Manila Standard - 2026 June 16 - Tuesday

OIL PRICES PLUNGE AS US, IRAN TO SIGN PEACE DEAL JUNE 19

By Alena Mae S. Flores, Ram Superable, Joel Zurbano Othel Campos

of Hormuz, scheduled for official signing on June 19 in Switzerland after months of deadly

Review energy emergency crisis declaration In Manila, the Department of Energy welcomed the peace deal even as it expressed cautious optimism regarding its impact on global oil prices.

By Charles Dantes, Joel Zurbano, Maricel Cruz and Rex Espiritu

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called Congress into a special session tomorrow (Wednesday, June 17) to expedite the passage of key social protection and education measures, citing the urgent needs of families affected by recent calamities and other vulnerable sectors.

The special session call came amid leadership tensions in the Upper Chamber that have disrupted proceedings in recent weeks, with competing claims to the Senate presidency by Alan Peter Cayetano and Sherwin Gatchalian.

The standoff has raised concerns about delays in the passage of pending legislation and the confirmation of key government appointments, including five generals.

House to present over 30 witnesses in VP Sara’s trial

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Rex Espiritu

THE Office of the Ombudsman is looking into allegations that Senators Mark Villar and Camille Villar interfered with the implementation of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 extension project in Cavite. This was disclosed by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla who said graft investigators are examining claims that the Villar siblings may have contributed to delays in the construction of the Niog Station in Bacoor, Cavite, which

was targeted for completion in 2027.

“We are investigating. It should have reached Cavite. But rumors had it that two senators intervened. The Villars were against the alignment,” the ABSCBN News quoted him as saying.

According to Remulla, investigators are looking into allegations that the senators sought to alter the railway’s alignment so it would pass through C-5 Road in Las Piñas, where the Villar family reportedly owns properties. With the Cavite Extension project, the

By Vince Lopez

DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla said yesterday that the po lice will re-issue subpoenas to Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin, Christopher Quimpo, and several others for failing to attend the proceedings on the deaths of basketball players Rene

Baterbonia and Divine Adili.

“We subpoenad 5 members of the Ateneo management. The only one who appeared is Mr. Em Fernandez, head of the athletics department. Mr. Baldwin did not appear, Mr. Quimpo did not appear, Fr. Nemy did not appear,” Remulla said.

Gerville Luistro said Monday during a press briefing. All 11 members of the House prosecution panel, along with the first batch of 10 private lawyers assisting them,

By Charles Dantes

“However, Ateneo sent a lawyer here para magpaliwanag sa role nila pero hindi sila kasama sa subpoena. Mag-iisue kami ng pangalawang subpoena on Friday para Kiko

By Ram Superable

Tab Baldwin Christopher Quimpo

Fr. Bobby Yap ADMU

Senator Panfilo Lacson said the special session is not just an opportunity to address pending legislation but also to resolve the Senate leadership dispute.

‘The needs of people do not pause’

Under Proclamation No. 1318, Mr. Marcos directed lawmakers to convene during the congressional recess to consider priority bills that have reached advanced stages of the legislative process but remain pending.

“The challenges confronting our people demand urgent action. Families affected by the recent earthquake in Mindanao require immediate assistance,” the President said in a statement.

“The needs of the Filipino people do not pause when Congress is not in session. The government must continue to respond, and the welfare of every Filipino must remain our highest priority,” he added.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the President may call Congress into a special session at any time to address urgent matters requiring legislative action.

Among the measures identified for consideration are the proposed establishment of a National Center for

Geriatric Health, amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) Act, the proposed Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Act, and amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

Lawmakers are also expected to deliberate on the proposed Last Mile and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged and Conflict-Affected Areas (GIDA) Schools Act, amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act, the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Law, and the Presidential Merit Scholarship Program.

Senate majority committed to attend

Members of the Senate majority said they will attend the special session.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said the majority bloc, led by Gatchalian, is prepared to fulfill its responsibilities and address urgent pending measures.

“We in the majority welcome the call for a special session on June 17, and we are prepared to fulfill our mandate, work diligently, and assist the Senate in addressing urgent matters before us,” Zubiri said.

“We will work and we will do our duty for the people. The Senate has always had the capacity to rise above difficult moments, and I trust that we can

approach this session with seriousness, respect for our mandate and a clear sense of responsibility to the people.”

“No drama, no delay, no excuse not to work. We should be ready to work and ready to help move forward whatever must be acted upon for the public good,” Zubiri added.

Lacson earlier said that once the special session takes place, Cayetano should refrain from disrupting the proceedings and join other senators in debating on the floor instead of doing it on Facebook.

“Cayetano should not make a scene. All senators should take part in the special session. Cayetano should debate in plenary, not on Facebook,” he said.

He also expressed appreciation for the stand of Senator Joel Villanueva to attend the special session as a matter of “his sacred duty under the Constitution.”

“I just hope his colleagues in the Cayetano bloc have the same attitude,” Lacson said.

Villanueva, who is aligned with the Cayetano bloc, earlier said the focus should be on addressing urgent national concerns rather than political divisions.

“This is not a time for taking sides. When our fellow Filipinos are in need, it is our duty to respond and serve,” he said.

House ready to heed call Speaker Faustino Dy III, for his

by P0.50 to P2.50 per liter. Gasoline, on the other hand, is forecasted to either see a rollback of P0.32 per liter or an increase of P1.68 per liter.

part, said the special session provides an opportunity to complete legislative action on priority measures aimed at strengthening social protection, expanding access to education and healthcare, and improving the quality of life of Filipino families.

“The House of Representatives stands ready to heed the President’s call and continue advancing legislation that directly responds to the needs of our people,” Dy said.

Dy noted that all of the measures specifically identified by President Marcos in Proclamation No. 1318, calling for a special session of Congress, have already been approved by the House.

“The House has already laid much of the groundwork for these priority reforms. We stand ready to work with the Senate and the Executive Branch to complete the legislative process and deliver meaningful benefits to the Filipino people,” Dy said.

Military spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla noted that the delay in the confirmation of the five generals have affected key military posts.

“The delay in their formal confirmation affects not just their personal advancement but the institutional readiness and structure of the AFP units that they lead,” Padilla said.

“Five generals are affected and they are occupying significant positions within the AFP,” she added.

muz, a key conduit for global oil supplies that Iran has blockaded since the start of the war, would reopen.

Raquel Romero Smith, 78

RAQUEL Romero Smith, the younger sister of Manila Standard business columnist Rudy Romero, passed away on June 14. She was 78 years old.

Raquel Smith was a staffer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and was posted to the Philippine consulates in Los Angeles, Madrid and Caracas. The deceased was one of the eight children of the late Secretary of Education Jose E. Romero. Raquel Smith is survived by her sons Joal and Jude, daughter-inlaw Lala, and brothers Rudy Ernesto and Bertie.

Funeral details will be announced shortly.

mutual interest, Malacañang said Thursday.

The visit marks a significant milestone in the more than seven decades of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Germany and will be the first state visit by a German head of state to the Philippines in more than six decades, according to the Presidential Communications Office.

During the visit, President Marcos and Steinmeier are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including defense and security cooperation, peacebuilding efforts, maritime collaboration, trade and investment, climate change, renewable energy, and people-to-people exchanges.

The two leaders will also exchange views on regional and international developments, including the Philippines’ ongoing chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The visit comes amid growing engagement between Manila and Berlin in recent years. Mr. Marcos traveled to Berlin in March 2024 for a working visit, where he met with then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss economic cooperation and regional security issues.

The year 2024 also marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Germany, which were formally established on Oct. 8, 1954.

The bilateral meeting with Putin will take place on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan on June 17-18, where President Marcos, serving as ASEAN chair, will co-chair discussions with Putin commemorating 35 years of dialogue relations between the regional bloc and Russia.

Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Dax Imperial said the talks between President Marcos and Putin are expected to focus on issues affecting global energy and food supplies, including developments in the Middle East that have heightened concerns over supply disruptions and price volatility.

“This is welcome news for the Philippines. As a country that imports a majority of its oil, we are acutely sensitive to global energy prices,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.

“The prospect of the resumption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and the potential easing of global energy prices that may follow is a positive development…We are watching closely and with cautious optimism.”

Garin said the government will study whether to lift the current energy emergency crisis declaration in light of the peace deal.

“The emergency that served as the basis of the president’s Energy Emergency Declaration started with an oil problem,”

Garin said. “It started with oil, but right now, it’s not just an oil problem. It’s an inflation problem. It’s the capacity of our people to spend, and it affects our agriculture and our commodities.”

“I think we will have to meet and reassess if the emergency is still needed, because the oil industry might have less need for emergency powers, but our other sectors might still need them because they are still affected,” she added.

She said the matter will be discussed at the next Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Committee meeting.

Garin also announced mixed oil price movements effective Tuesday.

Diesel will see a rollback of P3.71 to P5.71 per liter and kerosene will drop

Sponsored by Senator Francis Pangilinan, the Anti-Ticket Scalping Act explicitly prohibits the abusive resale of tickets that places an unfair financial burden on Filipino fans. Currently, tickets for the highly anticipated local stops of the BTS World Tour Arirang Concert are being resold online for exorbitant amounts ranging from P30,000 to P90,000 each. Meanwhile, official prices for the

tro said impeachment rules allow reservations for certain witnesses and documents for security and safety reasons.

will attend the June 18 pre-trial conference ahead of the start of the impeachment proper on July 6, she said.

Luistro said the prosecution expanded its witness list to ensure that all significant testimony could be presented during the trial, noting that witnesses not identified during pre-trial proceedings may generally be barred from testifying later.

The pre-trial brief will include the prosecution’s list of witnesses, proposed stipulations of fact, and documentary evidence to be presented before the impeachment court.

While parties are generally required to identify their witnesses before trial, Luis-

Rules allow non-reveal of witness identities for security reasons

Luistro has said that among the witnesses is former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

“In fact, it applies not only to witnesses, it applies even to documents which are not yet available during the conduct of pre-trial,” she said.

“In simple terms, the parties are allowed to make a reservation in the pre-trial brief and during the pre-trial conference, provided we give a reasonable description of who this witness is, what the nature of the testimony will be, and what purpose presenting this witness will achieve,” Luistro added.

Ensure energy security

Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said the administration should capitalize on this market stabilization by accelerating domestic renewable energy initiatives to protect the nation from subsequent supply disruptions.

“The crisis shows that true sovereignty cannot be achieved without energy security. The Senate is ready to push for measures to boost investment and ensure a sufficient, affordable, and reliable energy supply,” he said.

Business groups likewise welcomed the expected reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, saying it could ease inflationary pressures and lower fuel and energy costs in the Philippines.

Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT) President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. urged oil companies to immediately roll back fuel prices once tensions in the Middle East subside, arguing that pump prices rose quickly at the onset of the conflict and should fall just as fast when global oil prices decline.

“It has never been a problem of supply. It has been a problem of cost,” Ortiz-Luis said, noting that the Philippines has sufficient fuel inventories and can source oil from markets outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Deal now complete

Few details were made public, but US President Donald Trump said Hor-

March 2027 event are set at P25,000 for VIP Soundcheck access and P7,500 for the Bleachers 2 section.

The proposed legislation aims to curb these exploitative practices by penalizing individuals and entities that resell tickets above a regulated price threshold.

First-time offenders would face a P100,000 fine, six months’ imprisonment, or both.

A second offense would carry a P250,000 fine, a one-year prison sentence, or both.

Third-time violators would face

Impeachment prosecutor and San Juan Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora said the same rule permits parties to withhold the identities of certain witnesses while disclosing the nature of their expected testimony.

“While the general rule is that we have to list down all of the names of the witnesses that we will be presenting during trial, we are allowed to withhold certain names for security and safety purposes,” Zamora said.

The clarification came after reporters asked whether bank officials would be among the witnesses expected to testify regarding allegations involving unexplained wealth.

“So, regarding the bank officials, for example, it is possible that we will not yet say the names of these persons, but there will be a description of their posi-

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in televised comments that the deal put an “immediate end” to the war and that they would hold talks within two months to seek a “final agreement.”

Iran’s military hailed the agreement as a victory, claiming that it had “humiliated” the US and Israel in the war that began on February 28 with their massive campaign of airstrikes.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz, however, said Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza indefinitely, despite the announcement that the deal would apply across all fronts, including in Lebanon.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are pursuing a clear policy under which the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza for an unlimited period of time, in order to protect the border and Israeli communities from there against jihadist elements,” Katz said Monday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official source told Agence France Presse that Lebanese authorities had not been informed of details of the agreement.

Terms unclear

The deal follows weeks of fraught negotiations and periodic threats of fresh hostilities, but its details remain unclear.

Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that the US would release $12 billion in frozen assets to Iran before the start of negotiations. AFP

a P500,000 fine, three years behind bars, or both.

The bill also seeks to enforce stricter monitoring and accountability measures for event organizers and ticketing platforms.

“True fans go through a lot of hardship just to save enough money to buy these tickets. They endure long queues on ticketing platforms just to make a purchase. They are competing fairly, but scalpers are stealing their opportunity to see their idols,” Pangilinan said.

The BTS World Tour Arirang Concert is scheduled for March 13 and 14, 2027, at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan.

tion and/or the purpose of their testimony,” Zamora said.

Bank representatives and records to be presented

Luistro said bank representatives and bank records have long been considered part of the evidence the House intends to present in the impeachment proceedings.

“We have no communication with the bank officials, but since the proceeding in the Justice Committee, it has always been the intention of the House of Representatives to include the bank representatives and the bank documents among the evidence which the prosecution team will present,” she said.

Luistro added that prosecutors are preparing a substantial volume of documentary evidence, particularly for the Articles of Impeachment involving the

total number of LRT-1 stations will increase from 20 to 28, covering several major cities including Quezon, Caloocan, Manila, Pasay, and Paranaque, all the way to Bacoor, Cavite. It will add 11 kms to the existing railway system and is expected to serve up to 800,000 passengers per day.

“They want the rail to pass through their land,” Remulla said.

“‘The mass transit authority is a big question because at the Senate, two votes are already against you. They are against the Land Use Act. Hopefully, it’s not true, but we are investigating,” he added.

Remulla also pointed out that opposition from lawmakers could affect major infrastructure projects.

“We are investing in infrastructure using people’s money. The budget should support it. The problem is, it if goes against their interest, they would not back it up. They will block it,” he noted.

“They are using the rules of the Senate, the rules of the House, Hopefully, greed would be moderated. Enough is enough,” he lamented.

ma-clarify talaga namin lahat,” he added.

Remulla also said that failure to comply with the second subpoena will make those summoned liable for contempt of court.

CIDG Director Major General Robert Alexander Morico II said that former players of the Ateneo basketball team, who experienced the “boot camp training” of Coach Baldwin, will appear in Camp Crame today, June 16, as resource persons.

“They are considered as resource persons that’s why we are asking kindly their participation because fellow players din nila yung namatay and they were students there,” Morico said.

He also said that probers are looking into homicide and hazing aspects of the incident.

“Right now this investigation has turned into a homicide or hazing investigation which is a possible violation of revised penal code 249, depende sa info na aming tinatanggap,” Morico said.

alleged misuse of confidential funds and allegations of unexplained wealth.

