manilastandard.net
@ManilaStandardPH
@mnlstandardph
@manilastandard
@ManilaStandardYT
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net . For advertisement: email: advertise@manilastandard.net • 09173382170 / 85646229
AIR QUALITY IMPROVES IN METRO MANILA AS HAZE EASES—DENR By Rio N. Araja and Alexandra S. Demaisip AMID haze from the ongoing fires in Indonesia, air quality in some parts of Metro Manila improved on
Wednesday, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Based on yesterday’s 11 a.m. monitoring, the Environmental Management Bureau said concentrations of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 declined, improving air quality levels in several Metro Manila cities. The air quality was deemed “good” at the agency’s monitoring stations in Caloocan City (University of the Next page
MASKED COMMUTERS.
Several commuters wear face masks while waiting for a ride on public transportation in Quezon City on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, as haze continues to blanket parts of Metro Manila. Edd Castro
House panel weighs dropping bribery impeach article vs. VP By Maricel V. Cruz HOUSE prosecutors are considering dropping the bribery article against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte to avoid prolonging her impeachment trial and pave the way for a possible conclusion of the proceedings by October, Manila Rep. Joel Chua said Wednesday. “For now, it’s still on the table,” Chua,
a member of the House prosecution panel, told a noontime press conference. Asked if the panel was considering dropping the article, Chua said: “If dropping it is being considered— yes, we are considering it.” Chua rejected suggestions that considering the withdrawal of the bribery article meant the allegations lacked force.
VOL. XL • NO. 201 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
Poa: No DepEd confi funds went to AFP Confirms VP Sara ordered transfer of secret funds to DepEd security exec HOSTILE WITNESS. Atty.
Michael Poa, a member of VP Sara Duterte”s defense team, testifies as a hostile witness of the prosecution on Day 21 of the impeachment trial at the Senate. Lino Santos
By Maricel Cruz, Charles Dantes and Katrina Manubay
T
HREE witnesses, including Vice President Sara Duterte’s former chief of staff and defense counsel Michael Poa, have testified that no confidential funds from the Department of Education were released to military units for the conduct of Youth Leadership Summits (YLS), despite the activities being cited in the DepEd liquidation report. Next page
Next page
Jinggoy eyeing legal remedies after Bonoan turns witness By Joel E. Zurbano, Maricel V. Cruz and Charles Dantes DETAINED Senator Jinggoy Estrada said he will avail of legal remedies following the Sandiganbayan’s decision to exclude former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan from the list of respondents in the plunder and graft charges filed against the lawmaker, a move that Associate Justice Gener Gito also quesNext page
Two Pinoy seamen die in Hormuz attack INSPECTION. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. confers with Public Works Secretary Vince Lopez and Tarlac provincial officials during his inspection of the damaged Aquino Bridge, inset, in Tarlac City. PCO
TWO Filipino sailors were killed when a Saudi oil tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, Saudi Arabia’s national shipping company said Wednesday. Next page
Burden of evidence now on Ombudsman—lawyer By Maricel V. Cruz THE burden of proof has shifted back to the accusers of former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, according to a veteran lawyer, citing the
EALA ENTERS US OPEN’S R/64 SPORTS / A8
PESO DROPS TO P62.56-$1 BUSINESS / B1
respondent’s efficient rebuttal of allegations that large amounts of cash were delivered to him. Lawyer Antonio Bucoy, a member of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and the Movement of Attor-
neys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism Inc. (MABINI), issued his legal assessment of the case in an interview over dzBB on Wednesday. “That is correct. Initially, when the Next page
Gov’t updating flood control plans; toll-free holiday in NLEX section By Charles Dantes THE Marcos administration is updating the country’s flood control master plans for 18 major river basins and other critical rivers as the government seeks to address worsening flooding amid climate change, Malacañang said Wednesday. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Department of Public Works and High-
ways has already completed updated master plans and feasibility studies for 16 of the 18 major river basins as of May 31. Meanwhile, Castro also said that a toll-free holiday in a section of the North Luzon Expressway is being finalized as part of efforts to ease traffic woes of commuters. Castro said the toll-free arrangement currently being discussed would cover Next page
OUTLOOK.
Forecast rainfall may be higher in mountainous and elevated areas. Moreover, impacts in some areas may worsen due to significant previous rainfall. PAGASA
NEWS
A2
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Boransing, however, said he did not know it would be used by DepEd – then headed by Duterte – in its liquidation report. The Army officer said his unit received no DepEd funding for the activities. DepEd attached the military certifications to its response to a Commission on Audit observation involving P15.54 million in confidential funds allegedly spent on rewards to informers. When asked to explain who supplied the claimed link between the reward for informants and the Army activities, Poa said he lacked personal knowledge of the confidential operations. What Poa could confirm, though, was that Duterte ordered the transfer of P112.5 million confidential funds of the Department of Education to the agency’s chief security officer, Col. Dennis Nolasco. His statement was similar to the testimony of former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, who said it was Duterte who ordered the turnover of P500 million in OVP confidential funds to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, then commander of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group. Counsel for the prosecution Benjamin
Tolosa Jr. asked Poa whether the military certifications identified the rewarded informers or the particular information obtained through the alleged payments. “No particular specific information was identified,” Poa replied. Poa likewise conceded that the certifications did not state that the information was obtained by paying a reward. Under Joint Circular No. 2015-01, the existence of a government activity is not considered proof that a confidential-fund reward was properly paid. The circular requires rewards to informers to be approved by the head of the agency, supported by documents showing successful information-gathering or surveillance because of information supplied by an informer and directly related to a specific confidential activity. The Palace, for its part, flagged the liquidation of the P15.54 million in confidential funds spent by DepEd under Duterte. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said while it is for the impeachment court to judge the testimonies, she noted that DepEd only obtained supporting documents in the form of military certificates after COA issued an Audit Obser-
vation Memorandum. She said the military personnel who issued four certificates related to the participation of DepEd officials were unaware that the documents would later be used by the department to support the liquidation of the P15.54 million. “Were the supporting documents merely being used to provide a reason for why the P15 million was spent, or should there actually have been P15 million allocated for a particular operation?” Castro said. As this developed, Poa said the heated exchanges during his testimony yesterday were “normal” in court proceedings, asking the public not to exaggerate these. Poa said he was not offended by Tolosa’s description of him as an “abogadong walang alam (a lawyer who knows nothing)” in so far as how the confidential funds were spent. “Everything went respectfully. So, I was happy with how things went,” he said in a chance interview at the Senate. “I don’t think we should make an issue out of it. Whatever happened today, it’s normal on a regular trial, so I’m okay,” he added. Poa also thanked Tolosa, describing yesterday’s trial as “fair.”
presentation on the threats article and is now presenting evidence on the confidential fund allegations. Chua said the two presentations had already placed substantial evidence before the public and the senator-judges. The panel is considering proceeding next to the unexplained wealth article, which involves Duterte’s bank, tax and Anti-Money Laundering Council records. “Right from the very beginning, we said that if we believe our evidence is already solid and we have presented the evidence we intend to put forward, the number of articles we present could be reduced,” Chua said. The approach is consistent with the prosecution’s earlier decision to stop presenting witnesses on the threats article after three witnesses testified, despite having listed additional witnesses.
House prosecutors have said they would drop repetitive witnesses and evidence once an article has been sufficiently established. If the panel proceeds only with the unexplained wealth article after completing the confidential funds case, Chua said the prosecution could finish its presentation within weeks. “We’ll finish by the first or second week of October, hopefully,” he said. The timetable would allow the defense to begin presenting its evidence in October. Chua noted that some expected defense witnesses had already undergone cross-examination while testifying for the prosecution, potentially shortening the defense phase. “Hopefully, by December, we will have the verdict we have been awaiting from the impeachment court,” he said.
Air quality... From A1
of its two Filipino seafarers.” After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran disrupting traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz with its blockade and the US persisting with a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. Overnight Monday to Tuesday, unidentified projectiles struck two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, Greek maritime risk management firm Marisks had said.
Both vessels loaded two million barrels of crude at Juaymah on Saudi Arabia’s east coast last week, according to Kpler data. On Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers caught fire after striking mines while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The United States renewed its attacks on Iran this week, with Tehran hitting back in the Gulf, mainly targeting US assets.
government already has a long-standing master plan for flood control but acknowledged that it had not been implemented for decades. President Marcos made the remarks after inspecting the damaged Aquino and Agana bridges in Barangay San Isidro in Tarlac City, as the government works to address widespread flooding and infrastructure damage caused by heavy rains. “We already have a master plan. It’s just never been executed,” Mr. Marcos said when asked whether the government was preparing a comprehensive flood control plan. The update comes as President Marcos ordered the government to take a more comprehensive approach to the country’s persistent flooding problems, which have been aggravated by
increasingly intense weather events associated with climate change. Earlier, Castro said Mr. Marcos is currently focused on implementing and repairing flood control projects rather than immediately assigning blame to officials from previous administrations.
Castro said the earlier discussion centered on whether a toll holiday would actually help motorists if opening the tollway to more vehicles would worsen congestion. She clarified remarks she made Tuesday that drew criticism online, saying they had been taken out of context and were interpreted as telling workers not to report for work because of the traffic.
Castro explained that President Marcos had met with officials Monday and directed the DOTr to develop measures to prevent smaller, Class 1 vehicles from entering NLEX when traffic conditions indicate that the expressway is already becoming impassable. “When traffic is already building up on NLEX, smaller Class 1 vehicles should be alerted that they should no longer enter if the expressway can no longer accommodate them,” she said. Castro said allowing more vehicles onto an already congested expressway could further increase traffic volume. She said this was the context of her earlier remark questioning the benefit of making tolls free if doing so would encourage more motorists to enter the congested highway.
East), Mandaluyong City, Muntinlupa City (Filinvest City), Parañaque City (PEATC), Pasay City and Pateros. Those deemed “fair” at the other stations included Las Piñas City, Malabon City, Manila, Marikina City (Parang), Muntinlupa City (Bilibid), Navotas City, Parañaque City (Don Bosco), Quezon City (Ateneo and SMPH Commonwealth), San Juan City, Taguig City (TUP) and Valenzuela City. Last Aug. 31, several stations in Metro Manila recorded “very unhealthy” and “acutely unhealthy” air quality levels. Quezon City, Las Piñas City and Parañaque City had “acutely unhealthy” air quality. Metro Cebu’s air was “very unhealthy.” “Unhealthy” air quality was reported in several Metro Manila areas. The DENR-EMB said it is also monitoring the air quality situation in Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA and Central Visayas. “The observed haze is possibly associated with smoke and transboundary haze from ongoing fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, which may have been transported towards the Philippines by prevailing winds,” it said. The Department of Health (DOH) reported no rise in haze-related hospital cases from the Indonesia forest fire smog that has reached several parts of Luzon and Visayas. According to DOH Environmental and Occupational Health Division chief Dr. Gabriel Borlongan, the department is still continuously monitoring hospital reports on haze-linked cases. “As of now, we are still monitoring, but there have been no reports of an increase in hospitalizations or consultations, or of worsening asthma. But we will continue to monitor that here at the DOH,” Borlongan said in GMA’s Balitanghali on Wednesday. Borlongan said haze contains hazardous particulate matter called PM2.5 that is small enough to enter the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and can cause coughing and throat irritation.
In his dissenting opinion, Gito said the court should not accept the prosecution’s plea to discharge Bonoan without looking into the actual value of his expected testimony. “The Ombudsman’s prosecutorial discretion cannot displace the court’s judicial authority or circumvent the procedural safeguards afforded to the other accused,” Gito wrote. “Besides, if there is prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction on the part of Bonoan, why discharge him in the first place?” he added. This ruling stemmed from a request from the Office of the Ombudsman, which aims to have Bonoan, who has agreed to cooperate, serve as a state witness against Estrada and other defendants. Bonoan has been implicated, along with Estrada and former DPWH officials, in a scheme involving over P500 million in kickbacks related to flood control projects. The Ombudsman noted that Bonoan’s cooperation is essential to fully
expose the corruption’s underlying framework. Both Estrada and Bonoan have yet to be arraigned, with Estrada’s arraignment set today, pending unresolved motions. Meanwhile, the Ombudsman’s plan to use Bonoan as state witness was criticized by a former law dean. Former Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila president and law dean Jose Roy III argued the flood-control kickback machinery could not have operated without the participation of DPWH officials who handled virtually every stage needed to move government money. “I have long observed this, and it is a major problem for me. I notice that in all these cases, the Ombudsman always grants immunity to the DPWH,” Roy noted. He adverted to the DPWH’s control over project funds, designs, bidding, contractor selection, accomplishment approvals and ultimately the release of payments as the reason DPWH officials could not be treated merely as peripher-
al witnesses to corruption. “They hold the funds, the design, and the bidding process; they select the contractor, approve all the work, and order the preparation of the payment. They also authorize the release of the payments,” Roy said. “Why is he (Bonoan) the one being granted immunity? Why is he the one being defended?” Roy maintained that the critical issue is whether an official who allegedly played a central role in processing the transactions can satisfy the basic requirement that a state witness must not appear to be the most guilty among those accused. “What this means is that he will be removed and made a state witness, because the requirement of the law appears there, you cannot make him a state witness if he is the most guilty. If that is the one with the most sin,” he said. He argued that lawmakers accused of receiving kickbacks did not prepare project documents or control the administrative machinery required to
release public funds, while DPWH personnel allegedly handled those steps and, according to the cases, also participated in commissions. Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has consistently maintained that everyone must be held accountable for wrongdoing, regardless of whether they are allies, relatives or political associates. “What we should always remember is the President’s statement that everyone must be held accountable, whether they are allies, political associates or relatives,” Castro said. She said the Sandiganbayan’s decision was beyond Marcos’ authority because the courts operate independently under the constitutional separation of powers. “Whatever decision the Sandiganbayan made is no longer within the authority of the President,” she said. “They are part of the judiciary and we have what we call separation of powers,” Castro said.
Poa:... From A1 Burden... From A1 “eighteen” (so-called Maleta Boys) were identified, and the Office of the Ombudsman selected the eight individuals whose testimonies would substantiate the evidence, the burden of proof shifted to the defense—specifically, to former Speaker Martin Romualdez,” Bucoy said. “However, when former Speaker Romualdez’s camp responded and refuted the earlier evidence—which alleged the delivery of vast sums of money to him—the burden of proof shifted back to the prosecution. It reverted to them because the response asserted former Speaker Romualdez’s innocence and challenged the initial evidence favoring the prosecution as entirely false,” Bucoy explained. “So, the burden of proof has now shifted back to the prosecution,” he added. The Office of the Ombudsman has been investigating Romualdez over allegations linking him to supposed cash deliveries arising from anomalous flood-control projects, relying in part on accounts from former security personnel of former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co who claimed that suitcases of money were delivered to properties linked to the former Speaker. Multiple individuals who initially implicated Romualdez have since recanted their allegations, including former Marine Orly Guteza, while Romualdez’s camp has also submitted sworn statements from other former drivers and security aides disputing the alleged cash-delivery narrative. Bucoy drew a distinction between the prosecution’s continuing burden to prove its allegations and the burden of evidence that can move between the parties as each side presents material capable of answering the other. “You see, under the law, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution— meaning they must prove their allegations,” Bucoy explained. “That obligation remains, because there is a presumption of innocence in favor of the accused,” he added. Romualdez has repeatedly denied the allegations and has asked the Ombudsman to dismiss the complaints against him, arguing that the recantations and counter-affidavits have undermined the factual basis of the accusations, while the Ombudsman has maintained that other witnesses and evidence remain under evaluation.
Gov’t... From A1 the Pulilan-to-San Fernando portion of NLEX, but she would seek clarification on whether it could be expanded to cover other affected motorists. The master plans for the Cagayan and Pasig-Marikina-Laguna de Bay river basins are targeted for completion by the end of 2026, Castro said, citing DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon. “There is a plan being undertaken and updated because, at this point, we may no longer be able to use the master plans from the 1940s and 1930s,” Castro said, citing the 1941 and 1936 master plans in Manila and Cebu, respectively. Earlier, Mr. Marcos Jr. said that the
Jinggoy... From A1 tioned in his dissenting opinion. “While I respect the decision of the Sandiganbayan, I wish to emphasize that there remain legal remedies available to me under our judicial system, which my legal team will carefully study and pursue at the appropriate time,” Estrada said in a statement posted on his official social media account. “I intend to avail myself of all remedies provided under our laws. This development does not end my legal recourse, and I will continue to place my trust in due process and the rule of law. My faith in our judicial system remains firm. I will continue to stand by the truth and pursue every lawful means available to protect my rights and clear my name and honor,” he added. In a 2-1 decision, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division dropped Bonoan among the list of respondents, stating that it falls under “prosecutorial discretion” to choose witnesses.
“Yes, sir. I confirm that (not a single peso of DepEd confidential funds was given to the military),” Poa told the impeachment court trying Duterte for Impeachment Article One or the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds released in 2022 and 2023 to the OVP and Deped when Duterte was education secretary. Poa, who was presented by the prosecution as a hostile witness yesterday, confirmed the previous testimonies of Col. Manaros Boransing II and Col. Magtangol Panopio on whether DepEd confidential funds financed the YLS, House prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said. “Three testimonies, one clear point. Col. Boransing said it, Col. Panopio said it, and now Atty. Michael Poa has confirmed it,” Alonto Adiong said at Wednesday’s prosecution press conference. Boransing’s Jan. 1, 2024 certification covered eight YLS and 53 information, education and communication (IEC) activities of the Army’s 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division.
House... From A1 He said the move was being considered to keep the trial focused and prevent an unnecessarily lengthy presentation, rather than because the prosecution considered the bribery allegations weak. “We do not want a protracted hearing. We don’t want a long hearing. We might even still be at it by the time Chinese New Year arrives,” Chua said. The House-approved Articles of Impeachment contain four allegations: misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery and corruption involving Department of Education officials, and threats against top public officials. The prosecution has completed its
Two Pinoy... From A1 A Greek security firm earlier said “unknown projectiles” hit the ship on Monday. Fresh violence has flared between the US and Iran this week. “Bahri confirms that its vessel SIDR was involved in a security incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz” late on Monday, the carrier said on X, confirming “the loss
Toll-free section from Pulilan to San Fernando
NEWS
A3
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
DepEd warns bullies of expulsion in new rules By Gabriel Oliva
BACK TO SCHOOL. Students in Barangay Bagong Silangan, Quezon City, return to school on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, following the long weekend and Tuesday’s class suspension due to haze over Metro Manila. Edd Castro
THE Department of Education (DepEd) has tightened its policies against violence and bullying in basic education schools nationwide, warning that students found guilty of serious offenses could face suspension, exclusion or expulsion. The stricter measures are contained in DepEd Order No. 006, s. 2026, or the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment (ESMLE), which prohibit bullying, physical assault, threats and other acts that endanger students and school personnel. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said DepEd would work with partner agencies, local government units (LGUs), law enforcement authorities and communities to help troubled children reform while protecting other learners. “Schools should be a safe and peaceful place for everyone,” Angara said. The guidelines prohibit physical, psychological, verbal, cyber, social and gender-based bullying in elementary and high schools. Bullying incidents are classified as minor, serious or more severe based on their nature, gravity, severity and circumstances and will be treated accordingly. Students found guilty of minor bullying acts, including profanity, pranks and physical acts that do not cause injury, may face sanctions ranging from a parent conference to suspension of up to five days. Serious bullying acts include stalking, catcalling, intimidation and physical assault causing minor injuries. Offenders may be suspended, referred to the local Social Welfare and Development Office, barred from readmission or excluded from school.
Palace defends P4.56b confidential funds IN BRIEF DSWD allowed to use NLEX ‘emergency lanes’ THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was granted authority to use ‘emergency lanes’ along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to fasttrack its delivery of relief assistance to areas affected by the recent tropical cyclones and the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat. “With the assistance of NLEX management, DSWD delivery trucks were authorized to use the NLEX emergency lanes to expedite the delivery of family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items to localities affected by heavy rains and flooding in Central Luzon and neighboring regions,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Leo Quintilla of the Resource and Logistics Management (RLM) said Wednesday. Quintilla noted that the permission to use the emergency lanes will also help the DSWD meet its relief augmentation target for affected local government units (LGUs) within five days. “As the distribution of relief goods is ongoing, it is necessary to immediately replenish stockpiles in the severely affected LGUs. We expect to meet the replenishment target for our warehouses within five days,” he said. Maricel V. Cruz
By Charles Dantes
M
ALACAÑANG on Wednesday defended the proposed P4.56 billion in confidential and intelligence funds for the Office of the President in the 2027 national budget, saying President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. needs the funds to carry out his responsibilities as chief executive and commander in chief. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said Executive Secretary Ralph Recto had
already addressed questions raised during House deliberations over the size of the proposed allocation, which
lawmakers noted would account for a substantial portion of the Office of the President’s budget. “The President is the chief executive officer and commander in chief who addresses issues involving law and order and, of course, national security,” she said. “He is the President, and he needs it because he is the one who gives orders on what needs to be done for the security of our country and our people,” the Palace official added. Castro also rejected concerns that the use of confidential funds lacked transparency, saying the Office of the President submits reports to the Sen-
ate detailing how the funds are used. “When the Office of the President submits its report, it is complete, wherever you ask about it,” she said. “The President is very transparent, but of course, that is a confidential fund, so the information is with the proper agency,” Castro added. Castro said confidential fund reports contain extensive documentation and that the Office of the President does not rely on questionable receipts to account for the expenditures. “There are voluminous documents, and they do not use receipts that could be considered questionable,” she said.
