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PH, China still talking on energy, but no compromises on Ayungin By Charles Dantes, Rex Espiritu and Katrina Manubay VOL. XL • NO. 182 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2026 •
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the Philippines was "making progress" on potential energy ex-
PBBM: Hold accountable flood control perpetrators
ploration projects with China even as he defended his government’s policy on resupply missions to the military outpost near Ayungin Shoal, saying it does not compromise the country’s sovereignty or maritime rights to Beijing. The President made these statements Next page
FUEL PRICES SEEN HIGHER NEXT WEEK NEWS / A2
EALA FACES RUSE IN CINCINNATI OPEN SPORTS / A8
Vows to back 'best' anti-corruption standard bearer for 2028 No bar to filing
criminal complaint vs. VP Sara—DOJ
By Charles Dantes
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday vowed to continue the fight against corruption and hold accountable all those responsible for the flood control mess.
By Pot Chavez and Katrina Manubay
During a luncheon hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Mr. Marcos said accountability remains a priority as investigations into the flood control scandal continue. “As I committed during my State of the Nation Address last month, we will hold accountable all individuals responsible for the anomalous implementation of government infrastructure projects. This accountability goes hand in hand with ensuring that these projects deliver the services that our people need,” he said. “Cases have been filed. People have already been put behind bars. There are continuing investigations into those who are going to be held accountable, who will have to be held accountable for any wrongdoing in terms of corruption, in terms of the flood control scandal,” the President added. Marcos said holding those involved in the flood control scandal accountable is particularly urgent as the country faces increased risks from flooding and other hazards during the rainy season.
NO HOLDS BARRED.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. stresses a point during the open forum yesterday with foreign media at the annual President’s Luncheon with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) at the Diamond Hotel. PCO
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THE Department of Justice (DOJ) said there is no legal impediment to filing a criminal case against Vice President Sara Duterte, rejecting her camp’s argument that her status as an impeachable officer bars prosecution. Duterte’s legal team, meanwhile, said it would file a manifestation emphasizing the need for oral arguments on her motion to quash the grave threats charges, citing the cases’ “farreaching” implications. Duterte’s counsel in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) grave threats cases, Paul Lawrence Lim, said the defense would seek oral arguments on the motion. “The defense is now filing a manifestation emphasizing the need for oral arguments on the Vice President’s motion to quash, considering the farreaching consequences of the Grave Threats cases,” Lim said. Lim argued that prosecuting a sitting Vice President could have implications for other incumbent impeachable officials. “If a sitting Vice President may be indicted and prosecuted, then other incumbent impeachable officers such as the Ombudsman, members of the Constitutional Commissions, Supreme Court Justices, and even the President, may also be indicted and prosecuted,” he said. On Thursday, Lim confirmed that Duterte’s camp had filed a motion to quash the grave threats charges, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction over the case. Earlier this week, he said the defense had anticipated the filing of Next page
DOLE presses to thaw freeze order on wage hike By Vito Barcelo LABOR Secretary Francis Tolentino on Friday vowed to pursue all legal remedies to restore the P85 daily minimum wage increase for Metro Manila workers after a Pasig court issued a writ of preliminary injunction against the implementation of Wage Order No. NCR-27. Meanwhile, the Trade Union Con-
gress of the Philippines (TUCP) said it will challenge and seek the writ's dissolution, exhausting all legal remedies that include elevating the case to the Supreme Court if necessary. "The ruling does not merely suspend a wage increase—it takes food off the table of more than a million Metro Manila workers and their families," Tolentino said in a statement. "At a time when every peso mat-
ters, this ruling denies our workers the relief they have earned and urgently need," he added, citing expenses such as food, transportation, rent, school expenses, electricity, and other basic needs. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) chief assured workers of their solidarity while the legal battle is pending, with the department Next page
DPWH at center of flood control scam—lawyer ‘SUBSTANDARD AND RADIOACTIVE’. Authorities raided a steel
manufacturing place in Davao City yesterday for allegedly making radioactive and substandard steel products. Top photo shows agents securing employees of the plant while bottom photo shows materials with Made in China markings.The operation at Davao Mighty Steel Corporation was led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). PAOCC
47 areas under state of calamity —OCD By Rex Espiritu and Rio Araja A TOTAL of 47 areas have been declared under a state of calamity due to the combined effects of Tropical
Cyclones Luis and Maymay and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) across the country. Meanwhile, the state-run weather agency said a Low Pressure Area Next page
THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is at the center of the alleged flood control scam because its officials have control over government projects and are often granted immunity from prosecution after agreeing to testify in such cases, according to lawyer Jose “Judd” Roy III. Roy, speaking in a DWIZ interview, questioned the government’s plan to make former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, a state witness against other individuals, saying a state witness must provide testimony directly relevant to the case for which immunity is being granted. “Bonoan cannot be a state witness? Next page
TRUTH FINDERS. A commission composed of civil society and religious leaders begin their search for the truth behind the extra-judicial killings during the anti-drug war campaign launched by former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Story on A3. Norman Cruz
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‘Fuel prices seen higher next week’ An industry source said the projected increases are based on trading in the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) and foreign exchange averages from Aug. 10 to Aug. 13. The source estimates diesel will
increase by P3.75 to P4.25 per liter, while gasoline could rise by P2.50 to P3 per liter as optimism fades for a peace deal and near-term reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Global oil prices rose this week
as market skepticism grew, with negotiations further complicated by competing demands for compensation over the five-month conflict, the source said. "Concerns over continued drawdown of global inventories in an already-tight market due to constrained Middle East Gulf flows and Black Sea exports have further supported prices, while the prospect of sanctions-related disruptions could further tighten global crude availability," the source said. The source noted that diesel and
PBBM:...
promoting transparency He assured the public the government is implementing measures to strengthen disaster resilience. “We are strengthening flood mitigation and disaster preparedness, and accelerating the implementation of critical intervention. Every peso invested in these projects must translate into real protection for our people and our communities,” Mr. Marcos said. The President cited efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability measures in the Department of Public Works and Highways, including the creation of a transparency portal where the public can check specific infrastructure projects in their communities. “And should they find that those are
not going well, or they are post-projects, or they are substandard, or the contract is questionable, then they can report it back to us,” Mr. Marcos said. He said the government is also implementing legal and administrative reforms and strengthening monitoring mechanisms to prevent irregularities from being repeated. He identified digitalization as one of the administration’s most powerful tools in curbing corruption because it reduces human discretion where wastage and corruption can occur. “Digitalization is our most powerful tool for that. Because we remove the human element where wastage, corruption can creep into,” Mr. Marcos said.
‘Best’ anti-corruption presidential bet With less than two years before the next presidential race in 2028, Mr. Marcos said he will endorse the “best” candidate, one who will continue his administration’s anti-corruption campaign. “The candidate I will endorse will be someone who I am confident will continue our anti-corruption measures,” the President said. “We will choose the best possible candidate who will continue what we have started, and who will bring even new and hopefully even better initiatives to the development of our country.” Mr. Marcos, however, acknowledged it is still too early to identify the
possible standard-bearer of his political party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP). “Who that is, I cannot tell you because even I don't know. It’s a little early for that. And we don't know,” he said. The President said the PFP would work with other political parties and consider whether to field joint candidates or its own slate. “There are so many political events that are still going to happen between now and that time. And so, it's very hard for me to, for myself, even to make a decision,” he said. Mr. Marcos also said he has not yet spoken with anyone to ask whether they plan to run for president. “The time will come,” he said.
terization of the policy as a “special agreement” with China, saying Philippine vessels simply follow standard maritime procedures by issuing a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) before conducting movements in the West Philippine Sea. “We’re just conducting ourselves according to the standard practice of the vessels sailing in the West Philippine Sea, and for that matter, in other seas,” Mr. Marcos said. The reported provisional understanding was reached to help manage Philippine resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre, the grounded Philippine Navy vessel serving as a military outpost at Ayungin Shoal, also known internationally as Second Thomas Shoal. He said the notice informs other vessels in the area about Philippine maritime movements, including where a vessel will sail, when it will arrive and how long it will remain. “These arrangements that we make are to prevent any kind of miscalculation or mistake that might lead to even greater tension and hopefully not a conflict,” the chief executive said. The issue has drawn renewed attention on the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling, which upheld key Philippine maritime claims against China’s expansive claims in the disputed waters. Mr. Marcos also rejected suggestions that the arrangement could weaken Philippine claims or sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. “It does not weaken our position
in any way,” Mr. Marcos said, adding that the Philippines’ rights remain anchored in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award. The President said Philippine vessels would continue to issue the required maritime notices whenever they conduct resupply missions, patrols or other operations. “Our ships are going, our vessels will sail, they will resupply, or they will patrol,” Mr. Marcos said. “Anytime that they will sail, that NOTAM is issued. That’s the extent.” SCS energy exploration talks ongoing Despite the continuing tensions, Mr. Marcos said the Philippines was advancing discussions with China on potential energy exploration in the South China Sea. Since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, prices at the pump have soared in the import-dependent archipelago, driving inflation and depressing growth to its lowest levels in years. Marcos, who declared a national energy emergency in March, said the situation had given new urgency to ongoing talks. “The Philippines needs additional supplies of oil and gas. We need to explore the possibilities that we have,” he told FOCAP. “In the Philippines, in the West Philippine Sea, and wherever else, we can make a joint (deal),” he said, using Manila’s name for areas of the South China Sea. The Philippines terminated talks
with China for a joint energy project in the South China Sea after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered an end to negotiations in 2022. Mr. Marcos reopened the door to discussions in 2023 following a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Manila’s foreign ministry announced in March that “initial exchanges on potential oil and gas cooperation” had begun. Pressed on whether a deal would be possible before the end of his term in two years, Mr. Marcos said “certainly.” “We wouldn’t be having these discussions if it was not with a view to actually... having such a joint operation,” he said. “I think the sense I get is that all parties involved want it to succeed. And that’s always a very good sign.” PCG spokesman’s warnings Meanwhile, Tarriela warned that establishing a Chinese military presence at Bajo de Masinloc could enable Beijing to monitor and challenge maritime activities in the area, including freedom-of-navigation operations. Tarriela also linked the issue to the broader importance of the South China Sea to international commerce, saying about one-third of global shipping passes through the waterway. Nearly $6.4 trillion worth of goods transited its straits in 2024, he said. “The playbook is proven: seize, normalize, legalize, enforce,” Tarriela said. With AFP
DOLE...
allow things to be done however we want just to achieve what the public wants at that particular time, then people will eventually say there is no real justice. Everything will depend on the circumstances,” he added. Roy also questioned the focus on lawmakers in the flood control controversy, saying the DPWH officials who control the implementation of infrastructure projects have greater ability to facilitate corruption. “Where did the money come from? I don’t think there would be money if there were no projects. Contractors usually advance the money,” he said. “Remember, in all these cases, the ones who can move the money, maneuver it, approve everything and award it to whoever they are in cahoots with are the DPWH officials. I am not exonerating the lawmakers, but what they do is wait, and then they are handed the money,” Roy said. “In other words, who has the greater role in carrying out and maneuvering things to make that corruption happen? It is the one who controls the project,” he added. Roy said this was one of his criticisms of the government’s approach to the cases, particularly the apparent willingness to extend legal protection to DPWH officials. “That is one criticism of the system being used because the ones who are consistently given immunity—this is just about bail, they are not being acquitted—are those from the DPWH. Why is that?” he said.
No bar...
that the prosecution is given the period to file its comment on the motion to recall or to hold in abeyance the issuance of the warrant of arrest and motion to quash,” Fadullon said. “We will know only after we receive a copy and, based on the allegations contained in the motion, that is what we will answer. We cannot say what the grounds are until we see them,” he added. The DOJ confirmed Tuesday that a complaint for grave threats had been filed against Duterte before a Quezon City court. Duterte is currently on trial before the Senate Impeachment Court on allegations of betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution and other high crimes. Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte accompanied on Thursday her brother, Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte, to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 52 in Davao City where he faces a grave threats complaint.. The alleged incident occurred at a gastropub in Davao City on February 23, 2025, and was reportedly captured on CCTV, which appeared to show Duterte entering a bar and allegedly confronting and attacking the complainant, businessman Kristone John Patria. Coinciding with the complaint's filing was the circulation of a video online that appeared to show Duterte entering a bar, where he allegedly confronted and attacked an individual
By Alena Mae S. Flores
C
ONSUMERS will have to brace for higher pump prices after two weeks of rate cuts, with diesel expected to rise by up to P4.25 per liter and gasoline by up to P3 per liter.
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“All of these things that we have uncovered, that is an ongoing process. The government has to continue to do that, because corruption is not a Filipino problem. Corruption is a human problem,” he said. The President, however, declined to answer questions involving his cousin, former Speaker Martin Romualdez. He said he is not privy to the Office of the Ombudsman's investigation or its timetable. “I think you should be asking that question to the Ombudsman,” he said. Strengthening disaster resilience,
PH... From A1
during a luncheon with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) amid ongoing tensions over Manila and Beijing’s competing claims in the disputed South China Sea (SCS) and the recent treatment of Filipinos in China. Against this backdrop, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela warned that the possible Chinese militarization of Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Panatag Shoal or Scarborough Shoal, could have consequences beyond the Philippines, particularly for global trade and freedom of navigation. Tarriela described Bajo de Masinloc as the last “unfinished vertex” of what he called China’s “iron triangle,” referring to the Paracel Islands and China’s military-armed outposts in the Spratly Islands. “The Paracels were seized in 1974. Seven reefs in the Spratlys have been dredged into military-armed island fortresses. Only Scarborough remains,” Tarriela said. ‘Standard practice, not special agreement’ Mr. Marcos was asked whether the understanding with Beijing on resupply missions should remain in place, be revised, or be terminated, given divisions within his administration over the policy. The President rejected the charac-
DPWH... From A1
They did not say that he cannot be a state witness. But not in this manner,” said Roy, the former president and dean of the College of Law of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM). “The problem is, when you make someone a state witness, the important testimony he provides must concern the case for which he is being made a state witness. But the government is saying, ‘No, I will use him here against (former Speaker Martin) Romualdez.’ That is not allowed, and it is not good,” he said. Roy also warned against using the threat of prosecution to pressure individuals into testifying against others, saying this could undermine the justice system even if the objective is to establish accountability for corruption. “What are you saying? Can the government do that? ‘If you do not testify against this person or that person, we will let you rot in jail in that case.’ That cannot be done. It is also not right,” he said. Roy acknowledged the importance of fighting corruption but stressed that due process and the justice system must be observed. “Even if accountability and anticorruption are important, and the allegations are truly painful for us, we should not forget that the process, the trial and the justice system are more important,” he said. “If we abuse the process and simply
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three counts of grave threats against Duterte and expressed confidence that the cases would eventually be dismissed. Lim also argued that Duterte, as a sitting impeachable officer, could not be prosecuted for an alleged offense that is also the subject of an impeachment case. Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon, however, said the DOJ sees no legal barrier to prosecuting Duterte. “Whatever is going on before the impeachment court is different from the one we have now, this is before the Regional Trial Court (RTC). That is why we will leave it to the ruling of the court on how it will dispose of the same if it believes that the charges can be sustained even if the accused in this case is an impeachable officer,” Fadullon told justice reporters in a briefing Thursday. “There is nothing that bars the filing of a case against her. That is the position of the Department of Justice (DOJ),” he added. Fadullon was referring to the grave threats complaint filed against Duterte before a Quezon City court. He said Duterte’s camp was seeking dismissal of the case and that the prosecution would file its comment after reviewing the defense’s grounds for seeking to quash the information. “We have not received the copy yet of the motion. We were forwarded a copy of the order of the court stating
gasoline prices surged as diplomatic efforts to normalize transit through the Strait of Hormuz stalled, while declining global product inventories from refinery output disruptions continue to keep fuel markets tighter than crude. "Gasoline is supported on positive regional demand signals while uncertainty over Chinese export volumes persists. Middle East supply risks and constrained Russian exports continue to provide underlying support to diesel," the source said. Signs of weaker global demand
and a buildup in U.S. crude inventories have weighed on prices, which may temper further gains, the source added. On Aug. 11, oil companies implemented a major price rollback, cutting gasoline by P4.70 to P5 per liter, diesel by P4.30 to P5 per liter, and kerosene by P4.88 to P4.90 per liter. That 32nd price adjustment of the year brought year-to-date net increases to P51.32 per liter for gasoline, P52.85 per liter for diesel and P45.64 per liter for kerosene.
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committed to ensuring that employees receive the wage adjustment approved by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in the National Capital Region. "We strongly express concern over this setback for social justice. We will exhaust every lawful remedy to overturn this ruling and defend the rights and welfare of our workers," Tolentino said. The statement came a day after the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 152 granted the petition of Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc. for a writ of preliminary injunction against Wage Order No. NCR-27, replacing the temporary restraining order that expired on August 13. The labor group stressed that its legal action aims to protect workers' rights and uphold the wage-setting process under the Labor Code, the Wage Rationalization Act, and the Constitution. "We will challenge this injunction by exhausting every remedy available to us," the TUCP said, adding that workers should not lose a wage increase that had already gone through the legally mandated wage-setting process.
47 areas... From A1
(LPA) is likely to form in the northeastern part of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) between Sunday and early next week. Weather specialist Leanne Loreto said that the looming LPA is expected to further enhance the southwest monsoon. “This may move westward and enter our area of responsibility. This is expected between Sunday and early next week,” she said. Heavy rainfall with 50 to 100 millimeters (mm) of rains are expected over Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, La Union, Benguet and Pangasinan on Sunday. Zambales and Bataan have been consistently experiencing heavy rains due to the southwest monsoon. Heavy rainfall warning is raised over these provinces, where they are expected to receive 15 to 30 mm of rainfall within the next three hours. The latest situational report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed that the affected areas are distributed across three major areas: - Region 1 — 1 - Region 3 — 22 - CALABARZON — 24 The weather disturbances have affected 1,205,839 families or 4,177,097 people across Regions I, II, III, V, VI, IX, CALABARZON, CAR, NCR and MIMAROPA. Of the affected population, 14,511 families or 51,912 individuals are currently staying in 523 evacuation centers. The disaster-related death toll remained at 21, while 17 people were injured and three remain missing, according to the disaster agency.
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Chiz told to clarify sub judice rule By Maricel V. Cruz
T
HE House prosecution panel on Wednesday urged the Senate Impeachment Court not to let the sub judice rule prevent the Filipino people from understanding the impeachment trial, saying they have the right to know what is happening in the proceedings. Meanwhile, next week’s impeachment hearings will focus on the testimony of two special disbursing officers (SDOs) who are expected to explain where the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) went under the watch of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Rep. Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro Partylist, one of the House prosecutors, said the public must remain informed about the evidence and developments in the trial, since much of the proceedings involves technical and document-heavy matters that may be difficult for ordinary citizens to understand.
“We do not want a trial that is divorced from the understanding of the public,” Ridon said. He stressed that the parties—including the prosecution and defense—have an important role in explaining to the public why particular pieces of evidence matter and what is happening in the courtroom. “Very important to strike a balance in this matter,” Ridon said in a press briefing. Ridon made the statement after Impeachment Court Presiding Judge, Sen. Francis Escudero, announced that the court would issue next week a ruling concerning possible violations of the sub judice rule by participants in the proceedings. Escudero said the court had been monitoring public statements by counsels of both parties and that it was already pre-
paring a ruling on the matter, but concerned parties would be allowed to be heard before the court acts on the issue. Ridon said the public’s understanding of the proceedings is important because the impeachment trial deals with evidence and legal issues that may not be readily understood outside the courtroom. He said the explanations given by the parties and their spokespersons help ordinary Filipinos understand why particular pieces of evidence matter and why the accountability issues being examined by the court are important. He said restricting such explanations too severely could effectively remove the people from the impeachment process. Ridon nevertheless said the prosecution would respect the determination of the Impeachment Court on what statements are permissible under its rules.
IN BRIEF PH, Chile deepen relations, mark 80 years of friendship FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro and Chilean leaders have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) reaffirming their commitment to strengthening Philippines-Chile relations as the two countries celebrate 80 years of diplomatic ties, In a post on X on Friday, Lazaro said she talked with Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna and met with President José Antonio Kast, where they discussed enhancing bilateral cooperation, including through trade and tourism. “Met with my Chilean counterpart, Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, for productive talks during my Official Visit to Santiago. Commemorating 80 years of diplomatic ties, we welcome the imminent signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the Philippines’ first bilateral trade agreement in Latin America,” she said. Katrina Manubay
Benguet ASF incidence rising amid heavy rains THE Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) has noted an apparent increase of African swine flu incidence in Benguet with 414 cases reported across the province. Provincial veterinarian Purita Lesing said the ASF hit piggeries in Itogon, Sablan, and La Trinidad from June 29 to August 11. Of the 414 affected hogs, 320 were culled while 94 had already died before the PVO could intervene. In total, two cases were reported in Barangay Binengbeng, Sablan, while 12 were recorded in Barangay Tuding, Itogon. The remaining cases were reported in various areas of La Trinidad, including the barangays of Bineng, Tawang, Balili, Puguis, Bahong, Shilan, and Cruz. Lesing also noted an increase in the number of cases during rising from nine to 25 amid tropical depressions “Luis” and “Maymay.” Dexter A. See
PUBLIC CONSULTATION ROLL OUT. The House of Representatives launches its Visayas leg of LegisHear at the Negros Oriental State University in
Dumaguete City, expanding nationwide the public consultation program anchored on three fronts: speed, quality, and inclusivity. The Aug. 14 rollout was led by Negros Oriental 2nd District Rep. Ma. Isabel Sagarbarria, vice chairperson of the House Committees on Appropriations and on Civil Service and Professional Regulation.
Truth Commission kicks off EJK hearings on 19-year-old victim By Rex Espiritu THE Truth Commission opened on Friday (Aug. 14) public hearings on the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) beginning with the case of 19-year-old Raymart Siapo who had a clubfoot disability. During the hearing, Raymart’s mother Luzviminda Siapo testified about the circumstances related to her son’s death, saying she believed armed men connected to the police abducted and killed him.
“If my son committed an offense, there should be due process. But no, he was not afforded due process,” the mother said in mixed Filipino-English. Luzviminda was working abroad when Raymart was killed in Navotas on March 29, 2017 during the Duterte administration’s drug war. According to Luzviminda, witnesses told her that about 14 masked and armed men swooped down on their neighborhood, illegally entering their house. They recalled that Raymart ran to a
PBBM views Pax Silica as ‘good deal,’ senators cite preconditions By Ram Superable PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday described the Pax Silica initiative as a “good deal,” saying the Philippines would support arrangements that promote investments and stimulate economic growth. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian also rallied behind the proposed Pax Silica project, but clarified that his backing comes with strict conditions regarding constitutional compliance and environmental protections. Meanwhile, Senator Raffy Tulfo called for the immediate passage of a National Land Use Act to resolve overlapping territorial claims and prevent unchecked development across vulnerable sectors. For his part, Senator Bam Aquino demanded an accurate census of affected families, highlighting discrepancies be-
tween official figures and community claims regarding local displacement. On the other hand, Senator Francis Pangilinan called for complete public transparency, asserting that promises of advanced technology integration must be thoroughly vetted against potential community costs. Speaking at the presidential luncheon hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines at the Diamond Hotel Philippines in Manila, Marcos said the Philippines is open to partnerships with any country and does not view investment opportunities as an “either-or” choice between nations. “Whenever someone is interested to come into the Philippines to invest, so long as it is to the mutual benefit of all parties involved, that for us is a good deal. And it is a good deal that we will enter into, no matter where it comes from,” he said.
SCIENCE DISCOVERY CENTER. The Anjo World Theme Park, in partnership
with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Central Visayas office, launches its World Science Discovery Center in Minglanilla, Cebu, the first of its kind in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, combining interactive science exhibits with theme park entertainment facilities. Minerva Newman
friend’s house, with the armed men on his tail. Luzviminda claimed the armed men threatened the family sheltering his son, prompting him to flee again. She quoted witnesses as saying Raymart was then struck with a gun, covered with a jacket and taken away on a motorcycle. Relatives went to a nearby police station to report the incident, but found it was unmanned. They proceeded to another police station but Raymart was nowhere to be found.
Luzviminda said her family later learned that Raymart’s dead body was already in a funeral parlor. She also testified that she only learned after returning to the Philippines that Raymart had been on a drug watch list. She disputed allegations that he was involved in the illegal drug trade. According to her, the barangay blotter alleged that Raymart was selling marijuana, while a police report supposedly indicated that shabu and a firearm were purportedly found in his possession.
Region 6 police ramps up anti-crime campaign THE Western Visayas police on Friday reported that they have rounded up a total of 44 wanted persons in a vigorous anticrime campaign across the region. Among those taken in were four included in Top Ten Most Wanted Persons in Region 6, according to Western Visayas police chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño. “A warrant represents a lawful directive that our personnel have a responsibility to carry out properly. We will continue strengthening coordination and using every legitimate lead available to locate wanted persons, while ensuring that each arrest is conducted professionally and with full respect for due process,” Tuaño said. Tuaño urged the public to help push the drive by relaying information on the presence of wanted criminals in their respective communities. Vince Lopez
DOJ, PAOCC issue implementing rules of Anti-POGO Law By Pot Chavez THE Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) have signed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-POGO Act of 2025. Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida and PAOCC executive director Benjamin Acorda Jr. presided at signing ceremony held on Wednesday. “With the signing of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the AntiPOGO Act [of 2025], we move for its implementation. These rules provide the framework that will guide our respective agencies in enforcing the law effectively, consistently, and in accordance with its intent.” said Vida. The DOJ chief commended the efforts of the DOJ team led by Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty, the DOJ Legal Staff under Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin Chan, and the National Prosecution Service under Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon. Likewise, the University of the Philippines Law Center–Institute of Government and Law Reform, headed by Dean Gwen Grecia-De Vera, contributed invaluable legal and technical expertise to the drafting, review, and finalization of the IRR. The development of the IRR established a comprehensive legal and operational framework for the government’s continued efforts to ban POGOs and address related organized criminal activities in the country.
