052226 - New York and New Jersey Edition

DATELINE USA

New York tests cityowned grocery model as food prices remain high

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration says the program will use public sites and private grocery operators to lower costs on staple goods in selected neighborhoods

by AJPress

NEW YORK — New York City is moving forward with a municipal grocery-store program that will test whether public ownership of retail space can help lower the cost of basic food staples in neighborhoods where grocery access and affordability remain persistent concerns.

The program, called N.Y.C. Groceries, is being led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation. The city has committed $70 million in capital funding to support construction and fit-out costs for five grocery stores, one in each borough, with priority given to city-owned sites.

City officials have identified two locations

Senate impeachment court opens proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte

The vice president has until June 1 to answer the summons, after the Senate formally convened as an impeachment court on May 18

by AJPress

ing one of the country’s most closely watched political cases from the House of Representatives to the chamber constitutionally empowered to try impeachment complaints.

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano

DNC releases 2024 election review while rejecting its findings

Party chair Ken Martin said the long-delayed report did not meet his standards, but released it after months of criticism over the party’s handling of its post-election review.

by AJPress

WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee has released a long-delayed review of the party’s 2024 election defeat, even as its chair cautioned Democrats and the public not to treat the document as an endorsed or fully verified assessment of what went wrong.

DNC Chair Ken Martin said Thursday, May 21, that he was making

the report public “in its entirety, unedited and unabridged,” after months of pressure from party members who had called for a fuller accounting of the Democratic Party’s losses in the 2024 campaign. In his statement, Martin said the DNC added annotations where claims could not be verified because source material had not been provided. Martin’s statement accompa-

Pia Cayetano takes over Senate blue ribbon committee

The leadership change places one of the chamber’s most powerful investigative panels under new management as the Senate reorganizes under Alan Peter Cayetano’s presidency.

by AJPress

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as

the Senate, saying she was accepting the post and thanking the Senate leadership for the trust. Reports also said she was elected chairperson of the committee, marking her return to a position she previously held.

The blue ribbon committee, formally the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, has juris-

Cayetano confirmed her designation in a statement released by u PAGE 2

opened the proceedings on Monday, May 18, with senators sitting as judges in the case. The action marked the formal start of the Senate impeachment court process, but not the immediate beginning of evidentiary hearings.

Philippine Senate shake-up puts Cayetano’s fragile majority under watch

Speculation over a possible counteralignment has kept attention on the Senate’s fragile majority, but Alan Peter Cayetano remains Senate president as the chamber moves through Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

by AJPress

MANILA — The Philippine Senate’s leadership uncertainty deepened this week as Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano remained in control of the chamber while fresh remarks from Sen. Erwin Tulfo gave public weight to speculation that rival blocs are still testing whether another 13-vote majority can be assembled. Cayetano’s hold on the Senate presidency

DOJ orders arrest of Sen. Dela Rosa after Supreme Court declines to block ICC warrant

The directive clears the NBI and PNP to move on the warrant while the high court continues to consider the broader legal challenge.

by AJPress

MANILA — The Department of Justice has directed the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police to arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa after the Supreme Court declined to temporarily stop enforcement of an International Criminal Court warrant against him.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said Thursday that the warrant may now be en-

F rom the F ront P age

Senate impeachment court ...

PAGE 1

Duterte faces articles of impeachment approved by the House of Representatives on May 11. The allegations include misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth and threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The allegations remain unproven unless established before the impeachment court. Duterte has denied wrongdoing and has described the case as politically motivated.

The Office of the Vice President received the Senate impeachment court summons on Wednesday, May 20. Under the impeachment court rules cited by Cayetano, Duterte has 10 calendar days from service of summons to file her answer. Because the 10th day falls on Saturday, May 30, the deadline moves to the next working day, Monday, June 1.

The date sequence has been a source of public confusion. May 18 was the date the Senate convened as an impeachment court. May 20 was the date the summons was served. June 1 is the deadline for Duterte’s answer. Those dates do not mean full trial hearings began on May 18. The Senate must still proceed through pleadings, possible replies, pretrial arrangements and scheduling before the presentation of evidence.

After Duterte files her answer, the House prosecution

panel may submit a reply within the period allowed by the impeachment court rules. Senators are then expected to settle procedural matters, including the calendar for the next phase of proceedings.

A July trial date has been discussed publicly, but the operative schedule remains dependent on the completion of pleadings and orders of the impeachment court.

The case follows an earlier impeachment controversy that reached the Supreme Court. On April 29, the Court dismissed a petition seeking to compel the Senate to immediately convene as an impeachment court. The Court said the Constitution does not impose an exact date for the Senate to begin trial and that the term “forthwith” must be understood within a reasonable time, taking into account preparatory acts required before trial. At the same time, the Court cautioned that the Senate must avoid undue delay.

The new proceeding arises from the House’s May 11 vote to impeach Duterte and transmit the case to the Senate. The House said the complaint was approved by a vote of 257-25-9, sending the articles of impeachment to trial before senator-judges.

If convicted, Duterte may be removed from office and barred from holding public office. Conviction requires the concurrence of two-thirds of all members of the 24-seat Senate, or at least 16 senators.

Pia Cayetano takes over ...

diction over inquiries involving alleged malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance by public officers and employees. It may also investigate matters of public interest brought to the Senate’s attention.

The leadership change comes after Alan Peter Cayetano was elected Senate president, triggering a broader reshuffle of committee assignments in the chamber. Before the change, Lacson had chaired the blue ribbon panel while Pia Cayetano served as a member.

Lacson had led the committee during high-profile inquiries involving alleged irregularities in government projects and public spending.

The case now moves through the Senate against the backdrop of the Marcos-Duterte rupture. The two ran as allies in 2022 before tensions over governance, confidential funds and political direction hardened into open conflict. Marcos has said the impeachment process belongs to Congress.

The impeachment court also opened days after a dramatic Senate leadership change. Cayetano replaced Vicente “Tito” Sotto III as Senate president on May 11, the same day the House voted to impeach Duterte. The shift occurred against the backdrop of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s brief reappearance in the Senate and later absence from public view.

Dela Rosa’s status adds another layer of uncertainty to the proceedings, given the ICC warrant against him and his absence from public view. His possible role as a senator-judge may still be shaped by procedural questions.

The impeachment case remains in its procedural stage, with Duterte’s answer expected to define the next steps before the Senate court. Beyond the immediate filings and scheduling questions, the proceeding now tests whether the chamber, sitting as a constitutional tribunal, can separate legal judgment from political alignment in a case with consequences for the vice presidency, the 2028 political landscape and public confidence in the rule of law. n

Philippine Senate shake-up

follows the May 11 leadership change that removed Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and installed Cayetano as the chamber’s new presiding officer. The Senate vote was reported at 13-9-2, underscoring the narrowness of the new majority.

The numbers remain decisive. In the 24-member Senate, 13 votes are enough to elect or replace a Senate president. Cayetano’s ascent depended on that margin, making his leadership vulnerable if even a small number of senators move to another bloc.

The speculation gained new force after Tulfo said attempts to change the Senate leadership were continuing and described the numbers as “tempting.” Tulfo said the situation could shift if “only one person has to make a step,” a remark that underscored how closely the chamber’s blocs are watching one another. His comments added an on-record basis to the broader political chatter, although they do not by themselves establish that a formal challenge has been launched or that Cayetano has lost majority support.

Political reports and Senate discussions have pointed to continuing questions over whether a counteralignment could replace him. Among the names surfacing in those discussions are Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Sher-

win Gatchalian. Escudero, a former Senate president, has been mentioned in connection with a possible return to the post, while Gatchalian’s name has also emerged in public discussion of possible alternatives. No formal vote has been held, and no official leadership change has displaced Cayetano.

Former Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri was earlier floated in political reports as a possible alternative, but more recent accounts have placed greater attention on Escudero and Gatchalian. The available public record does not establish that Zubiri is currently leading or actively organizing a challenge.

The speculation intensified as the Senate moved through a broader reorganization of committee leadership following the change at the top. The unsettled committee landscape has added to scrutiny of how the chamber’s new majority is consolidating control and whether its internal alliances will hold.

The leadership uncertainty is unfolding as the Senate formally opened Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial process on May 18, when it convened as an impeachment court. The case remains in its early procedural stage. Duterte faces allegations involving misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth and threats

against political figures, which she denies and has described as politically motivated.

The chamber’s political balance is now central to how the impeachment proceedings are being read. Conviction in an impeachment trial requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate, meaning bloc alignments could affect the practical difficulty of securing a judgment even as senators are expected to sit as judges in a constitutional process.

The leadership shift also unfolded after Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa briefly reappeared in the Senate before again dropping from public view. Dela Rosa, a Duterte ally and former national police chief, is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity tied to the drug war under former President Rodrigo Duterte. He denies wrongdoing and has challenged the warrant.

For now, the Senate remains politically unsettled, but no second leadership change has been completed. The chamber continues to operate under intense scrutiny, both as a legislative body and as an impeachment court.

The immediate test is not only who holds the gavel, but whether the Senate can preserve institutional credibility while its own leadership remains the subject of open political maneuvering. n

DOJ orders arrest of Sen. Dela Rosa

1

Senate records show that on May 4, 2026, he filed a resolution directing the blue ribbon committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into reported massive corruption in the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The committee is among the Senate’s most visible panels because its hearings can compel testimony, examine public records and shape legislation after investigations. Its findings, however, are legislative in nature and do not by themselves determine criminal liability, which remains within the authority of courts and prosecutorial agencies. Cayetano’s assumption of the post gives her control over

the committee’s agenda, hearing calendar and handling of pending or future inquiries. As chair, she will be positioned to determine which matters move forward, which hearings are scheduled and how the panel frames its reports.

The change carries political weight because it places one of the Senate’s most powerful investigative committees under new leadership during a broader reorganization of the chamber. With Lacson out and Cayetano now at the helm, the blue ribbon committee’s direction will be judged less by the reshuffle itself than by how it handles pending inquiries, new referrals and future investigations.. n

forced, following the high court’s denial of Dela Rosa’s request for a temporary restraining order or status quo ante order. The Supreme Court voted 9-5-1 to deny interim relief, leaving the main constitutional and jurisdictional issues for further resolution.

Vida described Dela Rosa as a “fugitive from justice” and said authorities had leads on his whereabouts, though he declined to disclose operational details. He also warned that anyone helping the senator evade arrest could face legal consequences.

