Manila Standard - 2026 September 1 - Tuesday

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Prosecutors urge impeach court to extend hours, add trial days

By Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE prosecutors urged the Senate impeachment court to extend hearing hours or add trial days to expedite the proceedings, noting that the public is growing impatient amid the delays due

VOL. XL • NO. 199 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

to the inclement weather.

“We are getting impatient, too. If possible, it would be better to increase the number of trial hours and days,” House prosecution panel adviser and former Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Next page

117 Luzon areas now under calamity state 608 villages flooded, most in Pampanga

By Rex Espiritu, Charles Dantes, Rio N. Araja and Vince Lopez

F

LOODING worsened across Central Luzon on Monday as 117 local government units and areas were placed under a state of calamity and 608 barangays in six provinces were submerged, as the prolonged effects of tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay and Neneng and the southwest monsoon or “habagat” continued to batter the country.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported that the affected barangays were in Pampanga (327) – where all but two of its 17 towns were flooded -- and Bulacan (88), Tarlac (87), Bataan (43), Zambales (56) and Nueva Ecija (7).

The continuing rains also prompted the government to order alternative work and learning arrangements in 15 provinces on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

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DEVASTATION. An aerial view, top photo, of the widespread flooding in Central Luzon taken by the Office of Civil Defense yesterday. At left is a crowded evacuation center in San Mateo, Rizal while photo at right shows the long line of vehicles trapped on the North Luzon Expressway viaduct. Office of Civil Defense, PNP San Mateo Police Station

Palace denies PBBM interfering in OMB’s flood control probe

By Charles Dantes MALACAÑANG on Monday denied that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) to speed up or delay i t s ongoing investigation on the “ghost” flood control projects, stressing that the anti-graft body operates independently.

In a video statement, Presidential Communications Of-

fice Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Ombudsman has its own mandate and should be allowed to conduct its investigation according to established procedures.

“The Office of the Ombudsman has its own mandate. It is an independent body,” she said.

Castro was responding to questions on whether President Marcos had instructed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Next page

PBBM urges Pinoys to defend country’s sovereignty

By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday told Filipinos to become “modern-day heroes” by defending the country’s sovereignty, rejecting disinformation and demanding greater accountability from government institutions as the country marks National Heroes’ Day. In his speech at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City, President Marcos broadened the traditional definition of heroism beyond those who fought in the country’s wars, saying ordinary Filipinos also play a crucial role in protecting the nation and its future.

“The spirit of heroism lives on because every generation gives it a Next page

GILAS SPARKPLUG.

Dwight Ramos leads Gilas Pilipinas to a 68-56 win over Iran to complete a sweep of Window 4 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Sunday night.

Ramos finished with 16 points as the Philippines improved to 4-4 in Group E and strengthened its bid for a fourth straight World Cup appearance.

FIBA

HEROES DAY. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. pays his respects to the country’s heroes in ceremonies commemorating National Heroes Day at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. PCO

‘More than P3.7b squandered in Laguna Lake reclamation’

By Ram Superable and Joel E. Zurbano MORE than P3.7 billion in public funds may have been squandered on infrastructure and flood control projects built on illegally reclaimed land along Laguna Lake in Taguig City, according to findings released by Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said the government stands to benefit if Senator Panfilo Lacson’s claims regarding 18 hectares of reclaimed land in Laguna Lake, within Taguig are proven true.

Official records showed that the Department of Public Works and Next page

‘Maleta Boys testimonies no longer credible’

By Maricel V. Cruz WITH the retraction of star witness Orly Guteza’s original testimony regarding flood control scam kickbacks, the allegations from the remaining 14 Maleta Boys are no longer credible, according to a public interest and human rights lawyer.

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NEWS

A2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Palace...

From A1 117 Luzon...

From A1 Metro Manila was spared by heavy rainfall predicted on Sunday by PAGASA. Its heavy rainfall forecast for today also did not include the region.

Malacañang said Memorandum Circular No. 133, signed by Acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, directed government offices and public and private schools in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Benguet, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Apayao, Batanes, Nueva Vizcaya, Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga and Bataan to implement alternative arrangements.

The measure was adopted upon the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in anticipation of possible urban flooding and traffic disruptions.

Agencies providing basic and health services, disaster preparedness and response, and other vital services were directed to continue operating.

Contract of Service and Job Order workers placed under alternative work arrangements will continue to receive their corresponding wages or salaries, subject to existing rules, the memorandum added.

Local chief executives may also order localized cancellation or suspension of classes and government work in other areas under existing laws and regulations. For private companies, decisions on work suspension or alternative work arrangements will be left to management.

po City and Angeles City.

Four barangays remained geographically isolated after strong currents and high-water levels damaged bridges and cut off primary access. These were Sta. Fe in San Marcelino and Babuyan in Sta. Cruz, Zambales, and Sta. Juliana and O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.

The number of people affected in Central Luzon rose to 3,866,661, or 1,202,249 families, across 1,892 barangays.

A total of 73,793 people, or 22,094 families, were staying in 842 evacuation centers, while another 52,795 people, or 13,528 families, were staying outside evacuation centers.

Flooding and other weather-related incidents damaged 781 houses, including 110 totally and 671 partially damaged.

Pampanga emerged as the hardest-hit area, with more than 1 million residents affected by widespread flooding caused by continuous monsoon rains.

OCD Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said water levels remained high in several parts of the province following an initial damage assessment conducted Monday.

“We went to Pampanga together with Usec. Espino and Usec. Cabreros to conduct an initial damage assessment.

We passed through the NLEX, and we saw the extent of the problem on the highway, particularly in San Simon.

Along the way, we also saw that the water remained high in most parts of Pampanga,” Alejandro said.

Alejandro and other government officials met with Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda and several mayors in Clark to discuss the immediate needs of affected communities.

tinuously for nearly two to three weeks.

The Department of Health also raised concerns over possible leptospirosis as floodwaters remain in several areas.

Alejandro said some municipalities were experiencing flooding of this magnitude for the first time, noting that the country had been experiencing rainfall since Aug. 1.

The OCD has yet to determine when floodwaters in all affected areas will completely subside, as more rain is expected over parts of western Luzon in the coming days.

Several municipalities in Pampanga have also been without electricity for days, making it difficult for residents to cook and recover despite the continued delivery of relief goods.

The OCD has raised the concern with the Department of Energy, which is looking into ways to accelerate power restoration in affected areas.

Death toll from storms, ‘habagat’ up to 33

es reached P2.32 billion, according to the OCD. Government assistance to affected communities totaled P1.78 billion.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it had released 2.3 million family food boxes to affected communities and local government units and had another 3.5 million food boxes ready for deployment.

Other relief supplies on standby include ready-to-eat food, family clothing kits, tents, water filtration kits, hygiene kits, kitchen kits, maternity kits and sleeping kits.

3 tropical depressions enhance monsoon

The heavy rains came as three tropical depressions inside and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility continued to enhance the southwest monsoon.

Tropical Depression Pilandok maintained its strength Monday as it moved over the Philippine Sea east of extreme Northern Luzon, remaining far from the country’s landmass.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Pilandok was unlikely to make landfall in the country.

Meanwhile, around 269 Philippine Army personnel and 15 vehicles were deployed to flood-hit areas in Luzon for humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

The National Capital Region Police Office also mobilized Metro Manila police personnel for disaster response amid the effects of the monsoon rains enhanced by Pilandok.

In Bulacan, activist groups blamed alleged anomalies in flood-control projects, reclamation and environmental destruction for the province’s recurring flooding, as residents continued to cope with the effects of the monsoon-enhanced weather disturbances.

Remulla not to rush investigations, as the agency reviews documents related to cases under its jurisdiction.

She said the Palace has heard Remulla discuss how his office processes and studies documents submitted to it.

“We understand the difficulty of studying mountains of files, and we also recognize that they want to expedite all the cases they are investigating,” Castro said.

She cautioned however, against pressuring investigators to act before the evidence is sufficiently examined, saying a hastily prepared case could ultimately fail for lack of evidence.

“It is difficult to rush a case and have it remain incomplete. They could be blamed if the case is dismissed because of insufficient evidence,” she noted Castro said the Palace would therefore leave the investigation to the Ombudsman, which she said is fulfilling its responsibilities through proper process.

The OCD also monitored 33 other incidents, including soil erosion, landslides, mud and rock flows, fallen trees and collapsed infrastructure in Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Olonga-

Sustained relief supplies needed

Among the concerns raised was the need to sustain the delivery of relief supplies and augment local responders, many of whom have been working con-

Nationwide, the death toll from the combined effects of Luis, Maymay, Neneng and Habagat reached 33 as of Monday, with 19 people injured and three still missing, OCD Disaster Preparedness Service Director Gregorio Tomas said.

A total of 8.8 million people, or 2.5 million families, were affected across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Western Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Calabarzon, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila and Mimaropa.

Of the affected population, 164,500 people, or 46,900 families, were staying in 1,365 evacuation centers.

The weather disturbances damaged around 3,300 houses, including 2,900 partially and 405 totally damaged.

Infrastructure damage was estimated at P6.12 billion, while agricultural loss-

PBBM...

From A1

the Philippines marks a decade since an international tribunal issued the 2016 arbitral ruling that affirmed the country’s maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “We will defend our rights peacefully, in accordance with the law and consistent with our principles,” the President said.

But Mr. Marcos said the defense of Philippine sovereignty should not be left solely to the military, coast guard or other government agencies.

“Defending our territory is a responsibility shared by the entire nation,” he said.

He urged Filipinos to learn the history and legal basis of the country’s maritime claims, particularly the younger generation, and to use available plat-

forms to promote accurate information.

“Across every platform available to us, we shall champion truth, counter disinformation, and encourage responsible discourse,” President Marcos said.

The president also linked patriotism to government accountability, saying Filipinos have a responsibility to protect the integrity of public institutions by demanding transparency and insisting on a higher standard of public service.

“Above all, we have a duty to uphold the integrity of our institutions—by demanding transparency, accountability, and a standard of service worthy of the Filipino people,” he said.

Mr. Marcos said these responsibilities are particularly important as the country confronts challenges to its

national interests, emphasizing that unity and public understanding are essential to maintaining the Philippines’ position.

“For the strength of our resolve as a nation begins with the depth of our knowledge and the strength of our unity as one people,” he said.

“The Philippines is worth fighting for. Every Filipino deserves to be served. Our sovereignty is worth defending,” Mr. Marcos said.

Moreover, the President said this is how the country can give “a face” to heroism in the present day, by recognizing the nation’s history, advancing its rights and fulfilling the responsibilities needed to keep the Philippines strong, free and united.

view with radio station dzMM. He was referring to four Maleta Boys who withdrew their original accusations against Romualdez.

Bucoy said the retraction of the four jibed with the assertions of 25 Maleta Boys’ colleagues, former aides of exAko Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who belied the allegations of the original 18 Maleta Boys.

“This aligns with the 25 individuals who provided statements refuting the claims made by these 18 people,” he said.

But the most important retraction is that of former Marine Master Sergeant Orly Guteza, also a former aide of exRep. Co, who was the first to make allegations against Romualdez in a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, he said.

He pointed out that the 18 surfaced when Guteza suddenly disappeared days after his Senate testimony.

“If you recall, the first person to surface in that regard was Orly Guteza.

When he suddenly disappeared before he could be thoroughly examined, the “18” suddenly surfaced,” Bucoy said.

He stressed that the allegations of Guteza and the 18 Maleta Boys are interconnected and with Guteza’s retraction, supported by the assertions of 25 former Co aides, there is no more evidence against Romualdez since the remaining Maleta Boys’ testimonies are no longer credible.

“Well, those matters are interconnected. If Orly Guteza has already retracted his initial statement—claiming he was coerced into making it and that bribery was involved—and if we also consider the statements from the group of 25 criticizing the group of 18, what does that leave us with?

There is no evidence. What remains is simply not credible,” Bucoy added.

In claiming that the Ombudsman is resorting to selective prosecution of those allegedly involved in the flood control scam, Bucoy recalled that the original allegations of the 18 Maleta Boys were directed not only against Romualdez but other lawmakers and public officials as well.

However, he said the Ombudsman is choosing which evidence to use against which official.

“They are selecting which evidence to use and which not to; and if we recall, the estimonies of the 18 identified not just former Speaker Romualdez,” said Bucoy.

He said it is surprising that the Ombudsman finds certain evidence credible against Romualdez and lacking weight against other officials linked to the flood control scam.

Bucoy asserted that the Ombudsman is specifically targeting Romualdez.

Highways allocated P3.713 billion for the projects in various stages of construction within the city’s unauthorized reclamation zones.

“These do not include other anomalous Slope Protection and Flood Mitigation projects along Taguig River involving double appropriations and ‘ghost’ projects using recycled photographs in different ‘completed’ projects, for billing purposes,” Lacson said.

Five primary contractors accounted for P2.372 billion of the contested contracts, with Dahl Construction securing the largest share at P858.22 million across five solo ventures and four joint initiatives.

J.C. Uyecio accounted for P483.1 million across four joint ventures, while Toughbuilt secured three exclusive projects valued at P434.2 million.

Topnotch gained P329.9 million through three joint partnerships, and GR Fervidal was awarded P266.6 million for five multi-purpose building developments.

The veteran lawmaker confirmed that his team intends to submit these latest investigative findings to the Office of the Ombudsman’s fact-finding division for official evaluation and legal action.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon assured Lacson that stop-work orders would be immediately issued to unauthorized projects upon official request from the Philippine Reclamation Authority.

The public works agency subsequently issued cease-and-desist orders following direct instructions routed from the Office of the President through the reclamation agency.

Reclamation officials informed Senate investigators that any unpermitted land developments in Taguig, whether owned by private entities or the local government, would face government forfeiture.

Cayetano acknowledged that the Taguig government is receptive to examining land titles for reclaimed properties situated in Laguna Lake that fall under the city’s jurisdiction.

Cayetano also said his wife, Mayor Laarni Cayetano, has long advocated for a thorough review of the land titles in question.

The former Senate President had previously referred to allegations of land grabbing in the Laguna Lake area as misinformation, calling them “fake news”.

making it increasingly difficult for the public to follow.

“The public is growing impatient, especially when the matters being discussed are technical or legal in nature.

Even those who understand the issues sometimes find it difficult to keep up because of the length and duration of the proceedings,” he said.

He said the prosecution was also considering ways to shorten the trial, including dropping witnesses whose testimony would merely duplicate evidence already on record.

He also called on media organizations, social media bloggers and spokespersons to provide shorter and clearer explanations of the proceedings without distorting what happens in court.

Impeachment court Presiding Officer

Francis Escudero has expressed optimism the trial would be complete before the end of the year.

Duterte’s own camp has called for an early conclusion to the impeachment proceedings.

“I think both parties would like to finish this as early as possible. In fact, even our client, the Vice President, has already stated that she wants the impeachment process expedited. After all, the public is watching, and we have to consider whether they are still interested in what is unfolding,” Duterte’s defense spokesperson, Atty. Michael Poa, said in an earlier interview.

He also cited the budget deliberations that should be taking place now.

“As you know, these used to be daily, all-day affairs—sometimes even stretching late into the night in both the

House and the Senate. So, I recognize that issue,” Poa said.

As this developed, the prosecution will present two military officers as the impeachment trial enters its 20th day today (Tuesday).

The court is currently hearing the prosecution’s presentation for Article One or the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds released in 2022 and 2023 to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education when Duterte was education secretary.

The prosecution has already concluded its presentation for Article Four or alleged grave threats and inciting to sedition.

Colonels Manaros Boransing II and Magtangol Panopio are scheduled to testify today on military certifications

that DepEd used in responding to Commission on Audit findings on its confidential fund expenditures.

The certifications are significant to the prosecution because they were linked to activities cited by DepEd in accounting for its confidential funds, including Youth Leadership Summits (YLS).

Today’s proceedings could also put one of Duterte’s own lawyers on the witness stand.

Poa, who was Duterte’s former DepEd chief of staff and spokesperson and who is now a member of her impeachment defense team, is formally scheduled to testify for the prosecution on Wednesday.

Escudero, however, said Poa could be called as early as Tuesday if either Boransing or Panopio fails to appear.

Soil erosion, landslide, mud and rock flows

new face,” President Marcos said.

Mr. Marcos specifically cited overseas Filipino workers, teachers, health workers, emergency responders, parents and members of the security forces as examples of Filipinos who sacrifice for others.

He gave particular recognition to the Philippine Coast Guard, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and Filipino fisherfolk who operate in the West Philippine Sea, saying they are on the front lines of protecting the country’s rights, livelihoods and national interests.

The president’s remarks came as

‘Maleta...

From A1 Lawyer Antonio Bucoy also said the Ombudsman is resorting to “selective prosecution” and inexplicably targeting former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.

Commenting on the Ombudsman’s claim of having 42 witnesses against Romualdez, Bucoy said the issue is not the number of witnesses but the quality and credibility of their testimonies.

“This isn’t a battle over the sheer number of witnesses. It is a contest regarding the credibility and quality of the witnesses. Take the case of the “Maleta Boys,” for instance—four of them testified against the accused, but they later stood firm in declaring that their earlier statements were untrue,” he said in an inter-

Prosecutors...

From A1 Barbers said.

The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has been cancelled three times in August due to bad weather.

Barbers acknowledged that senator-judges must divide their time between the trial and legislative work as he suggested scheduling legislative duties earlier in the day and continuing the impeachment proceedings afterward.

“They could handle their legislative work in the morning, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and then continue the trial from 3 p.m. until they are done,” he said.

Barbers said the length and technical nature of the proceedings were

More than...

From A1

NEWS

A3 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

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IN BRIEF Negros Or. police chief, 6 COPs relieved over illegal gambling THE Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) on Monday announced that the Provincial Director of Negros Oriental and six chiefs of police in the province have been relieved from their posts.

PRO-NIR Regional Director Brigadier General Romano Cardiño said the relief orders followed a series of arrests linked to illegal numbers games in Negros Oriental.

On August 28, 2026, a simultaneous operation conducted by the Regional Special Operations Group of PRO-NIR resulted in the arrest of six individuals in the municipalities of Ayungon, Tayasan, Sibulan, and Pamplona, and in the cities of Bayawan and Guihulngan.

The six individuals were arrested for allegedly soliciting and collecting bets for illegal numbers games in violation of Republic Act No. 9287, or the Anti-Illegal Numbers Games Law. Vince Lopez

‘No shooting incident inside Baclaran Church’ THE National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Parañaque City clarified that no shooting incident occurred inside the church on Sunday.

In a social media post Sunday evening, Rector Fr. Rico John Bilangel reported that the incident on the afternoon of Aug. 30, involving an intoxicated man carrying a firearm, caused alarm.

“It is important to clarify that no shooting took place during the incident. Our security personnel and the authorities responded promptly, and the individual involved is now in police custody,” the church official said.

He also reported that two individuals sustained minor injuries during the incident and have already received first aid.

Former rebel points to an NPA arms cache in Quezon A FORMER rebel led government forces to an arms cache reportedly buried by New People’s Army (NPA) members in Lopez, Quezon, resulting in the recovery of firearms, explosives and other war materiel.

The 201st Infantry “Kabalikat” Brigade said combined troops from the 85th Infantry “Sandiwa” Battalion, 417th Quezon Police Mobile Force Company and Lopez Municipal Police Station discovered the cache in Barangay Santa Rosa on August 28.

Authorities said the location was disclosed by a former rebel who recounted that NPA members withdrew toward Barangay Santa Rosa following an armed encounter with government forces in Barangay Cogorin on April 23, 2025.

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR. Staff and

the owner of the Natural Art shop in Tondo, Manila, were busy putting up various Christmas decorations on August 31, 2026 the day before the start of September, marking the beginning of the month ending in ’-ber.‘ In the Philippines, this signals the start of the world’s longest Christmas season, characterized by colorful decorations and Christmas songs. Norman Cruz

US reaffirms ‘ironclad’ alliance with PH on MDT anniversary

By Katrina Manubay

T

HE United States on Monday reaffirmed its “ironclad” alliance with the Philippines as the two countries marked the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

US State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott said the treaty remains a cornerstone of the two countries’ defense and security partnership.

“Today, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the 1951 United States-

Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, the foundation of our ironclad alliance,” Pigott said.

“The Treaty remains an enduring testament to our unwavering commitment to each other’s defense and secu-

rity,” he added.

Pigott noted that 2026 also marks the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the United States, citing their shared history, sacrifices and common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

He said Washington remains committed to deepening bilateral ties, honoring its treaty obligations and expanding economic cooperation through initiatives such as the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC).

The first LEC Investment Forum will be held in Manila this year to attract new investments and expand pri-

Fuel prices lower by P3.84/l today

TRANSPARENCY CALL. Members of the

Concerned Advocates for Digitalized Expenditure and National Audit (CADENA) marked National Heroes Day with a symbolic wreath-laying ceremony at the Dr. Jose Rizal monument Plaza in Pasig City on Monday, August 31, 2026 on National Heroes Day to call for greater transparency in government spending through Senate Bill No. 1506, or the CADENA Act. The group is pushing for greater transparency and accountability in government spending by urging citizens to help ’chain’ corruption through digital tracking of public funds. Manny Palmero

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Lepto cases rise to 5,835, expert warns of second wave

By Ram Superable THE total number of recorded leptospirosis cases in the country increased to 5,835 in August, with the highest concentration of infections occurring in the National Capital Region, Region 3, and Region 2.

Meanwhile, infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante earlier

warned that a second wave of infections is expected to hit between Sep. 5 and Sep. 8 due to widespread flooding and continuous rainfall across the country.

Solante noted that daily admissions at San Lazaro Hospital have consistently remained at 20 patients or higher over the past week.

Department of Health Under-

secretary Dr. Gloria Balboa on Monday said that despite a decrease from last year’s 7,187 infections logged during the same timeframe, fatalities linked to the bacterial disease have already reached 358 this year.

The National Capital Region accounted for 34 of those deaths, with adults comprising the majority of the

deceased.

“Because the workers, of course, need to go out. So that’s it. Here, it’s 2.9% case fatality rate, which is lower than last year,” she added.

Dedicated fast lanes in several Department of Health facilities have since been activated as the hospital continues to bear the brunt of the patient surge.

Palace orders tighter security amid theft of pumping station parts

By Charles Dantes

RISKY MANEUVER. A van driver takes a risky maneuver to cross the raging

waters of a roadside stream which was swollen from constant heavy downpour due to the prevailing Ts Pilandok and Southwest Monsoon Habagat. Authorities advised its constituents to exercise all precautionary measures and stay safe. Dave Leprozo

vate-sector opportunities in coordination with Japan and other like-minded partners.

US Pacific Command also marked the anniversary, saying it remained committed to the values shared by the two countries and to strengthening the alliance for future generations.

Earlier this year, during the 12th Philippines-US Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, the two countries condemned China’s “coercive and aggressive” actions in the South China Sea and reaffirmed their commitment to regional security, freedom of navigation and the MDT.

MALACAÑANG ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to prevent the theft of components from pumping stations.

According to Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro, the directive follows reports that components were being stolen from pumping stations, affecting their ability to operate.

The Palace official said the theft incidents were particularly concerning as the government works to rehabilitate pumping stations and improve Metro Manila’s ability to cope with heavy rainfall and flooding.

“This is saddening because the President, DPWH, MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority), and other agencies are doing everything possible to alleviate the flooding problem,” Castro said in Filipino.

“The President takes pride in the pumping stations that have been repaired and are now operational, which is one of the reasons why, even when rain is extremely heavy and continuous and causes f looding, f loodwaters recede faster in some areas of Metro Manila,” she added.

The Palace official warned that the impact could be greater if replacement parts are not immediately available.

THE country’s oil firms implemented an oil price rollback of as much as P3.84 per liter effective 6am today to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

Seaoil Philippines announced a rollback of P3.84 per liter for kerosene, P3.83 per liter for diesel and P0.32 per liter for gasoline.

Shell Pilipinas rolled back kerosene prices by P3.80 per liter for kerosene, P3.80 per liter for diesel and P0.30 per liter for gasoline.

Other oil companies are expected to follow suit although the Department of Energy has yet to announce the latest oil price movement.

An industry source said last week that diesel is expected to go down by P3.50 to P4 per liter and gasoline by P0.25 to P0.75 per liter based on this week’s Mean of Platts Singapore and foreign exchange averages for the first four days.

“Prices declined this week as threatened US sanctions fell short of the market’s expectations and viewed the economic pressure as a lower-risk path for physical supply than a military escalation, reducing the oil market’s anxiety and easing immediate supply concerns,” the source said.

He said global oil prices were also weighed down by signals of a potential return to mediation to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said it had resumed talks with Oman.

The source said the physical supply picture reflects a stillconstrained market and supply disruption risks remain.

