliver the first results from Starmer’s much-heralded “reset” of the UK’s ties with its European neighbors following the rancor of the post-Brexit years.
On Saturday, Downing Street announced the Labor leader would be striking a deal for a “strengthened, forwardlooking partnership” with the 27 EU members. Starmer said it would be “good for our jobs, good for our bills and good
for our borders.”
Talks were going down the wire to resolve squabbling over long-standing issues, including fishing rights and a youth mobility scheme, but negotiators were hopeful of at least signing a defence and security partnership.
It would mark a symbolic step in turning the page on the animosity that followed Britain’s exit from the bloc in January 2020.
“There are still some details to resolve, but it’s quite positive, and we’re going to get there,” said one European diplomat, who asked not to be named.
“There is a real willingness on the British side to move closer to the EU on eco-
nomic issues.”
Starmer, who came to power in last July’s general elections ousting the Conservative Party, wants a deeper relationship with the EU than the one painfully negotiated by the Tories. But he has several red lines he has said he will not cross. Sticking points remain over some EU demands, and the Conservatives are already criticizing the reset move as a “surrender”.
If negotiators clear the final hurdles, then inking the “Security and Defense Partnership” will be the highlight of Monday’s sit-down between Starmer and EU bosses Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa and chief diplomat Kaja Kallas. AFP
Israel to allow food into Gaza after 2-month blockade, rising pressure
GAZA CITY – Israel will allow a “basic amount” of food into the Gaza Strip, the prime minister’s office said Sunday, after facing mounting pressure to lift a total blockade imposed more than two months ago.
The announcement came hours after the military said it had begun “extensive ground operations” in a newly intensified campaign in Gaza, and as Israel and Hamas engaged in indirect talks on a deal to potentially halt the fighting.
Hamas’s Oct. 2023 attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Hamas also took 251 hostages during the attack, 57 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.
Gaza’s health ministry said Sunday at least 3,193 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 53,339.
WASHINGTON, DC – US President Donald Trump will hold a phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Monday (Tuesday Manila time) as part of his longrunning effort to end the war set off by Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump had vowed during the US election campaign to halt the conflict within a day of taking office, but his diplomatic efforts have so far yielded little progress. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine held direct negotiations in Istanbul last week for the first time in almost three years, but the talks ended without a commitment to a ceasefire.
Both sides traded insults, with Ukraine accusing Moscow of sending a “dummy” delegation of low-ranking officials. After the negotiations, Trump announced that he would speak by phone with the Russian president in a bid to end the “bloodbath” in Ukraine, which has destroyed large swathes of the country and displaced millions of people. Trump also said he would speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO officials, expressing hope that a “ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war... will end.”
Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly stressed that he wants to see an end to the conflict, and has recently backed calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. So far, he has mainly focused on upping the pressure on Ukraine and abstained from criticising Putin. Both Moscow and Washington have previously stressed the need for a meeting on the conflict between Putin and Trump.
The US president has also argued that “nothing’s going to happen” on the conflict until he meets Putin face-to-face. At the talks in Istanbul, which were also attended by US officials, Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each and trade ideas on a possible truce, but with no concrete commitment. AFP
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that at the military’s recommendation, “Israel will authorize the entry of a basic amount of food for the population to ensure that a hunger crisis does not develop in the Gaza Strip”. Such a crisis would jeopardize the army’s new operation, it said, adding Israel would “act to prevent Hamas from seizing this humanitarian aid”.
Israel said its blockade since March 2 was aimed at forcing concessions from the Palestinian militant group, but UN agencies have warned of critical shortages of food, clean water, fuel and medicines. Last week US President Donald Trump, a critical ally, acknowledged that “a lot of people are starving”, adding “we’re going to get that taken care of”.
French
Marcos rejects killing of drug suspects
By Charles Dantes
“I
want to be respected but maybe fear is better,” President Marcos said in a podcast interview, as he discussed his administration’s planned approach to the country’s illegal drug problem.
The President outlined a two-pronged strategy to address both high-level syndicates and the resurgence of street-level drug trade in the communities.
He admitted that while his administration has focused on dismantling large-scale drug trafficking — including major drug seizures and busts of warehouses — there is now a renewed emphasis on addressing local offenders.
“In the same vein… let’s go back to the grassroots level,” Marcos told the reporters.
“If the person is worried, they say, they keep coming back here, let’s take care of them,” he added.
The Chief Executive said recent reports of drug users and smalltime pushers returning in some barangays have prompted him to instruct the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to reengage at the community level.
He emphasized that while large operations will continue, smallscale enforcement should not be neglected.
He cited the administration’s “Cops on the Beat” program, where consistent police presence in neighborhoods helps officers familiarize themselves with the situation on the ground and discourage street-level crimes.
“Because if there’s someone there, going around every day, they know all of that,” the President said.
He also acknowledged the deep-rooted challenges in dismantling drug syndicates, pointing to corruption involving law enforcement, local government officials, and even members of the judiciary.
“The syndicate includes the police, it includes the local government,” he said.
“They have so much money… they can buy everything—judge, prosecutor,” the President noted.
Despite the renewed focus on local offenders, Marcos firmly rejected the violent tactics of the previous administration, saying arrests must be based on solid evidence and due process.
Avsegroup detains plane passenger over toy gun in baggage
By Joel E. Zurbano
LEST you get into deep legal trouble, avoid bringing guns—not even toy pistols and other firearms replicas—while on plane travel.
The Police Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) reminds the public that the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections remains in effect until June 12, 2025. This ban prohibits the transport of firearms and gun replicas. This reminder came on the heels
Flash floods dislocate 30k villagers in Maguindanao
By Rex Espiritu
TORRENTIAL rains brought by the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) triggered widespread flooding in three towns of Maguindanao del Sur on Saturday, forcing more than 30,000 residents to flee their homes, officials reported.
According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao BARMM), some 6,023 households— or roughly 30,115 individuals—were affected in the municipalities of Datu Abdullah Sangki, Shariff Aguak, and Datu Saudi Ampatuan.
Also inundated was the town of Datu Salibo, which acts as a catch basin for floodwaters from South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. All 17 villages of the town were submerged, though the number of affected residents has yet to be determined.
Many of the flooded areas are located in or near the Liguasan marshland and are prone to recurrent inundation, said OCD-BARMM director Joel Mamon.
On Saturday, Mamon joined an aerial assessment with the Philippine Air Force’s Tactical Operations Group 12, led by Col. Caezar Pascua, and the 6th Infantry Division’s public affairs office to evaluate the extent of the disaster.
In addition to the mass displacement, infrastructure damage was reported, including the destruction of a bridge in Barangay Bagumbong, Mamasapano.
The bridge was a critical route for local transportation and access.
Floodwaters also swamped farmlands in Datu Abdullah Sangki, damaging hectares of corn, rice, peanuts, and other crops. The Department of Agriculture is still assessing the extent of agricultural losses, while the OCD-BARMM continues to validate affected populations and infrastructure damage.
of the arrest of a departing passenger at Tacloban airport who was found carrying a gun replica, specifically a Heckler & Koch MP5 firearm, complete with a magazine in his baggage.
The passenger, who was bound for Manila, is now in police custody and has been charged with violating Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, in relation to Comelec Resolution No. 11067.
Recently, airport authorities also
intercepted a Japanese national at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Terminal 1 after discovering a firearm in his baggage.
The Office for Transportation Security (OTS) stated that the foreigner was scheduled to fly to Kansai on Philippine Airlines flight PR-408 when a screening officer noticed a suspicious image of a firearm on the X-ray monitor.
The Avsegroup subsequently conducted a manual inspection of the baggage, resulting in the discov-
ery of the loaded pistol with seven rounds of ammunition.
Following standard operating procedures, the incident was documented, and the firearm handed over to Avsegroup.