The NBI said it would act “without delay.” PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police would perform its mandate under existing laws, due process

and established operational procedures, and assured the public that any action would respect constitutional rights.

The Supreme Court’s action did not resolve the broader challenge to ICC enforcement in the Philippines, but it removed any interim restraint preventing law enforcement agencies from acting on the warrant.

Dela Rosa’s whereabouts remained publicly unconfirmed. He had been under Senate “protective custody” from May 11 to May 14 before leaving the premises before dawn on May 14, after a tense episode at the Senate compound involving gunfire and law enforcement presence. His brief return to the Senate has drawn scrutiny because it came during the leadership vote that installed Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as

...

Senate president. In an interview on GMA’s “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” Dela Rosa said Cayetano had asked him to return to the Senate because his presence was needed for the vote. He also said a van had been arranged to bring him to the chamber.

Dela Rosa’s account places his return within the Senate leadership contest, but it does not, by itself, establish the purpose of the reorganization. The confirmed sequence is limited to his appearance at the chamber, his participation in the vote and Cayetano’s election as Senate president.

The Supreme Court has not issued a final ruling on the broader constitutional questions, but with no temporary restraint in place, the Justice Department has moved from argument to enforcement. n

DHS proposes $18,000 fee for certain immigrants ordered removed after missed court hearings

The proposed rule would raise an existing fee from $5,130 and would apply only to noncitizens ordered removed in absentia who are later arrested by ICE.

by AJPress

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The Department of Homeland Security is proposing to raise a federal immigration enforcement fee to $18,000 for certain noncitizens who are ordered removed after failing to appear in immigration court and are later arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The proposal, published by the Federal Register on May 20, would increase the existing fee from $5,130 to $18,000. DHS said the amount is intended as partial reimbursement for the cost of arresting people with removal orders issued in absentia, the legal term for proceedings decided when a person does not appear. Public comments are due June 22.

The proposed rule is narrower than some headlines suggest. It is not a general fine on all immigrants, all undocumented immigrants or all people facing deportation. Under the proposal, the fee

would apply to noncitizens who are ordered removed in absentia under federal immigration law and are subsequently arrested by ICE. The fee would not apply if the in absentia removal order is rescinded.

Congress created the underlying fee in Public Law 119-21, the budget reconciliation law signed on July 4, 2025, and codified it at 8 U.S.C. §1814. The statute requires the fee as partial reimbursement for the cost of arresting a noncitizen ordered removed in absentia and later arrested by ICE. It also provides that the fee may not be waived or reduced.

DHS said the proposed increase reflects the cost of identifying, arresting, detaining, processing and removing people with final in absentia removal orders. The agency said half of the collected fees would be credited to ICE and deposited into its Detention and Removal Office Fee Account, while the remainder would go to the general fund

DNC releases 2024 election ...

nying the release was unusually blunt. He said the report did not meet his standards and made clear that the DNC was not adopting the document as its own official judgment.

“I am not proud of this product; it does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” Martin said.

“I don’t endorse what’s in this report, or what’s left out of it.”

The 192-page report, authored by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera, reviews the party’s performance in the 2024 presidential election, when Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Kamala Harris. It examines campaign strategy, voter outreach, party infrastructure and the Democratic brand at a time when the party is trying to regroup before the 2026 midterm elections.

The report argues that Democrats lost ground by failing to maintain sustained relationships with key groups of

of the U.S. Treasury.

The proposal comes as the Trump administration continues to pair immigration enforcement with voluntary departure incentives. DHS announced in 2025 that certain immigrants who arrange voluntary self-departure through the CBP Home app could receive travel assistance and a $1,000 stipend after returning to their home country.

For affected immigrants, the legal consequence is specific but serious. A missed immigration court hearing can lead to an in absentia removal order if the government meets the statutory requirements for notice and removability. If the proposal becomes final, a person later arrested by ICE under that type of order could face not only removal but also a federal debt tied to the enforcement action.

The rule remains a proposal, its final form, effective date and any legal challenges remain unresolved. n

Philippines among Asia-Pacific’s least affordable housing markets

by Cristina Eloisa BaClig Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines — A typical family in Metro Manila would need nearly 20 years of its entire income to afford a median-priced condominium unit, a new regional housing study found, underscoring how difficult homeownership remains for many Filipinos.

In 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged what he described as an “aggressive housing program” to address the country’s housing shortage, saying the government was aiming to build “1 million low-cost and socialized homes a year.”

An analysis by University of the Philippines Diliman professor and Inquirer data scientist Dr. Rogelio Alicor Panao of the 2025 Urban Land Institute (ULI) Asia Pacific Home Attainability Index found that the Philippines remains among the least affordable housing markets in the region.

The report, which covered 41 cities across 11 Asia-Pacific countries, showed that Metro Manila’s median condominium price stood at $176,936 — about 19.8 times the median annual household income of $8,957, according to Panao’s analysis. The ratio is far above the commonly used affordability threshold of five times income.

lysis, median monthly condominium rent in Metro Manila reached $1,052, equivalent to around 141% of the median monthly household income.

“This means that in Metro Manila, the typical condo rent is 41% higher than what the typical household earns in an entire month. Thus, if a family makes P100, rent alone costs P141,” Panao explained.

“This does not mean renters are actually paying that much, but that condos are built for people with well-above-average incomes, such as dual-earner couples, overseas Filipino workers sending money home, or high-paid professionals,” he added.

“A single earner on a typical salary simply cannot afford a formal condo rental.”

(BSP) said residential property prices in Metro Manila contracted by 0.4% year on year in the fourth quarter of 2024 amid concerns over excess supply of residential units.

Panao said Metro Manila’s affordability ratio improved from 25 in 2024 to 19.8 in 2025, largely due to falling condominium prices linked to excess inventory.

“Many of these units were targeted at the now-banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator industry, leaving developers with a backlog expected to take years to clear,” he said.

voters, including rural voters, men, non-college voters and irregular voters. It also criticizes the party’s dependence on late-cycle advertising and calls for deeper year-round organizing through state and local party structures.

Martin, in his own statement, pointed to similar areas of concern but separated his judgment from the report itself. He said Democrats need a stronger message on affordability, earlier organizing, renewed attention to young voters and a broader 50-state strategy. He also acknowledged that the Democratic brand “is in trouble and needs repair.”

The release ends one internal dispute but leaves others unresolved. Martin said he had initially decided not to release the report because he believed it was not ready and could distract from preparations for the 2026 midterms. He later said withholding the document had created a larg-

er distraction and apologized for the handling of the process.

The report also leaves open several of the most contested questions from the 2024 cycle, including Biden’s initial decision to seek reelection, Harris’ late elevation as the nominee and divisions within the Democratic coalition over U.S. policy toward Israel and Gaza.

The report lands with an unusual contradiction for Democrats : a party document released under the party’s name, but not fully embraced by the party’s own chair. It gives critics the transparency they sought, while also exposing the limits of a postmortem that arrives annotated, disputed and politically inconvenient.

Before the 2026 midterm elections, the party will have to show that the review is not merely a record of what went wrong, but a forcing mechanism for what must change. n

Townhouses were found to be even less attainable, with prices reaching 33.4 times the median annual household income.

Renting also remained beyond the reach of many families. According to the ana-

Oversupply, but not affordable

The findings come despite signs of an oversupply in Metro Manila’s condominium market.

In March last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Roy Amado Golez Jr., director for research, consultancy and valuation at Leechiu Property Consultants, said Metro Manila had about 80,300 unsold condominium units as of November 2025, with most concentrated in the upper-middle and upscale segments. Less than 1% of the remaining inventory was classified as low-income housing.

New York tests city-owned ...

PAGE 1

so far. La Marqueta in East Harlem was the first site publicly announced, with a 9,000-square-foot grocery store expected to open in 2029. The Peninsula in Hunts Point in the Bronx was later named as the second site and is expected to open earlier, in 2027, as a 20,000-square-foot store within a larger redevelopment of the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center.

Although the proposal has been widely described as a city-owned grocery model, its structure is not a traditional

government-operated supermarket system. City materials say New York will select experienced grocery operators through a competitive procurement process while retaining public-interest controls over pricing, affordability, labor standards, operations and reporting.

The initiative comes as grocery costs remain a pressure point for households. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s April 2026 food-price outlook projected food-at-home prices to rise 2.4% this year, while overall food prices were projected to increase 2.9%.

The broader impact remains uncertain. Five stores cannot determine grocery prices across New York, much less across the United States. Grocery costs are shaped by supply chains, transportation, labor, energy, wholesale markets and weather-related disruptions.

Supporters see the program as a public option for groceries. Business groups and some grocers have raised questions about cost, competition with existing neighborhood retailers and whether a subsidized model can be sustained beyond its pilot phase. n

Digital fraud in PH becomes more frequent, even as losses stay smaller

TransUnion data show Filipino consumers are being targeted more often through phishing, smishing and online seller scams

by AJPress

MANILA

— Digital fraud in the Philippines is becoming more frequent, even as the typical amount lost per incident remains below the global median, according to new data from TransUnion.

The credit information and risk analytics company said the Philippines recorded a suspected digital fraud rate of 4.1 percent in 2025, higher than the global rate of 3.8 percent. It was the sixth straight year the country exceeded the worldwide level.

The findings point to a fraud environment where consumers are not necessarily losing the largest amounts per case, but are being targeted more often and across more digital channels.

TransUnion said 72 percent of Filipino consumers it surveyed reported being targeted by fraud attempts

through online, email, phone or text channels between August and December 2025. The global figure was 53 percent. Thirty-eight percent of Filipino respondents said they lost money to digital fraud last year.

The median reported loss in the Philippines was $850, or about P50,000, compared with the global median of $1,671, or about P98,000.

Phishing was the most commonly reported scheme among Filipino consumers who said they were targeted, at 45 percent. Smishing, or scam text messages, followed at 38 percent, while third-party seller scams on legitimate online retail platforms accounted for 28 percent.

TransUnion also found that fraud risk was highest at the account login stage, where the Philippines posted a 6.1 percent rate, compared with

4.3 percent globally.

The report comes as Philippine authorities continue to strengthen rules against online financial scams. Republic Act No. 12010, or the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, penalizes financial account scamming and related offenses, including money muling and social-engineering schemes.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has also issued implementing rules for supervised financial institutions.