According to the source , the increase in refined products outflows from China due to renewed refined product export allowances, including incremental flows from the US and India, helped eased some regional shortages and keep the markets supplied.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

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QC gov’t steps into bookstore PWD dispute

By Rio N. Araja THE Quezon City government has stepped into a viral incident involving a person with disability (PWD) who was allegedly manhandled by a security guard following accusation of shoplifting inside a National Bookstore outlet in a mall along North Ave..

In a statement, the local government’s Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) said it is now coordinating with the Pasay City government and the family of the complaining PWD to offer any appropriate assistance within its mandate, including access to legal support and other available services.

“We support the Quezon City Police District in its efforts to establish the facts and resolve the matter swiftly, fairly, and in accordance with the law,” the city government said.

“The QC-PDAO reiterates that no persons, including persons with disabilities, should ever be subjected to abuse, degrading treatment, or any form of inhumane conduct. Every individual is entitled to dignity, respect, safety, and protection,” the statement read.

The Quezon City government remains firmly committed to upholding the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities and to ensuring that they receive the assistance and protection they deserve,” it added.

The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) earlier called for due process, and “recommended that establishments ensure due process, fair treatment, and coordination with law enforcement in handling cases.”

‘Bayawan City a model in solid waste disposal’

By Rio Araja THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday lauded Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, as a model in solid waste management for its properly designed landfill and comprehensive waste management system.

DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna recently visited the city-run Waste Management and Ecology Center and commended the local government unit for implementing effective practices under Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called on our barangays and LGUs to become laboratories of workable solutions and showcases of best practices.

Bayawan is a clear example of that vision in action,” Cuna said.

The 27.4-hectare facility in Sitio Omod, Barangay Maninihon, established in 2010, featured a sanitary landfill cell, materials recovery facility, composting unit, special waste vault and septage management system.

It serves all 28 barangays of Bayawan, covering 117,900 residents, as well as five neighboring local government units and three private firms.

Cuna said Bayawan’s current waste management system is a significant improvement from the late 1990s, when unsegregated household waste and open dumping in Sitio Buli-Buli, Barangay Banga posed health and environmental risks.

PH-BRUNEI JUDICIAL TIE-UP. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo (left) and his Brunei Darussalam counterpart Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong (extreme right) pose for posterity after signing an agreement on judicial cooperation at The Empire Brunei on Sunday (Aug. 30, 2026). Also in photo are PHILJA Chancellor and retired Associate Justice Edgardo Delos Santos and Brunei Judicial Education and Training Unit chairperson Hajah Hazarena binti POKSJ DP Haji Hurairah. Brunei Supreme Court photo

PH, Brunei forge accord on judicial collaboration

By Gwyneth Nolasco

T

HE Supreme Courts of the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam have strengthened their judicial cooperation through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on judicial education inked Sunday, Aug. 30, in Brunei Darussalam.

Under the agreement, the two courts will exchange expertise, knowledge and best practices in judicial education, including curriculum design, teaching methods and evaluation systems, according to a Supreme Court press release.

They will also organize and participate in workshops, seminars, conferences, study visits and other capacity-

building programs for judges, judicial officers and court personnel.

Philippine Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and Brunei Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong signed the pact, witnessed by Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) Chancellor and retired Associate Justice Edgardo Delos Santos, PHILJA Vice Chancellor Sedfrey Candelaria, and PHILJA Academic Affairs Office Chief Emerito Enginco.

PHILJA and Brunei’s Judicial Education and Training Unit will serve as implementing institutions of the partnership, which aims to enhance judicial capacity in addressing emerging, cross-border and transnational legal issues.

Gesmundo said the MOU would allow the two judiciaries to learn from each other while reaffirming their friendship and commitment to judicial excellence, the rule of law and effective delivery of justice.

He emphasized the need for judges and court personnel to pursue con-

tinuous learning and collaboration across jurisdictions amid technological advances in the judiciary.

“I believe the deeper value of this initiative lies in the relationships it will cultivate among our judges, judicial officers, judicial educators, and court personnel. Through candid dialogue and the sharing of experiences, we gain not only new knowledge but also a deeper appreciation of the circumstances and perspectives that shape another judiciary,” Gesmundo said.

Chong said the MOU recognizes that judicial education is a shared endeavor that benefits from cooperation and the exchange of experiences among courts. “[The MOU] reflects a shared recognition that judicial education is not simply an internal matter for individual judiciaries. It is an endeavor in which we can learn from one another, benefit from one another’s experience, and work together to strengthen the administration of justice,” Chong said.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna (in blue vest) inspects the facilities of the Bayawan City Waste Management and Ecology Center in Negros Oriental to assess the city’s solid waste management practices and implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. DENR photo

SANTIAGO City—House Assistant Majority Leader and Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Timothy Cayton urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to strictly review mining exploration applications in the province with an eye to disqualifying potential violators.

Cayton raised the issue during the DENR budget hearing in Congress, stressing that the agency must ensure full compliance with all legal requirements before issuing any permit.

“If it is proven that there are violations in the process or in the requirements, the DENR should consider the cancellation of these applications,” Cayton said.

The lawmaker also called on the DENR to listen to villagers in Kasibu town who vigorously oppose exploration activities of the Northern Luzon Mining Resources Corp. (NLM/NLMRC).

“The concerns of communities that will be directly affected must be heard and properly addressed,” he added. Jessica M. Bacud

Two get life in jail on P7-m shabu deal

DENR sets free one monkey, two cobras

All in the family: Barzaga’s son gets mom’s post

By Vito Barcelo

its mini marathon dubbed ‘Kabayanihan Run’ 2026 – Laoag Leg on Sunday (Aug. 30), bringing together runners and supporters in an athletic event promoting fitness, camaraderie and the spirit of camaraderie. PMC photo

Solon eyes rigid vetting of mining applications

THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has sentenced two drug offenders to life imprisonment for selling over one kilo of shabu worth nearly P7 million.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency lauded the swift resolution of the case filed against Janoden Basmala and Sainor Musa who were arrested barely five months ago.

The ruling handed down on Aug. 28, found the respondents “guilty beyond reasonable doubt” of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. Apart from the jail term, the duo were also ordered to pay a P1-million fine each.

Rio N. Araja

WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY.

MARINES ON THE RUN IN LAOAG. The Philippine Marine Corps holds

IN BRIEF

VICE Mayor Elpidio “Third” Barzaga III will assume the post of mayor of Dasmariñas City following the election of his mother, Jennifer “Jenny” Barzaga, as the new representative of Cavite’s 4th District, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The matriarch vacates the mayoralty portfolio following her election as a legislator to fill the vacuum created by the expulsion of her son, Francisco Barzaga, from the House for disorderly behavior, conduct unbecoming of a member, and violations of the House’s Code of Conduct.

Jennifer won in the Aug. 29 special congressional election organized by

the Commission on Elections to find a replacement for her son.

Under the Local Government Code, the vice mayor automatically succeeds to the position of mayor once the office becomes permanently vacant due to resignation, death, removal, or assumption of another elective office.

With Elpidio’s assumption as mayor, the highest-ranking councilor in the Sangguniang Panlungsod becomes the vice mayor in accordance with the law.

The leadership transition is expected to ensure continuity in the city’s administration while Barzaga begins her new term in Congress representing the residents of Cavite’s 4th District.

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources has released into the wild a long-tailed macaque monkey and two venomous snakes following the animals rescued in Pilar, Bataan.

The ape was surrendered by a concerned citizen to the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office of Pila, while the snakes, a Philippine cobra and a king cobra, came from the Bureau of Fire Protection.

“We ensured the animals were handled safely during rescue, transport and release to reduce stress and protect both the wildlife and responders,” CENRO Pilar head Marivic Santos said.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, the long-tailed macaque is classified as endangered, the Philippine cobra as near threatened, and the king cobra as vulnerable.

The three species are also listed as “other threatened species” under DENR Administrative Order 201909. Butch Gunio

OPINION

A5

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Arbitrary withdrawal of application for marriage license violates VAWC CAN an arbitrary and public withdrawal of an application for a marriage license result in “psychological violence,” thereby violating Republic Act No. 9262, otherwise known as the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 (VAWC)?

The answer is in the affirmative. In XXX v. People, AAA was pregnant, and the subsequent withdrawal by XXX of their application for a marriage license was arbitrary and public. The Supreme Court held that such conduct “transcend[ed] [from a] simple heartbreak and enters [into] the realm of ‘psychological violence.’” (XXX v. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. E-00648, July 29, 2026) According to AAA, she and XXX, a police officer, entered into a romantic relationship after four months of courtship. “In April 2020, AAA discovered she was pregnant, news which was positively received by the couple.”

“Initially, the relationship was harmonious. XXX visited AAA’ s home frequently to attend to her needs during her pregnancy.

However,… AAA suddenly lost contact with XXX [and] [i]t was only during the last week of that month that XXX reconnected with her…”

“During this time, they also visited XXX’s house, where AAA met his parents.”

“Both families agreed that the couple should marry, and they scheduled a visit to the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) on June 1, 2020, to apply for a marriage license.”

“On the appointed date, AAA was informed by XXX’s colleagues that he had been called to a police operation and could not attend. This came as a shock to AAA, as XXX had previously assured her he would seek permission from his superiors to be relieved of duty for the wedding preparations.”

“AAA felt utterly humiliated and ashamed, having already informed her family and friends of the impending marriage license application. Six days later, XXX reached out to AAA, apologized for his absence, and requested a new schedule.”

“On June 11, 2020, they successfully lodged their application. The following day, however, AAA learned that XXX had withdrawn it. Upon verification with the LCR, AAA confirmed the withdrawal as XXX had reportedly claimed that AAA was aware of his actions and that his family and friends did not favor the union.”

Thereafter, AAA filed a criminal case for violation of Republic Act No. 9262. “She was [later] examined by Ms. Rovianne Lamsin (Lamsin), a Municipal Social Welfare Development Office (MSWDO) officer, who also testified in court… [recounted] that AAA was shaking and emotionally distraught…”

Lamsin recommended a psychiatric evaluation because AAA was not in a stable psychological and emotional state. Dr. Marsha Molina, a psychometrician, examined AAA and later “testified that her tests revealed AAA suffered from restlessness, suicidal ideation, and depressive symptoms” because of the postponed marriage and her anxiety regarding her second pregnancy out of wedlock.

For his part, XXX “maintained that their families--not he--set the date for the marriage license application, and claimed he never expressly agreed to marry AAA despite the pregnancy. He [also] cited his own health issues (seizure attacks) and his grandmother’s illness as reasons for requesting a postponement…”

“On June 10, 2020, he again pleaded for a postponement at the LCR, but claimed he only submitted the application because AAA became increasingly emotional. He

admitted to later withdrawing his Certificate of Live Birth from the LCR, but claimed he did so to use it for a ‘License to Own and Possess Firearm’ application.”

“The [Regional Trial Court] RTC ruled that the elements of the crime charged were proven beyond reasonable doubt. The act of XXX of arbitrarily withdrawing the application for marriage license resulted in psychological harm against then-pregnant AAA whom he had a romantic and sexual relationship.” (Op. cit.)

—“—

It may be violence if such withdrawal is willfully carried out in a manner that causes mental or emotional suffering, humiliation, or psychological harm to the woman.

As a result, “AAA felt ashamed, belittled, suffered sleepless nights and loss of appetite. She suffered anxiety and had signs of depression, and was overly worried on what will happen if the marriage will not push through considering that it will be her second pregnancy out of wedlock.” (Op. cit.)

The Court of Appeals (CA), in affirming the ruling of the RTC, explained that “[t]he malicious act of the unexplained withdrawal of the marriage license application was the means by which AAA endured emotional and mental suffering. The CA expressly stated that XXX “was not being penalized for the breach of promise to marry itself, but for the consequential effects of his actions that led to AAA being humiliated and publicly ridiculed.” (Op. cit.)

“The CA further rejected XXX’s contention that his act was innocent, considering he knew the negative emotional effects his actions would cause AAA and the scandal it would bring to her as a public school teacher.

His subsequent marriage to another woman, only months after the withdrawn application, further belied his claim of innocence.”

(Op. cit.)

According to the Supreme Court, “[t] he RTC and the CA did not penalize XXX for the breach of promise to marry itself.

Section 5(i) of Republic Act No. 9262 specifically penalizes acts that cause mental or emotional suffering.”

Thus, it was not the mere breach of a promise to marry that gave rise to criminal liability. Rather, it was the willful manner in which XXX withdrew the marriage license application, despite knowing that AAA was pregnant and that their impending marriage had already been made known to their families and others, which caused her humiliation and emotional anguish.

It is the “‘willful’ withdrawal of the marriage license– knowing the victim was pregnant and had already announced the union constitutes a form of emotional manipulation and public humiliation that fits the definition of psychological violence.” (Op. cit.)

Hence, the withdrawal of an application for a marriage license does not, by itself, constitute a violation of R.A. No. 9262.

However, when such withdrawal is willfully carried out in a manner that causes mental or emotional suffering, humiliation, or psychological harm to the woman, it may constitute psychological violence punishable under Section 5(i) of R.A. No. 9262.

Chinese guitar capital’s stairway to export heaven

By Rita Qian ZHENG’AN, CHINA — It doesn’t take long to guess the main industry of the Chinese town of Zheng’an. A giant guitar sculpture dominates the central square, guitar murals adorn walls and pavements and even the rubbish bins are shaped like guitars.

This corner of the southwest province of Guizhou produces one in every seven of the instruments sold worldwide. A decade ago, it had no guitar-making industry to speak of at all.

There are hundreds of specialized manufacturing towns in China, producing items ranging from bicycles to socks.

But the speed and scale of Zheng’an’s rise make it an example of the impact of China’s industrial strategy when a combination of local and central government investment is deployed to maximize favourable local conditions.

For years, the town’s working-age residents left to find employment in factories in

Guangdong, southern China’s manufacturing hub.

Among them was Zheng Chuanjiu, who eventually started his own guitarmaking business in the provincial capital Guangzhou.

—“—

The benefits are beyond just economic for locals.

“The company was doing pretty well at that time and most of our staff in Guangzhou were also our fellow villagers from Zheng’an,” the founder of Shenqu Guitar told AFP. In 2012, Zheng’an local authorities rolled out an initiative called “return the phoenix to the nest” to encourage skilled migrant workers to return home and start businesses.

“The county officials reached out to us.

‘Alyas public servant’

F

IVE days before Monday’s commemoration of National Heroes Day, a senator-judge at the Vice President’s impeachment trial rose from his seat and complimented the prosecutor’s “beautiful smile.” And then he went from quizzing her sternly to talking over her, interrupting her answers in a loud and disrespectful voice.

The legislator-actor rattled off the various aliases that our heroes used many years ago. His objective was clear: using aliases is not only acceptable but necessary. And if those great Filipinos used aliases as they fought for their cause, what made the confidential fund recipients of the Office of the Vice President any less entitled to call themselves another name?

Never mind if the fund recipients had absurd – no, insulting and infuriating – names. Or that these names had been found fictitious by the Philippine Statistics Authority. Or, in violation of the Anti-Alias Law, that no separate document containing their real names was presented by the OVP. Or, that taxpayers’ money handed them were not accounted for aside from vague and general descriptions.

ManilaStandard

ONLINE

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Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Heroes keep doing their jobs despite difficulty or adversity, put the welfare of others before their own, and shed pretensions to greatness or brilliance.

OVP’s low regard for Filipinos’ intelligence and its cavalier view of public

THERE is a species of public servant that has elevated tone-deafness to an art form— men so insulated by privilege that they can lecture the starving on the virtues of fasting without irony. The latest specimen is Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., who last week stood before the Senate and, while explaining the peso’s decline, found time to scold Filipinos for their “consumption culture.”

“Medyo mahirap sabihin ‘to… pero mayabang tayo eh,” Remolona said, with the reluctance of a man who knows he is about to offend but cannot help himself.

Translation: We are boastful. We consume too much. We are the problem.

The audacity is breathtaking. Here is a man who earned ₱52.756 million in 2025—nearly nine times the President’s salary and triple what the US Federal Reserve Chairman receives—lecturing workers earning ₱695 a day about the sin of wanting things. A minimum-wage earner would need seventy-five years of labor, without spending a centavo on food or shelter, to earn what Remolona takes home in twelve months. And yet the worker is “mayabang.”

Representative Sarah Elago understood what was at stake when she fired back with moral clarity. “Madaling sabihin na mag-ipon kung milyon-milyon ang kinikita,” she said. Easy to preach savings when you earn millions. Workers have nothing set aside not because of “consumption culture” but because wages are structurally insufficient for survival.

The data support her. The Family Living Wage for a family of five in Metro Manila is ₱1,168 to ₱1,207 per day. The minimum wage is ₱695. That daily gap of ₱400 to ₱500 cannot be bridged by frugality. The bottom half of Filipino households spend over fifty percent of income on food

alone. There is no culture of excess here— only the grim arithmetic of getting by.

What makes this episode galling is the legal architecture enabling it. Under Republic Act 7653, BSP officials at Salary Grade 20 and above are exempt from the Salary Standardization Law governing the rest of the bureaucracy. This exemption—quietly enacted, rarely debated, upheld by the Supreme Court—has created a parallel universe where central bankers earn private-sector compensation with government job security. The BSP Governor’s salary is determined not by market forces or democratic accountability but by the incestuous logic of central bank exceptionalism.

And what does this exceptionalism buy?

New headquarters worth P50 billion while floodwaters rise and bridges fall. A compensation regime mocking the “simple living” requirement of Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials. A governing class economically incentivized to misunderstand the lives of ordinary Filipinos.

The deeper scandal is not illegal. It is worse—a scandal of democratic legitimacy. A system working exactly as designed, insulating technocrats from accountability while blaming the poor for structural failures they did not create. The peso is falling because of US Federal Reserve policy, oil shocks, global trade slowdowns. Remolo-

na acknowledged all this before adding his cultural critique. But it is the cultural critique that will be remembered, because it serves a purpose: deflecting blame from those who make policy to those who suffer its consequences.

The tax system tells the true story. The TRAIN Law imposed regressive excise taxes on fuel and sugary drinks, falling heaviest on the poor. The CREATE Law slashed corporate income taxes and granted extensive tax holidays to multinationals. This is not a culture problem. This is a policy choice—a systematic shifting of the tax burden from capital to labor, from corporations to consumers, from the wealthy to the working class.

Elago’s challenge was more than rhetoric. “Tingin-tingin muna sa salamin,” she said. Look in the mirror first. It is a democratic demand that those who make economic policy first examine their own privilege, their own consumption, their own complicity. It is an inversion of the surveillance gaze—the poor are no longer objects of moral scrutiny; they are its subjects.

The likely outcome is that this controversy fades, absorbed by the news cycle.

Remolona issues a clarification that clarifies nothing. Elago files a resolution that goes nowhere. The peso continues its slide, the poor continue their impossible arithmetic, the technocrats continue their comfortable lives.

But perhaps not. Perhaps this moment becomes a rallying point against elite impunity, a shorthand for everything wrong with Philippine governance. The next time a technocrat lectures Filipinos about thrift, the response will not be silence. It will be the voice of Sarah Elago, and the millions she represents, demanding accountability.

Look in the mirror, Governor. The reflection is not flattering.

They wanted us to come back and develop the industry,” Zheng said.

Shenqu became the first guitar manufacturer to settle in Zheng’an’s new economic zone.

“After I’d been working here for a few years, many friends saw how well I was doing and came here to join me to develop the industry,” he said.

When AFP visited Shenqu in July, rows upon rows of finished guitars sat neatly on racks, awaiting final tuning checks before shipment.

“Why go far away to work when home is the best place?” a banner in the factory read.

Natural advantages Within around 10 years, 87 homegrown brands had emerged from the industrial cluster.

Authorities enticed companies with comprehensive financial, tax and employment support packages -- some were offered three-year tax exemptions and 10 years of free rent.

Importantly though, Zheng’an has natural advantages in its favor.

The area’s climate is perfect for guitar-

making, according to master luthier Zhang Weiyi, who relocated his business from Guangzhou in 2019.

“Whether the industry is big or small, whether it’s making an impact, that doesn’t really matter to me,” the 50-year-old said as he carefully sanded down a piece of ox bone to fit into the custom guitar he was making by hand.

“My clients are all longstanding clients...

Plus, as artisans, we don’t really care much about those things.”

Zhang only produces around 150 guitars a year.

However, according to local authorities, Zheng’an as a whole manufactures 2.5 million a year, living up to the name plastered on banners across town: “Capital of Guitars, City of Music”.

‘Nice atmosphere’ Zheng’an is now an export hub -- sending 248 million yuan ($36 million) worth of guitars to more than 40 countries in 2025.

Streamlining export-rebate procedures is another perk local authorities offer to local firms.

From January to July 2025, for example,

registered local enterprises received 147 million yuan in tax reductions and exemptions.

Chinese state subsidies and other assistance have been criticized as unfair by the United States and Europe in recent years, especially in industries such as electric vehicles and solar panels.

But pursuing specialized regional industries is important to stop population loss to big cities, and to boost development in previously neglected areas, Zhejiang University economist Dong Xuebing has argued.

More counties should leverage their unique advantages and industrial foundations to pursue “distinctive, differentiated development,” he has written.

The benefits are beyond just economic for locals.

“I think there’s a really nice atmosphere around it,” said master luthier Zhang, describing how music now often filled the main square.

“All over the streets and alleys, you see quite a few people -- both adults and kids -carrying guitar cases, probably on their way to guitar lessons.” AFP

—“—

There is no culture of excess here—only the grim arithmetic of getting by.

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser

Emil P. Jurado+ Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

MEMBER

—“—

The P53-million man and the art of blaming the poor

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 8-5646225 and 8-5646229 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.manilastandard.net

“Confidential” became a convenient cover. The aliases betrayed the

money. The comparison to actual heroes is appalling. What mental acrobatics did the minority senator perform to make that connection?

The real historical figures he mentioned, from the 1800s to 1983, must have turned in their graves.

Then again, we have stopped expecting any redeeming qualities from this action star, who has been championing willful ignorance as a virtue and making the case against critical thinking among Filipinos. What is difficult to swallow is that others can defend and believe him. Certainly, he diminished our heroes and all they sacrificed in the name of freedom and social good.

On this year’s National Heroes Day, may we not forget what separates heroes – whether or not they have prominent names – from posers. Heroes keep doing their jobs despite difficulty or adversity, put the welfare of others before their own, and shed pretensions to greatness or brilliance. Let’s be inspired by the real people who sacrifice in big and little things, not by those who talk loud, talk tough, and think little, if at all.

Mario R. Policarpio Jr. Head - Finance

Baldwin R. Felipe

Head - Ad Solutions

Joyce Pangco Pañares Managing Editor

Honor Blanco Cabie

Opinion Editor

Feliciano T. Buscas Jr. Head - IT-MIS

Paula A. Reynoso

Head - Suppplements

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Aytch dela Cruz

Online Editor

Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

News Editor

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Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer

WORLD

A6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Indonesia, US and allies launch joint military drill BANDUNG – Indonesia, the United States and more than a dozen allies launched annual joint military exercises Monday to boost defense capabilities and “deter aggression” in the Asia-Pacific region.

Jakarta maintains a neutral foreign policy, what it calls “free and active,” as it walks a diplomatic tightrope seeking good relations with both Washington and Beijing.

The Southeast Asian giant held a joint navy drill with China this month that was blasted by Taiwan as a “provocation.”

Indonesia, the United States and certain allies have taken part in the annual drills, known as “Super Garuda Shield,” for nearly two decades.

This year’s edition will entail 4,700 soldiers from countries including Britain, France and Japan drills in several locations including Sumatra and Borneo islands until September 11.

East Timor, Italy, Thailand and other nations have sent observers.

Patrick J. Ellis, commander of the US Fourth Infantry Division, said the exercise was critical for “building the human architecture that keeps the Indo-Pacific safe.”

“The security landscape of the IndoPacific is complex and readiness cannot be surged when a crisis begins,” he said at a military school in Bandung, east of Jakarta, where the drills officially kicked off.

The exercises will include special forces infiltration training and cyber defense drills, Ellis added.

Indonesia elevated its defense cooperation with the United States to that of a “Major Defense Cooperation Partnership” in April.

Ellis said Monday that was a testament to the role of the world’s third-largest democracy as a “vital anchor to regional stability.” AFP

PRAYING FOR RAIN. Catholic faithfuls attend a procession to ask for rain amid a prolonged drought in Santo Domingo Xenacoj,

Guatemala. AFP

Iran retaliates after first IN BRIEF US air strikes in a month

Car bomb in front of police station in Mexico wounds 6 MEXICO CITY – A car bomb exploded in front of a police station in Mexico Sunday night, wounding six people, authorities said.

The blast happened in the town of Ojocaliente in Zacatecas, a state with key routes for drug trafficking.

