Manila Standard - 2025 October 9 - Thursday

Heading heading heading heading head ICI: Hearings to remain private, no livestream

By Ram Superable

By Maricel Cruz

THE Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) stood firm on its position that hearings would remain behind closed doors to avoid "trial by publicity" and undue political influence.

This as Malacañang backed calls for the fact-finding body to be more transparent in its probe into alleged substandard and even “ghost” flood control projects, but said it will leave it up to the ICI on how to ensure this.

"We're trying to prevent the commission from being weaponized by any individuals,” ICI executive director Brian Ho saka on Wednesday said.

Hosaka said the commission is wary of unver ified statements that may be made by resource persons that could confuse the public.

“We don't even know if the statements there are true, or were probably said to confuse the com mission and even the public. The public might be misled,” he added.

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday alleged that as much as P10.3 billion was lost due to the overpricing of farm-to-market roads (FMR) in 2023 and 2024.

According to the Senate Committee on Finance Chairperson, this includes the concreting of Barangay San

Roque FMR Phase 2 in Tacloban City, Leyte under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Bicol and Eastern Visayas, Gatchalian said, got the majority of FMR projects in 2023 and 2024.

"This is not just extremely overpriced; extremely, extremely, ex-

tremely overpriced... This, for me, is an obvious sign of corruption already," Gatchalian said in a mix of English and Filipino during the Senate Subcommittee on Finance hearing on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Agriculture.

By Pot Chavez and Thony Rose Lesaca

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue on Wednesday filed multiple tax evasion cases before the Department of Justice against contractors Sarah and Curlee

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MALACAÑANG on Wednesday said the government cannot fully scrap unprogrammed appropriations (UA), saying these funds are necessary for emergencies and unforeseen expenses.

“That may not be possible. The government has many programs, and these funds can be used for emergency situations. But remember,

these funds are not spent indiscriminately,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters. She added that unprogrammed funds could not be released without proper documentation.

“Even if these were unprogrammed appropriations, it could not be released

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Vince Lopez and Alena Mae S. Flores

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Both the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the Iglesia Ni Cristo earlier called on the ICI to allow the public to watch hearings of its investigation.

“The President always wants transparency. In every investigation, there must be transparency,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said yesterday.

“As to how the ICI will make public its probe and ensure transparency, that is already up to the ICI. But still, the President is pushing for transparency in every investigation,” she added.

As this developed, Castro said the ICI should take the lead in investigating alleged anomalies in flood control projects and related infrastructure.

Castro said there was no need to abolish the ICI amid the appointment of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as the next Ombudsman.

“The Ombudsman does not focus

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Sotto said Tulfo would serve in an acting capacity until the majority convenes again to choose a permanent chairperson.

“We’re not discounting any of the five names that were mentioned. We’re still thinking, and some of them, I think, would want to appeal to Senator Lacson,” he said.

Senators Pia Cayetano, Risa Hontiveros, JV Ejercito, Kiko Pangilinan and Raffy Tulfo were also among those being considered to head the powerful committee.

Tulfo, in a statement, expressed gratitude for the trust and confidence given by his colleagues, vowing to uphold the committee’s mandate.

“I am aware that many Filipinos rely on this committee to investigate those who took advantage of public

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only on flood control projects. There are many cases that the Ombudsman needs to pay attention to. So, we do not see this as a reason to abolish or end the work of the ICI,” Castro said.

“There really needs to be an independent commission that will focus on collecting and investigating documents so that when these are submitted and recommended for filing, they will just be reviewed.”

“The work and investigation by the Ombudsman and DOJ will be faster if there are already complete documents coming from the ICI,” Castro added.

The ICI on Wednesday released its invitation for Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to testify at its next hearing and shed light on his involvement in the alleged budget insertions linked to the anomalous flood control projects during his tenure as House Speaker.

In a letter dated October 8, ICI

Chairman Andres Reyes, Jr. said Romualdez is expected to appear before the Commission and discuss his personal knowledge on the issues at hand next Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

“We respectfully request that you

funds, regardless of their position in government or political affiliation,”

Tulfo said.

Tulfo said he was looking forward to the appointment of a permanent chairperson soon to ensure continuity and confidence in the committee’s work.

Cayetano, for her part, said she is carefully weighing whether to accept the chairmanship of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, citing her current responsibilities as head of two major committees.

She said her name was mentioned during the Senate majority caucus, but clarified that no formal offer has been made.

“It’s not easy to accept such a new position. And because my name was mentioned, then it’s my job to consider it,” she told reporters in an interview.

“That’s a heavy responsibility. I will use this time that there is no session to pray about it and to think about it if I

“We have filed a case against the spouses Discayas and corporate officers of other corporations they hold,” Lumagui said, adding that the charges cover unpaid income taxes, unremitted excise taxes on luxury vehicles, and documentary stamp taxes for unreported transfers of shares.

Lumagui said the couple failed to pay income taxes for taxable years 2018 to 2021, and that their supposed divestment from four firms namely St. Gerard, St. Timothy, St. Matthew, and Alpha & Omega, was not supported by any tax return or payment record.

“The spouses Discaya never divested from these companies. The BIR has no record of any return or payment for such divestment,” he said.

The BIR also discovered that the couple and St. Gerrard did not pay excise taxes on nine luxury vehicles registered under their names.

“Curlee and Sarah Discaya are guilty of not paying their taxes. Expect more cases to be filed,” Lumagui said, describing Wednesday’s filing as “just the tip of the iceberg” as more findings are expected after ongoing audits of Discaya-owned construction firms.

The tax cases form part of the wider government crackdown on alleged irregularities in public works and flood control projects. Lumagui said the BIR will continue pursuing other contractors and public officials linked to the anomalies.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said it obtained its fifth freeze order from the Court of Appeals in connection with the same flood control project probe.

“The latest freeze order covers several additional bank accounts linked to persons of interest, notably including an entity whose license was allegedly used in the implementation of ghost projects,” the AMLC said.

To date, the AMLC has immobilized 1,632 bank accounts, 54 insurance policies, 163 motor vehicles, 40 real properties, and 12 e-wallet accounts amounting to more than ₱4.4 billion in frozen assets. With the new freeze order, the total figure is expected to rise further.

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Sulu Sea, Cagayan, Cebu, Northwest Palawan, East Palawan, and Central Luzon.

The President said the contracts would potentially draw more global investors to the Philippines, particularly in the exploration of indigenous energy resources.

The Department of Energy said this is the largest batch of PSCs awarded in a single period in Philippine history, reaffirming the administration’s strong resolve to accelerate domestic energy exploration and production

“Always know that this administration continues to find practical and sustainable ways to attract and sustain more investments in the energy sector,” the President said during the formal presentation of the PSCs at Malacañang.

The eight new PSCs provide investments in the exploration for petroleum resources, including hydrogen seen to contribute to energy security, wealth creation, and employment generation.

“Consequently, these efforts will capture the interest of more international partners to invest in our country and to join our quest to discover

bring with you, upon your appearance before the said Commission, any documents that you deem relevant in support of your said appearance,” Reyes wrote Romualdez.

Similarly, the ICI summoned resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co to cooperate with its ongoing investigation on the ghost projects and corruption scandal. His subpoena was coursed through House of Representatives Secretary General Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil.

Romualdez, in a statement released by his office Wednesday, said he is ready to appear before the ICI.

“The Office of Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez confirms receipt today of the invitation from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). Rep. Romualdez welcomes the opportunity to cooperate with the Commission and fully supports its objective of promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance,” the statement read.

“In this regard, Rep. Romualdez is prepared to appear before the Commission.”

can handle it,” she added.

Sotto assured the public the Blue Ribbon Committee’s flood control hearings would continue despite the leadership transition.

“That will continue) The Blue Ribbon is always alive. That’s the only committee that has motu proprio power,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tulfo proposed granting Filipino workers a one-month taxfree salary as part of his response to the growing controversy over billions of pesos in alleged ghost infrastructure projects.

He filed Senate Bill No. 1446, or the “One Month Tax Holiday of 2025,” to immediately return benefits to the public, particularly to the working sector.

“Because of the recent revelations about alleged ghost flood control projects worth billions of pesos from public funds, the people have lost trust in

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outright without complete documents,” Castro said.

“It is clear that unprogrammed appropriations are closely monitored,” she added.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno earlier urged Congress to set the 2026 unprogrammed appropriations to zero, citing the fund’s ballooning share in the proposed national budget.

In a privilege speech at the House of Representatives, Diokno sounded the alarm over the ballooning UA, which he said concealed several projects “in the shadows of the budget process.”

UAs are essentially standby funds in the national budget that the government can only use when additional revenues or external financing become available within the fiscal year.

Unlike regular or “programmed” appropriations, which have guaranteed funding, UAs serve as a financial buffer for unforeseen expenses, such as natural disasters, emergencies, or priority projects that require immediate funding.

The UA’s release is subject to strict conditions, including certification from the Department of Finance

The ICI also requested the Department of Justice to issue immigration lookout bulletin orders (ILBO) against personalities implicated in the ongoing investigation into anomalies in flood control projects.

An ILBO instructs immigration officers to closely monitor the travel of subject individuals.

Named in the request were former Senate president Francis Escudero, Romualdez, Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, and former senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay.

Also on the list were Representatives Roman Romulo, James Ang, Juan Carlos Atayde, Nicanor Briones, Marcelino Teodoro, Florida Robes, Eleandro Madrona, Benjamin Agarao, Leody Tarriela, Reynante Arrogancia, Teodorico Haresco Jr., Antonieta Eudela, Dean Asistio, and Marivic Co Pilar, as well as former representatives Marvin Rillo and Florencio Noel.

Also included are Commission on Audit Commissioner Mario Lipana, his wife Marilou Laurio-Lipana,

the government. The Filipino people’s call is clear: Return the people’s money. Lower the taxes,” he said. The proposed legislation would allow employees earning compensation income to enjoy a one-time income tax exemption for one month following the bill’s approval. The tax exemption will apply only to compensation income, while individuals with mixed income sources will receive relief solely on the salaried portion of their earnings. A “non-diminution clause” in the bill ensures that employers cannot reduce or adjust employees’ pay due to the temporary tax holiday.

“While we recognize that taxation is the source of the government’s funds, we must also acknowledge that these funds ultimately come from the people themselves,” Tulfo said, recognizing widespread indignation over stolen public funds.

that enough excess revenue or funding sources exist to cover the expenditure.

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian recommended the transfer of the P3-billion allocation for the Tatag ng Imprastraktura para sa Kapayapaan at Seguridad (TIKAS) Program under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the Department of National Defense (DND), citing low completion rates and idle infrastructure projects.

In a statement, Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, pointed out that the P3 billion could be used to fund unfinished DPWH projects for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in Pasay City including two multi-purpose buildings worth P72 million and P51 million, respectively, which were tagged as completed but remained unfinished.

Two other PAF projects, valued at P60 million and P17 million each, also lacked complete funding, Gatchalian said.

"It’s a pity if we cannot use these buildings. It is better for the DND to implement the projects since they are the ones who know their needs," he added.

The 2026 proposed budget of the DPWH was cut from over P881 billion to P625 billion after a review.

Department of Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, and Department of Public Works and Highways District Engineers Loida Magalong, Ramon Devanadera, Johnny Protesta Jr., and Arturo Gonzales Jr., as well as private individuals Carlene Villa and businessman Maynard Ngu.

The ICI said the individuals are "in a relevant position that operates to make (them) an inevitable personality during the fact-finding process."

"The timely issuance of an ILBO is of utmost necessity to enable the commission to proceed without delay and to hold those liable accountable to the Filipino people."

Estrada, for his part, dismissed as baseless the ICI's request for an ILBO against him and other officials allegedly linked to flood control project anomalies.

“If I faced my previous plunder cases and did not run away, why would I run now when there isn’t even a shred of evidence against me,” the senator said, brushing off the allegations against him as “double hearsay.”

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The senator said that, based on their computation, the amount is sufficient to construct another road altogether: "We can make a road from Manila to Aparri in just one road, two lanes." For his part, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said that with straight roads, in particular, every kilometer should cost only P10 million — lower than the P15 million presented by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Gatchalian recommended reducing the proposed budget for FMRs by 30 percent to save P5 billion, while the Department of Agriculture proposed P16 billion for FMRs in 2026. The latter cited 70,000 kilometers of completed FMRs and a backlog of 60,000 kilometers.

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De Lima, through House Resolution 353, called for a probe into the reported wastage of DOH funds and possible corruption involving government officials, employees, and private entities that led to “haunted hospitals” or abandoned, incomplete, or nonoperational health centers and similar facilities.

“These issues of incompetence and irregularities are very alarming and frustrating, especially for the Filipino people who urgently need quality, accessible, and affordable medical services,” De Lima said. She also raised concern over the insufficient supply of medicines in public hospitals and the questionable allocation of government-procured mental health medicines worth hundreds of millions of pesos, some nearing expiration.

Part of the stock was reportedly delivered to the Rotary Club of Quezon City, a claim denied by a former official of the group.

De Lima cited a 2024 Commission on Audit (COA) report revealing that 123 projects worth P11.5 billion were not completed within their contract deadlines.

new indigenous resources,” Mr. Marcos said.

“But, with every partnership comes a greater challenge: to ensure that progress is achieved with integrity, responsibility, and with respect for our people,” he added.

In September, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a circular granting special privileges to petroleum service contractors.

Mr. Marcos said this would encourage exploration in new petroleum, promote gas development in remote areas, and allow fair cost recovery.

“Through the Energy Virtual One Stop Shop platform, we are also streamlining the energy permitting process. This way, we hope to cut red tape, eradicate bureaucratic delays, and reduce unnecessary paperwork,” the President said.

He also said the government will continue to update and upgrade its processes to make them more responsive to the needs of investors and the communities.

As a result, investors would be encouraged to transform their investments into engines of progress, the President said.

“Operate with accountability, with respect for the environment, and fair-

ness towards the communities that host your operations,” he said. “Let us prove that responsible enterprise and national development can go hand-inhand —that growth built on transparency and responsibility is growth that will last.”

These eight PSCs represent a potential investment commitment of around $207 million over a sevenyear exploration period, signaling the reinvigorated investor confidence in the Philippine upstream energy sector, paving the way for new gas exploration initiatives.

The contracts represent a potential investment commitment of around $207 million over a seven-year exploration period.

PSC Nos. 80 and 81 were awarded to a consortium composed of Australian firm Triangle Energy (Global) Limited; Sunda Energy Plc of the United Kingdom; and local firms PXP Energy Corporation and The Philodrill Corporation. Co-managed by the DOE and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM-MENRE), these SCs aim to revitalize petroleum exploration in the southern Sulu Sea, generating new economic and em-

ployment opportunities for communities across BARMM and Mindanao.

SC 80 covers approximately 780,000 hectares, while SC 81 spans about 532,000 hectares. PSC No. 82 located in Cagayan basin and has an area of 480,000 hectares was awarded to Triangle Energy.

PSC Nos. 83 and 84, both for native hydrogen exploration in Central Luzon, were awarded to US firm Koloma, Inc. SC 83 covers 126,645 hectares while SC 84 covers 85,082 hectares.

PSC No. 85, covering 127,475 hectares in onshore Cebu, was awarded to Gas 2 Grid Pte. Ltd.

PSC No. 86, awarded to a consortium of Filipino companies composed of The Philodrill, Anglo Philippine Holdings Corporation, PXP Energy, and Forum Energy Philippines Corporation, covers 132,000 hectares in the Northwest Palawan Basin.