The Department of Transportation has also included toy guns and replicas in its list of prohibited items. Even outside the Comelec Gun Ban period, possession of such items may result in being offloaded from a flight or arrested.
‘Joint drills enhance Army’s anti-drone capability’
THE Philippine Army (PA) announced on Monday that its modernization efforts and joint training exercises with international allies aim to enhance its ability to counter armed drones and other advanced threats.
Army spokesman Col. Louie Dema-ala highlighted this objective in response to an inquiry regarding measures to safeguard sensitive installations from potential drone attacks.
“These are all part of our modernization efforts to adapt to the modern challenges,” he added.
However, for security reasons, Dema-ala did not disclose the specific equipment the Army is considering to address such threats.
Dema-ala also noted that the challenges posed by armed drones and other emerging threats are thoroughly analyzed and deliberated upon during joint exercises with the military allies.
“During bilateral and multilateral exercises, these are all part of subject matter expert exchanges to train our personnel on these new (technologies),” the PA spokesperson said.
“It’s always been the plan of the Army to be responsive to these new threats and to be a cross-domain capable,” he added.
The threat of drones emerged following their effective use as weapons by both Ukraine and Russia during their ongoing conflict, which has spanned more than three years. Rex Espiritu
IN BRIEF
Avsegroup nabs man, 28, mulcting plane passengers
AVIATION security police have arrested a 28-year-old man allegedly mulcting travelers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The suspect whose identity was withheld reported tried to flee as elements of the Aviation Security (Avsegroup) closed in on him, picked up a stone when cornered and hit one of the arresting officers in the hand.
Avsegroup said the suspect was spotted illegally soliciting from passengers in the arrival area.
“This incident underscores the ongoing efforts of aviation security personnel and the Aviation Security Group to combat unauthorized activities within airport premises and to ensure the safety and order of all passengers and staff,” said Avsegroup director Brig. Gen. Christopher Abecia. Joel E. Zurbano
Cavite gov’t commends outstanding frontliners
THE Cavite provincial government has honored its top-performing offices and frontliners for exceptional commitment to speedy, transparent, and people-oriented public service.
The event was held Monday, May 19, at the Function Hall of the new provincial capitol in Barangay Cabuco.
With the theme “From Red Tape to Red Carpet: Better Business Movement in a Bagong Pilipinas,” this year’s celebration is a testament to the dedication of individuals and departments who continuously transform challenges into innovative solutions and bureaucratic processes into efficient services, the provincial government said.
Cavite Gov. Athena Bryana Tolentino led the recognition ceremony right after the traditional flag-raising ceremony. In her remarks, the governor commended the awardees, expressing her delight that many employees have been recognized for their outstanding performance and dedication. Dennis Abrina
Suspected female Red surrenders in Bulacan
A SELF-C0NFESSED female communist insurgent on Friday surrendered to the police in Malolos City, Bulacan The returnee, identified as “Ka Ruby”, 42, admitted she was a supporter and former member of the Revolutionary People’s Army, an armed communist movement operating in the coastal areas of Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan and Zambales.
The woman turned over a caliber 38. revolver with three rounds of ammunition.
The PNP continues to promote the peaceful reintegration of former rebels into society as part of its efforts to achieve lasting peace and security in the country, said acting Bulacan police provincial director Col. Franklin Estoro. Vince Lopez
SECURITY CONCERNS. Key Korean government representatives raise concerns over the safety of Korean visitors in the Philippines during high level talks with a Philippine government delegation in Malacañang. Roy Tomandao
CHILD’S PLAY. Children compete with one another in traditional ‘palaro’ games highlighting the esta celebration in Barangay Bagong Silangan, Quezon City. Edd Castro
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025
RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor
RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor
EDGARD HILARIO, Asst. Editor
A BRAND-NEW Hongqi H5 executive sedan and a golf cart each from Get Go and MF Carts are among the holes-in-one prizes in the upcoming 22nd BPI Gold – Forest Hills Invitational in Antipolo.
Set from May 22 to 25, the four-day tournament will also stake TaylorMade Qi irons from Pacsports, 100k worth of K&G merchandise, 50k worth of 3Strokes items and Vietnam package with accommodation.
“These prizes will truly spice up our Invitational,” said Forest Hills general manager Jude Eustaquio, who expects around 250 two-man teams to be on board for the annual affair.
The player will have the option to choose playing days either ThursdaySaturday or Friday-Sunday. Format will be Net Aggregate Modified Stableford at Nicklaus course and Net Four Ball at Palmer.
Swimming venue up to world standards, says Palaro official
By Peter Atencio
RECORDS are expected to fall again in the swimming meet of the Palarong Pambansa when it kicks off next week in Laoag City as a new generation of young swimming prospects is projected to challenge the 13 records set last year.
Region IV-A star swimmer Jasmine Mojdeh will no longer be around, having finished her final year in 2024, with two records in the secondary girls’ 200-meter butterfly and breaststroke events.
petitions in the aquatics’ event will be of world-class quality, considering that the pool area has met international standards.
“This is according to the inspections that have been done and official measurements that I personally joined in twice,” said Luna, who belied claims that the pool area does meet official measurements and international standards.
lied a 3:58.39 finish to break the previous 4:00.75 mark set in 2023 by the NCR team.
NCR’s Palaro record-breaker Sophia Garra, who got six gold medals last year, will also be around, with most bemedalled swimmer Alessandra Martin
UAAP to hold closing rites at MOA Arena
THE UAAP closes the curtains on an unforgettable Season 87 with a grand closing ceremony today (Tuesday) at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, highlighted by the awarding of the season’s General Champions, Athletes of the Year, and the official turnover of hosting duties from the University of the Philippines to the University of Santo Tomas.
The festivities kick off at 3 p.m. with the Streetdance Competition. Season 87 was absolute cinema. It opened last September with an electrifying performance from the legendary OPM band Eraserheads and concluded with a historic men’s volleyball finale last Saturday, where a record-breaking crowd of 14,517 witnessed National University complete a five-peat over Far Eastern University.
The Bulldogs also secured their second straight golden double in volleyball, as both the men’s and women’s squads clinched back-toback titles.
In basketball, the UP Fighting Maroons reclaimed the men’s crown, while the NU Lady Bulldogs completed their redemption arc in the women’s division.
Historic moments were aplenty in the juniors division as well.
University of the East ended a 39-year basketball title drought in winning the junior high school boys division, while UST broke a 24-year dry spell with its Tiger Cubs finally winning the boys basketball championship.
UST also halted FEU-Diliman’s dominance in boys’ football.
Boys’ football saw a major development this season with the inclusion of guest schools for the first time, as Southridge and Claret joined the competition, adding more depth and excitement to the tournament.
Swimming officials made this assurance following minor renovation done on the 50-meter and 25-meter pools of the Ferdinand Marcos Stadium pool, the main venue of the games.
Technical consultant Richard Luna made the assurance that com-
With Mojdeh going to the University of Southern California this year for college, new marks are projected to be broken from talented swimmers from both the National Capital Region and Calabarzon.
Calabarzon standout Peter Cyrus Dean is again expected to shine, after making waves last year in Cebu in the boys’ secondary 200m individual medley, edging the old 2:12.58 mark by mere milliseconds (2:12.14).
Dean and his teammates Joart Calderon, Reinelle Trinidad, and fellow record-holder TJ Amaro tal-
Earlier this week, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann also made the assurance that all the venues that will be used in the coming meet are ready after attending the final technical meeting of the games in Laoag City.
“In the last meeting, all the issues have been fixed and discussed. We had a look at the opening parade and the venues. They’re all ready,” said Bachmann.
