Manila Standard - 2026 January 27 - Tuesday

FORMER PRESIDENT DUTERTE FIT FOR PRE-TRIAL, SAYS ICC

By Pot Chavez

THE Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced Monday its decision finding former President Rodrigo Duterte fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings. In a 25-page public redacted version of the decision, the chamber decided to resume the proceedings relating to the confirmation of the charges in the case.

The ICC explained that after the med-

18 dead as ferry sinks off Basilan

Search ongoing for 10 still missing; PBBM orders immediate aid

By Rex Espiritu and Maricel Cruz

AFERRY with more than 340 people onboard sank early Monday in choppy seas off Basilan, killing at least 18 and leaving 10 still missing, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

Ferry survivor describes panic, wait for rescue

AS THEIR ferry began listing heavily in the middle of the night off Basilan, passengers instinctively raced to one side in a desperate bid to rebalance the doomed vessel.

Survivor Aquino Sajili told Agence

By Charles Dantes, Rex Espiritu, Katrina Manubay and Ram Superable

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. fully supports officials defending the

Search-and-rescue efforts were expected to continue through the night, Philippine Coast Guard spokeswoman Noemie Cayabyab said, adding that an earlier tally of passengers had been reduced to 344 as some on the ship’s manifest never boarded.

The MV Trisha Kerstin 3 issued a distress signal around 1:50 am, a bit over four hours after it departed the Port of Zamboanga City, the PCG said.

Video released by Basilan Gov. Mujiv Hataman showed barefoot survivors being wrapped in blankets and placed on gurneys, while victims of the sinking

Palace: Stomach surgery yarn for PBBM fake news

country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea as China steps up public criticism of Filipino figures who are vocal against Beijing’s illegal activities. The Department of Foreign Affairs likewise raised “serious concern” and

By Charles Dantes

MALACAÑANG on Monday dismissed as false online claims that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has undergone or is scheduled to undergo surgery related to diverticulitis, saying

Aurora Gaming is M7 world champ, bags P18.88m

AURORA Gaming Philippines cemented its place at the top of the mobile esports world after storming past Indonesia’s Alter Ego to claim the M7 World Championship of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in Jakarta, Indonesia on Sunday night. The Philippine squad wrapped up the title in emphatic fashion, sweeping the Grand Final, 4–0, and leaving little doubt about the outcome.

Aurora Gaming took home the biggest share of the tournament’s $1-million prize pool — the $320,000 firstplace prize (roughly P18.88 million) and extended the country’s strong legacy in the M-Series. The win marked the Philippines’ sixth straight crown, since the country’s M-series first win in 2020. It was also the second M-series champion-

the Chief Executive is in good condition and actively working.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Mr. Marcos was in meetings at the time of the briefing, underscoring that his

By Maricel Cruz

AT WORK. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the 7th Meeting of the Economy and Development Council at Malacañang Palace, discussing key 2026 priorities to revitalize PDP implementation

Ex-President Rodrigo Duterte

SEA TRAGEDY. Survivors wrapped in thermal wear, left photo, are interviewed after their rescue at sea, right photo, yesterday by Coast Guard personnel in Basilan. Philippine Coast Guard

DPWH to file new Mindoro cases

By Vito Barcelo

EPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)

Secretary Vince Dizon on Monday bared his plan to file a new set of cases against a contractor and several DPWH officials in the Mimaropa region over allegedly substandard flood control projects in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

The move comes amid growing concerns over repeated infrastructure failures that have worsened flooding in the province. Dizon’s statement followed the disclosure by Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito Dolor that another section of a road dike

France-Presse he called a lawyer friend as he stood against the railing of the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, saying he expected it to sink and asking him to alert the Philippine Coast Guard.

“Ten minutes later, I heard a sudden, loud snap,” said the 53-year-old attorney from nearby Zamboanga City in Mindanao.

“Then the ship immediately capsized,” he said in an interview from his home, describing how panic quickly gripped the passengers.

“The women and children were shouting and crying,” he said. “There were many children present there.”

A client he had been travelling with to a sharia court hearing was among the 18 dead, Sajili said.

“Many of the casualties were women of old age... The ship was so big that when you are covered by it, you need strength to push yourself above water,” he said.

‘No alert from crew’ Sajili said he was awoken by a fellow passenger as the triple-decker ferry began to tilt precariously.

“He alerted us and gave us life jackets. No one from the crew alerted us,” he said.

“It was the passengers who were helping other passengers to stay calm and telling them not to jump ship.”

Sajili clung to a small part of the boat that stayed above the waterline until the last possible moment, before letting go and swimming toward a life raft.

exercise his procedural rights.

“As a part of its overall assessment of whether Mr Duterte is fit to participate in the pre- trial proceedings, the Chamber notes that the Defence avers that it is not in dispute that ‘Mr Duterte understands the nature of the criminal process, the role of the parties therein, and the concept of the charge of murder’, that he is able to enter a plea and that he ‘is capable of drawing on his personal long-term memory, to a limited degree, in order to recall major milestone events earlier in his life and aspects of his mayoral governance policy’,” the decision reads.

The chamber also rejected the request of Duterte’s defense team for indefinite adjournment as well as its request to hold a hearing with the medical experts in view of its finding that Duterte “is able effectively to exercise his procedural rights and is therefore fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings.”

The commencement of the confirmation of charges hearing is scheduled next month, February 23. Meanwhile, the parties were ordered to submit objections and observations not later than February 16.

along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River had collapsed, contributing to the severe flooding that swept the towns of Naujan and Victoria last December, displacing residents and damaging properties.

According to Dizon, the newly col-

were carried past in body bags.

The triple-decker vessel went down on nearly the same route where 31 people died in 2023 after a fire aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry.

Both ships were owned by locally based Aleson Shipping Lines.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Development to immediately assist the victims, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.

DSWD’s field office in Zamboanga Peninsula has provided ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes and psychosocial support to the survivors of the ill-fated ferry.

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Monday said he ordered regional director Riduan Hajimuddin to continue assessing the situation and prepare for additional aid, including medical assistance for injured passengers and burial support for families who lost their loved ones at sea.

Sheryl Balondo, a rescuer in Isabela City, one of two municipalities where survivors were being taken, said their office had received more than 100 phone calls from concerned family members.

“There’s a tug in our hearts whenever we pick up a call. Their voices sounded worried,” she said. “What we can only say is that, as of now, we don’t have the final list (of names), because the search and retrieval operation is ongoing.”

The 44-metre ferry went down about five kilometers east of Baluk-Baluk Island, part of the Basilan province chain of islands off the Zamboanga peninsula.

“Based on the account of some survivors, the waters in the area were rough

(At the moment, we can say that the President is in good condition because he is currently in a meeting.)

Malacañang said Marcos on Monday led the 7th Economy and Development Council meeting, which discussed key 2026 priorities, including the implementation of the Philippine Development Plan and the advancement of the country’s digital connectivity (see related sto -

lapsed portion is part of the same road dike system where an earlier flood control project flagged as substandard had been constructed. While it is a different segment, Dizon stressed that it forms part of the same stretch of infrastructure, raising serious doubts about the integrity of the entire project.

This time, the contractor responsible for the two flood control projects, with a combined cost of P420 million, has been identified as New Big Four J. This is separate from an earlier project linked to Sunwest Inc., which was also accused of delivering substandard work in the same area.

Dizon said recent findings have rein-

at the time,” Cayabyab said in a televised interview.

At least two survivors disputed that account, saying the seas had been calm when the ship capsized.

“I hope they investigate this, because we did not have bad weather. Why did it sink when there was no storm?” asked Jun Guro, a lawyer whose interview was posted by the Isabela City government in Basilan.

Only moments before the ship sank, Kyle Punsalang, a recent graduate of a maritime academy, sent his brother a text he would share on Facebook.

“Our boat is tipping over,” Punsalang said. “Please help.”

Basilan emergency responder Ronalyn Perez told Agence France-Presse that rescuers were struggling to handle the influx of survivors.

“The challenge really is the number of patients that are coming in. We are short-staffed at the moment,” Perez said in an interview, adding that at least 18 had been brought to one local hospital.

Video released by the PCG showed survivors being plucked from the water and receiving medical attention.

Some could be heard shouting for help in the dark in a live video on Facebook.

“We cannot say for now the reason for the sinking, but we were instructed to conduct a marine casualty investigation to determine the cause,” Romel Dua, a coast guard commander from southern Mindanao, told Agence France-Presse. “As of now, we are focused on the rescue.”

Survivors were being brought to the coast guard stations in Zamboanga and Isabela City, he added.

In its statement, the coast guard said the ferry had not been overloaded.

ries in Business – Editors).

The PCO said the meeting demonstrated that the President has returned to his regular work routine.

Castro rejected social media posts circulating over the weekend alleging that the President had undergone or would undergo surgery.

“Wala pong ganoong balita na maibibigay po tayo dahil ngayon po, ang Pangulo ay nasa meeting. So, ‘yan po ay fake news,” Castro said.

Castro added that photos or posts from the President’s ongoing meetings may be released to show that he

control project scandal.

The report summarizes its work and key actions from its establishment on September 11, 2025 to December 31, 2025.

forced suspicions that the entire stretch of the flood control project was deliberately compromised, adding that Dolor’s latest inspection helped confirm long-standing concerns that the deficiencies were not isolated but systemic in nature.

Dizon said he is preparing to file multiple cases related to the project, describing the situation as involving “layer upon layer” of legal violations. While the contractor involved in this phase is different, the DPWH officials who approved the project remain the same, including former DPWH regional director Gerald Pacanan who signed the relevant documents.

“Our thoughts and hearts are with everyone who was on board,” Aleson Shipping Lines said in a statement, adding they were “working tirelessly” in close coordination with the coast guard.

Philippine industry regulator the Maritime Industry Authority said later it had “dispatched an investigation team to determine the probable cause or any factors that may have contributed to the incident.”

The Philippines has a long history of disasters involving the inter-island ferries that ply its seas.

Many rely on cheap and poorly regulated boats and ships for transport between the country’s more than 7,000 islands, despite regular accidents.

A 2015 ferry capsizing off the western coast of Leyte Island resulted in more than 60 deaths.

In 1987, the Dona Paz ferry collided with an oil tanker in a pre-Christmas accident that claimed more than 4,000 lives. It was the world’s worst peacetime disaster at sea.

Japan and Australia expressed their sympathies to the families of those affected by the ferry sinking.

“My heartfelt sympathies go out to all those affected by the sinking of the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 ferry in the southern Philippines. Japan stands with you during these difficult times and hopes for the swift rescue and recovery of the passengers and crew members,” Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya said.

Australian Ambassador Marc InnesBrown said: “Our thoughts are with those killed and injured, as well as their loved ones, following the ferry sinking in the southern Philippines. Our deepest condolences.” With AFP

is in good condition and is fit to work.

Last week, Mr. Marcos canceled several public engagements and later disclosed that he had been admitted to a hospital after being diagnosed with diverticulitis, an inflammation of the colon.

The President has since said the condition is not life-threatening and described rumors about his health as “highly exaggerated.”

“Masasabi po natin na back to normal po [ang Pangulo]… Sa ngayon po wala po siyang iniinda (We can say that [the President] is back to normal… As of now, he is not feeling any ailments),” Castro said.

report as stated in our press statement.”

The report will be submitted to the Office of the President for its consideration in determining the next steps for the Commission.

House to start anti-dynasty deliberations

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms will open deliberations on proposed Anti-Political Dynasty measures on Tuesday, January 27, with respected legal luminaries tapped as resource persons.

The panel, chaired by Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur, will take up 19 anti-dynasty bills already referred to the committee.

Another measure authored by Rep. Miro Quimbo of Marikina City is awaiting referral after the congressional break, bringing the total to 20 proposed bills. The hearing is seen as a significant step toward implementing Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution, which calls on the State to prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.

House officials said the presence of veteran jurists and constitutional framers is intended to ensure that the long-delayed reform measure is firmly anchored on constitutional intent and established legal doctrine. Invited to lead the discussions are former Supreme Court Chief Justices Reynato C. Puno and Artemio V. Panganiban, former Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, and former Associate Justice Adolfo S. Azcuña.

lodged “firm representations” with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan over the “escalation of public exchanges” between the Chinese Embassy in Manila and Filipino officials.

A senior official of the thinktank Stratbase Institute also rejected claims by the Chinese Embassy in Manila labeling the Philippines as the “provoker” in the West Philippine Sea as “attempts to invert reality.”

“The facts are consistent and well-documented: it is China’s maritime forces that repeatedly employ coercive and dangerous acts at sea, including water cannons, aggressive maneuvers, and ramming incidents that have damaged Philippine vessels and harmed even Filipino civilians,” Stratbase said.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President has given clear instructions to government agencies to assert Philippine interests and sovereignty.

“The President himself has said that he will not surrender even a square inch of our territory,” Castro said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

“So, whatever the agencies are doing in pushing for the interest of the country, that’s the President’s order. But we will remain diplomatic,” she said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila earlier publicly criticized several Filipino officials, including Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela and lawmakers who have spoken out against China’s activities in the WPS.

on how much work remains to be done.

ship trophy for Edward Jay ‘Edward’ Dapadap, with Dylan ‘Light’ Catipon being hailed as the M7 Finals MVP.

Alter Ego settled for second place but still earned a substantial $150,000 for its runner-up finish, while Malaysia’s Selangor Red Giants completed the podium in third place and received $90,000.

The results highlighted the depth of competition at M7, with top teams from Southeast Asia once again dominating the global stage.

still in the process of completing a report to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regarding its achievements in the investigation of the multibillion-peso flood

the son of the President, announced his recusal from impeachment-related proceedings due to a conflict of interest.

The filing of the second impeachment complaint on Monday, endorsed by the Makabayan bloc, coincided with the group’s disclosure that it intends to refile an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte once the one-year constitutional ban expires in February.

“Next week magfa-file kami, o magre-refile ng impeachment complaint laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte,”

former Bayan Muna representative Liza Maza told ABS-CBN News.

The referral was made after the titles of the complaints were read on the floor

When asked whether the ICI had received an official correspondence from Malacañang, Hosaka responded, “None. We are still finalizing the ICI’s

and included in the plenary’s Additional Reference of Business.

Deputy Speaker Yevgeny Vicente Emano of Misamis Oriental presided over the session when the measures were referred to the Committee on Justice, which is tasked to determine the sufficiency in form and substance of impeachment complaints.