PSC No. 87, located in the East Palawan Basin, was awarded to Israeli firm Ratio Petroleum Ltd.

This marks the company’s second petroleum service contract in the Philippines, following PSC 78, also situated in the East Palawan Basin, where Ratio successfully conducted a 3D seismic survey last year as part of its ongoing exploration activities.

During budget deliberations, she noted Diokno’s observation that only 200 of the 600 health centers built under the HFEP were operational as of 2025. Diokno filed House Resolution 351 with Akbayan Reform Bloc members Perci Cendaña, Dadah Kiram Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bagao, urging the House Committees on Public Accounts and Health to look into “alleged irregularities and inefficiencies” in the HFEP.

“This is a matter that needs to be looked into because the health of the Filipino people is at stake. Hundreds of billions of pesos have been allotted for this program, yet it has not delivered on its promise of accessible healthcare for our countrymen,” Diokno said. The Akbayan lawmaker noted that the HFEP’s budget has ballooned from P43.5 million in 2007 to P34.7 billion in 2025, with a total allocation of P241.4 billion over 18 years. Based on DOH records, about P400 billion has been released to local government units in the last decade for the program and related health services. Despite this, only 200 of 600 health centers are functional.

“These irregularities undermine the objectives of Republic Act No. 11223, otherwise known as the Universal Health Care Act, which guarantees equitable access to quality healthcare for all Filipinos,” the resolution read.

NHA identifies relocation sites for quake victims

By Rio N. Araja and Rex Espiritu

THE National Housing Authority

(NHA) is identifying relocation sites away from danger zones in Cebu for families displaced by the deadly magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province on September 30.

In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, NHA General Manager Joeben Tai said the agency is looking for safe relocation sites for more than 2,000 families from Bogo City—the quake’s epicenter—and nearby San Remigio town.

“We are looking for suitable sites. Those displaced do not want to live near ground zero. They are afraid of the daily aftershocks,” Tai said. He added that they are still finalizing the number of beneficiaries, noting that since the families are calamity victims, they will not be required to pay for the units.

Each unit will be a two-bedroom row house on a 40-square-meter lot with a 27-square-meter floor area.

“We will construct a school, a covered court, and other community facilities,” Tai said.

Apart from the housing assistance, the NHA will distribute ₱10,000 for partially damaged houses and ₱30,000 for totally damaged ones starting October 10.

The NHA is also coordinating with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and local government units to identify suitable and stable land for relocation. The agency plans to begin construction once the sites are cleared and funds are released.

SCHOLARS’ FORUM. AboitizPower, through GNPower Mariveles Energy Center Ltd. Co. and GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co., gathers 130 scholars for the Scholars Development Convergence Year 3 at La Vista Inland Resort in Balanga City, Bataan.

Tulfo: File complaints vs. Cebu BPOs

By Ram Superable

SENATOR Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday demanded legal action against several business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu that allegedly forced employees to continue working during and after the recent 6.9-magnitude earthquake.

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, said some firms endangered workers by prioritizing profit over safety as aftershocks continued to hit the province.

“Instead of sending their employees home and ensuring their safety, they

prioritized their profits and said, ‘business is business.’ I want cases filed against these BPOs,” he said.

During a labor hearing, Tulfo presented a video showing one company blocking emergency exits to prevent employees

PBBM praises First Lady for PICC restoration work

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. heaped praises on First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos for her instrumental role in the successful rehabilitation of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), as the country prepares to host the ASEAN Summit in 2026. In his latest BBM Podcast interview aired on Wednesday, President Marcos commended the First Lady’s determination, discipline, and proficiency in restoring the historic landmark, describing her as “very effective.”

“She just doesn’t let go of something. Once she gets hold of something and she decides to do it, she actually gets it done. And she’s very effective,” President Marcos said.

“She’s a smart girl. I mean, what can I say? Her legal training serves her well,” the President added.

President Marcos recalled his recent visit to the newly restored PICC, noting the remarkable transformation of the convention center.

“I was really amazed at the progress that they had made from the time that they began until the time that we went there and cut the

Alan willing to resign if everyone else does

By Ram Superable

SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday declared he would be the first to resign from his post if all other top government officials follow suit, in line with his proposal for a collective resignation and the holding of snap elections. Cayetano admitted, however, that his call for national renewal through simultaneous resignations has little chance of materializing.

The senator said he preferred this drastic option over the possibility of another coup or a new People Power uprising amid growing public frustration over corruption.

“The Senate must continue to be the salt and light—the institution that provides a vision for our people. Right now, the Senate should be part of the solution, not the problem,” he said.

from evacuating to safer areas.

He said another firm reportedly required its workers to immediately return to their desks after the quake, ignoring safety risks.

Such actions, according to him, violated Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Labor Advisory No. 17, Series of 2022, which directs employers to prioritize workers’ safety during calamities. The advisory also prohibits penalizing employees unable to report to work due to safety threats.

Tulfo also cited DOLE Department Order No. 252, Series of 2025, which protects employees’ right to refuse work without fear of punishment if there is imminent danger in the workplace.

ribbon and had our little ceremony. The PICC looked like when we first opened it,” he said.

The PICC opened on September 5, 1976, and its first major event was the IMF-World Bank Meeting held from October 4 to 8 of the same year.

“It was really shiny and bright, and we were featuring once again all of the artwork… And you know, it’s back to its old glory,” President Marcos added, citing the works of National Artists Jose Joya and Arturo Luz.

The PICC serves as a key venue for international events, including the forthcoming ASEAN Summit next year.

DOLE Region VII Director Roy Buenafe said the agency issued work stoppage orders against six BPO firms, including Iploy OPC, Optum Global Solutions, EXL Services, Alorica, Gagfa IT Tower, and Teleperformance IT Park Cebu. Buenafe said two of the companies have already complied with occupational safety and health requirements. He added that inspection authorities will also review 23 other BPO companies in Cebu for possible violations.

IN BRIEF

NBI arrests vlogger over malicious PBBM post

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday arrested a vlogger for posting an image of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on social media with the caption “headshot.”

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the term “headshot” is taken seriously by law enforcement as it can imply “shooting in the head.”

The uploader was identified as Michael P. Romero, known as “Mike Romero” on Facebook, where he has over 98,000 followers. He was arrested in Pagadian City for inciting to sedition in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Romero admitted ownership of the account but claimed his post was a joke and not meant to harm the President. “The word ‘headshot’ was just a reference with the word ‘Bogo,’ which means ‘foolish’ in Bisaya,” he said.

The post appeared shortly after the President’s visit to Bogo City, Cebu, to assess earthquake-affected areas. The NBI reminded the public to be cautious about posts that could be interpreted as threats to national leaders. Pot Chavez

Mayor Isko reports fiscal reforms in first 100 days

MANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso on Wednesday presented his 100-day report highlighting fiscal reforms and improved peace and order in the capital.

Speaking at the City Development Council meeting, he said his administration restored fiscal discipline and increased the crime solution rate by 9.2 percent.

Domagoso cited the reopening of the Electronic Business One-Stop Shop (E-BOSS) and reduced paperwork as key to improving city revenue and transparency. “More collections, less expenses. This shows our consistency and commitment,” he said.

The mayor credited the Manila Police District for the improved law enforcement performance and emphasized that “safety, order, and cleanliness” attract investors and boost citizen confidence. Pot Chavez

Abante hopeful FOI bill will finally get lawmakers’ nod

HOUSE Human Rights Panel chairperson Bienvenido Abante Jr. expressed optimism that the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill will finally be enacted after being included in the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council. Abante said the measure institutionalizes access to government information and mandates public disclosure of Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) by top officials through official websites.

He said the bill upholds the people’s constitutional right to information and promotes transparency and accountability across all branches and levels of government.

To balance openness with privacy, the proposal aligns with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 while penalizing concealment or destruction of public records. Maricel V. Cruz

PLAYING IN THE RAIN.

A boy plays in the rain as Metro Manila endures another wet and gloomy day. Edd Castro

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN. The Christmas countdown is obviously on as manifested by these kids admiring multicolored lanterns for sale at a sidewalk along Kamias Road in Quezon City. Joan Bondoc

Pinoy sailor dies in Houthi attack

By Vito Barcelo

AFILIPINO crewman of a Dutch cargo ship has died from wounds sustained in last week’s attack by Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) disclosed on Wednesday.

DMW Secretary Leo Hans Cacdac confirmed the death as he expressed deep sympathies for the victim’s family.

News reports said Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the Sept. 29 attack on the cargo vessel MV Minervagracht, setting off a blaze wounding two crew members.

Dy affirms vow to champion farmers’ welfare

By Maricel V. Cruz

SPEAKER Faustino Dy III has reaffirmed his commitment to champion the welfare of Filipino farmers, assuring them that the House of Representatives will always keep its doors open to the agricultural sector and other marginalized groups.

Dy made the commitment during a courtesy call of farmers from Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Isabela, led by former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano who raised proposals for improved crop insurance and livelihood support programs.

Dy, who represents the First District of Isabela and previously served as governor of the province, said his deep respect for farmers is rooted in his experience in leading a province sustained by agriculture.

The lifeblood of the province of Isabela is our hardworking farmers. So we have high respect and recognition for them. We always respond to their needs and challenges—from land, water, to livelihood,” Dy said in Filipino.

The farmers expressed full support for Dy’s thrust to restore the rice import tariff rate to 35 percent from the current 15 percent, saying it would help protect local producers from the influx of imported rice.

The second casualty, also a Filipino, is recovering from injuries sustained in the attack, while 10 other Filipino sailors were repatriated to Manila during the weekend, the DMW said.

Philippine labor officials were on their way to Djibouti, along with the dead sailor’s sister and wife, to meet the shipowner

and arrange for the repatriation of his remains, DMW chief Leo Hans Cacdac said in a social media post.

The Houthis claimed their attacks on commercial ships are in support of Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The Iran-backed rebel group holds swaths of territory in Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

“We convey the sad news of the passing of the seafarer critically injured during the Sept 29 attack on the MV Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden. Our deepest sympathies to his family. Per the President’s directive, we are providing them with full support and assistance,” Cacdac said.

The ship was sailing approximately 120 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s port city of Aden when the incident happened.

A total of 19 crew members were on board, 12 of them Filipinos.

The Philippine Embassy in Ankara, the Philippine Consulate General in Istanbul, and the Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) worked together to repatriate 10 Filipino crew members who arrived safely in Manila on Sunday.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) strongly condemned the attack, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue to resolve regional tensions and protect seafarers and international trade. With AFP

CHARITY WITHOUT BORDERS. The will to help people in distress due to natural calamities transcends borders as exhibited by Vietnam Coast Guard personnel assisting their Philippine Coast Guard comrades in delivering relief goods and medical care for earthquake victims in Tabogon, Cebu. PCG photo

IN BRIEF

Solon eyes creation of multi-hazard maps

A LAWMAKER on Wednesday cited the need for Congress to pass a measure aiming to produce multihazard maps for each city and municipality in the country, and integrate these tools into disaster risk reduction efforts and local development planning.

Parañaque Second District Rep

Brian Raymund Yamsuan was referring to House Bill (HB) 4035 meant to strengthen the implementation of a new law allowing the government to declare a “State of Imminent Disaster,” which triggers a set of pre-emptive actions before a calamity occurs. Republic Act (RA) 12287 or the Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act signed recently by President Marcos enables the national, regional and local disaster risk reduction and management councils to implement anticipatory measures aimed at mitigating the impact of a forecast hazard before it hits or its most serious effects are felt.

While disasters cannot be prevented, it is possible to mitigate their impact by understanding their behavior and adopting sciencebased and data-driven strategies. One such approach is hazard mapping,” Yamsuan told the Manila Standard. Maricel V. Cruz

PH embassy in Canada warns vs. online scams

THE Philippine Embassy in Canada has warned against persons using fake email accounts for illicit motives, including dubious service of legal process.

I n a social media post, the embassy said individuals illegally pose as personnel of the Philippine Embassy or the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“The service of legal processes on Filipino citizens overseas is completed through personal service or registered mail in connection with cases pending in the courts of the Philippines,” the statement reads. Katrina Manubay

GSP marks 85th year with Luneta fun run

THE Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) marks its 85t year with a milestone fun run on Oct. 12, 2025, at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

The event, dubbed “Run as One: 85 Years in the Running” is seen to gather together Girl Scouts, alumnae, families, and friends from all over the country to celebrate 85 years of empowering girls and young women to become leaders and agents of change.

T he fun run features distances of 850 meters, as well as five, eight, and 13 kilometers.

Each participant will receive a run kit that includes a race singlet, rucksack, race bib, finisher medal, finisher shirts, and more.

Makati mayor aims to bring gov’t services closer to constituents

By Joel E. Zurbano

MAKATI City Mayor Nancy Binay marked her first 100 days in office by implementing an initiative aimed at enhancing accessibility to local government services.

The move involves bringing government services directly to the residents’ doorsteps, thereby streamlining the

process and removing the challenges typically associated with navigating bureaucratic procedures at the city hall.

This innovative approach reflects Binay’s commitment to enhancing community engagement and ensuring that critical services are more readily available to the public, the city government said.

‘ITCZ to bring about rains, cloudiness’

By Rio N. Araja

THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Wednesday predicted that rainshowers and cloudiness will prevail nationwide due to three weather systems: the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), northeasterly windflow, and localized thunderstorms. According to the state weather bureau’s 4 a.m. daily weather forecast, the ITCZ affecting Visayas, Mindanao, and Palawan will bring about cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms over these areas.

Meanwhile, the northeasterly windflow will cause cloudiness and rains in Quezon and Camarines Norte provinces.

It will also lead to partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light trains in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Norte, Apayao, and Aurora, PAGASA said. Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon are expected to have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers caused by localized thunderstorms. These areas may experience possible flash floods or landslides due to moderate to, at times, heavy rains, or during severe thunderstorms, the weather agency said.

“When I see a senior citizen’s face light up

because we brought their birthday cake and Yellow Card right to their door, that’s when I know we’re doing government right. Public service isn’t about making people come to us. It’s about us going to them, understanding their lives, and making things easier for them every single day,” said Binay.

In a landmark policy reform announced on July 14, Binay streamlined the Yellow Card application process, removing a critical obstacle that prevented residents from accessing comprehensive healthcare benefits. The results have been transformative: the city has distributed 7,843 Yellow Cards and conducted 7,592 Yellow Card home visits, with 4,186 for renewals and 3,406 for new applicants since July 2025.

OPINION

Options

SEN. Alan Peter Cayetano came up with an interesting idea. Preposterous though because it depends on nationally elected officials from congressmen to senators to the vice-president and president to resign, and for Congress before resignation passing an enabling law to provide for it. But hardly any of these predators will resign. Maybe Alan terms that “repentance.”

Still, Cayetano voices out the frustration of an outraged public, with discoveries of corruption most gross under a political system where impunity reigns among the high and mighty. If only for that, his idea provokes discussion.

Everybody and his mother decry political dynasties which the 1987 Constitution proscribes although leaving it to Congress to pass the law that would castrate their individual and collective greed. For the last 38 years Congress has not responded.

Politics has become big business, depending on rank and power among peers, or in the case of LGUs, the size of its revenues. From the time we held periodic elections since 1987, the dynasties grew and grew, with power transferred from family members.

Reckoned from that time, we are now into the third generation of dynasts. Reckoned from pre-martial law politics, there are sixth-generation dynasties still bleeding the public till.

Can we thus abolish Congress, whose members are now the main culprits in the flood control scandals and more?