Fil-Am guard Dylan Harper named to NBA All-Rookie First Team

The San Antonio Spurs rookie earns leaguewide recognition after a debut season that began with a 15-point opener beside some of the franchise’s biggest names.

by AJPress

SAN ANTONIO — Filipino American guard Dylan Harper has been named to the 202526 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team, one of the league’s annual postseason honors recognizing the top first-year players as selected by a media voting panel.

The NBA announced the All-Rookie teams on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Harper joined Cooper Flagg of Dallas, Kon Knueppel of Charlotte, VJ Edgecombe of Philadelphia and Cedric Coward of Memphis on the First Team. He appeared on all 100 ballots, receiving 93 First Team votes and seven Second Team

The numbers show a practical warning for consumers and businesses: digital scams are becoming more routine, more varied and harder to ignore. For banks, retailers, delivery platforms and users, prevention now depends not only on catching large fraud cases, but on stopping repeated smaller scams before they erode trust in online transactions. n PAGE 3

votes.

Harper, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, opened his regular-season career with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists in San Antonio’s 125-92 win over Dallas on Oct. 22, 2025. Spurs game notes list him among the last five San Antonio rookies to score at least 15 points in an NBA debut, along with Victor Wembanyama, Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Sean Elliott.

The performance became an early marker in a rookie season that culminated in leaguewide recognition. Harper’s 15-point opener placed him on a Spurs debut list that includes some of the franchise’s

most accomplished names, while his season-long production earned him a place on the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team. For Filipino American basketball followers, Harper’s rise carries added resonance through his mother, Maria Pizarro Harper, a Filipina immigrant who played Division I basketball and later coached in New Jersey. Harper is also the son of former NBA guard Ron Harper, a five-time NBA champion.

The recognition gives Harper’s first season a national marker beyond San Antonio. It also places a Filipino American rookie in both the Spurs’ record book and the NBA’s recognized rookie class. n

Philippines among Asia-Pacific’s ...

only around 128,000 housing units during the same period.

The report also cited data showing that household incomes in the National Capital Region grew by only 20% since 2019, while residential property prices rose by 62% during the same period.

Outside Metro Manila, Panao said Davao City posted a price-to-income ratio of 14.0, while condominium rents there consumed about 94% of the median monthly household income.

“Taken together, these figures point to a structural imbalance,” Panao said. “Rapid urban migration driven by a young and growing population continues to concentrate demand in major cities, while infrastructure and affordable housing supply fail to keep pace.”

“The result is a housing system where shelter near economic opportunity is increasingly defined not by access, but by exclusion,” he added.

Housing backlog

The country’s broader housing shortage has remained a long-standing challenge.

In 2022, Marcos said the Philippines was facing a shortfall of about 6 million housing units as he launched the government’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Devel-

opment (DHSUD) has since expanded the program to include rental housing and subsidized financing options.

Last February, Marcos said that from July 2022 to January 2026, the government constructed or financed 423,430 housing units under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program.

“We have come a long way, but we continue to work hard to reach our target of providing housing in the years ahead,” the president said at the time.

The DHSUD has also rolled out subsidized interest rates and expanded access to housing loans for overseas Filipino workers and other beneficiaries under the 4PH program.

Still, housing experts have pointed to deeper structural issues affecting affordability.

The DHSUD previously reported that the country’s housing backlog reached 10.65 million units in 2024 and could grow further unless housing production accelerates in underserved segments.

Estimates by Winston Padojinog of the University of Asia & Pacific and its think tank, the Center for Research and Communication, show average annual demand for new homes reached about 478,000 units from 2018 to 2024, while the private sector produced

Golez said this resulted in an estimated annual housing shortfall of about 350,000 units, according to the report.

“Closing the gap requires 282,000 units to be produced yearly from 2025 to 2030, and a staggering 1.6 million units annually from 2031 to 2040,” he said.

An October 2025 editorial by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, meanwhile, noted that many Filipinos still could not afford even socialized housing units because of low incomes and limited access to financing.

“The problem that the 4PH program faces is not housing; it is low income,” urban planner Nathaniel von Einsiedel wrote in a previous commentary cited by the editorial.

For Panao, the latest ULI index highlights how the country’s housing problem goes beyond supply alone.

Even as condominium prices soften because of oversupply, many units remain inaccessible to ordinary wage earners because they were built for higher-income buyers and investors.

The result, according to his analysis, is that a typical family in Metro Manila would need to save nearly 20 years of its entire income to afford a median-priced condominium. /dm n

FeAtures OPiniOn

The Philippine Senate and the erosion of institutional trust

For much of the period after the first Marcos presidency, the Philippine Senate cultivated an image of itself as the republic’s stabilizing institution: imperfect, partisan and occasionally theatrical, yet ultimately conscious of the difference between political conflict and institutional breakdown.

This past week, that distinction appeared increasingly difficult to maintain.

What unfolded inside the Senate was not merely another leadership contest or another round of political maneuvering. It was the visible convergence of several unresolved national tensions at once: the continuing reckoning over the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign; the deepening fracture between the Marcos and Duterte political camps; the constitutional implications of impeachment proceedings involving Vice President Sara Duterte; and the escalating legal uncertainty surrounding Sen. Ronald “Bato”

public lives

SOME laws are ahead of their time. Their enactment may have been initially performative—intended primarily to signal adherence to international norms and thus convey a sense of belonging to the wider community of civilized nations. Such laws are typically forgotten until unforeseen events rouse them from dormancy. Like stars unexpectedly aligning, they provide the

dela Rosa and the International Criminal Court. Individually, each issue carries enormous political weight.

Together, they created the sense of an institution operating under cumulative strain.

The Senate leadership transition that elevated Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano took place as the chamber prepared for what could become one of the most politically consequential impeachment proceedings in recent years. At nearly the same time, the ICC confirmed the unsealing of an arrest warrant against dela Rosa over allegations of crimes against humanity tied to killings during the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign, when he served as chief of the Philippine National Police. Dela Rosa has denied wrongdoing and questioned the court’s jurisdiction. The allegations remain accusations before an international tribunal and are not findings of guilt.

The law they forgot they passed

perfect solution to knotty legal problems that couldn’t have been anticipated even by their original proponents.

Such a law is Republic Act No. 9851, “An Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity, Organizing Jurisdiction, Designating Special Courts, and for Related Purposes,” passed on Dec. 11, 2009, timed perfectly for

International Human Rights Day. Who would have thought that this obscure law would someday be invoked to justify the arrest and surrender of a former president and an incumbent senator to face charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague? What RA 9851 effectively accomplished was to make pre-

Yet beyond the legal arguments and political positioning, it was the atmosphere surrounding the week that lingered most heavily.

babe’s eye view

Babe Romualdez

BY all accounts, the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu under the leadership of President Marcos Jr. was a considerable success. Several diplomats even privately remarked that it was by far among the most substantive ASEAN meetings in recent years – not because of grandstanding or dramatic announcements, but because the discussions focused on urgent and practical concerns

The Senate compound itself became associated with lockdowns, security confrontations,

We are victims of our own political chaos

affecting the nearly 700 million population across the Southeast Asian region.

The summit focused heavily on urgent priorities that include regional energy security, food security and protection of ASEAN nationals abroad – issues that directly affect ordinary families, and not abstract diplomatic concepts. The summit’s theme of “Navigating Our Future, Together” is certainly reflective of the prevailing mood among leaders that no ASEAN nation

can face the current geopolitical and economic turbulence alone.

Unfortunately, the success of the ASEAN Summit in Cebu has been marred by the chaos in the Philippine Senate last Wednesday where multiple gunshots were fired, with members of the media seen scrambling for cover. So much publicity has come out over the episode, with international news agencies from the UK to France to as far as

President

The Philippine Senate and ...

conflicting assertions of authority and reports of gunfire connected to efforts surrounding dela Rosa’s possible arrest. Public exchanges among senators grew unusually sharp. A confrontation involving Senators Robinhood Padilla and Francis Pangilinan reportedly extended beyond formal proceedings and into the Senate lounge.

The institution remained operational. Sessions continued. Constitutional mechanisms formally held.

But functioning institutions can still exhibit signs of deeper fatigue.

The Senate now appears caught between two competing roles. It is expected to remain a constitutional stabilizer while simultaneously becoming the principal arena where the country’s unresolved political conflicts are unfolding.

That is a difficult burden for any democratic institution.

Legislatures are designed to manage disagreement. They are not designed to function indefinitely under conditions where every procedural decision is interpreted primarily through the lens of political allegiance, historical grievance or factional survival.

Yet that increasingly appears to be the climate surrounding the Senate.

A leadership vote is no longer viewed simply as an internal parliamentary exercise but as a declaration of political alignment. A security decision becomes interpreted as pro-

tection or persecution. Legal proceedings are framed not only as questions of law but as extensions of broader political wars.

Under such conditions, institutions risk losing the distance necessary to preserve public confidence.

Institutional trust is ultimately the invisible architecture that sustains democratic systems.

Democracies do not rely solely on constitutions, elections or formal procedures. They also depend on a shared public belief that institutions continue operating according to principles larger than individual loyalties or temporary political advantage.

Once citizens begin assuming that every institutional act is merely factional strategy in procedural form, trust begins eroding not only in elected officials but in the institution itself.

That erosion rarely arrives dramatically. More often, it develops gradually through normalization: normalization of permanent political crisis, normalization of hostility replacing deliberation and normalization of the idea that institutions exist chiefly to defend allies or weaken opponents.

The Senate has historically projected a different ideal.

Even during turbulent periods of Philippine political history, the chamber generally maintained the appearance of procedural gravity. Its rivalries could be intense, its debates

theatrical and its ambitions transparent, yet the institution itself often retained the sense that constitutional continuity still mattered.

This past week suggested how difficult preserving that image may become in the years ahead.

The Philippines is entering a political period where legal accountability, dynastic rivalry, historical judgment and presidential succession are increasingly intersecting in the same institutional spaces. That convergence places extraordinary pressure on democratic bodies expected to remain measured while the political environment around them grows more emotionally charged and deeply polarized.

The Senate therefore faces a challenge larger than any individual senator or faction.

Can it continue functioning not merely as a stage for national conflict, but as a structure capable of containing it?