HEALTHCARE CAMPAIGN. With the onset of the rainy season, the Department of Health ramps up its campaign against dengue and leptospirosis, urging the public to stay vigilant on these waterborne diseases. The agency enjoined the people to follow a four-step preventive protocol: turn over containers, shake out standing water, dry wet surfaces, and cover water storage containers.
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MILF, MNLF join PNP in BARMM By Rex Espiritu
P
RESIDENTIAL Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento said efforts to facilitate the entry of qualified members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) into the Philippine National Police (PNP) represent a concrete peace dividend for the Bangsamoro. Sarmiento, along with OPAPRU officials Undersecretary Noel Baroceros and Director Anna Pacete, visited the Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO BAR) in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, where they met with MILF and MNLF members aspiring to join the police force. Sarmiento said the Bangsamoro Organic Law provides a special mechanism allowing qualified MILF and MNLF members to enter the PNP. He described the initiative as part of the policing component of the Bangsamoro peace process, which continues to receive support from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU). “From former combatants to peacekeepers and public servants, this is a concrete peace dividend for the Bangsamoro,” Sarmiento said.
RESCUE OPERATION. Nine crew
members are safely rescued after the tugboat SL SUAL 1 ran aground off Barangay Bangan in Botolan, Zambales on Friday. The Botolan Response Team, led by MDRRMO Head Andy Divino, the Philippine Coast Guard Botolan and local fisherfolk teamed up to save the crew, which reportedly grounded the vessel in shallow waters after it developed a leak. LGU Botolan
Last year, the national government and the Bangsamoro adopted National Police Commission Resolution No. 2025-0461, which gives qualified
MILF and MNLF members the opportunity to apply for entry into the PNP until June 8, 2027. The Bangsamoro Organic Law pro-
AID FOR ISABELA. Isabela Board Member Ed Christian Go (center, front row) and Board Member Julie Reyes join local officials and farmer and fisherfolk beneficiaries during the “GO SERBISYO” aid distribution at the San Mariano Astrodome on Aug. 7. The program, an initiative of Rep. Ed Christopher S. Go, aided beneficiaries from San Mariano and Benito Soliven. Jessica Bacud
vides former MILF and MNLF members with eligibility for temporary appointment to the rank of patrolman or patrolwoman in the PNP.
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is expanding its flagship anti-hunger initiative to include household-based food assistance and community soup kitchens, with plans to establish 12 facilities nationwide, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Friday. Gatchalian said the DSWD’s “Walang Gutom” brand encompasses two programs—the Walang Gutom Program (WGP), which provides household-based food assistance through food stamps, and the Walang Gutom Kitchen (WGK), which serves free nutritious meals to anyone experiencing food insecurity. He said the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed a decline in hunger among beneficiaries of the WGP, which currently covers about 600,000 Filipino families. “We can now say that 600,000 Filipino families are eating properly. According to the PSA, we have 750,000 families classified as food-poor who can be included in the program. For the remaining 150,000 target beneficiaries, our priority is pregnant and lactating women,” Gatchalian said, citing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to address stunting. The DSWD is also expanding its community-based soup kitchens as a complement to the household intervention. “Just to clarify, the Walang Gutom brand actually transcends two programs. The Walang Gutom Food Stamp, which is household-based, and the Walang Gutom Kitchen, which is the soup kitchen where everybody is welcome,” Gatchalian said. Maricel V. Cruz
CA confirmation of senior officers reinforces AFP leadership stability THE Commission on Appointments’ (CA) confirmation of the interim appointments of 38 senior Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officers will reinforce leadership stability and joint force readiness, the military said Friday. The confirmations were made Thursday,
Sept. 9 Bar examinees get coding exemption THE Supreme Court has secured an exemption from Metro Manila’s number coding scheme for examinees taking the 2026 Bar examinations on Sept. 9, the second day of the tests. The exemption followed the issuance of a memorandum by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to ensure that Bar examinees can travel to and from their testing venues without undue delay. It covers examinees traveling to and from local testing centers in Quezon City, Manila, Makati, Pasay, Taguig and Muntinlupa. To avail themselves of the exemption, examinees must display a visible copy of their Notice of Admission on their vehicle’s windshield. The exemption will also apply to vehicles flagged through contactless apprehension. Each examinee may register only one vehicle for the exemption. The SC said no substitutions or changes to the registered vehicle will be allowed. Pot Chavez
UNICEF backs GIDA Last Mile Schools Act
DSWD expands anti-hunger WGP with 12 kitchens
By Rex Espiritu
IN BRIEF
Aug. 13 in Pasay City, with AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Antonio Nafarrete PA leading the group of senior military officers. Of the 38 officers confirmed, 19 are from the Philippine Army, nine from the Philippine Navy, seven from the Philippine Air Force and three from the Philippine Marine Corps. The AFP said the confirmed officers
are expected to assume key leadership roles in advancing joint operations, strengthening professional military development and supporting the military’s mandate to safeguard national security and protect the Filipino people. “The newly confirmed officers are expected to play key roles in advancing joint operations, strengthening profes-
sional military development, and supporting the AFP’s mandate to safeguard national security and protect the Filipino people,” the AFP said. The military said the CA confirmations would help ensure continuity in command and strengthen the AFP’s readiness to respond to evolving security challenges.
THE United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has welcomed the enactment of Republic Act No. 12321, or the Last Mile and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) Schools Act, saying the measure will help address education gaps in hard-to-reach communities. The law aims to strengthen support for schools in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, including communities affected by conflict, insecurity and disasters. “By prioritizing children in hard-toreach communities through an integrated, whole-of-government approach, this measure helps move the country closer to a future where no child is left behind because of where they live,” UNICEF said in a statement. UNICEF said this on International Youth Day, emphasizing the need to ensure that children and young people in isolated and disadvantaged communities have access to education. “Young people may grow up in different contexts, but they share common aspirations for learning, opportunity and a brighter future,” it said. Gabriel Oliva
Naic mourns ex-mayor Dualan’s passing at 68 NAIC, Cavite—Condolences poured in following the death of former Naic Mayor Junio “Jun” Dualan on Aug. 11 at the age of 68. Dualan’s daughter, Jonna, announced his death in a social media post, saying he had passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with complications from prostate cancer. “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of our dear father’s passing, former Naic, Cavite Mayor/Vice Mayor Junio C. Dualan,” she said. “He was a good leader, a loving father, a devoted public servant, a true friend, a funny grandfather, and a very kind and generous boss. He will be deeply missed by us and by all the people who knew and loved him dearly,” she added. Dualan, who was born on June 28, 1958, is scheduled to be laid to rest at the Naic Memorial Park on Aug. 19. Dennis Abrina
Teodoro: Space key to defense, connectivity DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. has underscored the importance of developing the Philippines’ capabilities in the space domain, citing its growing role in national defense, telecommunications and disaster resilience. Speaking during Philippine Space Week, Teodoro said there were “natural synergies” between national defense and space, particularly given the Philippines’ strategic location. “Space is another domain of our area which we should cover to include the air, the land, and the sea,” Teodoro said, noting that space-based capabilities could improve transparency, situational awareness, and early warning against both human activities and natural hazards. He said space technology could support telecommunications, geohazard mapping and early warning systems, among other applications. Teodoro stressed, however, that the Philippines could not develop its space capabilities
on a completely sovereign basis without establishing a functional space ecosystem led by a competent, professional and secure Philippine Space Agency. “That is how important space is to us,” he said. The Department of National Defense is working with the Philippine Space Agency to strengthen cooperation, including discussions on the applications and facilities needed to develop the country’s space capabilities. Teodoro described space as a “new frontier” for defense, telecommunications and national resilience. “You have to have a new frontier to open others on a totally sovereign basis for the Republic of the Philippines for our own national resilience,” he said. He also called for greater public awareness of the strategic importance of the space domain. Rex Espiritu
BOUNTIFUL CROP. A tobacco farmer in San Juan, Ilocos Sur, pulls a bountiful crop of the plant that has sustained Ilocano livelihoods for generations. Revoli Cortez
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After Lebanon scraps death penalty, where does the region stand? By Lisa Golden LEBANON has formally abolished the death penalty, going against the grain in a region where Iran and Saudi Arabia are reportedly the second- and thirdbiggest executors globally, after China. Here’s a look at which countries in the Middle East and North Africa top the list of executioners, which have a moratorium on applying the death penalty, and whether others might follow Lebanon’s example. Top regional executioners? According to an Amnesty International report, of at least 2,707 people executed globally in 2025, more than 95 percent were in the Middle East and North Africa region, almost half for drug-related offenses. Amnesty said governments in the region use capital punishment “as a tool to repress dissent and crack down on actual or perceived national security threats, amid a resurgence of punitive drug policies.” Iran alone accounted for 2,159 of those executions -- Tehran’s highest recorded figure in more than 40 years, according to Amnesty -- as authorities “intensified their use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression and control,” particularly after a 2025 war with Israel. This year too, rights groups say Iran has been stepping up executions after protests in January and during the latest war launched on it by Israel and the United States. This week, more than 30 countries accused Iran of executing protesters to “silence dissent,” criticism which Tehran brushed off. Saudi Arabia carried out a record high of at least 356 executions last year, Amnesty said, “driven by an alarming increase in the number of drug-related cases,” most of which involved foreign nationals. This year, Saudi authorities had already executed 130 people by August 13, according to an AFP tally based on official announcements. Authorities say the penalty is compatible with Sharia law -- the Islamic legal code based on the teachings of the Quran -- and necessary to “maintain public order”. Yemen was third regionally and fourth globally according to Amnesty, with at least 51 executions last year. Egypt, with 23 executions, was sixth globally, trailing the United States. Which countries hold back? Tunisia has had a moratorium on carrying out the death penalty since 1991, and Algeria and Morocco since 1993. In Iraq, which came fourth globally in 2024, Amnesty noted that executions were “largely on hold” last year, however thousands are still sentenced to death, many accused of belonging to the
Islamic State group. Jordan this year hanged six men convicted in “terrorism and criminal cases,” ending a nine-year moratorium there. Syria did not hand down any death sentences in 2025, the first full year under the new Islamist authorities, but this week sentenced ousted leader Bashar alAssad and other top security officials to death in absentia.
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Which countries in the Middle East and North Africa top the list of executioners? The country regularly carried out executions under Assad’s rule. Israel has abolished capital punishment for “ordinary crimes” but retains it for some “exceptional” offences. It last executed Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1962. But in March, Israel passed a law making death the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank convicted by military courts of carrying out deadly attacks classified as “terrorism”. It also faced international scrutiny after passing a May law establishing a special tribunal to try those accused of taking part in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks, with authority to hand down the death penalty. The Palestinian Authority has not carried out an execution since 2005, with president Mahmud Abbas refusing to sign execution orders. The authority has signed a number of international conventions that call for the abolition of capital punishment, without actually doing so itself. Death sentences are still handed down, but not implemented. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has frequently put Palestinians to death, including last year through the public executions of alleged collaborators with Israel. Following Lebanon’s lead? Aurelie Placais, director of the World Coalition against the Death Penalty, told AFP that Lebanon’s move “sends a strong signal to the rest of the region”. Ogarit Younan, who co-founded Lebanon’s national campaign for the abolition of the death penalty nearly 30 years ago, expressed hope that Lebanon could be a model in the region. She said countries need a civil society movement ready for a long-term campaign on the issue, with small wins along the way. In Lebanon, she told AFP, “we had a strategic vision and plan since the beginning, and then we did it step by step.” AFP
‘How many will die?’: The mysterious ailment killing Kenyan elephants By Julie Capelle KIMANA, KENYA — Lying on the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust, the elephant slowly exhausted himself in futile attempts to stand, the latest potential victim of a still-mysterious ailment in southern Kenya. Distressed vets administered a glucose injection -- the only option, given that the cause of the ailment remains unknown -- to the 11-year-old male, known as Genghis Khan, who was struggling to breathe. The mystery affliction has killed at least 19 pachyderms, mostly females or young males, since June in Kenya -- with all of the animals exhibiting identical symptoms, including partial paralysis. Elephant herds have made Amboseli -- overlooked by Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania -- a lucrative tourist hotspot and the mysterious deaths in the region are a sensitive issue in a country where tourism is a huge source of revenue. “You would find one struggling for a day, struggling for two or even three days. Until they completely die,” said Patrick Papatiti, head of operations for Olgulului communal lands, which includes the Kitenden B reserve where Genghis Khan was found. In late July, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said toxicology reports found high concentrations of cyanide in the animals’ carcasses, suggesting possible pesticide poisoning from nearby farms’ crops. Carcasses While observers still question the possible cause of death, several specialists interviewed by AFP dismiss poisoning. “It’s a disease,” said Papatiti, who was born and raised in the local Maasai community, insisting there was “no way”
cyanide was involved. He is one of the very few local voices publicly rejecting the KWS preliminary findings, pointing out that no other animals have died. Notably, neither scavengers nor flies that fed on the supposedly poisoned carcasses have perished -- creatures that typically succumb after consuming poisoned animals. “If another animal feeds on that carcass and it is not dying, then definitely it is not a chemical,” Joel Nyika, the Amboseli ecosystem manager for the Kajiado County authorities, told AFP.
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It’s a sensitive issue in a country where tourism is a huge source of revenue. He dismisses the theory, also put forward by the KWS, that the cyanide might have come from a type of foliage, noting local livestock would have died as well. “As wildlife managers, we believe it could be a disease that is only affecting these elephants.” On August 7, the KWS said their “findings to date do not indicate an infectious or transmissible disease”, assuring tourists that they could continue to visit. But in the Kimana reserve, AFP journalists saw six carcasses on Wednesday -- some fresh, others older -- with rangers also observing partial paralysis, preventing the animals from standing. Maasai farmers, like 52-year-old Noah Saatia, rejected the possibility of poison -- pointing out to AFP they eat the same
EDITORIAL
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DMITTEDLY, this is the endless cycle of reactive governance. Every monsoon season, as muddy torrents reclaim Metro Manila’s major and minor streets and low-lying regions, our leaders lurch into a familiar, frantic choreography. The Department of Public Works and Highways promises extra personnel and machinery for flood mitigation, while politicians and agency chiefs urge local executives to create specialized “garbage police” teams. This ritual blame-shifting treats systemic climactic failures as mere litterbug problems, offering a reactive illusion of control while dodging accountability. Why do we treat seasonal deluges as sudden unforeseen tragedies? Year after year, the script remains identical. Floods submerge communities, officials scramble with bandaid announcements; public outrage
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This revolting chronic myopia betrays a profound failure of institutional foresight. Relying on punitive trash patrols and last-minute equipment deployment is not flood management; it is public relations masquerading as policy. Creating specialized garbage enforcers scapegoats impoverished communities while ignoring struc-
tural decay. Trash clogs drainage lines, but no amount of local policing can compensate for undersized drainage master plans, degraded watersheds, silted riverbeds, and uncoordinated urban development. Dumping heavy machinery into flooded streets after the rain has fallen proves that our disaster paradigm is hopelessly broken. We deploy pumps when we should be building resilience; we chase scavengers when we should be overhauling infrastructural integrity. True disaster preparedness requires sustained multi-year engineering and ecological rehabilitation, long before the first nimbus gathers over the horizon. Until our governance shifts from chaotic performative panic to rigorous, proactive design, Metro Manila and the other low-lying and vulnerable basins of the country will remain prisoners of the rain -- drowning in an ugly cycle of institutional negligence that no garbage police can ever sweep away.
BECAUSE of the weather this week, I went into different modes for my four classes: online synchronous, online asynchronous, and one (at a push) face to face. The semester just started and I was eager to meet my students -- a mix of first-, third-, and fourth-year journalism majors, as well as some from a related program. Whatever the mode and subject, this year I thought it best to start with an experiment. I asked the students to write a short essay on their insights on artificial intelligence, the extent to which they have used it in the past, and how they intend to proceed with the rest of their education (and the foreseeable future) with AI already undeniably present in our daily lives. I had a clear objective: to drive home the point that as journalists, using AI to write their work for them is unacceptable and non-negotiable. In previous semesters, what I did was to include a short declaration in the syllabus, and encouraged the class to read this part aloud. “I acknowledge the potential that artificial intelligence can bring into people’s way of life, but pledge that I will never use it as my own work in place of what is expected of me as a journalist,” so the statement went. I have no idea whether the utterance made any dent at all. Not that we do not trust our students. They are in the program precisely because they want to produce good journalism. But I come from a different generation, and what may appear to me as external could appear instinctive to the younger set. Thus, good intentions and idealistic thoughts notwithstanding, slipping into AI may be less of a jump for them than it is for me and contemporaries. With my experiment this week, I’m saying I want the pledge to come from the students themselves, as a logical outcome of their own thought process and moral weighing. I want their commitment to stay true to the profession, not because their professor told them to, or because they are afraid of the consequences of being caught. I also think that focusing on the meat of the course is a much better use of a teacher’s time than, say, checking whether students’ submissions were writ-
ten by a machine. (There was a time when we watched out for plagiarized content, but this seems so much bigger.) I look forward to reading the answers this weekend. *** NiemanLab’s Andrew Deck reported on August 3 that a record-breaking eight Pulitzer awardees – five winners and three finalists -- disclosed AI use this year. They detailed their adoption to the judging committee, after Pulitzer required such disclosures in 2024. In previous years, conventional machine learning tools, such as ones for data visualization or pattern recognition, were prevalent. But this year, according to Deck, “generative AI tools and commercial large language models (LLMs) were more commonly used, largely to speed up the process of combing through document dumps.”
Deck quotes Marjorie Miller, who administers the Pulitzer Prizes. She concedes “AI is here to stay.” Today, she says, the industry has a clearer understanding of what uses might be appropriate — data collection and analysis, for example — and [what] might not, such as in writing and editing stories in any format that might be considered for a Pulitzer Prize.” As AI evolves, “reporters will need to ‘ensure and reassure’ the Pulitzers that submissions are ultimately produced by human beings, even when AI is used as an assistive tool,” she adds. Given this, should we even aspire to stem the trend in the first place? *** Another College in UP has taken a more institutional approach. On August 4, the UP College of Law released guidelines entitled Philippine Legal Education
in the Time of Artificial Intelligence I: Recommitting to the Fundamentals of Legal Analysis. It can be found on the UP Law web site. The document cites literature that says AI has the “potential to supercharge legal research and disrupt service monopolies” and that law schools have been “urged to incorporate AI-integrated teaching.” Other materials on the other hand say concerns have emerged “with the use of AI for cognitive offloading and its detrimental effects on critical thinking.” The College says: “We have noted a considerable decline in the quality of reasoning and argumentation coinciding with the regular use of AI by students for case briefing, answering simple queries during class, and research. Employer feedback has returned similar observations on our newest graduates, which confirm our fears that many of our students have not just become AI-literate but AI-dependent.” The College finds “neither complete isolation nor complete acceptance satisfactory.” Thus, it has decided to teach first-year core subjects purely onsite, and in these classes, digital and electronic devices are prohibited even for note-taking. Here, possession of devices is an offense against academic integrity and would merit disciplinary action. Assessment work will be conducted individually and onsite/ offline. For writing assignments especially in research and method courses, relying on generative AI is prohibited, from conceptualization to writing and finalization, including editing and grammar checks. Law is a different field, of course, with a distinctly different set of skills, but the guidelines are a good start. The education sector – whose policymakers are likely less adept in these technologies than the young people they intend to guide – should be proactive in molding students amid the slew of external influences. These offer possibilities, yes, but also untold risks. It’s a tricky pursuit that is bound to get even more complicated as technology evolves. But it does not mean we should be spooked out of trying. adellechua@gmail.com
things -- and expressed anger over the animals’ deaths. “When they die, it hurts us,” he told AFP, standing in his crop of maize, protected from animals by fences. “We don’t know the cause of the elephant deaths... But they are not dying because of food -- that’s for sure.” ‘How many will die? Some of the deaths occurred only days earlier. The carcass of a four-month-old calf, swarming with flies, lay half-devoured by hyenas. About a dozen vultures were feeding
on the remains of a pregnant female elephant, who had died near full term, and her unborn calf. Paula Kahumbu, conservationist and head of Wildlife Direct, highlighted the “lack of evidence” supporting the pesticide theory. In an interview with AFP, she noted that few adult male elephants had died, even though they are the ones most likely to raid crops. Olgulului’s Papatiti also dismissed the theory of deliberate poisoning. He said the emphasis should not be on pinning blame on individuals but finding the
cause: “We need to know what is killing our elephants.” The sensitivity of the deaths has spooked the wildlife community, with several environmental organisations declining to comment to AFP beyond calling for a full investigation, while rangers at the Kimana reserve said they were not authorised to speak. Papatiti fears that the death toll is being underestimated and that the affliction may also be affecting elephants in neighbouring Tanzania. “How many elephants will die before we can stop this?” AFP
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It’s a tricky pursuit that is bound to get even more complicated as technology evolves.
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peaks; and then, as waters recede, urgency evaporates. This revolting classic myopia betrays a profound failure of institutional foresight. Are our planners and elected officials genuinely devoid of the capacity to anticipate predictable natural disasters?
Honor statements and other efforts on AI use
Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno
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Three US inmates executed on same day--first since 2010
HUMANITARIAN ACT. Staff work with donated blood at the IDCBIS District Blood Bank in Bogota as volunteers donate blood for people affected by the August 10 earthquake. AFP
WASHINGTON – Convicted murderers were put to death by lethal injection in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama on Thursday, the most executions carried out in the United States on the same day in over 15 years. Anthony Hines, 66, was executed at a maximum security prison in Nashville for the March 1985 murder of Catherine Jenkins, a 54-year-old motel maid and mother of four, the Tennessee Department of Corrections said. Hines’s execution was the first in the southern state since an attempt to kill another Death Row inmate was aborted in May after medical staff were unable to tap a vein. Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, was executed in the midwestern state of Oklahoma, also by lethal injection, at the state penitentiary in McAlester for the 2003 murder of his common-law wife, Olimpia Fisher, the state attorney general’s office said. Lastly, Jeremy Williams, 42, was executed in the southern state of Alabama for the 2021 rape and murder of a five-year-old girl, Kamarie Holland. These executions marked the most in the United States in a single day since 2010, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. With these latest deaths there have now been 22 executions in the United States this year – 12 in Florida, four in Texas, three in Oklahoma, and one each in Arizona, Tennessee and Alabama. The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others – California, Oregon and Pennsylvania – have moratoriums in place. AFP
‘Lower oil prices new priority in Iran war’ IN BRIEF W Seven workers killed in India tunnel accident
NEW DELHI – At least seven workers were killed and 13 injured following a landslide that sent water and debris gushing into a tunnel under construction in north India, officials said Friday. The incident occurred late Thursday in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, where workers were constructing a tunnel for a state-run hydropower project. At least three workers are still missing, while 19 were rescued from the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation site, the State Disaster Management Authority said in a statement. Videos shared by local authorities showed rescue workers equipped with head-mounted torches using makeshift rafts to reach the flooded section of the tunnel. Uttarakhand has been battered by heavy monsoon rains in recent days. Accidents on large construction sites are common in India, but ecologists say excessive development projects have led to more disasters in the fragile Himalayan areas. AFP
Australia probes Sydney Airport near-misses SYDNEY – Australia’s transport authorities said Friday they were investigating what went wrong after three near-misses in less than two weeks at Sydney Airport, including two in one day. A Virgin Australia 737 had been cleared for take-off by air traffic control on Sunday morning when the crew saw a Qantas plane crossing the runway ahead of them, the country’s transport safety investigator said. The crew brought the plane to a stop about a kilometer from the other aircraft, which had also been cleared to taxi across the runway. Earlier in the day, a Jetstar pilot was forced to apply the brakes suddenly to avoid crashing into a Qatar Airways jet. They came after two Qantas planes also avoided a collision on July 27 after they had been cleared for takeoff. AFP
US backs Japan over Putin trip to disputed islands TOKYO – The United States recognizes Japan’s sovereignty over islands visited by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the US ambassador to Tokyo said Friday. “The United States remains unwavering in its support of its most important ally and in its recognition of Japanese sovereignty over the Northern Territories,” George Glass said on X, using the Japanese name for the Kuril islands visited for the first time by Putin on Thursday. “At a time when the US-Japan Alliance is dedicated to cultivating prosperity across the Indo-Pacific, we strongly oppose any action that undermines its peace and stability,” Glass added. Russian-Japanese relations have long been dogged by the islands seized by the Soviet Union in 1945 at the end of World War II. Putin’s visit was the first by a Russian president since Dmitry Medvedev in 2010. AFP
ASHINGTON – The top US priority now in the Iran war is no longer its nuclear program but to bring gasoline prices down for American consumers, the vice president said Thursday, with the treasury secretary adding that new economic punishment to wear down Tehran is imminent.
The comments by Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent illustrate the powerful leverage Tehran has gained by shutting down the Strait of Hormuz. Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon – consistently touted by President Donald Trump as his main reason for the war – now takes a back seat to getting oil flowing again freely through the strait, Vance said on Fox News. Vance’s comments underscored the stark reality that the war now centers
on control of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical fuel supply conduit that was open before Trump started the war along with Israel in late February. Iran has all but shut it down in retaliation and thus found a crucial bargaining chip against Trump as he struggles to find a way out of the war and shies away from resuming large-scale attacks. The 80-year-old president’s approval rating is plummeting, the war is unpopular among Americans and midterm elections are approaching in November.