The first complaint, filed on January 19, was lodged by lawyer Andre De Jesus and endorsed by House Deputy Minority Leader and Pusong Pinoy Party-list Rep. Jernie Jett V. Nisay.

The second complaint, filed on Monday, was submitted by a group of activists and private individuals led by Liza Maza, Teodoro A. Casiño, Renato Reyes Jr., lawyer Neri Colmenares, and labor leader Ronaldo Adonis, among others.

It was endorsed by the Makabayan bloc made up of ACT Teachers Par-

President Marcos said earlier the commission is approaching the conclusion of its mandate, and its future would depend

ty-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Louise Co. House leaders stressed that the referral does not constitute a finding on the merits of the complaints, but merely initiates the committee-level review required under the Constitution and House rules. They reiterated that impeachment is a constitutional mechanism governed by clear procedures and that all proceedings will be handled in accordance with due process and established parliamentary practice.

Amid the developments, Rep. Marcos said he would formally recuse himself from all discussions, deliberations, and proceedings of the House Committee on Rules related to the impeachment complaints, citing his relationship to the President.

The Chief Executive mentioned this in response to inquiries regarding the future of the ICI, given that it currently has only one commissioner—Chairman Andres Reyes Jr.—after the resignations of commissioners Rogelio Singson and Rossana Fajardo, which took effect on December 15, 2025.

“In view of the impeachment complaints filed against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who is my father, I have decided to formally recuse myself,” he said in a statement. Although House rules do not require his inhibition, Marcos said the move was necessary to avoid any perception of bias and to preserve the credibility of the House.

“In moments that test institutions, perception matters as much as procedure,” he said, adding that his recusal would help ensure fairness, objectivity, and legitimacy in the proceedings. He stressed that he would continue performing his duties as House Majority Leader on all other matters and expressed confidence that the chamber would address the impeachment complaints with independence and fidelity to the Constitution.

ADB sees PH economy rebound in 2nd half of ‘26

By Thony Rose Lesaca

THE Philippine economy is expected to regain momentum towards the latter part of 2026 as slower growth could spill over in the early part of the year, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) official said.

“Imagine a slower quarter one and maybe a little better quarter two and then maybe a little better quarter three and a good quarter four. It’s recovering to a good, faster rate but the full year figure would be a little lower,” ADB country director for the Philippines Andrew Jeffries told reporters on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Reception for the banking community last Friday.

Jeffries suggests this gradual recovery would “set up the stage” for a better economic performance in 2027.

Risks to the growth outlook include external headwinds but Jeffries noted that the Philippines has been less affected by trade tensions compared to neighboring countries.

“Some of the trade-related risks have been less of an impact on the Philippines as compared to some other ASEAN neighbors. The reason for that is 70 percent of the GDP is consumption and there’s less reliance on exports here compared to some other ASEAN countries,” said Jeffries.

However, he emphasized that strengthening the country’s export sector is necessary for long-term growth, diversity and economic resiliency.

“The Philippines was able to have quite high GDP growth without being a huge exporter. I guess [the importance of growing exports in regards to GDP growth] really depends, but from a resiliency and diversification of the economy [view], I think that’s something that would be good for the Philippines to grow,” said Jeffries.

Palace blasts kill try on mayor

IN SESSION. Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’

Dy III presides over the resumption of the session of the House of Representatives yesterday and called on his colleagues to set aside divisive politics and focus their time and energy on public service and on delivering meaningful results for the Filipino people. HOR

By Charles Dantes and Nash Maulana

MALACAÑANG yesterday condemned the attempted ambush on MayorAkmad Mitra Ampatuan of Shariff Aguak in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and called for heightened vigilance to ensure the safety of local officials.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. expressed strong disapproval of the attack, which the mayor survived unharmed. Following the incident, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) responded immediately to address the situation.

Castro said that DILG Chief Jonvice Remulla praisedthe swift action of the Police Regional Office in BARMM, which helped secure the area and neutralized the three suspects in a hot pursuit operation.

“Peace and order initiatives will continue to be strengthened by the DILG and this administration,” Castro said.

She also urged residents to report suspicious activities to authorities to ensure timely protection.

The ambush comes despite President Marcos’ earlier calls for unity and cooperation among local leaders in the BARMM ahead of the upcoming elections.

In Cotabato City, Mayor Ampatuan said he will open a welfare care for the parents of the youthful ambushers slain in a clash with authorities.

He described the three attackers as “pitiful youth who were only victims (of circumstances).”

House to probe Leviste’s solar energy firm

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Franchises is poised to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation into the alleged violations of Solar para sa Bayan, the firm founded by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste.

Negros Occidental Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer, the panel’s chairperson, said his committee is just waiting for a go signal from theHouse

Committee on Rules to begin the the investigation.

“By next week, hintayin lang natin i-authorize tayo ng Committee on Rules. And then most probably, okay naman ‘yun sila,” Ferrer told reporters. Ferrer said his committee may invite Leviste, along with representatives from the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission.

“He’s the owner of the company.

Nothing personal ito– klaruhin ko. Kung adbokasiya niya corruption, sama tayo diyan,” Ferrer said as he played down allegations that the probe has something to do with the so -called “Cabral Files.”

Among the issues to be tackled during the hearing, Ferrer said would be Leviste’s claim that the franchise was “ipso facto revoked” in 2022. Leviste earlier said he would welcome the probe.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026

PCG recovers sixth body from missing ‘Amejara’

By Rex Espiritu and Cherrie Anne Villahermosa

THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has recovered a sixth body in the ongoing search-and-rescue (SAR) operations for the missing recreational motorboat MBCA Amejara, which went missing off Southern Mindanao earlier this month.

The Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao (CGDSEM) said the latest body was found Sunday evening floating in waters off Buca Point, Maasim, Sarangani, and was recovered by a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel.

The remains were later transferred to BRP Panglao and brought to Balut Island for evaluation.

The Amejara, which was carrying passengers and crew, was reported missing on January 19 after leaving Santa Ana Wharf in Davao City en route to Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental.

One survivor, identified as Christopher Gulig, was rescued on January 20 in waters off Sarangani and is undergoing medical treatment.

As of Monday, nine passengers and crew members remain missing.

In an online briefing, CGDSEM commander Commodore Philipps Soria said authorities will continue SAR operations despite more than a week having passed since the incident, stressing that efforts have not shifted to retrieval operations.

DENR orders probe of Binaliw landslide

IN BRIEF

Korean nabbed at NAIA over Manila rape case

A KOREAN national accused of rape was arrested by authorities at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 over the weekend, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

The PNP Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup), in coordination with the Manila Police District’s Women and Children Protection Section (MPD-WCPS), apprehended the 48-year-old foreigner, who was not named, upon his arrival from Busan, South Korea, on the evening of January 23. Police said the arrest was carried out based on a warrant issued by a Manila Regional Trial Court for rape under Article 266-A, paragraph 1(b) of the Revised Penal Code. The offense is non-bailable.

PNP-Avsegroup Director Brig. Gen. Dionisio Bartolome Jr. said the suspect was informed of the charges against him and apprised of his constitutional rights in a language he understood.

Bartolome added that an alternative recording device was used during the arrest to ensure transparency and proper documentation. Joel Zurbano

DPWH probing collapse of anti-flood dike in Arayat

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has launched an immediate technical assessment and full investigation into the collapse of a flood control dike in Barangay Candating, Arayat, Pampanga.

In a statement Monday, the department cited possible design flaws and the contractor’s failure to address structural defects.

The dike showed signs of faulty engineering from the outset, including weakening and collapsing foundations that the contractor had previously been ordered to repair, the DPWH said. Despite these directives, the problems remain unresolved, prompting authorities to move toward holding responsible parties accountable, it added. Vito Barcelo

Four rebels surrender in North Samar — Army

FOUR members of communist rebel groups have voluntarily surrendered to government forces in Northern Samar, the Philippine Army reported Monday.

The Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion (IB) said the former rebels returned to the fold of the law on January 20 in Barangay Siljagon, Mapanas, marking what the military described as another step toward peace and stability in the province. They were identified as alias Gabriel, who surrendered an M16 rifle, assorted ammunition, and other war materiel, and alias Reden, alias Mati, and alias Boy.

The four were former members of Squad 1, Sub-Regional Guerrilla Unit Laysan, under the Sub-Regional Committee Arctic of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee. Lt. Col. Francis Rosales, commanding officer of the 78th IB, said the surrender underscores the effectiveness of the government’s whole-of-nation approach in addressing insurgency. Rex Espiritu

EDCOM II ‘frank assessment’ of education crisis

By Maricel Cruz and Rolando Ng III

SPEAKER Faustino G. Dy III on Monday said the House of Representatives will use the final report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) as a guiding framework for legislation, oversight, and budget scrutiny, as key education agencies simultaneously launched reforms ahead of the report’s formal release.

The Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) also announced the creation of inter-agency working groups to address weaknesses flagged by EDCOM II.

Speaking during the turnover of the EDCOM II Final Report at the House, Dy said the document represents a frank assessment of the country’s education crisis and a call for sustained action.

“The report we are launching today is not simply the end of a commission. It is a government stance—an honest, clear, and unapologetic confrontation with the true state of education in the country,” Dy said.

Meanwhile, DepEd said it will focus on Early Childhood Care and Development, inclusive education, functional literacy, and learning recovery, particularly for preschool learners, students from diverse backgrounds, and those requiring literacy interventions.

The EDCOM II report showed that only about 30.5 percent of Grade 3

Focus on broadband quality over speed, advocate urges regulators

CONSUMER advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines on Monday called on regulators and internet service providers to shift their focus from headline broadband speeds to overall quality of service, saying Filipino users value reliability and consistency more than high speed figures.

In a statement, CitizenWatch said most consumer complaints about internet services stem from unstable connections rather than insufficient speed. These include dropped calls during online meetings, mobile data failures in crowded areas, disrupted digital payments, and service outages during bad weather.

“When we are online, we don’t have an internet speedometer in our face to constantly show us the connection speeds of our ISP,” said CitizenWatch Philippines lead convenor Orlando

Oxales.

“People notice it when calls are dropped, when data service suddenly slows or vanishes, or when transactions don’t push through.”

Oxales said the growing dependence on digital platforms for remote work, online education, e-wallets, and government services makes broadband reliability more critical than raw speed.

The group cited a 2025 study by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) titled “Towards Better Mobile Quality of Service in Asia Pacific: Assessing the Role of Regulation.”

The study said improving network performance requires coordinated action by both operators and policymakers and warned that an overemphasis on speed targets may fail to reflect actual user experience.

learners were classified as proficient.

“Our direction is clear: to strengthen the foundations of learning and ensure that no learner is left behind,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said, adding that accountability measures will be built into the reform process. CHED and TESDA will focus on senior high school education, scholarships for college students, and teacher professionalization requirements, as part of a coordinated effort to address education challenges across basic, higher, and technical-vocational education.

Officials said the reforms are aligned with the EDCOM II roadmap and are intended to translate the commission’s findings into concrete improvements in learning outcomes nationwide.

By Jimbo Gulle

ENVIRONMENT

Secretary Raphael Lotilla has ordered an independent, multisectoral investigation into the recent landfill incident in Binaliw, Cebu.

In a statement, Lotilla outlined a fivepoint strategy to establish accountability, determine technical causes, prevent a repeat of the incident, and improve solid waste management nationwide. He said the probe would be impartial and science-based, stressing the need for transparency and accountability. Thirty-six people were killed in the landslide, while 18 others were injured.

“The public deserves transparency, and we are committed to delivering results that will ensure accountability and prevent future tragedies,” Lotilla said. As part of the move, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) formed a special investigative body composed of external solid waste management experts from the academe and non-government organizations, working alongside the DENR’s Legal Affairs and Enforcement team.

Lotilla also ordered a nationwide inspection of all operating sanitary landfills, directing DENR regional offices to strictly enforce environmental compliance certificates and safety protocols to identify risks and require corrective measures.

In Region 7 or Central Visayas, Lotilla installed new leadership to ensure an impartial investigation. Career executive officers Laudemir “Audie” Salac and Atty. John Edward T. Ang were appointed as regional executive director and Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) director, respectively.

Salac, who formally took office last October 28, 2025, replaced Paquito C. Melicor Jr.

‘MUSEO NG PAGHILOM’. Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD (left), founder of the Arnold Jansenn Kalinga Center and the Program Paghilom, leads the launch of the Lakbay Museo ng Paghilom, a mobile exhibit dedicated to the stories of the victims of the war on drugs, at the Senate building on Monday. Beside Villanueva is Senator Risa Hontiveros and relatives of the drug war victims. Angie de Silva

REBELS NO MORE. A member of the Philippine Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion stands with four members of rebel groups who voluntarily returned to the fold and surrendered in Barangay Siljagon, Mapanas, Northern Samar last week. Photo courtesy Army 8th Infantry Division

OPINION

We never learn

PEOPLE know that our country is prone to disasters and calamities and we have had disasters involving floods and earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides.

And. Santa Banana, another calamity recently happened in Binaliw, Cebu where no less than 36 people died when a landslide occurred at the Binaliw landfill.

I do not know why people are allowed to live in areas prone to disasters and landslides and many other calamities.

I have been urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to create another department called the Department of Disaster Resilience (or DDR).

The tragedy that hit Binaliw, Cebu was a perfect example of government inaction and our national leaders apparently are unaware that it can happen anytime.

We have had disasters in many areas nationwide – where communities are victims of landslides – and yet, Santa Banana, no department to address these has been created.

People were living beside the landfill and yet the government has not done anything.

I have been repeatedly urging President Marcos to create the DDR and yet there is a bill long pending in the Senate and there seems to be only one senator aware of these disasters and calamities happening at any time in the person of Senator Christopher “Bong” Go.

The idea of creating a DDR is to have people pinpoint calamity and disaster-prone areas which can happen anytime considering we are a country prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and many other forms of calamities and disasters and yet, tragically, government seems unaware or, ignorant of the many disasters and calamities that have happened costing the lives of people and livelihood and destruction of government infrastructure, Santa Banana!

Knowing full well the Philippines is a disaster prone country should be the #1 concern of our leaders to create for a government agency solely concentrated and focused on disasters and calamities.