The Senate’s challenge now is not simply to survive the week’s turbulence, but to recover the authority that makes survival meaningful. A chamber can remain open, hold sessions and follow procedure, yet still lose public confidence if it appears governed more by factional instinct than institutional restraint.

What unfolded this past week was not institutional failure, but institutional warning: a reminder that the Senate’s highest duty is not to absorb the nation’s divisions, but to rise above them. (AJPress) n

We are victims of our own political chaos ...

PAGE 6

Kenya and Ghana dubbing it as a “standoff.”

Here in the United States, coverage has been extensive from major networks such as ABC’s World News Tonight anchor David Muir reporting from Beijing and Top Story with Tom Llamas of NBC News. Time magazine’s headline read “Gunshots, mayhem in Philippine Senate: What to know about the senator at the center of the chaos,” with the Washington Post, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and other media organizations also putting out their own reports with similar headlines.

An initial suspect has been identified and concerned authorities are working together to get to the bottom of the whole incident, so we are hoping that the confusion can

be sorted out soon because there are so many positive developments that are happening, especially on the economic front. For instance, our participation in the Pax Silica initiative that would establish a 1,619-hectare (40,000acre) economic security zone (ESZ) in the Luzon Economic Corridor, specifically in New Clark City, that is expected to boost the country’s economic growth.

The Philippines joined the Pax Silica initiative last month following the meetings we arranged between the Philippine delegation led by Trade Undersecretary and Board of Investments head Perry Rodolfo with US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg. The Philippines is the 13th signatory to Pax Silica and, aside from Sin-

The law they forgot they passed ...

PAGE 6

vailing international norms and covenants on international humanitarian law, genocide, and other crimes against humanity an integral part of Philippine domestic law. This meant, among other things, that we as a nation voluntarily recognized the authority of international tribunals like the ICC—two years before we formally ratified the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

It is significant that RA 9851 predates our ICC membership. Since its validity as domestic law does not rest on that membership, it may reasonably be assumed that the country’s withdrawal from the ICC in 2019 did not diminish its enforceability. Unless repealed by Congress, it remains in full force. Why does this matter?

Section 17, second paragraph, of this law expressly provides: “In the interest of justice, the relevant Philippine authorities may dispense with the investigation or prosecution of a crime punishable under this Act if another court or international tribunal is already conducting the investigation or undertaking the prosecution of such crime. Instead, the authorities may surrender or extradite suspected or accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court, if any, or to another State pursuant to the applicable extradition laws and treaties.”

This provision was not part of either the original House or Senate versions of the bill. It was inserted during the final Senate deliberations—and its insertion was consequential. The idea of deferring to the authority of an international tribunal already investigating or prosecuting such a crime reflects an understanding of how international and domestic jurisdictions are meant to relate to each other. Such a provision could only have been championed by senior legislators with deep familiarity with international humanitarian law.

My strong hunch is that these were the late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who was later elected as an ICC judge, and former Sen. Richard Gordon, who as chair of the Philippine National Red Cross was a member of the national committee for international humanitarian law (IHL). In today’s climate of resurgent nationalism and reflexive hostility toward international institutions, it is hard to imagine such a provision surviving legislative scrutiny. It is worth noting, if only briefly, that the loudest voices today protesting the arrest and surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the ICC— and now of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa as well—include senators who were officially identified with the passage of RA 9851: Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Loren Legarda, and

Francis “Chiz” Escudero. They have apparently forgotten that they had anything to do with a law that is now doing much of the work of justifying the turnover of both men to The Hague. The irony speaks for itself. Credit must go, above all, to those who quietly took the initiative to draft the bills that became the law’s foundation. Chief among them is civil society leader, retired Naga Regional Trial Court judge, and passionate long-term advocate of international humanitarian law, Soliman M. Santos Jr. Working with the Philippine National Red Cross IHL national committee, Santos helped push the legislation through in 2009. In a paper he wrote the following year, he noted that he used the Rome Statute itself as the model for his drafts—which makes it all the more fitting that the law he helped bring into being now serves as the domestic legal bridge to the very court that Statute created. Yet in many ways, RA 9851 did more than anticipate our obligations as a state party to the ICC. It made them unequivocal—and, as a domestic law, it has outlived our membership in the ICC itself. (Inquirer.net)

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. * * * Email: public.lives@gmail.comn

gapore, is the only other ASEAN country to join the US-led initiative that will help us secure our place in building the industries of the future such as AI, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, where global innovation and resilient supply chains create higher value for the Philippines and its partners.

The ESZ will serve as a high value industrialization and technology hub that would elevate the country from low-value assembly to high-value manufacturing for semiconductors, electronics and artificial intelligence technology that would advance innovation, attract more foreign investments and create thousands of jobs, especially for those in the IT and engineering sectors.

The Luzon Economic Cor-

ridor – a flagship initiative of the Philippines, United States and Japan – will link Subic, Clark, Manila and Batangas to serve as a backbone for infrastructure, investment and supply chain resilience. Just a few days ago, the trilateral partnership issued a joint statement that seven global powers – Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom – have joined the LEC initiative, bringing with them technical and financial resources and capabilities as well as investment capacity that would go a long way in accelerating and broadening the strategic impact of the LEC. This most recent development underscores the growing significance of the LEC to like-minded nations who see the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

The visit to Manila of a US delegation led by State Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg (together with Ambassador Heather Variava, who serves as Senior Adviser

for Economic Affairs, as well as private sector representative and Foxconn chairman and president Young Liu) is very timely as they will be discussing further opportunities for major investments.

Undersecretary Helberg is the founder of The Hill & Valley Forum, a bipartisan coalition of executives from Silicon Valley and US lawmakers, and which has been a major force in bridging the knowledge gap between Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill. He also served as Google’s global lead for Search policy and was part of the founding team at GeoQuant, an AI-driven technology company that was acquired by the Fitch Group in 2022.

Headquartered in Taiwan, Foxconn (also known as Hon Hai Technology Group) is the world’s top manufacturer of AI servers and is a major assembler of electronics for Apple, Nvidia and other global tech companies. Foxconn’s chairman and president Young Liu, who has a BS in Electrophysics and an MS in Computer Engineering, is a highly ac-

complished tech entrepreneur and engineer. We are hoping he will see President Marcos during the bilateral meetings arranged by the US embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

With the spiraling prices of oil and basic commodities due to the situation in the Middle East, we must avoid the impression of chaos that has generated negative publicity in the international community. It is obvious that this kind of publicity is the last thing we need.

Our ASEAN neighbors and the rest of the world are facing challenges, too, but they seem to be handling their situation much better. Clearly, we must get our act together because the Filipino people deserve nothing less. (Philstar.com) * * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * * Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com n

Ombudsman orders Chiz to answer flood scandal allegations

by DaphnE galvEz Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered Sen. Francis Escudero to answer the allegations on his supposed involvement in the flood control scandal.

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the probe against Escudero has reached the preliminary investigation stage and the anti-graft body has ordered Escudero to submit his counter-affidavit on the allegations.

“I believe our panel is waiting for his counter-affidavit so the preliminary investigation can move forward,” he said in an interview yesterday with dzBB.

The Office of the Ombudsman has been investigating Escudero for alleged plunder, graft and bribery in relation to his role in the issues in the national budget tied to the flood control controversy.

The senator was tagged in the flood control scandal after former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo said

that businessman Maynard Ngu asked for a list of projects to be included as insertions in the General Appropriations Act and they had agreed to a 20-percent cut.

Bernardo alleged P1.4 billion worth of projects in Valenzuela, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro and Quezon City were prepared for Escudero.

He claimed he delivered P160 million, or 20 percent of around P800 million, to Ngu’s building in Manila, followed by a second delivery of P120 million at the same location in 2025.

Clavano also said the allegations against former House speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez linked to the flood control mess, particularly the case of money laundering, is also under preliminary investigation.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said the cases involving Romualdez and Escudero would mainly revolve in the crafting of the national budget, particularly on how it was passed by the two houses of Congress and how things have been implemented because of that.

Senators refute Pia’s claim minority did not check on them

by MarC Jayson CayaByaB Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Emotions are running high in the Senate a week after the May 13 gunfire incident, as minority bloc senators denied Sen. Pia Cayetano’s allegation they did not check on the majority senators locked down in the Senate that chaotic night.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson did not mince words in bristling at Cayetano’s emotional outburst during the Wednesday session, that the minority senators did not even check on their majority colleagues as gunshots rang out.

“Quote of the day: ‘No one bothered to check in on us!’ How can you check on those who were happily eating, having coffee and doing FB Live just to accuse the minority bloc of having knowledge about the gunshots in the Senate?” Lacson posted in Filipino on X.

incident by not discussing it during the plenary session. The Senate President has asked for “prudence” from his colleagues during the Wednesday session, saying that the shooting incident will be tackled in the upcoming Monday session as several senators have requested to deliver speeches about the SenPAGE 9 PAGE 9

It was a pointed jab at his colleagues, who went on Facebook Live over dinner while media were on the frontlines covering what was perceived

as a shootout with the National Bureau of Investigation agents, but was eventually ruled out as gunfire initiated by suspended Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca on retreating NBI agents. Lacson also defended Sen. Risa Hontiveros’ privilege speech criticizing the leadership of Pia’s brother Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano for moving on from the

Jollibee opens 109th North America store

by riChMonD MErCurio Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines —

The Jollibee Group continues its expansion in North America with the opening of a new Jollibee store in New York City.

The new Jollibee store, its third Manhattan outpost, underscores the brand’s growing mainstream appeal in the United States.

The Jollibee Group said the store has maintained a steady flow of customers and has seen continued traffic since its opening day.

The East 42nd Street store strengthens Jollibee’s footprint in New York City, complementing its Times Square location and reinforcing its broader expansion strategy focused on high-traffic urban centers.

The locations enable the brand to reach a wide customer base in dense, high-visibility trade areas.

Jollibee’s North America network currently stands at

109 stores, 81 in the US and 28 in Canada.

“The opening of Jollibee Manhattan East 42nd Street demonstrates that our brand can connect with a broad customer base in one of the most competitive restaurant markets in the world,” Jollibee Group global president and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said.

“Supported by products that customers come back for and a disciplined approach to expansion, we remain focused on growing Jollibee in a way

Senators refute Pia’s claim

ate’s security.

“Quote of the day: ‘It’s like nothing happened,’” Lacson said of Hontiveros’ speech that angered Pia Cayetano, who called it an insensitive remark on those in the Senate building that night.