Morir antes de dimitir.

To many among us who now cry to the highest heavens for retribution from their corruption and our own voters’ fecklessness, abolishing Congress is not an unwelcome idea.

But who will execute the deed?

The AFP chief confessed that retired officers approached him and even his juniors to withdraw support from the present government, and with this there arise two options: as in GMA versus Erap in Jan. 2001, install the vice-president as Constitutional successor; or, for a civilian-military junta to rule in transition, re-write the fundamental law and then call for elections under a reset political system.

But in 1989, at the height of the almost-successful coup against Pres. Cory Aquino, the officers involved offered the transition leadership to then Supreme Court Chief Justice Marcelo Fernan, but he refused.

Who knows what would have happened if Fernan accepted?

Would President Bush or his veep Dan Quayle have ordered the Phantom jets to do those persuasion flights still, forcing the rebel soldiers to stand down, if the chief justice had accepted the role of transition leader?

The American president thought that a new bases treaty could pass muster thereafter, but the president they saved was unable to convince the Senate to allow Clark, Subic and John Hay to remain

under US control.

Some say the first option is not palatable to our US-influenced generals, because VP Sara is perceived to be like her father who now languishes in a foreign prison, fiercely independent and veering towards a China rapprochement instead of obeisance to the US of A.

But another option, which is to confer power to a transition civilian-military revolutionary junta risks international non-recognition, which could then trigger public disapproval.

Cayetano voices out the frustration of an outraged public, with discoveries of corruption most gross under a political system where impunity reigns among the high and mighty

By public of course, we do not refer to the teeming masses who are often treated as cannon fodder by the organized groups of the left and self-styled civil society groups. They were rendered voiceless in previous “peaceful revolts,” used by elite interests. The demand for accountability to serve as lesson for future impunity faces the stumbling block of how high the current political powers will allow heads to roll.

And therein lies the conundrum. How high is high for the ICI, which at the moment wants to pursue its investigation behind closed doors, away from the “circus” of public scrutiny?

Will its findings satisfy the public and tame the outrage, particularly that of the youth?

Then again, its recommendation goes to the newly appointed Ombudsman, who can take the next two years to file cases against the “big fry” before the Sandiganbayan, which in turn will hold lengthy trials, believing that the public will forget, and forgive.

As in the sordid saga of Napoles, will Alcantara, Hernandez et al., languish in jail, while the “proponents” who masterminded the deals and took the lion’s share of the spoils enjoy the life of the rich and famous in Portugal or elsewhere in the planet?

Through several chapters in our history, such forgetfulness over the criminal abuses of the powerful always happen.

Will the present demographic, where the Gen Z’s and the millennials dominate the baby boomers and Gen X, also forgive and forget?

Hopefully not, or their future is doomed.

P50,000 salary for teachers

LAST Monday was National Teachers Day and to celebrate the occasion, the Office of the President appropriated about P955,000,000 to give the estimated 950,000 public school teachers P1,000 each as a cash incentive.

If we add about P18,500 every month for each of the teachers to make their base salary P50,000 as some advocates have recently demanded, the total will be so staggering that the government cannot obviously afford.

But to be fair, there is indeed a need to increase the entry level salary of public school teachers which is Grade 11 or approximately P30,000 and should be done faster. The current salary standardization law does provide increases but at a much slower pace which cannot keep up with inflation.

How this problem will be navigated by the government to improve teachers’ morale and thus improve education in general considering the limited financial capability of the government is a little complicated.

If the problem was just about pay, perhaps the easiest way is to solve it is to eliminate the pork barrel funds of our lawmakers and give them to our teachers thereby hitting two birds with one stone.

We reduce corruption and teacher morale will go sky high.

Unfortunately, there are other problems confronting our educational system that also needs attention. Let’s try to look at these other issues.

There is indeed a need to increase the entry level salary of public school teachers which is Grade 11 or approximately P30,000

There is no denying that educating our youth with quality education is the best and most important investment that any government can make to ensure that the future of the country will be in good hands.

Unfortunately however, from being the educational leader in the region, the quality of our education has fallen behind our neighbors over the years.

Proof of this is that our students are always placing near the bottom every time

This is an AI-generated cartoon with the prompt: Horizontal editorial cartoon in traditional pen-and-ink. A humanoid robot judge labeled ‘AI’ is entangled in crocodile-shaped vines labeled ‘Discretionary Funds,’ ‘Ghost Projects,’ ‘Bid Rigging,’ and ‘Impunity.’ A hand labeled ‘Institutions’ reaches with pruning shears tagged ‘FOI, Whistleblower Law, Lifestyle Checks.’ Meanwhile, a PR drone hovers spraying perfume labeled ‘Innovation!’ over a swamp filled with garbage. Rats scurry on the ground, tagged ‘Kickbacks’ and ‘Collusion.’ Tone: biting, satirical, urgen

EDITORIAL

Will flood control probes yield positive results?

IN HIS fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July, President Marcos Jr. publicly vowed to pursue the investigation of anomalous, substandard and ghost flood control projects worth hundreds of billions of pesos “no matter where it leads,” even if it implicates political allies.

Corruption in flood control projects, he emphasized, led not just to financial losses for the government but also proved life-threatening, citing collapsed infrastructure that killed people.

Since then, flood control probes by both houses of Congress and the adhoc Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) have made significant strides in pinpointing accountability.

But whether these would yield lasting positive results depends on sustained political will, institutional reforms, and citizen vigilance.

Thus far, the probes have uncovered the scale of corruption. Over ₱180 billion linked to ghost projects and rigged bids has been frozen by investigators.

Whistleblowers revealed suitcase deliveries of ₱1 billion in cash to lawmakers and contractors.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) allocated

they participate in internationally supervised tests for math, science and reading.

This does not include the deterioration in the way Filipinos speak the English language which has also worsened.

Although our so-called educational leaders and officials have realized the problem for some time, most of the reform programs undertaken have not done the job and even made the problems worse.

For one, there seems to be no consensus on the best approach resulting in constant modifications of what has been started every time there is a new administration resulting in further weakening.

One of the constant refrains coming from education reformers is the low pay for teachers resulting in many of our good teachers leaving for greener pastures to higher paying countries. There is unfortunately some truth to this statement but money cannot be the only rea-

₱1.4 trillion to flood control between 2011–2025, with estimates suggesting only 40 percent went to actual implementation.

Political interference remains a threat, especially with implicated lawmakers and contractors wielding influence

The creation of the ICI to audit and oversee projects is expected to determine how much as actually been lost to corruption.

One result of the ongoing probes is the realignment of ₱255.5 billion from the 2026 DPWH flood control budget to essential services.

son because there are other reasons why our quality of education has gone down.

Even if the government will suddenly start paying teachers P50,000 as basic monthly pay, the quality of our education will not immediately improve.

This is because of the nature of the existing problems require longer term solutions.

School curriculum, what medium of instruction to use, and the upgrading of the quality of our entry level teachers which the DepEd has always avoided discussing all need longer to improve.

All that can be said about all the efforts of our education leaders is that so far, all their efforts have so far failed to achieve the results that everyone wants.

On the issue about the overall quality of our entry level teachers which the DepEd has always tried to avoid talking about, not much has been accomplished. Instead of dodging the subject, DepEd

The investigations have also led changes in the leadership of the Senate and House amid allegations of complicity.

The flood control scandal has triggered the formation of civic coalitions and youth groups demanding independent audits and accountability. Meanwhile, the Philippine Stock Exchange has tied market recovery to credible outcomes from the probes.

For its part, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference warned against politicizing the investigations.

Will all these yield positive results?

If sustained, these probes could lead to criminal prosecutions of corrupt officials and contractors as well as systemic reforms in procurement, project monitoring, and local government oversight.

These can also restore public trust and investor confidence in infrastructure governance.

But there are also challenges that should be confronted head-on.

Political interference remains a threat, especially with implicated lawmakers and contractors wielding influence.

Institutional inertia and weak enforcement could also stall reforms. And public fatigue or disillusionment may set in if results are delayed or diluted.

should simply try developing a program that will eventually improve their quality.

One such program is offering thousands of selected high school graduates who have the inclination of wanting to become teachers free education by sending them to our top universities to become teachers.

Lessening the work load of our overworked teachers by no longer requiring them to perform other non-teaching duties plus the creation of teacher assistant positions will also go a long way in improving our quality of education.

Understandably however, the high cost of living is always the top priority of our teachers and other government employees similarly situated. There are laws on salary increases but too slow to implement and when it comes, inflation has already eaten up the increase. The best solution? Index the increase to inflation.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2025

Australia

police foil ‘kill team’ gang hit near daycare center

SYDNEY – Australian police foiled an alleged organized crime hit by a socalled kill team near a Sydney daycare facility, authorities said Wednesday.

New South Wales police swooped in on two cars after learning three men were preparing to carry out the alleged killing in Revesby, a suburb in the city’s southwest, on Tuesday.

Police stopped two cars and arrested the men, finding two firearms, balaclavas, bodyworn cameras and jerrycans containing fuel during a search.

A third firearm was located during subsequent searches of vehicles and premises allegedly linked to the men.

Footage from Tuesday showed the two cars wedged between police vehicles as authorities moved in on the alleged offenders brandishing firearms.

The cars’ windscreens were pocked with bullet holes.

One witness, who did not wish to be named, told Australia’s Channel Nine he heard the gunshots and went to investigate.

“I started walking out of my house and I heard some more gunshots and then cars were swerving,” he said.

Police Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook said authorities had been investigating a transnational crime network “believed to be involved in multiple conspiracies to murder” for several weeks.

Police allege the victim was targeted due to a breakdown in relationships within the syndicate, he said. The trio of men reportedly did not know the victim. AFP

IN BRIEF

Almost 15,000 snakebite admissions in Bangladesh

RAJSHAHI, Bangladesh – In the swamplands along Bangladesh’s mighty Padma River, snakes slithering through villages have become an unrelenting menace, leaving residents terrified and hospitals overwhelmed with bite victims.

Doctors and experts warn snakebites are on the rise, driven by heavy rains, shrinking habitats and shifting farming practices. Bangladesh — among the nations most vulnerable to climate change — has seen nearly 15,000 snakebite admissions this year, with 84 deaths reported so far.

Farmer Ananda Mondol broke down as he recalled how a snake bit his ankle while he was working in a rice field this year.

“I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t move,” the 35-year-old from Nimtola, a village in the northern district of Rajshahi, told AFP.

“I vomited, lost control of my bowels, and saliva was coming out of my mouth.”

He spent three days in intensive care, and is still plagued by sleepless nights and persistent muscle pain. The father of four has not returned to the fields since. AFP

Macron urged to quit to end political crisis

PARIS – President Emmanuel Macron was on Tuesday under pressure even from allies to find a rapid solution to France’s political deadlock, after his first prime minister and one-time ally urged him to resign for the sake of the country.

Macron, president since 2017, has been battling the worst domestic political crisis of his presidency after the shock resignation on Monday of his seventh prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu.

Macron gave Lecornu until Wednesday evening to thrash out a compromise for a sustainable coalition government but it is far from certain these efforts can succeed.

If this fails, one option is for Macron to dissolve parliament and hold snap legislative elections in the hope of having a more workable make-up in the legislature.

Macron on Tuesday evening held talks with the speakers of both the upper and lower houses of parliament, said an aide, asking not to be named. AFP

Fear and loathing in Mexican town

US, Qatar, Turkey to join Gaza talks

CAIRO – Qatar’s prime minister and senior delegates from the United States and Turkey will join Hamas and Israeli negotiators on Wednesday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the Gaza war.

Israel and Hamas are holding indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, based on a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump last month.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are all due to attend the talks.

“There’s a real chance that we could do

media.

and

Next to a market, a poster advertises the services of La Chokiza, a gang accused by authorities of extortion and murder. AFP

something,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, adding that US negotiators were also involved in the talks.

“I think there’s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East. It’s something even beyond the Gaza situation. We want a release of the hostages immediately.”

Trump said the United States would do

“everything possible to make sure everyone adheres to the deal” if Hamas and Israel do agree on a ceasefire.

The talks came as Israel commemorated the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war.

At the close of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, Hamas-led militants launched the deadliest attack on Israel in the country’s history, sparking a huge retaliatory offensive in Gaza.

It resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Militants also took 251 people hostage into Gaza, of whom 47 remain captive, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.

Global pressure to end the war has escalated, with much of Gaza flattened, a UNdeclared famine unfolding and Israeli hostage families still longing for their loved

Spain, Ireland and Britain, calling for an immediate end to the war. AFP

Ecuador leader unharmed in attack on motorcade

QUITO – Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa escaped unharmed after his motorcade was targeted by stone-hurling protestors and what one minister described as a volley of gunshots Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).

Noboa was inaugurating a water treatment plant in central Ecuador when his motorcade was set on by a large group protesting rising fuel prices.

“About 500 people showed up and were throwing stones at him, and there are obviously bullet marks on the president’s car as well,” said Environment Minister Ines Manzano.

She said that five people were arrested and would stand trial on terrorism charges — an offense carrying a maximum punishment of 30 years behind bars.

“This kind of protests, which are not peaceful, are not what we need,” Manzano added.

Video released by the government, reportedly filmed from inside the motorcade, shows protesters standing in the road, draped in flags, scrambling to collect large stones and bricks.

As the presidential SUV passed, projectiles thudded into the paneling and shattered windows.

Trump talks up Canada trade deal chances with ‘world-class’ Carney

WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would be “very happy” after their trade talks at the White House Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time), but offered no immediate concessions on lifting steep US tariffs.

Striking a friendly tone in the Oval Office, Trump praised Carney as a “world-class leader,” adding that the former central banker was a “nice man” who can also be “very nasty.”

But Carney, who faced pressure at home to get a deal during his second White House visit since taking power in April, left without any firm promises that tariffs would be lifted.

“I think they’re going to walk away very happy,” Trump told reporters, saying that there was “natural conflict” between the two economies, but that they had “come a long way over the last few months.”

Carney said he was confident that

Canada would “get the right deal” from the United States, his country’s main economic partner.

The pair also shared a series of lighthearted moments, even laughing as Trump joked about a Canadian “merger” in a reference to his previous calls for Canada to become the 51st US state.

Despite the jovial tone, Trump and Carney studiously avoided giving any precise details on how they might ease US tariffs on lumber, aluminum, steel and automobiles.

On Monday, the US president announced 25 percent tariffs on all imported heavy trucks starting Nov. 1.

A statement from Carney after the visit indicated there had been little firm agreement, saying only that both leaders recognized there were areas for competition and others where they could work together.

“We’re focused on building these new opportunities,” he said on X. AFP

ones’ return. A UN probe accused last month Israel of genocide in Gaza while rights groups have accused Hamas of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the October 7 attack. Both sides reject the allegations.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters joined pro-Palestinian mass demonstrations in cities across the world last weekend, calling for an immediate end to the war, including in Italy, Spain, Ireland and Britain. Demonstrators in the Netherlands called for their government to recognise a Palestinian state, while tens of thousands in Britain defied Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s calls to skip rallies, holding vigils and gatherings on the Oct. 7 anniversary. AFP

A voice can be heard shouting, “Heads down! Heads down!” as the vehicle sped away. Officials said they were still investigating whether some of the impact marks on Noboa’s armored Chevrolet Suburban were caused by gunfire. The attack came amid days of increasingly violent demonstrations sparked by a government decision to raise diesel prices.

