BusinessMirror October 10, 2026 by BusinessMirror

ENCHANTED KINGDOM continues to

share more stories of biodiversity through new immersive experiences at its award-winning flying theater, AGILA The EKsperience: SARIBUHAY, which will be unveiled on October 17 as part of the theme park’s 31st anniversary celebration.

ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS

2006 National Newspaper of the Year 2011 National Newspaper of the Year 2013 Business Newspaper of the Year 2017 Business Newspaper of the Year 2019 Business Newspaper of the Year 2021 Pro Patria Award 2026 National Newspaper of the Year PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY 2018 Data Champion

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

A broader look at today’s business

Saturday, October 10, 2026 Vol. 22 No. 3

EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

BUSINESS NEWS SOURCE OF THE YEAR

(2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS

P25.00 nationwide | 12 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK

WITH EL NIÑO, BSP SAYS WILL DO ‘RIGHT THING’ A

Asia data center boom vulnerable to US policies, Jardine CEO warns

By Andrea E. San Juan

FTER delivering three consecutive quarter-point interest rate hikes, the central bank said it will do the “unpopular” yet the “right thing” for the economy as it flagged risks to the inflation outlook, with El Niño as its top-tier concern—whether it turns out benign or worse than expected.

A “These days, the scenario that we care about the most is El Niño,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. said, as the central bank weighs the risk of worsening inflation against the economic impact of further interest rate hikes.

central bank added. “These days, the scenario that we care about the most is El Niño,” he declared. See “El Niño,” A2

BTr raises ₧167.2B in new funds from selling RTBs By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

HE Bureau of the Treasury raised a total of P167.25 billion in new money by selling 2.5-year bonds to retail investors. The Treasury announced on Friday that it fetched an additional P82.39 billion through its eightday offer period for Retail Treasury Bonds (RTBs) from September 29 to October 7. This is on top of the P84.86 billion amassed in the rate-setting auction, which attracted P188.637 billion in tenders, resulting in an oversubscription of 6.29 times the initial P30-billion offering. Meanwhile, the amount raised through the bond exchange offer has yet to be announced by the Treasury, it added. Funds raised from the RTB issuance will be used to finance the government’s budgetary requirements for projects and programs in education, health, infrastructure,

Bloomberg

“We want to also make sure that we are not adding additional costs for the government.”— National Treasurer Sharon P. Almanza, on the Treasury’s strategy of issuing shorter-term retail bonds amid elevated interest rates and demand for shorter- to medium-term maturities.

agriculture, among others. The RTB carries a gross interest rate of 6.875 percent per annum and is paid off quarterly. National Treasurer Sharon P. Almanza has said that issuing the RTB with a tenor of two-and-a-half years is strategic, given the high See “RTBs,” A2

PLAY, NOT SCROLL Children play inside the One Arena oval in Cainta, Rizal, underscoring the importance of outdoor activities in a world increasingly dominated by screens. Beyond providing exercise, outdoor play gives children opportunities to explore their surroundings, build social skills and enjoy meaningful interactions away from digital distractions. Making time for physical activities can help foster a healthier balance between screen time and real-world experiences. BERNARD TESTA/BM

3 COUNTRIES HOPE TO EXPAND SHARE OF PHL RICE MARKET By Mary Jade Jadormio

YANMAR, Cambodia and Pakistan are seeking to expand their share of the Philippine rice market, as Vietnam maintains its position as the dominant rice supplier of the country. At the International World Rice Conference 2026 in Manila, representatives of the three countries outlined their ambitions to increase shipments to the Philippines. The Philippines’s rice imports reached 3.98 million metric tons (MMT) in September, surpassing the 3.39 MMT recorded for the whole of 2025, with the Department of Agriculture (DA) expecting arrivals to exceed 5 MMT this year amid the threat of El Niño (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/10/08/ da-rice-imports-may-top-5-mmtwith-super-el-nino). Vietnam remained the

MUDASIR ALI VIA CANVA

While Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona Jr. did not give explicit forward guidance, he signaled that what the central bank cares about the most these days is El Niño. During the 58th Finex Conference on Friday, Remolona said in his remarks: “We’ve raised interest rates this year—three times, 25 basis points each. And in raising interest rates, we don’t just look at what’s happening to inflation.” Remolona said the central bank also tries to be “forward-looking.” “So when we do monetary policy, we discuss different scenarios. Will the price of oil go up again?” the governor of the Philippines’s

By Cathy Chan

1 Million

Metric Tons

The volume of rice Pakistan says it can supply to the Philippines annually, as the country explores diversifying its import sources.

country’s leading supplier, accounting for 2.59 MMT of rice arrivals in July, followed by Thailand with 378,404.278 metric tons (MT), according to Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) data. Myanmar ranked third with 286,052.65 MT, while Pakistan supplied 107,485.5 MT and Cambodia 87,802 MT during the same period. Myanmar Rice Federation Chairman Ye Min Aung said Myanmar had shipped more than 400,000 MT of rice to the Philippines from January to September this year, compared with an average of about 200,000 MT annually since 2022-2023. “This year, we have exported more than 400,000,” Aung said. He added that Myanmar was improving rice varieties sought by Filipino buyers and See “Rice,” A2

SIA’S booming data-center industry faces growing political risks as billions of dollars in investment hinge on a handful of US technology giants whose ability to operate globally could be upended by Washington’s increasingly unpredictable stance toward China, according to the chief of one of Hong Kong’s biggest conglomerates. “The risk we think the most about at this point is actually political risk,” Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Lincoln Pan told the Milken Asia Summit in Singapore on Friday. See “Data Center,” A2

WB sets nearly ₧15B in loans for water, sanitation, climate projects By Justine Xyrah Garcia

HE World Bank will provide nearly P15 billion in funds for water supply, sanitation, and climate-resilience projects in three Philippine areas. The loan of €212.7 million (roughly P14.99B) will be for projects in Bohol, Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte, and Jolo in Sulu. The loan agreement, signed by Finance Secretary Frederick Go for the Philippine government on October 6, forms part of the first phase of the Philippines Accelerated Water and Sanitation Project, which is also Phase 1 of a broader multiphase program focused on water security and resilience to water-related climate risks. See “Loans,” A2

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 62.7660 n JAPAN 0.3978 n UK 83.0520 n HK 7.9981 n CHINA 9.3634 n SINGAPORE 49.0245 n AUSTRALIA 43.6789 n EU 70.3983 n KOREA 0.0468 n SAUDI ARABIA 16.7243 Source: BSP (October 9, 2026)

News BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, October 10, 2026

PHL slips to third in Data center... World’s Best Rice tilt Continued from A1

By Mary Jade Jadormio

HE Philippines slipped to third place in the 2026 World’s Best Rice competition, after placing second in last year’s edition of the contest at the International World Rice Conference (IWRC).

Myanmar snagged first place, dethroning Vietnam, which settled for second place and pushed the Philippine entry down one rank in the annual contest of premium rice varieties. “Third place, bronze winner, of the world's best rice contest 2026 goes to, for the second year in a row, our friends from the Philippines,” President and CEO of The Rice Trader Jeremy Zwinger announced. Last year, Philippine rice variety NSIC Rc 218, commercially known as Mabango 3 or Dinorado, won silver behind the joint champions from Vietnam and Cambodia. Developed by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Mabango 3 was bred by a team led by Thelma Padolina and Emily Arocena and was approved for commercial cultivation in 2009. The World’s Best Rice competition is organized by The Rice Trader, a publication covering the global rice industry, and is held alongside the IWRC, which brings together rice producers, traders, millers, exporters and researchers to discuss developments in the international

PHILIPPINE rice variety NSIC Rc 218, commercially known as Mabango 3 or Dinorado. DA-PHILRICE

rice market. This year’s conference ran from Oct. 7 to 9, gathering local and international industry stakeholders to discuss rice production, trade and market conditions. Vietnam has been a consistent contender in the competition with its ST25 fragrant rice, developed by agricultural engineer Ho Quang Cua and his research team. Vietnam’s ST25 won the global title in 2019 and 2023 before sharing the 2025 championship with Cambodia’s Phka Romdoul rice. The competition has also been held in the Philippines, including the 2019 edition and the 2023 conference in Cebu.

“If you look at this debate about the US and China and the significant bets many people are making around this sector, particularly around data centers and AI large language models coming out of the US, it’s a highly concentrated bet on the stability of US data policy.” Private equity giants including Blackstone Inc. and KKR & Co. have poured billions of dollars into Asian data centers, betting that the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing will fuel demand for computing capacity for years to come. While Asia’s digital infrastructure will struggle to keep pace with that demand, those facilities depend heavily on US hyper scalers that operate and are influenced significantly by US government policy, said Pan, whose company has real estate investments across Asia through its Hongkong Land unit. Whether US-domiciled companies will be allowed to operate globally with the same degree of stability and certainty over the next decade is “a highly, highly uncertain risk that no one can underwrite,” he said. President Donald Trump has been pushing AI investment in a race with China, even as some AI companies call for slower development and a public backlash over data centers emerges. China remains Asia’s biggest market for data centers, while outside the mainland, Western cloud providers account for about 70 percent of hyperscaler demand and Chinese players about 30 percent, according to a McKinsey report in June. Pan’s remarks come as Firmus Grid Ltd. abandoned its at-

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Rice...

El Niño...

working with Vietnamese counterparts to develop varieties that could offer competitive prices. “We want to ensure affordable and competitive prices to our Filipino consumers,” he said. CEO of Cambodia City Rice Imports & Exports Okhna Chhun Hour “Andy” Lay also said their country is seeking to expand its Philippine market. According to Lay’s report, more than 150,000 MT of rice were exported from Cambodia to the Philippines from January until September, compared to roughly only 100 containers in 2025. “Cambodia has a great presence of export into the Philippine market. And this we appreciate all the support that the Philippines has given us,” Lay said. “The export in 2026 has increased quite a large amount compared to last year in 2025.” Meanwhile, Pakistan is positioning itself as a long-term supplier, with Fareeha Khan, trade and investment counsellor for the Trade & Development Association of Pakistan in the Philippines, saying the country could supply at least 1 MMT of rice annually to the Philippines. “We can easily supply the Philippines with at least 1 million metric tons of rice annually and build a food-security partnership that would diversify its sources of supply and strengthen its resilience to market disruptions,” Khan said. She said diversifying import sources would help strengthen the Philippines’ resilience to disruptions in global rice supply, arguing that countries should avoid relying too heavily on a limited number of suppliers. “I think any country whose food security is dependent upon one or two commodities, they need at least 20 different sources,” she said. In August, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced that the Philippines will not suspend rice imports as it prepares for the effects of El Niño (See: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2026/08/04/ da-no-rice-import-ban-as-el-ninothreat-looms/).

“There’s a regular El Niño, a type of benign El Niño which is bad news but there’s a bad El Niño which is really, really bad news so we have to worry about both scenarios and decide on monetary policy based on that,” the BSP governor said. Apart from El Niño, Remolona said the BSP “now worries about inflation expectations more than before.” “It turns out that when things are very uncertain, expectations matter . . . we look at your expectations, we do a survey of you guys, market analysts, we do a survey of households, and we do a survey of firms,” added Remolona.

Continued from A1

“The risk we think the most about at this point is actually political risk.” — Lincoln Pan, CEO of Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd., warning that Asia’s data-center investment boom depends heavily on US technology giants and the stability of US data policies.

tempt at one of Australia’s biggest-ever initial public offerings, after the Nvidia Corp.-backed data center company failed to lure global investors who have grown increasingly skittish over frothy AI valuations. Much of Firmus’s valuation was based on the company successfully building a pipeline of data centers across Asia serving customers such as Meta Platforms Inc. and OpenAI. The uncertainty extends beyond data centers to the broader AI investment boom. Despite the flood of capital into the sector, Jim Coulter, executive chairman of TPG Inc., cautioned that investors should resist assuming today’s winners and business models are already clear, saying the three most important words in AI are “I don’t know.” Speaking on the same panel, Coulter likened investing in AI to the chaos of playing pinball, with more traditional investment akin to the repetition of 10-pin bowling. “We have a number of themes that are very long-term themes that we’re still bowling,” he said. “But over the other side of the bowling alley, we’re playing pinball in AI because you have to shorten your cycle.”

Loans… Continued from A1

Under the agreement, the project seeks to expand access to safely managed water supply and sanitation services while improving the performance of water service providers in selected areas. In Bohol, the project will develop water supply infrastructure in the Loboc Cluster, including a bulk water system sourced from the Loboc River, distribution networks, and watershed protection measures. The project will also finance the construction and upgrading of water supply facilities in selected municipalities in Siargao Island, including water sources, treatment facilities, transmission and distribution systems, storage facilities, and a centralized water-quality testing laboratory. In Jolo and neighboring barangays in Indanan and Patikul, Sulu, investments will cover water source development and protection, treatment facilities, distribution networks, storage and pumping facilities, as well as climate-resilient infrastructure. The project also includes sanitation and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in public schools, health centers, daycare centers and other public institutions in the target areas. In Siargao, the project will also establish fecal sludge management facilities and provide equipment for septage collection, transport, and reuse. The World Bank loan carries a front-end fee of 0.25 percent and a commitment charge of 0.25 percent annually on the undisbursed balance. Its interest rate will be based on the reference rate plus a variable spread, subject to the agreement’s conversion provisions, according to the lender. The loan will be repaid in semiannual installments equivalent to 2.7 percent of the principal from 2037 to 2054, followed by a final 2.8 percent payment in 2055. The loan will finance 100 percent of eligible expenditures under the main project category, including works, goods, consulting services, training, and incremental operating costs. The project is set to close on December 31, 2031.

RTBs... Continued from A1

interest rate environment and how defensive the market is. “We want to also make sure that we are not adding additional costs for the government,” Almanza said. “Where the demand is, it’s in the short to the belly—3 [years] to 5 [years]. But given the steepness of the curve, that’s why we want to be strategic and issue in this segment.” The Treasury has been offering RTBs since 2022 at 5-year tenors. The last time it offered a three-year tenor RTB was in February 2021. RTBs are fixed-income securities issued by the national government, designed as low-risk, affordable and convenient investment instruments for retail investors. Filipinos may invest in RTB 32 for as low as P5,000 and in multiples of P5,000 thereafter through traditional and online channels. The Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines were the Joint Lead Issue Managers, while BDO Capital & Investment Corporation, BPI Capital Corporation, China Bank Capital Corporation, First Metro Investment Corporation, PNB Capital and Investment Corporation, Unionbank of the Philippines, and Security Bank Capital Investment Corporation were the Joint Issue Managers for RTB-32.