“The explosive was placed in a private vehicle and caused physical damage to the station and properties located nearby,” state government secretary Rodrigo Reyes said on Facebook.

“Six civilians have been reported wounded, who are receiving medical care,” he said in an earlier post.

Zacatecas is key to the drug trade because it links central Mexico with the north and west of the country and features routes that are key to smuggling cocaine and other narcotics to the United States.

Horrific drug violence plagued the state for years, with bodies turning up and people going missing almost on a daily basis until relative calm set in.

But in July, five bodies appeared hanging from a bridge in the town of Pozos de Gamboa, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) from Ojocaliente. AFP

German cops nab man over fatal railway station stabbing BERLIN – Police in Germany said they arrested a man on Sunday suspected of fatally stabbing a British woman at a railway station.

The 27-year-old German national was detained at Rosenheim railway station southeast of Munich in the early hours of Sunday morning following the attack, the Bavarian Police said in a statement.

A 31-year-old British woman was taken to hospital but died from her injuries, they said.

Police have asked members of the public to contact them with any information about the attack, including if they witnessed an altercation at the station around the time of the incident. AFP

Sokor court gives Unification Church leader 2 years prison SEOUL – A South Korean court sentenced the leader of the secretive and powerful Unification Church on Monday to two years in prison on charges of bribing officials, including the then president’s wife.

Han Hak-ja, 83, was accused of providing luxury items, including a designer handbag, to former first lady Kim Keon Hee while her husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, was president, in an attempt to secure policy favors.

She arrived for sentencing at court Monday in a wheelchair, wearing pajamas and a surgical mask, surrounded by aides.

The Unification Church has a range of significant business interests, including media, education and food distribution, and has long drawn scrutiny over its political ties in South Korea.

“We have confirmed that she has been sentenced to two years,” by the Seoul Central District Court, a spokesman for the Unification Church told AFP, adding that the church would issue a statement. AFP

T

EHRAN – Iran attacked US military targets in the Middle East on Monday in retaliation for the first American strikes on its territory in a month, in a fresh flare-up of the war that has engulfed the region.

Tehran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they had responded to Sunday’s American attack by striking two US air bases with ballistic missiles in Washington-allied Jordan, causing “heavy damage.”

Jordan’s army said it had intercepted eight missiles, without stating their origin.

Tehran also claimed it targeted US military personnel at an air base in the United Arab Emirates and shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

The flurry of attacks came after the

United States said Sunday it had attacked Iranian rocket launchers on the small island of Larak in the strategic shipping lane.

Washington said its attacks were aimed at preventing Iran from placing more sea mines in the strait, days after the US announced it had completed clearing explosives from the waterway.

“US forces took limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz,” the US military’s Central Com-

mand wrote on X. Iran’s Guards said the US strikes resulted in “casualties” and that their subsequent attack on Jordan was “in response to the US-Zionist aerial aggression.”

The Iranian foreign ministry condemned the US attacks on Larak and justified the Jordan strikes as “legitimate defense.”

“We are not seeking war, but we will deliver a decisive response to the aggressors,” added Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a statement quoted by state TV. Pezeshkian was speaking before travelling to Kyrgyzstan for a summit of a bloc that seeks to counter influence from the West, along with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.

The exchange of fire between the United States and Iran came shortly after their

war hit its six-month mark, and at a time when hostilities had been subsiding.

In recent weeks, the administration of US President Donald Trump has prioritized “economic warfare” over military strikes.

Tehran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic sea lane through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passed before the US and Israel triggered the war with strikes on Iran on February 28.

“Last week, CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes,” said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command.

“US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” he said. AFP

Nepal recovers bodies, presses on for trapped tunnel workers KATHMANDU – Nepali rescuers raced on Monday in a bid to free dozens of hydropower workers believed trapped in tunnels after devastating floods as search efforts entered a sixth day, officials said.

Rescuers pulled three dead bodies out of two tunnels, finding routes smothered in mud. No contact has yet been made with any of those feared trapped, but the government says more than 100 workers may still be alive inside multiple tunnels.

They are among 933 hydropower workers missing since a wall of mud and debris swept down on Wednesday morning, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

At the Upper Trishuli 3A site, rescuers broke through into the upper part of a mud-swamped tunnel, pumping air inside, then using drilling and excavator machines to dig down.

“When members of the team descended using ropes and called out to those inside, there was no response,” Prime Minister Balendra Shah said in an update on Sunday night.

The Nepal Army said on Monday morning that work continues to “clear water, mud, and sediment from inside the tunnel.”

Specialized Indian, Chinese and South Korean tunnel-rescue teams are also helping.

At another site, Upper Trishuli-1, a Chinese team “entered approximately 300 meters (984 feet) into the tunnel and conducted a search, recovering one body,” the Nepali Army said.

At the Chilime Hydro tunnel, where Indian teams are deployed, rescuers entered 100 meters inside, but then said it was blocked. AFP

GRIEF. Ayush Khadka’s mother, Monac Khadka, mourns during her son’s cremation in the aftermath of flash floods in Nepal’s Chitwan district on Monday, August 31, 2026. AFP

Grand Canyon flash flood leaves one dead, at least 15 missing

FESTIVE MOOD. A woman with her face painted with the Malaysian flag poses for pictures during the 69th National Day celebrations in Malaysia’s administrative capital Putrajaya on August 31, 2026. AFP

LOS ANGELES – At least one person was killed and around 15 others are missing after a flash flood at the Grand Canyon, one of the most popular tourist sites in the United States, the National Park Service said.

The floods hit the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area on Saturday, forcing dozens of people to evacuate and damaging the sole water pipeline serving the park.

The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered on Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River in northern Arizona, the park service said.

Video footage taken by hikers showed a torrent of muddy water rushing by trails and under footbridges as well as logs and other debris floating down swollen rivers, accompanied by a rumbling roar.

The park service said it was working with

Arizona authorities to evacuate people and account for missing individuals.

As of Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated, with others scheduled for later, it said.

It said around 15 people were thought to be missing, revising an earlier figure of more than 20.

The flooding damaged the Transcanyon Waterline, a key water pipeline into Grand Canyon National Park, the park service said, announcing water restrictions in its most visited area and a ban on wood and charcoal fires.

The twelve-and-a-half mile (20 kilometers) pipeline runs from the Roaring Springs source on the North Rim to the South Rim, providing drinking water and fire suppression, according to the park’s website. AFP

term of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, including the period of operation of the Power Plant prior to the issuance by the ERC of the COC or PAO therefor; and

35. Pursuant thereto, applicant ISLA DAGYAB prays that information contained in the documents enumerated below be treated as CONFIDENTIAL and that the same be continuously protected from public disclosure, except to the officers and staff of the Honorable Commission (collectively referred to as “Confidential Documents”):

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Pasig City

2. Applicant ISLA DAGYAB is a corporation duly organized and existing under and by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at 9th Floor, Oakridge IT Center 3, Oakridge Business Park, A.S. Fortuna Street, Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines.

For purposes of this Joint Application, applicant ISLA DAGYAB is represented by its Authorized Representative, MR. ERICKSON B. OMAMALIN, duly authorized for the purpose by virtue of the Secretary’s Certificate dated 11 June 2026.2

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT (EPSA) ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN FIRST CATANDUANES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND ISLA DAGYAB ENERGY CORPORATION, WITH PRAYER FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION

3. Applicants may be served with the Honorable Commission’s orders, notices, and other processes through their respective undersigned counsels at the addresses indicated herein.

NATURE OF THE APPLICATION

ERC CASE NO. 2026-112 RC FIRST CATANDUANES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND ISLA DAGYAB ENERGY CORPORATION

August 11, 2026

Applicants. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 05 August 2026, First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FICELCO) and Isla Dagyab Energy Corporation (ISLA DAGYAB) filed a Joint Application, dated 08 July 2026, seeking the Commission’s approval of their Emergency Power Supply Agreement (EPSA), with prayer for confidential treatment of information.

4. The instant Joint Application for the approval of the Emergency Power Supply Agreement (“EPSA”) entered into by and between the Applicants dated 29 May 2026 (the “FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA”) is being submitted to the Honorable Commission for its review and approval pursuant to Sections 25 3 and 45(b) 4 of Republic Act (“RA”) No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (the “EPIRA”), Rule 20(B) of the Honorable Commission’s Resolution No. 01, Series of 2021 5 (the “ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure”), the Department of Energy (“DOE”) Department Circular No. DC2023-06-0021,6 as amended and supplemented by DOE Department Circular No. DC2025-100022,7 (the “DOE CSP Policy”), and the Honorable Commission’s Resolution No. 7, Series of 2026 (the “ERC CSP Guidelines”).

5. In compliance with Section 2, Rule 6 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of the instant Joint Application (with all its annexes and accompanying documents, except those subject of a motion for confidential treatment of information) shall be furnished to the following 8 offices: 2 See Annex “P” of the Joint Application.

3

4 5 6

The docketed copy of the Joint Application, excluding its annexes, is attached as Annex “A” hereof.

7

ERC CASE NO. 2026-112 RC NOTICE VIRTUALhas HEARING The OF Commission set the instant Joint Application for PAGE 2pursuant OF 4 to the pertinent rules of the Commission, as follows: hearing, Date and Time 15 September 2026 (Tuesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.) 22 September 2026 (Tuesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.)

Platform

Microsoft Teams

ALLEGATION ON TIMELINESS

Pre-Trial Conference and Presentation of Evidence

Any interested stakeholder may submit its comments and/or clarifications at least one (1) calendar day prior to the scheduled initial virtual hearing, via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph. The Commission shall give priority to the stakeholders who have duly submitted their respective comments and/or clarifications, to discuss the same and propound questions during the course of the expository presentation.

Moreover, any person who has an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, and copy furnishing the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) calendar days prior to the date of the initial virtual hearing. The verified Petition to Intervene must follow the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case, and state the following: The petitioner’s name, mailing address, and e-mail address;

ERC CASE NO. 2026-112 RC 2) The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING the proceeding and the way and manner in which such PAGE 3 OF 4 interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and 3)

A statement of the relief desired.

Likewise, all other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file through e-mail at docket@erc.ph, and copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, their Opposition or Comment thereon at least five (5) calendar days prior to the initial virtual hearing. Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure shall govern. No ERC CASEform NO. of 2026-112 RC or Comment is required, but the particular Opposition NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING document, letter, or writing should contain the following: PAGE 4 OF 4 1) Theallname, mailingpersons address, address of the Finally, interested mayandbee-mail allowed to join the person;hearings by providing the Commission, through scheduled virtual legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, their respective e-mail addresses and indicating thestatement case number the instantorJoint Application.

2) therein A concise of theofOpposition Comment; and The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned hearing platform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled 3) The grounds relied upon. hearings.

All interestedthe parties filingChairperson their Petition to Intervene, WITNESS, Honorable and Chief Executive Opposition or Comment are required C. to submit hardthe copies thereof Officer FRANCIS SATURNINO JUAN,theand Honorable through personal service, registered mail or ordinary mail/private Commissioners FLORESINDA G. BALDO-DIGAL, MARKO ERC CASE 2026-112 RC days courier, within five (5) working from the dateand thatPARIS the same ROMEO L. NO. FUENTES, AMANTE A. LIBERATO G. NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING were electronically submitted, as reflected the acknowledgement REAL, Energy Regulatory Commission, PasiginCity.

PAGE e-mail 4 OF 4sent by the Commission. receipt Finally, all interested persons may be allowed to join the scheduled virtual hearings by providing FOR ANDthe BYCommission, AUTHORITY through legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, their OF respective e-mail addresses and THE COMMISSION: indicating therein the case number of the instant Joint Application.

The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned hearing platform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled (This space ATTY. is intentionally blank.) C. GINES1 hearings.

MARIAleft CORAZON Director III, Legal Service WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer FRANCIS SATURNINO C. JUAN, and the Honorable Commissioners FLORESINDA G. BALDO-DIGAL, MARKO ROMEO L. FUENTES, AMANTE A. LIBERATO and PARIS G. REAL, Energy Regulatory Commission, Pasig City.

LS: LBB/RCD

FOR AND BY AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION:

ATTY. MARIA CORAZON C. GINES1 Director III, Legal Service

STATEMENT OF FACTS 8. Applicant FICELCO as an off-grid electric cooperative is wholly dependent on generation facilities provided, installed, and operated by qualified generation companies within the Franchise Area.

9. Applicant FICELCO previously entered into an EPSA with Sunwest Water & Electric Co., Inc. (“SUWECO”) on 16 May 2025 for a capacity of 5MW (the “FICELCO-SUWECO EPSA”) to address its power requirements pending the completion of its Competitive Selection Process (“CSP”) for a long-term power supply agreement.

10. The FICELCO–SUWECO EPSA served as an additional source of 8 power for applicant FICELCO May 2025 to May 2026. This supplemental See Annex “Q” and series of the Jointfrom Application.

9 See Annex supply was“R”onof the topJointofApplication. the existing 7.975 MW already being provided by SUWECO’s hydro and diesel power plants under their Power Supply3 Agreements (“PSAs”). During the same period, the National Power Corporation (“NPC”) likewise delivered interim supply to FICELCO through its hydro power plant, with a contracted capacity of 1.6 MW. 11. On 21 October 2025, the National Electrification Administration (“NEA”) issued the Certificate of Conformity, certifying that applicant FICELCO’s CSP is consistent with its latest posted 2025 – 2034 Power Supply Procurement Plan (“PSPP”). The NEA, on even date, issued the Notice to Commence in connection with applicant FICELCO’s CSP for the procurement of 16 to 24 MW power supply with a cooperation period of fifteen (15) years.

12. Thereafter, applicant FICELCO commenced the conduct of its CSP, including publications of its Invitation to Bid, issuance of LetterInvitations to CSP observers, conducting its Pre-bid Conference, and the issuance of Supplemental Bid Bulletins.

13. Applicant FICELCO in the course of its above-described CSP deemed it more advantageous to its Member-Consumer-Owners (“MCO”) to revise the said CSP’s Terms of Reference (“TOR”) through the issuance of a Special Bid Bulletin.

14. On 11 December 2025, applicant FICELCO received the NEA’s Letter dated 11 December 2025, advising applicant FICELCO of the possible regulatory hurdles due to the revision of the CSP’s TOR. 10 The NEA then instructed applicant FICELCO to either revert back to the original TOR, or terminate the CSP and republish the revised TOR instead. Applicant FICELCO chose the latter.

15. Acting in accordance with NEA’s guidance, applicant FICELCO terminated the CSP on 17 December 2025 in order to republish the revised TOR. 11 On 23 December 2025, applicant FICELCO submitted a revised TOR for the conduct of a new CSP to the NEA for its review and approval. In the months that followed, applicant FICELCO actively coordinated with both the NPC and the NEA toward finalizing its CSP documents and commencing the conduct of its CSP. As of date, the CSP documents remain pending approval.

16. Meanwhile, the FICELCO-SUWECO ESPA expired on 15 May 2026.

Further, the 10 See Annex “U” of the Jointprevailing Application. dry season has significantly reduced water 11 See Annex “V” area, of the Joint Application. levels in the resulting in the non-operation or substantially diminished output of available hydropower facilities which supply power to applicant4 FICELCO’s Franchise Area. This, coupled with the pending completion of applicant FICELCO’s CSP and the anticipated rise in demand, has led to a supply deficiency that has caused, and continues to cause, rotational power interruptions and prolonged outages within FICELCO’s Franchise Area.

17. Hence, on 23 April 2026, applicant FICELCO, through public posting in the official websites of applicant FICELCO and the NEA,12 solicited proposals for emergency power supply from generation companies, eventually resulting in the negotiation and execution of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA subject of the instant Joint Application.

12

112 RC ERC CASE NO. 2026-_____ FIRST CATANDUANES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND ISLA DAGYAB ENERGY CORPORATION,

August 05, 2026

Joint Applicants. x-------------------------x JOINT APPLICATION (With Prayer for Confidential Treatment of Information) Applicants FIRST CATANDUANES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (“FICELCO”) and ISLA DAGYAB ENERGY CORPORATION (“ISLA DAGYAB”) (collectively, the “Applicants”), through the undersigned counsels and unto the Honorable Commission, most respectfully state that: 1. Applicant FICELCO is a non-stock, non-profit Electric Cooperative (“EC”) duly organized and existing by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 269, as amended, with principal office address at Marinawa, Bato, Catanduanes. Applicant FICELCO serves the power requirements of the municipalities of Bagamanoc, Baras, Bato, Caramoran, Gigmoto, Pandan, Panganiban, San Andres, San Miguel, Viga, and Virac, all in the province of Catanduanes (collectively, the “Franchise Area”). For purposes of this Joint Application, applicant FICELCO is represented herein by its General Manager, ENGR. FRANCIS A. GIANAN, duly authorized by virtue of Executive Committee Resolution No. 17, series of 2026.1 1

1

It shall not be terminated prior to the end of the term, except: (a) by mutual written agreement by the Parties, (b) upon commencement of commercial operations of the long-term power supply agreement procured through a competitive selection process, (c) disapproval of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA by the ERC, or (d) approval by the ERC of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA but with a Total Cost Generation Rate (“TCGR”) that is not viable to applicant ISLA DAGYAB, whichever comes first.

28.3. Outage Allowance: Applicant ISLA DAGYAB shall be allowed scheduled outage allowance of 584 hours per unit and

See Annex “S” of the Joint Application.

21. Further, in the case of Awayan vs. Sulu Resources Development Corporation, G.R. No. 200474, 9 November 2020, the Supreme Court has held that in order for force majeure to apply, the subject event must not be from any neglect to act from the claiming party.

22. It must be emphasized that the circumstances which necessitated the execution of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, namely -- the expiration of the FICELCO-SUWECO EPSA, the pending approval, conduct, and conclusion of applicant FICELCO’s CSP, the anticipated rise in demand, and the prevailing dry season which has significantly reduced water levels in the area resulting in the non-operation or substantially diminished output of available hydropower facilities -- were independent of the will of, and not attributable to any negligence on the part of applicant FICELCO. Further, the pendency of the CSP cannot be attributed to any inaction on the part of applicant FICELCO, which, as earlier shown, had timely commenced and continuously pursued the long-term procurement process in accordance with applicable regulatory and procedural requirements. In fact, less than a week after terminating the CSP pursuant to the NEA’s guidance, applicant FICELCO submitted its revised TOR and other CSP documents to the NEA for review and approval, thereby demonstrating its continued diligence in pursuing the long-term procurement process.

23. It likewise bears stressing that despite applicant FICELCO’s diligent efforts to secure additional power supply to meet the demands of its Franchise Area through the conduct of a CSP, the same is still pending due to circumstances beyond its control.

23.1 Notably, applicant FICELCO commenced preparations and undertook efforts to conduct its CSP for its

8

28.5. Fees: For each Billing Period commencing on Delivery Date, applicant ISLA DAGYAB shall bill, and applicant FICELCO shall pay the Total Cost Generation Rate (“TCGR”) with the following components:

These components shall be applied as follows: a. Fixed Rate shall be billed based on actual energy delivered or Guaranteed Energy, whichever is higher. b. Variable Rate will be billed based on actual energy delivered. c. During testing and commissioning period, applicant ISLA DAGYAB shall bill applicant FICELCO for VOM and Fuel Fee, and subject to UC-ME Subsidy.

29. Estimated Rate Impact. In the absence of the FICELCO–ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, applicant FICELCO is expected to incur an average capacity shortfall of approximately eight (8) MW within its franchise area, thereby jeopardizing its ability to maintain an adequate and reliable supply of electricity to its captive consumers. The estimated average rate impact on applicant FICELCO's blended generation rate (PhP/kWh), comparing scenarios with and without the additional supply to be provided by applicant ISLA DAGYAB, is shown below:

Deficit in

9

Supply, MW

Rate 7.3401

baseline

8

13.8051

6.4650

0

ISLA DAGYAB EPSA ISLA DAGYAB EPSA 30. Copies of the following documents and/or information are attached to this Joint Application as annexes and made integral parts hereof: Annex “A” “B”

“H” “I” and series “J”

Documents/Information FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA FICELCO Board and Executive Committee Resolutions FICELCO Registration Documents Supply and Demand Scenario, Details of Existing Suppliers, Contract Utilization, Average Daily Load Curve Power Supply Procurement Plan Estimated Rate Impact Analysis FICELCO Affidavit on Force Majeure Event FICELCO Explanation on NonApplicability of Certification on Force Majeure Event FICELCO Letters to DOE, ERC, and NEA ISLA DAGYAB Corporate Documents [CONFIDENTIAL] ISLA DAGYAB Financial Model and Supporting Information ISLA DAGYAB Relevant Technical and Economic Characteristics of the Generation Capacity ISLA DAGYAB Affidavit of Undertaking – COC or PAO

“M-1”

ISLA DAGYAB Undertaking – Agreement

“M-2”

ISLA DILAAB Sworn Statement on Fuel Procurement [CONFIDENTIAL] Sample Billing [CONFIDENTIAL] ISLA DAGYAB Supporting Narrative of the Proposed Rates ISLA DAGYAB Secretary’s Certificate Proof of Service to LGU Offices

“N” “O” “P” “Q” and series “R” “S” “T” “U” “V”

Q w

38. Also, the Confidential Documents were prepared and developed for the exclusive use of applicant ISLA DAGYAB, and are designed for the specific use of the company in its power generation business.

Consequently, should the same be disclosed to the public, they could easily be copied or used by applicant ISLA DAGYAB’s competitors or other entities engaged in the power business for their own benefit, and to the prejudice of applicant ISLA DAGYAB.

17

39. The interest of applicant FICELCO’s MCOs Member-ConsumerOwners (“MCO”) are sufficiently protected by the review and evaluation of the rates under the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA by the Honorable Commission, without the need to disclose the contents of the Confidential Documents.

40. Given the foregoing, the Confidential Documents qualify as “confidential information”, and applicant ISLA DAGYAB respectfully moves for the issuance of a Protective Order to this effect.

ALLEGATIONS RELATIVE TO THE PRAYER FOR ENTITLEMENT TO UNIVERSAL CHARGE FOR MISSIONARY ELECTRIFICATION SUBSIDY

However, for DUs with a single GenCo or provider, the EPSA executed due to a validated force majeure or fortuitous event where the conduct of CSP is not feasible to address an imminent supply shortage, shall qualify for Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (UCME) subsidy. All other conditions under Section 2.3.5 of the 2023 CSP Policy shall still be observed in such EPSA.

45. Prior to the execution of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, applicant FICELCO was being supplied by a single generation company (namely SUWECO) through various PSAs. Applicant FICELCO is likewise concurrently being supplied by the NPC through several interim PSAs which were necessitated due to emergency circumstances. With the expiration of the FICELCO-SUWECO EPSA, the pending approval, conduct, and conclusion of applicant FICELCO’s CSP, the anticipated rise in demand, and the prevailing dry season which has significantly reduced water levels in the area resulting in the non-operation or substantially diminished output of available hydropower facilities, there was an imminent supply deficiency in applicant FICELCO’s Franchise Area.

46. Such imminent supply deficiency necessitated the immediate procurement of emergency power supply to ensure the continued delivery of electricity to consumers. Given the urgency of the situation, the conduct and completion of applicant FICELCO’s CSP was not feasible to address said supply deficiency and to avert the rotational power interruptions and prolonged outages being experienced by FICELCO’s MCOs.

15 delivered during the Testing and Commissioning period should remain eligible for the applicable UCME subsidy, without prejudice to the Applicants' subsequent compliance with all applicable ERC, DOE, NPC, and other regulatory requirements.

10

Affidavit of Fuel Supply

Affidavit of Publication Public Solicitation of Proposals FICELCO Notice of Award to ISLA DAGYAB NEA Letter dated 11 December 2025 FICELCO Notice of CSP Termination

32. Under Sections 2.3 and 2.3.6 of the DOE CSP Policy, the conduct of a CSP is not required for the negotiated procurement of emergency power supply, and the filing for approval of an emergency power supply agreement with the Honorable Commission does not need any prior clearance or certification from the DOE. 11 33. In compliance with prevailing regulations, the generation component to be charged under the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, pending the Honorable Commission’s approval of the same, shall be capped at the latest ERC-approved generation tariff for the same technology.

ALLEGATIONS RELATIVE TO THE PRAYER FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION 34. Section 2, Rule 4 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure provides that a party to a proceeding before the Honorable Commission may move for information to be treated as confidential.