Protestors have gone on strike, blocked roads and abducted 16 soldiers — who were eventually released unharmed. AFP

WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday against Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, calling for him to be investigated for embellishing his military record after the lawmaker clashed with US Attorney General Pam Bondi during a congressional hearing.

“Sanctimonious Richard ‘Da Nang Dick’ Blumenthal, perhaps the biggest ‘joke’ in the United States Senate, is at it again!” Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social.

“’Dick’ lied until the midpoint of his political career, convincing everyone, in particular the Fake News Media, that he was a great ‘War Hero’ who lived on the precipice of death in the jungles of Vietnam,” he wrote in the lengthy post.

“This guy shouldn’t even be in the U.S. Senate. It should be investigated, and Justice should be sought.” Blumenthal has served in the Senate since 2011 from the northeastern state of Connecticut -- which borders Trump’s home state of New York -- and received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War before enlisting in the US Marine Corps in 1970. He never served in Southeast Asia.

The 79-year-old Democrat, who sits on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, got into a fiery exchange with Trump’s top prosecutor Bondi, who also accused the senator of lying about his military service.

Trump apparently compared Blumenthal to disgraced New York congressman George Santos — who was imprisoned on wire fraud and identity theft charges this year — saying the latter’s “lies were nothing compared to those of” Blumenthal’s. Blumenthal issued a statement about his military record remarks during his initial Senate campaign in 2010, saying he had “not been as clear or precise as I should have been about my service in the Marine Corps Reserves,” according to CBS News. AFP

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Briton John Clarke, Frenchman Michel Devoret and American John Martinis won the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for putting quantum mechanics into action and enabling the development of all kinds of digital technology from cellphones to a new generation of computers

The Nobel jury noted that their work had “provided opportunities for developing the next generation of quantum technology, including quantum cryptography, quantum computers and quantum sensors”. Quantum mechanics describes how differently things work on incredibly small scales.

For example, when a normal ball hits a wall, it bounces back. But on the quantum scale, a particle will actually pass straight through a comparable wall — a phenomenon called “tunneling.”

“What these scientists were able to do was to basically do that, but on an electric circuit,” Ulf Danielsson, secretary of the Nobel physics committee and a professor of theoretical physics at Uppsala University, told AFP.

In experiments carried out in the 1980s, the scientists showed that quantum tunnelling can also be observed on a macroscopic scale — involving multiple particles — by using superconductors.

“This prize is awarding an experiment that brings the scale up to the macroscopic scale, scales that we can understand and measure through human standards,” Danielsson said.

“It is also enormously useful, as quantum mechanics is the foundation of all digital technology,” Olle Eriksson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said in a statement. AFP

GLOBAL PRESSURE. Demonstrator wave a flag of the manga ‘One Piece’ during a march demanding an end to attacks on the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territories as part of a national protest in Mexico City on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of protesters joined pro-Palestinian mass demonstrations in cities across the world last weekend, including in Italy,

‘BROKEN PROMISES.’ US President Donald Trump meets with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Manila time. Carney’s meeting comes as he hopes of convincing Trump to ease US tariffs that are negatively impacting Canada’s economy. AFP

TRIO RESEARCHERS. John Clarke (center), an emeritus professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, is interviewed on campus on Wednesday, at a press conference on the campus celebrating his 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics. Briton John Clarke, Frenchman Michel Devoret and American John Martinis won the Nobel Prize in Physics for putting quantum mechanics into action

development of

kinds of digital technology from cellphones to a new generation. AFP

Altas avenge last year’s loss, humble Cardinals for 3-0 start

By Peter Atencio

THE University of Perpetual Help

Dalta Altas found themselves in a familiar situation — but this time, they made sure history didn’t repeat itself.

The Altas turned in a composed and determined performance to notch their third straight win, toppling defending champion Mapua University, 75-65, in the 101st NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the FilOil Arena in San Juan.

John Boral led the way with 15 points as the Altas posted their best start in years. Head coach Olsen Racela couldn’t hide his satisfaction with how his team handled the challenge.

“We’re now 3-0. Better start than 2-0 last year. We were actually in the same situation last year when we lost to Mapua,” Racela said. “I told them I didn’t want a repeat of what happened then.”

That loss—a 65-71 setback—was fresh in the Altas’ memory, but this time they flipped the script to seize the solo lead in Group A, leaving the Cardinals behind at 2-1.

Boral came up big in the final frame, pouring in eight points, including a triple and two free throws, as the Altas broke away from a 65-all deadlock with a 10-point closing run.

Mapua struggled to find its rhythm down the stretch, hitting only four of 17 shots and missing all six of its three-point attempts in the fourth quarter.

“It just so happened we faced the defending champions today,” Racela said. “But I really liked our defensive effort in the second half.”

JC Recto paced the Cardinals with

PH Xiangqi Rapid Open unfolds Oct. 12

THE 5th Zhengxing Cup Philippine Xiangqi Rapid Open Tournament is set to unfold on October 12 and 19, 2025, at the Eastern Athletic Association, Mezzanine, Cathay Mansions Building, Room M-103, 1407 Mayhaligue Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Jointly organized by the Philippine Xiangqi Federation and the Eastern Athletic Association, the two-day event offers a total prize pool highlighted by ₱30,000 for the Group A champion. The Group B overall winner will receive ₱20,000, while the top Filipino and top student player in Group B will earn ₱10,000 each.

“Xiangqi is part of Chinese tradition, and for many years it has been played in the Philippines and around the world. Now, we have an opportunity to raise more awareness for the game,” said Philippine Xiangqi Federation President Chen Peidun. “It is a Chinese game where Filipinos can also excel.”

Echoing the sentiment, International Grandmaster Engr. Asi Ching said, “Just like Wushu—back then it wasn’t very well known, but now we have world champions. The same goes for Xiangqi. In the future, we will have a Filipino world champion.”

Xiangqi Master Jackson Hong also expressed optimism about local players’ potential, saying, “I am very confident that Filipinos have great potential to bring home glory in Xiangqi—a traditional Chinese chess that has long been played in the country.”

Among the early registrants for the tournament are Jan Emmanuel Garcia, Angelo Abundo Young, Edmundo Gatus, Noel Jay Estacio, and Tristan Jared Cervero—all expected to make the competition intense and exciting.

16 points, scoring half of them in the final 10 minutes. Earlier, the Mapua Red Robins pulled off a similar feat in the juniors division, handing the defending champion Perpetual Junior Altas their first loss.

Kean Dungca tallied 13 points, four rebounds, a steal, and a block, while Froilan Reyes added 11 points to steer the Red Robins to a 2-1 record in Group A. With the game tied at 55-all, Gabriel Mercado and Chris Parame

combined for an eight-point burst that gave Mapua control, 63-55, with 6:35 remaining. Hanz Llupar finished with 20 points for the Junior Altas, while Ezekiel Zamoras contributed 15 in a losing effort.

Gentry netfest offers record P2m purse

A GROUNDBREAKING P2 million purse – the richest in Philippine tennis history – will be up for grabs when the Gentry National Tennis Championships fires off tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 9) at the Colegio San Agustin in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. This landmark tournament not only raises the bar in terms of prize money and prestige, but also signals a major leap in support for Philippi ne tennis, drawing a full 64-player draw in the men’s Open singles divi sion alone. Headlining the star-studded field are the country’s top two players –AJ Lim and Eric Jed Olivarez – who are set to lead a power-packed mix of veteran campaigners, rising stars and fearless young guns all eager to battle for supremacy in what is shaping up to be the most anticipated local tennis event of the year. The men’s singles champion will take home a whopping P300,000, while the runner-up receives P150,000. The women’s singles draw is equally competitive, with rising stars Mikaela Vicencio and Tiffany Nocos leading the charge for the P100,000 top prize. The women’s runner-up will receive P50,000.

“This is a major milestone for Philippine tennis,” said tournament organizer Bobby Mangunay, who also serves as Sports Program and Development Director of the PPSPEPP. “The response from players has been overwhelming, and the level of competition we’re expecting truly reflects the importance and magnitude of this tournament.”

For more details, contact 0915-4046464.

The event is backed by Gentry Timepieces, led by Hayb Anzures, in partnership with the Palawan Pawnshop National Tennis Championships. Other event sponsors include Hiessēnce, Purse Maison, Mobile Cart, Primoshine, Sole Avenue, PDAX, Darling’s Fine Jewels, Luxetrust by Amethyst, The Watch Reserve, and Guapo Car Care Solutions. Official balls are provided by Dunlop and Icon.

Imports cleared to see action at PVL Reinforced Conference

THE Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference finally gets into full swing today (Thursday) after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation signed off on the International Transfer Certificates (ITCs) early Wednesday, resolving a tense standoff that had initially stalled the participation of foreign imports.

With the ITCs now cleared, the tournament is primed for smooth sailing, and the anticipation around this year’s import-laced conference has reached a fever pitch. Tuesday’s opening day matches – played exclusively with all-Filipino rosters – were a teaser to the action that lies ahead.

Now, with foreign reinforcements officially cleared to compete, fans can expect the kind of high-intensity, edge-of-your-seat matchups that have become the hallmark of the Reinforced Conference.

The resolution of the ITC issue ensures that all teams can now field their complete lineups, bolstering not just team balance but also the overall quality of play.

The organizing Sports Vision underscored its commitment to fairness and competitive parity by announcing that the two opening-day games – initially played without imports – will be replayed at a later date to give all teams a

CALVIN Oftana and Arvin Tolen-

tino are part of the honor roll of next week’s 31st PBA Press Corps Annual Awards Night at the Novotel Manila.

Oftana is the recipient of the Order of Merit, while Tolentino will be recognized as the Scoring Champion during the Oct. 13 celebration.

The Order of Merit is awarded to the person who garnered the most number of Player of the Week citations for the entire season.

The Scoring Champion, on the other hand, is determined through the highest scoring average of a player for the season.

Oftana of TNT was Player of the Week four times for Season 49, while

fair shot with their full squads.

“We thank our players, teams and supporters for their understanding as we work to uphold the integrity and quality of the PVL matches,” said

Tolentino of NorthPort was the top offensive player with an average of 21.2 points. Incidentally, the two were also recognized in the recent PBA Leo Awards as part of the First Mythical selection along with nine-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, and Robert Bolick.

Oftana played a key role in the Tropang 5G making all of the three conference finals last season, including winning the championship of the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup, respectively. Tolentino for his part, won a first ever Best Player of the Conference award after steering NorthPort to the semifinals of the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup.

possible experience for the fans. This move has been widely praised by fans and stakeholders alike, not only for its emphasis on sportsmanship but also for setting the stage for a tournament unmarred by technical disputes – a fresh start for what promises to be one of the most competitive PVL conferences yet. With the administrative hurdle cleared, all eyes are now on the debut of the league’s powerhouse imports, many of whom bring international pedigree and dynamic skillsets that promise to shake up the standings. If there’s one thing this conference guarantees, it’s unpredictability. With imports adjusting to local systems, unfamiliar team matchups, and the evolving chemistry between local and foreign players, every game feels like a toss-up. Even the most seasoned PVL followers will find it tough to predict outcomes. Galeries Tower’s Jelena Cvijović of Montenegro and Petro Gazz’s Lindsey Vander Weide are set to showcase their skills as they look to lead their respective teams to strong starts in Pool B action. In Pool A, Belgian standout Hélène Rousseaux of Farm Fresh and Nxled’s Paola Martinez will also take center stage in a highly anticipated showdown at the Dasmariñas Arena in Cavite.

Lindsey Vander Weide is ready to lead Petro Gazz

John Boral (right) scored 15 points to lead the UPHSD Altas past Mapua.

Sports Vision in a statement. This decision came after the participating teams agreed to a replay, citing the spirit of fairness, competitive parity and a commitment to providing the best

Calvin Oftana garnered the most number of Player of the Week citations for the entire season.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2025

RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor

RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor

EDGARD HILARIO, Asst. Editor

Adamson guns for 2nd round slot vs. Arellano

ADAMSON University tries to ride the momentum of its dominating debut when it aims for a second-round seat against Arellano University in the 2025 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Preseason Unity Cup on Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Opening serve of the crucial Pool B match is set at 10 a.m., kicking off a busy quadruple-header playdate of the league’s centerpiece tournament, backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R and B Milk Tea.

Flexing their firepower and depth, the Lady Falcons made quick work of listless Jose Rizal University, 25-17, 25-18, 25-16, for a strong start last Sunday.

Ace scorer Shaina Nitura played only in the first set as the SSL National Invitationals Cebu Leg champion’s second stringers, led by Frances Mordi and Red Bascon, took care of the rest.

“We’re really pushing hard and we’re building our chemistry. So, with our starting win, we hope to show more of what we could do, especially dun sa mga second stringers kasi ngayon nagbibigay ng chance. It’s really up to us, and we’re gonna do our part,” Adamson setter Bella Sapienza said.

A win by the Lady Falcons over the Lady Chiefs will also hand idle Far Eastern University (2-0) a free ride into the next round, ending the playoffs race in their group.

An Arellano (1-1) victory, however, will put Adamson in a mustwin match against the Lady Tamaraws in the final preliminary round playdate on Friday. In the event of a three-way tie at 2-1, the two teams with the higher match points will advance to the next stage.

Meanwhile, Ateneo de Manila University looks to join College of Saint Benilde in the next phase when they meet in a Pool D clash at 12 p.m. followed by the 2 p.m. Pool A encounter between four-peat-seeking National University and San Beda University.

FEU denies Adamson sweep, forces V-League winner-take-all

FAR Eastern University refused to bow out, outlasting Adamson University in four sets, 2513, 25-22, 15-25, 25-23, to force a winner-takeall Game 3 in the 2025 V-League Collegiate Challenge Finals on Wednesday at the City of Dasmariñas Arena.

Gerzel Petallo and Kyle Pendon powered the Lady Tamaraws’ offense, stepping up in key stretches to keep their title hopes alive and extend the series to a deciding match in the tournament organized by Sports Vision. The championship showdown now shifts to the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Friday.

laga before pa lang mag-start ‘yung game — strong mentality, winning mentality,” said Petallo.

FEU nearly let a 22-18 lead slip away in the fourth set as Shaina Nitura, Frances Mordi, and Lhouriz Tuddao sparked a 5-1 Adamson run to tie it at 23-all.

But the Lady Falcons faltered in the clutch, with Red Bascon committing a costly service error before Jaz Ellarina came through with a crucial block on Mordi to clinch the hard-fought victory for the Lady Tamaraws after nearly two hours of play.

“Talagang t’yinaga po namin kasi gustong gusto po talaga naming manalo. We wanted this game for ourselves, kaya proper mindset ta-

Petallo, recently hailed as one of the league’s Best Outside Spikers, turned in an all-around effort with 15 points on 11 attacks and four kill blocks, while also tallying 12 excellent digs and 14 excellent receptions. Pendon matched her output with 15 markers built on 12 hits and three kill blocks.

“Pinaghandaan po talaga namin ito — proper mindset lang at paniniwala na kaya namin ayusin ‘yung mga lapses namin,” Petallo added.

Record-breaking turnout highlights 2025 Run For Wellness

RUNNING is more than just a physical activity—it’s a journey toward a healthier body and mind, a sense of community, and personal growth. This was the central message of Run For Wellness 2025, an annual fitness event organized by Southstar Drug and Maxicare Healthcare Corporation, which continues to inspire Filipinos to embrace active, healthier lifestyles.