Continued from A1

‘Unpopular’ yet ‘right thing for economy’

AFTER flagging these risks to the inflation outlook, Remolona pointed out that the BSP would have to do the “unpopular” but the “right thing for the economy.” One more thing about monetary policy, he explained, is it’s ”far too easy” for the central bank to just please the crowd. “The crowd seems to want low interest rates, strong peso, and low inflation. But we have to do the right thing for the economy,” Remolona said. “And so, we won’t be able to make you guys happy all the time. And that’s why we have independence. Because we have to do the unpopular,” added the BSP governor.

Most significant risk to inflation outlook

A BANK analyst said recently the most significant risk to the inflation outlook over the next six months is the potential emergence of a super El Niño. Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Lead Economist Emilio S. Neri Jr. said: “Should the impact of El Niño prove more severe than currently expected, inflation could rise toward 8 percent in the coming months.” Neri noted that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) recently warned that much of the country could experience dry or drought conditions by March 2027, which would likely affect agricultural production. Rice remains among the “most vulnerable” commodities given its sensitivity to weather conditions, Neri pointed out. Even prior to the onset of drier weather conditions, rice inflation already accelerated, at a 20.3 percent year-on-year inflation in September, compared to 19.4 percent in August, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed. On October 6, the PSA reported that the country’s headline inflation climbed to 7.2 percent in September from 6.1 percent in August 2026. The latest inflation print was the fastest since March 2023 when headline inflation was at 7.6 percent. This brings the average inflation rate from January to September 2026 to 5.4 percent, above the BSP’s full-year target of 3 percent and beyond the tolerance ceiling of 4 percent. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items, also accelerated from 4.1 percent in August to 4.7 percent in September—the fastest since October 2023 when core inflation reached 5.3 percent. (See: https:// businessmirror.com.ph/2026/10/07/ el-nino-biggest-risk-in-fighting-inflation/https://businessmirror.com. ph/2026/10/07/el-nino-biggest-riskin-fighting-inflation/) The BSP has raised the key interest rate by a total of 75 basis points since the start of the conflict in the Middle East on February 28, delivering three separate quarter-point rate hikes at the Monetary Board’s ratesetting meetings held on April 23, June 18, and August 27. For this year, the last two policy meetings of the Monetary Board (MB), the highest policymaking body of the central bank, are scheduled on October 22 and December 17.

News

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BIR WARNS VS FAKE PORTAL WHERE CYBER CRIMINALS COULD GET TAXPAYERS’ DATA By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

HE Bu reau of Inter na l Revenue (BIR) has warned taxpayers against a fake website impersonating its official online registration portal, Online Registration and Update System (ORUS), which could expose their personal and tax information to cybercriminals. In a n adv isor y on Fr id ay, the main tax-collecting agency said orus.ph is a dubious website imitating ORUS, which taxpayers use to register and update their records. The BIR said the fake website could expose visitors to suspicious pop-ups, unfamiliar prompts and potentially harmful content that

could compromise personal information. Taxpayers were directed to not access the website, click unfamiliar links, enter personal details or grant permissions requested by the site. The legitimate ORUS portal can only be accessed through https:// orus.bir.gov.ph/, the BIR added. The agency also urged the public to verify website addresses and report suspicious online activities claiming to represent the agency. The alert comes as the BIR steps up its digital services and tax relief campaign, which has waived P149.35 million in outstanding liabilities and penalties for 2,379 micro taxpayers nationwide.

Unctad report: Energy transition is key to PHL’s trade resilience By Bless Aubrey Ogerio

HE Philippines’ trade resilience will partly depend on how well it manages climate and energy shocks, a United Nations trade official said, as the country faces economic risks from a potential strong El Niño episode. Anastasia Nesvetailova, head of the Macroeconomic and Development Policies Branch of UN Trade and Development (Unctad), said economies with diversified energy sources were better able to withstand the current energy shock, limiting its effects on inflation, consumption and investment. “One lesson from this year is that climate resilience and climate security is the energy transition,” Nesvetailova said during a news conference on Unctad ’s Trade and Development Report 2026 on Friday. Countries more dependent on fossil fuels were more exposed to the economic effects of energy price shocks, she explained, while those with more diverse energy sources were better able to contain their impact. Unctad did not provide a specific forecast for the Philippines’ trade performance through the end of 2026 or quantify the potential effects of El Niño on the country’s exports. The report, however, projects

global economic growth of 2.6 percent this year, down from 2.9 percent in 2025, while developing economies are expected to grow by 4 percent, compared with 4.7 percent last year. Despite t he slower economic e x pa nsion, globa l t rade in goods and ser v ices is projected to g row by about 4 percent in rea l ter ms. Asked how much the Philippines would contribute to the projected expansion in global trade, Nesvetailova said Unctad’s current estimates were broken down by region and subregion rather than by individual country. She said the organization would provide a country-specific figure separately. The Unctad official further noted that Asia had increased its contribution to global growth this year but did not offer a separate estimate for the Philippines. Nesvetailova also cited the country’s efforts to improve the economic data it provides to international institutions. She noted that the World Intellectual Property Organization had recently included the Philippines in its intangible capital index, where the country ranked as the world’s third-fastest-growing market for intangible investments in its first appearance in the report.

Defense scores access of ‘stranger’ to VP Duterte’s confidential data By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

EAD defense counsel Atty. Sheila Sison on Friday questioned the validity of a “supposed forensic report” submitted by the prosecution highlighting a statement in the report claiming the witness, financial forensic analyst, Atty. Alexander Cabrera, analyzed documents made available via Senate subpoenas, despite the court previously clarifying that no such specific subpoena was issued for him. During the 37th day of the impeachment trial, Sison argued that the handling of the respondent’s confidential data by a “stranger” is unauthorized. She also requested that the court address preliminary matters regarding the next witness before he enters the courtroom. “This court explicitly said that it has not issued any subpoena to this particular witness, and neither has it issued any subpoena duces tecum or any authority for this witness to be handed over certain documents, especially documents containing confidential data of the

respondent,” Sison said. “I am at a loss why this report now contains a statement that the work he purportedly performed involved, on his part, analyzing some documents that were made available to him pursuant to the subpoena from the impeachment court,” Sison stated. This, she narrated, includes Vice President Sara Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) from 2022 to 2025, reports from Anti-Money Laundering Council, the income tax returns filed by the Vice President and her spouse, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, the bank statements and bank records of investments they made, the financial statements of corporations they have an interest, and documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. “Definitely the respondent did not, does not, and will never consent to any information sharing of any of her confidential data with this stranger, your honor,” Sison stressed. See “Stranger,” A4

Saturday, October 10, 2026

PHL to adopt global pricing convention on peso bonds

By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

HE Philippines will eliminate the price adjustment on the settlement amount of peso-denominated government and corporate bonds to align with international practices and to attract more investors.

In a joint statement on Friday, government financial regulators said the Philippines will adopt the international pricing convention starting January 4, 2027. Doing so will remove the price adjustment associated with the 20-percent final withholding tax on bond interest income that is currently applied to premiums or discounts under the current Phil-

ippine pricing convention. Once the price adjustment is removed, it will no longer be part of the settlement amount of an investor’s purchase of a bond. Regulators said there will be no actual impact for investors who hold bonds to maturity. However, some investors may see changes in the computation of the settlement value of government and corporate

bonds following the adoption of the new convention. Tax obligations will also remain the same as the transition will not change the contractual terms of the bonds and investors will continue to receive the scheduled interest payments and principal at maturity, in accordance with the terms of their bonds. Adopting the pricing convention will make bonds easier to buy and trade, as well as boost global demand as the Philippine peso-denominated government bonds are set to be included in the JP Morgan Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets series in January 2027. “More participants in the government bond market would deepen market liquidity and broaden investor base, eventually allowing the government to borrow more efficiently and at lower rates,” said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Finance, Bureau of the Treasury, Securities and Ex-

change Commission and the Insurance Commission in a statement. “A deeper and more liquid government bond market would also support more efficient price discovery and bond valuations, benefiting all bondholders and boosting investor confidence,” they added. “That’s a good sign because that will help and allow people, foreign investors and local traders, to buy more—just gain in and out,” BDO Capital and Investment Corp. President Eduardo V. Francisco said. “That will help the capital markets and the government also.” Government financial regulators said all relevant regulations and systems in adopting the price convention will be in place before the end of the year. The shift in bond pricing convention will be incorporated into the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx) revised fixedincome market rules and trading conventions.

As production costs soar, Senate probe of state of livestock, poultry sectors set

FEW days after expressing support for hog raisers’ call to increase farmgate pork prices and tighten import controls, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan filed a Senate resolution seeking an inquiry into the current state of the Philippine livestock and poultry industries. The inquiry will identify measures to strengthen local production, protect the livelihoods of hog and poultry raisers, and ensure stable domestic supply of meat and other animal products. The senator, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 726 on October 8 amid continuing challenges confronting local livestock and poultry producers, including declining farmgate prices, rising production costs, animal disease outbreaks, and competition from imported products. “Resolved by the Senate, as it is hereby resolved, to direct the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the state of the Philippine livestock and poultry industries, with particular focus on the depressed farmgate prices of hogs and broiler chicken amid escalating feed and production costs,” the resolution read. The resolution aims to ensure “the viability of local producers, safeguarding rural livelihoods, and securing affordable and sustainable food supply for Filipino consumers.” Pangilinan’s moves come amid reports from the Department of Agriculture (DA) that farmgate prices for liveweight hogs have dropped to only P120 to P160 per kilogram in some areas, far below the P210 per kilo minimum farmgate price agreed upon by the DA and hog industry groups. The prevailing farmgate prices are currently below the estimated cost of production at P180 to P190 per kilo, the senator said in the resolution. This has led to an estimated P250 million loss per day for hog raisers. According to Pangilinan, poultry

raisers face a similar situation, with reports that broiler farmgate prices fell as low as P65 per kilo in major producing areas in April 2026. Despite the drop in farmgate

prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the national average retail price of P295.58 per kilogram for fresh pork, meat with bones, in the

second phase of September 2026 is down only 9.6 percent from P327.03 a year ago. See “Livestock,” A4

News

Saturday, October 10, 2026

‘Underperformance’ in cognitive tests; Duterte’s health improved in ICC care

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

ORMER President Rodrigo Duterte is fit to stand trial for crimes against humanity after an International Criminal Courtappointed medical panel found evidence of “underperformance” during cognitive testing and concluded that his poor scores could not be explained by any medical, psychiatric or pathological condition. Medical experts also reported an “apparent improvement” in Duterte’s health while in ICC custody, saying the former president’s condition had been “optimized” by the detention center’s high standard of medical and nursing care. In a decision made public on Thursday, ICC Trial Chamber III rejected defense claims that the 81-year-old former leader suffers from severe memory loss and cognitive decline that would prevent him from understanding the charges against him or in-

structing his lawyers. The ruling clears the way for Duterte’s trial to formally open in The Hague on Nov. 30. The court-appointed medical panel found no medical, psychiatric or pathological explanation for Duterte’s low cognitive-test scores. Instead, the experts cited “inconsistencies and the evidence of underperformance by the Accused, for which they find no medical explanation.” Any cognitive impairment identified during the examination was

assessed as merely “mild,” “incipient” or “pre-clinical” and insufficient to affect Duterte’s ability to participate in court proceedings. The experts unanimously concluded that he retains the capacity to understand the charges, follow proceedings, evaluate evidence and instruct counsel in preparing his defense. Based on those findings, the chamber ruled that it is “satisfied that the Accused is able to effectively exercise his fair trial rights in the proceedings and is therefore fit to stand trial.” The judges also rejected defense arguments that Duterte’s alleged memory problems would hinder his review of hundreds of pages of witness statements and hundreds of hours of disclosed video footage, ruling that analyzing the evidentiary record is primarily the responsibility of defense counsel. Trial Chamber III, likewise, denied requests for additional neurological examinations, an oral hearing and the questioning of medical experts. The panel further noted an “apparent improvement in Mr Duterte’s health” since his arrival at the ICC detention facility, saying his “general physical health appears to have been optimised”

through the “high standard of medical and nursing care, including diagnostic rigor and pharmacological rationalization” provided at the center. To accommodate Duterte’s age and physical condition, the chamber ordered hearing assistance devices, hourly breaks, nursing support and flexible scheduling arrangements for proceedings involving Philippine-based witnesses appearing remotely. The ruling reinforces earlier ICC findings on Duterte’s fitness to participate in proceedings. In February 2026, Pre-Trial Chamber I rejected a defense appeal challenging a finding that he was fit to attend the confirmation of charges hearing, dismissing claims that evidence of cognitive decline had been overlooked. (See related story: ICC clears path for Duterte confirmation hearing, blocks appeal on medical grounds) The decision clears the final procedural hurdle before trial and underscores the court’s repeated rejection of defense challenges to Duterte’s fitness on medical grounds as it prepares to hear allegations linked to thousands of killings during his anti-drug campaign.

DBM chief doesn’t see reenacted budget for ‘27 By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto

AVING a reenacted budget for 2027 is not yet a concern for the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) amid the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte taking up lawmakers’ time. A s k e d w he t he r he s e e s a chance of having a reenacted budget next year given the on-

going impeachment trial, Budget Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon said that he does not see that happening for now. “We’re working closely with Congress para tuloy-tuloy lang tayo [We’re working closely with Congress to ensure that things continue to move forward],” De Leon told reporters on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Financial Executives Institute of the

Philippines (Finex) Conference on Friday. The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 and is set to take up the spending measure on third and final reading on Monday. (See: https://businessmir ror.com.ph /2026/10/07/ house-oks-p7-2-t-2027-budgeton-second-reading/) The House originally targeted passage of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) by October 9 but extended its plenary sessions until October 12 to allow more time for the final vote on the spending measure. However, in the upper chamber, Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian said their budget hearings are being affected by the impeachment trial. “The schedule keeps changing because the number of days devoted to the impeachment trial varies, and sometimes the testimonies take longer, extending the proceedings,” Gatchalian said in a televised news program. “The schedule for the budget is also a moving target.” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is willing

to provide support to Congress in expediting the passage of the 2027 General Appropriations Act if it is requested by lawmakers. (See: https://businessmirror. com.ph /2026/10/05/palaceexpects-delays-in-congress-okof-27-budget/) De Leon said in FINEX’s forum that doing or implementing radical changes in the budget preparation stage would cost the government in having a re-enacted budget. “But the 2027 budget has a lot of things done differently than the previous year’s budget,” he said, adding that unprogrammed appropriations take up 1.5 percent of the proposed budget—the lowest since 1991. De Leon said that the Department of Public Works and Highways also had the hardest time preparing its 2027 budget because DBM required complete documentation for every proposed item. “My role is to ensure and to assure the President that the items in the National Expenditures Program are fully documented because the ghost projects did not start from that line item. The ghost projects is a combination of poor planning and poor execution. But at least we can safeguard the planning side,” he added.