The House prosecution panel is also composed of Reps. Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list), Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan City), Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo, 3rd District), Jose Manuel Diokno (Akbayan Party-list), Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list), Arlene Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon, 2nd District), Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro, 1st District) and Joel Chua (Manila, 3rd District). Joining them are 10 private lawyers from PECABAR Law, Kapunan and Castillo Law Offices, and the Sapayan Lim Alvarez & Ligutan (SALiGAL) Law, who agreed to assist the House prosecution panel on a pro bono basis.

No signs of life detected among 36 missing in Mindanao quake

By Rex Espiritu

AUTHORITIES said no signs of life have been detected among the 36 individuals who remain missing more than a week after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao.

In a press conference on Monday, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Deputy Administrator for Administration Assistant Secretary Bernardo

BuCor dismisses claims Palparan moved from Bilibid

By Jimbo Gulle

THE Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Monday said retired general Jovito

S. Palparan remains confined at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, dismissing claims that he may have been transferred to another facility.

BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. issued the statement in response to media inquiries regarding a manifestation filed before the Supreme Court by private complainants Erlinda Cadapan and Concepcion Empeño.

The filing, dated June 9, 2026, raised concerns over information suggesting that Palparan was no longer being held at the BuCor facility in Muntinlupa and may have been transferred elsewhere.

Catapang categorically denied the claim and said Palparan continues to serve his sentence at the New Bilibid Prison.

He emphasized that any transfer of inmates, particularly high-profile detainees, is subject to strict procedures and documentation. According to Catapang, no transfer order or related records exist involving Palparan.

Rafaelito Alejandro IV said most of the missing are believed to be buried under massive landslides in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.

He said responders are still trying to recover the missing victims, but conditions in the affected areas have made search operations difficult.

“Yes,” Alejandro said when asked if authorities were no longer seeing signs of life among those trapped.

According to him, all 36 missing persons are from Jose Abad Santos, where several landslides occurred following the June 8 earthquake.

“We have one barangay, Patulang, where 10 people were reported missing. If I can recall correctly, seven of them were members of one

household buried by a landslide,” he said.

Alejandro said search operations in one landslide-hit area had already been called off because of the size of the collapsed slope and the difficulty of bringing heavy equipment into the site.

“So it’s very hard. The equipment cannot reach the area and operations are being done manually. We have redirected our resources to other areas that need relief teams,” he said.

He added that authorities would continue coordinating with local government units to determine whether excavation efforts should proceed in areas where bodies are still believed to be buried.

DENR seeks Baste explanation over illegal waste dumping

By Rio Araja THE Department of Environment and

(DENR) has

Resources

Natural

asked Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte to explain recent waste-dumping incidents outside the agency’s Region XI office.

The agency has also filed a separate complaint against the owner of a vehicle allegedly used in the illegal disposal of garbage at the site.

In a June 15 letter, DENR Region XI Regional Executive Director Mercedes Dumagan requested clarification from the mayor after agency personnel intercepted individuals dumping mixed waste in front of the DENR office in Lanang.

According to the DENR, some of those stopped allegedly cited a June 4 Facebook post by Duterte identifying the compound as a temporary waste collection point.

The agency said the waste, believed to include commercial refuse, was unsegregated and therefore inconsistent with the requirements of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

“We are clarifying how these incidents came about and reiterating the importance of proper waste handling

By Katrina Manubay

A MAJORITY of Filipino adults, or 57% said they would be willing to live or work abroad if given the opportunity, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey conducted by OCTA Research.

The survey found that 39% of respondents were unwilling to migrate, while four percent were undecided.

Willingness to migrate was highest among residents of Balance Luzon at 59%, followed by Mindanao at 56%, the Visayas at 55% and the National Capital Region (NCR) at 53%

Meanwhile, unwillingness to migrate was most pronounced in NCR at 45% and lowest in the Visayas at 34%.

Across socioeconomic classes, willingness to migrate was nearly identical, with 57% among Classes D and E and 56% among Class ABC.

OCTA said migration remains a mainstream aspiration among Filipinos, reflecting economic and career ambitions as well as concerns for family well-being.

The survey also showed that younger Filipinos were more likely to consider migration. Among respondents aged 18 to 24, 81% expressed willingness to move abroad, while 75% of those aged 25 to 34 shared the same view.

In contrast, unwillingness to migrate was highest among respondents aged 65 to 74 at 69% and those aged 55 to 64 at 53%. Indecision was relatively higher among those aged 45 to 54 at 7% and those aged 65 to 74 at 6%.

IN BRIEF

SC suspends Falcis for social media post

THE Supreme Court (SC) has suspended lawyer Jesus Nicardo M. Falcis III from the practice of law for one year after finding him guilty of simple misconduct for using vulgar language in a social media post. The Court also issued a stern warning that a repeat offense would be dealt with more severely. In a decision made public on Monday, the SC said the case stemmed from a post on X, formerly Twitter, in which Falcis defended his brother against accusations linked to a qualified theft complaint filed by television host Kris Aquino.

The High Court noted that when Falcis made the post, a case involving his brother was already pending before the proper tribunal. It said he could have advanced legal arguments through appropriate legal channels. Instead, the Court said, Falcis resorted to personal attacks against individuals supporting Aquino and members of the “dilawan” political group associated with the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III. Pot Chavez

Ilocos Norte students get educational aid

IN a significant boost to education support in the province, a total of 1,028 senior high school and college students aged 18 and above, who are not recipients of any government scholarship program, each received P5,000 in educational assistance to help cover school-related expenses. The assistance was provided through a funding request initiated by the Office of the Governor with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), underscoring the government’s continued effort to support learners who are not covered by existing scholarship programs but are actively pursuing their studies.

and compliance with established procedures,” Dumagan said.

She added that the designation of waste collection points must be consistent with the city’s approved Solid Waste Management Plan and the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 9003.

“Our goal is to ensure that waste collection areas are properly designated and consistent with the city’s plan,” Dumagan said.

The DENR is also coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to identify other trucks and vehicles reportedly involved in the dumping incidents.

“We are working with the PNP to verify the identities of the vehicles involved so we can complete the documentation and address each incident appropriately,” Dumagan said.

In a separate action, the DENR filed a complaint involving a Mitsubishi Xpander vehicle that was captured on closed-circuit television footage unloading sacks of mixed waste at

compound.

Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos urged the beneficiaries to use the assistance responsibly and prioritize their education, stressing the importance of discipline and perseverance in achieving their academic goals. For many students, the aid offers timely relief for daily academic expenses, transportation, and other school-related needs. Mariell J. Pahinag

Quezon City wins global climate award

QUEZON CITY has been recognized as a global leader in climate adaptation and disaster resilience after winning the Frontline Protection Award at the Planet Aqua City Awards, held in collaboration with C40 Cities during Venice Climate Week in Italy. Mayor Joy Belmonte said the recognition affirms the city’s commitment to building a safer, more resilient, and climate-ready Quezon City. She said the award reflects the efforts of the city government and its partners in developing innovative solutions centered on public safety and welfare.

The award was conferred on Quezon City’s IRISE UP (Intelligent, Resilient, and Integrated Systems for the Urban Population) project, a climate and disaster resilience platform that uses advanced technology, real-time monitoring systems, and artificial intelligence to protect communities from climaterelated hazards. Rio N. Araja

the DENR

SAVE BANGSAMORO.’ Members of the Save Bangsamoro Movement gather at Mendiola in Manila on June 15, calling for the full implementation of the GPH-MILF peace agreement under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. The group also demands the resignation of Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. over alleged interference in Bangsamoro governance. Norman Cruz

MODERN-DAY HEROES. A mural depicting the lives of overseas Filipino workers brightens the walls of the Department of Migrant Workers headquarters in Mandaluyong City. Dubbed the nation’s ‘modern-day heroes,’ OFWs are recognized for their significant contributions to the economy through remittances. Manny Palmero

SUSTAINABLE FARMING. Farmers in Bayyo, Bontoc, Mountain Province practice ‘baliling,’ a traditional Cordilleran farming method that naturally restores soil fertility through crop rotation between grains and root crops, promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture. Dave Leprozo

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2026

Win broadens school feeding program

IN BRIEF

PNP pledges no letup in drive vs. scam hubs

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has pledged to sustain its crackdown on scam hubs through intensified intelligence and aggressive law enforcement operations.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said his men are validating reports and intelligence information indicating the continued presence of clandestine scam operations that have shifted to a guerrilla-style setup across the country. According to Nartatez, these groups are believed to have adapted strategic moves following the government’s crackdown on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), dispersing into smaller and less visible networks.

“We already dismantled a number of scam hubs, but our operations will continue to put a stop to this illegal activity in the interest of public protection and the rule of law,” Nartatez said. Vince Lopez

Project ILAW lightens up teachers’ workload

THE Department of Education (DepEd) has introduced the ILAW framework, a simplified lesson planning system designed to reduce teachers’ administrative workload.

This as acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian called for a review of the agency’s grading policy over concerns that it allows students to get promoted without mastering essential competencies.

Under the new policy issued by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, ILAW—short for Intentions, Learning Experience, Assessing Learning, and Ways Forward—will serve as the standard framework for lesson preparation in public schools and the Alternative Learning System (ALS).

The policy removes the distinction between Detailed Lesson Plans and Daily Lesson Logs and adopts a more flexible approach focused on essential instructional components. Ram Superable

Samal’s health package extends free medicines

MAYOR Alex Acuzar of Samal, Bataan continues to prioritize health services enabling his constituents to avail themselves of free medicines through the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s (PhilHealth) GAMOT Package program.

Under the program, the townsfolk may obtain prescribed medicines free of charge from accredited pharmacies after consulting with doctors at the Samal Super Health Center.

Acuzar said the program underscores the commitment of the local government to improving access to healthcare and ensuring that residents receive the medicines they need without additional financial burden.

To avail of the benefit, patients must first undergo consultation

Chiz tells PBBM: Consider non-tax revenues

By Joel E. Zurbano

SENATOR Francis Escudero has urged the Marcos administration to explore non-tax revenue alternatives, such as auctioning exploration and production agreements for the country’s indigenous coal resources.

Escudero made the proposition as economic managers persist in their efforts to identify methods for enhancing revenue generation to support social protection programs, energy transition initiatives, and long-term fiscal stability.

He indicated that leveraging indigenous resources could facilitate the generation of

By Minerva Newman

additional funds while bolstering ongoing fiscal and developmental priorities.

Currently, various tax proposals are still under consideration as part of the government’s comprehensive fiscal strategy. Among the initiatives being reviewed are modifications to excise taxes on sweetened beverages and specific food items, the Motor Vehicle Road User’s Tax, and the suggested excise tax on single-use plastics.

Escudero has consistently maintained that new taxes should be a last resort, stressing the importance of efficient revenue collection and the full utilization of existing non tax opportunities.

CEBU CITY — Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro has released P110 million for the rehabilitation of the Kawasan Falls, one of Cebu’s most popular tourist destinations, as part of efforts to support tourism and economic growth in the province.

Baricuatro also welcomed the expansion of the West Cebu Industrial Park-Special Economic Zone (WCIPSEZ) in Balamban town.

The governor personally turned over the P110-million check to Badian Mayor Jerome Christian Librando during her visit to the Kawasan Falls over the weekend.

“The rehabilitation project goes beyond tourism development. The protection of Kawasan Falls is closely linked to the welfare of local communities whose livelihoods depend on the destination,” the governor said.

“Thousands of tourism workers, local guides, transport operators, small business owners, and their families benefit from the steady flow of visitors to the area,” Baricuatro said.

She joined Librando in inspecting the site to assess the extent of the rehab work.

The project aims to restore the environmental integrity of the falls, improve safety measures, and strengthen the site’s resilience against future challenges while preserving its natural beauty and ecological value.

Baricuatro said the rehabilitation is expected to support job generation, strengthen sustainable tourism, and promote responsible environmental stewardship in Badian and neighboring communities.

The senator noted that the Philippines has long identified coal bearing areas in Cagayan, Isabela, and parts of South Cotabato and Sarangani, which can be offered to the private sector through transparent and competitive bidding, since these areas remain underdeveloped despite their potential to contribute to national revenues.

“In lieu of new taxes, the government should maximize the resources it already owns,” Escudero said. “Bidding out exploration and sharing agreements over our indigenous coal reserves is a practical way to raise revenues without imposing additional burdens on the public.”

By Ram Superable

ACTING

Senate President Sherwin

Gatchalian announced on Sunday the rollout of expanded nutrition programs in public schools and child development centers to help address hunger and malnutrition among young learners

In a statement, Gatchalian said the enhanced feeding initiatives will launch in sync with the opening of the 2026-2027 school year.

An initial sum of P25.7 billion has been allocated under the 2026 national budget to finance the school-based nutrition program.

The initiative will automatically cover all kindergarten and Grade 1 pupils enrolled in the public school system. The budget also extends the feeding program from 120 days to 200 days annually to increase the frequency of meal distribution.

The program is expected to benefit about 4.6 million elementary students, particularly those in Grades 2 to 6 who are severely underfed, malnourished, or stunted.

A separate P9.2-billion allocation has also been provided under the current national budget to support a supplementary feeding program administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The funding will provide nutritional assistance to about 1.8 million children enrolled in child development centers and supervised neighborhood playgroups.

“One of the primary focuses of this historic education budget is the fight against hunger and malnutrition among our students. When children have enough food and proper nutrition, they are better prepared to learn and achieve their dreams,” Gatchalian said.

SMUGGLED TORTOISES. The Bureau of Customs at Ninoy Aquino International Airport intercepts 50 live tortoises classified as endangered species discovered in the luggage of an arriving Malaysian passenger, The tourist is held by the Customs while the turtles are turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for proper disposition. BOC photo

TOYS R US. Following its successful inaugural run at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Japanese toys that include the world famous Hello Kitty, Pokemon and Transformers head to Iloilo City for a series of exhibition runs, spearheaded by the Japan Foundation, Manila, in partnership with the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art.

WHERE WATER AND BEAUTY INTERTWINE. Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro turns over to Badian Mayor Jerome Christian Librando a P110-million check for the rehabilitation and enhancement of Kawasan Falls, one of Cebu’s most popular tourist spots, during a visit to the site over the weekend. Minerva Newman

DHSUD’s LTS disaster: Centralized corruption, decentralized chaos

A GOVERNMENT that declares war on a 6-million-unit housing backlog, launches its flagship Pambansang Pabahay program with great fanfare, then quietly funnels every License to Sell application into a single understaffed office in Quezon City — only to act bewildered when the entire pre-selling pipeline seizes up like a cheap engine drowning in seawater.

This is not mere bureaucratic inefficiency. It is institutional self-sabotage on a national scale.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) promised reform. Through Memorandum Circular 2025-14, it centralized the processing of Licenses to Sell (LTS) from regional offices to the national capital.

The stated goal was noble: stamp out corruption and inconsistency that had long plagued the old HLURB system. Yet the result has been catastrophic. Processing times have ballooned by 60 to 90 days. Small developers from Cebu to Bicol now spend tens of thousands of pesos on travel and couriers.

At least three projects in Bicol have been abandoned. In Cebu alone, industry leaders speak of more than 10,000 housing units stalled in limbo.

This is the regulatory ouroboros — a snake that set out to devour regional graft only to end up consuming the very housing supply it was meant to protect.

Anthony Gerard O. Leuterio, president of A Better Real Estate Philippines (ABREP) and a prominent voice in the real estate sector, has sounded the alarm.

He is no disinterested observer. As founder of Filipino Homes and Rent.ph, his business depends on a healthy pipeline of LTS-cleared projects ready for pre-selling. His critics rightly note this self-interest.