Yes, we have the NDRRMC (National_Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) that attends to this but this government agency is only activated every time there is a disaster. What we need is a department that is concentrated on rescue, relief and rehabilitation.

I have been writing continuously on

the need for a DDR, but it seems the government and our government leaders are, I don’t like to say, ignorant about it and are not concerned about the lives of people, loss of livelihood and destruction of government infrastructure and agriculture destroyed due to the lack of concentration of government to attend to disasters and calamities.

The tragedy that hit Binaliw, Cebu was a perfect example of government inaction

We have had so many earthquakes happening all over the country where people have died and infrastructure has been destroyed, agriculture devastated and yet it is not only ignorance, but it seems government leaders are not aware of how many people have died and how much government infrastructure has been destroyed and the livelihood of people lost.

If only to point out what has been happening to the country , I cite the example of Binaliw, Cebu where people reside beside a landfill.

It is amazing people should be living there in an area so disaster prone.

Why does the government allow them to stay there? A DDR would already know a landfill or a similar area is prone to a landslide so something could be done.

Another issue is when disasters and calamities happen, we wait for relief and rescue from private sectors and even from foreign sources instead of having a government agency like a DDR, ready to provide the relief , rescue and rehabilitation needed.

I cannot over emphasize the importance of a DDR considering, Santa Banana, the Philippines is disaster and calamity prone.

Instead of creating a sole government agency concentrated on disasters and calamities, we have to rely on the NDRRMC to attend to this matter knowing full well, Santa Banana, this is only an ad hoc agency under the Department of National Defense.

We need a Department of Disaster Resilience, considering that the Philippines is disaster and calamity prone. Santa Banana, we need it like yesterday.

PH’s AI ban: A farce of sovereignty and surrender

IN THE annals of digital governance, the Philippines’ fleeting blockade of xAI’s Grok chatbot stands as a modern-day equivalent of the Roman Senate’s futile decrees against the encroaching tides of innovation.

Enacted on Jan. 16, 2026, and rescinded a mere six days later, this episode reveals not a triumph of national sovereignty but a tragicomedy of bureaucratic overreach, Constitutional neglect, and corporate capitulation.

As the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) trumpets its “victory” in extracting concessions from Elon Musk’s enterprise, one must ask: At what cost to liberty, and for whose benefit?

The saga began with a knee-jerk invocation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act 10175), a relic from an era when artificial intelligence evoked science fiction rather than everyday utility.

Citing fears of synthetic child sexual abuse material and non-consensual deepfakes, the CICC ordered internet service providers to bar access to Grok nationwide.

No judicial oversight, no evidentiary hearing—just administrative fiat, echoing the prior restraints condemned by the Philippine Supreme Court in Chavez v. Gonzales (2006) and Disini v. Secretary of Justice (2014).

These rulings, drawing from the wellspring of American jurisprudence like Near v. Minnesota (1931), affirm that content-based censorship bears a heavy presumption of unconstitutionality.

Yet here, the state wielded a blunt instrument, punishing the many for the po-

tential sins of the few.

Contrast this alacrity with the glacial pace of justice against actual predators.

The Philippines grapples with a national scourge: Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), where syndicates peddle real horrors under the noses of under-resourced agencies.

Persist in this farce, and we consign ourselves to the footnotes of history: a nation that banished shadows while ignoring the monsters in plain sight

The Philippine National Police’s AntiCybercrime Group drowns in backlogs, while laws like the Anti-Child Pornography Act (Republic Act 9775) and the Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act 11313) gather dust in enforcement.

Why the lightning strike against a foreign AI, when domestic villains evade capture for years?

It smacks of performative nationalism, a distraction from systemic failures— abysmal internet speeds, telecom duopolies, and unenforced data privacy under Republic Act 10173.

Enter the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), whose Secretary Henry Aguda

LAnticipatory anxiety

ife-threatening winter storm has cut a wide swath of hazardous condition in the east side of the United States, prompting warnings to stay off roads, as more than 10,000 flights were canceled and power outages across eight southern states reported.

The storm has spread a crippling mix of heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Ohio Valley and midsouth to new England Monday, Manila time, covering 118 million people as the deep freeze strained energy supplies, with prolonged travel disruptions predicted.

Should the Arctic cold gripping much of the United States east of the Rockies be a source of concern and anxiety for tropical countries like the Philippines?

Of course, since extreme freezing weather in the Arctic has direct and indirect impacts on tropical countries like the Philippines.

While the Philippines does not experience snow, the disruption of the Arctic polar vortex often leads to stronger amihan (northeast monsoon) surges, resulting in significantly colder temperatures, increased rainfall, and potential agricultural damage, according to climatologists.

Meteorologists say the significant temperature dips suggest the weakening of the Arctic polar vortex which allows cold air to travel to lower latitudes, strengthening the amihan. As of late January 2026, mountainous areas in the

Philippines have experienced temperatures dropping to around 7.5°C–10.6°C.

Another impact points to frost formation on crops – the extreme cold causes frost in high-altitude areas like Atok, Benguet, covering crops and destroying agricultural products.

Extreme freezing weather in the Arctic has direct and indirect impacts on tropical countries like the Philippines

Yet another impact points to increased rain and landslides, where the interaction of the cold air surge with warmer local air frequently causes increased rainfall and, in some cases, shear lines that bring floods and landslides. There is also the unusual cold spell which can can cause health issues, including respiratory infections, and plac-

es strain on housing and infrastructure not designed for low temperatures.

Given the archipelagic nature of this country of 117 million people, scientists say the rapid melting of Arctic ice, which often accompanies shifting weather patterns, contributes to longterm sea-level rise, threatening populated coastal communities.

Sea levels around the Philippines are rising at a rate about three times faster than the global average – roughly 3.7 mm per year – some areas in the Philippines have seen increases up to 14.7 mm annually, which is directly linked to the melting of polar ice caps and the expansion of warming ocean water.

Rising sea levels also pose an existential threat to 60 percent of Philippine local government units, covering 64 coastal provinces and 25 major cities, and an estimated 13.6 million Filipinos may need relocation due to coastal flooding, shoreline erosion, and the permanent submersion of lowlying areas.

Scientists say since the Arctic acts as the world’s “refrigerator” and helps regulate global temperatures, its rapid melting causes ripple effects, including faster-than-average sea level rise, increased storm intensity, and disruptions to agricultural cycles.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration reports the cold weather is expected to last until early 2026, with temperatures potentially dipping further due to the current Arctic cold surge now .

Minnesota ICE shooting puts new twist on gun rights debate

WASHINGTON, DC – The shooting death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, by federal agents Saturday in Minneapolis has spurred a new kind of debate around gun rights in the United States.

President Donald Trump’s administration and law enforcement agencies under him have justified the fatal shooting on the grounds that Pretti was carrying a handgun and acting aggressively when he became entangled with agents during protests against Trump’s immigration crackdown.

“We can’t have individuals that are impeding law enforcement operations and then showing up with guns and weapons and no ID, and confronting law enforcement,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on “Fox News Sunday.”

“That is one of the reasons that we see situations like this unfold,” she added.

FBI chief Kash Patel echoed those comments.

“No one who wants to be peaceful shows up at a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines! That is not a peaceful protest,” Patel, a close Trump loyalist, said Sunday on Fox.

At least one high-profile politician from the opposition Democrats as well as gunrights advocacy groups -- who normally stand on opposite sides of the debate -criticized Trump administration officials for that justification.

The shooting has led to a reversal of sorts in the usual debate around the right to own and carry guns in America.

Republican officials normally are staunch defenders of gun rights while Democrats have traditionally fought against the spread of firearms and gun violence in the country.

Constitutional protection

The Second Amendment to the US

cloaks this charade in the rhetoric of “Digital Bayanihan.”

The ban, we are told, compelled xAI to pledge a “modified tool” for the local market: stripped of image manipulation and explicit content generation.

This geofenced neutering births what I term “Sovereign AI”—a fragmented digital realm where Filipinos receive a censored variant, while the world enjoys the unbridled original. It recalls the ancient Persian satrapies, where provincial rulers enforced imperial edicts with local twists, ultimately eroding universal freedoms.

Yet xAI’s role is no less ignoble.

Musk, the self-anointed free speech absolutist, folded like Icarus before the sun of market exclusion. Marketed as an “unfiltered” alternative, Grok’s ethos crumbled under pressure, revealing libertarian principles as mere commercial veneer.

This is not Socratic defiance against the hemlock of regulation; it is pragmatic

Constitution stipulates that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” For decades, it has been the subject of intense controversy. The US Supreme Court has repeatedly reaffirmed this right and the right to carry a weapon in public.

The Second Amendment to the US Constitution stipulates that ‘the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed

In 2023, nearly a third of Americans said they owned a firearm, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Pretti was one of those gun owners, and legally so, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who stated the nurse had no criminal record.

Maximum damage’

But for the Trump administration, Pretti’s firearm possession was a critical factor leading to shots fired by Border Patrol agents deployed in Minneapolis to assist immigration police operations. Shortly after the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security posted a photo of a handgun, presented as the one found on Pretti.

Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino said Saturday that “this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do

retreat, prioritizing 110 million potential users over ideological purity.

The negotiation—behind closed doors, sans transparency—exposes the ban as leverage, not law: a bargaining chip to secure “partnerships” and data localization, perhaps even tying into DICT’s blockchain budget tracking announcements.

The implications cascade like dominoes in a Hellenistic tragedy.

Precedent now invites regulatory extortion: threaten bans, demand bespoke builds, declare harmony. For citizens, it means a balkanized internet, where anonymity—vital for whistleblowers and satirists—erodes under looming “account verification” mandates.

The Constitution’s Article III, Section 4, safeguarding expression, becomes a hollow echo.

Globally, this emboldens authoritarian regimes, fragmenting AI into national silos, stifling innovation akin to the medieval church’s suppression of Copernican

maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

Bill Essayli, a federal prosecutor in California, said on X that “if you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don’t do it!” ‘God-given right’

Such statements were condemned by several gun-rights advocacy groups, including the Gun Owners of America, which rejected the notion that police were justified in shooting people who were legally carrying a firearm.

“The Second Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting -- a right the federal government must not infringe upon,” the group posted on X. The National Rifle Association called Essayli’s remarks “dangerous and wrong.”

“Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens,” the NRA, a powerful progun lobby group, said on X.

A rare dissenting voice in the Republican camp of politicians, congressman Thomas Massie, joined in on criticizing federal law enforcement.

“Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right,” Massie, a regular Trump critic, said on X. “If you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government.”

Gavin Newsom, California’s Democratic governor, also slammed various officials who justified the agents’ actions in Minneapolis.

“The Trump administration does not believe in the Second Amendment,” Newsom, widely considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate, posted on X.

“Good to know.” AFP

thought.

We must demand reform, not resignation. Lift the ban unconditionally; enact tailored AI legislation that targets harms without blanket censorship. Bolster prosecutions under existing statutes, allocating resources to dismantle OSAEC networks. Mandate least-restrictive safeguards—audit trails, prompt filters— while preserving anonymous speech. Convene multi-stakeholder dialogues, rejecting unilateral edicts. In this digital coliseum, the Philippines could yet emerge as Southeast Asia’s beacon of balanced governance. But persist in this farce, and we consign ourselves to the footnotes of history: a nation that banished shadows while ignoring the monsters in plain sight. The time for precision, not panic, is now. Let the Supreme Court, guardian of our liberties, have the final decree.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Obama, Clinton: Slays are wake-up call

ICE crackdown heaps pressure on angry Trump

MINNEAPOLIS – President Donald Trump on Sunday (Monday, Manila time) blamed the deaths of two Americans by federal agents on Democratic “chaos,” as his administration faced intensifying pressure over its mass immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, early Saturday while scuffling with him on an icy roadway in the Midwestern city, less than three weeks after an immigration officer fired on Renee Good, also 37, killing her in her car.

Trump administration officials quickly claimed that Pretti had intended to harm the federal agents -- as it did after Good’s death -- pointing to a pistol it said was discovered on him.

However, video shared widely on social media and verified by US media showed Pretti never drawing a weapon, with agents firing around 10 shots at him seconds after he was sprayed in the face with chemical irritant and thrown to the ground.

Trump provocatively attributed the deaths to Minnesota’s Democratic elected officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, writing on his Truth Social platform: “Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States are REFUSING to cooperate with ICE.” AFP

IN BRIEF

Myanmar pro-military party declares victory

YANGON — Myanmar’s dominant promilitary party has won junta-run elections, a party source told AFP on Monday, after a month-long vote that democracy watchdogs dismissed as a rebranding of army rule.

The military snatched power in a 2021 coup, ending Myanmar’s experiment with civilian rule and triggering civil war, but pledged a three-phase vote, which finished on Sunday, would return power to the people.

With massively popular democratic figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi detained and her party dissolved, critics say the ballot was stacked with army allies to prolong their grip on power.

Voting was not held in huge patches of the country controlled by rebel factions fighting in the civil war -- another hurdle cited by those questioning the poll’s mandate.

“We won a majority already,” a senior official from the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share preliminary results. AFP

Indonesia mudslide death toll 17, dozens missing

CISARUA, Indonesia – The death toll in a massive Indonesian landslide hit 17 on Monday as rescuers used heavy equipment to hunt for dozens still missing days after heavy rains unleashed a torrent of mud. People gathered near the site in Java’s West Bandung region, desperately awaiting news of their loved ones as rescuers, who fear another landslide, scoured the unstable area.

The flow of soil and debris barreled through the village of Pasirlangu early on Saturday, burying residential areas and forcing dozens to evacuate their homes.

“It’s impossible that they are still alive. I just want their bodies to be found,” said Aep Saepudin, who has been coming to the village daily for updates about his 11 family members who are missing, including his sister.

“My heart aches. I feel so sad seeing my older sister like that (buried by the landslide)”, he told AFP. AFP

Journalist’s alleged murder mastermind to go on retrial

PEZINOK, Slovakia – The alleged mastermind of a Slovak investigative journalist’s murder is due to stand another retrial on Monday, eight years after the crime rocked the central European country.

Jan Kuciak, a journalist investigating high-level corruption linked to influential businessmen and top politicians, was shot dead with his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova, both 27. Their deaths sparked the largest protests in Slovakia since the fall of communism, leading to the resignation of the government of Robert Fico, although the nationalist returned to power in 2023.