QC court postpones anew VP’s arraignment on threats charges By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

HE Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QC RTC) on Friday postponed anew the arraignment of Vice President Sara Duterte on three counts of grave threats. For the second time, QC RTC-Branch 98 postponed the arraignment of Duterte, citing the petition of her lawyers before the Supreme Court for a temporary restraining order (TRO). “[We] have a pending petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court and the presiding judge thought it best to first study all of this and reset to some other date [the arraignment] . . . “ said Duterte’s legal counsel Paul Lawrence Lim, who refused to disclose the new schedule of the arraignment, saying the information will come from the court.

Duterte personally appeared at the QC RTC accompanied by her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte. Duterte’s legal team filed a motion for partial reconsideration regarding the court’s earlier denial of their motion for inhibition of the presiding judge. They are questioning the RTC’s jurisdiction, saying the Vice President is an impeachable officer entitled to “limited procedural immunity.” Duterte faces three counts of grave threats tied to a November 2024 online press conference where she said she has contracted an assassin, with instructions to attack Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, in case something bad happened to her.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

House panel capping unexplained wealth presentations vs VP Sara By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

HE House prosecution panel will conclude its presentation before the Senate impeachment court of Article II, which alleges unexplained wealth against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, and will no longer present evidence on the bribery article, prosecutor Rep. Jonathan Keith T. Flores said on Friday. “I think we already filed our manifestation last Tuesday that we will be dropping bribery,” Flores said during a press conference. “The team has already decided that we will end with Article II.” Flores stressed that the decision was not related to the strength of the bribery case but was based on the prosecution’s remaining time and the evidence it intended to present. “The decision not to proceed with bribery had nothing to do with the strength of the case,” he said, explaining that the panel could no longer fit the presentation into its planned timetable. He said the prosecution had informed the impeachment court of its decision through a manifestation rather than a motion because it did not need the court’s approval. The panel will focus its remaining presentation on financial records and allegations concerning Duterte’s declared income and wealth. Meanwhile, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) records presented during the trial showed that Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, reported a combined P85.34 million in income after taxes from 2007 to 2025. The prosecution has questioned how the amount relates to Duterte’s declared net worth of P98.66 million in her 2025 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). House prosecution counsel Erwin Matib said the reported income did not sufficiently explain the increase in Duterte’s declared wealth. He also cited cash balances reflected in the couple’s audited financial statements, which he said amounted to P21 million in 2022, P28 million in 2023, P15 million in 2024 and P13 million in 2025. The prosecution’s questions also focused on income Duterte reportedly received while serving as vice president. Prosecutor Rep. Ramon Rodrigo “Rodge” Gutierrez said the issue was not whether she had updated her BIR registration but whether the income came from a source permitted while she held public office. “There is no allegation here that she failed to register. The allegation is that the income came from a particular source that is prohibited,” Gutierrez said. He emphasized that the income entries appeared in tax documents submitted by the vice president herself. “The income tax return is self-reported. It is filed by the taxpayer herself,” he said, adding that the prosecution wanted Duterte to explain the nature and source of the reported earnings. Flores also questioned whether the BIR records reflected income Duterte received beyond her salary as vice president. “Was there other income coming in when she was already vice president, as reported in the BIR forms, or was there none?” he said. Gutierrez maintained that the prosecution’s concern remained unresolved following the defense’s cross-examination of the BIR witness. “The point is that it is on the record,” he said. “Yet, during the cross-examination, we saw no answer.” During the proceedings, the defense also presented Letters of Authority (LOAs) issued by BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza authorizing comprehensive examinations of the couple’s tax records. The documents, dated April 29, 2026, covered Duterte’s tax liabilities from 2006 to 2025 and Carpio’s from 2014 to 2025 under the agency’s Run After Tax Evaders program. The LOAs were confirmed by lawyer-accountant Anne Loraine Garcia-Marquez, the BIR commissioner’s chief of staff, during cross-examination. She said she was aware of the progress of the tax examinations but could not disclose details because of restrictions on the confidentiality of tax investigations. The exchange prompted a dispute over the public disclosure of the documents. Garcia-Marquez expressed concern that the names of revenue officers had been displayed on screen and should have been redacted. Matib subsequently raised a possible privacy violation before the impeachment court. “We manifest that there has been a violation of the privacy of the people involved. Their names were flashed on the screen for everyone to see,” Matib said. Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero assured the witness that the names would be redacted from the documents submitted to the court. Defense counsel Kristine Ferrer maintained that Duterte had the right to consent to the disclosure of her own tax information. The prosecution, however, questioned the defense’s presentation of the LOAs while challenging the BIR’s authority to release tax records. The tax audit remains separate from the impeachment court’s evaluation of the prosecution’s allegations, which the defense has disputed.

Livestock. . . Continued from A3

“Continuously depressed farmgate prices alongside high production costs may force hog and poultr y raisers, especially small and backyard raisers, to reduce production or exit the industry a l to g e t h e r, t h e re by d e e p e n i n g t h e

Stranger. . . Continued from A3

S i s o n a l s o q u e s t i o n e d Ca b re ra’s authority, noting that since the cour t, a s o f Th u r s d ay, h a s s t ate d f o r t h e record that it has not yet issued any subpoena to him, to hold or handed over confidential data. House Prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno, however, asser ted that the repor t is a legitimate forensic document and clarifies that the witness is not a stranger, maintaining that the prosecution has the authority to engage an expert and provide

country’s dependence on imports and undermining long-term food security,” the resolution read. Pangilinan’s legislative agenda is centered on agricultural reform and modernization, with a strong focus on empowering farmers and fisher folk, strengthening rural development, and advancing measures to achieve national food security. Butch Fernandez them with documents legally gathered through the court’s subpoenas. Presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero clarified that while no specific subpoena was issued for the witness to receive documents, the prosecution is entitled to furnish its experts with documents that were produced before the impeachment court. The court noted that the defense is free to cross-examine the witness regarding the chain of custody. After discussing procedural matters and allowing for adjustments to the witness stand, Cabrera was formally called and took his oath to testify.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

OurTime BusinessMirror

Editor: Angel R. Calso • Saturday, October 10, 2026 A5

The automation wave: How robots will reshape the Filipino caregiver workforce Problem with recognizing faces? It could be more serious than you think

ATELY, I’ve been having second thoughts about attending class or office reunions because they make me struggle to remember names. Many times, I seem to know the face in front of me but I have a hard time recalling the name of the person. So, I just nod along as if I know his name and it is only after a while that I suddenly remember his name. Forgetting the name may be forgivable or even par for the course for senior citizens because many of my other ex-classmates or office mates seem to suffer from poor memory. The common excuse of course is “senior moments.” But what if you stare at a face for a long time and don’t recognize it? Has this happened to you occasionally or frequently? Then it can’t be excused as a casual senior moment. You could be afflicted with “prosopagnosia,” a neurological disorder more commonly known as “face blindness.” People with prosopagnosia aren’t actually blind; they know when they see a face, but their brain can’t process who it belongs to. Every face looks like a generic face. This makes it hard or impossible for you to recognize familiar faces, including those of colleagues, friends and family. Sometimes, you can’t even recognize the face in the mirror staring back at you. Consider the case of British neurologist Oliver Sacks, author of many popular books on neuroscience. In an essay on his condition that he wrote for The New Yorker in 2010, Sacks described being unable to recognize his own reflection in a glass pane at a restaurant. “Sitting at a sidewalk table, I turned toward the restaurant window and began grooming my beard, as I often do. I then realized that what I had taken to be my reflection was not grooming himself but looking at me oddly,” Sacks wrote. Then there’s one spooky case told to my wife by her cousin: looking at the mirror one morning, there was a blank space on what should have been her face! That’s what I call “face blankness.” Fortunately, it was just a momentary instance. In an interview in 2013, Brad Pitt, the popular actor, confessed that he may be suffering from face blindness. Pitt said it got him seriously worried: “It prompts others to form negative impressions of you. So many people hate me because they think I’m disrespecting them. But it’s a mystery to me, man. I can’t grasp a face and yet I come from such a design/ aesthetic point of view.” The symptoms that the actor described appear to be consistent with face blindness. That said, Pitt’s admission had drawn attention to a condition that many doctors believe is more common than we think. A 2008 study by Penn State University researchers found that one out of every 40 people are afflicted with face blindness. Scientists believe that prosopagnosia is caused by a malfunctioning in a part of the brain that specifically exists to recognize faces. It’s unclear how many individuals are born with face blindness. Both Sacks and his brother had the condition which they inherited from their ancestors. But it is not purely genetic. Symptoms of face blindness can come up later in life through injury or after suffering from a stroke or any kind

of traumatic brain injury. Face blindness can also be symptoms of early dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. My friend’s wife who is in early dementia can no longer recognize the faces of her children. But she can recognize the face of her husband. So, it’s better not to dismiss face blindness as just one of those “senior moments” especially if it happens too frequently. I probably suffer from partial face blindness. The reason is I don’t remember details of faces I meet specially for the first time. When someone is introduced to me, I wouldn’t be able to recognize him immediately when we meet again. This is why I would probably be a poor witness in criminal investigation because I wouldn’t be able to recognize the culprit in a police line-up. I tend to see a person’s face more as a whole, rather than the individual parts that make up the face. Maybe the term “face blindness” is not accurate for me. I prefer the term “facial recognition issues”—once I put facial features together, I can identify who that person is. As an aide memoire for face recognition, I strive to remember extra layers of information such as skin texture, eye color, hairstyle and other details about the face of the person I’m interacting with. Postings on social media have been very helpful because they make faces of people more familiar to me. When I am about to meet somebody, I look at his latest postings to imprint his face in my brain. Sometimes, there are faces that have been so ravaged by time and age, illness that they can hardly be recognized. The face can be so far removed from the face you remember at an earlier time. Have you seen a video blog of actresses showing their faces then and now? It’s so devastating to see their faces after 50 or 60 years. You probably won’t recognize them if you meet them in public. Then there are people you know who put so much importance on face value that their faces have been reshaped or reconfigured beyond recognition by too much surgeries. Some look laughable and grotesque in their tightened wrinkle-free facial skin.

Bright Side 8/16/2022 But there’s another kind of face blindness that we as a people are afflicted with. I call it collective face blindness. We tend to forget that faces serve as masks. This is why we are easily blinded by false faces in business, in entertainment, in politics and even in our own private lives. What we are missing are honest faces that reveal the authentic persons behind. Early man was better off recognizing if a face was a familiar friend or an unfamiliar foe, an honest one or a conman. Through the countless years of evolution, our brain has lost its ability for acute perception, such as hearing sound at higher pitches and see in the darkness. My wish is for humankind to regain or reclaim our ancient power to recognize a face that is obnoxious, toxic or malevolent at first sight.

By Jona C. Redondo

HE global caregiving industry stands at a technological crossroads. As nations worldwide grapple with aging populations and labor shortages, robotics and artificial intelligence are increasingly viewed as solutions to fill the care gap. Yet this technological shift threatens to disrupt one of the most significant yet often overlooked workforces in the sector: Filipino caregivers. While no comprehensive global tally exists, available data reveals the staggering scope of Filipino presence in international care work. In Japan alone, over 3,000 Filipino nurses and caregivers have been deployed under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), with projections calling for tens of thousands more to meet the demands of the world’s oldest population. Across the Pacific, the United States employs tens of thousands of Filipino workers in assisted living facilities, residential care homes, and private home-care roles—particularly concentrated in California and Hawaii, where they form a critical backbone of elder care services. Australia hosts approximately 10,000 Filipino healthcare professionals across clinical and long-term care settings. Meanwhile, in Asia’s bustling city-states, the numbers swell even higher: roughly 125,000 Filipinas work as domestic helpers and caregivers in Singapore, while Hong Kong employs over 211,500 Filipino workers, a substantial portion of whom provide caregiving services in private households. The country’s formal geriatric care sector remains modest—comprising just 20 to 25 private nursing homes with a combined capacity of 300 to 500 beds, alongside four government-run facilities under the Department of Social Welfare and Development. This means the vast majority of Filipino care work happens abroad, sending remittances home but leaving these workers vulnerable to policy and technological shifts in host countries. Enter the robots. Japan, facing a critical caregiver shortage, has been aggressively piloting robotic solutions—from lifting aids and mobility assistance devices to AI companions and monitoring systems. Similar experiments are underway in Australia, the United States, and Singapore, where governments and private facilities are testing whether automation can reduce dependence on human labor while maintaining care standards. For Filipino workers, the implications are profound. Those in institutional settings— Japan’s nursing homes, America’s assisted living facilities, Australia’s care centers — face the most immediate pressure. Robotic patient lifting systems could reduce the physical demand for human staff, while AI monitoring tools might allow facilities to operate with fewer caregivers per resident. The JPEPA framework itself, designed to address Japan’s caregiver shortage, could see reduced quotas if robotic alternatives prove cost-effective. Home-based caregivers may prove more resilient, at least initially. The intimate, relationship-based nature of in-home elder care and domestic work resists easy automation. Yet even here, the encroachment is visible: smart home monitoring systems, automated medication dispensers, and companion robots are already reducing the scope of human caregiving duties in private households across Singapore, Hong Kong, and California. The Filipino caregiving diaspora represents a significant economic force for the country and an irreplaceable human resource for aging societies worldwide. But as robots enter the care equation, this workforce— already navigating visa restrictions, contract vulnerabilities, and separa-

tion from family—now faces an uncertain technological future. The question is no longer whether robots will transform elder care, but how quickly—and what happens to the hundreds of thousands of Filipino caregivers caught in the transition.

Impact of care robots on the long-term care workforce

CARE robots—devices that assist with monitoring, lifting/transferring residents, mobility support, toileting/bathing, and limited social interaction—have been adopted most extensively in Japan, the world’s most rapidly aging society facing severe caregiver shortages. Empirical research, primarily using Japanese nursing home data, provides some of the strongest available evidence on their workforce effects. The dominant finding is that robots largely complement rather than displace human workers in this sector, improving retention, enabling employment growth (especially of flexible workers), reallocating tasks toward higher-value human interactions, and supporting care quality and productivity.