Yet the evidence he and groups like REBAP and CREBA present cannot be dismissed.

OFW families are losing affordable options. Supply shortages drive prices higher — a regressive burden on those the government claims to serve. Stalled projects mean idle construction workers, reduced bank lending, and a quiet shift toward informal sellers — precisely the opposite of consumer protection.

DHSUD officials push back. Regional Director Mark Anthony Lindugan insisted that only two applications were pending in Central Visayas, both nearing approval. Technically accurate, perhaps, if one ignores that the real bottleneck now sits in the national office.

Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling inherited a troubled department scarred by the controversies of the previous leadership. Centralization was his attempt at a clean break. But good intentions have collided with harsh reality.

The same department that centralized authority later tried, through MC 2026-004, to impose retroactive changes on Balanced Housing Development requirements.

The move was so legally questionable it had to be walked back after industry escalation all the way to Malacañang. Such policy whiplash reveals governance by panic rather than planning.

Developers make massive upfront commitments — land, financing, planning, market-

ing. Changing the rules midstream violates basic principles of fairness and vested rights.

The deeper failure is not malice alone but a catastrophic deficit in capacity. DHSUD centralized power without building the digital infrastructure, staffing, or transparency mechanisms needed to make it work.

Contrast this with Singapore’s Housing & Development Board, which built robust digital systems and performance culture before relying on centralized efficiency.

Or Malaysia and Indonesia, which paired reforms with real-time tracking and public data. The Philippines centralized by memorandum and hoped analog processes would magically scale. They did not.

—“—

This is the regulatory ouroboros — a snake that set out to devour regional graft only to end up consuming the very housing supply it was meant to protect

Under the old decentralized system, corruption festered at the regional level. Now, a new risk has emerged: centralized influence.

Large developers with Manila connections reportedly navigate the system more smoothly. Small provincial players wait. The single choke point in Quezon City has not eliminated favoritism — it has merely concentrated it.

The human cost is mounting. Every month of delay on a 200-unit project means 200 families without homes. The housing backlog, already massive, risks climbing toward 13 million units by 2040. This is no abstract statistic. It threatens social stability in a young, urbanizing nation.

Full reversal to the old regional system would revive familiar corruption risks. Pure status quo guarantees continued failure.

The only serious path forward is a hybrid model: restore regional evaluation for routine projects while maintaining national oversight for complex ones.

Partner with the DICT to build a real-time public tracking portal within six months.

Publish monthly LTS statistics. Enforce strict timelines with ARTA accountability and presidential backing.

DHSUD must publish its recent performance data immediately and commit to a credible digitalization roadmap. Transparency is not a threat to authority — it is the last remaining source of legitimacy. Secretary Aliling entered a burning house and tried to extinguish regional fires by redirecting all resources through one giant, slow hose in the capital.

The house is still burning. The hose remains kinked. And millions of Filipino families are running out of time.

The six million waiting do not care about circulars or technical denials. They care whether the gate to a legal, decent home will open before their children grow up in uncertainty.

? Let the cave echo with the death rattle of impunity.

Why we must stand with Sec. Gibo Teodoro

By Jose Antonio Goitia

WHEN a foreign power levies sanctions against a nation’s defense chief, it is never merely a bureaucratic maneuver. It is a calculated act of political aggression. China’s recent decision to impose sanctions on our Defense Secretary, Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., is a direct affront to Philippine sovereignty. It is a blatant attempt to intimidate a public official for faithfully executing his sworn duty to defend our republic. But let us be entirely clear: these sanctions are not really about Secretary Teodoro. They are a message directed at every single Filipino who believes our sovereignty is worth defending. It is a message that we cannot, and must not, allow to go unanswered. No nation that values its independence should ever accept the intimidation of its leaders, especially when their only “offense” is defending their country’s lawful rights. Sec. Teodoro has done nothing more than stand firmly for what belongs to the Philippines under international law. That is not provocation. That is patriotism. The Anatomy of Creeping Encroachment These sanctions reveal far more about the sender than the target. No foreign government

holds the authority to dictate how Philippine officials should protect our territorial rights. That principle is absolute and non-negotiable. We are a sovereign nation, and no amount of coercive pressure or political posturing will alter that reality. Instead of weakening us, this hostile gesture must strengthen our collective resolve.

We are a sovereign nation, and no amount of coercive pressure or political posturing will alter that reality.

The urgency of our situation is underscored by alarming reports that a Chinese floating structure remains firmly inside the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), stubbornly persisting despite repeated diplomatic protests from Manila. We must not treat this as a minor or routine development. This is precisely how sovereign rights are

Data, diplomacy, and defense of PH waters

WE JOIN Filipinos in their sentiments, articulated by Rep. Leila de Lima, in denouncing the deployment by China of a floating structure within the waters of Scarborough Shoal, well within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

The shoal – known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal – lies roughly 220 kilometers (124 miles) off the coast of Zambales on Luzon, within the country’s EEZ, and approximately 870 kilometers (470 nautical miles) from Hainan, China’s southernmost province.

The Philippines’ sovereign rights over the area were heavily reinforced by a 2016 ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which invalidated China’s expansive “nine-dash line” maritime claims. .

The ruling concluded that China’s “nine-dash line” has no legal basis, as any historic rights to resources were superseded by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adding the Philippines has exclusive sovereign rights within its 200-nautical-mile EEZ.

The tribunal stated that to the extent China had historic rights to navigation and fishing in the South China Sea, these were high seas freedoms and were entirely extinguished by UNCLOS when it entered into force.

Because none of the features in the Spratly Islands are legally capable of generating their own 200-mile EEZ, the tribunal declared that certain sea areas fall entirely within the Philippines’ EEZ without overlapping with any legitimate Chinese entitlement.

NEW

The tribunal ruled that China violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its EEZ by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration, constructing artificial islands, and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from operating in the zone.

—“—

Repeated assurances by China of previous similar activities as peaceful and limited in scope eventually morphed into ‘militarization and effective occupation’

We acknowledge that Philippine authorities have determined China’s floating structure is a manned platform equipped with communications or monitoring equipment and is believed to be engaged in maritime research and data-gathering activities without the authorization or consent of the Philippine Government.

“While Chinese authorities have at-

tempted to characterize the platform as a scientific or environmental monitoring facility, its presence constitutes yet another unauthorized intrusion into Philippine maritime zones and a direct affront to Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights,” Rep. De Lima said precisely. And why, for crying in the beer, should one country intrude into another country’s maritime zones without the latter’s permission even for environmental studies?

We endorse Rep. De Lima’s deductive logic that the Filipino people have every reason “to view this latest development with grave concern” as China’s actions in the South China Sea “have long followed a familiar and deeply troubling pattern.”

“What begins as a seemingly innocuous civilian presence, a temporary structure, a fishing encampment, or a research activity often evolves into a sustained occupation, followed by the construction of permanent facilities, extensive land reclamation, military fortifications, and the assertion of unlawful control over our sovereign maritime features,” de Lima stressed in her statement.

We join her impeccable reasoning that features that once consisted of small outposts or temporary installations were gradually transformed into heavily fortified artificial islands equipped with airstrips, ports, radar systems, missile facilities, and military garrisons.

Repeated assurances, witnessed by the international community, by China of previous similar activities as peaceful and limited in scope eventually morphed into “militarization and effective occupation.”

The classic idiom “can a leopard change its spots?” is aptly applicable.

Musical therapy: Classical concerts in New York for dementia sufferers

a wood floor, resulting in a traumatic

injury. He was put in a medically induced coma, his wife Ellen recounted to AFP, and was in intensive care for about a month. Nine weeks of extensive rehabilitation including speech therapy followed, and today he experiences significant short-term memory loss.

Music therapy proved invaluable in the rehab of the onetime studio musician who said he has played for the likes of Jimi Hendrix.

And today, the Kaufmans are regulars at a Manhattan concert program designed for individuals experiencing dementia symptoms.

The couple recently attended a 10th anniversary performance of the program that featured the Calidore String Quartet.

The musicians closed out the spring season to a packed house of some 100 people.

One audience member closed her eyes and mimed conducting as the artists played Mozart, while another tapped her caregiver’s arm as if there were piano keys.

Lincoln Center, the famed arts complex on New York’s Upper West Side, began the series “out of a need,” said Miranda Hoffner, the insitution’s accessibility director.

“We were hearing more and more from our subscribers at the Philharmonic and the Chamber Music Society that they weren’t renewing their subscriptions because of dementia, as their family members were impacted,” she told AFP.

“That was an audience that has really supported us for, in some cases, decades,” she continued.

“We felt a responsibility to fill that gap.” Aging population

Dementia is an umbrella term for debilitating symptoms that can result in memory loss and impair movement and daily life.

gradually undermined – not always through a single, dramatic act of war, but through a series of calculated, incremental moves designed to normalize what should never be accepted as normal. Every single encroachment deserves an immediate, robust response because every unanswered encroachment creates the space for the next one. What begins as a temporary presence today can rapidly become tomorrow’s accepted reality if left unchallenged.

Holding the Line for the Future

The stakes extend well beyond a single maritime feature or a lone patch of water. This is about a fundamental question: Will the Philippines be treated as an equal, sovereign nation whose rights command international respect, or as a country whose position can be gradually worn down through persistence, pressure, and intimidation?

Alzheimer’s disease accounts for the majority of cases, but a range of risk factors and conditions can trigger it.

According to the World Health Organization, as of 2021 some 57 million people had dementia globally, with about 10 million new cases each year. The condition is progressive, and there is no cure.

—“—

Dementia is an umbrella term for debilitating symptoms that can result in memory loss and impair movement and daily life

Cases are rising in part because the Boomer generation -- people born during the post-World War II population surge -- have reached their senior years and generally are living longer than previous generations. That means they’re experiencing more of the chronic illnesses and health issues that can accompany old age.

Among them is dementia, said Emily Finkelstein, a geriatrics provider at the New York-Presbyterian medical center.

And especially in the United States -- with its expensive, sprawling healthcare system -the broader social structures to care for this growing population of people with dementia is lacking, the doctor told AFP.

“It’s a huge issue,” she said.

Finkelstein pointed to copious data supporting the value of art, music and dance therapy for people with cognitive impair-

If we fail to hold the line today, we make it exponentially harder to hold it tomorrow. Sovereignty is rarely lost all at once; it is eroded when repeated challenges go unanswered. Our territorial rights are not a bargaining chip, nor are they subject to the approval or whim of any foreign power. No sanctions, no floating platforms, and no acts of political coercion will alter the immutable fact that these rights belong exclusively to the Filipino people.

A Call for National Solidarity

When a Filipino official is targeted by a foreign power for defending the homeland, the proper response is not silence or political bickering. It is solidarity. It is resolved. It is an even stronger, unified commitment to protect what is rightfully ours. I express my full, unwavering support for Secretary Teodoro. His firm stance reflects the sentiments of countless Filipinos who

ment. But in the US, such programs are localized and for many people difficult to access.

“We don’t have a national health program. It’s much more cumbersome to streamline these types of programs, even though we know they’re beneficial,” Finkelstein said. ‘Age in place’ At Lincoln Center, the programming geared towards audience members with dementia and their caregivers is free.

An Alzheimer’s caregiver support nonprofit has trained staff on how best to accommodate audiences and develop accessible shows by world-class artists.

“You will see people holding hands, you will see people tapping their feet, you will see people vocally participating in the music,” Hoffner said. Concerts are less formal and subdued than traditional classical music performances and are followed by workshops led by music therapists and teaching artists to encourage participation and imaginative engagement.

Hoffner said part of the goal is providing resources for seniors to “age in place” despite living in a famously chaotic city. For one-time math and science teacher Rob Kaufman, now 73, the concerts have provided a means to, as his wife puts it, “come out of his shell.”

“All of us are different than almost everybody else out there, so when we’re in a community like this, we get to be different, and everybody’s accepting,” he said. Ellen Kaufman said when she was first navigating her husband’s new reality, there were less programs available.

“It means a lot for us to have this,” she said. “For everyone here, it’s not easy. I see what my friends are going through. They’re watching their husbands change.” “But they do this with them -- they come out with them, and they’re part of it.” AFP

refuse to compromise on matters of national dignity. Sovereignty is a national cause that transcends partisan politics and ideology. The Filipino people have defended this nation through far greater historical challenges. While we sincerely seek peace with all nations, we will never pursue it at the expense of our sovereignty. We will not be intimidated, we will not be pressured into silence, and we will not surrender the rights inherited by the Filipino people. The defense of Philippine sovereignty is not the responsibility of the government alone. It is our shared national obligation. Together, we must hold the line. (The writer, Chairman Emeritus of Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms, Liga Independencia Pilipinas), and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement. holds Juris Doctor, PhD, MNSA), MPA, MBA degrees)

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2026

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

UK PM announces social media ban for under-16s

LONDON – British Prime Minister Keir

Starmer on Monday announced a forthcoming total ban on social media for children under 16, saying that such platforms are “making children unhappy”.

Starmer said that the government “will ban access to social media for all children under the age of 16”, warning that these platforms are “exposing them to content that is dangerous” and “designed to be addictive”.

The government said the ban will “include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X” but not messaging services such as WhatsApp.

He added he hoped to pass the regulation by late December and for the ban to come into force in spring next year.

The prime minister also said the government would go further and take “world-leading action on gaming services and live streaming platforms”.

The government said in a statement it would also be considering overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under 18s, and would announce more detail in July.

Starmer said the upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media.

The announcement follows a government-led consultation where British teenagers trialled social media bans and time limits on apps.

Kyiv hits leave cathedral in flames

KYIV – Russia fired a barrage of missiles at several major Ukrainian cities, setting Kyiv’s historic Dormition Cathedral on fire and killing eleven, while Ukraine strikes claimed three lives in a city south of Moscow.

AFP journalists across Kyiv witnessed residents running through the streets seeking shelter throughout the night as projectiles were intercepted in the sky and glowing debris fell across the city.

In response to the assault Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more pressure on Moscow from G7 leaders, who were gathering at a summit in France set to be dominated by the US-

Iranian deal to end the Middle East war.

Five rescue workers were killed during firefighting operations in northeast Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on Monday.

The violence killed another five people and wounded 25 in the capital as fire broke out on the grounds of the UNESCO world heritage site Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the roof of the Dormition Cathedral was on fire.

One more person was killed in the frontline southeastern city of Kherson. The Russian army said the Lavra was hit by an outdated US Patriot air defence missile. Ukraine’s air force said Moscow had launched 70 missiles and 611 drones, mainly targeting the capital, adding that Ukrainian air defense units had downed 50 missiles and 582 drones. Russia’s military said it had carried out a “massive strike” on Ukrainian military sites in the capital Kyiv, as well as Kharkiv and Dnipro regions.

He

“decisive and substantive” response to the attacks: “more pressure on the aggressor and more support for Ukraine’s air defence, especially anti-ballistic capabilities.”

A building in the capital’s Mystetsky Arsenal National Art and Museum Complex also caught fire, according to Ukraine’s emergency service. AFP

A spokesperson for YouTube responded with a warning that such a blanket ban would push children towards “less safe services”. AFP CHEORWON,

IN BRIEF

Myanmar’s president arrives in China

BEIJING – Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing arrived in China on Monday for talks with leader Xi Jinping, state media reported, as the Southeast Asian nation seeks stronger trade ties with Beijing. The trip is the Myanmar leader’s second state visit since taking over as civilian president in April. He previously travelled to India.