Republicans fear Trump and the war, which has caused gasoline prices to soar, will cost them their control of Congress. “I know that oil is down today and it’s way down from the highs in the early days of the conflict,” Vance said on Fox News. “That’s goal number one – keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country.” “And then obviously goal number two is ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,” he added. The vice president has been among the members of the administration most skeptical of the offensive launched against Iran in late February. These remarks, however, appear to confirm the more cautious approach now favored by the US president, which involves maintaining strong economic pressure on Iran by blockading its ports and preventing it from selling oil. Heralding more economic punish-
ment, Bessent threatened to subject Iran to economic isolation “like the world has never seen before.” He said new measures are expected next week. Only days ago, Trump had said an agreement to reopen the strait was imminent. Now his administration seems to be digging in, with diplomacy on hold as he hopes economic suffering will cause Iran to yield. “We are low-keying it,” Trump said Sunday. “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money,” Trump told the news outlet Axios. The US military reportedly burned through stockpiles of costly high-tech missiles and other weapons in the months since the war started at a cost of billions and is now reportedly running low, limiting Trump’s options for resuming attacks on Iran. AFP
‘Unprecedented’ heavy Japan rain kills at least four TOKYO – At least four people died in eastern Japan after “unprecedented” heavy rain that left thousands stranded at Narita airport overnight and snarled up roads and rail services, authorities said Friday. The torrential downpours late Thursday triggered landslide warnings and power outages, with forecasters issuing the highestlevel heavy rain warning for the Chiba region for the first time. Those killed included a man in his 60s or 70s found floating on a flooded road and a 66-year-old woman stuck in her submerged car, the Chiba Prefecture Disaster Management Office said. The third fatality was a man of unknown age found collapsed on the street and the fourth a person of undetermined gender and age. A fifth person was feared dead and a sixth unaccounted for. As of Friday morning, close to 26,000 households across Chiba prefecture were without power, the disaster management office said. A total of 45 houses flooded in cities like Ichikawa, Kashiwa and Sakura. Another 39 homes saw water seeping in below the floorboards. A Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) official had told a news conference on Thursday that this was “shaping up to be an unprecedented level of heavy rain.” Around 6,000 people were stranded overnight at Narita, one of two main airports serving Tokyo, with many trains to and from there cancelled until Friday afternoon, the Chiba disaster office said. Users on social media said that airport staff handed out free water, food and sleeping bags. AFP
SATIRICAL CANDIDATE. Count Binface arrives at the count center venue for the result of the by-election for the parliamentary seat of Clacton in eastern England on Friday, August 14, 2026. AFP
Brazilian police recover stolen Matisse works
RECOVERED. This handout picture released by the Sao Paulo police press office shows eight recovered works by French artist Henri Matisse that had been stolen in December 2025 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. AFP
SAO PAULO – Police in Brazil recovered eight Matisse engravings stolen from a Sao Paulo library last year, officials said. The works were found at a home in the town of Sao Bernardo do Campo, near Sao Paulo, and the man who had them was arrested, police said in a statement. The works, estimated to be worth $200,000, were being held by this man for the mastermind of the heist, police said. That mastermind was already arrested in April and a woman has also been arrested in the case. Police said the gang behind the robbery was highly organized and structured, with specific tasks as-
signed to members as it stole artworks in Brazil and sold them on the black market. In the Matisse robbery last year, police say thieves overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple visiting the Mario de Andrade Library, grabbed the engravings and other items from a glass dome where they were kept, and fled. They also stole five works by the Brazilian artist Candido Portinari, but these have not been recovered. The Matisse engravings were part of a modern art exhibition highlighting a collaboration between the library and the Museum of Modern Art of Sao Paulo. AFP
SPORTS PVL On Tour rolls into Lanao del Norte for historic 2-tiff showdown Games Saturday (Lanao del Norte) 4 p.m. – Farm Fresh vs Nxled 6:30 p.m. – PLDT vs Akari
THE PVL On Tour Showdown resumes its province-hopping weekend series in Lanao del Norte on Saturday (Aug. 15) with a blockbuster doubleheader expected to draw a huge crowd to the Mindanao Civic Center Gymnasium in Tubod, as four teams vie for victories in the league’s firstever visit to the province. Despite a local forecast of scattered thunderstorms and a 35 percent chance of rain, the weather is not expected to disrupt the 4 p.m. clash between Nxled and Farm Fresh and the 6:30 p.m. showdown between PLDT and Akari. The matches come a week after the league was forced to postpone its scheduled games in Santiago City, Isabela due to adverse weather conditions. This time, the focus shifts to Lanao del Norte, where fans have shown tremendous excitement over the chance to see their volleyball idols up close. Nxled, riding a two-game winning streak after opening its campaign with a loss to Creamline, battles a Farm Fresh side eager to rebound from a four-set defeat to Galeries Tower. The Chameleons will be looking to sustain their momentum against the well-rested Foxies, who are determined to get into the winning column in the short, pre-season series. Nxled coach Ettore Guidetti got a firsthand glimpse of the province’s volleyball passion during the team’s meet-and-greet at Kapatagan National High School, where he was stunned by the turnout of more than 1,000 students and fans. “It’s amazing. I was shocked about how many kids, how many volleyball lovers there were in that school. I was trying to figure it out, but they looked more than 1,000,” said Guidetti, who also relished the opportunity to experience the local culture, music and food. “And now the people are really in love, especially with girls’ volleyball, and thank God it’s been my work since I was 19. So this is really nice. The venues are completely full. The people are sharing. They have their favorites, but at the same time, they keep cheering because they want the game to maybe go to a fifth set, to see them play more and more,” he added.
Rising Aussie golfer dies in Thailand SYDNEY—Promising teenage Australian golfer Jessica Bang died after suffering a brain haemorrhage while preparing for a tournament in Thailand, her family and tour officials said. The 18-year-old, who won her first professional event in just her fifth start earlier this year, collapsed on August 1 and was rushed to hospital in Bangkok, where she underwent emergency brain surgery. She did not recover and died on Thursday. “We are truly heartbroken by this news,” family members said on a GoFundMe page set up after she fell ill. “However, we would like to continue to remember Jessica and celebrate her achievements, passion and dedication to golf. “The funds we have raised will be given to her parents to help contribute towards her medical expenses.” Bang was in Bangkok to play in the International Qualifying Tournament for the Korean women’s professional tour. The WPGA Tour of Australasia called her an “outstanding young talent” who turned professional at the end of 2025 following a stellar amateur career. “The WPGA Tour of Australasia and the broader Australian golf community is deeply saddened by the passing of young Tour member Jessica Bang in Thailand,” the WPGA said in a statement. “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the broader Australian golf community are with Jessica’s family, friends and all those who knew and loved her at this incredibly difficult time.” AFP
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EW YORK—US basketball fans will have plenty of chances to check out LeBron James’s first season in Philadelphia with the 76ers featured in 34 nationally televised games according to the full NBA season schedule released on Thursday. The NBA had already announced that James and the Sixers would be in action on the first day of the league’s 81st season on October 20 -- trying to spoil the New York Knicks’ celebration of last season’s crown. That game is part of a three-game slate featuring James launching his record-extending 24th season with his new club at Madison Square Garden.
Jaylen Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers shakes hands during his introductory press conference at the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AFP
76ers in spotlight as full NBA schedule revealed LeBron James
Other opening-day games will see the Boston Celtics taking on Eastern Conference rivals Detroit and a Western Conference finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. Oklahoma City, powered by twotime reigning NBA Most Valuable
Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, beat the Spurs for the Western Conference regular-season title last season but lost in seven games in the West playoff finals to Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs. The 76ers will be in the spotlight all season as they seek their first championship since 1983, bolstered not only by the addition of NBA alltime leading scorer James but also by the arrival of 2024 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Jaylen Brown from Boston.
The 76ers will play their first home game with James on the roster on October 22 when Cleveland, James’s hometown team, visits. There are no games on November 3, election day in the United States, but all 30 teams will play on November 2. Other key dates include the NBA Cup final taking place at historic Hinckle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 11 and the trade deadline on February 11. The All-Star Game will be held on
February 21 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. And the regular season will conclude with all 30 teams in action on April 11. The previously announced fivegame Christmas Day slate will see James returning with the Sixers to Los Angeles to face the Lakers, the team he departed as a free agent in June. Boston will entertain Miami with the Celtics having won 10 of the past 11 meetings with the Heat over three seasons. AFP
Quezon extends MPBL run; Friday’s games reset THE Quezon Huskers battered the Paranaque Patriots, 116-66, on Thursday to extend their hot run in the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the One Arena Cainta in Rizal Province. With 14 players scoring, led by Judel Fuentes, the Huskers led as far as 116-56 before cruising to their seventh straight win and a 14-3 record in the round-robin elimination phase of the twodivision, 26-team tournament. The Huskers trail only the Batangas City Tanduay Athletics (16-3) in the chase for playoff spots in the South division they have ruled the last two years. Fuentes posted 16 points, spiked with four triples, 5 assists and 4 rebounds to capture the SportsPlus best player honors over homegrown Rodel Gravera, with 14 points and 4 rebounds. Paranaque fell to 2-23. Meanwhile, the games scheduled on Friday at the Kamalig Sports Complex in Orion have been postponed due to the intermittent heavy rains and possible flooding in the area. Affected were the games between Mindoro and Quezon City, Zamboanga and Caloocan, and Bataan and Gensan. The new date for the postponed games will be announced soon. The health and safety of the teams, working staff, and fans are of utmost importance to the league.
The MPBL returns to the Pasay Astrodome on Saturday, with games pitting San Juan against Imus at 5 p.m., and Pasay against Marikina at 7 p.m. In another result, Pasig broke its skid with a 100-90 victory over Negros in the nightcap and remains in playoff contention with a 9-10 slate in the North division. Jacob Galicia powered Pasig with 25 points, 18 rebounds and 2 assists, besting Jerome Garcia with 21 points and 5 rebounds, and Warlo Batac, with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, for best player honors. “We really needed this win after painful losses,” said Galicia. “Unlike before, when we fell short in the end, we pulled through this time.” Negros slumped to 1-19 despite Reymar Caduyac’s 21 points, Michael Alvarez’s 16, Jebb Bulawan’s 11, DJ Howe’s 11, Achie Ingo’s 10, and Marc Manalang’s 10. Meanwhile, the Marikina Shoemasters led throughout in a 108-84 beating of Manila Batang Quiapo in the opener. Homegrown Jomel Landayan and Eroll Soriano showed the way as Marikina surged ahead, 86-59, and kept their playoff hopes with a 7-15 card in the North division. Landayan, a prized find from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina, came off the bench to post 22 points, laced with five triples, and 3
Judel Fuentes delivers for the Quezon Huskers.
rebounds and emerged best player over Soriano, who had 12 points, 15 rebounds and 2 assists.
Spieth among 5 sharing Memphis lead as PGA playoffs open WASHINGTON—Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, trying to end a four-year victory drought, fired a seven-under par 65 to share the lead after Thursday’s first round of the PGA Tour St. Jude Championship. Fellow Americans Jake Knapp, Kurt Kitayama, Michael Thorbjornsen and Michael Kim were also at 65 after 18 holes in the FedEx Cup playoff opener at sweltering TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. It marked the most players to share the lead in any playoff event after the first round. Hot at their heels on 66 was a pack including major winners Adam Scott, Gary Woodland and Hideki Matsuyama plus defending playoff champion Tommy Fleetwood. “Heat is the biggest challenge,” Scott said. “Just pacing yourself. I don’t think you can drink enough. “You sweat a lot out there. The thing that comes with that is the mental errors. But overall, I played a pretty good round.” American Daniel Berger was absent due to a back injury, leaving 69 golfers trying to reach the top 50 in points to qualify for next week’s second playoff event in St. Louis. Spieth, who reached the playoffs without a top10 finish in 2026, won the 2015 Masters and US Open and 2017 British Open but has not taken a PGA title since the 2022 Heritage. He reeled off five birdies in seven holes starting with a 12-foot putt at the ninth. He sank a 40-foot putt at the par-three 11th, a 24-footer at the 13th and closed the run on a 17-foot birdie putt at 15.
Jordan Spieth
“I just tried to come into this week and be as patient, nonreactive, as possible, dumb it down to try to win,” Spieth said. “Just knowing I’m a lot better golfer than I’ve been in a very long time and con-
tinue to believe in that.” At 54th in points, he needs a good result to advance in the playoffs but called his round “about as stress-free as it can be.” Thorbjornsen battled illness and the heat but had an eagle off an eight-foot putt at 16 and two birdies on the last four holes, closing with a 40-foot chip-in. “It was a little tough dealing with the heat and there’s still a sickness, kind of hacking up on every hole, but I was very solid tee to green,” he said. Knapp birdied his first three and last three holes. “I like that part of it. Opening with three birdies is always nice,” Knapp said. “I hit the ball really well all day.” ‘Right on the edge’ Kim birdied three of the first five holes and two of the final four. “Nice to get off to a good start,” Kim said. “Hopefully I can keep it going.” Kitayama was three-under over the first three holes and also birdied two of the last four. “Really liked how I hit it,” Kitayama said. “I gave myself a lot of good looks.” World number one Scottie Scheffler shared 17th on 68. “I didn’t feel like I hit a ton of fairways. I was in the first cut a lot,” Scheffler said. “I did a good job of being patient and not trying to force it too much. “I was right on the edge of having a good day kind of all day.” Second-ranked Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, was 68th, next-to-last, on 74 after bogeys at 16 and 17 and a double bogey at 18, where his tee shot found water.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2026
RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor
Alas Girls look to continue historic run at U17 worlds SANTIAGO, Chile—The stakes remain high for Alas Pilipinas as they enter the playoffs for ninth to 16th places starting on Friday in the FIVB Volleyball Girls U17 World Championship. After their historic run at the satellite venues at Liceo Mixto in San Felipe and Los Andes, the Alas Girls featuring Caera Celis, Xyz Ellen Rayco, Madele Gale, Sharina Lleses, Khaira Manzano, Irish Mahinay and Nadeth Faye Herbon return to action after getting a much-needed break, this time under the bright lights at Parque Estadio National in the capital city. It will be a tough final three days, with Asian powerhouse Japan first up for the Philippine squad. Alas Pilipinas—supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Asics—battle for position among the middle eight squads of the 24-team field after falling short of the quarterfinals, bowing to Korea, 21-25, 1825, 14-25. Jhaynna Love Bulandres, Megan Hernandez, Taj Arkhea Teves, Resty Jane Olaguir, Jhenica Sadia, Jello Andrea Mauricio and Frances Dianne Ramos will look to make the most of the remaining matches as Alas Pilipinas tries to build on its breakthrough run. Alas Pilipinas went 2-3 in pool play, winning in four sets over world No. 8 Mexico and sweeping No 20 Tunisia. Mauricio, one of the youngest in the team at 14, says Alas Pilipinas is determined to finish strong, even with the medals already out of reach. “We will give it everything we have, do our best for the team,” said the opposite hitter from San Felipe Neri Catholic School. Ramos, a product of the Palarong Pambansa just like Mauricio, has relished the opportunity to contribute in her role as libero. “We’re proud to have this opportunity, and we’re proud that we can contribute to the team, even in small ways,” the 15-year-old Ramos said The other teams battling for 9th to 16th spots are Peru, Argentina, Czechia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Poland. The quarterfinals pit USA against Italy, China versus Croatia, Chinese Taipei opposite Thailand, with Turkiye taking on Korea. AFP
National U, UST renew rivalry in V-League
Shown here are (from left) Jhaynna Bulandres, Xyz Rayco, Nadeth Herbon, Caera Celis, Khaira Manzano and Irish Mahinay. Volleyball World
Eala eyes revenge against Ruse in Cincinnati opener By Jeremiah Sevilla
F
ILIPINA pride Alexandra “Alex” Eala seeks to get a payback against Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse when they face off in the second round of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, United States.
The world No. 20 Eala takes on the No. 74 Ruse in a Round of 64 match initially scheduled for Saturday at a yet-to-be-determined time. Eala aims to exact sweet revenge against Ruse, who denied her entry to the US Open 2024 with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 decision in their qualifying match. The 21-year-old Pinay netter has shown tremendous improvement since that loss, steadily climbing the WTA rankings to become a top 20 player after capturing her break-
matches against top-10 players Linda Noskova, Jessica Pegula, and either Elena Rybakina or Iga Swiatek. Alexandra Eala
The Cincinnati Open serves as Eala’s last major tune-up before making her expected main draw appearance in the US Open slated August 30 to September 13 in New York.
Good vibes powering Djokovic return to Cincinnati CINCIN NATI—Novak Djokovic brings a boatload of good memories into this edition of the ATPWTA Cincinnati Masters, an event he has won three times. The 38-year-old Serbian is using the tournament as his only official tune-up for the August 30 start of the US Open, taking to the court for the first time since his Wimbledon semifinal against Jannik Sinner. On Thursday, Djokovic was surprised by a previously unnoticed fact: the then-teenager had played his first Masters 1000 main draw here in 2005. He went on to lift Cincinnati titles in 2018, 2020 and 2023, when he beat Carlos Alcaraz in three dramatic sets
Novak Djokovic
Games Saturday
(Gameville Central Park) 10 a.m. - CSJL vs AU (Women) 12 p.m. - CSB vs UE (Women) 3 p.m. - CSJL vs AU (Men) 5 p.m. - NU vs UST (Men) FOR the first time since the UAAP Season 88 Final Four, National University and the University of Santo Tomas meet again, this time in the 2026 V-League Men’s Collegiate Challenge today (Saturday) at Gameville Central Park. Defending UAAP champions Bulldogs will parade an intact core, with Leo Ordiales, Buds Buddin, Choi Diao, Peng Taguibolos, and Jade Disquitado all returning to the lineup. Meanwhile, the Golden Spikers, bannered by Trevor Valera, Rey De Vega, and JJ Macam, are raring to get back at the Bulldogs. Josh Ybañez, though, is not in the lineup due to Alas Men duties. First serve is set for 5 p.m. The women’s matches will feature Letran against Arellano at 10 a.m., followed by College of Saint Benilde against the University of the East at 12 p.m. In an all-NCAA clash, Letran and Arellano collide to open men’s action at 3 p.m. It will be a double-header for NU, UST, and Letran, as the three schools will also play tomorrow (Sunday). The Golden Spikers face the Knights at 3 p.m., followed by the returning De La Salle Green Spikers against the Bulldogs. Sunday’s women’s slate will see the backto-back title-seeking Adamson Lady Falcons take on the Perpetual Help Lady Altas at 10 a.m., while the UST Golden Tigresses, the 2024 champions, face the San Beda Lady Red Spikers in the other match. The tournament will begin with a preliminary round, where all participating teams will face each other in a round-robin format. Each playdate will feature two men’s matches and two women’s matches. The top four teams in each division will advance to the best-of-three semifinals. The No. 1 seed will face the No. 4 seed, while the second-ranked team will take on the thirdranked squad.
through Tour title in the 500-level Mubadala DC Open earlier this month. Making her debut in Cincinnati, Eala is locked in on the task at hand as a sea of fervent Filipino fans is expected to rally behind the tennis sensation anew. “Of course each city and crowd bring different energy. But when you’re on the court and you know what you have to do, nothing changes much,” said the lefty ace, who enjoyed a first-round bye as the No.
17-seeded player in the tournament. Ruse arranged her second encounter with Eala after breezing past Magda Linette of Poland, 6-0, 6-3, in the opening Round of 128. The 28-year-old Romanian has a career-best rank of No. 51, which she achieved back in 2022 and also has one Tour-level title under her belt after winning the WTA 250 Hamburg European Open in 2021. If Eala hurdles Ruse, she could potentially set up a first meeting with No. 10 Amanda Anisimova, who will collide with the Filipina’s close pal Zeynep Sonmez in the second round. A deep run in Cincinnati could also set Eala up for a series of re-
to win his third trophy. “Great memories. It took me a while to win my first title here,” Djokovic said. “It was a hard hurdle for me. Once I got the first title, it was a huge relief. “In a sense, (you are) coming back knowing you’ve won at least once.” Djokovic called his latest trophy win over Alcaraz -in a tournament-record three hours and 49 minutes -“one of the most epic best-of-three matches that I was ever a part of.” With the resting Sinner and the wrist-injured Alcaraz missing from this edition, Djokovic’s chances of a possible fourth Cincinnati trophy are at least decent. As his career starts to inevitably wind down, Djokovic’s schedule has reduced. He stands 14-5 this season and is still seeking a first title of 2026. AFP
NUNS begins 16U title defense with new faces NATIONAL University-Nazareth School will begin its title defense in the UAAP Season 89 16-and-under boys’ basketball tournament with a revamped lineup when it takes on the University of Santo Tomas today (Saturday) at the FEU-Diliman Gym in Quezon City. Gone from the Bullpups’ roster are reigning Best Foreign StudentAthlete Moussa Diakite, last season’s Finals MVP David Sabareza, Jaypee Yanga, and Ian Manalo, who have all moved up to the 19-and-under ranks. Expected to lead NU-Nazareth this season are 14-year-old RJ Mayor and 15-year-old Martin Macoy. The Junior Tiger Cubs, meanwhile, will be led by Nicolai Cabañero, the younger brother of former Growling Tiger Nic Cabañero and current Tiger Cub Andwele Cabañero.
Games Saturday (FEU-Diliman Gym) 9 a.m. - UE vs UPIS 11 a.m. - UST vs NUNS 1 p.m. - Ateneo vs DLSZ 3 p.m. - FEU-D vs ADU Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. Fresh off their stint with Gilas Pilipinas Boys in the 2026 B.League Under-16 Challenge Cup, Hisham Mampao and Dwyane Madrigal return to FEU-Diliman. Meanwhile, Jayson Mercado is back with the University of the East, now handled by former Red Warriors standout Paulo Hubalde. The Baby Tamaraws, last season’s runners-up and hosts for Saturday’s games, will face the Adamson Baby Falcons at 3 p.m., while the Junior Warriors take on the UPIS Fighting Maroons at 9
Members of the National University-Nazareth School celebrate their title romp.
a.m. to open the day. At 1 p.m., Ateneo High School and De La Salle-Zobel will renew their rivalry. Notably, Gilas Pilipinas Boys
guard Marco Yoro is not part of the Blue Eagles’ lineup. The Junior Archers, meanwhile, will be led by twins Enzo and Ice Purugganan.
BUSINESS
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2026
extrastory2000@gmail.com RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ, Editor ALENA MAE S. FLORES, Asst. Editor
ILLICIT CIGARETTES.
Finance Secretary Frederick Go leads the inspection of illicit tobacco products and equipment in Cebu on Aug. 13, 2026 as part of efforts to protect government revenue and public health. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) destroyed the seized illicit tobacco products and manufacturing materials with an estimated P240 million in unpaid taxes and administrative penalties.
WHAT’S INSIDE? PH stocks climb as US inflation eases
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Consumer purchases fell FMCG spending in Q2 in Q2 amid financial strain
P286 billion
By Othel V. Campos
F FMCG spending
P291 billion
in Q1
P297 billion FMCG spending in Q4
Dominion eyes SMIC’s 34% stake in Atlas
ILIPINO household spending on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) fell 0.8 percent year-on-year to P286 billion in the second quarter of 2026 from a year ago, as mounting financial pressures made it harder for shoppers to grow their baskets, according to Worldpanel by Numerator’s second-quarter Shopperscope 2026 report.
It followed a 1.6-percent increase in FMCG spending in the first quarter. Quarterly spending peaked at P298 billion in the third quarter of 2025 before easing to P297 billion in the fourth quarter and P291 billion in the first quarter of 2026. Worldpanel said shoppers are still making room for FMCG purchases despite a more pressured environment, but their baskets are becoming harder to grow.
More Filipino households expect their financial and socioeconomic situation to worsen over the next 12 months. Shopperscope 2026 found more households identifying as just making ends meet or unable to cover their families’ expenses. “Our data shows that Filipinos are slipping back into financial constraints after experiencing signs of improve-
PAGCOR’S DONATION. Volunteers
unload relief packs donated by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) for families affected by Tropical Cyclones Luis and Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat). PAGCOR says it has released an initial P65.60 million in food and non-food assistance to communities in Luzon and Metro Manila, including 23,596 food packs and 23,596 nonfood items.
By Jenniffer B. Austria DOMINION Holdings Inc. (DHI), controlled by the Sy family, confirmed Friday it is negotiating to acquire SM Investments Corp.’s (SMIC) 34-percent stake in Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., while declining to discuss a potential deal involving the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project. DHI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the acquisition of SMIC’s Atlas stake remains under negotiation, with the structure, terms, size and timing of the transaction still being worked out. The company said acquiring SMIC’s 34-percent Atlas stake would improve its balance sheet and provide prospects for longterm growth and returns. DHI holds a 20.43-percent stake in Atlas, acquired from the Ramosled Anglo Philippines Holdings Corp. The company plans to keep that 20.43-percent stake as a passive investment until it can acquire a larger block in the mining firm. DHI said it could fund the potential acquisition through internal funds and possible borrowings. SMIC president and chief executive Frederic DyBuncio said early this week that the company expects to complete the sale of its Atlas stake to another Sy-owned listed firm by next year. DHI did not provide details on the Tampakan project, saying it is not currently a stakeholder in the project and that it was “too early to discuss” the transaction. “We respectfully submit that it is too early for DHI to discuss matters pertaining to the Tampakan Project as it is not one of the present stakeholders there, and must respect separate corporate identities and privacy rights,” DHI said. The Tampakan project, located in Mindanao, is one of the country’s major undeveloped copper-gold projects. DHI said it currently has no further material information on the potential acquisition.
ment in 2025. Although the direct impact may vary, Filipino households are feeling intensified pressure from ongoing global challenges,” said Worldpanel by Numerator shopper insights director Laurice Obana. The report tracked household sentiments and shopping behaviors from January to March 2026, before the Middle East conflict, and in April, when the conflict began. As budgets tighten, shoppers are shifting to cheaper products, seeking promotions and discounts and buying smaller baskets. FMCG recorded zero growth from March to May 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. Worldpanel also found that shoppers are choosing retail channels based on category needs. Discounters lead purchases of frozen meat and non-sweet snacks, while baby diapers lead online purchases.
2 DICT officials lose posts in Palace-ordered revamp By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it relieved two senior officials of their posts as the agency reshuffled key officers following action initiated by the Office of the President. Undersecretary for special concerns Christina Faye Condez-De Sagon and assistant secretary for regional development June Vincent Manuel Gaudan were relieved from their positions. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda issued Department Order No. HRA020, Series of 2026, on Aug. 10 to address the resulting vacancies, reassigning key personnel and designating officers-in-charge.