Accused of ordering the killing, businessman Marian Kocner -- who Kuciak investigated -- has twice been acquitted but Slovakia’s Supreme Court has annulled both decisions. AFP

Historic winter storm kills at least 10 across US

WASHINGTON, DC – A monster storm barreling across swathes of the United States has killed at least 10 people and prompted warnings to stay off the roads, mass flight cancelations and power outages, as freezing conditions persisted into Monday.

As the storm dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain across the wide expanse, officials cautioned that an Arctic air mass behind the system would see temperatures fall dangerously low for days, prolonging disruptions to daily life.

The US National Weather Service told Americans to expect more of the same weather conditions into Monday morning. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani

said five people were found dead outside over the weekend in freezing temperatures. While he did not confirm the deaths were weather-related, he told reporters “there is no more powerful reminder of the danger of extreme cold.”

In Texas, authorities confirmed three deaths, including a 16-year-old girl killed in a sledding accident.

Two people died in Louisiana from hypothermia, the southern state’s health department said.

The PowerOutage.com tracking site showed more than 840,000 customers without electricity as of Sunday night, mostly in the US South where the storm intensified Saturday.

In Tennessee, where a band of ice has downed power lines, more than 300,000 residential and commercial customers were without electricity, while Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia -- where such storms are less common -- each had over 100,000 outages.

The outages are particularly dangerous as the South is being walloped by treacherous cold that the NWS warns could set records. Authorities from Texas to North Carolina and New York urged residents to stay home due to the perilous conditions.

“Stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary,” Texas’s Emergency Management Division posted on X. AFP

VORTEX. Philadelphia residents gather and sled down the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum during a heavy snowfall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Manila time. A massive winter

the northeast United States after sweeping across much of the country, threatening

blackouts, transportation chaos and bone-chilling cold. AFP

Germany to host North Sea summit unsettled by security, Arctic tensions

HAMBURG – European leaders meet in Germany on Monday to discuss North Sea energy and security cooperation, but fears over US designs on the Arctic island of Greenland may overshadow the talks.

The region has long worried about threats posed by Russia -- but more recently tensions have surged over US President Donald Trump’s push for the autonomous territory of Denmark.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosts the talks just days after Trump backed away from his threat to seize Greenland by force and level punitive tariffs against European NATO allies who stand in his way.

Trump said he had reached a “framework” agreement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, but this sparked both relief and confusion as the details have not been disclosed.

“We will have to pay increased attention to all parts of NATO’s European territory,” Merz said Thursday after an extraordinary European Council meeting.

“This concerns the North above all.”

On the guest list Monday will be Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who visited Greenland on Friday, and representatives of NATO and the European Commission as well as Iceland.

Leaders from Norway, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg are also expected, while Britain and France are sending ministers to the summit in the northern port city of Hamburg.

“Given the make-up of the meeting, I am certain that security in the High North will also be of interest to the participants,” said Steffen Meyer, spokesman for Merz.

Formally, the aim of the summit is to push cross-border expansion of offshore wind energy, the hydrogen market and interconnected offshore infrastructure.

Security fears will be high on the agenda as the North and adjoining Baltic

MINNEAPOLIS – Former presidents

Barack Obama and Bill Clinton issued pointed calls Sunday for America to stand up and defend their values after the second killing of a citizen in Minneapolis by immigration agents that Donald Trump blamed on Democratic “chaos.”

The Trump administration has faced intensifying pressure over its mass immigration crackdown, particularly after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, Saturday while scuffling with him on an icy roadway. That incident came less than three weeks after an immigration officer fired on Renee Good, also 37, killing her in her car in the same Midwestern city. Trump administration officials quickly claimed Pretti had intended to harm the federal agents -- as they did after Good’s death -- pointing to a pistol they said was discovered on him. However, video shared widely on social media and verified by US media showed Pretti never drawing a weapon, with agents firing at him seconds after he was sprayed in the face with chemical irritant and thrown to the ground.

Trump provocatively attributed the deaths to Minnesota’s Democratic elected officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, writing on his Truth Social platform: “Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States are REFUSING to cooperate with ICE.”

“Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos,” he added. After top officials described Pretti as an “assassin” who had assaulted the agents, Pretti’s parents issued a statement Saturday condemning the administration’s “sickening lies” about their son. With tensions high, protesters gathered Sunday in Minneapolis, denouncing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). One person held a cardboard sign that read: “Be Pretti, be Good.” AFP

Protesters demand Indigenous rights on Australia Day

Americans

INTENSIFYING PRESSURE. Protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement march through the streets of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday, Manila time, two days after federal agents shot dead US citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, while scuffling with

storm headed towards

tens of millions of

with

Bill curbs food wastage thru donation to the less fortunate

“DONATE excess food to the poor.”

This was the gist of House Bill 6525 jointly filed by Abra Rep. Joseph Bernos and Solid North Party-list Rep. Menchie “Ching” Bernos, seeking to reduce food wastage by recycling and donating excess food to the needy.

“Our fellow Filipinos should not go hungry especially amid tons and tons of food that go to waste,” proponents of the measure said.

They underlined the need for urgent action on the proposed law, saying 28.8 million Filipinos experience moderate to severe hunger, even as the country wastes approximately 930,000 tons of food yearly.

House Bill 6525, or the Food Surplus Reduction Act, aims to establish a nationwide framework to reduce food wastage by requiring manufacturers, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, and culinary schools to segregate edible surplus and donate it to accredited food banks.

Under the measure, sanitary inspectors of local government units (LGUs) would inspect these donations before they are distributed by the food banks in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local governments.

The proposed law also mandates LGUs to recycle inedible food wastes in collaboration with waste management and recycling enterprises to convert them into fertilizer or compost, livestock feed, or as biofuel raw material.

“The recycling provision would help LGUs in their efforts to not only reduce landfill waste but also to provide our farmers and even home gardeners with free fertilizers,” Ching Bernos said.

She added that even people in the community would be included in efforts to reduce food wastage through education, waste segregation. Maricel V. Cruz

P50-k basic pay for teachers eyed

By Maricel V. Cruz

CITING results of a latest poll opinion survey, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio underscored the need for P50,000-entry level salary for teachers and an across-the-board pay hike for all workers nationwide.

“The result of the Octa survey is a clear message from the people: wages are not enough to deal with inflation. When 45 percent of Filipinos say wage increase is their top concern, overtaking even

15 PWDs join ocean dive, cleanup project in Cebu

By Minerva Newman

LAPU LAPU City—At least 15 persons with disabilities (PWDs) who are members of the Philippine Accessible Disability Service (PADS) Dragon Boat Racing Team have joined this year’s Dive and CleanUp Club (DCC) “NO BARRIER 4” event, a discovery scuba and clean-up diving activity for PWDs held Jan. 24 at Scotty’s Action Sports Network in Shangri-la Mactan, Cebu.

There were 60 participants at the NO BARRIER 4 event composed of partners, sponsors and volunteers, including PWDs who assembled early morning on Jan. 24 to scuba dive and help clean the oceans around the Mactan.

Some 30 licensed divers from DCC came to help facilitate the skills training in the water for the Discover Scuba Dive (DSD) program and document the event.

Ludy Vilma Demecillo who founded the Dive and Clean-up Club in 2025, has partnered with PADS founder John Paul Maunes for the discovery scuba dive for the PWDs.

DCC advocates for cleaner seas and assists groups in scuba diving training in collaboration with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) which is responsible of sending the e-learning to the participants consisting of dive scenarios for them to work through and some medical questionnaire to fill out.

inflation control, it means workers can no longer cope with the cost of living,” said Tinio, a deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives.

The Octa Research Tugon ng Masa poll conducted during the fourth quarter of 2025 showed that improving or increasing workers’ remuneration was cited by 45 percent of adult Filipinos as their top national concern, surpassing controlling the rising prices of basic goods and services at 41 percent.

Price control had been the leading concern of policy-makers, consistently since the first quarter of 2022.

“This is a damning indictment of this administration’s economic policies. Inflation may have slowed, but workers’ purchasing power has not recovered. The real solution is to raise wages, not wait for prices to drop,” Tinio emphasized.

Tinio pointed out that teachers were among the most affected sectors by stagnant wages amid rising costs. “Our public school teachers are struggling to make ends meet. Many are forced to take on side jobs, borrow money, or skimp on their own families’ needs just to survive. This is unacceptable for professionals who shape the future of our nation.”

House Bill 203, filed by the Makabayan bloc led by Tinio, seeks to increase the minimum salary of public school teachers to P50,000.

The bill recognizes that the current salary structure, starting at around P29,000 for Teacher I positions, is grossly inadequate given the rising cost of food, transportation, housing, and other basic needs.

“Teachers deserve a living wage that reflects their vital role in society and allows them to live with dignity,” Tinio noted.

BuCor mulls setting up more regional jail facilities

By Rex Espiritu

THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is considering the establishment of 13 additional regional facilities, along with two more sites for inmates convicted of heinous crimes.

BuCor director general Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the proposed facilities would help BuCor move toward a more equitable and effective correctional system.

“The time to act is now; for a just and rehabilitative correctional system to thrive, proactive

measures must be taken to bridge the existing gaps,” Catapang said in a statement.

He said his vision was in line with the Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013, which mandates the establishment of regional facilities, and the Separate Facility for Heinous Crimes Act, which provides for the establishment of separate facilities for heinous crimes.

Currently, BuCor said it only operates in five out of 19 regions in the country, namely in the National Capital Region, Mimaropa, Eastern Visayas,

the Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Davao Region.

Catapang cited the need to establish BuCor’s presence in the Cordillera Administrative Region, the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, the Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Negros Island Region, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Region. Meanwhile, Catapang said BuCor has started setting up a super maximum facility in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.

Solon acts to address declining sugar prices

RESPONDING to the urgent cries of local farmers and producers, Negros Occidental Rep. Miguel Benitez on Monday convened a high-level public consultation on the significant decline in mill-gate sugar prices in his district.

Benitez conducted the dialogue following his filing of House Resolution 373 calling for a formal investigation into the drastic decline of mill-gate sugar prices and its far-reaching impact on agricultural communities.

Benitez brought together the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives to provide a platform for stakeholders to demand policy reforms. In his welcome remarks, Benitez emphasized that the industry is facing an unprecedented emergency that threatens the livelihoods of thousands of Negros

AGRARIAN

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026

RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor

RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor

EDGARD HILARIO, Asst. Editor

Anisimova makes history for US women in Melbourne

MELBOURNE—United States players are dominating the women’s draw at the Australian Open after Amanda Anisimova on Monday made it four Americans in the singles quarter-finals for the first time in 25 years.

Anisimova defeated China’s Wang Xinyu in straight sets and plays fellow United States title contender Jessica Pegula in the last eight in Melbourne.

Pegula defeated another American, defending champion Madison Keys, 6-3, 6-4 in the fourth round.

Anisimova and Pegula join Coco Gauff and 18-year-old sensation Iva Jovic in the quarter-finals.

Half of the women left in the draw are from the United States, and one is guaranteed to reach the last four.

“We’re all rooting for each other.... I think it’s cool,” said third seed Gauff, who faces Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. The last time four or more American women made the singles quarterfinals of the Australian Open was in 2001 with Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles and Lindsay Davenport.

“I don’t know what’s in the water, but I think we have a strong tennis identity in the United States,” Gauff said on Sunday.

“So I think that just causes the natural call to produce great players.

“Also, I think when you have friends and people you practice with being at a high level, if you’re not at that level yet, you know that you can reach there.” AFP

Vekic acknowledges PH fan support ahead of WTA match

By Peter Atencio

THERE’S something about Filipino fans that have grown a liking for world no. 72

Donna Vekic as well.

The 28-year-old Vekic, a world no. 72-ranked Croatian, realized this after she played against Filipina sensation Alex Eala twice at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, and then at an exhibition match at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne.

In Manila for the historic first Philippine Women’s Open WTA 125 tournament, Vekic have seen fans watch her practice and then seek autographs and have selfies with her when she’s done.

STA. ROSA, Laguna—Six former champions, headlined by the country’s reigning toast of pro golf and reinforced by proven returnees and the brightest standouts from last season, converge at The Country Club for what promises to be another riveting chapter in the storied Country Club Invitational, which fires off today (Tuesday) here.

More than a test of raw power and shot-making – hallmarks of the Philippine Golf Tour’s flagship event – this championship has long been a grueling examination of nerve, patience and competitive resolve. The exacting TCC layout has a reputation for exposing even the slightest lapse in judgment, producing dramatic and often unpredictable finishes that have defined the tournament’s legacy. That volatility was on full display last year when Guido van der Valk stood on the brink of history, only

“I said before, maybe you guys can adopt me. And I definitely feel you have. And I feel the support

since coming here,” said the fourthseeded Vekic, ahead of her firstround match against Japanese Kyoka Okamura on Tuesday.

In her two losing matches against Eala in Auckland and in Melbourne, Vekic felt fan support in the stands.

But this time, Vekic feels that the fans will be will with he, and keep her company with their cheers and support in her first clash with Okamura in the netfest supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, and organized by the Philippine Tennis Association.

“It’s really nice. That’s why

I’m excited to come here and I’ve been really enjoying it so far,” added Vekic, who reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2024 and was a silver medalist in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Vekic comes into her Manila contest with Okamura, having won four WTA Tour singles’ titles and reached at least the fourth round in all four Grand Slams. Her Grand Slam experience includes quarterfinals at the Australian Open (2023) and US Open (2019), and a semifinal at Wimbledon (2024). Okamura comes in the 2026 season, following a decent showing in 2025 in the Challenger circuit, reaching three quarterfinals at the Huzhou Open, Suzhou Open, and the T-Mobile Polish Open in Warsaw.

Perez repays coach Austria’s trust with statement game

FOR CJ Perez, it was coach Leo Austria’s trust in him that helped him push the San Miguel Beermen to a 2-1 lead in the Philippine Basketball Association Season 50 Philippine Cup best-of-7 finals. This mattered a lot when he unloaded 17 of his 20 points in the last period to lift the San Miguel Beermen past the TNT Tropang 5G, 95-89, in Game 3 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Sunday night.

“Ginawa ko lang ‘yung makakaya kong gawin. Nag-respond lang ako sa kung ano ‘yung binibigay sa akin na trust ng mga coaches,” said Perez.