The sponsors division will play to the System 36 scoring in the event which will have Cherrylume/Mileage Asia Corp. as diamond sponsor. Gold sponsors include Golforce, Megaforce Security, Modern Titos, Solid North/JAC Liner, Eastwest Bank, GolfX, Januarius Holdings, Pacsports, Ion energy drink and Edgepro Trading. Silver sponsors are Metrowide Resources, Infinity Strategic, NU Steel, Turf Company, Shinagawa Lasik & Aesthetics, Wlking Global, Marikina Boys, Jethrock Const., CIWI, Filhomes Builders and KLIO. Wedgies, Primos Kitchen, Alcon Enterprises, LKHJG Advertising, Penser Q, Chef Laudico, Tongara Ramen, Fitness Army, Asian Hyperbaric, Max Ventures, Paramount Executive Security, Asia Cargo Container, Agrexplore, Aqua Haus, Arcadia Realty, Interconnect Systems, Handog Industrial Gases, HydroTech, One Mega Fish, Andelein Land, Eaton, Eatwell, Mancare, Migthee Mart, NAAM, Waterworld, Eramen Minerals, Steel Network, Solid Drive, NMRoguel Management, MRT, Sherwood Hills, Escala Tagaytay, Pradera Verde Golf, Anvaya Cove, Manila Southwoods, Romari Const., Modena Motorsports/Maserati Phils., Pure Logistics Express, Great Supreme Trucks, Angry Birdies, G&W Clubshares and Ummason are backers.
Malixi launches The Big Leap Camp for jr PH golfers
IT’S all systems go for reigning US Women’s Amateur and US Girls’ Junior Champion Rianna Malixi’s The Big Leap’ Camp, a groundbreaking effort for junior golf development, in partnership with the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines (JGFP) slated from May 20 to 23 at the Royal Northwoods Golf Course in Bulacan.
The camp will fully sponsor up to 20 of the next rising stars in Philippine junior golf ages 12 and below all personally handpicked by Rianne, the Philippines’ best amateur golf talent, to introduce them and their parents to her personal training regimen and program to hopefully give these players and their families and teams a push to the right direction in their junior golf journey.
The players selected by Malixi are Filomena Tambunting, Marco Angheng, Brie Macasaet, Franco Estrella, Stephanie Gan, Andres Jeturian, Quincy Pilac, Halo Pangilinan, Kami del Mundo, Jacob Sy, Venus de los Santos, Luis Espinosa, Muniq Dy, Rupert Cariño, Marquella Dy, Miguel Orbita, Samantha Alvarez, Monte Andaman, Mavis Espedido, Eliana Mendoza, Erriane Pobeda, Aerin Chan and Cailley Gonzales.
“I am happy that we are able to hold this camp for my younger brothers and sisters in junior golf. I have been blessed by a lot of early success and I want to share what I have as early as now with the junior golf community. I want to inspire the next batch of great Filipino junior golfers and want to do my part in further raising Philippine flag in junior golf now through the future efforts of the participants of The Big Leap Camp” said Malixi, who will be at the camp before she flies off to play in the US Women’s Open in Erin, Wisconsin next week.
JGFP president Oliver Gan commended the initiatives of Malixi - a way to give back to the sport.
“May this be the start of better efforts to properly raise Philippine junior golf to greater heights. We celebrate our champions like Rianne and admire her further with her desire to further uplift Philippine junior golf. May we all learn better from the children and work harder for our children in this sport to rise above pettiness and create a toxic free golf and truly inclusive junior golf environment,” said Gan.
DEFTAC celebrates 3 decades of excellence, honors global champs
DEFTAC, Southeast Asia’s pioneering Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts elite group, celebrated its three decades of excellence in the sport at the Hillton by honoring Filipino world and Asian champions, as well the people behind the organization and its contributors. The world champs include Brielle Bartolome, Thiago Bartolome, Claudia Lepiten, Cheska Lepiten, Tessa Joson, Ali Joson, Tomas Joson, Ethan Ramos, Uno Ordona, Julian Santos, Franco del Pilar, Aielle Aguilar, Basti Dela Cruz, Althea Brion, Princess Reuma, and Yani Lopez. The Asian champions include Alex Lee, Fierre Afan, Andrea Ocampo, Charlie Ratcliff, Annie Parungao, Lucas Aguilar, Miguel Gutierrez, Lucas Holganza, Joaquin Marte, Ella Olaso, Yani Lopez, and Abby Balisme.
“From humble beginnings to worldclass achievements, we have stood together —disciplining bodies, sharpening minds, and building the stron-
gest bonds of brotherhood,” DEFTAC founder Alvin Aguilar said.
“Thirty years
Shown here are awardees (from left) David Zaldarriaga, Justin, Anton, Gabriel and
Enzo Ceriola, Lucas and Lucho Aguilar, Gabriel and King del Rosario, Fierre Afan and Joaquin Marte. The presenters are Maybelline Masuda and Richard Lasprilla.
US Women’s Amateur and US Girls’ Junior Champion Rianna Malixi with her father Roy Malixi (right) and JGFP president Oliver Gan. JGFP Photo
ON TO THE WEST FINALS. Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder screams after slam-dunking against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder won, 125-93, to set up a Western Conference clash with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
BUSINESS
Sugar harvests seen rising 5% to 1.83m tons
THE Philippines’ sugarcane production for crop year 2024-2025 is projected to reach 1.837 million metric tons (MT), up nearly 5 percent from the initial estimate of 1.782 million MT.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said that based on the latest industry update, total output reached 1.815 million MT, driven by higher cane tonnage per hectare despite lower sugar yield per ton of cane (LKGTC).
“We are ending on a positive note, thanks largely to this administration’s continued efforts to stabilize prices since 2022,” said SRA administrator Pablo Azcona.
He said fair farmgate prices encouraged farmers to replant their El Niño-damaged crops using new SRA-developed varieties.
He said sugar stakeholders across the industry are hopeful that prices will offset the high cost of production.
The Visayas remains the country’s sugar production hub, accounting for 71 percent of the total output.
Negros Island accounts for 63 percent, followed by Panay at 6.3 percent, with the remainder coming from Cebu and Leyte plantations.
Mindanao, seen as the next growth frontier for the sugar industry, is expected to account for nearly 24 percent of total production. Luzon contributes around 5 percent.
Azcona said the initial estimate was conservative, based on the anticipated damage from the extreme El Niño.
4-month car sales increased 2.5%, topped 150,000 units
By Othel V. Campos
PHILIPPINE automotive sales grew 2.5 percent to 150,654 units in the first four months of 2025 from 145,920 a year ago, two industry groups said Monday.
The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) said in a joint report that commercial vehicle sales climbed 10.3 percent to 119,824 from 108,667 units a year earlier. Sales of light commercial vehicles grew 12.3 percent to 89,693 units from 79,863.
2025, while commercial vehicle sales dropped 15 percent to 27,082 from 31,857 a month ago.
Sales of electrified vehicles (xEVs), including battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and HEVs, reached 6,820 units, representing 5.69 percent of the total market.
He said the SRA’s investments in research, ranging from new sugarcane varieties to better soil, irrigation and climate-adaptive cropping calendars, are expected to boost cane tonnage and, more importantly, improve sugar recovery per ton of cane. Othel V. Campos 2.5% 10.3% -19.5% 4-month car sales growth Increase in commercial vehicles’ sales
Orders for Asian utility vehicles and multipurpose vehicles (MPVs) rose 3.7 percent to 26,428 units, while heavy-duty trucks and buses (Category V) recorded the highest increase of 69.3 percent to 369 units from a low
base of 218 in 2024.
Light-duty trucks and buses went up by 16.6 percent to 2,176 units, while medium-duty trucks and buses dipped 5.9 percent to 1,158 units.
Meanwhile, the passenger car segment experienced a sharp 19.5-percent year-on-year drop to 30,830 units from 38,280 in the same period last year.
Month-on-month, industry sales decreased 16.7 percent to 33,580 units in April from 40,306 sold in March.
Passenger car sales posted a steep 23.09-percent decline to 6,498 units in April 2025 from 8,449 in March
Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) accounted for the majority of electrified vehicle sales with 5,744 units sold yearto-date, followed by battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with 978 units and plugin hybrids (PHEVs) with 98.
