PH HARVESTS 5 GOLDS, 5 SILVERS, 19 BRONZES
ON DAY 3 OF SEAG
By Riera U. Mallari
BANGKOK—The Philippines banked on the brute force of jiu-jitsu and the fluid motion of artistic gymnastics to deliver the good tidings in the form of three gold medals for the Philippines in Day 3 of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games here on Thursday. At the Navaminda Kasatiryahiraj Air Force Academy, jiu-jitsu standouts Kimberly Custodio and Dean Roxas spearheaded the charge. Custodio, a three-time world champion making her SEA Games debut, turned a tense tactical duel into gold in the women’s 48kg newaza event, scraping ahead of Thailand’s Sugun Nutchaya with a decisive three-point control in the final 30 seconds.
‘Bato’s arrest will depend on SC’ DOJ says petitions vs. Rody’s ICC arrest must be resolved first
By Pot Chavez and Vince Lopez
SHOULD the International Criminal Court formally issue an arrest warrant against Senator Bato dela Rosa, the lawmaker won’t immediately be sent to The Hague unlike what happened to former President Rodrigo Duterte, the Department of Justice on Thursday said.
By Maricel V. Cruz
HOUSE Speaker Faustino Dy III led on Thursday the filing of a landmark Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, a reform he vowed to pursue to promote fairness, competition and integrity in public service.
Dy filed House Bill (HB) 6771 together with Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, marking the first major push by top leaders of the House of Representatives to operationalize constitutional provisions intended to prohibit political dynasties.
The move follows the Speaker’s declaration during the resumption of session on Nov. 11, when he identified the Anti-Dynasty Bill as a central pillar of his reform agenda.
Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima,however, balked at the proposed bill, saying that “at first look, the proposed bill seems reasonable since ang ideya ay isa-isa lang ang pwedeng umupo per elective position
By Maricel V. Cruz and Ram Superable
Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon said he believes the Supreme Court should first resolve pending petitions questioning Duterte’s arrest before executing any arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.
“I think that is the only time we will have clarity on the issue. It is better, in our view, to have a resolution first,”
Fadullon said.
“This petition was only filed by Senator Bato after or during the time when the former President was about to be brought to The Hague. So now that there is a petition, we have to be a bit more cautious, be a bit more prudent,” he added.
By Charles Dantes
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said yesterday his push for structural reforms and his personal drive
“Both Houses have mutually decided to start the bicam on Saturday (Dec. 13) to allow time for the technical staff to prepare,” Suansing said.
“Intensive preparations are required given that this is the first time that the bicam will be livestreamed and we would need a matrix of disagreeing provisions for the deliberations,” she noted.
Suansing is part of the 12-man
to “keep going” are rooted in a longterm vision for the country, expressing hope that future administrations will sustain and institutionalize the changes initiated under his watch.
Speaking with students in the latest episode of the PBBM Podcast, Mr.
Zaldy
By Maricel V. Cruz, Pot Chavez, and Katrina Manubay
FORMER Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizaldy Co is now a “fugitive from justice” after being declared such by the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division, which consequently ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to immediately cancel his Philippine passport.
“It is the court’s view that the deliberate refusal to submit to the lawful authority of the court, unless his demands are met, confirms his clear intent to remain outside the jurisdiction of the court,” the anti-graft court stated in an eight-page resolution dated December 10.
“It must be emphasized that the accused left the country at the time investigations into alleged corruption
By Pot Chavez
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) admitted e-sabong whistleblowers Ellakim and Julie Patidongan as state witnesses under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) in relation to the case of missing sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts).
In a press briefing on Thursday, Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon explained the dismissal of the charges against them since they were admitted into the program.
“Julie Patidongan and Ellakim Patidongan were initially charged also as respondents in this case, but their testimonies were evaluated, and they were admitted into the program. Now, as a consequence to their admission into the program, that would mean they would have to be dropped in the information, their names will no longer be included, and that is the reason for
GOLDEN HARVEST. The Philippine team harvested four more golds yesterday in the Bangkok SEA Games, with women swimmers, led by Olympian Kayla Sanchez, (left photo) taking first place in the 4x100m relay freestyle event. Gymnast Aleah Finnegan, (right photo), topped the vault finals in women’s artistic gymnastics to secure the Philippines’ third gold medal in Day 2 of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. Two more gold medals were won by three-time world titlist Kimberly Anne Custodio and Dean Roxas in their respective jujitsu bouts. POC
Senate begins probe on BIR LOAs
By Ram Superable
THE Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday
launched an investigation into reports of extortion and abuse within the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), where officials allegedly issue excessive and irregular Letters of Authority (LOAs) to pressure and harass both local and foreign businesses.
LOAs are official documents used to examine taxpayer records to ensure proper tax compliance.
“For years, small and large businesses, from small family-owned convenience stores to major corporations, have raised serious concerns,” Sen. Erwin
House contingent to this year’s budget bicam hearings.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the bicam will run without weekend breaks and will be livestreamed online for transparency.
Sotto noted that ratifying the enrolled bill rather than the bicam report summary requires careful printing and verification.
The Senate members of the bicam include Finance Committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, Mark Villar, Pia Cayetano, JV Ejercito, Loren Legarda, Francis Pangilinan, Erwin Tulfo, Camille Villar, Bong Go, Imee Marcos, and Ronald dela Rosa.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada was invited but withdrew for undisclosed reasons, leaving the Senate delegation one member short.
The House approved its version of the 2026 budget in October, cutting P35 million in unprogrammed appropriations intended for infrastructure projects.
The Senate passed its version on December 9, reducing unprogrammed funds from P243.22 billion to P174.55 billion.
Tulfo said.
“Many say they were subjected not to fair tax assessments, but to pressure, intimidation, and questionable demands in exchange for having tax investigations withdrawn or reduced,” he added.
Even international firms, including those bringing investment and jobs to the Philippines, have reportedly been subjected to alleged abuses, according to foreign chambers of commerce.
Only about 2 percent of total tax collections from businesses come from LOAs, while the remaining 98 percent comes from voluntary payments.
Allegations suggest that some collections from LOAs may have been diverted to individual examiners and regional officials, raising concerns of systemic abuse.
“We will hold accountable anyone who has betrayed their sworn duty to serve with integrity. Our goal here is simple: To restore trust, protect our
Roxas followed with a mighty statement of his own, forcing a quick submission against Singapore’s Aacus Hou Yu Ee in the men’s 85kg final—an emphatic return after nursing an injury just weeks earlier.
A few kilometers away at the Thammasat University’s Gymnasium 5, the jiu-jitsu found its perfect foil in the grace of Aleah Finnegan.
The Paris Olympian reclaimed her place atop the podium, capturing her second SEA Games gold by winning the women’s vault with a score of 13.433—adding to the two titles she claimed in the 2022 Hanoi Games.
Finnegan’s performance, marked by clean lines and explosive yet elegant execution, came with a dose of drama as scoring mix-up briefly flashed an incorrect result. The 22-year-old Fil-American waited nearly half an hour before judges corrected the tally.
“This one is incredibly special,” Finnegan said, noting the personal struggles she fought through leading up to the competition. “I prayed to Jesus all the time. I am nothing without Him. I know He is with me.”
Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cyn-
the dismissal,” he told justice reporters.
Fadullon clarified, however, that the pending case before the court is a different matter.
“Even if I’m not here anymore, I hope the changes we started or that are already underway will continue so they won’t be stopped,” he said.
He noted that durable reforms should be designed to strengthen over time, “especially if we choose our presidents well.”
President Marcos said the country is operating in a “different world,” where old approaches no longer work.
He said he and his advisers spend hours daily exploring out-of-the-box strategies to adapt to modern challenges.
“Stop thinking the same old way. It doesn’t work anymore,” he said.
The president said this constant push for improvement is tied to his personal ethic of relentless work in public service.
“I’m here to serve. I’m not here for myself,” he told the students.
“You haven’t finished yet. Go, go, go… keep working, keep working. It’s not enough, it’s not enough,” the president added.
He acknowledged that government work is never truly finished, but insisted that the absence of finality is not an excuse to slow down.
“That will always be lacking... because the work never ends,” he said.
“But never mind, you just have to keep going until you drop.”
In a 120-page joint resolution, the DOJ panel of prosecutors recommended the dismissal of the criminal charges filed against the Patidongans.
The resolution resolves the 7 complaints filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit 4A (CIDG RFU 4A) and several
or position level outlined in the bill.”
“But not really. Dahil nililimitahan
lang nito at hindi naman talaga pinipigilan ang pag-iral o pamamayagpag ng political dynasty,” she said in a statement.
“There are several versions of this bill filed in the House, and this will still undergo deliberations. We will push for a genuine anti-political dynasty measure that will truly democratize access to public office, which will also help put an end to systemic corruption, prevailing impunity, and the injustice that comes
The Supreme Court’s new rules on extradition proceedings, which took effect last month, requires courts to first determine probable cause before issuing warrants of arrest for extradition or surrender.
Dela Rosa earlier questioned the legality of Duterte’s arrest and surrender, which the government said was in accordance with the country’s commitment to Interpol as well as provisions under the Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.
The Supreme Court, however, did not issue a temporary restraining order and has yet to rule on the matter.
Fadullon, however, clarified that the DOJ has yet to see a copy of Dela Rosa’s ICC arrest warrant.
He said the warrant will still go
with the dominance of very few families in government,” De Lima said.
The anti-dynasty measure follows the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for both the House and Senate leaderships to prioritize the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill as part of his priority legislative agenda announced at the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting.
This development signaled a unified executive and legislative focus on finally addressing the decades-old constitutional mandate.
Dy emphasized that the measure to fulfill a constitutional obligation, which remained untouched for nearly four decades by finally defining “po -
taxpayers, and ensure that public power is never ever again used for private gain,” Tulfo said.
Data provided by BIR officials showed that 62,462 LOAs were issued in 2023, 75,510 in 2024, and 82,145 from January to October 2025.
Revenue regions with the most LOAs include Manila, Caloocan, Quezon City, south National Capital Region (NCR), and Makati, largely reflecting business concentration in Metro Manila.
BIR Commissioner Charlie Mendoza assured stakeholders that future LOAs will require approval from the National Office to limit discretion at the regional level.
in flood control projects were active and when formal charges against him were imminent. His strategically timed flight, therefore, provides sufficient ground for the reasonable inference that his action constituted a deliberate attempt to flee from justice,” it added.
The anti-graft court, chaired by Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses, likewise declared three members of the board of directors of Sunwest Inc. as fugitives from justice. They were identified as Aderma Alcazar, Cesar Buenaventura, and Noel Co, whose passports were also ordered to be cancelled.
As this developed, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Polo Martinez said that the government has yet to request a Red Notice for resigned Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co.
“The request for Red Notice will follow suit to be filed by the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime (PCTC). We can expect continued efforts by the government as well, through the DFA, to communicate with the different embassies in the countries where he is speculated to be located,” Martinez told Manila Standard.
“Make no mistake that although he is outside our country and we are limited by our jurisdictional capacity, the DOJ is doing everyt hing it can in its power to make sure he is brought back here to face the charges against him,” he added.
thia Carrion said she was confident from the moment Finnegan landed her vault. “From the start, I knew it was gold for us.”
Finnegan now moves on to the balance beam finals on Friday.
The Philippines now occupy fifth spot in the medal standings as of 7 p.m. (Thailand time) with a gold-silver-bronze haul of 5-5-19.
private complainants.
Aside from gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang and several police officers, the Patidongan brothers were also named respondents for violation of AntiEnforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012, violation of New Philippine Passport Act, violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in relation to Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), violation of PD 1829, as well as other violations of the RPC.
Julie, earlier known as “Alyas Totoy”, began working for Ang in 1999, feeding fighting cocks for the panabong until becoming a close-in security guard for jueteng in 2013. For his part, Ellakim was hired by
through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC) before the DOJ will be notified.
For his part, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the government is aware of the location and movements of Dela Rosa, whom he said has been spotted in six locations in the past three weeks.
“We are monitoring him. We know where he is. And we are just waiting to see if there is an order from the court or not,” Remulla said in a television interview.
“He moves from house to house. He hides with his friends. Then he just stays inside the house. When he moves, he uses different cars,” the Interior chief added.
Should the ICC issue an arrest warrant, Remulla said its enforcement will be based on the Supreme Court ruling on extradition.
“According to the Supreme Court ruling on extradition, Senator Bato will be allowed to seek redress from the court.
litical dynasty” in a way that opens public service to more Filipinos.
In the bill’s explanatory note, Dy and Marcos, who both come from families with a long history of public service, said urgent action is needed to uphold political equality and ensure all citizens can participate fairly in governance.
They anchored the measure on Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution, which mandates that “[t]he State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”
The House leaders warned that this mandate has been disregarded for decades, allowing dynasties to flourish unchecked.
his brother to work as close-in security and staff for Ang in 2021 in a gamefarm in Lipa City, Batangas. He also claimed personal knowledge of the events concerning the disappearance of several sabungeros.
Meanwhile, the panel of prosecutors also dismissed the complaints filed against actress Gretchen Barretto and other members of the so-called Pitmaster Alpha Group, citing “speculative and uncorroborated” evidence against them.
On Tuesday, the DOJ announced its resolution finding prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction against Ang and 25 other respondents.
Even with the RTC, he can seek redress to deal with the matter. And whatever the court decides, that is what the government will do,” he added.
According to Dela Rosa’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, the senator has been avoiding appearing in public because “his personal safety is at stake.”
“He is just making himself unavailable…Because it is not clear what the policy is, or we do not have a law as to how to deal with surrender,” Torreon said.
But for ICC-accredited lawyer Gilbert Andres, the enforcement of an ICC arrest warrant has legal basis in local law.
“An ICC arrest warrant is enforceable in the Philippines in accordance with Republic Act No. 9851 or the International Humanitarian Law Act, Section 17 of which provides, in part, that ‘the authorities may surrender … suspected or accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court, if any,’” he told Manila Standard.
Andres, who is also the Executive
“However, despite this constitutional mandate, political dynasties have remained a pervasive feature of Philippine politics due to the absence of an enabling law that defines and prohibits them,” they said.
Among the proposed restrictions, spouses, siblings and relatives within the fourth civil degree of an incumbent elected official would be barred from simultaneously holding specified elective posts.
HB 6771 also marks a significant first step by asserting that power in the Senate must not be concentrated within one family. Under the proposed measure, siblings or close relatives would no longer
The DFA quickly responded to the Sandiganbayan’s order upon receiving it on Wednesday, which also coincided with a similar directive issued by President Marcos.
“According to the resolution of the Sandiganbayan today, the 10th of December 2025, and the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Department of Foreign Affairs has cancelled the passport of former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Elizaldy Salcedo Co. This cancellation process was done by the Department today, the 10th of December 2025, at 5:00 PM this afternoon,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro told reporters in Filipino during an online briefing.
Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon shared that Co has until tomorrow to submit his counter-affidavit in relation to two Bulacan flood control projects.
The DOJ official noted that the case will be submitted for resolution in the event of Co’s failure to submit a response in his defense.
Director of the Center for International Law (CenterLaw), urged Dela Rosa to voluntarily surrender to the ICC once an arrest warrant has been issued.
In a previous interview, ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti confirmed Dela Rosa is a co-perpetrator of the crimes charged against Duterte.