35. Pursuant thereto, applicant ISLA DAGYAB prays that information contained in the documents enumerated below be treated as CONFIDENTIAL and that the same be continuously protected from public disclosure, except to the officers and staff of the Honorable Commission (collectively referred to as “Confidential Documents”): Documents/Information [CONFIDENTIAL] ISLA DAGYAB Financial Model and Supporting Information [CONFIDENTIAL] Sample Billing

44. As shown below, the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA satisfies the foregoing requirements. Pursuant thereto, applicant ISLA DAGYAB prays that 14 the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA qualify for the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (“UCME”) subsidy beginning the testing and commissioning of the Power Plant, and continuing throughout the term of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, including the period where the ERC Certificate of Compliance (“COC”) or Provisional Authority to Operate (“PAO”) for the Power Plant has not yet been issued, subject to applicant ISLA DAGYAB’s subsequent compliance with all applicable DOE, ERC, and other regulatory requirements.

48.

The emergency deployment of the ISLA DAGYAB generating facility was undertaken solely to ensure the continuous, adequate, and reliable supply of electricity within FICELCO's franchise area following the expiration of the previous Emergency Power Supply Agreement. Considering the public interest involved and the urgent need to avoid disruption of electric service to consumers, Applicants respectfully submit that the energy

31. Applicant FICELCO need not undergo a CSP prior to the execution of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA. Moreover, the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA is immediately implementable upon its execution consistent with the prevailing regulations of this Honorable Commission and the DOE.

“N”

w

47. Following the solicitation of proposals and due evaluation, applicant ISLA DAGYAB was determined by applicant FICELCO to be capable of providing the required emergency power supply within the shortest available period and at the least cost reasonably achievable under the circumstances, consistent with the objective of minimizing the impact on its MCOs.

The conduct of a CSP is not required and the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA is immediately implementable

Annex “K” and series

m

a. the EC is served by a single power supplier; b. the EPSA was executed due to a validated force majeure or fortuitous event; c. the conduct of CSP is not feasible to address an imminent supply shortage; and d. the selected power supplier is capable of providing the necessary emergency power supply within the shortest available time and at the least cost to be passed on to consumers.

Light Fuel Oil: 0.2800/li/kWh Lube Oil: 0.0010/li/kWh

Existing PSAs with

O

43. Following the DOE Advisory, an EPSA may qualify for UCME subsidy where:

4.5680 PhP/kWh 1.5257 PhP/kWh Pass-through based on the maximum fuel consumption rate as indicated below or the actual fuel consumption rate, whichever is lower.

Baseline Without

12

The EPSA entitled to UCME shall be entered into by the DU with a GenCo or provider, as determined by the DU, that is capable of providing the necessary emergency power supply in the shortest available time with the least cost to be passed on to consumers, to the exclusion of the existing GenCo or provider found in default of providing the contracted capacity. The default of the existing GenCo or provider resulting in the failure to supply all or a portion of the contracted capacity shall be considered as a force majeure or fortuitous event under the 2023 CSP Policy.” [Emphasis and underlining supplied]

28.4. Billing and Payments: Applicant FICELCO shall pay an invoice not later than fifteen (15) calendar days from receipt thereof by applicant FICELCO. An invoice for the relevant Billing Period shall begin on the 26th day of each month and end on the 25th day of the following month.

Rate Impact

“A trade secret is defined as a plan or process, tool, mechanism, or compound known only to its owner and those of his employees to whom it is necessary to confide it. The definition also extends to a secret formula or process not patented, but known only to certain individuals using it in compounding some article of trade having commercial value. A trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern, device, or compilation of information that (1) is used in one’s business; and (2) gives the employer an opportunity to obtain advantage over competitors who do not possess the information.

Generally, a trade secret is a process or device intended for continuous operation of the business, for example, a machine or formula, but can be a price list or catalogue or specialized customer list. It is indubitable that trade secrets constitute proprietary rights.”

G. R. No. 172835, 13 December 2007.

“EPSAs executed pursuant to Section 2.3.5 of the 2023 CSP Policy shall strictly refer to instances wherein (1) the EPSA was executed due to the DU’s delay or failure to timely conduct a CSP, consistent with its latest Power Supply Procurement Plan (PSPP), and (2) there are multiple Generation Companies (GenCos) in such franchise area.

unscheduled outage allowance of 292 hours per unit for the term of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA. Within the allowable outage allowance period, applicant ISLA DAGYAB is not required to provide replacement power to applicant FICELCO.

Blended

15

42. In line with this, the DOE in its Advisory dated 18 August 2025 (the “DOE Advisory”) clarified the implementation of Section 2.3.5 (now Section 2.3.6) of the DOE CSP Policy, to wit: 13

28.2. Guaranteed Dependable Capacity and Guaranteed Energy: Applicant ISLA DAGYAB shall supply and make available the Guaranteed Dependable Capacity of 8 MW with N-1 (backup) Contingency, with a Guaranteed Energy of 5,409,000 kWh.

Generation

5. In the event that the Honorable Commission approves a TCGR higher than the Interim Rate actually charged to applicant FICELCO, and authorizes the charging of the SAGR to FICELCO, DIRECT the NPC-SPUG to: (i) refund directly to FICELCO the difference between the Interim Rate and the SAGR; and (ii) pay directly to applicant ISLA DAGYAB the difference between the approved TCGR and the Interim Rate, through th U M m m m m m mm m

41. Section 8 of the 2026 ERC CSP Guidelines provides that the procurement of emergency power supply shall not be entitled to any form of subsidy, except as allowed under existing DOE policies.

28.1. Term: The FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA shall have a term of one (1) year from Delivery Date and shall be effective therefrom.

14

6

See Annex “B” of the Joint Application.

Salient Features of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA.

“M”

See also Section 3.6 of the DOE 2023 CSP Policy.

20. Measured against this standard, the circumstances confronting Section 3.8 of the DOE 2023 CSP Policy. applicant FICELCO fall squarely within the ambit of the foregoing definition of Force Majeure. The resulting supply deficit during the unavoidable gap5 between the expiration of the FICELCO-SUWECO EPSA, and the completion of applicant FICELCO’s CSP and eventual approval process for a long-term power supply agreement, compounded by the anticipated surge in demand, as well as the reduced water levels in the area resulting in the non-operation or substantially diminished output of available hydropower facilities, are inevitable and beyond applicant FICELCO’s control.

13

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BY 1 Authority granted per Office Order No. 71, Series of 2025 dated 20 August 2025, with the AND BETWEEN Authorities FIRSTfor Consumer Complaints Cases and Interlocutory subject “Approving/Signing Orders”.

CATANDUANES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND ISLA DAGYAB ENERGY CORPORATION, WITH PRAYER FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION

27. Generation Facility. The power to be provided to applicant FICELCO will be sourced from applicant ISLA DAGYAB’s 9 x 1250 kVA Modular Diesel Engines (the “Power Plant”). Applicant ISLA DAGYAB shall supply power to applicant FICELCO under the terms stipulated in the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA.

“L”

19. The foregoing definition is unmistakably broad in scope, encompassing not only events that are entirely unforeseeable, but also those which, even if anticipated, are nonetheless inevitable and beyond the power of the DUs to prevent or avert.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Ortigas Center, Pasig City

26. Commencement of Emergency Power Delivery. Pursuant to the FICELCO–ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, ISLA DAGYAB commenced the delivery of7 emergency power to FICELCO on 16 June 2026 to address the supply deficiency within FICELCO's franchise area. At the time of commencement, the generating facility was still completing the remaining requirements for the issuance of its Certificate of Compliance (“COC”) or Provisional Authority to Operate (“PAO”). Considering the urgent need to ensure the continuous and reliable supply of electricity, ISLA DAGYAB commenced operations pending the issuance of the applicable ERC authorization. Accordingly, Applicants respectfully seek the reliefs prayed for in this Joint Application, including the recognition of the applicable UCME subsidy from the Testing and Commissioning period, subject to subsequent compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements.

“K” and series

“Force Majeure or Fortuitous Event refers to any extraordinary event not foreseeable or avoidable, or to an event that could not be foreseen, or which, though foreseen, is inevitable and independent of human will or the DU’s participation, whether by active intervention, neglect or failure to act.”14 [Emphasis and underscoring supplied]

Authority granted per Office Order No. 71, Series of 2025 dated 20 August 2025, with the subject “Approving/Signing Authorities for Consumer Complaints Cases and Interlocutory Orders”.

25. FICELCO’s Power Situation. Applicant FICELCO’s peak demand for May 2026 was 16.575 MW. Such peak demand is projected to increase in the following months, with the peak demand for June 2026 projected to be 19.660 MW.

Particular

[CONFIDENTIAL] ISLA DAGYAB Supporting Narrative of the Proposed Rates

37. In the case Air Philippines Corporation vs. Pennswell Inc,15 the Supreme Court defined “trade secret” as follows:

ABSTRACT OF THE EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT AND RELATED INFORMATION

Fixed Rate Variable Rate Fuel Fee

4. After due notice and hearing, ISSUE A DECISION: (i) approving the Joint Application in toto which will thereby allow/authorize applicant FICELCO to charge and collect the fees from its consumers reckoned from the commencement of the supply to the latter by applicant ISLA DAGYAB; and (ii) directing that the rates, terms, and conditions of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA be retroactively applied for the entire term of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA.

Documents/Information [CONFIDENTIAL] ISLA DAGYAB Financial Model and Supporting Information [CONFIDENTIAL] Sample Billing

36. The Confidential Documents contain certain non-public information, data, and calculations involving business operations and financial trade secrets reflecting applicant ISLA DAGYAB’s investment and business calculations. As such, the foregoing information, data, and calculations fall within the bounds of “trade secrets” that are entitled to protection under the law.

24. Applying the DOE CSP Policy and settled jurisprudence, the above-outlined circumstances, taken together, are precisely those events contemplated under the DOE CSP Policy -- those which though foreseen, are inevitable and independent of the DU’s will or participation. It is on this basis that applicant FICELCO was not only justified, but in fact duty-bound, to take immediate remedial action to safeguard the continuous and reliable supply of electricity to its member-consumer owners. As such, the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA is one expressly sanctioned by Section 2.3.6 of the DOE CSP Policy.

“E” “F” “G”

18. Section 2.3.6 of the DOE CSP Policy allows for the negotiated procurement of Emergency Power supply in the event that a distribution utility’s actual power supply falls below its load demand due to Force Majeure or Fortuitous Events that are beyond its control.13 Force Majeure or Fortuitous Event is likewise defined under Section 3.8 of the DOE CSP Policy, which provides:

“N” “O”

23.3 It bears noting that just a few days subsequent to such termination, applicant FICELCO immediately submitted a revised TOR for the conduct of a new CSP to the NEA for its review and approval. Throughout the following months, applicant FICELCO exerted its utmost efforts to finalize its CSP documents and commence the conduct of its CSP. However, despite such effort, the CSP documents are still pending approval as of date.

“C” “D”

All the above-described events constitute force majeure or fortuitous events that are beyond the control of applicant FICELCO, thus allowing the procurement and execution of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA subject of this Joint Application

Annex “K” and series

23.2 However, for reasons outside of its control or not attributable to any irregularities on its part, applicant FICELCO was constrained to terminate the CSP on 17 December 2025 due to significant revisions to the original TOR which arose during the conduct of the CSP, necessitating further regulatory review and compliance with applicable procedural requirements under the rules governing CSPs.

28.

7. For purposes of the filing of this Joint Application, the timeliness for the same is reckoned from 29 May 2026, or the date of execution of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA.

LS: LBB/RCD 1

2

6. Further, this Joint Application shall also be published in a newspaper of general circulation.9

Accordingly, Applicants are hereby directed to mirror the virtual hearings, to be hosted by the Commission, at FICELCO’s Principal Office at Marinawa, Bato, Catanduanes as the designated venue for the conduct thereof and ensure that the same is open to the public.

Moreover, Applicants shall guarantee that, during the conduct of the expository presentation, the participation of the public shall not be impaired.

1)

Cebu; Office of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Mandaue, Province of Cebu; g. Office of the Provincial Governor of Cebu; and h. Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Cebu. f.

Activity Determination of compliance with jurisdictional requirements and Expository Presentation

SEC.25. Retail Rate. – The retail rates charged by distribution utilities for the supply of electricity in their captive market be subject by the Mayor ERC basedofonBato, the principle of full of recovery of a. shallOffice of totheregulation Municipal Province prudent and reasonable economic costs incurred, or such other principles that will promote efficiency Catanduanes; as may be determined by the ERC. Distribution utilities may enter power supplyBayan contractsofsubject to review by the ERC: xxx. b. Office ofinto thebilateral Sangguniang the Municipality A Resolution Adopting the Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory of Bato, Province of Catanduanes; Commission.

Prescribing the for the ConductGovernor of the Competitive Selection Process by the c. Policy Office of Mandatory the Provincial of Catanduanes; Distribution Utilities for the Procurement Power Supply for Their Captive Market.of the d. Office of the ofSangguniang Panlalawigan Prescribing Policies to Enhance the Procurement of Power Supply by Distribution Utilities for the Province of Catanduanes; Captive Market, Amending and Supplementing for This Purpose Department Circular No. DC2023-060021 e. Office of the City Mayor of Mandaue, Province of

power requirements as early as 2025, with the NEA issuing the Notice to Commence and Certificate of Conformity in October 2025. Throughout the following months, applicant FICELCO proceeded to conduct its CSP, which included publications of its Invitation to Bid, issuance of Letter-Invitations to CSP observers, holding the Pre-bid Conference, and the issuance of Supplemental Bid Bulletins.

49. Given the foregoing, the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA satisfies the conditions for UCME eligibility contemplated under the DOE Advisory.

50. It also bears noting that, considering the critical need to avoid service interruptions and maintain a stable power supply within applicant FICELCO’s Franchise Area, initial energy deliveries under the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, including during the testing and commissioning of the Power Plant, may necessarily commence prior to the issuance of the required approvals, including a COC or PAO by the ERC. 50.1. Notwithstanding the foregoing, applicant ISLA DAGYAB respectfully submits that the UCME subsidy should cover all energy delivered to applicant FICELCO under the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, including the period prior to the issuance of the COC or PAO for the Power Plant, subject to applicant ISLA DAGYAB’s subsequent compliance with all applicable DOE, ERC, and other regulatory requirements.

50.2. To reiterate, the immediate delivery of energy, even prior to the issuance of a COC or PAO, is brought about by necessity, and ultimately, for the benefit of applicant FICELCO’s MCOs. Accordingly, such delivery should not prevent the entitlement of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA to the UCME subsidy pursuant to the DOE Advisory, corresponding to the period of operation prior to the issuance of the required approvals.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, Joint Applicants FIRST CATANDUANES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. and ISLA DAGYAB ENERGY CORPORATION, most respectfully pray that the Honorable Commission: 1. ISSUE AN ORDER declaring the Confidential Documents attached hereto as Annexes “K” and series, “N”, and “O” as confidential information as well as directing that the same be treated with confidentiality and be protected from public disclosure; 16

2. ISSUE the corresponding PROTECTIVE ORDER in accordance with Section 2, Rule 4 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure; 3. DIRECT the National Power Corporation – Small Power Utilities Group (“NPC-SPUG”) to execute a Subsidy Agreement with the Applicants and DIRECT NPC-SPUG to pay applicant ISLA DAGYAB the difference between applicant ISLA DAGYAB’s Total Cost Generation Rate (“TCGR”) and the Subsidized Approved Generation Rate (“SAGR”) through the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (“UCME”) subsidy, all reckoned from the testing and commissioning of the Power Plant, and continuing throughout the term of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, including the period of operation of the Power Plant prior to the issuance by the ERC of the COC or PAO therefor; and 4. After due notice and hearing, ISSUE A DECISION: (i) approving the Joint Application in toto which will thereby allow/authorize applicant FICELCO to charge and collect the fees from its consumers reckoned from the commencement of the supply to the latter by applicant ISLA DAGYAB; and (ii) directing that the rates, terms, and conditions of the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA be retroactively

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Ortigas Center, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN FIRST CATANDUANES ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND ISLA is shall confidential treatmentISLA of information) be furnished the following 2.

Applicant DAGYAB a corporation dulytoorganized and DAGYAB ENERGY CORPORATION, 8 offices: existing under and by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with 10.

The FOR FICELCO–SUWECO EPSA served as an additional source of WITH PRAYER CONFIDENTIAL principal office address at 9th Floor, Oakridge IT Center 3, Oakridge Business power for applicant FICELCO from May 2025 to May 2026. This supplemental TREATMENT a.OF INFORMATION Office the Municipal of Bato, Province of Park, A.S. Fortuna Street,ofBarangay Banilad,Mayor Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines. supply16. was on top of thetheexisting 7.975 MW already being provided by Meanwhile, FICELCO-SUWECO ESPA expired on 15 May Catanduanes; For purposes of this Joint Application, applicant ISLA DAGYAB is represented SUWECO’s hydro and diesel dry power plants under their112 Power ERC CASE NO. 2026-_____ RC Supply 2026. prevailing season has significantly reduced water b. the Office of the Sangguniang Bayan of the Municipality by its Further, Authorized Representative, MR. ERICKSON B. OMAMALIN, duly Agreements (“PSAs”).

During the same period, the National Power levels in thefor resulting in the non-operation or substantially diminished 33.

Inarea, compliance with prevailing regulations, the generation of Bato, Province of of Catanduanes; authorized the purpose by virtue the Secretary’s Certificate dated 11 Corporation (“NPC”)hydropower likewiseELECTRIC delivered interim supply to FICELCO through its FIRST2026.

2to be charged output ofCATANDUANES available facilities which supply power applicant August 05, to 2026 component the FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA, pending c. Office of under the Provincial Governor of Catanduanes; June hydro power plant,INC. with aAND contracted capacity ofthe 1.6pending MW. completion of COOPERATIVE, ISLA FICELCO’s Franchise Area.

This, coupled with the Honorabled.Commission’s approval of the same, shall be capped Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of theat the DAGYAB ENERGYProvince CORPORATION, applicant FICELCO’s CSP and the anticipated rise technology. in demand, has led to a latest ERC-approved generation tariff for the same of Catanduanes; Applicants may be served with thetoHonorable Commission’s supply3. deficiency that has and continues cause,Province rotational e. 21Office ofcaused, the City Mayor of Electrification Mandaue, ofpower 11.

On October 2025, the National Administration orders, notices, and otherApplicants. processes through their respective undersigned Joint interruptions and prolonged outages within FICELCO’s Franchise Cebu; (“NEA”) issuedALLEGATIONS the Certificate of Conformity, certifying thatArea. applicant RELATIVE TO THE PRAYER FOR counsels x - - - - - -at- the - - - addresses - -Office - - - - -of - indicated -the - - -Sangguniang - - - xherein. Panlungsod of the City of FICELCO’s CSPf.CONFIDENTIAL is consistent with its latest posted 2025 – 2034 Power Supply TREATMENT OF INFORMATION Province Cebu; Procurement PlanMandaue, (“PSPP”).

The 2026, NEA,ofon even date, issuedthrough the Notice to 17. Hence, on 23 April applicant FICELCO, public Office ofwith the Provincial Governor Cebu; and NATURE OFapplicant THE APPLICATION 12 Commence ing.connection applicant FICELCO’s CSP for procurement JOINT APPLICATION posting in the official websites of FICELCOof and thethe NEA, solicited 34.

Section 2, supply Rule 4with of Sangguniang the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and h.

Office of the Panlalawigan of the of 16 to 24 MW power a cooperation period of fifteen (15) years.

(With Prayer for Confidential Treatment of Information) proposals for emergency power supply from generation companies, Procedure providesProvince that a ofparty before the Honorable Cebu.to a proceeding eventually in the of of thethe FICELCO-ISLA 4. resulting The instant Jointnegotiation Applicationand for execution the approval Emergency Commission may move for information to be treated as confidential.

DAGYAB EPSAThereafter, subject of applicant the instantFICELCO Joint Application.

PowerApplicants Supply Agreement (“EPSA”) entered into byCOOPERATIVE, and betweenofINC. the FIRST CATANDUANES ELECTRIC 12. commenced the conduct its 6. dated Further, this Joint Application shall also issuance be(“ISLA published in a Applicants 29 May 2026 “FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA”) being (“FICELCO”) andpublications ISLA DAGYAB ENERGY CORPORATION DAGYAB”) CSP, including of (the its Invitation to Bid, of isLetter9applicant ISLA DAGYAB prays that 35.

Pursuant thereto, newspaper ofthe general circulation. submitted to the Honorable Commission for its review and and approval (collectively, “Applicants”), through theitsundersigned counsels Invitations to CSP observers, conducting Pre-bid Conference, andunto the All the above-described events constitute force 3 documents 4 enumerated below be treated as information contained in25the pursuant Sections and of Republic Act (“RA”) No. 9136, the Honorable Commission, most respectfully state issuance oftoSupplemental Bid Bulletins. majeure or fortuitous events that45(b) are beyond the that: CONFIDENTIAL andasthat the samePower be continuously protected from public otherwise the Electric Industry control of known applicant FICELCO, thus ON allowing theReform Act of 2001 (the ALLEGATION TIMELINESS disclosure, except to the officers and staff of the Honorable Commission “EPIRA”), Rule 20(B) of the Honorable Commission’s Resolution No. 01, procurement and execution of theis FICELCO-ISLA 1.

Applicant FICELCO aDocuments”): non-stock, non-profit Electric 5 13.

Applicant FICELCO in the course of its and above-described CSP (collectively referred as “Confidential Series ofEPSA 2021 (theto“ERC Revised Rules of Practice Procedure”), the DAGYAB subject of this Joint Application Cooperative (“EC”) duly organized and existing by virtue of Presidential deemed it more advantageous to its Member-Consumer-Owners (“MCO”) to6 7.

For purposes of theDepartment filing of this Joint Application, the timeliness Department of Energy (“DOE”) Circular No. DC2023-06-0021, Decree No.said 269, as amended, with principal address atissuance Marinawa, revise Terms of Reference (“TOR”) foramended thethe same is CSP’s reckoned from 29 May 2026, oroffice thethrough date ofthe execution ofofthea as and supplemented by DOE Department Circular No. DC2025-10Annex Documents/Information Bato, Catanduanes.

Applicant FICELCO serves the power requirements of the 7 Special Bid Bulletin.

18.

Section of the Policy allows for the negotiated FICELCO-ISLA DAGYAB EPSA. 0022, (the “DOE CSP2.3.6 Policy”), andDOE theCSP Honorable Commission’s Resolution “K” [CONFIDENTIAL] ISLA that DAGYAB municipalities Bagamanoc, Baras, Bato,inCaramoran, Gigmoto, Pandan, procurement Emergency Power supply the event a distribution No. 7, Series ofofof2026 (the “ERC CSP Guidelines”). and series and Panganiban, Sanpower Andres, San Miguel, Viga, Model andload Virac, allSupporting in the province of utility’s actual supply fallsFinancial below its demand due to Force 14. On 11 December 2025, applicant FICELCO receivedofthe Information STATEMENT OFArea”).

FACTS 13 Catanduanes (collectively, thethat “Franchise For purposes thisNEA’s Joint Majeure or Fortuitous Events are beyond its control.

Force Majeure or Letter 5. datedapplicant 11compliance December 2025, advising FICELCO of theManager, possible In with 2, applicant Rule 6 of3.8 the ERC Revised Rules of “N” [CONFIDENTIAL] Sample Billing Application, FICELCO isSection represented herein byofits General Fortuitous Event is likewise defined under Section the 10DOE CSP Policy, regulatory to the revision of theJoint CSP’s TOR. NEA then Practice andhurdles Procedure, a copy of the authorized instant all its ENGR. A.due GIANAN, duly byApplication virtue The of(with Executive which provides: 8.FRANCIS Applicant FICELCOtoas an off-grid cooperative isTOR, wholly instructed FICELCO either revert1 electric back tosubject theDAGYAB original or annexes andapplicant accompanying documents, except thoseISLA of a motion for “O” [CONFIDENTIAL] Committee Resolution No. 17, series of 2026. dependentthe onCSP generation facilities provided, installed, and operated by terminate and republish the revised TOR instead.

Applicant FICELCO Supporting Narrative of the 1qualified generation companies within the Franchise Area.

See Annex “B” of theMajeure Joint Application. chose the “Force latter. or Fortuitous Event refers to any Proposed Rates 2 See Annex “P” of the Joint Application. extraordinary event not foreseeable or avoidable, or to 1 3 SEC.25. Retail Rate. – The retail rates charged by distribution utilities for the supply of electricity in their 15. insubject accordance with NEA’s guidance, applicant FICELCO an Acting event could notpreviously be oronwhich, though captive shall bethat to regulation byforeseen, the ERC based the into principle recovery of 9. market Applicant FICELCO entered anof full EPSA with 36. and The Confidential contain certain non-public prudent reasonable costs Documents incurred, or suchinother principles that will will promote efficiency terminated the CSP on 17 December 2025 order to republish the revised foreseen, iseconomic inevitable and independent of human Sunwest Water & Electric Co., Inc. (“SUWECO”) on 16 May 2025 for a as may be determined by the ERC. 11 information, data, and calculations involving business operations and Onof December 2025, applicant FICELCO a revised TOR or23 the DU’s participation, whether active 4TOR. Distribution utilities may(the enter “FICELCO-SUWECO into bilateral power supply contracts subject to review byits the ERC: xxx. capacity 5MW EPSA”)submitted tobyaddress power 14 5 financial trade secrets applicant ISLA DAGYAB’s investment Athe Resolution Adopting thereflecting Revised ofNEA Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory for conduct of a new CSP toRules for its review and approval.