Myanmar has been diplomatically isolated since a 2021 military coup ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Images published by Myanmar media outlets on Monday morning showed Min Aung Hlaing waving as he boarded a plane to Beijing. Chinese state media reported his arrival in the afternoon. In addition to Xi, Min Aung Hlaing will also meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and top legislator Zhao Leji during his visit, which will last until Friday, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry. AFP

Ghalibaf: ‘Public face’ of post-Ali Iran

PARIS – Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has emerged as the key negotiator and one of the most high-profile figures in the Islamic republic’s leadership as it enters a new phase after the US-Israeli war. A pillar of the Iranian establishment for some three decades and one of its most prominent non-clerical figures, Ghalibaf, 64, had spearheaded the war effort and led the high-stakes negotiating process that culminated with an agreement announced Monday to halt the hostilities.

Ghalibaf survived more than five weeks of US-Israeli attacks on Iran that killed supreme leader Ali Khamenei, top security official Ali Larijani and a host of other key figures. He came into public view for the first time in weeks in April to lead the Iranian delegation in talks in Islamabad with the United States, meeting Vice President JD Vance, the highest-level contact between the two foes since before the 1979 Islamic revolution. AFP

With Europe closed, migrants stalled NOUADHIBOU, Mauritania – From the Mauritanian coast, Ahmed, a Senegalese man, looks towards Europe, the place he dreams of being but fears he will never reach due to heightened security against migrants in the west African country.

“Everyone wants to leave,” said the 34-year-old, who keeps a low profile in Mauritania to evade constant police checks. But “since security was stepped up, no one can get through”, added Ahmed, whose name has been changed for security purposes. Thousands of west Africans are living in Nouadhibou, hoping to board large, rickety canoes known as pirogues and head on a two-day journey to Spain’s Canary Islands. Such irregular migration has come to a sudden halt, however, following a crackdown by Mauritania, a vast, desert nation on the edge of the Atlantic, which serves as a major migration departure point. AFP

Norway princess’ son gets 4-year jail term

OSLO – An Oslo court on Monday sentenced Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son to four years in prison on two counts of rape and other offenses, in a high-profile scandal that has rocked the monarchy.

Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, Mette-Marit’s son from a relationship prior to her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, was accused of 40 charges, from rape to traffic violations, carrying a maximum possible sentence of 16 years in prison.

One of the rapes for which he was

convicted took place at the crown prince couple’s official residence in 2018.

Hoiby, who is not formally part of the royal household and has no steady job, was acquitted of two other counts of rape, and convicted of repeated domestic abuse against an ex-girlfriend, traffic violations, issuing threats and other offenses.

The prosecution had asked for a sevenyear jail term.

Hoiby had denied the most serious allegations, including the rape charges which the prosecution said took place

Israeli settlers torch W. Bank vehicles, mosque—Palestinians

JERUSALEM – Israeli settlers torched vehicles and attempted to set fire to a mosque in the occupied West Bank Sunday, Palestinian news agency reported, as the Israeli military deployed troops to quell what it described as violent riots by “Israeli civilians.”

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, settlers carried out two attacks in the West Bank late on Sunday.

In the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah, a group of settlers set fire to a car, broke down the door of a mosque and set its entrance alight before fleeing, Wafa reported.

Witnesses told AFP that residents had managed to extinguish the blaze.

In a separate incident in the nearby village of Deir Dibwan, settlers set two vehicles on fire, Wafa reported.

The Israeli military confirmed it had dispatched forces to multiple locations in

the West Bank following reports of arson and riots.

“A short while ago, the security forces were dispatched to several locations across the Binyamin Brigade area of responsibility following reports of arson and violent riots carried out by Israeli civilians,” the military said in a statement.

“The forces are currently operating at the various locations to disperse the riots, extinguish the fires, and prevent further friction.

“The security forces strongly condemn all acts of violence. The forces will continue to operate to maintain law and order in Judea and Samaria,” the military said, referring to the territory with its biblical name.

The violence comes just days after the United Nations warned that settler violence in the West Bank had reached record levels, with an average of six attacks daily causing casualties or damage. AFP

while the women were asleep or unconscious, and the domestic abuse charge. His defense team had called for him to serve 18 months for the other charges to which he pleaded guilty, including transporting 3.5 kilos of marijuana, physical assaults and threats.

Hoiby, who has been in custody since Feb. 1, was not present in court on Monday for unspecified medical reasons, but appeared by video link.

The only rape victim present in the courtroom shed tears when the judge read out a guilty verdict in her case. AFP

throw from the barbed wire and minefields that separate the two Koreas, thousands gathered for a music festival this weekend to sing about peace in a place synonymous with conflict. The DMZ Peace Train Music Festival, named after the demilitarised zone that has separated the neighbours for seven

artists and fans from

the

It was the

instalment since the inaugural festival was held in

“Let’s dance for a

the

without borders!” But it came at a time South Koreans, especially younger ones, seem to be giving up on the possibility of reunification. “It may be difficult to become one country... but I hope we can at least move forward by letting go of that tense atmosphere and building more peaceful exchanges between each other,” said Jo Seong-bin, a 20-year-old student who came to celebrate the end of his mid-year exams. It is a pragmatism shared by members of South Korean indie rock quartet Peach Truck Hijackers. They arrived Friday, two days before their set, at the festival grounds in the rural county of Cheorwon, some 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Seoul and bordering on the DMZ.

“The number one thing is to not make the situation any worse,” Lee ChungKyoung, the band’s singer and guitarist, told AFP.

“It does seem really difficult to imagine a world where it gets better or where we unite again but I hope that happens.” Such sentiments reflect a trend among South Korean youth.

According to a survey conducted at the end of May 2026 by the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC)

LENGTHY STANDOFF. Demonstrators react next to a fuming tear gas pellet during a rally of a ‘No-G7’ coalition of over 60 associations, unions and left-wing groups ‘against fascism and imperialism,’ a day ahead of the summit’s start, in Geneva on Sunday. The 2026 edition of the G7 summit started Monday until Wedesday in the French town of

near

attended by country leaders as well as

and

and

GENEVA – An anti-G7 protest in Geneva began in a carnival atmosphere on Sunday before descending into violence, with building facades smashed in and police firing tear gas at masked youths. The day started in tranquil fashion: ahead of the march, people gathered in a park overlooking Lake Geneva, seeking shade from the blazing afternoon sun and catching up with friends as they arrived. The atmosphere was festive, with people singing and dancing and putting the final touches to their placards, bearing slogans like “G7 = racket. Make antiimperialism great again”. Marco, 36, who lives in Geneva, was among those in positive spirits. “In a time when everyone’s reading depressing news on their phones, it’s an opportunity to see that the left is still

alive -- and maybe even making a resurgence,” he told AFP. The “No-G7” umbrella coalition, representing various causes, called the demonstration in the Swiss city to protest against the Group of Seven summit taking place in nearby Evian in France. “It’s been a long time since I protested,” said Claude, a 65-year-old retiree from La Chaux-de-Fonds in northwest Switzerland. “Now there is an urgent need to protest.” He was on the march “to demonstrate against the assassins of humanity”, he added. Several bands also took part, some with brass instruments, some playing Latin rhythms, people chanting slogans and dancing along as the demonstration followed a long loop through the northern half the city. AFP

LATEST ESCALATION. Smoke rises from Israeli bombardment near the village of Kfar Tibnit as seen from nearby Marjayoun (Marjeyoun) in southern Lebanon on Sunday, killing three people, in response to what it said was Hezbollah fire at northern Israel, while its military also carried out broader strikes on southern

CONTINUING VIOLENCE. A Palestinian woman looks on from her home garden in the village of Beitin, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on Sunday, as in the background are pictured a new Israeli outpost (front) and the Palestinian village of Taybeh (back). AFP

Germany rips Curacao, Japan thwart Dutch as Iranians arrive

LOS ANGELES

—Germany

thrashed World Cup debutants Curacao 7-1 on Sunday while Japan fought back to grab a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands as Iran made their longawaited arrival in the United States with a call for unity.

160,000 people a historic first World Cup goal. But they were soon outclassed as Felix Nmecha opened the scoring for the Germans and Kai Havertz grabbed a goal in each half, including a penalty. Despite their proud record in the competition, Germany have struggled in recent editions and this was the first time they had won their first opening match at a World Cup since they lifted the trophy in 2014.

“It took us a few minutes to get back into the game after they equalized. Curacao can play football too, as we saw, and I’m curious to see how they’ll fare in the group going forward,” said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann.

“I’m very satisfied with us scoring seven goals and our performance for the most part. A winning start is always important and we’re glad we managed

Blood

WASHINGTON—US President

Donald Trump celebrated his 80th birthday with a brutal display of political machismo Sunday, turning the lawn of the White House into an arena for a bloody evening of cage fights.

In unprecedented scenes in the revered seat of American democracy, Trump sat with thousands of fans as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) combatants beat each other to a pulp.

As the event played out on the South Lawn, Trump was also basking in the glow of a peace deal with Iran that he had announced just hours earlier.

Critics have derided the cage fight as a tacky debasement of the White House by a former reality TV show host who has repeatedly shattered norms during his time as president.

But Trump and the 4,000 spectators and US military members gathered in the specially made “Claw” stadium reveled in the raw display of brutality.

A series of UFC fighters paid tribute to the president after winning, in the style of Roman gladiators, with two of them hailing him for having the “balls” to stage the fight.

One of them, Josh Hokit, launched into an astonishing attack on a former first lady, shouting into the microphone in front of Trump: “Michelle Obama is

a man, am I right America?”

There has also been criticism of the commercialization of the event in the home of American democracy, with sponsors including Bud Light beer and betting firm Polymarket having their logos emblazoned on the ring. ‘Bit of selfishness’ Trump, a long-time mixed martial

MANILA’S JSKILLS and Pilipinas Aguilas emerged victorious as national champions at the Red Bull Half Court 2026 Philippines National Finals in Bigger Pictures, Mandaluyong recently. Following the qualifiers across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the Philippines’ top streetball teams collided at the recently held National Finals, where pace, chemistry, and grit defined every possession. With their championship wins, both teams earned the right to represent the country on a global stage at the Red Bull Half Court 2026 World Finals in Manila this December.

“We want them to see that it’s not only about the game. It’s about the chemistry, the love for the game. Basically, I tell everybody, in the Philippines, basketball is like a religion. Everybody plays it, and everybody loves it. And to represent that, it’s a very good thing,” said Fubara Whyte from JSKILLS.

The games kept the audience on the edge of their seats as teams competed in Red Bull Half Court’s fast-paced 3on3 format, which features a 10-minute game clock, a 12-second shot clock, the signature ‘Own the Court’ bonus, and

Three-Point Shots from designated spots on the court. The ‘Own the Court’ bonus awards six points to the highest-scoring team in the cumulative tally, while the Three-Point Shots rule gives three points for shots made from specific scoring zones. High Stakes and High Intensity at the National Finals

The men’s final championship matchup between JSKILLS and HoopJeep HCG delivered one of the tightest games of the tournament, with both squads trading baskets deep into the closing minutes. A crucial defensive stand and late conversion at the rim helped JSKILLS pull away to secure a 15-12 victory and claim the national title. On the women’s side, Pilipinas Aguilas showcased composure and teamwork in a hard-fought final against Uratex Dream. In a buzzer-beating moment, Pilipinas Aguilas took over the game with a two-point winning shot, eventually sealing an 11-9 win to become Women’s National Champions.

“We just came in a lot more focused, this being our last chance to win. We all were ready to give our 110% to win, even more so than our qualifier games

arts fan, walked out of the Oval Office and along the famed West Wing colonnade alongside UFC boss Dana White at the start of the evening.

The pair stood on the Truman balcony for the national anthem and a flyover by 12 military jets. A B-1 bomber made a noisy flyover later in the evening.

The musclebound fighters emerged from the White House for their bouts, walking through storied rooms and then onto the same balcony before heading for the ring.

The fighting itself took place in a giant arena dubbed “The Claw”, standing taller than the White House itself, with Trump and wife Melania sitting next to the cage, called the “Octagon.”

The “UFC Freedom 250” event is supposed to kick off this year’s festivities for the 250th anniversary of US independence.

It also happens to fall not only on the US public holiday of Flag Day, but on the same day that Trump enters his ninth decade.

The billionaire president has also faced criticism for staging the event as US consumers are still struggling to deal with the economic fallout from the Iran war.

Fans among the thousands of people gathered to watch the violent extravaganza on a giant screen on the Ellipse outside the White House defended the event.

“I do think maybe it’s like a little bit of selfishness, but he is the leader, so he has a say,” Nyles Rife, a 35-yearold sports performance coach from Virginia, told AFP. AFP

ARLINGTON—Japan fans left the stands spotless after their World Cup opener against the Netherlands in Texas on Sunday, saying it was “Japanese culture” to tidy up after themselves. Spectators stayed behind after the 2-2 draw to make sure they left the stadium as they found it, meticulously picking up litter and stuffing it into blue plastic bags. It is a habit first learned at primary school and Japan fan Eita Tanaka told AFP that “we have to think about everyone”.

“Japanese people think that when we use a certain place, we were told that you have to make that place look tidier when you leave than it was when you arrived,” said the 20-year-old, clasping a beer and a couple of cups, and wearing Japan’s blue shirt.

“For example, at school in our classrooms we tidy it up after ourselves without our teacher telling us.” Japan are appearing at their eighth straight World Cup and their fans’ cleanliness has become their international calling card.

NFL quarterback Jameis Winston could even be seen joining in the cleanup after Sunday’s game, wearing a blue Japan shirt with his name on the back. Japan fan Futo Hagiwara said he was proud that the behaviour of his countrymen had been recognised in a positive light.

“This is our culture, that means everywhere we go we need to clean it after ourselves, it’s our spiritual way, our attitude,” he said.

Sociologist and philosopher Masachi Ohsawa believes a mix of social responsibility and peer pressure is behind the fans’ behaviour.

“While Japanese people tend not to take much interest in justice on a large scale -- issues like global inequality, conflict or climate change -- they are extremely sensitive to moral considerations on a smaller scale,” he said.

“When it comes to people who they share the same space with or have direct personal contact with, they feel a strong desire not to cause them any trouble or make them feel uncomfortable.”

School of life

Cleaning chores are a part of Japanese education from an early age, and children can be seen scrubbing floors and tables at schools every day.

Public waste bins are scarce in the country, and people are expected to take their rubbish home with them.

Getting rid of household waste can be a labyrinthine task that involves separating rubbish into different categories. AFP

THE newly-established billiards federation in the country and the preparations being undertaken for the weekend’s Philippine Sports Hall of Fame are the featured discussion in Tuesday’s session (June 16) of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the media room of the Philippine Sports Commission. Atty. Wharton Chan will represent the National League for Billiard Sports of the Philippines in the public sports program to talk about the plans and programs of the newly-recognized National Sports Association for cue sports.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Hall of Fame committee are also going to grace the Forum to update sportswriters about the PSC enshrinement to be held on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The session starts at 10:30 a.m. and presented by San Miguel, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and the country’s 24/7 sports

DOWN BUT NOT OUT. Germany’s defender Nico Schlotterbeck (down) reacts as he fights for the ball with Curacao’s forward Jeremy Antonisse (right) during the 2026 World Cup Group E football match between Germany and Curacao at the Houston Stadium in Houston on June 14, 2026. AFP

because everything was on the line,” said Elizabeth Means of Pilipinas Aguilas. “This matchup was super tough because we lost to them before. We really just focused on switching hard and locking them down on defense,” added teammate Camille Malagar. Uratex Tibay (Women’s Team), Lady Maroons (Women’s Team), SGF Kings (Men’s Team), and Filipino Mixtape (Men’s Team) of Manila; Gimcuad-Ninz (Women’s Team) and Team BOKKI (Men’s Team) of Cebu, and three-time winner Coaches Corner and two-time winner Davao Agilas of Davao electrified the courts with intense battles.