Now on its latest edition, Run For Wellness 2025 drew a recordbreaking 11,902 participants across two legs, marking the event’s biggest turnout since its inception. The first leg, held on July 22 at UP Diliman in Quezon City, gathered over 9,000 runners, while the second leg in Naga City on September 14 attracted 2,713 participants who took part in the 3K, 5K, and 10K categories. The event welcomed runners from all walks of life—beginners, seasoned athletes, families, barkadas, and fitness groups— celebrating not only physical

to the Naga City Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO). The donation was

Lim captures fourth PCA men’s singles title

ALBERTO “AJ” Lim Jr. once again showcased his dominance on the court, overpowering top rival Jed Olivarez, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, to capture his third consecutive and fourth overall PCA Men’s Singles Open crown in the prestigious PCA Tennis Championships at the Philippine Columbian Association courts in Paco, Manila. In a duel between the tournament’s top two seeds, the 26-year-old Lim was in full command, setting the tone early and fending off Olivarez’s late push to seal the straight-sets victory. The triumph not only reaffirmed Lim’s stature as the country’s top men’s tennis player but also underscored his poise, consistency, and championship mettle.

“We are tremendously proud and filled with joy at AJ Lim’s performance,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President of Unified Tennis Philippines (UTP) and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier. “His dedication, discipline, and heart truly reflect the spirit of Cebuana Lhuillier. To see him rise once more to claim the PCA Open title is a moment of great pride — not only for us, but for Philippine tennis as a whole.” Lim, a proud Cebuana Lhuillier tennis ambassador, pocketed the ₱200,000 top purse for his latest triumph. His first PCA title came in 2015, when he made history as the tournament’s youngest-ever champion at just 16 years old. A decade later, Lim continues to build on that legacy, inspiring a new generation of Filipino tennis hopefuls with his excellence and longevity. Meanwhile, in other results, veterans Johnny Arcilla and Bryan Saarenas captured the men’s doubles crown after outlasting Fritz Chris Verdad and Rolly Saga, 6-3, 5-7, (11-9), while Tennielle Madis dominated Kaye Anne Emana, 6-0, 6-3, to clinch the women’s singles title.

Ellarina chipped in 11 points, while Alyzza Devosora anchored the floor defense with six excellent receptions. Team captain and playmaker Tin Ubaldo dished out 23 excellent sets on top of three points, and Mary Suplico held the fort on defense with 14 excellent digs. The win avenged FEU’s tough 1825, 24-26, 25-23, 23-25 loss in Game 1 last Monday. Newly crowned MVP Shaina Nitura once again led Adamson with a game-high 20 points on 18 attacks, one ace, and one block, on top of 14 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions. Mordi added 13 points and 10 excellent receptions, while Tuddao contributed 12 markers in the loss.

formally received by Mayor Leni Robredo during the awarding ceremonies of the Naga leg.

“The record-high turnout of participants in this year’s Run For Wellness shows how more people are prioritizing their overall health and well-being by integrating running and exercise in their life,” said Raymond Hernandez, Maxicare Chief Customer Officer.

“Aside from unleashing greatness, this is also our way of encouraging Filipinos to take the first step towards a better version of themselves and develop healthier habits in the long run. On top of providing the finest healthcare services, Maxicare supports Filipinos in their journey towards their best life through events like Run For Wellness,” he added.

Beyond the finish line, organizers emphasized that Run For Wellness serves as a starting point—a catalyst for individuals to continue making positive lifestyle changes.

RISING Filipina tennis star Alex

Eala continues her climb up the world rankings as she gears up for the Japan Open scheduled from October 13 to 19. Despite bowing out early at the WTA 125 Suzhou Open in China, Eala still ascended to a career-high ranking of No. 54, moving up four spots from No. 58. The 19-year-old lost a tightly contested match to Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(0), but gained valuable ranking points that contributed to her upward movement.

Her recent participation in the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open also helped her ranking. Although she fell to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, in the opening round of the qualifiers, Eala pocketed two ranking points and $5,260 in prize money.

Eala now turns her focus to the Japan Open, a WTA 250 event that she skipped last year. The tournament presents a bigger stage and tougher competition, featuring a star-studded field that includes Naomi Osaka, Elise Mertens, Iva Jovic, and Lois Boisson. In her last Japan campaign back in 2023, Eala bowed to fellow qualifier Himeno Sakatsume in the first round. This time, she is looking to make a deeper run and continue her steady progress on the WTA Tour. Osaka, one of the tournament’s main attractions, is coming off a hard-fought win at the Wuhan Open, where she rallied from a set down to defeat Fil-Canadian Leylah Fernandez, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. Following her stint in Japan, Eala is set to compete in the Guangzhou Open in China — the second of three WTA 250 tournaments lined up in her Asian swing. It will mark her third consecu-

Maxicare also turned the spotlight on inclusivity by donating ₱50,000

The Lady Tamaraws celebrate after outlasting the Lady Falcons

Run for Wellness 2025 draws record 11,902 participants across two gegs

AJ Lim (center) with Jean Henri Lhuillier (left), president of Uni ed Tennis Philippines (UTP) and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Corruption issue wipes out P1.7t in stock market value

By Jenniffer B. Austria

TSEC chairman Francisco Lim said the recent sell-off was not due to the poor earnings of listed companies but to a deeper breakdown in public trust.

“Investors aren’t fleeing because of weak fundamentals; they’re fleeing because of weak integrity. It’s a stark reminder that corruption is a weapon of mass wealth destruction,” Lim said

in a speech during the 57th Annual FINEX Conference in Makati City.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell to as low as 5,905 in September following the flood control scandal.

The SEC warned that the situation reflects a broader crisis of confidence in the capital markets. “Our stock market is a laggard. Sadly, this

reflects something deeper — a crisis of confidence,” said Lim.

“This is not just a market issue. It’s a trust issue and rebuilding that trust is one of the SEC’s most urgent missions,” he said.

To restore trust, the SEC is strengthening corporate governance through tighter rules for independent directors, making Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) more accessible, reforming the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) and pushing for financial literacy to be taught in schools.

“Each reform we make is a promise that trust will again be our strongest currency, and that every Filipino, not just a few, will share in the nation’s growth,” Lim said.

3.9% 10.7% 50.1 million

Jobless rate in August 2025

HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Wednesday it is working to rebuild investor confidence after a flood control project scandal wiped out P1.7 trillion in market value of listed firms over the past three weeks. Unemployment

Underemployment rate in August

Employed Filipinos in August

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to keep its policy rates unchanged this week before resuming its monetary easing cycle in December, according to Citi.

The BSP’s Monetary Board is scheduled to meet on Thursday for its latest policy review.

Citi noted that the lower-than-expected September inflation reading of 1.7 percent meant that real policy rates would remain somewhat above the BSP’s neutral range of 1.5 percent to 2 percent in the absence of further cuts.

The bank continues to forecast the BSP would resume cuts in December as well as the first quarter of 2026, which would bring the real policy rate firmly to the floor of the 1.5 percent to 2 percent neutral range in 2026.

Citi maintains its view of further two 25-basis-point BSP rate cuts, before the rate reaches a terminal 4.5 percent.

The bank said that mixed economic data and the peso’s underperformance, and its potential inflation impact, would likely lead the BSP to pause in October.

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed that headline inflation rose to 1.7 percent in September from 1.5 percent in August, which was lower than the 1.9 percent expected by Citi and the market consensus.

Core inflation marginally eased to 2.6 percent in September from 2.7 percent in August, remaining in the lower half of the BSP’s 2 percent to 4 percent inflation target range.

By Othel V. Campos

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will push through with the implementation of the Philippine Trustmark system for online sellers, Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said Wednesday, despite facing concerns from some lawmakers about the new verification program.

Roque said the program is necessary to protect both legitimate online sellers and consumers from fraud, while ensuring a safer

digital marketplace. She said the Philippines is among the strongest e-commerce markets in Asia, but also one facing significant risks from online fraud.

“I really don’t see any problem with the Trustmark. It benefits both sellers and consumers,” Roque said at the sidelines of the 2025 Business Summit organized by the Federation of Filipino Industries.

The Trustmark is a verification badge that online businesses can apply for through the DTI to prove

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) expects to release its 2025 Noche Buena Suggested Retail Price (SRP) guide within the next two weeks, with ongoing talks to prevent price increases on holiday staples despite inflationary pressures.

DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said that while some manufacturers had submitted requests for their usual yearly price adjustments, others agreed to either hold off on increases or even roll back prices for select products, including ham.

“Some have already agreed to no price increase, and one company producing ham will even implement a rollback,” Roque said in an interview at the sidelines of the 2025 Business Summit organized by the Federation of Philippine Industries.

She said she is “still finalizing

their legitimacy. Roque said micro enterprises could obtain the trust mark for free, contrary to some reports suggesting a P1,000 fee.

“If I’m a micro enterprise with assets from P10 all the way to P3 million, the trust mark is free. For small enterprises with assets between P3 million and P10 million, the fee is only P5,000,” she said.

Roque said even multinational companies selling online are required to secure the Trustmark at a minimal cost of P1,000 per month.

discussions with the others, so that once we release the SRP list, it will be complete and not piecemeal.” Roque has asked manufacturers to consider the impact of recent natural disasters and rising consumer prices before making any price movements this year, even though they typically seek annual adjustments due to changes in production costs.

“Usually, every year they request an increase, and there are always reasons for it. But this time, we also have our own reasons for asking them not to - because we want to protect consumers given everything that’s happening,” she said.

The DTI’s Noche Buena SRP guide covers staple holiday items such as ham, queso de bola, fruit cocktail, spaghetti noodles and tomato sauce, among others. Othel V. Campos

By Thony Rose Lesaca, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz

employed persons seeking additional hours or work, also eased to 10.7 percent in August 2025 from 11.2 percent a year ago and 14.8 percent in July 2025. This means 5.38 million of the 50.10 million employed individuals desired more work hours in August 2025.

The Department of Economy, Planning,and Development (DEPDev) said these results reflected a strong labor market performance.

“These positive labor market indicators reflect our collective effort to sustain economic growth while ensuring that more Filipinos benefit from it. We are working to generate not just jobs, but quality jobs that will raise incomes, reduce underemployment, and improve the overall well-being of our people,” said DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Malacañang cited the administration’s push to sustain momentum in employment growth, saying this reflects the ongoing government efforts to improve livelihood across the country.

“The government does not stop, and neither does our President in raising the livelihood of every Filipino,” Castro said.

Castro said the administration would continue building on this momentum to generate more jobs nationwide.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it would actively implement and scale up its pre-employment and internship programs to equip Filipino youth with real-life experiences, practical skills, and essential work ethics.

CONTRACT

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Eduardo Jose Aliño (second from right) and Subic Bay

International Terminal (SBIT) chairman and president Christian Martin Gonzales (third from right), together with SBIT vice chairman

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2025

PH stocks rise ahead of BSP rate decision, peso stronger at 57.95

THE local stock barometer edged higher for the second straight trading day ahead of Thursday’s Monetary Board policy meeting.

The main-share Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) added 14.91 points, or 0.25 percent, to 6,098.74, while the wider all shares index climbed 11.43 points, or 0.31 percent, to 3,684.65.

The peso further strengthened to 57.95 against the U.S. dollar Wednesday from 58.1 on Tuesday.

“The PSEi continued to move upward as buying pressure supported the market’s momentum,” Regina Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan said.

“Investors remained optimistic ahead of the BSP’s upcoming interest rate decision, taking cues from the latest inflation data, which came in below the central bank’s target range,” he said.

Citi, however, expects the BSP to pause in the October policy meeting.

“Looking ahead, macro data so far shows a mixed picture on growth, which probably will lead BSP to pause in the Oct. policy meeting. PHP underperformance, and its potential inflation impact, may also be an additional hurdle to cut,” Citi said.

Four of six sectoral indexes ended higher. Mining and oil jumped 4.91 percent as gold prices hit a new alltime high. Services also went up by 2.10 percent.

On the other hand, financials declined by 1.09 percent and property by 0.57 percent.

Market turnover amounted to P5.24 billion. Market breadth was positive with 94 gainers versus 92 decliners, with 65 stocks closing unchanged.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Alfamart PH opens for franchising to expand store network

By Jenniffer B. Austria

ALFAMART Philippines, the minimart chain under the SM Group, has launched a franchising program to aggressively expand its store network nationwide and offer new business opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

SM Investments Corp. said Wednesday in a statement that the move “reflects the SM Group’s commitment to inclusive growth and entrepreneurship.”

“By allowing tenants to evolve into franchisees, Alfamart is enabling MSMEs to scale alongside its own

expansion, strengthening local communities and livelihoods,” said Alfamart Philippines chief operating officer Harvey Ong.

The franchising pilot began in Laguna with two franchise-owned stores. The first store was launched in partnership with Leovino Datario, a longtime Alfamart lessor. The second was established with Arles Uy Jr., owner of AAU Corp., which operates 15 Express Clean laundromat branches located next to Alfamart stores.

Alfamart was operating 2,337 stores across the Philippines as of end-September 2025. The retail

chain earlier reported plans to open 200 stores in Luzon this year.

Alfamart Philippines is a joint venture between SM and Alfamart, one of Indonesia’s leading retailers with more than 21,000 minimarts.

Alfamart celebrated its 10th anniversary in the Philippines last year and has a presence in 11 provinces, including Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Pangasinan and Zambales.

Alfamart, part of SM’s retail food business, combines the convenience of a neighborhood store with the variety of a supermarket.

WHAT was supposed to be a swift transition to a stable electricity supply has turned into a tug-of-war, with hapless consumers finding themselves on the receiving end of the impasse. Davao Light and Power Co. of the Aboitiz Group is the beneficiary of Republic Act 12144 that lapsed into law in April this year. The law aims to put an end to power outages in the townships of Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro, along with Tagum City and Island Garden City of Samal covered by the franchise of Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco). RA 12144 effectively stripped Nordeco of its service rights over an estimated 80,000 households and business establishments in the cities of Tagum and Samal, along with the municipalities of Asuncion, Kapalong, New Corella, San Isidro and Talaingod in Davao del Norte; and Compostela, Laak, Mabini, Maco, Maragusan, Mawab, Monkayo, Montevista, Nabunturan, New Bataan, and Pantukan in Davao de Oro.

The law gave Davao Light and Power the authority to take over Nordeco’s franchise covering the said communities after the latter’s poor performance that resulted resulted in persistent brownouts and blackouts.

Executing the new law, however, is easier said than done. Nordeco filed an appeal with the Supreme Court (SC) questioning the legality of its impending loss of business in favor of Davao Light.

The High Court has not yet resolved the legal issue. That means electricity consumers in Nordeco’s old franchise will continue to grope

in the dark and bear brownouts and power outages until the SC put clarity on RA 12144.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), of course, can resolve the standoff quickly by granting a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to Davao Light. This would allow the company to take over Nordeco’s franchise area.

Davao Light, in the meantime, has done some spade works preparatory to the expansion of its franchise area. The utility just had a ceremonial installation of 45 new poles over its new franchise areas.

Davao Light also broke ground on a digital substation and warehouse site in Tagum partly in fulfillment of its mandate under RA 12144.

Ending the power woes of the twin Davao provinces is not even close to ultimately resolving outages across the country.

The recent power outage in Boracay last week highlighted the role of power infrastructure or distribution system in the energy sector.

Being naturally archipelagic, numerous islands and landlocked provinces are likewise suffering persistent brownouts. Among them are Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, and Siargao.

Focus group discussions conducted by energy consumer group ILAW in these areas revealed deep frustration among consumers and business owners, particularly in the hospitality and food industries.