NAPOLCOM orders probe of Cavite cop in ‘assault’ THE National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) ordered its Inspection, Monitoring and Investigation Service (IMIS) to conduct a thorough investigation into the complaint filed by 20-year-old college student alias “Ace” against Police Senior Master Sergeant (PSMS) Almonidovar of the General Trias Component City Police Station over an alleged assault and death threat. According to Ace, the incident occurred at around 11:30 p.m. on August 27 along Governor’s Drive in Barangay San Agustin, Trece Martires City, after he made a U-turn ahead of a vehicle driven by the police officer. He alleged that the officer rammed their motorcycle, assaulted him, struck him with a firearm, cursed at him and threatened to kill him. Ace also alleged that he and his companion, 19-year-old alias “Andrie,” were brought to the police station, where an attempt was made to settle the incident. A breathalyzer test reportedly showed that PSMS Almonidovar had consumed alcohol. Vince Lopez
House OKs bill granting tax breaks for athletes A COMMITTEE in the House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill providing tax exemptions and incentives to Filipino national athletes and coaches. The House committee on ways and means, chaired by Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, approved the measure principally authored by Leyte 4th District Rep. Richard Gomez. Gomez moved for the approval of the tax provision under the Substitute Bill expanding the benefits provided under Republic Act No. 10699, or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act. Under the approved provision, incentives, rewards, bonuses and other forms of emoluments received by national athletes and coaches for competing or winning in international sports competitions will be exempt from national and local taxes, fees and charges. Maricel V. Cruz
BACK IN THE HOUSE. House Speaker Faustino Dy III administers the oath of office to Cavite Rep. Jennifer Barzaga as she returns to the seat she occupied seven years ago. House of Representatives
Rights group rejects blanket social media ban for children under 16 By Gabriel Oliva THE Child Rights Network (CRN), an alliance of organizations and government agencies advocating for child rights, has expressed its “firm” opposition to banning children under the age of 16 from social media platforms. In a statement on Tuesday, CRN urged the government to uphold the welfare of Filipino children, emphasizing that, like adults, children also have rights in the digital space and that banning them does not guarantee protection. “It is an extension of our offline world,
where adults learn, search for information, and communicate with their peers—a space to express ourselves and take part in what’s happening around us. Children, just like adults, have rights in these spaces too,” said CRN. According to CRN, children should be empowered by the government in online spaces by shaping a digital environment that allows them to exercise their rights to survival, development, protection and participation. “Protecting children online, therefore, cannot simply mean keeping them away from the internet. It must also mean empow-
ering them to safely thrive in it,” said CRN. The group cited the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child General Comment No. 25 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment, adopted in 2021, which contains provisions on how member states such as the Philippines should apply children’s rights on the internet. According to Comment No. 25, the advent of social media in the lives of children has brought several risks, such as violations and abuse, and it is up to policymakers to ensure their safety in digital environments.
“The digital environment is becoming increasingly important across most aspects of children’s lives, including during times of crisis, as societal functions, including education, government services and commerce, progressively come to rely upon digital technologies,” it reads. The provisions aim to provide children with protection from different forms of abuse on the internet, allow them to access healthcare and uphold their rights to privacy in an inclusive manner, while tapping several other stakeholders such as governments, families and communities to take part in the initiative.
LGUs can now tap 20% dev’t fund for energy projects By Vince Lopez LOCAL government units (LGUs) can now use their 20% Development Fund (DF) for projects aimed at cushioning the impact of the country’s energy crisis, under new guidelines jointly issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and Department of Finance (DOF). The new policy allows LGUs to use their Development Fund for the construction and/or establishment of local oil storage facilities; expansion of renewable energy projects and smart and green grid systems; and procure-
ment of electric vehicles (EVs) for health services, uniformed services, and disaster risk preparedness and response operations. Projects may also include the construction and installation of solar photovoltaic systems and infrastructure, as well as other applicable energy efficiency projects recommended by the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee. Under DBM-DOF-DILG Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 dated Aug. 4, 2026, LGUs may fund development-oriented and capital-intensive projects that support the government’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT)
Framework. The UPLIFT Framework was adopted under Executive Order (EO) No. 110, s. 2026, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s declaration of a State of National Energy Emergency. It provides a unified government response to safeguard energy stability, economic continuity, and public welfare. The JMC supplements an earlier directive governing the appropriation and use of the 20% DF, giving LGUs greater flexibility to align local resources with the UPLIFT Framework and undertake interventions that mitigate the effects of the energy emergency.
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS Twentieth Congress Second Regular Session
ANNOUNCEMENT President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has submitted to the Commission on Appointments (CA), for its consent to the nominations of the following General and Flag Officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): APPOINTEES
RANK
1. COL. ANGELO Z. LUTERA to the rank of Brigadier General 2. CAPT. ARCHIBALD DINO C. DELFIN to the rank of Commodore The public may submit any information, written report, or sworn/notarized complaints or oppositions to the above nominations in seven (7) copies to the CA Secretariat, 11th Floor, Uptown Eastgate Tower I, corner 11th and 36th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. For the schedule of the public hearings, the CA Secretariat can be reached through telephone number 8832-2827 local 2142 to 2144, and local 2512 to 2514. 27 August 2026. (MS-SEPT. 3, 2026)
MYRA MARIE D. VILLARICA Secretary
NEWS
A4
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
MST.DAYDESK@GMAIL.COM
IN BRIEF QC lifts barangay fees for Nano-enterprises THE Quezon City government has waived the barangay business clearance fees for newly registered Nanoenterprises in 142 barangays to make it easier and more affordable to start a business. “Our goal is to be a true partner to our business community. By making fees fair and transparent and bringing digital payment systems closer to our entrepreneurs, we are cutting red tape and helping every QCitizen focus on growing their business, creating jobs, and strengthening our local economy,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said. Under Ordinance No. SP-3525 of 2026 or the Unified Barangay Fees Ordinance, newly registered Nano enterprises, including variety stores, eateries, and beneficiaries of the city’s livelihood programs, will no longer pay barangay business clearance fees. The measure allows entrepreneurs to use their limited capital for inventory, equipment and business expansion. For other businesses, barangay clearance fees will be based on actual city regulatory assessments, including applicable mayor’s permit, sanitary, zoning, garbage, tourism, and environmental fees. Rio N. Araja
‘Cordillera peace process hits goal’ By Rex Espiritu
T
HE Philippine government and the Cordillera Bodong Administration–Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA-CPLA) on Tuesday signed an agreement recognizing the fulfillment of the 1986 Mt. Data Peace Accord, nearly four decades after the historic pact was forged. The historic document called Fulfillment of the 1986 Mount Data Peace Accord was inked at Malacañang Palace in Manila in a ceremony witnessed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The agreement recognizes the milestones achieved under the decades-long peace process and reaffirms the com-
mitment of both parties to sustain peace and development in the Cordillera region. “The accord showed that even longstanding differences can be bridged through dialogue and a shared commitment to uplift our communities,” the President said during the signing cer-
emony. Under the agreement, the government and the CBA-CPLA will continue their partnership through provincial Transformation Program plans led by local government units, with support from national government agencies. The programs seek to sustain the gains of the peace process and promote longterm development in Cordillera communities. The peace process traces its roots to the signing of the 1986 Mt. Data Peace Accord, or Sipat, between the national government and the CPLA led by the late Fr. Conrado Balweg. Among the key developments that followed were the establishment of the Cordillera Administrative Region through Executive Order No. 220 in 1987 and the integration of CPLA personnel into the
Armed Forces of the Philippines under Administrative Order No. 18 in 2001. CBA-CPLA representatives also reaffirmed their commitment to completing and sustaining the peace process. CPLA chairman Arsenio Humiding said the group remains committed to fulfilling its part in the peace process. Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento said the signing represents a major milestone in the decades-long peace process in the Cordillera. “The signing of the fulfillment marks a significant milestone in the decadeslong peace process in the Cordillera and underscores the continuing commitment of both parties to transform the gains of peace into lasting development and opportunities for the region’s communities,” Sarmiento said.
OCD, NDRRMC boost tie-up with Asia Fdn THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reaffirmed their partnership with The Asia Foundation (TAF) in advancing disaster risk reduction and management reforms in the country. OCD administrator Undersecretary Harold Cabreros met with TAF country representative Samuel Mark Chittick on Aug. 28, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City to discuss areas for continued cooperation. The Asia Foundation has supported the implementation of the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, including the development of a Prioritization Scorecard designed to promote transparency, accountability and evidence-based decision-making in public investments for evacuation centers. Rex Espiritu
AFP aims to broaden medical reserve force THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) aims to broaden its reservist force, particularly with medical and other technical professionals. AFP Reserve Command chief Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Geminic Ramirez said the military continues to need doctors, nurses, veterinarians, and other personnel under the Medical Administrative Corps. “We still need a lot of doctors, nurses, veterinarians, the medical administrative corps,” Ramirez said. He said these professionals would form part of the AFP’s medical teams and could also be integrated into military medical facilities. Rex Espiritu
AERIAL RELIEF DELIVERY. The Philippine Air Force undertakes humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, deploying Black Hawk helicopters to deliver relief supplies to disaster-hit communities in Zambales province. PAF photo
Aliling orders swift resolution of homeowners’ complaints By Rio N. Araja HOUSING Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling on Wednesday ordered the resolution of all issues and complaints of homebuyers and homeowners associations (HOAs) in just 30 days. Aliling directed all Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development regional offices and the central office-based Homeowners Associations and Community Develop-
ment Bureau (HOACDB) to act on all pending issues and complaints raised by homebuyers against developers, and HOA issues within a month. “As regulators, it is also part of our mandate to look after and protect the welfare of homebuyers and homeowners. That is why we are strengthening the resolution of all concerns through mass conciliations in all regions,” he said. “The resolution of concerns and complaints must not take too long,” he
added. Initially, Aliling ordered all regional directors to submit an inventory of all homebuyers and homeowners concerns and complaints currently pending and the reason why they remain unresolved. The DHSUD identified three regional offices as priority areas — Region 4A (Calabarzon), the National Capital Region and Region 3 (Central Luzon). Upon his assumption in 2025, Alil-
ing launched the reformative DHSUD 8-Point Agenda aimed at improving the department’s public service delivery anchored on zero tolerance for corruption, transparency, accountability and balancing stakeholders interest. Part of the agenda is the Zero Backlog Program after inheriting over 3,000 actionable regulatory and other items that went as far back as 2021, including homebuyers and HOA concerns. The backlog was addressed after two months, DHSUD said.
Muslim party-list seeks TRO vs. Comelec to counter DQ ruling By Gwyneth Nolasco
MULTI-PURPOSE HUB. San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, along with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority deputy chairman and concurrent general manager Frisco San Juan and Barangay Addition Hills captain Herbert Chua lead the opening of a facility that offers a deck for bird-watching, solar-powered waiting sheds with bike racks, the Ermitaño Creek Linear Park, and biodiversity conservation. Manny Palmero
A MUSLIM party-list on Wednesday filed an urgent petition for certiorari, urging the Supreme Court (SC) to issue the temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in a bid to halt the cancellation of its registration. The Moro Ako Party-list based in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), also called on the SC to act on its petition before the first parliamentary elections in the autonomous region set on Sept. 14, in the process “preserving the jurisdiction of the court and the free choice of the Bangsamoro people.” The party likewise urged the Comelec to “maintain and restore its legal and
operational status” before Aug. 4, including MORO AKO’s “accreditation, ballot and election-system presence, nominees, party identifiers, and right to have all [their] votes cast,” the petition said. Moro Ako president lawyer Najeeb Taib and first nominee Froxy Macarambon who signed the plea, said they want to preserve the integrity of the BARMM polls. “Let us not allow it to be overshadowed by anxiety, doubt, and lack of choice because democracy is just not one vote. It is the voice, integrity, and the future of every Bangsamoro,” Macarambon said in Filipino. For his part, Taib said their party-list is composed of professionals, youth, and women who represent Bangsamoro, and they campaign for programs that cater to the needs of the citizens in BARMM.
Fire hits Manila Vice Mayor’s office, business as usual By Pot Chavez A FIRE of still undetermined origin broke out Wednesday at the Office of the Vice Mayor at the Manila City Hall in Ermita, but authorities said it was immediately tapped out and did not affect other offices. Manila Fire district chief Insp. Demetrio Sablan Jr. said firefighters were able to confine the blaze to the kitchen. Saban said they focused on the burning spot, with thick smoke coming out of the kitchen, adding that the blaze did
not affect adjoining areas. In its report, the Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (MCDRRMD) said the fire broke out at around 5:30 a.m. and reached the first alarm at 5:57 a.m. The blaze was placed under control and declared fire out at 6:21 a.m. Fire volunteers also responded to the incident, while the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) dispatched a fire truck and an ambulance to the area. Vice Mayor Chi Atienza gave assurance that her office will be operational after the area is cleaned, adding that no
important documents were destroyed in the fire. “Our operations may not be regular, but I have to meet with my staff. I don’t want to cease our public service so I may set up a table outside my office. I will still keep on ensuring to give the services that we usually give,” she said. Mayor Francisco Moreno Domagoso also said there would be no suspension of work at the Manila City Hall, while MCDRRMD director Arnel Angeles inspected other offices to ensure the safety of workers and visitors.
CHESS FEST. Alicia, Isabela takes center stage anew in Philippine chess competitions as it hosts five simultaneous tournaments featuring the country’s top and budding female wood pushers. Mayor Joel Amos Alejandro, Region II director of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, opens the 2026 Philippine National Women’s Invitational Chess Championship, the Philippine National Junior Championship for Women, the Philippine National Children’s Chess Championships, and the FIDE Classification Tournament, in conjunction with the observance of the town’s Pagay Festival. Jessica M. Bacud
OPINION
A5
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
EDITORIAL
An avalanche of evidence
Will our anger ever turn to rage? HIS Excellency, Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, Archbishop of Kalookan and cities nearby, was fuming in righteous anger. “There comes a point when resilience becomes dangerous because it teaches us merely to endure,” David said. “After every disaster, we are told to be resilient. This time, let us also be defiant... Let us refuse to normalize preventable suffering. Let us demand answers. Let us demand accountability. And where the law allows it, let us act together as citizens to hold accountable those who fail in their duty to protect the public,” he added. How could anyone dispute what the good cardinal said? A friend was on his way to Baguio to visit his parents during the long weekend. He took the bus from Cubao at 11 before noon. He arrived in the once-upon-a-time pine-smelling city at 12 midnight. Maybe the good cardinal was on the way to his native Pampanga, but got caught in the eight-kilometer long “via dolorosa” where the floodwaters trapped vehicles in the San Simon portion of the North Luzon Expressway. We pay toll, not for the expressway’s construction, because that has long been paid for, but for its maintenance. It is part of the over-taxing our government exacts from us. The same goes for the South Luzon Expressway, built before martial law. And yet toll was collected after the contracted period. A Parañaque resident, lawyer Ceferino Padua, went to court to protest the long-prescribed tolls. Decades have passed, yet we still pay toll each time we pass. My grandmother used to apportion her palay harvest in Plaridel to give to Malolos, where the mayor was a relative. In 1972, when the rains poured for weeks on end, our grand-aunt would distribute relief goods in a banca. Then, martial law was proclaimed by our president’s father. The flooding from Hagonoy by the sea to Paombong by the marshes, all the way to inland Malolos, Calumpit and Guiguinto, have worsened. Even when the sun smiles back, the floodwaters take an eternity to abate. It happened last year, and even Quezon City where the president delivers his SONA was inundated. “Mahiya naman kayo,” he thundered, deflecting memories of his boasted 5,500 flood control projects completed in the previous year’s SONA. A flurry of investigations by both the legislative and executive branches, and now a constitutional body, exposed layers upon layers of malfeasance by contractors who advanced kickbacks to legislators who provided the funds through the GAB, approved by the President and signed into the General Appropriations Act, then implemented through the most criminal agency of government, the Department of
Public Works and Highways, whose geniuses taught the corrupt in the legislature how to make plenty of hay when the sun refuses to shine. The money trail and the evidence have been unearthed, though legal loopholes can always be found by highlypaid lawyers conniving with justices to dismiss the cases. This is what our Ombudsman tells us, which is why justice needs to be delayed, even as the same is denied to the suffering people. Thirty-three have died as we write this, and many are missing. We have forgotten last year’s toll, and the years before that. Crops have been lost, whether from flooded plains or the highlands where roots have been soaked in water or are unable to reach the market due to roads closed by landslides.
—“—
Will tomorrow ever come for the miserable people of this benighted land? Properties, the result of hard-earned savings or the “katas ng OFW” have been destroyed. The misery is incalculable. The people are angry, and rightly so. Some have waded into the flooded streets to raise their voices against the “magnanakaw” who caused all this misery. Will it end there? Or will our notorious “resilience” take over once again? Until the next disaster? When, pray tell, will anger turn into rage? Yes --- rage, which is the highest expression of anger, when deep-seated feelings of powerlessness overcome that resilience, that long endurance, and explodes into an unyielding demand for change? Change not only in the compromised and conspiring leaders, but change in the system as well? Our history has shown a few such expressions of rage, but the same history chronicles how anger cools down after, and how we forget to be vigilant against the same transgressions by the same people we continue to trust through the vote? Is the vote even relevant as an expression of the public will these days, after decades of recidivist corruption by the government itself? Will our religious leaders ask us again to turn to prayer? “Ipagpasa-Diyos” na lang? “When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes,” sang the bourgeoisie in Les Miserables. Will that tomorrow ever come for the miserable people of this benighted land?
The unfinished grief of families of missing persons in the Philippines By Atty. Algamar A. Latiph NEARLY nine years since the end of the Marawi siege in October 2017, at least 300 families are still struggling with the reality that their loved ones are still missing as a result of the five-month conflict. These families do not know if their loved ones are alive or dead. They must also deal with two unmet needs: living for years with uncertainty, which requires psychosocial intervention, and the absence of legal civil status for their missing relatives. In 2025, I started looking into the many challenges that these families face. This was for a report commissioned by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which has been supporting the Marawi families of the missing for nine years and advocating for their right to know. The missing are neither here nor there. That’s because in the Philippines, the law recognizes that a person is alive, absent, or dead. There are no gray areas. Here, missing persons are considered alive for all legal purposes even though their whereabouts are unknown. Thus, a missing person’s legal obligations remain the same: their marriages are not severed, their ownership of their properties is not extinguished, and their parental, legal, and contractual obligations all remain in effect. Although a missing person may be declared as an absentee for purposes of managing his or her property, this can only be done after two years. Within that two-year period, a vacuum therefore exists, and families of the missing struggle through this lengthy wait. Families in the Philippines are also required to get a court order to get their death benefits from the government. This is in stark contrast to Sri Lanka, where the Office
of Missing Persons has the power to declare that someone is missing. The families there do not need to go through the local courts just to prove that their kin can no longer be found.