For Lacson, Hontiveros was only reacting to the leadership’s move to brush the incident under the rug. “My two lady colleagues were speaking from different timelines and contexts. Sen Risa challenged the Senate leadership to act quickly and appropriately to investigate the chaotic situation in the Senate that led to last week’s shooting incident and not act as if – ‘It’s like nothing happened,’” Lacson said.

“Sen Pia took offense and turned emotional, calling out the members of the new minority bloc for trivializing the incident as if – ‘It’s like nothing happened.’ Who is fair and who is unfair?” Lacson asked.

Minority senators were also quick to deny Cayetano’s claim that they did not ask how they were while they were holed up in Senate President Cayetano’s office on the second floor, meters from the bridgeway where Aplasca and two other Senate security staff fired several rounds at NBI agents who only fired five as cover and had already retreated.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo confirmed the screenshot of a WhatsApp group making the rounds on social media that the minority had asked them how they were at the height of the incident.

Tulfo said Pia Cayetano –who said she had ill feelings for not getting any regards in their old majority chat group –may not have seen their messages that night.

Pia was a member of the majority bloc then led by Vicente Sotto III before bolting and supporting her brother Alan for the Senate presidency. Sotto’s allies now comprise the minority.

In a separate video of the Wednesday session as posted by GMA reporter Mark Salazar, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian was heard telling Pia “I texted first” in reaction to her claim of being abandoned by her friends in politics.

PNP denies CCTV video spliced

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. defended their investigators after suspended OSAA chief Aplasca claimed the CCTV footage presented during a press conference in Malacañang on Tuesday “was spliced to support their own narrative.”

Nartatez disputed Aplasca’s statement, saying police investigators meticulously pored over the pieces of evidence

Irregularities found in SALN of lawmakers in flood probe

by Daphne Galvez, Marc Jayson cayabyab Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has found irregularities in the declared wealth of members of the House of Representatives who are tagged in the flood control project scandal.

that is sustainable, repeatable and built for long-term success,” he said.

Jollibee serves as the flagship brand of Asian food conglomerate Jollibee Foods Corp.

Founded in the Philippines over four decades ago, Jollibee has grown into a global brand known for its signature taste and service.

Its expansion in North America supports the Jollibee Group’s vision to become one of the world’s top restaurant companies. n

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the irregularities were found when investigators looked into the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of the lawmakers, who have also been subjected to lifestyle checks.

“We found there are (irregularities),” he said yesterday over dzBB when asked about updates on cases involving alleged “congtractors.”

“We are strengthening our lifestyle checks at the Office of the Ombudsman because what happens there is, the SALNs we receive we compare to all the registries and we check if what they declared matches those found listed on the registries,” Clavano added.

gathered in the Senate after the gun-related incident.

The probe showed the incident was not a shootout but a one-sided shooting by Aplasca and two OSAA personnel, with NBI agents only retaliating.

“The integrity of our investigative process is paramount and the footage we presented is authentic, time-stamped and direct from the source, leaving no room for claims of manipulation,” Nartatez said in a statement.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has recommended the filing of criminal complaints against Aplasca and OSAA personnel Joemil Ledesma and Charlie Montilla for violation of Republic Act 11917, or the Private Security Services Industry Act.

Nartatez emphasized that the evidence they obtained speaks for itself about the facts surrounding the shooting at the Senate. Saying the PNP has nothing to hide, Nartatez said their investigators are open to further technical review if needed to preserve public trust in the investigation.

“We remain fully transparent and welcome any objective, expert validation of these files, as our only objective is to present the unvarnished truth of the events that transpired at the Senate,” he said. – Emmanuel Tupas. n

is not limited to the flood control project scandal alone but also include other infrastructure-related anomalies.

Clavano also said Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered lifestyle checks on the 26 House members, who are allegedly also acting as government contractors or “congtractors.”

Last year, Remulla said there are 12 to 15 House members with undeniable links to construction firms that bagged millions in government public works contracts. He said more than 10 percent of the 317-seat chamber may be involved in the multibillion-peso flood control project controversy.

Ping: Sigh of relief

Sen. Panfilo Lacson heaved a sigh of relief now that the powerful Blue Ribbon committee is no longer under his helm, taking pride in last year’s series of investigations on the flood control mess that resulted in the filing of cases and investigations on his colleagues allegedly involved in the kickbacks scheme.

He declined to name the lawmakers with alleged irregularities in their SALNs as “it is still an ongoing investigation” and the anti-graft body “has more to do.”

In April, the Office of the Ombudsman obtained copies of the SALNs of 26 House members who have been tagged in the flood control controversy. Clavano said copies of other congressmen’s SALN will also be subpoenaed as the anti-graft body digs deeper into the scandal.

He earlier clarified that the ombudsman’s efforts to secure copies of SALNs of lawmakers

“Double relief. I feel relieved that I am now relieved of my duties as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman,” Lacson said on X.

Lacson said that all chairpersons of the Senate committees are elected by their peers and thus serve at the pleasure of their colleagues.

He added losing the Blue Ribbon post to Sen. Pia Cayetano will not sway him in his fight against corruption as senator. “I will continue to fight a corrupt and rotten system in the misuse and abuse of public funds as I have consistently done in the course of my long years in public service,” Lac-

Ombudsman orders Chiz to ...

PAGE 8

He said his office is looking at the national budget for 2024 and 2025 but this could go back from the time of former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco, who served from 2020 to 2022 during the Duterte administration.

The case buildup, he said, looked into the testimonies of the witnesses from the Senate Blue Ribbon committee’s hearings on the flood control controversy last year.

Romualdez and Escudero have since denied involvement in anomalous flood control projects.

Project suspension

son said.

In a statement, Cayetano thanked the leadership of her younger brother Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano for entrusting her with the post to investigate in aid of legislation government malfeasance and corruption.

“I thank the Senate leadership for the trust and confidence placed in me in once again designating me as the Chairperson of the Blue Ribbon Committee. I do not take this lightly,” Cayetano said.

“As a lawyer, a former Chairperson of the Blue Ribbon Committee, and one of the most senior members of the Senate, I will begin reviewing the matters referred to the Committee,” she added.

“Given the many ongoing issues affecting our country and our people, including the ongoing energy crisis, households struggling to make ends meet, and the rising cost of doing business, I will determine what matters will be prioritized by the Blue Ribbon Committee. Updates will be provided in due course,” she said.

During the 19th Congress, the Blue Ribbon while Cayetano was chair investigated the Filipino citizenship for sale scheme by local civil registries, the Philippines’ “Dirty Ashtray” award for allegedly promoting the tobacco industry, the collapse of the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela, and former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

But Cayetano only led the probe on Dirty Ashtray award and the citizenship for sale issue, leaving it to other colleagues to head subcommittees to investigate the other pressing topics. n

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) yesterday ordered the immediate suspension of all lifting operations of Legacy Construction Corp. following a fatal crane boom failure during construction activities at the Udalo Bridge project in Barangay Udalo, Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro.

In a statement, the DPWH said the incident occurred during lifting operations when the crane boom reportedly failed, resulting in the death of one of the contractor’s workers.

Public Works Secretary

Vince Dizon directed the agency’s Mimaropa office to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident to determine whether the accident was caused by material fatigue, overloading or inadequate equipment maintenance. The investigation will also examine whether comprehensive safety protocols were being implemented at the project site. The DPWH likewise issued a cease and desist order covering all lifting operations of Legacy Construction Corp. pending the outcome of the investigation. – Rainier Allan Ronda. n

Philippines seeks Japan’s backing for Trans-Pacific trade bloc bid

Manila is pursuing entry into the CPTPP, a high-standard trade pact that could widen export access, attract investment and deepen the country’s role in regional supply chains.

by AJPress

MANILA — The Philippines is seeking Japan’s support for its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade pact linking economies across Asia, the Pacific, the Americas and the United Kingdom.

Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said the government intends to ask Japan to endorse the Philippines’ accession effort, placing trade policy among the issues surrounding President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Japan from May 26 to 29. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the visit, while the Japanese Embassy in Manila said Ambassador Endo Kazuya met Roque on May 18 to discuss trade, investment promotion and regional cooperation.

The CPTPP is a high-standard free trade agreement among Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the

United Kingdom. It traces its current form to the agreement signed in Santiago, Chile, in 2018 after the United States withdrew from the original Trans-Pacific Partnership.

For the Philippines, membership could bring wider access to major markets, including Japan, Canada, Australia, Mexico and the United Kingdom. That could benefit exporters in electronics, garments, agriculture, processed food, services and other industries that depend on predictable trade rules and lower barriers.

CPTPP entry could also strengthen the country’s investment appeal. Membership would signal that the Philippines is prepared to meet higher standards on trade, investment, services, intellectual property, digital commerce, government procurement and regulatory practices. It could also help the country compete for companies seeking to diversify production and sourcing across several markets.

The bid reflects Manila’s ef-

fort to deepen its place in regional supply chains at a time of shifting trade patterns and uncertainty in global markets. The Philippines is already part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the broader Asia-Pacific trade agreement involving ASEAN members and major regional partners. CPTPP membership would add another layer of access.

Japan’s support would be significant because it is one of the CPTPP’s leading members and one of the Philippines’ most important economic partners. But Tokyo’s endorsement would not by itself determine the outcome. Accession requires approval from existing members and a review of whether an applicant can meet the agreement’s standards. For now, the Philippines’ approach remains diplomatic and procedural: secure support from key members, undergo review and negotiate terms that would determine how and when the country could join. n

Survey shows top-performing Metro Manila lawmakers

by DElon porCalla Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — A non-government organization conducting surveys about the measurable index of governance among members of the House of Representatives has released a poll that showed the top-performing lawmakers in Metro Manila.

The RP-Mission and Development Foundation or RPMD, which conducts independent and nationwide public sentiment surveys such as the “Boses ng Bayan,” released its latest survey in a press conference held at the BGC recently.

RPMD executive director Paul Martinez said the respondents evaluated lawmakers based on district representation, legislative performance, constituent service, visibility, responsiveness to local concerns and overall trustworthiness.

Ranked at the top are Reps. Toby Tiangco of Navotas, Miro Quimbo of the second district of Marikina and Ralph Tulfo, son of Senator Raffy and nephew of Senator Erwin, of Quezon City’s se-

cond district.