“We have maintained that a warrant against Bato Dela Rosa, Duterte’s coperpetrator of crimes against humanity, is certain from what the victims know and what the prosecution has presented. It is up to the Marcos administration to enforce his arrest and surrender to the ICC,” she said.
Dela Rosa in March said he is considering hiding from authorities rather than surrendering to the ICC should it move to have him arrested.
“If we do not see any justice here in our country, why would you surrender?” Dela Rosa said. “That (not surrendering) is part of the course of action that can be done.”
be allowed to serve simultaneously in the upper chamber, an initial but consequential barrier against dynastic consolidation at the national level.
The explanatory note describes the bill as “a faithful execution of the above constitutional provision – a strategic reform for good governance, and an assertion of the principle that public office is a public trust.”
Dy and Marcos emphasized that merit, not lineage, should be the basis of public service. The bill, they said, “aims to uphold the integrity, competitiveness, and inclusivity of democratic institutions by ensuring that public office is earned through meritocracy and public confidence.”
Driver-initiated cancellations
may face penalties, says LTFRB
IN BRIEF
PDEA warns public on spread of ‘peyote’
THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday warned the public about the proliferation of ‘peyote,’ a spineless cactus that contains mescaline, a dangerous hallucinogen. PDEA director general Isagani Nerez issued the advisory following reports that the cacti are being sold on local online shopping platforms.
Mescaline is classified as a dangerous drug under Republic Act 9165 and listed as a controlled substance under the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. It produces strong hallucinogenic effects that can impair judgment and perception.
Users may experience nausea, vomiting, dilated pupils, headaches, muscle weakness, and loss of motor coordination. PDEA said mescaline is ingested by eating fresh or dried cacti, grinding it into powder for capsules, or smoking it with cannabis or tobacco. Rio N. Araja
Business chamber backs passage of CADENA Act
THE American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) of the Philippines has expressed support for the prioritization of the proposed Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act. The measure seeks to create a digital portal giving the public full access to government budgeting, procurement, execution, and fund management.
AmCham Philippines Arangkada project director Steve Winkates said prioritizing the bill signals the government’s seriousness about transparency. He said greater access to budget information helps strengthen trust and investor confidence.
The chamber noted that transparency reforms can unlock economic opportunities and attract more investment. It has long pushed for measures promoting accountability, including a Freedom of Information law and ease of doing business reforms.
Othel V. Campos
NBI strengthens programs after agents’ bar fight
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
vowed to strengthen its programs on professionalism, conduct, and leadership after agents were involved in a bar fight last week.
NBI Director Angelito Magno said misconduct has no place in the bureau and that its Internal Affairs Division has begun investigating. Magno stressed that due process will be observed, but those who “dishonor the badge” will be held fully accountable. He said preventive suspension will follow once formal charges are filed.
He noted that the NBI will intensify internal programs on professional conduct, discipline, leadership, and crisis behavior. According to Magno, these reforms are meant not as punishment but as a commitment to growth. The director said the bureau will move forward with clear commitments, including accountability, re-education, and renewed trust.
By Rio N. Araja
THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Thursday issued a memorandum circular that penalizes booking cancellations initiated by drivers of ride-hailing vehicles.
LTFRB chief Vigor Mendoza II said they passed a resolution in response to the numerous complaints of commuters about rampant booking cancellations in areas with heavy traffic, and in anticipation of the same modus during the holiday season.
Under LTFRB MC 2025-055 signed by the Board on December 11, booking cancellations initiated by transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers are classified as violations under refusal to convey passengers, which is
penalized under Section IV.2 of Joint Administrative Order 2014-01.
The penalties under Section IV.2 of JAO 2014-01 are: first offense –P5,000 fine; second offense – P10,000 fine and 30-day impounding; and third and subsequent offenses –P15,000 fine and cancellation of the certificate of public convenience of the authorized unit.
Mendoza said the issuance is part of the LTFRB’s mandate to promote the safety, convenience, and protection of
millions of Filipino commuters. A booking cancellation is considered equivalent to refusal to convey passengers when a TNVS driver unjustifiably cancels an accepted and confirmed booking on the digital platform, he said.
“This is also a matter of safety and welfare because it involves the expectation of convenience and suddenly the booking is cancelled. What if it involves emergency situations and the booking is cancelled without reason?” Mendoza said.
Under the memorandum, a cancellation is penalized when it is done to avoid short or non-profitable trips, in favor of higher fare charges; when it involves discrimination, especially against senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups; when done while already in transit without valid reason; or when part of a pattern of cancellation behavior.
By Joel E. Zurbano
By Vince Lopez
Aberin said on Thursday that more than 14,000 police officers have been deployed across strategic areas to secure Metro Manila during the holiday season. Police officers, security personnel, and local security forces such as village watchmen and public safety officers were deployed in churches, malls, public markets, major thoroughfares, and transport terminals. All police forces in Metro Manila are now on heightened alert status as part of general security measures for the season.
“We are already on heightened alert and we will be deploying our personnel in churches, transport hubs, and other areas where people usually converge dur-
ing this time of the year,” Aberin said in a phone interview. Regarding security in LRT and MRT stations, Aberin said they plan to assign at least two police officers per station to augment Philippine Coast Guard personnel.
“We will also be setting up police assistance desks in some shopping malls. As part of our commitment, we will detail police personnel in all LRT and MRT stations in Metro Manila,” he added.
Aberin said further security assessments will be conducted in the coming days to determine if there is a need to elevate the alert level.
He said deployment will increase starting December 16, the start of Simbang Gabi.
Priorities during Simbang Gabi will be churches and all roads leading to and from them, from evening until dawn.
other government agencies inspected the area to evaluate bottlenecks, vehicular flow, and safety issues. Artes said findings from the inspection will guide targeted traffic management measures, signal timing optimization, and infrastructure adjustments.
By Othel V. Campos
THE government’s flagship food-security initiative reached a major milestone as the Department of Agriculture (DA) completed the nationwide rollout of its Benteng Bigas, Meron na! program, officially bringing P20-per-kilo rice to all 82 provinces.
The final launch in Maguindanao del Norte marked the substantial completion of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pledge to make affordable, nutritious rice accessible to every Filipino family. For communities in remote and conflict-affected areas, the arrival of P20 rice represents a significant boost to household affordability and food stability.
“This is about uplifting every Filipino, boosting local production, and ensuring no one—regardless of culture or religion—is left behind in our nation’s progress,” said Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra.
The rollout in Barira, Buldon, Matanog, Sultan Kudarat, and Sultan Mastura expands access in geographically challenged areas, strengthening cooperation between the national government and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Guevarra credited the initiative’s success to interagency collaboration, saying the P20 rice project would not have been possible without unified actions and dedication across government.
Across the country, the DA has established 429 P20 rice sites, creating a resilient distribution network for affordable staples. By next year, the program aims to reach 15 million households, deepening market penetration and farmer support.
TRAINING SHIP. A South Korean helicopter training ship arrives in the Philippines
Joe Anthony Orbe welcomes the Cruise Training Task Group aboard ROKS Hansando during
Guo’s bid for longer quarantine denied
IN BRIEF
LTO speeds up license plate distribution in NCR
THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the National Capital Region on Thursday cited substantial progress in its Replacement Plate Distribution Project, releasing over 50,000 plates for 2025, up by 17,000 or 194 percent hiher compared to previous year’s record.
LTO chief Markus Lacanilao said with the implementation of improved processes, online verification tools and new client-centered innovations since January 2024, the LTO-NCR has significantly improved the way motorists can claim their replacement license plates.
“Throughout 2024, LTO–NCR focused on organizing plate inventories, validating legacy plate records, and coordinating with district and extension offices to identify pending claimants. Despite challenges such as manual verification and varying claim volumes at field offices, the agency successfully released over 17,000 replacement plates during the year,” he added. Rio N. Araja
PNP chief supports digital pension platform
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio
Nartatez Jr., has expressed full support for the newly signed memorandum of agreement (MOA) establishing the Pension and Deduction Loan Information System (PDLIS), a digital platform designed to modernize and safeguard the processing of benefits for police retirees and their families.
Nartatez said the PNP is closely working with the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to ensure smooth integration of pension and personnel data into the new system.
“We have to adapt, we have to transform in a digital world that we live in. Ultimately, our role is to make sure the system works seamlessly for the welfare and benefit of our retired personnel and their family,” he said. Vince Lopez
House approves OFW reintegration measure
THE House of Representatives has approved on second reading the proposed Bagong Balikbayan Act (OFW Reintegration Law), bringing the country one step closer to establishing the first-ever unified, full-cycle reintegration system for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Agimat party-list Rep. Bryan Revilla, chair of the House Committee on Overseas Workers, said the imminent passage of the bill on final reading is a major legislative milestone. Revilla, who defended the measure on the floor, said the bill finally confronts long-standing gaps in government reintegration efforts, calling it “a long overdue promise to the men and women who sacrifice years of their lives abroad.” He said the measure answers longstanding concerns over fragmented and inconsistent reintegration efforts across government agencies. The measure was approved through a voice vote, demonstrating the strong, unified commitment of the House to addressing the long-term needs of Filipino migrant workers. Maricel V. Cruz
AFP nixes extra-legal schemes to overthrow gov’t
By Rex Espiritu
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday rejected proposals to create an extra-constitutional transition council amid the major corruption scandal facing the government.
“While some may use softer terms to mask their intent, such calls are effectively synonymous with instigating an unconstitutional takeover,” the AFP said in a statement, warning that “veiling illegal objectives behind creative language does not exempt one from criminal liability.”
Certain groups earlier called for the resignation of both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, even as they suggested a transition council that would fill the leadership vacuum. This is aside from the call of other groups for an outright military junta that would overthrow the duly constituted government.
The AFP underscored that it is dutybound to uphold the 1987 constitution.
“The AFP remains focused on ensuring government processes continue without interference while fulfilling its mandate to defend the nation. We urge
PH, France strengthen mutual defense relations
THE Philippines and France have reaffirmed their commitment to defense partnership as senior officials from both countries sat at the 5th Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) Meeting on Wednesday, tackling ongoing initiatives and new areas of cooperation.
Defense Assistant Secretary for International Affairs
Marita Yoro led the Philippine delegation, composed of officials from the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
In her opening remarks, Yoro highlighted the “significant strides” made since the JDCC 2024, citing France’s expanded naval engagements in the region.
These include the French Navy’s participation in Exercise Balikatan 2024, several port calls across the Philippines, and the start of negotiations for a proposed Philippines–France Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA). The first round of talks is scheduled for June 2025 in Paris.
Yoro said the SOVFA would provide a clear legal framework for joint military activities—an important step aligned with the 2023 Letter of Intent between the two nations aimed at strengthening bilateral defense ties. She stressed that Manila sees Paris as a “likeminded partner” in promoting regional stability and upholding a rules-based international order.
Representing France, Rear Admiral Jérôme Theillier of the Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy cited France’s long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific. Rex Espiritu
all sectors to exercise prudence and caution, as actions intended to destabilize the government—however phrased— carry serious legal consequences,” the statement read.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, then President of Catholics Bishops Conference of the Philippines has also rejected calls for a transition council and junta, saying this would make the country a “banana republic.”
The United People’s Initiative, a group that includes retired military officials, has called for Marcos’s resignation, making Sara Duterte president for the remainder of his term.
BUREAU of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. has denied the request of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and two others to temporarily remain in the correctional’s quarantine area for another 55 days.
The quarantine period for Guo, Jaimielyn Cruz, and Rachelle Joan Carreon ends today since they were transferred from a regular jail to the Correction Institute for Women in Mandaluyong last Dec. 6. Catapang directed CIW Supt. Marjorie Ann Sanidad to execute the immediate transfer of Guo, Cruz and Carreon to a regular dormitory at the Reception Diagnostic Center (RDC) to undergo mandatory orientation, diagnostic, and classification in accordance with the established procedures and protocols.
Catapang explained that after completing the 60-day process at the RDC, they will be transferred to their assigned regular dormitory at the Maximum Security Camp, considering that they were sentenced to life imprisonment.
As newly committed persons deprived of liberty, the 55-day assessment period following the five-day quarantine is vital to help determine their psychological and physical needs, as this information will be used by the institution to create an individualized treatment plan or program, Catapang said. He added that the RDC provides orientation programs and educational sessions aimed at helping new inmates adjust to the correctional environment while understanding their rights and the facility’s rules.
Guo and her two companions in a Dec. 7 letter addressed to Catapang requested that they be allowed to temporarily remain in the quarantine area of the CIW even after the mandatory five-day quarantine. In their letter, the trio pleaded that they be given enough time to adjust and reflect on the new environment of the CIW before they joined with other inmates saying the time they spent in the female dormitory has greatly affected their emotional and mental well-being, in addition to the heavy burdens of public and malicious accusations being thrown against them.
Sanidad also recommended denial of their request.
Go brothers vow to ramp up quality public service in Isabela
ISABELA’S political siblings Rep Christopher Go and provincial
heart, and we willcontinue to work tirelessly to bring quality healthcare, education, and infrastructure to our community, the lawmaker said.
“Doble Go Serbisyo is not just a program. It is a commitment to serve our community with heart and dedication. We are proud to work together to make a tangible difference in thelives of our constituents,” he added.
The Go brothers’ commitment to community service extends to disaster relief efforts, providing aid to affected families and promoting environmental sustainability.
“Their tireless work has earned them recognition as dedicated leaders, committed to improving the lives of their constituents,” supporters noted. Jessica M. Baccud
PLANTING RICE TO FEED A NATION. With the weather consistently shifting, farmers keep on their job planting rice to feed not only their families but the whole nation. Revoli Cortez
BAMBOO FESTIVAL. At least four schools in Maragondon, Cavite ring out with native tunes as they take part in the 9th Kawayan Festival that alsoo covers street dancing competition in celebration of the town’s rich history and abundance of bamboo grooves, showcasing its versatility through native crafts, hand-made reeds to mark Bamboo Month. Dennis Abrina
OPINION
Due diligence guided the PhilHealth fund transfer
AMID the controversy over the transfer of P60 billion funds of the Philippine Health Insurance corporation or PhilHealth to the national treasury, critics had filed petitions before the Supreme Court to strike down the transfer.
Petitioners argued the funds were “special funds,” not generic savings, and that under the Universal Health Care Act (UHCA), reserve funds and excess funds of PhilHealth must be used to enhance benefits or reduce member contributions, not to be diverted to general government spending.
The petitioners also said the transfer could constitute “technical malversation” or even “plunder” under the criminal code, because the funds were diverted from their mandated purpose (health insurance) to other uses.
They also claimed the transfer was done via a “special provision” in the budget rather than a stand-alone law specifically authorizing the diversion, raising constitutional concerns about invalid delegation of power.
How did Recto himself explain and defend the move of the Department of Finance at the time?
One, he described the transfer as a “common-sense approach” to fiscal management. The idea: if the funds are idle, it makes sense to use them for urgent health and social needs rather than leave them unused.
Two, he argued that this was never about touching PhilHealth members’ contributions or benefit entitlements— the funds transferred were from government subsidies, especially those given for indirect contributors, not from member contributions.
Three, he said using these funds allowed the government to address pandemic-related liabilities, social welfare needs, health-worker allowances, and other budgetary demands — all without new taxes or borrowing.