—“—
The missing are neither here nor there. The missing from Supertyphoon Yolanda, Maguindanao massacre These systemic challenges faced by families of the missing are not specific to Marawi conflict. Hundreds of people went missing or were buried in mass graves in the aftermath of Supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013. Some passengers from the MV Princess of the Stars, which sank off the coast of Romblon in 2008, are still unaccounted for until today. At least 34 cockfighting enthusiasts (sabungero) from Luzon have been missing since 2021. Recently, the daughter of missing photojournalist Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay went to the Court of Appeals to grant full judicial recognition to him as the 58th victim of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre. It has been 17 years since the horrific incident happened. The struggle faced by families of the missing is a national problem that concerns the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Our system has been failing them. For example, a huge roadblock for families of the missing in securing various government-mandated support is securing a death certificate. This is a basic document required for them to access benefits such
H
OW can former President Rodrigo Duterte, now detained at The Hague for crimes against humanity filed by the International Criminal Court (ICC), possibly defend himself once his formal trial starts in November? He’s up against overwhelming odds. Prosecutors have gathered no less than 6,909 pieces of evidence against him. But more than the sheer volume of documents, the prosecution appears dead serious in their preparations for the scheduled trial on November 30. The evidence turned over between Jan. 7 and July 31 gives Duterte’s defense team a substantial body of material to examine before the proceedings begin. Of the 6,909 items, 4,573 are classified as Rule 77 evidence, which includes material that the defense can inspect and use in preparing its case. Another 2,279 items are classified as incriminating evidence, while 57 are potentially exonerating. The task before the ICC is not simply to build a case against an accused but to disclose relevant evidence, including material that could weaken the prosecution’s arguments. The 57 potentially exonerating items could therefore become important to Duterte’s lawyers if they cast doubt on witnesses, challenge the prosecution’s version of events or provide an
ManilaStandard
MEMBER
PPI
Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers
Former President Duterte is up against overwhelming odds. The sheer volume of incriminating material is striking. Prosecutors say it includes evidence concerning killings allegedly connected to the “common plan” behind Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. These involve operations against suspected drug personalities, barangay-level operations and incidents allegedly associated with the Davao Death Squad (DDS), which prosecutors contend was used to carry out Duterte’s policies through police officers and hired gunmen. The latest disclosure of overwhelming evidence is also only part of a much larger body of evidence. Since Duterte’s arrest and transfer to The Hague, prosecutors have already disclosed thousands of additional documents, as well
Like everything else in this country that starts with the best of intentions, it ends up being abused big time. Confidential fund allocations started, if my memory serves me right, during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Local government chief executives and some selected national agencies requiring extraordinary expenses were allocated confidential funds. These took care of officially connected activities which could not normally be liquidated or which are difficult to do using the regular Commission on Audit liquidating processes. Many of these activities came into the orbit of what could be described as intelligence in nature or to put it bluntly, extra representation expenses. That was at least the way it was understood then. But we have to bear in mind that this was before the COA-DBM-DILG-GCG-GOCC-DND Joint Circular No.2015-01 dated January 8, 2015 which defined and somehow limited how confidential funds came into force. Over the years. as we know, the amounts grew to mind-boggling proportions. The office of the President, for instance, started with P500 million which has now ballooned to P5 billion. Those for local government chief executives, especially those in high income cities or provinces, started with about a couple of million pesos depending on the income of the local government unit. They have also grown enormously. Let us take the example of Davao City when the VP Sara Duterte was the mayor from 2016 to 2022. According to available records, her confidential funds during her six-year term as mayor was reported to have totaled P2.69 billion. That has now
apparently increased to P530 million a year for the current mayor. The amount allocated to any LGU chief executive is basically determined by the income of the LGU. The richer the LGU, the bigger the confidential fund. It would therefore be interesting as well as educational to know what the other high-income LGUs allocate to their mayors and governors for their confidential funds.
as compensation from the Marawi Compensation Board (MCB), insurance from the Social Security System or the Government Service Insurance System, and other death-benefit claims. However, death certificates cannot be issued by the government in the absence of a body, or the remains of the relative. This puts the families of the missing in a bind, as they do not even know the whereabouts of their kin. Unfortunately, these benefits carry prescriptive periods. For instance, under the MCB’s charter, families have a one-year window to file their claims. Thus, many applicants who still believe their missing relatives are alive must nonetheless declare that their kin are dead, or the time-bound benefits and compensation will lapse. For many families, declaring the death of missing kin feels like an act of abandonment. Some of them have described it as similar to burying someone who may still be alive, giving them an additional psychological burden. The stark reality faced by families of the missing makes it imperative for the authorities to enact a law recognizing that being
“missing” is a distinct civil status, similar to death and birth. If the State could provide this status, families of the missing could secure what is rightfully theirs under our laws, from administering properties to accessing death benefits while the search for their missing kin continues. Putting in place a law is just the start. The state also needs to ensure that the processing of benefits is not mired in red tape. The repetitive submission of the same documents and the long waiting period—as well as the costs—makes the process difficult for families of the missing. Providing psychosocial support Many of the issues that families of the missing face are essentially non-monetary and non-compensable. They have to do with restoring the human dignity of their missing kin. On a daily basis, they carry a longing for their loved ones. What they have is unresolved grief, a yearning for the return of a relative whose whereabouts are unknown. Psychologists call this ambiguous loss, a type of mourning that stretches on indefinitely because the loss itself was never
—“—
It doesn’t work that way. As we watch the ongoing impeachment trial of VP Duterte, and the more the witnesses reveal what they know, it is becoming apparent that the defense will find it difficult to justify the disbursement of huge amounts of confidential funds. Remember this is an office with basically no intelligence infrastructure. What the Office of the Vice President has is the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, which takes care of protecting the VP. If one truly understands intelligence, it is not the same as an intelligence unit. But what is coming out in the trial is that the VPSPG is also acting as the OVP intelligence infrastructure. We have to point out the distinction because every peso of any confidential or intelligence budget is supposed to be disbursed based on previously approved intelligence projects. And based on what some witnesses have been revealing, even official schedules of the VP -- like attending a tree planting event -- turns out to be a huge
Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser
intelligence operation requiring payment of safe houses and the purchase of information amounting to tens of millions of pesos. It is a bit surprising that no one on the prosecution side ever attempted to show that the OVP and DepEd did not have any intelligence infrastructure to pursue intelligence operations as it is normally understood. With the huge amount of funds given to both offices, an intelligence infrastructure is necessary so that the funds provided could be spent and properly justified. It is the intelligence project which itemizes how much goes to the purchase of information, rental of safe houses, payment for intelligence assets etc. The Security and Protection Group of the OVP, which is headed by an AFP officer with the rank of Colonel, is not the same as an intelligence unit. It appears, however, that VP Sara considered it as such and appeared to have transferred her confidential funds to the OVPSPG. This is not normally allowed because for one, no one in the OVPSPG is a bonded disbursing officer. As the trial progresses, the OVP will find it difficult to justify how the millions of confidential funds were spent in so short a time. The prosecution should consider bringing in an intelligence professional as a witness to show how an intelligence operation should be conducted, and then use that as a basis for liquidating the confidential funds properly. The OVP cannot simply ride on an Army activity then get a certification purportedly showing its participation and use that to liquidate millions of confidential funds. It doesn’t work that way. Besides, the trick could easily be found out. confirmed. Without a body, there is no death to grieve. It is a loss held in suspension, sustained over years, and it carries rates of depression and post-traumatic stress higher than those that follow an ordinary death. The authorities should start developing the capacity to provide specialized psychosocial assistance to the families of the missing. They should have professionals who are experts in helping people deal with ambiguous loss. The authorities should ensure that these services are available to those who need it, even for those whose kin went missing due to other events, such as disasters. Nine years is long enough for the families of the Marawi missing. For others, it has been decades. It’s about time for our government to fix a system that continues to fail families whose loved ones were never found due to conflict, disaster or crime. (The writer is a former Chevening scholar at the Islam and governance program at the University of Birmingham. He is a consultant of the International Committee of the Red Cross.)
Emil P. Jurado+ Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board
ROLANDO G. ESTABILLO Publisher
can be accessed at:
ONLINE manilastandard.net
—“—
Confidential funds
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
alternative explanation for particular incidents.
as audio and video recordings. The defense therefore faces the formidable task of examining not merely a few key documents but a humongous evidentiary archive. The ICC proceedings are a judicial process in which prosecutors must prove their allegations beyond the applicable legal standard, while Duterte’s lawyers are entitled to challenge every piece of evidence and present their own case. Duterte is accused of three counts of crimes against humanity involving murder and attempted murder in connection with 76 deaths in 49 incidents from 2013 to 2018. The alleged crimes span his years as Davao City mayor and later as president, making the case particularly consequential for determining whether responsibility can be established across different periods and circumstances. The former President’s appearance in person at the Nov. 30 trial will itself be significant. Since his arrest, he has not appeared before an ICC chamber beyond his initial appearance in March last year. To be sure, the avalanche of evidence does not by itself establish Duterte’s guilt. But it demonstrates that the prosecution has assembled a substantial case that his defense must now confront. The coming trial will provide the proper forum to determine whether the evidence proves the ICC’s allegations, or whether Duterte’s lawyers can successfully demolish them.
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
Virgilio DC Galvez
Aytch dela Cruz
Online Editor
Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager
News Editor
(On leave)
Lino M. Santos Chief Photographer
A6
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
mst.daydesk@gmail.com
ICKLOW, Ireland – The EU on Wednesday said it had summoned Russia’s top diplomat as it eyed sanctions after a drone incident in Germany that the bloc’s foreign policy chief said bore the marks of “state-sponsored terrorism”.
W
The incident involving an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig airport has heightened fears over a sabotage campaign that the EU and NATO said was a Russian attempt to destabilize Ukraine’s backers. “We are discussing the Leipzig attacks,
WORLD EU summons Russian envoy after Germany drone ‘attack’ and also it is clear that it has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored terrorism,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said at the start of a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Ireland. “The question is, what do we do about this?” Kallas said that the EU had summoned the Russian envoy, and member states were doing the same. “We will not let an act of such gravity go unpunished,” French foreign minis-
ter Jean-Noel Barrot said, adding he had summoned Russia’s envoy in Paris. Kallas said that EU foreign ministers would discuss ongoing work to impose sanctions on 1,600 individuals and entities linked to Russia’s military industry. “Seeing these hybrid attacks across Europe, I think these are also wake-up calls for the countries who have not been so strong, maybe on this,” she said. “If we want to end this war, we all
have to focus our efforts. Take it to a new level.” Lithuania’s foreign minister Kestutis Budrys called for Europe to do more to counter the threat from Moscow. “We have to consider what options we have in our hands and respond, because it is obvious Russia does not see the political cost of the hybrid activities against us,” he said. “They will neither prevent us from supporting Ukraine nor maintaining our pres-
sure on Russia. On the contrary, we have to increase this pressure.” Germany blamed Moscow for the Leipzig incident and said it was shutting a Russian consulate and ending the contract for a cultural center in Berlin. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in televised comments later branded the sanctions move “another mistake, a serious one,” saying it “clearly runs counter to the interests of the German people.” AFP
Rescuers seek trapped workers but hit dead ends
NO BODY TO BURY. Relatives mourn during symbolic funerals held for flood victims still reported missing as they cremate Kush grass effigies in accordance with Nepali Hindu rites at Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu on September 2, 2026. Nepali families were holding symbolic funeral ceremonies to ‘liberate the souls’ of loved ones missing since deadly flash floods swept away their villages and homes in the Himalayan region a week ago. AFP
IN BRIEF HK activist Wong pleads guilty to foreign collusion
HONG KONG – Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty to foreign collusion on Wednesday in a second national security trial against him that could see him jailed for life, AFP journalists in court saw. He is accused of asking foreign countries, individuals or institutions to “impose sanctions or blockade, or engage in other hostile activities” against Hong Kong and China in 2020, after Beijing imposed a national security law on the finance hub. The 29-year-old Wong, one of the most recognizable faces of Hong Kong’s now-quashed democracy movement, is already serving a nearly five-year sentence for subversion and was due to be released next year. AFP
16 dead, 28 injured in bus crash in Egypt’s eastern Sinai CAIRO – A bus crash in Egypt’s eastern Sinai Peninsula on Wednesday killed 16 people and injured 28 others, the health ministry reported. Twenty ambulances rushed to the scene of the accident, which occurred on the road between the popular tourist towns of Dahab and Nuweiba on South Sinai’s eastern coast, the ministry said. Authorities said the injured were receiving medical care but did not say what caused the crash. The area is a popular tourist destination, known for its marine biodiversity, natural beauty and mountain hiking trails. Car crashes are common in Egypt, and often blamed on reckless driving, poor maintenance and uneven law enforcement. Last year, nearly 6,000 people died in road accidents across the country, according to Egypt’s state statistics agency. AFP
Cargo ship with 10 crew sinks off Istanbul after collision ISTANBUL – A cargo ship sank in the Marmara Sea near Istanbul after colliding with a second vessel, with rescuers hunting 10 people who were on board, Turkish officials said Wednesday. The incident occurred before dawn when the ALSU, an empty oil tanker, collided with the Tugberk Imamoglu, a cargo ship carrying rolled steel, which sank shortly after, the transport ministry’s maritime directorate said on X. The collision occurred 18 nautical miles off Silivri district on the western edge of Istanbul province, the governor’s office said on X. “Due to the Tugberk İmamoglu not responding to any calls and the crew not answering their mobile phones... it is believed the dry cargo ship has sunk,” the maritime directorate said. The ALSU’s captain had reported the collision as happening at 3:15 am (0015 GMT), with 14 search and rescue vessels dispatched to the area backed by a helicopter, it said.AFP
KATHMANDU – Nepali rescuers searched Wednesday for survivors feared trapped inside hydropower tunnels a week after devastating floods, but hopes were fading as teams hit dead ends and no one was confirmed alive. The government had said initially it believed that more than 100 workers could be alive inside multiple tunnels. “The search and rescue operation is still underway, and foreign teams are also supporting it at the hydropower tunnels,” said Shanti Mahat, spokeswoman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). “They are continuing to work despite difficulties. There is a heavy volume of mud and debris and sludge.” Those feared trapped are among 639 hydropower workers missing since a wall of mud and debris swept down on August 26, according to NDRRMA figures.
“In some cases, it has been difficult to find the entry points and, even when they have been found, the rescuers have found the tunnels blocked inside,” Mahat told AFP. “But efforts continue.” Rescuers pulled at least three bodies out of two tunnels on Monday, and entered several hundred meters into some tunnels, but were stopped by mud. “We have access to all the tunnels, but it’s problematic to get inside, as there are rocks and sludge,” Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha told reporters on Tuesday. The Nepal Electricity Authority said 11 hydropower stations and one solar power station, with a combined capacity of 431.1 megawatts, had stopped operating, about 10 percent of the country’s installed electricity generation capacity. Another 15 power projects under construction, with a planned capacity of 470 megawatts, were damaged. AFP
UN says world must navigate ‘reality’ of 1.5C overshoot PARIS – The United Nations outlined Wednesday how the world might bring global temperatures back to 1.5C once the milestone target is breached in a first-of-its-kind assessment that drew criticism from climate activists. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last year acknowledged the inevitability of overshooting 1.5C but this is the first time a UN agency has addressed this head-on in a dedicated report. Scientists agree that warming above 1.5C relative to pre-industrial times poses grave risks and nearly 200 nations committed in 2015 to try and keep global temperature rises to this safer threshold. But the world is expected to blow past 1.5C in a matter of years and attention has pivoted to making any “overshoot” as brief and contained as possible. In a much-anticipated report, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) stated unequivocally that 1.5C would be surpassed and “the challenge has shifted from avoiding overshoot to navigating it”. AFP
SPACEWALK. This handout photo from the European Space Agency (ESA) taken on August 25, 2026, shows ESA French astronaut Sophie Adenot at work during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS). During the 6-hour and 30-minute spacewalk, Sophie and NASA astronaut Anil Menon completed the installation and activation of a spare Space-to-Ground Antenna (SGANT), finishing work that had begun on 18 August, when stuck bolts and connectors on the failed antenna delayed their progress. AFP
‘Cherish the Earth’: Pope condemns harm to environment CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy – Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday held a special mass for the environment, urging people to listen to the “melodious voice” of nature and condemning the destruction caused by wars. The mass was held in the gardens of the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome. “Let us place in silent mode the many noises generated by human activity so that we may hear the melodious voice of creation,” the pope said in his homily. He said he hoped this would encourage awareness “of the responsibility that we bear both personally
and collectively for preserving the original harmony.” In a written message, the pope also urged followers to “cherish the Earth” and spoke of the “vicious cycle” between armed conflicts and environmental degradation. “These phenomena are not unrelated; they are a single plea for healing and peace arising from a wounded world,” he wrote. Pope Leo has repeatedly emphasized the need to protect the natural world. In November last year, he urged “concrete actions” on climate change and complained that some leaders lacked the will to act. He has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor Francis, whose 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si” denounced mankind’s ruthless exploitation of the environment and was hailed by experts PAPAL BLESSING. Pope Leo XIV blesses a child from his Papamobile during for its scientific groundthe weekly general audience at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican on September ing. AFP 2, 2026. AFP
Iran’s top negotiator calls US ‘Satan’ after wedding attack TEHRAN – Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday called the United States “Satan” after an attack on a wedding ceremony in the country’s south. At least four people were killed and dozens wounded in a latenight strike on the ceremony in Kuhestak in southern Iran, according to Iranian officials. Ghalibaf said the attack left “children killed with families,” while singling out several deadly incidents in Iran during the initial stages of the Middle East war, including an attack on a school in Minab. “If a power acts like Satan, picks targets like Satan, and kills like Satan, it’s Satan. Shields a junior Satan that does the same? It’s THE Great Satan,” said Ghalibaf in a post on X, referring to the US and key ally Israel. The ‘Satan’ term was originally coined by Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, in 1979 and has since been used by successive Iranian leaders to refer to the United States. Iran responded to the wedding attack by launching drone and missile attacks on US bases across the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq’s Kurdistan region. The US military did not address the wedding strike directly. US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Tim Hawkins said “the US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC,” referring to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. AFP
SPORTS Cool Smashers zero in on finals, take on Foxies
A7
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
San Juan 5, Bataan win
Robert Bolick practices with his Gilas Pilipinas teammates. Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas
Games Thursday 1:30 p.m. – Farm Fresh vs Creamline 4 p.m. – Ho Chi Minh vs PLDT 6:30 p.m. – EST Cola vs Nxled
CREAMLINE returns to action Thursday with confidence, momentum and, more importantly, a chance to put one foot through the finals door as the PVL Invitational resumes with a crucial triple-header where every victory could bring a team closer to the championship and every defeat nearer the exit. The Cool Smashers hold the early advantage after winning their first two matches, giving them the solo lead in a tight race where even a slight stumble could dramatically alter the standings. Defending champion PLDT, Farm Fresh, Nxled and EST Cola of Thailand are all at 1-1, while Ho Chi Minh is at 0-2. That makes Thursday’s schedule at the Araneta Coliseum particularly significant. Creamline faces Farm Fresh in the 1:30 p.m. opener, PLDT battles Ho Chi Minh at 4 p.m. after absorbing a shutout loss to Nxled, and Nxled takes on surging EST Cola at 6:30 p.m. in a matchup that could go down-to-the-wire. Wednesday’s break gave all six teams a much-needed chance to recalibrate, fine-tune their systems and map out their next moves. With only three elimination playdates remaining and the top two advancing to Tuesday’s championship match, the margin for error has become increasingly thin. Still, the spotlight will be brightest on the opening clash, where Creamline enters as the team to beat but refuses to take anything for granted. “We expect a tougher match against Foxies,” said Jema Galanza after powering the Cool Smashers past Ho Chi Minh in straight sets Tuesday. Galanza has been one of Creamline’s biggest weapons in the tournament, exploding for 17 points against Nxled before adding 12 against the Vietnamese side. But against Farm Fresh, she knows production alone will not be enough. “We’ll focus on our mistakes at siguro sa mga crucial points kailangan namin maging focused, kasi for sure mas dikit, mas maganda ang ibibigay na laban ng Farm Fresh sa amin,” she said. The Foxies, meanwhile, have plenty of adjustments to make after being swept by EST Cola, with coach Koji Tsuzurabara unable to get the expected production from his key players and the supporting cast.
Returning Bolick banners Gilas PH lineup for Asiad By Jeremiah Sevilla
R
OBERT Bolick makes his comeback to Gilas Pilipinas as he banners the 12-man all-PBA squad that will seek to defend the men’s basketball title in the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The NLEX star playmaker returns to the national team with the Asiad trophy at stake after spearheading the Philippines’ title-retention campaign in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games last December in Bangkok, Thailand. Joining Bolick in leading the Nationals are the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers holdovers in RJ Abarrientos of Barangay Ginebra and Converge’s frontcourt duo of
Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar. Also in the squad are debutants in Rain or Shine’s Adrian Nocum, Blackwater’s Sedrick Barefield, Magnolia’s Zavier Lucero, San Miguel’s Jerrick Ahanmisi, and Meralco’s Brandon Bates. TNT big man Brandon GanuelasRosser marks his national team return after helping the Philippines reclaim the SEA Games crown in 2023 while San Miguel’s Don Trollano, who was
cut in the 2018 Asiad squad headlined by Jordan Clarkson, gets his spot this time around. A roster spot has been reserved for Justin Brownlee, with head coach Tim Cone still hoping the 37-year-old naturalized forward and Ginebra’s resident import can join the team. Brownlee was part of the Gilas squad that bagged the gold medal in the 2023 Hangzhou edition in China, ending the country’s 61-year title drought in the quadrennial competition. “We’re hoping that there’s a chance. We heard that Justin might come in. It’s not confirmed, but he’s intending to come,” Cone said of Brownlee, who missed Gilas’ victorious campaign in the World Cup qualifiers fourth window as he continued his recovery from multiple injuries.