Inand the intervention, neglect orthe failure to act.”

[Emphasis and requirements pending the completion of its Competitive Selection Process Commission. business calculations.

As such,FICELCO the foregoing information,with data, months that followed, applicant actively coordinated bothand the underscoring supplied] 6(“CSP”) for long-term power supply agreement.

Prescribing athe Policy for the Mandatory Conduct of the Competitive Selection Process by the calculations within thefinalizing bounds of CSP “trade secrets” and that are entitled the to NPCDistribution and thefall NEA toward its documents commencing Utilities for the Procurement of Power Supply for Their Captive Market.

7 protection under the law.

Prescribing Policies to Enhance the Procurement of Power Supply by Distribution Utilities for the conduct of its CSP. As of date, the CSP documents remain pending approval.

19.Market, TheAmending foregoing definition is Purpose unmistakably scope, Captive and Supplementing for This Department broad Circular No.inDC2023-060021 encompassing not only events that are entirely unforeseeable, but also those 8 See 37.

Annex “Q” the Joint Application. Corporation vs. Pennswell Inc,15 the Inand theseries caseof Air Philippines 2 9 See Annex “R” of the Joint Application.

10 Supreme defined “trade secret” as follows: See AnnexCourt “U” of the Joint Application.

11

See Annex “V” of the Joint Application.

See Annex “S” of the Joint Application.

See also Section 3.6 of the DOE 2023 CSP Policy.

14 Section 3.8 of the DOE 2023 CSP Policy.

15 G. R. No. 172835, 13 December 2007.

12 13

3

4 5 12

SPORTS

A8

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor

June Mar Fajardo is challenged by two Iranian defenders in a FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers’ game won by Gilas Pilipinas, 68-56, on Sunday night. FIBA

Summit Point returns to PGT spotlight, tests Tour’s best bets NINE years after last hosting a Philippine Golf Tour championship, Summit Point Golf and Country Club makes a much-anticipated return to the PGT calendar, ready to once again put the country’s top professionals through one of the tour’s most demanding tests.

The ICTSI Summit Point Championship blasts off Sept. 8-11 in Lipa City, Batangas, with the Robert Trent Jones II-designed layout expected to challenge the men and ladies of the PGT with its combination of length, strategy and precision.

Clyde Mondilla ruled the last PGT event staged at Summit Point – the ICTSI Players Championship – and went on to capture the 2017 PGT Order of Merit crown. Now, nearly a decade later, the course returns to the spotlight with another strong field eager to make its mark on a layout that rewards aggression off the tee but demands discipline from start to finish.

Known as the country’s first “tribute” course, Summit Point features holes modeled after renowned layouts and signature holes from famous international courses. But while its design pays homage to golf landmarks around the world, it has developed a character and set of challenges all its own.

At 7,017 yards, the course gives the long hitters plenty of opportunities to attack, but power alone will not be enough to conquer it. Recent monsoon rains have softened the fairways, potentially narrowing the advantage of the biggest hitters.

Strong winds are also expected to add another layer of difficulty.

The mix of short, strategic holes and long, demanding par-4s and par-5s will require players to make sound decisions throughout the four rounds.

Large bunkers, water hazards and ravines stand ready to punish errant shots, while precise approach play and a dependable short game could prove decisive.

The four par-3s could also emerge as pivotal holes in the championship. With little room for error, they offer opportunities to gain ground – or quickly derail a title bid.

Reigning Order of Merit champion Angelo Que and Mondilla are expected to banner the field in the P2.5 million championship, the fifth leg of the 10-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. The event comes after a lengthy two-month break in the PGT calendar, with the last two legs played in July. Lloyd Go swept those final two stops, prevailing in contrasting fashion at the tight, undulating Pinewoods course in Baguio before edging Tony Lascuña by one stroke at the flat and wide Pradera Verde in Pampanga.

Fajardo bids Gilas farewell, but Cone says, ’Not so fast’

By Jeremiah Sevilla

A

FTER 13 years of representing Gilas Pilipinas, June Mar Fajardo is ready to pass the torch to the next generation.

Fajardo, 36, played his final game for Gilas on Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena, capping his storied national team career with a 68-56 victory over Iran for a perfect two-game run in the fourth window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

“Ito na ’yon. Ito na talaga. Kinuha ko na nga ’tong bola,” the veteran 6-foot-11 big man said. “Ramdam ko na sa sarili ko. Ramdam ko na sa katawan ko.”

But even with retirement on his mind, the pride of Cebu made sure to give everything he had in seven minutes of play in his final appearance.

Fajardo scored all his six points during a crucial run in the second quarter that helped the Philippines

recover from a sluggish start. His jump hook over Arman Zangeneh and free throws sent the home crowd into a frenzy, with Filipino fans serenading him with MVP chants.

“Kung ano ’yung puwede ko maitulong, binigay ko kasi gusto ko i-cherish ’yung last game ko,” he said.

Gilas head coach Tim Cone lauded Fajardo’s effort, noting that his impact went beyond the stat sheet.

“That was huge,” Cone said of Fajardo’s second-quarter performance. “When he got the ball, he made that turn and landed that jump hook, the crowd went absolutely crazy. That kind of gave us that lift going into halftime.”

While Fajardo may be stepping away, Cone jokingly said that he is

June Mar Fajardo waves to an appreciative home crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena. SBP

not ready yet to close the door on the nine-time PBA MVP. “I refuse, June Mar. You’re still

GM Antonio puts World Senior Chess title on the line

By Randy M. Caluag THIRTEEN-TIME Philippine Open Chess Champion Grandmaster Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. seeks to retain his world title as he competes in the 2026 FIDE World Senior Chess Championships (50+ and 65+) slated for November 2 to 15 in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia.

Antonio, the pride of Quezon City, one of the Philippines’ most enduring and decorated chess masters, delivered five medals in the 24th ASEAN+ Age-Group Chess Championships held at the Our Tampines Hub recently in Singapore.

Antonio won three golds in Standard Team, Blitz Individual, and Blitz Team (with GM Jayson Gonzales and International Master Angelo Young) and snared two silvers in Standard Individual and Rapid Team (with Gonzales and National Master Edmundo Gatus).

“I am happy to bring home medals. It is a great honor to once again represent and fight for the Philippine flag,” said Antonio.

The Singapore tournament is part of Antonio’s preparation for the bigger challenge in Serbia.

GM Roger Antonio with his supporter, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte

“I expect tougher opponents, so I really need to train harder. I hope that my campaign in Serbia will be successful, just like what I did in Singapore,” said the 64-year-old Antonio, who is determined to improve on his runner-up finish at the 2017 edition (Standard event) held in Acqui Terme, Italy.

During the 2025 FIDE World Senior Chess Championships in Gallipoli, Italy, Antonio won the gold medal in the combined 50- and 65-over category of the Blitz event.

Another Filipino entry, FIDE Master Mario Mangubat of Minglanilla, Cebu, bagged the silver medal.

Before the 2026 FIDE World Senior Chess Championships in Serbia, Antonio was also playing in the International Chess Tournament XXXIV Erkel Ferenc Memorial scheduled from October 24-30,2026 at Erkel Ferenc High School in Gyula, Hungary.

Joining Antonio in Hungary are Mangubat, IM Angelo Young, IM Jose Efren Bagamasbad, NM Almario Marlon Bernardino Jr. and Ederwin Estavillo.

Antonio’s European campaign is supported by Vice Mayor Gian Sotto and Quezon City Sports Development Head Mr. Jun Gayoso.

Kenyan runners dominate Pru Life UK run KENYANS Gilbert Muge and Pamela Bundotich flashed a potent combination of speed and endurance, weathering dark skies and intermittent drizzle to stamp their class in the centerpiece 30-km race of the Pru Life UK POP (Promise of Protection) Run at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati last Sunday.

Muge and Bundotich wasted little time flexing the racing form honed through numerous international competitions, pulling away from a field of Filipino challengers and adding another pair of victories to their growing list of triumphs on local roads.

Muge, whose most recent victory on Philippine soil came in the Trilogy Run Asia 2026 in March, seized control early and never looked back, clocking 1:44:03 in the novel 30K distance.

James Cruz finished six minutes behind Muge in 1:50:44, while Aldrin Serrano clocked 2:01:31 for third.

The 30K race was one of five categories offered in the event, which sought to cater to runners across the spectrum – from beginners taking

Gilbert Muge

Pamela Bundotich

their first steps into the sport to seasoned athletes looking for a demanding new milestone.

The distance also carried special significance for Pru Life UK, which created the 30km race to mark its 30 years in the Philippines. Rather than

simply adding another race category, the company positioned the 30 kilometers as a physical representation of its three decades of serving Filipino policyholders and communities.

Bundotich, a familiar presence in various regional marathon events in

the country, likewise proved too strong for the local field, topping the women’s 30km in 2:02:38.

Tricia Rufano came in second in 2:17:32, while Edna Magtubo was third in 2:26:02.

The other titles disputed were in the 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K categories, producing several close finishes in the race organized by Sunrise Events, Inc. National athlete Jessa Mae Roda captured the women’s 21K crown in 1:29:49, beating Nicole Diloy, who clocked 1:33:26. Fayelle Castro finished third in 2:01:43.

Roy Laudit, meanwhile, ruled the men’s 21K in 1:16:03, turning back Ricky Organiza, who finished in 1:19:19. Kenyan Evans Bomer was a close third in 1:19:21.

Alfred Braza emerged on top in a tightly contested men’s 10K, clocking 32:43 to beat Junel Gobotia (33:13) and Noli Torre (33:43), while Meljoy Gonzales took the women’s 10K crown in 40:29, holding off Kenyan Purity Serem, who finished in 41:31. Angel Lumacang was third in 42:53.

gonna be on call. You’ll never know what’s gonna happen, you’re on call,” Cone chuckled. “But his intention is to retire from Gilas. I’m not sure I’m gonna let him do that.”

For Fajardo, though, wearing national tricolors for the last time in front of no less than the passionate home crowd was already enough.

“Nakakatuwa, nakakataba ng puso. Sobrang thankful ako,” the San Miguel Beer stalwart said.

“Maraming salamat sa fans, sa lahat ng sumusuporta sa ‘kin, sa lahat ng fans na nagpunta dito para suportahan kami, maraming salamat sa inyo. Sana ipagpatuloy niyo pa ’yung pagsuporta sa national team.”

Fajardo hopes to be remembered beyond the medals he earned while representing the country.

“Gusto ko maalala nila na ginawa ko ’yung best ko at saka naglaro ako nang tama. Ni-represent ko ’yung Pilipinas sa abot ng makakaya ko,” he stressed.

Frayna, Canino lead women’s chess meet cast WORLD Chess Olympiadbound Janelle Mae Frayna and Ruelle Canino spearhead the 14-player field in the Philippine National Women’s Invitational Chess Championship unfolding today in Alicia, Isabela.

Frayna, the country’s first and only Woman Grandmaster to date, and Canino, a Woman International Master, are the favorites to rule this round-robin format event that will also have Olympiad teammates Shania Mae Mendoza and Mhage Sebastian.

All four are using this tournament to warm up for the Olympiad slated Sept. 15-27 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Jan Jodilyn Fronda, the other member of that squad, begged off to take a rest.

Also seeing action are Bernadette Galas, Jemaicah Yap Mendoza, Marie Antoinette San Diego, Jersey Marticio, Allaney Jia Doroy, Francois Marie Magpily, Cherry Ann Mejia, Kate Nicole Ordizo, Franchesca Largo and Diana Ramos.

This meet is one of the five Alicia, Isabela is simultaneously hosting.

The other four are the National Junior Championships, National Children’s Championships, Philippine Youth selection tournament and the FIDE classification tournament, hosted by Alicia and backed by the NCFP and the PSC. The winners of the junior, children and youth selection tilts will represent the country in international meets, while National Master titles are at stake in the FIDE selection meet.

BUSINESS

B1

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

4 ecozones to bring more jobs 46 ecozones P

By Charles Dantes

Created under Marcos presidency

P141.2 billion Investments in new ecozones

189,000

RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed four proclamations expanding two economic zones in Southern Tagalog and establishing two new ones in Negros Oriental and Batangas, bringing to 46 the number of ecozones developed under his administration.

The 46 ecozones are projected to draw in P141.2 billion worth of investments and generate close to 189,000 jobs, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said.

All but three of the ecozones are located outside Metro Manila, in line with the administration’s push to disperse investments to the countryside.

By region, 29 of the ecozones are in Luzon, 12 are in the Visayas and five are in Mindanao, Recto said.

The four newest proclamations alone are expected to draw in nearly P9.7 billion in fresh investments.

“With these, businesses can go to where local talent is, boosting local economic activity, without workers having to leave their hometowns for costly and crammed urban centers,” Recto said.

Proclamation No. 1337 integrates several parcels of land in Barangays Punta I and Sahud-Ulan in the municipality of Tanza, Cavite, into the existing Suntrust Ecotown Tanza-Special Economic Zone (SET-SEZ), which hosts 62 enterprises registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and employs 6,322 workers.

The expansion is expected to draw in

about P851 million in new investments and generate around 2,200 jobs, further strengthening Cavite’s position as one of the country’s leading manufacturing and industrial hubs.

Proclamation No. 1338 expands the Light Industry & Science Park IV-Special Economic Zone (LISP IV-SEZ) in Malvar, Batangas, which houses 43 PEZA-registered enterprises with about 1,769 workers. The expansion is expected to unlock P8.5 billion in committed investments and create 200 new jobs, sustaining the growth of Batangas as a major manufacturing and industrial destination.

In Negros Oriental, Proclamation No. 1340 established the Robinsons Dumaguete I.T. Park, which already has a prospective locator expected to invest P288 million and generate 1,500 jobs, broadening high-value employment opportunities in the information technology and business process management sectors in the Visayas.

Jobs expected from new ecozones FARM SUPPORT.

Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) sign a memoraundum of understanding to combine their expertise in research, innovation and agricultural development in support of smallholder farmers. A key focus of the partnership is the continued development of JGF’s Agri-Tech Facilitators Program, which brings together farmer leaders and community-based agricultural extension workers who help fellow farmers identify, test, understand and adopt technologies and farming practices that are relevant to their local conditions.

Gov’t to shield 3m hectares of farmland from solar expansion

By Othel V. Campos THE Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are moving to keep renewable energy projects from encroaching on prime farmland as the Philippines expands its clean energy capacity.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. proposed geofencing about 3 million hectares of flat agricultural land, particularly rice-pro-

ducing areas, to protect food production ahead of the next Green Energy Auction (GEA).

The proposal followed discussions between Tiu Laurel and Energy Secretary Sharon Garin on expanding solar capacity without displacing land critical to food security.

“We need energy security, but it cannot come at the cost of food security,” Tiu Laurel said.

The DA will digitally map priority

IN BRIEF PH banana exports dropped 13% in July

PHILIPPINE banana exports fell 13 percent in July, with shipment value amounting to $110.62 million, down from $127.14 million a year ago, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

Export volume also plunged 19.6 percent to 187,920 metric tons from 233,820 MT over the same period. The decline came even as the country’s overall merchandise exports grew 10.8 percent year-on-year to $8.15 billion in July.

Total Philippine exports from January to July rose 12.9 percent to $54.92 billion, the highest January-to-July level since 1991.

Japan remained the Philippines’ biggest banana market in July, absorbing 66.9 percent of total shipments worth $73.97 million. China followed with a 17.4 percent share worth $19.24 million, while South Korea accounted for 9.7 percent or $10.69 million.

New Zealand took 2.8 percent of banana exports at $3.15 million, while Saudi Arabia accounted for 0.9 percent or $0.96 million. Other markets made up the remaining 2.4 percent, equivalent to $2.62 million.

Agro-based products, which include bananas and other agricultural commodities, generated $548.95 million in export earnings during the month, equivalent to 6.7 percent of total Philippine exports. Othel V. Campos

MCIA, Trip.com team up to boost Cebu destinations

MACTAN-CEBU International Airport (MCIA) has partnered with global online travel agency Trip.com to strengthen Cebu’s position as a key gateway for domestic and international travelers.

The collaboration aims to encourage domestic and international outbound and inbound travel through Cebu, leveraging Trip.com’s digital reach and airline synergies through its high-traffic platform.

MCIA and Trip.com secured exclusive partnerships with major airline partners, including Philippine Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, China Airlines, Starlux Airlines, EVA Air, Scoot, Jetstar, Korean Air and United Airlines, tapping into Trip.com’s 2.5 million active subscribers.

Aboitiz InfraCapital Airports chief executive Athanasios Titonis said the partnership underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to expanding global access to the Philippines’ destinations.

“This strategic exchange with Trip.com maximizes our digital footprint across our key markets in a high-traffic platform.

It perfectly aligns with our mandate to champion Cebu as a vibrant hub, ensuring we bring value to our passengers through different platforms for the routes that we develop,” he said.

Passengers can search for deals on flights to Cebu and other Aboitiz InfraCapital airports in Bohol and Laguindingan, and access exclusive network offers, including vouchers for flights, hotels and attractions.

CMSA gets nod to handle 15.5-meter draft vessels

CONTECON Manzanillo S.A. de C.V. (CMSA), the Mexican subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), has secured authorization to handle vessels with drafts of up to 15.5 meters, making it the only terminal operator at the Port of Manzanillo currently authorized to serve ships at that draft.

The approval allows CMSA to handle vessels of up to 400 meters in length, including ultra-large container ships with capacities of as much as 24,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), strengthening the terminal’s capacity to service mega-ships and accommodate surging cargo volumes at the port.

CMSA chief executive José Antonio Contreras said the authorization reflects the investments the company has made to strengthen the terminal.

“It also marks an important step toward our goal of achieving a 17-meter operational draft at our new berths, which will allow us to accommodate larger vessels and handle higher cargo volumes,” he said.

Administración del Sistema Portuario Nacional Manzanillo (National Port System Administration Manzanillo) continues dredging and basin-conditioning works to accommodate deeper-draft vessels.

“As vessel sizes continue to increase, terminals must ensure they have the infrastructure needed to support them,” Contreras said.

agricultural areas and establish geographic boundaries to guide energy developers and identify suitable sites for renewable energy projects.

The agency will also identify 1,000 to 2,000 priority agricultural areas and cross-check these against existing and awarded energy projects to prevent conflicts.

Tiu Laurel has asked the DOE to provide a list of ongoing and awarded projects to help agriculture

officials distinguish approved developments from proposals still under evaluation.

The two agencies are also working on mechanisms to lower electricity costs for farmers and fisherfolk by connecting qualified agricultural users with renewable energy suppliers under the GEA, the Green Energy Option (GEO) and the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) framework.

POWER RESTORATION.

Manila Electric Company (Meralco) restores electricity to nearly all customers that experienced service interruptions due to the enhanced southwest monsoon (Habagat), which affected the distributor’s franchise area. Following roundthe-clock work of its crew and personnel, the number of remaining affected customers have gone down to the last 2,800 —represen:ng less than 1 percent of Meralco’s total customer base. Over 1,000 of these remaining outages are in flooded areas and most of the remaining affected customers are in parts of Metro Manila, Cavite and Bulacan.

Maynilad, K-Water obtain proponent status for New Clark City water project THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said it has granted original proponent status (OPS) to the consortium of Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-Water) for a proposed P14.8-billion water supply and wastewater management project in New Clark City, Tarlac.

The BCDA said its board granted OPS to the consortium on August 28 following the agency’s evaluation and negotiations with the proponents.

It said the project will next undergo the required approval process before proceeding to a Swiss challenge, where other qualified private-sector proponents may submit competing proposals under applicable public-

private partnership rules. The BCDA targets the contract award for December 2026, subject to the completion of the required approvals, the PPP process and other conditions.

The project aims to strengthen the emerging economic hub’s utility capacity as residential, commercial, institutional and industrial developments expand, while ensuring wastewater treatment complies with environmental and wastewater standards. The proposed system is expected to provide the utility capacity needed by businesses and communities and support industries that require dependable water services, including advanced manufacturing, data centers and other high-value activities. Othel V. Campos

extrastory2000@gmail.com RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ, Editor ALENA MAE S. FLORES, Asst. Editor

Gov’t borrowings surged 75.41% to P291b in July, says Treasury

By Thony Rose Lesaca THE Philippine government’s gross borrowings surged 75.41 percent to P291.38 billion in July 2026 from P166.11 billion a year ago on the back of higher external and domestic debt issuances, data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed.

Domestic borrowings jumped 77.87 percent to P271.32 billion from P152.54 billion in July 2025.

Fixed-rate Treasury bonds accounted for the bulk of financing at P138.12 billion, while Treasury bills contributed the remaining P133.20 billion.

External borrowings rose 47.81 percent to P20.05 billion as of end-July 2026 from P13.57 billion a year earlier. These consisted of project loans amounting to P18.64 billion and program loans totaling P1.41 billion.

The government’s financing climbed to P288.56 billion in July from P164.27 billion in the previous year, after accounting for amortization payments of P2.68 billion for foreign borrowings and P135 million for local borrowings.

Overall government financing reached P1.37 trillion in the first seven months of the year.

12 firms eyeing P10-b geothermal derisking facility

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Department of Energy (DOE) said over the weekend around 12 companies stand to benefit from the P10.07billion Philippine Geothermal Resource Derisking Facility (PGRDF), which is expected to revitalize the country’s position as one of the world’s leading geothermal producers.

Energy Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said the list of local and foreign firms was submitted to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Department of Finance and the Department of Economy, Planning and Development.

“We have 12 [companies] that are sure [to apply], but if some back out, we have five backups,” Guevara said.

She said the ADB will issue a tender for experts who will assist the DOE in evaluating applications.

The PGRDF is a landmark initiative designed to accelerate geothermal development, attract private sector investment and strengthen long-term energy security through indigenous renewable energy, according to the DOE. The Economy and Development Council approved the facility during its 10th meeting, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The facility establishes a government-backed financing mechanism to lower financial risks during geothermal exploration, the most capital-intensive and uncertain phase of development.

By using a cost-sharing arrangement for exploration drilling, the facility aims to encourage developers to pursue new projects and expand the nation’s clean energy pipeline.

The Philippines ranked second globally in installed geothermal power capacity for many years before Indonesia overtook it in 2018.

“The Philippines has long been blessed with abundant geothermal resources,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.

“This facility gives us the opportunity to unlock more of that potential, attract greater investments and pave the way for the next generation of geothermal projects that will deliver cleaner, more reliable and more affordable energy for every Filipino,” she said.

Garin said the measure addresses one of the primary obstacles to geothermal development.

“Geothermal development requires significant investment long before a single kilowatt is delivered to consumers,” Garin said.

Manila

Republic of the Philippines Standard ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

TODAY

Pasig City

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN AKLAN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND SUAL POWER, INC. FOR THE SUPPLY OF 10 MW CONTRACTED CAPACITY, WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY OR INTERIM RELIEF AND CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION, ERC CASE NO. 2026-121 RC AKLAN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (AKELCO) AND SUAL POWER, INC. (SPI), Applicants. x----------------------x NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 18 August 2026, Aklan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AKELCO) And Sual Power, Inc. (SPI) filed a Joint Application, dated 30 June 2026, seeking for the approval of the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) executed on 29 May 2026, in the supply of 10 MW contracted capacity, with Prayer for Provisional Authority or Interim Relief and Confidential Treatment of Information.

ERC CASE NO. 2026-121 RC NOTICE VIRTUAL The OF docketed copyHEARING of the Joint Application, excluding its PAGE 2 is OFattached 4 annexes, as Annex “A” hereof.

The Commission has set the Joint Application for hearing, pursuant to the pertinent rules of the Commission, as follows: Date and Time 22 September 2026 (Tuesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.) 29 September 2026 (Tuesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.)

Platform

Microsoft Teams

Activity Determination of compliance with jurisdictional requirements and Expository Presentation Pre-Trial Conference and Presentation of Evidence

Accordingly, Applicants are hereby directed to mirror the virtual hearings, to be hosted by the Commission, at AKELCO’s Principal Office at Mayor Saturnino G. Fernandez Compound, Poblacion, Lezo, Aklan, as the designated venue for the conduct thereof and ensure that the same is open to the public. Moreover, Applicants shall guarantee that, during the conduct of the expository presentation, the participation of the public shall not be impaired.