Four, he maintained that DOF consulted relevant governance and auditing offices before implementing the transfer, implying due diligence and legality.
Five, he claimed that as long as services were not crippled and benefits were expanded, the transfer was in practice aligned with the spirit of helping Filipinos, not undermining their health coverage.
In other words, during Recto’s term as Finance Secretary, he operated within a meticulously structured framework.
Moreover, the PhilHealth sweep was not a backroom shortcut but a
documented, multi-agency process anchored on congressional instruction and legal review.
Worth noting here is that Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda underscored procedural rigor: “The DOF Secretary’s actions were strictly ministerial… characterized by institutional good faith and due diligence, as they relied on formal clearances from agencies like the OGCC, the COA, and the GCG.”
Every safeguard was observed. Every clearance obtained. This is not the profile of misconduct—it is the profile of responsible bureaucracy.
Recto acted within the system. And the system, though corrected now, was the one Congress designed
Associate Justice Ricardo R. Rosario explained the legal theory behind this: “The officials carried out the statutory commands in good faith, pursuant to a law then presumed valid… [The provision being void] does not render criminal those who were duty-bound to follow it.”
In other words, Recto did not innovate. He complied. Before the transfer, the DOF secured not just legal clearances but a Boardapproved resolution from PhilHealth itself. The chain of accountability was transparent and documented.
Associate Justice Raul B. Villanueva highlighted why the prosecution of Recto was not just wrong—it bordered on illogical: “If he did not comply… he may possibly become culpable of violating the law, which would have made his situation even worse.”
This is the irony: Recto is accused of wrongdoing for doing precisely what the law required.
Associate Justice Samuel H. Gaerlan’s reminder reinforces a basic doctrine often forgotten in political storms: “That the Court now declares [the provision] void does not negate Secretary Recto’s good faith, nor does it automatically create liability.” In short, Recto acted within the system. And the system, though corrected now, was the one Congress designed.
(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
Ambassador Jing Quan: Bridge builder
By Herman Yiu Laurel
CHINA has named a new ambassador to the Philippines who replaced Ambassador Huang Xilian. Huang arrived in late 2019, and I first met him at a conference in November that year. He will be remembered for arranging innumerable Chinese economic and financial contributions to the Philippines – including millions of doses of the first COVID-19 vaccines rolled out by the official Duterte government program of vaccinations nationwide that saved millions of Filipino lives. Huang served at the most challenging times of China in the Philippines, not only because of the COVID Pandemic that officially started in Jan. 2020.
Hopes picked up in 2022 as the Duterte government transitioned to the new Uni-team government of the BBM-Sara Duterte tandem, expected to consolidate national unity by upholding sovereignty and independent government for the Philippines.
The Uni-team, from its inauguration in June 2022 to Jan. 2023, continued with the major policy legacies – including the cultivation of diplomatic and economic ties with non-traditional partners like China.
This was evidenced by the first state visit of President Bongbong Marcos in January 2023 to China when he was given a red carpet welcome by President Xi Jinping as the first official guest of China that year – capped off by the signing of $23-billion Chinese investments for the Philippines.
In Feb. 2025, without announced rhyme or reason, the Philippine government
switched 180 degrees by getting off the administration’s foreign policy of “Friends to All, Enemy to None” with the government’s announcement of four new, additional military bases for the US.
This was followed by the adoption of the US prescribed strategy of “assertive transparency” of challenging Chinese Coast Guard ships at sensitive key sea dispute sites to invite reaction and photo-ops and megaphone “Chinese bullying” to the world.
Jing Quan is the perfect bridge builder for Philippine-China relations
The confrontational geopolitics in the foreign relations also turned inwards as the government’s incentive factotums in the legislature started raising baseless xenophobic privileged speeches and launched investigations into “Chinese spy networks,” “Chinese sleeper cells,” “Chinese paid bloggers” who are simply Duterte sympathetic netizens, and targeted Sara Duterte for impeachment simply for refusing to utter anti-China statements – and the nation was torn asunder between a minority of anti-Duterte and a majority of pro-Duterte forces. Today, the nation is hopelessly divided specially after the “baha (flood)-gate” corruption scandals, and externally iso-
EDITORIAL
Romualdez’s legislative performance
HOW does the legislative record of former Speaker and now Leyte First District Representative Martin Romualdez record stack up under close security?
As a congressman, Romualdez was principal author of House Bill No. 1039, which was enacted as Republic Act 10754 in 2016.
The law expanded VAT exemptions and extended discounts and other benefits to persons with disabilities (PWDs).
This is a clear, direct example of a Romualdez-authored measure that created social-protection benefits for a vulnerable group.
The official legislative-author database and House records list multiple bills where he is principal author or sponsor across different Congresses.
Some of these are locality-specific Republic Acts with local impact. Other enacted items in his record are a mix of local development measures and education/constituency bills typical for district representatives.
With Romualdez as Speaker, the House moved quickly to pass a large number of the administration’s priority bills.
Among these is the New Government Procurement Reform Act (RA No. 12009) that updated/replaced the prior procurement regime to centralize and modernize public procurement
procedures, with stronger procurement planning, electronic procurement modernization, and more oversight tools to limit corruption opportunities.
The o cial legislative-author database and House records list multiple bills where Romualdez is principal author or sponsor across di erent Congresses
Another bill enacted to law under his watch is the creation of the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDEV) — Republic Act No. 12145. This reorganized National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) into
Advent and Dilexi Te
THE opening of Pope Leo XIV’s Dilexi Te begins with Christ’s simple yet demanding declaration: “I have loved you”(Rev 3:9).
In Advent, a season of watchfulness, repentance, and renewal, these words become a summons to make divine love concrete in our social and political life.
In the Philippines, where corruption and inequality have long scarred communities, the Pope’s exhortation offers a profound framework for reimagining governance itself as an act of love.
Corruption is not merely a violation of law, it is the betrayal of compassion. Its wounds are visible in overcrowded classrooms, empty hospital shelves, unfinished roads, and the precarious homes left exposed to typhoons.
Billions lost to ghost flood-control projects were not neutral accounting errors, they were medicines that never arrived, flood defenses that were never built, and lives left more vulnerable to the storms of 2025.
The misuse of confidential funds by ranking officials deepened public mistrust and diverted resources that could have strengthened nutrition programs or rural health.
As foreign investment slowed and jobs disappeared, the poor once again bore the heaviest burden. Each peso stolen diminishes dignity, and each act of integrity restores it.
Pope Leo XIV reminds us that to neglect the poor is to neglect Christ Himself.
This truth exposes how corruption distorts not only public policy but the moral fabric of a nation. Good governance, then, is not merely administrative efficiency, it is discipleship. It is stewardship rooted in service, justice, and human dignity.
To govern with integrity is to answer
lated from its ASEAN neighbors all of which are cozy with China.
The Philippines is also deeply estranged from the Big Brother of Asia and the Global Majority – China.
What this country needs today are bridges to bring together the nation as one and to bring the Philippines back to connect with its Asian, ASEAN and Global Majority brothers that have been coming together since 1955 in the Bandung Conference of Non-Aligned Nations (NAM).
(Editor’s Note: The Philippines participated in the first and main Bandung Conference, from April 18 to 24, 1955, in Bandung, Indonesia.
(The conference brought together 29 Asian and African nations to discuss peace, economic development, and decolonization during the Cold War. The Philippine
Christ’s Advent promise with our own: We will love as You have loved us. This vision is sharpened by the Magnificat, which Dilexi Te invokes in its opening chapter.
The Pope’s exhortation o ers a profound framework for reimagining governance itself as an act of love
Mary proclaims a God who casts down the mighty and lifts up the lowly, a radical reversal that confronts Philippine society today. Patronage politics, selective justice, and structures that privilege the wealthy over workers, farmers, fisherfolk, and informal settlers contradict the Gospel’s upending of unjust hierarchies. Advent calls leaders to transparency and mercy, and citizens to vigilance and hope.
A politics shaped by love must dismantle the systems that keep the poor on the margins and build structures that honor their inherent dignity.
Chapter Two deepens this call by naming the spiritual danger of indifference.
The Philippines has seen economic growth, yet much of it bypasses the poor, jeepney drivers pushed aside by modernization, fisherfolk losing livelihood to environmental destruction, rural students climbing hills to join online classes. The plight of OFWs working in harsh con-
delegation was led by Carlos P. Romulo, who delivered a closing speech at the event.)
Which brings me back to our welcome for the new Chinese ambassador to the Philippines, Jing Quan, who said on arrival: “As ambassador, I will firmly safeguard national interests and dignity while serving as a bridge to ensure that China-Philippines relations move toward stability rather than deterioration, and that the two peoples grow closer rather than further apart...”
His sense of mission for his diplomatic stint comes just at the right time and an imperative at this moment in Philippine history. He is uniquely equipped to build the bridge to bring back the Philippines and China into the one big Asian family, having served as Deputy Chief of Mission of China’s most challenging diplomatic post, the Chinese Embassy in the USA.
a Cabinet-level Department of Economy, Planning and Development to strengthen national economic planning and policy implementation.
The House under Romualdez also supported tax-and-investment incentive reforms such as CREATE MORE and Ease of Paying Taxes. These aim to rationalize tax incentives, improve the investment climate, and make tax compliance easier for businesses as well. Romualdez as Speaker also facilitated the passage of legislation, including Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act (RA 11962) aimed at upskilling, employment facilitation and increasing labor-market responsiveness. Targeted at creating jobs/ skills linkages, the law directly serves poverty-reduction strategies.
Romualdez also facilitated the creation of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) to mobilize capital for development. At the same time, he also pushed reforms targeting financial transparency, including the Bank Secrecy Law and other measures aimed at combating financial scams as part of the broader anti-fraud/anti-corruption agenda of the national government.
With a pivotal role in pushing the government’s efforts to boost economic growth, enhance political stability and strengthen social cohesion, The road ahead has been properly paved for younger generations of leaders.
ditions abroad, the unresolved struggles of farmers in places like Hacienda Luisita, and the displacement of urban poor communities to distant relocation sites reveal the systemic injustices the Pope urges us to confront. These are not statistics, they are Advent invitations to a conversion of gaze, to see the poor as partners in nation-building rather than political pawns or obstacles to progress.
Even institutions meant to safeguard the vulnerable have been shaken.
The PhilHealth scandal left the sick more exposed, while underfunded hospitals struggled through the pandemic. Such failures mirror the indifference condemned in Dilexi Te, systems that forget the human faces they exist to serve.
Yet the Philippine story is also filled with quiet courage, frontline workers who persevere despite shortages, teachers who innovate despite limited resources, and communities that rise together after every storm. Their witness demonstrates that renewal begins in small acts of fidelity. Advent, after all, is the season when light begins to break through darkness.
Pope Leo XIV’s exhortation is both judgment and hope. It condemns corruption, inequality, and indifference, but it also affirms that transformation is possible when love becomes the measure of governance.
Citizens who demand accountability, leaders who embrace stewardship, and communities that cultivate solidarity together make Christ’s presence visible in public life. In a nation too familiar with scandal and suffering, Advent invites us to believe again in the possibility of moral rebirth. Dilexi Te reminds the Philippines that fighting corruption is not only a civic duty, it is a spiritual act.
When resources reach classrooms and hospitals, when farmers gain land, when workers earn just wages, when families thrive rather than merely survive, then the promise of Advent is fulfilled. And in these moments of justice and mercy, Christ’s words resound anew: “I have loved you.” Facebook, X, Instagram, and BlueSky: tonylavs Website: tonylavina.com
He is the perfect bridge builder for Philippine-China relations, as he also comes from the greatest diplomatic and infrastructural bridge builder in the world: China.
China has bridged the torn ties of Iran and Saudi Arabia for one, and bridged RussiaChina and India in the recent Tianjin Shanghai Cooperation summit, among others. China has built thousands of bridges across the BRICS world in its Global Development Initiative’s Belt and Road Initiative linking countries towards its “Community of Shared Future for Mankind.”
(The author is president of Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute dedicated to supporting Philippine-China understanding and cooperation and promoting global multi-polarity.)
DECEMBER 12, 2025
Fighting rages at Cambodia, Thai border
SURIN, Thailand – Renewed fighting raged at the border of Cambodia and Thailand on Thursday, with combat heard near centuries-old temples, ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned phone call to the two nations’ leaders.
At least 15 people, including Thai soldiers and Cambodian civilians, have been killed in the reignited border conflict, officials said.
More than half a million people, mostly in Thailand, have fled border areas near where jets, tanks and drones have waged battle.
The Southeast Asian nations dispute the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometer frontier, where both sides claim a smattering of historic temples.
This week’s clashes are the deadliest since five days of fighting in July that killed dozens before a shaky truce was agreed, following intervention by Trump.
The US president said he expected to speak Thursday with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia to demand a halt to their renewed clashes.
“I think I’m scheduled to speak to them tomorrow,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
Both sides blame the other for reigniting the conflict, which has expanded to five provinces of both Thailand and Cambodia, according to an AFP tally of official accounts.
In Thailand’s northeast on Thursday morning, hundreds of evacuated families woke up inside a university building in Surin city that has been transformed into a shelter. AFP
Myanmar junta air strike kills 31, says worker
US, Japan hold joint exercise after China-Russia patrols
TOKYO – Japan said Thursday it held a joint air exercise with the United States in a show of force, days after ChineseRussian patrols in the region and following weeks of diplomatic feuding between Tokyo and Beijing.
The Japanese joint chiefs of staff said Wednesday’s exercise with the US Air Force was conducted in “an increasingly severe security environment surrounding our country”. Tokyo said Wednesday that two Rus
Venezuelan opposition leader reappears after Nobel win
OMachado, who won the Nobel for challenging Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s grip on power, did not arrive in Norway in time for Wednesday’s prize ceremony.
Her daughter collected the prestigious award on her behalf, and delivered a blistering acceptance speech in her stead.
The Venezuelan democracy campaigner made it to the Norwegian capital hours later, and went straight to see her family, Nobel Prize Committee Chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes said.
From the balcony of the Grand Hotel, Machado later greeted a crowd of jubilant supporters, who sang and shouted “libertad” (freedom), according to AFP journalists.
Machado is due to give a press conference at 0915 GMT, Norway’s government said.
Machado, who has been living in hiding in Venezuela, was last seen in public on Jan. 9, when she protested Maduro’s inauguration for his third term.
In her Nobel acceptance speech, the democracy campaigner urged her compatriots to keep fighting against Maduro’s “state terrorism.”
“What we Venezuelans can offer the world is the lesson forged through this long and difficult journey: that to have democracy, we must be willing to fight for freedom,” Machado said in a speech delivered by her daughter, Ana Corina
Machado. It is unclear how Machado managed to leave Venezuela, or how she plans to eventually return.
She was warned by Caracas that she would be labelled a “fugitive” if she left the country.
“She risks being arrested if she returns even if the authorities have shown more restraint with her than with many others, because arresting her would have a very strong symbolic value,” said Benedicte Bull, a professor specializing in Latin America at the University of Oslo.
Machado’s previous refusal to leave the country had also boosted her political power.
“She is the undisputed leader of the opposition, but if she were to stay away in exile for a long time, I think that would change and she would gradually lose political influence,” Bull added.
Her daughter assured the Nobel prize audience that her mother would return. AFP
Amnesty raps Hamas of crimes vs. humanity
JERUSALEM – Amnesty International on Thursday accused Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for the first time of crimes against humanity, including extermination, during and after the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war in Gaza.
which the junta is battling to claw back.