Together in second place are Reps. Patrick Michael Vargas of QC’s fifth district, Brian Raymund Yamsuan (Parañaque, 2nd district), Oscar Malapitan (Caloocan, 1st district), Dean Asistio (Caloocan, 3rd district) and Marivic Co-Pilar (QC, 6th district).

Ranked in third are Reps. Benny Abante (Manila, 6th district) and Gerald Galang (Valenzuela, 2nd district), followed by Reps. Ernix Dionisio and Giselle Maceda of Manila’s first and fourth districts, respectively, at fourth.

In fifth are Reps. Arjo Atayde of QC’s first district, Joel Chua (Manila, 3rd district), Roman Romulo of the lone district of Pasig and Antonino Calixto of the lone district of Pasay.

At sixth are Reps. Queenie Gonzales of the lone district of Mandaluyong, Edgar Erice of Caloocan’s second district, Jaime Fresnedi of the lone district of Muntinlupa and Kenneth Gatchalian of the first district of Valenzuela.

The seventh rank goes to Reps. Irwin Tieng of Manila’s fifth district and Ysabel Maria

Zamora of San Juan while at eighth is Rep. Bong Suntay of QC’s fourth district.

At ninth spot are Reps. Marcy Teodoro of Marikina’s first district and Monique Lagdameo (Makati, 1st district).

At 10th spot is neophyte Rep. Mark Anthony Santos of Las Piñas.

“Today’s constituents are no longer satisfied with mere visibility or political branding. Voters now demand measurable governance, stronger district representation, accessibility, responsiveness and concrete public service delivery from their elected officials,” Martinez said.

He emphasized that Metro Manila voters are becoming increasingly performance-driven and governance-oriented, reflecting a major shift in voter expectations across the National Capital Region.

The RPMD survey was conducted from April 1 to 8, through face-to-face interviews with 3,500 randomly selected respondents from various socio-economic classes, with a margin of error of ±2%. n

Dingdong Dantes says acting, not politics, is his focus

The actor says he has no current plans to seek public office as he returns to primetime and continues his work with AKTOR PH

by AJPress

MANILA — Dingdong Dantes has again moved to quiet speculation about a possible political run, saying his present focus remains on acting and on work within the entertainment industry.

Asked in a recent television interview whether he had plans to seek public office, Dantes said his focus was clear: “dito sa industriyang ito, dito sa pagiging aktor.”

Asked directly if he had political plans, he answered, “Wala po.” The remarks were made on “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho,” according to published accounts.

The statement places Dantes, one of GMA Network’s most prominent leading men, firmly within the entertainment sphere at a time when celebrity names are often drawn into political speculation. His latest answer did not close the door on public service as a broader idea, but it did reject the suggestion that he is now preparing for elective office.

Dantes is currently leading

GMA’s action-drama series

“The Master Cutter,” which premiered on Netflix on May 8, ahead of its scheduled local airing on GMA on May 11. The series, produced by GMA Entertainment Group, casts him as Anthony “Atoy” Padua, a former Scout Ranger who takes on a quieter life as a tailor while secretly working as a tracker-for-hire.

GMA described the project as Dantes’ return to a leading primetime role, with the network listing the show’s cast and creative team and placing the series in its GMA Prime lineup.

Beyond acting, Dantes has been identified with industry organizing through AKTOR PH, or the League of Filipino Actors. He serves as the group’s chairman, according to accounts of the organization’s work. AKTOR was launched in May 2020, during the pandemic, after actors began meeting to discuss concerns affecting performers, including workplace conditions, welfare and professional representation.

That work gives Dantes a public-service platform out-

side electoral politics. In recent remarks, he framed service as something that may be pursued in different ways, including through one’s profession and community. The distinction is significant: while Dantes has been drawn into political conversations before, his latest statement puts the emphasis on craft, industry leadership and the responsibilities of working within Philippine entertainment. n

Filipino VR film ‘Yellowfin’ enters Cannes immersive competition

The 15-minute virtual reality work by E del Mundo is listed as a world premiere in the 79th Festival de Cannes’ Immersive Competition.

by AJPress

Gutierrez admitted that she was emotional after receiving a heartfelt tribute from her ex-husband, Yilmaz Bektas, saying that she “chose love” for their daughters despite what happened to them.

Bektas expressed his ap-

preciation for Gutierrez in a Mother’s Day message on Monday, May 11, through his Instagram Stories, which have already expired, and included photos of them when they were younger.

“I sincerely thank you for everything and carry endless gratitude in my heart. Endless gratitude for everything

you have given, every sacrifice you made, and every beautiful memory you left behind,” he said.

In response to his message, the actress took to TikTok to express her gratitude to her ex-husband for honoring the “years of love, strength, and sacrifice” she poured into raising their daughters,

Lorin and Venice.

“You really have a unique way of making me cry, Yilmaz. Thank you for recognizing the years of love, strength, and sacrifice that went into raising our daughters. No matter where life has taken us, Lorin and Venice will always remain our grea-

Kristel Herrera ends ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ run in semifinals

The Filipina singer performed Whitney Houston’s “Run to You” in her audition and Sienna Spiro’s “Die On This Hill” in the fourth live semifinal.

by AJPress

MANILA — Filipina singer Kristel Herrera has ended her run on “Britain’s Got Talent” after competing in the fourth live semifinal of the British talent program, stopping short of the final but gaining a wider platform outside the Philippines.

Herrera first drew attention on the show with her audition performance of Whitney Houston’s “Run to You,” a demanding ballad from “The Bodyguard” soundtrack. She later returned for the live semifinal round, where she performed Sienna Spiro’s “Die On This Hill,” shifting from a classic vocal showcase to a more contemporary pop selection.

In the fourth live semifinal, Herrera competed against a mixed field of singers, mu-

sicians, dancers and variety acts, including Epic Sax Guy, Glantaf Boys Choir, Rafferty Coope, Ren DMC, Sonny Green, Wei Yamin and Welsch Master Team. She did not advance to the final. The public-vote slot went to young magician Rafferty Coope, while spoken-word performer Sonny Green also moved forward after receiving a Golden Buzzer during the live show.

For Herrera, the result ended a competitive run that had already placed her voice before a large international audience. The format of a talent show gives singers only a few minutes to make an impression, often through songs already closely associated with major vocalists. By choosing Houston for her audition, Herrera entered a high-risk lane

Ina Raymundo at 50: discipline behind a lasting screen image

The actress and former “Sabado Nights” commercial figure says aging well is tied to balance, self-control and accepting age without fear.

by AJPress

— Three decades after a beer commercial made her one of Philippine entertainment’s most recognizable faces, Ina Raymundo is again drawing attention, this time for how she has carried her public image into midlife.

Raymundo, who turned 50 in December 2025, remains closely associated with the 1995 “Sabado Nights” commercial that helped define her early career. The renewed attention places that image beside her current work as an actress, mother and television personality who remains visible in the industry.

In a recent television interview, Raymundo spoke about the habits behind her appearance and fitness. She said she had become more mindful about exercise after realizing that some body pains came from working out too intensely. Her routine, she said, is no longer built around nonstop high-intensity training every day, but around balance and control.

Raymundo also said she had temporarily stopped drinking alcohol, describing herself at the time of the interview as 115 days alcohol-free. She clarified that the decision was not because of alcoholism, but because she disliked how occasional drinking made her

feel afterward. Asked whether she feared aging, Raymundo answered directly: no. “I wanna age gracefully,” she said, framing the goal less as preserving youth than maintaining health and avoiding chronic discomfort as she grows older. Raymundo remains professionally active. She appears in “The Secrets of Hotel 88” as Frida Almazan, the mother of characters played by Mika

Filipino VR film ‘Yellowfin’ ...

11

test blessings,” she said.

Gutierrez said Bektas’ message means a lot to her, especially since she chose love for their daughters’ sake.

“And hearing those words of gratitude from you means more than you know. Through every season since the day we met 26 years ago today in Cannes, I simply chose love for our children — and I would do it all over again,” she said.

“Thank you for honoring my journey in raising Lorin and Venice with kindness, sincerity, and respect,” she added.

Mariel Padilla says Robin Padilla has not ruled out politics after Senate term

The clarification comes after earlier remarks by the senator suggesting he could leave public life if the country’s system of government remains unchanged.

from Instagram/@inaraymundo95

Salamanca, River Joseph, Josh Ford and Bianca de Vera. She has also said she is open to taking on more daring roles at 50, provided the script and director are strong.

Raymundo’s recent comments give the familiar image a more practical frame. At 50, she is not presenting age as something to outrun, but as something to manage with discipline, perspective and care.n

The former Miss World Philippines titleholder confirmed in March 2025 that she and Bektas are already on good terms. She added that the latter proposed to her again, which she initially thought was a joke.

Five months later, Gutierrez clarified that she and Bektas didn’t get together, and that they share a positive co-parenting relationship. n

MANILA — Senator Robin Padilla’s political future remains open-ended after his wife, television host Mariel Padilla, said he is not yet retiring from politics.

Her remarks clarified earlier comments by Padilla that had raised questions about whether the actor-turned-lawmaker intended to leave public office after his Senate term ends in 2028.

Padilla, who was elected to the Senate in 2022, has previ-

ously said he was considering retiring abroad and stepping away from politics if the country’s system of government does not change by the end of his term. The statement prompted speculation over whether he planned to seek another elective post or exit public life.

Mariel’s clarification stopped short of announcing any future campaign. Instead, it placed Padilla’s plans in a more measured frame: no formal 2028 decision has been declared, but retirement from politics is not settled.

Padilla, officially listed in the Senate as Robinhood C. Padilla, has focused much of his legislative work on constitutional change, federalism, cultural communities, Muslim affairs and public information. Before entering national politics, he built a decades-long career in film and television and became one of the Philippines’ most prominent action stars.

For now, Padilla has not announced his next political move, and any decision about his post-Senate future remains pending. n

Kaye Abad says she is cancer-free after breast cancer treatment

The actress shared her diagnosis and treatment journey in a birthday vlog, saying faith, family and medical care carried her through a year of uncertainty.

by AJPress

MANILA — Actress Kaye Abad has said she is cancer-free after undergoing treatment for breast cancer, using a birthday vlog to look back on the diagnosis, treatment and uncertainty she had kept largely out of public view.