Key empirical findings from Japan

MAJOR studies by researchers including Karen Eggleston (Stanford), Yong Suk Lee, Toshiaki Iizuka, and colleagues use facilitylevel panel data, often leveraging regional variation in government robot subsidies as a natural experiment or instrumental variable. This helps isolate causal effects. Employment effects: Robot adoption is associated with higher staffing levels. One prominent analysis found roughly 28 percent more care workers, 39% more nurses, and about 26 percent higher total employment at adopting facilities. Gains were concentrated among non-regular (part-time, contract, or flexible) employees; regular full-time staffing was largely unchanged or showed smaller effects. Earlier estimates indicated robot-adopting homes had 3–8% more staff overall. Monitoring robots showed particularly strong complementarity with staffing. Retention and turnover: Adoption reduced reported difficulties in staff retention and lowered exit/quit rates. This is significant in a sector plagued by high turnover due to physically demanding work, low pay, and burnout. Robots appear to ease burdens such as night monitoring and heavy lifting, making jobs more sustainable. Task reallocation: As the share of specific tasks performed by robots rises (e.g., monitoring or transfers), human workers shift effort toward “human touch” activities involving empathy, communication, and personalized care. This supports the view of robots as tools that free staff for higher-quality interactions rather than pure substitutes. Quality and productivity: Associated improvements include reduced use of physical restraints and fewer pressure ulcers (bedsores). Facilities also showed capacity gains (more residents served, higher revenue, longer waitlists in some analyses), indicating productivity benefits. Wage effects: Some evidence of modest reductions in monthly wages for regular nurses, consistent with reduced overall care burden (including night shifts facilitated by monitoring robots). A smaller lottery-based natural experi-

ment (subsidy allocation via lottery) found a short-term reduction in care worker headcount in selected facilities (differencein-change around –1.1 workers initially), suggesting limited substitution potential in certain contexts. However, other labor adjustments were modest, and this finding sits alongside the broader complementarity results from larger panel studies. Overall, the weight of evidence points to net positive or neutral-to-positive employment effects amid shortages.

Mechanisms driving workforce impacts

ROBOTS primarily handle physically strenuous, repetitive, or continuous-monitoring tasks that contribute to injury and fatigue. By reducing these burdens: Facilities become more attractive workplaces, aiding recruitment and retention of flexible workers who might otherwise exit the sector. Managers can expand capacity or maintain service levels despite tight labor markets. Workflows can be redesigned so humans focus on relational and skilled aspects of care that robots cannot (yet) fully replicate. This differs from manufacturing automation, where substitution of routine tasks often leads to net job losses. In care, the “human element” remains essential, and demand is rising rapidly due to aging, creating space for complementary technologies.

Caveats and limitations

CONTEXT specificity: Evidence is heavily concentrated in Japan, where government subsidies encouraged adoption, cultural attitudes toward technology are relatively favorable, and labor shortages are extreme. Results may differ in countries with stronger worker protections, different robot types, or less severe shortages. Employment composition: Growth in non-regular (often lower-benefit) positions raises questions about job quality and precarity, even as overall numbers rise. Heterogeneity by robot type: Monitoring robots show stronger positive staffing links; transfer/mobility robots more directly reduce physical strain and turnover. Scale and maturity: Current robots are relatively task-specific and not fully autonomous. More advanced AI-driven systems could shift the complementarity–substitution balance. Data and causality: While instrumental-variable and fixed-effects approaches strengthen causal claims, residual endogeneity (e.g., better-managed homes adopting robots) cannot be fully ruled out. Shortterm vs. long-term effects may differ.

Broader implications for the global care crisis

IN aging societies facing projected shortfalls of hundreds of thousands to millions of caregivers (Japan, South Korea, parts of Europe, China, and others), care robots offer a partial technological lever. They can: Stretch limited human labor further. Improve job sustainability and reduce turnover costs. Support higher-quality, more personcentered care when paired with good management and training. They are not a full solution. Complementary policies remain essential: higher wages and better conditions for care workers, expanded training, support for informal carers, ethical migration pathways, and prevention/healthy aging strategies. Overreliance on technology without addressing root issues of underpayment and undervaluation of care work risks limited impact or unintended consequences for job quality. In summary, rigorous evidence from Japan indicates that care robots tend to augment the workforce— raising employment of flexible staff, easing retention challenges, enabling task shifts toward human strengths, and supporting care quality—rather than causing widespread displacement. This makes them a promising tool for mitigating labor shortages in elderly care, provided adoption is managed thoughtfully alongside human-centered workforce policies. Further research in other countries and with evolving robot capabilities will help refine these insights.

BusinessMirror

Saturday, October 10, 2026 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos

businessmirror.lifestyle@gmail.com • www.businessmirror.com.ph

A tech store that gives customers more reasons to explore and engage THE Loop X is designed as an experiential destination built around three pillars: Xperience, Xplore, and Xcape PHOTO FROM THE LOOP X

HE Loop is known for selling iPhones and other Apple gadgets but did you know that The Loop X, which opened recently on the third floor of SM North Edsa The Annex, also offers nine Android brands? Of course, The Loop X has the latest Apple lineup but the store also features popular devices and accessories from Samsung, realme, Xiaomi, Tecno, Huawei, Honor, Nubia, Vivo, Oppo, Nintendo, and lifestyle brands like Oura, Plaid, Amazfit, and Rokid. The interiors of the spacious store in SM North Edsa are very modern and conducive to exploration and discovery. The Loop X is considered the highest classification in The Loop’s store lineup. It is built as an experiential concept store. The Loop was founded in 2014 as a store that brings together personal technology, lifestyle essentials, and emerging innovations. The brand said the “X” in The Loop X “represents a brand-new way to engage with technology through Xperience, Xplore, and Xcape.” With Xperience, customers can expect top-tier and personalized service as they navigate the interactive experience zones. They can Xcape and have fun in the experiential VR Room, or test high-speed driving setup in the racing simulator. There are His and Hers concept displays that couples can Xplore. At The Loop X, you’ll also find The Loop Bar, an exclusive in-store matcha bar where you can order a drink and sip it at leisure as you consider your next tech purchase. The goal of The Loop with The Loop X is to make

shopping for gadgets more engaging and interactive. The store is divided into sections and in certain sections, there are stools and sofas to help shoppers relax and have fun.

DWIGHT RAMOS IN ‘ROOTED’

GILAS Pilipinas star and Smart ambassador Dwight Ramos is featured in Rooted, a three-part documentary series premiering exclusively on PLDT and Smart-supported PusoP.com this October. The series follows Ramos as he returns to Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, the hometown of his father, marking his first visit to the community in many years. When he last visited Narvacan, Ramos was still an up-and-coming player. He returns as one of the most popular cagers in the country.

The documentary explores Ramos’ growing connection to his Filipino heritage. “It’s kind of like me trying to be more part of the community. More part of the Philippines. I just want to make some steps forward, especially in a town like my dad’s hometown,” he said. The documentary shows Ramos’ basketball camp in Narvacan, an initiative designed to inspire young athletes and provide opportunities for local youth. “The series captures the significance of Dwight’s return, showcasing how sports can bridge generations, communities, and cultures while highlighting the importance of remembering where one came from. It also reflects why Smart continues to support grassroots sports development,” said Jude H. Turcuato, head of PLDT and Smart Sports.

Infinix teases XEnergy, bringing smarter power solutions to everyday life

INFINIX XEnergy L1000

TECHNOLOGY brand Infinix (ph.infinixmobility.com) is set to introduce XEnergy on October 10, 2026, bringing a new line of energy solutions designed to deliver reliable and convenient power for everyday needs. With the upcoming Infinix XEnergy L1000 and Infinix XEnergy S320, users can look forward to flexible power solutions built for both home use and life on the go. As everyday life becomes increasingly dependent on connected devices, having reliable power on hand is more important than ever. From keeping essential devices running at home to staying powered through unexpected interruptions,

XEnergy is designed to make dependable power more accessible and convenient.

ONE SOLUTION, MULTIPLE POWER SOURCES

DESIGNED as an all-in-one energy solution, the Infinix XEnergy L1000 brings together solar, grid, and battery power in a single system. This gives users greater flexibility in managing their power needs, whether at home, working remotely, or preparing for unexpected power interruptions. With a 500W output and AC + DC ports, the

SEE “INFINIX,” A7

IKEA and Xbox collab for new gaming collection YXSTABY BY PATRICK VILLANUEVA THE YXSTABY collection from IKEA. PHOTO FROM IKEA

GAMING at home has never been this stylish, as the gaming giant Xbox partners with leading global home lifestyle brand IKEA for its latest gaming collection, YXSTABY. YXSTABY is a nine-piece collection between the two companies that combines gaming performance and comfortable living, making everyday living more relaxing and still very exciting. The YXSTABY collection consists of a gaming controller display box, gaming TV stand on castor, gaming thumbstick stool, gaming side table, gaming monitor stand, gaming lounge chair, gaming D-pad controller, gaming laptop support, and

gaming D-pad cushion. In this collection, the classic Xbox controller becomes a recurring inspiration for the products, especially the D-pad. This inspired design, said the head of design for Xbox Devices Carl Ledbetter, is an homage to the iconic and recognizable article in gaming from Xbox. “We started with the Xbox controller—one of the most recognizable objects in gaming— and looked at how its familiar forms could inspire the collection,” said Ledbetter. “By translating elements like the D-pad and thumbstick into functional furniture, we created pieces that celebrate Xbox design while feeling completely at home in everyday living spaces.”

Talking about the product, IKEA Product Developer Philip Dilé emphasized that they prioritized comfort while co-designing these products, stating that the YXSTABY collection are as fun as it is functional. “At IKEA, we believe gaming deserves a place in the home that feels just as thoughtful, comfortable and personal as any other everyday activity,” said Philip Dilé. “With YXSTABY, we worked closely with Xbox to reimagine familiar forms into playful, functional pieces that make it easier for people to bring their love of gaming into the spaces where they live,” he added. Its global rollout began on October 1. Those interested to see the design may visit tinyurl. com/5dc5peny or tinyurl.com/5h2zvyrf.

HUSTLE PH TURNS AI, DATA AND TECHNOLOGY INTO A FAST-GROWING MARKET RESEARCH BUSINESS BY RIZAL RAOUL REYES HUSTLE PH, also known as Agile Data Solutions Inc., is showing how artificial intelligence (AI) and technology can reshape market research, one of the less glamorous corners of the business world. Jason Gaguan, CEO and co-founder of Hustle PH, told BUSINESSMIRROR in an interview that the key was that Hustle PH built a technology platform connecting businesses with a massive network of Filipino consumers who collect and share data through the company’s app. The company now has 1.6 million users, making it the country’s largest consumer research panel and data-collection operation. Gaguan explained the model is straightforward but technologically intensive. A user such as a stay-at-home mother in Cebu, for example, can use the Hustle PH app to photograph and inventory sari-sari stores in her community, complete the task in about 15 minutes and receive roughly P150 through GCash. At scale, he said the network becomes a valuable source of real-time information for companies seeking to understand consumers and retail markets. Hustle PH provides services traditionally purchased by large multinational companies, including brand tracking, retail price compliance audits, distribution studies and consumer segmentation. The company’s proposition is to deliver these services faster, more cheaply and more accurately through technology and its extensive network of users. Gaguan said the company’s customer-centric technology was developed largely by listening to customers first and building solutions around their requirements. In its early days, he recalled the company would meet prospective multinational clients, identify their needs and then return to its team to build the technology needed to deliver the proposed solution. Gaguan said that approach has transformed as with the development of AI. “So after sales calls, we regroup and start building the tech fast,” Gaguan said, noting that AI and so-called “vibe coding” would make the process considerably easier today. Rather than building technology first and then searching for customers, Gaguan said Hustle PH took the opposite route by identifying a business problem, developing a solution, and using technology to make the service faster and more efficient. The result is the Hustle PH technology suite, an end-to-end market research solution covering the full process from questionnaire development and data collection to the presentation of results. For Hustle PH, Gaguan said AI is part of a broader technology strategy rather than simply a standalone product. He said the company’s experience illustrates how AI can reduce the time and resources required to build software and develop new solutions, particularly for technology companies operating with limited capital. When Hustle PH started in 2021, its team had to rely on what Gaguan described as “hacking and piecing together solutions.” Today, AI-assisted development gives companies like Hustle PH a powerful tool for rapidly developing and testing technology—a speed that is particularly critical in market research, where companies compete on providing accurate information quickly. Gaguan said Hustle PH’s focus has remained on three propositions: speed, accuracy and price. Instead of spending heavily on advertising, the company has concentrated its resources on developing its technology and building partnerships. The company’s technology connects two sides of the market: businesses that need consumer information, and consumers who provide that information. That creates what Gaguan describes as having “two customers”—a business model that makes the company more complicated but also differentiates it from a conventional market research operation. From the start, Gaguan said Hustle PH’s mission was to build a platform where users willingly share personal insights in exchange for a cut of the data revenue. That strategy is paying off: the company distributed a record P27 million in user rewards this year—its highest payout to date—which Gaguan notes directly drives panel loyalty, user growth, and higher-quality data. He said this creates an unusual technology business model where the people generating the data also participate in the economic value created from it.

www.businessmirror.com.ph • businessmirror.lifestyle@gmail.com

BusinessMirror

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • Saturday, October 10, 2026

Are your valuables store safe and ‘smart’? who gets access to the things you consider valuable? And “valuable” doesn’t necessarily mean bundles of cash or jewelry. Passports, property documents, birth certificates, external drives, cameras, watches, even Pokémon cards and other collectibles can be expensive, difficult or sometimes impossible to replace. Deciding where to safely keep them eventually becomes another domestic problem nobody warns you about.

AST year, I wrote about finally getting rid of something that had been part of our daily routine for as long as I could remember: the house key. Smart locks had become easier to recommend because they solved a very ordinary problem. Instead of searching your pockets or digging through a bag for a key, you could unlock the door with a fingerprint, PIN, card or even your face. And unlike those early digital locks that seemed like something you’d only encounter in a Korean drama or an expensive condo, there are now a lot of options for different types of doors and budgets. I eventually got not one but two from LARX Trading: the Philips DDL603E-5HWS and Philips DDL609-5HS. Getting those Philips smart locks turned out to be one of the best decisions I made to our house, especially from someone who is quite OC like me. More importantly, talking to the people at LARX Trading made choosing the right locks a lot less confusing. And confusing it can be. You’ve probably seen the endless Facebook and social media ads for smart locks. Some promise a dizzying list of features, while others are priced so low that you start wondering what corners were cut to get there. With something responsible for securing your front door, choosing based on price or the longest feature list probably isn’t the smartest idea. That’s why, when I recently caught up with LAEX Trading President Richard Ang, I wanted to ask what homeowners should actually look for when choosing a smart lock. He shared several useful tips, which we’ll get to later. But this time, smart locks weren’t the only things we talked about. Because after helping us get rid of the house key, Philips and LARX now want us to rethink another old-fashioned piece of home security: the safe box.