A military jet bombed the general hospital of Mrauk-U in western Rakhine state, bordering Bangladesh, on Wednesday evening, said on-site aid worker Wai Hun Aung.
“The situation is very terrible,” he said. “As for now, we can confirm there are 31 deaths and we think there will be more deaths. Also there are 68 wounded and will be more and more.” At least 20 shrouded bodies were visible on the ground outside the hospital overnight.
A junta spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.
Rakhine state is controlled almost in its entirety by the Arakan Army -- an ethnic minority separatist force active long before the military staged a coup toppling the civilian government of democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi. AFP
“Palestinian armed groups committed violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes and crimes against humanity during their attacks in southern Israel that started on Oct. 7, 2023,” the human rights watchdog said in a 173-page report.
Amnesty said that the mass killing of civilians on Oct. 7 amounted “to the crime against humanity of extermination.”
The rights group has also accused Israel of committing genocide in its retaliatory campaign in Gaza, an accusation that Israel has vehemently denied.
Amnesty said that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza “continued to commit violations and crimes under international law in their holding and mistreatment of hostages and the withholding of bodies seized.”
Amnesty, which had previously accused Hamas and other groups of committing war crimes on Oct. 7, concluded
in its newest report that they were also responsible for crimes against humanity, particularly in the seizure and holding in captivity of hostages.
“The holding of hostages was done as part of an explicitly stated plan explained by the leadership of Hamas and of other Palestinian armed groups”, the report stated.
IN BRIEF
Skydiver survives plane-tail dangling
SYDNEY – Heart-stopping footage released Thursday by Australian authorities showed the moment a skydiver was left dangling thousands of meters in the air after their parachute caught on the plane’s tail.
The skydiver survived the incident, which occurred south of Cairns during a stunt in September but has only just been revealed following investigations by the transport safety watchdog. Plans for a 16-way formation by parachutists at 4,600 meters, filmed by a parachuting camera operator, hit chaos within seconds of the first participant reaching the plane’s exit.
A video released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau showed the participant’s reserve parachute being activated after its handle snagged the wing flap of the plane. The jumper was flung backwards -- their legs striking the aircraft -- as the orange reserve parachute wrapped itself around the plane’s tail. AFP
Jail term for sex ring boss: 47 years
Crimes against humanity can occur in peacetime and include torture, rape and discrimination, be it racial, ethnic, cultural, religious or gender-based. It involves “a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population”. AFP
Amnesty has previously accused Hamas and other groups of committing war crimes, which are serious violations of international law against civilians and combatants during armed conflict.
groups of committing war crimes. AFP
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – The Honduran military vowed Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) to ensure a peaceful transfer of power regardless of who wins a Nov. 30 presidential election in which votes are still being counted amid interference claims.
The armed forces of the Central American country have intervened in politics in the past and carried out several coups d’etat, most recently in 2009 when they ousted then-president Manuel Zelaya -husband of incumbent leftist leader Xiomara Castro.
“We have been clear,” armed forces chief Roosevelt Hernandez insisted Wednesday. “We have said we will support and recognize the results” that emerge from the count underway by the CNE electoral council, with two right-
wing candidates neck-and-neck.
In Washington, DC, meanwhile, the recently freed former president of Honduras praised US President Donald Trump Wednesday for opening “a lot of people’s eyes in Honduras” by supporting conservative presidential candidate Nasry Asfura.
Juan Orlando Hernandez was freed from serving a 45-year sentence in a US prison after receiving a presidential pardon from Trump, and he is presumed to be staying at an unknown location.
“The Honduran people sent a clear message.
Overwhelmingly, they rejected the failed ideology of the radical left, the socialism coming from Venezuela,” Hernandez said in an interview with far-right broadcaster One America News. AFP
SEOUL – South Korea’s top court ordered on Thursday 47 years in prison for the mastermind of a vicious online sex abuse ring, extending his original sentence by half a decade.
Cho Ju-bin ran a group that blackmailed women and girls, including minors, into filming and sending sexual content from May 2019 to February 2020.
The group illegally shared these images in pay-to-view chatrooms on messaging app Telegram, in a case that reignited a national conversation over how seriously hyperconnected South Korea handles digital sex crimes.
Critics have accused authorities of being too lenient on the widespread illegal sharing of sexual content.
South Korean women have also taken to the streets in protest over an epidemic of cameras hidden in toilets, schools and other places to secretly record them.
In 2020, Cho was sentenced to 40 years behind bars, with appeals courts later adjusting the term to 42 years and four months. AFP
Japan, NATO share ‘grave concern’
TOKYO – NATO chief Mark Rutte and Japan’s defense minister shared their “grave concerns” about recent joint patrols by Chinese and Russian aircraft, Tokyo said.
The incident on Tuesday came as Japan-China relations worsen after comments by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan that enraged Beijing.
“Both sides shared their grave concerns over this incident and concurred to closely communicate with each other,” the Japanese defense ministry said late Wednesday.
The statement followed a 15-minute video conference between Rutte and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the ministry said. Koizumi also briefed Rutte about another recent incident that involved Chinese aircraft locking its radar onto Japanese planes near Taiwan, the statement added. AFP
‘STATE TERRORISM’ DENOUNCED. Nobel peace laureate Maria Corina Machado greets supporters from a balcony of the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway, early on Thursday. Machado arrived in Oslo hours after the Venezuelan opposition leader’s award was collected on her behalf by her daughter. Machado, who has been living in hiding in Venezuela, was last seen in public on Jan. 9, when she protested Maduro’s inauguration for his third term. In her Nobel acceptance speech, the democracy campaigner urged her compatriots to keep fighting against Maduro’s ‘state terrorism.’ AFP
AMNESTY ACCUSATION. A displaced Palestinian woman sits at a fire by her tent as a storm approaches at the Al-Bureij camp on Wednesday. This developed as Amnesty said Thursday Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza ‘continued to commit violations and crimes under international law in their holding and mistreatment of hostages and the withholding of bodies seized.’ Amnesty previously accused Hamas and other
CLIMATE OF TENSION. Tegucigalpa’s mayor and incumbent candidate Jorge Aldana dances with a ruling Libertad y Refundacion (LIBRE) party supporter at the Professional Formation National Institute headquarters, where the electoral material for last presidential election is
Sosa
PH curling team falls to Korea, kisses bid goodbye
TEAM Philippines conceded its last game to South Korea, 5-10, on Thursday, ending its playoff hopes in the 8-nation Olympic Qualification Event at the Kelowna Curling Club in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
Kim Soo-Hyuk’s crew built a 5-2 lead after four ends and played a risky double takeout, resulting in a big score of five, to take a 10-4 lead after seven ends.
“Unfortunately, we had a tough start to the game. And then our opponents hit an incredible shot to score 5 in the 7th end. Hats off to their team for competing even with nothing to fight for,” said coach Miggy Gutierrez.
Because of the loss, Japan went on to advance to the qualification as the third seed.
This became clear, after Japan beat top finisher China, 9-6 while no. 2 seed United States pulled off a 7-3 win over Netherlands in Wednesday’s seventh and final men’s roundrobin session.
With the men’s round-robin now complete, China will face secondplaced United States in the first men’s play-off game. Japan will wait for the winner in the second round, to know its chances of qualification.
“Japan won so it was a consolation prize that we wouldn’t have made the playoffs with a win,” said Gutierrez.
Team Philippines finished fourth with a 3-4 win-loss slate.
Para swimmers deliver gold, silver in Asian Youth Games
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— Team Philippines made an early splash at the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games after para swimmers Raemond Adefuin and Mary Hannah Diesto captured one gold and one silver medal, respectively, at the Hamdan Sports Complex here.
The 15-year-old Adefuin clocked 35.84 seconds to rule the boys 12-16 50-meter butterfly multi-class S2-7, beating Indonesia’s Komang Aditya Pradnyana (45.40sec) and Japan’s Ryuga Yamada (46.39sec).
“It’s a big victory for me because I beat my personal best of 36 seconds,” said Adefuin, a Grade 10 student at Kabulusan Integrated National High School in Laguna, in Filipino.
“I’m grateful for my coaches and teammates who supported me in this endeavor,” he added.
Diesto, for her part, clinched the silver in the girls 12-15 200m freestyle multi-class S1-S5 with a time of 2:51.95 behind eventual gold medalist Siti Aisyah of Indonesia (2:26.50). Malaysia’s Asyiil Raziin Binti Razman bagged the bronze in 2:52.03.
In wheelchair basketball, the Filipinos showed grit with three straight victories to advance to the quarterfinals at the Al Ahli Club.
The Nationals opened up with a 14-6 drubbing of Saudi Arabia, then escaped with host UAE, 10-9. They returned with more determination and
Ho man eyes medal in 1st SEAG competition
BANGKOK—Olympians Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang Tolentino launch their quest for excellence in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games centerpiece event of athletics on Friday here at the Supachalasai Stadium.
Hoffman will represent the Philippines for the first time in the biennial meet a year and a few months since placing seventh and last in the 400-meter hurdles event at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Hoping for redemption, the 26-yearold North Carolina Fil-Am hurdler said: “My first SEA Games, I am excited to compete here. My goal is to win, and I am confident that I can. I am so happy to see my other teammates here, my fellow Filipinos.”
She will see action in the women’s 110-meter hurdles, with the qualifiers set at 4:30 p.m. and the finals at 6:15 p.m. Hoffman’s next event is on Monday, the 400m hurdles.
Cabang Tolentino, on the other hand, competes in the men’s 110-m hurdles— his only event — at 5 p.m.
He is hoping to improve on his bronze medal finish in the Cambodia games two years ago.
After finishing fifth in the 400-m women’s hurdles in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and dealing with Achilles pain aside from recovering from hernia surgery last year, Hoffman believes she can get the job done in her SEA Games debut.
She trained in Durham, North Carolina before flying to Manila last Dec. 6 to acclimatize and train with the Philippine team. She arrived here last Tuesday along with some members of the 60-man athletics team
“I will just do my best despite the situation, but I am okay after my surgery,” Hoffman, who also served as a human resources consultant in a company in North Carolina, added. “I am glad to see all my teammates and I hope we can do well here.”
squeaked past Thailand in extra period, 13-12, courtesy of Edgardo Ochaves’ last basket.
Ochaves anchored the crew by finishing with 11 points.
“We stuck to our game plan, especially with our defense,” said head coach Vernon Perea, whose team is currently battling Bangladesh at press time.
At the Dubai Club for People of Determination, Ramces Tuala opened his campaign in the men’s U23 men’s singles Class 8 with
victories over Iran’s Arsham Ramazani, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 2-11, 11-7, and Singapore’s Jayden Low, 11-2, 11-3, 11-4.
“At first I was nervous, but eventually I was able to get my composure even in the crucial moments,” said the 22-year-old Tuala on his maiden appearance in the Games. Lhey Manginsay, likewise, made her campaign felt in the women’s U23 singles Class 9 with an 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 triumph over Iran’s Amirali Ahmadi
Taipei’s Huang Ren Ting, 9-11, 114, 11-9, 11-4. In goalball, the Filipinos fell to Korea in their first match in Pool D, 10-4.
Knights lose Game 1 for first
time in 5 seasons; Ricardo vows fightback
By Peter Atencio
IN their previous four championships, the Letran Knights have always started strong in taking Game 1.
The Knights eventually won the crown by taking Game 3 in seasons 91, 95, 97 and 98, during the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament’s Final Four era.
This did not happen under the new play-in/playoff era of the lea gue, as the San Beda Red Lions took Game 1 of their Season 101 finals encounter, with a 89-70 beating o f the Knights.
For coach Allen Ricardo, the Knights will just have to bounce back in Game 2 on Saturday and keep his fingers crossed that they will be able to force a titular Game 3.
“Hindi kami nag-start strong. Pero ganu’n yung tiwala ko sa players ko. I know that it’s the championship, pero may agreement kami doon, suportado nila ako doon,” said Ricardo, after emerging from an hourlong huddle with his team on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.
San Beda, in taking its first Game 1 win in seven years, grabbed the initiative when the Lions unleashed a big 24-3 run in the third quarter to
Swim now, serve the people in the future
The Designated Kit Man
A FEW days before leaving for Bangkok to compete in his first-ever Southeast Games, Gian Santos – otherwise known as Supertanker G - vowed to give his best.
Based in New York, Santos had to fly back to Manila a few days before leaving for Thailand last Monday.
He was set to compete in at least three events in the swimming competitions –the 400M individual medley, 200M individual medley and the 200M freestyle – of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. Santos will compete with the senior team after an illustrious stint in the juniors.
“I qualified for two events at the SEA Games tryouts when I went to visit the Philippines in August. But then afterwards, they allowed me to choose another event,” Santos told The Designated Kit Man during a small gathering hosted by Oliver and Jane Buenaflor.
The three events are among Santos’ favorites and his personal bests rank among the top 4 in the region.
“For all of them, I can’t guarantee anything because I let the results speak for themselves. But I’m hoping that with my training, because I’ve been practicing
seven days a week, 10 practices a week for the past three months.
I’ve basically just been swimming non-stop and I’ve cut a lot of social activity to put myself in the best position for an opportunity such as this,” Santos said. Santos says he is really excited to represent the country and if plans push through, he sees himself competing in three more SEA Games, two Asian Games and in the 2028 Olympics, a task that remains formidable until now.
But at just 19 years old, Santos has a whole future ahead of him. Moreover, he says he is quite happy so far when it comes to competing in the next phase of his swimming career, calling it, in a nutshell, a new experience.
“I have a lot of people behind my back supporting me. I have the whole country supporting me. A lot of eyes are going to be on me. So I feel like I have a lot of support, and I’m not going through this by myself. And I feel like I have a lot of pride representing the country,” he explained.
While looking forward to the 400M individual medley today, Santos likewise revealed that he is making a big decision off the pool. Initially looking forward to gaining a degree in neuro science, the Columbia University freshman is focusing now his sights on gaining a juris doctor diploma.
Yes from being a doctor, Santos now wants something else for himself. He wants to become a lawyer. And yet that
is not the best decision he has made in recent weeks. He wants to become a lawyer and go home back in the country, join the government or establish his law practice to serve his kababayan.
“I’d like to go here, potentially work in the government because I feel like the Philippines really needs it right now. We are at a very unprecedented time when people have an increasing amount of distrust in the government. I would like to promote a positive change at least in my own little way,” Santos explained.
Two days later, Santos, the Supertanker G, delivered the country’s first medal in the swimming competitions, a silver in the Men’s 200M individual medley. Gian clocked 2:03:88 in the event which is not bad for someone who is just competing for the first time in the biennial event. It proved to be an exciting day for the Philippines in the pool as Kayla Sanchez, Xiandi Chua, Chloe Isleta and Heather White later won a gold medal in the women’s 4x100M freestyle. Overall, the past week has been good, too, football wise, for the country. The Philippine Women’s National Football Team is still in the hunt for a podium finish after nipping defending champion Vietnam, 1-0 in the group stage. The Filipinas lost to Myanmar in their first game. Not to be outdone, the Under-22 Philippine National Men’s Football Team advanced to the final four for the first time since 1991 after beating Indonesia, 1-0. Earlier, the U-22 Team scraped past Myanmar, 2-1, another history made because it was the first time the county has
break the game open.