The participants expressed dismay over Siargao Electric Cooperative (Siarelco) and the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative

ACEN infuses P1.9b to unit for solar plant

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ACEN Corp. on Wednesday said it has subscribed to additional preferred shares of subsidiary Natures Renewable Dev’t Corp. (NAREDCO) valued at P1.9 billion.

ACEN disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange that it subscribed to 419,690 redeemable preferred shares C of NAREDCO at a subscription price of P4,527.16per share, equivalent to 22 percent of the total outstanding shares of the company subject to the transaction.

“ACEN’s infusion of cash to NAREDCO will enable NAREDCO, its subsidiary, to have funds to service its loans and operating expenses,” it said.

NAREDCO is a joint venture between ACEN (60 percent) and Cleantech Renewable Energy 4 Corp. (40 percent) engaged in the development and operation of the 133.464-megawatt-peak Cagayan Solar Power Plant, which commenced commercial operations in October 2024.

ACEN said the amount of consideration was determined based on mutual agreement of the parties.

ACEN has been increasing its stake in NAREDCO in the past years as the company aims to reach 20,000 MW of capacity.

ACEN, the renewable energy arm of the Ayala group, currently has about 7,000 MW of attributable renewable energy capacity spanning

The Energy Regulatory Commission, of course, can resolve the standoff quickly

(Omeco), rating their service and performance as subpar.

Siarelco received an average rating of 4.6, with some businesses rating it as low as 1. The island experiences frequent power outages and voltage fluctuations, leading to equipment damage and business losses of up to P100,000 per blackout incident.

Based on National Electrification Administration’s compliance report for electric cooperatives, Siarelco’s System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) and System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) in the first quarter of 2025 were pegged at 1.67 and 101.79 minutes, respectively. It also has a system loss of 1,726 megawatt-hours or 8.24 percent.

The SAIDI determines the total duration of power interruption for an average consumer over a certain period of time. The SAIFI indicates the total number of times an average consumer experiences power interruption over a certain period

Ormeco was rated 4.5 out of 10, with businesses in Puerto Galera complaining about unannounced power outages, lack of infrastructure investment and frequent disruptions that forced establishments to issue customer refunds or slash prices.

projects in operation, under construction and with signed agreements In 2023, ACEN subscribed to 44,990 redeemable preferred shares A with a par value of P2,820.51 per share, or an aggregate par value of P126.89 million, and 32,720 redeemable preferred shares C with a par value of P2,585.55 per share, or an aggregate par value ofP 84.599 million, in NAREDCO.

The transaction is equivalent to ACEN owning an additional 5.09 percent stake in NAREDCO following the subscription of a total of 77,710 redeemable preferred shares. ACEN subscribed to 275,000 RPS A (with a par value of P2,820.51) and 200,000 RPS C (with a par value of P2,585.55 ) shares of NAREDCO for P1.29 billion in August 2022. In November 2022, ACEN subscribed to 57,750 RPS A (with a par value of P2,820.51) and 42,000 RPS C (with a par value of P2,585.55 ) shares of NAREDCO for P271.477 million. ACEN also subscribed to 309,700 RPS A shares (with a par value of P2,820.51) and 225,240 RPS C shares (with a par value of P2,585.55 ) shares of NAREDCO for P1.455 billion in December 2022.

Small-scale electric cooperatives may have outlived their usefulness, given the increasing electricity demand from an expanding population and technology advances.

The ERC, meanwhile, will play a key role in speeding up the resolution pending issues relative to electricity distribution. The regulator vowed to adopt summary proceedings for certain types of applications deemed critical to ensuring the quality, reliability and affordability of electricity supply nationwide.

The ERC said the move aimed to speed up the government’s target of achieving total electrification across the country.

ERC chairman Francis Saturnino Juan said the initiative reflects the commission’s drive toward faster and more efficient regulation, in line with its vision of a “new ERC.”

“We will do everything we can to accelerate the resolution of applications filed before the ERC. Streamlining our processes is key to fulfilling our commitment to a more responsive and revitalized ERC,” Juan said.

ERC’s response is timely given the sad state of electricity distribution in the countryside.

As I have cited in my previous column, insufficient power supply across the Philippines and the high cost of acquiring electricity are critical issues that prevent the country from achieving an inclusive economy.

Electricity consumers deserve a break.

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

2 Davao provinces held hostage by power row

URC’S AWARDS. Universal Robina Corp. (URC) receives the award as one of the Philippines’ largest—was named one of Asia’s Best Companies to Work for by HR Asia for a third straight year. Joining the ceremonies are (from left) Louisa Tagulinao, associate for early careers and corporate communications, John Albert Ampil, group manager, talent Acquisition for Total Rewards, and Employee Experience, and Datuk William Ng, chairman and managing director of Audience Analytics Ltd.

Alfamart Philippines, the minimart chain of the SM group, opens a store in Chrysanthemum Village in San Pedro, Laguna with Alfamart chief operating officer Harvey Ong and Leovino Datario, the first franchisee of Alfamart, and wife Doris Datario. As of endSeptember, Alfamart has expanded to 2,337 stores nationwide.

BUSINESS

BOC: Rice import ban could cost up to P12-b revenue

By Othel V. Campos

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) expects potential foregone revenues of up to P12 billion should the suspension of rice imports extend until the end of 2025, Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said on the sidelines of the 2025 Business Summit organized by the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI).

Nepomuceno said the import suspension, while beneficial in stabilizing local supply and prices, would significantly affect the agency’s revenue performance.

“For rice, our foregone revenues, assuming a 60-day suspension, would reach P6 billion to P8 billion. If it extends to three months, that could reach about P12 billion. Of course, we cooperate because the country has other benefits from that ban, but from the BOC’s point of view, that’s our foregone revenue,” he said.

Despite the potential shortfall, Nepomuceno expressed confidence that the agency could still meet its P990-billion full-year collection target through enhanced efficiency measures and stronger coordination with the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

“We regularly meet with Secretary Ralph Recto and the BIR so that our direction is aligned, especially in ongoing investigations. We compare notes and share documents to avoid overlap and ensure complementation,” he said, noting the tax collection in July 2025 reached P1.4 billion,

DOTr

unveils two accessible, safer PUV stops in Marikina

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Department of Transportation

(DOTr) has unveiled two new, modern Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) stops in Marikina City designed to prioritize accessibility and safety for all commuters.

These new stops—located at Concepcion Elementary School and San Roque Park—offer better facilities for persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, pregnant passengers and cyclists.

The DOTr funded the construction, which includes both the PUV stops and End-of-Trip Cycling Facilities, in line with the President’s directive to make daily travel more comfortable and safer for commuters.

“This will be our template for PUV terminals because the president’s order is to ease and make the journey of our commuters safe and of course comfortable,”

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said.

Each PUV stop features benches for general commuters, designated seats for PWDs, pregnant passengers and senior citizens.

The acting transport chief added the PUV stops are also equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, a lighting system, concrete bollards, tactile pavement for the visually impaired, charging stations, solar panels and a bike repair station.

Bike map panels are likewise integrated into the PUV stops to promote sustainability and encourage active transport.

“There is a bike repair station here so for those who have bicycles, you can fix them. We just ask that you do not take the tools here so that others can still use them,” Lopez said.

the highest monthly collection so far.

Meanwhile, Nepomuceno added that discussions with the DOF and other agencies, including the Department of Justice, are underway to coordinate on the investigation of major contractors and importers suspected of irregularities.

Results of these talks may be known next week, he said, depending on additional directives from the DOF.

On the matter of anti-dumping measures, the BOC chief noted that the entry of zero-duty imported goods also affects the agency’s collection performance.

“For example, zero taxes and duties on imported items from the U.S. translate to over P30 billion in foregone revenues using last year’s data. We’re studying where we can recover these losses by strengthening collection efficiencies in other areas,” he said.

Nepomuceno said the BOC remains “optimistic but cautious,” noting that the outcome of the rice import suspension and other trade policies will determine the bureau’s fiscal performance for the rest of the year.

FPI, BOC agree to

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) renewed its cooperation with the Federation of Philippine Industries, Inc. (FPI) through a new memorandum of agreement (MOA) that seeks to intensify efforts against smuggling, undervaluation and unfair trade practices across major ports in the country.

Signed by Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno and FPI chairperson Elizabeth Lee, the agreement updates and strengthens the previous 2010 partnership between the two institutions by expanding monitoring coverage, improving coordination and making technical inspection findings more actionable.

Under the new MOA, the BOC will accredit FPI’s industry technical experts (ITEs) to assist in inspecting high-risk shipments, ensuring compliance with the Philippine National

intensify anti-smuggling efforts

Standards (PNS) and other trade regulations.

The BOC also committed to acting on official ITE reports within seven days and to sharing non-classified shipment data with FPI to enhance risk profiling.

The agreement extends cooperation to all high-risk tariff lines and across major ports, including Manila, Cebu, Davao, Subic and Batangas. It also provides for the creation of a joint monitoring committee, which will convene quarterly to assess implementation, track performance and publish annual reports highlighting accomplishments and compliance results.

Meanwhile, FPI will deploy qualified technical experts nationwide to support customs inspections and submit timely reports. It also commits to uphold integrity and confidentiality

standards and to disclose any conflicts of interest among its experts.

Safeguards in the agreement include strict data privacy and confidentiality provisions, limitations on ITE authority to purely advisory roles and sanctions for violations of integrity and data security requirements.

The BOC retains exclusive authority over decisions on shipment seizure, forfeiture or release under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

The MOA will remain in effect for three years and may be renewed upon mutual consent, as both parties agreed to continue discussions on other trade and enforcement issues, including real-time access to import manifests, anti-smuggling legislation and data on ongoing smuggling cases.

Othel V. Campos

Honda PH sold over 1m motorcycles in 12 months

HONDA Philippines Inc. (HPI), the country’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, has surpassed one million cumulative retail sales in the Philippines over a 12-month period, reinforcing its market leadership in the two-wheel industry.

The company achieved the milestone between October 2024 and September 2025, underscoring its commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable motorcycles to the Filipino market.

“This milestone is not just a reflection of our sales success, but also of the strong bond we’ve built with our Riders through the years,” said HPI president Takeshi Kobayashi.

“HPI remains committed to introducing innovative and reliable motorcycles that match the lifestyle and aspirations of Filipinos,” he said.

The achievement was fueled by the popularity of five key Honda models. Four of these models—the CLICK125, BeAT, XRM125 and TMX 125 Alpha—are locally manufactured in the Philippines.

In the automatic category, the CLICK125 and the compact, lightweight BeAT have proven popular with urban and younger riders. For adventure seekers, the ADV160 combines powerful performance with advanced safety features.

The iconic XRM125 continues to dominate the underbone category for its versatility on both rural and urban roads, while the durable and fuel-efficient TMX125 Alpha remains a trusted choice for work and business.

Sako Pilipinas opens new packaging facility inside CEZ

SAKO Pilipinas, Inc., a leading provider of quality and sustainable packaging solutions, has inaugurated a new 1,000-square-meter warehousing and production facility inside the Cavite Economic Zone to strengthen its local manufacturing capabilities.

“This new facility underscores our commitment to provide reliable and tailored packaging solutions that support the country’s manufacturing sector. Sako Pilipinas combines global expertise with a local, sustainable approach to ensure that our packaging solutions meet what the local market needs,” said Sako Pilipinas chief executive Erny Yu.

The expansion is expected to boost the company’s capacity to support growing demand for its packaging products, which already exceed 22 million units annually.

A subsidiary of Hong Kong-based SSG Limited, Sako Pilipinas offers diverse packaging solutions for a wide range of commodities and manufactured goods. Its multipurpose woven and polypropylene sacks are used for rice, fertilizers, feeds, sand, gravel, detergent and other industrial products.

Established in 2006, the company also partly sources raw materials from recycled sacks and packaging,

reflecting its commitment to sustainable and responsible manufacturing practices. The expansion comes as the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) reports a 34% rise in investment approvals in the first nine

months of the year, covering 215 projects worth P154.7 billion. The investments, which already account for 62 percent of PEZA’s annual target, are projected to generate more than 10,000 jobs. Othel V. Campos

Shindoh and vice president Noel Aquino, with team members from both companies as witnesses.

SUSTAINABLE DINING. A buffet spread at Taal Vista Hotel reminds diners to ‘Take only what you can eat,’ part of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp.’s Plate for the Planet initiative that reduces food waste and promotes sustainable dining practices.

OSG VISIT. Clark Development Corp. president and chief executive Agnes VST Devanadera (center) welcome Assistant Solicitor General Karen Ong (second, left) and ASG Angelita Villanueva Miranda (second, right) during their official visit to CDC. Joining her was CDC vice president for legal affairs, Gloria Victoria Taruc (rightmost) and assistant vice president for administration Bonifacio Tarenio Jr. (leftmost). (CDC Photo)

BPI economist warns of emerging price pressures

By Thony Rose Lesaca

A BANK economist warned that price pressures may become more evident in the coming months as favorable base effects fade and rice import restrictions limit further price declines.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that inflation slightly accelerated to 1.7 percent in September from 1.5 percent in August 2025, but remained below market expectations of 1.9 percent. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, also eased from 2.7 percent to 2.6 percent.

ERC drafting new rules for energy storage

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Energy Regulatory Commission

(ERC) is finalizing new rules for energy storage systems (ESS) that will define the market for the next decade, with the goal of integrating more renewable energy into the country’s grid.

ERC Chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan said the commission is deliberating on the draft rules to enable fair market access for storage, whether it is classified as a generation asset, a transmission asset, a distribution asset or simply an asset or device.

The regulations will also establish clear guidelines on ownership models, connection agreements and safety standards.

“We need regulations that recognize the unique, multi-faceted value of ESS. We need frameworks that enable fair market access for storage... We need clear guidelines on ownership models, connection agreements, and safety standards,” Juan said in his speech at the Energy Storage Summit Asia 2025. Juan cited the vital role of ESS in efficiently and reliably integrating renewable energy into the generation mix and unlocking a resilient, decarbonized future.

“Renewable energy without proper storage is a vulnerability masked as advancement. For the Philippines, with its network of isolated grids, reliance on lengthy fuel supply chains, and susceptibility to climate-related disruptions, the implications are even more significant,” he said.

Average inflation stood at 1.7 percent, with core inflation averaging 2.4 over the past nine months.

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) lead economist Jun Neri said the latest inflation figures remain generally manageable, with marginal changes recorded in the previous month.

“Looking ahead, risks to inflation remain skewed to the upside. With favorable base effects fading and the extension of rice import restrictions likely limiting further price declines, inflationary pressures may become more evident in the coming months,” Neri said.

He said inflation for certain food items such as vegetables may remain

elevated due to supply disruptions caused by typhoons. However, these price pressures could be tempered by imports from China, especially those redirected from the United States.

“Inflation will likely stay close to two percent for the rest of the year, but it could climb to three-point-five percent by mid-2026 and approach four percent by the third quarter,” he said.

Neri said that with inflation likely to pick up in the coming months, monetary easing may slow down, as cutting rates aggressively could leave the economy vulnerable to inflation shocks.

DOE: All electric vehicles exempt from NCR coding

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday reiterated that all electric vehicles (EVs) are automatically exempted from the Metro Manila traffic coding scheme, commonly known as the number coding program, for an eight-year period.

The DOE issued the statement to clarify an advisory from the Philippine National Police–Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) dated Oct. 7, 2025, which suggested EV owners needed to secure DOE certification to qualify for the exemption.

The DOE said that no such certification is required because the exemption is mandated under Republic Act No. 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA).