WHEN DID SAFE BOXES BECOME SMART?

WHEN I was young, perhaps one of the most mysterious things we had at home was an old metal box we called the “caja de hierro”. It was big, heavy and followed us every time we moved to a different house. I never really knew if my dad actually used it, and I certainly never found out what was inside. All I remember was that wherever we lived, that metal box somehow came with us. For the longest time, that was how I pictured a safe: a heavy steel box hidden inside a cabinet, tucked under a desk or placed somewhere visitors wouldn’t notice. Functional, intimidating and deliberately boring. The safe boxes Philips showed during its recent “Unlocking Quiet Luxury” showcase at Boudica Megatower were nothing like our old caja de hierro. Some looked more like furniture than security boxes. One doubles as a bedside table and can wirelessly charge your phone. Another has builtin watch winders for automatic watches. There are models with fingerprint recognition, Wi-Fi connectivity and security alerts, while one can even recognize the unique pattern of veins in your palm. Apparently, even the humble metal safe box has gotten a serious tech upgrade. And perhaps that’s overdue. We have spent years making almost everything else in our homes smarter. Our TVs connect to the internet, lights respond to apps and voice commands, and cameras can tell us when somebody is standing outside the house. Yet, just like our doors, many home safe box still depend on a key that can be lost or a combination somebody has to remember. Philips’ argument is that security should be less about fear and more about controlling access. Who gets through your front door? And once they’re inside,

FROM STEEL BOX TO SMART STORAGE

THE Philips SBX301 3000 Series Smart Safe Box takes a different approach by doubling as a bedside table. It has a wireless charging surface, fingerprint and PIN access, 30mm solid-steel bolts and alerts for vibration, incorrect attempts, low battery and a door left open. I like the idea because instead of hiding an ugly steel box inside another piece of furniture, the safe itself becomes part of the room. The Philips SBX602 6000 Series Smart Safe Box is closer to what I imagine when someone says “smart safe.” It combines fingerprint recognition, a concealed digital panel and electronic telescopic handle with Wi-Fi connectivity. Two-factor authentication can require two credentials before opening, while its carbon-alloy-steel construction is designed to resist prying, smashing and drilling.

A SAFE FOR WATCH COLLECTORS

THE Philips SBX702 7000 Series is probably the model collectors will find most interesting. It supports fingerprint and PIN access, backup unlocking and security alerts, but its standout feature is inside: four built-in watch winders. Automatic watches depend on movement to keep running. Leave one unworn long enough and it eventually stops, requiring you to reset the time and other complications. A watch winder keeps the mechanism moving when the watch isn’t being worn. Integrating four of them into the SBX702 means collectors can keep several automatic watches secured while keeping them wound. It’s admittedly specialized, but for someone with a serious mechanical-watch collection, combining storage, security and winding in one cabinet makes a lot of sense.

SAFE AND FIRE-RESISTANT

THE Philips SBX500 Series displayed at the event addresses another important concern: fire. According to Philips’, it uses triple-layer construction and complies with the UL72 standard, providing 60 minutes of fire resistance. That’s particularly relevant for passports, land titles, insurance papers, certificates and other documents that may be difficult or impossible to replace. Theft isn’t the only threat a home safe should protect against. Finally, there’s the Philips Valis, a 7000 Series smart safe box that perhaps best represents Philips’ “quiet luxury” concept. Its security hardware is deliberately discreet, with a concealed unlocking panel, retractable square handle and furniture-like exterior. More interestingly, Valis uses contactless palm-vein recognition, identifying the unique vein pattern beneath the skin, together with Wi-Fi connectivity.

THE FRONT DOOR IS GETTING SMARTER, TOO

PHILIPS hasn’t stopped developing its smart locks either. The DDL720 7000 Series adds 3D facial recognition, radar motion detection and a four-inch LCD display, effectively combining a smart lock with a video door viewer. The DDL902 9000 Series goes even further with palm-vein recognition alongside 3D facial recognition. But the point isn’t that every door needs cameras and biometrics. Different homes require different locks, which brings us to a more important question: With so many brands, models and features available, how do you choose the right one? That’s why Ang still recommends seeing a smart lock in person before buying. Visiting their L Smart Lounge at Greenhills for example, lets you handle the lock, try its features and get advice from someone who understands the differences between models. Customers can even show staff a photo of their door to determine which locks would be suitable to narrow down their options.

Different homes also have different requirements. AirBNB and rental-property owners, for example, may benefit from temporary or scheduled PIN codes. “You can schedule it for your guests,” Ang explained. A cleaner expected between noon and 1 pm, for example, can be given a PIN that works only during that period. Ang also noted how much consumer awareness has changed since last year. “The acceptance rate has really increased,” he said. And more homeowners are actually looking to make the switch to smart locks.

FROM right: Aison Victorio, general manager; Jeric Ombajen, sales manager; Richard Ang, president; Avelyn Lim, vice president; and Jhon Jhon Rosales, assistant sales manager, come together at the Philips Safety Product Launch showcasing the brand’s commitment to bringing innovative and reliable security solutions to Filipino homes.

ITS ALL ABOUT THE AFTER-SALES SERVICE

FEATURES shouldn’t be the only consideration when choosing a smart lock. Ang says homeowners should also ask about something less exciting but arguably just as important: warranty and after-sales support. A one-year warranty may look reassuring, but what happens when you actually need service? Is there someone you can call? Are replacement parts available? Can the lock be repaired, or will you have to replace the entire unit? That matters because a smart lock isn’t like a phone or small appliance you can simply throw away and replace. It becomes part of your main door, and repeatedly changing locks can potentially mean additional work or modifications to the door itself. Ang says Philips smart locks are designed so individual components can be repaired or replaced instead of automatically requiring replacement of the entire lock. LARX Trading also provides a two-year warranty on parts and service, along with after-sales support. According to Ang, they have a 24/7 hotline where service concerns can be attended to within 12 hours in Metro Manila and 24 hours outside Metro Manila, depending on the location and nature of the concern. His advice is to think of a smart lock as an investment rather than something you buy simply because it is the cheapest option. After all, this isn’t another gadget you’re going to replace when the next model comes out. It’s attached to one of the most important parts of your house: the front door. Reliability, repairability and after-sales support should matter just as much as facial recognition, fingerprints and all those fancy smart features. We spend a considerable amount protecting our phones with passwords, fingerprints and facial recognition because of everything important stored inside them. Yet when it comes to the precious things we value at home, many of us still rely on security that hasn’t changed much in decades. Last year, my question was why we were still carrying house keys when our fingerprints could open the door. This year, Philips made me think about what happens after that door opens. Because a smarter home shouldn’t only know who to let in. It should also know who you trust with the things that matter most.

Infinix... CONTINUED FROM A6 L1000 can support a range of everyday devices and appliances, making it a practical power source for essential electronics and daily activities. Adding another layer of reliability is its built-in UPS with less than 20ms switchover. When the main power supply is interrupted, the L1000 is designed to quickly switch to battery power, helping keep connected devices running with minimal disruption.

BIG POWER IN A COMPACT DESIGN

FOR users looking for portable power without a bulky setup, the Infinix XEnergy S320 packs substantial capacity into a compact form. With a 100,000mAh capacity (320Wh), the S320 delivers ample power while maintaining a lightweight design at just 3.3kg. Its compact build makes it easy to bring along wherever power is needed, whether at home, outdoors, or on the go. The S320 also features DC multi-device output, allowing users to power multiple compatible devices at the same time. This makes it a practical companion for situations where staying connected and powered is essential. Despite its portable size, the S320 is designed to deliver big power without adding unnecessary bulk to a setup.

INFINIX XEnergy S320

A8 Saturday, October 10, 2026

Education BusinessMirror

Editor: Mike Policarpio

is PHL’s top university for Research confab tackles hurdles Ateneo 5th straight year in THE rankings in Science and Math education A

HE Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) hopes to conduct more research to help address challenges in learning Science and Mathematics.

DOST-SEI gathered graduating scholars under the Capacity Building Program in Science and Mathematics Education Graduate Scholarship Program, along with research advisers, educators, and education leaders, for a four-day national conference in Iloilo City from September 30 to October 3. The 12th National Research Conference in Science and Math-

ematics Education highlights research as a catalyst for improving learning in the said subjects, with 266 presenters lined up to share findings from their theses or dissertations. “What is particularly important about this, apart from them sharing their knowledge with the rest of the community on a national scale…is that their ideas

will also be tested when it comes to challenges in Science and Math education,” said Director Dr. Jayeel Cornelio of SEI. “Many of the questions they are asking in their research are about the crisis we face in basic and higher education, but essentially in basic education.” He added that their research has strong practical applications, not just theory: “That's the kind of research that we foster here, and that’s the kind of research showcased at this conference.” Cornelio said many scholars are returning to their respective schools, mostly public schools, so they can likely use it in local settings. Meanwhile, the SEI director said they are grateful for their larger budget allocation next year, which will allow them to accom-

modate an additional 1,500 undergraduate scholars. Currently, SEI supports more than 54,000 scholars nationwide; about 48,500 are undergraduates, and over 4,000 are pursuing master’s and doctorate degrees. He also underscored the need to support more future professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), whether in research and development, in industry, or in the academe. “Regardless of where our professionals go, whether in research and development, industry, or academe, the important point is that we have a battalion of STEM professionals who can effectively address contemporary issues that matter in our country,” he said. Perla Lena/PNA

Mapúa U reshapes medical education with AI & social accountability agenda

TENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY remains the Philippines’ highest-ranked university for the fifth consecutive year in the recently released 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University R ankings, placing in the 1001–1200 bracket among 2,297 institutions across 118 countries and territories. Ateneo’s research quality primarily drives its overall global position, with a score of 66.9—up from just 52.4 in 2024. It far outstripped its local rivals and many international institutions to land in 705th place worldwide for the metric. These results extend Ateneo's lead among Philippine universities since it joined the 2022 edition as an unranked institution. It jumped to first place in the 2023 edition and has kept its lead since then, retaining its global ranking band from last year. In the 2027 THE rankings, the University of the Philippines in the 1201– 1400 bracket and the University of Santo Tomas in the 1601–1800 band follow Ateneo. De La Salle University and Mapua University both ranked in the 1801–2000 bracket. Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology placed in the 2001+ set. Globally, the University of Oxford ranked first for a record 11th consecutive year. However, the 2027 list high-

Ateneo remains the Philippines’ foremost higher learning institution lights the growing presence of Asian institutions among the world’s leading universities. Three Asian universities appeared in the top 15: China’s Tsinghua University, which overtook Switzerland’s ETH Zurich to take 11th place; followed by Peking University in 13th place; and the National University of Singapore in the 15th spot. THE’s assessment of university performance is based on “five pillars:” teaching, research environment, research quality, industry, and international outlook. The rankings provide an international benchmark and help students evaluate institutions, guide researchers in international collaboration, and allow universities to identify areas for improvement. The assessment offers an external measure of institutional performance in a global context that can inform assessments of an institution’s fulfillment of its mission and vision.

SM Foundation scholars: Turning the page, writing the future

DELEGATES at the conference

APÚA UNIVERSITY, in collaboration with Arizona State University (ASU), spotlighted artificial intelligence (AI) in medical education and the importance of social accountability in healthcare practice at the recent Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) 2026 International Conference held in Manila. Discussions on advancing Generative AI in medical education highlighted active, personalized learning that boosted student engagement, while social accountability showcased collaboration with Indigenous peoples to integrate medical training with cultural sensitivity. B ot h e f for t s a re s e e n to strengthen inclusivity in medical education and positively impact the future of healthcare practice. TUFH 2026 gathered global academic and healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, students, and community leaders under the theme “Bayanihan for Health Equity: Co-Creating Social Innovations for Responsive and Resilient Health Systems.” As the organizing conference partner, Mapúa University showcased innovations and hosted a cultural night for the TUFH delegates.

AI in medical education

AMID shifts from traditional learning, Mapúa University School of Medicine is leading the way to AIempowered healthcare education in the Philippines. Led by Dean Dr. Malaya P. Santos, the team presented its innovative integration of Generative AI and MapúaMedX initiatives at TUFH 2026. Mapúa showcased its embedding of AI in its academic settings, with both faculty and incoming students required to undergo a mandatory 10-hour, self-paced prompt engineering course developed by ASU even before classes start. The move ensures learners and educators enter classes already

equipped with the basic knowledge to use the technology effectively and responsibly. With AI, Mapúa has also seen its impact in revolutionizing education through course design and active, personalized learning. It transformed instruction as AI tools assist in course redesign, lessening instructional material creation time while enhancing personalized learning for various types of learners. AI benefits medical students as lectures can now be replaced with dynamic, active learning experiences. For example, it can simulate realistic patient profiles, allowing students to practice clinical diagnostic dialogues and make learning interactive. Mapúa presented examples of using AI to foster inclusive, innovative, and gamified learning, such as “Discovery in the Dark:” a sensory activity co-designed with a visually impaired patient so that medical students would understand it and cultivate empathy. AI was also used to design escape room simulations to learn more about infectious disease outbreaks. By creating study materials catered to visual, auditory, or textual learning, AI promotes access and personalized learning. T UFH a lso high l ighted MapúaMed X , a dig ita l-ready, modern healthcare initiative that leveraged AI as a collaborative tool to address inequities in medical education and healthcare delivery. “It first addresses inequity in capacity since there is incapacity in faculty and [a] huge number of students. Second is inequities in terms of resource availability—we make sure that everyone is aware of what free AI tools they can use. This also addresses inequity in financial availability. Lastly, awareness of ethical use of AI is still an ongoing conversation,” Dean Santos explained. At the TUFH 2026, Mapúa Uni-

versity is setting a benchmark on how AI-enabled learning and human empathy can work together for inclusivity.