US President Donald Trump congratulates Justin Gaethje after Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria in a lightweight title bout during UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. AFP

JSKILLS and Pilipinas Aguilas celebrate their title run.

Baldwin, Quimpo resign amid probe into 2 athletes’ deaths

By Randy M. Caluag

ATENEO de Manila University president Fr. Roberto Yap on Monday issued a public apology and announced the resignation of men’s basketball head coach Tab Baldwin and team manager Epok Quimpo, following the deaths of student-athletes Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.

Speaking at a press conference held at the university’s Quezon City campus, Yap said the leadership changes were necessary as the institution confronts one of the most serious crises in its athletics program.

“Changing leadership is necessary to ensure the full integrity of our sports program,” Yap said.

The Ateneo chief expressed deep remorse over the tragedy, directly addressing the families of the two athletes.

“To the families of Rene and Di-

vine, we see you, we hear you, we acknowledge the unbearable pain of your mourning,” he said. “On behalf of Ateneo de Manila University, I’m here to say simply and directly, we are truly, deeply sorry. We apologize unreservedly to the families and the entire community for the agonizing pain of this tragedy.” Yap emphasized that the university would not evade responsibility and vowed full transparency in the ongoing investigation.

DIGIPLUS Interactive Corp. is reshaping local sports development by turning Philippine fairways into a direct gateway to the international arena.

The country’s premier digital entertainment provider behind BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone has secured the official title partnership for the inaugural 2026 BingoPlus Philippine ADT Open. Scheduled for June 17 to 20 at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac, the showpiece drives a broader strategy designed to transition homegrown athletes from local circuits to world-level competition.

The tournament serves as the crucial next step in a comprehensive athletic pipeline. While DigiPlus—through its flagship brand BingoPlus—builds the local foundation by supporting the Philippine Sports Commission’s “Fairway to the Future” grassroots program, the Philippine ADT Open acts as the ultimate proving ground. It establishes the high-stakes arena where emerging domestic talent can directly transition from foundational development into international professional play.

“Our commitment as a digital entertainment leader goes hand in hand with actively elevating Filipino sports and culture. We continue to invest in these initiatives because our athletes need world-class platforms to reach their full potential. Beyond expanding golf’s domestic reach, this tournament provides the

“Ateneo de Manila is not evading accountability. We will not shield or protect anyone. We will not allow our integrity to be compromised,” he said. The university’s board of trustees has formed an independent fact-finding body composed of external legal and technical experts to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Yap said the panel would operate outside Ateneo’s internal struc-

critical infrastructure to elevate Filipino golfers onto the global stage,” DigiPlus Chairman Eusebio H. Tanco noted, reinforcing the vision behind the company’s expanding sports footprint.

This regional integration is built directly into the scale of the event. The Tarlac stop marks the sixth tournament on a 13-event ADT calendar that spans seven countries this season, placing the Philippines alongside established golfing destinations like Thailand, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia.

For the 132-player field—which includes 82 ADT professionals, 30 National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) players, six national team members, and 14 invitees—the stakes extend far beyond the USD 100,000 (nearly P6.1 million) prize pool. To formalize a clear path toward global prominence, the top two Filipino finishers will earn automatic berths into the prestigious BingoPlus Philippine Open on The International Series later this year.

Further expanding its sports reach after presenting the 2025 International Series Philippines last October—and another staging later this year—DigiPlus’ continued backing validates the company’s approach of providing structural support to elite local talent—a strategy that saw Filipino icon and ArenaPlus ambassador Miguel Tabuena secure the historic title.

ture to ensure impartiality. He also confirmed that the university has extended full assistance to the families of Baterbonia and Adili.

“This is not a legal settlement but a moral obligation,” Yap said, adding that Ateneo would help shoulder financial, emotional, and long-term burdens arising from the incident.

Baldwin, a longtime fixture in Philippine collegiate basketball, stepped down amid mounting scrutiny following reports that the deaths occurred during a team training camp in Aurora province. His resignation was soon followed by Quimpo, who also relinquished his post to allow authorities a free hand in the investigation.

Reports indicated that Quimpo was in Guam at the time of the incident, accompanying his son in a basketball tournament, and had no knowledge of the events that led to the drowning of the two players.

Taruc, Talion make final push for JPGT Finals slots

standings, the 16-year-old Taruc holds an excellent opportunity to break into the qualifying circle. His path became significantly clearer with the absence of No. 3 Geoffrey Tan and with fourth-ranked Charles Serdenia falling one tournament short of the mandatory threeappearance rule required to qualify.

However, the home-schooled standout representing Forest Hills and Camp Aguinaldo isn’t leaning on technicalities. Riding the momentum of a spectacular 18shot blowout victory at Beverly Place, Taruc is locked in on securing a consecutive win to firmly lock down his spot. He attributes his sudden surge to a complete overhaul of his mental strategy.

“Winning for the first time felt incredible, and it proved to me that my game is back,” said Taruc. “It all stems from a shift in my mentality. I used to attack every pin aggressively, but I’ve learned to focus entirely on putting together pars instead of forcing birdies. Ironically, the more patient I am for pars, the more birdie opportunities naturally open up.”

Anticipating the daunting distance and punishing layout of the Aoki course, Taruc has spent the past week sharpening his long irons and tuning his accuracy off the tee. While Tristan Padilla (42 points) and Shinichi

Suzuki (35 points) have already comfortably booked the first two finals slots, the battle beneath them is razor-thin. Beyond Taruc, joint-seventh-ranked Nathan Belandres re tains a mathematical life line but needs at least a Top 3 finish to gatecrash the party. Meanwhile, No. 9 Taeyang Yun could also steal a berth with nothing less than an outright victory. The math is even more pun ishing in the girls’ premier division. For Talion, cur rently sitting at fifth with 32 points, a generic podium finish won’t cut

Gregorio lauds athletics meet, backs Korea dual program

``The seamless organization of this championship shows how far Philippine athletics has come. Patafa (Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association) has proven that with vision and discipline, we can stage worldclass events right here at home,’’ said Gregorio.

``Patafa has a very good, well-defined grassroots and talent identification program,’’ added Gregorio. The annual ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships, also known as the National Open, serves as the country’s premier track and field competition, designed to sharpen elite athletes while providing a platform for youth and grassroots talents to rise.

This year’s edition co-presented by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and New Clark City, drew 1,015 athletes, including 95 competitors from nine other countries—the United States, Canada, Samoa, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Chinese Taipei.

The meet expanded its reach by adding an Under-20 category alongside the Under-18 and Open/Elite divisions, a move Gregorio hailed as ``a bold investment in the future of our young athletes.’’

``We wanted to give more opportunities for youth athletes to compete at a high level. The Under-20 bracket ensures continuity in development and prepares them for the international stage,’’ said Patafa President Terry Capistrano. Beyond the competition, Gregorio and Capistrano met with Korea Junior Athletics Federation (KJAF) President Park Hyun Chun at a dinner hosted at Royce Hotel.

Capistrano informed the PSC Chair of a verbal agreement for a dual program between Patafa and KJAF, including an open invitation for Filipino athletes to train at Yecheon’s premier facilities in South Korea.

``This partnership with Korea is a game-changer. Our athletes will gain access to world-class training environments, and in return, we strengthen ties with one of Asia’s most dynamic athletics programs,’’ said Capistrano.

TNT FORCES GAME 7. Chris McCullough of TNT maneuvers his way around the

Brownlee

sioner’s Cup Finals on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The 6’9” McCullough finished with a career-high

points to

Tropang

to a 98-90 stopping of the Gin Kings and force a deciding Game 7.

Rene Baterbonia Divine Adili

Jakob Taruc

Levonne Talion

$2.718 billion

Cash remittances in April 2026

$2.874 billion

Cash remittances in March 2026

$2.664 billion

Cash remittances in April 2025

April cash remittances hit 11-month low of $2.7b

By Thony Rose Lesaca

ASH remittances rose 2 percent year-on-year in April 2026 but hit their lowest monthly level in 11 months amid global uncertainty and tighter budgeting among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that cash inflows grew to $2.718 billion in April 2026 from $2.664 billion a year ago. However, the monthly figure dropped from $2.874 billion recorded in March and marked the lowest amount since remittances settled at $2.658 billion in May 2025.

The 2-percent expansion represented the slowest growth rate in years, decelerating from a 2.3-percent

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) announced Monday a reduction in overall transmission rates for consumers in June on lower transmission wheeling and ancillary services rates.

NGCP head of revenue management Julius Ryan Datingaling said overall average transmission rates for the May billing period declined by 9.33 percent to P1.4492 per kilowatthour from P1.5983 per kWh in April. The company expects power demand to decline with the onset of the

growth pace in March. The April figures brought total cash remittances in the first 4 months of 2026 to $11.398 billion, up 2.6 percent from the $11.107 billion posted in the same period last year.

Personal remittances, which track both cash and in-kind items, reached $3.037 billion in April, up 2.1 percent from $2.975 billion a year earlier. This lifted total personal remittances for the 4-month period to $12.701

billion, up 2.7 percent from $12.372 billion in 2025.

Land-based workers accounted for the bulk of cash remittances at $2.12 billion, while sea-based workers sent the remaining $594.58 million.

The United States remained the dominant source of these funds in April, followed closely by Singapore and Saudi Arabia. This reinforced a stable geographic concentration for the primary source of foreign exchange for the Philippines.

Union Bank of the Philippines chief economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion said the softer but still positive growth points to more cautious household flows due to global uncertainty and tighter budgets for overseas Filipino workers.

and

“The extension granted by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. helped taxpayers manage their finances and comply with

obligations in a more orderly manner during this energy crisis. It gave taxpayers additional time to file and pay correctly while easing compliance pressures during a difficult period,” Mendoza said.

The tax agency said it implemented several digital and regulatory reforms alongside the collections growth under its DARES agenda. In May, the bureau launched a taxpayer portal for its large taxpayers service, rolled out registration badges and quick-response enabled certificates for online businesses, simplified business closure processes and issued guidelines for a new mining royalty regime under Republic Act No. 12253. Mendoza lauded the agency personnel for maintaining operations and assisting taxpayers at service offices and eLounges despite regional power and internet interruptions.

Thony Rose Lesaca

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CEBU Pacific said Monday that its subsidiary Cebgo will operate all AirSWIFT flights starting July 1, 2026, as the budget carrier moves forward with integrating its network.

The Gokongwei-led airline confirmed that existing flight schedules and services will remain unchanged to guarantee a smooth transition for travelers.

rainy season. For the June electric bills, NGCP charges about P0.56 per kWh for its delivery services, noting that the Energy Regulatory Commission caps and regulates its revenues.

NGCP transmission wheeling rates, which refer to what the operator charges for its core service of delivering electricity, fell by 6.99 percent to P0.5607 per kWh in May from P0.6028 per kWh in April.

Ancillary services rates decreased by 10.73 percent to P0.7220 per kWh from P0.8088 per kWh in April. These rates cover the pass-through

Flights to and from the popular tourist destination of El Nido in northern Palawan will continue operating as planned.

As part of the operational shift, flights previously holding the T6 airline code will transition to the DG code used by Cebgo.

Cebu Pacific acquired AirSWIFT from ALI Capital Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ayala Land Inc., for P1.75 billion in October 2024.

costs of services sourced from the reserve market and from providers with bilateral contracts with NGCP to stabilize the grid during supply-demand imbalances.

NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Perez-Alabanza said power supply is expected to remain stable across most of the country.

“For so long as there are no unplanned maintenance shutdowns to a degree that it will affect the excess power, that even the ancillary services of NGCP will be depleted, we ought not to see any alerts for the rest of the year,” Alabanza said.

AirSWIFT links Clark to El Nido and connects the Palawan beach destination to other major domestic tourist hubs including Boracay, Bohol, Cebu and Coron.

The parent airline, which flies to 35 domestic and 26 international destinations, advised passengers to book directly through its official website, mobile app and authorized travel agencies to prevent booking complications.

Philippine business does not

speak with unified, solid voice

IN THE civilian part of Philippine society there are only two institutions that have the organizational capability to exert a powerful influence on the conduct of this country’s governance. One is the Catholic Church, which is run by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The other is the Philippine business community. At a time when the upper chamber of this country’s legislature is displaying signs of severe dysfunctionality the nation is looking to these two institutions for deliverance and remediation.

Because it is non-partisan and monolithic the Catholic Church is the more powerful and more dependable of the two civilian institutions. All the major political upheavals that have taken place in this country during the last 40 years were the results of the Church’s all-out flexing of its institutional muscle. Anyone who has any doubt about the weight and extent of the power of an enraged Catholic Church has only to recall the impact of the tarpaulins on Church walls listing the names of candidates deemed undeserving of Church electoral support because of their support for a divorce bill pending in Congress. While it would be an exaggeration to say that no Church-disfavored candidate can be elected, it would be imprudent for a candidate to support a proposed policy change that the Church considered inimical to Philippine society’s or its interests. In the current political milieu, with the group of Senators led by Alan Peter Cayetano seeking to control the Senate in order to fulfill the Dutertista agenda — delaying or not holding Vice-President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial and preventing the surrender of Sen. Ronald de la Rosa to the International Criminal Court — the Catholic Church is increasingly displaying signs of impatience and displeasure. If the Cayetano Gang persists in its foolishness, the cup will overflow and there will be CBCP hell to pay.

Considering that it accounts for approximately one-third of this country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the business community - manufacturing, public utilities and distribution - should be a very powerful force for good national governance. But it is not as powerful or as influential as it could be. True, those expensive full-page newspaper statements bearing the signatures of the heads of the leading business organizations deliver very strong messages, but it takes more than those joint statements to rattle the government and make it change policy course.

To be forced to sit up and take notice, the government’s top leadership needs to see warm bodies — the bodies of the leading captains of industry seated around a table and telling the government leaders what they think is wrong with government policy and what they think would be better approaches to the nation’s economic, social and, yes, political

problems. That’s the ideal situation, but it’s unrealistic to expect the likes of Manuel Pangilinan, Ramon Ang, Teresita Sy-Coson, Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Enrique Razon and Lance Gokongwei to sit around a table and directly convey to the government their criticisms, their aspirations and their solutions. If Malacañang and Congress don’t sit up and take notice after being addressed by such a formidable group of businessmen, it is difficult to imagine what will.

The Philippine business community needs to address Malacañang and Congress with one unified, booming voice.

During times like the present, when some public figures are flouting the Constitution and laws in pursuit of their nakedly partisan agendas, the leaders of Philippine business should set aside their competitive and ethnic instincts and collectively compel the government to correct its policy course and improve national governance.