Month-on-month sales for the xEV segment declined 20.4 percent to 1,509 units in April from 1,895 units in March 2025.
While the overall market trajectory remains positive, the recent slowdown is likely due to seasonal factors, economic conditions or shifting consumer preferences, industry leaders said.
BUSINESS
Bird flu outbreak in Camarines Sur contained, poultry safe to eat
By Othel V. Campos
THE Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) assured the public that poultry products, including chicken meat and table eggs, remain safe to eat following the resolution of the Avian Influenza case recently reported in Camarines Sur.
BAI said that as soon as the case was detected, the affected area was placed under quaran -
tine, and depopulation, proper disposal, and disinfection measures were promptly carried
out in line with national animal health protocols.
Following the completion of culling and cleaning operations, surveillance conducted within a 1-kilometer radius on May 9, 2025, yielded negative results for Influenza Type A, confirming that the outbreak had been effectively contained.
To safeguard food safety, the Department of Agriculture (DA)
strictly prohibits the slaughter, sale, and consumption of sick or suspected animals.
Only animals that have passed veterinary inspection and are certified healthy are allowed into the market.
The DA also reminded the public to purchase meat with a meat inspection certificate and to ensure proper handling and thorough cooking of poultry products.
FILIPINOS concerned about the development and growth prospects of the Philippine economy hoped, as they cast their votes on May 12, 2025, that the election would produce 12 new senators able to make a substantial contribution to the economic policymaking capability of the Senate of the 20th Congress.
To enable themselves to make that determination, Filipinos have been reviewing the professional records of the 12 new Senators (Christopher Go, Bam Aquino, Ronald de la Rosa, Erwin Tulfo, Francis Pangilinan, Rodante Marcoleta, Panfilo Lacson, Vicente Sotto III, Pia Cayetano, Camille Villar, Lito Lapid and Imee Marcos) in and outside the Senate. Six of the new senators belong to the Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas, four belong to the PDP-Laban and two ran as independent candidates.
Ten of the new senators are familiar with the ways and responsibilities of the Senate. Go, De la Rosa, Cayetano, Lapid and Marcos are seating senators; Aquino, Pangilinan, Lacson and Sotto will be returning to the Senate. Marcoleta and Tulfo are not strangers to lawmaking, though not in the Senate.
On the basis of their records as lawmakers, who among the victorious 12 can the Filipino people expect to do a good job of economic policymaking in the Senate of the incoming Congress?
I think that the nation can expect the best economic policymaking work from incoming Senators Pangilinan, Aquino, Lacson and Sotto. Apart from their competence and experience, what sets these new senators apart is their demonstrated ability to be non-partisan in their approach to legislation. Political, yes, but not partisan.
During this time as its president, Sotto represented the Senate in discussions regarding the Philippine economy with the government’s economic managers. In the process, he became conversant with the policy needs of the economy and supportive of legislative proposals intended to strengthen the framework for this country’s economic development.
Pangilinan had a strong interest in agriculture, and that interest became stronger when President Benigno Aquino III appointed him as Presidential Adviser on Agriculture. The agricultural sector has been one of the weakest links in this country’s economic chain – a state of affairs best confirmed by the fact that the Philippines remains the world’s No. 1 rice importer. Policymaking for Philippine agriculture will be greatly enhanced by Panglinan’s presence in the Senate of the incoming Congress.
Aquino exhibited a strong interest in economic issues when he was a senator, and he is likely to exhibit that interest again when he takes his seat as a member of the incoming Senate. In the course of the electoral campaign. Aquino made certain economictype promises to the voters, but it appears that he will be giving special attention to
Prime Infra unit offers plastic credits for businesses to meet EPR law
PRIME Integrated Waste Solutions (PWS) has begun selling verified plastic credits to help businesses offset their plastic footprint, meet sustainability goals and reduce environmental impact.
PWS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. that develops and operates materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in the Philippines, launched its plastic credit offering in January and has already sold over 1 million credits. The company said this is roughly equivalent to the weight of 700 average-sized cars’ worth of plastic removed from the environment.
“Our goal is to help businesses integrate sustainability into their operations by providing them with an easier, measurable solution for reducing their plastic impact on the environment,” said Cara Peralta, Prime Infra market sector lead for waste.
The plastic credits are generated from PWS’ facility in Cebu City. PWS operates two MRFs in the Philippines, one in Cebu City and another in Pampanga.
Plastic credits enable companies to meet their obligations under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, which requires them to recover and account for a percentage of the plastic waste they generate.
“With our modern, high-capacity facilities, PWS is uniquely positioned to generate verified plastic credits at scale and with greater efficiency, giving businesses a reliable partner for meeting their sustainability and EPR goals,” Peralta said.
Senate economic policymaking, 2025-2028
economy’s development. Lacson was an industrious and sensible member of the Senate.
I think that the nation can expect the best economic policymaking work from incoming Senators Pangilinan, Aquino, Lacson and Sotto.
education. It will be recalled that Aquino authored the bill that became the law granting free tertiary education to qualified students.
When one hears the name Ping Lacson, one immediately thinks of his military career and of his having been chief of the Philippine National Police. Yet, there is an economic side to Lacson’s Senate record, and he authored or co-authored bills intended to enhance the policy setting for the Philippines
TO OUR STOCKHOLDERS:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Regular Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of Seafront Resources Corporation (the “Company”) will be conducted virtually (or via online means of communication) on Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 3:30 PM, with the following agenda: (1) Certification of Service of Notice; (2) Determination of Quorum/Call to Order; (3) Approval of Minutes of the previous Regular Stockholders’ Meeting held on June 20, 2024; (4) Approval of Management Report and the 2024 Audited Financial Statements contained in the 2024 Annual Report; (5) Confirmation and Ratification of all acts, contracts and investments made and entered into by Management and/or the Board of Directors during the period from June 20, 2024 to June 19, 2025; (6) Election of Members of the Board of Directors for 2025-2026: a. Approval of the retention and reelection of Mr. Nicasio I. Alcantara and Atty. Ernestine Carmen Jo D. Villareal as Independent Directors. (7) Appointment of External Auditors; (8) Other Matters; and (9) Adjournment.
Only stockholders of record at close of business on April 22, 2025 shall be entitled to vote at said meeting or any adjournment thereof.
Pursuant to the alternative modes of notice as provided for in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s NOTICE dated March 13, 2023, this notice to Stockholders shall be published in the business section of two (2) newspapers of general circulation, in print and online format, for two (2) consecutive days not later than 21 days before the scheduled meeting. The Information Statement, Management Report, SEC Form 17-A, Minutes of the Annual Stockholders Meeting for the year 2025 and other pertinent meeting documents shall be made available in the Company’s website (www.seafrontresources.com.ph) and via PSE Edge (https://edge.pse.com.ph/companyDisclosures/form.do?cmpy_id=156).
As allowed under the Company’s Amended By-Laws, the Regular Annual Meeting shall be held virtually or via online/remote communication. The stockholders shall be allowed to cast their votes by proxy, or by remote communication, or in absentia pursuant to Section 49 of the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines and SEC Memorandum Circular No. 6-2020.
Of the incoming batch of 12 senators, these four –Sotto, Pangilinan, Lacson and Aquino – are the ones that the nation can count on to bear the brunt of good economic policymaking. They will not be found wanting. The rest of the 12 cannot be relied upon to do the job for which the electorate voted them into office. They will be busy engaging in their highly partisan pursuits or unable to do the job of crafting the sound economic legislation that the economy badly needs.
(llagasjessa@yahoo.com)
Businesses purchasing credits from PWS receive a plastic waste diversion credit certificate with relevant collection and diversion information, including plastic type, source and mode of recovery.
PWS uses a digital tracking platform to ensure that all data and credit issuance are accurate, verifiable and aligned with industry standards.