Community for social accountability

TUFH sparked discussions on social accountability as Mapúa University spearheads LAKAS, or “Leading Alliances for Knowledge Advancement and Social Accountability,” the first national community of practice integrating social community, quality assurance, mentoring, and ISAT 2.0-guided institutional self-assessment. With Mapúa School of Medicine as lead convenor, LAKAS unites 12 medical schools nationwide: Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Cebu Normal University (CNU), Mariano Marcos State University, San Beda University, Batangas State University, Bukidnon State University, Isabela State University, Caraga State University, San Beda College Alabang, University of Southeastern Philippines, and University of Southern Mindanao. Participating schools went through intensive workshops to formally integrate social accountability into their core curricula. Notable innovation outcomes presented at TUFH include Bukidnon State University’s partnership with indigenous tribal leaders to create culturally sensitive medical training and CNU’s graduate tracking system, which helps medical schools understand alumni's eventual practice. LAKAS, funded by Germany’s DAAD, or German Academic Exchange Service, under the Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies-National Multiplication Training program, represents a landmark shift in how Philippine medical education and institutions prepare future healthcare practitioners to address the country’s most urgent

health issues. According to Dr. Jake Cortez, this is especially relevant to the Philippines, which faces healthcare disparities across regions: “Social accountability calls for a lig ning education, research, and healthcare service delivery towards the health needs of the people that we are serving.” “That’s [an] important shift in the approach to medical education,” Dr. Cortez began, saying that people would usually define a good doctor by being excellent. “There’s already a call with the Universal Healthcare Act for medical institutions to reorient medical education curriculum towards social accountability. It’s good on paper, but there seems to be a policy-practice gap, so we’re focusing on that,” he said, emphasizing that while clinical competence is vital, true excellence lies in serving where help is needed the most. LAKAS is expected to encourage medical students and graduates to champion grassroots healthcare and target health issues that matter most to Filipinos such as hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular disease, especially across underserved provinces. Dean Santos highlighted the significance of TUFH and Mapúa’s role as an organizing partner, along with The Network: Towards Unity for Health and the University of the Philippines-Manila. “Mapúa University is fully committed to fostering an intersectoral, international, and intergenerational environment for knowledge sharing,” Dean Santos concluded. “We are eager to join hands with other academic organizations and health providers, alongside the entire TUFH network, as we work toward our common goal of expanding access to health care where the need is greatest and improving health outcomes, particularly for underserved communities.”

KHYLE AARON MONTEBON (first from right) now leads Gap Linker Technologies Inc. as CEO and co-founder, building on lessons in resourcefulness and patience he first learned as an SM scholar.

AST September 21, SM Foundation welcomed its newest batch of scholar-alumni at the SMX Convention Center for the “2026 Presentation of the SM College Scholar Graduates: More than a diploma earned; a rite of passage into what comes next.” For many, that next chapter was already underway: a first job, a growing career, and, for some, the chance to start paying it forward. Among the 274 SM scholar graduates of Class 2026 now employed is Victoria A. Kimmayong of Sagada, Mountain Province. She is now an Operations Assistant in Tenant Relations at SM Baguio, after graduating magna cum laude in Business Administration, major in Financial Management, from St. Louis University in Baguio. For Kimmayong, the cap and gown marked the end of one chapter and the start of another. Her SM scholarship led straight into a job with the same organization that made her degree possible. Her most memorable moment as a scholar was her scholarship interview, conducted by a former SM scholar whose encouragement, she said, gave her the confidence that led to her acceptance. With her tuition covered, Kimmayong was able to focus fully on her studies. A summer apprenticeship at Supplies Stationery Inc., arranged through SM Foundation’s summer job program, gave her the experience that helped her land her current post. “I look forward to working hard with SM Baguio, not only to support my family but also to upskill myself to prove my worth,” she said. Fellow Class 2026 graduate Jo-

hann Michael T. Fronda is weighing two job offers: one from Goldilocks and another from SM Investments, while preparing for his board exam this October. The eldest of two children from Taguig City, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering, cum laude, at National University-Manila. The second among four children of a saleswoman and a driver, Khyle Aaron Montebon now leads Gap Linker Technologies Inc., a startup he cofounded, as CEO. Resourcefulness and patience, according to Montebon, were the most valuable lessons his scholarship years taught him, lessons he still relies on today. “The opportunity the foundation gave me didn’t just fund my education,” he said. “It became the solid foundation for where I stand in my professional and entrepreneurial life today.” His path echoes SM founder Henry “Tatang” Sy Sr.’s vision held from the start: that one scholar could help send a sibling to school and lift a family’s future in the process. He now supports two younger siblings still in school: one pursuing medicine, along with a cousin in college and his grandparents’ medical needs. “It is a privilege to pay forward the opportunity I received and live out the foundation’s vision,” he said. “Step by step, we are improving our living standards through house renovations and by investing in our family’s future,” he added. Echoing his learning from “Tatang,” Montebon said: “You have to have a dream, whether big or small. Then plan, focus, work hard, and be very determined to achieve your goals.”

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Tourism Editor: Edwin P. Sallan

Saturday, October 10, 2026 A9

QUEEN CITY ON FOOT

Walking through Cebu’s heritage, culture and flavor Putting Cebu’s stories on one route

Story & photos by Carmel Pedroza

EBU CITY— There is a way to see Cebu without rushing from one attraction to another: walk it. Start at Casa Gorordo, where an ancestral home offers a glimpse into the life of a prominent Cebuano family. From there, the streets lead to the Cebu Heritage Monument, where key chapters of the city’s history are brought together in one imposing tableau. But the story of Cebu is not told through heritage alone. Along the way, history gives way to food—the kind that is familiar to generations of Cebuanos and, for visitors, offers an edible introduction to the city’s culture. At Shamrock Pasalubong Center, the famous Cebuano otap becomes one of the first tastes of the journey. The thin, flaky pastry is among the local products that visitors often bring home, making it both a snack and a piece of Cebu’s food culture that can travel beyond the city. The walk continues to La Fortuna Bakery, where the experience becomes a fuller sampling of Cebuano comfort food. There were snacks of hopia, siopao, and fresh lumpia, with ubod as filling, alongside bam-i. La Fortuna also served some of its best sellers, including hopia dice, maci and pianono. Together, the stops demonstrate how a walking tour can turn food into part of the destination experience rather than something visitors seek out separately after sightseeing. From La Fortuna, the route moves toward Cebu’s religious heart—the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño and Magellan’s Cross—bringing visitors into a part of the city where faith and history have remained deeply intertwined. The journey eventually ends at Puso Village, where the final stop is perhaps the most distinctly Cebuano of all: a meal of lechon and

FROM Casa Gorordo in E. Aboitiz Street, participants of the Cebu Food and Heritage Walk also passed by the historical district of barangay Pari-an where the famous Sandiego-Yap ancestral house is located.

THE Cebu Heritage Monument offers a sculptural tableau of Cebu’s rich history from the time when it was first discovered and how Christianity took center stage in shaping its community now.

tuslob buwa. In roughly three and a half hours, the walk offers a condensed introduction to Cebu through its ancestral homes, monuments, religious landmarks, food traditions, and local products. It is a reminder that experiencing a destination does not always require a long itinerary or a ride between attractions. Sometimes, it simply requires enough time to walk, look around—and taste.

A city told through food and heritage

CEBU’S culinary identity is inseparable from its history.

THE Cebu Food and Heritage Walk ends at Puso Village with a distinctly Cebuano feast of lechon and tuslob buwa, paired with puso, the city’s iconic hanging rice.

PARTICIPANTS in the Cebu Food and Heritage Walk, wearing their Birkenstock footwear of choice, visit Magellan’s Cross, one of Cebu’s best-known historical and religious landmarks included in the walking-tour route.

Food is not simply something visitors consume after seeing the sights; it can be part of the story they take home. The otap at Shamrock, for instance, is more than a convenient pasalubong. It is part of the food vocabulary associated with Cebu, one that visitors can encounter at the beginning of their journey and bring home at the end of it. At La Fortuna, the range becomes broader. The hopia, siopao, fresh lumpia, and bam-i offer a glimpse into the everyday food culture of Cebu, while its hopia dice, maci, and pianono provide additional flavors to explore. The route then moves from food into faith and history, with the Basilica Minore

del Santo Niño and Magellan’s Cross serving as reminders of Cebu’s centuries-old religious heritage. At Puso Village, the experience comes full circle. Lechon and tuslob buwa turn the final stop into another cultural encounter, allowing visitors to experience Cebu not merely by looking at its landmarks but by sitting down and sharing food. For Carlo Cecilio, senior brand manager of Birkenstock, ending the Cebu walk with food was fitting. “The best way to end this walk is to have our stomachs full with food as well,” Cecilio said, citing Cebu’s reputation for its cuisine.

THE Cebu Food and Heritage Walk was developed to bring these different experiences together in a route that visitors can complete on foot. Riza Marie Macaibay, supervising tourism operations officer of the Department of Tourism-Central Visayas, said downtown Cebu is particularly suited for this kind of tourism because many of its historical and cultural attractions are concentrated within a walkable area. “We want to promote walking tours in the Philippines. And this is downtown Cebu; it’s really an ideal area for a walking tour,” Macaibay said. The route was developed with the Cebu Alliance of Tour Operations Specialists, which conducted a soft launch during the Cebu Food and Wine Festival in June. Macaibay said the itinerary can be experienced as an organized tour or explored independently, giving visitors the freedom to spend more time at the places that interest them. For organized tours, visitors may coordinate with DOT-accredited tour operators, with rates depending on the number of participants. The walking format also allows visitors to encounter businesses and establishments that might otherwise be passed by on a vehicle-based tour. That is where the route's tourism-economy potential comes in. A visitor may enter an ancestral house, stop for a local pastry, eat a traditional snack, visit a historic church, and end with a distinctly Cebuano meal—all within one connected experience. Rather than treating heritage, gastronomy and culture as separate tourism products, the walk puts them together.

From Cebu to a wider audience

THE Cebu walk held on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, forms part of “The Philippines by Foot,” an initiative of the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines and Primer Group of Companies in partnership with footwear brand Birkenstock Philippines that seeks to encourage Filipinos and visitors to rediscover destinations by walking. The initiative was localized from Birkenstock

Still a world of its own

Photos by Edwin P. Sallan

EING in proximity to my mother’s hometown of San Narciso, Zambales, which our family regularly visited back in my formative years, Subic has always felt like more than a destination to me. Whether we were just passing by or making a quick stop to shop for imported Post Exchange goods, or simply “PX” as they were referred to back in the day, or dine at Wimpy’s fast food diner, I had some pretty fond memories of the place. When the American bases were still here, I even once, for a very brief moment, chased the American Dream and applied to be in the U.S. Navy here. Obviously, I didn’t make the cut. That setback notwithstanding, my sentimental feelings towards Subic have never changed. The simple excitement about being somewhere different is how I would describe its appeal to me. The roads, the hillside views, the lush greens, the deep blue sea, and that unmistakable atmosphere of a former American base always make the two-to-three-hour road trip (maybe four, if you take public transportation) very much worth it. Notwithstanding some of the similarities it shares with Clark and to a certain extent, Baguio City, Subic to me always feels like a world of its own that’s unlike anywhere else

in the country. So when the family recently decided to spend a weekend here not just to revisit the past but to also see how much progress has transformed it, I was more than thrilled to be part of the ride. When going on family trips, we always try to make sure to include our fur babies, in this case, our two Maltese dogs, Soleil and Dalmi. While it was difficult, if not downright impossible, to take pets on out-of-town staycations in the past, that has happily changed in recent years. These days, it is no longer challenging for fur parents like myself to look for pet-friendly establishments as more and more hotels, resorts, restaurants, and even public transportation options have become more welcoming to our four-legged family members. One such establishment is Ibis Styles Subic, which opened early this year. Built on the grounds of the former Subic International Hotel Complex (SIHC) along Rizal Highway cor. Sta. Rita Road, the 168-room hotel is just a stone’s throw away from many of the Freeport’s popular attractions, including, just across it, the Ayala Malls Harbor Point lifestyle haven. Blending “Subic Bay-inspired design with classic Ibis Styles charm,” I love this hotel’s casual, contemporary, and eco-friendly vibe. Convenient amenities include a lobby café, the all-day Manifesto restaurant that offers tasty Filipino cuisine and continental favorites and Ugga Mugga, a Balinese-inspired coffee shop. The rooms, like the one where we stayed, are designed to be both comfortable and functional with an overall chill atmosphere. More importantly, I love that Ibis Styles serves as a comfortable gateway for exploring Subic and then returning to it for food, rest, and

IBIS Styles

INSIDE the San Roque Chapel

SAN Roque Chapel

IBIS Styles LED Aquarium

SUBIC Bay Sign

DALMI at the cannon beside the Spanish Gate

MANIFESTO Restaurant

conversation. For such exploring purposes, Ibis Styles Subic has partnered with sought-after attractions like Zoobic Safari, Ocean Adventure, Camayan Beach Resort, Adventure Beach Waterpark, Subic International Golf Club, and La Banca Yacht Cruises—effectively turning every visit into a potential full-scale adventure. But of course, the main reason we chose Ibis Styles as our “home base” for this particular trip is mainly because of its pet-friendly policy for a minimal pet fee per day. There is something heartening about seeing dogs discover a new place (in this case, Ibis Styles Subic) as if it were their own temporary king-

dom. From the curious inspection of unfamiliar corners to the sniffing around at our assigned hotel room to enjoying the al fresco view at Ugga Mugga to the eventual settling down, Soleil and Dalmi felt very much at home with their visible tail-wagging approval. Thankfully, the pet-friendliness of Subic is not limited to Ibis Styles alone. Just across from our hotel is Ayala Malls Harbor Point, a lifestyle haven that welcomes cats and dogs in its common hallways, open-air promenades, and courtyard areas. Many stores and restaurants with outdoor seating allow pets as well. Subic’s coastal surroundings also make up an ideal environment to explore the Freeport

Zone with our dogs and have photo opportunities with them, starting with, of course, the famous Subic Bay signage along Waterfront Road near the Subic Bay Boardwalk. Boldly spelled in block letters and set against panoramic backdrops of the bay and stunning sunset views, the sign was intended as a modern photo landmark to welcome Subic visitors. Over the years, it has been constantly updated with colorful themed repainting and festive light enhancements to reflect the staging of local events, seasonal festivals, and tourism-related campaigns. For many tourists, having a photo with the sign is the ultimate “proof of visit” here.