Three players led the way for the Knights, with Jonathan Manalili hitting 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals, while Jimboy Estrada had 14 points, and Jun Roque making 12 points.
“Nandiyan naman ‘yung grit, so babalik at babalik ‘yan. Pag-aaralan lang namin ‘to muna ng mabuti,” added Ricardo.
The Red Lions will most probably miss talented Fil-American point guard Agjanti Miller, who was thrown out in the third quarter of Game 1 after incurring two technical fouls, off his rebound clashes with Deo Cuajao.
beaten Myanmar at the SEA Games. From perennial minnows, the Philippines now has a crack at snatching a historic finish in ASEAN football.
Speaking of history, the San Beda Red Lions are now within a win to annex their 24th men’s basketball title in the National Collegiate Athletic
Erel Cabatbat
Zidrez Dela Cruz, however, was not so fortunate as he bowed to India’s Vishwa Tambe, 3-11, 4-11, 5-11, and Kazakhstan’s Akseleu Zhumash, 7-11, 8-11, 5-11, in the men’s U23 singles’ Class 10. Vroxzield Cabanero also fell short in his campaign over Chinese
Para swimmers Raemond Adefuin (right) and Mary Hannah Diesto lead the charge for Team PH in Dubai.
The Philippine men’s curling team
Coach Allen Ricardo
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12,
RIERA
Members of the Philippine delegation based in Chonburi, Thailand are shown prior to a flagraising ceremony at Wyndham Hotel in Pattaya.
Asiad winner
Caluag dedicates
BMX ride to late mother
BANGKOK—Daniel Patrick Caluag, the BMX rider who delivered a rare gold for the Philippines at the 2014 In cheon Asian Games, returns to the regional stage after a six-year absence as he launches his campaign in the men’s BMX time trial at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Friday at the BMX Stadium in Kamol Sports Park.
This comeback, however, carries a deeper weight. Caluag is racing in honor of his mother, Isabelita Manabat Caluag, who passed away earlier this year. He shared that she had been his anchor and driving force throughout his career, especially during that unforgettable run to the Asiad gold 11 years ago.
“It has been a long time since I competed in the Southeast Asian Games; a lot of things changed,” said the 38-year-old Caluag, who last captured silver in the 2019 SEA Games. “But right now I’m taking it one race at a time. I’m dedicating this to my mom, who unfortunately battled cancer.” Caluag will line up at 6 p.m. alongside fellow Filipino Patrick Coo, the bronze medalist from the Hangzhou Asian Games. After Friday’s time trial, both riders shift their focus to the BMX race event scheduled for Saturday.
Beyond honoring his mother’s memory, Caluag is also chasing redemption in this year’s edition of the Games after settling for silver in 2019 behind Thailand’s Komet Sukprasert—a multiple Asian champion and two-time SEA Games gold medalist—who again looms as one of the riders to beat.
“He’s one of the best out there. He’s a silver medalist in Hangzhou,” Caluag said of Sukprasert. “And there are also strong riders from Indonesia and Singapore. It’s a competitive field.”
Philippine BMX coach Frederick “Eboy” Farr, father of newly crowned SEA Games bronze medalist Jerich Farr, is steering clear of bold predictions. But he says the talent and hunger of Caluag and Coo give the Philippines every reason to believe.
Jiu-jitsu champions Custodio, Roxas deliver 2
By Riera U. Mallari
BANGKOK—Filipino jiu-jitsu artists Kimberly Custodio and Dean Roxas lit up the Ronnaphakat Building at the Navaminda Kasatiryahiraj Air Force Academy on Thursday, delivering performances that stirred the crowd and proved the Philippines’ growing presence on the Southeast Asian Games mat.
Already a three-time world champion but a newcomer to the SEA Games stage, Custodio brought home gold after a gripping duel with Thailand’s Sugun Nutchaya in the women’s 48kg ne-waza division.
For most of the match, the two traded positions in a tense chess match of
grips and leverage. But in the final 30 seconds, Custodio dug deep, scrambled to top control, and secured three decisive points—enough to break the deadlock and silence the home crowd. Moments later, Roxas delivered an entirely different kind of statement— quick and dominant.
Ambassador Paredes welcomes Filipino athletes in Bangkok
BANGKOK—Ambassador Millicent Cruz Paredes expressed support and opened the Philippine Embassy doors to Team Philippines in its campaign in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
“I would like to address the Philippine delegation with great honor for being here,” Paredes said during the Welcome Reception for the Philippine delegation led by PSC chairman Patrick “Patò” Gregorio and POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on Wednesday night at a local Bangkok restaurant.
“I’m proud to all of you and the Filipino athletes, I know we will do good,” added Paredes who was in the VIP stands during Tuesday’s opening ceremony. “I was there last night and we will continue to support all of you and just tell us how we can help you.”
“We are hoping we will do better than the last time,” she added, referring to the country’s fifth-place finish in the 2023 edition in Cambodia.
Joining Gregorio were Chef de Mission Dr. Jose Raul Canlas and his deputy Jop Malonzo, as well as Asian Volleyball Confederation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, POC board director Donaldo Caringal, House Youth and Sports Committee chairman Rep. Mike Dy, association heads Leonora Escollante (canoe kayak), Ali Sulit (judo) and Ricky Lim (karatedo) and PSC commissioner Walter Torres and executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy.
Boxer Nesthy Petecio, a double Olympic boxing medalist, also graced the event and thanked Paredes for her support.
In the men’s 85kg final, he overwhelmed Singapore’s Aacus Hou Yu Ee, forcing a submission in short order and handing the Philippines its fourth gold of the games as of presstime. The victory carried extra weight for Roxas, who stepped onto the mat nursing the remnants of an injury suffered in Japan less than three weeks earlier.
“I went through a lot this year… I thought I wasn’t going to compete,” Roxas said. “Grateful to be here, grateful to soak in the moment, represent the country, and get another gold for the Philippines.”
The lone heartbreak of the finals came in the men’s 69kg division, where Yman Baluyo fought gamely, but was ultimately submitted by Vietnam’s Dang Dinh Tung.
Sibol seeks SEA Games glory with ‘Ka-6th Man’ support
TEAM Sibol proudly kicks off its 33rd Southeast Asian Games campaign with a renewed spirit of unity and support, highlighting the vital role of its fans and community.
This year, Sibol introduced an official moniker for its supporters: Ka-6th Man.
“Ikaw na nanonood [live sa matches], kayo po ang official na 6th man ng Team Sibol. Ang tawag natin sa ating mga supporters ay 6th man. Alam naman natin, pagdating sa sports, kapag ikaw ay ang tinawag na 6th man, usually ito ‘yung support sa likod. Tayo [as audience], parang tayo ang nasa bench at sumusuporta. We are representing the 6th man ng Team Sibol. So ‘pag tinawag kang 6th man, parte ka. Parte ka ng Team Sibol. Fans, family, everyone that support Team Sibol is Ka-6th man. Lahat part ng team,” said Manjean Faldas, one of Sibol’s Correspondents, during Team Sibol’s athletes send-off.
The Ka-6th Man identity is complete with a unique gesture--raise your hand with fingers out, then point to the back of your palm using the index finger of your other hand—symbolizing the main five players plus one for support.
“Ang achievement ng team, may it
the
of Team
be part ka ng main roster or 6th man, achievement ng lahat,” added Chanelle Hernandez, the newest Sibol correspondent for the upcoming games. Sibol Sets Eyes on Continued Glory in Bangkok For the 33rd SEA Games, Sibol will compete in the Men’s and Women’s division of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
(MLBB) and Arena of Valor (AOV).
The Men’s Division of MLBB, composed of 2019 SEA Games Gold Medalist Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno, 2022 IESF Silver Medalist Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, and new Sibol players Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya, Alston “Sanji” Pabico, Jaypee Dela Cruz, Carlo “Caloy” Roma with coaches Rodel
“Ar Sy” Cruz and Archie “Tictac” Reyes, hope to keep Sibol’s streak in the event with the country’s fourth gold medal finish. The Women’s Division of MLBB on the other hand aim to improve their silver finish in the previous games, fielding a roster composed of Kaye “Keishi” Alpuerto, Rica “Amoree” Amores, Gwyneth “Ayanami” Diagon, Sheen “Shinoa” Perez, Mery “Meraaay” Vivero, Clarisse Nicole “CLA” Cordova with coach Salman “KingSalman” Macarambon. Lastly, Sibol hopes to see a podium finish in AOV with players Harold Cabaguing, Jovani Ejercito, Michael Carlo Gonzaga, John Fernand Mariño, and Argie Odtuhan. The Men’s MLBB Event will begin its group stages on December 13 while the Women’s event begins on December 14. The tentative gold medal matches for MLBB are set for December 17. AOV events will begin on December 18 with the gold medal match slated the following day. All esports events will be held at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Ambassador Millicent Cruz Paredes with PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio and Olympic medalist Nesthy Petecio
Members
Sibol strike
‘Ka-6th Man’ pose as they set eyes for gold at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
Dean Roxas
BDO leaders see 2026 uncertainty, opportunities
By Darwin G. Amojelar and Jenniffer B. Austria
BDO Unibank Inc. executives said Wednesday night the challenging business outlook, which has caused investors to hold back on new investments due to uncertainty, will likely extend into 2026.
Leaders from both BDO and its parent company, SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), however, noted that pockets of opportunities remain, especially outside Metro Manila.
BDO Unibank president and chief executive Nestor Tan described 2025 as a “rollercoaster year” and said the uncertainty is likely to continue into 2026.
“The business is uncertain,” Tan said, citing a strong start to the year that was followed by setbacks due to an uncertain “liberation,” geopolitical risks and supply chain issues.
Tan said the business community is unsure of what is likely to happen, causing them to hold back on new investments. “Not because they don’t want to invest, but they will hold back a little,” he said. Despite the headwinds, Tan sees positive signs in the provinces. “Outside of the environment that we see. We still see provincial expansion going on. It’s growing faster than NCR on average,” he said. Opportunities are also present in sectors like infrastructure and energy, where “people continue to invest.”
Meanwhile, SM Investments Corp. vice chairman Teresita Sy-Coson offered a slightly more optimistic view, saying the next year “will not be so bad if we think more positively.”
She emphasized the conglomerate’s commitment to its plans regardless of external factors. “We just have to do our work in spite of all the political noises so for us we’re going to continue what we have planned and I think we will be able to achieve our targets next year,” Sy-Coson said.
PH-KOREA TO BOOST
HRD COOPERATION. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) engaged in a conversation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) of Korea and Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET) to explore areas of cooperation between South Korea and the Philippines related to employment, labor, and human resource development. The initiative is also aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pronouncement during the World Association of Public Employment ServicesAsia-Pacific Regional Conference 2025, held in November, to focus on collaboration and expanding employment opportunities.
Labor Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres, alongside Assistant Secretary Joel M. Gonzales and Bureau of Local Employment Director Patrick P. Patriwirawan, Jr., led the meeting that highlighted DOLE’s preparedness to collaborate and continuously enhance the country’s public employment facilitation services, career development support mechanisms, and labor
meeting was Senior Deputy Director Hea-eun
Research Fellow Dr. Jihee Choi, Associate
BSP reduces borrowing rate to 4.5%, cites weak growth
By Thony Rose Lesaca
The Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), on Thursday delivered its fifth consecutive rate cut for the year, reducing the overnight borrowing rate by another 25 basis points to 4.50 percent amid a weakened outlook for domestic economic growth.
The Monetary Board also adjusted the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities to 4.0 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively.
The reduction comes as the Monetary Board noted that the outlook for domestic economic growth has weakened further. Overall business sentiment continues to decline due to concerns over governance issues and lingering uncertainty in global trade policy.
Data showed that the gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.0 percent yearon-year in the third quarter of 2025, the slowest in four years.
This brought the average growth in the first three quarters to 5.0 percent, falling short of government targets.
Despite this, the BSP expects domestic demand to rebound slowly as the full effect of monetary policy easing impacts the economy and
as the pace and quality of public spending improves.
The BSP indicated that inflation remains benign and inflation expectations are firmly anchored.
Inflation eased to 1.5 percent in November 2025 from 1.7 percent in October, averaging 1.6 percent in the first 11 months, below the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for the year.
The BSP revised its inflation forecasts upward to 3.2 percent in 2026 and 3.0 percent in 2027.
“The outlook for inflation continues to be benign and inflation expectations remain firmly anchored,” the BSP said in a statement.
The Monetary Board noted the monetary policy easing cycle is nearing its conclusion. The bank signaled that any additional easing would likely be limited and guided by incoming data.
DOLE advances welfare, skills development initiatives for aquaculture workers
THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reaffirmed its commitment to promote the welfare and skills development of Filipino workers, particularly those in the aquaculture sector, as it participated in the first National Industry Dialogue on Sustainable Aquaculture Supply Chains, held recently in Makati City. Organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and with the support of the Government of Japan, the event brought together workers, employers, and policymakers to address labor challenges and identify strategies to improve the welfare and skills of aquaculture workers and strengthen one of the country’s key livelihood and economic sectors. In his keynote address, DOLE Secretary
Bienvenido E. Laguesma echoed the current administration’s call to intensify efforts toward a more resilient, strengthened, and sustainable Philippine aquaculture industry.
“I consider this national dialogue as a successful culmination of a joint endeavor to gain and share new knowledge of the aquaculture sector, particularly in shrimp and seaweed farming... At the same time, it is a hopeful step forward to uplift the sector,” Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said.
“Here, we have the opportunity to uplift the sector and to exchange ideas on how the research outputs will help lead to more informed decisions on what interventions can be done to make the workers and enterprises in the sector more productive
and to progressively align the sector’s working conditions with the fundamental principles and rights at work,” the Labor Secretary added.
Secretary Laguesma also affirmed that DOLE continues to pursue programs that empower aquaculture workers and enterprises, such as the DOLE Adjustment Measures Program, emergency employment and livelihood programs, upskilling and training partners in partnership with TESDA, as well as initiatives to eliminate child labor.
The two-day session was built on an ILO study under the Japan-backed Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Supply Chains (RISSC) Project, which examined labor and business realities in the shrimp and seaweed supply chains.
all DOLE employees, including regular personnel, contractual staff, and interns. (Top photo) Highlighting the spirit of service, DOLE Undersecretary Warren M. Miclat led the opening of the mobile blood donation drive organized by the DOLE Organic Employees’ Association (OEA) in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross. The initiative is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call to recognize the dedication and contributions of civil servants in nation-building and civil service. DOLE employees were also treated to free wellness services, including relaxing massages, haircuts, hand and foot spas, hair spa treatments, and eyebrow shaping services from partner companies—Dermfactor and the Manila Manpower Development Center (MMDC). The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Manila complemented the celebration with a hands-on livelihood demonstration on tocino making and a seminar on small business management. A three-day livelihood bazaar featuring the products of DOLE entrepreneurs also marked this year’s Civil Service anniversary celebration of the Labor Department. The celebration concluded with a wellness and health check activity, powered by Unilab’s Bayanihan Project and HealthFirst Clinic, which offered physical exams, lab tests, X-rays, and free medications (as prescribed) to the DOLE employees. Led by the Civil Service Commission, this year’s celebration carried the theme, “Bawat Kawani, Lingkod Bayani: Puso, Dangal, at Galing sa
PESO Congress 2025 highlights excellence, collaboration, innovation 25TH NATIONAL PESO CONGRESS. The 2025 National Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Congress, held from 15 to 17 October 2025 in Tagaytay City, featured the recognition of top-performing PESOs and Job Placement Offices (1st photo), the election of new officers of the PESO Managers Association of the Philippines, Inc. for 2026–2028 (3rd photo), the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement on the Career Development Support Program (2nd photo), plenary sessions on the role of PESOs in implementing the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, and sharing of best practices in employment facilitation (4th photo). Photos by Ali Creo/DOLE-IPS, and the 25th National PESO Congress
IN CELEBRATION of the
market information system through insights gained from Korea. Also joining the
Choi from the Development Cooperation Division of MOEL, together with Senior
Research Fellow Dr. Dong Jin Park, and Research Assistant Seungkyun You from KRIVET.