A former Finals’ MVP, Perez finished with 20 points, 17 of which he produced in the final frame alone, to go with nine points in the last 12 seconds, to put the Beermen on top, 93-89.

to see a two-shot lead slip away on the final hole. His bid for a recordtying third title unraveled on the back nine, opening the door for Korean Minwook Gwon, who seized the moment and captured the crown in sudden death.

Such late twists are hardly anomalies at TCC, where survival over four demanding rounds is paramount and no advantage is secure – especially heading to the challenging par-4 18th. Long and relentlessly unforgiving, the closing hole is widely regarded as one of the toughest finishing tests in Asia, a final gatekeeper that has derailed countless title bids.

This year’s edition raises the stakes even higher, with a record P6.5-million prize fund on the line, including a winner’s purse of P2.2 million, the richest payout in the tournament’s history. The enhanced rewards have only intensified an already stacked field,

one that many consider among the strongest ever assembled in the local pro circuit. Miguel Tabuena, the 2017 champion, looms as the man to beat. Riding superb form and armed with intimate course knowledge, he enters as the tournament favorite. Yet even his familiarity with TCC offers no guarantees against a field brimming with depth, experience and hunger. Chief among his challengers is Angelo Que, who begins the season with renewed focus after finally securing the elusive PGT Order of Merit crown. With two leg victories and a string of top-five finishes last year, the three-time Asian Tour winner now sets his sights on a record fourth TCC title. He first triumphed in 2007, followed by back-to-back victories in 2010 and 2011, and has come agonizingly close in several other attempts – falling short only in the closing stretch of these highpressure battles.

Don Trollano made 19, while June Mar Fajardo knocked in 16 points, to go with a monster 27-rebound output.

“That’s why nu’ng pataas pa lang ‘yung bola, palagay ko papasok ito. Nakinig ‘yung nasa itaas natin. I’m so happy with his (Perez’s) guts,” said Austria. San Miguel Beer earlier posted 111-92 triumph in Game 2, to equalize the series at 1-all.

The Beermen, behind Fajardo and Moala Tautuaa, seized control early, 33-19, before the Tropang 5G found their rhythm in the second period to move away ahead, 50-44, at halftime.

“Nakita niyo naman kanina, talagang ayaw patalo. That’s the kind of player we want to have, especially in this kind of championship,” added Austria.

THE Ramon Fernandez Trophy that will be handed to the winner of the PBA Press Corps Finals Most Valuable Player will feature elements honoring the career of the great basketball icon. The trophy’s design will bear Fernandez’s image and likeness while its dimensions were inspired by his records and accomplishments throughout his 20-year career in Asia’s first professional league. The trophy has a height of 19 inches with a four-inch base as a homage to his 19 PBA championships, the most by any player, and being the league’s first fourtime MVP. A figure of Fernandez stands at 15 inches in a tribute to when he won the 1989 Grand Slam with San Miguel Beer during his 15th PBA season. It also has a 19-inch

Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee makes a forehand return to Switzerland’s Simona Waltert in the Philippine Women’s Open WTA 125 tournament at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Courts on Monday. The Thai won, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

USA’s Amanda Anisimova hits a return to China’s Wang Xinyu. AFP

Donna Vekic shows o her jewelry, which is part of her business collection.

SMB’s CJ perez drives to the basket.

Miguel Tabuena

BDO raises P100b from fifth sustainability bond issuance

P100 billion

Proceeds from sustainability bonds

20 times

Final volume vs. original offer

5.7125%

Coupon rate of three-year bonds

By Jenniffer B. Austria

BDO Unibank Inc, the country’s largest lender, said Monday it raised P100 billion from its fifth pesodenominated ASEAN sustainability bond issuance following massive investor demand.

The final volume reached 20 times the original P5-billion offer, leading the bank to close the offer period early on Jan 16.

The three-year bonds carry a coupon rate of 5.7125 percent per annum and were listed on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp.

The financial arm of the Sy family

said it would use the net proceeds to finance or refinance eligible assets under its Sustainable Finance Framework, diversify its funding sources and support general lending activities.

The Securities and Exchange Commission confirmed the issuance meets ASEAN standards for projects

providing environmental and social benefits.

Since January 2022, the bank has raised P386.7 billion through five sustainability bond issuances.

The latest capital raise is slightly lower than the record P115 billion

BDO Unibank generated in 2025, which featured a 1.5-year tenor and a 5.875 percent interest rate.

Standard Chartered Bank served as the sole arranger for the deal.

BDO Unibank and Standard Chartered were the selling agents, while BDO Capital & Investment Corp. acted as the financial advisor for the transaction.

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority is moving to reshape Bonifacio Global City as it

tapped SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co. to craft a people-first update of the district’s master development plan.

The updated framework will serve as a practical guide for the next phase of growth in the business district, more than 20 years after the original plan was established, to ensure the area remains resilient and responsive to evolving urban needs.

“We want to make sure that BGC

RL COMMERCIAL REIT Inc.

(RCR) is set to join the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) starting Feb. 2, in place of Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI) following a regular index review.

The real estate investment trust arm of Robinsons Land Corp. qualified for the 30-member blue-chip index after meeting the local bourse’s requirements for liquidity, market capitalization and a free float level of at least 15 percent.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) conducted the review based on trading data and financial criteria from July to December 2025.

While the services and holding firms sectors remained unchanged, the PSE announced several adjustments across other sector indices. It said that in the PSE Dividend Yield Index, OceanaGold Philippines Inc.

continues to become more peoplecentric, with greater focus on open spaces, mobility, and transportation. Moving forward, we want BGC to be more open and accessible to all sectors of society,” said BCDA president and chief executive Joshua Bingcang.

The BCDA and SGV & Co. will conduct a nine-month consultation and technical study that combines data-driven urban analysis, visioning workshops and stakeholder engagement to align development strategies with existing policies and

and Universal Robina Corp. will be added, while The Keepers Holdings Inc. and Security Bank Corp. will be removed.

The PSE MidCap Index will see the inclusion of AGI and Apex Mining Co. Inc., while DoubleDragon Corp. and RCR will be deleted. Within the financial sector, National Reinsurance Corp. of the Philippines will be removed.

The services index is set to remove AgriNurture Inc., ATN Holdings Inc. and Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. from its list of constituents. Meanwhile, the property sector will add Premiere Island Power REIT Corp. and Benguet Corp. will join the mining and oil index.

The PSEi serves as the main barometer for the local equity market, tracking the performance of the largest and most liquid companies in the country. Jenniffer B. Austria

Business group warns of slump, calls for reforms

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippines risks economic underperformance unless the government implements urgent structural reforms, a leading business group warned, following a 2026 growth forecast that falls below the nation’s potential.

The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) described a De La Salle University projection of 4.5 percent growth for 2026 as a sobering warning.

FFCCCII president Victor Lim said in a statement the forecast necessitates an immediate and unified national response to restore confidence and accelerate inclusive growth.

The business group urged national leaders to adopt a decisive seven-pillar reform agenda. The proposal focuses on revitalizing manufacturing and agriculture through stronger incentives for technology adoption and food security.

The group also called for stricter and transparent enforcement of anti-corruption measures to rebuild trust in public institutions.

To drive capital, the FFCCCII pushed for aggressive efforts to attract domestic and foreign investments by strengthening protections and ensuring greater ease of doing business. The agenda include a push for a comprehensive tourism renaissance supported by world-class infrastructure.

The group also identified human capital as a priority, calling for expanded investments in education, skills development and universal healthcare to address poverty.

The federation cited the need for a faster rollout of strategic infrastructure such as ports, logistics hubs and broadband connectivity.

infrastructure capacity.

The revised plan will incorporate contemporary urban planning principles, placing a stronger emphasis on public spaces, streetscape enhancements and active mobility.

The study will also align the development framework with transitoriented development to better integrate land-use planning with existing and planned transport systems.

Part of the process involves reviewing and strategically reallocating BCDA gross floor area

entitlements to ensure development intensity remains consistent with infrastructure limits.

The review is expected to optimize land use, enhance land value and identify underutilized areas for potential development or disposition.

BCDA officials said updating the master plan is critical as the district faces mounting challenges including traffic congestion, infrastructure constraints, climate risks and increasing demand for more inclusive mobility.

Othel V. Campos

and Bohol Bee Farm. TAX AUDITS. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza (seated, fourth from left), in a meeting on Jan. 21, 2026, presents the proposed guidelines to the Multi-Sectoral Group, a body comprising major business associations, on the resumption of tax audits under a new reform framework. The reforms are part of a broader five-point agenda known as BIR DARES, which focuses on digital transformation, audit accountability and service excellence.

22, 2026 that showcases the province’s historic churches, museums and centuries-long traditions. Organized by the Department of Tourism (DOT), the half-day itinerary brought the delegates to the National Museum of the Philippines–Bohol, Baclayon Church, Alburquerque Church

PSEi falls below 6,300 on soft growth outlook

By Jenniffer B. Austria

LOCAL shares dropped below the 6,300 level Monday on expectations that the government will report softer economic growth for 2025.

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index declined 59.39 points, or 0.94 per-cent, to close at 6,273.87. The broader all-shares index also went down 18.88 points, or 0.52 percent, to 3,580.43.

The peso, however, rose against the U.S. dollar to 58.994 Monday from 59.09 Friday.

AB Capital Securities said the index extended its pullback as expectations of soft gross domestic product and uncertainties about a rate cut by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas kept market sentiment cautious. The government is set to release the country’s fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 GDP report later this week.

Among the sectors, mining and oil posted the biggest gain, increasing 3.23 percent as gold prices passed the $5,000-per-ounce mark. The financial index also rose 0.45 percent. The services index, on the other hand, declined 2.07 percent, followed by proper-ty, which dropped 1.13 percent. Industrial and holding firms also slipped 0.79 percent and 0.73 percent, respectively.

Because of weak investor sentiment, trading was tepid as value turnover stood at P5.27 billion. Decliners edged out advancers

117 to 88. Foreign investors were net sellers with outflows of P13.06 million.

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. was the day’s top index gainer, climbing 1.94 percent to P15.80, while Jollibee Foods Corp. was at the bottom, declining 3.4 percent to P196.10.

Meanwhile, the dollar fell in Asian trade Monday amid speculation US officials could join their Japanese counterparts to help support the yen after a recent sell-off, while equities started the week on a mixed note.

Reports that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York had checked in with traders about the yen’s exchange rate sparked a surge in the Japanese currency, according to Bloomberg, pushing it up more than one percent to 153.89 per dollar—its strongest level since November.

The yen has been sliding amid worries about Japan’s fiscal position, the central bank’s decision not to hike interest rates further and expectations that the US Fed will hold off cutting its own borrowing costs this week.

The last time Japanese authorities stepped in to support their unit was in 2024 when it hit 160 to the greenback.

The prospect of authorities stepping into

financial markets saw the dollar retreat across the board, with the euro, pound and South Korean won also well up while the Singa-pore dollar hit an 11-year high.

That in turn sent gold prices surging more than two percent and past $5,000 for the first time.

Talk of joint intervention was fanned Monday by top currency chief Atsushi Mimura, who said Tokyo “will continue responding appropriately against FX moves, working closely with US authorities as needed, in line with the joint statement issued by the Japanese and US finance ministers last September”.

His remarks came a day after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned: “We will take all necessary measures to address speculative and highly abnormal move-ments.”

Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management said: “Early Asia saw the dollar pushed lower as rate-check chatter swirled around the Fed, and intervention-tinged language out of Tokyo reminded the market that yen weakness is no longer a free carry.

“In thin early Asian liquidity, the yen jumped, and that was enough to knock the broad-er dollar back into the Asia open.” With AFP

Senators who appear to still enjoy public trust

—“—

Some members of the Senate of the 20th Congress have managed to keep their reputations intact and to continue enjoying the respect and esteem of their countrymen.

THROUGHOUT history, the upper chamber of this country’s legislature has been regarded with esteem and admiration by the Filipino people and has been characterized as an august body.

That status has been entirely deserved, considering that during most of its existence, the Senate of the Philippines has been composed mostly of men and women of good repute, high achievement and love of country. In the distant past, the august halls of the Senate experienced the presence of individuals like Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmena, Quintin Paredes, Manuel Roxas, Jose Laurel and Juan Sumulong. In more recent times, the title of Senator of the Republic was bestowed on the likes of Jovito Salonga, Lorenzo Tañada, Benigno Aquino Jr., Rene Saguisay, Jose Diokno and Gil Puyat.

The Senate of past times no longer exists. The upper chamber of the Congress of the Philippines has ceased to be referred to as an august body. The decline in public standing has been in progress for some time, but the pace of the decline has accelerated with the uncovering of the flood-control projects scandal.

The rot in the Senate’s status set in with the election as Senators of individuals whose sole claim to fame was popularity or dynastic ties, not intellect or professional attainment. The patently partisan positions taken by senators or certain issues of national significance hastened the rotting process. For most Filipinos, the revelation of some senators’ involvement in the floodcontrol projects scandal was the last straw.

Today, the Senate as a whole is not a respected institution. For one reason or another—apparent lack of integrity or incompetence or laziness—many senators no longer enjoy the trust and respect of the Filipino people.

Through all the troubles and challenges of their chamber, some members of the Senate of the 20th Congress have managed to keep their reputations intact and to continue enjoying the respect and esteem of their countrymen. On the basis of available indicators - social media, surveys, press commentaries and conversations - those Senators appear

to be the following. Panfilo Lacson is one of the most respected members of the Senate. His good reputation, as former Philippine National Police chief and as a senator, has preceded him.

Riza Hontiveros has from Day One of her term been a timeless and fearless advocate for causes of national significance. She has been the No. 1 Senate champion of Filipino women and children. Sen. Riza can always be counted upon to demand transparency and accountability.

Kiko Pangilinan has given this country’s electorate no reason to distrust him. Which is why, against all odds, he won re-election in last year’s election.

The late Senator Ninoy’s namesake, Bam Aquino, was a hardworking and honest Senators in the 18th Congress. The electorate remembered that in last year’s election and gave him a fresh term.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III continues to be regarded positively by the electorate. They remembered his good record in his previous Senate service and did not hesitate to re-elect him in 2025.

Most Filipinos appear to believe that Sherwin Gatchalian has been an honest and industrious senator. They have observed approvingly the performances of his committees and appear pleased with his work as a member of the bicameral committee for the 2026 General Appropriators Act (GAA).

J.V. Ejercito appears to continue to enjoy the trust and respect of most Filipinos, “The Good One” has succeeded in projecting himself as a conscientious and hard-working senator.