According to the DICT’s official directory, Condez-De Sagon served as undersecretary for special concerns while Gaudan headed the regional development portfolio as assistant secretary. The new department order did not give either official a new assignment. Director Maria Teresa MagnoGarcia was designated OIC chief of staff of the Office of the Secretary in a concurrent capacity. She will oversee day-to-day administrative and operational functions, exercise oversight over bureaus and project teams and maintain direct control over the Internal Audit Service. The DICT placed the International Cooperation Division and Legislative Liaison Division directly under the
Office of the Secretary. Assistant secretary Christian Mark Guingcangco was designated OIC undersecretary for special concerns, taking over the portfolio previously held by Condez-De Sagon. He will serve as the primary coordinator for all attached agencies and exercise direct supervision over the Infostructure Management Bureau, Free Public Internet Access Program, Regional Offices and Postal Regulation Division. Director Emmy Lou Delfin was named OIC assistant secretary for regional development, assuming the role vacated by Gaudan. She will serve under the direct control and supervision of OIC Undersecretary Guingcangco.
PCIC readies crop insurance payouts
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San Miguel’s profit fell 73% in first half
B4 6 in 10 Filipino workers happy with salary EIGHT in 10 Filipino workers believe they are fairly or well paid, but only 59 perceny, or nearly six in 10, are satisfied with their salaries, a gap of 21 percentage points between pay fairness and salary satisfaction, according to Jobstreet by SEEK’s 2026 Salary Pulse Report released Friday. The disparity puts the Philippines second in the Asia-Pacific region for perceived pay fairness, behind Indonesia at 81 percent, but the findings suggest that feeling fairly compensated does not necessarily translate into salary happiness. The report is based on a February 2026 survey of more than 1,000 employed Filipinos. It found that 45 percent of workers still consider their earnings insufficient to meet their costof-living needs. Among employees who described their pay as fair, only 44 percent said they were satisfied with their compensation, suggesting workers judge their salaries not only against market rates but also against their workload, contributions and ability to support their lifestyle. Salary happiness also carries a strong bearing on employee engagement and retention. Workers who are happy with their pay are more than 2.2 times as likely to feel motivated and willing to put in extra effort, the study found, while those unhappy with their salaries are 2.9 times more likely to actively look for another job. Othel V. Campos
Coins.ph, Skyro to expand QR Ph payments DIGITAL wallet provider Coins. ph and consumer finance fintech Skyro have signed a partnership to expand QR Ph payment acceptance and disbursement services during the ASEAN Tech Summit at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport City, Pasay City. Coins.ph chief executive Wei Zhou and global marketing director Amira Alawi formalized the agreement with Skyro co-founders and co-chief executives Arsen Liametov and Nasim Aliev and president Anthony Co. The alliance will cover QR Ph Scan-to-Pay, QR Ph payment acceptance and disbursement services, in-
tegrating the national QR code standard to offer consumers, enterprise partners and merchant networks safer, faster and more versatile transaction capabilities. Under the tie-up, consumers will gain access to interoperable payments across Skyro’s network of more than 10,000 partner stores and more than 4,000 offline and online merchant partners nationwide. Skyro will also use Coins.ph’s payout infrastructure to strengthen cash distributions, credit payouts, loan disbursements and merchant settlements, allowing partner businesses to process instant bulk payouts and improve operational efficiency.
Coins.ph and Skyro sign an agreement to expand digital payments and disbursements. Signing the deal are Coins.ph chief executive Wei Zhou, global marketing director Amira Alawi, Skyro co-founders and co-chief executives Arsen Liametov and Nasim Aliev and president Anthony Co.
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BUSINESS
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2026 extrastory2000@gmail.com CCareerOpportunity Oppo un ninPa Roya GGroup oup Inc. n Opportunity ParcRoyal RoyalGroup Career Career OpportunityininParc Parc Royal GroupInc. Inc.
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•••• •••• •• ••
d and nd manages mmanages n h overall ooveralldaily ddailyoperations op on of oofthe h wellness, wwellness, n on entertainment, n nm n Leads and the operations the recreation, entertainment, Leads Leads and managesthe the overall daily operations of the wellness,recreation, recreation, entertainment, nd hospitality ho p and hospitality facilities. and facilities. and hospitality facilities.
n u excellent n guest u experience, p n smooth moo h operations, op on and nd strong on business bu n performance pperformance o m n innin Ensures excellent guest experience, smooth operations, and strong business performance in Ensures Ensures excellent guest experience, smooth operations, and strong business n with wwith h company omp n goals. o line with company goals. line line company goals. on leadership d h p and nd organizational oorganizational n on skills. Strong leadership and organizational skills. Strong Strong leadership and skills. p n n w n p ho p oor n nm n management. m n m n Experience in wellness, spa, hospitality, orentertainment entertainment management. Experience Experienceininwellness, wellness,spa, spa,hospitality, hospitality,or entertainment management. Good ommun on and nd decision-making ddecision-making on m n skills. Goodcommunication communication and decision-making skills. Good Good communication and skills. Know d of oof nd d safety, nd operational op on procedures. pprocedures. o du Knowledge ofservice servicestandards, standards, safety,and and operational procedures. Knowledge Knowledge service standards, safety, and operational App on may m bbe n to: o Applications maybe besent sent to: Applications Applications may sent to: m ndm @ m om emgrandmail@gmail.com emgrandmail@gmail.com emgrandmail@gmail.com
Comp n mp o e Company/Employer Company/Employer Company/Employer
NName m of Name offoreign foreignnational nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position
Comp n Name: NName: me Parc PParcRoyal Ro GGroup oup Inc. n NName: me Company Name: Company RoyalGroup Inc. 11.Liu u Ying n Liu Ying 1. Comp n Address: Add e Company Address: Company BBlock o 55Lot o 33Bradco BBradco d o Avenue AAvenue nu Aseana AAseana n Block Lot CCity,Tambo, mbo Parañaque PParañaque ñ qu City CCity City, Tambo,
Add e Address: Address: 11.Paranaque PParanaque n qu City CCity 1.
NNature u e of oofBusiness: Bu ne (Not No Specified) p d Nature Business: (Not Specified)
n ended period pe od of oofemployment: emp o men Intended Intended period employment: On 11(year) 11--One One1(year)
NNationality: on Nationality: 11.Chinese Ch n 1. Chinese
PParcRoyal Ro GGroup oup Inc. n hereby hhereby b declares ddeclaresthat h the h above-named bo n m d foreign o n national nnational on isisable, b willing, wwilling, n and nd qualified qu d Parc RoyalGroup Inc. that the above-named foreign able, and qualified to o perform pperform o m the h services nd job ob description ddescription p on for o this h position. po on The h company omp n has hhasthe h intention nintention n on to o employ mp o the h to the servicesand and job for this position. The company the to employ the said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of Labor and d foreign o n nnational on and nd apply pp for o an n AAlien n Employment mp o m n PPermit m wwith h the h DDepartment p m n oof Labor bo and nd said Employment Luna.. mp o m n --National NNational on Capital CCapital p Region RRegion on located olocated d at Do CCentral n office oofficemuralla mu o n general n un Employment atDole DoleCentral murallaststcorner corner general Luna..
Career CCareerOpportunity Oppo un inninVehicle Veh e Master Ma e Service Se v e Corp. Co p Opportunity Vehicle Master Service Corp.
Marketing Marketing AndSales Sales Consultant Ma ke ng And Sa e Consultant Con u an Nine (9) NNine n (9) 9 Vacancy VVacancy n Job Job DDescription: JobDescription: Description:
••
Qualification: QQualification: Qualification:
•• •• ••••
Identify Identify effective marketing campaigns that reach targeted audiences effectively and dIdentify n effective m n campaigns mp n that h will wwill h targeted d audiences ud n effectively nd effectivemarketing marketing campaigns that willreach reach targeted audiences effectivelyand and efficiently. efficiently. n efficiently. Strong Strong knowledge sales and techniques coupled excellent knowledge on knowledge now d of oof nd persuasion ppersuasion u on techniques hn qu coupled oup d with wwith h excellent n knowledge now d of oof Strong knowledge ofsales salesand and persuasion techniques coupled with excellent knowledge of the the h products. pproducts. odu the products. Knowledge and Knowledge analysis and market research. Know d of oof ddata n nd market m h Knowledge ofdata dataanalysis analysis and marketresearch. research. Intuition Intuition about customer and nIntuition u on about bou customer u om desires ddesires nd practical ppractical nneeds. d about customer desiresand and practicalneeds. needs.
Company/Employer Company/Employer Comp n mp o e Company/Employer Company Name: Company Master Comp n NName: me Vehicle VVehicle h Master M Company Name: Vehicle Master Service Corp. Service Corp. p ServiceCo Corp.
Applications Applications may sent to: App on may m bbe n to: o Applications maybe besent sent to: vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com h m o p@ m om vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com
Company Company Address: Comp n Address: Add e Company Address: 27 T. Santiago Canumay 27 St., West 27 n o St., num West W 27 T. T. Santiago Santiago St.,CCanumay Canumay West Valenzuela VValenzuela nu Valenzuela
Name foreign national intending to apply for the position of NName m of Name of foreign foreign national national intending intending to to apply apply for for the the position position
Name: NName: me Name: 1. Lai Chuanzhang, Zhang Li Liangcheng, Zhang Chuanzhang, 11. n h n 2. 22. h n Qingyi, QQingyi, n 3. 33. n h n 4. 44. h n 1. Lai LaiChu Chuanzhang, 2. Zhang Zhang Qingyi, 3. Li Li Liangcheng, Liangcheng, 4. Zhang Zhang Yuanyi Zhang Dai Jia, 6. Nguyen Oanh, Pham Yuanyi Jing, Vu Pham u n A.k.a AA.k.a h n Jing, n 5. 55. u n Vu Vu nh 7. 77. m Yuanyi A.k.a Zhang Zhang Jing, 5.DDai Dai Jia, Jia,66. 6.NNguyen Nguyen VuOOanh, Oanh, 7.Ph Pham Thuy Linh, 8. Pham Quoc Viet, 9. Nyiau Kean Wei Thuy Linh, 8. Pham Quoc Viet, 9. Nyiau Kean Wei hu nh 8 Ph m Quo V 9 N u K n W Thuy Linh, 8. Pham Quoc Viet, 9. Nyiau Kean Wei
Address: Address: Add e Address: 1-2,7-9. City 3,6. 4. Taguig 5. Quezon Makati Manila Quezon 11-2,7-9. 2 7 9 Makati M 6 Manila M n City CCity u City CCity on City CCity 1-2,7-9. MakatiCCity City33,6. 3,6. Manila City44. 4. Taguig Taguig City55. 5.Qu Quezon City
Nationality: NNationality: on Nationality: 1-5,8. Chinese 6-7. Vietnamese 9.9.Malaysia Chinese Malaysia 11-5,8. 5 8 Ch n 66-7. 7 VVietnamese n m 99.M 1-5,8. Chinese 6-7. Vietnamese Malaysia Nature of Business: Repairs And Intended period of employment: Nature of Business: Repairs And Intended period of employment: NNature u e oofBu ne RRepairs p And nIntended ended pe od oofemp o men Business: And period employment: Maintenance Of Motor Vehicles 1-9 - Three 3(years) Maintenance Motor M n n n OOf o VVehicles h 11-9 9 -- Three h 33(years) Maintenance OfMo Motor Vehicles 1-9 Three 3(years) Vehicle Master Service Corp. hereby declares that the above-named foreign national is able, willing, and Vehicle Master Service Corp. hereby declares that able, Veh eM e Service e e Co p hhereby b ddeclares that h the h above-named bo n m d foreign o n nnational on is b wwilling, n and nd Vehicle Master Corp. the above-named foreign national is able, willing, and qualified to perform the services and job description for this position. The company has the intention to qualified and description position. the qu d to o pperform o m the h services nd job ob p on for o this h po on The h company omp n hhas h nintention n on to o qualified to perform the services and jobddescription for this position. The company has the intention to employ employthe thesaid saidforeign foreignnational nationaland andapply applyfor foran anAlien AlienEmployment EmploymentPermit Permitwith withthe theDepartment Departmentof ofLabor Labor mp o the h said d foreign o n nnational on and nd apply pp for o an n AAlien n Employment mp o m n PPermit m wwith h the h DDepartment p m n oof Labor bo employ and Employment --National Capital Region located at and Employment National Capital Region located atDole DoleCentral Centraloffice officemuralla murallaststcorner cornergeneral generalLuna.. Luna.. Career Opportunity in Parc Royal Group Inc. Career Opportunity in Parc Royal Group Inc. nd Employment mp o m n -NNational on CCapital p RRegion on olocated d atDo n oofficemu o n general n un and DoleCCentral muralla st corner Luna..
General Manager General Manager Career Opportunity ininParc Career Opportunity ParcRoyal RoyalGroup GroupInc. Inc. One One(1) (1)Vacancy Vacancy General Manager General Manager Career Opportunity Career OpportunityininParc ParcRoyal RoyalGroup GroupInc. Inc. Job JobDescription: Description: One One(1) (1)Vacancy Vacancy General Manager General Manager • The • TheGeneral GeneralManager Managerisisresponsible responsiblefor foroverseeing overseeingthe theoverall overalloperations operationsof ofthe thecompany, company, Job Description: Job One (1) OneDescription: (1)Vacancy Vacancy ensuring ensuringthat thatprojects, projects,business businessobjectives, objectives,financial financialperformance, performance,and andorganizational organizationalgoals goals •• The General isisresponsible Theachieved GeneralManager Manager responsiblefor foroverseeing overseeingthe theoverall overalloperations operationsof ofthe thecompany, company, are efficiently. Job JobDescription: Description: are achieved efficiently. ensuring ensuringthat thatprojects, projects,business businessobjectives, objectives,financial financialperformance, performance,and andorganizational organizationalgoals goals The role strategic planning, operational management, and across all Theachieved roleinvolves involves strategic planning,for operational management, andleadership leadership across all The General Manager isisresponsible overseeing the of company, •••• are The General Manager responsible for overseeing theoverall overalloperations operations ofthe the company, efficiently. are achieved efficiently. departments. departments. ensuring that ensuring thatprojects, projects,business businessobjectives, objectives,financial financialperformance, performance,and andorganizational organizationalgoals goals •• The role strategic The roleinvolves involves strategicplanning, planning,operational operationalmanagement, management,and andleadership leadershipacross acrossall all Qualification: Qualification: are efficiently. areachieved achieved efficiently. departments. departments. •• The Management, Business Administration, or field. role strategic planning, management, and Management, Business Administration, oraarelated related field. The roleinvolves involves strategic planning,operational operational management, andleadership leadershipacross acrossall all Qualification: Qualification: departments. departments. • Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills. • Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making •• Management, Management,Business BusinessAdministration, Administration,or oraarelated relatedfield. field. skills. Qualification: Qualification: Excellent knowledge of project budgeting, and Excellent knowledge ofAdministration, projectmanagement, management, budgeting, andbusiness businessdevelopment. development. •••• Strong leadership, communication, and Management, Business or Strong leadership, communication, anddecision-making decision-making skills. Management, Business Administration, oraarelated relatedfield. field.skills. Knowledge ininMicrosoft Office project management software isisaaplus. Knowledge Microsoft Officeand and project management software plus. •••• Excellent knowledge of management, budgeting, and business development. Strong leadership, communication, and Excellent knowledge ofproject project management, budgeting,skills. and business development. Strong leadership, communication, anddecision-making decision-making skills.
•• ••
Applications may sent to: Excellent of management, budgeting, and development. Knowledge ininMicrosoft Office and project management isisaaplus. Applications maybe be sent to: software Excellentknowledge knowledge ofproject project management, budgeting, andbusiness business development. Knowledge Microsoft Office and project management software plus. emgrandmail@gmail.com emgrandmail@gmail.com Knowledge and management KnowledgeininMicrosoft MicrosoftOffice Office andproject project management softwareisisaaplus. plus. Applications may sent Applications maybe be sentto: to: software Name of national Company/Employer Namemay offoreign foreign nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer emgrandmail@gmail.com emgrandmail@gmail.com Applications Applications maybe besent sentto: to: emgrandmail@gmail.com Company Name: Name: Name CompanyCompany/Employer Name:Parc ParcRoyal RoyalGroup GroupInc. Inc. emgrandmail@gmail.com Name: Nameof offoreign foreignnational nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer 1.1.Chen Yongren Chen Yongren Name of Company/Employer Name offoreign foreignnational nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer Company CompanyName: Name:Parc ParcRoyal RoyalGroup GroupInc. Inc. Name: Name: Company Address: Address: Chen CompanyName: Address: Address: Company Parc Name: 1. ChenYongren Yongren Company Name: ParcRoyal RoyalGroup GroupInc. Inc. 1. Name: Block 1. Taguig City 1. Yongren Block55Lot Lot33Bradco BradcoAvenue AvenueAseana Aseana 1.Chen Taguig City 1. Chen Yongren Company Address: Address: Company Address: Address: City, Parañaque City,Tambo, Tambo, ParañaqueCity City Nationality: Company Address: Block 55Lot 33Bradco 1. Taguig Nationality: Company Address: Address: Block LotAddress: BradcoAvenue AvenueAseana Aseana 1. TaguigCity City Block 55Lot Bradco 1. City 1. Chinese City, City BlockTambo, Lot33Parañaque BradcoAvenue Avenue Aseana 1. Taguig City 1.Taguig Chinese City, Tambo, Parañaque City Aseana Nationality: Nationality: City, City,Tambo, Tambo,Parañaque ParañaqueCity City Nationality: Nationality: 1. Chinese Nature Intended 1. Chineseperiod Natureof ofBusiness: Business:(Not (NotSpecified) Specified) Intended periodof ofemployment: employment: 1. 11. Two 1-Chinese -Chinese Two2(years) 2(years)of employment: Nature Intended Natureof ofBusiness: Business:(Not (NotSpecified) Specified) Intendedperiod period of employment: Nature of (Not Specified) period Nature ofBusiness: Business: (Not Specified) periodof ofemployment: employment: 1Intended -the 2(years) Parc Group hereby declares above-named foreign 1Intended -Two Two 2(years) ParcRoyal Royal GroupInc. Inc. hereby declaresthat that the above-named foreignnational nationalisisable, able,willing, willing,and andqualified qualified 11--for Two 2(years) Two 2(years) to the and description this position. company has intention toand employ the toperform perform theservices services andjob job description for this position.The The company hasisthe intention employ the Parc Royal Inc. declares that above-named foreign national able, willing, qualified Parc RoyalGroup Group Inc.hereby hereby declares thatthe the above-named foreign national isthe able, willing,to and qualified said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of Labor and Parc Royal Inc. hereby declares that above-named foreign national able, willing, and qualified said foreign national apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of Labor and Parc RoyalGroup Group Inc.and hereby declares thatthe the above-named foreign national is able, willing, and qualified to perform the services and job description for this position. The company has the intention to employ the to perform the services and job description for this position. The company hasis the intention to employ the to perform the services and job description for this position. The company has the intention to employ the Employment National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Luna.. to perform the services jobfor description for at this position. The company has intention toand employ the Employment - National Capital Region located Dole Central office muralla st the corner general Luna.. said foreign and apply an Employment Permit with the of Labor said foreignnational national andand apply for anAlien Alien Employment Permit with theDepartment Department of Labor and said and apply for Employment Permit with the of Labor and saidforeign foreignnational national and applyRegion foran anAlien Alien Employment Permit withmuralla theDepartment Department of LaborLuna.. and Employment --National Capital located at office ststcorner Employment National Capital Region located atDole DoleCentral Central office muralla cornergeneral general Luna.. Employment Employment--National NationalCapital CapitalRegion Regionlocated locatedat atDole DoleCentral Centraloffice officemuralla murallaststcorner cornergeneral generalLuna.. Luna.. Career CareerOpportunity OpportunityininFlareneo FlareneoPrime PrimeTechnology TechnologyInc. Inc. Career ininFlareneo CareerOpportunity Opportunity FlareneoPrime PrimeTechnology TechnologyInc. Inc. Career Opportunity in Flareneo Prime Technology Inc. Marketing Director Career Opportunity in Flareneo Prime Technology Inc. Marketing Director One One(1) (1)Vacancy Vacancy Marketing Marketing Director Marketing Director MarketingDirector Director
One (1) Vacancy One (1) Vacancy One (1) Job One (1)Vacancy Vacancy JobDescription: Description:
•• ••
Job Description: Job Description: Job TheMarketing MarketingDirector Directorisisresponsible responsiblefor fordeveloping developingand andimplementing implementingthe thecompany's company's JobDescription: Description: The
overall marketing strategy to brand awareness, generate business opportunities, overall marketing strategy toincrease increasefor brand awareness, generate business opportunities, The Marketing Director is developing and the The Marketing Director responsible for developing and implementing the company's The Marketing Director isis responsible for developing and implementing the company's The Marketing Director isresponsible responsible for developing andimplementing implementing thecompany's company's and revenue growth. andsupport support revenue growth. overall marketing strategy to overall marketing strategy to increase brand awareness, generate business opportunities, overall marketing strategy to increase brand awareness, generate business opportunities, overall marketing strategy toincrease increasebrand brandawareness, awareness,generate generatebusiness businessopportunities, opportunities, Qualification: Qualification: and andsupport supportrevenue revenuegrowth. growth. Qualification: Qualification: •• AtAtleast leasthave haveexperience experienceininmarketing marketingor oraarelated relatedmanagerial managerialposition. position. ••• AtStrong least have ininmarketing or managerial position. At leastknowledge haveexperience experience marketing oraarelated related position. of strategies, market research, brand Strong knowledge ofmarketing marketing strategies, marketmanagerial research,and and brandmanagement. management.
•••• •••• ••
Strong knowledge of strategies, market and brand management. Strong knowledge ofmarketing marketing strategies, marketresearch, research, Excellent communication, leadership, and skills. Excellent communication, leadership, andanalytical analytical skills. and brand management. Excellent communication, leadership, and analytical skills. Excellent communication, leadership, and analytical skills. Proficient in digital marketing, social media, and marketing tools. Proficient in digital marketing, social media, and marketing tools. Proficientinindigital digitalmarketing, marketing,social socialmedia, media,and andmarketing marketingtools. tools. Proficient Applications Applicationsmay maybe besent sentto: to: Applications may be sent to: Applications may be sent to: Applications monica20190802@gmail.com Applicationsmay maybe besent sentto: to: monica20190802@gmail.com monica20190802@gmail.com monica20190802@gmail.com monica20190802@gmail.com monica20190802@gmail.com Name Company/Employer Nameof offoreign foreignnational nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position Company/Employer Nameof offoreign foreignnational nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer Name Company/Employer Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position Company/Employer Company Name: CompanyName: Name:Flareneo FlareneoPrime Prime Name: Company Name: Flareneo Prime Name: CompanyName: Name: FlareneoPrime Prime Name: Company Name: Company Name: Flareneo Prime Name: Technology Inc. 1. Wang Hong Technology Inc. Flareneo 1.Wang WangHong Hong Technology Inc. 1.1. TechnologyInc. Inc. WangHong Hong Technology 1. Technology Inc. 1.Wang Wang Hong Company Address: Address: CompanyAddress: Address: Address: Company Address: Company Address: Address: Company Company Address: Address: Unit 1104 Capital House Tower 9Th 1. Taguig City Unit1104 1104Address: CapitalHouse HouseTower Tower11119Th 9Th Address: 1.Taguig TaguigCity City Unit Capital 1. Unit 1104 Capital House Tower 9Th 1. Taguig City Unit 1104 Capital House Tower 119Th Unit 1104 Capital House Tower 9Th 1.1.Taguig TaguigCity City Avenue Coner 34Th Street Bonifacio Avenue Coner 34Th Street Bonifacio Avenue Coner 34Th Street Bonifacio Avenue Coner 34Th Street Bonifacio Nationality: Nationality: Nationality: Avenue Coner 34Th Street Bonifacio Nationality: Avenue Coner 34Th Street Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City GlobalCity, City,Fort FortBonifacio BonifacioTaguig TaguigCity City Nationality: Global Global City, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City Nationality: 1. Chinese 1.Chinese Chinese 1. 1. Chinese Global GlobalCity, City,Fort FortBonifacio BonifacioTaguig TaguigCity City 1. 1.Chinese Chinese Nature of Business: (Not Specified) Intended period of employment: Natureof ofBusiness: Business:(Not (NotSpecified) Specified) Intendedperiod periodof ofemployment: employment: Nature Intended Nature of Business: (Not Specified) Intended period of employment: Nature Intended period of Natureof ofBusiness: Business:(Not (NotSpecified) Specified) period ofemployment: employment: Three 3(years) 11Intended Three3(years) 3(years) 11----Three Three 3(years) 11--Three Three3(years) 3(years) Flareneo Flareneo Prime Technology Inc. hereby declares that the above-named foreign national able, willing, Flareneo Prime Technology Inc. hereby declares that the above-named foreign national able, willing, FlareneoPrime PrimeTechnology TechnologyInc. Inc.hereby herebydeclares declaresthat thatthe theabove-named above-namedforeign foreignnational nationalisisisisable, able,willing, willing, Flareneo Prime hereby declares that above-named foreign national ishas able, Flareneo Prime Technology Inc. hereby declares thatthe thefor above-named foreign nationalhas ishas able, willing, and to perform services and job The the intention and qualified to perform the services and job description for this position. The company the intention and qualified to perform the services and job description for this position. The company has the intention andqualified qualified toTechnology performthe theInc. services and jobdescription description forthis thisposition. position. Thecompany company thewilling, intention and qualified tosaid perform the services and job for this The has and qualified perform the services and jobdescription description thisposition. position. Thecompany company hasthe theintention intention to the foreign national and apply for Employment Permit with of to employ the said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of to employ the said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of toemploy employ theto said foreign national and apply foran anAlien Alienfor Employment Permit withthe theDepartment Department of to employ the said national and for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of to employ the saidforeign foreign national andapply apply forlocated an Alienat Employment with thest Department of Labor and ----National Capital Region Dole office corner Labor and Employment National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Labor and Employment National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Labor andEmployment Employment National Capital Region located at DoleCentral CentralPermit officemuralla muralla st cornergeneral general Labor and Employment - National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Luna.. Labor Luna.. Luna.. Luna..and Employment - National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Luna.. Luna.. Career CareerOpportunity OpportunityininVehicle VehicleMaster MasterService ServiceCorp. Corp. Career CareerOpportunity OpportunityininVehicle VehicleMaster MasterService ServiceCorp. Corp. Career CareerOpportunity OpportunityininVehicle VehicleMaster MasterService ServiceCorp. Corp.