Global’s “Walk Naturally” campaign and has already been brought to destinations including Metro Manila, Zamboanga and Davao. For Cebu, however, the walking experience also creates an opportunity to present the city’s heritage, architecture, food and culture to a wider audience. Cecilio said the documentation from the Cebu walk will be used to showcase the city and its iconic places through materials that can reach an international audience. That gives the walking route a purpose beyond the event itself. The goal is not simply to gather people for an organized walk, but to encourage visitors to see Cebu’s historic core as a destination that can be explored slowly, personally, and on foot. The initiative is also encouraging individuals and walking communities to create and share their own routes through the Philippines by Foot platform.

A different way to discover Cebu

THE strength of the Cebu route may lie precisely in its simplicity. It does not ask visitors to choose between history and food, or culture and sightseeing. Instead, one experience leads naturally to another. A visitor begins with the stories of an old Cebuano home, encounters the city’s history at the Heritage Monument, tastes its familiar pastries and snacks, enters its religious landmarks, and ends with lechon and tuslob buwa. The route transforms the historic core into more than a collection of attractions. It becomes a story that is walked, tasted, and experienced. For Macaibay, that is the appeal of discovering Cebu on foot. “I invite everyone to explore the different side of Cebu from your own perspective,” she said. For a destination already known for its history and food, walking may offer another way to introduce Cebu to travelers from across the Philippines and, eventually, the world. They may come looking for the landmarks. But along the way, they may discover that some of Cebu’s most memorable stories are found not only in its monuments and churches, but in the food shared along the streets between them.

Another familiar proof of visit here in Subic, albeit on a lesser scale, is the Spanish Gate, built in 1885 as the high-security entrance to Spain’s Arsenal de Olongapo and located along Sampson Road in the Central Business District. Considered Subic’s oldest colonial landmark, this coral stone and brick archway is a historic and tangible link to the region's 19th-century maritime military history. Yes, there was a time when Subic was not identified with the Americans. There’s also the San Roque Chapel or the Sanctuario de San Roque, situated along Dewey Avenue in the Freeport’s Central Business District. Constructed in the 1800s for Spanish naval personnel and local workers, the historic church survived World War II damage and Japanese occupation before being rebuilt by the U.S. Navy. Combining Subic’s military past with its modern community life, the serene sanctuary offers a tranquil, air-conditioned haven for worship and spiritual reflection. Of course, no visit to Subic is ever complete without shopping at Royal Duty Free. Located at both Palm Street and Manila Avenue, it was established in the early 1990s following the conversion of the U.S. naval base into a Freeport zone. Despite the proliferation of e-commerce and many other duty-free stores across the country, shopping at these physical stores remains a time-honored tradition in Subic. Its tax-free bargains and nostalgic, hunt-style shopping experience is still hard to beat. The catchphrase, “namili kami sa Duty Free sa Subic,” provides some sort of bragging rights for those of us who have fond memories of buying hard-to-find goodies here. As we were only here for a brief time, we did not get a chance to visit (and in my case, revisit) more of the popular attractions at Subic. But even with all the progress, an air of nostalgia still hovers around here, as many of the popular structures and remnants of its historic past permeate.

A10 Saturday, October 10, 2026

TheWorld

www.businessmirror.com.ph

bars Microsoft, FBI seizes tools used by Chinese US Indian firms from visa hackers for cyber ops, officials say program in talent blow

OS ANGELES—The FBI has seized scanning and phishing tools used by a group of hackers that officials say is associated with the Chinese government and responsible for disruptive cyber operations in the United States and abroad, including against the power industry, academia and critical infrastructure. The seizure of the tools, announced Wednesday by the FBI and Justice Department, represents the latest law enforcement effort in recent years to go after a broad-based hacking campaign known to the private sector as Flax Typhoon.

The tools at issue, called “Microscan” and “FishHub,” were used by the hackers to scan, phish and hack targets that included US and foreign critical infrastructure. The tools were used to target, among other entities, an unnamed power company in the US, Japanese and

Polish airports, Taiwanese universities, a multinational, nongovernmental organization and Taiwanese critical infrastructure companies. The latest operation has rendered the tools inoperable in what FBI and Justice Department officials said was a blow to the hacking operation. “We aim to remove the capability from the threat actors. We target their infrastructure, their money, and their tools,” FBI Cyber Division Deputy Assistant Director Jason Bilnoski told The Associated Press, calling the hacking operation “indiscriminate and reckless.” The tools were operated by a Chinese-based information security company called Integrity Technolog y Group, which the FBI has said is closely associated with the Chinese government

and is the actual identity of Flax Typhoon. In September 2024, the FBI announced that it had disrupted a botnet associated with Flax Typhoon that installed malicious software on more than 200,000 consumer devices, including cameras, video recorders and home and office routers, to create a massive botnet—a network of infected computers. The botnet was used to facilitate cyber crimes, such as the theft of sensitive information from victims’ networks. FBI San Diego Supervisory Special Agent Brett Lally said that the department would continue to monitor for ways that the company might rebuild its infrastructure. “It’ll be interesting to see what this round of disruption actions have in terms of their ability to operate as a company in China,” Lally said. AP

Hegseth vows public firing-squad execution for Fort Hood shooter

EFENSE Secretary Pete Hegseth said the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, a former Army major who killed 13 people in a mass shooting in 2009, would be visible to the public. “He’s going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be,” Hegseth said on the Real America’s Voice network on Thursday. “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.” Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, opened fire at the Fort Hood Soldier Readiness Center in Killeen, Texas, killing 13 and wounding 32 others before he was subdued on November 5, 2009. He was sentenced by a military court

to death after confessing to the shooting. The shooting occurred at the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Hasan, who is Muslim, had become radicalized against the US role in the conflict. He was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan later that month. Hasan will be executed on December 3 at Fort Hood on a Thursday at 1 p.m. Texas time, to mirror the date and timing that the shooting took place 17 years ago, Hegseth said. President Donald Trump approved the execution last week—a decision Hegseth described on Thursday as a “no brainer.” Soldiers with rifles will carry out the execution, he said. Bloomberg News

By Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Matt Day & Alicia A. Caldwell Bloomberg News

HE Trump administration accused Microsoft Corp., Adobe Inc. and a half-dozen other companies of abusing a US worker visa program and suspended them indefinitely from a longstanding immigration initiative that’s served as a crucial talent pipeline for Silicon Valley and Wall Street. The suspensions, announced Thursday by Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, also targeted information technology services giants Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., Infosys Ltd. Tata, Wipro Ltd., HCL Technologies Ltd. and Capgemini SE. Those firms, either based in India or with large operations there, are often called outsourcers for their role offering contract IT work to other businesses. At a briefing in Washington, Sonderling said there were multiple federal investigations under way into the use of a system that allows US employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency. Vance singled out Microsoft, the world’s third most-valuable company, for what he characterized as exploitation of the program. “There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused this system more than Microsoft,” Vance said. In a statement, Microsoft defended its use of visa programs and said that it looked forward to providing the administration with additional information. Adobe and the Indian companies named by Vance and Sonderling didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Shares of Microsoft fell more

than 1.3% in New York trading Thursday, while Cognizant reversed earlier losses and was up more than 5%. American depositary receipts of Infosys turned positive after sharp initial declines, rising more than 1%, while Wipro was down less than 1%. Vance’s comments assailing Microsoft came hours before President Donald Trump honored the company’s chief executive officer, Satya Nadella, with a National Medal of Technology and Innovation at a summit in Washington intended to spotlight US scientific leadership. Just last week, Nadella joined other tech industry leaders at a White House luncheon to discuss safeguards for artificial intelligence. “Microsoft is a great American company, and we have a great relationship with them, they do a lot of important things,” Vance said. “Our message to Microsoft is not that we want to harm your company. It’s that we want your company to thrive, but we want it to thrive by employing and empowering your fellow Americans.” Silicon Valley’s reliance on foreign workers has long been a flashpoint in the debate over immigration. Since Trump’s return to office last year, the administration has seized on those concerns and pressed tech giants to do more to train and hire US workers. As part of that effort, Trump has moved to make it harder for companies to use H-1B visas to attract foreign talent, targeting a major source of workers for the industry. The changes have included proposals for $100,000 filing fees for most candidates and tightening the rules of how the H-1B visas are awarded in an annual lottery, giving priorSee “Microsoft,” A11

TheWorld

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Saturday, October 10, 2026 A11

Trump says US won’t attack Iran before midterm elections By Jennifer A. Dlouhy & Ellen Milligan

Bloomberg News

RESIDENT Donald Trump said in a social media post that the US would “not be attacking Iran” before November’s midterm elections, citing what he said were “productive discussions” with the Islamic Republic. The President’s comments on Thursday amounted to an unusual blending of national security issues and domestic politics. His decision to lay off on new strikes comes despite Iran escalating attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran-backed militants in Yemen attacking energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and the president’s decision to move US bomb-

Microsoft. . . Continued from A10

ity to companies offering the highest salaries. In his remarks, Vance urged the US-based companies to shift their policies to employ more US workers. “Stop defrauding the American worker. Stop importing an indentured servant to do a job that an American worker would happily do,” the vice president said. The suspensions marked the latest move by the Trump administration to crack down on both legal and undocumented pathways to migration, an effort that’s narrowing a key path linking global scientific and engineering workers with US companies across a range of sectors. In a nearly simultaneous announcement Thursday, the administration also said it had opened investigations into foreign exchange visa holders at nine top colleges including Harvard University, Stanford University and MIT. The sweeping fraud probe is focused on J-1 visas, which at universities are often held by international PhD candidates and visiting scholars. During the Thursday summit where Nadella was honored by Trump, the administration announced plans to inject more than $100 million into education programs for American researchers in science, technology, engineering and math. The initiative seeks to boost the number of scientific researchers who are American citizens and reduce the reliance on foreign talent by companies and universities. The moves announced by Vance and Sonderling take aim at the Permanent Labor Certification Program, or PERM, which allows companies to sponsor a foreigner who has been working the US under the H-1B and other visa holders to become a legal permanent resident, the first step to becoming a US citizen. Companies like Microsoft often use the H-1B program to bring in foreign workers and then help some of them remain in the country through the system. Through the third quarter of the 2026 federal fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, Microsoft had filed about 1,680 such petitions for permanent status, according to Department of Labor data. In its statement following the suspensions, Microsoft said that of the 6,000 total H-1B visa applications it submitted in the most recent fiscal year, 80% were to extend or change the status of current company employees. “These were not to hire new people. The remaining filings for new employees were for individuals already legally in the United States who decided to come

ers from a base in the UK because of possible Iran-linked threats. The remarks follow recent reporting in the Atlantic that Trump was mulling plans to strike Iran before the midterm contests and that the White House had asked the Pentagon to prepare options. The New York Times separately reported Thursday that senior White House national security work for us, and they equal only 1% of our U.S. Workforce,” the company said on its corporate blog. The Permanent Labor Certification Program is a major retention tool for Microsoft, which has a reputation for helping employees with work visas seek permanent legal status. The Redmond, Washington-based company has long bolstered its US-based workforce with employees in the country on H-1B visas, as well as visas for intracompany transfers and recent university graduates. Outside the tech industry, Wall Street firms and telecommunications companies have also relied on the H-1B program through their use of IT contractors from staffing and outsourcing agencies. Staffing companies have developed a lucrative business recruiting programmers and other technology professionals from abroad and placing them with US clients. In the first nine months of the 2026 fiscal year Microsoft was the fifth highest user of H-1B visas, with 3,688. The company trailed behind Apple Inc., Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and Amazon.com Inc., according to H-1B employer data published by US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Over the last decade, Microsoft has used nearly 54,000 such visas, ranking fourth among the largest users, behind Amazon, Infosys and Tata, according to USCIS data. For years, TCS and other Indian outsourcers were among the heaviest users of H-1B visas, regularly drawing fire for taking over the tech operations at major US companies and then bringing in temporary Indian workers at salaries below their American counterparts. But the Indian companies have pulled back in recent years in the face of political backlash and the Trump administration’s move to hike fees on H-1B visas to $100,000. Nasscom, a lobbying group that represents Indian IT services companies, said that many of those businesses have significantly reduced their dependence on H-1B visas, a shift that has translated into fewer requests for permanent status. “While the decision affects a specific immigration pathway, Nasscom has consistently maintained that immigration and skilled talent mobility are two distinct issues and should not be viewed through the same lens,” the group said in a statement. Even though the tech industry has embraced Trump in his second term, due to policies that have sought to ease their tax and regulatory burden and draw investments to build out AI infrastructure, the administration’s immigration crackdown has been a sore spot.

officials recently discussed plans that included an intense three-day campaign. Trump said in an interview with Time Magazine published earlier this month that ramped-up military strikes against Iran were “possible” following the elections. Late last month, the Pentagon deployed an additional aircraft carrier and 10,000 sailors and Marines to the Persian Gulf, a US official previously told Bloomberg. That move bolsters the two aircraft carriers already in the region and gives American commanders more options if Trump chooses to launch new attacks on Iran, the official said. Trump has suggested Iran was waiting to see how his Republican Party would do during the midterms. In September, he explicitly dismissed the relevance of the vote when it came to the Iran war. “I gave absolutely no credence

and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran,” Trump said. “It doesn’t even enter my mind.” In his Thursday post, the president did not offer any details about the discussions he said were happening with Iran. Talks have remained deadlocked over a host of issues including control of the vital Strait of Hormuz. The president rejected an Iranian offer after holding discussions via mediators during United Nations meetings in September. Trump has repeatedly cited productive or ongoing diplomatic talks with Iran without any results. He’s also repeatedly threatened military escalation against Tehran, sometimes without ordering new attacks. Trump added on Thursday that a US naval blockade of Iranian exports would remain in place. Yet fresh tanker attacks by Iran threaten to curtail a recent uptick

in oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz: UK Maritime Trade Operations reported nine attacks in the waterway so far in October. A nd w h i le oi l s h ipme nt s through Hormuz are approaching prewar levels with the US military’s assistance, the recent spate of Iranian attacks have already helped trigger another surge in oil prices. The US has moved its B-1B bombers from the Royal Air Force base in Fairford, England, citing terror threats. The base had been used by the US in its bombing campaign against Iran earlier in the conflict, but the warplanes were hastily removed following the arrests of a number of men outside the base. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it’s likely Iran was involved in the plot, with Trump saying the bombers were removed to lower the security risks. British officials told Bloomberg

they’re concerned Trump’s decision will embolden Tehran and Moscow to use more proxies to carry out sabotage attacks. European officials are already struggling to contend with a Russian campaign of so-called hybrid warfare attacks across the continent, with attempted attacks in Germany and elsewhere. Back in the Middle East, the Ira n-bac ked Hout h i m i l it a nt group in Yemen also struck two airports in neighboring Saudi Arabia in the past two days, killing three people and injuring dozens more, in a blow to one of Washington’s key partners in the Middle East. The US is currently opting out of taking a direct role in a Saudibacked counter-offensive to take back Houthi-claimed territory, but Saudi Arabia’s allies could come under pressure to become more involved as ballistic missiles are fired toward Riyadh.