The Tulfo brothers, Raffy and Erwin, likewise appear to enjoy the trust and respect of most Filipinos. Undoubtedly, this is largely attributable to their popular public-service programs on television and radio. Erwin’s participation in the 2026 GAA bicam has been regarded favorably by most Filipino.

These are the senators who, in these troubled times, appear to enjoy the trust and respect of most Filipinos. No inference should be drawn as to the rest of the present Senate’s membership. (llagasjessa@yahoo.com)

BUSINESS

Maynilad cut down water leaks to 30.7%, nears 2027 target

By Jenniffer B. Austria and Othel V. Campos

MAYNILAD Water Services Inc. re-

duced its non-revenue water (NRW) level to 30.7 per-cent in 2025 from 38.4 percent in December 2024, the west zone concessionaire said Monday.

The 7.7 percentage-point decline resulted in the recovery of 256 million liters of water per day. The utility firm said the recovered volume is roughly equivalent to the output of a single water treatment plant and is enough to supply more than 1.6 million people daily.

On a full-year basis, Maynilad recorded a year-to-date average NRW of 34.9 percent. This represents a 5 percentage-point improvement from 2024 as the company moves toward a long-term target of 25 percent NRW by 2027.

Maynilad chief operating officer Christopher Lichauco said the progress reflects the effectiveness of a multi-pronged approach to reducing water losses.

“Every liter of water recovered improves system efficiency by reducing the need to overproduce treated water, allowing us to optimize treatment, pumping and distribution using existing assets, while strengthening our ability to provide reliable service while stewarding resources responsibly,” Lichauco said in a statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

The company achieved the reduction by accelerating leak detection, meter replace-ment and pipeline rehabilitation.

Maynilad repaired over 70,000 small leaks in 2025, a 22-percent increase from 2024, while addressing 206 large pipe leaks and replacing 82 kilometers of old pipelines.

Megaworld, Samsung to launch AI-powered homes in PH in 2026

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PROPERTY developer Megaworld Corp is introducing AI-powered homes in the Philippines this year through a partnership with tech giant Samsung to automate residential spaces.

The initiative will debut at Park McKinley West in Taguig City before expanding to other select properties. The system integrates the Samsung SmartThings platform, allowing

Megaworld Corp. teams up with Samsung to launch AI-powered smart homes at Park McKinley West in Taguig City, integrating the SmartThings ecosystem for automated residential living.

residents to manage their homes via a single application that adjusts settings based on weather, time and personal routines.

The AI ecosystem includes adaptive

lighting, smart climate control and voice-activated command centers. The technology is designed to optimize energy consumption while enhancing resident comfort and security.

Megaworld business innovation and transformation head Francis Viernes said the initiative is a central part of the company’s vision to shape future-ready communities.

“Through our Al-powered homes initiative, we are redefining residential living by creating intelligent spaces

2GO, DTI team up to provide logistics support for micro, small enterprises

By Darwin G. Amojelar

2GO GROUP Inc. has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises through a new nationwide logistics and consul-tancy framework.

Under the agreement, 2GO becomes part of the DTI’s “go-to” logistics network, expand-ing its role beyond transport services to include logistics consultancy and advisory support for DTI-registered enterprises. Through the partnership, MSMEs will receive tailored logistics solutions to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and support expansion.

“This partnership with 2GO strengthens our ability to respond to the logistics needs of Filipino enterprises,” DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque

said. “Through partners such as 2GO, MSMEs are supported with reliable logistics services that enable cost optimization and business expansion based on their operational needs.”

As part of its commitment, 2GO will support Supply Chain and Logistics Center initiatives through consultancy services, participation in business matching and market linkage activities, and the establishment of logistics support desks in selected Negosyo Centers across the country.

“Our team is ready to support a wide range of logistics requirements, from basic ship-ping needs to more complex supply chain solutions,” said Faye Alonzo, 2GO business unit head for forwarding. “We are honored to serve as DTI’s logistics partner and to work with the SCLC in helping MSMEs connect to markets and scale with confidence.”

FINANCIAL COOPERATION. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), together with the Department of Finance, Japan’s Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Japan, leads the first ASEAN+3 Task Force Meeting in Makati City on Jan. 13 to 14, 2026. The meeting brought together ASEAN+3 member authorities to strengthen regional financial cooperation and enhance the region’s resilience amid global economic uncertainties.

that enhance comfort, safety, and sustainability across our townships,” said Viernes.

“This marks an important step in how we continue to elevate the living experience and set new standards for modern township developments,” he said.

Condominium buyers can opt to upgrade their units by connecting Samsung appli-ances such as washing machines, air-conditioning units and televisions to the central-ized system.

Gov’t boosts PCIC budget by 45% to record P6.5b

government is strengthening protection for farmers and fisherfolk by increasing agricultural

funding, raising the Philippine Crop

Corp. budget by 45 percent to a record P6.5 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act. This is up from last year’s P4.5 billion.

The PCIC, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, said the additional funding will expand insurance coverage for rice and corn nationwide. Coverage will rise to P25,000 per hectare this year, a 25 percent increase from P20,000. The amount represents the maximum payout for total crop loss due to insured perils such as natural calamities, pests and diseases.

The larger budget will also allow the PCIC to insure an estimated 2.93 million farmers and fisherfolk in 2026, nearly 25 percent more than the 2.35 million insured last year. The free insurance program covers seven product lines: rice, corn, high-value crops, fisheries and aquaculture, livestock, and non-crop agricultural assets. Credit and life term insurance remain excluded.

The Government Premium Subsidy under the GAA funds agricultural insurance for producers listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture, the government’s official database. Free coverage will also extend to coconut farmers registered under the National Coconut Farmers Registry System, with funding of about P500 mil-lion from the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund.

Othel V. Campos

Alternergy secures DOE awards for 500 MW in renewable projects

By Alena Mae S. Flores

LISTED Alternergy Holdings

Corp. said Monday it has received five certificates of award from the Department of Energy for projects with a combined capacity of 500 megawatts won under the fourth round of the Green Energy Auction Program.

Alternergy disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange that through its solar and wind units, it received the certificates early in January following compliance with post-auction requirements, specifically the completion of system impact studies and perfor-mance bonds.

The company submitted its documents before the Dec. 5, 2025, deadline. The DOE subsequently extended the submission deadline to the end of January 2026 from the initial issuance of the notice of award in early November 2025.

“This demonstrates the readiness of all our projects for full-scale development works and Alternergy’s commitment to bringing these projects to fruition,” Alternergy president Gerry Magbanua said. “With all five certificates of approval on hand, this is a key milestone that our GEA 4 projects have been formally awarded.”

The five GEA 4 projects are expected to support Alternergy’s goal of 1 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity by 2030. These include the Liberty Floating Solar Phase A and Phase B projects in Tarlac, which will be among the earliest large-scale floating solar projects in the country.

“These projects will demonstrate how renewable energy projects can coexist with aquaculture, maximizing land use while supporting food security and strengthening local livelihoods,” Magbanua said.

ERC to study forward contracting framework to shield power consumers from ‘bill shock’, market volatility

THE Energy Regulatory Commission has vowed to study the regulatory framework and the impact of forward and futures contracting on consumers and distribution utilities in the electricity market.

ERC Chair Francis Saturnino Juan said Monday during a roundtable discussion titled “Preventing ‘Bill Shock’” that the forward contract concept merits serious study.

The concept involves allowing utilities to enter into contracts to

secure a portion of their future power requirements at a predetermined price for supply to their captive markets, he said.

“The core idea is to provide a tool for managing the financial risk associated with spot market volatility, which the utilities ultimately pass on to their captive customers,” Juan said.

“The identified potential benefits of such a framework, should it be found viable and prudent to implement, are significant.”

He said a well-designed framework could allow utilities to mitigate extreme price spikes, contributing to greater price stability, predictability for end users and the avoidance of bill shocks.

Regarding risk management, he noted it could provide utilities with an additional in-strument to manage their portfolios, potentially leading to more prudent financial and procurement planning. Juan added that forward contracts can also enhance energy security and investment.

“Forward contracts can, in theory, provide the revenue certainty that facilitates the financing of new power generation projects,” he said. “This is particularly relevant for attracting capital to our muchneeded baseload and renewable energy developments, which require a stable outlook to secure financing.”

Juan said introducing such a mechanism is a complex undertaking that requires meticulous study, as the current pass-through nature of distribution utilities’ generation costs

is a fundamental consideration.

“The existing framework is designed to protect consumers from undue markups from the utilities, but it also requires us to carefully examine how to incentivize prudent hedging by the same utilities without compromising consumer interests,” he said.

Juan said preventing bill shock requires a coordinated approach: aligning supplier responsibility, reinforcing market discipline and implementing regulatory safeguards. Alena Mae S. Flores

Maharlika eyes energy, mining, farm deals in ‘26

By Thony Rose Lesaca

Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC) plans to invest in energy, logistics, agriculture and mining ventures in 2026 as it prioritizes assets that address structural bottlenecks and expand export capacity.

MIC said Monday it is investing in energy, logistics, agriculture and mining ventures this year as it prioritizes assets that address structural bottlenecks and expand export capacity.

MIC president and chief executive Rafael Consing Jr. said the institution aims to channel capital into structural bottlenecks where measurable efficiency can be achieved.

MIC is eyeing investments to upgrade and modernize electricity infra-

ECOSTATION

AT PNB. PNB Holdings Corp. (PHC) has expanded its sustainability initiatives through a strategic partnership with Rezbin, a multi awarded, techenabled waste management company. The collaboration introduces EcoStation, PHC’s new waste recycling program designed to make responsible waste disposal simple, measurable and accessible across its major properties.

structures in rural areas and targeting agricultural enterprises with strong export potential and large workforce.

The fund said it plans to close deals with such enterprises within the first half of the year.

Consing said investing in promising agri-businesses is a key priority for the fund.

“Our goal is to back companies ready to scale—providing the resources to improve efficiency and increase export volume, which in turn secures and generates vital employment,” he said.

The fund also plans to diversify its portfolio through mining investments, focusing on responsible extraction and domestic processing.

In logistics, MIC has recently taken a stake in Asian Terminals Inc., expanding its exposure to logistics infrastructure.

MIC also reiterated its commitment to operate under strict fiduciary duty in accordance with the Santiago Principles.

“By marrying ‘intelligent capital’ with national imperatives, MIC will contribute to a more diversified and resilient Philippine economy,” Consing said.

STRATEGIC PLANNING. Maharlika Investment

BPI prices P5-b sustainability

By Jenniffer B. Austria

BANK of the Philippine Islands (BPI) launched a public offer on Monday for P5 billion in sustainability bonds priced at 5.405 percent per annum to fund social projects.

The fixed-rate SIGLA or Supporting Individuals Grow, Lead and Achieve bonds, represent the second tranche of the bank’s P200-billion bond and commercial paper program approved in October 2024. BPI said in a statement that it maintains an option to upsize the offer beyond the initial P5 billion.

The public offer period is scheduled from Jan. 26 to Feb. 4. The bank expects to issue and list the notes on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. on Feb. 13.

The bonds will be issued at par with a tenor of 2 years and interest will be paid on a quarterly basis. The Securities and Exchange Commission affirmed the notes as ASEAN Social Bonds in December 2025. Proceeds from the issuance are earmarked

for

a

to finance or refinance eligible social projects under the BPI Sustainable Funding Framework, which adheres to ASEAN Social Bond Standards.

BPI Capital Corp. and ING Bank N.V. Manila branch are serving as joint lead arrangers and selling agents for the transaction.

The issuance follows a P40-billion sustainability-linked bond sale last year known as SINAG, or Supporting Inclusion, Nature and Growth bonds. Those 1.5-year notes carried a 5.85 percent interest rate and were 8 times oversubscribed against an initial P5 billion base offer.

Funds from the previous SINAG issuance were also allocated toward green and social projects under the bank’s sustainability framework.

IN BRIEF

Fourth-quarter growth seen at 5.3%

THE Philippine economy likely grew 5.3 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, led by robust global demand for electronics exports, according to Moody’s Analytics. This represents an acceleration from the 4-percent growth recorded in the third quarter. While the export sector provided a significant boost, Moody’s analytics said extreme weather events acted as a major headwind, disrupting agricultural output, damaging infrastructure and dampening household consumption during the same period. Moody’s also expects the gross domestic product to post a full-year growth of 5.1 percent, below the government’s revised growth target of 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will release the official figures on Thursday. Economic managers had cautioned that growth in 2025 might be tempered by external factors and internal challenges, such as reduced government spending linked to delays in major flood control projects. BSP launches Sinulog commemorative coins

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday launched a commemorative coin featuring the Sinulog Festival of Cebu, marking the first release in its 100-Piso Philippine Festivals Commemorative Coin Series. The BSP plans to roll out new coins in the series every month this year to highlight the cultural heritage of the Philippines and promote awareness of the country’s role as the 2026 ASEAN chair. The issuances celebrate the rich traditions of the archipelago while fostering interest in regional cooperation. The festival series was first unveiled alongside a 10-Piso ASEAN commemorative coin in November 2025.

Each festival coin is priced at P5,000. Interested buyers can purchase the items at BSP pop-up stores in host municipalities on the day of the specific festival. The coins also go on sale at the physical and online stores of the BSP one week after each celebration concludes. The initiative aims to engage the public with the regional significance of the Philippines during its leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Thony Rose Lesaca

CITEM generates $740-m export leads

THE Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) said Monday it generated $740.75 million in potential export sales in 2025, marking a 774-percent increase over the $95.75 million target despite global economic uncertainty and geopolitical headwinds.

The agency, which serves as the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry, assisted 1,384 local enterprises last year. This exceeded its initial target of 1,034, with micro, small and medium enterprises making up the majority of the beneficiaries. Buyer engagement rose sharply in 2025 with 7,191 trade buyers recorded, nearly double the original target. Trade inquiries climbed to 34,403, more than 4 times higher than planned, which officials said indicates a growing pipeline of potential export deals.

The agency supports Filipino exporters through major trade events such as IFEX Philippines and Manila FAME, overseas trade fair participation and market-sensing missions that link local firms with foreign investors.