THE San Juan Knights warmed up in the second half to subdue the Mindoro Tamaraws, 74-62, on Tuesday to gain ground in the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Batangas City Coliseum. Powered by Michael Calisaan and Patrick Sleat, San Juan dropped 28 points in the third quarter to seize control, 58-49, en route to their 19th win in 22 starts t in the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 26-team tournament. The Bataan Risers leaned on a 3-pointer by Yves Sazon with 11.3 seconds left to stun the Batangas City Tanduay Athletics, 65-63, and improve to 10-13 in the nightcap. Sazon’s open jumper complemented the 15-point, including two charities with 22.7 seconds to go, 7-rebound effort of Edrian Ramirez, who was chosen the SportsPlus best player over Joshua Gallano, with 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, Alfred Flores, with 11 points and 2 assists, and Sazon, with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Batangas City tasted its second straight defeat and skidded to 16-5, good for the fourth spot in the South division playoff chase. The Athletics drew 16 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks from Jhan Nermal, who, however, muffed two free throws in the last 1 minute and 19 seconds; and 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals from Jeckster Apinan. San Juan climbed to solo second behind Abra (21-2) and ahead of Caloocan (18-3) in the chase for the top four spots and the homecourt advantage in the quarterfinal playoffs of the North division.
Joshua Gallan of Bataan
Loman assembles elite corner for BRAVE CF 108 campaign
Stephen Loman (left) with Eduard Folayang
STEPHEN “The Sniper” Loman is leaving nothing to chance as he prepares for the most consequential fight of his illustrious career, surrounding himself with two trusted figures who understand his game from the inside out. The former BRAVE CF Bantamweight World Champion will face No. 1-ranked divisional contender Lasha Abramishvili in the co-main event of BRAVE CF 108, which takes place live from the historic Pula Arena in Croatia on Saturday, September 5. Joining Loman for the pivotal assignment are Filipino mixed martial arts icon Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and BRAVE CF alumnus Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw. “I’m happy that I’ll be with them. I really need people who truly understand my game and have been with me throughout camp. It’s good because they can see the adjustments I need to make in the fight,” Loman said. The formidable entourage reflects the magnitude of Loman’s comeback. This will be his first fight in three years and
his first appearance under the BRAVE CF banner since successfully defending his then-bantamweight crown against Louie “Leonidas” Sanoudakis at BRAVE CF 30 in November 2019. Folayang, widely regarded as “The Face of Philippine MMA,” played a pivotal role in the sport’s popularity in the country during its formative years. The legendary “Landslide” also captured the World Title twice at lightweight. Pacatiw, meanwhile, knows the BRAVE CF cage intimately, having competed for the promotion 10 times between 2016 and 2019. “The Juggernaut” also holds the distinction of being the only athlete in BRAVE CF history to have traveled to and fought in more countries than any other competitor. Yet their presence is not merely a showcase of star power. Loman has assembled his corner with a specific purpose: to eliminate blind spots and ensure every contingency is addressed. “Of course, there are things that I might not see or notice during the fight. I need them to be my voice of reason while I’m in there. At
Quiban returns, sets sights on ICTSI Summit Point crown JUSTIN Quiban makes his eagerly awaited return to the Philippine Golf Tour next week, beefing up an already stellar field bracing for a fierce showdown in the ICTSI Summit Point Championship unfolding Sept. 8 at Summit Point Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas. With a break in the regional tours giving him an opening, Quiban has opted to return to the PGT for the P2.5 million championship – not merely to add star power to the talent-laden cast, but with his sights firmly set on another victory. He made a spectacular start to his PGT campaign this year, ruling the season-opening ICTSI Lakewood Championship in Cabanatuan City last March in dramatic fashion. He
drained an eagle on the final hole to edge Korean Taewon Ha by one stroke, capping a memorable week highlighted by a course-record 10-under 62 in the opening round. Quiban then shifted his focus to the regional circuits, where results have not always gone his way. But the stretch of competition has provided valuable opportunities to finetune his game, and he is hoping to bring the benefits of that experience to Summit Point. His return, however, will hardly make the task any easier. A crack field of established champions, rising young guns and foreign aces is also set to battle for the fifth leg of the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized circuit, guaranteeing four days of
high-level action at a venue making its return to the PGT calendar. Summit Point last hosted the tour in 2017, when it staged the ICTSI Players Championship. Its return is expected to provide a stern test, adding another dimension to what promises to be a wide-open title chase. Caliraya Springs leg winner and reigning Order of Merit champion Angelo Que is primed for another shot at the crown, with multi-titled campaigners Keanu Jahns, Tony Lascuña, Reymon Jaraula, Guido van der Valk and Zanieboy Gialon also in the mix. Leading the charge of the younger generation are Sean Ramos, Aidric Chan, Russell Bautista, Jeffren Lumbo, Kristoffer
Arevalo and Fil-Am Ivan Yabut. The foreign contingent is headed by Ha, who came within a stroke of Quiban in the Lakewood finale, along with fellow Koreans Kim Tae Soo, Jisung Cheon and Lee Song. Japanese players Kashihara Hirotaka, Sena Shiraishi and Nagata Masaki are also listed in the early field. Other players expected to contend are Fidel Concepcion, Michael Bibat, Ryan Monsalve, Gab Manotoc, Nilo Salahog, Gerald Rosales, James Ryan Lam, Rico Depilo, Jerson Balasabas, Ivan Monsalve, Ira Alido, Jonas Magcalayo and Jay Bayron. The Summit Point battle comes after a two-month pause in the PGT calendar, with the last two legs held in July.
the same time, I want them with me to make sure I’m completely ready before I step into the cage,” he explained. The urgency is underscored by Abramishvili’s remarkable ascent. Since Loman stepped away in 2023, the Georgian spitfire has won eight straight fights, six by stoppage. Four of those victories have come inside the BRAVE CF cage, propelling him to a formidable 12-2-1 record. Loman, therefore, knows precisely what awaits him this weekend. The bout also marks another milestone in his personal evolution. For the first time as a competitor, he will represent Lions Nation MMA, the stable founded by Folayang alongside Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, Honorio “The Rock” Banario, and Joshua “The Passion” Pacio following their departure from Team Lakay in 2023. “I’m happy because this is a new chapter for me. At the same time, I’m excited to represent the team. So I’ll really do my best,” Loman stated.
Justin Quiban
SPORTS
A8
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor
Zverev wins wild 5-setter vs. Sonego NEW YORK—Top-seeded Alexander Zverev survived a scare, overcoming Lorenzo Sonego in a wild five-setter at the US Open on Tuesday as Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff advanced with ease. Zverev fought off a determined challenge from Italy’s lowly ranked Sonego, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5, 6-4. Zverev fought off a determined challenge from Sonego in a tense allcourt battle spiced by unlikely retrievals, impossibly angled winners and some inexplicable errors, which wrapped up on Arthur Ashe Stadium after four hours and 53 minutes at 1:55 in the morning. “I’m just happy I won, that’s it. Incredible battle,” said Zverev, who was two points from defeat trailing 5-4 in the fourth set. The German held serve and broke Sonego in the next game, then earned the lone break of the fifth set to complete the win. Zverev, who followed his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros with a Wimbledon final appearance, notched his seventh win in as many matches against Sonego, ranked 89 in the world. “Credit to him, he played an incredible match,” Zverev said, adding it was just the kind of battle he needed after lackluster performances in two hard court tournaments coming into the Open. There was no such drama for world number two Rybakina and former champion Gauff. Rybakina, eyeing a third Grand Slam title and the world number one ranking, beat US teen Thea Frodin 6-3, 6-2. Gauff showed off her immensely improved serve in a confident 6-3, 6-4 victory over 53rd-ranked Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey. AFP
Go for Gold shifts focus to track cycling By Randy M. Caluag GO FOR GOLD Cycling is set to open a new chapter in Philippine cycling as it redirects its resources toward track development after completing its final season as a UCI Continental Team this year. Businessman-sportsman Jeremy Go said the team will cease operating at the continental level in 2027 but stressed that the organization is not leaving the sport. Instead, it will focus on developing Filipino riders, supporting local competitions and establishing a track cycling club that will provide new pathways for aspiring athletes. “This is not the end of Go for Gold Cycling. It is the beginning of our next chapter,” Go said. “Filipino talent deserves a chance. We will continue to Go for Gold.” The transition comes as Go takes on a key leadership role in track cycling following his appointment to the Board of Trustees of PhilCycling, headed by federation president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino. Go thanked the PhilCycling leadership for entrusting him with the responsibility and vowed to help build a sustainable program capable of producing competitive cyclists for major international tournaments. Go for Gold’s impending departure from the UCI Continental Circuit will bring to a close a memorable chapter that provided Filipino riders with opportunities to race internationally, represent the country and secure victories at home and abroad.
The continental Go For Gold cycling team Go for Gold
Germany’s Alexander Zverev returns the ball to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego during the men’s singles first-round tennis match on Day 3 of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. AFP
Exhausted Obiena battles to silver in Germany meet By Jeremiah Sevilla
B
ATTLING through exhaustion, Filipino pole vault standout Ernest John “EJ” Obiena salvaged a silver medal in the 4th Domspringen Wesel Internationales Stabhochsprung meeting in Germany early Wednesday morning (Philippine time). Obiena cleared 5.75 meters on his second attempt to mark a podium finish on his sixth event in the past two weeks. The two-time Olympian tried to go for the win by setting the bar at 5.85m but failed in three attempts as he settled for the runner-up finish behind France’s Robin Emig, who posted 5.80m. “Rough, rough day and tiredness eventually caught up after six competitions in the last 14 days. Took
too many mistakes at the earlier bars and paid the price,” Obiena wrote on social media. USA’s Cole Walsh picked up the bronze with a 5.70m clearance and a countback edge over France’s Ethan Cormont. Despite falling short of capturing his 10th gold medal, the Asian record holder still displayed a commendable effort following a grueling stretch of competitions. Obiena soared to a season-
best 5.91m to rule the Golden Sand 2026 in Poland last August 17 before seeing action in three star-studded legs of the Wanda Diamond League. The 30-year-old athlete booked his ticket to the World Athletics Championships 2027 after leaping past 5.90m in the Diamond League Zurich event where he ended up fifth, his best finish in the three legs. The pride of Manila then returned to his winning ways after topping the ISTAF Berlin 2026 with a 5.83m jump last Monday. Obiena has been hard at work in the European circuit since the outdoor season started last June as the reigning Asian Games champion continues to gear up for his title defense in the Nagoya edition in Japan starting on September 19.
Ernest John Obiena in action
Eala sets up US Open revenge match vs. Oliynykova Alexandra Eala acknowledges the cheers of fans. WTA
PHILIPPINE pride Alexandra “Alex” Eala gets a shot at revenge against Ukrainian No. 64 Oleksandra Oliynykova in the second round of the US Open 2026 after the Filipina tennis star came through with a rousing debut by breezing past American qualifier Mary Stoiana, 6-1, 6-2, in the first round at the packed Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York on Wednesday (Philippine time). The world No. 18 Filipina tennis star lived up to the hype, going off to a searing start before subduing a slight resistance from the No. 122 American in the second set to pick up the Round of 128 victory in front of a raucous crowd dominated by Filipino fans. “The support I’ve been getting the past couple of days here in New York and everywhere around the world is amazing. Maraming salamat mga kababayan,” Eala said in the post-match interview. “I wanna thank the community here in New York and the tennis fans, not just in the Philippines, who have been making me feel so loved and who are so enthusiastic in contributing to the growth of women’s tennis,” she added. Eala already replicated her performance from the US Open last year as she barged into the
second round (Round of 64), where she gets a shot at revenge against Ukrainian No. 64 Oleksandra Oliynykova. Eala lost to Oliynykova, 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, in their lone encounter in the opening round of the Strasbourg Open 2026, a clay tournament held last May in Germany. The No. 17 seed Pinay’s triumphant start in the final Grand Slam of the year secured her at least $190,000, or over P11 million in prize money. Eala also posted her second win in as many matches against Stoiana, following up her 7-5, 6-2 win back in the Round of 16 of the ITF 1000 Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge 2024. Firing winner after winner, the Filipina lefty ace reeled off five straight games for a fiery start to the match, then came up with a perfect seventh game to take the opening set. The 23-year-old Stoiana, making her US Open main draw debut, showed some signs of fight by nabbing a 2-1 lead in the second set. But Eala regained her attacking rhythm as she went on another scoring run with two break points before capping the sweep with a strong serve that Stoiana failed to return. Jeremiah Sevilla
SMART/MVPSF Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships set AROUND 2,500 fighters, black belters included, from across the country will take part in one of the biggest and most exciting events of the year – the 2026 SMART/ MVPSF Best of the Best Taekwondo Championships on Sept. 5 to 6 in two different venues inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The two-day event is organized by the Philippine Taekwondo Association to honor Smart Communications and PLDT big boss Manny V. Pangilinan, who has poured in a great amount of resources for over a decade now to spot and train future Filipino champions. Like PTA Grandmaster SungChon Hong, Pangilinan is also eager to see a Filipino win an Olympic gold medal, especially in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. No Filipino fighters have
reached the Olympic podium since Stephen Fernandez (bantamweight) and Bea Lucero (featherweight) won bronze medals when the popular Korean martial art was held as a demonstration sport during the 1992 Barcelona Games. The Kyorugi (free sparring) competition will take place at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, while the Poomsae (forms) will be held at the Rizal Taekwondo Training Center. Given the expected fierce competition, only the best and toughest fighters from the different branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the UAAP, the NCAA, and high-level black belt organizations such as the Taekwondo Blackbelt Brotherhood can compete in the event. The tournament will feature Senior, Junior, Cadet, Grade School, and Toddler categories, with separate divisions for male and female competitors. In Poomsae, the categories are Recognized Poomsae Individual, Team, Pair, and Freestyle Poomsae.
A player in blue armor executes a precise axe kick against a rival. PTA photo
BUSINESS
B1
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 extrastory2000@gmail.com RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ, Editor ALENA MAE S. FLORES, Asst. Editor
TAX MEETING.
BIR to remove VAT on system loss charges
Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza leads BIR officials in a meeting with the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), headed by chairperson Elizabeth Lee and chairman emeritus Jesus Lim Arranza on Aug. 12, 2026 at the BIR National Office to discuss areas for closer coordination on tax compliance and revenue base protection.
By Thony Rose Lesaca
Peso plunges to 62.56 per US dollar By Thony Rose Lesaca and Jenniffer B. Austria
T
HE Philippine peso slid to a new record low of 62.565 against the US dollar Wednesday, marking its fourth consecutive session of losses since Aug. 27, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed.
The peso opened flat at Tuesday’s closing rate of 62.40 against thre greenback before hitting an intraday low of 62.69. It closed at 62.565, down 16.5 centavos from the previous finish. Union Bank of the Philippines chief economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion said higher global interest rates, a stronger US dollar, elevated oil prices and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty continue to primarily drag the peso. “These factors have prompted investors to favor dollar assets and have increased concerns over inflation and import costs for oil-
importing economies such as the Philippines. As a result, the peso continues to face pressure from external developments,” Asuncion said. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index also fell 40.66 points, or 0.67 percent, to close at 6,053.23 on Wednesday, as investors booked profits following the previous session’s rally. The broader all-shares index dropped 10.58 points, or 0.31 percent, to 3,352.61. Regina Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan said the local index closed
lower as the market underwent a correction following the previous day’s strong buying activity. “Weakness was further driven by continued depreciation of the peso, which weighed on investor sentiment,” he said. Services led sectoral declines, falling 1.46 percent, followed by financials, which slipped 0.41 percent. Holding firms dropped 0.29 percent, mining and oil declined 0.16 percent, and property eased 0.34 percent. Industrial was the lone gainer among the sectoral indices, rising 0.38 percent. Market breadth was negative, with 101 decliners against 79 advancers, while 65 stocks were unchanged. Trading was thin, with value turnover at P5.69 billion. Manila Electric Co. was the day’s top index gainer, climbing 3.92 percent to P456, while DigiPlus Interactive Corp. was the main index laggard, declining 7.05 percent to P10.02.
COMMUNITY ENTERPRISES. Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI), the social arm of the Malampaya joint venture partners, together with the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAGO) and local governments of Pinamalayan and Gloria, launches two community-run enterprises in Oriental Mindoro that provide livelihoods while supporting the protection of local marine ecosystems. Shown are MFI executive director Karen Agabin (fourth from left), Prime Infra sustainability senior manager Abby Bonita (third from left) and Pinamalayan Mayor Rodolfo Magsino (second from right) during the turnover of a community water refilling station in Barangay Ranzo, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, on Aug. 13, 2026.
NLEX waives toll between Pulilan and San Fernando as flood slows traffic By Darwin G. Amojelar VEHICLES traveling between Pulilan, Bulacan and San Fernando, Pampanga are exempt from toll effective Sept. 2, 2026, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said, after flooding at Tulaoc Bridge in San Simon, Pampanga caused heavy congestion on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said he coordinated with NLEX Corp. president Luis Reñon to waive toll for all vehicles traveling in both directions between Pulilan and San Fernando, following an order from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resolve the congestion. Lopez said he was grateful that NLEX had responded immediately to the request to implement free toll collection until the traffic situation improved. The regular toll for the Pulilan-San Fernando route is P113 for Class 1 vehicles, P281 for Class 2 vehicles and P338 for Class 3 vehicles. The waiver will remain in effect until conditions on NLEX return
to normal, he said. Lopez also thanked toll operators for continuing to waive fees for provincial buses and vehicles delivering agricultural products under the government’s UPLIFT initiative. The DOTr and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) separately ordered NLEX Corp. to provide food, water and portable toilets for motorists stranded in the traffic. NLEX Corp. was also asked to implement a faster and more efficient warning system for motorists during heavy rains and flooding, including direct text messages and other accessible platforms, the DOTr said through the TRB. Lopez said toll operators should be proactive, anticipating which areas need close monitoring, especially ahead of heavy rainfall, so motorists can immediately learn which parts of expressways are flooded or difficult to pass and can avoid them. Motorists should receive advisories right away, such as through text messages, Lopez said, so they can plan their routes better and avoid getting stuck in traffic.
62.56 Peso’s closing vs. dollar on Wednesday
62.40 Peso’s closing vs. dollar on Tuesday
62.69 Peso’s new intra-day low
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is preparing to remove the value-added tax (VAT) on the allowable system loss charge in electricity bills, Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said Wednesday. This is in line with a directive by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to review tax rules that could provide immediate relief to consumers, he said. The BIR will issue a revenue memorandum circular 15 days after the publication of Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Resolution No. 26, Series of 2026, which classifies the system loss charge as a government-mandated pass-through cost, according to Mendoza. “As Finance Secretary Frederick Go has consistently guided us, our reforms should deliver results that people can immediately feel. When there is a clear basis under the law to provide tax relief, we should act on it. We are preparing the BIR issuance now so that after the required period has lapsed, we can immediately implement the VAT removal and pass the benefit on to electricity consumers,” Mendoza said. Under ERC Resolution No. 26, Series of 2026, the allowable system loss charge is treated as a cost recovered through electricity bills rather than income earned by generation companies, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and distribution utilities. “In simple terms, consumers should not be paying VAT on electricity that never actually reaches their homes or businesses. A passthrough charge is a cost collected from consumers and passed on to the proper recipient. Removing VAT from that charge means a lower amount will be passed on to electricity consumers,” Mendoza said.
CYAN CYANMAGENTA MAGENTAYELLOW YELLOWBLACK BLACK
BUSINESS
B2 Manila
Manila Standard Standard TODAY
TODAY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
extrastory2000@gmail.com
PSE approves Arthaland’s P3-b share sale T By Jenniffer B. Austria
HE Philippine Stock Exchange approved the application of boutique real estate developer Arthaland Corp. to raise up to P3 billion through a preferred share offering.
Based on the terms approved by the PSE, Arthaland will offer up to 6 million Series G and H preferred shares at P500 each. The property developer will initially of-
fer 4 million preferred shares to raise P2 billion. In the event of strong demand, the company may exercise an oversubscription option for an additional 2 million shares, generating another P1 billion. The dividend rate will be set on Sept. 8, with the offer period scheduled to run from Sept. 14 to Sept. 18. The preferred shares are tentatively scheduled for listing on the PSE on Sept. 28. Net proceeds from the base offering will primarily be used to partially fund the redemption of Arthaland’s Series D preferred shares, which were issued in 2021 and mature in December 2026. If the oversubscription option is fully exercised, the additional proceeds will fund
the development of Una Apartments Tower 2 in Biñan, Laguna, as well as general corporate purposes. The property firm tapped BDO Capital & Investment Corp. as the sole issue manager, lead underwriter and bookrunner for the transaction. This year, Arthaland launched two residential projects: a high-end condominium in Makati and a high-rise project in Quezon City. The developer has two more projects in the pipeline—one in Cebu and another in Metro Manila. It is also actively evaluating acquisition targets in the business districts of Makati and Bonifacio Global City, alongside emerging markets in Batangas, Iloilo, Davao and Cebu.
Ê Ê
Opportunity in Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Ê Ê Career Career Opportunity in Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) ÊÊ ÊÊ
Ê
Position title: Senior Product Compliance Associate, Brand Protection
Position title:in Senior Product Compliance Associate, BrandInc Protection Career Opportunity Amazon Operation Services Philippines (AOSPI) Career Opportunity in Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Position title:title: Investigation Specialist I I Position Investigation Specialist
Ê
Ê
Vacancy (1) (1) Vacancy
Ê
Vacancy (1) (1) Job Description: Vacancy Job Description: JobJob Description: ➢Description: Fulfill incoming requests following set Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and and adhering to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) ➢ Fulfill incoming requests following set Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) adhering to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) ➢
Maintain defined quality standards.