The modern waste facilities operated by PWS use state-of-the-art equipment to maximize resource recovery and reduce landfill volumes, thereby lessening organic waste ending up decomposing and producing harmful methane emissions. PWS’ plastic credits are now accessible to businesses of all sizes across various industries.
QUALITY RICE. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. (fourth from left) meets with regional managers and key officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) to ensure the rice sold under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s P20-per-kilo rice program meets high-quality standards. Since the launch of the P20 rice initiative on May 1, along with the P29 program last year, many noted the improved quality of NFA rice.
PH tourism secures P1.18-b sales leads in Dubai
By Othel V. Campos
THE Philippines marked a milestone at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025 in Dubai, securing a record
P1.18 billion in sales leads, up 233 percent from the previous year.
Tourism Promotions Board (TPB)
chief operating officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles said the unprecedented outcome underscores a resurgent global interest and confidence in the Philippines as a premier travel destination.
“We recognize the Middle East as a dynamic market seeking enriching family experiences and authentic cul-
SMC SLEX’s net income grew 21% in Q1
SMC SLEX Inc. said Monday its net income grew 21 percent in the first quarter of 2025 from a year ago, on the back of higher vehicle traffic.
The operator of South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) said it posted a net income of P1.16 billion from January to March, higher than P964 million in the same period last year.
Revenue from toll operations amounted to P2.18 billion, up 13 percent from P1.94 billion in the same period last year.
Average transaction mode of payment for the period was 99 percent for RFID and 1 percent for cash. For the three months ended March 2025, SLEX achieved an average daily traffic (ADT) of 366,750, a 3-percent increase from 357,774 in 2024.
Cost of services rose 10 percent from P479.5 million to P526.5 million due to higher government fees and higher amortization of service concession rights.
The South Luzon Expressway spans 36.1 kilometers from Alabang, Muntinlupa to Sto. Tomas, Batangas. SLEX is one of the three major expressways that link Metro Manila to the key southern Luzon provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
To the north of the SLEX is the Skyway system, and to the south is the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR). SLEX connects with the Skyway System, and STAR and is a key logistical backbone to the southern corridor of Metro Manila.
Darwin G. Amojelar
tural immersion. Our participation in ATM reaffirms our commitment to tailoring unforgettable journeys for travelers from this region,” she said.
Led by the TPB and the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the Philippine delegation made a strong impression at the Middle East’s leading B2B travel exhibition held from April 28 to May 1, 2025, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The delegation included 21 private sector exhibitors from the Philippines’ tourism industry, spanning travel and tour operators, hotels, resorts and airlines.
“This remarkable outcome speaks volumes about the renewed confidence of the global travel market in our country. The Philippines is a nation on the rise, a destination where travelers from the Middle East and GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] find not just luxury, but belonging,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.
Now in its 32nd year, ATM welcomed over 55,000 visitors and 2,800 exhibitors from 166 countries.
The Philippine presence at ATM 2025 also highlighted government efforts to expand tourism opportunities through strategic partnerships.
By Darwin G. Amojelar
THE Philippines’ balance of payments (BOP) posted a deficit of $2.6 billion in April 2025, exceeding the $639-million shortfall recorded in the same month last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Monday.
The BOP deficit reflected the national government’s (NG) drawdowns on its foreign currency deposits with the BSP to meet its external debt obligations and pay for its various expenditures and the BSP’s net foreign exchange operations.
It brought the four-month BOP level to a $5.5-billion deficit, higher than the $401-million deficit recorded from January to April 2024.
Preliminary data showed that the year-to-date BOP deficit reflected mainly the widening trade in goods deficit. It was partly muted by the continued net inflows from personal remittances from overseas Filipinos and foreign borrowings by the NG.
The BOP position mirrored the decrease in the final gross international reserves (GIR) to $105.3 billion as of end-April 2025 from $106.7 billion as of end-March 2025.
The latest GIR level provides a ro-
High-end Ortigas condo switches to renewable energy
By Alena Mae S. Flores
THE St. Francis Shangri-La Place, a luxury development of Shang Properties and one of the tallest residential towers in Ortigas, Mandaluyong City announced Monday it is transitioning its common area energy use to 100-percent renewable energy through a partnership with the Ayala Group’s ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions (ACEN RES).
ACEN RES will power the building with renewable energy from ACEN’s portfolio of solar, wind and geothermal power plants, contributing to the Philippines’ broader transition to renewable energy.
By transitioning to renewable ener-
DPWH allows use of plastic bottle waste as additive in road asphalt
THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Monday it approved the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle waste as an additive to enhance stability and extend the lifespan of asphalt-paved national roads. Building on the 2024 initiative of using low-density polythylene (LDPE) plastic bag waste in road construction, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan signed a department order on the standard specification for the use of another plastic waste material dubbed as Item 310 (19) or the bituminous concrete surface course with PET plastic bottle waste, hot-laid.
The plastic waste mixture now forms part of the DPWH Standard Specification for Highways, Bridges, and Airports, Vollume II, and is now
included in the Department’s Project and Contract Management Application which will be used for future projects of DPWH regional offices, Unified Project Management Office Clusters and District Engineering Offices nationwide.
“Turning waste into valuable resource for building better and more roads is the future of public infrastructure development in the country. The public can expect more of these policies as we vow to continue to fund for this construction innovation,” Bonoan said.
The agency’s new order is In line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment to building resilient and sustainable infrastructure, the DPWH said. Darwin G. Amojelar
gy, The St. Francis Shangri-La Place avoids the emissions of around 2,200 tons of CO2 equivalents into the atmosphere annually.
This is equivalent to the carbon emissions generated by a gasolinepowered car traveling 8,824,570 km or the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by 101,000 full grown trees in a year.
ACEN’s partnership with The St. Francis Shangri-La Place demonstrates the growing trend of organizations embracing renewable energy to benefit from cost savings and to accelerate their sustainability efforts.
“ACEN RES is dedicated to empowering organizations to make the
switch to renewable energy to help them achieve their business and sustainability aspirations. We commend The St. Francis Shangri-La Place for setting an example for other businesses in embracing renewable energy as a means of contributing to the country’s goal of increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix,” said ACEN vice president for legal John Henry Liquete.
The initiative highlights the increasing adoption of renewable energy under the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP) of the Department of Energy, which allows electricity consumers to choose renewable energy sources through their preferred renewable energy supplier.
external liquidity
equivalent to 7.3 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of
and primary income, the BSP said. It can also cover about 3.7 times the country’s short-term external debt based on residual maturity.
IN BRIEF
Inc. (GXI), to advance technical education, expand employment opportunities and promote financial inclusion. Signing the agreement are (from left) TESDA deputy director-general Vidal Villanueva III, deputy director-general Nelly Nita Dillera, Secretary Kiko Benitez, GCash product innovation head Leonardo Ferdinand Byron Perez, business head Edgardo Layug and Mynt chief strategy officer Rowena Zamora.
ELECTRONICS MEETING. Clark Development Corp. (CDC) president and chief executive Agnes Devanadera and director Pablo de Borja join the executives of Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) in their 2025 second general membership meeting. Devanadera reinforced Clark’s role in advancing semiconductor investments pointed to infrastructure and policy support as key factors in aligning with the government’s industry strategy.
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
DENR, Nestlé tackle plastic waste recycling
THE Department of Environment and Nautral Resources (DENR) and Nestle Philippines are leading an initiative that will promote circularity in the flexible plastics value chain.
The DENR and partners pledged last week to explore innovative recycling technologies and infrastructure for flexible plastics, including food-grade recycling, to reduce the use of plastics.
The DENR through The National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) launched the Working Group on Flexible Plastic Waste Recycling to boost the Philippines’ transition to a circular economy.