Section 25(a)(2) of the said law grants an eight-year exemption from the mandatory unified vehicular volume reduction program implemented by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and other relevant agencies, it said.

The exemption is based on the recognized EV models listed on the EV Industry Portal at www. evindustry.ph.

Mets Cold Storage taps First Gen’s geothermal power

FIRST Gen Corp. said Wednesday it will supply Mets Cold Storage Services Inc.’s facility in Cagayan de Oro City with geothermal capacity, supporting the company’s shift toward more sustainable operations.

The power supply agreement, signed on Oct. 3, 2025, covers a demand of up to 2,050 kilowatts to support the expansion of the facility, located in Tablon, Cagayan de Oro. The facility has a capacity of over 7,100 metric tons of cold storage space.

The geothermal power will be sourced from the Mt. Apo Geothermal Power Plant in Cotabato, which is owned and operated by Energy Development Corp. (EDC), a subsidiary of First Gen.

IPOPHL orders ISPs to block websites illegally streaming Vivamax movies

By Othel V. Campos

THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to block multiple websites found illegally streaming Filipino movies as part of its intensified crackdown on online piracy.

The agency said it issued two siteblocking requests targeting platforms that carried pirated content from Viva Communications Inc. and its streaming services Vivamax and Viva One. It said the first request covered 13 Freecine-related sites, including freecineplus.com and freecine.ph, after Viva reported that the platform had been offering copyrighted titles such as Bedspace, Dilig, and Room Service without license or authorization. The second blocking request was

filed against Asyaminik (asyaminik. com), which allegedly hosted Viva One titles, including Chasing in the Wild and Safe Skies Archer, and allowed full copies of the films to be downloaded for offline viewing, a clear violation of Viva’s intellectual property rights. Both actions were implemented by IPOPHL’s enforcement division under Memorandum Circular No. 23-025, or the Rules on Voluntary Administrative Site Blocking, which enables prompt cooperation between the agency and ISPs in curbing online piracy.

“IPOPHL’s ongoing anti-piracy drive signals our continued commitment to protecting the intellectual property rights of the Philippine creative industries, which serve as a vital driver of our economy,” said IPOPHL acting director-general Nathaniel Arevalo.

“Cold storage is critical for ensuring safety and sanitation across the supply chain for food and even medicines. We are committed to partnering with Mets to ensure they can power their cold storage operations sustainably with a steady supply of RE,” said First Gen assistant vice president and head of sales and engagement Arlene Sy-Soriano.

“We are pleased to partner with First Gen to reduce the energy intensity of our cold storage operations. This move will reduce not just our energy cost but our carbon footprint as well, while providing stable power supply,” said Mets chief operating officer Donna Robles. Mets, founded in 2010, has cold storage facilities in Cavite, Bulacan,

Cebu and Cagayan de Oro with over 100,000 pallet positions that can cater to various cold storage solutions.

The First Gen group has a total capacity of 1,200 megawatts of geothermal energy. Its renewable energy (RE) portfolio also includes hydro, wind, and solar, with over 400 MW of installed capacity.

First Gen, in partnership with Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. of the Razon Group, also operates four gas-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 2,017 MW.

These facilities support baseload requirements and help offset the intermittency of renewable sources, playing a vital role in stabilizing power supply and enhancing energy security.

Alena Mae S. Flores

To support the implementation of these non-fiscal incentives, the DOE issued Department Circular No. DC2023-05-0012, as amended by DC2025-09-0015, which are the Electric Vehicle Recognition Guidelines.

The circular establishes the process for recognizing and classifying EVs, including battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and light electric vehicles (LEVs).

The DOE affirmed its commitment to collaborating with partner agencies like the Land Transportation Office (LTO), MMDA, PNP–HPG and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to promote the country’s transition toward sustainable and low emission mobility. Vince Lopez

IN BRIEF

left) Jeffrey Lariosa, grand champion; Vincent Rosales, first runner-up; RC Tiongson, COO of The Bistro Group; and Mary Sheane Del Rosario, second runner-up.

FFCCCII backs anti-smuggling reforms

By Julie Ann Lope

THE Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) led by its president Victor Lim expressed the organization’s full support and willingness to cooperate closely with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to strengthen efforts in combating smuggling.

Lim said a more transparent and fair Customs system benefits not only legitimately operating businesses but also the overall development of the Philippine economy.

He said that for a long time, lawabiding enterprises have been deeply troubled by smuggling activities.

The influx of illegal products into the market disrupts fair competition and causes significant losses in government tax revenues.

Lim commended BOC

Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno’s reform initiatives, particularly those aimed at regulating conflicts of interest, enforcing a strict no-take policy and strengthening measures

for the self-declaration of individual income.

Nepomuceno reported that the BOC recently seized various smuggled goods worth P2.39 billion.

He said the reform plan seeks not only to curb corruption but also to establish a systemic environment that fosters the growth of legitimate businesses.

As several past reform efforts within the BOC have failed due to internal resistance and entrenched interests, FFCCCII urged the BOC to build a genuine partnership with the business community to ensure the success and sustainability of its current reform measures.

Anboer opens curtain, fabric center in Binondo

By Michael Wong Ho

WORLD famous soft decoration

brand Anboer held a grand opening and blessing ceremony of its Designer Soft Decoration Curtain and Fabric Center at the 5th floor of the Philippine Song and Teh Family Association Building in Binondo, Manila on Oct. 1, 2025.

Hundreds of guests including the center’s shareholders, leaders of the Filipino-Chinese community,

PSC,

FCAAF forge

representatives from provincial associations and friends from various sectors attended the event and witnessed the launch of what Anboer described as the beginning of soft decoration aesthetics entering the Philippines.

According to Anboer chief executive Wu Xuan Heng, the center marks the brand’s entry into the Philippine market and its goal to bring new vitality to the local interior design industry.

He said the company combines

Executives of Anboer hold a grand opening and blessing ceremony of its Designer Soft Decoration Curtain and Fabric Center at the 5th floor of the

Business group boosts support for Lucena schools

FEDERATION of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) vice president and supervisor of the culture and education committee Co Kin Hung visited three Filipino-Chinese schools in Lucena City, Quezon province on Oct. 3, 2025 to learn about their operations and convey the business group’s continued concern and support for local education.

Hung attended the 65th founding anniversary of Holy Rosary Catholic School, where he observed the school’s Ten Minutes Mandarin Time program.

He also joined the Teacher’s Festival celebration at Philippine Tong Ho Institute and later visited the Harmony Christian Education Foundation.

art and practicality by offering a professional team to assist clients in planning and matching soft decorations.

The center also provides comprehensive services, including door-to-door installation, dismantling and washing.

Wu affirmed that the brand would uphold its core philosophy of Craftsmanship in Design, Quality in Living to deliver world-class interior soft furnishing solutions.

closer partnership in sports development

THE Filipino Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation (FCAAF) led by its president She Yi Jing, executive vice president William Castro, vice president Hong Jin Ming and several directors paid a courtesy visit to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

They were warmly welcomed by PSC chairman John Patrick Gregorio and two commissioners, who expressed appreciation for FCAAF’s continuous efforts in supporting sports development in the Filipino-Chinese community.

Gregorio cited his concern for promoting sports disciplines where the Chinese community has shown strong performance and interest, such as martial arts, table tennis, swimming and track and field.

She presented FCAAF’s current programs, challenges and requests for support, particularly in securing more training venues and equipment for swimming and track and field.

Gregorio shared several possible areas of cooperation, including sending elite Filipino athletes to China for advanced training.

FCAAF has already achieved notable results through its partnership with the Xiamen City Bureau of Sports, where more than ten Filipino Chinese athletes in track and field, table tennis and swimming have joined the Philippine national teams.

Some of the athletes are set to represent the country in the upcoming ASEAN Games in December 2025.

Both PSC and FCAAF agreed to pursue closer collaboration in developing local sports talents.

FCAAF said it would continue to assist in sending more Filipino athletes to study and train in China under the cooperation framework. Michael Wong Ho

During his visits, he met with school administrators to discuss their challenges and needs in providing quality education.

Hung also interacted with students receiving the Filipino-Chinese Students Lost Allowance, encouraging them to study Mandarin diligently.

He introduced several ongoing FFCCCII cooperation projects with China, including the 1+2+1 Master Class Advanced Course for Filipino-Chinese teachers, conducted in partnership with the Mandarin College of Quanzhou Huaqiao University; the Innovative Talents Class, which offers outstanding students opportunities to pursue hightechnology programs at Huaqiao University; and the Innovative Talents Class – Xiamen Seminar, launched in April 2025, where 48 students and their parents participated in an 11day research and study program on the new energy industry in Xiamen, Fuzhou, and Ningde.

He also reaffirmed FFCCCII’s commitment to the Filipino-Chinese Teachers Medical Allowance Program and encouraged qualified teachers to apply.

Hung also urged educators to embrace and integrate artificial intelligence (AI) in Mandarin teaching to improve learning outcomes and keep pace with modern educational trends. Julie Ann Lope

Lipa Filipino-Chinese Chamber inducts 2025-2027 officers

THE Lipa Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. held an induction ceremony of its 2025–2027 officers on Sept. 28, 2025 at the Blue Diamond Hotel in Lipa City, Batangas.

Zhu Zhi Wei was elected as the new president of the organization. Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) vice president Delfin Letran attended the event and supervised the oath-taking ceremony.

Letran said the Philippine government’s business-friendly policies, coupled with the goodwill and support of the Filipino people toward the Chinese community, have helped create a stable and favorable business environment for Filipino-Chinese enterprises.

He also underscored the importance of community involvement, urging chamber members to continue supporting local initiatives and participate in relief efforts for communities affected by recent typhoons Michael Wong Ho

The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) led by its president Victor

Lim (right) expresses the organization’s full support to cooperate closely with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) led by

Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno (center) to strengthen efforts in combating smuggling.

Philippine Song and Teh Family Association Building in Binondo, Manila on Oct. 1, 2025.

FFCCCII vice president and supervisor of the culture and education committee Co Kin Hung visits three Filipino-Chinese schools in Lucena City, Quezon province on Oct. 3, 2025.

The Lipa Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. holds an induction ceremony of its 2025–2027 officers on Sept. 28, 2025 at the Blue Diamond Hotel in Lipa City, Batangas.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2025

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

NICKIE WANG, Editor

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

JASPER VALDEZ, Writer

KLP48’s Mashiro joins global group Quadlips

RISING Japanese performer Mashiro from KLP48 has officially joined Quadlips , the multinational girl group under A-Nexus Inc., the company announced on the group’s social media pages on Oct. 1. Mashiro, who hails from Nara Prefecture, Japan, represents the second generation of KLP48 in Kuala Lumpur. Her addition marks another milestone for Quadlips as it continues to expand its diverse lineup of Asian artists.

Formed in 2023 as the global unit of the AKB48 Group, Quadlips unites standout members from its sister groups across Asia. The group currently includes Feni from JKT48 , Cole from MNL48, Fame from BNK48, and now Mashiro, who brings fresh energy to the ensemble.

Mashiro’s entry was first revealed during Japan’s Oshi Tera Idol Matsuri event in September. A-Nexus said her talent and stage presence would

“enrich the group’s performance repertoire and deepen their global connection with fans.”

“I’m incredibly grateful for this chance and can’t wait to share my passion for music and performance with fans around the world,” Mashiro said. “I look forward to collaborating with Feni, Cole, and Fame to create unforgettable experiences together.”

debuted in the Philippines in August. The group is set to make a series of TV and radio appearances, with mall shows and fan meet-and-greet events scheduled in the coming months.

Quadlips is currently promoting its latest single, IDGA , which

Alessandra de Rossi

Formed under the AKB48 Group umbrella, Quadlips is the first unit

By Jasper Valdez

ALESSANDRA de Rossi goes where no local filmmaker has gone before. In Everyone Knows Every Juan, she directs and stars in a story told in one continuous take—a first of its kind in Philippine cinema.

sequence, precision was crucial. From dialogue to camera movement, nothing could be out of place. One wrong line or step could send the cast and crew back to the beginning.

Veteran actress and director Gina Alajar said the format pushed everyone out of their comfort zones.

“We only had two days to rehearse,” she said with a laugh. “It felt like theater but without a safety net. If someone made a mistake, we all had to start over.”

Still, she praised Alessandra for her clarity and warmth as a director. “She knows what she wants, but she gives you space as an actor. There’s no intimidation. She’s fun to work with. It was a happy set,” Gina said. Edu Manzano echoed the sentiment, calling the film “a leap of faith.”

The award-winning actress returns to the director’s chair for the drama-comedy about a Filipino family whose reunion unravels over the course of a single night.

The film, which opens in theaters on Oct. 22, gathers a powerhouse cast that includes Gina Alajar, Edu Manzano, Joel Torre, Ronnie Lazaro, Ruby Ruiz, JM de Guzman, Angeli Bayani, Kelvin Miranda, Jaime Fabregas, and Alessandra herself. Set inside the Sevilla family’s ancestral home, the story follows six estranged siblings who reunite to mark the first death anniversary of their mother, Juaning. What starts as a tense get-together slowly spirals into chaos as secrets, regrets, and resentments rise to the surface. For Alessandra, the project began as a long-held creative itch. “I’ve always wanted to do a story that happens in just one day, in one place,” she said. “It’s like theater—real time, no cuts, emotions flowing continuously.”

The actress-director admitted that wearing two hats was one of her biggest challenges yet. She juggled blocking, lighting, and timing while also portraying Raquel, the youngest of the Sevilla siblings.

“I never really planned to direct,” she said. “But sometimes there’s a story you just can’t hand over to someone else. You just know exactly how you want it told.”

Because the film was shot in a single continuous

composed of selected members from different sister groups across Asia. It was officially launched on Oct. 29, 2023, and has since expanded its activities across Southeast Asia, continuing AKB48’s legacy of crossborder pop collaboration.

note from the same album, Philippines My Philippines expresses patriotism with a sense of calmness and sincerity—certainly not the type you’d hear from a yelling politician promising heaven and earth during the election campaign period and then stealing taxpayers’ money upon victory.

MY COLUMN piece for today is triggered by a Facebook post from Bea Jacinto, daughter of seasoned musician and noted businessman RJ Jacinto. She expressed a heartfelt message for her dad, including deserved praises like him being “the only retired man at 80 who works seven days a week” and that he taught her the “values of discipline and how to get back up even when you’re down.”

“When we learned how ambitious her plan was, we all had doubts,” he said. “But when you see the cast she put together, you just say, ‘If they’re doing it, I’m doing it.’ It was a challenge we all embraced.”

For Edu, the experience was both grueling and refreshing.

“You come to set with everything ready—every emotion, every line, every step. There were no second takes. It reminded me of why I fell in love with acting in the first place.”

Everyone Knows Every Juan stands as Alessandra’s most daring work yet—a rare blend of discipline and chaos that mirrors the Filipino family it portrays.

“It’s chaotic, funny, and painful all at once,” she said.

“But in the end, it’s still family. No matter how messy things get, there’s always love.”

“Together we will climb your highest mountain / Together we will swim your deep blue sea,” RJ sings on this track that mentions the Filipino country’s name twice in the title. And while not on Back From Exile, his offering for the Christmas season, Pasko Na Naman, released some 30 years ago, is another nationalistic ditty with a delightful chorus anchored on an admirably tight arpeggio.

That one post led my pair of ears to RJ’s classic album Back From Exile, which digital platforms dated as a release from 1987, or a year after he returned home after spending, in Bea’s words, “days when we were exiled under Martial Law.”