General GeneralAutomotive AutomotiveMechanic Mechanic General Automotive General AutomotiveMechanic Mechanic Ten Ten(10) (10)Vacancy Vacancy General Automotive General AutomotiveMechanic Mechanic Ten (10) Vacancy Ten(10) (10) Vacancy Ten Ten (10)Vacancy Vacancy Job JobDescription: Description:
Job JobDescription: Description: Job JobDescription: Description: Automotive Automotivemechanics mechanicshelp helpdiagnose diagnoseand andrepair repairvarious variousissues issuesfor fordifferent differentautomotive automotive
•• ••• Automotive Automotive mechanics help diagnose and Automotive mechanics help diagnose andrepair repairvarious variousissues issuesfor fordifferent differentautomotive automotive vehicles, including cars, trucks and vehicles, including cars,help trucks andvans. vans. • mechanics diagnose and Automotive mechanics help diagnose andrepair repairvarious variousissues issuesfor fordifferent differentautomotive automotive vehicles, including cars, trucks and vans. Qualification: vehicles,including includingcars, cars,trucks trucksand andvans. vans. Qualification: vehicles, vehicles, including cars, trucks and vans. Qualification: Qualification: •• Must Qualification: Mustdevelop developskills skillsininareas areaslike likeproblem-solving, problem-solving,communication, communication,and andattention attentionto todetail. detail. Qualification: Must develop skills ininareas areas like problem-solving, communication, and attention to detail. Mustdevelop develop skillsin areas like problem-solving, communication, andattention attention todetail. detail. Strong communication skills are aproblem-solving, of abilities. •••• Must skills communication, and to Strong communication skillslike areproblem-solving, acritical criticalcomponent component ofan anauto automechanic's mechanic's abilities. Must develop skills in areas like communication, and attention to detail. Strong communication skills are a critical component of an auto mechanic's abilities. Strong communication skills are a critical component of an auto mechanic's abilities. •••• Strong Time management also helps mechanics estimate how long each repair will take. Time management also helps mechanics estimate how long each repair will take. Strongcommunication communicationskills skillsare areaacritical criticalcomponent componentof ofan anauto automechanic's mechanic'sabilities. abilities. Time management also helps mechanics estimate how long each repair will take. Timemanagement managementalso alsohelps helps mechanics estimate howlong longeach eachrepair repairwill willtake. take. •••• Time mechanics estimate how Applications may be Time management also helps mechanics estimate how long each repair will take. Applications may besent sentto: to:
vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com Applications may be sent to: Applicationsmay maybe besent sentto: to: Applications Applications may be sent to: vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com Name vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com Company/Employer Nameof offoreign foreignnational nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position Company/Employer Company Name: Name: Nameof offoreign foreignnational nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer CompanyCompany/Employer Name:Vehicle VehicleMaster Master Name: Name Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position Company/Employer Service 1.1.Yang ServiceCorp. Corp. YangChao, Chao,2.2.Huang HuangXiaoming, Xiaoming,3.3.You YouGuizhu, Guizhu,4.4.Zeng ZengJun, Jun,5.5. Company Name: Vehicle Master Name: CompanyName: Name:Vehicle VehicleMaster Master Name: Company Name: Company Name: Vehicle Master Name: Luo Tibiao, 6. Ren Hucheng, 7. Zhang Hongming, 8. Pan Luo Tibiao, 6. Ren Hucheng, 7. Zhang Hongming, 8. PanYanwen, Yanwen, Service Corp. 1. Yang Chao, 2. Huang Xiaoming, 3. You Guizhu, 4. Zeng Jun, 5. ServiceCorp. Corp. 1. Yang Chao, 2. Huang Xiaoming, 3. You Guizhu, 4. Zeng Jun,5. 5. Service 1. Yang Chao, 2. Huang Xiaoming, 3. You Guizhu, 4. Zeng Jun, Service Corp. 1. Yang Chao, 2. Huang Xiaoming, 3. You Guizhu, 4. Zeng Jun, 5. 9. Zhu Zhuo, 10. Fan Yafei 9. Zhu Zhuo, 10. Fan Yafei Luo Tibiao, 6. Ren Hucheng, 7. Zhang Hongming, 8. Pan LuoTibiao, Tibiao,6. 6.Ren RenHucheng, Hucheng,7. 7.Zhang ZhangHongming, Hongming,8. 8.Pan PanYYanwen, Yanwen, Luo nw n Luo Tibiao, 6. Ren Hucheng, 7. Zhang Hongming, 8. Pan Yanwen, Company Address: CompanyAddress: Address: Address: 10. 9.Zhu Zhu Zhuo, 10.Fan Fan Yafei 99. hu Zhuo, huo 10 n Yafei 9. Zhu Zhuo, 10. Fan Yafei 27 1,4-6. 27T.T.Santiago SantiagoSt., St.,Canumay CanumayWest West 1,4-6.Taguig TaguigCity City2-3,8. 2-3,8.Makati MakatiCity City7.7.Parañaque ParañaqueCity City9.9.Manila Manila Company Address: Address: Company Address: Address: Comp n Add e Add e10.Pasay Valenzuela City 10. Company Address: Address: Valenzuela City PasayCity City 27 West Makati Manila 27T. T.Santiago Santiago St.,CCanumay Canumay West 1,4-6. Taguig City22-3,8. 2-3,8. MakatiCCity City77. 7.PParañaque Parañaque City99. 9.M Manila 27 n o St., num W 11,4-6. 4 6 Taguig u CCity 38 M ñ qu CCity n 27 T. Santiago St., Canumay West 1,4-6. Taguig City 2-3,8. Makati City 7. Parañaque City 9. Manila Nationality: Nationality: City 10. Valenzuela City10 10.PPasay PasayCCity City VValenzuela nu C1-10. Valenzuela City 10. Pasay City 1-10.Chinese Chinese Nationality: N on Nationality: Nationality: Nature Intended Natureof ofBusiness: Business:Repairs RepairsAnd And Intendedperiod periodof ofemployment: employment: 1-10. Chinese 11-10 10 -Ch n 3(years) 1-10. Chinese 1-10. Maintenance Three MaintenanceOf OfMotor MotorVehicles Vehicles 1-10 -Chinese Three3(years) Nature Business: And Intended period employment: N u e oof Bu neService RRepairs pCorp. And nIntended ended pe od oof o men Nature of Business: Repairs And Intended period ofemp employment: Nature of Business: Repairs And period of employment: Vehicle Master hereby that above-named foreign Vehicle Master Service Corp. herebydeclares declares thatthe the above-named foreignnational nationalisisable, able,willing, willing,and and Maintenance Motor M n n to ntoperform OOf otheVVehicles h 11-10 10 ---Three h for 33(years) Maintenance OfMo Motor Vehicles 1-10 Three 3(years) Maintenance Of Motor Vehicles 1-10 Three 3(years) qualified the services and this qualified perform services andjob jobdescription description for thisposition. position.The Thecompany companyhas hasthe theintention intentionto to employ the said foreign national and for an Employment the employ the said national and apply forthat anAlien Alien Employment Permit with theDepartment Department ofLabor Labor Veh eM e Service eforeign e Co p hhereby b apply ddeclares hthat htheabove-named bo n m d Permit oforeign nwith nnational on b w nof nd Vehicle Master Corp. the foreign isisisable, willing, and Vehicle Master Service Corp. hereby declares that the above-named foreign national able, willing, and Vehicle Master Service Corp. hereby declares above-named national able, willing, and and Employment Capital Region located at Dole Central office st general and Employment -National National Capital Region located atfor Dole Central office muralla corner general Luna.. qu d to otopperform o -m htheservices nd ob p on ofor hthis po on h muralla omp nstcorner hhas hthe nintention n Luna.. on oto qualified the and job this position. The company intention to qualified to perform the services and job description for this position. The company has the to qualified perform services and jobddescription description position. The company hasthe intention
mp o the hthesaid d foreign oforeign n nnational on and nd apply pp for oforan n AAlien n Employment mp o m n PPermit m w h the htheDDepartment p m n oof bo employ with employ the said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of Labor employ said national and apply an Alien Employment Permit with Department ofLabor Labor nd Employment mp o m n ---NNational on CCapital p RRegion on located olocated d at n ooffice ocorner n general n un and Dole muralla Luna.. and Employment National Capital Region at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Luna.. and Employment National Capital Region located atDo DoleCCentral Central officemu murallast stcorner general Luna..
PSEi edges up on US inflation data By Jenniffer B. Austria
P
HILIPPINE shares edged higher Friday as easing U.S. inflation reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates steady. The peso c osed s gh y weaker aga ns he U S do ar on Fr day a 61 45 from 61 343 on Thursday The 30-company Ph pp ne S ock Exchange ndex ga ned 0 14 percen or 9 05 po n s o 6 297 30 wh e he broader a shares ndex rose 0 06 percen or 1 94 po n s o 3 439 17
“The oca marke rose ak ng cues from Wa S ree ’s overn gh c mb ” Ph s ocks F nanc a Inc sa d “Th s comes on he back of favorab e nfla on figures n he US [wh ch] ra ses hopes ha he Federa Reserve won’ ake a hawk sh s ance mov ng forward ” Sec ors c osed m xed w h serv ces ead ng ga ns up 1 19 percen The proper y ndex rebounded from he prev ous day’s s ump r s ng 0 78 percen The m n ng and o ndex was he b gges sec ora dec ner fa ng 2 12 percen wh e financ a s dropped 1 03 percen Ho d ng firms s pped 0 32 percen and ndus r a s eased 0 04 percen Marke bread h was pos ve w h 113 advancers aga ns 92 dec ners wh e 52 s ocks were unchanged
CCareerOppo un ninHHinduja ndu GGlobal ob So u on LLimited m d Opportunity Solutions N OR OOPERATIONS R ON DDIRECTOR R C OR Position title: SENIOR Vacancy/ies (1) JobDDescription: m m m QQuality & Process m m m • Lead all campaign departments, includingOOperations, Training &DDevelopment, Improvement, Employee RRelations, andWWorkforceMManagement. m O m m m m m m • Oversee end to end operations, directing teams in performance management, people management, revenue and cost m optimization, client services, training, strategy, and organizational safety. DDrive revenue growth w through effective operational andmmanagement m • strategies. MManage assigned client accounts, ensuring business goals aremmet through strong coordination and partnershipwwith key • stakeholders. DDevelop,mmaintain, andmmanage budgets and operating plans for all assigned accounts. • QQualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, SkillsCCertification, Specialized Training): CCollege graduatewwith 10+ years in customer m service in the globalmmarket and at least 5 years in leadership roles. • w m mm m • Strong knowledge ofwworkforcemmanagement, telecommunications, and call center systems. C applications W w • Proficient in standard PC (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). DDemonstrates m • strategic and tactical leadership capabilities. ffi m • Skilled in evaluating and mimproving service delivery to enhance efficiency, satisfaction, and performance. AApplicationsmmay be sent to: NName m ofCCompany m HR m HR:AAndreaDDeGGuzman m address: andrea.deguzman@teamhgs.com m @ m m Email NName m oof o gn nnational on nintending nd ng foreign o pp o on to apply for h thepo position
Comp n Emp o Company/ Employer Comp n NName: m HHinduja ndu GGlobal ob So u on LLimited m d Company Solutions Comp dd Complete address: w ZZetaTTower w EE.RRodriguez Jr. 19th-21stFFloorBBridgetowne AAvenueUUgongNNorteDDistrict 3 ,QQuezonCCity 1110 NNature of business: to engage in customer m contact service business and business process outsourcing
NName: m SSatyam m Jain n AAddress:PPasig g CCity NNationality: nd n Indian m m Two Intended period of employment: Two (2) year/s
HHinduja ndu GGlobal ob So u on LLimited m d hereby declares that the above-named m foreign national is able, wwilling, and Solutions m the services and job description for this position.TThe company m m qualified to perform has the intention to employ the said A Em m P m w D p m n bo and nd Emp o m n Bu u foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the DepartmentoofLLabor Employment Bureau oofLo o m n 6F F FFirst nIntramuros mu o BF n um So n SSt. cor. o AA.So no AAve. nIntramuros, mu o MManila n LocalEmp Employment BFCondom Condominium Solana Soriano DO E R Offi 1002. If there are any objections or inquiries, please contact the concerned DOLE Regional Office. AAny FFilipino jobseeker wwho is competent, m m the services for wwhich the foreign national able and wwilling to perform p m n oof LLabor bo and nd Emp o m n Bu u oof Lo is intended to be hired for, mmay file an objection at DDepartment Employment Bureau Local Emp o m n 6F F FFirst nIntramuros mu o BF n um So n SSt. cor. o AA.So no AAve. nIntramuros, mu o MManila n Employment BFCondom Condominium Solana Soriano 1002 P m D m Em m NCR m after this publication. Please inform Department of Labor and Employment – NCR, if you have any information on Career Opportunity in Parc Royal Group Inc. Career Opportunity in Parc Royal Group Inc. m mm criminal offenses committed by the foreign national.
Officer ChiefOperations Operations Officer CChief Oppo un nin Pa oup Inc. n Career Opportunity ParcRoya RoyalGGroup One One(1) (1)Vacancy Vacancy Ch e Ope a on O e Chief Operations Officer Career Opportunity in Parc Royal Group Inc. Career Opportunity Inc. PH PP NE CORPORAT ON Job JobDescription: Description: ee Oppo unin Parc nin :Royal Group YUMEX Opportunity YUMEX PHILIPPINES CORPORATION On 1 V n OneCCareer (1) Vacancy Chief Officer oOperations o Title: AC MANAG ChiefPosition Operations Officer • Leads and manages the MANAGER • LeadsFACTORY andOR manages theRoverall overalldaily dailyoperations operationsof ofthe thewellness, wellness,recreation, recreation,entertainment, entertainment, D Job Description: One Vacancy One(1) (1)VVacancy) Vacancy and (1 andhospitality hospitalityfacilities. facilities. nd mmanages n h ooverallddailyop on oof the h wwellness, n on entertainment, n nm n Leads the operations recreation, o •• od and Job Job JobDescription: Description: ••DDescription: Ensures excellent guest Ensures guestexperience, experience,smooth smoothoperations, operations,and andstrong strongbusiness businessperformance performanceinin nd p excellent and hospitality facilities. o ho oo o m o Develops strategic plan by studying technological and financialoopportunities, presenting assumptions line company goals. linewith with company goals. •*• Dand Leads and manages the overall daily operations of the wellness, recreation, entertainment, Leads and manages the overall daily operations of the wellness, recreation, entertainment, recommending objectives •• and n omm u hospitality nofacilities. u p n moo h op on and nd strong on bu n pperformance o m n nin Ensures excellent guest experience, smooth operations, business Qualification: Qualification: andhospitality facilities. om oobjectives by establishing plans, budgets, and results,mmeasurements m Accomplishes subsidiary n wwith h company omp n goals. line •*• Aallocating Strong and organizational skills. Strongleadership leadership and skills.moperations, excellent guest experience, smooth Ensures guest experience, smooth operations, andstrong businessperformance performanceinin o Ensures oexcellentreviewing w organizational o mmaking o o and ostrongbusiness QQualification: resources, progress, mid-course corrections. line with goals. line withcompany company goals. Experience wellness, spa, or oorganization omanagement. Experience spa, hospitality, oroentertainment entertainment management. establishing enforcing standards ••*•• MMaintains on quality d ininservice hwellness, p and ndbyoorganizational n hospitality, on and Strong leadership skills. Qualification: Qualification: o team m effort o and om *• Co Contributes to by accomplishing related as needed. • Good communication decision-making skills. Good communication and decision-making skills. •• oStrong p leadership nleadership wwellness, nand p o ho po oor entertainment n nm n mmanagement. n m n Experience spa, hospitality, skills. Strong andorganizational organizational skills. QQualification(Education, o ninExperience, Professional License, SkillsCCertificate, Specialized Training): Knowledge of service safety, operational procedures. Knowledge ofwellness, service standards, safety, and operational •*••• WWithGood ommun on standards, nd din on m or nand Experience in spa, hospitality, entertainment management. m o m o M Good communication and decision-making skills. Experience in wellness, spa, hospitality, or entertainment management. atleast 4 years experience manufacturing environment asprocedures. Factory Manager Co om U graduate reputable University Applications may sent Good communication and decision-making skills. •*• College Know d ooffrom nd d safety, ndbe op on pprocedures. o du Applications may be sentto: to: Good communication and decision-making skills. Knowledge service standards, and operational M N o o be fluent in Nihongo/Japanese and English languages emgrandmail@gmail.com emgrandmail@gmail.com •**• Must Knowledge of service standards, safety, and operational procedures. standards, safety, and operational procedures. on bbeand nmmaintain o Applications may sent to: o Knowledge oof service om o o o Strong interpersonal skillswwithApp the ability to build professional relationship Name of national intending Company/Employer Namemay of foreign national intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer m ndm @foreign m om emgrandmail@gmail.com Applications be to: Applications may besent sent to: emgrandmail@gmail.com AName: o mp mmay oInc. Company Royal Name: Application sent to: NName m of foreign national intending to apply for the position CompanyComp Name:nParc Parc Royal Group Inc. emgrandmail@gmail.com Name: o be eGroup Company/Employer MA AB NNIBAY BA 1.1.Liu Ying MA.ofof ISABEL LiuName Ying foreign national foreign nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer Comp n Company/Employer N me PParcRo oup nInc. NName: meName Company Name: RoyalGGroup m n b @ um om ph Email: i.nibay@yumex-gr.com.ph Company Address: Address: u Ying n CompanyName: Address: Address: 1. Liu Company Parc Company Name: ParcRoyal RoyalGroup GroupInc. Inc. 1Name: Name: Block 1. Paranaque City Block55Lot Lot33Bradco BradcoAvenue AvenueAseana Aseana 1.Liu Paranaque City 1. Ying 1. Liu Comp n Add e Add e Ying Company Address: Address: NName m of foreign national intending to apply for the position: City, City Com m o City,Tambo, Tambo,Parañaque Parañaque City/ Employer Company Nationality: BCompany o 55 Lot o Address: 33BBradco d o AAvenue nu AAseana n 1Address: PParanaque n qu CCity Nationality: Block 1. Company Address: Address: m m ñYUMEX UM H Aseana N CORPORATION O O1. A ON NName: m HHIROAKI OA KIDA DA Company PHILIPPINES 1. Chinese 55mbo Lot Avenue Paranaque City CBlock PBradco qu CCity 1. Chinese Block Lot3N3Name: Bradco Avenue Aseana 1. Paranaque City City, Tambo, Parañaque NNationality: on m A DDr. Complete Blk. City 7City Lot 7 Ph. II PEZA FCIE Address: Silang, Cavite City, Tambo, Parañaque City, Tambo,Address: Parañaque Nationality: Ch n period Nationality: Nature of (Not of 1. Chinese m NNationality Nature ofBusiness: Business: (NotSpecified) Specified) Intended period ofemployment: employment: Bo. Langkaan I,DDasmariñas City, Cavite 1Intended : Japanese 1. NNature of business:M m m w (2) years 11. One Manufacturing ofW Wiring Intended period of employment : Two 1-Chinese -Chinese One1(year) 1(year) NNature u e oofBu ne (Not No Specified) p d nIntended ended pe od oofemp o men Business: period employment: HHarness, AAssy. Insulation, Printed Circuit Board Nature of Business: (Not Specified) Intended period of employment: Nature of Business: (Not Specified) Intended period of employment: 1 On 1 Parc Royal Inc. hereby above-named foreign 1 the -the One 1(year) Parc RoyalAGroup Group Inc. hereby declaresthat that above-named foreignnational nationalisisable, able,willing, willing,and andqualified qualified M AAssy. mdeclares Machine Assy. and of Semiconductors 11--for One 1(year) One 1(year) services and position. employ the toperform perform the services and job description this position. The company hasthe the intention to employ the um pp nn po ondescription odThe mn nnational o onhas w Yumex Philippines Corporation hereby foreign is able, willing, and Pto Ro Gthe oup hhereby b job ddeclares h declares hforthis bothat nthemabove-named o company bointention wwilling, n to nd qu d Parc RoyalPh Group Inc.Co that the above-named foreign isnational able, and qualified said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of Labor and foreign anpAlien Permit with the of Labor and Parc Royal Inc. hereby declares that the above-named Parc Royal Group hereby declares that the national able, and qualified onational oInc. mand ojob opo o on oforeign o national oqualified o employ m qualified perform the services and for this position. The company haswilling, the intention osaid pperform o m Group hto ndapply ob dfor ondescription oEmployment habove-named hforeign omp n Department hom hable, nintention nwilling, on oand mp oto h o to the services and job description for this position. The company hasisis the to employ the Employment National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Luna.. to job description for position. The company has intention to employ Employment - services National Capital located at Central office muralla stthe corner general to perform the services and jobapply description for this position. The company has the tooLuna.. employ the on o and oAAlien mDole onm m m oLabor mthe o dperform o saidnthe on nd pp oRegion n for nAAlien mpthis oEmployment m PPermit m wwith hwwith h Dthe pDDepartment m nintention oof nd the foreign national and an Permit ofbo Labor and Employsaid foreign national and apply for an Employment the Department and said foreign national apply Employment the Department and said national and apply for anAlien Alien Employment Permit with the Department of Labor and oofonLocal oand m an olocated m ooffice owith BBF Co omst corner oof Co o o mpmment oforeign m -BnBureau CCapital pm oRfor on olocated d atat6F Do CCentral nPermit mu om n Solana nLabor un Employment First Intramuros, Condominium, St.,Luna.. Corner Soriano Employment -NNational Region Dole muralla general Employment National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Luna.. Employment - National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Luna.. AAvenue, Intramuros, m o M Manila. Career CareerOpportunity OpportunityininVehicle VehicleMaster MasterService ServiceCorp. Corp. CMarketing Oppo un ninVeh e Ma e Se v e Co p Career Opportunity Vehicle Master Service Corp. And Consultant Career Opportunity ininVehicle Master Marketing AndSales Sales Consultant Career Opportunity Vehicle MasterService ServiceCorp. Corp. Nine (9) Vacancy Nine (9) Vacancy Ma ke ng And Sa e Con u an Marketing And Sales Consultant Marketing MarketingAnd AndSales SalesConsultant Consultant N n Description: 9 VVacancy n Nine (9) Job Nine (9) JobDescription: Nine (9) Vacancy Vacancy
•• efficiently. efficiently. •••• Identify dIdentify n effective n campaigns mp n that h w h targeted d audiences ud n effectively nd effective marketing campaigns that will reach targeted audiences effectively and Standard marketing will Standard Identify effectivem marketing campaigns that willreach reach targeted audiences effectivelyand and Qualification: Qualification: efficiently. n efficiently. TODAY TODAY efficiently. Q Qualification: Qualification: •• Strong Qualification: Strongknowledge knowledgeof ofsales salesand andpersuasion persuasiontechniques techniquescoupled coupledwith withexcellent excellentknowledge knowledgeof of the •• Strong onproducts. now d oof nd ppersuasion u on techniques hn qu coupled oup d w h excellent n knowledge now d oof the products. Strong knowledge ofsales salesand and persuasion techniques coupled with excellent knowledge of knowledge with hKnowledge pproducts. odu of the products. •• the Knowledge ofdata dataanalysis analysisand andmarket marketresearch. research. •••• Know d oof n nd m hneeds. Knowledge analysis and market research. Knowledge ofddata data analysis and market research. Intuition customer desires and Intuitionabout about customer desires andpractical practical needs. •• Intuition nIntuition u on about bou customer u om ddesires nd ppractical d about customer desiresand and practicalnneeds. needs. Applications Applicationsmay maybe besent sentto: to: DDescription: Identify Job effectivemarketing marketingcampaigns campaignsthat thatwill willreach reachtargeted targetedaudiences audienceseffectively effectivelyand and Job JobDescription: Description: Man aIdentifyeffective Manila
Applications may vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com App on m n to: o vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com Applications maybbe besent sent to: vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com h m o p@ m om vehiclemasterservicecorp@gmail.com Name Company/Employer Nameof offoreign foreignnational nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer Name Company/Employer Name offoreign foreignnational nationalintending intendingto toapply applyfor forthe theposition position Company/Employer N m of Comp n mp o e Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position Company/Employer Company Name: CompanyName: Name:Vehicle VehicleMaster Master Name: Company Name: Master Name: Company Name: Vehicle Master Name: Comp N me VVehicle h M N me Service 1. Company Name: Vehicle Master Name: ServicenCorp. Corp. 1.Lai LaiChuanzhang, Chuanzhang,2.2.Zhang ZhangQingyi, Qingyi,3.3.LiLiLiangcheng, Liangcheng,4.4.Zhang Zhang Service Corp. Lai Chuanzhang, Zhang Qingyi, LiLiLiangcheng, Zhang ServiceCo Corp. 1. LaiChu Chuanzhang, 2. Zhang Qingyi, 3. Liangcheng, 4.7. Zhang p 11. n hZhang n 22. h 5. n5.Dai Q nJia, 33.3. n Vu h Oanh, nOanh, 44.4. hPham n Yuanyi A.k.a Jing, Nguyen Service Corp. 1. Lai Chuanzhang, 2. Zhang Qingyi, Li Liangcheng, Zhang Yuanyi A.k.a Zhang Jing, Dai Jia,6.6. Nguyen Vu 7. Pham Yuanyi A.k.a Zhang Jing, 5. Dai Jia, 6. Nguyen Vu Oanh, 7. Pham Yuanyi A.k.a Zhang Jing, 5. Dai Jia, 6. Nguyen Vu Oanh, 7. Pham u n Linh, AA.k.a hPham n Quoc n 55.Viet, DDai 9. 66.NNguyen uKean n Vu OOanh, nh 77.Ph m Yuanyi Jing, Jia, Vu Pham Thuy 8.8.Zhang Pham Nyiau Wei Thuy Linh, Quoc Viet, 9.Nyiau Nyiau Kean Wei Thuy Linh, 8. Pham Quoc Viet, 9. Kean Wei Thuy Linh, 8. Pham Quoc Viet, 9. Nyiau Kean Wei hu Linh, nh 88.Ph m Quo u KKean nW Thuy Pham QuocVViet,99.NNyiau Wei Company Address: Address: Company Address: Address: Company Address: Address: Company Address: Address: Comp n Add eSt.,Canumay Add e Makati Company Address: Address: 27 T.T.Santiago Santiago St., West 1-2,7-9. City 3,6. Manila City 4.4.Taguig Taguig City 5.5.Quezon Quezon City 27T. Santiago CanumayWest West 1-2,7-9. MakatiCity City3,6. 3,6.Manila ManilaCity City4. TaguigCity City5. QuezonCity City 27 St., 1-2,7-9. Makati 27 T. Santiago St.,CCanumay Canumay West 1-2,7-9. Makati City 3,6. Manila City 4. Taguig City 5.Qu Quezon City 27 n o St., num W 11-2,7-9. 279 M 6 M n CCity 44. u CCity 55. on CCity 27 T. Santiago Canumay West MakatiCCity33,6. Manila Taguig Quezon Valenzuela Valenzuela Valenzuela Valenzuela Nationality: Nationality: Nationality: VValenzuela nu Nationality: N1-5,8. onChinese Nationality: 6-7. Vietnamese 9. Malaysia 1-5,8. Chinese6-7. 6-7.Vietnamese Vietnamese9. 9.Malaysia Malaysia 1-5,8. Chinese 1-5,8. Chinese 6-7. Vietnamese 9. Malaysia 11-5,8. 5 8 Ch n 66-7. 7 VVietnamese n m 99.M Chinese Malaysia Nature of Business: Repairs And Intended period of employment: Natureof ofBusiness: Business:Repairs RepairsAnd And Intendedperiod periodof ofemployment: employment: Nature Intended Nature of Business: Repairs And Intended period of employment: N u e oofBu ne RRepairs pVehicles And nIntended ended pe od oofemp o men Nature Business: And period employment: Maintenance Of Motor Vehicles 1-9 Three 3(years) Maintenance Of 1-9 ----Three 3(years) Maintenance OfMotor Motor Vehicles 1-9 Three 3(years) Maintenance Of Motor Vehicles 1-9 Three 3(years) M n n n OOfMo o VVehicles h 11-9 9 - Three h 33(years) Maintenance Motor Vehicle Vehicle Master Service Corp. hereby declares that the above-named foreign national able, willing, and Vehicle Master Service Corp. hereby declares that the above-named foreign national able, willing, and VehicleMaster MasterService ServiceCorp. Corp.hereby herebydeclares declaresthat thatthe theabove-named above-namedforeign foreignnational nationalisisisisable, able,willing, willing,and and Veh eM e Service e the e Co p hhereby b djob h the hfor bo n m d foreign oThe ncompany nnational on has btheintention wwilling, n and nd Vehicle Master Corp. declares that above-named is the able, qualified to services and this to qualified to perform the services and job description for this position. The company has the intention to qualified to perform the services and job description for this position. The company has the intention to qualified toperform perform the services and jobdescription description for thisposition. position. Thecompany has intention to qu d o p o m h nd ob d p on o h po on h omp n h h n n on o qualified to perform the services and job description for this position. The company has the intention to employ the said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of Labor employ the said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of Labor employ employthe thesaid saidforeign foreignnational nationaland andapply applyfor foran anAlien AlienEmployment EmploymentPermit Permitwith withthe theDepartment Departmentof ofLabor Labor mp o h d o n n on nd pp o n A n mp o m n P m w h h D p m n o bo employ the said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Department of Labor and Employment National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Luna.. and Employment National Capital Region located at Dole Central office muralla st corner general Luna.. and andEmployment Employment--National NationalCapital CapitalRegion Regionlocated locatedatatDole DoleCentral Centraloffice officemuralla murallaststcorner cornergeneral generalLuna.. Luna.. nd Employment mp o m n -NNational on CCapital p RRegion on olocated d atDo n oofficemu o n general n un and DoleCCentral muralla st corner Luna..