NPAP Philippines is a locally driven platform uniting government, business, development organizations, and civil society to tackle plastic pollution and transition to a circular economy, with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the Philippines serving as its secretariat.
The working group, co-led by DENR and Nestle Philippines, aims to set the foundation for concrete and collaborative action.
“Nestlé Philippines is committed, as a top priority, to continue stepping up our initiatives to help achieve plastic circularity,” said Kais Marzouki, Nestlé Philippines chairman and chief executive officer.
“A comprehensive, upstream-downstream approach to flexible plastic waste is important to us, as a food and beverage
manufacturer deeply involved in addressing major environmental concerns,”
Stakeholders are seeking to foster cross-sector collaboration to drive a full value chain approach that supports a circular economy for flexible plastics.
“In the face of the overwhelming challenge of plastic waste, it is deeply inspiring to witness the commitment of various actors gathered here today—from government, civil society, businesses, and development organizations,” said UNDP Philippines Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran.
Flexible plastics, a primary component of plastic pollution, remain a critical challenge for the Philippines. The country’s heavy use of flexible plastic packaging—which includes by some estimates 163 million pieces of sachets each day—is linked to the country’s rapid urbanization and large low-income population, according to a World Bank study.
The study also revealed that up to US$890 million worth of recyclable plastic waste is lost to the local economy annually. Plastic waste has a low recycling rate, with waste management infrastructure lacking.
UNDP Philippines News
AJINOMOTO Philippines Corp.
Ajinomoto unveils sustainable uniforms from discarded bottles Forum cites role of women in biodiversity, disaster areas
(APC) launched its newest initiative: the rollout of eco-conscious uniforms for over 400 field personnel, made with meaning in every thread, using recycled materials. The drive represents APC’s latest stride towards its mission on sustainability as the company
An innovative initiative that reflects APC’s commitment, the uniforms are poised to be a tangible and replicable daily reminder, inside and outside APC facilities, of its commitment to
Baguio enforces environment laws
reducing plastic waste and promoting a circular economy.
With partner Custom Sports and Leisure Manufacturing Corp. (CSL), APC gathered, transformed and produced approximately 7,005 plastic bottles into high-quality, breathable uniforms that support both performance and environmental responsibility.
“More than just a uniform update, this is APC’s commitment to our unwavering commitment to responsible business practices, and our long-term sustainability roadmap,” said Ernie Carlos, APC’s Chief Sustainability Officer and
Director for Supply Chain. “Our field sales team now wears not just our brand, but our values.”
As APC’s trusted partner, CSL stressed the measurable impact of the collaboration. According to CSL Corporate Secretary Adam Clark, garments made from recycled polyester can reduce energy consumption by up to 60 percent compared with those made with virgin polyester, translating into significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
“Our fabrics are made with 14 percent certified recycled plastic per shirt. We collect from recycling
programs, drop-off centers, and waste facilities to give discarded bottles a renewed purpose,” he added.
This initiative supports APC Group’s broader 2030 sustainability goals: reducing its environmental impact by half while engaging communities, employees and partners in sustainable transformation.
It also comes at a critical time, with global organizations like the World Economic Forum warning of alarming plastic pollution levels—an issue APC addresses by diverting plastic waste from landfills and oceans into practical everyday solutions.
Answering 10 pressing questions about plastic pollution
Conclusion
IN PRACTICAL terms, that means reducing our dependence on single-use plastic products. It means redesigning plastic products so that they last longer, are less dangerous and can be reused and ultimately recycled. It means finding alternatives to plastics in a range of products. And it means preventing plastics from seeping into the environment.
8. This all sounds expensive and difficult. Is it?
Not necessarily. Governments, corporations, non-profit groups and people around the world are already rolling out innovative solutions to end plastic pollution. And research suggests the lifecycle approach could save the world US$4.5 trillion in social and environmental costs through 2040.
“We need to stop thinking about solutions to plastic pollution as an expense,” said Tonda. “They’re investments in healthy societies and a healthy planet—things that would pay dividends for generations to come.”
9. What is the world doing about plastic pollution?
Many countries are taking on pollution at the national level with laws designed to rein-in the use of single-use plastic products and compel plastic manufacturers to take long-term responsibility for their products. However, because plastic pollution is a cross-border problem, international cooperation is critical. That’s why nations are now negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee–tasked
with developing the accord—will meet for the second part of its fifth session from August 5 to 14 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. The talks, say experts, are an acknowledgment by world leaders of the severity of the plastic pollution crisis and the need for a legally binding agreement to address it.
10. Why is there so much urgency to beat plastic pollution? Without decisive action, the problem of plastic pollution will only get worse. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development forecasts that by 2060, plastic waste will nearly triple to one billion tons a year. If current trends continue, this will lead to an increase in plastic pollution, with nearly half of the newly generated plastic waste landfilled, incinerated or lost into the environment.
UNEP News
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay—A public forum here highlighted the vital role of women in biodiversity conservation and disaster risk reduction (DRR), stressing the importance of genderinclusive environmental initiatives. The event in celebration of National Women’s Month brought together over 100 participants, with more than half being women to share knowledge and co-develop gender-responsive strategies.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in partnership with the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) held the public forum. This activity is part of efforts in Region V to integrate gender equality and social inclusion in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and genetic resources. The ABS framework ensures that communities—especially Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs)—receive fair and equitable benefits from the utilization of their biological resources and traditional knowledge. Recognizing women’s unique contributions to environmental stewardship and their lived experiences in disasterprone areas is critical to ensuring the success and sustainability of the ABS approach.
Experts highlighted women’s crucial role in environmental protection. They said that women’s extensive traditional knowledge contributes significantly to biodiversity conservation and disaster response efforts. However, they also acknowledged the heightened vulnerabilities women face during disasters and called for improved policies, resources, and representation to address these challenges.
Henry A. Abawag, Stakeholder Engagement and Gender Specialist of the GEF-UNDP-DENR ABS Project, cited the interconnections between gender, DRR, and biodiversity conservation.
He stressed that disasters are not solely about hazards but also about vulnerabilities, particularly those affecting women. Abawag called for gender-responsive DRR strategies, the adoption of nature-based solutions to enhance climate resilience, and strengthened biodiversity conservation efforts through the ABS framework. UNDP Philippines News
Nestlé believe that while the search for innovative packaging solutions is ongoing, immediate action must be taken to stop leakage into waterways and oceans, and to find ways to recycle packaging. Thus, Nestlé continue to explore multiple plastic collection schemes. Source: Nestle website
Ajinomoto Philippines Corp.’s field sales workforce proudly wears their new uniform made from recycled materials, a testament to the company’s commitment to responsible business practices.
ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer
JASPER VALDEZ, Writer
WINNING an election is only the beginning. It may be tough, but it’s often the easier part, especially if you genuinely care about serving people. Once the campaign is over, the real work starts: leading, making choices, and solving problems. That’s when the public starts watching and expects results.
GMA leads 2025 election coverage across TV, online platforms
GMA Network emerged as the most-watched news source during the 2025 midterm elections, outperforming its competitors across television, online, and radio, according to industry data.
Based on Nielsen Philippines’ TV Audience Measurement, GMA’s special coverage Eleksyon 2025: The GMA Integrated News Coverage garnered a combined people rating of 4.2 percent in Urban Philippines on May 12 and 13. This figure was significantly higher than the 0.8 percent and 0.3 percent posted by election specials on TV5/ RPTV (Bilang Pilipino 2025) and A2Z/Kapamilya Channel (Halalan 2025), respectively.
GMA’s combined television reach through GMA and GTV reached 23.5 million viewers nationwide. Its flagship newscast 24 Oras also led primetime ratings on May 12, recording a 12.9 percent people rating, compared to 2.7
FPJ’s Batang Quiapo (8.6 percent), Incognito (6.6 percent), and Saving Grace (3.2 percent), also fell behind.