The Philippine business community needs to address Malacañang and Congress with one unified, booming voice. That’s the only kind of voice that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and legislators like Alan Peter Cayetano take seriously. Until that single, booming voice materializes, the Philippine business community will continue to miss the opportunity to be a powerful force for good governance. (llagasjessa@yahoo.com)

PH shares surge, peso strengthens on peace deal

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PHILIPPINE shares rallied by more than 6 percent Monday as investors cheered a peace agreement between the United States and Iran that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The peso also strengthened to 60.48 to the U.S. dollar Monday from 61.35 Thursday.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index, or PSEi, jumped 362.82 points, or 6.14 percent, to 6,272.88, while the broader all shares index climbed 4.39 percent to 3,434.35.

Luis Limlingan, head of sales at Regina Capital Development Corp., said the rally followed reports of a breakthrough agreement between

Washington and Tehran, which helped calm fears of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global crude shipments. The development also triggered a decline in oil prices and boosted investor appetite for risk assets worldwide.

The improved risk sentiment also led to the strengthening of the peso against the dollar, Limlingan said.

All sectoral indices ended higher, led by financials, which surged 9.04 percent. Mining and oil advanced

7.41 percent, holding firms rose 5.98 percent, services gained 4.97 percent, property added 4.79 percent, and industrials increased 2.56 percent. Analysts said lower oil prices are expected to ease inflationary pressures, which could lead to fewer rate hikes.

Value turnover was robust at P11.36 billion, the highest in weeks, indicating broad participation. Foreign investors were net buyers, with inflows at P1.03 billion.

Advancers outnumbered decliners 144 to 58, while 43 stocks were unchanged.

BDO Unibank Inc. was the day’s top index gainer, up 14.36 percent to P133, while DMCI Holdings Inc. was at the bottom, down 2.33 percent to P8.38.

Promotions Board Philippines generated P63.4 millionin sales leads during its participation in ITB China 2026, held in Shanghai from May 26 to 28.

LINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

TOP LINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

19F Latitude Corporate Center, Mindanao Avenue, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City, Philippines Contact No. (032) 505 6058 NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCKHOLDERS OF TOP LINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

19F Latitude Corporate Center, Mindanao Avenue, Cebu Business Park, Cebu City, Philippines Contact No. (032) 505 6058

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STOCKHOLDERS OF TOP LINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Please take notice that the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of TOP LINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP. (the ÒCorporationÓ) shall be held on July 10, 2026, Friday at 8:30 am via remote communication through teleconferencing and/or videoconferencing, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, with the following program:

Please take notice that the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of TOP LINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORP. (the ÒCorporationÓ) shall be held on July 10, 2026, Friday at 8:30 am via remote communication through teleconferencing and/or videoconferencing, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, with the following program:

8:30 - 9:30 am Registration

9:30 -10:30 am Annual StockholdersÕ Meeting Proper

8:30 - 9:30 am Registration

9:30 -10:30 am Annual StockholdersÕ Meeting Proper

The Agenda for the 2026 Annual StockholdersÕ Meeting shall be as follows:

The Agenda for the 2026 Annual StockholdersÕ Meeting shall be as follows:

1. Call to Order

1. Call to Order

2. Proof of notice of the meeting and existence of quorum

Definitive Information Statement on the guidelines for voting at the CorporationÕs website at topline.ph

Definitive Information Statement on the guidelines for voting at the CorporationÕs website at topline.ph

Only stockholders who have successfully registered within the prescribed period, together with the stockholders who voted in absentia and by proxy, will be included in the determination of quorum. Proxies, in the form provided by the Corporation, must be submitted to the CorporationÕs Corporate Secretary, at the Principal Office of the Corporation, or through investorrelations@topline.ph not later than June 29, 2026. The proxies shall be validated on July 3, 2026 at the Principal Office of the Company. The Corporate SecretaryÕs decision shall be final and binding on the shareholders. WE ARE NOT, HOWEVER, SOLICITING PROXIES.

Only stockholders who have successfully registered within the prescribed period, together with the stockholders who voted in absentia and by proxy, will be included in the determination of quorum. Proxies, in the form provided by the Corporation, must be submitted to the CorporationÕs Corporate Secretary, at the Principal Office of the Corporation, or through investorrelations@topline.ph not later than June 29, 2026. The proxies shall be validated on July 3, 2026 at the Principal Office of the Company. The Corporate SecretaryÕs decision shall be final and binding on the shareholders. WE ARE NOT, HOWEVER, SOLICITING PROXIES.

3. Chairman and PresidentÕs Message

2. Proof of notice of the meeting and existence of quorum

3. Chairman and PresidentÕs Message

4. Reading and approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders held on July 18, 2025 and the Special Meeting of the Stockholders held on December 2, 2025

4. Reading and approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders held on July 18, 2025 and the Special Meeting of the Stockholders held on December 2, 2025

5. Management Presentation and Approval of the Audited Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2025

6. Appointment of External Auditor

5. Management Presentation and Approval of the Audited Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2025

6. Appointment of External Auditor

7. General ratification of all acts and resolutions of the Board of Directors and its committees, officers and management since the last annual stockholdersÕ meeting up to the date of this meeting

8. Election of Board of Directors

7. General ratification of all acts and resolutions of the Board of Directors and its committees, officers and management since the last annual stockholdersÕ meeting up to the date of this meeting

Stockholders may send their questions about the ASM and the Corporation to its Investor Relations Officer at investorrelations@topline.ph Pursuant to SEC Notice dated March 12, 2025, the Stockholders may examine the Definitive Information Statement, and Management Report on the CorporationÕs website and through the PSE Edge Portal. There shall be an audio and video recording of the ASM. All votes cast shall be validated by the Stock and Transfer Agent, Stock Transfer Service, Inc. May 4, 2026, Cebu City.

Stockholders may send their questions about the ASM and the Corporation to its Investor Relations Officer at investorrelations@topline.ph Pursuant to SEC Notice dated March 12, 2025, the Stockholders may examine the Definitive Information Statement, and Management Report on the CorporationÕs website and through the PSE Edge Portal. There shall be an audio and video recording of the ASM. All votes cast shall be validated by the Stock and Transfer Agent, Stock Transfer Service, Inc. May 4, 2026, Cebu City.

Annual Stockholders’ Meeting will be streamed live and stockholders may attend and participate via remote communication by registering on or before 5:00 PM on July 10, 2026 using the registration form found in the https://www.7-eleven.com.ph/2026-asm/. Stockholders may send in questions or remarks to asm-psc@7-eleven.com.ph

The requirements and procedure for registration and voting are set forth in Annex “D” of this Information Statement and shall be published in the Company’s website at www.7-eleven.com.ph

9. Other Matters

10. Adjournment

8. Election of Board of Directors

9. Other Matters

10. Adjournment

For the Board of Directors,

For the Board of Directors,

The Board of Directors has fixed the Record Date at the end of trading hours of the Philippine Stock Exchange on June 18, 2026 for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and vote at such meeting and any adjournment thereof. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and will close at exactly 9:15 a.m. The Corporation will only allow attendance by remote communication and voting in absentia, subject to validation procedures.

The Board of Directors has fixed the Record Date at the end of trading hours of the Philippine Stock Exchange on June 18, 2026 for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and vote at such meeting and any adjournment thereof.

Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and will close at exactly 9:15 a.m. The Corporation will only allow attendance by remote communication and voting in absentia, subject to validation procedures.

Stockholders who will participate in the ASM by remote communication should pre-register at https://tinyurl.com/TOPASM2026 on or before June 29, 2026. Successful registrants will receive an email invitation with a complete guide on how to join the ASM and how to cast votes in absentia. For any registration concerns, please contact investorrelations@topline.ph Please refer to the

Stockholders who will participate in the ASM by remote communication should pre-register at https://tinyurl.com/TOPASM2026 on or before June 29, 2026. Successful registrants will receive an email invitation with a complete guide on how to join the ASM and how to cast votes in absentia. For any registration concerns, please contact investorrelations@topline.ph Please refer to the

BRIGITTE CARMEL C. LAPASARAN LIM Corporate Secretary

BRIGITTE CARMEL C. LAPASARAN LIM Corporate Secretary

Pursuant to SEC Notice dated March 11, 2026, a copy of the Notice and Agenda of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the Information Statement (SEC Form 20-IS), Proxy Form, Management Report/Annual Report (SEC Form 17-A) for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the Sustainability Report, and 1st Quarterly Report with Management’s Discussion and Analysis and unaudited consolidated financial statements for the three (3) months ended March 31, 2026 (SEC Form 17-Q) will be posted on the Company’s website at www.7-eleven.com.ph on or before June 25, 2026. The Information Statement (SEC Form 20-IS), Annual Report (SEC Form 17-A) and 1st

YELLOW

TOURISM SALES. Tourism Promotions Board Philippines representatives and Philippine sellers pose with Philippine Department of Tourism-Shanghai Attaché Francisco Lardizabal, fifth from left; Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz, sixth from left; Consul General Myca Magnolia Fischer, seventh from left; and other tourism, consulate, and embassy officials. The Tourism

PSE proposes reforms to boost liquidity

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) is preparing a new round of regulatory reforms to revive the local exchange-traded fund (ETF) and improve liquidity in the domestic capital market.

The bourse said it will soon release proposed amendments to its ETF rules for public consultation, following the publication of recommended revisions to market-making regulations earlier this month.

The proposed changes are intended to encourage financial institutions to introduce more investment products.

“We are working on reviving our ETF market and we hope these rule changes will provide the impetus for asset managers to structure and list ETFs,” PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon said.

Under the proposed framework, collective investment schemes, including umbrella funds and unit investment trust funds, may list multiple sub-funds under a single ETF issuer.

The revised rules will also allow the listing of different types of securities, including fund units, in addition to shares issued by ETF companies.

The proposed amendments will also permit actively managed ETFs to list on the exchange, broadening the range of investment products available to investors.

To encourage more issuers, the PSE plans to significantly reduce capitalization requirements for ETF

companies.

Under the proposal, the minimum capitalization requirement would drop to P50 million from P250 million. Investment companies with at least a 5-year track record may qualify for a further reduction to as low as P1 million.

Aside from ETFs, the exchange is developing rules for a negotiated trade reporting facility.

The platform would allow brokers to execute trades through a mechanism similar to negotiated trading facilities used in other global exchanges, improving liquidity and facilitating the more efficient movement of funds.

Meanwhile, the exchange and its wholly owned subsidiary, Philippine Depository and Trust Corp. (PDTC), are working with industry stakeholders to amend securities borrowing and lending (SBL) rules.

The changes would allow directed pooled lending transactions through the SBL facility of PDTC, making it easier for foreign institutions to participate in the domestic SBL market.

The amended SBL rules remain subject to approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

2025 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting up to 8 July 2026

7. Election of Directors

8. Appointment of External Auditor 9. Other Matters 10. Adjournment

The Board of Directors has fixed 8 June 2026 as the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to be notified, participate, and vote at the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (“Stockholders of Record”).

Aznar Shipping’s profit doubles on cargo demand

By Othel V. Campos and Darwin G. Amojelar

AZNAR Shipping Corp. posted an 80-percent surge in first-quarter revenue and more than doubled its net profit on resilient cargo demand and fleet modernization across its Visayas routes, company executives said.

Aznar Shipping president and chief executive Kyle Alexander Aznar said first-quarter revenue for 2026 rose to P81 million from the same period last year, while net income jumped to nearly P17 million. For the full year 2025, the company recorded revenue of P225 million, up 24 percent from

2024, with net income reaching P51.78 million. Cargo operations remain the main driver of growth for the Cebu-based firm, accounting for about 70 percent of total revenue, while passenger services contribute the remaining 30 percent. Aznar said cargo volumes remained stable despite higher fuel costs and broader inflationary pressures.

“We were expecting a drop in cargo volume because of the fuel situation, but we did not see any. We even improved in the first quarter,” Aznar said.

The growth stems from an expansion program launched in 2022

to replace older ships with newer vessels capable of carrying three to four times more cargo. The company plans to add at least three more vessels over the next five years to strengthen its short-haul network, which spans 10 ports across Cebu, Negros, Leyte and Bantayan Island.

Executives are also evaluating new routes, including a potential connection between Bacolod and Iloilo.

A key driver for the 2026 outlook is the newly deployed MV Alexander Aznar I, an International Association of Classification Societies (IACS)certified vessel operating between Danao, Cebu and Isabel, Leyte.

SEC to launch online platform to cut public offering process

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Monday it will allow companies seeking to conduct public offerings to file applications through an online platform, cutting the processing period to 40 days.

The corporate regulator issued a draft memorandum circular mandating the use of the Online Application for Registration Statements, a web-based platform that allows companies to electronically submit registration statements and other required documents for securities offerings.

This forms part of a broader effort

IN BRIEF

Maharlika turns over P1.37b in dividends

MAHARLIKA Investment Corp. (MIC) said it turned over P1.376 billion in cash dividends to the national government, distributing 75 percent of its net earnings for fiscal year 2025 to the Bureau of the Treasury.

The sovereign wealth fund board authorized a dividend declaration exceeding the statutory 50 percent minimum requirement on Monday due to the National Energy Emergency and the need for additional government resources to support priority programs.

MIC president and chief executive Rafael Consing Jr. said the remittance reflects the corporation’s continued commitment to responsible public resource stewardship and support for the government.

“As the country responds to the challenges arising from the State of National Energy Emergency, MIC is working to contribute additional resources while continuing to pursue its mandate of generating sustainable returns for the Filipino people,” Consing said. Thony Rose Lesaca

DOE expects Visayas power supply to improve

THE Department of Energy expects power supply in the Visayas grid to improve after July 3 when a major coal facility resumes operations, following weeks of continuous red and yellow alerts caused by multiple plant outages.

access to the Zoom meeting platform and can cast their votes in absentia on or before 30 June 2026 via the Corporation’s secure online voting facility.

The regional grid has faced tight supply conditions since May 12, sparking fears of higher electricity rates. Department of Ener-

Stockholders who wish to participate in the meeting via the Zoom online meeting platform and to vote in absentia should notify the Office of the Corporate Secretary through a Letter of Intent to be sent via e-mail to asm-2026@harborstar.com.ph or fill up the registration form at www.harborstar.com.ph/asm2026registrationform on or before 25 June 2026

Stockholders of Record may only attend/participate via proxy, remote communication or vote in absentia, subject to validation procedures.2 Only validated stockholders will be provided access to the Zoom meeting platform and can cast their votes in absentia on or before 30 June 2026 via the Corporation’s secure online voting facility.

gy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan said the ongoing crisis stems from simultaneous shutdowns at several key power generators.

“As of now, we’re still looking at the restoration of three major facilities. Two of the Therma Visayas Inc. with capacity of 169 megawatts and the PEDC Unit 3 at 150 MW,” Marasigan said.

HSSSI is not soliciting proxies. Stockholders who are unable to join the meeting but wish to vote on items in the agenda by proxy must submit their duly accomplished proxy forms via email to asm-2026@harborstar.com.ph on or before 30 June 2026

Stockholders who wish to participate in the meeting via the Zoom online meeting platform and to vote in absentia should notify the Office of the Corporate Secretary through a Letter of Intent to be sent via e-mail to asm-2026@harborstar.com.ph or fill up the registration form at www.harborstar.com.ph/asm2026registrationform on or before 25 June 2026

Energy officials expect Panay Energy Development Corp. to bring its 150-megawatt Unit 3 facility in Iloilo City back online by July 3.