Photos by Ali Creo/DOLE IPS
PSEi advances on Fed, BSP rate cuts, peso up at 58.99 vs. dollar
THE Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) advanced Thursday as investors cheered the 25 basis points (bps) rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The main composite index jumped 30.06 points, or 0.50 percent, to close at 5,990.00. The broader all shares index, on the other hand, declined 9.27 points, or 0.27 percent, to 3,453.43.
The U.S. Fed reduced interest rates for the third time this year while the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also announced a 25 bps rate cut to 4.5 percent on a benign inflation rate outlook. The peso closed stronger on Thursday at 58.99 compared to 59.21 on Wednesday.
“The local market rose amid expectations that BSP will cut policy rates in their meeting. The positive cues from Wall Street brought by the Federal Reserve’s policy easing also helped in Thursday’s session,” Philstocks Financial Inc. research head Japhet Tantiangco said.
Sectoral indices remained mixed with financial increasing the most, up by 1.41 percent. Property, on the other hand, declined by 1.12 percent and mining and oil index by 0.65 percent.
Trading was active as value turnover reached P6.64 billion. Foreign investors however remained net sellers with outflow at P761.25 million.
ACEN Corp. was the day’s top index gainer, increasing by 11.6 percent to P2.69 while SM Prime Holdings Inc. was at the bottom, declining by 3.91 percent to P22.10. Jenniffer B. Austria
Del Monte Pacific’s income jumps 7-fold on strong Asian operations
By Jenniffer B. Austria
CANNED fruit maker and producer Del Monte Pacific Limited (DMPL) saw its net income increase by sevenfold to $16.8 million during the second quarter ended Oct. 31, 2025.
The sharp growth was driven by strong growth in its Asian operations and improved margins following the deconsolidation of its U.S. business, the company said Thursday in a disclosure to the
stock exchange. Second-quarter sales increased 10 percent to $234.9 million, while gross profit rose 37 percent to $80.4 million.
“Our excellent results demonstrate the underlying strength and potential of our Asian business. With DMPL’s deconsolidation and complete write-down of its U.S. investment and other assets, we have a clear path forward,” said Joselito Campos Jr., DMPL and DMPI chief executive.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, DMPL expects to continue its trajectory of profitable growth in the second half of the year.
“The focus remains on reinforcing market
leadership in the Philippines, maintaining fresh fruit leadership in North Asia, improving operational productivity, and prudently managing the capital structure,” the company said.
The company’s domestic subsidiary Del Monte Philippines Inc. (DMPI) delivered strong growth with second quarter net income up 63 percent to $32.5 million while sales climbed 12 percent to $226.7 million.
The domestic growth was driven by strong demand for packaged pineapple and mixed fruits.
For the first half of fiscal year 2026, DMPI achieved sales of $423.3 million, up 10 percent, and a net profit of $56.3 million, up by 42 percent.
By Darwin G. Amojelar
INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal
Services Inc. (ICTSI) has signed a 25-year partnership agreement with Transnet SOC Ltd. (Transnet) to operate the strategic Durban Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 2 in South Africa. Effective Jan. 1, 2026, the joint venture between Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) and ICTSI will manage the terminal’s upgrade and development. The agreement is a cornerstone of the government’s economic reform agenda and Transnet’s strategy to integrate the private sector into key business areas. It is expected to enhance terminal productivity and increase throughput, ultimately improving the organization’s operational efficiency and container supply chains.
Under the terms, Transnet retains a majority shareholding in the new special purpose vehicle (Newco), while globallyrenowned operator ICTSI—selected as the preferred bidder in July 2023—will assume responsibility for the terminal’s operations, leveraging its successful track record in improving port performance worldwide.
Through the introduction of new equipment and advanced technology, DCT Pier 2 is expected to increase its capacity from 2 million to 2.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and improve Gross Crane Moves per Hour (GCH) from 18 to 28 as well as Ship Working Hour (SWH) from 60 to 120. These improvements are envisaged to reduce logistics costs and
improve service quality, thus broadening market access and attracting new volumes.
“Through our deliberate and expansive investment in new equipment across our terminals, the performance of DCT Pier 2 has been on an upward trajectory. We expect that our partnership with ICTSI will further propel this crucial terminal to its full potential. Private sector participation (PSP) transactions are an important element of our strategy to modernize, expand and improve our key assets. It is also a big step in our efforts to improve efficiencies across our terminals and transform our ports into worldclass hubs,” Transnet Group chief executive Michelle Phillips said.
“This is consistent with our approach to enhance efficiency and growth through strategic partnerships. Private sector participation in ports has the potential to positively influence efficiencies, export processes and global competitiveness,” she added.
Hans-Ole Madsen, ICTSI senior vice president, said the partnership marks a shared commitment to revitalizing South Africa’s maritime infrastructure and unlocking new opportunities for growth for South Africa and the entire region.
“Pier 2 is a strategic asset for South Africa, critical to trade, jobs and economic growth. ICTSI is proud to invest in Durban’s future, bringing global expertise and technology to ensure DCT Pier 2 becomes a world-class terminal that benefits the entire region. We look forward to getting started,
working closely with Transnet to execute our shared vision,” he added.
Jabu Mdaki (left), Transnet Port Terminals chief executive, with Michelle Phillips, Transnet Group chief executive, and HansOle Madsen, ICTSI vice president and regional head for Europe, Middle East and Africa, during the signing of the 25-year partnership agreement for Durban Container Terminal (DCT) Pier 2.
TOILET DONATION. Manila Water Foundation marks World Toilet Day with a series of events to heighten awareness on proper sanitation and hygiene to support the health and well-being. For its main event, Manila Water Foundation inaugurated a two-cubicle sanitation facility, handed over WASH assets and facilitated a WASH Paaralan hygiene education session at the Kapitan Jose Cardones Integrated School in Taguig City.
BUSINESS
DA pushes Mindanao farm road to unlock agri value
By Othel V. Campos
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing a major farm-to-market road (FMR) expansion in Mindanao, noting that the buildout could unlock hundreds of billions of pesos in untapped agricultural value once long-isolated farmlands are linked to commercial centers.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco
Tiu Laurel Jr. said while the DA plans to regain full control of the FMR program starting 2026, preparations are underway for road projects that will cut through high-po-
tential but chronically underutilized food production zones, including wide tracts in Sultan Kudarat and the vast Liguasan Marsh.
“Once we build it, we want to put P2 billion into a single road in Sul-
tan Kudarat that will open up 32,000 to 35,000 hectares of new farmland. These areas aren’t being used now because there’s simply no road,” he said.
He added that Liguasan Marsh could yield an even larger boost, with up to 300,000 hectares recoverable once road networks are established.
To support these access corridors, the DA will complement the rollout with post-harvest facilities under the World Bank–funded Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), including cold storage units, dryers, silos and improved logistics links to
ports and emerging agri-ports.
Ahead of the transition, the DA has formed a dedicated FMR unit and is setting up a transparency system with time-lapse cameras, a farm-to-market portal and monitoring agreements with farmer cooperatives.
Tiu Laurel acknowledged that political pressure could complicate the rollout, noting that every mayor, congressman and senator wants a road in their district, even as the national master plan shows a 60,000-kilometer backlog and available funding for only about 2,000 kilometers next year.
Alternergy gets grid nod for five renewable plants
ALTERNERGY Holdings Corp.
said Thursday it received approval from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for the system impact study (SIS) for all five renewable power projects the company won under the Green Energy Auction 4 (GEA 4) Program.
The approval is a significant step toward developing the projects, which have a potential new capacity of up to 500 megawatts (MW) and boost Alternergy’s goal of reaching One Green Gigawatt by 2030.
“The NGCP approval of the SIS is a significant step to move our projects forward. It confirms the grid’s capability and readiness to accommodate and integrate our projects into the system,” said Alternergy president Gerry Magbanua.
The completion and approval of the SIS is a critical post-auction requirement under GEA 4, and the company confirmed it successfully submitted all necessary documents to the Department of Energy (DOE).
“We are excited to hit the ground running and start the development works,” Magbanua said.
The five projects include the Liberty Solar Floating Projects Phase A and Phase B in Luzon and the Kalandagan Solar Power Project with Battery Energy Storage System in Mindanao. Alternergy also won two wind projects: the Tayabas North Wind Energy Project in Luzon and the Alegria Wind Power Project in the Visayas. Alena Mae S. Flores
OUTSTANDING FIREFIGHTERS. The 2025 Ten Outstanding Firefighters of the Philippines (on the stage from left) are FO2 Bernard Sureta, FO3 Dianne Daphne Bruno, SFO2 Donn Canlas Anloague, SPF01 Jan Vincent Alba, FCINSP Zardoz Abela, FSSUPT Bartolome Beliran, FSUPT Josephus Franco Alburo, FSINSP Karl Aerole Rojales, FSINSP Julius Mangrubang, and SFO2 Lloyd Casilao Francisco. In the front row are Gen. Carlito Romero (Ret.) - SM Consultant for Fire and former BFP Fire Chief; Royston Cabuñag - AVP for MSME, Job Fairs & Government Service, SM Supermalls; Johanna Melissa Rupisan - VP for operations, SM Supermalls; Pearly Joan Turley - SAVP for corporate compliance, SM Supermalls; Jeffrey Lim, SM Prime president, Liza Silerio - VP for corporate compliance, SM Supermalls; Fides Hsu - VP for design, SM EDD; and VADM. Alexander Pama (Ret.) - SM Consultant for Disaster Risk Resilience. POWER AWARDS. MGEN Renewables operations and maintenance head Rogelio II Rivera and MGEN president and chief executive Dennis Jordan receive ‘Power Plant Upgrade of the Year –Philippines’ for MGEN Renewables Baras Solar at the 2025 Asian Power Awards. MGEN Renewables won 6 awards from Asian Power Awards, Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and IJGlobal ESG Awards 2025 and affirming MGEN’s commitment to accelerating the country’s energy transition through strategic and utilityscale renewable energy developments.
By Alena Mae S. Flores
GREENCORE Power Solutions
3, Inc. (GPS3), the developer of the 115.671-megawatt Arayat-Mexico
PV solar power plant in Pampanga, has secured a P2.587 billion loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
ACEN Corp. disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange Thursday that the company, as sponsor and share collateral grantor, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, ACEN
Global Development Group, Inc., also as sponsor and share collateral guarantor, GPS3 as borrower, and CSEC as sponsor and share collateral grantor, executed an Omnibus Loan and Security Agreement with DBP as lender and the DBP Trust Banking Group as project accounts agent for the loan facility.
GPS3 is a joint venture company of ACEN and CSEC, a unit of Citicore Renewable Energy Corp., operating the Arayat-Mexico solar power plant. This developed as ACEN subscribed
DOE to terminate non-performing projects, forfeit bonds
THE Department of Energy (DOE) assured that stalled power generation capacities will not be allowed to block the country’s clean energy transition, hence nonperforming projects are being cleared from the pipeline.
The agency said in a statement that these nonperforming capacities will be made available to other qualified developers through other mechanisms.
“The DOE is fully aware of concerns regarding certain Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) projects that have not progressed in line with their committed delivery timelines. Consistent with the GEAP Terms of Reference and the revised omnibus
renewable energy guidelines, the DOE is undertaking the appropriate actions, which may include the forfeiture of performance bonds and termination of contracts after due process, for any developer that fails to meet its obligations,” it said. While the DOE said it cannot comment on the specifics of individual nonperforming cases at this time, it reiterated that all developers are treated equally under the rules, “and we remain ready to coordinate with the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) or any competent authority on matters within their mandate.” These stalled capacities allegedly include those from Solar Philippines
Power Project Holdings Inc. (SPPPHI) and its subsidiaries for failing to develop around 1,350 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity granted to them under the Department of Energy’s GEAP.
The DOE previously reiterated the agency’s commitment to weed out nonperforming service contracts and ensure that power plants are built on time.
“We are the policy makers that allow them and make sure that they invest, and of course, our responsibility is that they do perform their commitments. So that’s what we’re watching for,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said. Alena Mae S. Flores
Belgium eyes PH as key pork export market in Southeast Asia
BELGIAN pork exporters are positioning the Philippines as a key market in Southeast Asia to capitalize on the country’s need for safe, traceable and premium pork as it manages African Swine Fever (ASF) and tightens standards on imported meat products.
Belgium, which ranks among the world’s top 10 pork exporters, shipped 690,628 tons of pork to more than 70 countries in 2024, including the Philippines.
Industry officials said the rising demand in the Philippine market strongly aligns with Belgium’s strengths in efficiency, transparency and certified food safety. Philippine importers stand to benefit from Belgium’s customized approach to global buyers, according to Joris Coenen, manager of the Belgian Meat Office (BMO). Coenen said Belgian suppliers are known for adapting to the requirements of each market and building long-term partnerships based on reliable delivery and consistent quality.
“Belgian meat suppliers offer a tailored service worldwide. They develop strong, sustainable collaborations and provide flexible and efficient solutions aligned with the customer’s business,” Coenen said. Gerard Van Landschoot, president of FEBEV, cited the industry’s ability to innovate amid competitive pressures.
“Our greatest strength has always been flexibility. Reinventing ourselves, anticipating change, staying ahead of the curve—this is our history, past and future,” he said. Othel V. Campos
to additional shares of GPS3 totaling P859 million to partially pay off the developer’s outstanding loans to construct the solar plant.
ACEN executed a subscription agreement with GPS3 for an additional 2,413,862 common A shares with a par value of P1 apiece for a total of P2.413 million, and an additional 41,974,772 RPS A shares with a par value of P20.41 per share for P856.705 million.
The company said it is subscribing to a portion of the planned increase
in the authorized capital stock of GPS3. The completion of ACEN’s subscription will take effect upon approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Greencore’s increase in authorized capital stock.
The Arayat-Mexico solar project, which has an estimated cost of P2.75 billion, was completed less than a year after its groundbreaking. It began full operations in August 2022 and has powered 19,450 homes.
Visayas grid placed under yellow alert amid thin reserves
THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) Thursday declared a yellow alert status for the Visayas grid from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., citing thin reserves caused by a limited power supply from Mindanao.
The system operator issues a yellow alert when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.
NGCP said in its advisory that peak demand during the period reached 2,535 megawatts (MW), compared to an available capacity of 2,578 MW.