Online, GMA’s election livestream drew 112 million views across Facebook (58.4 million), YouTube (22.4 million), and TikTok (31.2 million), according to Tubular Labs. This topped ABS-CBN News’ 97.3 million and News5’s 72 million views.
On radio, Eleksyon 2025, Super Radyo DZBB Special Coverage aired from May 11 to 13 via DZBB 594 and 20 other Super Radyo and Barangay FM stations nationwide. GMA’s international channels also provided live updates for overseas Filipinos.
The coverage featured a full roster of GMA Integrated News personalities, including Mel Tiangco, Vicky Morales, Arnold Clavio, and Howie Severino. It was supported by over 800 journalists and staff, seven regional TV stations, and 21 radio stations under the network’s “Dapat Totoo” campaign.
Alfred Vargas shifts focus to real work
installment in the horror franchise, made a grisly splash in North American theaters this weekend, taking in $51 million to debut in the top spot, industry estimates showed Sunday. “This is a sensational opening for the sixth episode of a horror series,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, adding that critics’ reviews and audience scores were “excellent.”
For Alfred Vargas, that reality is clear. After securing another win in Quezon City’s 5th District, he didn’t waste time claiming all the credit. Instead, he chose to focus on the work ahead with education as his top priority. FINAL Destination: Bloodlines , the
The previous film in the franchise, Final Destination 5 , opened in 2011 to just $18 million. Kaitlyn Santa Juana stars in the Warner Bros. flick as a young woman who learns how her dying grandmother long ago cheated Death—and she now has to deal with the shocking ramifications of that.
In second for the Friday-throughSunday period was last weekend’s leader, Marvel superhero film Thunderbolts from Disney, at $16.5 million. The film about a motley bunch of antiheroes stars Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan Vampire thriller Sinners , starring Michael B. Jordan in dual lead roles, claimed the third spot, taking in $15.4 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations estimated.
Vargas, a former actor who has spent years in both politics and entertainment, has seen how cruel public life can be. He’s dealt with fake news, character assassination, and the pressure of public opinion.
Yet, the moment his and his brother PM Vargas’ wins were confirmed, he did something not all politicians would: he shared the moment.
In a social media post set to Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” the 45-year-old Vargas showed a glimpse of his gratitude to voters, to his family, and to the community who stood by him.
“We are the champions, my friend... And we’ll keep on fighting ‘til the end,” he wrote on Instagram. The post included campaign footage and their proclamation alongside Mayor Joy Belmonte To start off, he made a public promise to prioritize educational assistance to every student in his district. He is now preparing to launch “Alagang Vargas Scholarship Program 2.0” this July.
The goal is simple: one scholar per family in Novaliches. No grade requirements, just proof that the student is continuing their education.
More than 20,000 students have already finished their studies under his earlier programs, with many now working as accountants, engineers, nurses, and even government employees.
“This scholarship is for elementary, high school, and college levels, and there is no grade requirement. Basta pasado ka, pasado ka na rin sa program. The scholarship will continue until the student graduates from college,” was Vargas’s post-election commitment to students.
Some may raise their eyebrows at his messaging—whether it’s song lyrics, hashtags, or public posts—but the results speak louder. His projects have remained focused and closely aligned with the needs of his district. That’s why his support hasn’t faded; in fact, it has grown over time.
“Sa gitna ng napakaraming paninira, fake news, kataksilan, kasinungalingan at pandaraya, nanatili kayong tapat at totoo at nanindigan para sa prinsipyo at tunay na serbisyo,” Vargas shared. “Inilaban ninyo kami kahit mahirap. Sinamahan niyo kami hanggang dulo.”
There’s also the quiet cost of public service: time away from family. Thus, Vargas thanked his wife and children for their patience and sacrifice during the campaign.
“My family has sacrificed so much to support me these last 15 years in public service,” he stated. “So much of my time was spent serving others, and sometimes, at the expense of my time with my family. But they understood me all the way and knew how much passion I had in trying to effect positive change.”
Vargas considers this second term a chance to do more and to do better.
Bloodlines and Sinners continued a recent string of successes for Warner Bros., on the heels of commercial flops Mickey 17 , The Alto Knights and Joker: Folie a Deux , Variety noted.
Yet another Warner film, A Minecraft Movie , placed fourth, at $5.8 million. The live-action film, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa , has pulled in $416.6 million domestically and $512 million internationally in seven weeks.
And in fifth place, at just under $5 million, was Amazon MGM Studios’ thriller The Accountant 2 , with Ben Affleck playing a neurodivergent math genius with criminal ties and Jon Bernthal as his hit-man brother. Rounding out the top 10 were Hurry Up Tomorrow with $3.3 million, Friendship with $1.4 million, Clown in a Cornfield with $1.3 million, Until Dawn with $800,000, and
Mel Tiangco leads GMA Network’s ‘Eleksyon 2025’ coverage, which dominates viewership across both TV and digital platforms
Alfred Vargas and PM Vargas (right) celebrate their proclamation
From left: Rya Kihlstedt, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, and Teo Briones face Death’s shadow in ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines,’ the franchise’s highest-grossing debut
Alfred Vargas expresses gratitude to
(right)
Very Wang Nickie Wang
Alfred Vargas speaks to constituents about education as his top priority following his reelection
LIFE & SHOWBIZ
Sharon Cuneta urges Filipinos to plan beyond summer trips
AS FAMILIES across the Philippines continue their summer travels, local insurer Insular Life (InLife) is encouraging Filipinos to include financial protection in their seasonal preparations, highlighting insurance products designed to offer long-term security.
Actress and InLife brand ambassador Sharon Cuneta emphasized the importance of being prepared for life’s uncertainties. “I make sure to travel not just with a good itinerary, but with peace of mind,” Cuneta said in a statement. “Preparing for the unexpected—whether on the road or in life—is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family.” InLife is promoting a range of insurance products as part of a broader summer checklist that goes beyond the usual travel items.
Another product, Wealth Assure Plus, offers a customizable whole-life insurance plan with an investment component, allowing policyholders to adjust features depending on financial goals such as education or travel.
Abundance, an endowment plan, provides guaranteed cash payouts at specific intervals, aimed at helping customers plan for major life expenses such as a child’s education or big-ticket purchases.
For those seeking coverage against medical emergencies, Resilience offers a lump sum cash benefit upon diagnosis of a critical illness. It covers conditions such as cancer, stroke, and heart attack.
Meanwhile, Retire Assure is designed for long-term financial planning, offering monthly income starting at age 60 or 65 and lasting until age 100. Cuneta said the plan allows her to prepare for retirement while easing the financial burden on her children.
InLife is positioning these products as tools to support longterm planning beyond summer trips.
By Angelica Villanueva
WHEN Natalie Dau took her final sprints through the bustling streets of Bonifacio Global City, the crowd cheered for her 1,000-kilometer run and the message she brought across Luzon—courage, compassion, and the power of doing something bold for others.
On May 2, the Singapore-based ultramarathoner crossed the finish line at Jollibee’s 1000th store in BGC, completing the 12-day “Project 1000” run that began in Santa Ana, Cagayan. Flanked by students, charity partners, and everyday runners who had joined parts of her journey, Dau finished with tears in her eyes and purpose in her stride.
“The overall experience was amazing. There were definitely ups and downs, but it was fantastic,” Dau said.
“Project 1000” was no ordinary ultramarathon. The journey was a partnership with Jollibee, aiming to raise funds and awareness for
ACTOR Dennis Trillo said his marriage with fellow actor Jennylyn Mercado has reached a stable and mature phase, with the couple steering clear of public displays of conflict on social media.
Among the offerings is iProtect, a renewable term life insurance plan that provides affordable short-term protection. It targets young professionals and families looking to build an as
“Just as we prepare for sudden weather or last-minute itinerary changes during our getaways, we can—and should—prepare for life’s twists and turns,” Cuneta added. Visit https://www.insularlife.com.ph/mag-sharon-para-sakinabukasan for more information.