Abad released the video on May 17 through the YouTube channel she shares with her husband, Paul Jake Castillo. She said she chose to speak

Cristine Reyes engaged to former NYC chair Gio Tingson

The actress shared the engagement on Instagram with photos showing her ring and the caption, “Every timeline led here. Endgame unlocked.”

by AJPress

MANILA — Actress Cristine Reyes is engaged to Gio Tingson, a former chairperson of the National Youth Commission, after sharing photos that publicly marked the couple’s engagement.

Reyes posted a series of images on Instagram showing her with Tingson, including a photo in which she displayed an engagement ring.

Her caption read, “Every timeline led here. Endgame unlocked.” Public reports on Wednesday, May 20, identified the post as the couple’s engagement announcement.

The announcement drew congratulatory messages online and added a personal milestone to Reyes’ long-running career in entertainment.

Reyes, 37, is represented by Viva Artists Agency, which lists her as an actress. Her screen credits include The Kingdom, Dearly Beloved, Martyr or Murderer, Maid in Malacañang, Untrue, Maria and No Other Woman.

Tingson has been publicly identified as a former chairperson of the National Youth Commission, the Philippine government agency involved in youth development policy and programs.

Reyes was previously married to mixed martial artist Ali Khatibi, with whom she has a daughter, Amarah. The former couple married in

2016 and separated in 2019. They are co-parenting their daughter after their separation.

The engagement adds a new personal chapter for Reyes, whose career has remained visible across film, television and public entertainment.

No wedding date has been announced publicly. n

Rico Blanco takes on first rom-com lead role at 53

The OPM singer-songwriter stars opposite Sue Ramirez in Regal Entertainment’s “Project Baby,” a late-career screen turn that places a familiar music figure in romantic-comedy territory

by AJPress

MANILA — Rico Blanco has spent decades being recognized for songs that became part of Filipino pop memory. The OPM singer-songwriter and former Rivermaya member has long been known more for music than screen romance. In Project Baby, he steps into a different kind of spotlight: romantic-comedy leading man.

Blanco, 53, stars opposite Sue Ramirez in the Regal Entertainment film, playing Migo to Ramirez’s Sandy, a woman weighing motherhood on her own terms. The project marks Blanco’s first leading-man role in a romantic comedy, a shift he said brought both gratitude and self-doubt.

At a media conference for the film, Blanco said he found it difficult to believe he had been cast in the role and described feeling a sense of “impostor syndrome.” The remark gave the promotion of Project Baby a more personal note, showing an artist widely known in one field confronting the vulnerability of entering another.

The casting gives the film

LOOK: Bea Alonzo hands-on with ‘house preps’ before canceled wedding

by Inquirer.net

Bea Alonzo and Vincent Co may have called off their rumored wedding plans, but a source claimed preparations for their life together had already gone beyond ceremonies and guest lists.

Fresh photos of the brideto-be were shared with INQUIRER Entertainment showing her being hands-on with her and Co’s domestic abode, a posh condominium unit in Rockwell, Makati acquired by the businessman. The photos were first posted on X by a fan account, Bashia (@BeiALonzo).

In the pictures, she was deep in conversation with two women. The source, who shared the photos with this writer, and who is familiar with the couple’s setup, said the pictures showing Alonzo busily overseeing the interiors were taken before the wedding plans were scrapped.

“She was there almost every day before the wedding got called off,” the source said. “She was personally choosing the furniture, appliances, and even the art pieces.”

The condominium arrangement is seemingly incongruous with other claims on social media that among the factors why their prenuptial agreement was not signed

was because the actress was supposedly being asked to live with the Co family after the wedding, the source said.

The source also downplayed the rumors surrounding the alleged prenup, including that child custody would be Co’s should they separate.

The couple was previously reported to have cancelled their Spanish wedding after the alleged disagreement in their prenup. Another source however said Alonzo and Co are still trying to work out their differences despite the scrapping of their destination wedding.

On their supposed wedding day on May 14, Co was seen attending a grocery convention for their supermarket chain at the World Trade Center in Pasay City alongside his

be already in Spain with her family.

Despite the persistent rumors, Alonzo and Vincent, who have been largely private about their relationship, have not publicly confirmed in the past whether they have indeed been engaged and will be tying the knot overseas.

However, the pair have been speculated to have gotten engaged and have agreed to tie the knot within the year after their names were announced in the marriage banns by the St. Peter the Apostle Parish Church in Manila last April.

As of this writing, the pair has yet to comment on their relationship and the reports surrounding their rumored wedding plans. n

Kaye Abad says she is cancer-free ...

PAGE 12

about the illness after viewers noticed changes in her appearance and daily habits, including a strict no-sugar diet, darker skin, melasma, brain fog and stronger reactions to stress.

“I didn’t pretend I wasn’t sick. I just pretended to be well,” Abad said in the video.

Her medical concerns began in September 2024 with severe abdominal pain that sometimes lasted for hours.

her to get a mammogram because of her age.

Abad said she delayed the mammogram until after the Christmas holidays. In January 2025, additional tests showed a cyst in her ovary and led doctors to order more scans. One doctor, she recalled, told her the matter had become urgent and should be addressed as soon as possible.

while worrying about leaving her two young sons in the care of relatives.

She said one of the hardest parts was not knowing at the outset what treatments she would need, how difficult the process would become or whether she would survive.

After about a year of treatment, Abad said her doctor told her she could call herself a survivor and cancer-free.

Blanco and Sue Ramirez photo from Facebook/@officialricoblanco an offbeat appeal. Ramirez is an established screen actress, while Blanco’s public identity has been shaped largely by music: as a former Rivermaya member, solo artist, songwriter and producer whose work has helped define several eras of OPM.

Project Baby is directed by Eric Quizon and written by Joey Javier Reyes. Regal Entertainment has promoted the film as a romantic comedy about choice, timing and fami-

ly, with its theatrical release set for June 10.

For Blanco, the role is less a reinvention than an expansion of a familiar career. After years of performing songs associated with longing, memory and romance, he now carries those themes onscreen as part of a love story.

The appeal rests partly in that shift: a musician long associated with songs about love now asked to inhabit one onscreen. n

A full stomach ultrasound showed multiple gallstones, and Abad later underwent successful surgery. Her gastroenterologist then advised

The vlog showed portions of Abad’s medical journey, including consultations, family discussions and preparations for treatment in Singapore. In one emotional scene, Abad packed for the trip

Kristel Herrera ends

‘Britain’s

Got

Abad has been a familiar figure in Philippine television since the 1990s, with early credits that included “AngTV,” “Gimik” and “Tabing Ilog.” She and Castillo have two sons. n

PAGE 11

that required technical control, restraint and emotional scale.

Her semifinal performance offered a different test: whether the early impact of a strong audition could be sustained in

a live round, against performers from several disciplines competing for limited final slots.

The semifinal result closed one chapter, not the larger pursuit. Herrera leaves “Britain’s Got Talent” with the same practical challenge faced by many artists after a televised breakthrough: how to convert a few minutes of visibility into a career that can last beyond the show. n

Health @Heart

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has been focusing on foods and their effects on health, guiding the public to eat normal, natural foods instead of processed foods.

There is no question that we are what we eat, and that some food items we eat are inflammatory, causing all sorts of ailments among us. Inflammation, like an imbalanced microbiome (“good and bad,” gut bacteria), is the initiating factor for most diseases. Foods, besides habits and behavior, have grave influences on our health and longevity.

The association between processed foods (bacon, hot dogs, sausages, etc., most deli meats) and cancer has been under scrutiny for decades. Studies have “shown that consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) which are manufactured and often contain additives, preservatives, and artificial ingredients, is associated with an increased risk of several types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer…the association may be due to the high levels of saturated fat, sugar, and sodium in UPFs, which can contribute to weight gain and inflammation, both known risk factors for cancer…additionally, UPFs contain potential carcinogens, such as titanium dioxide and nitrites.”

Various mechanisms on how UPFs increase the risk for cancer include increased inflammation, DNA damage, oxidative stress, and hormonal imbalance.

There are countless ongoing research projects around the world seeking to validate and confirm these initial findings.

In the meantime, let’s abstain from eating processed foods and consume fresh meats, especially white meat (chicken, turkey, duck, pheasant, quail, etc.), healthy green leafy vegetables of various colors, some healthier nuts (walnuts, chestnuts, pistachios, pecans, pine nuts, hazelnuts, a little macadamia nuts) preferably not peanuts (could have aflatoxin and has phytic acid), almonds (lots of oxalates), cashews (raw cashews contain urushiol, a toxic agent found in poison ivy, may seep into the cooked ones). For diabetics, include all food items consumed in the total caloric count.

Measles does kill

Cancer-causing foods

Measles, a most contagious viral disease, is a dreaded infection. I lost a professor of mine to measles pneumonia. Children under 5 are most at risk for severe complications, and those unvaccinated children and adults are in danger. Measles does kill.

First thought to be anti-vax, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., emphatically stated that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles, and that while Vitamin A in itself cannot prevent measles, it helps boost the immune system.

The World Health Organization has declared Measles eliminated from the United States in the year 2000 because of its great success in the vaccination program. Travelers from abroad continue to reintroduce the measles virus, besides others, in the USA, and anti-vaccination sentiments (due to ignorance or fake news on social media) make the situation worse.

The US-CDC reported there were 285 cases in 2024, and the recent Measles outbreak in Texas on March 7, 2025, “is believed to have started in a rural Mennonite community in Texas with low vaccination rates.”

This highlights the vital importance of vaccines for infectious diseases, like the Flu, COVID-19, RVS, measles, and others. The mandated preschool vaccination program has saved billions of children and adults around the world since Edward Jenner, an English physician, introduced the first vaccine in 1796.

As I have highlighted in my upcoming book, Civil Rights Versus Science, America’s Achilles Heel, vaccines in general are safe, effective, and save lives, and the anti-vax civil rights protestors and the disinformation on social media are risking the lives of millions of Americans (billions, around the world).

The FDA is recommending everyone get vaccinated with the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine, which is safe and effective. Children get two doses: the first one at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose at age 4 to 6. All those older children, adolescents, and adults get one or two doses of MMR if they don’t have evidence of immunity.” Those going abroad should get fully vaccinated before they travel.