Several factors contributed to the alert status. The NGCP cited a 36MW increase in Visayas demand, the outage of KSPC Unit 2 (103 MW), the derating of Agus 6 at 66.5 MW, and the limiting of the export to Visayas to 207 MW by the Mindanao Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) due to a 49-MW increase in Mindanao demand. Overall, a total of 482.41 MW was
unavailable to the grid. This was due to 10 plants being on forced outage (with plants out since 2024, 2023, and 2021) and 16 running on derated capacities.
NGCP confirmed that the Luzon and Mindanao grids were operating under normal conditions. Meanwhile, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) forecasts Visayas average electricity prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) to increase during the dry months next year to around P6 to P7 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). “But next year, with the growth in demand, if there are unplanned outages, P6 to P7. So, that’s our projection. So, effectively, it will increase by P1,” IEMOP Vice President for trading operations Isidro Cacho Jr. said in a briefing, referring to the Visayas grid.
Flores
Alena Mae S.
PH gets $500-m ADB loan to boost blue economy
THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500-million policy-based loan to the Philippines to support the sustainable management of its marine ecosystems and foster a vibrant, resilient and low-carbon blue economy development.
The funding, part of the Marine Ecosystems for Blue Economy Development Program (Subprogram 1), aims to strengthen the productivity and diversity of the country’s oceanbased economy while improving the health and adaptability of coastal areas and communities.
It also seeks to enhance the plastic and solid waste management value chain and promote investments in
the nation’s natural capital to ensure long-term ecological and economic resilience against climate change impacts.
ADB Philippines country director Andrew Jeffries highlighted the program’s significance.
“More than half of the Philippine population is dependent on the country’s oceans and rich marine biodiversity for food and livelihoods,
with the blue economy having great potential to be central to attaining inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon development,” Jeffries said.
He said this is the ADB’s first extensive cross-sector program focused on fostering national blue economy development in the region.
The blue economy, which includes sectors like fisheries, ocean-based manufacturing, tourism-related services, shipping and offshore energy, contributed P1.01 trillion to the country’s economy in 2024, equivalent to 3.8 percent of gross domestic product.
However, the Philippines, the world’s second-largest archipelagic nation, faces increasing threats to its marine ecosystems from unsustainable practices, including plastic and solid waste pollution
SEC cuts loan interest rate cap to 12%
By Jenniffer B. Austria
THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has lowered the effective interest rate cap to 12 percent per month on small loans effective April 1, 2026. The move is part of the government’s effort to tighten limits on interest rates and related fees charged by financing and lending companies in the Philippines.
Under SEC Memorandum Circular No. 14, Series of 2025, the new 12 percent per month effective interest rate, or about 0.40 percent per day, applies to loans of less than P10,000 with payment terms of up to four months.
The effective interest rate encompasses the total nominal interest plus other fees and charges, excluding penalties and late payment fees. This rate is expressed as the rate that discounts estimated future cash flows to the net loan proceeds. Financing and lending companies are also prohibited from charging nominal interest rates higher than 6 percent per month, or roughly 0.20 percent per day.
and the severe effects of extreme weather. The nation is hit by at least 20 typhoons annually, with cyclones growing fiercer in recent years.
The program aligns with the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and supports the government’s National Adaptation Plan 2023‒2050 and its nationally determined contribution, focusing on nature-based solutions, climateresilient livelihoods and blue carbon ecosystems. It leverages the ADB’s existing support for climate action, including the Climate Change Action Program.
The ADB will be joined by the Agence Française de Développement and Germany’s KfW Development Bank, which will provide cofinancing of up to €200 million (about $235 million) each for Subprogram 1.
IN BRIEF
times the initial target size, the bank said in a stock exchange disclosure on Thursday. The bonds were issued under the bank’s P50billion bond and commercial paper program. PNB issued P10.88 billion in fixed rate Series A ASEAN Sustainability Bonds due in 2028 at an interest rate of 5.4877 percent per year. The Series B bonds, due in 2030, secured P4.82 billion at an annual interest rate of 5.7764 percent. The bonds require a minimum investment of P100,000, with increments of P50,000.
Net proceeds from the issuance will be used to finance or refinance eligible projects under PNB’s Sustainable Financing Framework, aligning with the ASEAN Sustainability Bonds Standards. The bonds were listed on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. on Thursday.
PNB Capital and Investment Corporation, ING Bank N.V. Manila Branch and Standard Chartered Bank served as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners. PNB, ING and Standard Chartered also acted as selling agents. Jenniffer B. Austria
SBCorp projects
P1.2b in revenue
THE Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Small Business Corp. (SBCorp) expects its 2025 revenues to reach P1.2 billion, a 20-percent increase from 2024, following the agency securing its second consecutive third-place ranking in the Governance Commission for GOCCs’ (GCG) 2025 Corporate Governance Scorecard. DTI Secretary and SBCorp chairman Cristina Roque said the results highlight how governance reforms and more strategic lending programs are directly benefiting Filipino enterprises.
“SBCorp’s performance shows what good governance can deliver for the country. When our financial institutions operate with discipline, transparency, and purpose, more Filipino enterprises gain the support they need to grow,” Roque said. SBCorp said it has assisted 66,803 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and released more than P11 billion in loans, with total disbursements projected to hit P12.1 billion by year-end, which is about 15 percent higher year-on-year. The corporation expanded its reach in disaster-hit areas through the Enterprise Rehabilitation Financing Program, releasing P495 million in emergency capital to 2,693 firms. Regional MSME roadshows also generated same-day
“The recalibrated interest rate cap offers a balanced and sustainable framework that considers the interests of both lenders and borrowers, consistent with the Commission’s mandate of promoting consumer protection while also ensuring the viability of legitimate financing and lending companies,” said SEC chairman Francisco Lim.
The Monetary Board, in consultation with the SEC, previously set the ceiling at 15 percent per month, or about 0.5 percent per day.
Penalties for late or nonpayment are now capped at 5 percent per month on the outstanding scheduled amount due.
The total loan costs, including interest, fees, charges and penalties, cannot exceed 100 percent of the amount borrowed, regardless of the loan’s duration.
Land Bank of the Philippines launches the new LIFTING MSMEs Lending Program with Department of Trade and Industry, key partners and MSMEs from Metro Manila, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal on Dec. 9, 2025 at the LandBank Plaza in Manila.
Cebu Pacific sees strong finish to 2025
CEBU Pacific expects to close the year on a high note as network expansion drives an increase in passenger traffic, a high-ranking executive of the airline said.
“We expect the total capacity this year to reach around 32 million seats across all of our destinations, translating to what we think would be roughly a growth of anywhere between 10 to 12 percent,” Cebu Pacific president and chief executive Xander Lao said.
From January to October, CEB saw robust year-on-year growth, flying 22 million passengers up 12 percent across 139,000 flights and offering 26.1 million seats, higher by 13 percent compared to the same period last year.
This year, CEB launched 11 new routes, primarily outside Metro Manila to strengthen regional connectivity. Seat capacity in key hubs—Cebu, Davao, Clark, and Iloilo—has increased by 15 to 25 percent.
“I think ultimately our goal is to try and serve a lot more passengers across all of our destinations. So with all of these developments coming together, we’re aiming to close the year on a pretty high note,” Lao said.
“We think next year we will probably grow between six to 10 percent from a seats perspective versus this year,” he added.
Lao also said the carrier plans to take delivery of seven new aircraft in
2026 while retiring seven older jets.
He said that by the end of 2026, over 70 percent of the jet fleet will be NEO-powered. These newer models are expected to deliver “close to 20 percent fuel savings” compared to previous-generation aircraft, helping the airline manage costs and reduce its environmental footprint.
Last month, Cebu Pacific received the first A320neo and fourth aircraft delivery overall this year, expanding the airline’s diverse fleet.
“This latest delivery helps ensure we have enough capacity to serve passengers looking to fly home or discover new destinations this holiday season,” Lao said.
“We’re committed to making travel more accessible and convenient, especially during this time of year when more Filipinos take to the skies,” he added.
The new A320neo will be deployed on regional routes, further supporting CEB’s domestic and international operations.
Cebu Pacific offers the widest network coverage in the Philippines with 37 domestic and 26 international destinations. It operates one of the youngest fleets in the world, with a fleet of 98 aircraft.
Darwin G. Amojelar
2GO wins top honors at World Business Outlook Awards
2GO Group, Inc., the country’s leading logistics solutions provider, has been recognized with two distinguished honors at the 2025 World Business Outlook Awards: the Outstanding Maritime and Shipping Services Award Philippines 2025 and the Best Innovation in Freight and Cargo Solutions Philippines 2025. World Business Outlook is a global business publication that recognizes leadership, innovation, and excellence across industries and regions. Its annual awards program celebrates companies, institutions, and individuals that have demonstrated exceptional performance, pioneering solutions, and meaningful impact worldwide.
2GO received the Outstanding Maritime and Shipping Services Award Philippines 2025 for its superior service, operational excellence, and contribution to the growth of the Philippine maritime and shipping sector. The Best Innovation in Freight and Cargo Solutions Philippines 2025 recognizes 2GO’s forward-thinking approach to transforming freight and cargo logistics through technology,
AirAsia MOVE crowned Asia’s Best Travel Booking App for 3rd consecutive year
AIRASIA MOVE (MOVE) has once again been crowned Asia’s Best Travel Booking App at the World Travel Tech Awards 2025, marking the third consecutive year it has been recognised with this prestigious title and reinforcing its position as the region’s leading homegrown online travel agent (OTA). MOVE’s continued recognition is underpinned by significant year-onyear growth across users, bookings and partnerships in 2025. Its monthly active users (MAU) remain strong at 15 million, and bookings across major verticals also grew with hotel bookings going up nearly 40 percent, and SNAP (Flight + Hotel bundle) bookings climbing 30 percent with Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu as top destinations that SNAP bookers like to travel to.
MOVE also expanded its direct network airline partners onto its platform this year to also include Sri Lankan Airlines, Royal Brunei, Ethiopian Airlines, and Vietjet Air (via GalaxyJoy), making it a total of more than 70 direct airline partners on MOVE.
“Winning this award for the third consecutive year is a meaningful recognition of what we are building, a travel platform born in Asean, made for Asean and now serving Asia and beyond. We have completely evolved from an airline app into a truly global, multi-airline, multi-product OTA, while staying consistent to our vision to be Asean’s favorite travel app by creating inclusive, fun and affordable journeys,” Nadia Omer, chief executive of AirAsia MOVE said.
process efficiency, and integrated service solutions that create value for customers and industries.
“These recognitions affirm 2GO’s commitment to building a stronger and more connected Philippines,” said Frederic DyBuncio, president and chief executive officer of 2GO Group, Inc.
“We take pride in serving the country’s logistics and maritime sectors, supporting commerce, tourism, and communities across the islands. These awards inspire us to keep innovating, modernizing our assets, and delivering reliable, customer-focused services that help drive national progress,” he added.
Will Howell, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of 2GO Group, Inc., added, “These honors come at an exciting time for 2GO as we continue to grow our network, enhance our logistics capabilities, and expand service offerings that enable businesses nationwide. We are improving our logistics solutions, developing more efficient routes, building strong partnerships, and investing in new facilities that will
allow industries to thrive in an increasingly dynamic and competitive business environment.”
2GO Group operates one of the Philippines’ largest integrated supply chain networks, offering a broad range of services that include passenger and cargo shipping, freight forwarding, cold chain solutions, e-commerce logistics, and warehouse management. Its maritime operations connect key islands and trade routes, while its logistics capabilities serve diverse industries from retail and manufacturing to food, pharmaceuticals, and project logistics. These awards reinforce 2GO Group’s position as a leader in maritime and logistics services in the Philippines, emphasizing the company’s focus on operational excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth. Recognition from an international organization such as World Business Outlook highlights 2GO’s alignment with global best practices and its continued commitment to raising industry standards.
NLEX empowers communities through upcycling
NLEX Corporation is strengthening its commitment to sustainability through two major initiatives focused on environmental stewardship and community empowerment: the launch of its second Tirescape Playground (built from upcycled tires) and the enhanced PUNLA 2.1 program for women-led community enterprises.
“In building a sustainable community, true progress goes beyond physical infrastructure. It also means developing people and enterprises aligned with our long-term vision, as that is how lasting impact is made,” Luis S. Reñon, NLEX president and general manager said.
The Tirescape Playground transforms 300 upcycled tires into colorful park features and play materials. Situated on a 300-squaremeter lot in Barangay Bamban, Hermosa, Tarlac, the recreational space will benefit around 700 children, promoting physical activity, creativity, social interaction, and environmental awareness through recycling. The project was completed in collaboration with the Barangay Bamban officials, the Local Government Unit of Hermosa, SAVVICE Corporation, and partner transport groups, including the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines and the Inland Haulers and Truckers Association. Meanwhile, PUNLA 2.1 has entered its culminating stage. In partnership with the Partnership of Philippine Support Service, the program offered more in-depth, focused mentoring sessions to address the unique needs of enterprises. Participating enterprises also received laptops to strengthen their digital and operational capabilities.
The Tirescape and PUNLA programs are part of NLEX’s broader sustainability efforts, which include Road to Less Waste, promoting responsible waste management, and I Care for Strays, advocating responsible pet ownership. Together, these initiatives reinforce NLEX’s commitment to building sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities. NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Manuel V. Pangilinanled Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).
MPTC chief corporate governance and risk officer, and head of sustainability lawyer Cynthia “Dacky” Casiño has been the driving force behind MPTC Group’s sustainability journey. Her office institutionalized MPTC’s Sustainability Strategic Priorities and created programs with impacts on the environment and communities.
To embed these in the company, her team launched sustainability knowledge series and webinars to engage employees and translate these into real-life use cases, even outside of professional settings. Beyond internal initiatives, she also led external programs that have received multiple awards including the Department of Health’s
Frederic DyBuncio president and chief executive officer of 2GO Group Inc.
Ben-Jie Lim (center), chief people and partnerships officer at AirAsia MOVE accepted the award at the global ceremony held in Bahrain yesterday, attended by travel industry leaders and innovators from around the world.
Cebu
president and chief executive Xander Lao
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2025
lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com
NICKIE WANG, Editor
ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer
JASPER VALDEZ, Writer
By Jasper Valdez
ASHOWBIZ
How Ashtine Olviga transformed into Agnes for ‘Manila’s Finest’
SHTINE Olviga admits she had to unlearn many modern habits when she stepped into her role in Manila’s Finest, the Metro Manila Film Festival entry set in 1969 Manila.
The young actress, who plays activist Agnes in the police drama, said the period setting pushed her to rethink everything—from the way she spoke to the way she carried herself on screen.
During the film’s grand media conference on Dec. 5, Ashtine recalled catching herself slipping into present-day expressions while filming.
“Sometimes the expressions we use today slip out, so I have to adjust on the spot,” she told Manila Standard Entertainment. Even small details tripped her up. “Back then, they used the term ‘manong’ instead of ‘kuya,’” she added, noting how simple terms required relearning.
GMA Network’s flagship FM station Barangay LS 97.1 Forever! earned two honors at Spotify Wrapped 2025 for its long-running program Barangay Love Stories. The awards were handed out on Dec. 8. The podcast was named the Top Love & Relationship Podcast and Top Podcast in the Philippines 2025.
Hosted by Papa Dudut, Barangay Love Stories features weekly letters from listeners about life and relationships, accompanied by dramatizations that have helped it maintain a strong following on Spotify Philippines. The show has logged more than one billion minutes of listening time. In February, the podcast received the Spotify Creator Milestone Award. The latest recognition underscores GMA Network’s efforts to expand its storytelling across digital platforms.