The album actually yielded two certified classics, Muli and Hele-Hele, which I want to emphasize as being underrated tracks. These two songs need to be heard on classic OPM playlists and should be covered by Filipino show bands more. The arrangements for both are classy and carefully crafted, especially with their Latin rhythms, bright sound, and relaxed singing. boasts one of the most memorable opening lines from a Filipino-written song: “Sinasabi ko sa’yo na wala akong daramdamin.”

In a 2019 post, RJ wrote, “Muli was my first OPM composition in the mid-1970s when I was exiled in the USA. I wanted it to have a Latin flavor so it would have an upbeat pace.” , on the other hand, contains a tuneful chorus, with the verses flowing smoothly toward it. It’s the type of feelgood composition Barry Gibb would have written in English and performed with his brothers. While Muli is musically well-structured, HeleHele is lyrically pleasant.

I’ll give two thumbs up to bar acts who’d put these two in their lineup of classic, danceable OPM gems that usually include songs like VST & Company’s Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko, Hotdog’s Manila, and Boyfriends’ Sumayaw, Sumunod.

Another track of

Let RJ himself assure you that despite all the negativity hounding Filipinos, “Darating ang ginhawa sa ating buhay / Magsumikap tayong mga Pilipino.”

“He’s pioneered many things, lifestyles, and throughout the years fought many battles,” RJ’s daughter added in her post.

A quick check reveals that Bea is an executive vice president at Free Air Broadcasting Network Corporation and went to the International School of Manila. She’s an accomplished, dignified-looking woman with commendable leadership qualities, which she essentially inherited from a man who knows how to run a good show—a charismatic frontman on and off stage. Let us recall his then band, RJ & The Riots, which produced a 1964 album considered a cultural milestone.

As most of us compatriots know, RJ Jacinto has gone beyond making music and performing, with some established brands serving as proof: RJ 100.3 FM, RJ Guitar Centers, Bistro RJ, Jacinto Color Steel, and more.

The man is a good model for every musician—or any artist, for that matter: make music and do business at the same time.

While there are those who dropped their art to focus on corporate work or whatever business they chose to venture into, and on the other side of the spectrum, there are, sadly, comrades who lived and died struggling as musicians, RJ is that fellow who kept his music alive while finding ways to expand his brand. It can be done, and RJ Jacinto is the man to show that it’s possible even in a developing country.

A common friend once told me that RJ is a great subject to write about for a biography. I agree. Rarely do you find a man who can turn himself into a household name both in music and business and who is a true patriot who had been in exile for a while.

Girl group Quadlips welcomes new member Mashiro from KLP48

Musician and entrepreneur RJ Jacinto continues to inspire with his enduring passion for music and business innovation

The cast and director discuss what the film is about with the members of the press

From left: Kelvin Miranda, Ruby Ruiz, Gina Alajar, Alessandra de Rossi, JM de Guzman, Angeli Bayani, Edu Manzano, Empoy Marquez, and Ronnie Lazaro pose for the cameras at the mediacon for ‘Everyone Knows Every Juan’

Alessandra de Rossi returns to

LIFE & SHOWBIZ

‘Florante at Laura’ captivates audiences anew with live music

BALLET Manila’s Florante at Laura made a triumphant return to the Aliw Theater stage on Oct. 3 to 5, earning praise for its seamless

fusion of ballet, orchestral music, and classic Filipino literature. The production, restaged in celebration of Ballet Manila’s

SITTING behind a desk for hours may seem harmless, but health experts warn that long hours at a computer can take a toll on the body, causing issues like back pain, tech neck, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

“Sitting is the new smoking,” said Dr. Ma. Elena Lourdes R. Tan of Makati Medical Center’s Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. “The lack of activity increases the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, conditions associated with regular tobacco use.”

According to Dr. Tan, office workers often experience musculoskeletal pain, particularly in the lower back. “One study revealed that as much as 51 percent of office workers experience lower back pain,” she said.

Poor posture is another culprit. “Many office workers complain about soreness in the shoulders and neck,” Dr. Tan added. “This is commonly known as ‘tech neck’ or ‘text neck,’ a condition caused by keeping your shoulders slumped and your head tilted forward for extended periods.”

For those who spend much of the day typing or using a mouse, pain and tingling in the hands and wrists may signal carpal tunnel syndrome. “When the median nerve in your carpal tunnel is irritated due to repetitive motion, it can cause pain and weakness in your hand, wrist, and fingers,” Dr. Tan explained.

Staring at screens for long hours can also cause eye strain, leading to blurred vision, dryness, and headaches. “Fortunately, these office pains don’t develop overnight,” she said. “Awareness allows you to prevent and correct their causes so you can work more comfortably and efficiently.”

Dr. Tan shared a few simple reminders to help office workers avoid these common aches:

Sit properly. Choose a chair that supports your spine and allows height adjustment so your feet are flat on the floor, your knees are level with your hips, and your head stays upright. Keep your monitor at arm’s length, your wrists straight, and your hands level with your elbows. Take short breaks. A five-minute break every 30 minutes can relax your body and rest your eyes. Walk, stretch, meditate, listen to music, or chat with a co-worker to recharge.

Try a standing desk or ergonomic setup. A standing desk promotes better posture, though breaks are still needed to prevent strain on joints and feet. Ergonomic chairs, footrests, and laptop risers can also improve comfort and reduce injury risk.

Exercise regularly. “Exercise strengthens the muscles that support your back, shoulders, and core,” Dr. Tan said. “It also releases mood-boosting endorphins that help you unwind after a long day.”

She recommended simple stretches such as neck and shoulder rolls, chest stretches, torso twists, squats, triceps dips using a chair, and wall push-ups.

“Small changes can make a big difference,” Dr. Tan said. “With mindful habits, office workers can protect their bodies

30th anniversary, featured the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth (OFY) performing National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab ’s original

composition live under the baton of conductor Toma Cayabyab.

The collaboration brought a fresh emotional depth to the ballet, which retells Francisco Balagtas ’s timeless story of love, heroism, and patriotism.

First staged in 2024 to critical acclaim, Florante at Laura featured choreography by Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance , with artistic direction by Lisa Macuja Elizalde . This year’s encore performance once again drew sold-out crowds, lauding the young OFY musicians for their passionate and precise delivery.

Adding to the celebration, the official Florante at Laura soundtrack—recorded by OFY under Maestro Gerard Salonga at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez— was released digitally on Oct. 1. The album is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and major streaming platforms, allowing global audiences to experience the

Philippines

production’s stirring score.

The OFY, the main performing arm of Ang Misyon, continues to empower young Filipino musicians through world-class mentorship and training. Many of its members come from underprivileged backgrounds, representing regions including NCR, Central Luzon, Cebu, and Calabarzon.

Founded by non-profit group Ang Misyon, the OFY provides world-class music education and performance opportunities for young Filipino musicians, many from underprivileged backgrounds. Under the artistic direction of Salonga, the group’s training includes individual lessons, sectional workshops, and masterclasses.

OFY members hail from across the country, including the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, Cebu, and Calabarzon, continuing the group’s mission to nurture musical talent and discipline through the transformative power of orchestral music.

Healthy skin starts with a conversation

By Jasper Valdez

WHEN Filipinos notice a breakout or a stubborn rash, the first instinct is often to treat it at home—a bit of toothpaste here, a splash of calamansi there, or maybe even a trending skincare hack from who-knows-where on social media.

Oct. 1, visitors came with questions about acne, dryness, and sensitivity. Among the experts who led discussions was Dr. Carrie Legaspi, who focused on common myths about acne and the importance of reliable information.

She pointed out how home remedies, while popular, can cause more harm than good. One of the most common misconceptions, she said, is using toothpaste to dry out pimples.

For generations, this do-it-yourself approach has been part of how we care for ourselves—practical, familiar, and, most of the time, risky. This habit of home treatments inspired a recent event that put real dermatologists face-to-face with everyday Filipinos.

Watsons’ Skin Solutions event at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium transformed a section of the mall into an open clinic where people could ask questions, seek advice, and finally get expert answers about their skin concerns.

The idea was simple: to make professional skincare advice feel less intimidating and more accessible.

“We want to empower people to make smarter choices for their skin,” said Frank Patrocio, Beauty Business Unit Controller of Watsons Philippines. Through its partnership with the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS), the event offered free consultations with board-certified dermatologists and shared practical tips for daily routines.

PDS President Dr. Jasmin Jamora emphasized their ongoing advocacy, saying, “We want Filipinos to know that dermatologists are here to help them take care of their skin properly and safely, wherever they are.”

Throughout the five-day event, which started on

“It shouldn’t be,” she said. “What likely happens is that people look for the spice in toothpaste. And they think that when they apply toothpaste, it dries the pimples.”

Also sharing his insights was Dr. Winlove Mojica, a wellknown dermatologist and skin health advocate who reminded attendees that less is often better when it comes to skincare.

“What I usually hear from my patients is how shocked they are that I only recommend one or two products,” he shared. “Finding one to two products with good ingredients… if you do that consistently over the course of years, it will have a better effect.”

What set the event apart was the way it replaced the usual sales talk with real, open discussions about what skin health actually means. Instead of selling solutions, it encouraged people to start honest conversations about their skin.

It showed that good skincare doesn’t have to mean following trends or copying routines seen online. Most of the time, it’s about listening, asking the right questions, and knowing when to get real help.

Free weekend consultations will continue in select Metro Manila branches, giving more people the chance to speak with dermatologists and understand their skin better.

For many, caring for the skin can feel like guesswork. But when expert help becomes easy to reach, people begin to see that there’s a safer, smarter way to care for themselves.

The Orchestra of the Filipino Youth performs Ryan Cayabyab’s original score live under the baton of Toma Cayabyab during Ballet Manila’s ‘Florante at Laura’ at the Aliw Theater

Health experts remind office workers to practice good posture, take breaks, and stay active to prevent tech neck, back pain, and other work-related strain

From left: Watsons Philippines’ Nicole Duran, Kamille Sardua, Frank Patricio, Alyssa Reyes, and Renz La Luz join Philippine Dermatological Society doctors Dr. Carrie Legaspi, Dr. Ma. Jasmin Jamora, and Dr. Winlove Mojica to promote expert-led skincare awareness at the Skin Solutions event

9,

NICKIE WANG, Editor

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

JASPER VALDEZ, Writer

THEY say motherhood changes a woman’s life completely. From physical and emotional to psychological shifts, it’s a transformation few are ever fully prepared for. Pregnancy is only the beginning, and giving birth and raising a “little human” bring an entirely new set of challenges.

husband and fellow actor Mikael Daez

“When I first found out I was pregnant, I had no idea what to expect,” Megan told Manila Standard Life. “Before, I used to think only THURSDAY,

For new mothers, self-care often takes a back seat. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup, and actress, beauty queen, and brand ambassador Megan Young learned that caring for herself again was an essential part of her journey into motherhood.

During an interview at her launch as the new face of Sisters sanitary napkin, the former Miss World shared the lessons, struggles, and joys that came with welcoming her son, Leon, with

Very Wang Nickie Wang

She acknowledged that certain products and tools have made her transition into motherhood easier.

“There are more mom-focused products now that help us take care of ourselves,” she said. “Sometimes you forget about yourself because you’re focused on your baby. But when you take care of yourself, you become a better mom.”

Finding balance, Megan pointed out that it takes teamwork. Like with Mikael, her husband reminds her to do things for herself.

“He’ll say, ‘Uy, mag-gym ka dito diba gusto mong mag-gym?’ because he knows I get overwhelmed sometimes,” she shared. “Having that reassurance from him helps me overcome that mom guilt. We’re a team, and we share responsibilities.”

about my career, it was all me, me, me, or Mikael,” she recalled. “But now, my awareness, not just for Leon, our baby, but for all the people around me, has become so much stronger. Maybe because when I was pregnant, so many people took care of me. I really took notice of that, and now I want to give it back.”

The actress described the early months of motherhood as both beautiful and emotionally overwhelming. “During the first two months, I felt intense sadness and happiness, everything was extreme,” she admitted. “Sometimes I’d laugh and then cry from happiness. My emotions were all over the place. But Mikael helped me process all of that. He was really there for me.”

Megan also spoke about the realities of postpartum adjustment, saying that many new moms go through it, often without realizing it at first.

“Some moms, especially first-timers, experience postpartum reactions because it really is a difficult time to

Since being cleared by her doctor to work out again, the 35-year-old first-time mom has rediscovered the joy of simple routines.

“Even walking for 30 minutes a day makes me feel better. It’s those little things, nails, manicure, pedicure, that make you feel so much better about yourself,” she said. “When I feel good, I carry myself better throughout the day and take care of my baby with more energy.”

Talking about how motherhood has changed her, Megan said the experience has made her stronger and more capable than she ever imagined.

“Throughout this journey, especially after Mikael got injured, I realized I could take the lead for our family,” she said. “I didn’t know I had it in me. I feel proud to say that.”

Her message to fellow mothers: “Make sure you’re happy with what you’re doing and with the choices you make. That’s what really matters. It’s not just about raising a child, it’s about becoming the best version of yourself, too.”

Megan Young on motherhood and her biggest transformation yet

Four ways to become more mindful in everyday life

positive psychology, and family counseling, noted that it can also help put stressful events into perspective. This builds resilience, so you are less likely to feel overwhelmed in the future.

“Learning to be present in the moment is a way of life,” said the author of the self-help book 8 Keys to Stress Management.

“With practice, you can learn to live a more mindful life that allows you to become more

helps calm the mind and strengthen focus on the present

conscious of everything you are doing,” she added.

To guide the public, experts from the Benilde Well-Being Center (BWC) of De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) shared Scott’s insights as published on the awardwinning platform Verywell Mind.

Here are her key points: Mindfulness in eating

Mindless eating—whether you eat while scrolling through your phone or turn to food for emotional comfort—can lead to problems such as overeating and consuming too much sugar.

Her tip: Resist the urge to multitask. Be present with your food. Pay attention to each bite. Chew slowly. Savor the taste. Notice how you nourish your body. Mindfulness in interactions

Communication is important. Mindfulness in relationships means observing and interacting without judgment.

When you are with someone, please give them

your full attention. Listen carefully. Focus on what they are saying instead of planning your response. Learn to reply with intention. Mindfulness in daily activities

Trouble remembering whether you washed your hair in the shower or forgetting why you walked into a room are signs that your mind is full.

Focus on what you are doing as you are doing it—and nothing else. Tune in to physical sensations. Let go of anxiety about the past and worries about the future. When your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to the present. Simple activities to focus on include walking, gardening, or even savoring a piece of chocolate.

Pause to be mindful throughout the day

It can be challenging to stay mindful as you move from one task to another. Get back on track by focusing on your breathing when you feel upset or anxious. This can have a calming effect, helping you stay grounded.

Progressive muscle relaxation is another helpful exercise. Tense and relax your muscles— one group at a time. You will learn to notice when you tense up certain body parts.

“Practicing everyday mindfulness can pull you out of the negative downward spiral caused by too much daily stress, too many bad moods, or the habit of rumination,” she explained. Scott, who specializes in stress management,

First-time parents Megan Young (left) and Mikael Daez enjoy family time with their son, Leon

Megan Young (right) and Mikael Daez embrace parenthood and family life

adjust,” she explained. “I went through intense emotions, extreme sadness, extreme happiness, and extreme anger, but Mikael helped me through it.”

JOURNEY SHE WOULDN’T MISS FOR THE WORLD. Beauty queen and actress Megan Young shares her journey of self-care and transformation in motherhood