Hantavirus not COVID The Hantavirus that killed 3 individuals on board the MV Hondius cruise ship is

not COVID, but since it is the rare Andes strain, it could be transmitted person to person, hence the concern around the world. The common Hantavirus infections are also caused by inhaling aerosolized droppings, urine, and saliva from carrier rodents, and do not spread person to person. This virus is where rodents are, even in anyone’s home. Drinking beer or soft drinks directly from the can could be a source of infection.

Eggs and the brain

A recent study (2025-2026) revealed that moderate egg consumption (1-2 a day) is healthy for most people and may offer cognitive benefits. Regular egg consumption (5-7 eggs per week) is linked to a 27 percent lower risk for Alzheimer’s Disease and cardiovascular deaths among those over 70 years of age. Boiled or poached eggs are healthier than fried, which is about 30-40 calories higher because of the oil or butter. Eggs have high-quality protein (6-7 g per egg), essential amino acids, key vitamins, and minerals like choline, selenium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, Vitamin D, B12, and riboflavin. Eggs also contain antioxidant lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health, and healthy fats. Choline is crucial for brain health, nervous system health, and fetal development.

Deadly gas detectors

Our homes are full of dangerous chemicals in the garage, kitchen, and bathrooms, like cleaning bleaches, ammonia, lye, sulfuric acid, detergents, air fresheners, carpet cleaners, etc. Minimizing the use of these poisons and using natural, environmentally safe, non-toxic agents is obviously healthier.

Besides those harmful agents, smoke, fire, and killer gases (carbon monoxide, butane, propane, radon, hydrogen sulfide, etc.) are potential grave hazards to life too. There are now detector alarms to protect our family and us. One of them is the 4-in-1 Gas and Carbon Monoxide Temp and Humidity detector-alarms available on Amazon. It detects other gases besides carbon monoxide. Just plug this life-saver into an electric outlet in the room you wish to monitor.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

money matters

A stronger peso is usually interpreted as a sign of confidence, while a weaker peso is often dismissed as a temporary disruption caused by external shocks or speculative trading.

Yet history suggests that major currency trends rarely develop because of a single event. More often, exchange rates reflect the gradual accumulation of structural imbalances that markets initially underestimate, then eventually reprice much faster later on.

This was the main argument we discussed in June 2024 in this column, “Why the peso will continue to fall”, when the peso was still trading around P58 against the US dollar.

At that time, we argued that the peso’s temporary strength was unlikely to last because the country’s structural external imbalances remained unresolved. Persistent trade deficits, current account pressures, and narrowing interest rate differentials with the United States continued to point toward further weakness in the peso over time.

At that point, hopes for monetary easing improved sentiment, and the peso temporarily stabilized. Yet less than two years later, the peso has already weakened into the P61 range, which confirms much of our original thesis.

What initially appeared to be only temporary volatility now looks more like a deeper economic adjustment. The reason is that many of the structural pressures identified in 2024 still persist. In some cases, they have even worsened.

The Philippines continues to run a sizable current account deficit, with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas projections now pointing to a gap of roughly $20 billion or about 4 percent of gross domestic product. In simple terms, the country still requires more dollars for imports and external obligations than it generates from exports and other inflows. Over time, such persistent dollar demand tends to place continued pressure on the peso.

Oil prices are now adding

Why the peso could weaken to 65:$1

further pressure on the peso, especially as tensions in the Middle East continue to keep global energy prices elevated. Since the Philippines remains heavily dependent on imported fuel, every sustained increase in oil prices raises domestic demand for dollars and worsens the country’s trade balance.

In many ways, the peso’s weakness today is no longer just a currency story but increasingly an energy-import story embedded within the structure of the economy itself.

Global conditions have also become less favorable for emerging markets. US interest rates remain elevated, which keeps the dollar attractive to investors. In such an environment, countries with persistent external deficits like the Philippines become more vulnerable to currency pressure.

But economics alone may no longer fully explain the peso’s continued weakness.

Currencies are also driven by confidence and uncertainty. Investors often react to rising risks even before these fully appear in economic data, which can place additional pressure on the peso.

Recent political tensions may also add pressure on the peso by increasing the uncertainty premium investors demand for local investments.

A 2021 study by researchers from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro titled “The Impact of Political Risk on the Currencies of Emerging Markets” found that political risk can become embedded into emerging-market currencies through a risk premium mechanism.

Using the study’s risk-premium framework, the peso’s exchange rate can be simplified as: actual exchange rate = structural fair value + uncertainty premium.

If we apply this framework, one way to estimate the hidden value of uncertainty is to first estimate the peso’s structural fair value. For example, pure inflation-adjusted purchasing power parity may imply a peso value of around P52.20 to the dollar.

However, once structural external deficits and oil import

dependence are considered, the peso’s macroeconomic fair value could move closer to the P58 range. The gap between that level and the current market rate near P61.70 could partly represent a growing political risk premium embedded in the currency.

In other words, if the peso’s structural fair value is around P58 while the market exchange rate trades near P61.70, then roughly P3.70 of excess depreciation represents uncertainty and political risk premium assigned by the market.

What this framework suggests is that the peso does not necessarily require a full-blown financial crisis to weaken toward P65. It merely requires markets to assign a larger political risk premium to the peso.

Should oil prices continue to rise, external deficits widen further or political uncertainty intensifies, the peso may eventually move toward P65 not because of panic alone, but because markets begin to reprice the country’s long-term vulnerabilities more aggressively.

Financial history shows that exchange-rate adjustments often occur gradually before accelerating once confidence weakens more decisively. Markets rarely overlook structural weaknesses forever.

The peso’s continued weakness, therefore, reflects not merely temporary volatility but growing concerns over the country’s external position and rising political uncertainty that increasingly affects investor confidence.

Unless these economic and political pressures ease, periods of peso weakness could become more persistent over time. In such an environment, a move toward P65 may no longer appear as an extreme outcome, but as a gradual adjustment to risks that markets begin to price into the currency. /atm

Henry Ong is a registered financial planner of RFP Philippines. To learn more about investment planning, attend 116th batch of RFP Program this June 2026. To register, e-mail at info@rfp.ph.n

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, pugilist Muhammad Ali, distinguished educators, renowned scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com. On Amazon.com, search for “Where is My America?” Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com n

My P.E.P.

(People, Events,Places)

I could never forget the dance workshop facilitated by Gerald Magallanes.

Once upon a time, during my younger years, I was a champion on the dance floor. I won the “John Travolta of the Philippines” Dance Competition many years ago and was also a non-stop dancing competition champion. But during the workshop, I found myself at a loss, especially now that I am already 66 years old. It was the first time I had done dance exercises after years of quiescence.

Being a relative of the late National Artist for Dance Leonor Orosa-Goquingco and being linked to a family of dancers added to the pressure.

Thanks to Gerald Magallanes, an accomplished Filipino theater actor, dancer and choreographer, for reviving my terpsichorean capability.

Over more than a decade with the Philippine Stagers Foundation, Gerald has earned multiple Aliw Award nominations, including nods for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical and two nominations for Best Choreographer. He has trained with respected dance institutions, including Ramon Obusan, Ballet Philippines and PowerDance.

On screen, he is credited for his work in Otso and the musical film Ako si Ninoy. His recent productions include Bagets: The Musical; Reverse Card, where he reprises his role as John in the twin-bill show Double Take; and Dalaga na si Maxie, a drag musical extravaganza staged in 2025.

What a hectic day it was to learn folk, jazz, modern and contemporary dance exercises from Gerald, a longtime resident artist and choreographer of the Philippine Stagers Foundation, which he joined in 2009.

Songs and poetry in photographs

Two press photographers turn images into music and poetry.

BusinessMirror’s Bernard Testa brings his songwriter’s eye. Pilipino Mirror’s Riza Zuñiga brings verses honoring Filipino photographers, with a special dedication to George Tapan. It is a duet of

Actor-Dancer Gerald Magallanes in Focus

sight and soul.

The photo exhibit Fusion Unveiled opens on May 25, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at the San Beda Museum and Archives’ Wall Gallery at San Beda College Alabang in Muntinlupa City. The exhibition runs until June 30, 2026.

Elia Ilano to star in Violet

One of Elia Ilano’s most notable upcoming projects is Violet, a short film that highlights the importance of peace and education among children and young people.

The film is backed by the KidsRights Foundation, an international non-governmental organization based in the Netherlands, alongside WereldWijd voor Kinderen, a Dutch charity committed to improving children’s lives through health care, nutrition, education and development opportunities.

Produced through State of Youth Manila, Violet was selected as a recipient of the International Children’s Peace Prize Project Fund 2026 under the theme “Peace and Education.” Elia takes on the lead role alongside Kian Co, Ataska Mercado, Randy dela Cruz, Malou Canzana and Josiah Cillo. It is expected to premiere in select cinemas nationwide in July 2026.

Elia also joins the musical production Rizal 3000, which reimagines the ideals of national hero José Rizal in a futuristic world shaped by technological advancement and social transformation.

Despite her transition into more mature projects, Elia remains grounded in the programming that first introduced her to young audiences.

Since Season 2 of the educational children’s show Artsy Craftsy, now in its seventh season, she has become one of the program’s familiar hosts. The show, recognized with the Anak TV Foundation Seal, continues to inspire creativity and learning among children.

Introducing Carl Rasco I found out that Carl Rasco is a very good actor and director. He is a product of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, where I used to teach Mass Communications subjects.

He was my director in Vince Tañada’s Sa Azotea, part of the “Sa” series staged recently at the PSF Blackbox Theatre in Sampaloc, Manila.

I truly admired his acting and directing capabilities, which helped me win Best Supporting Actor during the first week’s recital of the PSF

Theatre and Film Summer Workshop. The recital was judged by Anton Juan, JP Lopez and Paul Jake Paule.

PhilDev annual gala fundraiser on May 23

The Philippine Development Foundation’s annual gala fundraiser will be held on May 23, 2026, starting at 6 p.m. at EDSA Shangri-La Manila. The event carries the theme “Celebrating the Legacy of Filipino Excellence” and coincides with the commemoration of the late PhilDev founder Dado Banatao’s birth, as well as a book launch in his honor.

For more than 15 years, PhilDev has remained a trusted partner in advancing inclusive development in the Philippines. It has supported 346 scholars across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, trained more than 3,897 students in technopreneurship, and supported 98 startups.

Certainly, PhilDev aims to expand its impact by equipping Filipino talent to meet the challenges and opportunities that come with artificial intelligence and a shifting environment.