“We are proud of what the agency accomplished in the past year,” CITEM

Corp. (MIC) holds

strategic workshop

2026-2030 facilitated by Prof. Richard Cruz of the Asian Institute of Management. MIC’s 2026 outlook is defined by a “sectoral and tactical” approach, focused on transforming the Philippine economic landscape by addressing structural bottlenecks in energy and logistics while building a resilient investment ecosystem that delivers both risk-adjusted financial returns and broad-based developmental impact.

MIC president and chief executive Rafael Consing Jr.

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

LGUs receive boost to fight climate woes

THE United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Australian government are helping local government units (LGUs) to gain access to funds in fighting climate change and improving their resilience to disasters.

The UNDP and the Local Government Academy (LGA) formalized a partnership through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that aims to strengthen the capacity of LGUs to access, manage and mobilize financing for disaster resilience investments.

A key focus of the cooperation is the co-development of the Resilience Financing Module, a core component of the Resilience Investment Proposal Toolkit.

It features modules on Project Proposal Development and the LGU Resource Finder, all designed to strengthen local governments’ capacity to craft bankable proposals, access public, private and blended financing streams, and transform climate and disaster risk data into actionable, investable resilience solutions.

“Resilience is a moral commitment to protect people, preserve development gains, and ensure that communities can adapt and thrive,” says UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Edwine Carrie.

“By working with the LGA, we are investing in institutions and systems that enable local governments to routinely plan, budget, and access financing for resilience as part of normal government practice,” he added.

The agreement sets a framework for collaboration under the Australian government-supported Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate

World enters era of water ‘bankruptcy’

THE world has moved beyond a water crisis and into a state of global water bankruptcy, says a new flagship report released last week by UN researchers.

For decades, scientists, policymakers and the media warned of a “global water crisis,” implying temporary shock―followed by recovery.

What is now emerging in many regions, however, is a persistent shortage whereby water systems can no longer realistically return to their historical baselines.

“For much of the world, ‘normal’ is gone,” said Kaveh Madani, director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health.

“This is not to kill hope but to encourage action and an honest admission of failure today to protect and enable tomorrow,” he told a press briefing.

Madani stressed that the findings do not suggest worldwide failure―but there are enough bankrupt or nearbankrupt systems, interconnected through trade, migration and geopolitical dependencies, that the global risk landscape has been fundamentally altered.

The burdens fall disproportionately on smallholder farmers, indigenous peoples, low-income urban residents and women and youth, while the benefits of overuse often accrued to more powerful actors.

The report introduces water bankruptcy as a condition defined by both insolvency and irreversibility.

Insolvency refers to withdrawing and polluting water beyond renewable inflows and safe depletion limits.

Irreversibility refers to the damage to key parts of water-related natural capital, such as wetlands and lakes, that makes restoration of the system to its initial conditions infeasible.

But all is not lost: comparing water action to finance, Madani said that bankruptcy is not the end of action.

“It is the start of a structured recovery plan: you stop the bleeding, protect essential services, restructure unsustainable claims and invest in rebuilding,” he noted. UN News

Change (SHIELD) Program.

The UNDP and LGA will work closely with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), SHIELD consortium partners, including Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), UN-Habitat and the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), to develop and institutionalize capacity program on resilience financing for local governments.

The partnership will also support pilot testing, training and nationwide rollout of the module, alongside knowledge-sharing and cross-sectoral learning on risk-to-resilience investment approaches using existing LGA platforms and networks.

LGA Executive Director Thelma T. Vecina stressed the growing demands placed on local governments and the importance of partnership in meeting these challenges.

SHIELD consortium partner NRC Executive Director Silvestre Barrameda, Jr. expressed his support to scaling resilience efforts across communities:

“This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to strengthening resilience at the local and international level, where leadership, systems, and communities converge. We reaffirm our collective responsibility to turn resilience into concrete action for our local governments and the communities they serve.” UNDP Philippines News

DENR: Circular economy to lift Calabarzon waste management

By Anna Mole

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna―The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reiterated its push for a circular economy to strengthen waste management systems and reduce environmental pollution across the Calabarzon region.

DENR Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement Division Chief Corazon Gasapos stressed that a circular economy shifts the traditional “take–make–dispose” model into a more sustainable system.

The Calabarzon region comprises the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

A circular economy is where materials are reduced, reused, recycled and recovered, allowing waste to be transformed into resources that can still generate value.

“Currently, what we are doing is the linear economy, we are taking resources from our environment. We are making good products, only the

ones we need, but when we use them, we throw them in the trash. So that’s the linear economy,” said Gasapos.

“Our direction is towards the circular economy where the things that we can still benefit from, we recover them and we use them,”she said in an interview with Philippine Information Agency.

The circular economy is a global sustainability framework that aims to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation by maximizing the efficient use of resources.

Unlike the linear economy, which relies heavily on extraction and disposal, the circular economy focuses on extending the life cycle of products, minimizing waste generation and reducing pressure on natural resources, Gasapos further explained.

“(For) example is plastics, when it burns, it releases toxic smoke, or it clogs the drains. Now, what we will do is, after we use these plastics, we will recover these plastics, we can melt them, we can make good products,” she said. AM/PIA Calabarzon

Cities, towns lead transition to circularity

Local utilities urged to ensure water security

By Marita Moaje

THE Climate Change Commission (CCC) urged water utilities and other essential service providers to align their operations and investments with the Philippines’ national climate commitments to strengthen climate resilience.

CCC vice chairperson and executive director Robert E.A. Borje said last week climate risks in the Philippines are systemic and require coordinated action among the government, the private sector and the communities.

“Climate action does not succeed on policy alone. Nor does it succeed on infrastructure alone. It succeeds when institutions, communities and individual Filipinos move together,” he said during the 1st Manila Water Sustainability Leadership Talk held in Quezon City.

“The role of water utilities is fundamental. We must ensure water security despite a changing climate by climate-proofing infrastructure, diversifying water sources and integrating nature-based solutions for watershed management,” he added.

Borje highlighted the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) as the country’s core key frameworks guiding climate action and advancing sustainable development.

He said water companies can support mitigation through energy efficiency and low-carbon operations, improved wastewater treatment and adaptation through resilient, riskinformed infrastructure.

Manila Water Co. Inc. president and chief executive officer Roberto Locsin said sustainability in water services extends beyond basic delivery, with daily operations serving as opportunities for direct climate action.

The Sustainability Leadership Talk serves as Manila Water’s platform for engaging leaders from government, academe and industry on climate action and resilience. The CCC, meanwhile, reaffirmed its commitment under the Paris Agreement to actively engage with the private sector to advance climate-resilient development and protect essential services amid climate change. PNA

By Earl Paulo Diaz, Moeko Saito-Jensen, Voltaire Acosta and Erika Mary CONCLSUION

Broadening the Circle Del Carmen teaches us that circularity succeeds when it is rooted in shared identity and community pride. Quezon City shows that when cities nourish what sustains them, circularity can strengthen both climate action and food security. Pasig proves that innovation becomes transformative when everyone, especially those often left out, is invited not just to participate but to lead. These stories affirm a core truth: circularity becomes real when people claim it as their own. Technology and policy matter but so do trust, collaboration, and the courage to rethink the usual ways of working.

As the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership Specific Objective 2 (Green LGUs) expands to more cities across the Philippines, the task ahead is to deepen what has already begun: advancing inter-local cooperation, designing financing pathways that support long-term circular transitions, and ensuring that every community can participate and benefit. This collective effort is made possible through the European Union’s support, the leadership of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the coleadership of the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the Partnerships’ Specific Objective 2 (Green LGUs), and the implementation of the United Nations Development Program together with partners on the ground. UNDP Philippines News

Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte Mayor Alfredo Coro II in a dialogue during a storytelling and visioning activity with the youth of Del Carmen. Richmond Seladores/UNDP Philippines

Signing the partnership agreement are (from left) Patrick Omar Erestain of Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change Program; Daphne Purnell, assistant director, Local Government Academy; Silvestre Barrameda Jr., executive director, National Resilience Council; Mei Santos, portfolio manager of the Australian Embassy; Thelma Vecina, executive director, LGA; Edwine Carrie, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative; Anna Liza Bonagua, director, Bureau of Local Government Development; Jacqueline Miel-Soliguin, UNDP SHIELD program manager; and Mark Anthony Ramirez, UNDP program analyst

Elephant bones lie by a dried-out water source in Turkana County in the north of Kenya. © UNCCD/Mwangi Kirubi

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

NICKIE WANG, Editor

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

JASPER VALDEZ, Writer

Josh Groban to perform in Manila with Regine Velasquez, Martin Nievera

By Angelica Villanueva

AMERICAN singer-songwriter Josh Groban is set to return to Manila with his GEMS World Tour, headlining a Valentine’s Week concert on Feb. 18 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Groban will be joined onstage by Regine Velasquez and Martin Nievera as special guests

Presented by Wilbros Live, the Manila stop marks Groban’s first performance in the Philippines in seven years. The Tony, Emmy, and five-time Grammynominated artist is known for global hits such as “You Raise Me Up,” “To Where You Are,” “February Song,” and “The Prayer.”

The tour celebrates his career of blending classical and pop influences, featuring orchestral and choral arrangements alongside songs like “Believe” and “Evermore.”

Previously, Nievera interviewed Groban and said he is eager to share the stage for what organizers describe as a rare collaboration.

Groban has long cited a deep connection with Filipino audiences, calling the country “a very special place in my heart.” Tickets are now available via SMTickets.com and SM Ticket outlets, with limited VIP packages offered.

Charlie

Puth drops new single, announces 2026 world tour

SINGER-SONGWRITER Charlie Puth released his new single, “Beat Yourself Up,” on Friday, ahead of his forthcoming studio album Whatever’s Clever!, set for March 27.

Puth, a multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated artist, co-produced the track with Bloodpop. The song, he said, began as a message to a friend.

“We’ve never been the heart-to-heart types, so I wrote it in a song instead,” he said. “I wanted to tell him that even though he has made mistakes along the way, he shouldn’t be so hard on himself. That things will get better and he’s not alone.”

The official music video, which will be released soon, is directed by Hunter Moreno

Puth also announced his biggest world tour to date, starting April 22 at Viejas Arena in San Diego. He will perform in North America through June 13, hitting venues including Madison Square Garden in New York on May 29, Hard Rock Live in Atlantic City on May 30, and The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, on June 12. The tour will continue in Europe and the United Kingdom from June 27 through July 30, with appearances at festivals in Odense, Denmark, Stavern, Norway, and Mad Cool in Madrid, Spain, and shows in Paris, London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Manchester, and Pompei, Italy. Tickets went on sale Friday.

The singer is also confirmed to perform at Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in San Francisco. Whatever’s Clever! will be Puth’s fourth studio album, following 2022’s Charlie, which featured the platinum hits “Light Switch” and “Left and Right” with BTS’s Jung Kook

Puth has amassed over 35 billion career streams and nine multi-platinum singles, including “Attention,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” and “See You Again.”

Discover how love turns a man into a hero in ‘Batang Paco’

By Nickie Wang

BATANG Paco shows that love, especially a parent’s love, can transform even the most unlikely person into a hero.

In this upcoming family comedy-drama starring Ai-Ai delas Alas and Empoy Marquez, the story delivers lessons centered on love, courage, and selfdiscovery. It opens in cinemas nationwide on Feb. 18.

The teaser, released by MiVida Productions on Facebook on Jan. 18, gives a glimpse of Empoy Marquez’s character struggling hilariously with English, resulting in a comical “nosebleed” after his daughter proudly shows off her perfect quiz score.

Produced by MiVida Productions, Inc., Batang Paco is the company’s first film and its debut project for 2026. The production company is led by former actress-turnedentrepreneur Ana Abiera Del Moral, whose mission is to tell stories “with heart, courage, and soul.”

The film follows Paco, a gentle but timid tattoo artist whose daughter is kidnapped by a dangerous crime syndicate. Forced into action, Paco must find the courage to become the father his child believes he can be.

Marquez brings humor and vulnerability to the role.

Hindi perpekto si Paco, pero gagawin niya ang lahat para sa anak niya,” he says.

Set against the bustling streets of Manila, the film combines laugh-out-loud moments, thrilling action, and heartfelt storytelling. The ensemble cast includes Mon Confiado, Ynez Veneracion, Chichi Rita, Cassie Lavarias, Richard Quan, Alma Concepcion, Lara Morena, Natasha Ledesma, Kookoo Gonzales, Gerard Acao, Josh Ivan Morales, Kim Rodriguez, Jovi Vargas, and Quentin Molo

Directed by Rechie del Carmen and written by Gina Marissa Tagasa Batang Paco promises a mix of comedy, action, romance, and emotion designed for families and Filipino moviegoers.

How Carla Abellana finds forever with high school sweetheart

CARLA Abellana has finally given fans a glimpse into her love story with husband Dr. Reginald Kristian Santos, a romance that began in the halls of high school and has now blossomed into married life.

“We were high school sweethearts,” Carla revealed in a recent TV interview. “We both attended O.B. Montessori in Greenhills. I was a freshman, and he was a senior when we got into a relationship. He was my first love, my very first boyfriend. Our relationship lasted for more or less two years at the time.”

Their teenage love didn’t last—at least not then.

“He had to focus on his studies because he was serious about med school,” she said. “So, in all fairness, he was so brave then to choose his studies over me.”

Years later, that same dedication defines the man she married. Carla described Reginald as private, serious, and non-showbiz.

“He’s a professional—a doctor. Currently, he’s not practicing full-time because he’s managing the hospital where he works as Chief Medical Officer.”

But outside the hospital, he’s a different man. “He’s very funny. Very aspirational. He can be strict and serious at times and can be grumpy, but it’s only when it comes to work. Outside his profession, he’s jolly, quirky, helpful, calm, and very loving.”