WTO raises merchandise trade growth forecast to 3.9% as AI boom offsets hit from Middle East

ENEVA—The World Trade Organization (W TO) is sharply increasing its forecast for merchandise trade growth worldwide this year, more than doubling its earlier prediction to 3.9% as booming artificial intelligence (AI) investments offset a hit from the war in the Middle East. The Geneva-based trade body says global trade chugged along at a hearty pace, as supply chains adapted and AI-related spending poured in to provide “a powerful boost to goods trade.” The revised forecast marks a big jump from an initial WTO forecast in this spring for 1.9% growth for merchandise trade. The figure ex-

cludes services trade. The trade body forecast growth next year of 4.1%, up from 2.9% predicted in March. “The revision reflects evidence that global supply chains adapted to disruptions in energy and fertilizer markets, while strong investment in AI-related infrastructure boosted trade in AI-enabling goods,” WTO said. Trade of oil and gas and fertilizer through the Persian Gulf was shaken after the US-Israeli war against Iran began in February. WTO said merchandise trade grew 3.5% in the first half of the year, powered by the artificial intelligence market. “Demand for AI-enabling goods such as semiconductors and servers

accounted for 47% of global merchandise trade growth in the first half of 2026, and trade in these products rose by 67% year-on-year, accelerating from the already rapid expansion seen in 2024 and 2025,” WTO said. Robert Steiger, its chief economist, said WTO teams — like most forecasters — have been “surprised” at the strength of the AI investment boom. They anticipated that strong growth in AI-enabling goods like electronics and computers would moderate over time because of already-high growth last year and “market saturation” eventually. “This actually has not happened. Trade in AI-enabling goods grew 16% in value terms in 2024. It grew 31%

in value terms in 2025, and it grew an astonishing 67% in the first half of 2026,” he told reporters at WTO headquarters. Liquefied natural gas exports from the Middle East fell by 47% in the first half of the year, while crude oil exports dropped by nearly a quarter, WTO said. But shipments from other suppliers helped limit the decline to roughly 1% for LNG and about 6% for crude. WTO said it expects global GDP to grow 2.6% this year and 2.9% in 2027, even though it predicted that the Middle East conflict will continue to weigh on trade through higher energy prices and transport route disruptions. AP

Sports BusinessMirror

A12 Saturday, October 10, 2026

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Editor: Jun Lomibao

TEEN FIGURE SKATERS GET TARGETED ONLINE

EENAGE figure skaters as young as 13 are being increasingly targeted by abusive comments on social media, Olympic gold medalist Evan Bates has warned. In a sport which has seen revived popularity since the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Bates said some users were creating “toxic environments” around livestreamed events like Junior Grand Prix figure skating. That’s a key event for competitors aged 13 and older with dreams of becoming Olympians in the future. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in viewership and our online streams, but with that comes more chatter and unfortunately more of that negativity,” said Bates, who chairs the International Skating Union’s (ISU) athletes committee. “We’re talking about minors and kids who don’t deserve that kind of abuse. A skater’s pursuit of their dream to skate at ISU level shouldn’t come at the expense of their mental health or well-being,” she said. Bates was speaking ahead of the ISU signing up Friday to a campaign against online abuse. The ISU, which runs figure skating and speedskating, has also pledged to extend a program giving competitors access to AIpowered software which can hide abusive comments on their social media accounts from view. Bates and his ice dance partner Madison Chock are two of the most experienced and decorated athletes in the sport. The 37-year-old American said he wanted to see other high-profile skaters be more vocal when they see online abuse. “More and more I’d love to see these athletes, these older athletes who’ve been through it, step forward and call out people who are creating these kind of toxic environments for skaters,” he said. In an unusual meeting of skating and auto racing, the ISU has signed up to the United Against Online Abuse campaign. That was originally set up by auto racing body the FIA, whose own sport has increasingly seen on-track rivalries

Explosive games raise curtains on PVL’s 10th season

SOME users are creating “toxic environments” around livestreamed events like Junior Grand Prix figure skating. AP mirrored by social-media hostility. Bates said he’s trying to recruit skaters to use a tool he likened to a “shield” which blocks abusive or negative posts from view on their social media despite a “natural hesitance” to allow a third-party tool access to their accounts. He said the tool has flagged up 300,000 “negative comments,” half of them during the Olympics, on the accounts of 92 skaters using the system. “I think to a certain extent it is internet culture. I don’t think it’s new. Harassment and abuse of athletes isn’t new,” Bates said. “As a soccer fan or a football fan, NBA fan, it’s sometimes crazy to hear the things that even people in the

stadium shout at the players on the field. I think now there’s just a means to reaching athletes through social media that’s more direct.”

Clark goes to Mitchell’s rescue

C AITLIB CL ARK still wants Kelsey Mitchell as a teammate—even though Clark understands that’s not always easy. In her final interview of the season, Clark denounced the hateful messages Mitchell says she’s received on social media and urged the soonto-be free agent to stay with the Indiana Fever for one more season. Mitchell has spent her entire nine-year career with Indiana and Clark said she was “upset” Mitchell

or anyone else would be subjected to degrading remarks. “I saw Kelsey’s comments and as a teammate, it makes you upset because you care about your teammates so much, and you don’t want anyone to go through something like that,” Clark said. “I think for the people who have followed me, obviously, there is such a microscope on me and that kind of comes with everybody I’ve been teammates with whether that was my time at Iowa, whether that’s been here and that comes with a lot of great things. And then, at times, there can be some negatives.” She added: “I think as far as people that have used me to, you know, demonstrate racist rhetoric or hate or

discrimination, that’s not something I stand for. That’s never been something I’ve stood for. For those of you who know me, that’s not what I’m about. It’s not how I was raised, so really disappointing when people do that.” Clark was responding to the comments Mitchell made Saturday during her exit interview and the challenges that of living life in such a glaring spotlight. Since Clark’s arrival in 2024, the Fever have become one of the WNBA’s most watched teams. AP

Lady Tamaraws extend winning streak

F TONY LASCUÑA (center) holds his trophy and prize as he poses with Egay Rubiano (left) and Randy Nonato during award ceremony. PMEC PHOTO

Lascuña continues to defy father time

CAPITAL1 gets a formidable frontline with Erika Santos and Vannie Gandler. PVL PHOTO

IVE-TIME Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner Tony Lascuña added another title to his vast trophy collection on Tuesday after surviving a tense finish to rule the 50-59 age bracket of the Pasay Mayor Emi Cup at Villamor Golf Club recently. Lascuña, 55, tallied 38 points under the Stableford Points scoring system to edge Genaro Basijan in the countback and capture the crown in the pro division. The victory further underscored Lascuña’s enduring form and competitive fire, coming as a timely morale boost as he prepares for the next PGT leg in Cagayan de Oro next week. Aging Gabo finished third with 36 points, also taking the tiebreak over Ronald Pactolerin. Former pro tour campaigner Armando Eso topped the Seniors Pro 60-69 division with 38 points, beating Ed Salupeza by two points. Domeng Umadhay, another former PGT mainstay, placed third with 32 points. Tony Arevalo ruled the 70-and-above Senior Pro division after scoring 33 points, edging Dave Hernandez, who finished with 32. Other winners in the 18-hole tournament, organized by the Pilipinas Senior Pro Golf Tour Organization headed by president, former national champion and multi-titled pro Mars Pucay, were Ben Que (Class A), John Garzon (Class B), Roland Cruz (Class C) and Ding del Rosario (Ladies Class A). Arnel Enema and Allan Navasero also emerged as the pro-am champions with 75 points.

AR Eastern University barely broke a sweat to claim its second straight win at the expense of San Sebastian CollegeRecoletos, 25-14, 25-16, 25-21, in the 2026 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Unity Cup on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Lovely Lopez scored nine of her 13 points in the third set, punching in crucial hits to help the Lady Tamaraws repel the Lady Stags’ desperate fightback as FEU took the solo top spot in Pool C. “We just focused on sharpening our serve-andpass game, that’s what we’ve been working on,” said Lopez, who recorded 11 kills, one ace, and one kill block, in addition to three digs. “We also concentrated on our spiking—specifically, how to create options for our attacks.” Mitzi Panangin and Alyzza Devosora added six points each while Kyle Pendon chipped in five points in the Lady Tamaraws’ 75-minute domination of SSC-R.

FEU took adva nt age of t he L ady St ags’ 23 er rors, inc lud ing a ser v ice fau lt to end t he showdow n, a nd outg u nned SSC-R , 4124, in att ac k s. The Lady Stags showed signs of resistance in the third set, threatening the Lady Tamaraws with repeated rallies. FEU saw its 12-5 lead trimmed to just three, 12-9, after SSC-R scored four straight points aided by Lopez’s three consecutive errors. Lopez stopped the Lady Tamaraws’ bleeding with a down the line kill. Audrey Santos, daughter of FEU basketball legend Arwin Santos, pushed the Lady Tamaraws at match point, 24-19. The Lady Stags saved two match points before committing a miscue from the service line. FAR Eastern University’s Gerzel Petallo is furious on the spike against San Sebastian’s Lesly Wenceslao. SSL PHOTO

Senator Bam hails Team PHL to Asian Games

ENATOR Bam Aquino has commended the 446-strong Philippine delegation and all Filipino medalists who competed in the AichiNagoya 20th Asian Games for delivering the country’s biggest medal haul at the quadrennial meet in six decades. AQUINO Aquino alsop stressed that the country’s strong performance underscores the need for sustained investment in grassroots sports development, athlete training, sports facilities, coaching, and support programs to give more Filipinos opportunities to discover, develop and showcase their talents at the national and international levels. In his Senate Resolution No. 702, Aquino lauded the Philippine team for bringing home 29 medals—four golds, nine silvers and 16 bronzes—

across various sports during the recent event. The total medal tally was the country’s biggest since garnering 42 medals in the 1966 edition of the Asian Games in Bangkok. The team also surpassed the country’s 18-medal haul in the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. “With the valiant effort of our Filipino athletes in their respective events, the Philippines delivered an impressive performance, garnering four gold medals, nine silver medals and 16 bronze medals across various sports,” Aquino said. The country’s four gold medals came from twotime Olympic gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo, who topped the men’s vault and floor exercise in artistic gymnastics; Ernest John “EJ” Obiena, who won the men’s pole vault; and Jesus Gabriel Derick Yape, who captured gold in mixed individual virtual taekwondo. Among the nine silver medalists were Jean Claude Saclag in MMA; Gilas Pilipinas Women in

3x3 basketball; Abegail Sinogbuhan, Jean Marie Sucalit and Jay Salon in women’s doubles sepak takraw; Amaya Amparo Cojuangco in archery; Juliana Mykhail Candelaria, Tachiana Mangin and Kurt Bryan Barbosa in taekwondo; Carlo Paalam in boxing; and Alex Enriquez in jiu-jitsu. Bronze medalists were Princess Catindig, Bien Zoleta, Christy Sanosa, Shyryn Salazar, and Hilary Paas in women’s team soft tennis; Samantha Veguillas, Ysabielle Arrogante, and Rebecca Torres in women’s team kata in karate; Marie June Adriano in women’s individual kumite; Karl Jahrel Eldrew Yulo in men’s horizontal bar in artistic gymnastics; Albert Ian Delos Santos in men’s 70kg weightlifting; John Cabang Tolentino in the men’s 110m hurdles; and Lance David, Ducke Harnold Leoncio, Lawrence Anthony Gatmaitan, Kim Rey Salazar, Robert John Mempin, and Michael Vaughan Ocio of Team Sibol in Pokémon UNITE Esports.

HE Premier Volleyball League (PVL) opens its landmark 10th season Saturday at the SM Seaside Cebu Arena in Cebu City with Creamline and Choco Mucho expected to draw the usual throngs of loyal supporters and new crowd favorite Capital1 trying to get a share of the spotlight. At the center of the Solar Spikers’ transformation is Bella Belen, who brought her UAAP pedigree to an impressive rookie campaign last season and this time, she will be joined by established stars Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos, giving Capital1 a formidable frontline. Janel Maraguinot and Jasmine Nabor will alternate at setter, giving the Solar Spikers multiple options as they look to make their offense hum from the opening serve. Capital1, which joined the PVL in 2024, has so far managed a seventh-place finish in last year’s Reinforced Conference as its best showing, but with Belen and former Cignal aces Gandler and Santos now leading a deeper lineup, however, the Solar Spikers are determined to make a quick leap from also-ran to championship contender. They will get an immediate test from Choco Mucho, which plays Capital1 at 1 p.m. in the openingday blockbuster. The Flying Titans are also coming into the season with a roster built to contend—Eya Laure, Sisi Rondina and a deep supporting cast that includes Kat Tolentino, Isa Molde, Dindin Manabat, Maddie Madayag, Des Cheng, Ysa Encarnacion and Mean Mendrez. Deanna Wong, Ali Bicar and Christine Ubaldo give Choco Mucho depth at setter. Laure is eager to get the new campaign going, while Rondina provides the kind of explosive firepower that can change the complexion of a match in an instant. The opening-day action culminates at 6 p.m. with another heavyweight clash as Creamline faces Akari. The Cool Smashers begin the season not only chasing a 12th championship but also seeking to validate a lineup built around Jema Galanza, Bernadette Pons, Tots Carlos, Michele Gumabao and crowd favorite Alyssa Valdez. They will be backed by Bea de Leon, Lorie Bernardo and new recruit Ishie Lalongisip. Akari, meanwhile, brings an equally potent arsenal, with Ivy Lacsina, Eli Soyud, Faith Nisperos, Grethcel Soltones, Fifi Sharma, Ced Domingo and Jyne Soreño forming an explosive offensive corps capable of challenging any defense. Sandwiched between the two PVL matches will be the opening-day contest in the Spikers’ Turf, with Alpha Insurance and Savouge facing off at 3:30 p.m. For the men’s league, the move opens the door to a bigger stage, a broader audience, and even greater momentum as it continues to elevate and grow the sport. For fans, it means an even bigger volleyball experience—with more of the country’s top talent coming together under one roof, making every trip to the arena that much more exciting. The elaborate opening ceremonies in Cebu are part of the organizing Sports Vision’s continuing push to broaden the reach of professional volleyball.