Any interested stakeholder may submit its comments and/or clarifications at least one (1) calendar day prior to the scheduled initial virtual hearing, via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnished the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph. The Commission shall give priority to the stakeholders who have duly submitted their respective comments and/or clarifications, to discuss the same and propound questions during the course of the expository presentation.

Moreover, any person who has an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) calendar days prior to the date of the initial virtual hearing.

The verified Petition to Intervene must follow the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case, and state the following: 1)

The petitioner’s name, mailing address, and e-mail address;

ERC CASE NO.nature 2026-121 RC 2) The of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of NOTICE OF theVIRTUAL proceedingHEARING and the way and manner in which such PAGE 3 OFinterest 4 is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and 3)

A statement of the relief desired.

Likewise, all other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file through e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, their Opposition or Comment thereon at least five (5) calendar days prior to the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is ERC CASE NO. 2026-121 RC required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING following: PAGE 4 OF 4 1) Theallname, mailingpersons address, address of the Finally, interested mayandbee-mail allowed to join person;hearings by providing the Commission, through scheduled virtual legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, their respective e-mail addresses, 2) therein A concise of theofOpposition Comment; and indicating thestatement case number the instantorJoint Application.

The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned 3) platform The grounds hearing within relied five (5)upon. working days prior to the scheduled hearings.

All interested parties filing their Petition to Intervene, Opposition or Comment are required to submit the copies thereof WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson andhard CEO FRANCIS through personalC.service, or ordinary mail/private SATURNINO JUANregistered and themail Honorable Commissioners courier, within five working days from the date ROMEO that the same FLORESINDA G. (5)BALDO-DIGAL, MARKO L. were electronically submitted, as reflected and in thePARIS acknowledgement FUENTES, AMANTE A. LIBERATO G. REAL, receipt sent by the Commission.

Energy e-mail Regulatory Commission in Pasig City.

ERC CASE 2026-121 RC Any of NO. the persons mentioned in the preceding paragraphs may FOR AND

BY AUTHORITY NOTICE HEARING access the OF copyVIRTUAL of the Application on the Commission’s official website OF THE COMMISSION: PAGE 4 OF 4 at www.erc.gov.ph.

Finally, all interested persons may be allowed to join the scheduled virtual hearings by providing the Commission, through ATTY. CORAZON GINES1 legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, theirMARIA respective e-mail C.addresses, III, Legal Service indicating therein the case numberDirector of the instant Joint Application.

The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned hearing LS: LPS/JGGWplatform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled (This space is intentionally left blank.) hearings.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO FRANCIS SATURNINO C. JUAN and the Honorable Commissioners FLORESINDA G. BALDO-DIGAL, MARKO ROMEO L. FUENTES, AMANTE A. LIBERATO and PARIS G. REAL, Energy Regulatory Commission in Pasig City.

FOR AND BY AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION:

ATTY. MARIA CORAZON C. GINES1 Director III, Legal Service LS: LPS/JGGW

1 Authority granted per Office Order No. 71, Series of 2025 dated 20 August 2025, with the subject “Approving/Signing Authorities for Consumer Complaints Cases and Interlocutory Orders”.

1 Authority granted per Office Order No. 71, Series of 2025 dated 20 August 2025, with the subject “Approving/Signing Authorities for Consumer Complaints Cases and Interlocutory Orders”.

121 August 18, 2026

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

BUSINESS

B3

Manila

Standard

TODAY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

extrastory2000@gmail.com

Indonesian traffic boosts MPTC revenues to P19.6b

By Darwin G. Amojelar

M

ETRO Pacific Tollways Corp.

(MPTC) said its toll revenues grew 8 percent in the first six months of 2026, driven by new road openings and stronger traffic in Indonesia despite a decline in domestic vehicle entries.

The company said toll revenues reached P19.6 billion for the January-to-June period, up from P18.15 billion in the same period last year.

Across its regional portfolio, average daily vehicle entries rose 1 percent to about 2.5 million. Indonesian operations posted 3 percent traffic growth to 1.67 million entries a day, while Philippine traffic averaged 715,200 daily vehicle entries.

Revenue growth was supported by the opening of CAVITEX C5 Link Segment 3B Phase 1 and CALAX

Subsection 3, expanding the company’s operational network. Stable logistics activity, scheduled tariff adjustments, and improved road access in Indonesia also supported performance.

MPTC said its share in the net earnings of equity investments in Indonesia contributed to higher core profit.

The company’s regional footprint covers more than 1,100 kilometers of toll roads across the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

“Our first-half results reflect a broader and still-expanding regional business. Traffic in the Philippines is only one part of the picture. New road openings, stronger Indonesian operations, and our equity investments all contributed to the period’s performance,” MPTC said.

MPTC expanded its toll road portfolio in Indonesia in late 2024 through a strategic investment in PT Jasamarga Transjawa Tol (JTT). JTT manages a 676-kilometer network of 13 toll roads across West Java, Central Java, and East Java.

Capital expenditures reached P7.6 billion in the first half, down 5 percent year-over-year as completion schedules faced right-of-way and construction delays.

HYBRID SOLAR. SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet Inc., in partnership with Aboitiz Foundation Inc., turn over a 5-kilowatt-peak hybrid solar power system to Kiweng Primary School in Barangay Ambuklao, Bokod, Benguet.

The handover was held at the Barangay Ambuklao Function Hall on Aug. 26. The project falls under AuroraPH, Aboitiz Foundation’s flagship program that brings renewable power, internet connectivity, and digital tools to remote schools across the Philippines.

DMCI Homes expanding to socialized housing project

By Jenniffer B. Austria DMCI Homes is preparing to sell socialized housing units priced at around P1.8 million as it expands into the affordable housing segment, with projects planned in Cavite and Valenzuela.

DMCI Homes president Alfredo Austria said the company is working on its first socialized housing projects, with the initial phase in Cavite expected to yield around 4,000 units.

Austria said the project’s first structure will be an 18-story residential condominium with an average unit size of 27 square meters and generous open spaces.

DMCI Homes said it plans to apply its design and construction expertise to keep costs low enough to meet the target price while maintaining a comfortable living environment for residents.

“We plan to launch our socialized housing project in the next few months,” Austria said.

Under the plan, buyers will be able to access financing through the PagIBIG Fund.

“We really have to sharpen our pencils for it to reach that price,” Austria said.

The socialized housing venture forms part of DMCI Homes’ effort to develop new product lines and maximize its capabilities in design, construction, project development, financing, and information technology.

In the second quarter of the year, DMCI Homes booked 49 percent growth in net income to P1 billion from P705 million recorded in the same period last year.

Revenues grew 19 percent to P2.32 billion, boosted by higher sales from ready-for-occupancy (RFO) units.

RFO sales surged 42 percent to P3.7 billion on the back of intensified marketing efforts and shifting buyer preferences.

Rent-to-own units also increased 69 percent to 2,800 units from 2,000.

Gov’t agencies used 94.6% of cash allocations as of end-July—DBM

By Thony Rose Lesaca GOVERNMENT agencies used 94.6 percent of their cash allocations as of end-July, leaving P169.94 billion unspent out of total allocations released in the first seven months of 2026, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.

Agencies used P2.96 trillion out of the P3.13 trillion in notice of cash

allocations (NCAs) released as of end-July, the DBM said in its latest NCA Utilization report.

Line agencies accounted for the bulk of spending at P1.99 trillion, representing 92.2 percent of the P2.16 trillion in NCAs allotted for various departments.

The Office of the Vice President and the Commission on Audit recorded the highest budget

utilization rate at 99.7 percent, followed by the Department of Foreign Affairs at 99.3 percent, the Department of Energy at 99.1 percent and the Department of National Defense at 98.4 percent.

The Office of the President posted the lowest utilization rate at 69.4 percent, followed by the Presidential Communications Office at 72.0 percent, the Civil Service

Commission at 73.3 percent, the Department of Labor and Employment at 76.8 percent and the Commission on Elections at 76.9 percent.

Budgetary support to governmentowned and controlled corporations also recorded a 98.9 percent utilization rate as the entities spent P132.12 billion out of P133.64 billion in NCAs.

The real significance of NMIA project —“—

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW B

Manila

Standard

TODAY

ALL kinds of criticism have been levelled at the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) project since it was announced to the Filipino people and to the world by the president and chief executive officer of San Miguel Corp. Ramon S. Ang’s project was overly ambitious, some critics said.

It was unnecessary. It was too expensive.

The land on which the airport would be built was unstable and fraught with geological risk. And it was environmentally problematic since it would encroach on the ecodiversity of the nearby Manila Bay municipalities. So said other critics.

The critics believe that their apprehensions and doubts have been confirmed by the regionwide loss and damage caused by the floods wrought by the recent typhoons.

Surely the geological integrity that an airport requires has been compromised, they have been saying.

The viability of the NMIA prayer does NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That the estate of Lucena Santos Alas, who Died intestate on 06 February 2022, Leaving a parcel of land with Improvements situated at Blk.5,lot.12,MCP. HOA,INC.,Pinkian central,Brgy.Pasong Tamo Quezon City, under Social Housing Finance Corporation with Account Number 31405940070; has Been Adjudicated by her heirs Under an EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS, Entered as Doc. No.225, Page No.45, Book No.191 Series of 2026 in Notarial Register of Notary Public Atty. Kathryn T. Elemen of Quezon City (MS-AUG. 25/SEPT 1 & 8, 2026)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

The NAIA project will do the Philippine economy a great service by providing relief for NAIA’s ever-intensifying pressure. not appear to have been compromised. It has probably fallen behind schedule, but the work continues.

The proponent of a project as big as the NMIA does not commence to undertake the project without planning and preparation of the most thorough kind. Almost certainly the idea of a project to replace Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) did not occur to Ramon S. Ang a few weeks ago; almost certainly the idea has been gestating in the proponent’s mind for a long time, perhaps for several years. And at his direction experts of all kinds have almost certainly been at work on the project’s diverse components for some time. By the time Mr. Ang made his announcement NMIA was a good-to-start project.

NMIA being an export project, the stability of the land — several hundred hectares — on which NMIA will be built was undoubtedly the most important element of the planning and preparation work. The character and stability of the soil of the municipality of Bulakan, Bulacan was well documented. For the rainfall-and-storm pattern of the area the worst-case scenario doubtless was used for the project’s operational estimates. The loss and damage wrought by the recent typhoon cannot have come as a surprise to the new airport’s builders.

Given the importance and scale of the NMIA project, Mr. Ang and his organization should not have been expected to scrimp on technical support. In fact they did not scrimp. At Mr. Ang’s direction the best that the world of land management had to offer was hired for

NMIA. Expectably, experts from The Netherlands — a country that lies mostly below sea level — topped the roster of foreign land management experts engaged for NMIA. No doubt the foreign experts have been asked to address the long-term problem posed by the fact that part of the NMIA land will be land reclaimed from Manila Bay. Though not project-threatening, Mr. Ang and his people cannot afford to not pay attention to the ecological and economic-dislocation aspects of their project. The reported destruction of the mangroves along the shorelines of the municipalities of Paombong and Hagonoy is bound to negatively impact the livelihoods of those municipalities’ fisherfolk.

The NAIA project will do the Philippine economy a great service by providing relief for NAIA’s everintensifying pressure. NAIA is slowly bursting at the seams. There is hardly any more room for expansion at its present location.

But unquestionably the most significant aspect of Ramon S. Ang’s project is its bigness —four runways and capacity to handle upwards of 100 million passengers annually. No longer should proposed infrastructure projects in this country be modest-expansion, 10-year projects. The time for bigness has come. Infrastructure projects must henceforth be big projects with a time horizon of 20 to 30 years, or longer, and with provision for expansion.

May NMIA be the first of such projects. (llagasjessa@yahoo.com)

while taking into account Applicant ABRECO's projected energy, available contracted supply, and supply from WESM for the forecasted energy requirement over the next twelve months from 26 April 2026 to 25 April 2027. Table 1 below, shows the combined generation rate without EPSA to the new proposed rate under EPSA.

Manila

Lapaz, Pidigan, Pilar, Dolores, Lagangilang, Bucay & Manabo in the province of Abra. (“Franchise Area”).

Standard Republic of the Philippines TODAY

ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Pasig City

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT BETWEEN ABRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE AND MASINLOC POWER CO. LTD., WITH MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION

Notice is hereby given that on 05 August 2026 Abra Electric Cooperative (ABRECO) and Masinloc Power Co. Ltd. (MPCL) filed a Joint Application, dated 15 May 2026, seeking the Commission’s approval of their emergency power supply agreement, with motion for confidential treatment of information.

The docketed copy of the Joint Application, excluding its annexes, is attached as Annex “A” hereof.

ERC CASE NO. 2026-113 RC NOTICE VIRTUALhas HEARING The OF Commission set the Joint Application for hearing, pursuant PAGE 2 to OFthe 4 pertinent rules of the Commission, as follows: Platform

Microsoft Teams

Activity Determination of compliance with jurisdictional requirements and Expository Presentation Pre-Trial Conference and Presentation of Evidence

Accordingly, Applicants are hereby directed to mirror the virtual hearings, to be hosted by the Commission, at Capitulacion St., Calaba, Bangued, Abra, as the designated venue for the conduct thereof and ensure that the same is open to the public. Moreover, Applicants shall guarantee that, during the conduct of the expository presentation, the participation of the public shall not be impaired.

Any interested stakeholder may submit its comments and/or clarifications at least one (1) calendar day prior to the scheduled initial virtual hearing, via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnished the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph. The Commission shall give priority to the stakeholders who have duly submitted their respective comments and/or clarifications, to discuss the same and propound questions during the course of the expository presentation.

Moreover, any person who has an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission via e-mail at docket@erc.ph, a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) calendar days prior to the date of the initial virtual hearing.

The verified Petition to Intervene must follow the requirements under Rule 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case, and state the following: 1)

The petitioner’s name, mailing address, and e-mail address;

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; ERC CASEand NO. 2026-113 RC NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING PAGE3)3 OFA 4statement of the relief desired.

Likewise, all other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file through e-mail at docket@erc.ph, copy furnish the Legal Service through legal@erc.ph, their Opposition or Comment thereon at least five (5) calendar days prior to the initial virtual hearing and subject to the requirements under RuleRC 9 of the ERC Revised Rules of Practice ERC CASE NO. 2026-113 and Procedure.

No particular form of Opposition or Comment is NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the PAGE 4 OF 4 following: Finally, all interested persons may be allowed to join the scheduled virtual hearings by providing the e-mail Commission, 1) The name, mailing address, and addressthrough of the legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, their respective e-mail addresses, person; indicating therein the case number of the instant Joint Application.

The Commission willstatement send the of access link/s to the aforementioned 2) A concise the Opposition or Comment; and hearing platform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled hearings.

3) The grounds relied upon.

WITNESS, the parties Honorable Chairperson and CEO All interested filing their Petition to FRANCIS Intervene, SATURNINO C. JUAN and the Honorable Opposition or Comment are required to submit the hardCommissioners copies thereof FLORESINDA G. BALDO-DIGAL, MARKO ROMEO L. through personal service, registered mail or ordinary mail/private FUENTES, AMANTE A. LIBERATO andthePARIS G.the REAL, courier, within five (5) working days from date that same Energy Regulatory Commission in reflected Pasig City.in the acknowledgement were electronically submitted, as receipt e-mail sent by the Commission.

ERC CASE NO. 2026-113 RC FOR AND BY AUTHORITY Any of the persons mentioned the preceding paragraphs may OFinTHE COMMISSION: NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING access the copy of the Application on the Commission’s official website PAGE 4 OF 4 at www.erc.gov.ph.

Finally, all interested persons may be allowed to join the MARIA CORAZON C. GINES scheduled virtual hearings ATTY. by providing the Commission, through1 III, Legal Service legal.virtualhearings@erc.ph, theirDirector respective e-mail addresses, indicating therein the case number of the instant Joint Application.

The Commission will send the access link/s to the aforementioned LS: BBB / JGGW hearing platform within five (5) working days prior to the scheduled hearings.

(This space is intentionally left blank.)

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO FRANCIS SATURNINO C. JUAN and the Honorable Commissioners FLORESINDA G. BALDO-DIGAL, MARKO ROMEO L. FUENTES, AMANTE A. LIBERATO and PARIS G. REAL, Energy Regulatory Commission in Pasig City.

FOR AND BY AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION:

ATTY. MARIA CORAZON C. GINES1 Director III, Legal Service LS: BBB / JGGW

Authority granted per Office Order No. 71, Series of 2025 dated 20 August 2025, with the subject “Approving/Signing Authorities for Consumer Complaints Cases and Interlocutory Orders”.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION Pasig City

1

B. With EPSA Contracted Capacity (Kwh)

IN THE MATTER OF THE JOINT APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT BETWEEN ABRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (ABRECO) AND MASINLOC POWER CO. LTD. (MPCL), WITH MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL Authority granted per Office Order No. 71, Series of 2025 dated 20 August 2025, with the subject TREATMENT OF “Approving/Signing Authorities for Consumer Complaints Cases and Interlocutory Orders”.

INFORMATION

113 RC ERC CASE NO. 2026-_____ ABRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (ABRECO) AND MASINLOC POWER CO. LTD. (MPCL),

August 05, 2026

Applicants. x-----------------------x

May 26 June 25

June 26 July 25

July 26 Aug 25

Aug 26 Sept 25

Sept 26 Oct 25

Oct 26 - Nov 25

Nov 26 Dec 25

8,640,0 00 10.292 7 88,928, 928

8,928,0 00 10.292 7 91,893, 226

8,640,0 00 10.292 7 88,928, 928

8,928,0 00 10.292 7 91,893, 226

8,928,0 00 10.292 7 91,893, 226

8,640,0 00 10.292 7 88,928, 928

8,928,0 00 10.292 7 91,893, 226

8,640,0 00 10.292 7 88,928, 928

8,640,0 00

8,928,0 00

8,640,0 00

8,928,0 00

8,928,0 00

8,640,0 00

8,928,0 00

8,640,0 00

91,893,2 26

8,928,0 00 10.292 7 91,893, 226

8,064,0 00 10.292 7 83,000, 333

8,928,0 00 10.292 7 91,893, 226

8,928,00 0

8,928,0 00

8,064,0 00

8,928,0 00

8,928,00 0 10.2927

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

5.5691

48,117, 024

49,720, 925

48,117, 024

49,720, 925

49,720, 925

48,117, 024

49,720, 925

48,117, 024

49,720,9 25

49,720, 925

44,909, 222

49,720, 925

Cost of Energy Saved if ABRECO is with EPSA

40,811, 904

42,172, 301

40,811, 904

42,172, 301

42,172, 301

40,811, 904

42,172, 301

40,811, 904

42,172,3 01

42,172, 301

38,091, 110

42,172, 301

45.89 %

45.89 %

45.89 %

45.89 %

45.89 %

45.89 %

45.89 %

45.89 %

45.89%

45.89 %

45.89 %

45.89 %

EDMON B. EVANGELISTA Roll No. 59151 Lifetime IBP No. 012352 / 01-15-2014 / Isabela PTR No. 3963826 / 01-06-2026 / Pasig City MCLE Compliance No. VII–0018007 / May 13, 2022

MA. LOURDES A. RECILLA Roll No. 87098 IBP No. 588832 / 01-05-2026 / RSM PTR No. 3963828 / 01-06-2026 / Mandaluyong City MCLE Compliance No. VIII-0041086 / September 29, 2025 mlar@serglawoffices.com

Copies of the foregoing documents and/or information are attached to the Joint Application as annexes and made integral parts hereof: Page 7 of 14

Annex “01” “02” “03” “04” and series “04D-1” “04D-2” “05”

“05A”

Page 2 of 14

3.3 On September 28, 2023, a consultative meeting was conducted at the National Electrification Administration (“NEA”) with Asec. Mario Marasigan of the Department of Energy (“DOE”) and a lawyer from the Energy Regulatory Commission (“ERC”) relative to the Alyansa Case and all ECs affected by the said Decision of the Commission. DOE and ERC advised the ECs to negotiate with their existing supplier for an emergency power supply agreement provided the terms and conditions have similar technology and based on the latest approved rates of the Commission.

“06” “A” “A-1”

3.4 Considering the urgency of the situation, ABRECO looked for a reliable emergency power supply solution that can address its immediate needs and ensure uninterrupted power supply to the cooperative.

“B” “C” “C-1”

3.5 On November 16, 2023, ABRECO informed the DOE, ERC and NEA, through a letter of the same date, that the board and management of ABRECO agreed that the cooperative will enter into an EPSA with a 10 MW demand to a qualified power provider to augment the required capacity of the Coop.

“D” “E” “F” and series “G” and “G-1” “H, I, J and K”

3.6 Thus, to have a reliable, accessible, and efficient electric service and avert exposure to the volatile prices in the WESM for its MCOs, MPPCL sent a viable offer which, after careful consideration, was accepted by ABRECO.

Documents/Information Duly signed Emergency Power Supply Agreement DU’s Supply and Demand Scenario Executive Summary of the EPSA Generation Rate and Derivation Documents (confidential) Sample bill Rate impact MPCL’s Write-up on Previously Submitted Documents: • MPCL’s 2007 Articles of Partnership • Affidavit of Competitive Procurement Process of Fuel • Documents Related to Fuel (confidential) • Relevant technical and economic characteristics of the generation capacity, installed capacity, mode of operation, and dependable capacity • MPCL’s Amended Articles of Partnership MPCL’s Data on Outages ABRECO and MPCL’s Certificates of Email Registration ABRECO and MPCL’s Verified Declarations ABRECO’s Affidavit on circumstances of Force Majeure Joint Application Verification and Certification Against Forum Shopping ABRECO’s Authority of counsel to file the subject application (Board Resolution) MPCL’s Secretary’s Certificate Proof of Service to LGUs where ABRECO and MPCL principally operate Page 8 of 14 Proof of Publication Proof of exemption from the conduct of the CSP

ALEXIS D. SOLACITO Roll No. 87472 IBP No. 546049 / 04 - 28 - 2025 / Iloilo PTR No. 3963829 / 01-06-2026 / Pasig City MCLE Compliance No. VIII–0020609 / January 24, 2025 alexissolacito@gmail.com (Signature pages of counsels of MPCL to follow.)

Page 13 of 14

The Joint Application is likewise consistent with Section 1 of Department Circular No. DC2021- 09-0030 which declares as State policy, that: “All distribution utilities must henceforth take cognizance and assume full responsibility to forecast, assure and contract for the supply of electric power in the respective franchise areas to meet their obligations as a distribution utility.” (Underscoring supplied).

5 Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas (ABP), Inc. v. Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), et al.

(G.R. 227670, May 3, 2019).

3.8 On November 21, 2024, ABRECO initiated the sending of official 3 of 14 solicitation letters to reputable power suppliers, requesting Page proposals for a new EPSA to ensure the continuity of power supply.

3.10 On 25 April 2025, ABRECO and MPCL executed a second EPSA for the supply of 10 MW. Said EPSA expired on 25 April 2026.

Consequently, the execution and approval of a third EPSA have become necessary to ensure the continuous and uninterrupted supply of electricity to ABRECO’s member-consumers.

Mar 26 April 25

By:

in their captive market shall be subject to regulation by the ERC based on the principle of full recovery of prudent and reasonable economic costs incurred, or such other principles that will

3.9 On March 21, 2025, ABRECO, through ManCom Resolution No. 9, Series of 2025, authorized the issuance of a Notice of Award to MPCL for the new EPSA. MPCL emerged as the most responsive, responsible, and qualified power supplier, as the other invited suppliers were unable to provide the required available capacity at that time.

Feb 26 - Mar 25

Dec 26 - Jan 25

Rate/kwh

3.2 As efficiency a result, relief granted to ABRECO and MPPCL by promote as the may interim be determined by the ERC. 2 Distribution utilities may enter into bilateral power supply contracts subject to review by the ERC: virtue of the Order dated December 11, 2018 was terminated, without xxx xxx xxx.

3 prejudice any rate adjustment, determined in acharged separate Prior to the to implementation of Open Access as andmay Retailbe Competition, the prices by a Generation Company for the Supply of Electricity shall be subject to ERC regulation on the Retail Order to be issued by the Commission. Consequently, the ERC Rates charged by Distribution Utilities and transition supply contracts (TSCs) as specified in Section directed 67 of the Act.both parties to stop implementing the PSA for the 7 MW 4 Limits on Bilateral Supply Contracts by a Distribution Utility. demand, immediately upon receipt of the Order.

3.7 ABRECO also solicited offers from other generation companies, specifically from First Gen Corporation (“First Gen”) and GN Power Kauswagan (“GNPK”). Eventually, ABRECO agreed to enter an EPSA with MPPCL having the most competitive rate and beneficial terms.