CCareerO RBUS HE COP ERS PH PP NES NC Opportunity inAAIRBUS HELICOPTERS PHILIPPINES INC.
Va ue urnover reached P5 007 b on Aya a Land Inc was he day’s op ndex ga ner r s ng 4 14 percen o P15 60 wh e PLDT Inc was he ma n ndex aggard down 4 5 percen o P1 170 Mos As an s ocks rose Fr day rack ng a record day on Wa S ree as ano her sof US nfla on read ng so d fied expec a ons ha he Federa Reserve w ho d off h k ng n eres ra es The advances came af er da a showed he producer pr ce ndex s owed sharp y n Ju y and came n be ow forecas s The read ng compounded be s on he Fed s and ng pa a s mee ng nex mon h fo ow ng he prev ous day’s consumer pr ce ndex read ng ha a so po n ed o eas ng nfla onary pressure and as Fr day’s obs repor show ng 23 000 pos ons were os n Ju y W th AFP
Ca ee Oppo un ninPe e Van e Ph s nc Career Opportunity Perfetti VanMe Melle Phils., Inc. Po on TTitle: e FFinance nance DDirector ec o Qua fica on (Education, Educa on Expe ence Qualification Experience, Position o ess ona LLicense, cense Sk s •• En u e pproper ope nan a managemen Skills Ensure financial management PProfessional fica on Spec a ed TTraining): a n ng and on o oof he a ng company ompan nin Ce Certification, Specialized and control the ope operating omp an e wwith h aall relevant e e an statutory, auo atax, compliance and e na reporting epo ng requirements. equ emen •• GGraduate adua e oof Bu ne Managemen and ninternal Business Management, Ma e ng ndu a Eng nee ng ooroother he •• Co abo a e wwith h he ng DDirector e o Marketing, Industrial Engineering, Collaborate the Manag Managing e a ed courses. ou e MD oto de e op comprehensive omp ehen e bu ne related (MD) develop business pplans an ha u e he e m po en a oof •• Coun e eade h p role oe that en ensure the ong long-term potential Country oor ma market leadership he ne hthrough ough sustainable u a nab e financial nan a nin various a ou ddisciplines p ne Sa e TTrade ade the bu business (Sales, ggrowth. ow h PProvide o de support uppo and e on Ma e ng Supp n FFinance nan e and and ad advice on Marketing, Supply Cha Chain, and a eg ninvestments, e men atax mp a on ega HR strategy, implications, legal HR) ma e and a eg e •• Fu e pon b oof Coun o and matters, and T IT strategies. Full responsibility Country PProfit and Lo P&L •• mp emen and e ee app op a e financial nan a Loss (P&L) Implement andooversee appropriate on o oto safeguard a egua d company ompan aassets e wh e •• Coun a PPrograms og am (Sales, Sa e controls while Country Comme Commercial en u ng compliance omp an e wwith h eestablished ab hed TTrade ade Ma e ng Ma e ng ensuring Marketing, Marketing) o po a e po e and o edu e •• Se h e e short ho eterm m and em corporate policies andpprocedures. Setand andaachieve and ong long-term ange Compan an e and a e he emen a on range Companypplans • Ad Advise and afacilitate the mp implementation oof rules u e and de ne issued ued bby GGroup oup •• EExecute e ue a eg mpe a e and and gu guidelines strategic imperatives and and o Bu ne Un BU Con o ng pa ne h p oforggrowth. ow h and/or Business Unit (BU) Controlling. partnerships En u e timely me (consolidated) on o da ed reporting epo ng from om •• Ma e Deg ee ppreferred. e e ed Ensure Master’s Degree Ope a ng Compan e (OC) OC oto BU e Operating Companies BU. Whe Where app ab e en u e timely me ddirect e epo ng App a on ma en oto: Rose applicable, ensure reporting Applications may be be sent Rose Ann Ann om OC po a e (controlling). on o ng So ao o from OCs otoCo Corporate Solatorio oseann so a o o@pe e vanme e com roseann.solatorio@perfettivanmelle.com Company oye Company/Emp Employer
Compan e Van e Ph s nc Name e Buchne CompanyName Name:Pe Perfetti VanMe Melle Phils., Inc. Name:And Andre Buchner Comp e e Add e 11 Add e Tagu g CCity y oo One oba Complete Address: 11th FFloor, Address: Taguig One GGlobal Na ona nd an PPlace, ace 55thAvenue ne 25 ee Bon ac o Nationality: Indian Avenue,co corner 25thSStreet, Bonifacio nIntended ended Pe od oofEmp o men One 1 Yea GGlobal oba CCity, y Tagu g CCity, y 1634 Period Employment: One (1) Year Taguig 1634 Na u e oofBu ne Who esa ng Nature Business: Wholesaling Company eb de a e ha e named oforeign e gn na ona is ab e wwilling, ng and ed Company he hereby declares that he the abo above-named national able, and qua qualified oto pe o m he e e and p on ofor hthis po on The ompan ha en on oto perform the services and ob job de description position. The company has he the nintention emp o he a d o e gn na ona and app o an A en Emp o men Pe m w h he Bu eau employ the said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit with the Bureau oof Loca oymen (BLE) BLE olocated a ed aat 66th FFloor, oo Banco p no Condom n um So ana SStreet, ee Local Emp Employment Banco FFilipino Condominium, Solana n amu os Man a Intramuros, Manila.
CCareerOOpportunity in TtecCCustomer m CCareMManagement m PPhilippines, Inc. Position title: Director, Desktop Support Vacancy (1) Job Description: m responsible for the strategy, mimplementation m m • MManages team and administration of end-use technical operations • Adherence to the budget as well asmmanaging the resources to support the strategic direction of the region • OOversee 24x7 operations through variousmmanagers for a regional diverse staff • Lead special projects to introduce new technology to mimprove the value of services delivered to the business • Responsible for planning, designing and analyzing the organization’s support services in accordance to industry’s best practices QQualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): m in world class environment m mmanaging and providing • 10 plus years’ experience in Site Technology or Desktop ServicesMManagement exceptional end user services worldwide. m on budget and with superior quality. • Proven success introducing and delivering new technologies on time, m m facing teams m • Ability to attract and lead high performance technical and customer • Ability to interface with senior level executives Applicationsmmay be sent to: m of Company m G MMAE TANEDO O Name HR: SHANGRI-LA m address: mm @ m Email immigration@ttec.com CCompany/ m Em Employer CCompany m NName: m m CCare MManagement m Ttec CCustomer PPhilippines, Inc. CComplete m address: C m 9th Floor HHarbor DDrive CCorner PPalm m c/o Five EE-Com, CCoastAAvenue,MMall ofAAsiaCComplex m PPasayCCity 1300 NNature of business: a foreign company m organized and w of NNetherlands licensed and existing under the laws ffi m in the PPhilippines, primarily established its branch office engaged in providing technical and consultancy services mm to entities engaged in the business of communication, m mmarketing and information-building m promotion, activities, mm excluding the business of telecommunications carrier or of a value added service provider.
CCareerOOpportunity inBBEYOND OND HOR ON GROUP HORIZON GROUP N INC. MU NGUA PRO R MULTI-LINGUAL PROJECTMANAG MANAGER (1VVacancy) ob DDescription: p on Job m wwhile facilitating communication mm - Leads, trains, andmmonitors a diverse team inmmultiple languages to enhance operational efficiency m - Ensuring high-quality service, resolve language-specific, andmmanage performance inmmulticultural, educational, m development, m m or international business settings, often focusing on curriculum compliance, and staff professional. mm wwith diverse clients, students, or staff, acting as a -UUses proficiency in required languages to communicate liaison. Qu on (Education, du on Experience, p n PProfessional o on License, n Skills Certification, on Specialized p d Training): nn Qualification m field ofwwork. -AAt least 3 years of experience in the same m supervision. -CCanwworkwwithmminimal w - Knowledge about at least any 3 languages: English,MMandarin, Japanese, Tagalog,CCantonese. App on mmaybbe sent n to: o Applications 2nd Floor,BBlock 1,BBonifacioHHigh Street, EastBBonifacioGGlobalCCity, FortBBonifacio, TaguigCCity m Add @ C m Email Address: personnel@bhgglobal.netCompany omp n Employer mp o Company/
NName m oof foreign o n nnational on nintending nd n to o apply pp for o the h po on position
m LI,W ANG BBEYOND OND HOR ON GROUP WEILIANG HORIZON GROUP N INC. NName: m Complete Address: 2nd Floor, Block 1, AAddress: Two w MMaridien atHHigh Street South, 1201 26th StreetCCorner 9th Bonifacio High Street, East Bonifacio AAvenue,BBonifacioGGlobalCCity, TaguigCCity, 1634MMetroMManila Global City, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City NNationality:CChinese Nature of business: Consultancy nIntended nd d pperiod od oof employment: mp o m n Two w (2) years BBeyond ond Ho on GGroup oup nInc. hereby declares that the above-named m foreign national is able,wwilling, and qualified Horizon m the services and job description for this position. The company m m to perform has the intention to employ the said m m m wwith theDDepartment p m n oof Labor bo and nd Employment mp o m n foreign national and apply for anAAlien Employment Permit NNational on Capital p RRegion on located at 967M M M n Maligaya Street, Malate, Manila. CCareerOOpportunity inBBEYOND OND HOR ON GROU HORIZON GROUP N INC. MU NGUA ADM N RA V OOFFICER R MULTI-LINGUAL ADMINISTRATIVE (1VVacancy)
AApplicationsm may be sent to: MA BAN OY MA.ODESSA ODESSADYAUCO DYAUCO-BANTOY @ m odessa.dyauco@airbus.com CCompany/ m Em Employer
NName m of foreign national intending to apply for the position
CCompany m NName: m AAIRBUS RBUS HE COP ERS HELICOPTERS PH PP NES NC PHILIPPINES INC. CComplete m m address:PADC PADCHHangar 2,DDomestic AAirport,BBarangay 191,PPasayCCityM MetroM Manila NNature of business:AAircraftM MaintenanceSSupport andSServices.
NName: m LeandroBBryan Laya AAddress:SSheratonM w W ManilaHHotel atNNewport WorldRResorts 80 AAndrews w AAvenuePPasayCCity NNationality:CCanadian m m O Intended period of employment: One (1)YYear
AAIRBUS RBUS HE COP ERS PH PP NES NC m HELICOPTERS PHILIPPINES INC. hereby declares that the above-named foreign national is able,wwilling, and m the services and job description for this position. The company m m qualified to perform has the intention to employ the said m PPermit m wwith theDDepartment m m foreign national and apply for anAAlienEm Employment of Labor andEm Employment –BBureau of m B E located at Intramuros, m M LocalEm Employment (BLE) Manila. E RRegionalO If there are any objections or inquiries, please contact the concernedDO DOLE Office. Em @ Email: aep_applications@ble.dole.gov.ph CContactNNumber: m 8528-0087 | 8528 -0108
NName: m TheodoreAAntonioCCousins AAddress:SSta.RRosa, Laguna NNationality:Am American m m w (2) year/s Intended period of employment: Two
AAny Filipino jobseekerwwho is competent, m m the services forwwhich the foreign national is intended to able andwwilling to perform m m BBureau of LocalEm m m be hired for,mmay file an objection atDDepartment of Labor andEm Employment Employment 6F First Intramuros BBFCCondominium m m SSolanaSSt. cor.AA.SSorianoAAve. Intramuros, m MManila 1002 after this publication.PPlease inform m DDepartment m of m m m mm Labor andEm Employment –NCR NCR, if you have any information on criminal offenses committed by the foreign national.
JobDDescription: m specific dutieswwill include the satisfactory performance m • W Working as part of a team, of both scheduled and m SServices environment. m unscheduledm maintenance in theCC295 fleet,wwithin aCCustomer m aircraftm • UUndertaking individually or as part of a team, maintenance, repair and inspection tasks, quality checks and m m w C m C m the completion of documentation in accordance with Company and Customer procedures. m mS m m • PPerforming duties as assigned by the Team/Shift Leader, ensuring that allwwork is completed in a timely fashion and m m m M meets the delivery quality requirements of theCCustomer's MaintenanceO Organization. m is updated, the aircraft condition is • VVerify that the aircraft status regarding scheduled tasks and deferred items serviceable and sign theRRelease toSService of the aircraft m w • EEnsuring that allwwork performed is recorded on the appropriate paperwork and signed for on a progressive basis • EEnsuring the correct use and control of aircraft parts andm materials. m before to start anym GSE s • CChecking every time maintenance activity tools/GSE ́ for condition and expiration date and ensure their correct use. m before starting anym m m • CChecking every time maintenance activity the components and parts for conditions (damages, m leaks etc.) and that the applicability of the documentation is correct A m • Adhere to all company, regulatory andHHealth andSSafety procedures.
PPlace ofAAssignment: m PADC m AAirport,BBarangay 191,PPasayCCityM PADCHHangar 2,DDomestic MetroM Manila
NName m of foreign national intending to apply for the position
m CCareMManagement m PPhilippines, Inc. hereby declares that the above-named m foreign national is able,wwilling, TtecCCustomer m the services and job description for this position. The company m m and qualified to perform has the intention to employ the said m PPermit m wwith theDDepartment m m BBureau of Local foreign national and apply for anAAlienEm Employment of Labor andEm Employment Em m m BBFCCondominium m m SSolanaSSt. cor.AA.SSorianoAAve. Intramuros, m MManila 1002. Employment, 6F First Intramuros
PPosition title:MRO w CC295BB.1SSpecialist-Philippines P MRONNetwork (1VVacancy)
Q Qualification E (Education,EExperience,PProfessional License,SSkillsCCertification,SSpecialized Training): m PProgram m wwith TransportCCanadaAApproval #TC C 2003-02-200 • HHolder ofAAircraftM MaintenanceDDiploma • M More than five (5) years of experience inCC-295 aircraftm maintenance • NNegotiation level atEEnglish language m solving and decision-making m • PProven problem skills m • AAbility towworkwwithin a team m • AAbility / flexibility towwork and to adapt in different environments H m • Highest standard in terms of quality, reliability and safety.
Name o e gn na ona n end ng Nameoof foreign national intending o app y for o the he pos on to apply position
ob DDescription: p on Job m mm - Provides administrative supportwwhile facilitating communication acrossmmultiple languages to ensure m smooth operations in a diversewworkplace. m - Provide administrative and clerical support to ensure efficient office operations, includingmmanaging m schedules, appointments, and correspondence. mm w - Interpret and translate oral andwwritten communications between English and other languages to support staff and clients. Qu on (Education, du on Experience, p n o on License, n on Specialized p d Training): nn Qualification Professional Skills Certification, m field ofwwork. -AAt least 3 years of experience in the same m supervision. -CCanwworkwwithmminimal w - Knowledge about at least any 3 languages: English,MMandarin, Japanese, Tagalog,CCantonese. App on mmaybbe sent n to: o Applications 2nd Floor,BBlock 1,BBonifacioHHigh Street, EastBBonifacioGGlobalCCity, FortBBonifacio, TaguigCCity m Add @ Email Address: personnel@bhgglobal.net omp n Employer mp o Company/
NName m oof foreign o n nnational on nintending nd n to o apply pp for o the h po on position
O O O GROUP O BEYOND HORIZON INC.
NName: m FU, U SHIN-TONG H N ONG AAddress: 27B, B ParkAAvenue Tower, w 36th St.,CCorner 7thAAve., TaguigCCity, MMetroMManila NNationality:CChinese nIntended nd d pperiod od oof employment: mp o m n Two w (2) years
m Complete Address: 2nd Floor, Block 1, Bonifacio High Street, East Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City Nature of business: Consultancy
BBeyond ond Ho on GGroup oup nInc. hereby declares that the above-named m foreign national is able,wwilling, and Horizon m the services and job description for this position. The company m qualified to perform has the intention to m A m m m wwith theDDepartment p m n oof Labor bo and nd employ the said foreign national and apply for an Alien Employment Permit mp o m n N on p R on M M M n Employment - National Capital Region located at 967 Maligaya Street, Malate, Manila.
BUSINESS
B3 SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2026 extrastory2000@gmail.com
PCIC readies storm payouts to farmers By Othel V. Campos
T
HE Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. is preparing nearly P36 million in insurance payouts for 5,005 farmers whose insured farms were damaged by Typhoons Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon.
GOLF TOURISM. Korean-led company Philippine Golf Resort Reservations has launched GOLAMAN, an official booking app for Philippine golf tourism designed to connect golfers from Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, the Middle East and other regions with courses across the country. Attending Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio, Tourism Promotions Board COO Marga Nograles, National Golf Association of the Philippines president Al Panlilio and NGAP Secretary-General Bones Floro.
Airfares set to drop as CAB cuts fuel surcharges By Darwin G. Amojelar AIRFARES are likely to drop in the second half of August after the Civil Aeronautics Board reduced passenger fuel surcharges due to lower jet fuel costs. In an advisory, the CAB said the fuel surcharge for both domestic and international passenger and cargo flights will decrease to Level 12 for the Aug. 16 to 31 period, down from Level 13 applied during the first half of the month. Under Level 12, the fuel surcharge for domestic flights ranges
from P389 to P1,137, depending on distance. For international flights, the surcharge ranges from P1,284.40 to P9,550.13. For cargo, airlines are allowed to charge P2 to P5.85 per kilogram for domestic flights under Level 12, and P6.60 to P49.09 per kg for international flights. The agency is implementing a 15-day price monitoring and implementation cycle for passenger and cargo fuel surcharges on both domestic and international flights. This interim measure replaces the standard one-month cycle and tempo-
rarily suspends specific provisions of CAB Resolution No. 25 (2022). According to the CAB, the move aims to mitigate the impact of volatile fuel prices on the public and airline operations. The CAB said the interim measure will remain in effect until the market stabilizes, unless revised or revoked. “Airlines wishing to impose or collect fuel surcharge must file its application with CAB on or before the effectivity period, with fuel surcharge rates not exceeding the above-stated level,” the CAB said.
PCIC president Jovy Bernabe said the agency mobilized its regional offices to validate losses and expedite claims processing. Initial estimates put insured damage at P35.67 million across six regions. Region III had the most affected farmers at 1,836, followed by Region I with 1,218 and Region IV-B with 836. Region I recorded the largest estimated insured damage at P9.89 million, followed by Region III at P8.80 million and Region IV-B at P7.56 million. Rice accounted for P25.6 million of the estimated losses, while high-value crops accounted for P3.73 million and corn P3.55 million. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said government assistance must reach farmers and fisherfolk quickly after disasters to help them recover and resume production. “We need to respond immediately to the needs of our farmers and fisherfolk after every calamity so they can recover quickly and sustain their livelihoods,” Tiu Laurel said. Bernabe said PCIC is using new technology to speed up damage assessment and claims processing. The agency instructed its regional offices to assist affected farmers and expedite legitimate claims.
PCIC president Jovy Bernabe
He said farmers and fisherfolk registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture may avail themselves of premium-free crop insurance, provided they enroll with PCIC every planting season or when raising new livestock. He added that farm equipment and other agricultural assets may also be covered.
MAYA BANK, INC. Published Balance Sheet Amounts in Philippine Pesos As of 30-June-2026
ASSETS CURRENT QUARTER
Cash and Cash Items Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
0.00
3,288,233,770.18
2,458,055,136.46
Due from Other Central Banks and Banks - Net
ERC yields P71b in refunds under Juan’s first year By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission implemented P71.3 billion in consumer refunds, accelerated regulatory actions and expanded electricity market access as part of reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s energy sector during the first year of leadership under chairperson and chief executive Francis Saturnino Juan. From August 2025 to July 2026, the ERC approved 250 power supply agreement (PSA) cases and 144 capital expenditure (capex) projects, a significant increase from the six PSA and six capex approvals recorded during the comparable 12-month period before the current commission. The ERC also issued 2,350 decisions and orders, 6,936 licenses and authorizations, and 38 rulemaking resolutions while establishing 25 new operational information systems to support faster, more efficient regulatory processes. “When I assumed the leadership of the ERC one year ago, we inherited long-standing backlogs, delayed rate resets and an energy transition moving faster than our regulatory frameworks,” Juan said. Juan focused on addressing these bottlenecks through fair and evidence-based rate-setting, timely resolution of cases, stronger market oversight and proactive, consumerfocused regulation.