➢
Bachelor’s degree (preferably in Engineering or Business). ➢ Bachelor’s degree (preferably in Engineering or Business).
• •Provides prompt and and efficient service to Amazon Sellers, including the appropriate escalation of Sellers’ issues in a in contact center environment. ➢Provides Maintain defined quality standards. prompt efficient service to Amazon Sellers, including the appropriate escalation of Sellers’ issues a contact center environment. • ➢•Liaises withideas, other departments as required to resolve Sellers’ issues questions. Liaises with other departments as required to and resolve Sellers’ issues and questions. Provide collaborate across internal teams stakeholders for and process improvement projects. ➢ Provide ideas, collaborate across internal teams and stakeholders process improvement projects. • Maintains a positive and professional demeanor, always portraying thefor company in a in positive light while effectively managing sensitive issues. Maintains a positive and professional demeanor, always portraying the company a positive light while effectively managing sensitive issues. Ê • •Demonstrates excellent time-management skills and the ability to work independently while using departmental resources, policies, and procedures. Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): • Demonstrates excellent time-management skills and the ability to work independently while using departmental resources, policies, and procedures. Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): to a to positive teamteam environment and and proactively aidsaids teamteam members withwith difficult contacts as needed. Ê Ê • •Contributes Contributes a positive environment proactively members difficult contacts as needed.
Ê
Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): ➢
• • • • •
1 to 15 to years in data-driven business operations processes – Business Process Outsourcing, Operations processes. ➢ 5 years in data-driven business operations processes – Business Process Outsourcing, Operations processes.
Bachelor’s Degree or 2-year Diploma Course or completed at least 2 years in a in university. Bachelor’s Degree or 2-year Diploma Course or completed at least 2 years a university. ➢• ➢ Advanced computer literacy in Microsoft Office applications, especially MS Excel. Advanced computer literacy Microsoft Office applications, especially MS Excel. 1 year of experience in in Customer Service/Client Support/Investigation within a contact center environment •Preferably Preferably 1 year of experience in Customer Service/Client Support/Investigation within a contact center environment No Attention experience is welcome to apply. No Attention experience isand welcome to apply. ➢• ➢ to detail capability to work on multiple processes. to detail and capability to work on multiple processes. Proficient in MS Office and internet applications. • Proficient in MS Office and internet applications. Ability to compose a grammatically correct, concise, and accurate written and verbal response. ➢• ➢ Desire to in a in fast-paced, challenging environment and passion forwritten delivering customer experience. Ability to work compose aagrammatically correct, concise, andand accurate and great verbal response. Desire to work fast-paced, challenging environment passion for delivering great customer experience. Applications may bemay sent to:sent Applications may be to: Applications may besent sent to: to: Applications be Name ofof Company HR: Ivanka Patricia Quinial Name Company HR: Ivanka Patricia Quinial Name of Company HR: Ivanka Patricia Quinial Name of Company HR: Ivanka Patricia Quinial Email address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search Email address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search Email address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search Email address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search
Company/ Employer Company/ Employer
Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position
Company/ Employer
Company/ Employer Company Name: Company Name:
Ê
Company Name: Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Company Name: Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Complete address: Amazon Operation Complete address: Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI)
Name of foreign national intending to apply for the Name of foreign national intending to apply for position the position
Ê
Name: Wai Wai ElsaElsa Ê Name: Wong Ê Wong Name: PhamÊVietÊTrinh Name: PhamÊVietÊTrinh Address: Pasay City City Address: Pasay
Address: MandaluyongÊCity
Nationality: Singaporean Address: MandaluyongÊCity Nationality: Singaporean Complete address: Intended period of employment: two two (2) year/s Nationality: Vietnamese Complete UnitUnit No. No. 2C, 2C, Flr. address: no. OneOne E-Com Bldg., Ocean Drive, MallMall of Asia Complex St., St., Intended period of employment: (2) year/s Nationality: Vietnamese Flr. 4th, no. 4th, E-Com Bldg., Ocean Drive, of Asia Complex Ê Ê Zone 10, Barangay 076, District 1,E-Com Pasay City,City, Metro Manila, NCR, 1300 10, Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay Metro Manila, NCR, UnitZone No. 2C, Flr. no. 4th, One Bldg., Ocean Drive, Mall of1300 Asia
Intended period of employment: twotwo (2) years Unit No. 2C, Flr. no. 4th, One E-Com Bldg., Ocean Drive, Mall of Asia Intended period of employment: (2) years Complex St., St., Zone 10, 10, Barangay 076,076, District 1, Pasay City,City, Metro Manila, Complex Zone District 1, Pasay Metro Nature of business: AOSPI is Barangay a is corporation organized under Philippine laws. It Manila, is It is Nature of business: AOSPI a corporation organized under Philippine laws. NCR, 1300 registered with NCR, 1300the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under SEC
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under SEC Certificate of Registration No. No. CS201722700. It is It authorized to provide support Certificate of Registration CS201722700. is authorized to under provide support Nature of business: AOSPI a corporation organized Philippine services, including but not toisremote support services, IT Nature of business: atechnical corporation organized under services, including but limited not AOSPI limited toisremote technical support services, IT Philippine laws. It isItregistered withsupport, thecustomer Securities Exchange Commission development, support, careand services, business process laws. iscustomer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) development, customer customer care services, business process (SEC) outsourcing, back-office support (including but not limited to systems, hardware, under SEC Certificate of Registration No. CS201722700. It is authorized to to outsourcing, back-office support (including but not limited to systems, underfinancial SEC Certificate of Registration No. CS201722700. It ishardware, authorized software, operations, vendor management, andto human resources relating software, financial operations, vendor management, and human resources relating provide support services, including but not limited remote technical support provide support including but not to remote technical to the andservices, otherother activities necessary or limited useful thereto, as well as as support to back-office), the back-office), and activities necessary or useful thereto, as well services, IT development, customer support, customer care services, marketing support without engaging in retail trade, the practice of a of aservices, services, IT activities, development, customer support, customer care marketing support activities, without engaging in retail trade, the practice business process outsourcing, back-office support (including but but not not limited profession, or acting as an Service Provider. business process outsourcing, back-office support (including limited profession, or acting asInternet an Internet Service Provider.
to systems, hardware, software, financial operations, vendor management, to systems, hardware, software, financial operations, vendor management,
Amazon Operation Services Philippines (AOSPI). hereby declares that that the the above-named foreign national is able, willing, and and qualified to perform the the Operation Services Philippines (AOSPI). hereby declares above-named foreign national is able, willing, qualified to perform andAmazon human resources relating to Inc the back-office), and other activities and human resources to Inc the back-office), and other activities services and job description forrelating this position. The The company has the intention to employ the said foreign national and and apply for an Employment Permit services and job description forwell this position. company the intention to employ the said foreign national apply for Alien an Alien Employment Permit necessary or useful thereto, as as marketing support has activities, without necessary or useful thereto, well as marketing without withwith the the Department of Labor andas Employment (DOLE)support Centralactivities, Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner General Luna Street, Intramuros, of Labor and Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner General Luna Street, Intramuros, engaging in Department retail trade, the practice ofEmployment a profession, (DOLE) or actingCentral as an Internet
engaging in retail trade, the practice of a profession, or acting as an Internet Manila, 1002, Philippines Manila, 1002, Philippines Service Provider. Service Provider.
Any Any Filipino jobseeker whowho is competent, able,able, and and willing to perform the the services for which the the foreign national is intended to be for, for, maymay file file an an Filipino jobseeker is competent, willing to perform services for which foreign national is intended to hired be hired Amazon Operation Services Philippines IncEmployment (AOSPI). hereby declares thatOffice, the above-named foreign national is able, willing, and qualified to perform the the Amazon Services Philippines IncEmployment (AOSPI). hereby declares that the above-named foreign national is able, willing, and qualified to perform objection at t Operation h Department of Labor and (DOLE) Central DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, objection ate t h e Department of Labor and (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing General Luna Street, services andManila, job description for this position. TheThe company has the inform intention employ the of said foreign national andcorner, for an Alien Employment Permit Intramuros, Philippines, after this publication. Please t h etot hDepartment Labor and Employment –apply NCR if you have any information services and job 1002, description for this position. company has the intention employ the said foreign national and for an Alien Employment Intramuros, Manila, 1002, Philippines, after this publication. Please inform eto Department of Labor and Employment –apply NCR if you have any informationPermit withcriminal the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, on offenses committed by the foreign national. withcriminal the Department of Laborbyand on offenses committed the Employment foreign national.(DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros,
1002, Philippines Manila, 1002, Philippines Ê Ê Manila, AnyAny Filipino jobseeker whowho is competent, ableable andand willing to perform the the services for which the the foreign national is intended to be for, for, maymay file an Filipino jobseeker is competent, willing to perform services for which foreign national is intended to hired be hired file an Ê Ê objection at Department of Labor andand Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, objection at Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, 1002, Philippines, afterafter this this publication. Please inform Department of Labor andand Employment – NCR, if you have any any information on criminal Ê Ê Manila, Manila, 1002, Philippines, publication. Please inform Department of Labor Employment – NCR, if you have information on criminal committed by the foreign national. offenses committed by the foreign national. Ê Ê offenses ÊÊ Ê Ê Ê Ê ÊÊ ÊÊ ÊÊ Ê Ê ÊÊ ÊÊ ÊÊ ÊÊCareer Opportunity in Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Career Opportunity in Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Ê Ê Ê Position title:title: Investigation Specialist I I Ê Position Investigation Specialist Ê Ê Career Opportunity in Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Career Opportunity in Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) (1) Vacancy (1) Ê Ê Vacancy Ê Position title:title: Investigation Specialist I I Ê Position Investigation Specialist Ê Ê JobJob Description: Description: Vacancy (1) (1) Vacancy • •Provides prompt and and efficient service to Amazon Sellers, including the appropriate escalation of Sellers’ issues in a in contact center environment. Provides prompt efficient service to Amazon Sellers, including the appropriate escalation of Sellers’ issues a contact center environment. withwith other departments as required to resolve Sellers’ issues and and questions. Job•Job Description: •Liaises Liaises other departments as required to resolve Sellers’ issues questions. Description: • •Maintains a positive and and professional demeanor, always portraying the company in a in positive lightlight while effectively managing sensitive issues. Maintains a positive professional demeanor, always portraying the company a positive while effectively managing sensitive issues. • • •Demonstrates excellent time-management skillsskills and the ability to work independently whilewhile using departmental resources, policies, and procedures. Provides prompt and efficient service to Amazon Sellers, including the appropriate escalation of Sellers’ issues in a contact center environment. Demonstrates excellent time-management and the ability to work independently using departmental resources, policies, procedures. • Provides prompt and efficient service to Amazon Sellers, including the appropriate escalation of Sellers’ issues in a contact centerand environment. • • •Contributes a to positive teamteam environment and proactively aids team members withwith difficult contacts as needed. withtowith other asenvironment required to resolve Sellers’ issues andmembers questions. Contributes adepartments positive and proactively aids team difficult contacts as needed. •Liaises Liaises other departments as required to resolve Sellers’ issues and questions. • •Maintains a positive and professional demeanor, always portraying the company in a positive light while effectively managing sensitive issues. Maintains a positive and professional demeanor, always portraying the company in a positive light while effectively managing sensitive issues. Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): • •Demonstrates excellent time-management skillsskills and the ability to Certification, work independently whilewhile using departmental resources, policies, and and procedures. Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Specialized Training): Demonstrates excellent time-management and the ability to work independently using departmental resources, policies, procedures. • •Contributes to a to positive teamteam environment and and proactively aidsaids teamteam members withwith difficult contacts as needed. Contributes a 2-year positive environment proactively members difficult contacts as needed. • •Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma Course or completed at least 2 years in a in university. Bachelor’s Degree or 2-year Diploma Course or completed at least 2 years a university. • •Preferably 1 year of experience in Customer Service/Client Support/Investigation within a contact center environment Preferably 1 year of experience in Customer Service/Client Support/Investigation within aTraining): contact center environment Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): • •No experience is welcome to apply. No experience is welcome to apply. • •Proficient in MS Office internet applications. Proficient in MS Office internet applications. • •Bachelor’s Degree or and 2-year Diploma Course or completed at least 2 years in a in university. Bachelor’s Degree or and 2-year Diploma Course orand completed atwritten least 2and years aresponse. university. • •Ability to compose aofgrammatically concise, accurate verbal Ability to1compose aofgrammatically concise, and accurate written and verbal response. • •Preferably year experience incorrect, Customer Service/Client Support/Investigation within a contact center environment Preferably 1 year experience incorrect, Customer Service/Client Support/Investigation within a contact center environment • •No experience is welcome to No experience is welcomeapply. to apply. Applications maymay be sent to: to: Applications be sent • •Proficient in MS Office and internet applications. Proficient in MS Office and internet applications. Name of Company HR:HR: Ivanka Patricia Quinial Name of Company Ivanka Patricia Quinial • •Ability to compose a grammatically correct, concise, andand accurate written andand verbal response. Email address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search Ability to compose a grammatically correct, concise, accurate written verbal response. Email address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search
Razon’s Prime Infra appoints former BP chief to board
Applications maymay be sent to: to: Applications be sent Name of Company HR:HR: Ivanka Patricia Quinial Name of Company Ivanka Patricia Quinial Name of foreign national intending to apply for the Name of foreign national intending to apply for position the position Email address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search Email address: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/search Ê Ê Company Name: Company Name: Name: PhamÊVietÊTrinh Name: PhamÊVietÊTrinh Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Company/ Employer Name of foreign national intending to apply for the Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Address: MandaluyongÊCity Company/ Employer Name ofMandaluyongÊCity foreign national intending to apply for position the position Address: Company/ Employer Company/ Employer
Ê Ê
BETTER FOOD FORWARD. Monde Nissin Corp. launches Better Food Forward, a long-term advocacy program combining science, product innovation, nutrition education, and industry partnerships to make nourishing food more accessible to Filipino families. Joining the launch are event from left, host Alexine Sy; Rico Gonzales, Monde Nissin chief business officer; Dr. Clarissa Juanico, Philippine Stakeholders for Nutrition and Dietetics president; Jo Sebastian, registered nutritionist-dietitian and content creator; Olive Misa, Monde Nissin corporate and government affairs head; Cloyd Masaudling, Aguhon Movement for Governance executive director; and Ramil Bernabe, Monde Nissin chief sustainability officer.
Complete address: Ê Nationality: Nationality: Vietnamese Complete address: Ê Vietnamese Company Name: Company Name: Name: PhamÊVietÊTrinh Name: PhamÊVietÊTrinh UnitUnit No. No. 2C, 2C, Flr. Flr. no. no. 4th,4th, OneOne E-Com Bldg., Ocean Drive, MallMall of Asia Intended period of employment: twotwo (2) years E-Com Bldg., Ocean Drive, of Asia Intended period of employment: (2) years Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Complex St., Zone 10, Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay City,City, Metro Manila, Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI) Address: MandaluyongÊCity Complex St., Zone 10, Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay Metro Manila, Address: MandaluyongÊCity NCR, 1300 NCR, 1300 Complete address: Nationality: Vietnamese Complete address: Nationality: Vietnamese AOSPI is a corporation organized under Philippine Nature of business: AOSPI is aBldg., corporation organized under Philippine Intended period of employment: two (2) years Nature ofFlr. business: Unit No. No. 2C, no. no. 4th,4th, One E-Com Ocean Drive, MallMall of Asia Unit 2C, Flr. E-Com Bldg., Ocean Drive, of Asia Intended period of employment: two (2) years laws. It isItregistered withwith theOne Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) laws. is registered the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Complex St., Zone 10,of10, Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Complex St., Zone Barangay 076, District 1, Pasay Metro Manila, under SECSEC Certificate Registration No. No. CS201722700. ItCity, isItauthorized to to under Certificate of Registration CS201722700. is authorized NCR, 1300 NCR, 1300 provide support services, including but but not not limited to remote technical support provide support services, including limited to remote technical support services, development, customer support, customer care services, Nature ofIT business: AOSPI is ais corporation organized under Philippine services, IT development, customer support, customer care services, Nature of business: AOSPI a corporation organized under Philippine business process outsourcing, support (including but but not not limited business process outsourcing, back-office support (including limited laws. It is withwith the back-office Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) laws. Itregistered is registered the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) tounder systems, hardware, software, financial vendor management, tounder systems, hardware, software, financial operations, vendor management, SECSEC Certificate of Registration No.operations, CS201722700. It is to to Certificate of Registration No. CS201722700. Itauthorized is authorized andand human resources relating to the back-office), andand other activities human resources relating to not the back-office), other activities provide support services, including but limited to remote technical support provide services, not limited to remote technical support necessary orsupport useful thereto, asincluding well as but marketing support activities, without necessary or useful thereto, as well as marketing support activities, without services, IT IT development, customer support, customer carecare services, services, development, customer support, customer services, engaging in retail trade, the practice of a profession, or acting as an Internet engaging in retailoutsourcing, trade, the practice of a profession, or actingbut as an business process back-office support (including notInternet limited business process outsourcing, back-office support (including but not limited Service Provider. Provider. to Service systems, hardware, software, financial operations, vendor management, to systems, hardware, software, financial operations, vendor management, Amazon Operation Services Philippines Incthe (AOSPI). hereby that the the above-named foreign national is able, willing, andand qualified to perform the the and human resources relating to the back-office), anddeclares other activities Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI). hereby declares that above-named foreign national is able, willing, qualified to perform and human resources relating to back-office), and other activities services andor jobuseful description foras this position. TheThe company has the the intention to employ the the saidsaid foreign national andand apply for an Employment Permit necessary thereto, as marketing support activities, without services and jobuseful description forwell this position. company has intention to employ foreign national apply for Alien an Alien Employment Permit necessary or thereto, as well as marketing support activities, without with the the Department of Labor andand Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, engaging inDepartment retail trade, theLabor practice ofEmployment aof profession, or acting as an with of (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, engaging in retail trade, the practice a profession, or acting as Internet an Internet Manila, 1002, Philippines Service Provider. Manila, 1002, Philippines Service Provider. AnyAny Filipino jobseeker who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is intended to be hired for, may file an Filipino jobseeker who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is intended to be hired for, may file an Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI). hereby declares thatthat the above-named foreign national is able, willing, and qualified toIntramuros, perform the the objection at Department of Labor andand Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Amazon Operation Services Philippines Inc (AOSPI). hereby declares the above-named foreign national is able, willing, and qualified toIntramuros, perform objection at Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, services and job Philippines, description forafter this position. The company hasDepartment theDepartment intention said foreign national and apply forany an Alien Employment Permit Manila, 1002, Philippines, after this publication. Please inform of to Labor andthe Employment – NCR, if you have any information onEmployment criminal services and job description for this this position. The company has the intention to employ the said foreign national and apply forinformation an Alien Permit Manila, 1002, publication. Please inform ofemploy Labor and Employment – NCR, if you have on criminal offenses by of the foreign national. with the committed Department and Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, offenses committed byLabor the foreign national. with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, 1002, Philippines Manila, 1002, Philippines AnyAny Filipino jobseeker whowho is competent, ableable andand willing to perform the the services for which the the foreign national is intended to be for, for, maymay file an Filipino jobseeker is competent, willing to perform services for which foreign national is intended to hired be hired file an objection at Department of Labor andand Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, objection at Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) Central Office, DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, 1002, Philippines, afterafter this this publication. Please inform Department of Labor andand Employment – NCR, if you have any any information on criminal Manila, 1002, Philippines, publication. Please inform Department of Labor Employment – NCR, if you have information on criminal offenses committed by the foreign national. offenses committed by the foreign national.