Thus, on November 25, 2023, an Emergency Power Supply Agreement was executed between ABRECO and MPPCL for the supply of 10 megawatts. This EPSA already ended last November 26, 2024.

ABRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (ABRECO)

Jan 26 - Feb 25

Total

comply with the Order dated April 19, 2019, and the CSP Circular, as 5 1 SEC.25. Retail directed by the Court in itsbyruling in utilities the Alyansa Case.

Rate.Supreme – The retail rates charged distribution for the supply of electricity

2)

1

Average Rate Total

3.1 On September 19, 2023, ABRECO received the Notice and Order from the Energy Regulatory Commission denying the Motion for Reconsideration dated October 14, 2019 in ERC Case No. 2015-219 RC filed by applicants ABRECO and Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd (“MPPCL”), which dismissed the Joint Application for failure to

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

2027

April 25 May 26

A. Without EPSA total exposure to WESM

III. Statement of Facts

NOTICE OF VIRTUAL HEARING

29 September 2026 Tuesday At nine o’clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)

2.1 The Joint Application for approval of the Emergency Power Supply Agreement (“EPSA”) entered into by and between ABRECO and MPCL, is being submitted to the Honorable Commission for its review and approval pursuant to Sections 251 and 45(b)2 of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (the “EPIRA”), Rules 5, Section 4(e) 3 and 11, Section 5 4 of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), Rule 20(B) of its Rules of Practice and Procedure, and other pertinent rules and regulations.

2026

Period

II. Nature of the Application

ABRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (ABRECO) AND MASINLOC POWER CO. LTD. (MPCL), Applicants. x----------------------x

22 September 2026 Tuesday At nine o’clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.)

1.2 MPCL is a limited partnership duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at 40 San Miguel Avenue, Wack-Wack Greenhills, City of Mandaluyong. It owns and operates the Masinloc Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant located in Barangay Bani, Masinloc, Zambales.

1.3 The Applicants may be served with the orders, notices and other processes of the Honorable Commission through their respective undersigned counsels at the addresses indicated herein.

ERC CASE NO. 2026-113 RC

Date and Time

PARTICU LARS

By way of emphasis, Resolution No. 21, Series of 2005 of the Honorable Commission dated 19 October 2005 had directed all Distribution Utilities (DUs) “to enter into future bilateral power supply contract with power producers to be subjected to a review by the Commission.”

(Underscoring supplied).

The EPSA with MPCL was made to ensure the continuous supply of power to ABRECO due to the former’s competitive pricing structure and other favorable terms of its contract, which will redound to the benefit of the latter and its end-consumers in terms of reliable and affordable power supply.

IV. Salient Features of the EPSA

VI. Allegations in Support of the Confidential Treatment of Annexes 04 and series and 05A

4.1 Term: This Agreement shall be binding and effective between the Parties on the date of signing (“Execution Date”) and the supply duration shall be up to a maximum period of one (1) year or twelve (12) Billing Periods from Supply Effective Date (“SED”) or up to the approval by the ERC of the power supply agreement resulting from the BUYER’s conduct of its Competitive Selection Process, whichever comes first. This EPSA is for 12,000 kW of electric power.

6.1 Rule 4 of the Honorable Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure provides that ABRECO and MPCL may request that information may not be disclosed.

6.2 MPCL prays for the confidential treatment of the information contained in Annexes 04 and series, and not disclosed except to the officers and staff of the Honorable Commission and its staff.

4.2 Security Deposit: The BUYER shall post a Security Deposit equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of the estimated monthly power bill invoice to be determined by the SELLER.

6.3 Annexes 04 and series and 05A contains the details of MPCL’s, power rate calculations and financial model as well as the manner by which these were derived, and the pertinent details of coal supply Page 9 of 14 contracts. This information is proprietary in nature and should be protected as trade secrets as contemplated by law and jurisprudence.

In the case of Air Philippines Corporation vs. Pennswell, Inc. 6 , the Supreme Court defined a trade secret, as follows:

4.2.1. Form. The Security Deposit shall be in the form of cash, cash bond, manager’s or cashier’s check, bank certified check, irrevocable stand-by letter of credit, performance bond or bank guarantee “callable on demand” issued by a financial institution, or any other forms of security, such as but not limited to escrow account to be administered by a bank acceptable to the SELLER, in such form and substance acceptable to the SELLER.

“A trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern, device, or compilation of information that: (1) is used in one's business; and (2) gives the employer an opportunity to obtain an advantage over competitors who do not possess the information.

Generally, a trade secret is a process or device intended for continuous use in the operation of the business, for example, a machine or formula, but can be a price list or catalogue or specialized customer list. It is indubitable that trade secrets constitute proprietary rights. The inventor, discoverer, or possessor of a trade secret or similar innovation has rights therein which may be treated as property, and ordinarily an injunction will be granted to prevent the disclosure of the trade secret by one who obtained the information "in confidence" or through a "confidential relationship".

American jurisprudence has utilized the following factors to determine if an information is a trade secret, to wit:

4.3 Contract Capacity and Actual Energy Delivered: Beginning SED, the SELLER shall make available to the BUYER, and the BUYER shall purchase from the SELLER the Contract Capacity and Contract Energy Page 4 of 14 as stated in Annex I. The quantities specified in Annex I shall not be changed by either Party except pursuant to Article 7 of this Agreement.

The Contract Capacity and Actual Energy Delivered shall be delivered by the SELLER at the Delivery Point from the Plant as provided in Annex IV, or from plants owned and/or operated by any of its affiliates, other electricity generators, including the WESM. This will be used for purposes of declaration of bilateral contract quantities (BCQs). Title and risk of loss for the Contract Capacity and Actual Energy Delivered, such as but not limited to, Line Rental and other WESM Charges, shall be transferred to the BUYER at the Delivery Point.

4.4 Outages: During the Term of this Agreement, the SELLER shall guarantee the supply of Contract Capacity and Contract Energy to the BUYER, even during Scheduled Outages and Unscheduled Outages of the Plant, but not during an Event of Force Majeure. For avoidance of doubt, an Event of Force Majeure as defined in Article 11 shall not be considered as an Outage.

(1) the extent to which the information is known outside of the employer's business;

4.5 Contract Charges and Adjustments: The BUYER shall pay the following Contract Charges for the supply by the SELLER of the Contract Capacity or Actual Energy Delivered:

(3) the extent of measures taken by the employer to guard the secrecy of the information;

4.5.1 Generation Charges. The Generation Charge shall be equivalent to the sum of the Capital Recovery Fee, Fixed O&M Fee, Variable O&M Fee and Fuel Fee as provided in Annex II and calculated based on the Monthly Billing Formula provided in Annex III, including other associated charges and applicable taxes.

4.5.2 Flat Generation Rate ("FGR"). The BUYER agrees that it will pay in full the adjusted FGR, as applicable, as stated in Annex II for the Contract Capacity and Contract Energy and that at any time during the implementation of this Agreement prior to the Parties' receipt of the ERC Approval, should the BUYER refuse payment of adjusted FGR and/or make payments for power supply lower than the adjusted FGR pursuant to whatever government regulatory issuance of whatever nature, the BUYER knowingly acknowledges the SELLER's right to immediately suspend the supply under this Agreement.

If within the period of ten (10) Days after the suspension of the supply Pageagreed 5 of 14 to the BUYER and the Parties still fail to arrive at a mutually solution, the BUYER conclusively acknowledges the SELLER's right to terminate the Agreement without prejudice to all the available remedies it has under the law and equity such as but not limited to the collection of all outstanding accounts that accrued prior to the termination of the Agreement.

4.5.3 Taxes. All applicable existing taxes including Value Added Tax (“VAT”), as well as all other future taxes (except Corporate Income Tax), that may be imposed by the government and which may be legally passed on by the SELLER to the BUYER in connection with the SELLER’s performance of its obligation under this Agreement, including any increase or adjustments thereon, shall be for the account of the BUYER.

(4) the value of the information to the employer and to competitors; (5) the amount of effort or money expended by the company in developing the information; and (6) the extent to which the information could be easily 2007. or readily obtained through an independent source.” (citations omitted, emphasis Page 10 of 14 supplied)

6 G.R. No. 172835, December 13,

6.4 The interest of the consuming public is sufficiently protected by the review and evaluation of the rates under the PSA by the Honorable Commission, without the need to disclose the contents of Annex 04 and series and 05A. The reasonableness and transparency of the prices of electricity is to be assured by the Honorable Commission through its own review and verification of MPCL’s operating costs and expenses.

6.5 More importantly, MPCL’s competitors, should they obtain the information in Annex 04 and series and 05A, will gain undue advantage thereon and have the opportunity to use the same in their operations. The negotiating power of MPCL with parties it plans to contract with or who it is currently doing business with, will clearly be thwarted if it is compelled to disclose such information; a. Accordingly, MPCL submits one (1) copy of Annex 04 and series and 05A, in a sealed envelope, with the said envelope and each page of the documents and/or information stamped with the word “Confidential”.

4.5.4 Other Associated Charges. The BUYER shall bear all other costs and charges incurred after the Delivery Point, such as WESM Charges including Line Rental, Energy Charges beyond Contract Capacity, imbalances, transmission line losses, any interconnection charges and site-specific loss adjustments, among others.

b. Lastly and corollary to the foregoing, MPCL would like to implore the discerning wisdom of the Honorable Commission to include in its issuance for this purpose the “procedures for the handling or returning the confidential information, as appropriate, upon the close of the proceedings or at the end of the period for which the information is to be treated as confidential7”.

4.5.5 Prompt Payment Discount. The BUYER may avail of the PPD equivalent to three percent (3.0%) applied to the CRF, FOM and VOM components of the power bill invoice (excluding Value Added Tax) provided that: a. The BUYER has no arrears from previous power bill invoices and no unpaid amounts due under this Agreement;

c. This is guided by the fact that MPCL will seek for the return of these sought to be declared confidential annexes after its utilization as evidence in this case and/or at the close of the proceedings hereof, so as to relieve the Honorable Commission of the burden of safekeeping the trade secrets of MPCL enclosed in the subject annexes.

b. The Security Deposit has been posted and is maintained at the required amount under this Agreement, and no other default is committed by BUYER under this Agreement; c. The BUYER has submitted all necessary BIR Tax Certificates for all taxes withheld as well as for all zero-rated VAT endconsumers and; d. The BUYER pays the power bill invoice in full on or before the tenth (10th) Day of the calendar month following the current Billing Period.

JOINT APPLICATION (With Prayer Confidential Treatment of Information)

The PPD shall take effect upon SED, provided that, the BUYER complies with the conditions set forth in Section 9.1.

Applicants ABRA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE (“ABRECO”) and MASINLOC POWER CO. LTD. (“MPCL”), through their respective undersigned counsel and unto the Honorable Commission, most respectfully state, that:

The BUYER shall not automatically deduct the PPD from the payment Page 6 of 14 of its current power bill invoice. The PPD for the current power bill invoice will be credited in favor of the BUYER in the succeeding power bill invoice. The PPD due to BUYER for the last power bill invoice under this Agreement shall be remitted to BUYER upon determination by the SELLER of the BUYER’S compliance with the conditions set forth in Section 9.1.

I. The Applicants

V. Generation Rate Impact Analysis

1.1 ABRECO is an electric cooperative company duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with office address at Capitulacion St., Calaba, Bangued, Abra. It holds a franchise to operate light and power services in the Municipalities of Bangued,

5.1 An analysis was conducted to determine the impact of the implementation of the EPSA on Applicant ABRECO 's generation rate while taking into account Applicant ABRECO's projected energy, available contracted supply, and supply from WESM for the forecasted energy requirement over the next twelve months from 26 April 2026 to 25 April 2027. Table 1 below, shows the combined generation rate without EPSA to the new proposed rate under EPSA.

PARTICU LARS

Period A. Without EPSA total

April 25 May 26

May 26 June 25

June 26 July 25

July 26 Aug 25

Aug 26 Sept 25

Oct 26 - Nov 25

Nov 26 Dec 25

Dec 26 - Jan 25

Letter (d), Section 4, of the ERC Rules and Practice and Procedure.

Page 11 of 14 WHEREFORE, premises considered, Applicants ABRECO and MPCL most respectfully pray that the Honorable Commission:

i.

Jan 26 - Feb 25

Feb 26 - Mar 25

ISSUE an Order treating Annex 04 and series and 05A as confidential in perpetuity, directing its non-disclosure to persons other than the officers and staff of the Honorable Commission, perpetually protecting the said information from public disclosure by maintaining the same separate and apart from the records of the case, ensuring that these are not divulged to unauthorized persons, and that these confidential documents are returned to MPCL after the termination of this case pursuant to Rule 4 of its Rules of Practice and Procedure; After due notice and hearing, ISSUE a Decision approving the instant Joint Application in toto which will thereby allow/authorize ABRECO to charge and collect the fees from its customers reckoned from the commencement of the supply to the latter by MPCL.

Mar 26 April 25

Lapaz, Pidigan, Pilar, Dolores, Lagangilang, Bucay & Manabo in the province of Abra. (“Franchise Area”). comply with the Order dated April 19, 2019, and the CSP Circular, as directed by the Supreme Court in its ruling in the Alyansa Case.5 1.2 MPCL is a limited partnership duly organized and existing under (6) the extent to which the information could be and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with easily or relief readily obtained through an by 3.2 As a result, the interim granted to ABRECO and MPPCL principal office address at 40 San Miguel Avenue, Wack-Wack independent source.”11,(citations omitted, emphasis virtue of the Order dated December 2018 was terminated, without Greenhills, City of Mandaluyong. It owns and operates the Masinloc supplied) prejudice to any rate adjustment, as may be determined in a separate Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant located in Barangay Bani, Masinloc, Order to be issued by the Commission. Consequently, the ERC Zambales.

6.4 The interest of the consuming public is sufficiently directed both parties to stop implementing the PSA protected for the 7 MW by the review and evaluation of theofrates under the PSA by the demand, immediately upon receipt the Order.

1.3 The Applicants may be served with the orders, notices and other Honorable Commission, without the need to disclose the processes of the Honorable Commission through their respective contents of Annex 28, 04 2023, and series and 05A. meeting The reasonableness 3.3 On September a consultative was conducted at undersigned counsels at the addresses indicated herein. andNational transparency of the prices of electricity(“NEA”) is to be with assured byMario the Electrification Administration Asec. the Honorable through own and review and from Marasigan of theCommission Department of Energy its (“DOE”) a lawyer verification of MPCL’s operating costs and expenses. the Energy Regulatory Commission (“ERC”) relative to the Alyansa II. Nature of the Application CamScanner Case and all ECs affected by the said Decision of the Commission. DOE 6.5 More importantly, MPCL’s competitors, should they obtain and ERC advised the ECs to negotiate with their existing supplier for the information in Annex 04 andagreement series and 05A, will gain undue an emergency power supply provided the terms and 2.1 The Joint Application for approval of the Emergency Power Supply advantage thereon and have the opportunity toon use same in conditions have similar technology basedbetween thethe latest approved Agreement (“EPSA”) entered into and by and ABRECO and their operations.

The negotiating power of MPCL with parties it rates of is the Commission.

MPCL, being submitted to the Honorable Commission for its review plans to contract with or who it is currently doing business with, and approval pursuant to Sections 251 and 45(b)2 of Republic Act No. willConsidering clearly be thwarted if it to discloselooked such for a 3.4 the urgency of is thecompelled situation, ABRECO 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of information; reliable emergency power supply solution that can address its 2001 (the “EPIRA”), Rules 5, Section 4(e) 3 and 11, Section 5 4 of its immediate needs and ensure uninterrupted power supply to the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), Rule 20(B) of its Rules of a. Accordingly, MPCL submits one (1) copy of Annex 04 cooperative.

Practice and Procedure, and other pertinent rules and regulations. and series and 05A, in a sealed envelope, with the said envelope and 16, each page of theinformed documents and/or 3.5 On November 2023, ABRECO the DOE, ERC and withthe the same word “Confidential”.

NEA,information through astamped letter date, that the board and III.ofStatement of Facts management of ABRECO agreed that the cooperative will enter into b. Lastly corollary to the foregoing, MPCLpower would provider like an EPSA withand a 10 MW demand to a qualified to to implore the discerning of the Honorable augment the required of wisdom the Coop.

3.1 On September 19, capacity 2023, ABRECO received the Notice and Order Commission to include in its issuance for this purpose the from the Energy Regulatory Commission denying the Motion for “procedures for the handling or returning the confidential 3.6 Thus, to have dated a reliable, accessible, and electric service and Reconsideration October 14, 2019 in efficient ERC Case No. 2015-219 RC information, appropriate, upon the WESM close of avert exposure to as the volatileand prices in the for the its Co. MCOs, filed by applicants ABRECO Masinloc Power Partners Ltd proceedings or at offer the end of the period for consideration, which the MPPCL sent a viable which, after careful was (“MPPCL”), which dismissed the Joint Application for failure to information is to be treated as confidential7”. accepted

by ABRECO. SEC.25.

Retail Rate.

– The retail by distribution utilitiesseek for thefor supply c. This is also guided byrates the charged fact that MPCL will theof electricity 3.7 ABRECO solicited from generation in their captive market shall be subjectoffers to regulation byother the ERC based on the companies, principle of full return of these sought be declared confidential annexes recovery of prudent andFirst reasonable economic costs incurred, or Gen”) such other principles that will specifically from Gento Corporation (“First and GN Power promote efficiency as may be determined by the ERC. after its (“GNPK”). utilization Eventually, as evidence in this case and/or at thean EPSA Kauswagan agreed 2 Distribution utilities may enter into bilateral powerABRECO supply contracts subjectto toenter review by the ERC: close of the proceedings hereof, so as to relieve the xxx xxx MPPCL xxx. with having the most competitive rate and beneficial terms.

3 Prior to the implementation of Open Access and Retail Competition, the prices charged by a Honorable Commission of burden of safekeeping the Thus, onCompany November 2023, an the Emergency Power Supply Agreement Generation for the25, Supply of Electricity shall be subject to ERC regulation on the Retail trade secrets of MPCL enclosed thecontracts subject(TSCs) annexes.

Rates charged

by Distribution Utilities and transition in supply as specified in Section 1

67 of the Act. 4 Limits on Bilateral Supply Contracts by a Distribution Utility.

5 Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas (ABP), Inc. v. Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), et al.

Page 2 of 14 (G.R. 227670, May 3, 2019).

7

Other reliefs, just and equitable under the premises, are likewise prayed for.

Pasig City, 20 May 2026.

(Signature page of counsels will follow)

2027

Sept 26 Oct 25

PRAYER 7

ii.

2026

CamScanner

(2) the extent to which the information is known by employees and others involved in the business;

Letter (d), Section 4, of the ERC Rules and Practice and Procedure.

Page 3 of 14 Page 11 of 14

ENVIRONMENT

C1

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

extrastory2000@gmail.com RAY S. EÑANO, Editor

& S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y CCC: Bamboo innovation leads to sustainable PH development SOUTH COTABATO—The Climate Change Commission (CCC) underscored the potential of bamboo innovation to advance climate-resilient development and sustainable construction as government, industry, academe and development partners convened for the Mindanao Bamboost Forum.

CCC vice chairperson and executive director Robert E.A. Borje said in his message that expanding the use of locally available, sustainable materials such as bamboo can complement the country’s broader climate action efforts while creating opportunities for local industries, communities and workers.

“Climate action succeeds when it strengthens competitiveness, expands opportunity and builds resilience. Bamboo reflects that possibility,” Borje said.

As the Philippines advances its climate agenda, the commission continues to support solutions that address climate risks while advancing sustainable development, especially at the local level.

The CCC said the country’s ambi-

The Climate Change Commission stresses bamboo’s potential to strengthen climate resilience, local industries and sustainable development at the Mindanao Bamboost Forum.

tion for bamboo should go beyond producing raw materials. The goal should be to create greater value through research, engineering, design, manufacturing and construction, allowing more of the industry’s economic value to remain in the country.

“Our ambition should not end with growing more bamboo. It should be to build an industry that becomes a durable driver of Philippine growth, strengthening manufacturing, creating quality jobs, expanding regional economies and contributing meaningfully to national development,” Borje said.

Bukidnon1st District Rep. Jose Manuel F. Alba called on the need to institutionalize demand for bamboo, particularly through its use in infrastructure and public procurement, as a pathway to further develop what he described as “green gold.”

“Industry growth requires a sure, scalable market demand. And that starts with turning public procurement into a guaranteed, scalable market for Filipino families,” Alba said.CCC News

C. Luzon upstream dams pushed

By Marie Joy S. Carbungco

S

AN FERNANDO, Pampanga—The national government is pursuing upstream dams and impounding structures in Central Luzon to slow floodwaters before they reach downstream communities and turn excess water into a resource for agriculture, households and industry.

The proposal includes five dams in Sabo River, Nueva Ecija to reduce the speed of water flowing from the Sierra Madre toward the Pampanga River, control sedimentation and increase water storage.

National Irrigation Administration

(NIA) Administrator Eduardo Guillen said the Pampanga River receives water from 15 tributaries, resulting in large volumes that accumulate rapidly during intense rainfall.

Guillen said Sabo dams could reduce water velocity by creating a drop in

its flow while trapping sediment, helping lessen the destructive force of floodwaters and prolonging the useful life of downstream waterways and flood-control infrastructure.

He said the structures could also help replenish groundwater, which is important for Central Luzon communities that rely heavily on deep wells.

NIA is pursuing projects to expand the region’s water storage capacity, including the Maringalo Dam along the Talavera River, the Bagtingon Dam along the Sumacbao River, and the Balintingon Dam, which has a storage capacity of about 550 million cubic meters.

In Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, NIA is excavating a large mega dike area

to create additional storage capacity without submerging agricultural lands, as the project is expected to hold about 30 million cubic meters of water and is targeted for completion next year.

In Bulacan, the Bayabas Dam is about 30 percent complete and is designed to hold around 54 million cubic meters of water, while the Bustos Dam is being upgraded with an estimated storage capacity of 70 million cubic meters.

Guillen cited smaller projects, including the Cong Dadong Dam and structures in the Porac-Gumain area in Pampanga, as part of the broader effort to retain water upstream.(CLJD/ MJSC, PIA Region 3-Pampanga)

Indigenous peoples as full partners

By Christophe Bahuet UNDP Resident Representative in the Philippines

First of Three parts FROM protecting forests and waterways to preserving languages, traditions and systems of governance, Indigenous Peoples have been shaping societies and building communities for as long as history can remember.

Observed every year on August 9, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is a timely moment to recognize these contributions and renew a broader commitment to recognizing, respecting and empowering Indigenous Peoples as full partners in nation-building.

Globally, Indigenous Peoples make up less than 6 percent of the world’s population, yet account for at least 15 percent of the world’s poorest people.

This imbalance reflects a long history of exclusion, discrimination and dispossession, with many Indigenous communities continuing to face barriers to education, healthcare, decent work, sustainable livelihoods and meaningful participation in public life.

At the same time, Indigenous Peoples safeguard cultural and linguistic diversity and remain important stewards of the natural resources that our societies depend on. Safeguarding nature has become more important than ever, and more challenging, as climate change accelerates and pressure grows on ancestral domains and natural resources. Indigenous Peoples have contributed least to the climate crisis, but many are among those most exposed to its consequences.

(To be continued)

Indigenous women and girls from the Tagakaulo and Blaan ICCs/IPs of Malita, Davao Occidental during the site visit for the I-LEAD project.

Blue Motus/UNDP

The government will build upstream dams and impounding structures in Central Luzon to slow floodwaters before they reach downstream communities and turn excess water into a resource for agriculture, households, and industry. (NIA file photo)

Forest carbon market obtains fund support

Archeda Inc. senior officer Masayuki Kurihara (left) and DENR-Forest Management Bureau Assistant Director Ray Thomas Kabigting discuss how the Philippines is preparing to participate in the ASEAN’s growing carbon market at the recent session of the CarbonPH Coalition Education Series.

THE CarbonPH Coalition, an alliance of top Philippine companies championing nature-based solutions, put the spotlight on the Philippines’ next steps to build an investable forest carbon market, as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) outlined measures to strengthen project registration, carbon baselines and monitoring.

At the recent session of the CarbonPH Coalition Education Series (CCES), DENR Forest Management Bureau Assistant Director Ray Thomas Kabigting announced the development of a registry to track forest carbon projects and projected credits, and map potential project areas.

He said the bureau has also operationalized its National Forest Monitoring System and developed satellite-based monitoring capabilities.

The measures reflect a broader shift in forest restoration—from relying largely on public funding and grants toward creating the conditions for private capital to support conservation and rehabilitation over the long term.

Kabigting said the DENR is also working to bring greater financial and commercial considerations into forest policy as projects move toward implementation.

The clean energy transition needs land. Can it help restore it too?

First of 2 parts

By Laura Quiñones WHAT if the infrastructure needed to fight climate change could also help repair the land beneath it?