CLASSROOM GROUNDBREAKING. Maragondon, Cavite
Mayor Lawrence Arca , Cavite 8th District Board Member Jasmin Maligaya, Municipal Engineer Aldwin Ancayan and Bucal National Integrated School Principal Belinda Loyola lead the groundbreaking ceremony for a new three-story, nine-classroom building at BNIS in Barangay Bucal on Aug. 12, 2026. Dennis Abrina
THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a courtesy meeting with newly appointed Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu District Collector Zsae Carrie De Guzman on Aug. 10 at the Don Ramon Aboitiz Boardroom of the Cebu Chamber Centre. The gathering brought together leaders from various Cebu chambers of commerce, representatives from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, industry associations and key players in the trade and logistics sectors. The discussion focused on establishing collaborative solutions to longstanding operational bottlenecks at the port. During the dialogue, business stakeholders raised critical operational concerns impacting local commerce, including shipment processing and delays, valuation and classification, and communication channels. Business leaders discussed with De Guzman how to address system-related bottlenecks that impede the timely movement of cargo, establish clear and consistent customs processes for imported goods, and strengthen direct dialogue between the BOC and the business sector to resolve issues promptly. De Guzman reaffirmed her commitment to maintaining an open line of communication with private sector partners while executing the bureau’s core mandate. She underscored that ongoing cooperation between customs and trade stakeholders is vital to facilitating smooth business operations while achieving necessary revenue collection targets. For their part, local business leaders reiterated their support for institutional reforms and initiatives aimed at solidifying Cebu’s position as a primary trade and logistics hub in the region. Both parties agreed that sustained dialogue will be essential to improving overall supply chain efficiency across the Port of Cebu.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Alfredo S. Panlilio
165,395,188.66
155,055,786.93
Debt Securities at Amortized Cost - Net
46,864,513,274.95
41,127,682,843.27
Loans and Receivables - Others
38,528,999,688.96
31,928,392,354.49
Orlando B. Vea
Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB
7,100,000,000.00
8,950,000,000.00
Member
45,628,999,688.96
40,878,392,354.49
Total Loan Portfolio (TLP) - Gross Less: Allowance for Credit Losses Total Loan Portfolio - Net
3,130,116,411.17
2,725,060,637.27
42,498,883,277.79
38,153,331,717.22
188,145,234.71
194,791,751.85
Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment - Net Other Assets - Net
4,665,844,787.63
4,121,312,335.12
TOTAL ASSETS
97,671,015,533.92
86,210,229,570.85
CCCI, Customs tackle Port of Cebu issues By Minerva Newman
PREVIOUS QUARTER
0.00
Chairman
Danny Y. Yu Member Shailesh S. Baidwan Member Inderbir Singh Dhingra Member
LIABILITIES
Prashant Kumar Member
Deposit Liabilities
86,536,686,577.63
75,570,342,864.46
Other Liabilities
2,528,833,576.22
2,624,081,665.32
TOTAL LIABILITIES
89,065,520,153.85
78,194,424,529.78
Ray C. Espinosa Member Marilyn A. Victorio-Aquino Member
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Anthony Q. Chua Independent Director
8,430,000,000.00
Capital Stock
8,180,000,000.00
Roberto L. Panlilio Independent Director
0.00
0.00
Undivided Profits
760,563,453.77
418,509,248.60
Francisco S.A. Sandejas
Retained Earnings
-582,780,632.20
-580,491,766.03
Independent Director
-2,287,441.50
-2,212,441.50
Additional Paid-In Capital
Other Capital Accounts TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
8,605,495,380.07
8,015,805,041.07
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
97,671,015,533.92
86,210,229,570.85
Christopher Paulus Nicholas T. Po Independent Director Vicky Castillo L. Tan Independent Director
CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS
SENIOR OFFICERS Simeon Angelo S. Madrid
67,937,337,204.39
63,502,554,641.00
Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts
0.00
0.00
TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS
67,937,337,204.39
63,502,554,641.00
Commitments
President Steven Michael T. Reyes Treasurer Zhong Bi
OTHER INFORMATION (IN %)
Chief Financial Officer
ASSET QUALITY
Chief Operating Officer
Manbhanjan Panda
Gross Non-Performing Loans (NPL) Ratio
4.02
3.86
Beverly Dolor
Net NPL Ratio
0.42
0.40
Chief Technology Officer
170.71
172.76
151.57
154.43
Ratio of Loans to Related Parties to gross TLP
0.00
0.00
Maria Adelaidee Capistrano
Ratio of Non-Performing Loans to Related Parties
0.00
0.00
Chief Risk Officer
Ratio of DOSRI Loans to gross TLP
0.00
0.00
Ratio of Non-Performing DOSRI Loans to Total Loans to DOSRI
0.00
0.00
Liquidity Coverage Ratio
2,275.56
2,421.88
Net Stable Funding Ratio
339.17
354.69
Return on Equity
19.30
22.49
Return on Assets
1.84
2.17
Net Interest Margin
17.34
17.09
Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio
13.41
14.26
Tier 1 Capital Ratio
13.41
14.26
Capital Adequacy Ratio
14.13
14.93
Basel III Leverage Ratio
6.44
6.74
Deferred Charges not yet Written Down
0.00
0.00
Gross NPL Coverage Ratio Net NPL Coverage Ratio RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Mary Rose A. Rebadulla Chief Compliance Officer
to Total Loans to Related Parties
LIQUIDITY
PROFITABILITY
CAPITAL ADEQUACY
LEVERAGE
We hereby certify that all matters set forth in this Balance Sheet Report are true and correct to the best of our knowledge and belief
Members of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry hold a courtesy meeting with newly appointed Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu District Collector Zsae Carrie De Guzman on Aug. 10, 2026, at the Don Ramon Aboitiz Boardroom of the Cebu Chamber Centre.
(Sgd) Zhong Bi
(Sgd) Simeon Angelo Madrid
Chief Financial Officer
President
BUSINESS
B4
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2026 extrastory2000@gmail.com RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ, Editor ALENA MAE S. FLORES, Asst. Editor
Gov’t vows to finish flood control projects By Thony Rose Lesaca THE government will prioritize the completion of ongoing flood control projects and the operation and maintenance of existing infrastructure under the proposed 2027 national budget, Department of Budget and Management Secretary Kim Robert De Leon said Friday. “That was the agreement that we had with the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways], that the priority for 2027 would be given completion of already ongoing projects and operation and maintenance of already completed projects,” De Leon said during the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) economic forum at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Manila. The DBM proposed to allocate P107.4 billion for flood control projects under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), after such funding was excluded from this year’s budget amid concerns over alleged anomalous and nonexistent infrastructure projects. The amount is lower than the P350 billion allocated in 2025. “When we talk about flood control projects, it’s not just about the infrastructure. There are also components of flood control projects that include the pumping stations, the other machineries that come with it. So, that will have a cost requirement in terms of operation and maintenance. That’s a portion of the flood control project that is now part again of the 2027 NEP,” De Leon said. The DBM strictly filtered DPWH’s proposals to focus on project completion and the continuing operation and maintenance of completed infrastructure, De Leon said. The DBM also required the DPWH to submit complete documentation for all proposed flood control projects and other infrastructure projects under the agency. “We have the full documentation of it including the budget forms, the location, the geotagging, and the program of works to make sure that this will not be a ghost project as have earlier been reported in the previous years,” De Leon said.
San Miguel’s first-half profit fell 73% By Jenniffer B. Austria
S
AN Miguel Corp. said Friday its attributable net income fell 73 percent in the first half of 2026 to P11.1 billion from P40.78 billion a year ago in the absence of a large one-time gain and as foreign exchange loss offset stronger revenue and operating income. The conglomerate said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated sales rose 34 percent to P964.1 billion, on higher selling prices and sales volume at oil refiner Petron Corp, additional revenue from the energy business, full-period contributions from new power supply agreements and battery energy storage facilities, and strong volume growth in food.
Consolidated operating income increased 17 percent to P102.29 billion, supported by higher revenue, better contracted margins and increased contributions from the energy business’ battery storage facilities. The improvement was offset by the absence of a P21.93-billion one-time gain recognized in 2025 from the fair valuation of San Miguel Corp’s resid-
ual interests in South Premiere Power Corp, Excellent Energy Resources Inc and Ilijan Primeline Industrial Estate Corp following the dilution of San Miguel Global Power’s ownership. San Miguel also recorded a net foreign exchange loss in the first half, compared with a net foreign exchange gain a year earlier. Food and beverage unit San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. posted lower net income of P22.05 billion even as sales rose 2 percent to P205.5 billion. The packaging business also booked lower operating income of P1.15 billion, while sales remained steady at P19.31 billion as strong gains from international operations offset lower demand in its core do-
FRENCH LOAN.
The Department of Finance (DOF) teams up with the French development agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), to help low income families access nutritious food. Finance Secretary Frederick Go leads the signing of the financing agreement, backed by 200-million-euro AFD loan and co-financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as the Philippines advances its development priorities. Through the REFUEL Project, around 750,000 households will receive monthly electronic food vouchers redeemable at accredited retailers.
Alliance Global Group’s first-half income rose 3% to P16b on property gains ALLIANCE Global Group Inc., the holding company of billionaire Andrew Tan, posted a net income of P16 billion in the first half of 2026, up 3 percent from P15.6 billion a year ago, as stronger recurring property income, improved gaming earnings and higher spirits sales supported growth. Excluding one-time gains from last year’s deconsolidation of Golden Arches Development Corp., consolidated revenues rose 3 percent year-on-year to nearly P90 billion. “In a demanding global
environment, the strength of this group is its mix. Our recurring property income kept compounding, our gaming business grew earnings even as the industry moved away from VIP play, and our spirits continued to grow on a stronger portfolio,” AGI president and chief executive Kevin Tan said. Travellers International, AGI’s leisure and tourism arm and operator of Newport World Resorts, posted the strongest earnings improvement among the group’s businesses,
with attributable net income nearly doubling to P568 million. Travellers’ net revenue reached P15.2 billion, supported by its non-VIP gaming and non-gaming businesses, which offset weaker VIP volumes. Non-gaming revenue increased 12 percent to P3.9 billion, while non-VIP gross gaming revenue rose 6 percent to P9.6 billion. Megaworld Corp. posted a 5-percent increase in net income to P12.7 billion on revenues of P44.2 billion.
IN BRIEF Bloomberry reduced second-quarter loss
CASINO operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. narrowed its net loss to P345.3 million in the second quarter of 2026 from P1.4 billion a year ago, as higher gaming revenue and tighter cost controls lifted earnings. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) rose 15 percent to P16.4 billion in the quarter from P14.3 billion a year earlier, as higher hold rates across all gaming segments offset continued weakness in the VIP and premium mass markets, the company said Friday in a disclosure to the stock exchange. “We delivered GGR growth in the second quarter, supported by stronger hold rates across our gaming operations. However, underlying demand in the VIP and premium mass segments remained soft,” Bloomberry Resorts Corp. chairman and chief executive Enrique Razon Jr. said. “Our focus on operating efficiency continues to drive results. Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment characterized by elevated oil prices, higher interest rates and a weaker peso, we limited cash operating expense growth to just 5 percent and 3 percent for the quarter and the first half, respectively, underscoring the effectiveness of our cost optimization initiatives,” Razon said. Net revenue climbed 11 percent to P14.1 billion from P12.7 billion, while non-gaming revenue was steady at P3.2 billion. For the first half of the year, Bloomberry’s net loss narrowed to P470.3 million from P1.9 billion in the same period a year earlier. Jenniffer B. Austria
Alsons posted 31% rise in first-half net income
ALSONS Consolidated Resources Inc., a listed company of the Alcantara Group, said it posted a net income of P1.7 billion in the first half of 2026, up 31 percent from the same period last year, led by improved operational efficiency at Sarangani Energy Corp.
mestic businesses. Power generation unit San Miguel Global Power registered a 7-percent decline in net income to P32.15 billion, while revenue rose 27 percent to P101.85 billion. Oil refiner Petron Corp. booked a lower net income of P3.8 billion, down 27 percent from P5.25 billion a year earlier, while sales jumped 57 percent to P605.89 billion. The infrastructure unit saw revenue increase 3 percent to P20.55 billion, while operating income was steady at P11.12 billion. Operating income of the cement business declined 9 percent to P3.16 billion, while revenue climbed 2 percent to P18.15 billion on higher sales volume.
Net income attributable to the parent company climbed 66 percent to P860 million from P517 million in the first six months of 2025. Revenues increased to P9.174 billion from P5.776 billion year-on-year, reflecting sustained business growth. Alsons said it also posted stronger second-quarter results, with net income surging 270 percent to P321 million from P86 million in the same period last year. The improved performance was led by Sarangani Energy Corp.’s operational efficiency, complemented by higher contributions from Western Mindanao Power Corp. and Mapalad Power Corp. as well as revenue from MPC Ubay following the start of its commercial operations in October 2025, it said. Alena Mae S. Flores
Cebu Pacific passengers increased 4.7% in July
CEBU Pacific Air, the Gokongwei-led budget carrier, said Friday its passenger traffic rose 4.7 percent in July from a year ago, as strong domestic demand offset a decline in international travel. The airline said it flew more than 2.2 million passengers during the month, up from 2.1 million in the same period last year. Seat capacity increased 6.2 percent year-on-year, bringing the airline’s overall seat load factor to 84.4 percent. Domestic passenger traffic climbed 9.1 percent to 1.73 million from a year earlier, lifting the domestic seat load factor to 84.5 percent. International passenger traffic fell 8.6 percent to 531,000 as the airline cut international seat capacity by 16.9 percent. The reduction helped raise the international seat load factor by 7.6 percentage points to 83.8 percent. It said that in the first seven months of 2026, Cebu Pacific carried more than 16.7 million passengers, up 4.3 percent from 16 million a year earlier. “We delivered continued passenger growth in July supported by a strong rebound in the domestic market,” said Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao. Darwin G. Amojelar
Philip Morris PH earns Great Place to Work certification
PMFTC head of people and culture Joseph Gruber says Great Place To Work certification reflects the company’s belief that empowering its people is the foundation of lasting business transformation.
Vivant Energy secures P8.5-b loan facility from BDO for power projects By Alena Mae S Flores VIVANT Energy Corp. (VEC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Vivant Corp., said Friday it signed a term loan facility agreement with BDO Unibank Inc. for up to P8.5 billion. Vivant said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange that the facility will finance VEC’s investments in power generation projects and other capital expenditure requirements. VEC also signed a term loan agreement with Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. in June for up to P8.5 billion to support its expansion plans. The company said the loan agreement underscores VEC’s commitment to developing reliable and sustainable energy infrastructure while maintaining a strong financial position to support future growth. Vivant earlier announced plans to
Liquor maker Emperador Inc. increased consolidated revenues by 5 percent to P29.6 billion, with both its brandy and whisky businesses contributing to growth. Brandy revenue rose 4 percent to P19.2 billion, while gross profit increased 20 percent on improved margins, favorable product mix and pricing. Whisky revenue grew 7 percent to P10.4 billion, with gross profit rising 12 percent on continued demand for its single malt portfolio. Jenniffer B. Austria
invest about P67 billion in its energy and water businesses through 2030, with energy accounting for 90 percent of the total, or P60 billion, and the remaining P7 billion allocated for water. Vivant intends to fund the capital expenditure through debt and equity. About 78 percent of the total planned investment will go toward renewable energy projects as the company moves toward a more balanced portfolio across conventional and renewable energy assets to help address the country’s energy requirements. The company reiterated plans to expand its total attributable generation capacity to 1,000 megawatts from the current 471 MW, with at least 30 percent from renewable energy sources, aligned with its 30-by-30 target of 30 percent renewable energy in its portfolio by 2030.
PHILIP Morris Philippines, which comprises PMFTC Inc. and PMI Business Solutions (Philippines) Inc. (PMIBS), has earned Great Place to Work certification, the company said. The recognition marks the first time the organization has received the certification and is based on feedback from its employees, it said. PMFTC head of people and culture Joseph Gruber said the certification reflects the company’s belief that empowering its people is the foundation of lasting business transformation. “Earning this certification for the first time is especially meaningful because it comes directly from the voices of our employees. Their trust and commitment make PMFTC and PMIBS truly great places to work, where everyone feels empowered to grow and inspired to contribute to our shared purpose of delivering a smoke-free future. When our people succeed and feel valued, our business transformation becomes stronger and more sustainable,” he said. Great Place To Work sets standards for workplace culture, employee experience and leadership behaviors that drive performance and innovation, according to the organization. Its certification is awarded based on direct feedback from employees about their workplace culture. Great Place To Work vice president of global recognition Sarah LewisKulin said the certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience. “By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Philip Morris Philippines (PMFTC/PMIBS) stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees,” she said.
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Max out your world with nubia’s Neo 5 Max, Neo 5 GT Special Edition N O two gamers play the same way. Some want a bigger screen for immersive entertainment and multitasking, while others are all about speed, precision, and staying competitive. With different ways to play come different ways to max out the experience.
That’s where the nubia Neo 5 Max PadPhone and nubia Neo 5 GT Special Edition come in. Expanding the nubia Neo 5 Series, the two smartphones offer users more ways to enjoy immersive entertainment, competitive gameplay, and everyday productivity while bringing flagship-inspired gaming innovations to a wider audience. Launching as part of nubia’s #NEOVerseMaxOut: Max Out Your World campaign from August 1 to 8, the nubia Neo 5 Max and nubia Neo 5 GT Special Edition reflect the brand’s commitment to making high-performance gaming and intelligent mobile experiences more accessible to Filipino consumers. Together with nubia’s expanding ecosystem of intelligent accessories, exclusive entertainment partnerships, and lifestyle experiences, the nubia Neo 5 Series serves as the centerpiece of the growing NEOVERSE ecosystem in the Philippines. Bigger Entertainment, Longer Play with the nubia Neo 5 Max PadPhone For users who want a smartphone that can keep up with work, entertainment, and gaming, the nubia Neo 5 Max delivers an immersive experience anchored by a large display, dependable battery life, and gaming-focused innovations. Its expansive 7.5-inch display offers more room for games, videos, and multitasking, while the 7,100mAh dual-cell battery is designed to power extended gaming sessions, streaming
The Neo 5 Max PadPhone and nubia Neo 5 GT Special Edition offer users more ways to enjoy immersive entertainment, competitive gameplay, and everyday productivity while bringing flagship-inspired gaming innovations to a wider audience.
Gabriel ‘Gabby’ Roxas
Home Credit PH names Gabriel Roxas as Chief Marketing Officer marathons, and busy days on the go. To help sustain smooth performance, the device pairs a 30,000mm2+ cooling area with 990Hz Neo Triggers 5.0, enabling faster and more responsive controls during gameplay. Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7100 chipset, the nubia Neo 5 Max also features symmetrical dual speakers with Dolby Atmos, AI Copilot Demi 2.0, RGB Eagle Eye lighting, and IP64 dust and splash resistance. Available in Titanium Gold, it combines entertainment, gaming, and everyday productivity in one versatile smartphone, with a launch price of P19,999. Faster Gameplay, Greater Precision with the nubia Neo 5 GT Special Edition Designed for players seeking greater speed and control, the nubia Neo 5 GT Special Edition brings together nubia’s most advanced gaming technologies in a smartphone built around its “Born to Win” philosophy. At the heart of the device is the
AquaCore Cooling System, the only Liquid & Air Dual Active Cooling system in its class. Combining active liquid cooling, a built-in cooling fan, and a 33,652mm2 cooling area, it efficiently manages heat to help sustain peak performance during demanding gaming sessions. The device also introduces 550Hz Neo Triggers 5.0, delivering sub-5.5ms hardware latency and a 3049Hz instant touch rate for faster, more precise controls. Complementing these features is a 6.8-inch 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED display, offering crisp visuals, fluid gameplay, and SGS-certified Eye Care for greater comfort during extended play. Driving the experience is the MediaTek D7400 processor, supported by the NeoTurbo Engine and up to 24GB Dynamic RAM for responsive multitasking and stable gameplay. A 6,210mAh dual-cell battery, 80W Flash Charging, bypass charging, and a 90° charging cable help minimize downtime, allowing players to stay fo-
cused on the action. Beyond gaming, the nubia Neo 5 GT Special Edition also features AI Copilot Demi 2.0, AI-powered productivity tools, a 50MP AI dual rear camera system, IP64 dust and splash resistance, and five years of software updates. Available in Glacial Silver, it retails for P26,999, extending nubia’s flagshipinspired gaming experience to more Filipino users. A Neo 5 Series for Different Ways to Play and More Ways to Max Out With the addition of the nubia Neo 5 Max and nubia Neo 5 GT Special Edition, nubia strengthens the Neo 5 Series with smartphones designed to suit different gaming preferences without compromising on innovation or performance. Whether users prioritize immersive entertainment on a larger display or the speed and precision needed for competitive gameplay, the expanded Neo 5 Series offers a device built around the way they play.
All Nippon Airways builds Cloud Network Hub with Equinix EQUINIX, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world’s digital infrastructure company®, recently announced that All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. (ANA) has transformed its digital infrastructure with Equinix Fabric® to support the next generation of passenger services, including reservations, boarding, customer communications, and operational systems. Facing a projected 10x increase in global data volumes, Japan’s leading airline established a centralized cloud network hub that reduced network provisioning time by approximately 80%, making resources available for application development and testing. This agile foundation allows ANA to accelerate application testing, increase business agility, and target a 30% reduction in its five-year total cost of ownership. As organizations modernize digital infrastructure for hybrid multicloud environments and growing data volumes, many are adopting more agile
RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor EDGARD HILARIO, Asst. Editor
Japan’s airline cuts network provisioning time from months to weeks and prepares for a tenfold increase in global data volumes
and scalable connectivity models. ANA’s deployment of Equinix Fabric reflects this broader shift, transforming its network into a future-ready digital foundation that enhances passenger services, increases business agility, and supports long-term growth. Through Equinix Fabric, ANA has accelerated connectivity deployment, improved
cost efficiency, and strengthened its ability to support the next generation of data-driven passenger experiences. Equinix helps ANA ensure security and compliance through private connectivity, consistent centralized policy enforcement, and alignment with modern security frameworks. Jun Nakazato, Manager, IT Infra-
structure Team, Digital Governance Department, Digital Transformation Division, All Nippon Airways, said, “Our rapid business expansion demanded a network with unprecedented flexibility. Rather than continuing to expand our existing network environment, we recognized that implementing network-asa-service was the most effective path forward. Equinix Fabric delivers the dynamic foundation we need to scale seamlessly. Equinix serves not merely as a vendor, but as a critical strategic partner in modernizing our global systems and enabling our future growth.” Operating approximately 280 aircraft across more than 200 domestic and international routes, ANA’s operations are built on a highly resilient digital infrastructure that serves as the foundation for mission-critical passenger services, including reservations, boarding, customer communications, and operational systems.
HOME Credit Philippines has appointed Gabriel “Gabby” Roxas as Chief Marketing Officer, effective August 3, 2026. Gabby brings more than 20 years of marketing and business leadership experience across global organizations including Google, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble. Most recently, he served as Head of Marketing for Google Vietnam, Philippines, and South Asia Frontier. In his new role, Gabby will lead the company’s marketing strategy, brand development, customer engagement, and growth initiatives. “Home Credit helps millions of Filipinos access opportunities that bring them closer to their goals and aspirations. I’m excited to be part of an organization that is committed to create customer-focused solutions through continuous innovation. I look forward to strengthening the Home Credit brand and support its mission of bringing more Filipinos closer to the opportunities they deserve,” said Roxas. Home Credit Philippines is the financial ally of every Filipino, providing access to credit through fast, convenient, and affordable financing in more than 18,000 partner stores nationwide. The company offers financing for a wide range of products and commodities—from smartphones and laptops to home appliances and furniture, bicycles, and motorcycle accessories to electronics and hardware, sports equipment, and many more—at low or 0% interest rates in easy monthly installments. In its 13th year in the Philippines, Home Credit has served 13 million Filipinos. Beyond installment financing and related coverage plans, Home Credit also offers cash loans, a virtual spending limit named Qwarta, and a credit card for its existing qualified customers. With the Home Credit app and the Shoppingmall.ph website, Filipino customers are just a click away from getting the products and offers they want to enable them to live more rewarding lives. More information on HCPH is available at www.homecredit.ph.
TikTok launches #ThinkTwice Family Guide to help families build safer digital habits TIKTOK officially launched the #ThinkTwice Family Guide in the Philippines as part of its continued efforts to empower teens and families to navigate the digital world with greater confidence and awareness. Launched during the #ThinkTwice Troop Townhall in celebration of International Youth Day, the guide, which was created in partnership with Child Rights Coalition-Asia, Child Rights Network, and Plan International Pilipinas, includes conversation starters, reflection activities, digital safety tips, and information on TikTok tools and safety features that can support healthier online habits. Designed to complement TikTok’s 50 pre-set safety and privacy features for teens and its Family Pairing tools, the guide is accessed by searching “Think Twice” on TikTok; this will direct them to the #ThinkTwice Digital Check-In Hub where they can access and download the full Guide. “For many families today, digital life is no longer separate from everyday life — it’s where young people learn, socialize, create, and discover who they are,” said
Yves Gonzalez, Public Policy Head for the Philippines at TikTok. “That’s why building healthier digital habits requires more than rules alone. It requires open conversations, mutual understanding, and practical tools that families can explore together. Through the #ThinkTwice Family Guide, created in partnership with Child Rights Coalition-Asia, Child Rights Network, and Plan International Pilipinas, we hope to support Filipino families with practical resources that make those conversations feel more approachable and relevant.” TikTok’s #ThinkTwice Family Guide is a valuable resource designed to help Filipino families navigate the digital world together. By listening to teens and working with the communities around them, families and stakeholders can help create a digital environment that is not only safer, but also more empowering and positive. “Young people are not merely recipients of protection. You are active participants in creating safer digital spaces. Your voices matter, and they should continue to inform our policies, programs, and initiatives that shape our digital experiences. “Digital par-
Shown here are (from left) Yves Gonzalez, Public Policy Head for the Philippines, TikTok; Amihan Abueva, Regional Executive Director, Child Rights Coalition Asia; Sheila Estabillo, Program Manager, Plan International Pilipinas
enting is not about knowing every application or monitoring every click. Hindi po sila [the parents] mga security guards or police ng digital spaces. Rather, it’s about building trust, maintaining open communication,
and creating an environment where teens feel safe to ask questions, seek guidance, and report concerns,” said Undersecretary Angelo Tapales, Council for the Welfare of Children.
Bringing Teens and Families to the Center of Digital Safety In the panel discussion titled “Empowering Teens to Build Safer Digital Habits,” teen advocates Bea Vicente and Jhasper Galleza from Plan International Pilipinas, and Charles Dwayne Sicad from the Council for the Welfare of Children, shared their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of the digital world and what it means to navigate it safely and responsibly. Drawing from their own experiences and advocacy, the teen advocates highlighted the importance of giving young people the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions online, while ensuring that they have trusted adults and communities they can turn to when they encounter challenges. After hearing the perspectives and insights of young people, the second panel discussion shifted toward adults and how families, the youth, and communities can be empowered to navigate the online space together.