PRIME Infrastructure Capital Inc. (Prime Infra) has appointed former BP PLC Group chief executive Tony Hayward to its board of directors, adding an experienced global energy executive as it expands its operations locally and internationally. Career Opportunity in Holcim Philippines, Inc.Inc. Career Opportunity in Holcim Philippines, Position title:title: RawRaw Materials Manager Position Materials Manager Vacancy (1) (1) Vacancy JobJob Description: Lead, guide andand direct the the Crusher personnel andand otherother activities of the andand raw raw material to safely produce the the quantity andand quality Description: Lead, guide direct Crusher personnel activities of crusher the crusher material to safely produce quantity quality of raw materials at the possible cost.cost. Develops a plan for sourcing of limestone andand execute the long termterm planplan suchsuch thatthat sufficient reserves are are located of raw materials at lowest the lowest possible Develops a plan for sourcing of limestone execute the long sufficient reserves located verified in quality, planned for extraction andand prepared sufficiently in advance to support uninterrupted quarrying activities. verified in quality, planned for extraction prepared sufficiently in advance to support uninterrupted quarrying activities. Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): Bachelor’s Degree preferably Mining Engineering withwith minimum of 5ofyears’ experience managing rawraw material handling systems. Bachelor’s Degree preferably Mining Engineering minimum 5 years’ experience managing material handling systems. Applications maymay be sent to: to: Applications be sent Name of Company HR:HR: Talent Acquisition Team Name of Company Talent Acquisition Team Email address: recruitment-phl@holcim.com Email address: recruitment-phl@holcim.com
Career Opportunity in 3M Center APAC, Inc.Inc. Career Opportunity in Service 3M Service Center APAC,
Ê Ê
Company/ Employer Company/ Employer
Ê Ê
ASIAASIA Product Content Sr. Specialist Position title:title: Position Product Content Sr. Specialist Vacancy (1) (1) Vacancy
Complete address: Complete address:
Highest pointpoint of escalation regarding information architecture, design, development andand management of allofproduct content, website, andand Highest of escalation regarding information architecture, design, development management all product content, website, application development efforts in the AsiaAsia region application development efforts in the region Identify andand create automations to improve workflow for digitization teamteam members andand alignalign processes between the the different business Identify create automations to improve workflow for digitization members processes between different business groups thatthat are are supported by the Global Service Center groups supported by the Global Service Center Responsible for planning incoming workwork demand andand resource allocation. Responsible for planning incoming demand resource allocation. Act Act as the primary GSCGSC Philippines resource person for the operational processes, quality guidelines, governance & execution pertaining to to as the primary Philippines resource person for the operational processes, quality guidelines, governance & execution pertaining 3M's3M's product information management systems andand website development platforms in Asia, whilewhile aligning withwith local, regional & global product information management systems website development platforms in Asia, aligning local, regional & global practices. practices.
a corporation primarily engage in the business of of Nature of business: a corporation primarily engage in the business Nature of business: manufacture, production andand merchandising, whether domestically or or manufacture, production merchandising, whether domestically for export of cement, cement products andand by products, including its its for export of cement, cement products by products, including derivatives, andand anyany andand all kinds of minerals andand building materials derivatives, all kinds of minerals building materials Holcim Philippines, Inc.Inc. hereby declares thatthat the the above-named foreign national is able, willing, andand qualified to perform the the services andand job description Holcim Philippines, hereby declares above-named foreign national is able, willing, qualified to perform services job description for this position. TheThe company hashas the the intention to employ the the saidsaid foreign national andand apply for an Employment Permit withwith the the Department of of for this position. company intention to employ foreign national apply for Alien an Alien Employment Permit Department Labor and Employment (DOLE) Central Office DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, 1002, Philippines Labor and Employment (DOLE) Central Office DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, 1002, Philippines If there are are anyany objections or inquiries, please contact the the concerned DOLE Regional Office. If there objections or inquiries, please contact concerned DOLE Regional Office.
mustmust be abegraduate of aof4-year course. • Candidate Candidate a graduate a 4-year course. 1-2 1-2 years of customer service, technical support or content management • Minimum Minimum years of customer service, technical support or content management 3 years of experience within the GMSS Team • Minimum Minimum 3 years of experience within the GMSS Team Proficient in Microsoft Office software or Google SuiteSuite • Proficient in Microsoft Office software or Google in managing product information and/and/ or website management an advantage • Experience Experience in managing product information or website management an advantage
AnyAny Filipino jobseeker whowho is competent, ableable andand willing to perform the the services for which the the foreign national is intended to beto hired for, for, maymay file file an an Filipino jobseeker is competent, willing to perform services for which foreign national is intended be hired objection at Department of Labor andand Employment (DOLE) Central Office DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, objection at Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) Central Office DOLE Building, Muralla Wing corner, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, 1002, Philippines afterafter this this publication Manila, 1002, Philippines publication
Applications maymay be sent to: to: Applications be sent Name of Company HR:HR: JOHANNA MARIE R. SABATER Name of Company JOHANNA MARIE R. SABATER Email address: jrsabater@mmm.com Email address: jrsabater@mmm.com Company/ Employer Company/ Employer
Please inform Department of Labor andand Employment Bureau of Local Employment, if you havehave anyany information on criminal offenses committed by the Please inform Department of Labor Employment Bureau of Local Employment, if you information on criminal offenses committed by the foreign national. foreign national.
Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position
Company Name: Company Name:
Career Opportunity in ACEN TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC. Career Opportunity in ACEN TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC.
Name: Nguyen Nu Tran Y Y Name: Nguyen Nu Tran Address: Pasig CityCity Address: Pasig
3M Service Center APAC, Inc. Inc. 3M Service Center APAC, Complete address: Complete address:
Position title: PACKAGE MANAGER - WTG (1 Vacancy) Position title: PACKAGE MANAGER - WTG (1 Vacancy)
Nationality: Vietnamese Nationality: Vietnamese th , 19th,th19 , Floors Bonifacio Stopover Corporate Center, E-Square 18th18 period of employment: TwoTwo (2) year/s , Floors Bonifacio Stopover Corporate Center, E-Square Intended Intended period of employment: (2) year/s Information Technology ParkPark Bonifacio Global City,City, Taguig CityCity 16341634 Information Technology Bonifacio Global Taguig
JobJob Description: Description: •Ê •Ê Responsible for for planning, coordination, ensuring timely delivery, budget compliance, andand adherence to quality andand Responsible planning, coordination, ensuring timely delivery, budget compliance, adherence to quality safety standards. Provides leadership across thethe WTG package, coordinates with other project disciplines, andand drives safety standards. Provides leadership across WTG package, coordinates with other project disciplines, drives successful handover to operations. successful handover to operations. invoices, and variations while monitoring •Ê •Ê Responsible for managing schedules, budgets, resources, contractor Responsible for managing schedules, budgets, resources, contractor invoices, and variations while monitoring progress andand addressing delays or issues. progress addressing delays or issues. •Ê •Ê Responsible to to provide direction, manage interfaces with other project disciplines, ensure compliance with QAQA Responsible provide direction, manage interfaces with other project disciplines, ensure compliance with requirements, and drive timely closure of punch listslists andand non-conformances. requirements, and drive timely closure of punch non-conformances. •Ê •Ê Responsible to to coordinate with internal teams, contractors, andand other project packages, lead meetings, resolve Responsible coordinate with internal teams, contractors, other project packages, lead meetings, resolve interface issues, andand ensure effective contractor andand manpower performance. interface issues, ensure effective contractor manpower performance. •Ê •Ê Responsible in ensuring strict compliance with HSEHSE andand environmental requirements, promote safety work practices, Responsible in ensuring strict compliance with environmental requirements, promote safety work practices, andand implement lessons learned andand best practices to improve WTG package delivery. implement lessons learned best practices to improve WTG package delivery.
Nature of business: A domestic corporation engage in Shared Nature of business: A domestic corporation engage in Shared Services. Services. 3M Service Center APAC, Inc. Inc. hereby declares thatthat the the above-named foreign national is able, willing, andand qualified to perform the the services andand job job 3M Service Center APAC, hereby declares above-named foreign national is able, willing, qualified to perform services description for this position. TheThe company hashas the the intention to employ the the saidsaid foreign national andand apply for an Employment Permit withwith the the description for this position. company intention to employ foreign national apply forAlien an Alien Employment Permit Department of Labor andand Employment - National Capital Region located at 967 Maligaya Street, Malate, Manila. Department of Labor Employment - National Capital Region located at 967 Maligaya Street, Malate, Manila.
Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): •Ê •Ê Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Renewable energy, Construction management or any related field. Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Renewable energy, Construction management or any related field. •Ê •Ê Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in wind energy, installation, commissioning or large-scale renewable energy Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in wind energy, installation, commissioning or large-scale renewable energy projects, with demonstrated experience in managing activities, project schedules, budgets, resources andand project projects, with demonstrated experience in managing activities, project schedules, budgets, resources project deliverables. deliverables. •Ê •Ê Strong knowledge of WTG andand installation, commissioning, QA/QC, project controls, costcost management, riskrisk Strong knowledge of WTG installation, commissioning, QA/QC, project controls, management, management andand multidisciplinary interfaces. management multidisciplinary interfaces. •Ê •Ê Proven ability to provide leadership, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, manage manpower, monitor contractor Proven ability to provide leadership, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, manage manpower, monitor contractor performance, resolve andand interface issues, lead project meetings, andand effectively communicate progress, risks, andand performance, resolve interface issues, lead project meetings, effectively communicate progress, risks, recommendation to stakeholders. recommendation to stakeholders.
Career Opportunity in HCL TECHNOLOGIES PHILIPPINES, INC.INC. Career Opportunity in HCL TECHNOLOGIES PHILIPPINES, Position title:title: Associate ViceVice President Position Associate President Vacancy (1) (1) Vacancy JobJob Description: Description: LeadLead andand manage Business process operations andand transformation across Philippines, Portugal, Romania, USAUSA andand IndiaIndia manage Business process operations transformation across Philippines, Portugal, Romania, LeadLead andand manage service delivery operations, transition andand transformation for multiple voicevoice andand non-voice customer contact operations in in manage service delivery operations, transition transformation for multiple non-voice customer contact operations English and European languages and back office processes with resources spread in Philippines, Portugal, Romania, US US andand India. English and European languages and back office processes with resources spread in Philippines, Portugal, Romania, India. Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training):
599696911-v1\AP_DMS 599696911-v1\AP_DMS Place of Assignment: 35/F Ayala Triangle Gardens Tower 2, Makati Ave. Cor.Cor. Paseo De De Roxas, SanSan Lorenzo, Makati CityCity Place of Assignment: 35/F Ayala Triangle Gardens Tower 2, Makati Ave. Paseo Roxas, Lorenzo, Makati
domain expertise in voice andand non-voice business process operations. DeepDeep domain expertise in voice non-voice business process operations. on experience of managing SLAsSLAs andand KPIs.KPIs. Hands Hands on experience of managing management skillsskills involving multiple clientclient andand internal stakeholders. Program Program management involving multiple internal stakeholders.
Company/ Employer Company/ Employer
Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position
Company Name: Company Name:
Name: Proteek Ahuja Name: Proteek Ahuja
Complete address: Complete address:
Ê Ê
Taguig CityCity Address: Taguig Address: Nationality: Indian Nationality: Indian
6th 6th Floor, Science HubHub Tower 4 Campus Avenue corner TurinTurin Street, period of employment: TwoTwo (2) year/s Floor, Science Tower 4 Campus Avenue corner Street,Intended Intended period of employment: (2) year/s McKinley Hill Hill Cyberpark FortFort Bonifacio Taguig CityCity 16341634 McKinley Cyberpark Bonifacio Taguig Nature of business: A domestic corporation primarily engaged in the Nature of business: A domestic corporation primarily engaged in the business of providing information technology andand business process business of providing information technology business process outsourcing services to clients around the world and in the Philippines outsourcing services to clients around the world and in the Philippines HCLHCL Technologies Philippines, Inc.Inc. hereby declares thatthat the the above-named foreign national is able, willing, andand qualified to perform the the services andand job job Technologies Philippines, hereby declares above-named foreign national is able, willing, qualified to perform services description for this position. TheThe company hashas the the intention to employ the the saidsaid foreign national andand apply for an Employment Permit withwith the the description for this position. company intention to employ foreign national apply forAlien an Alien Employment Permit Department of Labor andand Employment - National Capital Region located at 967 Maligaya Street, Malate, Manila. Department of Labor Employment - National Capital Region located at 967 Maligaya Street, Malate, Manila.
1 1
Applications may be be sent to:to: Applications may sent Christadel Yvette L. Lacson Christadel Yvette L. Lacson yvette.lacson@acenrenewables.com yvette.lacson@acenrenewables.com
Applications maymay be sent to: to: Applications be sent Name of Company HR:HR: BLANCA GRACE VILAVILA Name of Company BLANCA GRACE Email address: blancagrace.vila@hcltech.com Email address: blancagrace.vila@hcltech.com
HCLHCL Technologies Philippines, Inc.Inc. Technologies Philippines,
Nationality: Algerian Nationality: Algerian Intended period of employment: oneone (1) years Intended period of employment: (1) years
Bo Ilang Bunawan Davao City,City, 80008000 Davao Del Del Sur Sur Bo Ilang Bunawan Davao Davao
Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training): Qualification (Education, Experience, Professional License, Skills Certification, Specialized Training):
Name: Abdelhalim HafidHafid Name: Abdelhalim Address: Davao CityCity Address: Davao
Holcim Philippines, Inc.Inc. Holcim Philippines,
JobJob Description: Description:
• • • • •
Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position Name of foreign national intending to apply for the position
Company Name: Company Name:
Hayward joined the board effective Aug. 10. He continues to serve as chairman of SierraCol Energy, Colombia’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production company. Prime Infra acquired SierraCol in March as part of its international expansion strategy, adding an upstream platform to its energy portfolio. “We welcome Tony to the board. His decades of experience across the global energy industry, particularly in upstream and international markets, will bring valuable perspective as we expand our portfolio, integrate new platforms such as SierraCol, and pursue opportunities that can create long-term value for Prime Infra,” Prime Infra chairman Enrique Razon Jr. said. Hayward has chaired SierraCol Energy since founding the company in 2020. He was group chief executive at BP from 2007 to 2010, after joining the energy giant in 1982 as a rig geologist. He later held various senior executive roles across BP’s exploration and production divisions. He also served as chairman of Swiss natural resources group Glencore from 2013 to 2021 and currently chairs several private firms. Hayward earned a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh and a bachelor’s degree in geology from Aston University in Birmingham, England. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a visiting professor at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Geosciences. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Edinburgh, Aston University, the University of Birmingham, and Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. “I am delighted to join the Prime Infra board as the company continues to expand its international presence,” Hayward said. “Prime Infra has built a strong track record in developing and operating critical infrastructure, and I look forward to contributing my experience as the company pursues further growth across the energy sector and beyond.” Prime Infra develops, invests in, and operates infrastructure Manila assets focused on essential utilities, energy security, and the energy Standard TODAY transition.
Company/ Employer Company/ Employer
1 1
Name of foreign national intending to apply forfor thethe position Name of foreign national intending to apply position
Company Name: ACEN TECHNICAL SERVICES, DAVID O’LEARY Company Name: ACEN TECHNICAL SERVICES, Name: Name: DAVID O’LEARY INC. Address: TheThe Picasso Boutique Service Residences 119119 LP Leviste St. St. INC. Address: Picasso Boutique Service Residences LP Leviste Salcedo Village Makati CityCity Salcedo Village Makati Complete IRISH Completeaddress: address:35/F 35/FAYALA AYALATRIANGLE TRIANGLE Nationality: Nationality: IRISH GARDENS TOWER 2, MAKATI AVE. COR. PASEO period of employment: (2) (2) years GARDENS TOWER 2, MAKATI AVE. COR. PASEO Intended Intended period of employment: years DE DE ROXAS, SAN LORENZO, MAKATI CITY ROXAS, SAN LORENZO, MAKATI CITY Nature of business: TECHNICAL SERVICES Nature of business: TECHNICAL SERVICES ACEN TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC. hereby declares thatthat thethe above-named foreign national is able, willing, andand qualified to to ACEN TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC. hereby declares above-named foreign national is able, willing, qualified perform thethe services andand jobjob description for for thisthis position. TheThe company hashas thethe intention to employ thethe saidsaid foreign national perform services description position. company intention to employ foreign national andand apply for for an an Alien Employment Permit with thethe Department of Labor andand Employment – Bureau of Local Employment apply Alien Employment Permit with Department of Labor Employment – Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) located at Intramuros, Manila. (BLE) located at Intramuros, Manila. If there areare anyany objections or inquiries, please contact thethe concerned DOLE Regional Office. If there objections or inquiries, please contact concerned DOLE Regional Office. Email: Email:
aep_applications@ble.dole.gov.ph aep_applications@ble.dole.gov.ph
Contact Number: 8528-0087 | 8528 -0108 Contact Number: 8528-0087 | 8528 -0108
CYAN CYANMAGENTA MAGENTAYELLOW YELLOWBLACK BLACK
BUSINESS
B3 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
extrastory2000@gmail.com
Top Line, Japan’s Jigowatts team up for EV charging By Jenniffer B. Austria
C
EBU-BASED Top Line Business Development Corp. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan-based Jigowatts Inc. to install electric vehicle charging stations across its network in the Visayas. Initial deployment is scheduled for the first half of 2027. Under the agreement, charging stations will be installed at select Light Fuels service stations, Bay Mall in Liloan, Cebu, and Pier88, Top Line’s smart port facility. “As electric mobility continues to develop, accessible charging infrastructure will play an important role in supporting more motorists who choose electric vehicles,” Topline Group chairman, president and chief executive Eugene Erik Lim said. “Through our collaboration with Topline Group, we look forward to bringing our electric vehicle charging expertise and solutions to the Philippines, while exploring practical charging options that can complement its existing services and help prepare its stations for the future of mobility,” Jigowatts chief executive Tomoki Shibata said. The partnership builds on
Topline Group’s earlier agreement with V-Green Charging Stations Philippines Inc. to establish EV charging and battery-swapping stations for VinFast e-scooters in Metro Cebu and Northern Cebu. The initiative aligns with Top Line’s long-term strategy to build versatile service stations Lim capable of serving both conventional and electric vehicles across the Visayas. Top Line currently operates 23 branded Light Fuels service stations in the Visayas, with another 27 stations set for rebranding. The company has also added value for customers through automated vehiclewash facilities at select locations and commercial space leasing. Headquartered in Tokyo, Jigowatts develops EV charging infrastructure and digital solutions, including AC and DC charging systems, charging management and payment platforms, and energy management technologies.
HEALTHY CHOICES CAMPAIGN. Rose Pharmacy general manager Michael So (third from left) leads officials
from Rose Pharmacy and RiteMed in launching the “Healthy Choices, Bigger Prizes” raffle promo during a media launch in Cebu City. The promotional campaign runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. Minerva Newman
BAI seeks P1-b subsidy for backyard ASF vaccines By Othel V. Campos THE Bureau of Animal Industry is seeking P1 billion next year to subsidize African swine fever vaccination for backyard hog raisers, following the approval of the country’s first commercially available ASF vaccine for fattening pigs. Agriculture undersecretary for Livestock Constante Palabrica said the proposed funding would make ASF vaccination more accessible to small-scale producers as the government steps up efforts to rebuild the national swine herd, which has been battered by years of disease outbreaks. The BAI has approved the commercial sale of AVAC ASF LIVE, a live, attenuated, gene-deleted, freeze-dried vaccine developed by AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Co. It is
the first ASF vaccine for fattening pigs cleared for public sale in the Philippines. The approval comes nearly seven years after ASF first hit the Philippines in 2019, cutting the national hog population to roughly 8 million heads from about 13 million before the outbreak. Palabrica said a second vaccine, PROVAC from South Korea, is undergoing BAI testing and could give hog raisers another option by next year against a virus that has repeatedly disrupted local pork production, particularly during the rainy season. ASF does not infect humans, but it can be devastating to pigs, forcing farmers to cull infected or exposed animals, disrupting restocking efforts, and discouraging producers from returning to hog farming. The BAI reported thatASF outbreaks
have reached 76 of the Philippines’ 82 provinces, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing the industry. The government is positioning vaccination as part of a holistic repopulation strategy that includes disease surveillance, biosecurity, movement control and targeted restocking to restore the swine population to pre-ASF levels. Palabrica noted that the collapse of the local hog herd has contributed to supply gaps and greater reliance on pork imports, while recurring outbreaks continue to threaten domestic production. “The availability of a commercially approved ASF vaccine is crucial to our repopulation program. It gives hog raisers another tool to protect healthy animals as we work to rebuild the industry and secure a more stable supply of pork,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.