Ultramarathoner runs
Filipino children. Along the way, Dau visited communities, shared meals with children, and brought the spirit of giving to life.
“Seeing the children and the charities we stopped in was the most unforgettable thing. It made it all worthwhile,” she added.
Running hundreds of kilometers in the Philippine summer came with its own set of challenges.
“I think the toughest time was about 3:00 a.m. every day—I was just tired. It was dark, we were getting chased by dogs, and I was trying to pull myself out of that. The heat was also intense, especially in the north. It was like 43 degrees some days, so running through that was pretty hard,” Dau recalled.
I was that
Despite the physical toll, the support from communities kept her going.
journey in just three words, she said,
“Heartwarming, tough, and humble.”
Jollibee, a key partner throughout the journey, joined at multiple stops to bring meals and smiles to children.
“To be able to feed children along the way
Jollibee partners with Natalie Dau to provide meals and joy to children during the run, raising money for Filipino children
who have never had Jollibee and to be able to bring some joy into their lives is what this run is all about. It’s about raising money for Filipino children, and Jollibee has been such an amazing partner,” Dau added.
“I think the joy and the fun in it. Yes, it’s hard, and it was challenging. But I think that we can all make a small difference. And sometimes you’ve got to do a crazy thing to make a difference.
Speaking at a recent media gathering, Trillo shared that while disagreements are still part of any relationship, they now handle issues privately and no longer engage in practices such as unfollowing each other online or posting cryptic messages.
“We’ve outgrown that,” he said, adding that their years together have allowed them to understand each other better. Jealousy, he said, is no longer a major concern, and temptations are managed with mutual trust and commitment.
Trillo also noted the importance of prioritizing family welfare and not giving up during rough patches.
“It was so heartwarming. So overwhelming, I
“It was so heartwarming. So overwhelming, I don’t think I’ll process everything until a couple of weeks’ time,” she continued.
Speaking to Manila Standard Life, Dau talked about how her emotions hit hard during her final sprint.
“It was so overwhelming. It was, I think, happiness to be finished. Today was all about just enjoying running with different people, seeing the scholars, and celebrating the run— and celebrating everyone that was part of it,” shared Dau.
When asked to sum up her 1,000-kilometer
The couple, who share a daughter named Dylan, are open to the idea of having another child. However, Trillo said they are currently focused on raising Dylan, along with their sons from previous relationships, Alex Jazz and Calix
He added that having another baby is a significant decision, and he and Mercado are taking time to prepare
before making that step.
* *
*
Popular host and social media
personality Mr. Fu is proud to be the ambassador of Stan Lending Corporation (SLC) as well as Stan Empire Entertainment, both owned by the family of former banker Belle Constantino
“Of course, it feels great to be the face of SLC, whose main goal is to serve as a channel to provide loans to employees of its accredited companies. It’s really a big help to employees. We’ve been in the market for six years now.
SLC’s accredited companies include those involved in health care, retail, shipping, and others,” he stated. How about Stan Empire Entertainment?
“At present, it handles the entertainment events of three renowned malls in
It’s okay to be scared to do something, but do it anyway. If you believe, it will happen,” she stated.
Dennis Trillo (left) and Jennylyn Mercado
bear
big
and
By Nickie Wang
WEARING the same clothes more than once often gets a bad rap, especially with the constant push for new trends and fast fashion. But repeating outfits is not only practical—it’s smart, sustainable, and even stylish.
For one, it saves money. Instead of feeling pressured to buy something new every time you want a fresh look, you make the most of what’s already in your closet. This means your clothes stretch further, and your wallet breathes easier.
Repeating clothes also helps reduce waste. The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters, and by wearing what we already own, we take a small but meaningful step toward lessening our impact on the environment.
What’s more, repeating outfits pushes you to get creative. When you’re not constantly relying on new pieces, you learn to mix and match differently, building a personal style that’s uniquely yours. It’s a way to rediscover
Serving
she explained.
By Angelica Villanueva
FOR Premier Volleyball League (PVL)
star Fifi Sharma, learning to embrace her morena skin was not immediate, but it’s a journey she now owns with pride.
During the “Watsons Summer Fun” event on May 8 at SM Mega Fashion Hall, where she joined fellow PVL athletes Kim Kianna Dy and Jolina Dela Cruz, Fifi admitted that growing up in a culture where fair skin is often favored made it difficult to feel confident in her own.
“Actually, at one point. Us being Filipinos, there’s still colorism going around and still internalized. It took a long time for me to break out of that shell and just accept my skin tone, who I am as a Filipina,” said Fifi. The volleyball player shared her path to self-acceptance was a gradual alignment of values and perspective.
“I don’t remember anything specifically like a turning point, but I guess for me, it just all fell into place. Not just me being morena, but also my morals, my beliefs, my habits—everything fell into place,”
Why wearing the same outfit is the smartest trend yet
and appreciate your wardrobe rather than chasing trends.
Finally, repeating clothes cuts down on the daily stress of deciding what to wear. It simplifies life without sacrificing style.
Style icons Jayda, AC Bonifacio, and Miguel Tanfelix embrace this fashion philosophy.
At Penshoppe’s Full Speed Ahead Mall Tour held at SM Megamall on May 15, these Club Penshoppe endorsers showed how reusing outfits can be a powerful fashion statement.
Miguel, known for his laid-back yet experimental style, put it simply: “It’s practical. There’s nothing wrong with being practical. In fact, I don’t wash my jeans right away if I just used them for a short while.
and
Fifi also said that growing older helped her learn the value of being kinder to herself.
“You have to offer yourself a lot of compassion. You spend a lot of time in your head, so make it a nice place to be,” added Fifi.
Now stepping beyond the volleyball court, Fifi is exploring new interests, including broadcast work. She recently began appearing on news show
“Frontline Pilipinas” as guest newscaster, which she said she’s enjoying the experience.
“I think the most important thing is I’m enjoying doing the newscasting on the side. With my very supportive support system, they always encourage me and they tell me techniques and tips,” she continued.
She also expressed her interest in possibly joining a beauty pageant.
“I think I might. Watching this year’s ‘Miss
Repeating clothes allows you to be creative with your outfit. You can pair a simple piece with something else to make it look cool and stylish. I’m experimental when it comes to my clothes.” AC called out the stigma around wearing the same outfit more than once. “For some reason, people judge me for it. Then again, I realized that’s the point of having clothes—to reuse them and put them in different styles. You can use them for casual or formal looks. It depends on how you style it, and yes, I love reusing clothes.”
I
“I’m an
neutral-colored clothes, and doing
and
and match. That’s what I’m looking for in fashion—the kind I can repeat several times. For me, it’s all about sustainability. It tests your creativity because you learn new ways to style certain clothes to look good. You’ll never go wrong in repeating clothes.” At Full Speed Ahead , Penshoppe launched its Moto-Inspired Collection and introduced fans to Club Penshoppe— the brand’s loyalty program that offers exclusive perks,
like
and
From left: Jolina Dela Cruz, Fifi Sharma, and Kim Kianna Dy join fans at the Watsons Summer Fun event promoting sun care and confidence
Club Penshoppe’s
mascot brings
energy
hugs to the Full Speed Ahead tour crowd
Filipino-Canadian dancer AC Bonifacio redefines versatility with bold moves and even bolder rewears onstage
Singer Jayda proves timeless basics and sustainability go well together in repeat-ready fashion
Actor Miguel Tanfelix shows how practicality and style can go hand in hand with a repeatworthy look
Jayda, always a fan of neutral tones
minimalist fashion, shared her approach:
outfit repeater.
love basics,
mix
styling content,
chances to win prizes
a Yamaha Fazzio motorcycle.
The Speed Lane zone features Penshoppe’s mix-and-match styling
The Quick Clutch challenge gives fans a shot at winning by flexing their memory