Even their wedding stirred conversation online, thanks to their choice of cake. Carla set the record straight: “Actually, we had two. One was round with strawberries, a strawberry cheesecake. The other was a slab

cake, which caught the attention of many. It was elongated and one layer. It’s the in thing. It’s trending in the US. Reginald and I liked the idea because it’s fully edible, and we were able to serve the guests a wedding cake. What’s important is it’s delicious, and we were happy with it. Everybody got a slice.” Despite the chatter, Carla said she and Reginald remain blissfully unconcerned. “We are so happy and excited still. So, whenever there’s a negative comment, opinion, or criticism, it doesn’t really affect us. It’s territorial. And if I may repeat, what’s important is that we’re happy with the cake.” * * * Vina Morales, Gladys Reyes, and Neil Ryan Sese are celebrating the ratings success of their recently concluded afternoon drama on GMA-7, Cruz Vs. Cruz

“I’m thankful to the Kapuso for the opportunity to headline the soap. This is my comeback project with them, and I felt so

welcomed. The role of Felma is simply a blessing. We’re lucky that the program became a hit and TV buffs really supported us since Day One!” Vina said. Gladys echoed her co-star’s sentiments, expressing gratitude for the viewers’ strong support. “That’s right! My heart is full of gratefulness. It’s rare to be given the chance to portray a lead and, at the same time, a villain character. I’m happy to have done it, especially all those heavy dramatic scenes. It’s just fulfilling.” For Neil, the experience was both a privilege and an honor. “When I wasn’t an actor yet, I used to watch them. I always tell them that. Gladys during her Mara Clara days and Vina in her earlier films. It’s a surreal feeling, definitely. I’m proud to have worked with them on this hit project,” he stated. The trio’s heartfelt reflections underscore not just the show’s success but the genuine respect and camaraderie behind the

that

scenes

helped make Cruz Vs. Cruz a standout hit.

Carla Abellana (rigjt) shares a sweet moment with husband Reginald Kristian Santos as she opens up about their high school romance and married life

Josh Groban returns to Manila for a Valentine’s Week stop of his ‘GEMS World Tour’ on Feb. 18 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena

Charlie Puth releases ‘Beat Yourself Up’ ahead of his March 27 album ‘Whatever’s Clever!’ as he kicks off a 2026 world tour starting April 22

Ai-Ai delas Alas joins the cast of the upcoming family comedy-drama ‘Batang Paco’, which hits cinemas Feb. 18

Empoy Marquez plays Paco, a tattoo artist forced to find courage and step up as a father in ‘Batang Paco’

Empoy Marquez (left) with co-stars from his new comedy-drama film about a timid father pushed into action when his daughter is kidnapped

SHOWBIZ

‘Mercy’ dislodges ‘Avatar’ in box office race

SCI-FI thriller Mercy , starring Chris Pratt , debuted atop the North American box office with $11 million in ticket sales, ending the fiveweek reign of Avatar: Fire and Ash , industry estimates showed Sunday.

Pratt plays a man on trial for murdering his wife in the Amazon MGM Studios film, with his fate in the hands of an artificial intelligence judge.

Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment in James Cameron’s blockbuster fantasy series, came in second

in the United States and Canada with another $7 million, Exhibitor Relations said. That puts its domestic box office haul at $378.5 million, with an additional $1 billion overseas, according to Box Office Mojo.

Disney’s Oscar-nominated animated film Zootopia 2 remained in third place with $5.7 million, crossing the $400 million mark in the United States and Canada. In fourth place was Lionsgate’s The Housemaid , which earned $4.2 million. The film is an adaptation

of Freida McFadden’s best-selling novel about a young woman hired by a wealthy couple with dark secrets. Rounding out the top five was 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple , the fourth installment in the zombie horror series, with $3.6 million. Completing the top 10 were Marty Supreme with $3.5 million, Return to Silent Hill with $3.3

‘Bagets The Musical’ opens to sold-out shows at Newport World Resorts

By Nickie Wang

BAGETS The Musical opened to a full house at Newport World Resorts on Jan. 23 and continued its strong start with more sold-out performances over its first weekend.

From its opening night, the production drew audiences across age groups, with longtime fans of the original film watching alongside theatergoers encountering the “barkada” story for the first timSet to live performance and Original Pilipino Music, the musical follows Adie, Topee, Arnel, Tonton, and Gilbert as their friendship unfolds on stage. The lead roles are shared by ten young performers who alternate across performance dates.

Noel Comia Jr. and Tomas Rodriguez portray Gilbert, while Milo Cruz and Migo Valid alternate as Tonton . Ethan David and KD Estrada take on Arnel, with Jeff Moses and Sam Shoaf alternating as Topee. Adie is portrayed by Mico Hendrix Chua and Andres Muhlach

During the Jan. 23 show, the curtain call carried added significance when Aga Muhlach, who played Adie in the original film, appeared on stage and stood beside his son Andres, now portraying Adie in the musical. The moment drew a rousing standing ovation from the packed theater. Adding warmth and humor to the story are the ermats, or the mothers of the barkada. Neomi Gonzales plays Ana, the mother of Topee. Kakai Bautista and Natasha Cabrera alternate as Delia, the mother of Tonton. Mayen Cadd portrays Ditas, the mother of Arnel. Ring Antonio takes

on the role of Luz, the mother of Gilbert, while Carla Guevara Laforteza plays Virgie, the mother of Adie.

Staged with PETA Plus, the musical is led by director Maribel Legarda, playwright J-mee Katanyag and musical director Vince Lim Produced by Newport World Resorts with Philippine STAR and VIVA Communications and staged by PETA plus, Bagets The Musical is also presented in cooperation with Sun Life Philippines. Bagets The Musical runs until March at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Tickets are available at tickets.newportworldresorts. com/products/bagets-the-musical and at all Ticketworld and Ticket2Me outlets, with prices ranging from P1,000 to P4,000. For inquiries, audiences may contact NWR Customer Care at 7908-8888.

Leading network retains ratings lead, digital dominance in 2025

GMA Network capped its 75th anniversary year in 2025 by maintaining its lead in television ratings, expanding its digital footprint, and earning local and international recognition for news and entertainment programming Based on Nielsen Television Audience Measurement data from January to December 2025, GMA remained the No. 1 television channel nationwide, posting a net reach of 86.2 percent, or nearly 62 million viewers, across Total Philippines. Combined with sister channels GTV, I Heart Movies, and Heart of Asia, the group reached 87.5 percent, or about 63 million viewers.

Kapuso programs dominated the Top 30 most-watched shows nationwide, accounting for 27 entries based on aggregate ratings. Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho ranked first, followed by primetime newscast 24 Oras. Other top programs included Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre The Voice Kids The Clash 2025 Pepito Manaloto: Tuloy ang Kuwento, and Magpakailanman, among others.

GMA also sustained its digital lead in 2025, ranking as Southeast Asia’s top content creator in the Entertainment and Media category for 23 consecutive months, according to Tubular Labs. As of Dec. 31, GMA’s official creator platforms logged more than 74.4 billion video

views, including 35.1 billion on Facebook, 26.3 billion on TikTok, 10.4 billion on YouTube, and 2.6 billion on Instagram.

GMA Integrated News led coverage of the 2025 midterm elections through its Eleksyon 2025 broadcasts and public affairs initiatives. Online, it recorded more than 18.5 billion video views across Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, outperforming News5 and ABS-CBN News, according to Tubular Labs and Hootsuite Analytics. It also led to Facebook engagement with 467.5 million interactions.

In radio, GMA stations maintained leadership in Mega Manila, based on AGB Nielsen data for full-year 2025. Super Radyo DZBB 594 posted a 44.5 percent audience share, while Barangay LS 97.1 registered 47.6 percent. Regional stations also ranked first in several key markets, including Dagupan, Iloilo, and Baguio.

As part of its anniversary celebrations, GMA aired the television special Beyond 75: The GMA 75th Anniversary Special and rolled out programming and advocacy campaigns, including “More Tawa, More Saya” and “Be Juan Tama.” Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre emerged as the network’s most-watched digital title, surpassing 5 billion views since its June launch and earning YouTube Silver and Gold Creator Awards.

GMA Regional TV expanded its digital reach in 2025, with its YouTube channel surpassing one million subscribers and launching livestreams of its regional newscasts. GMA Pinoy TV marked its 20th anniversary, citing subscriber growth through partnerships with OTT platforms and the completion of its IP Streaming Project.

GMA Pictures released several films during the anniversary year, led by box-office performer KMJS’ Gabi ng Lagim: The Movie Other releases included P77, Samahan ng mga Makasalanan Everything About My Wife, and Metro Manila Film Festival entry Love You So Bad

GMA Public Affairs and Entertainment programs earned multiple international awards in 2025, including honors from the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, the Asian Academy Creative Awards, and the Association for International Broadcasting. Actor Dennis Trillo was named Asia’s Best Actor in a Leading Role for the film Green Bones at the Asian Academy Creative Awards.

Entering 2026, GMA Network announced plans to continue expanding its content offerings and collaborations across platforms, with a focus on delivering Filipino stories to audiences in the Philippines and abroad.

From left: Sam Shoaf as Topee, Noel Comia Jr. as Gilbert, Milo Cruz as Tonton, Ethan David as Arnel, and Andres Muhlach as Adie at the opening night of’ Bagets The Musical’

A FATHER-SON MOMENT. Aga Muhlach (right), who made Adie iconic in the 1984 film ‘Bagets,’ poses with son, Andres Muhlach, the new Adie of ‘Bagets The Musical’

From left: Andres Muhlach’s family—Charlene, Atasha, and Aga—supports his musical debut in ‘Bagets: The Musical’

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

NICKIE WANG, Editor

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

JASPER VALDEZ, Writer

Riding the Year of the Fire Horse

Philippine feng shui queen Marites Allen reveals 2026 forecast

AS MANILA ushers in 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse gallops into our calendars, a rare and potent cycle that appears only once every 60 years.

For those seeking clarity, opportunity, and balance in an everaccelerating world, the Philippines’ most internationally recognized feng shui master, Marites Allen, is offering guidance steeped in both ancient wisdom and modern relevance.

Speaking at Manila House Private Members Club in Bonifacio Global City earlier this month, Allen described 2026 as a year of speed, visibility, and transformation.

“Think of it as riding a powerful horse,” she said. “It can take you far, but only if you hold the reins properly.” Fire energy, she explained, amplifies ambition, creativity, and opportunity but also impatience and impulsiveness. To balance this intensity, she recommends Water-element influences: colors like black, blue, gray, and metallic tones that stabilize emotions and improve judgment.

Apart from colors and decorations, Allen reminds people that in 2026, Fire Horse energy interacts differently with each zodiac sign, creating opportunities or challenges depending on strategy, discipline, and awareness. For business and career sectors that thrive under speed, innovation, and adaptability.

It is in this context that Allen unveils her latest digital innovation: Destara, an AI-powered platform designed to bring Feng Shui and Destiny guidance into the palm of your hand. Developed from nearly three decades of her expertise, Destara combines traditional astrology with modern technology. It offers daily forecasts, personalized insights, and interactive

tools via mobile devices.

An Alpha version is set to launch around Chinese New Year to give early users a glimpse of how ancient wisdom can navigate a fast-moving, AI-driven world.

With over 25 years of practice, Allen is the only Filipino formally recognized by the International Feng

CYBERZONE has collected more than 14,000 kilograms of electronic waste across SM Supermalls through dedicated drop-off points, making responsible tech disposal easier and more accessible for shoppers.

Launched in June 2024 in partnership with SM Cares, Smart Communications, and PLDT Home, the initiative provides clear, accessible bins for old gadgets and broken electronics in 89 SM Supermalls, 69 of which are located in Cyberzone areas. The program encourages shoppers to dispose of electronics properly instead of leaving them in drawers or sending them to landfills.

Since the partnership began, Cyberzone’s E-Waste Collection Drop Boxes have gathered 14,327 kilograms of e-waste, which are properly segregated and handled for safe disposal. The initiative is designed to make responsible tech disposal an everyday habit for mallgoers.

“We take pride in being the goto tech destination for shoppers,” said Patrick Pacla, vice president for Cyberzone operations and marketing at SM Supermalls. “But as gadgets evolve, so does the need to dispose of old electronics responsibly. Everyone has a role to play, and Cyberzone is committed to making it simpler and safer to do the right thing, so tech does not end up harming the planet.” Cyberzone’s #TechWeLikeZoneWeLove initiative makes it easy for shoppers to recycle electronics at SM Supermalls. A video explains what happens to devices dropped in e-waste bins: https://youtu.be/jSsJkP 8rGMQ?si=6a4tu1LL2oQBFWBY

Shui Association and widely known as the country’s Feng Shui Queen. She has advised tycoons, institutions, and landmark projects like City of Dreams Manila.

Known for applying classical metaphysics to modern strategy, her publications, including the 2026 Chinese Astrology guide, incorporate

augmented reality and digital tools, translating ancient wisdom into practical guidance today.

This New Year, Allen urges awareness and preparation.

“The Fire Horse year promises speed, visibility, and consequences, but also clarity, courage, and conscious success. Those ready to embrace change

FILIPINO craftsmanship earned international recognition at the World Spirits Competition, where Tanduay received two gold medals for its Tanduay Reserve Rum 10 Years and Tanduay Double Rum.

The event, hosted by Cigar & Spirits Magazine, featured some of the world’s finest spirits judged by a panel of industry experts, professional tasters, and spirit connoisseurs through a strict blindtasting process.

Tanduay, established in 1854, is entirely Philippine-made, with all distilling, aging, blending, and bottling processes conducted in the country using locally sourced ingredients. The company said the awards reflect the enduring skill and passion of Filipino craftsmen.

Tanduay Reserve Rum 10 Years is aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 10 years, offering aromas of dried fruits, toasted oak, vanilla, and butterscotch, with flavors of caramel, vanilla, and dried fruits, finishing with notes of wood, raisins, and dark chocolate.

Tanduay Double Rum, made from a blend of rums aged 16 and five years and further aged for two years, has a sweet, fruity, and floral character with aromas of citrus, caramelized pineapple, toasted nuts, cherry, and tropical fruits.

The awards continue a long tradition of international recognition for Tanduay, which won gold at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1876. More recently, the brand has received accolades from the Monde Selection, World Branding Awards, New York International Spirits Competition, and the San Diego Spirits Festival.

Tanduay has expanded its reach worldwide, with products now available in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Singapore, South Korea, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.

thoughtfully can tap unprecedented opportunities, guided by both tradition and technology,” she affirmed. Allen will lead a full Chinese New Year Countdown and 2026

PH’s iconic rum wins gold at World Spirits Competition

Tanduay earns international recognition after winning gold medals at the World Spirits Competition

Marites Allen addresses guests during her 2026 feng shui forecast at Manila House in Bonifacio Global City, sharing insights on the Year of the Fire Horse

Marites Allen presents her 2026 Fire Horse forecasts and sector outlooks during the event at Manila House

Marites Allen’s discussion on Fire Horse energy, strategy, and preparation for 2026