Flooding, disasters expose faulty urban planning
—“—
Climate change will continue to highlight this deficiency ... THE continuous migration of workers to urban cities and inadequate infrastructure to support a growing population are always an invitation to disasters. That Metro Manila, Cebu and other capital regions in the Philippines often bear the brunt of natural calamities is no longer a surprise. The urban population has swelled but infrastructure has failed to catch up and respond to the needs of an expanding metropolis. Climate change will continue to highlight this deficiency, with more severe flooding and extreme weather now becoming the new normal. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. just this week ordered government agencies to fully implement climate change policies as the country faces increasingly severe rainfall, flooding and other impacts of extreme weather. Climate Change Commission Commissioner Albert Dela Cruz noted that some government agencies failed to heed the commission’s policies and recommendations, even though President Marcos sits as the body’s chairman. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Spokesperson Claire Castro stressed the urgency of addressing climate change, saying its effects were no longer an abstract issue but a growing reality for Filipinos. President Marcos wants Filipinos to understand that climate change could bring consequences beyond the intense rains and flooding recently experienced in several parts of the country. Castro, meanwhile, recognized the long-standing shortcomings in urban planning and infrastructure, adding that problems in Metro Manila and Cebu had persisted for nearly four decades despite existing master plans. Every administration has promised to improve roads and waterways to prevent floodwaters from overwhelming streets and damaging property. Unfortunately, the recurring flooding raised questions over the country’s flood-control and urban-planning systems. Castro was quick to defend the Marcos administration. The problems, she said, were not solely the result of decisions made under the current administration, noting that shortcomings in urban planning and infrastructure had accumulated over decades. There is truth in Castro’s remark. Most of the victims of flooding and landslides spawned by tropical storms live in slum-like conditions. They are the most vulnerable to disasters and are the victims of a poorly-planned megalopolis. In hindsight, the government could have mitigated the calamity had it planned the urbanization of Metro Manila and nearby towns well. As the United Nations pointed out in its sustainable
development goals, many cities are more vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters due to their high concentration of people and location. It added that instilling urban resilience was crucial to avoid human, social and economic losses. Building more flood control projects will partly mitigate flooding in the streets of Metro Manila and lowlying villages. They may not be enough, though, if the metropolis continues to accommodate more migrants from the provinces. A great number of people are lured to the capital region in search of jobs. The urban migration only worsens inequalities and poverty—and overwhelms the government’s capacity to provide social services and housing. The UN estimated that 1.1 billion urban residents in 2020 lived in slums or slum-like conditions, and over the next 30 years, an additional 2 billion people are expected to live in such settlements, mostly in developing countries. Most of the victims of flooding and landslides triggered by the tropical storm live in slum-like conditions. They are the most vulnerable to disasters and are the victims of a poorly-planned megalopolis. The cost of poorly planned urbanization, according to the UN, can be seen in some of the huge slums, tangled traffic, greenhouse gas emissions and sprawling suburbs all over the world. A growing population, the lack of mass transportation system and wide roads, and the continuous migration of workers from the provinces to Metro Manila have already created the perfect storm that is causing traffic mayhem in the whole of the capital region. Developing a sustainable city and one that the lessens the vulnerability to disasters–as the UN espouses—is not a Utopian vision. It can be done with proper urban planning. For one, the jobs should be close to the settlement to reduce travel stress and minimize accidents. Building a satellite city just outside Metro Manila or less than 100 kilometers from the metropolis makes better sense. The only way to improve the traffic situation and the quality of life in the capital region is through decongestion. Satellite cities will generate new jobs and can, perhaps, reverse the migration of workers to Metro Manila. By decongesting Metro Manila, the capital region can plan and respond better to the demand for infrastructure and social services of a growing population. New cities will hopefully address the urban blight in Metro Manila and make them more prepared against strong typhoons and natural disasters. E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com
TECH ROADSHOW. Naga College Foundation Inc. showcase robotics technology to mallgoers during the NCF TechXEd Roadshow at SM City Dasmariñas in Cavite on Aug. 29. The event was held as part of SM Supermalls’ Tech Month celebration, giving visitors and students a chance to interact with interactive service robots. Dennis Abrina
CCCI shifts focus to measurable impact, signs new strategic alliances By Minerva Newman THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry is moving beyond counting events to measuring actual results, placing a central focus on workforce certification, digital transformation and stronger inter-chamber ties. That was the primary message during CCCI’s third General Membership Meeting on Aug. 27 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, where business leaders, government partners and stakeholders gathered to discuss relevance, collaboration and competitiveness in a changing market. In his President’s Report, CCCI president Regan Rex King said the chamber is recalibrating how it tracks success. “Activity is not impact. As we move forward, we want to move from simply reporting, ‘This is what CCCI did,’ to being able to say: ‘This is what changed because CCCI did it,’” King said. Under the new framework, CCCI will assess programs based on poli-
cies improved, opportunities created, skills developed, businesses supported and tangible changes felt by members and communities. Keynote speaker Margot Torres, managing director of McDonald’s Philippines, spoke on “Built to Stay Relevant: Winning Customers, Building Strong Brands, and Growing in a Changing Market.” Torres stressed that trust, purpose and customer-focused innovation are key to staying competitive. She also pushed for collective action, noting that major societal challenges require the private sector, government and civil society to work together. Torres introduced Philippine Business for Social Progress, with executive director Elvin Uy sharing the organization’s work in health, education, environment, livelihood and inclusion. CCCI formalized collaborations and signed five new partnerships to expand member services in digital tools, education and professional development.
BUSINESS
B4
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 extrastory2000@gmail.com RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ, Editor ALENA MAE S. FLORES, Asst. Editor
DOF seeks 25% excise tax on luxury goods By Thony Rose Lesaca
T QUILL AWARDS. The PLDT Group is named Company of the Year at the 22nd Philippine Quill Awards, capping a strong showing with 21 wins, including eight awards of excellence and 13 awards of meritm for communication programs and initiatives across the organization. Organized by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines, the Philippine Quill Awards is the country’s premier awards program for excellence in business communication and public relations.
SEC tightens accreditation rules for external auditors By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has raised qualification and accreditation standards for external auditors and auditing firms to improve the quality and integrity of financial reporting. The SEC said Wednesday it approved the amendments to the accreditation guidelines for auditing firms and external auditors under Revised Rule 68 of the Securities Regulation Code. Under the new rules, government contractors will engage SEC-accredited auditors based on the value of
their government contracts. Corporate general contractors with a single government contract exceeding P750 million or cumulative contracts above P1 billion will need to engage Group A auditors. Contractors with single contracts of P500 million to P750 million or cumulative contracts of P750 million to P1 billion will need to tap Group B independent auditors. The rules will also cover certain large non-stock and nonprofit corporations, including foundations that receive more than P25 million in annual donations or maintain fund balances
IN BRIEF Visayas, Mindanao grids face red, yellow alerts
THE Visayas and Mindanao power grids operated under red and yellow alerts for several hours Wednesday after forced outages at multiple power plants severely constrained available electricity, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said. NGCP declared red alerts over the Visayas grid from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with available capacity at 2,205 MW falling short of the projected peak demand of 2,501 MW. The grid operator also raised yellow alerts in the region from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Grid operators said large coal-fired plants, including TVI Unit 1 and PEDC Unit 3, remained offline while power imports from Mindanao stayed limited. A total of 774 MW of generating capacity in the Visayas was unavailable due to derated plants and ongoing forced outages, comprising four outages in September, six since August and 16 others dating back to 2021. NGCP placed Mindanao under red alert from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with available capacity estimated at 2,526 MW against peak demand of 2,545 MW. The grid operator also declared yellow alerts in the region from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Key generation units, including GNPK Units 1 and 2 and TSI Unit 2, went offline in Mindanao amid a sharp rise in consumer demand. The region lost a total of 855.1 MW in supply due to seven plants on derated status and 29 others on forced outage. Alena Mae S. Flores
AirAsia MOVE secures IATA accreditation in PH
AIRASIA MOVE, a travel booking platform, has secured accreditation from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in the Philippines to strengthen its airline partnerships and expand travel options for passengers flying to and from the country. “Our IATA accreditation is already opening new doors for MOVE. Within the first few weeks, around 30 international airlines serving routes to and from the Philippines have granted us ticketing authority,” AirAsia MOVE Philippines country head Malou Japson said.
MOVE said the accreditation is part of its broader evolution into an integrated travel platform, offering flights, accommodations and other travel-related products through a single app. The platform provides access to more than 700 airlines serving 3,000 destinations worldwide, including direct partnerships with international carriers such as Etihad Airways, ANA and VietJet. Beyond air travel, MOVE offers more than one million hotels, as well as live events, attractions and other travel services. The company said the growing presence of online travel agencies such as MOVE could create additional opportunities for airlines, tourism businesses and other industry partners in the Philippines by expanding their digital reach and distribution channels. Darwin G. Amojelar and Othel V. Campos
Surigao hospital shifts to renewable energy
SURIGAO Doctors’ Hospital Inc. has shifted its entire power supply to renewable energy, becoming the first medical facility in Surigao del Norte and northeastern Mindanao to run solely on green power. The transition was made through a power supply agreement with First Gen Corp., the country’s largest renewable energy producer. Surigao Doctors and First Gen finalized all regulatory requirements late last month for the contract signed earlier this year. Under the deal, the hospital receives electricity directly from First Gen’s 108-megawatt Mount Apo geothermal plant in Kidapawan, North Cotabato. The companies signed the agreement under the government’s Green Energy Option Program, an initiative that allows electricity consumers with a minimum average peak demand of 50 kilowatts to source 100 percent of their power directly from licensed renewable energy suppliers. Surigao Doctors’ Hospital Inc. board chairman Dr. Roy Ycong said the hospital’s main goal was to cut electricity costs while maintaining a reliable power supply. “Our primary concern is to lower the cost of our electricity expenses while maintaining reliable power supply to ensure the optimum functionality of life-saving equipment critical in patient care,” Ycong said. Alena Mae S. Flores
above P100 million, which will fall under Group C auditors. The new rules raise qualification requirements for auditors seeking accreditation to ensure only auditors with sufficient experience handle regulated entities. Applicants for Group A accreditation should have at least five corporate clients, each with assets of at least P100 million. Group B applicants must have at least five clients with assets of at least P50 million each, while Group C applicants must have five clients with assets of at least P5 million each.
HE Department of Finance (DOF) is seeking to raise the excise tax on non-essential goods to 25 percent from 20 percent under the proposed Promoting Growth, Revenue, and Equity towards SocioEconomic Sustainability (ProGRESS) bill. The agency also wants to expand non-essential excise tax coverage to other high-value and discretionary goods, including private aircraft such as planes, jets and helicopters and private or recreational vessels such as jet skis, speedboats, sailboats and motorboats and other similar high-end vessels intended for pleasure, private use or sport. Department of Finance fiscal policy and planning director Johanna Hortinela said the current tax system does not impose a higher tax burden on luxury items and other non-essential goods, resulting in an equity gap and untapped revenue potential. Under the current Tax Code, a 20-percent excise tax applies to jewelry, perfumes and toilet waters, and yachts and other vessels intended for pleasure or sports. “The proposed changes aim to
Gov’t proposes P69.9-b budget for rice programs
CALAMITY MICROINSURANCE.
CashKO, the microinsurance subsidiary of Philippine insurtech firm RuralNet, scales its calamity microinsurance program nationwide to provide an immediate financial safety net for underserved Filipino households. During his speech at the 2026 Microfinance Council of the Philippines Inc. (MCPI) annual conference, Justin Arcenas, president and chief executive of CashKO, says demand for financial protection is evident in 2024 survey data showing 87 percent of MFI borrowers expressing interest in calamity protection and identifying typhoons as their primary concern.
PetroEnergy signs deal to sell 35% PetroWind stake to SMFL Mirai By Alena Mae S. Flores PETROENERGY Resources Corp. said it executed a term sheet with SMFL Mirai Partners Co. Ltd. on Wednesday for the proposed sale of a 35-percent stake in PetroWind Energy Inc. for P1.7 billion. The term sheet sets the principal terms of the proposed transaction and serves as the basis for negotiating a definitive share purchase agreement, shareholders’ agreement and related documents, PetroEnergy said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange. “The term sheet does not itself effect any sale or transfer of PWEI shares,” the company said. “Completion of the proposed transaction remains subject to the execution of the definitive agreements, satisfaction of conditions precedent and receipt of the necessary corporate and
strengthen the equity and progressivity of the excise tax system and generate additional revenues from highvalue discretionary consumption and are generally associated with greater purchasing capacity,” Hortinela said at the ProGRESS bill stakeholder briefing on Wednesday. The DOF earlier estimated that the ProGRESS bill would generate P518.71 billion in fresh revenues from tax reforms between 2027 and 2030, while granting P326.92 billion in tax relief, for a net gain of P191.77 billion. Under the ProGRESS bill, raising the tax-exempt income threshold to P350,000 from P250,000 would give low-to-middle earners annual savings of up to P15,000, while lower tax rates for the next income tiers would provide annual savings of about P17,500 for those earning above P350,000.
regulatory approvals,” it said. PetroEnergy said its board approved the term sheet with SMFL-MP on Aug. 27 for the proposed sale of 6,837,199 common shares of PWEI, which owns the 49.56-megawatt Nabas wind projects in Aklan province. PetroEnergy held a 60-percent stake in PWEI prior to the transaction, while PetroGreen Energy Corp. had 40 percent. Once the deal is completed, PetroGreen will retain its 40-percent shareholding, PetroEnergy will hold 25 percent and SMFL-MP will take 35 percent. PetroEnergy previously acquired all shares held by Thailand’s BCPG Wind Cooperatief U.A. in PWEI. The company entered into a share purchase agreement on Dec. 18, 2025 to acquire BCPG’s entire 40 percent equity interest, involving 7.81 million shares for about P1.9 billion.
THE national government is proposing a P69.9-billion budget for major rice programs under the 2027 National Expenditure Program to increase domestic rice production and raise the income and productivity of Filipino farmers, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Wednesday. The DBM said the proposal reflects a three-pronged rice strategy that aims to produce more rice domestically, strengthen farmers and improve access to affordable rice. Data showed that of the total, P29.9 billion will go to the Department of Agriculture’s National Rice Program, which will provide quality seeds, farm inputs, extension services and modern production technologies to boost rice farmers’ productivity and income. Another P30 billion will fund the extended and increased Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which will draw from tariffs collected on rice imports. The RCEF allocation includes P9 billion for rice farm machinery and equipment through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, P6 billion for rice seed development, propagation and promotion through the Philippine Rice Research Institute and P15 billion for other priority programs, activities and projects. The government will also spend P10 billion for the Rice for All Program, which will make affordable rice available to consumers through Kadiwa Centers and other accredited facilities nationwide. Thony Rose Lesaca
ERC defends billing practices after Ombudsman complaint By Alena Mae S. Flores
P2-TRILLION CAPITALIZATION. The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. (PSE) hosts a celebration on Sept. 1, 2026 to mark the unprecedented achievement of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICT) as the first domestic listed company to reach a P2-trillion market capitalization (MCAP). ICT achieved the feat when it closed with a P2.01 trillion MCAP on July 14, 2026. Its MCAP reached an all-time high of P.07 trillion on July 20, 2026, after ICT’s share price closed at a record 1,027.00. Shown during the event are (from left) PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon, ICTSI chairman and president Enrique Razon Jr. and PSE chairman Jose Pardo.
THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Wednesday defended its handling of electricity billing charges after a consumer advocacy group filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman. The National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms Inc. filed administrative and criminal complaints against ERC chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan and four commission members, alleging improper treatment of “line rental” charges in power bills. The ERC welcomed the Ombudsman’s review but said its rate-verifi-
cation processes follow established law. “The law places the power to review the Commission’s actions with the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, and we welcome that scrutiny,” Juan said. “We remain confident that our processes are grounded in law, and we are ready to have that record examined by any appropriate body,” he said. The ERC acknowledged Nasecore’s long-standing consumer advocacy but pushed back against certain demands, saying some requested documents contain confidential market data protected under agency rules.
Self-imposed deadlines set by private groups cannot dictate administrative or criminal liability for a quasi-judicial body, the ERC said, noting that official proceedings, public rate confirmations and judicial appeals remain open to intervenors. Line rental is not an added regulatory fee, according to the ERC. It serves as a settlement adjustment within the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market to account for grid transmission losses and congestion between generation points and delivery zones. The ERC said it had previously answered Nasecore’s written inquiries on July 13 and Aug. 4.
BINONDO
C1
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
extrastory2000@gmail.com
Firm helps PH traders navigate China market Q By Michael Wong Ho
UORIUM International Trade, a China-Philippines sourcing and trading company, is offering supplier verification, factory coordination and purchasing support to help Filipinos navigate cross-border trade.
Quorium International Trade founder Wendy Angela said many aspiring importers, overseas Filipino workers and small business owners are excited by opportunities they see online but hesitate because they do not know how to verify suppliers, communicate with Chinese factories or estimate total costs. “Many people wanted to start, but they were scared because they didn’t know how things really work here in China,” Angela said, recounting her experience after years living in the country and working first as an English teacher. She said her time in China gave her a close look
at how business relationships are built and where Filipino traders commonly run into trouble. Over time, she noticed many Filipinos wanted to trade with China, either sourcing goods for the Philippines or selling Philippine products there, but were held back by uncertainty and lack of knowledge. “My goal is to help Filipinos approach opportunities in China with better knowledge, stronger preparation and greater confidence,” she said. Quorium, registered in both China and the Philippines, aims to bridge the two markets. Services include supplier verification, factory coordination, purchasing support and broader trade assistance. The company also runs educational webinars designed to help Filipinos understand crossborder sourcing and international trade before committing capital. “Access to China is easier than ever thanks to online platforms and logistics services,” Angela said. “But access alone is not enough. What many need is guidance — how to find reliable suppliers, how to verify factories, how to calculate all costs and build a solid foundation before entering the market,” she said.
Quorium International Trade founder Wendy Angela (right) says many aspiring importers, overseas Filipino workers and small business owners are excited by opportunities they see online but hesitate because they do not know how to verify suppliers, communicate with Chinese factories or estimate total costs.
Filipino-Chinese groups donate rice to flood victims
Guangxi media tour highlights new China-ASEAN trade corridor THE Filipino At Tsino Magkaibigan Foundation, an initiative of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc (FFCCCII), donated rice to floodaffected residents of Barangay San Miguel and Manila’s 6th District. Barangay San Miguel Youth Council chairman John De Bries and Manila 6th District City councilor Elmer Par requested the donations. The foundation gave 300 bags of rice, each weighing 5 kilograms, to each of the two recipient groups. FFCCCII vice president Antonio Cosing presided over the turnover ceremonies, which De Bries, Par and other Filipino-Chinese community leaders attended. Michael Wong Ho
FFCCCII’s Filipino At Tsino Magkaibigan Foundation donates 300 bags of rice each to flood-hit residents of Manila’s Barangay San Miguel and 6th District.
UOS Travel wins tourism innovation award By Julie Ann Lope
UOS Travel Corp. won the Excellence in International Travel Services and Tourism Innovation award at the fourth Asian Pillar Award ceremony, held recently at Okada Manila, in recognition of its contributions to the travel and tourism industry. UOS Travel Corp. general manager Sheila Caneda received the medal and trophy on behalf of UOS Travel Corp. chief executive Jerry See during the ceremony.
UOS Travel Corp. wins the Excellence in International Travel Services and Tourism Innovation award at the 4th Asian Pillar Award ceremony at Okada Manila, recognizing its work as a B2B travel services provider.
UOS Travel is a business-tobusiness travel services provider that delivers reliable, affordable and high-quality tourism solutions to travel agency partners worldwide. The company initially served as the Philippine local marketing partner of Chinatee International, Around the World Travel Services, DTS Creation and Skystar. UOS Travel operates service centers in Manila and Cebu, providing competitive outbound group travel options for Filipino travelers. As the company expands its operations across more countries, UOS Travel Corp remains committed to supporting travel agencies and strengthening its outbound and inbound tourism services in the Philippines. UOS Travel’s offerings include all-inclusive group travel packages, ground transportation arrangements, hotel check-in assistance, airport pick-up and drop-off services, group airline ticket bookings and customized travel programs for leisure vacations and business trips.
NANNING, China — A six-day media tour showcasing Guangxi’s transportation infrastructure and its role in the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor began Sept. 1, bringing 34 journalists and content creators from 26 media organizations across ASEAN countries, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macao to the region. The tour, themed “Focusing on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, Shaping a New Blueprint for Thriving by the Sea,” is hosted by the Information Office of the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and organized by the China News Service Guangxi Branch and Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group Co., Ltd. Participants will get a firsthand look at the Pinglu Canal, which will link the Xijiang River to the Beibu Gulf and is scheduled to open to navigation this month. Guangxi is the only province-level region in China connected to ASEAN by both land and sea, serving as a gateway for Beijing’s cooperation with the bloc. The 134.2-kilometer waterway will connect the Xijiang River in the north to Beibu Gulf Port in the south. Once operational, it will shorten the sea-bound water route by 560 kilometers and cut logistics costs by about 20 percent compared with the route through Guangzhou Port.
By linking river, rail and sea transport, the canal is expected to create a faster trade route between China and ASEAN, easing the flow of goods from southwestern China into Southeast Asia and of ASEAN products into western China. It will also support expanded logistics services, including road-to-water transfer, bulk-to-container conversion, feeder shipping and cross-border logistics, while building a coordinated network linking river and sea ports. Officials said the canal’s opening will coincide with the China-ASEAN Expo and the ChinaASEAN Business and Investment Summit, adding momentum to trade and economic cooperation between the two sides. The project is also expected to gradually reshape logistics networks across the Asia-Pacific region, according to supply chain analysts cited by organizers. The delegation’s itinerary includes stops at China Railway Nanning Group, the ChinaASEAN Expo permanent exhibition hall and the AI Application Center in Nanning. In Qinzhou, participants will visit the Madao and Qingnian hubs, which house what organizers describe as the world’s largest inland water-saving ship lock and the fastest valve system of its kind, as well as the automated container terminal at Beibu Gulf Port. Michael Wong Ho
A media tour of 34 journalists from ASEAN, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macao explores Guangxi’s Pinglu Canal and its role in the New International LandSea Trade Corridor connecting China and ASEAN.