At a UN desertification conference this week in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, experts at a side-event examined how renewable energy expansion can co-exist with land protection and restoration, spotlighting examples from around the world.

To name a few, degraded mining land in South Africa has been repurposed for renewables, solar panels are being combined with vegetation, water harvesting and sand-control measures in China’s deserts and solar irrigation is helping farmers in India use the same land for food production and clean energy.

The transition away from fossil fuels will require much more solar, wind and other renewable-energy infrastructure, with an emerging physical footprint that expects to see the 500,000 hectares currently used for renewable-energy projects reach three million hectares by 2032.

Renewable-energy expansion is potentially “one of history’s largest land use transformations,” said Julian Blanc, head of the Biodiversity and Land Branch at the UN Environment Program (UNEP) “The real question is no longer whether renewable energy is going to expand or not. It is, and the question is whether it expands in ways that leaves landscapes, ecosystems and people better off than before.”

In Tokelau, a group of Pacific atolls, solar panels rise above crops, allowing the same land to support both food production and renewable energy.

UNDP/Andrea Egan

Context is critical From the land occupied by solar panels to the transmission lines needed to carry electricity, the key to impactful renewables is developing and executing effective multi-purpose land-restoring projects, experts said.

That means thinking about land before projects are built, Muralee Thummarukudy, Director of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s G20 Global Land Initiative, said.

“When you place it at the right location, solar is the solution, not only for energy but also for ecological restoration, but in another situation, that may not be the case,” he said, emphasizing that context is critical, from Mongolian rangelands to Chinese deserts.

‘Nothing is impact free’ Solar development can also require vegetation clearing, disturb wildlife or alter how water moves

across the land and, in some circumstances, increase flood risk.

Even well-designed projects can create problems when too many begin to affect the same landscape, a case in point in Malawi’s Shire River Basin, where UNEP found that several hydropower plants could collectively put pressure on fisheries, biodiversity and downstream communities.

“Nothing is impact free,” said UNEP’s Mr. Blanc.

However, the order in which projects are planned could be flipped before deciding where to build infrastructure, he said, suggesting the first step should examine the wider landscape–its biodiversity, water, communities, migration routes and exposure to floods or drought–instead of starting by selecting a site then studying its environmental impacts.

(To be continued) UN News

In India, solar panels on farmland can help power irrigation while allowing the land to keep producing food, an example of how renewable energy and agriculture can share the same space. UNDP India

C2 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer GMA Public Affairs’ JASPER VALDEZ, Writer ‘Corruption Series:

A Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho Special Report’ wins Bronze for Best Current Affairs Programme Made in Asia

The documentary, featuring Dingdong Dantes, explores the impact of corruption on flood control projects in the Philippines

Julianne Richards finds confidence in bolder roles

By Angelica Villanueva Sexy actress Julianne Richards admits she entered the entertainment industry with a long list of boundaries.

Eight projects later, the Filipino-Australian actress said experience has changed how she approaches daring roles while keeping a few lines she still will not cross.

Julianne takes on her first hosting assignment in Pinay Kamasutra 3, a 70-minute VMX special directed by Carlo Alvarez and built around scenes from several films on the streaming platform.

The project came to her only a day before filming, giving her little time to prepare for a format she had not tried before.

“I still have just a few limitations compared to nung nagsimula po, sobrang dami po talaga akong limitations,” Richards said during the recent media conference.

She recalled setting stricter boundaries around intimate scenes when she was starting out. While some of those limits have since eased, Julianne shared that there are still certain things she is not comfortable doing on camera.

Asked how far she would go for a role, she said she was willing to consider what a story required.

“I’m willing to go how far I need to go, depending on what the director of the movie wants and needs for the movie,” Julianne explained.

She also shared that becoming more open to such roles was a gradual process.

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Julianne said she grew up in a conservative household and initially faced hesitation from her mother when she began accepting projects for VMX. She eventually decided she needed to take risks if she wanted to establish herself as an actress.

“I told her na kailangan ko magsacrifice and in order to get my foot through the door. I’m actually so glad that I was brave enough to take this step,” Julianne explained.

The 22-year-old actress added that working on VMX productions helped her become more comfortable discussing sexuality and gave her room to develop as a performer.

For Pinay Kamasutra 3, Julianne said she ‘Pinay Kamasutra 3’ director Carlo Alvarez (left) showed a bolder side is all praises to Julienne Richards’ hosting stint of herself, including in the special feature a dance sequence she described as the sexiest she had performed so far.

“I would say I was much bolder here compared to all the VMX films that I’ve done,” she said, adding that the production made her feel safe and comfortable throughout the shoot.

Meanwhile, Alvarez said the latest installment was handled more freely than the previous edition he directed, allowing the production to push its presentation further. He also praised Julianne for being easy to work with and willing to deliver what was required of her.

However, Julianne does not intend to remain confined to sexy projects.

“One of the goals is to hopefully makapagtawid na din mainstream,” she said.

Before acting, she joined pageants in Australia, including Miss Tourism Philippines Australia and Miss Australasia. She also auditioned for Pinoy Big Brother and later connected with people from Star Magic before pursuing acting.

For now, she said pageantry is on hold as she concentrates on building a longer career onscreen.

“I really want to grow in the industry. As an actress,” she stated.

Julianne Richards expands her range with her first hosting assignment in ‘Pinay Kamasutra 3’

SHOWBIZ GMA’s flood corruption probe bags ContentAsia Gold A HARD-HITTING GMA Public Affairs documentary about floodcontrol projects and alleged corruption has won Gold at the 2026 ContentAsia Awards.

Broken Roads, Broken Promises took the top prize in the Best Factual Entertainment Programme Made in Asia for a Single Asia Market category, putting its investigation into the spotlight at one of the region’s major television awards.

Headlined by actor Dingdong Dantes, the documentary travels across the Philippines to meet communities affected by flooding and examine what happens when funds intended to protect them are lost to corruption.

The documentary connects questionable flood-control projects to the devastation faced by residents whose homes, schools, and hospitals have been hit by floods.

Its Gold win came alongside another recognition for GMA Public Affairs. Corruption Series: A Kapuso Mo,

Jessica Soho Special Report received Bronze in the Best Current Affairs Programme Made in Asia for a Single Market in Asia category.

The special report is part of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho’s continuing coverage of corruption and questionable government projects, examining concerns surrounding public funds and their impact on communities.

The latest awards add to GMA Public Affairs’ international record, but the Gold win carries particular weight for a documentary tackling an issue that has become painfully familiar to Filipinos.

Broken Roads, Broken Promises turns a national problem into stories about people living with the consequences, putting faces to the communities left vulnerable when flood protection fails.

The 7th ContentAsia Awards were presented Aug. 27 in Bangkok, Thailand. More than 180 programs from across Asia were recognized, representing television broadcasters, production companies, streaming services, and online platforms.

Very Wang

Nickie Wang

W

hat happens when two women love the same child but have completely different ideas about what she needs?

‘Life After You’ explores the meaning of family in the Philippines, where children are often raised by a community

Two women, one child,

and a bond that changes them both on to us. Sometimes, we see them as burdens, other times, we see them as blessings.”

And that may be what makes the film particularly Filipino. Its family story does not exist in isolation. It comes with sacrifice, responsibility, complicated relationships, and the familiar expectation that someone will always step in when a child needs looking after.

Bela also used the occasion to make a point about the local film industry.

While audiences have international blockbusters such Actresses Bela Padilla (left) and Maricel Soriano bring different generations and as The Odyssey and Spider-Man perspectives to ‘Life After You’ competing for their attention, Filipino That question drives productions are Life After You, the new often made with Viva drama starring Bela much smaller Padilla, Maricel Soriano, budgets. Life After and Dani Zee, but the film You, she noted, was is really asking something made for less than bigger: What does it mean P15 million. to raise a family when, in Her argument was the Philippines, children straightforward: are often cared for by an if audiences want entire village?

Filipino filmmakers Opening Sept. 9, the to have the film follows two women resources to make whose lives become bigger movies, intertwined through an they need to return orphaned girl they both to cinemas and care deeply about. One is support local films.

Bela’s character, the other M a r i c e l , ‘Life After You’ lead cast members (from left) Dani Zee, Bela Padilla, is played by Maricel, and and Maricel Soriano, together with director Marla Ancheta at the meanwhile, their opposing approaches film’s media launch believes the story to raising the child create can reach Filipinos the conflict. beliefs, and ways of caring. across generations But beneath the family drama is The director hopes audiences and social classes. a story about women, friendship, take away one central idea: “Abot ito,” the seasoned actress and the unexpected bonds formed when women come together, said. “Mga taong may normal na across generations. they can accomplish something buhay, mayaman man, middle class, Written and directed by Marla extraordinary. o mahirap. Lahat sila makakaAncheta, who previously Bela sees an even bigger relate dito. Parang kami, tatlong helmed the 2022 Netflix picture. She believes Life After henerasyon.” drama Doll House, the film You captures the reality of Filipino After 55 years in the business, began with a different idea families, where caring for a child Maricel remains excited about altogether. is often shared among parents, acting.

“I really wanted to write grandparents, and relatives.

“I still love what I’m doing,” a story about friendship, She pointed to overseas Filipino she said, and Bela knows that friendship ng mga workers who leave their children enthusiasm well. babae na magkakaibang with relatives and grandparents Her first film, Bahay Kubo in generation,” the director who find themselves raising 2007, included a cameo by Maricel. told Manila Standard another generation after believing Bela recalled being in awe of Entertainment during the film’s their days of childcare were already the veteran actress, particularly media launch. behind them. when she watched her switch into The story eventually grew to “Parang lahat ng Pilipino, performance mode whenever she include another generation, turning binibigyan ng problema pagdating stepped in front of the camera. the film into a meeting point for sa pamilya,” Bela started. “We all And that makes their pairing in women with different experiences, carry the burdens our families pass Life After You especially interesting.

SHOWBIZ

C3 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

Derrick Rose gives Cebu VIPs a night to remember

DERRICK Rose knows what it feels like to have thousands of eyes on him. In Cebu, the former NBA Most Valuable Player turned the spotlight toward ArenaPlus’ most loyal players.

Rose joined members of ArenaPlus’ exclusive Champion’s Circle for an appreciation dinner on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Kasadya Buffet Buko Bar at Shangri-La Mactan.

The private gathering brought together ArenaPlus VIPs from Cebu, key opinion leaders, and members of the media, giving guests the chance to meet the basketball star, take photos with him, and hear from one of the NBA’s most recognizable players.

Rose, who became the youngest player to win the NBA MVP award in 2011, was the evening’s main attraction. Guests also took part in cultural performances and raffle draws throughout the night.

While the former Chicago Bulls star provided the celebrity pull, the dinner was organized to recognize ArenaPlus’ VIP members.

ArenaPlus head Ethan William, who was unable to attend in person, welcomed guests through a prerecorded message and thanked them for their continued support.

“We started VIP Nights last December for one simple reason: to recognize our most valued players and give you something made just for you,” William said.

He also said the company plans to improve its platform, including faster loading and bet processing, a smoother interface, and stronger responsible gaming tools.

The Cebu gathering was the latest ArenaPlus VIP event, with Rose giving members a rare opportunity to spend an evening with a player whose career has made him one of basketball’s enduring names.

Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose attends ArenaPlus’ Champion’s Circle VIPs in Cebu

Derrick Rose joins a Filipino cultural performance during a private appreciation night

David Licauco, Barbie Forteza play it safe in love and career

D

AVID Licauco is making sure there is no behind-thescenes drama as he takes on a new project with Viva Entertainment’s Viva One while remaining a Kapuso ward.

The actor recently signed on to top-bill an original Viva One series, prompting questions about whether the project could clash with his existing contract with GMA Network.

“Yes, it’s no issue,” he says. “I still have a contract with GMA, but it’s a digital series and not a soap opera, so they gave their permission for me to do it. So, you see, I don’t think there will be a problem.”

Licauco is also no stranger to Viva’s projects. Even before entering show business, he said he used to watch the company’s movies, which his mother remembers as certified box-office hits.

“For me, to be part of that is something that I’m very thankful for. It gets me so excited,” he says.

He specifically mentioned Diary ng Panget, starring Nadine Lustre and James Reid, as one of the Viva projects he enjoyed.

“I’m looking forward to working David Licauco expands his work beyond GMA with an upcoming digital series for Viva One

Shticks

Joseph Peter Gonzales

with them. For sure, I’ll learn a lot from the experience,” he adds.

There is also speculation that Licauco could headline the Philippine adaptation of the popular Korean drama Fight for My Way, which starred Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won. The actor, however, is keeping his cards close to his chest.

“Well, it’s not yet sure. I still can’t divulge any information at this point.”

One thing he is happy to talk about is his admiration for Park.

“That’s true! He’s my favorite Korean actor, especially when he starred in the K-drama series Itaewon Class. His charisma is so strong, and he’s a very good actor,” he says.

Licauco also relates to the story of Itaewon Class, particularly its tale of someone who rises through hard work and persistence. He even sees a connection between his own interests and those of the drama’s protagonist, who enters the restaurant business. *** MEANWHILE, Barbie Forteza is in no rush to find another romance following her split from Jak

the destination and the dress.

“Well, I want to get married someday in Las Vegas wearing a Vera Wang creation. I want it in Vegas so that there will be divorce,” she says in jest.

Second chances are another matter. Asked if she would forgive a cheating partner, her answer was immediate: “Oh no! Definitely not!”

While romance can wait, work certainly cannot.

The actress has two upcoming projects, including the movie Saving Cherry, directed by Ivan Andrew Payawal and co-starring Khalil Ramos, Mika Salamanca, AC Bonifacio, and Mikee Quintos.

“It’s a story about marriage and cheating. I can say that this is my most mature role to date,” she says.

She will also star in the drama series Honor Thy Mother, a GMA and ABS-CBN collaboration with Prime Video, alongside Megastar Sharon Cuneta.

Directed by Onat Diaz and Jojo Saguin, the series also features John Estrada, Tonton Gutierrez, Mercedes Cabral, and Khalil Ramos.

“It’s a huge project, and I’m honored to work with the Megastar. I hope viewers will support it,” Forteza says.

Ivana Alawi clarifies viral flood relief video

Spider-Man webs up fifth straight box office win

By Angelica Villanueva

The latest ‘Spider-Man’ film extends its run atop the North American box office

THE latest Spider-Man epic held the North American box office in its web Sunday for a fifth consecutive week, displaying major staying power for a summer blockbuster that faced fierce competition from The Odyssey.

With its modest first-place haul of $22 million as students began returning to school, Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day has now brought in $891.5 million in the United States and Canada, and an additional $1.44 billion internationally, according to industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.

The latest movie chapter in the Marvel comic book adventure starring Tom Holland and real-life wife Zendaya, and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, follows Peter Parker as he struggles with changes to his powers and lives in isolation after erasing his identity.

Debuting in second place with

Barbie Forteza notes that romance can wait as she focuses on herself and a string of upcoming acting project

Roberto.

“Honestly, it’s not my priority. I don’t think about it nor wish to fall in love again at this point. I want to pour out all the love into myself,” she asserts, saying she also has a strict rule when it comes to dating.

“I don’t casually date! I’m the dateto-marry type. So, whenever I feel I’m ready and really sure of the person I’m going to go out with, that’s the only time I’ll do it,” she goes on.

As for her dream wedding, Forteza has already pictured

$15.5 million was Coyote vs. ACME, a family-friendly animation-live-action hybrid from Warner Bros. that explores the connection between children’s entertainment and the financial interests of corporate America.

The latest Looney Tunes feature film stars professional wrestler-turned-actor John Cena, Will Forte, and Lana Condor, along with several animated characters of yore.

Holding steady in third spot was Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, the Universal film based on Homer’s ancient poem that spent its first two weeks at number one before it was bounced by Spidey.

The modern adaptation of one of humanity’s oldest stories added $14.3 million in its seventh week out, bringing its domestic total to $564 million, with nearly $1 billion more in international

ticket sales.

Slipping from second to fourth place was the Sony Pictures-distributed Insidious: Out of the Further, which earned $10.1 million in its second week for the sixth installment of the horror franchise.

The movie, starring Amelia Eve and Brandon Perea, follows the story of a young woman who can bring spirits into the mortal world but is herself haunted.

Entering at fifth was 20th Century’s The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic drama directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from Peter Heller’s 2021 novel and starring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin.

Rounding out the top 10 were Buddy, which earned $5.6 million; The End of Oak Street, with $5 million; Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, with $4.9 million; Mutiny, with $2.8 million; and Tony, with $2.2 million. AFP

CONTENT creator and actress Ivana Alawi responded to criticism over a viral video showing her distributing relief goods to residents standing in floodwater.

On Sunday, Ivana explained in a Facebook comment that the truck carrying the supplies had broken down and could not move for the entire afternoon.

“Sa mga nagkakalat ng hate dahil bakit hindi sa tuyong area tumigil, [sana] alamin niyo din kung bakit nandoon sa gitna ng baha ang truck natin, nasiraan ito at hindi na makaandar ng bandang hapon,” she wrote.

Ivana added that her team repeatedly returned to the stalled truck to collect relief packs and bring them to other areas.

“Kaya habang sinusubukan naming ayusin para lumipat sa ibang area, may mga biglang pumila at nag-stop din kung saan tumirik. Bumabalik lang din kami sa area kung saan natigil ang truck namin para makahakot din ng relief goods para madala sa ibang area,” Ivana wrote.

She also urged the public to understand the full situation before making judgments based on the circulating video.

Some social media users questioned why the distribution was conducted along a flooded road and suggested that the relief drive should have been moved to a safer, dry area.

Aside from distributing relief goods, Ivana also provided cash assistance.

The content creator was recently recognized for her public service work with Best Host for Public Service at the inaugural FAMAS Broadcast Awards, sharing the honor with journalist Kara David.

Ivana Alawi helps distribute relief packs to flood victims in Pampanga

LIFE

C4

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026

lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer JASPER VALDEZ, Writer

Seven women chefs interpret Filipino cuisine through dishes shaped by memory, leadership, tradition, and the stories they hope to carry forward

NOW & NEXT

By Angelica Villanueva

I

N professional kitchens, stories are often carried through technique, memory, and the ingredients chefs choose to return to. For seven women at Conrad Manila, those stories became a way of tracing beginnings, growth, strength, and the things worth passing on.

‘Filipinas’ puts women chefs and their stories at the table chapters, namely Simula (Beginning), Pagbukas (Opening), Paglago (Growth), Sandali (Pause), Direksyon (Direction), Lakas (Strength), and Pamana (Legacy).

“Each course is anchored in the heart of the Philippines, but more than the geography, this menu is about the stories, the hands, and experiences behind the scenes,” guests were told during the preview.

Those ideas took on different meanings as each chef introduced her part of the experience.

For executive sous chef Kristine Davis, Direksyon became a reflection on what happens as a chef moves into leadership and begins guiding the people coming up behind her.

“Success becomes less about what we achieve in our work and more about how we help others grow with us,” Davis said.

She also spoke about finding new ways to carry traditions forward rather than abandoning them in pursuit of something new.

Junior sous chef Patricia Joson approached Paglago from a similar perspective. For her, growth involves evolving and striving while remaining connected to one’s roots.

Meanwhile, chef de partie Via Angelica Dalida interpreted Sandali as a chance to stop in

Conrad Manila’s female culinary team brings personal experiences and regional influences together in ‘Filipinas,’ a dining concept built

the middle of that progression.

“Every journey deserves a moment of pause for us to appreciate how far we’ve come,” Dalida shared.

By the final chapter, chef de partie Doreene Ien Valencia widened the idea from individual experience to what Filipino cooks inherit and eventually leave behind.

“Legacy isn’t limited to one place. It is a collection of ingredients, recipes, and stories in different parts of the Philippines and what we choose to carry forward,” she explained.

Conrad Manila general manager Rupert Hallam said the hotel hopes the experience can foster cultural connections by allowing its female culinary team to reinterpret local cuisines.

“Filipinas” makes its debut with a sevencourse Chef’s Table experience at Brasserie on 3 on Sept. 12 at 6:00 p.m., priced at P4,488 nett.

A four-course set menu will also be available beginning Sept. 12, with appetizer and main course choices alongside fixed soup and dessert courses.

Vegan selections are available, with prices ranging from P3,088 to P4,088 nett depending on the chosen main course.

Muji expands its Metro Manila presence with the opening of its 13th Philippine store at Eastwood City

Their reflections now shape “Filipinas,” the hotel’s new multicourse dining experience at Brasserie on 3, which brings together regional influences and personal interpretations of Filipino cuisine.

Launching Sept. 12, “Filipinas” brings together Rachelyn Bautista, Monica Francesca Manaig, Patricia Joson, Via Angelica Dalida, Kristine Davis, Jazzel Jane Borcelis, and Doreene Ien Valencia from different corners of the hotel’s culinary operation.

Rather than organizing the experience solely around the usual progression of courses, the chefs tell the story through seven

A fresh look at the future of energy THE founders of Marstek Philippines recently visited the company’s global headquarters in Shenzhen, China, as the Philippine operation deepens its ties with its parent organization.

The delegation was led by ZK Summit Holdings Inc. and included Mary Cruz and Khelvin Cruz, founders of Marstek Philippines.

During the visit, the Philippine partners toured Marstek’s manufacturing facilities, research and development centers, and international operations. The program provided an overview of the company’s energy storage technologies and production operations.

The visit was held as part of the Marstek Philippines Global Summit, which brought together the company’s global leadership and Philippine partners for discussions on the local market and energy storage technology.

“Our goal has always been to build trust through transparency,” Mary and Khelvin Cruz said. “We wanted our partners to experience firsthand the global organization behind Marstek and understand the innovation and technology that support the business.”

The talks come as the Philippines faces rising electricity costs and growing demand for reliable power. Energy storage, solar integration, and monitoring systems are among the technologies being explored by businesses and consumers seeking to manage power use.

The Shenzhen visit is part of Marstek Philippines’ efforts to strengthen its network of local partners while maintaining closer links with the company’s global operations.

Marstek Philippines strengthens its ties with its global operations as local partners explore developments in energy storage and related technologies

Eastwood welcomes a new destination for stylish everyday finds

By Nickie Wang MUJI lovers in Quezon City have a new place to browse, shop, and, perhaps, rethink their home organization.

Muji Philippines opened its 13th store on Aug. 28 on the ground floor of the 1800 Building in Eastwood City, bringing its familiar mix of clothing, stationery, furniture, and household essentials to a 984-square-meter space.

The new Eastwood branch is marking its opening with a string of offers and activities through Sept. 6.

From Aug. 28 to Sept. 6, more than 100 selected items become available at special prices, covering household essentials and apparel. Select furniture will also come with bundle offers, with savings of up to P22,990.

There is something for early birds, too.

The first 500 customers in line each day from Aug. 28 to 31 received a Muji Gift Set without a purchase. Each set contained two pieces of Plain Pandesal, one Ube Pandesal, a Muji stationery item, and a P300-off voucher.

The voucher can be used from Sept. 7 to 30 with a minimum purchase of P1,500 at the Eastwood branch.

Shoppers spending at least P1,500 can also choose between a free photobooth session and a Spin-to-Win game, with prizes including a PP Cable Case with Stand, A6 Notebook, PP Makeup Box, and Compact Gel Ink Ballpoint Pen. A hard carry case will be given away as the grand prize each day.

Those spending at least P2,000 can also get the limited-edition MUJI Eastwood bag, while supplies last.

For planners who already have 2027 mapped out in their heads, the store is also getting an early look at MUJI’s 2027 planners and calendars. The collection will be available exclusively at Eastwood during opening week before rolling out to other MUJI stores on Sept. 2.

The range includes monthly/weekly planners in A6, A5, B6, and B5 sizes, with layouts featuring monthly and weekly views, hourly schedules, and spaces for daily tasks and

The new Eastwood location brings Muji’s everyday essentials and minimalist lifestyle offerings closer to customers in the area

notes.

Desktop calendars come in monthly and weekly formats, while wall calendars are available in bagasse paper and light colors in A3, large, and tearoff formats.

The Eastwood store carries products for men, women, kids, and babies, including clothing, socks, bags, health and beauty items, furniture, storage solutions, fabrics, and bedding.

The branch also offers in-house alterations, including simple shortening for denim and chinos, as well Shoppers get a wider selection of clothing, as Green Plants for household essentials, stationery, and shoppers looking to lifestyle items as the Eastwood branch add a little greenery to opens its doors their homes.

Muji is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Stores Specialists, Inc. Its other branches are located in Glorietta 3, SM Mall of Asia, Estancia Mall, Greenhills Mall, Festival Mall, SM North EDSA, Uptown Mall, Shangri-La Plaza, Greenbelt 3, Power Plant Mall, Central Square, and SM Aura.