Director Raymond Red, who ended up being the cast’s go-to person for anything about the late 1960s, said guiding the team through the era came naturally. He noted that he was the only one on the crew with childhood memories linked to that period.
“I realized I might be the only one who was actually alive during that time, so they were looking to me for ideas,” he said. He added that correcting small behaviors mattered, saying, “The little things that didn’t exist back then—that’s what I reminded them about. Those small nuances add to the authenticity.”
Ashtine said the adjustments felt big despite her short shooting schedule, but things eased up as the days went on. “The nerves went away, and I became comfortable with everyone on set,” she said, recalling how the team helped her settle into the role.
Playing the daughter of Piolo Pascual ’s character also made the experience smoother. She said Piolo kept the environment calm and supportive. “Sir Piolo is so kind. He never added to the nerves I was already feeling,” she said.
One thing she didn’t expect to learn from him was the value of reviewing her own takes. “I don’t usually watch myself because I get conscious, but Sir Piolo would always say, ‘Let’s check it.’ That’s where I learned it’s okay to review so you can see what you need to improve.”
While Agnes is a character rooted in the past,
Ashtine said her storyline still hits close to home.
“What’s happening in the film is still happening today… it’s sad,” she said, pointing to themes of accountability and youth activism that remain relevant.
As a Gen Z herself, she believes speaking up still matters. “The more people speak up, the more power we have,” she said.
For Raymond, that bridge between past and present is the film’s quiet backbone.
“The story is about ordinary people caught in a moment of history,” he said, adding that he hopes younger viewers become curious enough to revisit that period. “I hope this sparks interest. They might start reading, and they might become curious.” Even with the early attention surrounding Manila’s Finest, Raymond said he tries not to dwell on awards buzz.
“Yes, there is pressure, but I don’t want to think about that,” he said. “We made a good film, and I hope the audiences respond to it.”
Manila’s Finest opens in cinemas on Dec. 25 as part of the MMFF 2025 lineup.
WHILE Myrna Esguerra fell short of winning the Miss International 2025 crown, representing the country in the prestigious pageant symbolizes her journey from obscurity and deprivation to prominence and recognition.
Growing up in a poor family in a remote countryside in Pidigan, Abra, with her sixteen siblings, Esguerra struggled through hardship and adversity but took it as a foundation for hard work, resilience, and eventual success.
“I was not expecting that Bb. Pilipinas would give me a welcome homecoming like this. We did a parade around the mall with an accompanying band. I’m very grateful. You made me feel that I’m really a diamond queen. Thank you for this opportunity and platform, which I will remember for the rest of my life,” Esguerra said during the press conference held after the parade. Esguerra was joined at the parade by her fellow Bb. Pilipinas queens, Bb. PilipinasInternational 2025 Katrina Johnson, Bb. Pilipinas 2025 first runner-up Dalia Khattab, and Bb. Pilipinas 2025 second runnerup Kathleen Espenido
Emma Mary Tiglao. She has gained a massive following among pageant fans around the world after her crowning. With her classic beauty and elegance, the TV host/news anchor also bagged several beauty product endorsements, including the latest as the new brand ambassador of Hikari Skin Essentials.
Miss Grand Philippines, headed by national director and ALV Pageant Circle president Arnold Vegafria, has partnered with Beauty & U, makers of Hilary products, calling it a much-deserved blessing and reward for Emma.
“The brand perfectly matches Emma’s fun, bubbly, and vibrant personality. We aim to inspire women to feel more confident, glow from within, and choose safe, high-quality products that truly care for their skin,” said brand CEO S. Ralph Lim
Esguerra’s fourth runner-up finish places her in an elite company of five others, which include Evelyn Camus (2nd
brand president Michael Rey Almazan
Ashtine Olviga says she had to unlearn modern habits and rethinks her on-screen presence
Ashtine plays as Agnes, the daughter of Piolo Pascual’s character
The director and the stellar cast of Metro Manila Film Festival-entry ‘Manila’s Finest’
SHOWBIZ
Kiray Celis’ love story inspires Kryzl Jorge’s new song
By Nickie Wang
A VIRAL clip that appeared to show actress Kiray Celis marrying her partner, Stephan Estopia, has turned out to be part of a music video for a new single by young performer Kryzl
Jorge Several media outlets and celebrities had congratulated the couple after Celis posted what looked like wedding photos and videos on Nov. 24. The images were later confirmed to be scenes from the music video for “kayong dalawa lang,” the latest release from the child performer known as the “youngest CEO.”
To explain the project, Kryzl held a media conference on Dec. 2 in Quezon City with her parents, Liezl and Kris Jorge. She said she was surprised by the reaction online.
“I am new to the industry, therefore
National Artist Ricky Lee defends workshop lineup
By Angelica Villanueva
NATIONAL Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee addressed criticism over the latest participants in his scriptwriting workshop, following online debate about the inclusion of well-known actors and industry figures.
On Monday, Dec. 8, Lee announced the 60 individuals selected for his free in-person workshops from more than 2,600 applicants.
Among those chosen were prominent names such as Cristine Reyes, Kylie Padilla, Rica Peralejo, Romnick Sarmenta, Karylle Tatlonghari, JC Santos, Chai Fonacier, and journalist Kara David prompting some netizens to question whether celebrities took slots from aspiring newcomers.
In a statement, the awardwinning screenwriter emphasized that all applicants underwent the same process and that the selection committee—composed of directors, writers, and industry professionals— evaluated submissions solely on merit and creativity.
“Interested participants are given equal chances regardless of whether they are celebrities, skilled writers, or newcomers,” Lee said. He added that mixing veterans with beginners has long been part of his teaching philosophy, noting that “a homogenous group is never ideal” for learning.
Lee also said more than 200 applicants qualified, prompting plans for a Batch 32 next year, dedicated mostly to newcomers, as well as larger in-person or online sessions to accommodate others.
He acknowledged the disappointment of those not selected but urged trust in a system refined over four decades.
I had no idea it would generate so much attention. I guess everyone is looking forward to seeing Ate Kiray and Kuya Tepan get married,” she told the media attendees.
Kryzl described filming with Celis and Estopia as tiring but enjoyable.
“They walked me through some scenes. Ate Kiray inspires me as an artist since she is both funny and talented,” she noted.
Produced by Purple Hearts Production, the single focuses on real-life love, commitment, and the challenges couples face before marriage. The music video was shot at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan.
Purple Hearts chief operating officer
Andrea Millado discussed Kryzl’s development, recalling how the young performer showed interest in singing and dancing early on. Millado
tutored her during the pandemic and observed her enthusiasm during company thanksgiving events, where Kryzl frequently performed.
Millado explained that the team grew close to Celis and Estopia throughout production. With Kryzl’s interest in performing and the company’s resources, the team eventually finalized the idea of dedicating a song to the couple.
The Dec. 2 launch also served as the first public screening of the music video. Kryzl appeared with her brother Charles Jorge, the new CEO of the Kryzl Group of Companies,
introduced them and that Celis later approached their company to create her products
Star Magic powers multiple films in 2025 MMFF
By Nickie Wang
TAR Magic artists take prominent roles in the Metro Manila Film Festival 2025, appearing across multiple entries that cover horror, drama, romance, and holiday features.
Regal Entertainment’s Shake, Rattle & Roll franchise returns with a star-studded cast led by Ivana Alawi, JM Ibarra, Fyang Smith, Dylan Yturralde, Francine Diaz, Seth Fedelin, Karina Bautista, Angelica Lao, Raven Rigor, Loisa Andalio, Kaila Estrada, and Richard Gutierrez. The new chapter continues the series’ tradition of suspense-driven storytelling.
Star Magic talents also headline Call Me Mother, featuring Brent Manalo, River Joseph, Esnyr, Klarisse de Guzman, Lucas Andalio, and John “Sweet” Lapus. The film examines different sides of motherhood, love, relationships, and family.
Gerald Anderson, Bela Padilla, and Charlie Dizon lead Rekonek, a Christmas offering built around themes of reconnection and relationships in unexpected moments. Singer-songwriter SAB contributes to the production, composing and writing the film’s original soundtrack.
More Star Magic artists appear in Bar Boys: After School , including Klarisse de Guzman, Emilio Daez, and Benedix Ramos, joining the ensemble of the sequel to the 2017 law school drama.
Zaijian Jaranilla takes the lead in Nathan Studio’s Im’perfect , a story centered on flaws, vulnerability, and self-acceptance.
In Unmarry, Angelica Panganiban, Kaladkaren, and Zanjoe Marudo portray characters navigating personal choices, relationships, and self-discovery. The film is produced by Quantum Films and CineKo Productions. The festival lineup closes with Love You So Bad, a co-production of Star Cinema, GMA Pictures, and Regal Entertainment. The romance entry stars Xyriel Manabat, Reign Parani, Zach Castaneda, Ralph de Leon, Desiree del Valle, and Bianca de Vera, and is positioned as one of the season’s most anticipated titles.
Star Magic artists appear across lead and supporting roles throughout MMFF 2025, continuing to shape stories that resonate with Filipino audiences and reinforcing the hallmark presence of Tatak Star Magic on the holiday screen.
Kiray Celis (right) and Stephan Estopia film a scene for Kryzl Jorge’s ‘kayong dalawa lang,’ which sparked online speculation about a real wedding
National Artist Ricky Lee addresses the public following the announcement of his workshop’s newest batch of participants
Kryzl Jorge performs in the ‘kayong dalawa lang’ music video shot at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar
and Millado. She mentioned her family’s long relationship with Celis, noting that her mother
Hello Bloom and Hot Babe Green. The music video is available on YouTube, while the single can be streamed on Spotify and other digital platforms.
Ivana Alawi stars in the revived ‘Shake, Rattle & Roll’ franchise
JM Ibarra (right) and Fyang Smith appear in the new ‘Shake, Rattle & Roll’ installment under Regal Entertainment
Brent Manalo headlines ‘Call Me Mother’ alongside fellow Star Magic artists
Francine Diaz joins the stellar cast of ’Shake, Rattle, & Roll: Evil Origin’
Bianca de Vera takes a key role in ‘Love You So Bad,’ co-produced by Star Cinema, GMA Pictures, and Regal Entertainment
Seth Fedelin joins the starstudded cast of ‘Shake, Rattle & Roll’ for MMFF 2025
Gerald Anderson leads the holiday drama ‘Rekonek’ for MMFF 2025
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2025 lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com
NICKIE WANG, Editor
ANGELICA VILLANUEVA,
Writer
Writer
JASPER VALDEZ,
By Nickie Wang
THE holiday season often brings overlapping work commitments, social events, and personal responsibilities, leaving little time for rest. For many, the combination of long hours, travel, and festive activities can take a toll on the skin, leading to fatigue, puffiness, and dullness.
Holiday skincare routines celebrities swear by
Experts recommend incorporating targeted skincare treatments, hydration, and proper sleep routines to maintain a refreshed appearance during the busiest time of the year.
Many local celebrities are turning to Belo Medical Group to keep their skin camera-ready amid the season’s demands.
Among the most sought-after procedures is NeuroBright Eyes, a 20-minute treatment designed to reduce under-eye puffiness and fatigue. The procedure, part of Belo’s Neurocosmetics line, uses lactobiome to balance the skin, hyaluronic acid for hydration and firming, and tranexamic acid for brightening. The treatment works by modulating the “brain–skin axis,” calming nerve-driven
IN AN age when so much of life feels curated— our emotions masked, our personalities filtered, our real selves hidden behind carefully constructed online versions—Nathan Studios’ Metro Manila Film Festival 2025 entry I’Mperfect offers something we didn’t realize we wanted: authenticity.
Top-billed by actors with Down Syndrome, the film is a reminder of the kind of humanity we often forget to practice. After speaking with the cast, it becomes clear that I’Mperfect carries an invitation to return to sincerity and the kind of pureness that makes life lighter yet richer. What will strike you immediately when talking to the cast is how effortlessly they show their hearts. They speak with a disarming sincerity. They express joy without hesitation and emotion without embarrassment. These are qualities many of us seem to forget (or unlearn!) as we grow older. We eventually learn to temper our reactions, hide our vulnerabilities, and present only the polished parts of ourselves online or in real life. But the cast of I’Mperfect reminds us of what we lose
Pia Wurtzbach undergoes Belo’s NeuroBright Eyes treatment, a 20-minute procedure designed to ease under-eye puffiness and signs of fatigue using the brand’s Neurocosmetics approach stress that can trigger puffiness, dark circles, or dullness.
Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncey recently sampled NeuroBright Eyes, while actor KD Estrada and actress Alexa Ilacad rely on it to maintain a rested look amid demanding schedules of tapings, concerts, and performances. Another popular option is the NeuroGlow Facial, which targets uneven texture, congestion, and dullness by regulating overstimulated neuroreceptors. BINI member Aiah, who recently completed 12 Biniverse concert stops across Asia and North America, uses NeuroGlow to keep her skin vibrant.
Content creator CK de Leon reported noticeable improvements in texture and brightness after two sessions. Actress Kaila Estrada and
for treatments
Redefining Imperfection
What if we allowed ourselves to be seen imperfectly? The stars’ involvement in the film also reveals their capacity for depth, discipline, and passion. They memorized lines, rehearsed diligently, and took pride in their roles. Beyond the effort, what makes their performances truly powerful is the purity behind it.
content creator Charlie Flemming also use the treatment to maintain healthy skin despite busy routines.
For facial contouring, Liftera employs thermal diffusion technology to lift, contour, and define facial angles without downtime. The ultrasoundbased treatment triggers collagen remodeling at multiple depths, refining the jawline, softening early signs of laxity, and gradually enhancing structure and definition.
Lifestyle and fashion personalities Jaz Reyes, Raymond Gutierrez, Georgina Wilson, and Liz Uy rely on Liftera to maintain sharp, polished features while managing demanding professional and personal schedules. Belo’s Vertical Axis Lift combines multiple machine-based procedures to enhance lift, contour, and skin suppleness along the natural direction of aging.
Dr. Vicki Belo emphasized that no single machine can achieve all desired results, making combination procedures more effective. Piolo Pascual uses the treatment annually to maintain firm and sculpted angles, while Anne Curtis opts for it to achieve a natural, non-invasive lift.
Dr. Belo noted that 2025 emphasizes combining procedures to deliver optimal results. Non-invasive treatments remain central to Belo’s approach, offering effective outcomes with minimal discomfort or downtime, catering to clients with busy December calendars.
is a love
led by individuals
embody the courage to exist without masks. Their authenticity invites us to question the walls we’ve built around our
The cast members of the Metro Manila Film Festival entry ‘I’Mperfect’ talk about bringing real, unfiltered emotions to the big screen
‘I’Mperfect’, a film starring actors with Down Syndrome, invites viewers to embrace sincerity and pureness
Nathan Studios COO and actress Sylvia Sanchez (center) poses with ‘I’Mperfect’ lead stars Earl Jonathan Amaba (left) and Anne Krystel Daphne Go (right)
I’Mperfect
story
who
One of Belo’s lounges blends art and soft lighting to create a relaxing setting
Belo Medical Group reception area offers a calm, nature-inspired space where clients prepare
The lobby of Belo clinic welcomes visitors seeking targeted, combination treatments