SHOWBIZ
C2
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer JASPER VALDEZ, Writer
FRONT ROW By Angelica Villanueva MORE than 8,500 concertgoers gathered at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, Aug. 30, as SB19 led a lineup of Filipino artists for the 10th anniversary of Acer Day. The five-member P-pop group headlined the Shift the Game concert, sharing the bill with 6cyclemind, Hey June!, Fitterkarma, Earl Agustin, El Manu, Jessy Kang, and Dionela. Television host Luis Manzano served as the night’s host. The lineup brought together artists from different corners of the local music scene, from established OPM bands to a newer generation of singers and performers. Janine Berdin also joined the program as a surprise guest. Another unexpected appearance came from singer-songwriter Jose Mari Chan, who arrived at the Big Dome just two days before September, a month closely associated with the start of the Philippines’ extended Christmas season. The OPM icon performed his holi-
At the Big Dome, SB19 leads a Filipino music lineup that brings together P-pop, OPM bands, solo acts, and surprise guests before more than 8,500 concertgoers
Janine Berdin joins the concert as a surprise guest, adding another OPM moment to a night headlined by fellow Filipino performers
An appearance by Jose Mari Chan turns the anniversary concert into an early holiday moment for the Araneta crowd
SB19, OPM acts take over Araneta for Acer Day concert day staple “Christmas in Our Hearts,” prompting an early Christmas moment inside the venue. He also performed his hit tracks “Tell Me Your Name,” “Beautiful Girl,” and “Please Be Careful With My Heart.” “In a few days, it will be September, and I hope and pray that the season of
Christmas will be in your hearts every day of the year,” Chan said. SB19 eventually took the spotlight as the evening’s headliner. Members Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin returned to the Araneta stage weeks after performing at Summer Sonic 2026 in Japan earlier in August.
The group was welcomed by thousands of Filipinos for its performances of “VISA,” “Dungka,” and “GENTO.” This year’s concert marked a pair of anniversaries for Acer. Acer Day reached its 10th year, while the technology company marked 50 years since its establishment. The celebration carried the regional
theme “Shift the Game,” which was used for activities across the Asia-Pacific. “Acer is constantly evolving to stay relevant to what our customers are passionate about, and that’s reflected in how Acer Day has grown to include both music and fitness,” Acer Philippines managing director Sue Ong-Lim stated.
Romnick Sarmenta calls out
‘conspiracy of silence’ in drug war drama By Jasper Valdez
R
OMNICK Sarmenta believes Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence raises a problem that goes beyond keeping quiet—the indifference that can follow when people distance themselves from what happened to others. The actor made the point while discussing the six-part crime drama, in which he plays Ramon Agustin, during the advance screening of its fourth episode at Cinema ’76 in Quezon City. “For me, that’s where the problem comes in. When major things happen, we end up with this conspiracy of silence, and that comes with indifference,” Sarmenta said. “It becomes, ‘If it didn’t happen to me, then it’s fine.’ But what about other people?” “At the very least, these things should be discussed,” he added. The Rein Entertainment and KC Global Media series follows Father Tom Carillo, played by Ian Veneracion, and police officer Yana Macabeo, played by Jane Oineza, as they investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Kiko Agustin, portrayed by Harvey Bautista. For Sarmenta, taking part in a project tackling a sensitive subject was less about being brave than being willing to confront the material. “We tend to measure courage by what we think the story is going up against. But if the story is true, then you have to put it out there,” he said. “It’s not about being braver. What is true? That’s where we should start.” He also said watering down the material could work against the stories the series is trying to tell. “If you tone it down, for lack of a better word, then it would no longer feel
At Cinema ’76 in Quezon City, Romnick Sarmenta (center) links the crime drama to a wider call for discussion, accountability, and concern for victims’ stories
From left: Romnick Sarmenta, Shugo Praico, Philip King, and Jonathan Guillermo invites viewers to confront silence and indifference
John Arcilla appears in ‘Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence,’ which follows the fallout of a killing
At London’s O2, Ariana Grande closes her ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tour
In the series, Ian Veneracion (left) and Jane Oineza follow the case of Kiko Agustin as the drama turns a violent death into a search for truth
truthful to the stories you’re trying to tell,” Sarmenta said. “I think everyone involved tried their best to make it as sincere as possible.” His comments also returned to the question of how people respond to experiences that are not their own. Sarmenta recalled how listening to people share personal experiences taught him to look beyond the instinct to distance himself from what happened. “When you hear that someone was wrongly identified, that should hurt. It shouldn’t be, ‘Good thing it wasn’t me.’ No. It can’t be that way. You have to recognize that it was wrong,” he said. Director Shugo Praico said encouraging that kind of discussion was one of the reasons behind the series. He said the production deliberately chose YouTube for its accessibility and because conversations could continue in its comment section. “One of our objectives in making this series was for that conversation to happen,” Praico said. Praico said the writing team also had to examine its own place in the period being depicted. “One of the early conversations we had in the writing team was, ‘Where were we when this was happening?’” he said. “We hope that when viewers watch it, they go through that same introspection.” For Sarmenta, that discussion is already reason enough for the story to be told. “I’d like to think that it gives a voice to an issue,” he said. “An issue that should have been discussed a long time ago.” The series is streaming worldwide on Rein Entertainment’s YouTube channel, with episodes released weekly.
Fans mourn ‘bittersweet’ final Ariana Grande gig in London ARIANA Grande fans said the US pop star’s final London concert Tuesday before a career break would be a bittersweet moment, while slamming “toxic” comments about her very thin frame. Some anticipated tears at her last concert at London’s O2 venue after her team said she wants to “step back” amid public concern over her weight. Grande will complete a 10-night residency at the arena to end her Eternal Sunshine tour, which began in June in the United States. The 33-year-old singer and actress, who starred in the Wicked movies, has always been slim and petite, but a video for her song
“Petal” released in July showed significant weight loss, prompting concern from fans. Days later, her representative told People magazine she wanted to take a “step back from visibility” after her appearances had “led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.” Producers also announced she was dropping out of her West End debut in Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George. Grande described the decision as “thoughtful and empowered.” The tour has been acclaimed by critics, with the BBC calling it a “bravura performance,” while the Guardian wrote that it was impossible to see Grande’s
frame on stage without “genuine concern. Grande has called body-shaming comments “really dangerous.” Concert-goers defended her privacy while acknowledging that concern was normal. Grande began her career as a teen on Broadway before becoming a successful pop star. In 2017, an Islamist extremist detonated a suicide bomb at her Manchester Arena concert, killing 22 people, including seven children. She later returned to headline a benefit concert for victims. Her role as Glinda in Wicked earned her an Oscar nomination in 2025. She is set to appear in Focker-in-Law with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, which hits cinemas in November. AFP
SHOWBIZ
C3
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
Ted talks on Lea Salonga’s star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame honors Lea Salonga in the Live Performance category for her decades-long international career Lea Salonga becomes the first Filipino to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
EA Salonga deserves to be the first Filipino to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame come Sept. 4 (Sept. 5 in Manila).
L
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the governing body that sets the criteria and nominating process for an achiever to obtain it, did the right thing in awarding the first Asian to win a Tony Award, among her other globally acknowledged accomplishments. Hats off to the individuals who took the bold-
est steps to making it an actuality. I recently got in touch with one of them, Ted Benito. He is the prominent Filipino-American entertainment producer and community leader who believes that Lea “breaks the ceiling” with her latest accolade, a defining one that reminds everyone of the magnitude of her brilliant body of work. “Fortunately, the Chamber secured a space in front of the prestigious Pantages Theater, which is so fortuitous and so well deserved by Lea, particularly for the category she was nominated in,” said the beloved figurehead, who had not been to such a ceremony even if, as he noted, he’s born and raised in Los Angeles.
the overall global world of entertainment.” Lea’s Star undoubtedly opened the possibility of other artists from the Philippines to be worthy of such an honor. Nicole Scherzinger and Jo Koy, both with Filipino roots, are reportedly getting their own Stars next year. Ted, who is the executive director of Apl.de.ap Foundation International, further commented, “Anyone who embraces their Filipino identity, heritage and culture should be supported in positive ways as part of our agenda to elevate and uplift our talents in the areas or fields they practice, whether in entertainment, sports, business, medicine, politics, food, etc.” “Their elevation draws our support because we know the difficulties of Filipinos, and other ethnic groups, to compete and become successful on the local, state and national stages. They make us proud to be Filipino and make us feel they are shining a spotlight on all of us,” he added. Ted Benito’s father was a “manong” (a term used for first-generation Filipino immigrants to America) who came in the early 1930s as part of a labor force drawn to possibilities in the US, while his mother belongs to the second wave of Filipino immigrants. The efforts to secure Lea Salonga the Hollywood star ensure we won’t have to worry that someone else beat the most deserving to the chase
AI gets its big-screen moment at Venice Film Festival
Tanduay First Five packs venues across Visayas and Mindanao OPM veterans, rising stars, and thousands of music fans shared the spotlight as Tanduay First Five wrapped its multi-city concert run across Visayas and Mindanao. The concert series drew packed crowds at the Grand Capital Mall Open Grounds in Iloilo, SM Seaside City Cebu Concert Grounds in Cebu, and Davao Crocodile Park & Zoo. Tanduay Digital brand manager Edzel Ty said this year’s edition stood apart by bringing new-generation and old-school bands and artists together for live collaborations. The concerts attracted audiences ranging from millennials to Gen Z, making the tour one of the brand’s most memorable. One of the biggest moments came in Davao, where hip-hop artists Skusta Clee and Flow G joined rock bands Kamikazee and Parokya ni Edgar onstage. Zack Tabudlo and December Avenue also drew enthusiastic crowds during the other legs, performing hits that had fans singing along. Ty said the concert series was designed to create spaces for creativity, self-expression, and shared experiences, while acknowledging the support of Tanduay customers and OPM fans. Organizing a multi-city tour featuring five acts presented its own challenges, but the concerts ran smoothly and drew strong attendance. The response has already prompted fans to ask when and where the next Tanduay First Five will take place. Ty said social media was filled with requests to stage the concert in more cities, hinting that another edition could happen next year after the event was initially planned as a one-time tour. Meanwhile, Tanduay is expected to announce its new Calendar Girl by the end of 2026. Tanduay First Five was conceived as a way for the brand to thank its loyal customers. Ty said Tanduay’s century-long presence in the industry has been sustained by its customers, allowing the company to continue crafting spirits that represent the country’s heritage. Tanduay fans can follow the brand’s official so-
Lea’s Star is linked to the category of Best Live Performance, which includes theater. Many of us grew up knowing and feeling proud that she landed and acted the role of Kim in the West End production of Miss Saigon in, yes, 1989. We’ve been kind of expecting this to happen since then. According to Ted, whose extensive work includes producing Martin Nievera’s 40th Anniversary Concert at the prestigious Walt Disney Concert Hall, Lisa Lew, executive producer of the Manila International Film Festival, approached him to submit a list of candidates to the Chamber for consideration. Their tandem was crucial to getting the voice behind Disney’s Princess Jasmine (in Aladdin, 1992) and Mulan (title role, 1998) the Star. By the time this column piece is published, Lea may have officially received her star on the Walk of Fame. Actress Ming-Na Wen is expected to speak in honor of the lady singer in the “A Whole New World” duet that won Best Original Song at the Oscars. Ted pointed out, “I believe that Filipinos are extremely talented in a multitude of ways, but more so in the creative and performing arts.” He explained, “To me, the Star represents an achievement in a business that only happens through the appreciation of the artists’ fans. The fans and supporters of our talents, both in front of and behind the camera, are the ones who make the difference in making our artists feel they are part of
Parokya ni Edgar joins the lineup of seasoned and new-generation OPM acts featured in the multi-city Tanduay First Five concert run
December Avenue is known for hit tracks ‘Kung ‘Di Rin Lang Ikaw’ and ‘Sa Ngalan ng Pag-ibig’
OPM singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo performs some of his hits at the Tanduay concert stage
cial media accounts for announcements and updates. Its products are available through its official e-commerce site, shots.ph, as well as liquor stores and supermarkets nationwide.
THE Venice Film Festival’s artistic director stressed the creative potential of artificial intelligence on Tuesday ahead of the premiere of a documentary made entirely with the technology at the Italian event. In an AFP interview on the eve of the festival, Alberto Barbera acknowledged the danger but also the capabilities of the emerging technology that has caused panic as well as excitement across a wide swathe of industries. “There’s both danger and advantage. The fact is that up to now we’ve seen a great many interventions on artificial intelligence driven by fear, by concern over the negative impact AI might have on the whole of humankind, on professional aspects, on copyright, on artists’ image and so on and so forth,” he said. Besides understanding how to control the powerful technology, people need to ask how it can “begin to harness the extraordinary potential of this unprecedented technology,” he said. The technology enables artists and directors “to achieve things that until now were not possible,” he added. The prestigious festival on the Venice Lido has programmed a documentary made entirely with AI—Be Brave from Italian director Francesco Carrozzini, which centers on the founder of jeans
The Venice Film Festival will premiere a documentary made entirely with AI to highlight the technology’s creative potential
brand Diesel, Renzo Rosso. Barbera called it “a very interesting experience.” In the film’s line notes, Carrozzini said that the choice to use AI for his documentary about the fashion “provocateur” made sense. “It does so through an experimental and provocative encounter with the ultimate frontier of our time: Artificial Intelligence.” The festival, which begins on Wednesday, will also host an international symposium—with George Clooney on the panel—to discuss what the technology means for the industry. Movie industry workers remain, as a whole, opposed to artificial intelligence, fearful of its potential to kill off jobs for animators, scriptwriters, and eventually actors. The director of the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Fremaux, came out against AI at this year’s festival in May, saying it stood with movie industry personnel whose jobs were at risk. But the festival also programmed a documentary by Oscar-winning Traffic director Steven Soderbergh about John Lennon and Yoko Ono, which included some visually jarring AI-generated graphics. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, a special effects specialist, told festival goers there that he thought AI was “going to destroy the world,” but when it came to film, “I don’t dislike it at all.” AFP
LIFE
C4
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer JASPER VALDEZ, Writer
PEOPLE
Embracing imperfection
Charlie Dizon refuses to play by society’s beauty rules
Charlie Dizon encourages women to feel comfortable with the qualities that make them different
By Nickie Wang
W
HAT does it take to be considered beautiful? For decades, women have been handed a long list of expectations, from flawless skin and youthful features to the right body shape, clothes, and makeup. Social media has only made those standards harder to ignore.
Celebrities McCoy De Leon (left) and Charlie Dizon (right) join Dr. Kei George Rebolledo (center) in promoting healthy skin and a less perfection-driven approach to beauty
The aesthetic clinic’s ‘Bare. Nothing to Hide’ campaign promotes natural beauty and healthy skin
Charlie Dizon knows those pressures all too well. Entering showbiz at a young age, the award-winning actress learned how easy it was to compare herself with the women around her and wonder whether she measured up. “When I was starting out, I think it’s natural to compare yourself to everyone around you,” Dizon says. “You see so many beautiful, talented women, and you start wondering if you’re enough.” The pressure to fit a particular image was real, but years in the industry changed Dizon’s view of beauty. She learned that confidence does not come from meeting someone else’s standard. It comes from becoming comfortable with what makes you different. “The more comfortable I became with who I am, the more confident I felt, and I think that’s the kind of beauty that really lasts,” she explains. That confidence did not arrive in an instant. Dizon admits that insecurities remained, but experience and selfacceptance taught her how to manage them. “Confidence isn’t about never doubting yourself, it’s about choosing to show up anyway,” she asserts.
Her outlook has also changed as she entered a new chapter as a wife while continuing to build her career. Marriage, she says, has given her a greater sense of security and peace, reminding her that she does not have to constantly prove herself through her work or appearance. Having experienced the scrutiny that comes with being in the public eye, Dizon remains conscious of separating who she is from the image audiences see on screen. Acting, she says, was never simply about looking good. It was about telling stories and connecting with people. “I’d rather be remembered for how I treated people, the work I did, and the kind of person I am,” she relates. Her roles have reinforced that belief. Playing different characters has shown Dizon that the most memorable women are not necessarily the most glamorous. Their beauty can come from strength, kindness, and vulnerability. It is a philosophy that makes Dizon a natural face for Kutis By Kei’s “Bare. Nothing to Hide.” campaign, which embraces authenticity and challenges the pressure to appear perfect. “When I first heard the campaign
message, what came to mind was being comfortable enough to show up as your real self,” she says. “Not pretending to be perfect, not hiding your flaws, and not feeling like you have to meet everyone’s expectations.” With social media making comparison almost impossible to avoid and perfection appearing within reach, Dizon hopes women will learn to be kinder to themselves. She acknowledges that insecurities are part of being human but believes they should never determine how someone sees their own worth. “Don’t let comparison steal your confidence,” she maintains. “Likes and comments don’t measure your worth or how closely you match someone else’s idea of beauty.” Dizon’s message is simple: give yourself permission to step outside the mold. Beauty does not require perfection, and confidence does not mean having no doubts. Sometimes, it means choosing to be seen exactly as you are. “Your imperfections don’t make you less beautiful, they make you real. And there’s something incredibly beautiful about being authentically yourself,” the actress remarks.
The actress emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and confidence over societal beauty standards
Kutis By Kei founder and chief executive officer Dr. Kei George Rebolledo said the “Bare. Nothing to Hide” campaign encourages people to embrace healthy skin and feel confident without relying on filters or heavy makeup. “Bare. Nothing to Hide is about being comfortable in your own skin. You don’t have to hide every imperfection to feel beautiful or confident,” Rebolledo said.
“The best image you can show the world is clear and healthy skin,” he added. “When your skin is healthy, you feel more confident, and that confidence shows.” Learn more about the “Bare. Nothing to Hide” campaign by following Kutis By Kei on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, or calling 0949 752 0660. Kutis By Kei clinics are located in Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Parañaque.
Connectivity finds a place in how people live, move, and play By Jasper Valdez FOR many Filipinos, being connected no longer ends with having mobile data or Wi-Fi at home. The same connection now follows people while they travel, exercise, watch shows, or simply try to get help when something goes wrong. That wider view of connectivity emerged during the latest edition of The Blueprint, where Globe presented a mix
of services and partnerships built around how people spend their day rather than around network access alone. “We’ve seen how Globe can make connectivity more valuable. But it becomes even more powerful when it connects people to the possibilities that matter to them,” said Chelo Flores, director for marketing strategic partnerships. “That’s the thinking behind our strategic partnerships: bringing connecGlobe Broadband Business vice president and head Abigail Cardino emphasizes how connectivity can enhance various aspects of daily life
Globe executives outline how mobile, broadband, travel, entertainment, and other digital services are being shaped around the changing habits of Filipino user
The latest edition of The Blueprint brings together Globe leaders to discuss services designed around how customers work, travel, exercise, and consume entertainment
tivity closer to the way Filipinos actually live.” Among the areas discussed were entertainment, fitness, travel, and transportation. For mobile viewing, Globe partnered with short-form drama platform ReelShort, whose vertical episodes are designed for quick viewing on phones. Flores described the format as easy to fit into breaks, commutes, or longer viewing sessions. Fitness is another area getting folded into the connected experience through Strava. Globe will offer subscription vouchers for the fitness platform through GlobeOne, including a seven-day option. The partnership is aimed at users who track activities such as running, cycling, and other forms of exercise. “Every goal is different, but the most important thing is to get started and take steps toward reaching that goal,” Flores said. Artificial intelligence also figured into the discussion, with Meta AI
Globe expands its digital entertainment offerings through a partnership with ReelShort as short-form mobile viewing gains ground among Filipino audiences
highlighted as a tool already available through Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Rather than presenting AI as a separate activity, the idea is to make it available within platforms people already use for communication and content. Travelers, meanwhile, are being given more flexibility over mobile data. Paula Rivera-Castillo, senior director for international business, introduced changes that allow unused GoRoam data to be used after a traveler returns to the Philippines. Roam Surf Global packs can also remain valid for up to 12 months, allowing remaining data to be used on succeeding trips. “We’re addressing two particular pain points: wasted gigs and the hassle of having to subscribe over and over again,” Rivera-Castillo said. At home, the same shift is visible in broadband services that bundle connectivity with benefits tied to travel and entertainment. “Connectivity is not just about being connected,” said Abigail “Abby”
Cardino, vice president and head of Globe Broadband Business. “It’s about what you can do, enjoy, experience, and share because you are connected.” The event also touched on electric mobility through Green GSM, satellite connectivity for areas beyond traditional network coverage, and Globe Circle, which offers added support and benefits to customers using both mobile and home internet services. The range of services reflects how much of daily life now happens through a connection. Watching a show, tracking a workout, using AI, traveling abroad, or staying online in areas with limited coverage all rely on the same basic access, but the expectations around that access are changing. Chief commercial officer Darius Delgado tied that shift to personalization. “Connectivity is now part of how we live, move, work, play, and discover,” Delgado said. “If it’s not personalized, it’s not more. It’s not as relevant.”