Stockholders may send their queries and comments to the Management Report and other items in the Agenda to asm-2026@harborstar.com.ph on or before 3 July 2026

“Hopefully, with the coming in of PEDC Unit 3 on July 3, then our yellow and red alert will be gone together with the newly installed battery energy storage system,” Marasigan said.

The Definitive Information Statement containing the attendance, voting, and election procedures, along with the Notice, Agenda, Proxy, Management Report, SEC Form 17 -A, SEC

HSSSI is not soliciting proxies. Stockholders who are unable to join the meeting but wish to vote on items in the agenda by proxy must submit their duly accomplished proxy forms via email to asm-2026@harborstar.com.ph on or before 30 June 2026

Stockholders may send their queries and comments to the Management Report and other items in the Agenda to asm-2026@harborstar.com.ph on or before 3 July 2026

The Definitive Information Statement containing the attendance, voting, and election procedures, along with the Notice, Agenda, Proxy, Management Report, SEC Form 17 -A, SEC Form 17-Q and other information related to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting can be accessed at http://www.harborstar.com.ph/investors/pse_disclosures.

Very truly yours, (SGD) CHARLENE O. ANG Corporate Secretary

While ongoing restoration activities at other plants should reduce the frequency of yellow alerts, the grid faces immediate setbacks.

The Kepco Ilijan Corp. Unit 2 returned to service on Sunday but quickly experienced technical problems again. Engineers expect to complete its restoration by June 19. Alena Mae S. Flores

Citicore launches program to upcycle old solar panels

CITICORE Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) launched EcoLoop—an initiative that transforms decommissioned materials from its construction and operations into community infrastructure, the company said Monday.

Under a pilot partnership with sustainability-focused

through the capital market, the SEC said. Under the proposed rules, OARS will initially accept applications covering direct public offerings, follow-on offerings, initial public offerings and first-tranche shelf registrations. The platform will also support applications under specialized programs, including Securing and Expanding Capital for Real Estate Non-Traditional Securities and Securing and Expanding Capital for

PowerGen Operators and Wholesale of Electricity and Retail Services. OARS will also facilitate the generation of International Securities Identification Numbers, Classification of Financial Instruments, and Financial Instrument Short Names, in line with standards set by the Association of National Numbering Agencies. Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Francisco Lim said the initiative represents another step in the regulator’s shift toward a paperless and data-driven regulatory environment. Jenniffer

PHILIPPINE digital asset platform Coins.ph donated P3 million to nonprofit organization Angat Pinas to fund emergency relief operations in southern Mindanao following a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake. The funding will support more than 1.4 million residents in high-impact zones, focusing on General Santos City and the municipality of Maasim, which sustained severe damage. The tremor also heavily impacted Alabel and the wider Sarangani province. Angat Pinas is using the P3 million donation to procure and distribute food packages and clean drinking water to displaced families in evacuation centers. Part of the funds will also provide care for displaced pets, including cats and dogs, which often get overlooked during humanitarian crises.

“In the wake of the recent devastating earthquake, our priority at Coins.ph has been simply to empower the responders who are delivering hope directly to Mindanao,” Coins.ph chief executive Wei Zhou said.

“This support is vital because these

ongoing relief operations provide immediate, practical aid directly to displaced families where it is needed most,” Zhou said.

The joint emergency distribution pipeline is scaling up immediately through local field responders in General Santos City and surrounding municipalities.

Coins.ph is also urging its users to contribute to the relief campaign to accelerate the distribution of essential supplies.

“In times of disaster, every act of solidarity matters,” Angat Pinas executive director Raffy Magno said.

“We are grateful to Coins.ph for standing with earthquake-affected communities in Mindanao and helping ensure that timely assistance reaches areas that need it most,” said Magno.

Coins.ph government relations head Portia Carlos and Angat Pinas executive director Raffy Magno finalized the deployment of the relief funds during a recent turnover ceremony.

EMPOWERING ENTERPRISES. Land Bank of the Philippines president and chief executive Lynette Ortiz (seated,

second from right) and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Ferdinand Ferrer (seated, second from left) lead the signing of a partnership to expand financial access for entrepreneurs through the bank’s LIFTING MSMEs Lending Program. Witnessing the event are LandBank executive vice president Charlotte Conde (seated, right) and PCCI

vice-president for MSMEs Melanie Ng (seated, left).

Coins.ph donates P3 million to Angat Pinas for immediate earthquake relief operations in Mindanao, providing food, clean water and animal care to affected communities.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

EU bares circular economy funds

THE European Union and the Philippines are introducing a funding mechanism to support local circular economy solutions in 10 partner cities.

The launch aims to advance inclusive, locally led circular economy transitions, and accelerate practical solutions that reduce waste, strengthen livelihoods and build more resilient communities.

The launch builds on the first wave of circular economy initiatives supported by the partnership in 2025, including civil society organizations and innovators that are now piloting practical solutions with the first batch of partner cities.

“The Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved through public financing alone. We must also work with innovators and the private sector at the local level,” said Dr. Marco Gemmer, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to the Philippines.

He stressed the importance of development support, such as the Global Gateway platform, as essential in supporting local actors in advancing a circular economy in the Philippines while achieving the SDGs.

“We would be extremely limiting ourselves in our global ambition if we didn’t ask people from the local level about the solutions. This is why I think this innovation challenge is so important,” Gemmer added.

The 2026 call will support proposals from civil society organizations, cooperatives, academe, social enterprises, start-ups, micro, small and medium enterprises, and private sector innovators.

These institutions have been working on plastic and organic circularity, and

Cement firm to reprocess plastic wastes from McDo

PLASTIC wastes will find new purpose as fuel for the cement manufacturing process under the partnership of fast food chain McDonald’s Philippines and ecoloop, the resource recovery arm of Republic Cement. McDonald’s took its long-standing commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship one step farther―plastic wastes generated at its stores will be delivered to Republic Cement and converted into alternative fuel.

“At ecoloop, we believe sustainability is achieved through collaboration. Our partnership with McDonald’s Philippines demonstrates how shared responsibility can turn plastic waste into valuable resources and drive meaningful progress toward a circular economy,” said Angela Valencia, director of ecoloop-Republic Cement, in a press release.

The signing of the partnership, sealed at Republic Cement’s plant in Teresa, Rizal, was attended by McDonald’s Restaurant Equipment Management Group director Jacinto Divinagracia, Valencia and Teresa Plant manager Jimmy Torres.

Prior to the contract signing, McDonald’s Philippines joined Republic Cement in a special program for students at Teresa Elementary School, which featured a talk on environmental protection and sustainability.

A highlight of the school activity was the turnover of 50 chairs from McDonald’s award-winning ReClassified program.

Under ReClassified, decommissioned store furniture is spruced up and repurposed as colorful and welldesigned classroom chairs and tables.

The school also turned over collected plastic waste to Republic Cement and McDonald’s for co-processing.

“Environmental stewardship and sustainability are an important part of McDonald’s operations in the Philippines,” Divinagracia said.

green tourism in the cities of Bacoor, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Ilagan, Isabela, Koronadal, Maasin, San Carlos, San Jose del Monte, and Sorsogon.

In each city, CSO Grants of up to US$100,000 to support community action, GEDSI empowerment, informal sector inclusion, and circular behavior change; and Innovation Challenge of up to US$40,000 for scalable circular economy solutions led by businesses, innovators and other eligible partners can be accessed.

The launching brought together representatives from national government agencies, local government units, civil society, academe, the private sector, innovators and development partner, reflecting the collaborative nature of the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership.

“These challenges underscore the urgency of collective action. Through [the partnership], we are demonstrating that meaningful solutions are possible when governments, community, civil society, innovators, and development partners work together,” said Jonas Leones, Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in a recorded video message.

“When global partnerships are matched by strong local leadership, communities are able to realize broader, more inclusive, and more meaningful benefits,” said UNDP Resident Representative in the Philippines Christophe Bahuet.

Baguio lays down sustainability program to protect environment

BAGUIO CITY—Baguio City remains one of Northern Luzon’s premier destinations for tourism, education, business and urban living.

With its continuous growth, pressure in forests, watersheds, wetlands, waterways, parks and environmental infrastructure is expected.

Lawyer Rhenan Diwas, head of the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), shared the city’s recurring problems including littering, vandalism, overcrowding and degradation of landscape areas caused by heavy public use, and irresponsible environmental behavior. These, he said, are not isolated concerns but are interrelated issues that affect residents.

Recognizing the challenges, the local government unit is implementing proactive measures to ensure the long-term protection and sustainabil-

ity of the city’s resources and environment.

The CEPMO continues to strengthen its environmental programs, parks management, forestry, hazardous waste management, air quality protection, circular economy initiatives, water resource management and waste water management.

“On parks management and ecological spaces, the city continues to improve and rehabilitate public parks and open spaces despite urban and tourism pressure. Among the significant accomplishment of the city this year is the successful opening of Sunshine Park,” Diwas said.

He added the city was pursuing long-term environmental enhancement projects that include the development of the Baguio Arboretum, the Happy Glen Community Park and the rejuvenation of Mines View Park.

Gov’t builds water stations in rural

areas

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is expanding a network of low cost community water refilling stations, a move aimed to reduce household spending on drinking water while strengthening local water security.

Dr. Carlos Primo David, DENR Undersecretary for Integrated Environmental Science and concurrent head of the Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) said six DENR WRMO-supported water refilling stations are already operational nationwide. They are in Negros Oriental, Leyte, Cagayan and Lanao del Norte and two in Zamboanga del Sur, with 18 more under installation.

David added 49 sites would be operational by year’s end. The stations, operated by local water districts, sell purified drinking water at “approximately half the prevailing market price in their respective areas,” said David.

“In a country where many families spend a disproportionate share of their income on bottled or refilled water, the price cut is significant,” he said.

The technology behind the stations is central to the remote barangays’ access to potable water. WRMO selected systems that consume less electricity and require simpler maintenance than conventional refilling setups—a shift that reduces operating costs and, ultimately, retail prices.

“These systems use far less power and are easier to maintain,” David said. “Lower production costs translate directly into lower prices for consumers, without compromising safety.”

In many Philippine communities, commercial water refilling stations operate with uneven regulatory oversight. By placing the new stations under local water districts—government-owned utilities with laboratories, engineers and regulatory experience, the program strengthens public health safeguards.

One of the world’s oldest oil producers is betting big on renewable energy

First of 3 parts

FOR over 1,000 years travelers to Azerbaijan’s Absheron Peninsula have remarked on the locals’ special relationship with oil, a substance so prevalent it has been used in everything from medicine to moats.

Widely recognized as the world’s oldest oil exporter, Azerbaijan’s economy has been heavily dependent on hydrocarbons since the first industrially produced petroleum emerged from the peninsula’s Bibi-Heybat oil fields in 1847.

But today the area is home to something other than oil wells—the 37 spinning white turbines of the Khizi-Absheron Wind Farm , the largest wind power plant in the Caucuses.

The facility is part of what observers call an ambitious effort by Azerbaijan to scale up its production of renewable energy. Today, the nation of 10 million is dotted with wind farms and solar arrays, while its leaders harbor visions of exporting enough clean energy to help power Europe’s own renewable revolution.

“You can drill as many wells as you want but sooner or later your production is going to go down,” says Hikmat Abdullayev, Deputy Vice President of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR).

“With renewables it’s not like that. As long as you clean your solar panels,

they’re going to deliver.” Hydrocarbons still account for nearly half of Azerbaijan’s gross domestic product and over 90 percent of its exports. But in November, 2025 the country updated its national climate action plan, which leans heavily into renewables.

In the document, Azerbaijan committed by 2050 to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent, compared to 1990 levels. It also vowed to increase the share of energy that comes from renewables to 30 percent by 2030.

The country now expects to beat that target and generate up to 38 percent of its power from clean sources, says Rafig Mammadov, Head of Strategic Analysis at the Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency. He credits a raft of government investments—which triggered a flurry of other investments in solar and wind energy—for the more bullish outlook.

“We are establishing the perfect investment climate for renewables,” he says.

Creating an enabling environment

The burning of fossil fuels is the main driver of climate change. According to a 2024 report by the United Nations, the world needs to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 to meet its climate goals. (To be continued) UNEP News

Representatives of the 10 new partner cities together with the heads of delegation of the EU-PH Green Economy Partnership.

Republic Cement-ecoloop director Angela Valencia (left) and McDonald’s Restaurant Equipment Management Group director Jacinto Divinagracia.

The Khizi-Absheron wind farm was inaugurated in January and is one of several new renewable energy projects in Azerbaijan. (Chen Junfeng/AFP via Xinhua)

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2026

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

NICKIE WANG, Editor

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

JASPER VALDEZ, Writer

COMEDIAN and former child actor Vandolph Quizon

led a tribute to his late father, comedy icon Dolphy, during the premiere of Home Along Da Riles: Da Reunion, joined by the sitcom’s original surviving cast members Claudine Barretto, Nova Villa, Gio Alvarez, Maybelyn dela Cruz, Dang Cruz, Smokey Manaloto, and Boy 2 Quizon

Hundreds of fans attended the special screening at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila ahead of the film’s theatrical release on June 17.

In his ten-minute speech, Vandolph thanked the City of Manila and local officials for helping make the venue available.

“You didn’t just give us a venue, you gave us a chance to look back, to remember, and to come home to something familiar,” he said in the vernacular, adding that the night honored his father’s legacy.

Dolphy, widely regarded as the country’s “King of Comedy,” starred as the patriarch in the long-running sitcom Home Along Da Riles, which became a staple of Filipino television in the 1990s.

Vandolph, who grew up on set watching his father perform, recalled learning early on that acting was “a way of bringing joy to people.” He also shared a memory from his father’s public viewing, when a woman told his family that watching Dolphy for an hour made her forget hunger and personal struggles.

“That is the kind of impact he had on people,” he asserted.

The actor also extended his gratitude to ABS-CBN, the production team, and the cast for their two-and-ahalf-year effort to complete the film,

Vandolph honors Dolphy’s legacy at ‘Home Along Da Riles’ premiere

calling the project a labor of love. He looked back on the 1990s as a time of shared viewing experiences,

Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ delivers strong opening at the tills

STEVEN Spielberg’s latest sci-fi thriller, Disclosure Day, debuted in first place at the North American box office with $44 million in ticket sales, industry estimates showed Sunday. With an ensemble cast led by Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, the action-packed film follows an effort to reveal a decades-long coverup of extraterrestrial visitations.

Decades after making Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T. (1982), Spielberg returns to the burning question of whether humanity is alone, but with a setting in our modern AI- and social media-altered world.

Second place went to Focus Features’ indie horror hit Obsession, which took in another $19 million in its fifth week out for a total domestic haul of $188.3 million, Exhibitor Relations reported.

Directed by 26-year-old Curry Baker on

when families and neighbors gathered around television sets. “Tonight, this film brings us back

a budget of less than $1 million, the film has ridden strong critical and audience reviews to a whopping estimated global haul of $286 million.

Variety said it represents Focus Features’ highest-grossing film of all time and noted that it has now had four consecutive weekends above its “already-impressive $17 million debut.”

Inde Navarrette has earned particular plaudits for her leading role as a young woman who becomes hauntingly infatuated with a man, played by Michael Johnston, after he makes a magical wish for her affection.

Third place went to Paramount’s reboot of the Scary Movie parody franchise, with $14.5 million in its second week out.

A24’s horror film Backrooms came in fourth with $11.3 million, taking its domestic total to $160 million after a record-breaking debut two weeks ago.