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ONIFACIO Global City—Trust in news among Filipinos has fallen to 28 percent — a 10-point drop in a single year, and the steepest decline of any of the 48 markets in the Reuters Institute’s 2026 Digital News Report. In one of the world’s most online populations, where seven in ten now get their news from social media, the finding points to a contradiction with consequences few marketing plans were built for: Filipinos are more immersed than ever, and more skeptical than ever, of what they find.
Stratworks, the all-Filipino communications agency based in Bonifacio Global City, reads that contradiction as a central marketing challenge of the moment. When people stop trusting any one source, they do not stop deciding. They check around. A brand’s claim is quietly measured against whatever else is available, and increasingly an AI assistant does that checking for them, returning a single answer drawn from across the internet before anyone clicks a link. The agency reads that wider collapse in trust as a broader signal: a public skeptical of what it reads does not switch that skepticism off when it turns to a company, a product, or a campaign. Stratworks calls its answer Omnisearch Marketing — an approach that helps brands stay visible, credible, and consistent across every place people now search, from Google and AI assistants to social platforms, marketplaces, and reviews. Search became a reputation question “Search used to be treated mainly as a marketing function,” said Mark Christian Parlade, Managing Director of Stratworks, Inc. “It has quietly become a reputation function.” The shift, he argued, has moved ahead of
Why visibility alone is no longer enough for Filipino brands online
Search has become a reputation tool. Mark Christian Parlade, Stratworks Managing Director, sees a shift in brand visibility online with AI search becoming a channel where reputation can be built up.
how most brands still operate. “The old playbook assumed you could win attention on your own channels. The harder question now is whether the rest of the internet backs up the story you are telling, because that is what AI search reads first.” None of this makes the familiar tools less important. If anything, a campaign matters more when the surrounding signals can confirm it, and less when they contradict it. Advertising, events, social video, digital PR, and crisis response all still do their work. What has changed is the ground they land on. A brand can run a flawless campaign and still be introduced to a customer by something it never made: an old controversy an AI surfaces first, a Reddit thread or forum complaint that has been simmering quietly for months, a marketplace listing that no longer matches the latest message. All of it reads as true. Only some of it is the brand’s. That shift shows up in buying behavior too. More than four in ten Filipino internet users discover new brands through social media, according to the
Stratworks utilizes Omnisearch Marketing. Donna Nievera-Conda, Stratworks President and Co-CEO, emphasizes that the agency continues to build trust and relevance for brands in an age where online reputation is always under the spotlight.
Digital 2026 report by Meltwater and We Are Social. Combined sales across Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop in the Philippines reached an estimated US$22 billion (roughly ₱1.2 trillion) in 2025, up 15 percent in a year, by research firm Cube’s count, much of it driven by comparison and judgment happening inside the apps themselves. And the wariness is explicit: nearly half of Filipinos, 48 percent, fear AI’s capacity to generate false information, according to the WIN World AI Index reported locally by the Philippine Survey and Research Center. The more skeptical the audience, the harder it checks, and the more a brand’s standing rests on whether the evidence outside its own channels holds together. The wariness is not limited to news. Dentsu Philippines’ 2025 consumer report found Filipinos increasingly skeptical of brands as well, concluding that companies must now earn attention and trust because simply being present is no longer enough. Read alongside the collapse in news trust, it points to a single condition: a public that has grown
Lori Umali, Chief of Staff at Stratworks, who specializes in AI visibility optimization.
harder to convince, wherever the message comes from. Where attention stops being enough A campaign can earn attention, but attention is no longer the whole task. In a low-trust environment, what a brand says has to be backed up by what others independently show, and that corroboration is the oldest discipline in public relations, which is the bet Stratworks is making. Some of Stratworks’ clients have already started working this way, treating the wider record that customers and AI now read — search results, earned media, social, marketplaces, reviews, even the forum threads few brands track — as one reputation environment to be examined and strengthened, rather than a set of channels managed separately. The agency frames Omnisearch Marketing as the discovery layer of its broader omnichannel marketing service in the Philippines — how a brand is found and judged the moment someone looks it up. The name describes the shift it answers, that visibility can no longer be planned one search, one platform, or one channel at a time.
In that picture, AI is not the whole problem. It is the new interpreter of a much larger record. “We look at what a brand says on its own channels, what media and other people say about it, how it appears in search, reviews, and marketplaces, and what AI tools can reasonably pick up from all of that,” said Lori Umali, Chief of Staff at Stratworks, who specializes in AI visibility optimization. “Then we find where the signals are outdated, thin, or inconsistent, and close those gaps so the picture holds together wherever someone, or something, is looking.” No agency can dictate how an AI will answer, Umali said; the work is to strengthen what it draws from. Search optimization remains the foundation, but no longer the whole structure. A discipline the algorithm didn’t replace Stratworks has been doing reputation work for 26 years. It ran public relations for the First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition, and has held the Jollibee and PLDT Home accounts for years. It is the only agency to win Agency of the Year from both the Philippine Quill and Anvil Awards in consecutive years. The craft in all of it is the same one AI search now turns on: building brand authority that holds up under scrutiny, through earned media, consistent storytelling, and the vouching of credible third parties.. “The brand no longer gets the first word,” Parlade said. “Often it does not even get the last one.” Donna Nievera-Conda, Stratworks’ President and Co-CEO, frames Omnisearch as continuous with the agency’s purpose rather than a departure from it. “For 26 years our mission has not changed — to build trust and cement reputations through communications that transform,” she said. “Omnisearch is how we keep that promise in an age when a brand’s reputation is increasingly read, and judged, by machines as well as people. We have never just managed reputations. We build cultural relevance, and that is what earns trust wherever people are searching.”
Twitch sparks gamers’ wrath with Amazon AI sharing deal
The Maxim app is available on Android and iOS devices.
Maxim launches ride and delivery services in Ormoc ORMOC CITY—Maxim Rides & Food Delivery has launched its services in Ormoc City, providing residents with more convenient and affordable transportation and delivery options through a single mobile application. Customers can now book car services (4-seater and 6-seater), Bike Delivery, and Trike through the Maxim app. Car rides start at P45 for 4-seater vehicles and P55 for 6-seater vehicles, while Bike Delivery and Trike services start at P10. The launch also provides flexible earning opportunities for local driverpartners. The commission for drivers ranges from 15% to 18%, depending on the terms of cooperation. New driver-partners receive a 0% commission upon joining the platform, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the service and evaluate their experience using the app. “We are excited to bring Maxim’s services to Ormoc and provide residents with an affordable, reliable, and convenient way to travel and send items,” said Donald Maing, Head of Maxim Ormoc. “We also look forward to welcoming more local driverpartners to the platform as we help meet the community’s growing transportation and delivery needs.” Residents can download the Maxim app on Android and iOS devices to book rides and deliveries. As Maxim continues to expand its presence in the Philippines, the company remains committed to providing accessible mobility solutions, supporting local communities, and creating earning opportunities for driver-partners.
PARIS—Livestream gaming giant Twitch has raised hackles among its millions of users after declaring it will share their data with its parent company Amazon, to better train the online retailer’s AI models. In a post on X, Twitch said people would have the option to opt out of the data-sharing, but otherwise the live audio, text, images and other content on its channels would be used by Amazon for AI training across all its platforms. Twitch’s move opens the latest front in the fight to preserve online privacy as artificial intelligence firms increasingly seek data to improve their models. “An honest answer is: if it was optin, nobody would opt-in,” Twitch’s chief product officer Mike Minton said
Logo of the VOD and streaming video games company Twitch. AFP
Wednesday during a live chat on the hugely popular gaming platform after the announcement.
“It’s going to be on by default, and in almost every content service in the world, it is on by default,” he added.
“I know it’s very upsetting to the community, but this is where we are.” Gamers were quick to slam the policy as an unethical incursion on their privacy. “Opting people in by default is not consent,” a user said in one of the tamer responses to Twitch’s announcement on X. “Pay us for our services then with this AI training,” added another user. Amazon and Twitch are not the first to start absorbing user data to build AI models as competition in the sector heats up. Last year Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said all public comment on its platforms, with the exception of WhatsApp, would be used to train its AI models -- unless users opted out.
Still no. 1: TCL leads PH panel TV sales for 3rd straight year TCL has once again been recognized as the No. 1 Panel TV Brand in the Philippines, according to the 2025 Annual Cumulative Market Share Report by TRS Research. Marking its third consecutive year at the top, the achievement reinforces TCL’s sustained market leadership and reflects the continued trust and preference of Filipino consumers. Based on nationwide brick-andmortar retail performance throughout 2025, the independent TRS Research report affirms TCL’s strong presence in one of the country’s most competitive consumer electronics categories. More than an industry milestone, the recognition highlights TCL’s consistent ability to deliver meaningful innovation, outstanding product quality, and exceptional viewing experiences that resonate with Filipino households. TCL’s continued success in the Philippines mirrors its growing global leadership. According to leading market research firm Omdia, TCL ranked No. 1 worldwide in shipments of 75-inch-and-above TVs and Mini LED TVs in 2025. The company also maintained its position as the global leader in Google TV shipments for five consecutive years, from 2021 to 2025, reinforcing TCL’s standing as one of the world’s leading
TCL is the no. 1 Panel TV Brand in the Philippines, according to the 2025 Annual Cumulative Market Share Report by TRS Research.
innovators in display technology. “Being recognized as the Philippines’ No. 1 Panel TV Brand for the third consecutive year is a significant milestone for TCL and a reflection of the trust that Filipino consumers continue to place in our brand. This achievement inspires us to keep pushing the boundaries of innovation while making premium technologies more accessible to every Filipino household. We remain committed to delivering products that combine world-class performance,
outstanding quality, and exceptional value,” says Peter Chen, CEO of TCL Philippines Driving the Next Generation of Display Innovation Building on this remarkable achievement, TCL continues to shape the future of home entertainment with the introduction of Super-QD Mini LED (SQD-Mini LED)—its latest breakthrough in premium display technology. Powered by TCL’s industry-leading expertise, SQD-Mini LED delivers
remarkable precision in backlighting, richer color reproduction, enhanced brightness, and deeper contrast, creating an immersive viewing experience that brings every scene to life with exceptional realism. Representing far more than an evolution in naming, SQD-Mini LED embodies TCL’s next generation of display innovation and its commitment to redefining premium television experiences. This dedication has already earned international recognition, with the TCL X11L, the world’s first SQD-Mini LED flagship television, receiving the Innovative Display Technology Gold Award at the prestigious Global Top Brands (GTB) Awards during CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Organized by International Data Group (IDG) and supported by IDC, the award recognizes TCL’s continued leadership in advancing display technologies on the global stage. “Innovation has always been at the heart of everything we do. With SuperQD Mini LED, we’re introducing a new generation of display technology that delivers extraordinary picture quality and a truly immersive viewing experience. As we continue to inspire greatness through innovation, we remain focused on bringing worldclass technologies closer to more Filipino families,” Mr. Chen added.
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lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer JASPER VALDEZ, Writer
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ANNIE Raymundo, Chad Borja, and Richard Reynoso, collectively known as OPM Hitmen, are not afraid of artificial intelligence, but they are wary of what happens when technology starts replacing the human hands, voices, and emotions behind music.
The OPM Hitmen and Juan Angelo Arenas (second from right) launch a new partnership focused on concerts, collaborations, and live shows
Speaking with Manila Standard Entertainment, Raymundo, Borja, and Reynoso shared their views on AI during their recent contract signing with EchoJham Entertainment Productions, stressing that technology should complement musicians rather than erase them.
OPM Hitmen defends the human heart of music against AI
Richard Reynoso, Rannie Raymundo, and Chad Borja consider AI as a tool for artists, not a replacement for real voices and emotion
Raymundo believes that AI can be useful as a creative tool, but it should never become a shortcut. “AI should be a tool, not a crutch. It shouldn’t be a shortcut,” Raymundo said. He pointed to the years of work that go into creating a melody, developing chord progressions, and writing lyrics, something AI can now produce within minutes after receiving a simple prompt. “You say, ‘I want a love song, let’s make it hiphop,’ and five minutes later, you have one,” he relayed. “That’s sad. But then again, the world is evolving.” Raymundo said AI could also affect singers, musicians, and recording professionals if producers begin relying on generated sounds instead of hiring people. Still, he believes the human element of music cannot be replicated.
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Nickie Wang
“No system created by humans can replace the raw emotion of someone writing a song,” he asserted. “It’s more satisfying and more fulfilling when you know you created everything yourself.” Raymundo also pointed to the growing number of AI-generated versions of existing songs, including his own “Why Can’t It Be,” which he has encountered in rap, hip-hop, jazz, and even metal versions. He sees a more constructive use for AI, such as helping artists explore arrangements. “If it’s used as a tool, for example, to ask what a good arrangement would be, that’s OK with me,” he said.
Reynoso viewed AI as a challenge for composers and singers to sharpen their craft. “It’s a challenge for composers to do better, to create and improve the songs they release,” he enthused. “It’s also a challenge for singers to improve their craft.” But he drew the line at the emotional core of music. “No matter how many versions there are, AI cannot humanize the making of a song,” Reynoso said. “It cannot capture the feeling of a real Filipino and how we put that into music.” He cited generations of Filipino musicians and composers who helped shape OPM, saying their musical legacy cannot simply be replicated by a machine. “The machine has no heart,” he said. Reynoso also raised concerns about the data used to train AI systems, arguing that artists and music organizations should investigate whether musicians whose voices and work are used to create AI-generated material should receive royalties. Borja, meanwhile, acknowledged that AI is already part of the music landscape. “There’s nothing we can do about it because it’s already here,” he said. “What we can do is use it.” He noted that AI-generated music can use an artist’s voice and apply it to different genres, but he believes this also demonstrates why human performers remain essential. The biggest advantage for artists, Borja said, is live performance, something technology cannot fully reproduce. “That’s where AI cannot compete,” he said. The three OPM icons recently signed with EchoJham Entertainment Productions, headed by Juan Angelo Arenas. The partnership promises to include concerts, special performances, collaborations, and other projects.
Heart Evangelista marks 28th year in show business HEART Evangelista is celebrating her 28th year in show business with another chapter at Sparkle GMA Artist Center. The fashion icon and Sparkle star has renewed her contract with GMA Network’s talent management arm, extending a partnership that has accompanied her career through acting, fashion, and international collaborations. Heart Evangelista enters another career chapter as she balances acting, fashion, art, and international collaborations
From left: Lawrence Tan, Jojo Aquio, Vic Del Rosario, Joy C. Marcelo, Atty. Annette GozonValdes, Angel Javier-Cruz, and Gigi Santiago-Lara come together to celebrate Heart’s (center) latest career milestone
The milestone comes as Evangelista continues to make waves beyond Philippine entertainment. Her recent achievements include collaborations with Fornasetti Italy, LME, ION Orchard Singapore, CASETiFY and Vone World Indonesia, as well as her role as Mugler Fragrances’ regional ambassador for Southeast Asia. She also received the EMIGALA 2025 Global Fashion Influencer of the Year Award. Her international fashion profile has seen her grace covers and features of Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, Tatler Philippines, L’Officiel Singapore, ELLE Indonesia, Grazie Malaysia, GLAM Malaysia, and ICON Magazine Singapore. The contract renewal ceremony was attended by GMA Pictures president
and CEO Attorney Annette GozonValdes, Sparkle first vice president Joy C. Marcelo, GMA Entertainment vice president Gigi Santiago-Lara, and assistant vice president for talent management Vic Del Rosario. Evangelista’s The People Have Spoken co-host Sean Lucas served as host. Now entering her 28th year in the industry, Evangelista also has upcoming projects and has teased a possible reunion with former onscreen partner John Prats. She continues to explore fashion and art through her jewelry line, The Love Marie Edit. From actress to global fashion personality, Evangelista’s latest contract renewal adds another chapter to a career built on reinvention, with plenty more runway still ahead.
Althea Ablan looks toward characterdriven roles in film and series
Althea Ablan steps out of comfort zone ALTHEA Ablan is ready to breathe new life into her showbiz career after leaving GMA Network and signing with Viva Artists Agency. The 21-year-old actress hopes to follow the path of Bea Binene, another former GMA contract star who has found renewed momentum after moving on from the network. Ablan, who spent 10 years with GMA, is now managed by the ALV Talent Circuit and Viva Artists Agency. She signed her new contract on Aug. 7 at Viva Café in Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City, with manager Arnold Vegafria, Viva Artists Agency president Veronique del Rosario-Corpus, and Viva Communications CEO Vincent del Rosario. The young actress stressed that her departure from GMA was amicable. “I left GMA on very good terms and we don’t burn bridges,” she said. “You know, in our industry, the world is very small, so it’s better that we have good relationships with everyone. There was no misunderstanding, there was no problem.” Ablan said the decision came from a desire to step outside her comfort zone and discover what else she could offer as an actress. “I think this is the best time to step out of my comfort zone and explore new things,” she said. “This is my personal choice, and I’m happy with my choice, and I am entering this journey with an open heart and zero bitterness.” She remains grateful to GMA, which she described as her family for a decade. Now with Viva, Ablan wants to move deeper into character-driven acting, particularly psychological thrillers, suspense, and drama. “I’m really excited to do a lot of films under Viva and, of course, series as well,” she shared. “I really want to delve into more character-driven roles like psychological thrillers, suspense, and, of course, drama.” Ablan added that she still wants roles that challenge her despite having a decade of experience in show business. “I know, I still have a lot to learn,” she said. “And with Viva, I feel that I can fulfill the characters I want to try.” Among the younger Viva stars she hopes to work with are Andres Muhlach and Ashtine Olviga. She also has her sights on seasoned stars, including Sarah Geronimo and Anne Curtis. “I am hoping and praying that I can work with many veteran actresses,” Ablan said.
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lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer JASPER VALDEZ, Writer
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HERE’S a particular kind of magic that happens when you step onto an island where time seems to slow down, and my recent visit to Mövenpick Resort & Spa Boracay was the epitome of that blissful escape. Nestled on the secluded shores of Punta Bunga Cove, the resort offers a sanctuary of tranquility away from the busier crowds, making it the perfect destination for those seeking a truly restorative retreat. A culinary journey: Breakfast and beyond Each morning began at The Market, the resort’s all-day dining restaurant, and it was nothing short of a gastronomic celebration. The breakfast buffet is a lavish spread designed to cater to discerning palates, featuring a wide selection of both international and local Filipino flavors. I found myself lingering over freshly baked pastries and fullbodied roasts, while the live cooking stations served up local meats and freshly caught seafood. Dining while overlooking the pool and the sea set a serene tone for the day, and experiencing this “breakfast banquet” truly felt like the perfect start to another day in paradise. For lunch and dinner, the culinary adventures continued. Beyond the international fare at The Market, the resort boasts a vibrant Italian restaurant, Brezza, which serves authentic wood-fired pizzas and fresh pasta with stunning sea views. One of the most delightful experiences was the pizza-making activity offered at Brezza. Under the guidance of their skilled pizzaiolo, I had the chance to stretch the dough, spread the rich tomato sauce, and artfully arrange fresh toppings before watching my creation bake to perfection in
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Boracay offers a quieter island retreat where dining, wellness, and downtime come together along Punta Bunga Cove
Ssäm serves an interactive experience with Chef Josemarie Bogtae preparing Korean samgyupsal and other Asian dishes on a tabletop grill
The hotel provides a relaxing stay with good food, wellness activities, and quiet time by the beach
From wood-fired pizzas to Asian specialties, the resort’s restaurants add hands-on culinary experiences to a Boracay getaway
Dee-tails
A rejuvenating visit to Mövenpick Boracay
the wood-fired oven. There is something deeply satisfying about savoring a pizza you have crafted with your own hands, especially while gazing out at the crystal-clear waters of the cove. However, another highlight was the interactive experience at Ssäm, the resort’s Asian restaurant. This was where I experienced what felt like their version of a “teppanyaki” experience. The open kitchen offers a form of culinary theater, as Chef Josemarie Bogtae worked his magic on the tabletop grill,
preparing Korean samgyupsal and other Asian feasts right before your eyes. Beachside serenity and wellness Perhaps the most memorable part of the stay was the evening we spent on the beach. Mövenpick offers exceptional sunset dining experiences, and we opted for a beach picnic. The setup was idyllic: a private picnic arrangement placed directly on the powdersoft sands of the private beachfront garden as the sun began to dip toward the horizon.
Travel giant reports sustainability gains, sets global paternity leave policy
Ardee de los Angeles
Enjoying a sumptuous early dinner while watching the spectacular Boracay sunset from the comfort of our beachside spot was an experience of pure, unadulterated relaxation. To complete the journey of total rejuvenation, a visit to the resort’s Sagay Spa was essential. Nestled in a serene environment within the lush grounds, the spa offers a range of treatments designed to restore balance. I indulged in the signature Hilot Ritual, a traditional Filipino massage that uses gentle yet firm pressure to ease muscle tension. The overall spa wellness experience, combined with the soothing sounds of the nearby waves, left me feeling completely reset and pampered. From the diverse dining options and interactive cooking experiences to the beachside picnics and world-class spa, Mövenpick Boracay is more than just a hotel; it is a destination in itself that provides a truly nurturing and memorable escape.
Beyond beautiful destinations Why Philippine tourism must invest in world-class infrastructure Better connectivity, modern gateways and efficient public transport are becoming as important as attractions in keeping destinations competitive
By Frederick L. Ang
The travel company reports progress in lower-carbon bookings, tourism innovation and workplace support as part of its 2025 sustainability agenda
TRIP.COM Group has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, detailing progress in climate action, inclusive travel, community development, and tourism innovation, while announcing a new global policy providing eligible employees with at least 20 days of paid paternity leave. The report is structured around the company’s “Friendly Four” framework covering family, community, environmental, and stakeholder initiatives. A key sustainability milestone was the validation of Trip. com Group’s near-term and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets by the Science Based Targets initiative, making it the first online travel company in Asia Pacific to have both targets validated by SBTi. The company also reported that 2.74 million users selected lower-carbon business travel options in 2025, resulting in 23.44 million lower-carbon travel bookings. Trip.com Group expanded its sustainable travel offerings across accommodations, flights, car rentals, and rail as part of efforts to reduce the environmental impact of travel. The company also launched a $100 million Tourism Innovation Fund at its 2025 Global Partner Conference to support tourism projects and cross-sector collaborations focused on destination development and new visitor experiences. Its Country Retreats program created more than 400 jobs and supported about 11,000 indirect employment opportunities during the reporting year. Over five years, the program has contributed to about 51,000 employment opportunities. The company’s new paternity leave policy took effect Aug. 1 in selected Asian markets, including the Philippines. Eligible employees in the Philippines will receive an additional 13 days of fully paid leave, increasing the existing seven-day entitlement to a minimum of 20 days. Trip.com Group also reported that its childcare subsidy supported 1,114 employees in 2025, with about $1.6 million invested. The program has supported 2,038 families since its launch. Women accounted for 33.1 percent of senior management positions and 52.3 percent of management roles in key revenuegenerating functions, while women held 33 percent of STEMrelated positions across the group.
THE Philippines has never lacked breathtaking destinations. From pristine beaches and vibrant cities to rich cultural heritage and warm Filipino hospitality, the country has all the ingredients of a globally competitive tourism destination. Yet despite these advantages, the Philippines still ranks among the lowest in tourist arrivals in Asia. One persistent challenge hinders its full tourism potential: infrastructure. The post-pandemic recovery has made this reality more apparent. While international tourism has steadily rebounded across much of Southeast Asia, the Philippines has recovered more slowly in attracting foreign visitors. The pandemic reshaped traveler expectations, with tourists increasingly prioritizing convenience, efficiency, seamless connectivity, safety, sustainability, and memorable end-to-end experiences. Having spent years working in the hotel and travel industries before entering academia, I have come to appreciate that tourism success is no longer measured solely by beautiful attractions. In this new tourism landscape, infrastructure has become as important as the attractions themselves. Recent visits to Bangkok, Jeju Island, and Hong Kong, and previously to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Incheon, Dubai, and Xi’an, offered valuable insights into how tourism infrastructure shapes a destination’s competitiveness. The airports themselves tell a compelling story. Singapore’s Changi Airport has become a destination in its own right, integrating transportation, retail, nature, and entertainment. Dubai International Airport exemplifies how strategic investment in aviation infrastructure, operational efficiency, and global connectivity can transform The author, Frederick L. Ang holds a master’s degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management
Philippine tourism faces growing pressure to improve airports, transport links and other infrastructure as travelers place more value on seamless journeys
a city into a major tourism and business gateway. Hong Kong International Airport provides efficient multimodal connections linking air, rail, and ferry services. Incheon International Airport consistently ranks among the world’s best through its passengercentric design, technology, and operational excellence. Even Xi’an demonstrates how modern airport facilities can comfortably handle growing visitor volumes while reflecting local culture. The Philippines has made notable improvements, particularly through the modernization of Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals and development of new gateways across the country. However, challenges remain. Congested terminals, limited airport capacity, inconsistent public transportation links, fragmented domestic connectivity, and inadequate tourism infrastructure outside major urban centers continue to affect the visitor experience. Infrastructure extends far beyond airports. Efficient rail systems, integrated bus networks, walkable city centers, reliable digital connectivity, accessible tourism facilities, and sustainable urban planning all contribute to a destination’s appeal. Southeast Asian neighbors have recognized that tourism competitiveness depends on treating infrastructure as a long-term national investment rather than simply a transport concern. Addressing these gaps requires sustained collaboration among government, local communities, educational institutions, and the private sector. Investments should prioritize airport modernization, integrated transport systems connecting gateways to tourism sites, smart tourism technologies, environmental sustainability, and workforce development. As educators, we also have a responsibility to prepare future tourism leaders who understand that destination competitiveness is built not only through marketing campaigns but through strategic planning, innovation, and infrastructure that delivers seamless visitor experiences. The Philippines has every opportunity to become a leading tourism destination in Southeast Asia. Our natural beauty has never been in question. The challenge now is ensuring that the journey is as memorable as the destination itself. About the author Frederick L. Ang is the program chairperson of the Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management program at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. He holds a master’s degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management and has extensive hospitality and tourism industry experience.