The film is based on 20-year-old director Kane Parsons’ viral YouTube series and has now earned more than $262 million at the global box office on a budget of just $10 million.

Starring Oscar nominees Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, the movie follows a furniture shop owner (Ejiofor) who discovers a mysterious, labyrinthine complex underneath his store.

Fifth place went to MGM’s Masters of the Universe reboot, which took in just $8.7 million in its second week out, a 70 percent drop from its already modest debut.

Thousands rush to secure OPM Con tickets

FANS lined up at Puregold stores across the country on June 12 as ticket sales opened for the third edition of OPM Con Generations, a concert featuring some of the Philippines’ biggest music acts.

The concert, scheduled for July 11 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, will feature P-pop group SB19, folk-pop band Ben&Ben, P-pop group Alamat, rappers Flow G and Skusta Clee, band Sunkissed Lola, girl groups G22 and KAIA, and newcomer Xonara

Customers gathered at participating Puregold branches in Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite to secure tickets on the first day of sales.

Among them was Beverly Jane, a member of SB19’s fan base known as A’TIN, who said

With a production budget of more than $200 million, Variety said the adventure film based on a 1980s Mattel toy “will leave theaters as one of the year’s biggest bombs.”

Rounding out the top 10 were Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu with $4.7 million, Michael with $4.1 million for a total global haul of $932 million, BTS World Tour Arirang in Busan with $3.8 million, The Furious with $2.8 million, and Stop! That! with $2 million. AFP

she and fellow fans arrived at Puregold QI Central in Quezon City the night before the ticket-selling event.

“Super excited na for the concert kasi pinila talaga namin ito. Nandito na kami since 7 last night,” she said.

Jane said fans waiting in line were provided with food, drinks, and a ventilated waiting area.

At 62, SB19 fan Suzette Santiago said events such as OPM Con Generations allow music fans of different ages to connect through live performances.

“Whenever I listen to their music, may message talaga, and that’s what draws me to them,” she said.

Another concertgoer, Arnel Lamber, said he spent the night at the venue to improve his chances of securing a ticket.

“Thankful ako sa Puregold kasi nakakaexperience kami ng ganito Kahit puyat, okay lang kasi masaya naman,” he said. Ivy Hayagan-Piedad, senior marketing manager of Puregold Price Club Inc., said the company saw strong demand during the first day of ticket sales.

“The response we’ve seen so far has been overwhelming,” she said in a statement. Launched in 2023, OPM Con Generations brings together artists from different genres and generations in a concert celebrating Original Pilipino Music, or OPM. Organizers said this year’s event aims to continue connecting artists, audiences, and fan communities through live performances.

to that feeling,” he told the crowd present at the screening. “Home Along Da Riles: Da Reunion aims

to revisit the warmth, humor, and family-centered storytelling that defined the original series.”

Vandolph Quizon delivers a tribute message for his late father, Dolphy, honoring his legacy as the ‘King of Comedy’ and his impact on Filipino television

The event is set to showcase a diverse lineup of artists from various genres

Fans wait in line hours at Puregold stores nationwide for tickets to OPM Con Generations

A fan is able to secure her ticket at the upcoming OPM Con Generations 2026

A scene from the upcoming comedy film ‘Home Along Da Riles: Da Reunion’

The cast members of ‘Home Along Da Riles: Da Reunion’ at the film’s premiere night

‘Home Along Da Riles’ surviving cast members reunite to celebrate the sitcom’s movie sequel

Sparkle opens auditions for ‘Campus Cutie 2’ talent search

SPARKLE GMA Artist Center has launched the second edition of its Campus Cutie talent search, expanding the competition to both male and female students as it looks for new talents to join the entertainment industry.

The talent management arm of GMA Network announced that auditions for “Campus Cutie 2” are now open to students aged 15 to 21 who are currently enrolled in high school, college, or university.

Applicants must meet the minimum height requirement of 5 feet 3 inches for females and 5 feet 8 inches for males. Candidates are also expected to demonstrate skills in singing,

dancing, acting, or hosting, while a strong social media presence will be considered an advantage.

Face-to-face auditions will be held at the GMA Network Studios in Quezon City on June 18, 19, 25 and 26.

Sparkle said the search aims to discover young talents with the potential to transition from campus personalities to professional performers.

Interested applicants are required to preregister before attending the auditions. To sign up and lock in your slot for the auditions, click the official registration link provided below. https://forms.gle/YnpCKukTVSF7irkD8

By Angelica Villanueva

MELAI Cantiveros-Francisco is keeping the Bisaya chika going, this time with bigger guests, longer conversations, and a fifth season that leans further into the humor and heart that made Kuan On One click with viewers.

The Bisaya podcast returned Tuesday, June 9, at 8:00 a.m. on the ABSCBN Entertainment YouTube channel and iWant, opening its new season with actress and celebrity mom Ellen Adarna Melai revealed during the show’s media conference that Ellen’s interview stretched beyond one taping day. “Season five is on a different level. My interview with Ellen even has a second part,” Melai said. She shared that Ellen’s guest appearance became the show’s first to require a second interview after their conversation ran long.

“It was life-changing because I saw

so much in her that was deeply rooted in being Visaya, and you can really see how humble she is,” Melai said.

“You would think Ellen Adarna is very classy and wealthy, but you will see her wisdom in my interview with her,” she continued. Aside from Ellen, Melai also named Paul Jake Castillo and Mark Bautista among the guests this season.

The host said the show’s reach still surprises her, especially as non-Bisaya viewers continue to watch through subtitles.

“What I feel is really beyond gratefulness. They really did not miss anything, even the terms and

Melai Cantiveros keeps Bisaya stories

loud, funny, and heartfelt

-

our expressions, as everything spo

ken in Bisaya was translated,” she explained.

For Melai, the support is not only about her. She credited the guests and their stories for pulling viewers in.

“Our guests are the inspiration. Their lives are what truly make the show inspiring,” the host said.

She also said Kuan On One has become a space where Bisaya humor and culture can be heard more widely.

“It makes me nervous, but at the same time, it feels good,” she shared, noting how the show reaches Filipinos abroad, including TFC subscribers who miss home.

Asked what she has learned from the show that she has not learned from other hosting jobs, Melai said Kuan On One requires a different kind of presence.

“What I learned from Kuan On One is [that] all the interviews come from the heart. Your questions come from genuine concern. You want to know what they learned and what they went through,” Melai explained.

and

Janet Jamora

Shalanie De Vera talks stigma, self-image in VMX’s ‘Latina’

By Jasper Valdez

SHALANIE De Vera knows what comes with entering VMX, especially with a film like Latina

At the grand media conference for the new VMX original, the actress admitted there is pressure in being introduced as the platform’s newest sexy star. But for Shalanie, the label is only one part of the work she wants viewers to see.

“Yes, definitely. There is pressure because it’s a new way for me to express myself artistically,” Shalanie said. “But I want to be defined as more than sexy. I want people to admire me for who I am.”

In Latina, Shalanie plays Katarina, a woman whose arrival in a small rural town draws curiosity from the people around her. According to director King Abalos, the film is built around questions of memory, identity, and how a person is seen by others.

“The themes of longing, melancholy, loneliness, memory, identity, and transformation are universal,” King said. “This film, more than anything else, explores the human psyche. It is a psychological film. It’s a psychological mysterythriller.” For Shalanie, Katarina became a role

that allowed her to explore different sides of herself. She said the film came at a time when she was still trying to understand her place in the industry.

“I don’t limit myself to just one version of me,” she said. “That’s why I liked the storyline of Latina. It doesn’t just show that she is beautiful.

She is more than one version of herself. Through her, I get to introduce myself as an actress.”

Asked by Manila Standard Entertainment how they handle the judgment and stigma that sometimes come with doing VMX projects, Shalanie recalled speaking with a

stranger at Cubao Expo before the press conference. The person, she said, asked if being a VMX artist meant doing porn.

Instead of taking offense, Shalanie said she treated the moment as a chance to explain her work.

“Instead of being offended, I looked at him as my audience,” she said.

“This is how people will look at me, and I didn’t take it offensively.”

After telling him the story of Latina, Shalanie said she asked whether he still saw her as a porn star or an artist.

“He said ‘definitely an artist,” she said. “Whatever people say about me, whether they call me a porn star or whatever, I do provocative storytelling, and that’s it. I see myself as an artist. The stereotype doesn’t bother me at all as long as I know my purpose in my craft.”

Chester Grecia, who plays Popoy, said he also handles stigma by treating the work professionally.

“I handle it like a professional, but at the same time, I enjoy what I do,” Chester said. “I appreciate this work, so I don’t think too much about the negative part.”

For Chester, staying active in VMX requires more than physical confidence.

“Number one, you need attitude.

Number two is professionalism. And number three is how you execute,” he said.

King, meanwhile, said sensuality has long been part of cinema and should not be viewed with shame.

“What I’m trying to say is there’s nothing shameful about being confident with who you are, and there’s nothing shameful about our bodies,” he said.

Melai also shared her dream guests include the Pacquiao family, especially Jinkee Pacquiao

her twin sister,

New episodes of Kuan On One Sea

Latina premieres June 19 on VMX.

Shalanie De Vera enters ‘Latina’ with a role that lets her challenge labels and introduce herself as an actress

Shalanie De Vera (center) is joined by director King Abalos (left) and co-star Chester Grecia (right) as they discuss the film’s themes of identity, perception, and personal transformation

ABS-CBN Digital head Jamie Lopez (left) joins the launch of the new season as the platform broadens support for regional storytelling and online content

Melai Cantiveros continues to bring Bisaya voices and personal stories to a wider audience through the latest season of ‘Kuan On One’

The second ‘Campus Cutie’ search looks for young campus standouts ready to take their first step toward show business

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2026

NICKIE WANG, Editor

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA,

JASPER VALDEZ,

Writer

Writer

From Shanghai’s skyline to Guilin’s mountains LIFE

By Angelica Villanueva

BEFORE I traveled to China for the first time, I knew the country mostly through news, photographs, Chinese dramas I had watched before, and stories from other people.

In my mind, it was a place of towering skylines, fast trains, digital payments, and cities moving at a speed few countries could match.

The opportunity came through an invitation from online travel platform Trip.com, which organized a media tour across Shanghai and Guilin. Over several days, the journey moved from historic gardens and bustling city streets to mountain villages, rice terraces, and river landscapes, offering a closer look at a country where centuries-old traditions continue to exist alongside rapid modernization. I arrived with that image already formed in my head. Shanghai began to change it slowly. A welcome through food and dress

The Taste of China lunch came first, offering my first close introduction to culture through food and dress. We were invited to wear traditional Chinese costumes while dining, turning the meal into a more immersive welcome instead of just another scheduled event. For me, it made China feel less distant. Food, clothing, and setting came together before the city revealed its larger scale. Old paths, new skyline Yu Garden followed with a quieter view of Shanghai. Inside its stone pathways, traditional pavilions, and courtyards, I saw a part of the city far removed from the image I had carried with me. It was old China existing inside a modern city. After the tour, Yuyuan Bazaar felt like a scene I had known only in a different form. I had only seen Chinatown in Binondo in Manila, but now I was walking through something closer to the source: old-style Chinese buildings, busy lanes, shops, food stalls, and crowds moving through a city still carrying its past. By the time we reached The Bund, the contrast became sharper. Historic buildings stood across the river from Pudong’s glass towers. The view felt al-

Discovering China beyond postcard imagery

most staged—old Shanghai on one side, the future rising on the other. I had seen photos of the skyline before, but standing there made it feel different. The future did not erase the past. It rose beside it. A slower turn in Guilin

The journey continued in Guilin, where the pace shifted.

Skyscrapers gave way to limestone peaks, caves, rivers, and old landmarks. The city did not announce itself with height or speed. It revealed itself through shape, water, and stone.

At Reed Flute Cave, Guilin’s age showed itself underground. The lights revealed stalactites, stalagmites, and rock formations that had been shaped over thousands of years, making the cave a peaceful showcase of nature’s gradual craftsmanship.

At Solitary Beauty Peak and Jingjiang Princes’ Palace, the city’s history became more visible. The site, once tied to Ming Dynasty princes, offered a view of Guilin not only as a scenic destination, but as a place with deep cultural roots. Guilin felt ancient without feeling frozen, as if the past was still part of the city’s daily rhythm.

Traditions on the mountainside

The balance carried into the Longji Rice Terraces. Built across generations, the terraces still shape the mountainsides today. Their lines follow the slopes like careful handwork, showing how people have lived with the land instead of simply building over it. In Huangluo Yao Village, the Red Yao community practiced traditions that are famous outside of China, such as hair-combing ceremonies that are important to the village’s identity. The visit reminded me that heritage here is not only kept in museums or old buildings. In some places, it still moves through people, performance, and daily life. A country in two directions Along the Li River, the view felt familiar even before I fully understood it. The scenery has appeared in paintings, photographs, and even on the 20-yuan note. Seeing it from the water gave the image more weight. It was no longer a picture of China, but a place moving slowly past the boat. What stayed with me most was not only the beauty of the destinations, but the way China presents its past while moving forward. Ancient gardens sit inside modern cities. Rice terraces remain part of mountain life. Cultural performances unfold with the scale and polish of contemporary tourism. I began the trip with expectations shaped by news, photos, and stories from people who had visited China. I left with a clearer view of a country too layered for one image.

Between Shanghai’s skyline and Guilin’s mountains, China showed me its own pace. Old stories still remain part of everyday life, while new ideas continue to shape where the country is headed.

Weekends at Vermosa come alive with Cavite Collective Market

By Nickie Wang

ON weekends, Vermosa slows down just enough for something different to take shape. Stalls rise in open air, familiar aromas drift through walkways, and a steady flow of visitors turns an ordinary estate corner into a gathering place.

From this setting emerges the Cavite Collective Market, a new open-air marketplace at Ayala Land’s Vermosa that gathers local food, retail, and creative merchants who showcase the province’s culture and community-driven businesses.

The market features nearly all Cavite-based participants, many of them native to the province, a strong indication of homegrown entrepreneurship built on local sourcing, craftsmanship, and small business innovation.

Vendors offer a mix of fresh produce, seafood, specialty delicacies, and contemporary comfort food. The selection includes regional staples such as bibingkoy, Cavite tamales, bacalao, Amadeo coffee, puto bumbong, halo-halo, and Silang’s buko pie and other coconut-based products, alongside modern interpretations of local dishes.

The market, according to organizers, shows Cavite’s evolving food culture, which continues to draw from tradition and place.

Apart from food, the Cavite Collective Market

The Bund remains one of Shanghai’s most recognizable waterfront districts, connecting the city’s colonial-era landmarks with its modern development

The author begins the journey by experiencing traditional Chinese attire and local cuisine before exploring the country’s historic landmarks and modern cityscapes

Yu Garden offers a quieter side of Shanghai, where old courtyards and pavilions remain part of the city’s changing identity

The Longji Rice Terraces show how mountain communities preserve generations of work through land, farming, and heritage

Guilin’s Red Yao community keeps local traditions alive through cultural practices passed down across generations

Amadeo coffee joins Cavite delicacies, fresh produce, seafood, and comfort food at a market built around local sourcing and regional flavors

From left: Cavite Collective’s Willie Ramos, Kristin Ofilada, JP Santos, and Medard Paler at the launch of a community market that supports Cavite-based entrepreneurs and small businesses